bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
New aspects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as a novel carrier for berberine
Authors: Salari Roshanak , Bazzaz BiBi Sedigheh Fazly , Rajabi Omid , Khashyarmanesh Zahra
Published: December 2013

Background

Berberine was encapsulated in yeast cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae as novel carriers to be used in different food and drug industries. The microcapsules were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), fourier transform infra red spectroscopy (FT-IR) and fluorescence microscopy. The encapsulation factors such as plasmolysis of yeast cells which affects the % encapsulation yield were studied.

Results

Fluorescence microscopy showed the yeast cells became fluorescent after encapsulation process. DSC diagram was representing of new peak for microcapsule which was not the same as berberine and the empty yeast cells peaks, separately. FTIR spectrums of microcapsules and yeast cells were almost the same. The plasmolysed and non plasmolysed microcapsules were loaded with berberine up to about 40.2 ± 0.2% w/w.

Conclusion

Analytical methods proved that berberine was encapsulated in the yeast cells. Fluorescence microscopy and FTIR results showed the entrance of berberine inside the yeasts. DSC diagram indicated the appearance of new peak which is due to the synthesis of new product. Although plasmolysis caused changes in yeast cell structure and properties, it did not enhance berberine loading in the cells. The results confirmed that Saccharomyces cerevisiae could be an efficient and safe carrier for active materials.
Evaluation of in vitro toxicity of peptide (N-acetyl-Leu-Gly-Leu-COOH)-substituted-β-cyclodextrin derivative, a novel drug carrier, in PC-12 cells
Authors: Sadeghnia Hamid Reza , Vahdati Hassani Faezeh , Sadeghian Hamid , Miandehi Maryam , Hadizadeh Farzin , Karimi Gholamreza
Published: December 2013

Background

Cyclodextrins (CDs) have been shown to improve physicochemical and biopharmaceutical properties of drugs when low solubility and low safety limit their use in the pharmaceutical field. Recently, a new amphiphilic peptide-substituted-β-CD, hepta-(N-acetyl-Leu-Gly-Leu)-β-CD (hepta-(N-acetyl-LGL)-β-CD), is developed which exhibited good solubility, strong inclusion ability and an appropriate average molecular weight. However, there is limited information available about its toxic effects. This study was designed to evaluate cytotoxic effects of the hepta-(N-acetyl-LGL)-β-CD (50, 200, 400, and 800 μg/ml) on rat pheochromocytoma PC-12 cells.

Results

A significant reduction of cell viability with IC50 values of 1115.0 μg/ml, 762.4 μg/ml, and 464.9 μg/ml at 6, 12, and 24 h post-treatment, respectively, as well as increased lipid peroxide levels and DNA damage were observed.

Conclusions

In conclusion, hepta-(N-acetyl-Leu-Gly-Leu)-β-CD exhibit significant toxic properties at high concentrations, probably through induction of oxidative stress and genotoxicity.
Synthesis, in vitro aerobic and hypoxic cytotoxicity and radiosensitizing activity of novel metronidazole tethered 5-fluorouracil
Authors: Abdi Khosrou , Khalaj Ali , Ostad Seyed Nasser , Lamei Navid , Khoshayand Mohammad Reza
Published: December 2013

Background and the purpose of the study

Several 2, 4-dinitrophenyl and 2,4-dinitrophenylamine tethered 5-FU (5-fluorouracil) compared to their components have shown minimal or no cytotoxicity to HT-29 cell line under aerobic conditions but high cytotoxicity and radiosensitizing effects under hypoxic conditions. In the present study the cytotoxicity and radiation potentiation of three novel analogues of these compounds by replacing 2,4-dinitrophenyl moiety with 2-methyl-5-nitroimidazole, a known radiosensitizer and cytotoxic agent was investigated.

Methods

Tethered compounds 7–9 were prepared by the reaction of 1-(t-butoxycarbonyl)-5-fluorouracil 6 with metronidazole esters 2–4 followed by removal of the t-butoxycarbonyl protecting group. Cytotoxicity of compounds in HT-29 cells with or without radiation were determined by 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT), propidium iodide (PI)-digitonin and clonogenic assays.

Results

Tethered compounds 7–9 induced time-and concentration–dependent cytotoxicity under hypoxia but had no significant effect under aerobic conditions. These compounds also showed selective and concentration- dependent radiosensitization effects under hypoxic conditions.

Conclusion

Tethered compounds 7–9 compared to 5-FU 5 showed minimal cytotoxicities under aerobic and selective radiosensitizing activities under hypoxic conditions. Also effects of these compounds were higher than those of metronidazole 1 which is a known cytotoxin and radiosensitizer under hypoxic conditions.
Zolpidem-induced suicide attempt: a case report
Authors: Mortaz Hejri Sameh , Faizi Mehrdad , Babaeian Mohammad
Published: December 2013

Zolpidem is a popular drug indicated for the short-term treatment of insomnia. Side effects are not uncommon with zolpidem. Herein we describe an Iranian 27-year-old man with no known mood disorder or neuropsychological disease who attempted suicide upon taking zolpidem. There are two interesting facts about this case: Firstly, the patient had not history of suicide attempt or thinking. Secondly, this case had experienced suicide ideation after taking 20 mg of zolpidem, suggesting a possible correlation between zolpidem psychological effects and dangerous psychological behaviors.
SIRT1/PARP1 crosstalk: connecting DNA damage and metabolism
Authors: Luna Augustin , Aladjem Mirit I , Kohn Kurt W
Published: December 2013

An intricate network regulates the activities of SIRT1 and PARP1 proteins and continues to be uncovered. Both SIRT1 and PARP1 share a common co-factor nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) and several common substrates, including regulators of DNA damage response and circadian rhythms. We review this complex network using an interactive Molecular Interaction Map (MIM) to explore the interplay between these two proteins. Here we discuss how NAD + competition and post-transcriptional/translational feedback mechanisms create a regulatory network sensitive to environmental cues, such as genotoxic stress and metabolic states, and examine the role of those interactions in DNA repair and ultimately, cell fate decisions.
The vertical pattern of microwave radiation around BTS (Base Transceiver Station) antennae in Hashtgerd township
Authors: Nasseri Simin , Monazzam Mohammadreza , Beheshti Meisam , Zare Sajad , Mahvi Amirhosein
Published: December 2013

New environmental pollutants interfere with the environment and human life along with technology development. One of these pollutants is electromagnetic field. This study determines the vertical microwave radiation pattern of different types of Base Transceiver Station (BTS) antennae in the Hashtgerd city as the capital of Savojbolagh County, Alborz Province of Iran. The basic data including the geographical location of the BTS antennae in the city, brand, operator type, installation and its height was collected from radio communication office, and then the measurements were carried out according to IEEE STD 95. 1 by the SPECTRAN 4060. The statistical analyses were carried out by SPSS16 using Kolmogorov Smirnov test and multiple regression method. Results indicated that in both operators of Irancell and Hamrah-e-Aval (First Operator), the power density rose with an increase in measurement height or decrease in the vertical distance of broadcaster antenna. With mix model test, a significant statistical relationship was observed between measurement height and the average power density in both types of the operators. With increasing measuring height, power density increased in both operators. The study showed installing antennae in a crowded area needs more care because of higher radiation emission. More rigid surfaces and mobile users are two important factors in crowded area that can increase wave density and hence raise public microwave exposure.
Urban runoff treatment using nano-sized iron oxide coated sand with and without magnetic field applying
Authors: Khiadani Mehdi , Zarrabi Mansur , Foroughi Maryam
Published: December 2013

Increase of impervious surfaces in urban area followed with increases in runoff volume and peak flow, leads to increase in urban storm water pollution. The polluted runoff has many adverse impacts on human life and environment. For that reason, the aim of this study was to investigate the efficiency of nano iron oxide coated sand with and without magnetic field in treatment of urban runoff. In present work, synthetic urban runoff was treated in continuous separate columns system which was filled with nano iron oxide coated sand with and without magnetic field. Several experimental parameters such as heavy metals, turbidity, pH, nitrate and phosphate were controlled for investigate of system efficiency. The prepared column materials were characterized with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis (EDXA) instruments. SEM and EDXA analyses proved that the sand has been coated with nano iron oxide (Fe3O4) successfully. The results of SEM and EDXA instruments well demonstrate the formation of nano iron oxide (Fe3O4) on sand particle. Removal efficiency without magnetic field for turbidity; Pb, Zn, Cd and PO4 were observed to be 90.8%, 73.3%, 75.8%, 85.6% and 67.5%, respectively. When magnetic field was applied, the removal efficiency for turbidity, Pb, Zn, Cd and PO4 was increased to 95.7%, 89.5%, 79.9%, 91.5% and 75.6% respectively. In addition, it was observed that coated sand and magnetic field was not able to remove NO3 ions. Statistical analyses of data indicated that there was a significant difference between removals of pollutants in two tested columns. Results of this study well demonstrate the efficiency of nanosized iron oxide-coated sand in treatment of urban runoff quality; upon 75% of pollutants could be removed. In addition, in the case of magnetic field system efficiency can be improved significantly.
Simulation and comparative analysis of binding modes of nucleoside and non-nucleoside agonists at the A2B adenosine receptor
Authors: Dal Ben Diego , Buccioni Michela , Lambertucci Catia , Thomas Ajiroghene , Volpini Rosaria
Published: December 2013

Purpose

A2B receptor agonists are studied as possible therapeutic tools for a variety of pathological conditions. Unfortunately, medicinal chemistry efforts have led to the development of a limited number of potent agonists of this receptor, in most cases with a low or no selectivity versus the other adenosine receptor subtypes. Among the developed molecules, two structural families of compounds have been identified based on nucleoside and non-nucleoside (pyridine) scaffolds. The aim of this work is to analyse the binding mode of these molecules at 3D models of the human A2B receptor to identify possible common interaction features and the key receptor residues involved in ligand interaction.

Methods

The A2B receptor models are built by using two recently published crystal structures of the human A2A receptor in complex with two different agonists. The developed models are used as targets for molecular docking studies of nucleoside and non-nucleoside agonists. The generated docking conformations are subjected to energy minimization and rescoring by using three different scoring functions. Further analysis of top-score conformations are performed with a tool evaluating the interaction energy between the ligand and the binding site residues.

Results

Results suggest a set of common interaction points between the two structural families of agonists and the receptor binding site, as evidenced by the superimposition of docking conformations and by analysis of interaction energy with the receptor residues.

Conclusions

The obtained results show that there is a conserved pattern of interaction between the A2B receptor and its agonists. These information and can provide useful data to support the design and the development of A2B receptor agonists belonging to nucleoside or non-nucleoside structural families.
Association of cardiac autonomic neuropathy with arterial stiffness in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients
Authors: Bagherzadeh Ataollah , Nejati-Afkham Afshin , Tajallizade-Khoob Yaser , Shafiee Akbar , Sharifi Farshad , Esfahani Morteza Abdar , Badamchizade Zohre , Alatab Sudabeh , Fakhrzadeh Hossein
Published: December 2013

Background

Diabetic patients are at the risk of cardiac autonomic neuropathy (CAN) and arterial stiffness. This study aimed to investigate the association of heart rate variability (HRV) as an index for CAN and pulse wave velocity (PWV) as an index for arterial stiffness.

Methods

Uncomplicated diabetes type-2 patients who had no apparent history of cardiovascular condition underwent HRV and PWV measurements and the results were compared with the control group consisting of non-diabetic peers. Also, the findings were adjusted for the cardiovascular risk factors and other confounding factors.

Results

A total of 64 diabetic patients (age= 52.08±8.50 years; males=33 [51.6%]) were compared with 57 controls (age= 48.74±6.18 years; males=25 [43.9%]) in this study. Hypertension, dyslipidemia, and thereby systolic blood pressure and statin use were significantly more frequent in the diabetic group, while the serum levels of cholesterol, HDL-C and LDL-C were significantly higher in the controls. Pulse wave was significantly increased in the diabetic patients (p<0.001). Main HRV parameters were significantly lower in diabetics than in controls. After adjustment for the confounders, PWV and HRV remained significantly different between the groups (p=0.01 and p=0.004, respectively). Multiple logistic regression of the association between pulse wave velocity and HRV index was independently significant both in diabetics and controls.

Conclusions

There exists a significant relationship between heart rate variability and arterial stiffness as a measure for atherosclerosis in diabetic patients, although the role of the confounding factors is noteworthy.
Serum GGT activity and hsCRP level in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with good and poor glycemic control: An evidence linking oxidative stress, inflammation and glycemic control
Authors: Gohel Mukesh G , Chacko Anusha N
Published: December 2013

Background

Diabetes is undoubtedly one of the most challenging health problems in 21st century. Understanding the pathogenesis and preventing long term complications have been major goals of research in diabetes mellitus (DM). Research in the past few years has linked oxidative stress and inflammation to beta cell dysfunction. Aim of this study is to evaluate serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) activity (marker of oxidative stress) and high sensitivity C reactive protein (hsCRP) level (an inflammatory marker) in type 2 DM subjects with good and poor glycemic control. Further, we investigated correlation between serum GGT and hsCRP level with glycemic control (FBS, PP2BS, HbA1c) in subjects.

Methods

A cross sectional study consists of 150 patients out of them 50 patients having type 2 DM with good control (Group II), 50 patients with type 2 DM with poor control (Group III) and 50 normal healthy control (Group I) were selected. Serum GGT, serum hsCRP, FBS, PP2BS, HbA1c, and other biochemical investigations include serum liver enzymes and lipids were measured.

Results

Mean serum GGT and hsCRP concentration were statistically significantly higher in group III patients compared to group I and group II subjects as well as increased in group II compared to group I (p < 0.001). Further significant positive correlation was observed between GGT and hsCRP concentration as well as both with HbA1c, FBS, and PP2BS.

Conclusions

Oxidative stress and inflammation appears to be a key component and also associated with poor glycemic control and further pathogenesis of diabetes and its complications. All our finding suggesting a link between oxidative stress, inflammation and glycemic control in patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Diabetes mellitus and tuberculosis facts and controversies
Authors: Baghaei Parvaneh , Marjani Majid , Javanmard Pedram , Tabarsi Payam , Masjedi Mohammad Reza
Published: December 2013

Tuberculosis (TB) and diabetes mellitus (DM) are both important health issues. A bidirectional association between them has been demonstrated by many researchers. The link of DM and TB is more prominent in developing countries where TB is endemic and the burden of diabetes mellitus is increasing. The association between diabetes and tuberculosis may be the next challenge for global tuberculosis control worldwide. Proper planning and collaboration are necessary to reduce the dual burden of diabetes and TB. One model similar to the TB-HIV program for prevention, screening and treatment of both diseases can be the best approach. In this paper, we review existing data and discuss the matters of controversy that would be helpful for determining research priorities in different countries.
Extensive clinical experience: a simple guide to basal insulin adjustments for long-distance travel
Authors: Pinsker Jordan E , Becker Erik , Mahnke C Becket , Ching Michael , Larson Noelle S , Roy Daniel
Published: December 2013

Long-distance travel across multiple time zones presents unique challenges for patients taking insulin, requiring adjustments in both timing and dosage of basal insulin when several times zones (≥5) are traversed. Travel across the International Date Line adds to the confusion, as existing resources and dosing calculators often do not account for the date change. We review recommendations from available guidelines and dosage calculators used for long-distance travel basal insulin adjustments and then present our patient handouts which allow for a safe, specific, single dose adjustment for eastward and westward travel. The included handouts are easy to use and can be freely reproduced for use in diabetes clinics.
One-day cognitive–behavioural therapy self-confidence workshops for people with depression: randomised controlled trial
Authors: Horrell Linda , Goldsmith Kimberley A. , Tylee André T. , Schmidt Ulrike H. , Murphy Caroline L. , Bonin Eva-Maria , Beecham Jennifer , Kelly Joanna , Raikundalia Shriti , Brown June S. L
Published: December 2013

Background

Despite its high prevalence, help-seeking for depression is low.

Aims

To assess the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of 1-day cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) self-confidence workshops in reducing depression. Anxiety, self-esteem, prognostic indicators as well as access were also assessed.

Method

An open randomised controlled trial (RCT) waiting list control design with 12-week follow-up was used (trial registration: ISRCTN26634837). A total of 459 adult participants with depression (Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) scores of 14) self-referred and 382 participants (83%) were followed up.

Results

At follow-up, experimental and control participants differed significantly on the BDI, with an effect size of 0.55. Anxiety and self-esteem also differed. Of those who participated, 25% were GP non-consulters and 32% were from Black and minority ethnic groups. Women benefited more than men on depression scores. The intervention has a 90% chance of being considered cost-effective if a depression-free day is valued at £14.

Conclusions

Self-confidence workshops appear promising in terms of clinical effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and access by difficult-to-engage groups.
Corpus callosum changes in euthymic bipolar affective
disorder
Authors: Lloyd Adrian J. , Ali Heba E. , Nesbitt David , Moore P. Brian , Young Allan H. , Ferrier I. Nicol
Published: December 2013

Background

Changes in corpus callosum area and thickness have been reported in
bipolar disorder. Imaging and limited neuropathological data suggest
possible abnormalities in myelination and/or glial function.

Aims

To compare corpus callosum area, thickness and magnetic resonance imaging
(MRI) T1 signal intensity in patients with bipolar disorder and
healthy controls.

Method

A total of 48 patients with euthymic bipolar disorder and 46 healthy
controls underwent MRI analysis of callosal midsagittal area, callosal
thickness and T1 signal intensity.

Results

The bipolar group had smaller overall and subregional callosal areas and
correspondingly reduced callosal width than the control group. Age
correlated negatively with callosal area in the control group but not in
the bipolar group. Signal intensity was higher in women than in men in
both groups. Signal intensity was reduced in women, but not in men, in
the bipolar group.

Conclusions

Observed differences probably relate to diagnosis rather than mood state
and bipolar disorder appears to result in morphometric change that
overrides changes seen in normal ageing. Intensity changes are consistent
with possible altered myelination or glial function. A gender-dependent
factor appears to operate and to interact with diagnosis.
Transition to schizophrenia in acute and transient psychotic disorders
Authors: Queirazza Filippo , Semple David M. , Lawrie Stephen M.
Published: December 2013

Background

The diagnostic category of acute and transient psychotic disorders (ATPD) was introduced in ICD-10. Subsequent studies have called into question its validity and reliability.

Aims

To determine the pattern of diagnostic revision to schizophrenia in first-ever diagnosed ATPD.

Method

Using data drawn from the Scottish Morbidity Record, we estimated incidence and diagnostic change in first-ever diagnosed ATPD in Scottish hospitals between January 1997 and December 2010 (n= 2923).

Results

The average incidence of ATPD was 4.1 per 100 000 population per year. Diagnostic stability was estimated at 53.9% over an average of approximately 4 years of observation. The most common diagnostic shift was to schizophrenia (12.6%), over an average of 1.7 years. Estimates of the transition risks for schizophrenia were 80% at 2.8 years and 90% at 4.6 years. Longer first admission to hospital, younger age at onset and male gender were associated with increased risk and earlier development of schizophrenia.

Conclusions

Routinely collected data suggest that approximately one in eight individuals with first-ever diagnosed ATPD will develop schizophrenia within 3–5 years. Those at high risk of transition may benefit from monitoring for possible diagnostic change.
Psychiatric assessment of mood instability: qualitative study of patient experience
Authors: Bilderbeck Amy C. , Saunders Kate E. A. , Price Jonathan , Goodwin Guy M.
Published: December 2013

Background

Mood instability is a common reason for psychiatric referral. Very little is known about how patients with unstable mood experience assessment and diagnosis.

Aims

To investigate the experiences of assessment and diagnosis among patients with mood instability and to suggest improvements to this process.

Method

Qualitative study, gathering data through individual interviews with 28 people experiencing mood instability and receiving a psychiatric assessment in secondary care.

Results

Participants described the importance of receiving an explanation for their symptoms; the value of a good interpersonal relationship with their clinician(s); being listened to and acknowledged; and being involved in and informed about clinical decisions. These needs were not, however, consistently met. Receiving a psychiatric diagnosis, including a diagnosis of bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder, evoked both positive and negative responses among participants, relating to stigma, personal understanding and responsibility, prognosis and treatment.

Conclusions

Patients with mood instability seek explanation for their symptoms and difficulties, empathetic care and consistent support as much as cure. Clinicians may incorrectly assume what patients' attitudes towards diagnosis are, a mismatch which may hamper the development of a strong therapeutic relationship. Clear, patient-centred communication, which acknowledges the patient's experience, may result in greater patient engagement and satisfaction.
Analytical Seismic Fragility Analyses of Fire Sprinkler Piping Systems with Threaded Joints
Authors: Soroushian Siavash , Zaghi Arash E. , Maragakis Manos , Echevarria Alicia , Tian Yuan , Filiatrault Andre
Published: December 2013

For the first time, an analytical modeling methodology is developed for fire sprinkler piping systems and used to generate seismic fragility parameters of these systems. The analytical model accounts for inelastic behavior constituents of the system, including: threaded joints, solid braces, hangers, and restrainers. The model incorporates a newly developed hysteresis model for threaded tee joints that is validated by the experimental results of several tee subassemblies. The modeling technique at the subsystem level is validated by using the experimental results of a sprinkler piping system. The methodology is used to obtain the seismic response of the fire sprinkler piping system of University of California, San Francisco Hospital under a suite of 96 artificially generated triaxial floor acceleration histories. After the component fragility parameters are obtained for the components of the system, three system-level damage states are defined, and a joint probabilistic seismic demand model is utilized to develop system fragility parameters.
Clinical Experience in the Screening and Management of a Large Kindred With Familial Isolated Pituitary Adenoma Due to an Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Interacting Protein (AIP) Mutation
Authors: Williams Fred , Hunter Steven , Bradley Lisa , Chahal Harvinder S. , Storr Helen L. , Akker Scott A. , Kumar Ajith V. , Orme Stephen M. , Evanson Jane , Abid Noina , Morrison Patrick J. , Korbonits Márta , Atkinson A. Brew
Published: December 2013

Context:

Germline AIP mutations usually cause young-onset acromegaly with low penetrance in a subset of familial isolated pituitary adenoma families. We describe our experience with a large family with R304* AIP mutation and discuss some of the diagnostic dilemmas and management issues.

Objective:

The aim of the study was to identify and screen mutation carriers in the family.

Patients:

Forty-three family members participated in the study.

Setting:

The study was performed in university hospitals.

Outcome:

We conducted genetic and endocrine screening of family members.

Results:

We identified 18 carriers of the R304* mutation, three family members with an AIP-variant A299V, and two family members who harbored both changes. One of the two index cases presented with gigantism and pituitary apoplexy, the other presented with young-onset acromegaly, and both had surgery and radiotherapy. After genetic and clinical screening of the family, two R304* carriers were diagnosed with acromegaly. They underwent transsphenoidal surgery after a short period of somatostatin analog treatment. One of these two patients is in remission; the other achieved successful pregnancy despite suboptimal control of acromegaly. One of the A299V carrier family members was previously diagnosed with a microprolactinoma; we consider this case to be a phenocopy. Height of the unaffected R304* carrier family members is not different compared to noncarrier relatives.

Conclusions:

Families with AIP mutations present particular problems such as the occurrence of large invasive tumors, poor response to medical treatment, difficulties with fertility and management of pregnancy, and the finding of AIP sequence variants of unknown significance. Because disease mostly develops at a younger age and penetrance is low, the timing and duration of the follow-up of carriers without overt disease requires further study. The psychological and financial impact of prolonged clinical screening must be considered. Excellent relationships between the family, endocrinologists, and geneticists are essential, and ideally these families should be managed in centers with specialist expertise.
Regularity and Hyperreal Credences
Authors: Easwaran Kenny
Published: December 2013

Many philosophers have become worried about the use of standard real numbers for the probability function that represents an agent's credences. They point out that real numbers can't capture the distinction between certain extremely unlikely events and genuinely impossible ones—they are both represented by credence 0, which violates a principle known as “regularity.” Following Skyrms 1980 and Lewis 1980, they recommend that we should instead use a much richer set of numbers, called the “hyperreals.”

This essay argues that this popular view is the result of two mistakes. The first mistake, which this essay calls the “numerical fallacy,” is to assume that a distinction that isn't represented by different numbers isn't represented at all in a mathematical representation. In this case, the essay claims that although the real numbers do not make all relevant distinctions, the full mathematical structure of a probability function does. The second mistake is that the hyperreals make too many distinctions. They have a much more complex structure than credences in ordinary propositions can have, so they make distinctions that don't exist among credences. While they might be useful for generating certain mathematical models, they will not appear in a faithful mathematical representation of credences of ordinary propositions.
Nation, Space, and Exception
Authors: Naqvi Tahir H.
Published: December 2013

Pakistan’s first military dictatorship launched the Basic Democracies scheme in 1960, after a bloodless coup that dissolved political parties and legislative institutions. Naqvi’s essay considers how the architects of the “BD system” reconceived the Pakistani nation in response to the ends of martial rule, namely, the permanent empowerment of the postcolonial executive. Naqvi theorizes the BD scheme as an extraconstitutional system of governmentality that produced the Pakistani citizen ambivalently—as an authentic yet nontranscendent subject of the nation. He further shows how the Basic Democracies scheme rationalized the state’s negation of wider channels of democratic participation by nationalizing the parochial as an expression of the true “genius” of the Pakistani people. Such attempts to fragment and reassign the experience of national solidarity, he contends, drew inspiration from the racial assumptions of the colonial state in a postcolonial context marked by uncertainty about the form of Muslim national solidarity. Moving between programmatic literature on Basic Democracies and nineteenth-century colonial debates on the reform of local self-government, the essay traces the genealogical and comparative significance of the following question: Can a nation in which democratic participation is confined exclusively to the local level continue to feel and act as a nation?
Armed Negotiations
Authors: Kostopoulou Elektra
Published: December 2013

This article aims to revisit autonomy and decentralization in the nineteenth century as dynamics that captured the hybrid position of the Ottomans in the rapidly changing regional and international contexts. Addressing briefly a number of different examples, the article argues that the emergence of the “autonomous province,” as a specific administrative practice, constituted not an imperial defeat but a compromise that allowed the empire to survive. In fact, the different chronological and regional manifestations of autonomy in the empire’s provincial universe invite recognition not only of this specific phenomenon but also of broader, long-ignored aspects of the Ottoman reform as a whole. Within this context, Kostopoulou’s article looks at a number of examples that best capture the elements of both promise and danger entailed in nineteenth-century Ottoman decentralization. This double capacity of being simultaneously a colonizer and a colony characterized the Ottomans throughout the period in question and is best illustrated by their strategies and agonies over their autonomous provinces.
Separating the Wheat from the Chaff
Authors: Raza Ali
Published: December 2013

Raza’s essay looks at the role of the Meerut Conspiracy Case in shaping the course of leftist politics in India. In particular, it takes the case study of a regional leftist movement, and its prime figure, Sohan Singh Josh, to illustrate how the Left was impacted by the case. It argues that the trial set the stage for the creation of an official communism in India, which led to unbridgeable rifts within the leftist spectrum across India, and particularly in the Punjab. This essay then touches on how that was true for politics as a whole. Thus, the trial contributed to the sharpening of political divides that distinguished the 1930s from the previous decade, which was remarkable for the amorphousness of the boundaries between ostensibly different political camps. If Meerut is viewed in terms of a simplistic binary of success or failure, then this development alone was the state’s most significant success since it made the political landscape more manageable and hence controllable.
Trade Unions on Trial
Authors: Stolte Carolien
Published: December 2013

The Indian trade union movement of the interwar years was marked by an increasing tension between reformist and revolutionary methods. The two factions shared an internationalist idiom and internationalist aspirations, but their visions of the postimperialist world order were crucially different. The reformists advocated inclusion of India’s labour leaders in the international system, whereas the revolutionaries sought to harness international workers’ solidarity to overthrow it. The Meerut Conspiracy Case exacerbated these tensions in AITUC by specifically targeting left-wing trade union leaders and by including international trade union bodies in the indictment. AITUC split during the first year of the case, and it fragmented further as the case progressed. Stolte’s article views Meerut as a case in which trade unionism itself was put on trial. It made emerging (re)definitions of revolutionary and reformist trade unionism explicit, and it situated both in an international environment and on divergent international trajectories. During the Meerut case, trade union politics were debated inside and outside the courtroom. This worsened the tensions between reformist and revolutionary trade unionism. First, the indictment created “good” and “seditious” international interlocutors for the unionists. Second, the reformist methods of seeking inclusion in the ILO and other existing European bodies were vocally attacked by the Meerut accused. Finally, the accused stayed in conversation with the revolutionary leadership of the AITUC throughout the trial. The debates on trade unionism thus created were decisive in making the Nagpur split permanent.
Meerut and a Hanging
Authors: Roy Franziska , Zachariah Benjamin
Published: December 2013

The Meerut Conspiracy Case was directed largely at the emerging radical trade union and workers’ and peasants’ movements in India, while aiming its blow more specifically at an internationalist communism or socialism. The public impact of Meerut, however, was not unidirectional or confined to leftists, and it came to epitomize the arbitrariness of imperial authority. It was part of a larger process that created divisions and solidarities at the same time. Roy and Zachariah’s essay traces the new divides and solidarities that the case facilitated and its impact on a wider popular political imagination as seen, in particular, through the lens of the Indian youth movement. In many ways, the authors contend, Indian communists’ responses to Meerut, backed in part by their British communist comrades, showed that a top-down directive from Moscow did not in fact have the impact that it was supposed to. Meerut was thus the pivotal point that went a long way toward defining the politics of the 1930s, both within and outside India.
Stress granules and Plasmodium liver stage infection
Authors: Hanson Kirsten K. , Mair Gunnar R.
Published: December 2013

Organisms have evolved numerous strategies to control infection by an array of intracellular pathogens. One cell autonomous pathogen control strategy is global inhibition of protein synthesis via stress granule (SG) formation. SGs are induced by stressful stimuli such as oxidative stress and nutrient deprivation, and are known to counteract both viral and bacterial infections. Pathogens, in turn, may actively block an infected cell's ability to form SGs. In vitro and in vivo, many liver stage malaria parasites are eliminated during development. We show here that SG formation is not amongst the strategies used for elimination of parasites from hepatocytes. Neither cell traversal, sporozoite invasion, nor rapid parasite growth leads to the formation of SGs. Furthermore, Plasmodium berghei infection does not compromise the ability of infected cells to assemble SGs in response to oxidative or nutritional stress. Plasmodium infection is therefore not detected by hepatocytes as a strong stressor necessitating global translational repression in response, highlighting the idea that Plasmodium has evolved strategies to ensure its remarkable growth in the hepatocyte while maintaining host cell homeostasis.
Dysphagia and disrupted cranial nerve development in a mouse model of DiGeorge/22q11 Deletion Syndrome
Authors: Karpinski Beverly A. , Maynard Thomas M. , Fralish Matthew S. , Nuwayhid Samar , Zohn Irene , Moody Sally A. , LaMantia Anthony-S.
Published: December 2013

We assessed feeding-related developmental anomalies in the LgDel mouse model of Chromosome 22q11 Deletion Syndrome (22q11DS), a common developmental disorder that frequently includes perinatal dysphagia - debilitating feeding, swallowing and nutrition difficulties from birth onward - within its phenotypic spectrum. LgDel pups gain significantly less weight during the first postnatal weeks, and have several signs of respiratory infections due to food aspiration. Most 22q11 genes are expressed in anlagen of craniofacial and brainstem regions critical for feeding and swallowing, and diminished expression in LgDel embryos apparently compromises development of these regions. Palate and jaw anomalies indicate divergent oro-facial morphogenesis. Altered expression and patterning of hindbrain transcriptional regulators, especially those related to retinoic acid (RA) signaling prefigures these disruptions. Subsequently, gene expression, axon growth and sensory ganglion formation in the trigeminal (V), glossopharyngeal (IX), or vagus (X) cranial nerves (CN) that innervate targets essential for feeding, swallowing and digestion are disrupted. Posterior CN IX and X ganglia anomalies primarily reflect diminished dosage of the 22q11DS candidate gene Tbx1. Genetic modification of RA signaling in LgDel embryos rescues the anterior CN V phenotype and returns expression levels or pattern of RA-sensitive genes to that in wild type embryos. Thus, diminished 22q11 gene dosage, including but not limited to Tbx1, disrupts oro-facial and cranial nerve development by modifying RA-modulated anterior-posterior hindbrain differentiation. These disruptions likely contribute to dysphagia in infants and young children with 22q11DS.
Low-force transitions in single titin molecules reflect a memory of contractile history
Authors: Mártonfalvi Zsolt , Bianco Pasquale , Linari Marco , Caremani Marco , Nagy Attila , Lombardi Vincenzo , Kellermayer Miklós
Published: December 2013

Titin, a giant elastomeric muscle protein has been implicated to function as a sensor of sarcomeric stress and strain but with unresolved mechanisms. To gain insight into titin's mechanosensory function here we manipulated single molecules with high-resolution optical tweezers. Discrete, stepwise transitions, with rates faster than canonical Ig-domain unfolding occurred during stretch at forces as low as 5 pN. Multiple mechanisms and molecular regions (PEVK, proximal tandem-Ig, N2A) are likely to be involved. The pattern of transitions is sensitive to the history of contractile events. Monte-Carlo simulations recovered our experimental results and predicted that structural transitions may begin prior to the complete extension of the PEVK domain. High-resolution AFM of titin extended with meniscus forces supported this prediction. Addition of glutamate-rich PEVK-domain fragments competitively inhibited the viscoelastic response in both single titin molecules and muscle fibers, indicating that intra-PEVK-domain interactions contribute significantly to sarcomere mechanics. Thus, under non-equilibrium conditions across the physiological force range, titin extends via a complex pattern of history-dependent discrete conformational transitions which, by dynamically exposing ligand-binding sites, may set the stage for the biochemical sensing of the sarcomeric mechanical status.
Desilylative Carboxylation of Aryltrimethylsilanes Using CO2 in the Presence of Catalytic Phosphazenium Salt
Authors: Yonemoto-Kobayashi Misato , Inamoto Kiyofumi , Kondo Yoshinori
Published: December 2013

An efficient method for the desilylative carboxylation of aryltrimethylsilanes with CO2 catalyzed by phosphazenium salt has been developed. This protocol can provide various arylcarboxylic acids that are important structural motifs in biologically active chemical compounds.
Mobile Targeting
Authors: Luo Xueming , Andrews Michelle , Fang Zheng , Phang Chee Wei
Published: December 2013

Mobile technologies enable marketers to target consumers by time and location. This study builds on a large-scale randomized experiment of short message service (SMS) texts sent to 12,265 mobile users. We draw on contextual marketing theory to hypothesize how different combinations of mobile targeting determine consumer responses to mobile promotions. We identify that temporal targeting and geographical targeting individually increase sales purchases. Surprisingly, the sales effects of employing these two strategies simultaneously are not straightforward. When targeting proximal mobile users, our findings reveal a negative sales–lead time relationship; sending same-day mobile promotions yields an increase in the odds of consumer purchases compared with sending them two days prior to the promoted event. However, when targeting nonproximal mobile users, there is an inverted-U, curvilinear relationship. Sending one-day prior SMSs yields an increase in the odds of consumer purchases by 9.5 times compared with same-day SMSs and an increase in the odds of consumer purchases by 71% compared with two-day prior SMSs. These results are robust to unobserved heterogeneity, alternative estimation models, bootstrapped resamples, randomization checks, consumer mobile usage behavior, and segmentation of consumer scenarios. In addition, we conducted follow-up surveys to delve into the psychological mechanisms explaining the findings in our field experiment. In line with consumer construal arguments, consumers who received SMSs close (far) in time and location formed a more (less) concrete mental construal, which in turn, increased their involvement and purchase intent. These findings suggest that understanding the when, where, and how of mobile targeting strategies is crucial. Marketers can save money by carefully designing their mobile targeting campaigns.

This paper was accepted by Sandra Slaughter, information systems.
OM Forum—OM Research: From Problem-Driven to Data-Driven Research
Authors: Simchi-Levi David
Published: December 2013

This essay, based on my 2013 MSOM Distinguished Fellow lecture, presents my view on new opportunities and challenges for research in operations management.
Intergroup Competition as a Double-Edged Sword: How Sex Composition Regulates the Effects of Competition on Group Creativity
Authors: Baer Markus , Vadera Abhijeet K. , Leenders Roger T. A. J. , Oldham Greg R.
Published: December 2013

Building on social role theory, we extend a contingency perspective on intergroup competition proposing that having groups compete against one another is stimulating to the creativity of groups composed largely or exclusively of men but detrimental to the creativity of groups composed largely or exclusively of women. We tested this idea in two separate studies: a laboratory experiment (Study 1) and a field study (Study 2). Study 1 showed that competition had the expected positive effects on the creativity of groups composed mostly or exclusively of men and produced the predicted negative effects on the creativity of groups composed of women, even though the latter effects emerged at the high end of the competition spectrum and for sex-homogeneous groups only. Results of Study 1 also revealed that within-group collaboration mediated the joint effects of competition and sex composition on group creativity. Study 2 replicated the results of Study 1 in a field setting involving research and development teams. We discuss the implications of these findings for theory and practice.
Face Lateral Shear Resistance of One-Row Multistaple Joints in Oriented Strandboard
Authors: Demirel Samet , Zhang Jilei , Jones David , Kitchens Shane , Martin William V. , Yu Han
Published: December 2013

Lateral shear resistance capacities of face-to-face single-staple and one-row vertically aligned multistaple joints in three oriented strandboards (OSB) were investigated and compared. Experimental results from testing single-staple joints indicated that the face strand orientation of OSB materials had no significant effect on their staple holding capacity in resisting lateral shear loads. The OSB-III with a density of 35.19 pounds per cubic foot (pcf; 563 kg/m3) had a significantly higher lateral shear resistance capacity than OSB-II, with a density of 29.12 pcf (466 kg/m3). Results of multistaple joints indicated that there was no significant difference in lateral shear load resistance capacities between OSB-II and OSB-III joints. The lateral shear load resistance capacity of multistaple joints increased significantly as the number of staples increased from two to four in increments of one. Two alternative power equations were suggested to estimate the lateral shear load resistance capacity of face-to-face one-row vertically aligned multistaple joints in OSB. One equation requires knowing the lateral shear resistance load of single-staple joints in an OSB material, and the other one requires knowing the density of the OSB material constructing the joints.
Wood Preservation Based on Neem Oil: Evaluation of Fungicidal and Termiticidal Effectiveness
Authors: Machado Gilmara de Oliveira , Cookson Laurie J , Christoforo André Luis , Polito Wagner L , da Silva Marcio Rogério , Junior Carlito Calil , Lahr Francisco Antonio Rocco
Published: December 2013

This research examined oil from the neem tree (Azadirachta indica A. Juss.) for its potential as an eco-friendly wood preservative. In contrast to expectations from the literature, according to which neem oil should be effective against insects and fungi, neem oil performed poorly as a preservative for Pinus radiata D. Don wood, which suffered significant mass losses in the bioassays. Using standard experimental procedures from the wood preservation industry, concentrations of 0.01, 0.1, 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 percent neem oil in white spirit were bioassayed against five species of decay fungi. Additionally, concentrations of 0.01, 0.1 and 1.0 percent neem oil were bio assayed against two species of termites. It is concluded that neem oil can only be useful as a wood preservative if new, optimized formulations are sought, probably exploiting synergy with cobiocides.