bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Exercise capacity in long‐term survivors of pediatric cancer: An analysis from the cardiac risk factors in childhood cancer survivors study
Authors: Miller Angela M. , Lopez‐Mitnik Gabriela , Somarriba Gabriel , Lipsitz Stuart R. , Hinkle Andrea S. , Constine Louis S. , Lipshultz Steven E. , Miller Tracie L.
Published: December 2012

Background

Childhood cancer survivors may have premature symptomatic cardiovascular and non‐cardiovascular diseases that contribute to reduced capacity for physical activity. Studies of exercise capacity and identification of risk factors for reduced capacity in survivors are limited.

Procedure

We assessed maximal myocardial oxygen consumption (${\rm V}_{{\rm O}_{2} \,{\rm max}} $, a measure of exercise capacity) in survivors at least 4 years after cancer diagnosis and sibling controls. We evaluated associations between ${\rm V}_{{\rm O}_{2} \,{\rm max}} $ and age, sex, treatments, cardiac structure and function, biomarkers, endocrine function, and physical activity.

Results

Of 72 survivors (mean age, 22 years; range, 8.0–40 years) and 32 siblings (mean age, 20.2 years; range, 8–46 years), about half were male. Mean time since diagnosis was 13.4 years (range, 4.5–31.6 years). In age‐ and sibling‐pair adjusted analyses, ${\rm V}_{{\rm O}_{2} \,{\rm max}} $ was lower in survivors than siblings (males, 28.53 vs. 30.90 ml/kg/minute, P = 0.08; females, 19.81 vs. 23.40 ml/kg/minute, P = 0.03). In males, older age (P = 0.01), higher percent body fat (P < 0.001) and high or low left ventricular (LV) mass Z‐scores (P = 0.03) predicted lower ${\rm V}_{{\rm O}_{2} \,{\rm max}} $. In females, older age (P < 0.001), methotrexate exposure (P = 0.01), and higher, but normal, LV load‐dependent contractility (P = 0.02) predicted lower ${\rm V}_{{\rm O}_{2} \,{\rm max}} $.

Conclusions

Fitness for most survivors and controls was poor and generally lower in survivors, particularly females. Older age, higher body fat, methotrexate exposure, and extremes of LV mass/function were associated with lower ${\rm V}_{{\rm O}_{2} \,{\rm max}} $ in survivors. Because physical activity can improve nutritional and cardiac conditions, survivors should be encouraged to exercise regularly with close monitoring. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60: 663–668. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Expression of c‐FLIP in pulmonary metastases in osteosarcoma patients and human xenografts
Authors: Rao‐Bindal Krithi , Rao Chethan K. , Yu Ling , Kleinerman Eugenie S.
Published: December 2012

Objective(s)

We have previously shown that Fas expression inversely correlates with the metastatic potential of osteosarcoma (OS) to the lung. FasL is constitutively expressed in the lung microenvironment and eliminates Fas+ OS cells leaving Fas− cells to form metastases. Absence of FasL in the lung epithelium or blocking the Fas‐signaling pathway interfered with this clearance mechanism allowing Fas+ cells to remain and form lung metastases. We also demonstrated that while the majority of patient OS lung metastases were Fas−, 10–20% of the lesions contained Fas+ cells, suggesting that these cells were not sensitive to FasL‐induced apoptosis. The expression of c‐FLIP, an inhibitor of the Fas pathway, has been associated with tumor development, progression, and resistance to chemotherapy. We therefore evaluated the expression of c‐FLIP in OS patient tumor specimens and human xenograft lung metastases.

Methods

OS patient tissues, which included both primary and metastatic lesions, were evaluated for the expression of c‐FLIP. In addition, tumors from human OS xenografts were examined for c‐FLIP expression.

Results

c‐FLIP expression was significantly higher in the lung metastases than in the primary tumors.

Conclusion(s)

c‐FLIP may play an important role in the metastatic potential of OS to the lung. Inhibition of c‐FLIP may be a future therapeutic target. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60: 575–579. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Children's Oncology Group's 2013 blueprint for research: Renal tumors
Authors: Dome Jeffrey S. , Fernandez Conrad V. , Mullen Elizabeth A. , Kalapurakal John A. , Geller James I. , Huff Vicki , Gratias Eric J. , Dix David B. , Ehrlich Peter F. , Khanna Geetika , Malogolowkin Marcio H. , Anderson James R. , Naranjo Arlene , Perlman Elizabeth J. ,   on behalf of the COG Renal Tumors Committee
Published: December 2012

Renal malignancies are among the most prevalent pediatric cancers. The most common is favorable histology Wilms tumor (FHWT), which has 5‐year overall survival exceeding 90%. Other pediatric renal malignancies, including anaplastic Wilms tumor, clear cell sarcoma, malignant rhabdoid tumor, and renal cell carcinoma, have less favorable outcomes. Recent clinical trials have identified gain of chromosome 1q as a prognostic marker for FHWT. Upcoming studies will evaluate therapy adjustments based on this and other novel biomarkers. For high‐risk renal tumors, new treatment regimens will incorporate biological therapies. A research blueprint, viewed from the perspective of the Children's Oncology Group, is presented. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60: 994–1000. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Children's Oncology Group's 2013 blueprint for research: acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Authors: Hunger Stephen P. , Loh Mignon L. , Whitlock James A. , Winick Naomi J. , Carroll William L. , Devidas Meenakshi , Raetz Elizabeth A. ,   on behalf of the COG Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Committee
Published: December 2012

Approximately 90% of the 2,000 children, adolescents, and young adults enrolled each year in Children's Oncology Group acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) trials will be cured. However, high‐risk subsets with significantly inferior survival remain, including infants, newly diagnosed patients with age ≥10 years, white blood count ≥50,000/µl, poor early response or T‐cell ALL, and relapsed ALL patients. Effective strategies to improve survival include better risk stratification, optimizing standard chemotherapy and combining targeted therapies with cytotoxic chemotherapy, the latter of which is dependent upon identification of key driver mutations present in ALL. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60: 957–963. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Children's Oncology Group's 2013 blueprint for research: Survivorship and outcomes
Authors: Armenian Saro H. , Landier Wendy , Hudson Melissa M. , Robison Leslie L. , Bhatia Smita ,   on behalf of the COG Survivorship and Outcomes Committee
Published: December 2012

Improvements in the treatment of childhood cancer have resulted in over 360,000 survivors of childhood cancer in the U.S. There is now a heightened recognition of the need to reduce treatment‐related sequelae and optimize the quality of life of children treated for cancer. Survivorship studies conducted in the cooperative group setting have provided us with important information on long‐term intellectual function, organ toxicity, reproductive outcomes, second cancers, late mortality, and disparities in outcomes. Ongoing health education initiatives have helped standardize the follow‐up care for childhood cancer survivors and facilitate the early transfer of health‐related information to patients, families, and healthcare providers. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60: 1063–1068. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Anaplastic oligodendroglioma in an adolescent with Lynch syndrome
Authors: Heath John A. , Ng Jessica , Beshay Victoria , Coleman Lee , Lo Patrick , Amor David J.
Published: December 2012

Lynch syndrome (hereditary non‐polyposis colorectal cancer; HNPCC) is an autosomal dominant cancer predisposition syndrome with high penetrance. It is caused by heterozygous germline mutations in one of the DNA mismatch repair (MMR) genes MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2. Carriers are at high‐risk for developing colorectal carcinomas, as well as various extracolonic malignancies. This case report describes a 15 year‐old male with a confirmed germline mutation of MSH2 and early onset anaplastic oligodendroglioma. The patient's tumor showed loss of expression of MSH2 and MSH6 proteins with normal microsatellite stability. The immunohistochemical staining pattern provided strong evidence to support the inclusion of anaplastic oligodendroglioma as part of the spectrum of tumors found in Lynch syndrome. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60: E13–E15. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Children's Oncology Group's 2013 blueprint for research: Adolescent and young adult oncology
Authors: Freyer David R. , Felgenhauer Judy , Perentesis John ,   on behalf of the COG Adolescent and Young Adult Oncology Discipline Committee
Published: December 2012

The discipline of Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Oncology addresses compelling medical and psychosocial needs of AYA patients across the spectrum of cancer survivorship. To be successful, extraordinary collaboration involving multiple scientific disciplines and specialties is required. While AYA Oncology is international in scope, recent AYA‐focused studies conducted in the Children's Oncology Group (COG) have documented survival disparities, toxicity differences, and biological insights that provide the basis for new COG trials and initiatives for this population. This experience will be useful in leveraging the new United States National Cancer Institute Clinical Trials Network to transform AYA Oncology research. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60: 1055–1058. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Children's Oncology Group's 2013 blueprint for research: Epidemiology
Authors: Spector Logan G. , Ross Julie A. , Olshan Andrew F. ,   on behalf of the COG Epidemiology Committee
Published: December 2012

Investigators worldwide have for over 40 years conducted case–control studies aimed at determining the causes of childhood cancer. The central challenge to conducting such research is the rarity of childhood cancer, thus many studies aggregate cases through clinical trials organizations such as COG. Rarity also precludes the use of prospective study designs, which are less prone to recall and selection biases. Despite these challenges a substantial literature on childhood cancer etiology has emerged but few strong environmental risk factors have been identified. Genetic studies are thus now coming to the fore with some success. The ultimate aim of epidemiologic studies is to reduce the population burden of childhood cancer by suggesting preventive measures or possibly by enabling early detection. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2013; 60: 1059–1062. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Efficiency of high energy electrons to produce polypropylene/natural rubber‐based thermoplastic elastomer
Authors: Mondal Manas , Gohs Uwe , Wagenknecht Udo , Heinrich Gert
Published: December 2012

High energy electrons have been used to induce chemical crosslinking in 50/50 blend of polypropylene and natural rubber. The blend morphology was generated during melt mixing and not changed by high energy electron treatment in the solid state at room temperature. The variation of absorbed dose (150–350 kGy) at fixed electron energy (1.5 MeV) brings a dramatic change in the properties of the polymer blend. In addition, the effect of a polyfunctional monomer (PFM) and the absorbed dose on the tensile properties of the polymer blend was investigated. The presence of a PFM led to blends having an elongation at break of about 350% and a tensile strength of nearly 14 MPa after the treatment with a comparatively low dose of 150 kGy. The morphology of the blends was found to be co‐continuous. A plausible mechanistic pathway for the phenomenon leading to enhancement of property has been suggested for better understanding of structure–property‐relationship. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 2013. © 2012 Society of Plastics Engineers.
A facile method for the preparation of thermally remendable cross‐linked polyphosphazenes
Authors: Cheng Xinjian , Peng Cheng , Zhang Daohong , Liu Shuzheng , Zhang Aiqing , Huang Hui , Lian Jiansheng
Published: December 2012

Novel cross‐linked polyphosphazenes with remendable capacity have been synthesized through the Diels‐Alder reactions. Their structure and properties were characterized by NMR, FT‐IR, GPC, DSC, TGA SEM, and polarizing microscope. The process of Diels‐Alder reaction (D‐A reaction) and retro‐Diels‐Alder reaction (retro‐D‐A reaction) have been investigated by FT‐IR, UV, and DSC. The cross‐linked polyphosphazenes exhibited remendable capability only need a thermal treatment when they were cut by blade, any other treatments such as additional monomer or catalyst, surface treatment or pressure were not needed. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013
High‐performance holographic polymer‐dispersed liquid crystals by incorporating hyperbranched polymers
Authors: Park Ji Hye , Kim Byung Kyu
Published: December 2012

A minute amount (0.01–0.3 wt %) of ally isocyanate functionalized hyperbranched 2,2‐bis (hydroxymethyl) propionic acid (bis‐MPA) polyester‐16‐hydroxyl (HBP) was incorporated covalently into polyurethane acrylate‐based holographic polymer dispersed liquid crystals (HPDLCs), and its effects on the compound viscosity, grating kinetics, morphology, diffraction efficiency (DE), and electro‐optical properties of the HPDLC films were examined. HBP at low concentrations (0.01–0.05%) reduced the compound viscosity and domain size of liquid crystal (LC) significantly and augmented the cure rate and saturation DE by up to threefold compared to the HBP‐free compound. At high concentrations (0.10 and 0.30%), HBP increased the compound viscosity and decreased the rate of grating formation, giving rise to distorted LC‐polymer interfaces, which caused a significant decrease in the threshold and operating voltages. The rise and decay time showed a minimum and maximum, respectively, when the compound viscosity was a minimum at 0.03% HBP. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013
Chiral oxazoline substituted optically active poly(m‐phenylene)s: Synthesis and coupling polymerizations of (S)‐4‐benzyl‐2‐(3,5‐dihalidephenyl) oxazoline using transition metal catalysts
Authors: Rattanatraicharoen Poompat , Tanaka Yoko , Shintaku Keiko , Kawaguchi Takuro , Yamabuki Kazuhiro , Oishi Tsutomu , Onimura Kenjiro
Published: December 2012

Optically active poly(m‐phenylene)s substituted with chiral oxazoline derivatives have been synthesized by the nickel‐catalyzed Yamamoto coupling reaction of optically active (S)‐4‐benzyl‐2‐(3,5‐dihalidephenyl)oxazoline derivatives (X = Br or I). The structures and chiroptical properties of the polymers were characterized by spectroscopic methods and thermal gravimetric analyses. The polymers showed higher absolute optical specific rotation values than their corresponding monomer, and showed a Cotton effect at transition region of conjugated main chain. The optical activities of the polymers should be attributed to the higher order structure such as helical conformations. Moreover, the helical conformation could be induced by addition of metal salts into polymer solutions. The polymers showed good thermal stabilities, which was attributable to the oxazoline side chains. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2013
Review on Energetic Thermoplastic Elastomers (ETPEs) for Military Science
Authors: Kanti Sikder Arun , Reddy Sreekantha
Published: December 2012

Energetic thermoplastic elastomers (ETPE) are futuristic binders for propellant/explosive formulations. Various aspects of ETPEs are addressed in this review. Synthesis modes of different copolymers for ETPEs are discussed. Attention is also given to formulations and thermal studies of ETPE‐based propellants and explosives. Processing methods and parameters of composition are included. As the cost and environmental concerns are prime factors of future generation propellants/explosives, the recovery and reprocessing methods are also briefly discussed.
Light neutralino dark matter in the MSSM and its implication for LHC searches for staus
Authors: Bélanger Geneviève , Biswas Sanjoy , Bœhm Céline , Mukhopadhyaya Biswarup
Published: December 2012

Abstract

It was shown in a previous study that a lightest neutralino with mass below 30 GeV was severely constrained in the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM), unless it annihilates via a light stau and thus yields the observed dark matter abundance. In such a scenario, while the stau is the next-to-lightest supersymmetric particle (NLSP), the charginos and the other neutralinos as well as sleptons of the first two families are also likely to be not too far above the mass bounds laid down by the Large Electron Positron (LEP) collider. As the branching ratios of decays of the charginos and the next-to-lightest neutralino into staus are rather large, one expects significant rates of tau-rich final states in such a case. With this in view, we investigate the same-sign ditau and tri-tau signals of this scenario at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) for two MSSM benchmark points corresponding to light neutralino dark matter. The associated signal rates for these channels are computed, for the centre-of-mass energy of 14 TeV. We find that both channels lead to appreciable rates if the squarks and the gluino are not too far above a TeV, thus allowing to probe scenarios with light neutralinos in the 14 TeV LHC run with 10–100 fb−1.
Cardiac Remodeling in Obese Patients After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy
Authors: Cavarretta Elena , Casella Giovanni , Calì Benedetto , Dammaro Carmelisa , Biondi‐Zoccai Giuseppe , Iossa Angelo , Leonetti Frida , Frati Giacomo , Basso Nicola
Published: December 2012

Background

Obesity is associated with high morbidity and represents an increasing health care problem worldwide. Laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) has been used effectively for weight loss and co‐morbidity remission. In this retrospective study, we evaluated cardiac reverse remodeling at medium‐term follow‐up by echocardiography, the amount of cardiovascular medications, and the impact of co‐morbidities after sleeve gastrectomy.

Methods

Altogether, 16 obese patients (4 men, 12 women; 46.4 ± 10.3 years) underwent complete clinical evaluation, laboratory tests, and color Doppler/tissue Doppler imaging echocardiography preoperatively and 12–20 months after bariatric surgery.

Results

Body weight (mean body mass index) was significantly reduced (from 44.8 ± 8.0 to 31.2 ± 7.8 kg/m2; p = 0.001). Lipid profile significantly improved: total cholesterol and triglycerides decreased (respectively: 215.5 ± 53.8 vs. 205.3 ± 46.6 mg/dl and 184.9 ± 109.3 vs. 116.1 ± 49.9 mg/dl, both p ≤ 0.05), and high‐density lipoprotein increased (43.1 ± 10.9 vs. 51.4 ± 12.8 mg/dl, p = 0.005). Systolic blood pressure significantly decreased (from 133.0 ± 17.1 to 120.6 ± 13.7 mmHg; p = 0.04). Diabetes remission was complete in five of six patients (83 %) and sleep apnea in four of five (80 %). Echocardiography showed significantly reduced interventricular septum and posterior wall thickness (11.3 ± 1.8 to 9.4 ± 2.1 mm and 10.4 ± 1.7 to 8.6 ± 1.9 mm, respectively; both p < 0.007) and reduced left ventricular mass (absolute value and indexed by height, respectively: 222.41 ± 78.2 to 172.75 ± 66.3 g (p = 0.003) and 55.9 ± 14.3 to 43.8 ± 17.2 g/m2.7 (p = 0.0004). Antihypertensive drug intake was significantly reduced (p = 0.03), as shown by the 10‐year Framingham Risk Score (from 14.2 ± 9.3 to 8.3 ± 9.5 %, p = 0.003).

Conclusions

Sleeve gastrectomy is associated with marked improvement in terms of weight loss, lipid profile, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, hypertension, and left ventricular hypertrophy, with a significantly reduced Framingham Risk Score.
Newborn Screening for SCID Identifies Patients with Ataxia Telangiectasia
Authors: Mallott Jacob , Kwan Antonia , Church Joseph , Gonzalez-Espinosa Diana , Lorey Fred , Tang Ling Fung , Sunderam Uma , Rana Sadhna , Srinivasan Rajgopal , Brenner Steven E. , Puck Jennifer
Published: December 2012

Purpose

Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) is characterized by failure of T lymphocyte development and absent or very low T cell receptor excision circles (TRECs), DNA byproducts of T cell maturation. Newborn screening for TRECs to identify SCID is now performed in several states using PCR of DNA from universally collected dried blood spots (DBS). In addition to infants with typical SCID, TREC screening identifies infants with T lymphocytopenia who appear healthy and in whom a SCID diagnosis cannot be confirmed. Deep sequencing was employed to find causes of T lymphocytopenia in such infants.

Methods

Whole exome sequencing and analysis were performed in infants and their parents. Upon finding deleterious mutations in the ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene, we confirmed the diagnosis of ataxia telangiectasia (AT) in two infants and then tested archival newborn DBS of additional AT patients for TREC copy number.

Results

Exome sequencing and analysis led to 2 unsuspected gene diagnoses of AT. Of 13 older AT patients for whom newborn DBS had been stored, 7 samples tested positive for SCID under the criteria of California’s newborn screening program. AT children with low neonatal TRECs had low CD4 T cell counts subsequently detected (R = 0.64).

Conclusions

T lymphocytopenia in newborns can be a feature of AT, as revealed by TREC screening and exome sequencing. Although there is no current cure for the progressive neurological impairment of AT, early detection permits avoidance of infectious complications, while providing information for families regarding reproductive recurrence risks and increased cancer risks in patients and carriers.
Daxx is a key downstream component of receptor interacting protein kinase 3 mediating retinal ischemic cell death
Authors: Lee Yun-Suk , Dayma Yogesh , Park Min-Young , Kim Kyung Il , Yoo Sung-Eun , Kim Eunhee
Published: December 2012

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Ku80 attentuates cytotoxicity induced by green fluorescent protein transduction independently of non‐homologous end joining
Authors: Koike Manabu , Yutoku Yasutomo , Koike Aki
Published: December 2012

The green fluorescent protein (GFP) is the most commonly used reporter protein for monitoring gene expression and protein localization in a variety of living and fixed cells, including not only prokaryotes, but also eukaryotes, e.g., yeasts, mammals, plants and fish. In general, it is thought that GFP is nontoxic to cells, although there are some reports on the side effect of GFP. Further, details of the molecular mechanism concerning the side effect of GFP remain unclear. Here we show that Ku80, but not XRCC4, plays an important role in the mechanism of the resistance to cytotoxicity induced by enhanced GFP (EGFP). EGFP inhibited both cell proliferation and colony formation, and induced cell death in Ku80‐deficient hamster cells, i.e., xrs‐6 cells. In addition, Ku80 attenuated EGFP‐induced cytotoxicity in the xrs‐6 cells. No EGFP‐induced cytotoxicity was observed in the NHEJ core protein XRCC4‐deficient hamster cells, i.e., XR‐1 cells. Furthermore, EGFP markedly enhanced X‐ray‐induced cytotoxicity in the xrs‐6 cells. These results suggest that Ku80 plays a key role in the novel NHEJ‐independent defense mechanism against EGFP‐induced cytotoxicity. Caution should be taken in considering of the potential influence by the stress response mechanism, namely, the Ku80‐dependent elimination mechanism of EGFP‐induced cytotoxicity, being activated, even when using EGFP‐expressing cells in which Ku80 functions normally.
Dynamic Analysis and Preliminary Evaluation of a Spring-Loaded Upper Limb Exoskeleton for Resistance Training with Overload Prevention
Authors: Wu T.-M. , Chen D.-Z.
Published: December 2012

Resistance training has been shown to be effective for developing musculoskeletal strength and is recommended by many major health organizations, such as the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. This form of training is available for most populations, including adolescents, healthy adults, the elderly, and the clinical population. Resistance training equipment design relies heavily on the analysis of human movement. Dynamic models of human movement help researchers identify key forces, movements, and movement patterns that should be measured. An at-home resistance training upper limb exoskeleton has been designed with a three-degree-of-freedom shoulder joint and a one-degree-of-freedom elbow joint to allow movement of the upper limb at single and multiple joints in different planes. The exoskeleton can continuously increase the resistance as the spring length changes to train more muscle groups and to reduce the potential risk of muscle injury to the upper limb by free weights and training equipment. The objectives of this research were to develop a dynamic model of the spring-loaded upper limb exoskeleton and to evaluate this model by adopting an appropriate motion analysis system to verify our hypotheses and to determine the optimal configuration of a spring-loaded upper limb exoskeleton for further verification studies.
Medieval business networks: St Mary's guild and the borough court in later medieval Nottingham
Authors: GODDARD RICHARD
Published: December 2012

Historians have suggested that medieval urban guilds played a role in political and commercial networking. Guilds’ commercial protectionism was designed to benefit their membership and close ties have been discovered between merchant guilds and urban oligarchies. This article asks if all guilds should be viewed as commercial networking hubs. It uses evidence from a later fourteenth-century membership roll of St Mary's guild in Nottingham in conjunction with Nottingham's borough court rolls to analyse the commercial connections between members and non-members in that period. It concludes that the guild did not function as a networking hub.
‘The city in our hands’: urban management and contested modernity in nineteenth-century Belgrade
Authors: JOVANOVIĆ MILOŠ
Published: December 2012

This article examines the image of the city and notions of urban management in the discourse of elite groups in Belgrade between 1830 and the late 1860s. It focuses on the negotiation of modernity in heterogeneous cultural spaces, particularly looking at the textual interplay of power, orientalized exoticism and notions of backwardness. These discourses were integral to the processes of managing urban populations and homogenizing the cityscape. The city's specific political situation as a site of dual authority, however, left room for minor acts of contestation which questioned the primacy of exclusion and dispossession as bases for modern urban transformation. This dynamic interplay framed the city as a site of conflict between mutually defining forces of ‘Europeanization’ and ‘backwardness’.
The celebration, condemnation and reinterpretation of the Geddes plan, 1925: the dynamic planning history of Tel Aviv
Authors: HYSLER RUBIN NOAH
Published: December 2012

The article presents the short urban history of Tel Aviv as a case-study for critical readings in urban planning. Focusing on Patrick Geddes’ celebrated plan for the city (1925) and its various interpretations along the years, the main claim made in the article is that when present planners are confronted with a past which does not suit current needs, history is contested, or reinvented entirely. The appreciation of Geddes’ plan over the years always reflected the city's contemporary image and its planners’ attitudes, which initially reflected the pioneering spirits of the city's Zionist creation. The plan was later blamed for the city's deterioration; and finally celebrated again, alongside the city's new found architectural heritage and urban spirit.
When Multi-Method Research Subverts Methodological Pluralism—or, Why We Still Need Single-Method Research
Authors: Ahmed Amel , Sil Rudra
Published: December 2012

While acknowledging the many forms and contributions of multi-method research (MMR), we examine the costs of treating it as best practice on the grounds that it reduces method-specific weaknesses and increases external validity for findings. Focusing on MMR that combines some type of qualitative analysis with statistical or formal approaches, we demonstrate that error-reduction and cross-validation are not feasible where methods are not sufficiently similar in their basic ontologies and their conceptions of causality. In such cases, MMR may still yield important benefits—such as uncovering related insights or improving the coding of variables—but these can be readily obtained through collaboration among scholars specializing in single-method research (SMR). Such scholars often set the standards for the application of particular methods and produce distinctive insights that can elude researchers concerned about competently deploying different methods and producing coherent findings. Thus, the unchecked proliferation of multi-method skill sets risks forefeiting the benefits of SMR and marginalizing idiographically-oriented qualitative research that fits less well with formal or quantitative approaches. This would effectively subvert the pluralism that once gave impetus to MMR unless disciplinary expectations and professional rewards are predicated on a more balanced and nuanced understanding of what various forms of SMR and MMR bring to the table.
Authoritarianism, Elections, Democracy?
Authors: Isaac Jeffrey C.
Published: December 2012

The demand for democracy is a pervasive feature of contemporary political discourse. It is a compelling demand, for citizens and elites who rally beneath the banner of “democracy” and for political scientists who study the ways citizens and elites rally beneath banners in order to mobilize, seek, and contest political power. The force of this demand was captured by the cover of our June 2011 issue, which featured a wall in Egypt's Tahrir Square covered with graffiti stating that “Mubarak must go” and calling for “freedom” and “democracy.”
Beyond Patronage: Violent Struggle, Ruling Party Cohesion, and Authoritarian Durability
Authors: Levitsky Steven R. , Way Lucan A.
Published: December 2012

We explore the sources of durability of party-based authoritarian regimes in the face of crisis. Recent scholarship on authoritarianism suggests that ruling parties enhance elite cohesion—and consequently, regime durability—by providing institutionalized access the spoils of power. We argue, by contrast, that while elite access to power and spoils may ensure elite cooperation during normal times, it often fails to do so during crises. Instead, the identities, norms, and organizational structures forged during periods of sustained, violent, and ideologically-driven conflict are a critical source of cohesion—and durability—in party-based authoritarian regimes. Origins in violent conflict raise the cost of defection and provide leaders with additional (non-material) resources that can be critical to maintaining unity and discipline, even when a crisis threatens the party's hold on power. Hence, where ruling parties combine mechanisms of patronage distribution with the strong identities, solidarity ties, and discipline generated by violent origins, regimes should be most durable.

We apply this argument to four party-based competitive authoritarian regimes in post-Cold War Africa: Kenya, Mozambique, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. In each of these cases, an established single- or dominant-party regime faced heightened international pressure, economic crisis, and a strong opposition challenge after 1990. Yet whereas ruling parties in Kenya and Zambia were organized almost exclusively around patronage, those in Mozambique and Zimbabwe were liberation parties that came to power via violent struggle. This difference is critical to explaining diverging post-Cold War regime outcomes: whereas ruling parties in Zambia and Kenya imploded and eventually lost power in these face of crises, those in Mozambique and Zimbabwe remained intact and regimes survived.
The Arab Spring: Why the Surprising Similarities with the Revolutionary Wave of 1848?
Authors: Weyland Kurt
Published: December 2012

Prominent scholars have highlighted important similarities between the Arab Spring of 2011 and the “revolutions” of 1848: Both waves of contention swept with dramatic speed across whole regions, but ended up yielding rather limited advances toward political liberalism and democracy. I seek to uncover the causal mechanisms that help account for these striking parallels. Drawing on my recent analysis of 1848, I argue that contention spread so quickly because many people in a wide range of countries drew rash inferences from the downfall of Tunisia's dictator. Applying cognitive heuristics that psychologists have documented, they overrated the significance of the Tunisian success, overestimated the similarities with the political situation in their own country, and jumped to the conclusion that they could successfully challenge their own autocrats. This precipitation prompted protests in many settings that actually were much less propitious; therefore problems abounded. Cognitive shortcuts held such sway because Arab societies were weakly organized and repressed and thus lacked leaders from whom common people could take authoritative cues. The decision whether to engage in emulative contention fell to ordinary citizens, who—due to limited information access and scarce experience—were especially susceptible to the simple inferences suggested by cognitive heuristics.
The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS)
Authors: Dan-Glauser Elise S. , Scherer Klaus R.
Published: December 2012

Successful emotion regulation is a key aspect of efficient social functioning and personal well-being. Difficulties in emotion regulation lead to relationship impairments and are presumed to be involved in the onset and maintenance of some psychopathological disorders as well as inappropriate behaviors. Gratz and Roemer (2004 ) developed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), a comprehensive instrument measuring emotion regulation problems that encompasses several dimensions on which difficulties can occur. The aim of the present work was to develop a French translation of this scale and to provide an initial validation of this instrument. The French version was created using translation and backtranslation procedures and was tested on 455 healthy students. Congruence between the original and the translated scales was .98 (Tucker’s phi) and internal consistency of the translation reached .92 (Cronbach’s α). Moreover, test-retest scores were highly correlated. Altogether, the initial validation of the French version of the DERS (DERS-F) offers satisfactory results and permits the use of this instrument to map difficulties in emotion regulation in both clinical and research contexts.
Terrorists Among Us
Authors: Fischer Andreas , Oswald Margit E. , Seiler Stefan
Published: December 2012

Support among US citizens for severe interrogation has been recognized as drawing upon utilitarian as well as on retributive motivation ( Carlsmith & Sood, 2009 ). Two studies were conducted to expand on these findings in a Swiss sample. In Study 1, participants rated the severity of different interrogation techniques, which were scaled to provide an alternative measure of interrogation severity. In Study 2, retributive motivation was manipulated by varying the terrorist past of a male suspect, and utilitarian motivation was manipulated by varying the probability that the suspect could provide valuable information. Additionally, we manipulated the suspect’s group membership. The results of the vignette study suggest that the number and severity of recommended interrogation techniques is mainly influenced by whether the suspect might provide valuable information. Whether the suspect had a terrorist past was an additional influence that, however, was primarily attributable to the suspect’s group membership: If the suspect belonged to the ingroup, participants’ harsher interrogation recommendations were affected by that person’s past, whereas recommendations were not significantly influenced by a terrorist past if the suspect was an outgroup member.
Early Loss of Pericytes and Perivascular Stromal Cell-Induced Scar Formation after Stroke
Authors: Fernández-Klett Francisco , Potas Jason R , Hilpert Diana , Blazej Katja , Radke Josefine , Huck Jojanneke , Engel Odilo , Stenzel Werner , Genové Guillem , Priller Josef
Published: December 2012

Despite its limited regenerative capacity, the central nervous system (CNS) shares more repair mechanisms with peripheral tissues than previously recognized. Scar formation is a ubiquitous healing mechanism aimed at patching tissue defects via the generation of fibrous extracellular matrix (ECM). This process, orchestrated by stromal cells, can unfavorably affect the capacity of tissues to restore function. Vascular mural cells have been found to contribute to scarring after spinal cord injury. In the case of stroke, little is known about the responses of pericytes (PCs) and stromal cells. Here, we show that capillary PCs are rapidly lost after cerebral ischemia in both experimental and human stroke. Coincident with this loss is a massive proliferation of resident platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta (PDGFRβ)+ and CD105+ stromal cells, which originate from the neurovascular unit and deposit ECM in the ischemic mouse brain. The presence of PDGFRβ+ stromal cells demarcates a fibrotic, contracted, and macrophage-laden lesion core from the rim of hypertrophic astroglia in both experimental and human stroke. We suggest that a previously unrecognized population of CNS-resident stromal cells drives a dynamic process of scarring after cerebral ischemia, which appears distinct from the glial scar and represents a novel target for regenerative stroke therapies.
Heterogeneity of Cortical Lesions in Multiple Sclerosis: An MRI Perfusion Study
Authors: Peruzzo Denis , Castellaro Marco , Calabrese Massimiliano , Veronese Elisa , Rinaldi Francesca , Bernardi Valentina , Favaretto Alice , Gallo Paolo , Bertoldo Alessandra
Published: December 2012

In this study, dynamic susceptibility contrast-magnetic resonance imaging (DSC-MRI) was used to quantify the cerebral blood flow (CBF), the cerebral blood volume (CBV), and the mean transit time (MTT) and to analyze the changes in cerebral perfusion associated with the cortical lesions in 44 patients with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis. The cortical lesions showed a statistically significant reduction in CBF and CBV compared with the normal-appearing gray matter, whereas there were no significant changes in the MTT. The reduced perfusion suggests a reduction of metabolism because of the loss of cortical neurons. A small population of outliers showing an increased CBF and/or CBV has also been detected. The presence of hyperperfused outliers may imply that perfusion could evolve during inflammation. These findings show that perfusion is altered in cortical lesions and that DSC-MRI can be a useful tool to investigate more deeply the evolution of cortical lesions in multiple sclerosis.
Different molecular mechanisms involved in spontaneous and oxidative stress-induced mitochondrial fragmentation in tripeptidyl peptidase-1 (TPP-1)-deficient fibroblasts
Authors: Van Beersel Guillaume , Tihon Eliane , Demine Stéphane , Hamer Isabelle , Jadot Michel , Arnould Thierry
Published: December 2012

NCLs (neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses) form a group of eight inherited autosomal recessive diseases characterized by the intralysosomal accumulation of autofluorescent pigments, called ceroids. Recent data suggest that the pathogenesis of NCL is associated with the appearance of fragmented mitochondria with altered functions. However, even if an impairement in the autophagic pathway has often been evoked, the molecular mechanisms leading to mitochondrial fragmentation in response to a lysosomal dysfunction are still poorly understood. In this study, we show that fibroblasts that are deficient for the TPP-1 (tripeptidyl peptidase-1), a lysosomal hydrolase encoded by the gene mutated in the LINCL (late infantile NCL, CLN2 form) also exhibit a fragmented mitochondrial network. This morphological alteration is accompanied by an increase in the expression of the protein BNIP3 (Bcl2/adenovirus E1B 19 kDa interacting protein 3) as well as a decrease in the abundance of mitofusins 1 and 2, two proteins involved in mitochondrial fusion. Using RNAi (RNA interference) and quantitative analysis of the mitochondrial morphology, we show that the inhibition of BNIP3 expression does not result in an increase in the reticulation of the mitochondrial population in LINCL cells. However, this protein seems to play a key role in cell response to mitochondrial oxidative stress as it sensitizes mitochondria to antimycin A-induced fragmentation. To our knowledge, our results bring the first evidence of a mechanism that links TPP-1 deficiency and oxidative stress-induced changes in mitochondrial morphology.
The kinetic properties of a human PPIP5K reveal that its kinase activities are protected against the consequences of a deteriorating cellular bioenergetic environment
Authors: Weaver Jeremy D. , Wang Huanchen , Shears Stephen B.
Published: December 2012

We obtained detailed kinetic characteristics–stoichiometry, reaction rates, substrate affinities and equilibrium conditions–of human PPIP5K2 (diphosphoinositol pentakisphosphate kinase 2). This enzyme synthesizes ‘high-energy’ PP-InsPs (diphosphoinositol polyphosphates) by metabolizing InsP6 (inositol hexakisphosphate) and 5-InsP7 (5-diphosphoinositol 1,2,3,4,6-pentakisphosphate) to 1-InsP7 (1-diphosphoinositol 2,3,4,5,6-pentakisphosphate) and InsP8 (1,5-bis-diphosphoinositol 2,3,4,6-tetrakisphosphate), respectively. These data increase our insight into the PPIP5K2 reaction mechanism and clarify the interface between PPIP5K catalytic activities and cellular bioenergetic status. For example, stochiometric analysis uncovered non-productive, substrate-stimulated ATPase activity (thus, approximately 2 and 1.2 ATP molecules are utilized to synthesize each molecule of 1-InsP7 and InsP8, respectively). Impaired ATPase activity of a PPIP5K2-K248A mutant increased atomic-level insight into the enzyme's reaction mechanism. We found PPIP5K2 to be fully reversible as an ATP-synthase in vitro, but our new data contradict previous perceptions that significant ‘reversibility’ occurs in vivo. PPIP5K2 was insensitive to physiological changes in either [AMP] or [ATP]/[ADP] ratios. Those data, together with adenine nucleotide kinetics (ATP Km=20–40 μM), reveal how insulated PPIP5K2 is from cellular bioenergetic challenges. Finally, the specificity constants for PPIP5K2 revise upwards by one-to-two orders of magnitude the inherent catalytic activities of this enzyme, and we show its equilibrium point favours 80–90% depletion of InsP6/5-InsP7.
Impact of thermal boundary conductances on power dissipation and electrical breakdown of carbon nanotube network transistors
Authors: Prakash Gupta Man , Chen Liang , Estrada David , Behnam Ashkan , Pop Eric , Kumar Satish
Published: December 2012

We study the impact of thermal boundary conductance (TBC) at carbon nanotube (CNT)-substrate interfaces and CNT junctions on power dissipation and breakdown in CNT network based thin film transistors (CN-TFTs). Comparison of our results from an electro-thermal transport model of CN-TFTs to experimental measurements of power dissipation and temperature profiles allows us to estimate the average CNT-SiO2 TBC as g ∼ 0.16 Wm−1 K−1 and the TBC at CNT junctions as GC ∼ 2.4 pWK−1. We find the peak power dissipation in CN-TFTs is more strongly correlated to the TBC of the CNT-substrate interface than to the TBC at CNT junctions. Molecular dynamics simulations of crossed CNT junctions also reveal that the top CNT is buckled over ∼30 nm lengths, losing direct contact with the substrate and creating highly localized hot-spots. Our results provide new insights into CNT network properties which can be engineered to enhance performance of CN-TFTs for macro and flexible electronics applications.
Thermal conductivity of sawtooth-like graphene nanoribbons: A molecular dynamics study
Authors: Zhang Hui-Sheng , Guo Zhi-Xin , Gong Xin-Gao , Cao Jue-Xian
Published: December 2012

In this work, we have employed the classical non-equilibrium molecular dynamics method to investigate the thermal conductivity of sawtooth-like graphene nanoribbons (SGNRs). It is found that the thermal conductivity of SGNRs is much smaller than that of straight armchair-GNRs. When the length of SGNRs is fixed, the thermal conductivity of SGNRs is very sensitive to n (length of the segmented graphene nanoribbons (GNRs)). Our results indicate that the thermal conductivity of SGNRs reduces remarkably at first and then increases with n increasing. The length and width dependence of thermal conductivity for SGNRs is further explored. Interestingly, we find the thermal conductivity of SGNRs is nearly independent on the length, while it is more sensitive to the width. Our results provide a better understanding for GNR and GNR based nanostructures in thermal management.
Effect of betanin natural dye extracted from red beet root on the non linear optical properties ZnO nanoplates embedded in polymeric matrices
Authors: Thankappan Aparna , Thomas Sheenu , Nampoori V. P. N.
Published: December 2012

In this article, we have investigated the effect of betanin natural dye extracted from red beetroot on nonlinear optical properties of ZnO nanoplates embedded in polymeric matrices through the Z-scan technique using an Nd: YAG laser (532 nm, 7 ns, 10 Hz). We observed reverse saturable absorption (RSA) at 532 nm for dye and ZnO nanoplates. A strong influence on RSA behavior of nanoplates-PVA matrix was observed by adding betanin natural dye. The influence of betanin on the nonlinear character of ZnO-PVA system leads to saturable absorption and again to RSA on increasing input fluence. Such a change over in the sign of the nonlinearity is due to the interplay of the exciton bleaching and optical limiting mechanisms, and probably due the presence of sucrose. Theoretical analysis has been performed using a model based on nonlinear absorption coefficient and saturation intensity. The result of present study gives an additional mechanism for the gain enhancement in dye doped ZnO matrix.
Optical absorption in highly strained Ge/SiGe quantum wells: The role of Γ→Δ scattering
Authors: Lever L. , Ikonić Z. , Valavanis A. , Kelsall R. W. , Myronov M. , Leadley D. R. , Hu Y. , Owens N. , Gardes F. Y. , Reed G. T.
Published: December 2012

We report the observation of the quantum-confined Stark effect in Ge/SiGe multiple quantum well heterostructures grown on Si0.22Ge0.78 virtual substrates. The large compressive strain in the Ge quantum well layers caused by the lattice mismatch with the virtual substrate results in a blue shift of the direct absorption edge, as well as a reduction in the Γ-valley scattering lifetime because of strain-induced splittings of the conduction band valleys. We investigate theoretically the Γ-valley carrier lifetimes by evaluating the Γ→L and Γ→Δ scattering rates in strained Ge/SiGe semiconductor heterostructures. These scattering rates are used to determine the lifetime broadening of excitonic peaks and the indirect absorption in simulated absorption spectra, which are compared with measured absorption spectra for quantum well structures with systematically varied dimensions. We find that Γ→Δ scattering is significant in compressively strained Ge quantum wells and that the Γ-valley electron lifetime is less than 50 fs in the highly strained structures reported here, where Γ→Δ scattering accounted for approximately half of the total scattering rate.