bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How Do Partners Find out About the Risk of Huntington's Disease in Couple Relationships?
Authors: Keenan Karen Forrest , Simpson Sheila A. , Miedzybrodzka Zosia , Alexander David A. , Semper June
Published: January 2013

Whilst a growing body of work has explored family communication about Huntington's disease and how at‐risk individuals learn about their risk, the experience of telling a partner and partners’ experiences of finding out about this potentially devastating hereditary illness have received little attention. This study describes the experiences of partners in finding out about Huntington's disease and any impact on couple's relationships/marriages. We undertook a thematic analysis of qualitative interviews which explored the dynamics of partners’ marriages after predictive testing and partners’ views of genetic counseling. A main theme from partners’ accounts was how they found out about their spouse's risk of Huntington's disease and the impact this had on marital relations. The analysis revealed four types of disclosure experiences: (1) marital secrets; (2) alerting, but not telling; (3) knowing and seeing; (4) marital ignorance. Our findings demonstrate that partners’ experiences of (non)disclosure about the risk of HD within marriages is an important factor which contributes to couples’ coping or marital problems. Exploring how spouses found out about their partner's risk of HD will illuminate issues about a couple's past and future patterns of communication and their coping strategies. A practical and ethical implication is the extent to which genetic counselors should inform partners about the course and nature of Huntington's disease when a partner is the support person for the individual being tested.
Development of the tibiofemoral angle in a cohort of Nigerian children during the first 3 years of life
Authors: Oyewole Olufemi O. , Akinpelu Aderonke O. , Odole Adesola C.
Published: January 2013

Purpose

Findings from cross-sectional studies of knee angle development in Nigerian children vary in values and in the age at which the varus angle changes to the valgus angle. This study was conducted to describe knee angle development and to determine the age when the knee angle changes from the varus to the valgus angle.

Methods

This was a longitudinal survey of 152 Nigerian children recruited within 3 weeks of life and followed up monthly until age 3 years. Their knee angle was measured using clinical methods.

Results

The mean tibio-femoral/varus knee angle (13.2 ± 3.8°) at birth–3 weeks of life decreased sharply to 5.6 ± 0.7° at 9 months, increased slightly to 6.3 ± 1.1° at 13 months, and then decreased again up to age 18 months (0.3 ± 2.1°). The mean valgus knee angle increased from −2.4 ± 2.5° at 19 months of life to −8.5 ± 2.5° at 27 months and then decreased to −7.7 ± 2.2° at 36 months. Intercondylar/intermalleolar distances (ICD/IMD) showed a similar pattern, changing from an extreme varus knee (ICD) at birth–3 weeks of life (2.5 ± 0.7 cm), decreasing to 0.6 ± 0.2 cm at 9 months, increasing to 0.8 ± 0.5 cm at 12 months, and decreasing to 0.1 ± 0.4 cm at 15 months. The mean IMD increased from −0.1 ± 0.8 cm at 16 months of life to −2.0 ± 1.5 cm at 29 months and then decreased up to 36 months. Our tri-modal analysis showed that the transition from the varus to the valgus angle was between 18 and 19 months.

Conclusion

Our findings suggest that the developmental pattern of the knee angle in Nigerian children is at maximal varus at birth, neutral at 18 months of life, and valgus at 19 months, with the valgus angle continuing to increase up to 36 months.
Stabilization of the 2D incompressible Euler system in an infinite strip
Authors: Nersisyan Hayk
Published: January 2013

The paper is devoted to the study of a stabilization problem for the 2D incompressible Euler system in an infinite strip with boundary controls. We show that for any stationary solution

(c,0)

of the Euler system there is a control which is supported in a given bounded part of the boundary of the strip and stabilizes the system to

(c,0)

.
Effect of pH on the catalytic function and zinc content of native and immobilized anthrax lethal factor
Authors: Montpellier Lise H. , Siemann Stefan
Published: January 2013

LF
and
LF

bind by fluorescence technology (View interaction)
Synergistic effect of WRI1 and DGAT1 coexpression on triacylglycerol biosynthesis in plants
Authors: Vanhercke Thomas , El Tahchy Anna , Shrestha Pushkar , Zhou Xue-Rong , Singh Surinder P. , Petrie James R.
Published: January 2013

Metabolic engineering approaches to increase plant oil levels can generally be divided into categories which increase fatty acid biosynthesis (‘Push’), are involved in TAG assembly (‘Pull’) or increase TAG storage/decrease breakdown (‘Accumulation’). In this study, we describe the surprising synergy when Push (WRI1) and Pull (DGAT1) approaches are combined. Co‐expression of these genes in the Nicotiana benthamiana transient leaf expression system resulted in TAG levels exceeding those expected from an additive effect and biochemical tracer studies confirmed increased flux of carbon through fatty acid and TAG synthesis pathways. Leaf fatty acid profile also synergistically shifts from polyunsaturated to monounsaturated fatty acids.
Endometrial ablation for the treatment of heavy menstrual bleeding in obese women
Authors: Madsen Annetta M. , El‐Nashar Sherif A. , Hopkins Matthew R. , Khan Zaraq , Famuyide Abimbola O.
Published: January 2013

Objective

To compare the efficacy and safety of endometrial ablation (EA) among obese versus non‐obese women.

Methods

A retrospective cohort study of 666 women who underwent EA at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, USA, between January 1, 1998, and December 31, 2005, was conducted. Obesity was defined as a body mass index (BMI, calculated as weight in kilograms divided by the square of height in meters) of 30 or above. Outcome measures included treatment failure and amenorrhea. Regression models were used to compare outcomes and adjust for known confounders.

Results

The mean BMI was 29.6 ± 7.7; 263 women (39.5%) were classified as obese. No difference was observed in treatment failure at 5 years between the obese and non‐obese cohorts (11.6% vs 9.7%) with an adjusted hazard ratio of 0.96 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.60–1.53; P = 0.878). The crude 12‐month amenorrhea rate was higher among non‐obese than obese women (24.3% vs 17.5%); however, this difference was not significant after adjusting for known predictors of amenorrhea. The odds ratio was 1.28 (95% CI, 0.75–2.19; P = 0.366). Adverse events were rare and comparable between the cohorts.

Conclusion

The use of EA is a safe and effective option for women with obesity.
Chloritoid in the bottom sediments of the Akademichesky Ridge of Lake Baikal, an indicator of eolian transportation
Authors: Vologina E.G. , Fedotov A.P.
Published: January 2013

We present results of study of Holocene and Late Pleistocene deposits recovered on the underwater Akademichesky Ridge in Lake Baikal. The change in mineral composition and grain size in the bottom sediment core is closely consistent with the change of major diatom complexes marking the Holocene–Late Pleistocene boundary. A high content of chloritoid (up to 14.6%) has been found among the heavy minerals of the sand fraction of Late Pleistocene clays. The concentration of chloritoid in Holocene mud is no higher than 1.2%. The source of chloritoid is chloritoid shales of the Anaya Formation (Upper Proterozoic), widespread in the watershed of the Primorsky Ridge in the upper reaches of the Lena and Anaya Rivers. Chloritoid was transported to the area of the Akademichesky Ridge by predominant western and northwestern winds, which is also evidenced from the absence of mechanical impacts on the surface of its grains. The high contents of chloritoid in the Late Pleistocene sediments are due to the more intense eolian transportation at that time as compared with the Holocene.
Hydrocarbon migration in the Zagros Basin, offshore Iran, for understanding the fluid flow in the Oligocene–Miocene carbonate reservoirs
Authors: Shariatinia Z. , Haghighi M. , Feiznia S. , Alizai A.H. , Levresse G.
Published: January 2013

Kuh-e Mond Field is a conventional heavy oil resource in the Zagros foreland Basin, Iran, produced from the fractured carbonates partially filled by dolomite, calcite, and anhydrite cement. Vitrinite reflectance data from carbonate reservoir suggest low-maturation levels corresponding to paleotemperatures as low as 50 °C. The observed maturation level (<0.5% Rmax) does not exceed values for simple burial maturation based on the estimated burial history. Oil inclusions within fracture-filled calcite and dolomite cement indicate the key role of these fractures in oil migration.

The fluid inclusion temperature profiles constructed from the available data revealed the occurrence of petroleum in dolomite, calcite, and anhydrite and characterize the distinct variations in the homogenization temperatures (Th). Fluid inclusions in syntectonic calcite veins homogenize between 22 °C and 90 °C, showing a salinity decrease from 22 to 18 eq. wt.% NaCl. Fluid inclusions in anhydrite homogenize at <50 °C, showing that the pore fluids became warmer and more saline during burial. The Th range in the calcite-dolomite cement depicts a change in water composition; therefore, we infer these cements precipitated from petroleum-derived fluids. The microthermometry data on the petroleum fluid inclusions suggest that the reservoir was filled with heavy black oils and high-salinity waters and indicate that undersaturated oil was present in a hydrostatically pressured reservoir.

The Th data do not support vertical migration of hot fluids througout the section, but extensive lateral fluid migration, most likely, drove tectonically dewatering in the south or west of the pool.
Distortions of impedance and tipper tensors due to three-dimensional perturbations of the earth and field
Authors: Plotkin V.V.
Published: January 2013

Magnetotelluric (MT) sounding measurements are conducted, as a rule, along a single profile or mutiple profiles, and data are interpreted using 1D and 2D earth models. In a real situation, the earth is three-dimensional, and the primary field may vary laterally. This implies that 1D and 2D inversions of MT data contain some error, up to the appearance of false structures. In this study, analytical methods are used to obtain expressions for the effect of small deviations of the earth and the primary field from the Tikhonov–Cagniard model on the impedance and tipper tensor components (sensitivity functions which determining the size of the zone near the sounding point within which the perturbations affect the impedance and tipper at this point).
Chemical Cold Packs May Provide Insufficient Enthalpy Change for Treatment of Hyperthermia
Authors: Phan Samson , Lissoway John , Lipman Grant S.
Published: January 2013

Objective

Heat illness is a common ailment that, if left untreated, is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Chemical cold packs (CCPs) and ice packs are widely used in the pre-hospital setting and by those with limited resources, yet no controlled studies have compared the cooling of ice to that of CCPs. This study determined the theoretical cooling of CCPs on a benchtop model, comparing the results to similarly sized ice packs, and is the first known comparison of these hyperthermia treatments.

Methods

The CCPs used in Stanford University's Emergency Department were activated in an insulated volume of water (2 L), and temperature was recorded at 1-second intervals in a controlled environment (41°C at 20% humidity). The procedure was repeated with 1-quart ice packs.

Results

The CCPs resulted in a 5.25°C degree temperature drop, with a time constant (time to 63% of initial temperature—a common engineering characterization metric) of 1.72 minutes for the test volume. Ice packs resulted on average in a 19.8°C temperature change, with a time constant of 26.8 minutes. The CCPs provide less overall temperature change and were shorter lived. Application of 6 CCPs on a 50th percentile male (weight 86.6 kg, height 1.7 m), assuming ideal heat transfer, would result in less than 0.5°C temperature change. Similarly configured ice packs would result in a 2.5°C change.

Conclusions

Experiments demonstrate that CCPs are inferior to similarly sized ice packs for thermal regulation, and lose their effectiveness more quickly. These findings support the consideration of ice packs as an alternative to chemical cold packs when cooling hyperthermic patients.
Does Therapist Guidance Enhance Assessment-Based Feedback as Couple Relationship Education?
Authors: Halford W. Kim , Chen Raylene , Wilson Keithia L. , Larson Jeffry , Busby Dean , Holman Thomas
Published: January 2013

Assessment and feedback of relationship strengths and challenges is a widely used brief approach to couple relationship education (CRE). It can be fully automated through the internet, with couples self-interpreting the feedback. This study assessed whether therapist guidance of couples to interpret the report and develop relationship goals enhanced the benefits of the feedback. Thirty-nine couples seeking CRE were randomly assigned to either self-interpretation of an internet-based relationship assessment report (RELATE), or therapist-guided interpretation of the same report (RELATE+). Participants were assessed on relationship satisfaction and psychological distress pre- and post-CRE, and at 6-month follow-up. RELATE and RELATE+ were not reliably different in outcome. Couples in both conditions sustained high relationship satisfaction and showed an overall decline in psychological distress. However, consumer satisfaction was substantially higher for the RELATE+ condition than the RELATE condition.
Interphasial energy transfer and particle dissipation in particle-laden wall turbulence
Authors: Zhao Lihao , Andersson Helge I. , Gillissen Jurriaan J. J.
Published: January 2013

Transfer of mechanical energy between solid spherical particles and a Newtonian carrier fluid has been explored in two-way coupled direct numerical simulations of turbulent channel flow. The inertial particles have been treated as individual point particles in a Lagrangian framework and their feedback on the fluid phase has been incorporated in the Navier–Stokes equations. At sufficiently large particle response times the Reynolds shear stress and the turbulence intensities in the spanwise and wall-normal directions were attenuated whereas the velocity fluctuations were augmented in the streamwise direction. The physical mechanisms involved in the particle–fluid interactions were analysed in detail, and it was observed that the fluid transferred energy to the particles in the core region of the channel whereas the fluid received kinetic energy from the particles in the wall region. A local imbalance in the work performed by the particles on the fluid and the work exerted by the fluid on the particles was observed. This imbalance gave rise to a particle-induced energy dissipation which represents a loss of mechanical energy from the fluid–particle suspension. An independent examination of the work associated with the different directional components of the Stokes force revealed that the dominating energy transfer was associated with the streamwise component. Both the mean and fluctuating parts of the Stokes force promoted streamwise fluctuations in the near-wall region. The kinetic energy associated with the cross-sectional velocity components was damped due to work done by the particles, and the energy was dissipated rather than recovered as particle kinetic energy. Componentwise scatter plots of the instantaneous velocity versus the instantaneous slip-velocity provided further insight into the energy transfer mechanisms, and the observed modulations of the flow field could thereby be explained.
Turbulence in transient channel flow
Authors: He S. , Seddighi M.
Published: January 2013

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) are performed of a transient channel flow following a rapid increase of flow rate from an initially turbulent flow. It is shown that a low-Reynolds-number turbulent flow can undergo a process of transition that resembles the laminar–turbulent transition. In response to the rapid increase of flow rate, the flow does not progressively evolve from the initial turbulent structure to a new one, but undergoes a process involving three distinct phases (pre-transition, transition and fully turbulent) that are equivalent to the three regions of the boundary layer bypass transition, namely, the buffeted laminar flow, the intermittent flow and the fully turbulent flow regions. This transient channel flow represents an alternative bypass transition scenario to the free-stream-turbulence (FST) induced transition, whereby the initial flow serving as the disturbance is a low-Reynolds-number turbulent wall shear flow with pre-existing streaky structures. The flow nevertheless undergoes a ‘receptivity’ process during which the initial structures are modulated by a time-developing boundary layer, forming streaks of apparently specific favourable spacing (of about double the new boundary layer thickness) which are elongated streamwise during the pre-transitional period. The structures are stable and the flow is laminar-like initially; but later in the transitional phase, localized turbulent spots are generated which grow spatially, merge with each other and eventually occupy the entire wall surfaces when the flow becomes fully turbulent. It appears that the presence of the initial turbulent structures does not promote early transition when compared with boundary layer transition of similar FST intensity. New turbulent structures first appear at high wavenumbers extending into a lower-wavenumber spectrum later as turbulent spots grow and join together. In line with the transient energy growth theory, the maximum turbulent kinetic energy in the pre-transitional phase grows linearly but only in terms of${u}^{\ensuremath{\prime} } $, whilst${v}^{\ensuremath{\prime} } $and${w}^{\ensuremath{\prime} } $remain essentially unchanged. The energy production and dissipation rates are very low at this stage despite the high level of ${u}^{\ensuremath{\prime} } $. The pressure–strain term remains unchanged at that time, but increases rapidly later during transition along with the generation of turbulent spots, hence providing an unambiguous measure for the onset of transition.
Estimating wall-shear-stress fluctuations given an outer region input
Authors: Mathis Romain , Marusic Ivan , Chernyshenko Sergei I. , Hutchins Nicholas
Published: January 2013

A model for the instantaneous wall-shear-stress distribution is presented for zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layers. The model, based on empirical and theoretical considerations, is able to reconstruct a statistically representative fluctuating wall-shear-stress time-series,${ \tau }_{w}^{\ensuremath{\prime} } (t)$, using only the low-frequency content of the streamwise velocity measured in the logarithmic region, away from the wall. Results, including spectra and second-order moments, show that the model is capable of successfully capturing Reynolds number trends as observed in other studies.
Tidal conversion and turbulence at a model ridge: direct and large eddy simulations
Authors: Rapaka Narsimha R. , Gayen Bishakhdatta , Sarkar Sutanu
Published: January 2013

Direct and large eddy simulations are performed to study the internal waves generated by the oscillation of a barotropic tide over a model ridge of triangular shape. The objective is to go beyond linear theory and assess the role of nonlinear interactions including turbulence in situations with low tidal excursion number. The criticality parameter, defined as the ratio of the topographic slope to the characteristic slope of the tidal rays, is varied from subcritical to supercritical values. The barotropic tidal forcing is also systematically increased. Numerical results of the energy conversion are compared with linear theory and, in laminar flow at low forcing, they agree well in subcritical and supercritical cases but not at critical slope angle. In critical and supercritical cases with higher forcing, there are convective overturns, turbulence and significant reduction (as much as 25 %) of the radiated wave flux with respect to laminar flow results. Analysis of the baroclinic energy budget and spatial modal analysis are performed to understand the reduction. The near-bottom velocity is intensified at critical angle slope leading to a radiated internal wave beam as well as an upslope bore of cold water with a thermal front. In the critical case, the entire slope has turbulence while, in the supercritical case, turbulence originates near the top of the topography where the slope angle transitions through the critical value. The phase dependence of turbulence within a tidal cycle is examined and found to differ substantially between the ridge slope and the ridge top where the beams from the two sides cross.
Dynamic contact angle of a liquid spreading on an unsaturated wettable porous substrate
Authors: Shikhmurzaev Yulii D. , Sprittles James E.
Published: January 2013

The spreading of an incompressible viscous liquid over an isotropic homogeneous unsaturated porous substrate is considered. It is shown that, unlike the dynamic wetting of an impermeable solid substrate, where the dynamic contact angle has to be specified as a boundary condition in terms of the wetting velocity and other flow characteristics, the ‘effective’ dynamic contact angle on an unsaturated porous substrate is completely determined by the requirement of existence of a solution, i.e. the absence of a non-integrable singularity in the spreading fluid’s pressure at the ‘effective’ contact line. The obtained velocity dependence of the ‘effective’ contact angle determines the critical point at which a transition to a different flow regime takes place, where the fluid above the substrate stops spreading whereas the wetting front inside it continues to propagate.
Flow visualization using momentum and energy transport tubes and applications to turbulent flow in wind farms
Authors: Meyers Johan , Meneveau Charles
Published: January 2013

As a generalization of the mass–flux based classical stream tube, the concept of momentum and energy transport tubes is discussed as a flow visualization tool. These transport tubes have the property that no fluxes of momentum or energy exist over their respective tube mantles. As an example application using data from large eddy simulation, such tubes are visualized for the mean-flow structure of turbulent flow in large wind farms, in fully developed wind-turbine-array boundary layers. The three-dimensional organization of energy transport tubes changes considerably when turbine spacings are varied, enabling the visualization of the path taken by the kinetic energy flux that is ultimately available at any given turbine within the array.
Flexible scraping of viscous fluids
Authors: Seiwert Jacopo , Quéré David , Clanet Christophe
Published: January 2013

We study the thickness ${h}_{d} $ of the liquid film left on a wet surface after scraping it with an elastic wiper (length $L$, rigidity $B$) moved at a velocity $V$. The scraper is clamped vertically at a given distance above the substrate, and ${h}_{d} $ is maximal when the tip of the scraper is just tangent to the surface. We show experimentally and theoretically that this maximum thickness is ${h}_{\mathit{max}} \simeq 0. 33L \mathop{ (\eta V{L}^{2} / B)}\nolimits ^{3/ 4} , $ where $\eta $ is the liquid viscosity. The deposition law is found to be sensitive to the shape of the wiper: the film thickness can also be tuned by using wipers with a permanent curvature, and varying this curvature.
Paths of energy in turbulent channel flows
Authors: Cimarelli A. , De Angelis E. , Casciola C. M.
Published: January 2013

The paper describes the energy fluxes simultaneously occurring in the space of scales and in the physical space of wall-turbulent flows. The unexpected behaviour of the energy fluxes consists of spiral-like paths in the combined physical/scale space where the controversial reverse energy cascade plays a central role. Two dynamical processes are identified as driving mechanisms for the fluxes, one in the near-wall region and a second one further away from the wall. The former, stronger, one is related to the dynamics involved in the near-wall turbulence regeneration cycle. The second suggests an outer self-sustaining mechanism which is asymptotically expected to take place in the eventual log layer and could explain the debated mixed inner/outer scaling of the near-wall statistics. The observed behaviour may have strong repercussions on both theoretical and modelling approaches to wall turbulence, as anticipated by a simple equation which is shown able to capture most of the rich dynamics of the shear-dominated region of the flow.
Fluid–structure interaction-induced oscillation of flexible structures in laminar and turbulent flows
Authors: Gomes Jorge Pereira , Lienhart H.
Published: January 2013

Self-excitation of the motion of a structure has become a prominent aspect of engineering projects over recent years as designers are using materials at their limits, causing structures to become progressively lighter, more flexible and, therefore, prone to vibrate. Stimulated by the increasing interest in fluid–structure interaction (FSI) problems, this study investigated the instability and consequent FSI-induced self-excited oscillation of flexible structures in uniform flows at Reynolds numbers between$10$and$1. 69\times 1{0}^{5} $. The investigations were performed in both water and a highly viscous syrup ($\nu = 1. 64\times 1{0}^{- 4} ~{\mathrm{m} }^{2} ~{\mathrm{s} }^{- 1} $) and considered three structures of different geometries. The results were conclusive in showing that the motion of the structure was characterized by a sequence of oscillation modes as a function of the characteristics of the structure and flow properties. In addition, it was possible to identify the self-excitation mechanisms as being of the instability-induced excitation (IIE) or movement-induced excitation (MIE) types. IIE was observed to be the most dominant mechanism of excitation at lower velocities and it was defined by a direct relation between the flow fluctuation and natural frequencies of the structure. For that reason, IIE was strongly determined by the geometry of the front body of the structure. At higher velocities, the amplitudes of the flow disturbances generated by the structure movement increased and excitations of the MIE type became predominant for all structures. The MIE mechanism was found to be weakly influenced by the shape of the structure but very sensitive to its dynamic characteristics and to the properties of the fluid, especially the Reynolds number.
Choline status and neurodevelopmental outcomes at 5 years of age in the Seychelles Child Development Nutrition Study
Authors: Strain J. J. , McSorley Emeir M. , van Wijngaarden Edwin , Kobrosly Roni W. , Bonham Maxine P. , Mulhern Maria S. , McAfee Alison J. , Davidson Philip W. , Shamlaye Conrad F. , Henderson Juliette , Watson Gene E. , Thurston Sally W. , Wallace Julie M. W. , Ueland Per M. , Myers Gary J.
Published: January 2013

Choline is an essential nutrient that is found in many food sources and plays a critical role in the development of the central nervous system. Animal studies have shown that choline status pre- and postnatally can have long-lasting effects on attention and memory; however, effects in human subjects have not been well studied. The aim of the present study was to examine the association between plasma concentrations of free choline and its related metabolites in children and their neurodevelopment in the Seychelles Child Development Nutrition Study, an ongoing longitudinal study assessing the development of children born to mothers with high fish consumption during pregnancy. Plasma concentrations of free choline, betaine, dimethylglycine (DMG), methionine and homocysteine and specific measures of neurodevelopment were measured in 210 children aged 5 years. The children's plasma free choline concentration (9·17 (sd2·09) μmol/l) was moderately, but significantly, correlated with betaine (r0·24;P= 0·0006), DMG (r0·15;P= 0·03), methionine (r0·24;P= 0·0005) and homocysteine (r0·19;P= 0·006) concentrations. Adjusted multiple linear regression revealed that betaine concentrations were positively associated with Preschool Language Scale – total language scores (β = 0·066;P= 0·04), but no other associations were evident. We found no indication that free choline concentration or its metabolites, within the normal physiological range, are associated with neurodevelopmental outcomes in children at 5 years of age. As there is considerable animal evidence suggesting that choline status during development is associated with cognitive outcome, the issue deserves further study in other cohorts.
Plasma total homocysteine status of vegetarians compared with omnivores: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Obersby Derek , Chappell David C. , Dunnett Andrew , Tsiami Amalia A.
Published: January 2013

There is strong evidence indicating that elevated plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) levels are a major independent biomarker and/or a contributor to chronic conditions, such as CVD. A deficiency of vitamin B12can elevate homocysteine. Vegetarians are a group of the population who are potentially at greater risk of vitamin B12deficiency than omnivores. This is the first systematic review and meta-analysis to appraise a range of studies that compared the homocysteine and vitamin B12levels of vegetarians and omnivores. The search methods employed identified 443 entries, from which, by screening using set inclusion and exclusion criteria, six eligible cohort case studies and eleven cross-sectional studies from 1999 to 2010 were revealed, which compared concentrations of plasma tHcy and serum vitamin B12of omnivores, lactovegetarians or lacto-ovovegetarians and vegans. Of the identified seventeen studies (3230 participants), only two studies reported that vegan concentrations of plasma tHcy and serum vitamin B12did not differ from omnivores. The present study confirmed that an inverse relationship exists between plasma tHcy and serum vitamin B12, from which it can be concluded that the usual dietary source of vitamin B12is animal products and those who choose to omit or restrict these products are destined to become vitamin B12deficient. At present, the available supplement, which is usually used for fortification of food, is the unreliable cyanocobalamin. A well-designed study is needed to investigate a reliable and suitable supplement to normalise the elevated plasma tHcy of a high majority of vegetarians. This would fill the gaps in the present nutritional scientific knowledge.
Identification of stably expressed QTL for heading date using reciprocal introgression line and recombinant inbred line populations in rice
Authors: CHENG LI-RUI , WANG JUN-MIN , YE GUOYOU , LUO CHENG-GANG , XU JIAN-LONG , LI ZHI-KANG
Published: January 2013

Two sets of reciprocal introgression lines (ILs) and a population of recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from the cross betweenjaponicacultivar Xiushui09 andindicabreeding line IR2061-520-6-9 (abbreviated as IR2061) were used to identify QTL for heading date (HD). Phenotyping was conducted in Hainan Island for two winter seasons (2007 and 2009). Nine QTLs were detected in the ILs with Xiushui09 background (XS-ILs), and four of which were repeatedly mapped across 2 years. Five QTLs were identified in the ILs with IR2061 background (IR-ILs), and three of which were commonly detected in 2 years. All commonly detected QTL had the same direction of gene effect. Seven QTL for HD were identified in the RILs in 2009. Only three (25%) QTLs were commonly detected using all the three populations (XS-ILs, IR-ILs and RILs). The number of commonly identified QTLs among populations was related to degree of similarity of their genetic backgrounds, suggesting that the genetic background effect is important for detecting HD QTL.QHd7andQHd10bstably expressed in different populations and across years thus would be exploited in rice breeding programme. Moreover, lines with both ofQHd7andQHd10bresulted in at least 3 days earlier than lines with only one of them QTL, showing evident pyramiding effect.
Racialism on the Left E.D. Morel and the “Black Horror on the Rhine”
Authors: Reinders Robert C.
Published: January 2013

On April 6, 1920 the French government, in reprisal for the entry of German troops into the demilitarized zone of the Ruhr, occupied Frankfurt, Darmstadt, Hanau, and Homburg. During the occupation French Moroccan soldiers fired on a German mob in Frankfurt and killed several. In covering the event the Daily Herald, alone among English newspapers, called special attention to the “race” of the French troops. It headlined:

FRANKFURT RUNS WITH BLOOD

FRENCH BLACK TROOPS USE

MACHINE GUNS ON CIVILIANS

On April 10, the Herald followed its accounts of events on the Rhine by a front page article by Edmund Dene Morel under banner leads:

BLACK SCOURGE IN EUROPE

SEXUAL HORROR LET LOOSE BY FRANCE ON RHINE DISAPPEARANCE OF YOUNG GERMAN GIRLS

France, Morel wrote, “is thrusting her black savages …into the heart of Germany.” There “primitive African barbarians”, carriers of syphilis, have become a “terror and a horror” to the Palatinate countryside. The “barely restrainable beastiality of the black troops” has led to many rapes, an especially serious problem since Africans are “the most developed sexually of any” race and “for well-known physiological reasons, the raping of a white woman by a negro is nearly always accompanied by serious injury and not infrequently has fatal results.…” Morel had reports of rapes, “some of them of an atrocious character”, and of “dead bodies of young women discovered under manure heaps and so on”. German municipalities were forced to provide bordellos and white women, and even young boys, for these over-sexed blacks. Master-minding this effort to “ruin, enslave, degrade, dismember [and] reduce to the lowest depths of despair and humiliation a whole people” was a “ruthless” and militaristic French government. Furthermore Morel warned his working class readers, “If the manhood of these races, not so advanced in the forms of civilisation as ourselves, are to be used against the Germans, why not against the workers here or elsewhere?”
Russian Émigré Funds in Switzerland, 1916: An Okhrana Report
Authors: Senn Alfred Erich
Published: January 2013

When war came to Europe in August 1914, several thousand Russians were caught by surprise in Switzerland, and their number increased with the influx of refugees from Austria and Germany. Cut off from their homeland and temporarily unable to exchange their money, they faced great hardship. Self-help societies sprang up everywhere; some groups experimented with organizing cheap or free kitchens. Swiss newspapers continually carried notices of benefit concerts or literary evenings. The Russian mission in Bern offered assistance, and the degree of cooperation which briefly sprang up between Russian émigré organizations and the Russian legation was subsequently to prove an embarrassment for both sides.
Proclamations of the Machno Movement, 1920
Authors: van Rossum L. J.
Published: January 2013

In the Machno movement (Machnovščina), which took place in the Ukraine in the years 1918–1921, two components can be distinguished, a partisan movement, and an anarchist movement.
THE SOCIOECONOMIC DYNAMICS OF THESHIFTACONFLICT IN KENYA,c. 1963–8
Authors: WHITTAKER HANNAH ALICE
Published: January 2013

Using a set of oral testimonies, together with military, intelligence, and administrative reports from the 1960s, this article re-examines theshiftaconflict in Kenya. The article moves away from mono-causal, nationalistic interpretations of the event, to focus instead on the underlying socioeconomic dynamics and domestic implications of the conflict. It argues that the nationalist interpretation fails to capture the diversity of participation inshifta, which was not simply made up of militant Somali nationalists, and that it fails to acknowledge the significance of an internal Kenyan conflict between a newly independent state in the process of nation building, and a group of ‘dissident’ frontier communities that were seen to defy the new order. Examination of this conflict provides insights into the operation of the early postcolonial Kenyan state.
HUNTING REPUTATIONS: TALENT, INDIVIDUALS, AND COMMUNITY IN PRECOLONIAL SOUTH CENTRAL AFRICA
Authors: DE LUNA KATHRYN M.
Published: January 2013

The familiar mystique of African hunters was not a foregone conclusion to the practitioners, dependents, and leaders who created it. Late in the first millennium, Botatwe farmers’ successful adoption of cereals and limited cattle sustained the transformation of hunting from a generalist's labor into a path to distinction. Throughout the second millennium, the basis of hunters’ renown diversified as trade intensified, new political traditions emerged, and, eventually, the caravan trade andmfecaneravaged established communities. The story of Botatwe hunters reveals alongue duréehistory of local notables and the durability of affective, social dimensions of recognition in the face of changes in the material, political, and technological basis sustaining such status.
Different heritabilities but shared etiological influences for parent, teacher and self-ratings of ADHD symptoms: an adolescent twin study
Authors: Merwood A. , Greven C. U. , Price T. S. , Rijsdijk F. , Kuntsi J. , McLoughlin G. , Larsson H. , Asherson P. J.
Published: January 2013

Background

Parent and teacher ratings of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms yield high estimates of heritability whereas self-ratings typically yield lower estimates. To understand why, the present study examined the etiological overlap between parent, teacher and self-ratings of ADHD symptoms in a population-based sample of 11–12-year-old twins.

Method

Participants were from the Twins Early Development Study (TEDS). ADHD symptoms were assessed using the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) hyperactivity scale completed by parents, teachers and children. Structural equation modeling was used to examine genetic and environmental contributions to phenotypic variance/covariance.

Results

The broad-sense heritability of ADHD symptoms was 82% for parent ratings, 60% for teacher ratings and 48% for self-ratings. Post-hoc analyses revealed significantly higher heritability for same-teacher than different-teacher ratings of ADHD (76% v. 49%). A common pathway model best explained the relationship between different informant ratings, with common genetic influences accounting for 84% of the covariance between parent, teacher and self-rated ADHD symptoms. The remaining variance was explained by rater-specific genetic and non-shared environmental influences.

Conclusions

Despite different heritabilities, there were shared genetic influences for parent, teacher and self-ratings of ADHD symptoms, indicating that different informants rated some of the same aspects of behavior. The low heritability estimated for self-ratings and different-teacher ratings may reflect increased measurement error when different informants rate each twin from a pair, and/or greater non-shared environmental influences. Future studies into the genetic influences on ADHD should incorporate informant data in addition to self-ratings to capture a pervasive, heritable component of ADHD symptomatology.
New estimates for the heat flux across the Polar Front: spatial and temporal variability in recent years
Authors: De Souza João Marcos Azevedo Correia , De Moraes Paiva Afonso , Von Schuckmann Karina
Published: January 2013

Two different methodologies are applied in order to quantify the eddy contribution to the heat flux across the Polar Front, between January 2006 and December 2009. First, the eddy fluxes are indirectly estimated through a heat balance based on geostrophic fluxes obtained from the Argo climatological temperature and salinity. Second, a parametric model based on sea level anomaly data from a merged satellite product is used to obtain a direct estimate of the eddy heat flux and its temporal and spatial variability. The results obtained through the heat balance (-80.5 ± 16.45 x 1013 W) and the parameterization (-56.2 ± 4.18 x 1013 W) are within the range established by previous studies. The eddy heat flux is observed to be concentrated in a few narrow regions, with a particularly large contribution from the Atlantic sector. A trend of intensification of the southward heat flux is observed in the study period (-0.44 x 1013 W year-1), compatible with recent modelling and observational studies.
Procedural Learning in Specific Language Impairment: Effects of Sequence Complexity
Authors: Gabriel Audrey , Maillart Christelle , Stefaniak Nicolas , Lejeune Caroline , Desmottes Lise , Meulemans Thierry
Published: January 2013

According to the procedural deficit hypothesis (PDH), abnormal development in the procedural memory system could account for the language deficits observed in specific language impairment (SLI). Recent studies have supported this hypothesis by using a serial reaction time (SRT) task, during which a slower learning rate is observed in children with SLI compared to controls. Recently, we obtained contrasting results, demonstrating that children with SLI were able to learn a sequence as quickly and as accurately as controls. These discrepancies could be related to differences in the statistical structure of the SRT sequence between these studies. The aim of this study was to further assess, in a group of 21 children with SLI, the PDH with second-order conditional sequences, which are more difficult to learn than those used in previous studies. Our results show that children with SLI had impaired procedural memory, as evidenced by both longer reaction times and no sign of sequence-specific learning in comparison with typically developing controls. These results are consistent with the PDH proposed by Ullman and Pierpont (2005) and suggest that procedural sequence-learning in SLI children depends on the complexity of the to-be-learned sequence. (JINS, 2013, 19, 1–8)
The anxiolytic effect of cannabidiol on chronically stressed mice depends on hippocampal neurogenesis: involvement of the endocannabinoid system
Authors: Campos Alline C. , Ortega Zaira , Palazuelos Javier , Fogaça Manoela V. , Aguiar Daniele C. , Díaz-Alonso Javier , Ortega-Gutiérrez Silvia , Vázquez-Villa Henar , Moreira Fabricio A. , Guzmán Manuel , Galve-Roperh Ismael , Guimarães Francisco S.
Published: January 2013

Cannabidiol (CBD), the main non-psychotomimetic component of the plant Cannabis sativa, exerts therapeutically promising effects on human mental health such as inhibition of psychosis, anxiety and depression. However, the mechanistic bases of CBD action are unclear. Here we investigate the potential involvement of hippocampal neurogenesis in the anxiolytic effect of CBD in mice subjected to 14 d chronic unpredictable stress (CUS). Repeated administration of CBD (30 mg/kg i.p., 2 h after each daily stressor) increased hippocampal progenitor proliferation and neurogenesis in wild-type mice. Ganciclovir administration to GFAP-thymidine kinase (GFAP-TK) transgenic mice, which express thymidine kinase in adult neural progenitor cells, abrogated CBD-induced hippocampal neurogenesis. CBD administration prevented the anxiogenic effect of CUS in wild type but not in GFAP-TK mice as evidenced in the novelty suppressed feeding test and the elevated plus maze. This anxiolytic effect of CBD involved the participation of the CB1 cannabinoid receptor, as CBD administration increased hippocampal anandamide levels and administration of the CB1–selective antagonist AM251 prevented CBD actions. Studies conducted with hippocampal progenitor cells in culture showed that CBD promotes progenitor proliferation and cell cycle progression and mimics the proliferative effect of CB1 and CB2 cannabinoid receptor activation. Moreover, antagonists of these two receptors or endocannabinoid depletion by fatty acid amide hydrolase overexpression prevented CBD-induced cell proliferation. These findings support that the anxiolytic effect of chronic CBD administration in stressed mice depends on its proneurogenic action in the adult hippocampus by facilitating endocannabinoid-mediated signalling.
High-Density Lipoproteins Limit Neutrophil-Induced Damage to the Blood–Brain Barrier in Vitro
Authors: Dang Quoc Bao , Lapergue Bertrand , Tran-Dinh Alexy , Diallo Devy , Moreno Juan-Antonio , Mazighi Mikael , Romero Ignacio A , Weksler Babette , Michel Jean-Baptiste , Amarenco Pierre , Meilhac Olivier
Published: January 2013

Breakdown of the blood–brain barrier (BBB) is a key step associated with ischemic stroke and its increased permeability causes extravasation of plasma proteins and circulating leukocytes. Polymorphonuclear neutrophil (PMN) proteases may participate in BBB breakdown. We investigated the role of PMNs in ischemic conditions by testing their effects on a model of BBB in vitro, under oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) to mimic ischemia, supplemented or not with high-density lipoproteins (HDLs) to assess their potential protective effects. Human cerebral endothelial cells cultured on transwells were incubated for 4 hours under OGD conditions with or without PMNs and supplemented or not with HDLs or alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT, an elastase inhibitor). The integrity of the BBB was then assessed and the effect of HDLs on PMN-induced proteolysis of extracellular matrix proteins was evaluated. The release of myeloperoxidase and matrix metalloproteinase 9 (MMP-9) by PMNs was quantified. Polymorphonuclear neutrophils significantly increased BBB permeability under OGD conditions via proteolysis of extracellular matrix proteins. This was associated with PMN degranulation. Addition of HDLs or AAT limited the proteolysis and associated increased permeability by inhibiting PMN activation. Our results suggest a deleterious, elastase-mediated role of activated PMNs under OGD conditions leading to BBB disruption that could be inhibited by HDLs.
A Functional Role of the Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor 1 (P21WAF1/CIP1) for Neuronal Preconditioning
Authors: Mergenthaler Philipp , Muselmann Claudia , Sünwoldt Juliane , Isaev Nickolay K , Wieloch Tadeusz , Dirnagl Ulrich , Meisel Andreas , Ruscher Karsten
Published: January 2013

Hypoxic preconditioning is thought to rely on gene products regulated by hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1. Here, we show that the HIF-1 target gene cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 1, p21 WAF1/CIP1, is essential for neuroprotection by hypoxic/aglycemic or erythropoietin preconditioning using wild-type and p21 WAF1/CIP1-deficient neurons. Furthermore, overexpression of wild-type p21 WAF1/CIP1 or phospho-mutants significantly increased cell death after hypoxia/aglycemia. Moreover, deferoxamine-induced endogenous tolerance did not involve p21 WAF1/CIP1 expression in cortical neurons. Our data suggest that balanced expression and potentially posttranslational regulation of p21 WAF1/CIP1 is required for hypoxic preconditioning.