bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Invertebrate specific D1‐like dopamine receptor in control of salivary glands in the black‐legged tick Ixodes scapularis
Authors: Šimo Ladislav , Koči Juraj , Kim Donghun , Park Yoonseong
Published: December 2013

The control of tick salivary secretion, which plays a crucial role in compromising the host immune system, involves complex neural mechanisms. Dopamine is known to be the most potent activator of salivary secretion, as a paracrine/autocrine factor. We describe the invertebrate‐specific D1‐like dopamine receptor (InvD1L), which is highly expressed in tick salivary glands. The InvD1L phylogenic clade was found only in invertebrates, suggesting that this receptor was lost in vertebrates during evolution. InvD1L expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO)‐K1 cells was activated by dopamine with a median effective dose (EC50) of 1.34 μM. Immunohistochemistry using the antibody raised against InvD1L revealed two different types of immunoreactivities: basally located axon terminals that are colocalized with myoinhibitory peptide (MIP) and SIFamide neuropeptides, and longer axon‐like processes that are positive only for the InvD1L antibody and extended to the apical parts of the acini. Both structures were closely associated with the myoepithelial cell, as visualized by beta‐tubulin antibody, lining the acinar lumen in a web‐like fashion. Subcellular localizations of InvD1L in the salivary gland suggest that InvD1L modulates the neuronal activities including MIP/SIFamide varicosities, and leads the contraction of myoepithelial cells and/or of the acinar valve to control the efflux of the luminal content. Combining the previously described D1 receptor with its putative function for activating an influx of fluid through the epithelial cells of acini, we propose that complex control of the tick salivary glands is mediated through two different dopamine receptors, D1 and InvD1L, for different downstream responses of the acinar cells. J. Comp. Neurol. 522:2038–2052, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
B‐cell modulation of dendritic‐cell function: Signals from the far side
Authors: Ziętara Natalia , Łyszkiewicz Marcin , Krueger Andreas , Weiss Siegfried
Published: December 2013

An appropriate immune response against a specific pathogen requires finely orchestrated interactions between the various cell populations within the immune system. At the same time, immunological tolerance to self must be maintained. DCs play an essential role in achieving these dual requisites. They coordinate adaptive immunity by integrating signals directly emanating from both infectious agents and cells of the immune system. Many such signals, especially those from innate cells and T cells, have been extensively characterized. In contrast, little is known about how B cells modulate function of DCs. B cells produce a variety of cytokines, including IL‐10 and IL‐6, which are known to influence DC function. In addition, Igs constitute the major secretory products of terminally differentiated B cells (plasma cells). DCs express various types of receptors for binding Ig, such as Fc receptors and C‐type lectin receptors. In accordance, Igs can regulate DC function depending on the receptors engaged. Here, we review the emerging immunomodulatory role of cytokines and Ig secreted by B cells. We discuss the evidence for how these B‐cell‐derived factors may shape the adaptive immune response by directly acting on DCs.
Volatile compounds as indicators of conjugated and unconjugated linoleic acid thermal oxidation
Authors: Cossignani Lina , Giua Laura , Simonetti Maria Stella , Blasi Francesca
Published: December 2013

In this research, volatiles arising from heating of conjugated (CLA) and unconjugated (LA) linoleic acid, in different chemical forms (free acids, methyl esters, and homogeneous TAGs) have been studied. A solid phase micro‐extraction (SPME) coupled with GC–MS was used to analyze the volatile compounds produced during heating at 180°C for different times (15, 30, 45, and 60 min). Numerous types of volatiles have been identified such as aldehydes, furan fatty acids (FA), alcohols, methyl esters, and methyl‐oxoacids. Results showed that aldehydes were the main volatile compounds both in CLA and LA, even if some differences were found between conjugated and unconjugated systems. In particular, heptanal and trans‐2‐octenal were detected mainly in CLA forms, while trans‐2‐heptenal in LA. Among furan FA, 2‐pentyl‐furan content was higher in LA than in CLA at all treatment times, while 2‐hexyl‐furan was detected in free fatty acid and methyl ester forms of CLA and it was never detected in LA model systems. Among alcohols, 1‐octen‐3‐ol was found only in LA forms. Methylated forms of CLA and LA provided high contents of methyl esters, among which methyl octanoate was the most represented. Therefore heptanal, trans‐2‐octenal, 2‐hexyl‐furan could be considered as characteristic compounds produced during CLA‐rich sample oxidation.

Practical applications: Nowadays CLA, known for its interesting beneficial health effects both on animals and humans, is widely used as functional component in numerous foods and nutritional supplements. Besides the more common TAG form, CLA is used also as free fatty acids and methyl esters. To date, studies on CLA oxidation are scarce and the results are sometimes contradictory. For this reason, the comparison of the volatile compounds obtained from different model systems of CLA and LA could be useful to deepen knowledge on secondary oxidation products of some chemical forms of interest for pharmaceutical formulae and CLA‐rich oils. In fact, it is very important to know the secondary products typical of CLA‐ and LA‐based matrices to identify characteristic oxidation compounds of CLA and LA products.
Diversity‐Oriented Approach to Normuscopyridine and Its Analogues through Ring‐Closing Metathesis
Authors: Kotha Sambasivarao , Waghule Gopalkrushna T. , Shirbhate Mukesh E.
Published: December 2013

Ring‐closing metathesis (RCM) is a useful protocol for assembling macrocycles. To synthesize normuscopyridine, and its analogues we used RCM as a key step in our strategy. Our approach to the synthesis of pyridine macrocycles involves two routes. The first approach starts with alkenylation of 2,6‐bis[(phenylsulfonyl)methyl]pyridine and involves five steps with 10 % overall yield. The second route begins with Grignard addition to pyridine‐2,6‐dicarbo nitrile, followed by RCM and one‐pot removal of the carbonyl group before hydrogenation of the double bond in 28 % overall yield. This approach has only three steps. Neither route involves the use of protecting groups. Various points of diversification are embedded in our strategy and eight different cyclophanes were assembled by adopting a general approach to these macrocyclics.
Monte Carlo simulation of in vivo Raman spectral Measurements of human skin with a multi‐layered tissue optical model
Authors: Wang Shuang , Zhao Jianhua , Lui Harvey , He Qingli , Bai Jintao , Zeng Haishan
Published: December 2013

Raman photon generation inside human skin and escaping to skin surface were modeled in an eight‐layered skin optical model. Intrinsic Raman spectra of different skin layers were determined by microscopy measurements of excised skin tissue sections. Monte Carlo simulation was used to study the excitation light distribution and intrinsic Raman signal distortion caused by tissue reabsorption and scattering during in vivo measurements. The simulation results demonstrated how different skin layers contributed to the observed in vivo Raman spectrum. Using the strongest Raman peak at 1445 cm–1 as an example, the simulation suggested that the integrated contributions of the stratum corneum layer is 1.3%, the epidermis layer 28%, the dermis layer 70%, and the subcutaneous fat layer 1.1%. Reasonably good matching between the calculated spectrum and the measured in vivo Raman spectra was achieved, thus demonstrated great utility of our modeling method and approaches for help understanding the clinical measurements. (© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Use of 2D images of depth and integrated reflectivity to represent the severity of demineralization in cross‐polarization optical coherence tomography
Authors: Chan Kenneth H. , Chan Andrew C. , Fried William A. , Simon Jacob C. , Darling Cynthia L. , Fried Daniel
Published: December 2013

Several studies have demonstrated the potential of cross‐polarization optical coherence tomography (CP‐OCT) to quantify the severity of early caries lesions (tooth decay) on tooth surfaces. The purpose of this study is to show that 2D images of the lesion depth and the integrated reflectivity can be used to accurately represent the severity of early lesions. Simulated early lesions of varying severity were produced on tooth samples using simulated lesion models. Methods were developed to convert the 3D CP‐OCT images of the samples to 2D images of the lesion depth and lesion integrated reflectivity. Calculated lesion depths from OCT were compared with lesion depths measured from histological sections examined using polarized light microscopy. The 2D images of the lesion depth and integrated reflectivity are well suited for visualization of early demineralization. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Biomimetic myocardial patches fabricated with poly(ɛ‐caprolactone) and polyethylene glycol‐based polyurethanes
Authors: Silvestri Antonella , Sartori Susanna , Boffito Monica , Mattu Clara , Di Rienzo Anna M. , Boccafoschi Francesca , Ciardelli Gianluca
Published: December 2013

The production of efficient heart patches for myocardium repair requires the use of biomaterials with high elastomeric properties and controllable biodegradability. To fulfil these design criteria we propose biodegradable poly(ester urethanes) and poly(ether ester urethanes) from poly(ɛ‐caprolactone) (PCL) and poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) as macrodiols, 1,4‐diisocyanatobutane as diisocyanate, l‐Lysine Ethyl Ester and Alanine‐Alanine‐Lysine (AAK) as chain extenders. This peptide was used to tune biodegradability properties, since the Alanine–Alanine sequence is a target for the elastase enzyme. Enzymatic degradation tests demonstrated the feasibility of tuning biodegradability properties due to the introduction of AAK peptide in polyurethane backbone. Two formulations have been processed into porous scaffolds by Thermally‐Induced Phase Separation (TIPS). Scanning Electron Microscopy micrographs revealed promising microstructures, which were characterized by stretched and unidirectional pores and mimicked the striated muscle tissue. Tensile tests showed that, although scaffolds are characterized by lower mechanical properties than films, these substrates have suitable elastomeric behaviors and elastic moduli for contractile and soft tissue regeneration. Viability tests on cardiomyocytes revealed the best cell response for dense film and porous scaffold obtained from PCL and Lysine Ethyl Ester‐based polyurethane, with an increased viability for the porous substrate, which is ascribable to the morphological features of its microstructure. Future works will be addressed to study the in vivo behavior of these constructs and to confirm their applicability for myocardial tissue engineering. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 2013.
Effects of bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells and platelet‐rich plasma on bone regeneration for osseointegration of dental implants: Preliminary study in canine three‐wall intrabony defects
Authors: Yun Jeong‐Ho , Han Sang‐Hyun , Choi Seong‐Ho , Lee Myung‐Hyun , Lee Sang‐Jin , Song Sun U. , Oh Namsik
Published: December 2013

Tissue engineering has been applied to overcome the obstacles encountered with bone regeneration for the placement of dental implants. The purpose of this study was to determine the bone formation ability of human bone marrow‐derived mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) and platelet‐rich plasma (PRP) when applied separately or together to the intrabony defect around dental implants with a porous hydroxyapatite (HA) scaffold. Standardized three‐wall intrabony defects (4 × 4 × 4 mm) were created at the mesial of each dental implant site in four mongrel dogs. Defects were then grafted with the following materials: HA + BMMSCs (HS group), HA + PRP (HP group), HA + BMMSCs + PRP (HSP group), and HA scaffold alone (HA group). The level of bone formation (bone density) and osseointegration (bone‐to‐implant contact [BIC]) in bone defects around the implants were evaluated by histological and histometric analysis at 6 and 12 weeks after the placement of implants. HA, HS, HP, and HSP groups generally showed an increase in bone density and BIC between 6 and 12 weeks, except BIC in the HS group. Although no statistically significant differences were found among HA, HS, HP, and HSP groups (p > 0.05), the highest level of bone density and BIC were observed in the HSP group after the 12‐week healing period. Furthermore, the level of bone maturation was higher in the HSP group than in the other groups as determined histologically. The findings of this preliminary study suggest that BMMSCs and PRP combined with HA scaffold may provide additional therapeutic effects on bone regeneration and improve osseointegration in bone defects around dental implants. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 102B: 1021–1030, 2014.
Bioorthogonal chemistry for 68Ga radiolabelling of DOTA‐containing compounds
Authors: Evans Helen L. , Carroll Laurence , Aboagye Eric O. , Spivey Alan C.
Published: December 2013

Copper‐catalysed ‘click’ chemistry is a highly utilised technique for radiolabelling small molecules and peptides for imaging applications. The usefulness of these reactions falls short, however, when metal catalysis is not a practically viable route; such as when using metal chelates as radioligands. Here, we describe a method for carrying out ‘click‐type’ radiochemistry in the presence of DOTA chelates, by combining 68Ga radiolabelling techniques with well‐established bioorthogonal reactions, which do not rely upon metal catalysis.
Synthesis and in vivo evaluation of 11C‐labeled (1,7‐dicarba‐closo‐dodecaboran‐1‐yl)‐N‐{[(2S)‐1‐ethylpyrrolidin‐2‐yl]methyl}amide
Authors: Gómez‐Vallejo Vanessa , Vázquez Naiara , Gona Kiran Babu , Puigivila Maria , González Mikel , Sebastián Eneko San , Martin Abraham , Llop Jordi
Published: December 2013

Boron clusters, and especially dicarba‐closo‐dodecaboranes, can be used as hydrophobic pharmacophores in the design of new drugs and radiotracers because of their hydrophobic character, spherical structure, and excellent chemical and photochemical stability. In the present paper, the synthesis and in vivo evaluation of 11C‐labeled (1,7‐dicarba‐closo‐dodecaboran‐1‐yl)‐N‐{[(2S)‐1‐ethylpyrrolidin‐2‐yl]methyl}amide, an analog of the D2 receptor ligand [11C]raclopride, is described. The radiosynthesis was approached by reaction of the demethylated precursor with [11C]CH3I in basic media; moderate radiochemical yields (18.2 ± 2.8%, decay corrected), and excellent radiochemical purities (>98%) were obtained in overall synthesis time of ~50 min. In vivo assays showed a biodistribution pattern with significant uptake in liver, kidneys and lungs at short times (t = 4 min) after administration and increasing accumulation in bladder at longer times (t ≥ 14.5 min). Although brain positron emission tomography scans showed good blood brain barrier penetration, the high unspecific uptake observed in different brain regions impedes its applicability as D2 receptor ligand. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Preliminary data on two voice therapy interventions in the treatment of presbyphonia
Authors: Ziegler Aaron , Verdolini Abbott Katherine , Johns Michael , Klein Adam , Hapner Edie R.
Published: December 2013

Objectives/Hypothesis

Presbyphonia is common among elderly individuals, yet few studies have evaluated behavioral treatment approaches for presbyphonia. The primary aim of this study was to assess the short‐term efficacy of two types of voice therapy—vocal function exercises (VFE) and phonation resistance training exercise (PhoRTE) therapy—in the treatment of presbyphonia. The secondary aim was to determine if differences in adherence and treatment satisfaction existed between the two therapy approaches.

Study Design

Prospective, randomized, controlled.

Methods

Preliminary data from 16 elderly participants with presbyphonia randomly assigned to VFE, PhoRTE, or a no‐treatment control group (CTL) were analyzed. Before and after a 4‐week intervention period, participants completed the Voice‐Related Quality of Life (V‐RQOL) questionnaire and a perceived phonatory effort (PPE) task. Additionally, participants receiving treatment completed weekly practice logs and a posttreatment satisfaction questionnaire.

Results

Preliminary data revealed VFE and PhoRTE groups demonstrated a significant improvement in V‐RQOL scores. However, only PhoRTE demonstrated a significant reduction in PPE, as suggested by the study's causal model. The CTL group did not demonstrate significant changes. Numerically, VFE registered slightly greater adherence to home practice recommendations than did PhoRTE, but PhoRTE perceived greater treatment satisfaction than VFE.

Conclusions

Findings provide new evidence regarding the efficacy of voice therapy exercises in the treatment of age‐related dysphonia and suggest PhoRTE therapy as another treatment method for improved voice‐related quality of life and reduced perceived vocal effort in this population.

Level of Evidence

2b. Laryngoscope, 124:1869–1876, 2014
Unsuspected pyocyanin effect in yeast under anaerobiosis
Authors: Barakat Rana , Goubet Isabelle , Manon Stephen , Berges Thierry , Rosenfeld Eric
Published: December 2013

The blue–green phenazine, Pyocyanin (PYO), is a well‐known virulence factor produced by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, notably during cystic fibrosis lung infections. It is toxic to both eukaryotic and bacterial cells and several mechanisms, including the induction of oxidative stress, have been postulated. However, the mechanism of PYO toxicity under the physiological conditions of oxygen limitation that are encountered by P. aeruginosa and by target organisms in vivo remains unclear. In this study, wild‐type and mutant strains of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae were used as an effective eukaryotic model to determine the toxicity of PYO (100–500 μmol/L) under key growth conditions. Under respiro‐fermentative conditions (with glucose as substrate), WT strains and certain H2O2‐hypersensitive strains showed a low‐toxic response to PYO. Under respiratory conditions (with glycerol as substrate) all the strains tested were significantly more sensitive to PYO. Four antioxidants were tested but only N‐acetylcysteine was capable of partially counteracting PYO toxicity. PYO did not appear to affect short‐term respiratory O2 uptake, but it did seem to interfere with cyanide‐poisoned mitochondria through a complex III‐dependent mechanism. Therefore, a combination of oxidative stress and respiration disturbance could partly explain aerobic PYO toxicity. Surprisingly, the toxic effects of PYO were more significant under anaerobic conditions. More pronounced effects were observed in several strains including a ‘petite’ strain lacking mitochondrial DNA, strains with increased or decreased levels of ABC transporters, and strains deficient in DNA damage repair. Therefore, even though PYO is toxic for actively respiring cells, O2 may indirectly protect the cells from the higher anaerobic‐linked toxicity of PYO. The increased sensitivity to PYO under anaerobic conditions is not unique to S. cerevisiae and was also observed in another yeast, Candida albicans.
Identification and characterization of a basic thaumatin‐like protein (TLP 2) as an allergen in sapodilla plum (Manilkara zapota)
Authors: Hegde Venkatesh L. , Ashok Kumar Hassan G. , Sreenath Kundimi , Hegde Muralidhar L. , Venkatesh Yeldur P.
Published: December 2013

Scope

Cases of oral allergy syndrome following the ingestion of sapodilla plum (Manilkara zapota) have been reported rarely. As the causative allergens are not known, the main objective of this study was to identify and characterize the important allergens in sapodilla.

Methods and results

Allergy to sapodilla was diagnosed by case history, skin prick test, and serum allergen–specific IgE. The allergen was detected by IgE immunoblotting, purified on SP–Sepharose and characterized by native/SDS–PAGE, IEF, MS, and amino acid composition. Several cases of allergy to sapodilla fruit were identified; majority of the sapodilla‐allergic subjects (6/7) experienced typical oral allergy syndrome symptoms, and allergen–specific IgE to the purified protein was positive. The allergen has a pI ≥9.5 and high contents of arginine, threonine, glycine, and cysteine. Circular dichroism revealed a secondary structure rich in beta sheets/turns. Based on its N‐terminal sequence of A‐T‐F‐D‐I‐Q‐N‐N‐C‐X‐Y‐, the allergen (21 578 Da) was identified as a thaumatin‐like protein by homology.

Conclusion

The causative allergen in sapodilla plum has been identified and characterized as a highly basic thaumatin‐like protein belonging to the pathogenesis‐related protein (PR–5) family, which has been recognized as a new family of conserved, cross‐reactive plant allergens.
Tetraedrisch, wenn flüssig
Authors: Dömer Manuel , Spura Thomas , Khaliullin Rustam Z. , Kühne Thomas D.
Published: December 2013

Ab‐initio‐Molekulardynamik bietet neue Einblicke in die Struktur von flüssigem Wasser.
Kupfer: woher und wohin
Authors: Langner Bernd E.
Published: December 2013

Kupfer ist eines der wichtigsten Basismetalle für die Energiewende und aufgrund seiner einzigartigen Recyclingfähigkeit eines der nachhaltigsten. Die heutige elektrochemische Technik produziert Kupferkathoden von höchster Reinheit.
Dual‐Use: Gut oder Böse?
Authors: Fischer Lars
Published: December 2013

Es war still geworden um chemische Kampfstoffe — bis zum syrischen Bürgerkrieg. Auch Deutschland exportierte Chemikalien, die zur Giftgassynthese taugen. Den syrischen Giftgasbestand zu vernichten, übernimmt ein Friedensnobelpreisträger: die Organisation für das Verbot chemischer Waffen.
Liebe im Labor
Authors: Osterath Brigitte
Published: December 2013

Deutschlands erste Science Soap will junge Frauen für ein naturwissenschaftliches Studium begeistern. Und für Rostock. Am 13. Dezember geht es los.
Vom Papier auf die Plattform
Authors: Hauer Florian
Published: December 2013

Ein digitales Laborbuch mit Funktionen des Web 2.0 schützt nicht nur sensible Daten, sondern erleichtert auch die Arbeit. Es berücksichtigt neue Anwendungen zum Sammeln, Kommunizieren und Publizieren.
Die Pipeline ist gefüllt
Authors: Schneider Bernd
Published: December 2013

Bei Transaktionen ging es in den ersten drei Quartalen des Jahres hauptsächlich um Spezialchemie: Düngemittel, Dispersionen und Pigmente wechselten den Besitzer.
Gemeinsam mehr Wirkstoffe
Authors: Tzalis Dimitrios
Published: December 2013

Die forschende Pharmaindustrie geht neue Wege: In einer virtuellen Synthesefabrik arbeiten kleine und große Unternehmen mit Universitäten und Forschungsinstitutionen zusammen.
Kühlen ohne Fluorkohlenwasserstoffe
Authors: Rombach Elena
Published: December 2013

Nicht nur Pkw‐Klimaanlagen, sondern auch Temperiersysteme im Labor arbeiten mit umstrittenen fluorierten Kohlenwasserstoffen als Kältemittel.1 Huber Kältemaschinenbau hingegen kühlt mit Propan oder Propen und senkt dabei die Betriebskosten. Vorbehalte gegen die brennbaren Kältemittelalternativen hält das Unternehmen für unbegründet.
Deep‐ultraviolet AlGaN light‐emitting diodes with variable quantum well and barrier widths
Authors: Kim Su Jin , Kim Tae Geun
Published: December 2013

In this study, a device scheme for improving the internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of AlGaN‐based deep‐ultraviolet light‐emitting diodes (DUV‐LEDs) is proposed and numerically investigated using SimuLED software. By step‐increasing the thickness of the quantum wells and step‐decreasing the thickness of quantum barriers in a multiple quantum well (MQW) structure, the IQE of a DUV‐LED at 20 mA is increased by a factor of approximately 1.3 relative to the reference LED. These improvements are attributed to increased radiative recombination rates resulting from enhanced hole injection and uniform carrier distribution within the MQWs.
Functionalization of boron nitride nanoparticles and their utilization in epoxy composites with enhanced thermal conductivity
Authors: He Yong‐Ming , Wang Qian‐Qian , Liu Wei , Liu Yi‐Sheng
Published: December 2013

This work proposes a facile method to greatly improve the thermal conductivity, while retaining the low electrical conductivity, of epoxy composites by incorporating boron nitride nanoparticles (BNNPs). BNNPs were surface modified by noncovalent functionalization with 1‐pyrenebutyric acid to obtain a stable aqueous BNNP dispersion. The functionalized BNNPs (f‐BNNPs) were characterized by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transformation infrared (FTIR), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The f‐BNNPs were found to yield the f‐BNNP/epoxy composites showing a homogeneous dispersion of BNNPs and a strong BNNP‐epoxy interfacial adhesion. The f‐BNNP/epoxy composites with 10 wt.% f‐BNNPs exhibited a high thermal conductivity of 1.58 W m−1 K−1 and a low electrical conductivity of 2.5 × 10−16 S m−1. The present f‐BNNP/epoxy composites can be potentially utilized in electronic packaging that requires electronic insulators with high thermal conductivity.
Painlevé VI connection problem and monodromy of c = 1 conformal blocks
Authors: Iorgov N. , Lisovyy O. , Tykhyy Yu.
Published: December 2013

Abstract

Generic c = 1 four-point conformal blocks on the Riemann sphere can be seen as the coefficients of Fourier expansion of the tau function of Painlevé VI equation with respect to one of its integration constants. Based on this relation, we show that c = 1 fusion matrix essentially coincides with the connection coefficient relating tau function asymptotics at different critical points. Explicit formulas for both quantities are obtained by solving certain functional relations which follow from the tau function expansions. The final result does not involve integration and is given by a ratio of two products of Barnes G-functions with arguments expressed in terms of conformal dimensions/monodromy data. It turns out to be closely related to the volume of hyperbolic tetrahedron.
Conditional Statistical Inference with Multistage Testing Designs
Authors: Zwitser Robert J. , Maris Gunter
Published: December 2013

In this paper it is demonstrated how statistical inference from multistage test designs can be made based on the conditional likelihood. Special attention is given to parameter estimation, as well as the evaluation of model fit. Two reasons are provided why the fit of simple measurement models is expected to be better in adaptive designs, compared to linear designs: more parameters are available for the same number of observations; and undesirable response behavior, like slipping and guessing, might be avoided owing to a better match between item difficulty and examinee proficiency. The results are illustrated with simulated data, as well as with real data.
A Priori Reliability of Tests with Cut Score
Authors: Magnano Guido , Tannoia Chiara , Andrà Chiara
Published: December 2013

The theoretical probability of misclassification in a mastery test is exactly computed using the raw score probability distribution (in the Rasch model) as a function of the examinee’s latent ability. The resulting misclassification probability curve, together with the latent ability distribution in the group of examinees, completely determines the expected rate of classification errors. It is shown that several distinct ability thresholds, playing different roles in connection to classification reliability, can be associated to a test with a single cut score. In particular, it is possible to define (and compute) two relevant ability intervals, which encapsulate the functioning of a mastery test (about and far from the cut score, respectively); the dependence of these intervals on the item difficulty spectrum is investigated. Extension to the 2PL model is also discussed, with emphasis on the effects of weighted scoring.
A review of the contemporary evidence on rescue cervical cerclage
Authors: Abu Hashim Hatem , Al‐Inany Hesham , Kilani Zaid
Published: December 2013

Background

Rescue cervical cerclage (RCC) is essentially a salvage procedure to prolong pregnancy in women with advanced cervical changes and prolapsed membranes in the second trimester. However, its effectiveness and safety remain controversial.

Objectives

To provide a comprehensive review of the contemporary evidence on RCC and evaluate which treatment modalities can be offered to pregnant women based on the best available evidence.

Search strategy

A PubMed search of published studies on RCC and perinatal outcome was conducted using defined keywords.

Selection criteria

Clinical studies were included with priority for level I evidence (randomized controlled trials [RCTs]) followed by other evidence levels.

Data collection and analysis

Abstracts of 141 articles were screened and 40 articles were selected.

Main results

Evidence from retrospective and nonrandomized prospective trials shows a benefit of RCC. It may prolong pregnancy by an average of 4–5 weeks, with a 2‐fold reduction in the chance of preterm birth before 34 weeks. A higher chance of failure is expected if cervical dilatation exceeds 4 cm or if membranes are bulging into the vagina.

Conclusions

The decision for an RCC should be individualized after comprehensive counseling by a senior obstetrician. Further research in the form of robust RCTs is recommended.
Implementing an obstetric ultrasound training program in rural Africa
Authors: Greenwold Natalie , Wallace Sarah , Prost Anne , Jauniaux Eric
Published: December 2013

Objective

To evaluate the feasibility and sustainability of basic obstetric ultrasound training in rural Africa.

Methods

An 8‐week training course, led by UK‐based sonographers, was supported by training videos and followed by 10 months of remotely supported scanning in Mandimba, Mozambique. Data were collected prospectively using an Android tablet and the EpiCollect web application.

Results

The study group included 1744 pregnant women: 804 scanned by trainees under direct supervision and 940 scanned by trainees alone. Ultrasound identified 36 (2.1%) twin pregnancies, 230 (13.2%) breech presentations, 83 (4.8%) transverse presentations, and 22 (1.3%) cases of placenta previa. The detection rates for the above features were similar in the 2 groups. A subgroup of 230 (13.2%) women had a follow‐up scan and 62 (3.6%) were referred to a doctor; 21 of these women required cesarean delivery.

Conclusion

Ultrasound training in a rural setting supported remotely is feasible, efficient, and sustainable. It can help local healthcare workers to screen their prenatal populations for obstetric and neonatal risks, and therefore has the potential to improve outcomes at delivery and provide site‐specific epidemiologic data that can be used to develop new healthcare provision strategies.
Irish Poetry under the Union, 1801–1924
Authors: Campbell Matthew
Published: December 2013

This book retells the story of Irish poetry written in English between the union of Britain and Ireland in 1801 and the early years of the Irish Free State. Through careful poetic and historical analysis, Matthew Campbell offers ways to read that poetry as ruptured, musical, translated and new. The book starts with the Romantic songs and parodies of nationalist and unionist writers - Moore, Mahony, Ferguson and Mangan - in times of defeat, resurgence and famine. It continues through a discussion of English Victorian poets such as Tennyson, Arnold and Hopkins, who wrote Irish poems as the British Empire unraveled. Campbell's treatment ends with Yeats, seeking a new poetry emerging from under union in times of violence and civil war. The book offers both a literary history of nineteenth-century Irish poetry and a way of reading it for scholars of Irish studies as well as Romantic and Victorian literature.
An Everyday Life of the English Working Class
Authors: Steedman Carolyn
Published: December 2013

This book concerns two men, a stockingmaker and a magistrate, who both lived in a small English village at the turn of the nineteenth century. It focuses on Joseph Woolley the stockingmaker, on his way of seeing and writing the world around him, and on the activities of magistrate Sir Gervase Clifton, administering justice from his country house Clifton Hall. Using Woolley's voluminous diaries and Clifton's magistrate records, Carolyn Steedman gives us a unique and fascinating account of working-class living and loving, and getting and spending. Through Woolley and his thoughts on reading and drinking, sex, the law and social relations, she challenges traditional accounts which she argues have overstated the importance of work to the working man's understanding of himself, as a creature of time, place and society. She shows instead that, for men like Woolley, law and fiction were just as critical as work in framing everyday life.
The Making of a New Rural Order in South China
Authors: McDermott Joseph P.
Published: December 2013

Among the large caches of private documents discovered and collected in China, few rival the Huizhou sources for the insight they provide into Chinese local society and economy over the past millennium. Having spent decades researching these exceptionally rich sources, Joseph P. McDermott presents in two volumes his findings about the major social and economic changes in this important prefecture of south China from around 900 to 1700. In this first volume, we learn about village settlement, competition among village religious institutions, premodern agricultural production, the management of land and lineage, the rise of the lineage as the dominant institution, and its members' application of commercial practices to local forestry operations. This landmark study of religious life and economic activity, of lineage and land, and of rural residents and urban commercial practices provides a compelling new framework for understanding a distinctive path of economic and social development for premodern China and beyond.
Galileo's Reading
Authors: Hall Crystal
Published: December 2013

Galileo (1564–1642) incorporated throughout his work the language of battle, the rhetoric of the epic, and the structure of romance as a means to elicit emotional responses from his readers against his opponents. By turning to the literary as a field for creating knowledge, Galileo delineated a textual space for establishing and validating the identity of the new, idealized philosopher. Galileo's Reading places Galileo in the complete intellectual and academic world in which he operated, bringing together, for example, debates over the nature of floating bodies and Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando furioso, disputes on comets and the literary criticism of Don Quixote, mathematical demonstrations of material strength and Dante's voyage through the afterlife, and the parallels of his feisty note-taking practices with popular comedy of the period.
Poetics of Character
Authors: Manning Susan
Published: December 2013

This study of character in a comparative context presents a new approach to transatlantic literary history. Rereading Romanticism across national, generic and chronological boundaries, and through close textual comparisons, it offers exciting possibilities for rediscovering how literature engages and persuades readers of the reality of character. Historically grounded in the eighteenth-century philosophical, political and cultural conditions that generated nation-based literary history, it reveals alternative narratives to those of origin and succession, influence and reception. It also reintroduces rhetoric and poetics as ways of addressing questions about uniqueness and representativeness in character creation, epistemological issues of identity and impersonation, and the generation of literary value. Drawing comparisons between works from Alexander Pope and Cotton Mather through Robert Burns, Jane Austen, John Keats, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Edgar Allan Poe, R. W. Emerson, Margaret Fuller and Herman Melville, to George Eliot and Henry James, Susan Manning reveals surprising metaphorical, metonymic and performative connections.
The Borders of Race in Colonial South Africa
Authors: Ross Robert
Published: December 2013

This book provides a detailed narrative of the Kat River Settlement in the Eastern Cape of South Africa during the nineteenth century. The settlement was created by the British to use the Khoekhoe as a living barrier between the Cape Colony and the amaXhosa. It was fought over with some regularity, however, and finally broken up after some of the Khoekhoe joined the amaXhosa in their war against the colony. Nevertheless, in the time that the settlement existed, the Khoekhoe both created a fertile landscape in the valley and developed a political theology of great importance for the evolution of South Africa. They were also the subjects of - and participants in - the major debates leading to the introduction of a liberal constitution for the Cape in 1853. The history of the settlement is thus crucial in understanding the development of both colonial racism and the creation of the colony's non-racial democracy.
Introduction to MIMO Communications
Authors: Hampton Jerry R.
Published: December 2013

This accessible, self-contained guide contains everything you need to get up to speed on the theory and implementation of MIMO techniques. In-depth coverage of topics such as RF propagation, space-time coding, spatial multiplexing, OFDM in MIMO for broadband applications, the theoretical MIMO capacity formula and channel estimation will give you a deep understanding of how the results are obtained, while detailed descriptions of how MIMO is implemented in commercial WiFi and LTE networks will help you apply the theory to practical wireless systems. Key concepts in matrix mathematics and information theory are introduced and developed as you need them, and key results are derived step-by-step, with no details omitted. Including numerous worked examples, and end-of-chapter exercises to reinforce and solidify your understanding, this is the perfect introduction to MIMO for anyone new to the field.
Aquinas on Human Self-Knowledge
Authors: Cory Therese Scarpelli
Published: December 2013

Self-knowledge is commonly thought to have become a topic of serious philosophical inquiry during the early modern period. Already in the thirteenth century, however, the medieval thinker Thomas Aquinas developed a sophisticated theory of self-knowledge, which Therese Scarpelli Cory presents as a project of reconciling the conflicting phenomena of self-opacity and privileged self-access. Situating Aquinas's theory within the mid-thirteenth-century debate and his own maturing thought on human nature, Cory investigates the kinds of self-knowledge that Aquinas describes and the questions they raise. She shows that to a degree remarkable in a medieval thinker, self-knowledge turns out to be central to Aquinas's account of cognition and personhood, and that his theory provides tools for considering intentionality, reflexivity and selfhood. Her engaging account of this neglected aspect of medieval philosophy will interest readers studying Aquinas and the history of medieval philosophy more generally.
In Search of the True Universe
Authors: Harwit Martin
Published: December 2013

Astrophysicist and scholar Martin Harwit examines how our understanding of the cosmos advanced rapidly during the twentieth century and identifies the factors contributing to this progress. Astronomy, whose tools were largely imported from physics and engineering, benefited mid-century from the US policy of coupling basic research with practical national priorities. This strategy, initially developed for military and industrial purposes, provided astronomy with powerful tools yielding access - at virtually no cost - to radio, infrared, X-ray, and gamma-ray observations. Today, astronomers are investigating the new frontiers of dark matter and dark energy, critical to understanding the cosmos but of indeterminate socio-economic promise. Harwit addresses these current challenges in view of competing national priorities and proposes alternative new approaches in search of the true Universe. This is an engaging read for astrophysicists, policy makers, historians, and sociologists of science looking to learn and apply lessons from the past in gaining deeper cosmological insight.
Strong Managers, Strong Owners
Authors: Korine Harry , Gomez Pierre-Yves
Published: December 2013

The family firm preparing generational change, the partnership that welcomes new partners, and the shareholders of a firm that chooses to go public are making decisions that will have an impact on strategy and management. Conversely, a change in strategy such as a move to diversify or a decision to take on more risk in a business can make the firm more attractive to some shareholders and less attractive to others and is therefore not ownership neutral. Opening the black box of agency theory, Korine and Gomez show how management and ownership interact to shape the strategy of the firm. In their view, the critical question to ask is not what is the best strategy, but rather, who is the strategy for? With numerous detailed examples, Strong Managers, Strong Owners is an invaluable resource for company owners, board members and executives, as well as their advisors in strategy and governance.
Primate Communication
Authors: Liebal Katja , Waller Bridget M. , Burrows Anne M. , Slocombe Katie E.
Published: December 2013

Primates communicate with each other using a wide range of signals: olfactory signals to mark territories, screams to recruit help while fighting, gestures to request food and facial expressions to initiate play. Primate Communication brings together research on all forms of interchange and discusses what we know about primate communication via vocal, gestural, facial, olfactory and integrated multimodal signals in relation to a number of central topics. It explores the morphological, neural and cognitive foundations of primate communication through discussion of cutting-edge research. By considering signals from multiple modalities and taking a unified multimodal approach, the authors offer a uniquely holistic overview of primate communication, discussing what we know, what we don't know and what we may currently misunderstand about communication across these different forms. It is essential reading for researchers interested in primate behaviour, communication and cognition, as well as students of primatology, psychology, anthropology and cognitive sciences.
Observational Molecular Astronomy
Authors: Williams David A. , Viti Serena
Published: December 2013

Molecular line emissions offer researchers exciting opportunities to learn about the evolutionary state of the Milky Way and distant galaxies. This text provides a detailed introduction to molecular astrophysics and an array of useful techniques for observing astronomical phenomena at millimetre and submillimetre wavelengths. After discussing the theoretical underpinnings of molecular observation, the authors catalogue suitable molecular tracers for many types of astronomical regions in local and distant parts of the Universe, including cold gas reservoirs primed for the formation of new stars, regions of active star formation, giant photon-dominated regions and near active galactic nuclei. Further chapters demonstrate how to obtain useful astronomical information from raw telescope data while providing recommendations for appropriate observing strategies. Replete with maps, charts and references for further reading, this handbook will suit research astronomers and graduate students interested in broadening their skill to take advantage of the new facilities now coming online.
The Works of Francis Bacon
Authors: Bacon Francis
Published: December 2013

Francis Bacon (1561–1626), the English philosopher, statesman and jurist, is best known for developing the empiricist method which forms the basis of modern science. Bacon's writings concentrated on philosophy and judicial reform. His most significant work is the Instauratio Magna comprising two parts - The Advancement of Learning and the Novum Organum. The first part is noteworthy as the first major philosophical work published in English (1605). James Spedding (1808–81) and his co-editors arranged this fourteen-volume edition, published in London between 1857 and 1874, not in chronological order but by subject matter, so that different volumes would appeal to different audiences. The material is divided into three parts: philosophy and general literature; legal works; and letters, speeches and tracts relating to politics. Volume 3, published in 1857, contains Bacon's philosophical works in Latin that either were not intended to be part of the Instauratio Magna or were abandoned.
The Works of Francis Bacon
Authors: Bacon Francis
Published: December 2013

Francis Bacon (1561–1626), the English philosopher, statesman and jurist, is best known for developing the empiricist method which forms the basis of modern science. Bacon's writings concentrated on philosophy and judicial reform. His most significant work is the Instauratio Magna comprising two parts - The Advancement of Learning and the Novum Organum. The first part is noteworthy as the first major philosophical work published in English (1605). James Spedding (1808–81) and his co-editors arranged this fourteen-volume edition, published in London between 1857 and 1874, not in chronological order but by subject matter, so that different volumes would appeal to different audiences. The material is divided into three parts: philosophy and general literature; legal works; and letters, speeches and tracts relating to politics. Volume 4, published in 1858, contains the English translation of Bacon's philosophical works that formed part of the Instauratio Magna.
Themistius, Julian, and Greek Political Theory under Rome
Authors: Swain Simon
Published: December 2013

Themistius' close relationship with Christian emperors from Constantius to Theodosius makes him one of the most important political thinkers and politicians of the later fourth century, and his dealings with Julian the Apostate have recently attracted much speculation. This volume presents a new critical edition, translation and analysis of Themistius' letter to Julian about kingship and government, which survives mainly in Arabic, together with texts, translations and analyses of Julian's Letter to Themistius and Sopater's Letter to Himerius. The volume is completed with a text, translation and analysis of the other genuine work of Greek political theory to survive in Arabic, the Letter of Aristotle to Alexander, which dates from an earlier period and throws into relief the particular concerns of Themistius, Julian, and the rulers of the fourth-century Roman world.
Plato and the Post-Socratic Dialogue
Authors: Kahn Charles H.
Published: December 2013

Plato's late dialogues have often been neglected because they lack the literary charm of his earlier masterpieces. Charles Kahn proposes a unified view of these diverse and difficult works, from the Parmenides and Theaetetus to the Sophist and Timaeus, showing how they gradually develop the framework for Plato's late metaphysics and cosmology. The Parmenides, with its attack on the theory of Forms and its baffling series of antinomies, has generally been treated apart from the rest of Plato's late work. Kahn shows that this perplexing dialogue is the curtain-raiser on Plato's last metaphysical enterprise: the step-by-step construction of a wider theory of Being that provides the background for the creation story of the Timaeus. This rich study, the natural successor to Kahn's earlier Plato and the Socratic Dialogue, will interest a wide range of readers in ancient philosophy and science.