bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dietary saturated and omega‐3 fatty acids affect growth and fatty acid profiles of Malaysian mahseer
Authors: Ramezani‐Fard Ehsan , Kamarudin Mohd Salleh , Harmin Sharr Azni , Saad Che Roos
Published: November 2011

The current study was conducted to determine optimal levels of dietary saturated fatty acids (SFA), n‐3 PUFA and to study potential n‐3 sparing effect of dietary SFA for Malaysian mahseer Tor tambroides. Juvenile T. tambroides were fed four trial diets with similar basal composition but different oil mixtures in a 2 × 2 factorial experimental design for 10 weeks. The two factors were the levels of dietary SFA and the levels of dietary n‐3 PUFAs. Growth performance and fatty acid profile of tissues were analyzed at the end of the experiment. Significant differences in growth performance were observed among treatments, and fish fed the diet low in n‐3 and high in SFA showed the best growth performance. T. tambroides fed the high n‐3 diets showed a significantly higher (p<0.05) muscle total n‐3 PUFA content compared to fish fed the low n‐3 diets. The highest 22:6 n‐3 and total n‐3 PUFA content of the liver were also observed in fish fed the low n‐3 and high SFA diet. However, the significant interaction (p<0.05) between dietary SFA and n‐3 PUFA levels was observed for the total n‐3 PUFA content of both muscle and liver tissues, suggesting an n‐3 sparing action by dietary SFA. The results of this study suggest that 2.5% n‐3 PUFA in the diet of T. tambroides, with an SFA to n‐3 ratio of 15.3, is sufficient to provide the best growth performance and to retain the n‐3 content of tissues.

Practical applications: The continuous increase of world population and growth of aquaculture industry put severe pressure on the marine resources such as fish oil and fishmeal. Here we show that fish oil can be substituted with palm oil, a cheaper and more available source of oil in tropical countries, in the diet of Malaysian mahseer without a reduction of growth. Moreover, palm oil as a source of SFA may spare omega‐3 in the fish tissues. Omega‐3 is an essential fatty acid for humans as final consumer of edible fish.
Robustness of the hybrid DRP‐WENO scheme for shock flow computations
Authors: Wan Zhen‐Hua , Zhou Lin , Sun De‐Jun
Published: November 2011

This paper describes a new variant of hybrid scheme that is constructed by a wave‐capturing scheme and a nonoscillatory scheme for flow computations in the presence of shocks. The improved fifth‐order upwind weighted essentially nonoscillatory scheme is chosen to be conjugated with the seven‐point dispersion‐relation‐preserving scheme by means of an adaptive switch function of grid‐point type. The new hybrid scheme can achieve a better resolution than the hybrid scheme which is based on the classical weighted essentially scheme. Ami Harten's multiresolution analysis algorithm is applied to density field for detecting discontinuities and setting point values of the switch function adaptively. Moreover, the tenth‐order central filter is applied in smooth part of the flow field for damping dispersion errors. This scheme can promote overall computational efficiency and yield oscillation‐free results in shock flows. The resolution properties and robustness of the new hybrid scheme are tested in both 1D and 2D linear and nonlinear cases. It performs well for computing flow problems with rich structures of weak/strong shocks and large/small vortices, such as the shock‐boundary layer interaction problem in a shock tube, which illustrates that it is very robust and accurate for direct numerical simulation of gas‐dynamics flows. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
MAIN OR SATELLITE? TESTING CAUSALITY‐IN‐MEAN AND VARIANCE FOR DUALLY LISTED STOCKS
Authors: Qadan Mahmod , Yagil Joseph
Published: November 2011

This paper extends prior research on the dominant‐satellite relationship of dually listed stocks. We use a robust test for causality‐in‐variance and causality‐in‐mean to explore for any information feedback effect between stocks listed in two non‐synchronized international markets. We apply a GARCH‐expanded error correction model to a sample of 15 cross‐listed stocks on the Tel‐Aviv Stock Exchange (considered here as the domestic market) and NASDAQ. The domestic market was found generally the driver of prices' mean and variance, indicating that price discovery occurs in the domestic market. In addition, we find that the stock volatility both in the domestic and the foreign markets is affected by the exchange rate innovations. Also, although the foreign exchange rate between the U.S. dollar and the Israeli Shekel was volatile in recent years, our findings show that the prices of the dual securities are generally co‐integrated, indicating both an absence of arbitrage opportunities and long‐term equilibrium. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Residence time of fine‐root carbon using radiocarbon measurements of samples collected from a soil archive
Authors: Fröberg Mats
Published: November 2011

Fine roots from the soil archive of the Swedish National Forest Soil Inventory, collected in 1964, 1972, 1985, and 1998, were analyzed for 14C contents. Two different methods of estimating residence time were compared. Residence time of root C was estimated to be 8 y using a steady state 1‐pool model.
The Structure and Aggregation of Hydrogen‐Bonded Interpolymer Complexes of Poly(acrylic acid) With Poly(N‐vinylpyrrolidone) in Dilute Aqueous Solution
Authors: Henke Artur , Kadłubowski Sławomir , Wolszczak Marian , Ulański Piotr , Boyko Volodymyr , Schmidt Thomas , Arndt Karl‐Friedrich , Rosiak Janusz M.
Published: November 2011

Hydrogen‐bonded complexation between high‐molecular‐weight poly(N‐vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP, $\overline{M}_{\rm w}$ = 650 kDa) and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) with weight‐average molar weights between 0.9 and 50 kDa, is studied in dilute, salt‐free aqueous solution. The onset of complexation, aggregation, and the structure of the formed particles are strongly influenced by PAA molecular weight, solution composition, and the method of sample preparation. With increasing poly(acrylic acid) chain length, IPCs show higher stability against aggregation. IPCs based on high‐molecular‐weight PAA show core‐corona architecture ensuring good sterical stabilization, whereas for those containing the shortest polyacid a loose soft‐sphere structure without distinct borders of different chain densities is found.
Modeling and prediction of weld shear strength in friction stir spot welding using design of experiments and neural network
Authors: Kulekci M. K. , Esme U. , Er O. , Kazancoglu Y.
Published: November 2011

Friction Stir Spot Welding (FSSW) is a kind of the friction stir welding (FSW) process, creates a spot, lap‐weld without bulk melting work materials. The tensile shear strength of the FSSW welded joints mainly depends on the pin height, tool rotation and welding time. In the present study, two of the techniques, namely factorial design and neural network (NN) were used for modeling and predicting the tensile shear strength of EN AW 5005 aluminum alloy. Tensile shear strength was taken as a response variable measured after welding pin height, tool rotation and welding speed were taken as input parameters. Relationships between tensile shear strength and welding parameters have been investigated. The level of importance of the FSSW parameters on the tensile shear strength was determined by using the analysis of variance method (ANOVA). The mathematical relation between the tensile shear strength and FSSW welding parameters were established by regression analysis method. This mathematical model may be used in estimating the tensile shear strength of FSSW joints without performing any experiments. Finally, predicted values of tensile shear strength by techniques, NN and regression analysis, were compared with the experimental results and their nearness with the experimental values assessed. Results show that, NN is a good alternative to empirical modeling based on full factorial design.
Managerial Bonus Systems in a Differentiated Duopoly: A Comment
Authors: Jansen Thijs , van Lier Arie , van Witteloostuijn Arjen
Published: November 2011

A differentiated Cournot duopoly is considered where firm owners delegate the output decision to a manager, who is rewarded on the basis of his performance. If this performance is measured in terms of (i) pure profits, (ii) a combination of profits and sales, (iii) a combination of profits and market share or (iv) relative profits, the latter option strictly dominates the others if the products are perfect substitutes. Recently it was claimed that this result does not hold for all levels of product substitutability. In this comment, we show however that this result is robust against the introduction of product differentiation. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inverse association between glutathione peroxidase activity and both selenium‐binding protein 1 levels and gleason score in human prostate tissue
Authors: Jerome‐Morais Anita , Wright Margaret E. , Liu Rui , Yang Wancai , Jackson Matthew I. , Combs Gerald F. , Diamond Alan M.
Published: November 2011

BACKGROUND

Data from human epidemiological studies, cultured mammalian cells, and animal models have supported a potentially beneficial role of selenium (Se) in prostate cancer prevention. In addition, Se‐containing proteins including members of the glutathione peroxidase (GPx) family and Selenium‐Binding Protein 1 (SBP1) have been linked to either cancer risk or development. For example, SBP1 levels are typically reduced in tumors compared to non‐cancerous tissue, with the degree of reduction associated with increasingly poor clinical outcome.

METHODS

In order to investigate inter‐relationships between blood and tissue Se levels and GPx activity, tissue SBP1 levels, and disease aggressiveness using the Gleason score, we measured levels of selenium and selected selenoproteins in fasting serum and histologically normal prostate tissues obtained from 24 men undergoing radical prostatectomy for the treatment of localized prostate cancer.

RESULTS

GPx enzyme activity was inversely correlated with SBP1 levels in prostate tissue as determined by densitometry of Western blots obtained using anti‐SBP1 antibodies [partial Spearman's correlation coefficients and corresponding P‐values overall and in African‐Americans = −0.42 (0.08) and −0.53 (0.10), respectively], which is consistent with previous observations in cultured cells and mice. Of particular interest was the positive correlation between tissue GPx activity and Gleason score, with this relationship achieving statistical significance among African‐Americans (r = 0.67, P = 0.02).

CONCLUSION

These studies support the continued investigation of the role of Se and selenoproteins in prostate cancer prevention, development, and prognosis. Prostate 72:1006–1012, 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Inhibitory Activities of Pancreatic Lipase and Phosphodiesterase from Korean Medicinal Plant Extracts
Authors: Lee Yun Mi , Kim Young Sook , Lee Youngseop , Kim Junghyun , Sun Hang , Kim Joo Hwan , Kim Jin Sook
Published: November 2011

To find new pancreatic lipase (triacylgycerol acylhydrolase, EC 3.1.1.3) inhibitors from natural products, 61 medicinal plants from Korea were screened for their antilipase activity for prevention of obesity. Dried and powdered plants were extracted three times with EtOH and extracts were obtained by removal of the solvent in vacuo. Lipase activity was determined by measuring the hydrolysis of p‐nitrophenyl butyrate to p‐nitrophenol. Also, the inhibitory effect was measured on phosphodiesterase (PDE), another therapeutic target for obesity. Of the extracts tested, Sorbus commixta (stem, leaf) and Viscum album (whole plant) exhibited antilipase activity (with IC50 values of 29.6 µg/mL and 33.3 µg/mL, respectively) and only anti‐PDE activity (IC50 values of 20.08 µg/mL and 35.15 µg/mL, respectively). Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
BOOTSTRAP SAMPLING IS WITH REPLACEMENT: A COMMENT ON AYLLÓN ET AL. (2011)
Authors: Williams J. G.
Published: November 2011

The bootstrap can be used to estimate confidence intervals for complex statistics such as weighted usable area, the habitat index calculated by the Physical Habitat Simulation System (PHABSIM) and related models. Use of the bootstrap entails sampling with replacement from the original sample, such as a set of PHABSIM transects. Because the method has been improperly applied to PHABSIM transects in several instances, I explain in detail why bootstrap sampling is with replacement. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Dialogic framing of scientific content for conceptual and epistemic understanding
Authors: Ford Michael J. , Wargo Brian M.
Published: November 2011

This article draws on M. M. Bakhtin's (1981) notion of dialogism to articulate what it means to understand a scientific idea. In science, understanding an idea is both conceptual and epistemic and is exhibited by an ability to use it in explanation and argumentation. Some distillation of these activities implies that dialogic understanding of a scientific idea includes being able to use it to explain natural phenomena, being aware that it is one among a multiplicity of alternatives, and that the scientific idea is superior to alternatives based upon a scientific evaluation which involves relating it to evidence. This notion of dialogic understanding is related here to a scaffolding framework, which we argue characterizes one form of instructional support for framing content dialogically as part of explanation and argumentation. For illustration, the framework is applied to data from a high school evolutionary biology course. In contrast to the prevailing position that dialogic understanding should be supported through engaging in argumentation (i.e., actual dialogue), we entertain an additional possibility that dialogic understanding can be supported through dialogic framing. We also entertain the possibility that dialogic framing of content can provide initial support for student engagement in argumentation. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed96:369–391, 2012
Young African American children constructing academic and disciplinary identities in an urban science classroom
Authors: Kane Justine M.
Published: November 2011

In this paper, I offer a framework for exploring the academic and disciplinary identities young African American children construct in urban science classrooms. Using interviews, fieldnotes, and videotapes of classroom lessons, I juxtapose the ways in which two children tell about their experiences in school and science with their performances of self in the midst of complex, spontaneous classroom engagements with their peers and teacher. I found that the children's performances of self in the classroom were consistent with the ways they spoke about themselves in the interviews. I also found that the academic identities they constructed were different from their disciplinary identities, and these differing identities were consistent across analytic contexts. Moreover, the identities the children constructed in the interviews nuanced my understandings of what I observed in the classroom in significant ways. I argue that juxtaposing narrated and performed analytical contexts offers affordances for understanding academic and disciplinary identities constructions in school and science. Moreover, it is important both to listen to children's stories about their experiences in addition to observing their ways of being in the classroom to fully understand their experiences of school and science. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 96:457–487, 2012
Relationship between Chronic Inflammation at Prostate Biopsy and Transition Zone Prostate Volume Enlargement in a Prospectively UK Screened Population
Authors: Chopra Samarth , Rowe Edward , Laniado Marc , Walker Marjorie
Published: November 2011

Objective:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between histological prostatic inflammation and prostate volume at the time of prostate biopsy.

Patients and methods:

From a prospective prostate cancer screening study, 137 men aged 50–65 years, underwent prostate biopsies negative for cancer, forming the study population. Biopsy criteria were prostate specific antigen (PSA) >4 ng/ml ( n = 40), or between 1.1 and 4ng/ml with a percent free PSA (%fPSA) <25% ( n = 97). Total gland (TG) and transition zone (TZ) volumes were measured prior to TRUS guided biopsy. Histological classification included chronic inflammation (CIlymphocyte predominant), active inflammation (AI-neutrophil predominant), and benign prostatic tissue (BPT-no inflammatory cells). A logistic regression analysis was performed using age, TPSA, %fPSA, histology, TZ and TG volume, TZ/TG ratio, PSA density, and transition zone PSA density as continuous variables. We also mailed validated self-administered symptom scores to men in the three histological subgroups (men without cancer) at a median of follow up of 6.5 years (range 5.9–7.1 years) after screening and biopsy.

Results:

Histological chronic inflammation ( n = 78, 57%) at biopsy was associated with a larger mean TG volume (30.8cc) than active inflammation ( n =7, 22.7cc) and benign prostatic tissue ( n = 52, 25.9cc). On bivariate analysis, chronic inflammation was associated with greater TZ volume ( p = 0.0015) and TZ/TG ratio ( p = 0.0008). On multivariate analysis, chronic inflammation was the only independent variable associated with a greater ratio of the TZ to TG volume (odds ratio 478, p = 0.005). IPPS symptoms scores were completed and returned by 88 men (66% compliance). In men with chronic inflammation (49), active inflammation (5), and benign tissue (30), the mean IPSS scores were 10.9, 7.2, and 8.7, respectively. These differences did not reach statistical significance p > 0.05.

Conclusions:

In this younger screened population, chronic inflammation was associated with greater prostate gland volume secondary to transition zone volume enlargement. Further research is needed to establish a causally related link for this observation.
Quality of Feedback Using Workplace Based Assessments in Urological Training
Authors: Ali A.S. , Bussey M. , O'Flynn K.J. , Eardley I.
Published: November 2011

Introduction:

The ISCP (Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme) was introduced in 2007. It heralded a shift in surgical training from the traditional apprenticeship model, to a system where competence is assessed regularly within the workplace. Central to ISCP is the recording of Workplace Based Assessments, such as PBA (procedure-based assessment) and DOPS (Direct Observation of Procedural Skills). These are assessments “for” learning rather than assessments “of” learning and central to their purpose is detailed feedback from trainer to trainee. The aim of this study was to assess the quality of the feedback recorded on ISCP.

Methods:

The anonymised ISCP portfolios for 170 core and specialty urology trainees working in 16 deaneries were analysed. Over a three month period 469 DOPS and 592 PBAs were recorded and the presence and quality of assessors' feedback were evaluated according to the presence of five criteria: • Encouragement through positive language, • Including strengths, • Raising appropriate development needs, • Suggestions for appropriate corrective action, • Providing explanations.

Results:

Feedback was recorded in 49% and 67% of PBAs and DOPS respectively. In those assessments where feedback was recorded, positive language was used in 83% in PBAs and 70% in DOPS. Strengths were recorded in 53% for both tools. Developmental needs, suggestions for development and detailed explanation were recorded in 25%, 26%, 29% for PBAs and 24%, 23%, 19% for DOPS respectively.

Conclusion:

This study highlights the lack of feedback being recorded on ISCP and the paucity of good quality feedback when it was given.
Clinical and neurobiological correlates of soluble amyloid precursor proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid
Authors: Alexopoulos Panagiotis , Tsolakidou Amalia , Roselli Francesco , Arnold Anila , Grimmer Timo , Westerteicher Christine , Leante Maria Rosaria , Förstl Hans , Livrea Paolo , Kurz Alexander , Perneczky Robert
Published: November 2011

Background

According to a widely accepted hypothesis, the amyloid precursor protein (APP) is processed by two competing pathways: the amyloidogenic β‐secretase–mediated pathway or the nonamyloidogenic α‐secretase–mediated pathway. APP is cleaved preferentially through the nonamyloidogenic pathway in normal brain, whereas the balance shifts to the amyloidogenic pathway in Alzheimer's disease (AD). The levels of the α‐secretase–cleaved soluble APP (sAPPα) and β‐secretase–cleaved soluble APP (sAPPβ) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are likely to reflect these competing mechanisms.

Methods

We investigated the levels and the relationship between sAPPα and sAPPβ in the CSF of 64 patients with mild AD, 76 patients with mild cognitive impairment, and 12 cognitively healthy control subjects, as well as the effect of apolipoprotein E genotype and sex on soluble APP levels.

Results

There was a significant positive correlation between sAPPα and sAPPβ levels in all three groups. sAPPα and sAPPβ concentrations were higher in patients with mild cognitive impairment compared with patients with AD. In the AD group, females exhibited higher sAPPα and sAPPβ levels than males. No influence of the apolipoprotein E genotype on soluble APP concentrations was detected.

Discussion

The positive correlation between sAPPα and sAPPβ challenges the hypothesis that AD is caused by an imbalance of the α‐ and β‐secretase APP proteolysis through competing mechanisms. Moreover, the differences in CSF levels of sAPPα and sAPPβ between male and female patients with AD may reflect a “sexual dimorphism” in the activity of the two APP processing pathways in AD.
Last glacial–interglacial environments in the southern Rocky Mountains, USA and implications for Younger Dryas-age human occupation
Authors: Briles Christy E. , Whitlock Cathy , Meltzer David J.
Published: November 2011

The last glacial-interglacial transition (LGIT; 19–9 ka) was characterized by rapid climate changes and significant ecosystem reorganizations worldwide. In western Colorado, one of the coldest locations in the continental US today, mountain environments during the late-glacial period are poorly known. Yet, archaeological evidence from the Mountaineer site (2625 m elev.) indicates that Folsom-age Paleoindians were over-wintering in the Gunnison Basin during the Younger Dryas Chronozone (YDC; 12.9–11.7 ka). To determine the vegetation and fire history during the LGIT, and possible explanations for occupation during a period thought to be harsher than today, a 17-ka-old sediment core from Lily Pond (3208 m elev.) was analyzed for pollen and charcoal and compared with other high-resolution records from the southern Rocky Mountains. Widespread tundra and Picea parkland and low fire activity in the cold wet late-glacial period transitioned to open subalpine forest and increased fire activity in the Bølling–Allerød period as conditions became warmer and drier. During the YDC, greater winter snowpack than today and prolonged wet springs likely expanded subalpine forest to lower elevations than today, providing construction material and fuel for the early inhabitants. In the early to middle Holocene, arid conditions resulted in xerophytic vegetation and frequent fire.
FRAGILE HEGEMONY, FLEXIBLE AUTHORITARIANISM, AND GOVERNING FROM BELOW: POLITICIANS' REPORTS IN EARLY REPUBLICAN TURKEY
Authors: Metinsoy Murat
Published: November 2011

This article scrutinizes election district and inspection district reports written by the deputies of the Turkish single-party government and the role of these reports in state decision making. Underscoring social discontent and the fragile hegemony of the new regime—both of which motivated the republican elite to monitor state and party administrations and public opinion—the article argues that the practice of reporting was neither a project of social engineering nor a practice peculiar to the Turkish state but rather a requirement of a polity concerned with the opinion of its citizens. In the absence of direct political participation of the people in government, the reports mediated between the state and society. Contrary to conventional accounts of the single-party period, the article argues that the republican elite did not govern the country through top-down decrees but instead sought to ascertain public opinion and its own administrative defects so as to consolidate its fragile hegemony. Based on these findings, I propose that we redefine the early republican state as a flexible authoritarian regime that was not detached from the society.
Field Construction
Authors: Colla Elliott
Published: November 2011

By every indicator—methodology, citations, paper titles—students of Arabic literature have been courting “theory” for decades. From the 1970s on, scholars have approached classical and modern Arabic literature with theoretical models that draw explicitly on structuralism, deconstruction, psychoanalysis, feminism, Marxism, semiotics, performance studies, and so on. That said, until recently the mainstream of modern Arabic studies continued to use methods inherited from Orientalist scholars working on classical texts.
Visual media and political communication: reporting about suffering in Kinshasa
Authors: Pype Katrien
Published: November 2011

Many sub-Saharan African societies have undergone significant political shifts in the last two decades. Changes in political representation and leadership have generated new forms of political mediation and communication. This article interrogates one of the most visible transformations in Kinshasa's political society: television news reports about urban misery, often resulting from a malfunctioning state, in which Kinshasa's inhabitants testify about their difficulties and press fellow citizens, as well as local and national leaders, to bring about change. Exposing suffering is a shame mobilisation strategy, and so becomes a political act. Through the discursive and visual aesthetics of the proximity account, citizens and political leaders are inserted into one political community. The main argument of this article is that the proximity account illustrates a new kind of political communication. In this article I analyse the socio-political contexts in which the proximity report emerged and became popular. I trace the materialisation of this new kind of interaction between political leaders and citizens to the transformation of the late Zaïrian ‘state’, to vernacular understandings of ‘democracy’, and to the influence of NGO activities and Pentecostal Christianity.
Back to the future: the changing frontiers of nutrition research and its relationship to policy
Authors: Morgan Peter J.
Published: November 2011

Seventy years have elapsed since the Nutrition Society was founded and John Boyd Orr became its first Chairman. Over the intervening period, nutrition research has embraced and responded to a wide variety of challenges as the requirements of research have evolved and changed. This paper reflects on some of the major challenges that have influenced nutrition research over the past 70 years and considers where nutrition stands today along with the challenges for the future. In the past, these challenges have included food security and improvements in animal nutrition to enhance production through problems of overnutrition, such as CVD and obesity, as well as the recognition of the importance of early-life nutrition. The challenges for the future include how to translate the increasingly comprehensive and complex understanding of the relationship between nutrition and health, being gained as a result of the genomic revolution, into simple and accessible policy advice. It also includes how we learn more about the ways in which diet can help in the prevention of obesity as well as the ways in which we prevent the rise in complex diseases in emerging nations as they undergo nutritional transition. From this, it is clear that nutrition research has moved a long way from its initial focus on nutritional deficiencies to a subject, which is at the heart of public health consideration. This evolution of nutrition research means that today diet and health are high on the political agenda and that nutrition remains a priority area for research. It has been 70 years since 1941 when the Nutrition Society was established, under its first Chairman, John Boyd Orr. At that time there were many who believed that nutrition research had reached its peak and there was little left to discover. This view stemmed from the fact that most vitamins and minerals had been discovered and that the syndromes associated with nutritional deficiencies in these were largely known. Despite this gloomy prognosis, the intervening 70 years have witnessed a remarkable evolution in nutrition research, which has underpinned key Government policies, ranging from food security right through to public health. This review considers some major developments that have helped to shape nutrition research over the past 70 years and in so doing have changed its frontiers.
Compassion in Contemporary Social Policy: Applications of Virtue Theory
Authors: COLLINS MARY ELIZABETH , COONEY KATE , GARLINGTON SARAH
Published: November 2011

Current academic debate in the social sciences and humanities is revisiting the role of virtue in civic life. This debate is relevant to social policy. We argue that virtue is already an implicit component of policy debates, but that the virtue of compassion has not received sufficient emphasis. To support our argument we review classical and contemporary arguments regarding virtue and its linkage to the ‘good society’; articulate the necessity of compassion and its application to specific policies areas (e.g., domestic violence, welfare, emergency care); and assess how compassion intersects with other virtues in the policy environment. Policy implications are identified including: recognition of the realities of suffering, the need for sufficient administrative infrastructure and trained professionals and an often long-term commitment to work in community settings. Weighing the risks, and the overall challenges of virtuous action, our analysis suggests compassion remains a compelling, yet under-utilised, basis for constructing and implementing policies.
A presumably benign human ether-a-go-go-related gene mutation (R176W) with a malignant primary manifestation of long QT syndrome
Authors: Donner Birgit C. , Marshall Christoph , Schmidt Klaus G.
Published: November 2011

A 12-year-old girl presented with a first prolonged syncope. She was successfully resuscitated by external defibrillation after recording torsade de pointes tachycardia. Repeated electrocardiograms and a 12-channel Holter monitoring showed an intermittent prolongation of the QT interval. Genetic analysis identified a heterozygous point mutation in the KCNH2 gene, which is thought to be associated with a rather mild clinical phenotype of the long QT syndrome.
Multi-detector computed tomography demonstration of double-lumen aortic arch – persistent fifth arch – as an isolated anomaly in an adult
Authors: Tehrai Mahmood , Saidi Bahare , Goudarzi Mahmoud
Published: November 2011

Persistent fifth – double-lumen – aortic arch is a rarely seen entity, which is usually associated with other cardiac anomalies; it has been previously reported only in children. We report a new case of double-lumen aortic arch with a systemic-to-systemic connection diagnosed incidentally during cardiac multi-detector computer tomography evaluation of coronary artery bypass grafts in an adult.
Compton Scattering Artifacts in Electron Excited X-Ray Spectra Measured with a Silicon Drift Detector
Authors: Ritchie Nicholas W.M. , Newbury Dale E. , Lindstrom Abigail P.
Published: November 2011

Artifacts are the nemesis of trace element analysis in electron-excited energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry. Peaks that result from nonideal behavior in the detector or sample can fool even an experienced microanalyst into believing that they have trace amounts of an element that is not present. Many artifacts, such as the Si escape peak, absorption edges, and coincidence peaks, can be traced to the detector. Others, such as secondary fluorescence peaks and scatter peaks, can be traced to the sample. We have identified a new sample-dependent artifact that we attribute to Compton scattering of energetic X-rays generated in a small feature and subsequently scattered from a low atomic number matrix. It seems likely that this artifact has not previously been reported because it only occurs under specific conditions and represents a relatively small signal. However, with the advent of silicon drift detectors and their utility for trace element analysis, we anticipate that more people will observe it and possibly misidentify it. Though small, the artifact is not inconsequential. Under some conditions, it is possible to mistakenly identify the Compton scatter artifact as approximately 1% of an element that is not present.
Comparison of geometric uncertainties between alpha cradle and thermoplastic ray cast immobilisation in abdominopelvic radiotherapy: a prospective study
Authors: Das Saikat , John Subhashini , Ravindran Paul , Isiah Rajesh , B Rajesh , Backianathan Selvamani , Singh Rabi Raja
Published: November 2011

Context: Setup error significantly affects the accuracy of treatment and outcome in high precision radiotherapy.

Aims: To determine total, systematic, random error and clinical target volume (CTV) to planning target volume (PTV) margin with alpha cradle (VL) and ray cast (RC) immobilisation in abdominopelvic region.

Methods and material: Setup error was compared by using digitally reconstructed radiograph (DRR) as reference image with electronic portal image (EPI) taken during the treatment. Statistical analysis used: The total errors in mediolateral (ML), craniocaudal (CC) and anteroposterior (AP) directions were compared by t-test. For systematic and random errors variance ratio test (F-statistics) was used. Margins were calculated using International Commission of Radiation Units (ICRU), Stroom’s and van Herk’s formula.

Results: A total number of 306 portal images were analysed with 144 images in RC group and 162 images in VL group. For VL, in ML, CC, AP directions systematic errors were, in cm, (0.45, 0.29, 0.41), random errors (0.48, 0.32, 0.58), CTV to PTV margins (1.24, 0.80, 1.25), respectively. For RC, systematic errors were (0.25, 0.37, 0.80), random error (0.46, 0.80, 0.33), CTV to PTV margins (0.82, 1.30, 1.08), respectively. The difference of random error in CC and AP directions were statistically significant.

Conclusions: Geometric errors and CTV to PTV margins are different in different directions. For abdomen and pelvis in VL immobilisation, the margin ranged from 8 mm to 12.4 mm and for RC it was 8.2 mm to 13 mm. Therefore, a margin of 10 mm with online correction would be adequate.
Deformation of olivine under mantle conditions: An in situ high‐pressure, high‐temperature study using monochromatic synchrotron radiation
Authors: Hilairet Nadège , Wang Yanbin , Sanehira Takeshi , Merkel Sébastien , Mei Shenghua
Published: November 2011

Polycrystalline samples of San Carlos olivine were deformed at high‐pressure (2.8–7.8 GPa), high‐temperature (1153 to 1670 K), and strain rates between 7.10−6 and 3.10−5 s−1, using the D‐DIA apparatus. Stress and strain were measured in situ using monochromatic X‐rays diffraction and imaging, respectively. Based on the evolution of lattice strains with total bulk strain and texture development, we identified three deformation regimes, one at confining pressures below 3–4 GPa, one above 4 GPa, both below 1600 K, and one involving growth of diffracting domains associated with mechanical softening above ∼1600 K. The softening is interpreted as enhanced grain boundary migration and recovery. Below 1600 K, elasto‐plastic self‐consistent analysis suggests that below 3–4 GPa, deformation in olivine occurs with large contribution from the so‐called “a‐slip” system [100](010). Above ∼4 GPa, the contribution of the a‐slip decreases relative to that of the “c‐slip” [001](010). This conclusion is further supported by texture refinements. Thus for polycrystalline olivine, the evolution in slip systems found by previous studies may be progressive, starting from as low as 3–4 GPa and up to 8 GPa. During such a gradual change, activation volumes measured on polycrystalline olivine cannot be linked to a particular slip system straightforwardly. The quest for “the” activation volume of olivine at high pressure should cease at the expense of detailed work on the flow mechanisms implied. Such evolution in slip systems should also affect the interpretation of seismic anisotropy data in terms of upper mantle flow between 120 and 300 km depth.
Early and Progressive Impairment of Spinal Blood Flow—Glucose Metabolism Coupling in Motor Neuron Degeneration of ALS Model Mice
Authors: Miyazaki Kazunori , Masamoto Kazuto , Morimoto Nobutoshi , Kurata Tomoko , Mimoto Takahumi , Obata Takayuki , Kanno Iwao , Abe Koji
Published: November 2011

The exact mechanism of selective motor neuron death in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remains still unclear. In the present study, we performed in vivo capillary imaging, directly measured spinal blood flow (SBF) and glucose metabolism, and analyzed whether if a possible flow—metabolism coupling is disturbed in motor neuron degeneration of ALS model mice. In vivo capillary imaging showed progressive decrease of capillary diameter, capillary density, and red blood cell speed during the disease course. Spinal blood flow was progressively decreased in the anterior gray matter (GM) from presymptomatic stage to 0.80-fold of wild-type (WT) mice, 0.61 at early-symptomatic, and 0.49 at end stage of the disease. Local spinal glucose utilization (LSGU) was transiently increased to 1.19-fold in anterior GM at presymptomatic stage, which in turn progressively decreased to 0.84 and 0.60 at early-symptomatic and end stage of the disease. The LSGU/SBF ratio representing flow—metabolism uncoupling (FMU) preceded the sequential pathological changes in the spinal cord of ALS mice and was preferentially found in the affected region of ALS. The present study suggests that this early and progressive FMU could profoundly involve in the whole disease process as a vascular factor of ALS pathology, and could also be a potential target for therapeutic intervention of ALS.
Coactivation of NMDA Receptors by Glutamate and d-Serine Induces Dilation of Isolated Middle Cerebral Arteries
Authors: LeMaistre Jillian L , Sanders Samuel A , Stobart Michael J , Lu Lingling , Knox J David , Anderson Hope D , Anderson Christopher M
Published: November 2011

N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are glutamate-gated cation channels that mediate excitatory neurotransmission in the central nervous system. In addition to glutamate, NMDA receptors are also activated by coagonist binding of the gliotransmitter, d-serine. Neuronal NMDA receptors mediate activity-dependent blood flow regulation in the brain. Our objective was to determine whether NMDA receptors expressed by brain endothelial cells can induce vasodilation of isolated brain arteries. Adult mouse middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) were isolated, pressurized, and preconstricted with norepinephrine. N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor agonists, glutamate and NMDA, significantly dilated MCAs in a concentration-dependent manner in the presence of d-serine but not alone. Dilation was significantly inhibited by NMDA receptor antagonists, d-2-amino-5-phosphonopentanoate and 5,7-dichlorokynurenic acid, indicating a response dependent on NMDA receptor glutamate and d-serine binding sites, respectively. Vasodilation was inhibited by denuding the endothelium and by selective inhibition or genetic knockout of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). We also found evidence for expression of the pan-NMDA receptor subunit, NR1, in mouse primary brain endothelial cells, and for the NMDA receptor subunit NR2C in cortical arteries in situ. Overall, we conclude that NMDA receptor coactivation by glutamate and d-serine increases lumen diameter in pressurized MCA in an endothelial and eNOS-dependent mechanism.
Ellagic acid, a new antiglycating agent: its inhibition of Nϵ-(carboxymethyl)lysine
Authors: Muthenna Puppala , Akileshwari Chandrasekhar , Reddy G. Bhanuprakash
Published: November 2011

Non-enzymatic glycation is a complex series of reactions between reducing sugars and amino groups of proteins. Accumulation of AGEs (advanced glycation end-products) due to non-enzymatic glycation has been related to several diseases associated with aging and diabetes. The formation of AGEs is accelerated in hyperglycaemic conditions, which alters the structure and function of long-lived proteins, thereby contributing to long-term diabetic complications. The present study describes AGE inhibition and the mechanism of action of a new antiglycating agent, EA (ellagic acid), a flavonoid present in many dietary sources. Inhibition of AGE formation by EA was demonstrated with different proteins, namely eye lens TSP (total soluble protein), Hb (haemoglobin), lysozyme and BSA, using different glycating agents such as fructose, ribose and methylglyoxal by a set of complementary methods. These results suggest that the antiglycating action of EA seems to involve, apart from inhibition of a few fluorescent AGEs, predominantly inhibition of CEL [Nϵ-(carboxyethyl)lysine] through scavenging of the dicarbonyl compounds. Furthermore, MALDI–TOF-MS (matrix-assisted laser-desorption ionisation–time-of-flight MS) analysis confirms inhibition of the formation of CEL on lysozyme on in vitro glycation by EA. Prevention of glycation-mediated β-sheet formation in Hb and lysozyme by EA confirm its antiglycating ability. Inhibition of glycosylated Hb formation in human blood under ex vivo high-glucose conditions signifies the physiological antiglycating potential of EA. We have also determined the effectiveness of EA against loss of eye lens transparency through inhibition of AGEs in the lens organ culture system. These findings establish the antiglycating potential of EA and its in vivo utility in controlling AGE-mediated diabetic pathologies.
Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenocortical Axis Hypersensitivity and Glucocorticoid Receptor Expression and Function in Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Authors: Milutinović D.Vojnović , Macut D. , Božić I. , Nestorov J. , Damjanović S. , Matić G.
Published: November 2011

Molecular mechanisms underlying pathophysiology of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), especially those related to cortisol signaling, are poorly understood. We hypothesized that modulation of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) expression and function, may underlie possible PCOS-related impairment of feedback inhibition of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis activity and thus contribute to increased adrenal androgen production in women with PCOS.

24 normal-weight and 31 obese women with PCOS were compared to 25 normal-weight controls. Fasting blood samples were collected for measurements of serum concentrations of dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate, testosterone, sex hormone-binding globulin, insulin, basal cortisol and cortisol after oral administration of 0.5 mg dexamethasone. Concentrations of GR mRNA, GR protein, mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) protein and heat shock proteins (Hsps), as well as the number of GR per cell (Bmax) and its equilibrium dissociation constant (KD) were measured in isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

An increase in HPA axis sensitivity to dexamethasone, an elevation of the GR protein concentration, and unaltered receptor functional status were found in both normal-weight and obese women with PCOS vs. healthy controls. Lymphocyte MR, Hsp90 and Hsp70 concentrations, and MR/GR ratio were similar in all groups. Correlation between Bmax and KD was weaker in the group of obese women with PCOS than in the other 2 groups.

The results did not confirm the initial hypothesis, but imply that PCOS is associated with increased GR protein concentration and HPA axis sensitivity to dexamethasone.
Dissipative particle dynamics simulations of polymer-protected nanoparticle self-assembly
Authors: Spaeth Justin R. , Kevrekidis Ioannis G. , Panagiotopoulos Athanassios Z.
Published: November 2011

Dissipative particle dynamics simulations were used to study the effects of mixing time, solute solubility, solute and diblock copolymer concentrations, and copolymer block length on the rapid coprecipitation of polymer-protected nanoparticles. The simulations were aimed at modeling Flash NanoPrecipitation, a process in which hydrophobic solutes and amphiphilic block copolymers are dissolved in a water-miscible organic solvent and then rapidly mixed with water to produce composite nanoparticles. A previously developed model by Spaeth et al. [J. Chem. Phys. 134, 164902 (2011)]10.1063/1.3580293 was used. The model was parameterized to reproduce equilibrium and transport properties of the solvent, hydrophobic solute, and diblock copolymer. Anti-solvent mixing was modeled using time-dependent solvent-solute and solvent-copolymer interactions. We find that particle size increases with mixing time, due to the difference in solute and polymer solubilities. Increasing the solubility of the solute leads to larger nanoparticles for unfavorable solute-polymer interactions and to smaller nanoparticles for favorable solute-polymer interactions. A decrease in overall solute and polymer concentration produces smaller nanoparticles, because the difference in the diffusion coefficients of a single polymer and of larger clusters becomes more important to their relative rates of collisions under more dilute conditions. An increase in the solute-polymer ratio produces larger nanoparticles, since a collection of large particles has less surface area than a collection of small particles with the same total volume. An increase in the hydrophilic block length of the polymer leads to smaller nanoparticles, due to an enhanced ability of each polymer to shield the nanoparticle core. For unfavorable solute-polymer interactions, the nanoparticle size increases with hydrophobic block length. However, for favorable solute-polymer interactions, nanoparticle size exhibits a local minimum with respect to the hydrophobic block length. Our results provide insights on ways in which experimentally controllable parameters of the Flash NanoPrecipitation process can be used to influence aggregate size and composition during self-assembly.
ZnO nanorod/GaN light-emitting diodes: The origin of yellow and violet emission bands under reverse and forward bias
Authors: Chen Xinyi , Man Ching Ng Alan , Fang Fang , Hang Ng Yip , Djurišić Aleksandra B , Lam Tam Hoi , Wai Cheah Kok , Gwo Shangjr , Kin Chan Wai , Wai Keung Fong Patrick , Fei Lui Hsian , Surya Charles
Published: November 2011

ZnO nanorods have been prepared by electrodeposition under identical conditions on various p-GaN-based thin film structures. The devices exhibited lighting up under both forward and reverse biases, but the turn-on voltage and the emission color were strongly dependent on the p-GaN-based structure used. The origin of different luminescence peaks under forward and reverse bias has been studied by comparing the devices with and without ZnO and by photoluminescence and cathodoluminescence spectroscopy. We found that both yellow-orange emission under reverse bias and violet emission under forward bias, which are commonly attributed to ZnO, actually originate from the p-GaN substrate and/or surface/interface defects. While the absolute brightness of devices without InGaN multiple quantum wells was low, high brightness with luminance exceeding 10 000 cd/m2 and tunable emission (from orange at 2.1 V to blue at 2.7 V, with nearly white emission with Commission internationale de l’éclairage (CIE) coordinates (0.30, 0.31) achieved at 2.5 V) was obtained for different devices containing InGaN multiple quantum wells.