bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clomiphene citrate affects the receptivity of the uterine endometrium
Authors: Nakagawa Koji , Kaneyama Masayo , Nishi Yayoi , Sugiyama Rie , Motoyama Hiroshi , Sugiyama Rikikazu
Published: October 2014

Purpose

To investigate whether clomiphene citrate (CC) affects uterine receptivity or not, we evaluated pregnancy rates (PR) during the hormone replacement cycle (HRC) according to the period between the last day of CC administration and the day of embryo transfer (ET).

Methods

From March 2008 through March 2010, a total of 378 treatment cycles among 378 patients who received CC and had to avoid fresh ET due to a thin uterine endometrium were recruited. All patients underwent thawed ET using HRC. PRs were evaluated according to the period between the last CC treatment and the day of ET.

Results

PR for the groups in which the period between the last CC treatment and the day of ET increased to more than 91 days were significantly higher than that for group in which the period was less than 90 days (p < 0.05).

Conclusions

A lower PR was shown by the patients who underwent thawed ET in the HRC within 90 days after their last CC treatment, which shows that CC affects the receptivity of the uterine endometrium.
CoFe2O4-Graphene Nanocomposites Synthesized through An Ultrasonic Method with Enhanced Performances as Anode Materials for Li-ion Batteries
Authors: Xiao Yinglin , Li Xiaomin , Zai Jiantao , Wang Kaixue , Gong Yong , Li Bo , Han Qianyan , Qian Xuefeng
Published: October 2014

CoFe2O4-graphene nanosheets (CoFe2O4-GNSs) were synthesized through an ultrasonic method, and their electrochemical performances as Li-ion battery electrode were improved by annealing processes. The nanocomposites obtained at 350 °C maintained a high specific capacity of 1,257 mAh g−1 even after 200 cycles at 0.1 A g−1. Furthermore, the obtained materials also have better rate capability, and it can be maintained to 696, 495, 308, and 254 mAh g−1 at 1, 2, 5, and 10 A g−1, respectively. The enhancements realized in the reversible capacity and cyclic stability can be attributed to the good improvement in the electrical conductivity achieved by annealing at appropriate temperature, and the electrochemical nature of CoFe2O4 and GNSs during discharge–charge processes.

Graphical Abstract

CoFe2O4-graphene nanocomposites (CoFe2O4-GNSs) have been synthesized through an ultrasonic method combined with calcination process. The nanocomposite calcinated at 350 °C shows better rate capabilities, e.g., 696, 495, 308, and 254 mAh g−1 at 1, 2, 5, and 10 A g−1, respectively.
A Network to Improve Emergency Patient Care by Facilitating Practitioners to Effectively Support Practitioners
Authors: Christenson Jim
Published: October 2014

Networks that integrate academic and clinical activities are developing across Canada. The University of British Columbia, Department of Emergency Medicine, is leading the planning and implementation of a network that integrates clinician researchers and clinical experts with all practitioners in emergency medicine across the province. The intention is to facilitate emergency practitioners supporting emergency practitioners in remote to tertiary care settings to deliver best practices to patients in all BC emergency departments. The structure and objectives of the network demonstrate how focusing directly on patient-centred care across a large dispersed group of caregivers with common needs can effectively improve care delivery.
Improving the Performance of Interorganizational Networks for Preventing Chronic Disease: Identifying and Acting on Research Needs
Authors: Willis Cameron D. , Riley Barbara L. , Taylor S. Martin , Best Allan
Published: October 2014

This article describes the role of interorganizational networks in chronic disease prevention and an action research agenda for promoting understanding and improvement. Through a model of engaged scholarship, leaders with expertise and experience in chronic disease prevention networks helped shape research directions focused on network value, governance, and evolution. The guiding principles for facilitating this research include applying existing knowledge, developing network-appropriate methods and measures, creating structural change, promoting an impact orientation, and fostering cultural change.
Implementing Comprehensive Population-Accountable Health Networks in Quebec
Authors: Roy Denis A. , Litvak Eric , Paccaud Fred
Published: October 2014

Local health networks were established in 2003 across the province of Quebec as a strategy to make the health system more responsive. This article examines the challenges encountered in the context of this reform and outlines key issues facing network management and governance to achieve the Triple Aim.
Russia as a great power: Status inconsistency and the two Chechen wars
Authors: Smith Hanna
Published: October 2014

The article examines Russia as a great power from the point of view of status inconsistency theory. Applications of the theory to Russia have focused on the status accorded to Russia in diplomatic representation and membership of key international organizations, which suggests that Russia is a ‘status overachiever’ in that it has an international status that is greater than its actual capabilities would warrant. However, this article focuses on Russian perceptions of the country’s status internationally, especially as reflected in the actual experience of membership in international organizations (OSCE, Council of Europe) and relations with the EU in the context of the two Chechen wars. The article demonstrates that, at least according to Russian assessments, Russia is accorded lower status in these organizations than the great power status which most Russians believe should be theirs. While concluding that status inconsistency is a useful tool for explaining Russian foreign policy behavior, the article notes that differing assessments of what Russia’s level of status recognition is pose challenges for status inconsistency theory.
Introduction
Authors: Forsberg Tuomas , Heller Regina , Wolf Reinhard
Published: October 2014

The importance of status concerns on Russia’s foreign policy agenda has been increasingly observed. This preoccupation with status is particularly visible in Russia’s relations with the West. Although strong claims about status in Russian foreign policy are frequently made in public and private by researchers, journalists, politicians, diplomats and other commentators, such claims often lack any closer theoretical or empirical justification. The aim of this introductory article is, therefore, to outline the basic components that form the research agenda on status. Status, if properly examined, helps us understand not only Russian foreign policy, put also present-day international politics and its transformation in a broader sense.

In a first part, we identify the theoretical voids concerning the study of international status. In a second part we outline the drivers and logic of status concerns, considering in particular identity theories, psychological approaches and existing research regarding emotions. The presented research agenda on status, derived from International Relations and related theories, provides a well-structured tool-box for investigating the link between status, identity and emotions in Russian foreign policy vis-à-vis the West. In a third part we present the key questions rose by the contributors to this Special Issue and summarize their main findings.
The effects of treading by two breeds of dairy cow with different live weights on soil physical properties, poaching damage and herbage production on a poorly drained clay-loam soil
Authors: TUOHY P. , FENTON O. , HOLDEN N. M. , HUMPHREYS J.
Published: October 2014

There is little empirical evidence to indicate that dairy cow live weight affects the extent of soil damage at the hoof-soil interface during grazing on poorly drained permanent grassland. In the present study the impact of Holstein-Friesian (HF) dairy cows with a mean (±standard deviation) live weight of 570 (±61) kg were compared with Jersey × Holstein-Friesian (JX) with a mean live weight of 499 (±52) kg each at two stocking densities: mean 2·42 ± (0·062) and 2·66 (±0·079) cows/ha. Soil physical properties (bulk density, macroporosity, gravimetric water content, air-filled porosity, penetration resistance and shear strength), poaching damage (post-grazing soil surface deformation and hoof-print depth), herbage yield and milk production were measured throughout 2011 and 2012. Soil physical properties, post-grazing soil surface deformation and herbage production were not affected by dairy cow breed or by interactions between breed and stocking density. Hoof-print depth was higher in the HF treatments (39 v. 37 mm, s.e. 0·5 mm). Loading pressure imposed at the soil surface was the same for both breeds due to a direct correlation between live weight and hoof size. Poaching damage was greater at higher stocking density. Using the lighter JX cow offered little advantage in terms of lowering the negative impact of treading on soil physical properties or reducing poaching damage and no advantage in terms of herbage or milk production compared with the heavier HF cow.
Molecular characterization of putative parasitism genes in the plant-parasitic nematode Meloidogyne hispanica
Authors: Duarte A. , Maleita C. , Tiago I. , Curtis R. , Abrantes I.
Published: October 2014

Meloidogyne hispanica (Mhi) is a difficult-to-control polyphagous root-knot nematode (RKN) species of emerging importance for economically valuable crops. Nematode secretions are likely to be the first signals perceived by the plant and are thought to be involved in various aspects of the plant–nematode interaction. The aims of this work were to identify and characterize M. hispanica parasitism genes: cathepsin L cysteine protease (cpl-1), calreticulin (crt-1), β-1,4-endoglucanase-1 (eng-1) and manganese superoxide dismutase (mnsod). As there are no genomic data available for M. hispanica, primers were designed from the conserved regions of the putative parasitism genes in M.incognita and M. hapla and used to amplify the genes in M. hispanica, which led to the successful amplification of these genes in M. hispanica. Partial gene sequences were also obtained for M. arenaria, M. hapla, M. hispanica, M. incognita and M. javanicacpl-1, crt-1, eng-1 and mnsod genes, and their phylogenetic relationship analysed. In order to determine whether these genes are differentially expressed during M. hispanica development, cDNA was amplified from mRNA isolated from eggs, second-stage juveniles (J2) and females. Amplification products were observed from cDNA of all developmental stages for the Mhi-cpl-1 and Mhi-crt-1 genes. However, the gene Mhi-crt-1 exhibited intense amplification bands in females, while the Mhi-eng-1 gene was equally amplified in eggs and J2 and the Mhi-mnsod gene was only expressed in eggs. In comparison to the other RKN species, the genes Mhi-eng-1 and Mhi-mnsod showed transcription in different nematode developmental stages.
Treatment of vertigo and postural instability using visual illusions
Authors: van Kerckhoven G , Mert A , De Ru J A
Published: October 2014

Background:

Ototoxicity caused by medication can lead to debilitating symptoms such as dizziness, vertigo and postural instability. There is no current ‘gold standard’ treatment available.

Case report:

A 79-year-old male, with bilateral loss of vestibular function caused by gentamicin toxicity after surgery for prosthetic valve endocarditis, complained of dizziness, difficulty in walking and an increased risk of falling. Physical examination showed a positive head thrust test suggesting bilateral loss of vestibular function.

Results:

The patient underwent a specific motion-based virtual reality enhanced protocol for peripheral vestibular disease. He showed a great improvement, with a 50 per cent reduction in his Dizziness Handicap Inventory score.

Conclusion:

Computer-aided rehabilitation programmes might represent an important advance in gait and posture training.
A numerical study of Lévy random walks: Mean square displacement and power-law propagators
Authors: Trotta E. M. , Zimbardo G.
Published: October 2014

Non-diffusive transport, for which the particle mean free path grows nonlinearly in time, is envisaged for many space and laboratory plasmas. In particular, superdiffusion, i.e. 〈Δx2〉 ∝tαwith α > 1, can be described in terms of a Lévy random walk, in which case the probability of free-path lengths has power-law tails. Here, we develop a direct numerical simulation to reproduce the Lévy random walk, as distinct from the Lévy flights. This implies that in the free-path probability distributionΨ(x, t) there is a space-time coupling, that is, the free-path length is proportional to the free-path duration. A power-law probability distribution for the free-path duration is assumed, so that the numerical model depends on the power-law slope μ and on the scale distancex0. The numerical model is able to reproduce the expected mean square deviation, which grows in a superdiffusive way, and the expected propagatorP(x, t), which exhibits power-law tails, too. The difference in the power-law slope between the Lévy flights propagator and the Lévy walks propagator is also estimated.
Effects of livestock on guanacoLama guanicoedensity, movements and habitat selection in a forest–grassland mosaic in Tierra del Fuego, Chile
Authors: Moraga Claudio A. , Funes Martín C. , Pizarro J. Cristóbal , Briceño Cristóbal , Novaro Andrés J.
Published: October 2014

Locally abundant ungulates often come into conflict with human activities. After a population collapse that reached its nadir in the 1970s, the guanacoLama guanicoepopulation in Tierra del Fuego, Chile, recovered and is now in conflict with sheep ranching and commercial logging. We studied the effects of livestock density and environmental factors on guanaco abundance and spatial ecology, using seasonal counts and radio-telemetry in a private protected area (Karukinka) and neighbouring ranches in a forest–grassland mosaic in Tierra del Fuego. Guanaco density was highest in low-elevation areas with more grassland cover and little snow accumulation in winter. In low-elevation areas, guanaco density decreased with increasing livestock density. Radio-tracked guanacos exhibited a partial migration pattern: two individuals migrated seasonally, selecting grasslands and avoiding forests mainly in summer, whereas six sedentary individuals used habitats according to their availability. Migratory guanacos spent the summer in Karukinka and winter on nearby ranches. High sheep densities and poor range condition on the ranches reduce key forage resources available to guanacos and may promote use of forests by guanacos, affecting forest regeneration and increasing conflict with logging. Current guanaco harvest by loggers may fail to reduce the impact of guanacos on logged-forest regeneration if guanaco spatial ecology and sheep management are not considered. Our results provide insight into the interactions among guanacos, forests and livestock ranching, and may be used to reduce conflicts and guide conservation in the Fuegian ecosystem.
Corticostriatothalamic reward prediction error signals and executive control in late-life depression
Authors: Dombrovski A. Y. , Szanto K. , Clark L. , Aizenstein H. J. , Chase H. W. , Reynolds C. F. , Siegle G. J.
Published: October 2014

Background

Altered corticostriatothalamic encoding of reinforcement is a core feature of depression. Here we examine reinforcement learning in late-life depression in the theoretical framework of the vascular depression hypothesis. This hypothesis attributes the co-occurrence of late-life depression and poor executive control to prefrontal/cingulate disconnection by vascular lesions.

Method

Our fMRI study compared 31 patients aged ⩾60 years with major depression to 16 controls. Using a computational model, we estimated neural and behavioral responses to reinforcement in an uncertain, changing environment (probabilistic reversal learning).

Results

Poor executive control and depression each explained distinct variance in corticostriatothalamic response to unexpected rewards. Depression, but not poor executive control, predicted disrupted functional connectivity between the striatum and prefrontal cortex. White-matter hyperintensities predicted diminished corticostriatothalamic responses to reinforcement, but did not mediate effects of depression or executive control. In two independent samples, poor executive control predicted a failure to persist with rewarded actions, an effect distinct from depressive oversensitivity to punishment. The findings were unchanged in a subsample of participants with vascular disease. Results were robust to effects of confounders including psychiatric comorbidities, physical illness, depressive severity, and psychotropic exposure.

Conclusions

Contrary to the predictions of the vascular depression hypothesis, altered encoding of rewards in late-life depression is dissociable from impaired contingency learning associated with poor executive control. Functional connectivity and behavioral analyses point to a disruption of ascending mesostriatocortical reward signals in late-life depression and a failure of cortical contingency encoding in elderly with poor executive control.
Generation of monoenergetic proton beams by a combined scheme with an overdense hydrocarbon target and an underdense plasma gas irradiated by ultra-intense laser pulse
Authors: Yao Weipeng , Li Baiwen , Cao Lihua , Zheng Fanglan , Huang Taiwu , Xiao Chengzhuo , Skoric Milos M.
Published: October 2014

An optimization scheme for the generation of monoenergetic proton beams by using an overdense hydrocarbon target, followed by an underdense plasma gas, irradiated by an ultra-intense laser pulse is presented. The scheme is based on a combination of a radiation pressure acceleration mechanism and a laser wakefield acceleration mechanism, and is verified by one-dimensional relativistic particle-in-cell (1D PIC) simulations. As compared to the pure hydrogen (H) target, protons in the hydrocarbon target can be pre-accelerated to higher energy and compressed in space due to the existence of the heavy carbon atoms, which provides a better injection process for the successive laser wakefield acceleration in the underdense plasma gas, resulting in the generation of a monoenergetic, tens-of-GeV proton beam. Additionally, for the first time, it is found that the use of the hydrocarbon target can reduce the requirement for laser intensity to generate proton beams with the same energy in this combined scheme, as compared to the use of the pure H target.
A caterpillar climbing robot with spine claws and compliant structural modules
Authors: Wang Wei , Wu Shilin
Published: October 2014

This paper proposes a modular caterpillar climbing robot using spines as the attaching tools. To improve the reliability of the spines' engagement and disengagement, this paper discusses the reasonable trajectory of the spine and designs a driving mechanism of the spine based on the compliant mechanism theory. Then some compliant modules are designed and realized to build the caterpillar climbing robot. A climbing gait is designed to avoid collisions between the spines and the wall, and allows the robot to climb on a stucco-like wall with a 72○ incline. The real tests reveal that the deformation of the compliant toes reduces the sliding forces between the spines and the wall, and improve the climbing action obviously.
The fast case: Constructionalization of a Swedish concessive
Authors: Andersson Peter
Published: October 2014

The development of grammatical markers has been described from several theoretical perspectives over the last decade: Grammaticalization Theory (Hopper & Traugott 2003, Heine, Claudi & Hünnemeyer (1991), the Minimalist Program (Roberts & Roussou 2003, van Gelderen 2004), and Lexical-Functional Grammar (Vincent 2001), see also the overview in (Börjars & Vincent 2010). It has recently been addressed in Construction Grammar, where it is argued that a shift towards a constructional perspective on change may yield new insights into the workings of grammaticalization (Bergs & Diewald 2008, Hoffmann & Trousdale 2013, Traugott & Trousdale 2013). This paper should be taken as a contribution to a constructional view on grammaticalization. It is about the rise of the concessive subordinator fast(än) in the history of Swedish occurring in a construction or clause type called universal concessive conditional (Haspelmath & Köning 1998), in Swedish generaliserande bisats (SAG 1999). The Swedish fast, etymologically (and still productively) as an adjective in the meaning ‘steady’, ‘robust’ is used as an intensifier, ‘very’, ‘much’, in early Modern Swedish, eventually established as a concessive marker ‘even if’, ‘although’ in the 18th century. The conventionalization of a concessive inference is highly interesting and may be traced back to specific constructions in the 16th and 17th centuries. On the basis of an extensive corpus study, I analyze the critical contexts and discuss the development as constructional change rather than lexical change, arguing that a remapping between form and function takes place in concessive conditional constructions due to processes of inferencing and mismatch.
Applying keyword analysis to gendered language in theÍslendingasögur
Authors: Blaxter Tam T.
Published: October 2014

Keyword analysis has been used to investigate properties of style and genre, as a tool in discourse analysis, and as a method of identifying differences between the speech of distinct social groups. It has often been criticised as a blunt tool which can exaggerate what differences are present and fails to distinguish between quite distinct phenomena. However, it remains a very powerful tool for wide analysis of systematic differences between corpora when used with sufficient scepticism. This paper uses keyword analysis to examine differences between the speech of male and female characters in theÍslendingasögur, narrative prose texts composed in Iceland in the 13th and 14th centuries. This dataset is of particular interest because such representations of speech are the only window on the language of social groups who were not involved in text production in medieval societies. It aims to demonstrate a rigorous application of keyword analysis, exemplifying what it can and, crucially, what it cannot show.
Professional language in Swedish clinical text: Linguistic characterization and comparative studies
Authors: Smith Kelly , Megyesi Beata , Velupillai Sumithra , Kvist Maria
Published: October 2014

This study investigates the linguistic characteristics of Swedish clinical text in radiology reports and doctor's daily notes from electronic health records (EHRs) in comparison to general Swedish and biomedical journal text. We quantify linguistic features through a comparative register analysis to determine how the free text of EHRs differ from general and biomedical Swedish text in terms of lexical complexity, word and sentence composition, and common sentence structures. The linguistic features are extracted using state-of-the-art computational tools: a tokenizer, a part-of-speech tagger, and scripts for statistical analysis. Results show that technical terms and abbreviations are more frequent in clinical text, and lexical variance is low. Moreover, clinical text frequently omit subjects, verbs, and function words resulting in shorter sentences. Clinical text not only differs from general Swedish, but also internally, across its sub-domains, e.g. sentences lacking verbs are significantly more frequent in radiology reports. These results provide a foundation for future development of automatic methods for EHR simplification or clarification.
Expression and cellular distribution of estrogen and progesterone receptors and the real-time proliferation of porcine cumulus cells
Authors: Kempisty Bartosz , Ziółkowska Agnieszka , Ciesiółka Sylwia , Piotrowska Hanna , Antosik Paweł , Bukowska Dorota , Brüssow Klaus P. , Nowicki Michał , Zabel Maciej
Published: October 2014

Although the expression of estrogen and progesterone receptors within porcine ovary and cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) is well recognized, still little information is known regarding expression of the progesterone receptor (PGR), PGR membrane component 1 (PGRMC1) and of estrogen-related receptors (ERRγ and ERRβ/γ) in separated cumulus cells in relation to real-time proliferation. In this study, a model of oocytes-separated cumulus cells was used to analyze the cell proliferation index and the expression PGR, PGRMC1 and of ERRγ and ERRβ/γ during 96-h cultivation in vitro using real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) and confocal microscopic observation. We found that PGR protein expression was increased at 0 h, compared with PGR protein expression after 96 h of culture (P < 0.001). The expression of PGRMC1, ERRγ and ERRβ/γ was unchanged. After using qRT-PCR we did not found statistical differences in expression of PGR, PGRMC1, ERRγ and ERRβ/γ during 96 h of cumulus cells in vitro culture (IVC). We supposed that the differential expression of the PGR protein at 0 h and after 96 h is related to a time-dependent down-regulation, which may activate a negative feedback. The distribution of PGR, PGRMC1 proteins may be linked with the translocation of receptors to the cytoplasm after the membrane binding of respective agonists and intra-cytoplasmic signal transduction. Furthermore, cumulus cells analyzed at 0 h were characterized by decreased proliferation index, whereas those after 96 h of culture revealed a significant increase of proliferation index, which may be associated with differentiation/luteinization of these cells during real-time proliferation.
Restricted development of mouse triploid fetuses with disorganized expression of imprinted genes
Authors: Yamazaki Wataru , Takahashi Masashi , Kawahara Manabu
Published: October 2014

Eukaryotic species commonly contain a diploid complement of chromosomes. The diploid state appears to be advantageous for mammals because it enables sexual reproduction and facilitates genetic recombination. Nonetheless, the effects of DNA ploidy on mammalian ontogeny have yet to be understood. The present study shows phenotypic features and expression patterns of imprinted genes in tripronucleate diandric and digynic triploid (DAT and DGT) mouse fetuses on embryonic day 10.5 (E10.5). Measurement of crown–rump length revealed that the length of DGT fetuses (1.87 ± 0.13 mm; mean ± standard error of the mean) was much smaller than that of diploid fetuses (4.81 ± 0.05 mm). However, no significant difference was observed in the crown–rump length between diploid and DAT fetuses (3.86 ± 0.43 mm). In DGT fetuses, the expression level of paternally expressed genes,Igf2, Dlk1, Ndn, andPeg3, remained significantly reduced and that of maternally expressed genes,Igf2randGrb10, increased. Additionally, in DAT fetuses, theIgf2mRNA expression level was approximately twice that in diploid fetuses, as expected. These results provide the first demonstration that imprinted genes in mouse triploid fetuses show distinctive expression patterns independent of the number of parental-origin haploid sets. These data suggest that both DNA ploidy and asymmetrical functions of parental genomes separately influence mammalian ontogeny.
SHERWOOD EDDY, THE MISSIONARY ENTERPRISE, AND THE RISE OF CHRISTIAN INTERNATIONALISM IN 1920S AMERICA
Authors: THOMPSON MICHAEL G.
Published: October 2014

By tracing the career of influential YMCA missionary Sherwood Eddy, this essay brings to light the origins of Christian internationalism in 1920s America. Far more than mere boosterism for Woodrow Wilson's League of Nations, and far more than mere “pacifism” or Social Gospel “idealism”(reductive categories with which activism in the period is often associated), Christian internationalism in the interwar period was a movement defined by three broad and far-reaching impulses. First, it was characterized by the proliferation of new enterprises such as travelling seminars, conferences and publications devoted to reflection on the ethics of international relations. Second, it comprised a holistic, oppositional and radical political orientation that went beyond legalist internationalism and encompassed agitation against imperialism and racism. Third, the movement was premised on a fundamental critique of the idea of America as a “Christian nation”. Eddy's career highlights the unique importance of the missionary enterprise in giving shape to these impulses in the 1920s and beyond.
Measuring epigenetics as the mediator of gene/environment interactions in DOHaD
Authors: Ong M.-L. , Lin X. , Holbrook J. D.
Published: October 2014

Analysis of DNA methylation data in epigenome-wide association studies provides many bioinformatics and statistical challenges. Not least of these, are the non-independence of individual DNA methylation marks from each other, from genotype and from technical sources of variation. In this review we discuss DNA methylation data from the Infinium450K array and processing methodologies to reduce technical variation. We describe recent approaches to harness the concordance of neighbouring DNA methylation values to improve power in association studies. We also describe how the non-independence of genotype and DNA methylation has been used to infer causality (in the case of Mendelian randomization approaches); suggest the mediating effect of DNA methylation in linking intergenic single nucleotide polymorphisms, identified in genome-wide association studies, to phenotype; and to uncover the widespread influence of gene and environment interactions on methylation levels.
Heritability of Preferred Thinking Styles and a Genetic Link to Working Memory Capacity
Authors: Fletcher Jennifer M. , Marks Anthony D. G. , Hine Donald W. , Coventry William L.
Published: October 2014

Genetic and environmental contributions to preferences for rational and experiential thinking were examined in 100 pairs of monozygotic and 73 pairs of same-sex dizygotic Australian twins. Univariate analyses for experiential thinking and working memory capacity (WMC) revealed genetic effects accounted for 44% and 39% of the variability respectively, with non-shared environmental effects accounting for the balance. For rational thinking, the univariate models produced ambiguous results about the relative roles of heritability and shared environment, but a subsequent Cholesky analysis suggested genetic effects accounted for 34%, with the balance, 66%, explained by the non-shared environment. The Cholesky analysis revealed that shared genetic effects accounted for 60%, and non-shared environment accounted for 40% of the relationship between preference for rational thinking and WMC.
Chemical dissection of the cell cycle: probes for cell biology and anti-cancer drug development
Authors: Senese S , Lo Y C , Huang D , Zangle T A , Gholkar A A , Robert L , Homet B , Ribas A , Summers M K , Teitell M A , Damoiseaux R , Torres J Z
Published: October 2014

Cancer cell proliferation relies on the ability of cancer cells to grow, transition through the cell cycle, and divide. To identify novel chemical probes for dissecting the mechanisms governing cell cycle progression and cell division, and for developing new anti-cancer therapeutics, we developed and performed a novel cancer cell-based high-throughput chemical screen for cell cycle modulators. This approach identified novel G1, S, G2, and M-phase specific inhibitors with drug-like properties and diverse chemotypes likely targeting a broad array of processes. We further characterized the M-phase inhibitors and highlight the most potent M-phase inhibitor MI-181, which targets tubulin, inhibits tubulin polymerization, activates the spindle assembly checkpoint, arrests cells in mitosis, and triggers a fast apoptotic cell death. Importantly, MI-181 has broad anti-cancer activity, especially against BRAFV600E melanomas.
Numb-dependent integration of pre-TCR and p53 function in T-cell precursor development
Authors: Martin-Blanco N M , Checquolo S , Del Gaudio F , Palermo R , Franciosa G , Di Marcotullio L , Gulino A , Canelles M , Screpanti I
Published: October 2014

Numb asymmetrically segregates at mitosis to control cell fate choices during development. Numb inheritance specifies progenitor over differentiated cell fates, and, paradoxically, also promotes neuronal differentiation, thus indicating that the role of Numb may change during development. Here we report that Numb nuclear localization is restricted to early thymocyte precursors, whereas timed appearance of pre-T-cell receptor (pre-TCR) and activation of protein kinase Cθ promote phosphorylation-dependent Numb nuclear exclusion. Notably, nuclear localization of Numb in early thymocyte precursors favors p53 nuclear stabilization, whereas pre-TCR-dependent Numb nuclear exclusion promotes the p53 downmodulation essential for further differentiation. Accordingly, the persistence of Numb in the nucleus impairs the differentiation and promotes precursor cell death. This study reveals a novel regulatory mechanism for Numb function based on its nucleus–cytosol shuttling, coupling the different roles of Numb with different stages of T-cell development.
MiR-29b controls fetal mouse neurogenesis by regulating ICAT-mediated Wnt/β-catenin signaling
Authors: Shin J , Shin Y , Oh S-M , Yang H , Yu W-J , Lee J-P , Huh S-O , Lee S H , Suh Y-H , Chung S , Kim H-S
Published: October 2014

β-Catenin has been widely implicated in the regulation of mammalian development and cellular homeostasis. However, the mechanisms by which Wnt/β-catenin signaling components regulate physiological events during brain development remain undetermined. Inactivation of glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β leads to β-catenin accumulation in the nucleus, where it couples with T-cell factor (TCF), an association that is disrupted by ICAT (inhibitor of β-catenin and T cell factor). In this study, we sought to determine whether regulation of ICAT by members of the microRNA-29 family plays a role during neurogenesis and whether deregulation of ICAT results in defective neurogenesis due to impaired β-catenin-mediated signaling. We found that miR-29b, but not miR-29a or 29c, is significantly upregulated in three-dimensionally cultured neural stem cells (NSCs), whereas ICAT is reduced as aged. Treatment with a miR-29b reduced the reporter activity of a luciferase-ICAT 3′-UTR construct whereas a control (scrambled) miRNA oligonucleotide did not, indicating that miR-29b directly targets the 3′-UTR of ICAT. We also found that treatment with miR-29b diminished NSC self-renewal and proliferation, and controlled their fate, directing their differentiation along certain cell lineages. Furthermore, our in vivo results showed that inhibition of miR-29b by in utero electroporation induced a profound defect in corticogenesis during mouse development. Taken together, our results demonstrate that miR-29b plays a pivotal role in fetal mouse neurogenesis by regulating ICAT-mediated Wnt/β-catenin signaling.
Identification and characterization of the novel Col10a1 regulatory mechanism during chondrocyte hypertrophic differentiation
Authors: Gu J , Lu Y , Li F , Qiao L , Wang Q , Li N , Borgia J A , Deng Y , Lei G , Zheng Q
Published: October 2014

The majority of human skeleton develops through the endochondral pathway, in which cartilage-forming chondrocytes proliferate and enlarge into hypertrophic chondrocytes that eventually undergo apoptosis and are replaced by bone. Although at a terminal differentiation stage, hypertrophic chondrocytes have been implicated as the principal engine of bone growth. Abnormal chondrocyte hypertrophy has been seen in many skeletal dysplasia and osteoarthritis. Meanwhile, as a specific marker of hypertrophic chondrocytes, the type X collagen gene (COL10A1) is also critical for endochondral bone formation, as mutation and alteredCOL10A1expression are often accompanied by abnormal chondrocyte hypertrophy in many skeletal diseases. However, how the type X collagen gene is regulated during chondrocyte hypertrophy has not been fully elucidated. We have recently demonstrated that Runx2 interaction with a 150-bp mouseCol10a1cis-enhancer is required but not sufficient for its hypertrophic chondrocyte-specific reporter expression in transgenic mice, suggesting requirement of additionalCol10a1regulators. In this study, we reportin silicosequence analysis of this 150-bp enhancer and identification of its multiple binding factors, including AP1, MEF2, NFAT, Runx1 and TBX5. Using this enhancer as bait, we performed yeast one-hybrid assay and identified multiple candidateCol10a1-interacting genes, includingcyclooxygenase 1(Cox-1) andCox-2. We have also performed mass spectrometry analysis and detected EF1-alpha, Fus, GdF7 and Runx3 as components of the specific complex formed by the cis-enhancer and nuclear extracts from hypertrophic MCT (mouse chondrocytes immortalized with large T antigen) cells that expressCol10a1abundantly. Notably, some of the candidate genes are differentially expressed in hypertrophic MCT cells and have been associated with chondrocyte hypertrophy and Runx2, an indispensibleCol10a1regulator. Intriguingly, we detected high-level Cox-2 expression in hypertrophic MCT cells. Electrophoretic mobility shift assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays confirmed the interaction between Cox-2 andCol10a1cis-enhancer, supporting its role as a candidateCol10a1regulator. Together, our data support a Cox-2-containing, Runx2-centeredCol10a1regulatory mechanism, during chondrocyte hypertrophic differentiation.
A pressure-driven capillary electrophoretic system with injection valve sampling
Authors: Han Chao , Sun Jiannan , Liu Jinhua , Cheng Heyong , Wang Yuanchao
Published: October 2014

This work demonstrated the feasibility of a pressure-driven flow in place of electroosmotic flow in capillary electrophoresis analysis to improve the reproducibility and efficiency, thus simplifying the operational procedure.
Hydrazinonicotinic acid as a novel matrix for highly sensitive and selective MALDI-MS analysis of oligosaccharides
Authors: Jiao Jing , Zhang Ying , Yang Pengyuan , Lu Haojie
Published: October 2014

A new matrix that enables highly sensitive and selective as well as straightforward glycan analysis is reported.
The effects of poly(dimethylsiloxane) surface silanization on the mesenchymal stem cell fate
Authors: Chuah Yon Jin , Kuddannaya Shreyas , Lee Min Hui Adeline , Zhang Yilei , Kang Yuejun
Published: October 2014

Surface silanization with 3-aminopropyl triethoxy silane (APTES) ± glutaraldehyde (GA) enhanced the biocompatibility of poly(dimethylsiloxane) surfaces for long term cell culture investigation.
Two-directional synthesis and biological evaluation of alkaloid 5-epi-cis-275B′
Authors: Procopiou George , Aggarwal Pooja , Newton Annabella F. , Richards David , Mellor Ian R. , Harbottle Gareth , Stockman Robert A.
Published: October 2014

The first total synthesis of myrmicine ant alkaloid 5-epi-cis-275B′ (4) is presented.
Palladium-catalyzed oxidative C–H bond acylation of N-nitrosoanilines with toluene derivatives: a traceless approach to synthesize N-alkyl-2-aminobenzophenones
Authors: Wu Yinuo , Feng Ling-Jun , Lu Xiao , Kwong Fuk Yee , Luo Hai-Bin
Published: October 2014

A palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of N-nitroso-anilines and toluene derivatives for the direct synthesis of N-alkyl-2-aminobenzophenones is described. N-nitroso could act as the traceless directing groups.
Static and dynamic screening effects in the electrostatic self-assembly of nano-particles
Authors: Kuzovkov V. N. , Kotomin E. A.
Published: October 2014

3D structure of self-assembled and oppositely charged nanoparticles.
Excluded volume effects on ionic partitioning in gels and microgels: a simulation study
Authors: Ahualli Silvia , Martín-Molina Alberto , Quesada-Pérez Manuel
Published: October 2014

An analytical expression accounting for excluded volume effects on ionic partitioning in gels is tested through Monte Carlo simulations.
Reverse hydrotropy by complex formation
Authors: Wojciechowski Kamil , Gutberlet Thomas , Raghuwanshi Vikram Singh , Terry Ann
Published: October 2014

Alkylated azacrown ethers lower significantly interfacial tension and are capable of solubilising water-soluble dyes, despite not being able to aggregate in non-polar solvents.
The effect of anatase crystal orientation on the photoelectrochemical performance of anodic TiO2 nanotubes
Authors: Acevedo-Peña Próspero , González Federico , González Gonzalo , González Ignacio
Published: October 2014

Controlling the anatase crystal orientation in the TiO2 nanotubes is relevant for designing highly efficient electrodes for photoelectrochemical water oxidation.
Carbon quantum dots and their applications
Authors: Lim Shi Ying , Shen Wei , Gao Zhiqiang
Published: October 2014

This review covers the progress in the research and development of carbon quantum dots and their applications in chemical sensing, biosensing, bioimaging, nanomedicine, photocatalysis and electrocatalysis.
Recent developments in out-of-plane metallocorrole chemistry across the periodic table
Authors: Buckley Heather L. , Arnold John
Published: October 2014

This article presents a brief review of recent developments in metallocorrole chemistry, with a focus on species with significant displacement of the metal from the N4 plane of the corrole ring.
A surface plasmon enabled liquid-junction photovoltaic cell
Authors: Lee Woo-ram , Mubeen Syed , Stucky Galen D. , Moskovits Martin
Published: October 2014

Plasmonic nanosystems have recently been shown to be capable of functioning as photovoltaics and of carrying out redox photochemistry, purportedly using the energetic electrons and holes created following plasmonic decay as charge carriers. Although such devices currently have low efficiency, they already manifest a number of favorable characteristics, such as their tunability over the entire solar spectrum and a remarkable resistance to photocorrosion. Here, we report a plasmonic photovoltaic using a 25 μm thick electrolytic liquid junction which supports the iodide/triiodide (I−/I3−) redox couple. The device produces photocurrent densities in excess of 40 μA cm−2, an open circuit voltage (Voc) of ∼0.24 V and a fill factor of ∼0.5 using AM 1.5 G solar radiation at 100 mW cm−2. The photocurrent and the power conversion efficiency are primarily limited by the low light absorption in the 2-D gold nanoparticle arrays. The use of a liquid junction greatly reduces dielectric breakdown in the oxide layers utilized, which must be very thin for optimal performance, leading to a great improvement in the long-term stability of the cell's performance.
Investigation of silver nanoparticles and plasma protein association using flow field-flow fractionation coupled with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (FlFFF-ICP-MS)
Authors: Wimuktiwan Panida , Shiowatana Juwadee , Siripinyanond Atitaya
Published: October 2014

Use of FlFFF-ICP-MS for observation of protein–AgNPs binding and evaluation of the binding stoichiometry.
A flow-through holed PDMS membrane as a reusable microarray spotter for biomedical assays
Authors: Lamberti A. , Angelini A. , Ricciardi S. , Frascella F.
Published: October 2014

A holed-designed PDMS membrane is proposed as an innovative microarray spotter exploiting a vacuum procedure and verifying a good level of reproducibility of spotting fluorescent proteins over large areas.
Stem cell-compatible eumelanin biointerface fabricated by chemically controlled solid state polymerization
Authors: Pezzella Alessandro , Barra Mario , Musto Anna , Navarra Angelica , Alfè Michela , Manini Paola , Parisi Silvia , Cassinese Antonio , Criscuolo Valeria , d'Ischia Marco
Published: October 2014

A high quality eumelanin thin film featuring efficient reversibility of the water induced conductivity switch and high biocompatibility was obtained,viaammonia-induced solid state polymerization of a 5,6-dihydroxyindole thin film.
C5-curcuminoid-4-aminoquinoline based molecular hybrids: design, synthesis and mechanistic investigation of anticancer activity
Authors: Kandi Shamseer Kulangara , Manohar Sunny , Vélez Gerena Christian E. , Zayas Beatriz , Malhotra Sanjay V. , Rawat Diwan S.
Published: October 2014

Novel hybrids exhibiting excellent anticancer activity against most of the NCI 60 cell lines through apoptotic pathways are reported herein.
Octavinylsilsesquioxane-based luminescent nanoporous inorganic–organic hybrid polymers constructed by the Heck coupling reaction
Authors: Sun Libo , Liang Zhiqiang , Yu Jihong
Published: October 2014

A class of luminescent nanoporous inorganic–organic hybrid polymers has been synthesized by the Heck coupling of octavinylsilsesquioxane with aromatic bromide monomers. The resulting materials exhibit porous and luminescent features, and show picric acid sensing behaviour.
Polycyclic imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine analogs – synthesis via oxidative intramolecular C–H amination and optical properties
Authors: Kielesiński Łukasz , Tasior Mariusz , Gryko Daniel T.
Published: October 2014

Oxidative C–H amination has proved to be an efficient strategy to construct pyrido[2′,1′:2,3]imidazo[4,5-b]indoles and their π-expanded analogs.
How much do coulombic interactions stabilize a mesophase? Ion pair and non-ionic binary isosteric derivatives of monocarbaborates and carboranes
Authors: Jankowiak Aleksandra , Sivaramamoorthy Ajan , Pociecha Damian , Kaszyński Piotr
Published: October 2014

A comparison of two isosteric, ionic and non-ionic binary systems, provides a measure of coulombic interactions impact on mesophase stability in the absence of other factors.
Fe/amorphous SnO2core–shell structured nanocapsules for microwave absorptive and electrochemical performance
Authors: Liu Xianguo , Zhou Guiping , Or Siu Wing , Sun Yuping
Published: October 2014

Fe nanocapsules with an Fe nanoparticle core and an amorphous SnO2shell have been synthesized by the modified arc discharge method.
New facile synthesis of one-dimensional Ag@TiO2anatase core–shell nanowires for enhanced photocatalytic properties
Authors: Dong Qingsong , Yu Hongchao , Jiao Zhengbo , Lu Gongxuan , Bi Yingpu
Published: October 2014

One-dimensional Ag@TiO2anatase core–shell nanowires are fabricated and exhibit high photocatalytic activity for degrading organic contaminants under visible-light irradiation.
SERS-active silver nanoparticle assemblies on branched Cu2O crystals through controlled galvanic replacement
Authors: Jin Wen , Xu Ping , Xiong Lu , Jing Qiang , Zhang Bin , Sun Kai , Han Xijiang
Published: October 2014

We here demonstrate the fabrication of highly SERS-active Ag nanoparticle assemblies on branched Cu2O crystals through a galvanic replacement reaction process.
Silk/chitosan biohybrid hydrogels and scaffolds via green technology
Authors: Samal Sangram K. , Dash Mamoni , Chiellini Federica , Wang Xiaoqin , Chiellini Emo , Declercq Heidi A. , Kaplan David L.
Published: October 2014

A green technology approach towards conjugation of biopolymers for designing biohybrid silk/chitosan based biomaterials for therapeutic applications.
Synthesis and encapsulation of an amphiphilic thermoresponsive star polymer with β-cyclodextrin and hyperbranched poly(oligo(ethylene glycol)methacrylate) as building blocks
Authors: Li Yinwen , Guo Huilong , Zheng Jian , Gan Jianqun , Zhang Yan , Guan Xiaoxiao , Wu Kun , Lu Mangeng
Published: October 2014

Schematic illustrations of the thermally-induced self-assembly and possible encapsulation behaviors with single or multi-guests for PE-CD–POEGMAS.
A green and facile approach to obtain 100 nm zeolitic imidazolate framework-90 (ZIF-90) particles via leveraging viscosity effects
Authors: Lo Wei-Shang , Liu Szu-Mam , Wang Shao-Chun , Lin Hsiu-Pen , Ma Nianhan , Huang Hsi-Ya , Shieh Fa-Kuen
Published: October 2014

100 nm ZIF-90 nanoparticles with low cytotoxicity are obtained by utilizing glycerol for the control of viscosity effects in water–alcohol-based system.
Nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots-based fluorescent probe for the sensitive turn-on detection of glutathione and its cellular imaging
Authors: Ju Jian , Zhang Ruizhong , He Shuijian , Chen Wei
Published: October 2014

Fluorescence turn-on sensor based on nitrogen-doped graphene quantum dots can be used for glutathione detection in living cells.