bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
First Report of Phytophthora palmivora Causing Fruit Rot of Fig (Ficus carica L.) in China
Authors: Zhang C. , Zhang W. , Ma H. Q. , Zhang G. Z.
Published: April 2013

Fresh fig (Ficus carica L.) has been grown on a large scale in Beijing, China, since 2011. In late July 2012, a rot disease occurred on immature fruit of fig after a heavy rain (average daily rainfall 170 mm) in Fangshan District, Beijing, which caused about 30% incidence of green fruit on trees. The symptom first appeared as a water-soaked lesion that was covered with a white, fluffy mass of mycelia, followed by a soft, mushy rot of infected area on the fruit. To isolate the causal agent, mycelia and sporangia from 10 symptomatic fruits were suspended in sterile water, spread on potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates, and incubated at 25°C for 18 h. The isolates from each diseased fruit showed the same colonial characteristics. A single sporangium was isolated under a dissecting microscope and transferred onto PDA to obtain a pure culture. On carrot agar, the colony was white and homogeneous with tidy edge, with a few aerial hyphae. Sporangia were obpyriform with obvious papillae and measured 54.7 to 63.8 (59.3) × 26.5 to 36.3 (30.7) μm. The chlamydospores produced in culture were spherical. The pathogen was identified as Phytophthora palmivora based on the morphological characteristics (3) and confirmed with ITS sequences by PCR amplification using rDNA universal primers ITS1 and ITS4. The resulting sequence (Accession No. KC131229) had a 99% identity to that of P. palmivora (JQ354937) isolated from Pachira aquatica. Koch's postulates were conducted by inoculating six surface-sterilized figs with a PDA plug from a 7-day-old culture, with six noninoculated (PDA plugs only) fruits serving as controls. The inoculated fruits were incubated at room temperature in a plastic box covered with film. Symptoms similar to those on the naturally infected fruits began on wounded fruits 48 h after inoculation and on non-wounded fruits 60 h after inoculation, while the six control fruits remained healthy. P. palmivora was reisolated from the symptomatic fruit tissue. P. palmivora is one of the most severe pathogens on edible figs, being reported by Japanese in 1941 (2). Fruit rot of fig caused by the pathogen was reported in Florida in 1984 (1). To our knowledge, this is the first report of P. palmivora leading to fruit rot on fig in China.

References: (1) N. E. El-Gholl and S. A. Alfieri, Jr. Proc. Fla. State Hort. Soc. 97:327, 1984. (2) Y. Nisikado et al. Ber. Ohara Inst. 8:427, 1941. (3) Y. N. Yu. Flora Fungorum Sinicorum: Peronosporales (in Chinese) Vol. 6. Science Press, Beijing, 1998.
Function Relaxation Followed by Diversifying Selection after Whole-Genome Duplication in Flowering Plants
Authors: Guo Hui , Lee Tae-Ho , Wang Xiyin , Paterson Andrew H.
Published: April 2013

Episodes of whole-genome duplication (WGD) followed by gene loss dominate the evolutionary history of flowering plants. Despite the importance of understanding gene evolution following WGD, little is known about the evolutionary dynamics of this process. In this study, we analyzed duplicated genes from three WGD events in the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) lineage using multiple data types. Most duplicated genes that have survived from the most recent WGD (α) are under purifying selection in modern Arabidopsis populations. Using the number of identified protein-protein interactions as a proxy for functional divergence, approximately 92.7% of α-duplicated genes were diverged in function from one another in modern Arabidopsis populations, indicating that their preservation is no longer explicable by dosage balance. Dosage-balanced retention declines with antiquity of duplication: 24.1% of α-duplicated gene pairs in Arabidopsis remain in dosage balance with interacting partners, versus 12.9% and 9.4% for the earlier β-duplication and γ-triplication. GO-slim (a cut-down version of gene ontologies) terms reinforce evidence from protein-protein interactions, showing that the putatively diverged gene pairs are adapted to different cellular components. We identified a group of α-duplicated genes that show higher than average single-nucleotide polymorphism density, indicating that a period of positive selection, potentially driving functional divergence, may have preceded the current phase of purifying selection. We propose three possible paths for the evolution of duplicated genes following WGD.
Cross‐Cultural Differences in Children's Beliefs About the Objectivity of Social Categories
Authors: Diesendruck Gil , Goldfein‐Elbaz Rebecca , Rhodes Marjorie , Gelman Susan , Neumark Noam
Published: April 2013

The present study compared 5‐ and 10‐year‐old North American and Israeli children's beliefs about the objectivity of different categories (n = 109). Children saw picture triads composed of two exemplars of the same category (e.g., two women) and an exemplar of a contrasting category (e.g., a man). Children were asked whether it would be acceptable or wrong for people in a different country to consider contrasting exemplars to be the same kind. It was found that children from both countries viewed gender as objectively correct and occupation as flexible. The findings regarding race and ethnicity differed in the two countries, revealing how an essentialist bias interacts with cultural input in directing children's conceptualization of social groups.
Failure of Research to Address the Rangewide Conservation Needs of Large Carnivores: Leopards in South Africa as a Case Study
Authors: Balme Guy A. , Lindsey Peter A. , Swanepoel Lourens H. , Hunter Luke T.B.
Published: April 2013

Science and conservation are often driven by different agendas, partly because many researchers are reluctant to tackle applied topics perceived to be less competitive for publishing or too impractical to study. Consequently, research often fails to contribute meaningfully to conservation outcomes. We use leopards Panthera pardus in South Africa to illustrate this mismatch between research and conservation priorities. A review of the scientific literature showed that leopard studies in South Africa focused disproportionately on basic research, particularly on leopard feeding ecology inside protected areas. Academics were responsible for most articles but avoided applied studies, even though they were published in higher impact journals and took less time to undertake. An assessment of active leopard projects further demonstrated that studies were clumped in areas of low conservation concern and most failed to publish their findings. Many projects were also funded by commercial volunteer programs with financial incentives for conducting research. We recommend that leopard researchers in South Africa and carnivore researchers more widely engage with practitioners to ensure the most pressing issues are addressed. Scientists must also situate their research in a broader conservation context and evaluate the outcomes of management decisions. Finally, continued funding and permissions for research should at a minimum be contingent on research outputs being published in the peer‐reviewed literature.
Options Contracts with Overbooking in the Air Cargo Industry
Authors: Hellermann Rolf , Huchzermeier Arnd , Spinler Stefan
Published: April 2013

In today's world economy, which is marked by intensified international trade, air cargo acts as a key facilitator. However, cargo airlines continue to struggle to be profitable because of very high asset costs and substantial demand uncertainty. To improve upon this situation, we propose an options contract. Our model captures the main features of cargo trade between an airline and a freight forwarder and allows us to derive an optimal reservation policy. We then go on to analyze the impact of overbooking on the profit of the cargo capacity provider. The model is subsequently applied to real‐life booking data provided by a major cargo carrier. This enables us to compare current contractual arrangements with the ones proven optimal in the model. A numerical study provides insights about the impact of overbooking on contract parameters and profitability. Managerial insights to be drawn conclude this study.
A Note on “Discrete Sequential Search with Group Activities”
Authors: Talla Nobibon Fabrice , Coolen Kris , Leus Roel
Published: April 2013

This note comments on a paper published by Wagner and Davis [Decision Sciences (2001), 32(4), 557–573]. These authors present an integer‐programming model for the single‐item discrete sequential search problem with group activities. Based on their experiments, they conjecture that the problem can be solved as a linear program. In this note, we provide a counterexample for which the optimal value of the linear program they propose is different from the optimal value of the integer‐programming model, hence contradicting their conjecture for the specific linear program that they specify. To the best of our knowledge, the conjecture settled in this note was still an open question.
Implications of productivity and nutrient requirements on greenhouse gas balance of annual and perennial bioenergy crops
Authors: Cadoux Stephane , Ferchaud Fabien , Demay Charlotte , Boizard Hubert , Machet Jean‐Marie , Fourdinier Emilie , Preudhomme Matthieu , Chabbert Brigitte , Gosse Ghislain , Mary Bruno
Published: April 2013

Biomass from dedicated crops is expected to contribute significantly to the replacement of fossil resources. However, sustainable bioenergy cropping systems must provide high biomass production and low environmental impacts. This study aimed at quantifying biomass production, nutrient removal, expected ethanol production, and greenhouse gas (GHG) balance of six bioenergy crops: Miscanthus × giganteus, switchgrass, fescue, alfalfa, triticale, and fiber sorghum. Biomass production and N, P, K balances (input‐output) were measured during 4 years in a long‐term experiment, which included two nitrogen fertilization treatments. These results were used to calculate a posteriori ‘optimized’ fertilization practices, which would ensure a sustainable production with a nil balance of nutrients. A modified version of the cost/benefit approach proposed by Crutzen et al. (2008), comparing the GHG emissions resulting from N‐P‐K fertilization of bioenergy crops and the GHG emissions saved by replacing fossil fuel, was applied to these ‘optimized’ situations. Biomass production varied among crops between 10.0 (fescue) and 26.9 t DM ha−1 yr−1 (miscanthus harvested early) and the expected ethanol production between 1.3 (alfalfa) and 6.1 t ha−1 yr−1 (miscanthus harvested early). The cost/benefit ratio ranged from 0.10 (miscanthus harvested late) to 0.71 (fescue); it was closely correlated with the N/C ratio of the harvested biomass, except for alfalfa. The amount of saved CO2 emissions varied from 1.0 (fescue) to 8.6 t CO2eq ha−1 yr−1 (miscanthus harvested early or late). Due to its high biomass production, miscanthus was able to combine a high production of ethanol and a large saving of CO2 emissions. Miscanthus and switchgrass harvested late gave the best compromise between low N‐P‐K requirements, high GHG saving per unit of biomass, and high productivity per hectare.
Excellent long time survival for Swedish patients starting home‐hemodialysis with and without subsequent renal transplantations
Authors: Rydell Helena , Krützen Lena , Simonsen Ole , Clyne Naomi , Segelmark Mårten
Published: April 2013

Survival for patients on dialysis is poor. Earlier reports have indicated that home‐hemodialysis is associated with improved survival but most of the studies are old and report only short‐time survival. The characteristics of patient populations are often incompletely described. In this study, we report long‐term survival for patients starting home‐hemodialysis as first treatment and estimate the impact on survival of age, comorbidity, decade of start of home‐hemodialysis, sex, primary renal disease and subsequent renal transplantation. One hundred twenty‐eight patients starting home‐hemodialysis as first renal replacement therapy 1971–1998 in Lund were included. Data were collected from patient files, the Swedish Renal Registry and Swedish census. Survival analysis was made as intention‐to‐treat analysis (including survival after transplantation) and on‐dialysis‐treatment analysis with patients censored at the day of transplantation. Ten‐, twenty‐ and thirty‐year survival were 68%, 36% and 18%. Survival was significantly affected by comorbidity, age and what decade the patients started home‐hemodialysis. For patients younger than 60 years and with no comorbidities, the corresponding figures were 75%, 47% and 23% and a subsequent renal transplantation did not significantly influence survival. Long‐term survival for patients starting home‐hemodialysis is good, and improves decade by decade. Survival is significantly affected by patient age and comorbidity, but the contribution of subsequent renal transplantation was not significant for younger patients without comorbidities.
Tailoring Carbon Fiber/Carbon Nanotubes Interface to Optimize Mechanical Properties of Cf‐CNTs/SiC Composites
Authors: Hu Jianbao , Dong Shaoming , Wu Bin , Zhang Xiangyu , Zhou Haijun , Wang Zhen , Kan Yanmei
Published: April 2013

Cf/SiC composites were fabricated using fiber coatings including CNTs and matrix infiltration using the polymer impregnation and pyrolysis process. Interface between fiber and CNTs (CF/CNTs) was tailored to optimize mechanical properties of hybrid composites. The tailored interphases, such as Pyrocarbon (PyC) and PyC/SiC, protect fibers from degradation during the growth of CNTs successfully. Hybrid composites with well‐tailored CF/CNTs interface displayed significantly increased mechanical strength (352 ± 21 MPa) compared with that (34 ± 3 MPa) of composites reinforced with CNTs, which grown on carbon fibers directly. The interfacial bonding strength of hybrid composites was improved and optimized by tailoring the CF/CNTs interface. Interfacial failure modes were studied, and a firm interface bonding at the joint where CNTs grown was observed.
Dimensions and reliability of a hospital safety climate questionnaire in Chinese health‐care practice
Authors: Smith Derek R , Zhao Isabella , Wang Lina , Ho Alan
Published: April 2013

The aim of the current study was to examine the dimensions and reliability of a hospital safety climate questionnaire in Chinese health‐care practice. To achieve this, a cross‐sectional survey of health‐care professionals was undertaken at a university teaching hospital in Shandong province, China. Our survey instrument demonstrated very high internal consistency, comparing well with previous research in this field conducted in other countries. Factor analysis highlighted four key dimensions of safety climate, which centred on employee personal protection, employee interactions, safety‐related housekeeping and time pressures. Overall, this study suggests that hospital safety climate represents an important aspect of health‐care practice in contemporary China.
Twins and the mystery of missing heritability: the contribution of gene–environment interactions
Authors: Kaprio J.
Published: April 2013

Since 2006, the advent of increasingly larger genome‐wide association studies and their meta‐analyses have led to numerous, replicated findings of genetic polymorphisms associated with many diseases and traits. Early studies suggested that the identified loci generally accounted for a small fraction of the genetic variance estimated from twin and family studies. This led to the concept of ‘missing heritability’. Here, the progress in accounting for a greater proportion of the variance is reviewed. In particular, gene–environment interactions can, for some traits and in certain circumstances, explain part of this missing heritability.
Smoking and Chronic Pain Among People Aged 65 Years and Older
Authors: Jakobsson Ulf , Larsson Caroline
Published: April 2013

Objective

To study the relationship between smoking and chronic pain among people aged 65+ years.

Design

A cross‐sectional study.

Sample

The study was carried out in 2011 and included a randomly selected (N = 2000, response rate 57%) sample of people aged 65 years and older, living in Sweden.

Measurement

A postal questionnaire with questions about demographic data, living conditions, tobacco use (both smoking and moist snuff), subjective health, and chronic pain (eg, intensity, duration, location). Chronic pain was defined as a pain lasting for 3 months or longer.

Results

In the total sample (n = 1141, aged 65 to 103 years), 53.6% were women, 38.5% reported chronic pain, and 9% were smokers. Among the smokers were 47.6% reporting chronic pain. When comparing smokers and nonsmokers, there was a significant difference only in pain intensity but not in prevalence. However, when the sample was divided by gender, significant differences were found in both prevalence and intensity among women, but only in intensity among men. No association was found between moist snuff and pain.

Conclusions

There was an association between smoking and chronic pain among older people, especially regarding pain intensity. This indicates that interventions to help people cease smoking may be one way (among other methods) to ease pain intensity among older people.
A Kinetostatic Formulation for Load-Flow Visualization in Compliant Mechanisms
Authors: Krishnan Girish , Kim Charles , Kota Sridhar
Published: April 2013

Load flow visualization, which is an important step in structural and machine assembly design may aid in the analysis and eventual synthesis of compliant mechanisms. In this paper, we present a kineto-static formulation to visualize load flow in compliant mechanisms. This formulation uses the concept of transferred forces to quantify load flow from input to the output of a compliant mechanism. The magnitude and direction of load flow in the constituent members enables functional decomposition of the compliant mechanism into (i) Constraints (C): members that are constrained to deform in a particular direction and (ii) Transmitters (T): members that transmit load to the output. Furthermore, it is shown that a constraint member and an adjacent transmitter member can be grouped together to constitute a fundamental building block known as an CT set whose load flow behavior is maximally decoupled from the rest of the mechanism. We can thereby explain the deformation behavior of a number of compliant mechanisms from literature by visualizing load flow, and identifying building blocks.
Complete Genome Sequences of Three Strains of Coxsackievirus A7
Authors: Ylä-Pelto Jani , Koskinen Satu , Karelehto Eveliina , Sittig Eleonora , Roivainen Merja , Hyypiä Timo , Susi Petri
Published: April 2013

Genomes of three strains (Parker, USSR, and 275/58) of coxsackievirus A7 (CV-A7) were amplified by the long reverse transcription (RT)-PCR method and sequenced. While the sequences of Parker and USSR were identical, the similarities of 275/58 to the CV-A7 reference sequence, accession no. AY421765, were 82.6% and 96.2% for nucleotides and amino acids, respectively.
Performance-based assessments and demand for personal care in older Japanese people: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Shimada Hiroyuki , Suzuki Takao , Suzukawa Megumi , Makizako Hyuma , Doi Takehiko , Yoshida Daisuke , Tsutsumimoto Kota , Anan Yuya , Uemura Kazuki , Ito Tadashi , Lee Sangyoon , Park Hyuntae
Published: April 2013

Objectives

To identify appropriate clinical tests for determining the demand for personal care in older Japanese people.

Design

Cross-sectional observation study.

Setting

Obu Study of Health Promotion for the Elderly (Obu, Aichi) and Tsukui Ordered Useful Care for Health (241 day-care centres) cohorts in Japan.

Participants

A total of 10 351 individuals aged 65 years or older (6791 with personal care and 3560 without personal care) participated in the study.

Measures

Physical performance tests included grip strength, the chair stand test, walking speed at a comfortable pace, and the timed up-and-go test. Personal care was defined as participants who had been certified in the national social long-term care insurance in Japan.

Results

Individuals who received personal care showed a significantly poorer performance than those without personal care for all physical performance tests (p<0.001). Gait speed was the most useful of the physical performance tests to determine the demand for personal care (receiver operating characteristic curve statistics: men, 0.92; women, 0.94; sensitivity: men, 86; women, 90; specificity: men, 85; women, 85). After adjustment for age, sex, cognitive impairment and other physical tests, all physical performance tests were individually associated with the demand for personal care. A slow gait speed (<1 m/s) was more strongly correlated with the demand for personal care than other performance measures (gait speed OR: 5.9; 95% CI: 5.0 to 6.9).

Conclusions

Clinical tests of physical performance are associated with the demand for personal care in older people. Preventive strategies to maintain physical independence may be required in older adults who show a gait speed slower than 1 m/s. Further research is necessary to confirm these preliminary results.
Quantity, not frequency, of alcohol use moderates the association between multiple sexual partners andTrichomonas vaginalisamong women attending an urban STD clinic
Authors: Scott-Sheldon Lori A J , Senn Theresa E , Carey Kate B , Urban Marguerite A , Carey Michael P
Published: April 2013

Objective

The purpose of this study is to investigate alcohol use, sexual risk behaviour and trichomoniasis in a sample of low-income, largely minority, women patients at a publicly funded sexually transmitted disease (STD) clinic in the USA.

Methods

Baseline data, collected as part of a clinical trial, were used. Patients (688 women, 46% of the overall sample) completed an audio computer-assisted self-interview that included questions about their alcohol use and sexual behaviours. Trichomoniasis was determined from vaginal swab specimens obtained during a standard clinical exam.

Results

Women (n=580; 18–56 years of age; 64% African–American) who reported that they had consumed alcohol at least once in the past year were included in the analyses. Of the 580 women, 157 were diagnosed with an STD and 80 tested positive for trichomoniasis. Trichomoniasis was associated with having multiple sexual partners (OR=1.09; 95% CI 1.01 to 1.17) but not with the number or proportion of unprotected sex events (p>0.05) in the past 3 months. Quantity of alcohol use (drinks per drinking day, drinks per week, and peak consumption) moderated the association between the number of sexual partners and trichomoniasis.

Conclusions

The number of sexual partners predicted the probability of trichomoniasis when women reported drinking large quantities of alcohol. Because having multiple sexual partners increases the risk for STD transmission, interventions designed for at-risk women should address the quantity of alcohol consumed as well as partner reduction to reduce the risk for trichomoniasis.
Origin and evolution of a new exon of 14-3-3ξ in bees and phylogenetic analysis
Authors: Zhan Leilei , Jiang Chao
Published: April 2013

Mutually exclusive splicing, one type of alternative splicing, involves selection of alternatively spliced exons arranged in tandem and creates protein products with substitution of one segment of the amino acid sequence for another. Previous studies revealed that exon 5 of 14-3-3ξ from Apis mellifera (western honeybee) had three mutually exclusive exons, while orthologous exon of Nasonia vitripennis (parasitic wasp) had only two, suggesting that cases of exon gain or loss might have happened during the evolution of hymenopteran species. In the current study, we annotated and analyzed the 14-3-3ξ genes from 20 hymenopteran species successfully, and the results of phylogenetic analysis revealed the presence of a new mutually exclusive exon in corbiculate bees. In addition, we found that duplication via staggered homologous recombination was responsible for the origin of the new exon.
ON THE STABILITY OF COHERENT STATES FOR PAIS–UHLENBECK OSCILLATOR
Authors: PRAMANIK SOUVIK , GHOSH SUBIR
Published: April 2013

We have constructed coherent states for the higher derivative Pais–Uhlenbeck Oscillator (PUO). In the process, we have suggested a novel way to construct coherent states for the oscillator having only negative energy levels. These coherent states have negative energies in general but their coordinate and momentum expectation values and dispersions behave in an identical manner as that of normal (positive energy) oscillator. The coherent states for the PUO have constant dispersions and a modified Heisenberg Uncertainty Relation. Moreover, under reasonable assumptions on parameters these coherent states can have positive energies.
BARYON POLARIZATION, PHASES OF AMPLITUDES AND TIME-REVERSAL ODD OBSERVABLES
Authors: DI SALVO E. , AJALTOUNI Z. J.
Published: April 2013

We elaborate two different methods for extracting from data the relative phase of two amplitudes of some sequential decays of baryons. We also relate this phase to a particular physical angle. Moreover, we suggest how to infer some time-reversal (TR) odd observables — in particular, asymmetries — from data. Last, we comment on the Standard Model (SM) predictions of such asymmetries, showing that most of the decays considered are quite suitable for revealing possible new physics (NP) contributions.
SELF-TIMED SECTION-CARRY BASED CARRY LOOKAHEAD ADDERS AND THE CONCEPT OF ALIAS LOGIC
Authors: BALASUBRAMANIAN P. , EDWARDS D. A. , TOMS W. B.
Published: April 2013

This paper makes two important contributions to the domain of self-timed computer arithmetic. Firstly, a gate-level synthesis of self-timed carry lookahead (CLA) adders based on the notion of section-carry is discussed. Three types of CLA adder architectures have been conceived and both homogeneous and heterogeneous delay-insensitive (DI) data encoding schemes are considered. In general, for higher-order additions, the self-timed CLA adder is found to result in reduced latency than the carry ripple version by 38.6%. However, the latter occupies less area and dissipates less power than the former by 37.8% and 17.4%, respectively. Secondly, a new concept of alias logic is introduced in this work which is useful for delay optimization of iterative circuit specifications — here; this concept is applied to effect latency reduction in self-timed CLA adders. By incorporating alias logic, the propagation delay of the intermediate carries in a CLA structure is further minimized to the tune of 27.2% on average, whilst accompanied by marginal area and power penalties of the order of just 2% and 1.5%, respectively.
The PDZ-interaction of the intestinal anion exchanger downregulated in adenoma (DRA; SLC26A3) facilitates its movement into Rab11a-positive recycling endosomes
Authors: Lissner S. , Hsieh C.-J. , Nold L. , Bannert K. , Bodammer P. , Sultan A. , Seidler U. , Graeve L. , Lamprecht G.
Published: April 2013

Electroneutral NaCl absorption in the ileum and colon is mediated by downregulated in adenoma (DRA) (Cl-/HCO3-exchanger; SLC26A3) and Na+/H+exchanger 3 (NHE3, SLC9A3). Surface expression of transport proteins undergoes basal and regulated recycling by endo- and exocytosis. Expression and activity of DRA in the plasma membrane depend on intact lipid rafts, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase), and the PDZ interaction of DRA. However, it is unknown how the PDZ interaction of DRA affects its trafficking to the cell surface. Therefore, the (re)cycling pathway of DRA was investigated in HEK cells stably expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-DRA or EGFP-DRA-ETKFminus (a mutant lacking the PDZ interaction motif). Early, late, and recycling endosomes were immunoisolated by precipitating stably transfected mCherry-hemagglutinin (HA)-Rab5a, -7a, or -11a. EGFP-DRA and EGFP-DRA-ETKFminus were equally present in early endosomes. In recycling endosomes, wild-type DRA was preferentially present, whereas, in late endosomes, DRA-ETKF-minus dominated. Correspondingly, EGFP-DRA colocalized with mCherry-HA-Rab11a in recycling endosomes, whereas EGFP-DRA-ETKFminus colocalized with mCherry-HA-Rab7a in late endosomes. Functionally, this different distribution was reflected by a shorter half-life of the mutant DRA. Transient expression of dominant-negative Rab11aS25Ninhibited the activity (-17%, P < 0.05) and the cell surface expression of DRA (-30%, P < 0.05). Transient transfection of Rab4a or its dominant-negative mutant Rab4aS22Nwas without effect and thus excluded participation of the rapid recycling pathway. Taken together, the PDZ interaction of DRA facilitates its movement into Rab11a-positive recycling endosomes, from where it is inserted in the plasma membrane. A scenario emerges where specific PDZ adaptor proteins are present along several compartments of the endocytosis-recycling pathway.
Postprandial triglyceride and free fatty acid metabolism in obese women after either endurance or resistance exercise
Authors: Davitt Patrick M. , Arent Shawn M. , Tuazon Marc A. , Golem Devon L. , Henderson Gregory C.
Published: April 2013

We investigated the effects of two exercise modalities on postprandial triglyceride (TG) and free fatty acid (FFA) metabolism. Sedentary, obese women were studied on three occasions in randomized order: endurance exercise for 60 min at 60–65% aerobic capacity (E), ∼60 min high-intensity resistance exercise (R), and a sedentary control trial (C). After exercise, a liquid-mixed meal containing [U-13C]palmitate was consumed, and subjects were studied over 7 h. Isotopic enrichment (IE) of plasma TG, plasma FFA, and breath carbon dioxide compared with meal IE indicated the contribution of dietary fat to each pool. Total and endogenously derived plasma TG content was reduced significantly in both E and R compared with C ( P < 0.05), with no effect of exercise on circulating exogenous (meal-derived) TG content. Exogenous plasma FFA content was increased significantly following both E and R compared with C ( P < 0.05), whereas total and endogenous FFA concentrations were elevated only in E ( P < 0.05) compared with C. Fatty acid (FA) oxidation rates were increased significantly after E and R compared with C ( P < 0.05), with no difference between exercise modalities. The present results indicate that E and R may be equally effective in reducing postprandial plasma TG concentration and enhancing lipid oxidation when the exercise sessions are matched for duration rather than for energy expenditure. Importantly, tracer results indicated that the reduction in postprandial lipemia after E and R exercise bouts is not achieved by enhanced clearance of dietary fat but rather, is achieved by reduced abundance of endogenous FA in plasma TG.
Anxiety and Depressed Mood in Obese Pregnant Women: A Prospective Controlled Cohort Study
Authors: Bogaerts Annick.F.L. , Devlieger Roland , Nuyts Erik , Witters Ingrid , Gyselaers Wilfried , Guelinckx Isabelle , Van den Bergh Bea R.H.
Published: April 2013

Background: The psychological health in obese women during pregnancy has been poorly studied. Objective: To compare levels of anxiety and depressed mood during pregnancy in obese versus normal-weight women. Methods: 63 obese pregnant women and 156 normal-weight controls were included prospectively before 15 weeks of gestation. Levels of state and trait anxiety and depressed mood were measured during the first, second and third trimester of pregnancy. A linear mixed-effect model with repeated measures was used to evaluate group differences. Results: The levels of state anxiety significantly increased from trimester 1 to trimester 3 in obese pregnant women (beta = 3.70; p = 0.007), while this parameter remained constant throughout pregnancy in normal-weight women. Levels of trait anxiety and depressed mood significantly decreased from trimester 1 to trimester 2 in controls, but not in obese pregnant women. Variables such as maternal education, ethnicity, marital state, psychological history and miscarriages, parity and smoking behaviour had significant effects on anxiety and/or depressed moods during pregnancy. Obese pregnant women show higher levels of anxiety and depressive symptomatology compared to normal-weight pregnant women. Conclusion: Interventional programmes aiming at preventing the deleterious influence of maternal obesity on perinatal outcomes should include a psycho-educational program specifically tailored to this high-risk group.
Histomorphometric Study and Three-Dimensional Reconstruction of the Osteocyte Lacuno-Canalicular Network One Hour after Applying Tensile and Compressive Forces
Authors: Bozal Carola B. , Sánchez Luciana M. , Mandalunis Patricia M. , Ubios Ángela M.
Published: April 2013

The occurrence of very early morphological changes in the osteocyte lacuno-canalicular network following application of tensile and/or compressive forces remains unknown to date. Thus, the aim of this study was to perform a morphological and morphometric evaluation of the changes in the three-dimensional structure of the lacuno-canalicular network and the osteocyte network of alveolar bone that take place very early after applying tensile and compressive forces in vivo, conducting static histomorphometry on bright-field microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy images. Our results showed that both the tensile and compressive forces induced early changes in osteocytes and their lacunae, which manifested as an increase in lacunar volume and changes in lacunar shape and orientation. An increase in canalicular width and a decrease in the width and an increase in the length of cytoplasmic processes were also observed. The morphological changes in the lacuno-canalicular and osteocyte networks that occur in vivo very early after application of tensile and compressive forces would be an indication of an increase in permeability within the system. Thus, both compressive and tensile forces would cause fluid displacement very soon after being applied; the latter would in turn rapidly activate alveolar bone osteocytes, enhancing transmission of the signals to the entire osteocyte network and the effector cells located at the bone surface.
S-1 Monotherapy as Second- or Third-Line Chemotherapy for Unresectable and Recurrent Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Akutsu Yasunori , Kono Tsuguaki , Uesato Masaya , Hoshino Isamu , Narushima Kazuo , Hanaoka Toshiharu , Tochigi Toru , Semba Yoshihide , Qin Wei , Matsubara Hisahiro
Published: April 2013

Purpose: S-1 is widely used for various cancers. It may be useful for esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC); however, there are insufficient data. The purpose is to provide results of an analysis of S-1 monotherapy for unresectable and recurrent ESCC. Patients and Methods: Twenty patients with histologically proven ESCC who were previously treated with other chemo(radio)therapies were treated with S-1 alone as second- or third-line chemotherapy. Results: A complete response (CR) was observed in 1 case (5%). A partial response (PR), stable disease (SD), and progressive disease (PD) were seen in 4 (20.0%), 7 (35.0%), and 8 (40.0%) cases, respectively. Two cases (10%) of anemia, 1 case (5%) of leukopenia, 3 cases (15%) of fatigue, and 3 cases (15%) of diarrhea were observed as grade 3 toxicity; however, there were no cases of grade 4 toxicity. The 1-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate was 10.0%, and the median PFS was 100 days. The 1-year overall survival (OS) was 30.5%, and the median OS was 330 days. The 1-year PFS rate in CR/PR/SD and PD was 16.7 and 0%, and the median survival time was 120 and 40 days. Conclusion: S-1 is a promising new drug which can be used as a second- or third-line chemotherapy for ESCC.
Association of a Tagging Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in the Androgen Receptor Gene Region with Susceptibility to Severe Hypospadias in a Caucasian Population
Authors: Adamovic T. , Thai H.T.T. , Liedén A. , Nordenskjöld A.
Published: April 2013

Hypospadias is a congenital malformation and a milder form of 46,XY disorder of sexual development (DSD). In the present study, we investigated 13 haplotype tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) covering the steroid-5-alpha reductase (SRD5A2) and androgen receptor(AR) gene region, respectively, in a cohort consisting of 260 individuals with mild hypospadias and 77 with severe disease, in addition to 471 healthy male controls. The investigated genes are known to have an important role in the hormone-dependent stage of sexual development. Our study revealed one novel marker located in the AR gene region (rs5919436; g.67024320C>G) to be significantly associated with an increased risk of severe hypospadias (adjusted p value: 0.02; odds ratio: 2.98). In concordance with this finding, we detected an association of a haplotype tagged by the minor allele of rs5919436 (adjusted p value: 0.04). We further detected no association between the investigated disease and the haplotype tagging polymorphisms covering the SRD5A2 gene, which is of importance considering the conflicting results reported previously. In conclusion, our data implicate that the AR rs5919436 (g.67024320C>G) polymorphism may act as a novel genetic marker for increased susceptibility to severe hypospadias in Caucasians.
Regulation of Circulating Neutrophil Numbers under Homeostasis and in Disease
Authors: Strydom Natasha , Rankin Sara M.
Published: April 2013

Neutrophils are the most abundant circulating leukocyte and play a fundamental role in the innate immune response. Patients with neutropenia, leukocyte adhesion deficiency syndrome or chronic granulomatous disease are particularly prone to bacterial and fungal infection. However, the highly destructive capacity of these cells also increases the potential for neutrophil damage to healthy tissues, as seen in a number of inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The homeostatic control of circulating neutrophil levels is thus critical, as an imbalance can result in overwhelming infection or inappropriate inflammatory states. Neutrophil homeostasis is maintained by a fine balance between granulopoiesis in the bone marrow, retention in and release from the bone marrow and clearance and destruction. This review discusses the molecular mechanisms regulating neutrophil mobilization from the bone marrow, with emphasis on the antagonistic roles of the CXCR4 (C-X-C motif receptor 4)/CXCL12 (C-X-C motif ligand 12) and CXCR2/ELR+ (Glu-Leu-Arg) CXC chemokine signaling axes in the bone marrow. A role for the CXCL12/CXCR4 chemokine axis in the trafficking of senescent neutrophils back to the bone marrow for clearance, along with the role of bone marrow macrophages and the molecules that mediate neutrophil clearance by bone marrow macrophages, is also discussed.
Quantitative Assessment of Aortic Elasticity With Aging Using Velocity-Vector Imaging and Its Histologic Correlation
Authors: Kim Sung-Ai , Lee Kyung Hye , Won Ho-Yeon , Park Sungha , Chung Ji Hyung , Jang Yangsoo , Ha Jong-Won
Published: April 2013

Objective—

Velocity-vector imaging (VVI) represents a valuable new method for noninvasive quantification of vascular properties associated with aging. The purpose of this study was to assess the correlations between VVI parameters and histological changes with aging.

Approach and Results—

Fourteen mongrel dogs were classified as either young (n=7; age, 1–2 years; female; weighing 22–29 kg) or senescent (n=7; age, 8–12 years; female; weighing 36–45 kg). The short-axis image of the descending thoracic aorta was obtained for VVI analysis with transesophageal echocardiography. The location of the image was identified using fluoroscopic guidance, and the aortic tissue was extracted. After dividing the aortic wall into 6 segments, both regional and segmental tissue collagen and elastin contents were quantified and correlated with the aortic elastic properties. In the regional analysis, the M-mode–derived aortic dimensions and elastic moduli except for intima-media thickness were not significantly different between the groups, whereas the VVI-derived aortic area and fractional area changes showed more dilated and stiffer aorta in senescent dogs. Also, fractional area change was significantly correlated with the tissue collagen content unlike the M-mode–derived elastic moduli. In the segmental analysis, the radial velocity, circumferential strain, and strain rates of VVI were more reduced in senescent dogs than young dogs, and the radial velocity and circumferential strain showed independent associations with the collagen content of the corresponding aortic wall.

Conclusions—

VVI was a feasible method for direct quantification of aortic elastic properties with a significant histological correlation.
After We Deconstruct ‘Religion,’ Then What? A Case for Critical Realism
Authors: Schilbrack Kevin
Published: April 2013

Abstract

Some scholars of religion have turned their attention from religion to “religion” and have then deconstructed the conceptual category, arguing that the concept of religion is an invention of the scholar that corresponds to nothing. In Schilbrack (2012), I used the work of Tim Fitzgerald to identify what such arguments get right and what they get wrong. In the present reply to Fitzgerald, I make a case for critical realism as a methodological stance for the study of religion that can learn from deconstructive approaches without abandoning the concept.
Hayden White in Philosophical Perspective
Authors: Roth Paul A.
Published: April 2013

For almost half a century, the person most responsible for fomenting brouhahas regarding degrees of plasticity in the writing of histories has been Hayden White. Yet, despite the voluminous responses provoked by White’s work, almost no effort has been made to treat White’s writings in a systematic yet sympathetic way as a philosophy of history. Herman Paul’s book begins to remedy that lack and does so in a carefully considered and extremely scholarly fashion. In his relatively brief six chapters (plus an introduction), Paul packs a wealth of information. He convincingly demonstrates that a guiding theme of White’s work from earliest times has been that historians have no choice but to impose a structure on historical data and thus bear responsibility for structures so imposed. As such, a key philosophical question concerns on what bases White contends that a freedom of choice exists regarding forms given to recorded histories. This essay focuses on how Paul argues for a unified vision that answers this question, as well as how he offers an original and comprehensive conception of White’s writings.
Sacrifice, an Ancient Mediterranean Ritual
Authors: DeMaris Richard E.
Published: April 2013

Any examination of sacrifice must reckon with the variety and complexity of sacrificial activities and the problems that consequently attend sacrifice employed as an analytical category. Approached as ritual and placed in full context, sacrifice reveals rich connections with the key social structures and cultural values of the ancient Mediterranean world. Sacrifice established and maintained the social status and location of participants in it, and in many situations it defined kinship ties and identities. It also constituted a component in the reciprocal exchange between human beings and their ancestors and god(s), an exchange in which sacrifice signified gift giving. Sacrificial gift-giving sustained the patron-client relations that denizens of the Mediterranean supposed they had with their superiors—ancestors and god(s). It did so by serving as a gesture of gratitude to one's patrons; it was the primary means of honoring them.
The “Misfits”: Genesis of a Non-Darwinian Myth
Authors: Kohler Florent
Published: April 2013

This paper studies the concept of “hominisation” in terms of the dialectic between rupture and continuity. To this effect, it takes into account a number of scholarly approaches belonging to dif-ferent disciplines (neurobiology, ethnology, linguistics). Through these discourse, the author shows how the concept of hominisation escapes the Darwinian narrative, and belongs rather to a mythological dimension. As such, it plays a role in the process of building a specifically human identity, as opposed to an animal one.
Preoperative Neutrophil–Lymphocyte Ratio and Saphenous Vein Graft Patency After Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
Authors: Taşoğlu İrfan , Turak Osman , Nazli Yunus , Özcan Fırat , Colak Necmettin , Sahin Serpil , Kavasoglu Kemal , Genc Bahadır , Sert Doğan , Karahan Mehmet , Cicek Omer , Ecevit Ata
Published: April 2013

Aim:

The aim of the present study was to investigate the predictive value of preoperative neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in postoperative saphenous vein graft patency in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery.

Method:

We retrospectively analyzed 444 patients who had undergone CABG and a further control coronary angiography due to recurrence of symptoms. The patients were divided into tertile groups according to the NLR. The primary end point was 50% saphenous vein graft stenosis or more or complete occlusion.

Result:

The saphenous vein graft failure in the 3 groups based on NLR was 33%, 66.2%, and 79.1%, in the low-, middle- and high-risk groups, respectively. In multivariate regression modeling, current smoker, diabetes mellitus, target artery diameter <1.5 mm, and NLR independently predicted saphenous vein graft patency in patients after CABG. Conclusion: Preoperative NLR is clearly an independent predictor of saphenous vein graft patency in patients after CABG.
The Portuguese schools’ evaluation programme: A sociological approach to the participation of social actors
Authors: Veloso Luísa , Abrantes Pedro , Craveiro Daniela
Published: April 2013

This article analyses the current Portuguese Schools’ Evaluation Programme, implemented since 2006 in all state schools, as a social construction. The article focuses on a particular topic of the external evaluation the participation of social actors in school life, as well as on school principals’ perceptions of the process. Our research is based on a content analysis of schools’ evaluation reports conducted in three different regions (Lisbon and Tagus Valley, Alentejo and Algarve) and a series of semi-directive interviews with the principals and chairpersons of the General Councils of 20 schools. While it is important to consider the evaluation programme in the light of international political tendencies (e.g. New Public Management), it is also relevant to understand the impact of such policy on schools. We highlight the contributions of this approach to a wider reflection on evaluation processes.
Remembering displacement: Photography and the interactive spaces of memory
Authors: West Tamara
Published: April 2013

This article draws upon research into the practices within and later memories of Displaced Persons camps in Germany. These camps, set up immediately after the close of the Second World War, stayed open much longer than had first been anticipated, some remaining in operation well into the late 1950s and early 1960s. During this period, specific notions and practices of nation and culture became established, and the camps came to serve as complex sites of identity, belonging and also of difference. Through investigation of the oral and visual narratives of former Displaced Persons, this article examines the initial construction and later (re)viewing of old photographs as well as the reframings involved in the taking of new photographs, and assesses their role in the imagined and physical spaces of embodied memory, place and the shifting sites of belonging and identity.