bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
WPŁYW ASYMETRII INFORMACJI NA WYKORZYSTANIE DŁUGU KRÓTKOTERMINOWEGO W WYBRANYCH PAŃSTWACH EUROPY
Authors: Kubiak Jarosław Jan , Czapiewski Leszek
Published: November 2015

W artykule badano związek poziomu asymetrii informacji z zakresem wykorzystania długu krótkoterminowego przez przedsiębiorstwa w 5 państwach Europy: we Francji, w Grecji, Niemczech, Wielkiej Brytanii oraz Włoszech. Asymetria informacja była mierzona za pomocą Syntetycznej Miary Asymetrii Informacji skonstruowanej na podstawie 9 wskaźników. Przedstawione analizy wskazują na to, że zgodnie z oczekiwaniami wynikającymi z teorii struktury kapitału, przedsiębiorstwa charakteryzujące się wyższym poziomem asymetrii informacji mają wyższy poziom długu krótkoterminowego. Asymetria informacji jest zatem ważną determinantą czasowej struktury długu, przy czym siła związku asymetrii informacji z wykorzystaniem długu krótkoterminowego jest uzależniona od cech charakterystycznych systemu finansowego poszczególnych państw.
IS IT A BUSINESS FEEDING ON EMOTIONS OR AN ACT OF ALTRUISM? THE CASE OF FINANCING FOOTBALL IN POLAND
Authors: Majewski Sebastian Mariusz
Published: November 2015

The main goal of this article is to verify the hypothesis on the behavioural character of the relationships between enterprises financing football in Poland and the fans of this sport. In his research, the author analyses selected companies listed on the Warsaw Stock Exchange which are engaged in financing football in the Polish Ekstraklasa. The author uses the quotations of such companies as: Ruch Chorzow, Comarch, KGHM, Tauron, Lotos and Police. It is possible to divide these companies into three groups: owners (Comarch, KGHM), sponsors (Tauron, Lotos, Police) and one public company (Ruch). In the research, ARCH models are used based on econometric models with independent variables: sporting results and betting odds.
Climate change trends in some of the rubber growing regions of North-East India
Authors: Raj Shammi
Published: November 2015

Climate change   analysis has been conducted using daily surface meteorological datasets in   respect of nine parameters from five rubber growing locations in the East and   North-East India. Monthly, seasonal and annual variability in meteorological   parameters showed decreasing trends in relative humidity, sunshine hours and   pan evaporation rates coupled with increasing temperature extremes. Rise in   mean temperature was seen to be highest (0.34 0C per decade) for Dhenkanal   which experiences dry sub-humid type of climate. The data on relative humidity   and temperature also revealed the fact that warm surface temperatures, along   with limited moisture availability, may lead to lower relative humidity in   the future, since all the stations are away from the moist coastal belts.   Decreasing trends in sunshine hours were mainly observed during winter and   post monsoon seasons with decreasing number of days even with the optimum   required daily sunshine hours. The fact that there were no significant   changes in the amount of rainfall or the number of rainy days was in   conformity with several earlier reports in the northeast. Mean monthly   decadal variations have also been tested with earlier and recent sets. With   long term trends in most of the weather parameters, being lesser when   compared to that of the traditional rubber growing regions in India, it is   imperative that for rubber cultivation to thrive in this non-traditional   belt, future policy inputs will have to be based depending on the magnitude   of climate change effects.
Physiological comparison of root trainer and polybag plants of Hevea brasiliensis
Authors: Sumesh K.V. , Sonam S.K. , Annamalainathan K. , Jacob James
Published: November 2015

The physiology of   root trainer plants in comparison to polybag plants of two popular Hevea clones,   RRII 105 and RRII 430 was studied. Dry matter partitioning and physiological   parameters like leaf water potential, relative water content, chlorophyll   content, PS II activity and photosynthetic efficiency were studied in root   trainer and polybag plants and compared. Root trainer plants had only 55 per   cent less biomass than polybag plants at two whorled stage. No variation was   noticed in water relations among the poly bag and root trainer plants. Total   chlorophyll content and chlorophyll a/b ratio were higher in polybag   plants than root trainer plants of both clones. Polybag plants showed higher   light saturation point when gas exchange was measured at different   photosynthetic photon flux densities. Though there was no variation in   effective quantum yield (Φ PSII), the root trainer plants of RRII 105 showed   more excess electrons (J*) at higher light intensities. Photosystem II   activity and photosynthetic carbon assimilation rates were less in root   trainer plants under open and shaded conditions. The results indicated that   the root confinement in root trainer plants has significant effect on the   physiology of plants. The reduction in plant biomass and other physiological   traits in root trainer plants can be attributed to the limited space in the   container, limiting further root growth, which otherwise is beneficial for   giving a priming effect as long as the plant remains in the container.   Further studies are needed to quantify this ‘stress factor’ in root trainer   plants and its implications in growth and establishment of plants in the   field.
Occurrence of extreme temperature events – A Probable risk on natural rubber cultivation
Authors: Jayasooryan K.K. , Satheesh P.R. , Krishnakumar R. , Jacob James
Published: November 2015

<span style="line-height: 107%; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-language: HI; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;" lang="EN-GB">Climate change and occurrence of extreme temperature events were studied in Kottayam, a major rubber growing district in Kerala. Occurrence of extreme temperature events can affect the livelihood of rubber growers apart from the ecological impact. The present study was conducted by analysing the occurrence of extreme temperature events in the past 40 years (1970-2010) using the RClimDex package developed by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection Monitoring and Indices (ETCCDMI), Canada. Temporal variations in trends of occurrence of extreme temperature events were tested with Mann-Kendall trend analysis. The 5-year diurnal temperature range (DTR, difference between monthly mean maximum and minimum temperatures) increased from 7.8 (during 1970-1974) to 9.2 0C (during 2006-2010). The monthly mean maximum temperature increased by 0.035 0C per year. Frequency of occurrence of hot days increased at a rate of 0.56 per cent per year and the highest temperature recorded in a month showed an increase of 0.038 0C per year. As observed, the increasing trends in the occurrence of extreme temperature events may eventually lead to the warming up of the region in future. The study indicates that the projected warming tendency in the traditional rubber growing regions of India may affect the rubber cultivation adversely.
VALIDACIJA SRPSKOG PREVODA SKALE SOCIJALNE PODRŠKE MOS-SSS
Authors: Jovanović Veljko , Gavrilov Jerković Vesna
Published: November 2015

Osnovni cilj ovog istraživanja je bio provera konstrukt i konvergentne validnosti srpskog prevoda Skale socijalne podrške Studije medicinskih ishoda (MOS-SSS; The Medical Outcomes Study Social Support Survey: Sherbourne & Stewart, 1991). U Studiji 1 (N = 604, 74% žena, prosečna starost = 20.60 godina) ispitivana je konstrukt validnost skale korišćenjem konfirmativne faktorske analize. U Studiji 2 (N = 200, 52.5% žena, prosečna starost = 21.82 godina) je proverena konvergentna validnost skale, ispitivanjem povezanosti sa dva indikatora interpersonalnog funkcionisanja (opažena socijalna podrška i usamljenost) i tri indikatora blagostanja (zadovoljstvo životom, depresivnost, generalno blagostanje). Rezultati su pokazali da strukturu skale najbolje opisuje bifaktorski model, koji pretpostavlja jedan generalni faktor socijalne podrške i četiri specifična faktora socijalne podrške: Emocionalna/Informacijska, Praktična, Afekciona i Pozitivne socijalne interakcije. Rezultati bifaktorskog modela su pokazali da generalni faktor objašnjava najveći procenat ukupne (44.3%) i zajedničke varijanse (69.6%) socijalne podrške, dok specifični faktori objašnjavaju mali procenat ukupne (od 3.7% do 7.0%) i zajedničke varijanse (od 5.9% do 11%). Analiza pouzdanosti (omega-hijerarhijski koeficijent) pokazuje da je moguće pouzdano interpretirati samo ukupan skor na skali, a da je računanje skorova po subskalama neopravdano. Skala je pokazala odličnu konvergentnu validnost, koju potvrđuje visoka korelacija sa drugom merom socijalne podrške, i umerene korelacije sa usamljenošću i pokazateljima blagostanja. Nalazi ovog istraživanja podržavaju upotrebu skale MOS-SSS kao instrumenta koji omogućava validnu i pouzdanu procenu generalne socijalne podrške kod mladih osoba.
Introduction
Authors: Clarsen Georgine
Published: November 2015

Transfers seeks to broaden the geographical, empirical, and theoretical reach
of mobilities scholarship. Our editorial team especially aims to foster innovative
research from new locales that moves our field beyond the social sciences
where the “new mobilities paradigm” was first articulated. Th is journal
is part of a growing intellectual project that brings together theoretical developments
and research agendas in the humanities and the social sciences. Our
ambition is to bring critical mobilities frameworks into closer conversation
with the humanities by encouraging empirical collaborations and conceptual
transfers across diverse disciplinary fields. Th e articles presented in this special
section forward those aims in several ways.
Mobility Stopped in Its Tracks
Authors: Coleborne Catharine
Published: November 2015

This article examines the interpretive framework of “mobility” and how it might usefully be extended to the study of the Australasian colonial world of the nineteenth century, suggesting that social institutions reveal glimpses of (im)mobility. As the colonies became destinations for the many thousands of immigrants on the move, different forms of mobility were desired, including migration itself, or loathed, such as the itinerant lifestyles of vagrants. Specifically, the article examines mobility through brief accounts of the curtailed lives of the poor white immigrants of the period. The meanings of mobility were produced by immigrants' insanity, vagrancy, wandering, and their casual movement between, and reliance on, welfare and medical institutions. The regulation of these forms of mobility tells us more about the contemporary paradox of the co-constitution of mobility and stasis, as well as providing a more fluid understanding of mobility as a set of transfers between places and people.
Contingency and Constraint
Authors: Breen Deborah
Published: November 2015

Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
11 West 53rd Street, New York, NY 10019
http://www.moma.org/interactives/exhibitions/2015/onewayticket/
Admission: USD 25/18/14
“I pick up my life, / And take it with me, / And I put it down in Chicago, Detroit,
/ Buff alo, Scranton, / Any place that is / North and East, / And not Dixie.”
Th ese are the opening lines from “One-Way Ticket,” by African-American
poet, Langston Hughes (1902–1967). Th e poem provides the emotional and
historical core of the “Migration” paintings by Jacob Lawrence (1917–2000), a
series that depicts the extraordinary internal migration of African Americans
in the twentieth century. Not coincidentally, the poem also provides the title
of the current exhibition of the sixty paintings in Lawrence’s series, on display
at MoMA, New York, from 3 April to 7 September 2015.1 Shown together
for the first time in over twenty years, the paintings are surrounded by works
that provide context for the “great migration”: additional paintings by Lawrence,
as well as paintings, drawings, photographs, texts, and musical recordings
by other African-American artists, writers, and performers of the early to
mid-twentieth century.
Evidence of increased brain amyloid in severe TBI survivors at 1, 12, and 24 months after injury: report of 2 cases
Authors: Gatson Joshua W. , Stebbins Cari , Mathews Dana , Harris Thomas S. , Madden Christopher , Batjer Hunt , Diaz-Arrastia Ramon , Minei Joseph P.
Published: November 2015

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease. With respect to amyloid deposition, there are no published serial data regarding the deposition rate of amyloid throughout the brain after TBI. The authors conducted serial 18F-AV-45 (florbetapir F18) positron emission tomography (PET) imaging in 2 patients with severe TBI at 1, 12, and 24 months after injury. A total of 12 brain regions were surveyed for changes in amyloid levels.

Case 1 involved a 50-year-old man who experienced a severe TBI. Compared with the 1-month time point, of the 12 brain regions that were surveyed, a decrease in amyloid (as indicated by standard uptake value ratios) was only observed in the hippocampus (−16%, left; −12%, right) and caudate nucleus (−18%, left; −18%, right), suggesting that initial amyloid accumulation in the brain was cleared between time points 1 and 12 months after injury. Compared to the scan at 1 year, a greater increase in amyloid (+15%) was observed in the right hippocampus at the 24-month time point. The patient in Case 2 was a 37-year-old man who suffered severe trauma to the head and a subsequent stroke; he had poor cognitive/functional outcomes and underwent 1.5 years of rehabilitation. Due to a large infarct area on the injured side of the brain (right side), the authors focused primarily on brain regions affected within the left hemisphere. Compared with the 1-month scan, they only found an increase in brain amyloid within the left anterior putamen (+11%) at 12 months after injury. In contrast, decreased amyloid burden was detected in the left caudate nucleus (−48%), occipital cortex (−21%), and precuneus (−19%) brain regions at the 12-month time point, which is indicative of early accumulation and subsequent clearance. In comparison with 12-month values, more clearance was observed, since a reduction in amyloid was found at 24 months after trauma within the left anterior putamen (−12%) and occipital cortex (−15%). Also, by 24 months, most of the amyloid had been cleared and the patient demonstrated improved results on the Rivermead symptom questionnaire, Glasgow Outcome Scale-Extended, and Disability Rating Scale. With respect to APOE status, the patient in Case 1 had two ε3 alleles and the patient in Case 2 had one ε2 and one ε3 allele.

In comparison to the findings of the initial scan at 1 month after TBI, by 12 and 24 months after injury amyloid was cleared in some brain regions and increased in others. Serial imaging conducted here suggests that florbetapir F18 PET imaging may be useful in monitoring amyloid dynamics within specific brain regions following severe TBI and may be predictive of cognitive deficits.
Raised intracranial pressure in Crouzon syndrome: incidence, causes, and management
Authors: Abu-Sittah Ghassan S. , Jeelani Owase , Dunaway David , Hayward Richard
Published: November 2015

OBJECT

Patients with Crouzon syndrome (CS) are at risk for developing raised intracranial pressure (ICP), which has the potential to impair both vision and neurocognitive development. For this reason, some experts recommend early prophylactic cranial vault expansion on the basis that if ICP is not currently raised, it is likely to become so. The aim of this study was to examine the justification for such a policy. This was done by analyzing the incidence, causes, and subsequent risk of recurrence in a series of patients with CS, in whom raised ICP was treated only after it had been diagnosed.

METHODS

This study was a retrospective review of the medical records and imaging data of patients with a clinical diagnosis of CS.

RESULTS

There were 49 patients in the study, of whom 30 (61.2%) developed at least 1 episode of raised ICP. First episodes occurred at an average age of 1.42 years and were attributable to craniocerebral disproportion/venous hypertension (19 patients), hydrocephalus (8 patients), and airway obstruction (3 patients). They were managed, respectively, by vault expansion, ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion, and airway improvement. Fourteen of the 30 patients developed a second episode of raised ICP an average of 1.42 years after treatment for their initial episode, and 3 patients developed a third episode an average of 3.15 years after that. Causes of subsequent episodes of raised ICP often differed from previous episodes and required different management. Patients who were < 1 year old when the first episode was diagnosed were at increased risk of recurrence.

CONCLUSIONS

Although the incidence of raised ICP in CS is high, it did not occur in nearly 40% of children during the course of this study. The several possible causes of CS require different management and may vary from episode to episode. The authors recommend an expectant policy toward these children with careful clinical, ophthalmological, respiratory, and radiological monitoring for raised ICP, reserving intervention for when it has been detected and the appropriate treatment can be initiated.
De novo arteriovenous malformation in a patient with hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia
Authors: Shimoda Yusuke , Osanai Toshiya , Nakayama Naoki , Ushikoshi Satoshi , Hokari Masaaki , Shichinohe Hideo , Abumiya Takeo , Kazumata Ken , Houkin Kiyohiro
Published: November 2015

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is an autosomal dominant systemic disorder characterized by the enlargement of capillaries, recurrent nosebleeds, and multiple arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). Although cerebral AVMs are traditionally considered to be congenital lesions, some reports have described de novo AVMs, which suggests that the authors believed them to be dynamic conditions. In this article, the authors describe the case of a 5-year-old boy with HHT in whom a de novo cerebral AVM was detected after a negative MRI result at 5 months. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first report of a de novo AVM in a patient with HHT. In patients with a family history of HHT, de novo AVMs are possible, even when no lesions are detected at the first screening. Therefore, regular screenings need to be performed, and the family should be informed that AVMs could still develop despite normal MRI results.
Associations between Neuropsychiatric Symptoms and Cerebral Amyloid Deposition in Cognitively Impaired Elderly People
Authors: Bensamoun David ,   for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative, Guignard Renaud , Furst Ansgar J. , Derreumaux Alexandre , Manera Valeria , Darcourt Jacques , Benoit Michel , Robert Philippe H. , David Renaud
Published: November 2015

Background: Neuropsychiatric symptoms, also known as behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), affect the majority of patients with dementia, and result in a greater cognitive and functional impairment. Objective: To investigate associations between BPSD and amyloid cerebral deposition as measured by 18F-Florbetapir-PET quantitative uptake in elderly subjects with and without cognitive impairment. Methods: Participants with cognitive impairment [mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or Alzheimer’s disease (AD)] and healthy controls (HC) from the ADNI cohort (Alzheimer Disease Neuroimaging Initiative) who underwent an 18F-florbetapir PET scan between May 2010 and March 2014 were included. Clinical assessments included the Clinical Dementia Rating, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory. Freesurfer software was used to extract PET counts based on T1-based structural ROI (frontal, cingulate, parietal, and temporal). Spearman’s partial correlation scores between BPSD severity and regional amyloid uptake were calculated. Results: Data for 657 participants [age = 72.6 (7.19); MMSE = 27.4 (2.67)] were analyzed, including 230 HC [age = 73.1 (6.02); MMSE = 29 (1.21)], 308 MCI [age = 71.5 (7.44); MMSE = 28.0 (1.75)], and 119 AD subjects [age = 74.7 (8.05); MMSE = 23.1 (2.08)]. Considering all diagnostic groups together, positive significant correlations were found between anxiety and 18F-florbetapir uptake in the frontal (r = 0.102; p = 0.009), cingulate (r = 0.083; p = 0.034), and global cerebral uptake (r = 0.099; p = 0.011); between irritability and frontal (r = 0.089; p = 0.023), cingulate (r = 0.085; p = 0.030), parietal (r = 0.087; p = 0.025), and global cerebral uptake (r = 0.093; p = 0.017); in the MCI subgroup, between anxiety and frontal (r = 0.126; p = 0.03) and global uptake (r = 0.14; p = 0.013); in the AD subgroup, between irritability and parietal uptake (r = 0.201; p = 0.03). Conclusion: Anxiety and irritability are associated with greater amyloid deposition in the neurodegenerative process leading to AD.
The Role of Alzheimer’s and Cerebrovascular Pathology in Mediating the Effects of Age, Race, and Apolipoprotein E Genotype on Dementia Severity in Pathologically-Confirmed Alzheimer’s Disease
Authors: Gavett Brandon E. , John Samantha E. , Gurnani Ashita S. , Bussell Cara A. , Saurman Jessica L.
Published: November 2015

Background: Dementia severity can be modeled as the construct δ, representing the “cognitive correlates of functionalstatus.” Objective: We recently validated a model for estimating δ in the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center’s Uniform Data Set; however, the association of δ with neuropathology remains untested. Methods: We used data from 727 decedents evaluated at Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) Centers nationwide. Participants spoke English, had no genetic abnormalities, and were pathologically diagnosed with AD as a primary or contributing etiology. Clinical data from participants’ last visit prior to death were used to estimate dementia severity (δ). Results: A structural equation model using age, education, race, and apolipoprotein E (APOE) genotype (number of ɛ2 and ɛ4 alleles) as predictors and latent AD pathology and cerebrovascular disease (CVD) pathology as mediators fit the data well (RMSEA = 0.031; CFI = 0.957). AD pathology mediated the effects of age and APOE genotype on dementia severity. An older age at death and more ɛ2 alleles were associated with less AD pathology and, in turn, with less severe dementia. In contrast, more ɛ4 alleles were associated with more pathology and more severe dementia. Although age and race contributed to differences in CVD pathology, CVD pathology was not related to dementia severity in this sample of decedents with pathologically-confirmed AD. Conclusions: Using δ as an estimate of dementia severity fits well within a structural model in which AD pathology directly affects dementia severity and mediates the relationship between age and APOE genotype on dementia severity.
Early in vivo Effects of the Human Mutant Amyloid-β Protein Precursor (hAβPPSwInd) on the Mouse Olfactory Bulb
Authors: Rusznák Zoltán , Kim Woojin Scott , Hsiao Jen-Hsiang T. , Halliday Glenda M. , Paxinos George , Fu YuHong
Published: November 2015

The amyloid-β protein precursor (AβPP) has long been linked to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Using J20 mice, which express human AβPP with Swedish and Indiana mutations, we studied early pathological changes in the olfactory bulb. The presence of AβPP/amyloid-β (Aβ) was examined in mice aged 3 months (before the onset of hippocampal Aβ deposition) and over 5 months (when hippocampal Aβ deposits are present). The number of neurons, non-neurons, and proliferating cells was assessed using the isotropic fractionator method. Our results demonstrate that although AβPP is overexpressed in some of the mitral cells, widespread Aβ deposition and microglia aggregates are not prevalent in the olfactory bulb. The olfactory bulbs of the younger J20 group harbored significantly fewer neurons than those of the age-matched wild-type mice (5.57±0.13 million versus 6.59±0.36 million neurons; p = 0.011). In contrast, the number of proliferating cells was higher in the young J20 than in the wild-type group (i.e., 6617±425 versus 4455±623 cells; p = 0.011). A significant increase in neurogenic activity was also observed in the younger J20 olfactory bulb. In conclusion, our results indicate that (1) neurons participating in the mouse olfactory function overexpress AβPP; (2) the cellular composition of the young J20 olfactory bulb is different from that of wild-type littermates; (3) these differences may reflect altered neurogenic activity and/or delayed development of the J20 olfactory system; and (4) AβPP/Aβ-associated pathological changes that take place in the J20 hippocampus and olfactory bulb are not identical.
Development and Validation of the RxDx-Dementia Risk Index to Predict Dementia in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes and Hypertension
Authors: Mehta Hemalkumar B. , Mehta Vinay , Tsai Chu-Lin , Chen Hua , Aparasu Rajender R. , Johnson Michael L.
Published: November 2015

Background: Elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension are at high risk for developing dementia. In addition to comorbid disease conditions (Dx), prescription drugs (Rx) are important risk factors for dementia. Objective: Develop and validate the RxDx-Dementia risk index by combining diagnosis and prescription information in a single risk index to predict incident dementia, and compare its performance with diagnosis-based Charlson comorbidity score (CCS) and prescription-based chronic disease score (CDS). Methods: Elderly patients diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension, and without prior dementia were identified from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (2003–2012). A Cox proportional hazard model was constructed to model the time to dementia by incorporating age, gender, and 31 RxDx disease conditions as independent variables. Points were assigned to risk factors to obtain summary risk score. Discrimination and calibration of the risk index were evaluated. Different risk indices were compared against RxDx-Dementia risk index using c-statistic, net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI). Results: Of 133,176 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension, 3.42% patients developed dementia.The c-statistics value for RxDx-Dementia risk index was 0.806 (95% CI, 0.799–0.812). Based on the c-statistics, NRI and IDI values, the RxDx-Dementia risk index performed better compared to CCS, CDS, and their combinations. Conclusion: The RxDx-Dementia risk index can be a useful tool to identify hypertensive and diabetic patients who are at high risk of developing dementia. This has implications for clinical management of patients with multiple comorbid conditions as well as risk adjustment for database studies.
A Large Deletion Affecting TPM3, Causing Severe Nemaline Myopathy
Authors: Kiiski K. , Lehtokari V-L. , Manzur A.Y. , Sewry C. , Zaharieva I. , Muntoni F. , Pelin K. , Wallgren-Pettersson C.
Published: November 2015

Background and Objectives:

Nemaline myopathy may be caused by pathogenic variants in the TPM3 gene and is then called NEM1. All previously identified disease-causing variants are point mutations including missense, nonsense and splice-site variants. The aim of the study was to identify the disease-causing gene in this patient and verify the NM diagnosis.

Methods:

Mutation analysis methods include our self-designed nemaline myopathy array, The Nemaline Myopathy Comparative Genomic Hybridisation Array (NM-CGH array), whole-genome array-CGH, dHPLC, Sanger sequencing and whole-exome sequencing. The diagnostic muscle biopsy was investigated further by routine histopathological methods.

Results:

We present here the first large (17–21 kb) aberration in the α-tropomyosinslow gene ( TPM3), identified using the NM-CGH array. This homozygous deletion removes the exons 1a and 2b as well as the promoter of the TPM3 isoform encoding Tpm3.12st. The severe phenotype included paucity of movement, proximal and axial weakness and feeding difficulties requiring nasogastric tube feeding. The infant died at the age of 17.5 months. Muscle biopsy showed variation in fibre size and rods in a population of hypotrophic muscle fibres expressing slow myosin, often with internal nuclei, and abnormal immunolabelling revealing many hybrid fibres.

Conclusions:

This is the only copy number variation we have identified in any NM gene other than nebulin ( NEB), suggesting that large deletions or duplications in these genes are very rare, yet possible, causes of NM.
Effects of Salt Additives to the KOH Electrolyte Used in Ni/MH Batteries
Authors: Yan Suli , Young Kwo-Hsiung , Ng K.Y.
Published: November 2015

KOH-based electrolytes with different salt additives were investigated to reduce their corrosive nature toward Mg/Ni metal hydride alloys used as negative electrodes in nickel metal hydride (Ni/MH) batteries. Alkaline metal halide salts and oxyacid salts were studied as additives to the traditional KOH electrolyte with concentrations varying from 0.005 M to 1.77 M. Effects of the cations and anions of the additives on charge/discharge performance are discussed. The reduction potential of alkaline cations and radii of halogen anions were correlated with initial capacity and degradation of the metal hydride alloy. A synergistic effect between KOH and some oxyacid salt additives was observed and greatly influenced by the nature of the salt additives. It was suggested that both the formation of a solid film over the metal hydride surface and the promotion of proton transfer in the additives containing electrolytes led to a decreased degradation of the electrodes and an increased discharge capacity. 12 salt additives, NaC2H3O2, KC2H3O2, K2CO3, Rb2CO3, Cs2CO3, K3PO4, Na2WO4, Rb2SO4, Cs2SO4, NaF, KF, and KBr, were found to increase the corrosion resistance of the MgNi-based metal hydride alloy.
Microfluidic Impedimetric Cell Regeneration Assay to Monitor the Enhanced Cytotoxic Effect of Nanomaterial Perfusion
Authors: Rothbauer Mario , Praisler Irene , Docter Dominic , Stauber Roland , Ertl Peter
Published: November 2015

In the last decade, the application of nanomaterials (NMs) in technical products and biomedicine has become a rapidly increasing market trend. As the safety and efficacy of NMs are of utmost importance, new methods are needed to study the dynamic interactions of NMs at the nano-biointerface. However, evaluation of NMs based on standard and static cell culture end-point detection methods does not provide information on the dynamics of living biological systems, which is crucial for the understanding of physiological responses. To bridge this technological gap, we here present a microfluidic cell culture system containing embedded impedance microsensors to continuously and non-invasively monitor the effects of NMs on adherent cells under varying flow conditions. As a model, the impact of silica NMs on the vitality and regenerative capacity of human lung cells after acute and chronic exposure scenarios was studied over an 18-h period following a four-hour NM treatment. Results of the study demonstrated that the developed system is applicable to reliably analyze the consequences of dynamic NM exposure to physiological cell barriers in both nanotoxicology and nanomedicine.
Ionic Liquids as Carbene Catalyst Precursors in the One-Pot Four-Component Assembly of Oxo Triphenylhexanoates (OTHOs)
Authors: Axelsson Anton , Ta Linda , Sundén Henrik
Published: November 2015

Ionic liquids (ILs) are a convenient and inexpensive source of N-heterocyclic carbenes (NHCs). In this study, dialkyl imidazolium-based ILs are used as carbene precursors in a four-component synthesis of oxo triphenylhexanoates (OTHOs), where it was found that IL outperformed commonly used NHC precatalysts in terms of reaction efficiency. The reaction is highly stereoselective, delivering the anti-diastereomer (20:1 dr), and the OTHOs can be obtained in high-to-excellent yields. By virtue of the four-component reaction-setup, facile construction of the OTHO scaffold with a diverse set of functional groups (21 examples) can be achieved. In the context of sustainability, the IL can be recovered and reused several times without affecting selectivity or yield. Moreover, most compounds can be isolated by precipitation and filtration, mitigating the use of solvent-demanding chromatography.
The Fisher Thermodynamics of Quasi-Probabilities
Authors: Pennini Flavia , Plastino Angelo
Published: November 2015

With reference to Lee’s treatment of quasi-probabilities, it is seen that the three phase space quasi-probabilities, known as the P-, Husimi and Wigner ones, plus other intermediate ones, generate a common, single Fisher thermodynamics, along the lines developed by Frieden et al. We explore some facets of such thermodynamics and encounter complementarity between two different kinds of Fisher information.
Trends and Potential of the Market for Combine Harvesters in Germany
Authors: Fuchs Clemens , Kasten Joachim , Urbanek Mathias
Published: November 2015

Combine harvesters used today can achieve throughput rates of over 70 tons of grain per hour; however, their technical performance potential is currently not being exhausted by any means. The global market for combine harvesters, its stocks and recent production is described. According to farm size distribution and regional field sizes, Germany was divided into three combine-harvesting regions. The simulation results show that in Germany about 45,000 units of combine harvesters in three performance categories are necessary. However, the calculations also show that future domestic sales of combine harvesters will depend greatly on the service life of the units currently in use.
Iridium-Catalyzed Asymmetric Ring-Opening of Oxabenzonorbornadienes with N-Substituted Piperazine Nucleophiles
Authors: Yang Wen , Luo Renshi , Yang Dingqiao
Published: November 2015

Iridium-catalyzed asymmetric ring-opening of oxabenzonorbornadienes with N-substituted piperazines was described. The reaction afforded the corresponding ring-opening products in high yields and moderate enantioselectivities in the presence of 2.5 mol % [Ir(COD)Cl]2 and 5.0 mol % (S)-p-Tol-BINAP. The effects of various chiral bidentate ligands, catalyst loading, solvent, and temperature on the yield and enantioselectivity were also investigated. A plausible mechanism was proposed to account for the formation of the corresponding trans-ring opened products based on the X-ray structure of product 2i.
Improved Antioxidant Capacity of Optimization of a Self-Microemulsifying Drug Delivery System for Resveratrol
Authors: Chen Ying , Zhang Huiyong , Yang Jing , Sun Haiyan
Published: November 2015

The use of nano-encapsulated resveratrol (RSV) in self-micro-emulsified drug delivery systems (SMEDDS) formulations was investigated. Self-emulsifying grading tests were used to establish the optimal ratio of oil, surfactant, and co-surfactant. The optimized system was further investigated for the droplet size and zeta potential at the different medium pH values by a Malvern Zetasizer and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The antioxidant capacity and cytotoxicity of the formulation were detected by DCFH-DA and a CCK-8 assays. The results showed that the nano-emulsion based on ethyl oleate, Tween-80, and PEG-400 (35:40:25, w/w/w) was the most stable formulation due to the small droplet size (approximately 50 nm) and high zeta potential in a neutral environment. Furthermore, this formulation also exhibited a greater antioxidant capacity with less toxicity than free RSV. Taken together, considering these results and the simple fabrication process, this formulation could be used to deliver nutritional food supplements in a stable, efficient, and safe manner.
Antimicrobial Mechanisms of Macrophages and the Immune Evasion Strategies of Staphylococcus aureus
Authors: Flannagan Ronald , Heit Bryan , Heinrichs David
Published: November 2015

Habitually professional phagocytes, including macrophages, eradicate microbial invaders from the human body without overt signs of infection. Despite this, there exist select bacteria that are professional pathogens, causing significant morbidity and mortality across the globe and Staphylococcus aureus is no exception. S. aureus is a highly successful pathogen that can infect virtually every tissue that comprises the human body causing a broad spectrum of diseases. The profound pathogenic capacity of S. aureus can be attributed, in part, to its ability to elaborate a profusion of bacterial effectors that circumvent host immunity. Macrophages are important professional phagocytes that contribute to both the innate and adaptive immune response, however from in vitro and in vivo studies, it is evident that they fail to eradicate S. aureus. This review provides an overview of the antimicrobial mechanisms employed by macrophages to combat bacteria and describes the immune evasion strategies and some representative effectors that enable S. aureus to evade macrophage-mediated killing.
Synthesis and Complexation of Well-Defined Labeled Poly(N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate)s (PDMAEMA)
Authors: Billing Mark , Rudolph Tobias , Täuscher Eric , Beckert Rainer , Schacher Felix
Published: November 2015

We present the synthesis and characterization of well-defined polycationic copolymers containing thiazole dyes in the side chain. Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) was used for the copolymerization of 3-azidopropyl methacrylate (AzPMA) and N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) of different composition. Thiazole-based alkyne-functionalized dyes (e.g., 5-methyl-4-(prop-2-yn-1-yloxy)-2-(pyridin-2-yl)thiazole, (MPPT)) were afterwards covalently attached using copper catalyzed azide alkyne cycloadditions (CuAAC) reaching contents of up to 9 mol % dye. Subsequent quaternization of the tertiary nitrogen of DMAEMA with strong methylation agents (e.g., methyl iodide) led to permanently charged polyelectrolytes. The materials were characterized by size exclusion chromatography, as well as NMR- and UV/VIS-spectroscopy. Particular attention is paid to the spectroscopic properties of the dyes in the side chain upon environmental changes such as pH and salinity. We anticipate the application of such precisely functionalized polyelectrolytes as temperature- and pH-responsive sensors in biomedical applications, e.g., within interpolyelectrolyte complexes. Concerning the latter, first complex formation results are demonstrated.
Location Planning Problem of Service Centers for Sustainable Home Healthcare: Evidence from the Empirical Analysis of Shanghai
Authors: Du Gang , Sun Chuanwang
Published: November 2015

It is of theoretical and practical significance to understand what factors influence the sustainable development of home healthcare services in China. Based on a face-to-face survey, we find that the location planning, which is decisive for the improvement of patient satisfaction, can effectively reduce the risks, as well as the costs of redundant construction and re-construction of service centers for home healthcare and, thus, helps ensure the sustainability of health and the environment. The purposes of this paper are to investigate the existing problem of home healthcare in Shanghai and to find the optimum location planning scheme under several realistic constraints. By considering differentiated services provided by the medical staff at different levels and the degrees of patient satisfaction, a mixed integer programming model is built to minimize the total medical cost. The IBM ILOGCPLEX is used to solve the above model. Finally, a case study of Putuo district in Shanghai is conducted to validate the proposed model and methodology. Results indicate that the model used in this paper can effectively reduce the total medical cost and enhance the medical sustainability, and therefore, the results of the model can be used as a reference for decision makers on the location planning problem of home healthcare services in China.
Response to Leopoldo Palma. Comments on Ekino et al. Cloning and Characterization of a Unique Cytotoxic Protein Parasporin-5 Produced by Bacillus thuringiensis A1100 Strain. Toxins 2014, 6, 1882–1895
Authors: Ekino Keisuke , Okumura Shiro , Ishikawa Tomoyuki , Kitada Sakae , Saitoh Hiroyuki , Akao Tetsuyuki , Oka Takuji , Nomura Yoshiyuki , Ohba Michio , Shin Takashi , Mizuki Eiichi
Published: November 2015

I appreciate the thoughtful comments from Dr. Leopoldo Palma [1] on our research about cytotoxic protein parasporin-5 produced by Bacillus thuringiensis (BT) A1100 strain [2]. [...]
Tourism, Aesthetics, and Touristic Judgment
Authors: Knudsen Daniel C. , Metro-Roland Michelle M. , Rickly Jillian M.
Published: November 2015

This article explores the role of aesthetics in the tourist experience. Because tourism involves the interpretation of signs within a landscape and landscape imagery is an important way in which places are delineated, aesthetic modes—the beautiful, the sublime, and the picturesque—are
important foundations for the making of meaning when touring. However, aesthetics does more than bring order and meaning to what we see while touring by providing paradigms of visuality. These same paradigms also serve to naturalize ideology through the subjective judgments involved in tourism,
a process we term “touristic judgment.”
The Nature of Aesthetics: How Consumer Culture Has Changed Our National Parks
Authors: Wearing Stephen L. , McDonald Matthew , Ankor Jo , Schweinsberg Stephen
Published: November 2015

Tourism is essentially a modern Western social and cultural phenomenon, the analysis of which has evolved from premodernism through to postmodernism. Tourism differs significantly from non-Western and historical forms of travel, being closely related to the emergence of modernity with
the emphasis on economic viability and consumer culture. The massive growth of tourism over the 20th century and the emergence of a multibillion dollar global tourist industry have impacted on national parks as tourists increasingly seek nature-based experiences. This has occurred in conjunction
with increases in leisure time, disposable income, technological improvements in communication and transportation, demographic changes, and a shift in the axis of personal identity and meaningful social action from production to consumption. This article examines how aesthetics fits into this
evolution and the current role of national parks with a focus on the emergence of their production through the mass media to a consumer market. Finally, we propose more reflexivity in regards to tourism and place image production.
Urethane tetrathiafulvalene derivatives: synthesis, self-assembly and electrochemical properties
Authors: Sun Xiang , Lai Guoqiao , Li Zhifang , Ma Yuwen , Yuan Xiao , Shen Yongjia , Wang Chengyun
Published: November 2015

This paper reports the self-assembly of two new tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) derivatives that contain one or two urethane groups. The formation of nanoribbons was evidenced by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD), which showed that the self-assembly ability of T1 was better than that of T2. The results revealed that more urethane groups in a molecule did not necessarily instigate self-assembly. UV–vis and FTIR spectra were measured to explore noncovalent interactions. The driving forces for self-assembly of TTF derivatives were mainly hydrogen bond interactions and π–π stacking interactions. The electronic conductivity of the T1 and T2 films was tested by a four-probe method.
Um Estudo das Acurácias e Procedimentos de Medição de Alunos do Nível Médio Baseado em Duas Alternativas Pedagógicas
Authors: Silva Osmar Henrique Moura da , Laburú Carlos Eduardo , Força Ana Cláudia
Published: November 2015

Este estudo faz uma avaliação dos resultados de recentes pesquisas, sendo uma quantitativa e outra qualitativa, respectivamente relacionadas às acurácias e procedimentos de medição de alunos do nível médio quando submetidos a dois distintos encaminhamentos pedagógicos em atividades empíricas que envolvem mensurações. As conclusões obtidas pela reunião desses resultados apoiam o entendimento de um desses encaminhamentos como método auxiliar mais vantajoso à iniciação de um processo instrucional dos conceitos de medição.
Robótica educativa livre no ensino de Física: da construção do robô à elaboração da proposta didática de orientação metacognitiva
Authors: Trentin Marco Antonio Sandini , Da Rosa Cleci Werner , Da Rosa Álvaro Becker , Teixeira Adriano Canabarro
Published: November 2015

O presente artigo compreende a descrição do processo de construção de um equipamento didático robotizado e a apresentação da proposta didático-metodológica para a abordagem dos conceitos introdutórios da cinemática no ensino médio. O dispositivo móvel robotizado foi projetado e construído utilizando materiais de baixo custo, de fácil aquisição e manutenção pelas escolas, sendo acompanhado por um programa de software livre denominado “Scratch”. O estudo associa equipamentos tecnológicos de uso cotidiano com uma proposta didática estruturada para explicitar momentos de evocação do pensamento metacognitivo, ambos tidos como potencializadores da aprendizagem em Física. Este texto limita-se a descrever a construção do dispositivo e a apresentar sugestões de uso metodológico, remetendo a validação a outro artigo. Nesse sentido, são destacados, no presente estudo, aspectos concernentes à construção e à estruturação do dispositivo, bem como aos pressupostos teóricos da proposta didática. Como resultado, ao mostrar um dispositivo de fácil construção, o estudo evidencia que o uso de novas tecnologias no ensino está mais relacionado com a concepção epistemológica do professor do que com questões de natureza financeira. Em termos da proposta, o estudo revela a necessidade de que todo o produto educacional esteja vinculado a pressupostos teórico-metodológicos e, nesse contexto, ressalta o uso da metacognição como favorecedora da aprendizagem e seus benefícios enquanto mecanismo que possibilita o aprender a aprender.
O gerenciamento da comunicação de projetos públicos: como adaptar os processos do PMBOK/PMI à realidade da administração pública
Authors: Quadros Alinne Silva , Carvalho Hélio Gomes de
Published: November 2015

Apesar de ser uma ferramenta muito importante e que contribui significativamente para o sucesso de um projeto, a comunicação ainda é administrada de maneira ineficiente em diversas organizações, sobretudo nas do setor público; o qual possui características próprias que podem dificultar a execução dos processos de gerenciamento da comunicação de um projeto. Com base neste cenário, pode se levantar o seguinte problema: como os processos de gerenciamento das comunicações listados pelo PMBOK podem ser adaptados à realidade da gestão de projetos públicos? Por meio de pesquisa descritiva, interpretativa, qualitativa, bibliográfica e documental, o presente estudo procura responder a esta questão. Para isto foram relatadas as principais características do setor público, no que tange à gestão de projetos; expôs-se a importância das comunicações para os mesmos; foram listadas as práticas de gerenciamento de comunicação descritas no PMBOK; e relacionou-se estas práticas às peculiaridades encontradas nos projetos administrados por organizações públicas. O resultado final deste trabalho consiste na identificação das adaptações necessárias aos processos de gerenciamento das comunicações listados pelo PMBOK quando aplicados a projetos públicos.