bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Benefits of Posterior Leaflet Preservation in Patients undergoing Mitral Valve Replacement Surgery: A Prospective Interventional Study
Authors: Srivastva Navneet Kumar , Anand Abhishek , Srivastava Dharmendra Kumar , Rajput Subhash Singh
Published: June 2024

Introduction: Mitral Valve Replacement (MVR), an important treatment for rheumatic mitral valve disease, is being widely promoted worldwide. MVR using the total leaflet preservation technique can produce good results; however, patient-specific factors and anatomical considerations must be taken into account when selecting the appropriate surgical approach. Aim: To investigate the benefits of Posterior Leaflet Preservation (PLP) in MVR in individuals with severe mitral stenosis. Materials and Methods: The current prospective interventional study included patients with Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD) who had severe mitral valve stenosis and/or regurgitation and underwent MVR between December 2019 and December 2021 in the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India. The study included 50 patients with MVR (PLP) to preserve the posterior leaflets and 50 patients with classic MVR (no PLP). Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction (LVEF), Left Ventricular End-Systolic Diameter (LVESD), and Left Ventricular End-Diastolic Diameter (LVEDD) were measured before surgery, one, three, and six months after surgery. Results: The majority of patients in the present study were between 23 and 46 years old. The PLP group consisted of 17 men and 33 women, while the non-PLP group had 16 men and 34 women. The difference in cross-clamp time between Group-A and B was significant (p=0.0001). Cardiopulmonary Bypass (CPB) time was significantly different between Group-A and B (p=0.001). Only 4 (8%) patients in Group-A had low cardiac output syndrome, compared with 8 (16%) of patients in Group-B. Comparison of LVEF between groups over time revealed no significant difference (p=0.05). The mean change in LVEF from pre-operative to six months in Group-A was significant (p=0.004), but there was no significant change in Group-B (p=0.25). Conclusion: PLP had no improved beneficial outcome on left ventricular performance in cases with rheumatic stenosis during the six-month follow-up. Even after long-term follow-up, haemodynamic valve properties do not alter with adequate PLP
O DIREITO À EDUCAÇÃO INFANTIL DO CAMPO NO MUNICÍPIO DE PINHÃO:
Authors: Leineker Mariulce da Silva Lima , Carvalho de Carvalho Diana Carvalho de
Published: June 2024

Este estudo tem como objetivo entender de que modo o direito à Educação Infantil das crianças que vivem no campo no município de Pinhão-PR é percebido pelas famílias e de que maneira é cumprido pelos órgãos governamentais. A pesquisa, de abordagem qualitativa, contempla estudo bibliográfico e documental. Foram entrevistadas 40 mulheres que vivem no campo cujos filhos não têm acesso à Instituição de Educação Infantil e foram respondidos 21 questionários por pais de crianças que frequentam o CMEI Santa Maria. A grande maioria das mulheres entrevistadas reproduz um modelo patriarcal de submissão e não se veem como sujeitos de direitos. Da mesma forma, não reconhecem a Educação Infantil do Campo como um direito das crianças, fato esse reforçado pelo precário atendimento das políticas públicas municipais para a Educação Infantil do Campo.
Photoconductive Hybrid Films via Directional Self‐Assembly of C60 on Aligned Carbon Nanotubes
Authors: Meshot Eric R. , Patel Keval D. , Tawfick Sameh , Juggernauth K. Anne , Bedewy Mostafa , Verploegen Eric A. , De Volder Michaël F. L. , Hart A. John
Published: November 2011

Hybrid nanostructured materials can exhibit different properties than their constituent components, and can enable decoupled engineering of energy conversion and transport functions. Novel means of building hybrid assemblies of crystalline C60 and carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are presented, wherein aligned CNT films direct the crystallization and orientation of C60 rods from solution. In these hybrid films, the C60 rods are oriented parallel to the direction of the CNTs throughout the thickness of the film. High‐resolution imaging shows that the crystals incorporate CNTs during growth, yet grazing‐incidence X‐ray diffraction (GIXD) shows that the crystal structure of the C60 rods is not perturbed by the CNTs. Growth kinetics of the C60 rods are enhanced 8‐fold on CNTs compared to bare Si, emphasizing the importance of the aligned, porous morphology of the CNT films as well as the selective surface interactions between C60 and CNTs. Finally, it is shown how hybrid C60–CNT films can be integrated electrically and employed as UV detectors with a high photoconductive gain and a responsivity of 105 A W−1 at low biases (± 0.5 V). The finding that CNTs can induce rapid, directional crystallization of molecules from solution may have broader implications to the science and applications of crystal growth, such as for inorganic nanocrystals, proteins, and synthetic polymers.
Iridium‐Catalyzed Allylic Amination Route to α‐Aminoboronates: Illustration of the Decisive Role of Boron Substituents
Authors: Touchet Sabrina , Carreaux François , Molander Gary A. , Carboni Bertrand , Bouillon Alexandre
Published: November 2011

The development of a new route to α‐aminoboronates using an iridium‐catalyzed allylic amination on boronated substrates is described. Unlike the boronate group, the trifluoroborato substituent was found to govern the regioselectivity exclusively in favor of branched products. The transformation of an allylic substitution product into an α‐aminoboronic ester in an efficient way validated the implementation of this approach.
Investigation of the electroactivity, conductivity, and morphology of poly(pyrrole‐co‐N‐alkyl pyrrole) prepared via electrochemical nanopolymerization and chemical polymerization
Authors: Massoumi Bakhshali , Isfahani Nasrin Sabbah , Saraei Mahnaz , Entezami Aliakbar
Published: November 2011

The copolymerization of pyrrole (Py) with N‐ethyl pyrrole, N‐butyl pyrrole, and N‐octyl pyrrole (NOPy) was carried out by electrochemical and chemical oxidation. In the electrochemical method, copolymer thin films with different feed ratios of monomers were synthesized by the cyclic voltammetry method in a lithium perchlorate (LiClO4)/acetonitrile (CH3CN) electrolyte on the surface of a glassy carbon working electrode. The deposition conditions on the glassy carbon, the influence of the molar ratios of the monomers on the formation of the copolymers, and the electroactivity of the copolymers were investigated with cyclic voltammetry. Nanoparticles made of a conjugate of the copolymers with different feed ratios of monomers were prepared by chemical polymerization (conventional and interfacial methods) in the presence of iron(III) chloride hexahydrate (FeCl3·6H2O) as the oxidant. Nanostructural copolymers with higher conductivities were synthesized by simple tuning of the preparation conditions in a two‐phase medium. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and four‐probe conductivity measurement techniques were applied for the characterization of the obtained copolymers. The conductivity of the obtained copolymer by an interfacial method with chloroform as the organic phase was 20 times higher than the copolymer obtained via an interfacial method with toluene as the organic phase and 700 times higher than the copolymer prepared by the conventional method (for a molar ratio of 70 : 30 Py : NOPy). © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012
The development of stereotypic behavior in caged european starlings, Sturnus vulgaris
Authors: Feenders Gesa , Bateson Melissa
Published: November 2011

Stereotypic behavior in captive animals has been hypothesized to emerge from thwarted natural behavior patterns and is thought to be more common in captive‐reared animals. However, data on the early stages of developing stereotypies are currently scarce. We compared the development of stereotypic route‐tracing and somersaulting in hand‐reared and wild‐caught starlings placed in individual cages for the first time. We found that wild‐caught birds were less active but showed more escape motivation and more evidence of route‐tracing behavior. Furthermore, somersaulting was only observed in wild‐caught birds. Development of somersaulting was predicted by subtle differences in behavior during the first few days in cages and developed in individuals with low levels of route‐tracing behavior. Our data suggest a role for escape motivation in the development of starling stereotypies and additionally that route‐tracing and somersaulting may represent alternative outlets for thwarted escape. In contrast to observations from mammals, our results show that stereotypies are more common in wild‐caught starlings. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals,Inc. Dev Psychobiol 54: 773–784, 2012
The function of the left angular gyrus in mental arithmetic: Evidence from the associative confusion effect
Authors: Grabner Roland H. , Ansari Daniel , Koschutnig Karl , Reishofer Gernot , Ebner Franz
Published: November 2011

While the left angular gyrus (lAG) has been repeatedly implicated in mental arithmetic, its precise functional role has not been established. On the one hand, it has been speculated that the lAG is involved in task‐specific processes. On the other hand, the observation of relative deactivation during arithmetic has led to the contention that differential lAG activation reflects task‐unrelated difficulty effects associated with the default mode network (DMN). Using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we investigated the neural correlates of the associative confusion effect that allowed us to dissociate effects of task difficulty and task‐related arithmetic processes on lAG activation. The associative confusion effect is characterized by poorer performance while verifying addition and multiplication equations whose solutions are associated with the other operation (confusion equations: e.g., “9 × 6 = 15”) compared with solutions unrelated to both operations (non‐confusion equations: e.g., “9 × 6 = 52”). Comparing these two conditions revealed higher activation of the anterior lAG (areas PGa, PFm, and PF) and the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for the confusion problems. This effect displayed only slight anatomical overlap with the well‐established reverse problem‐size effect (small minus large problems) and task‐related deactivation in the parietal cortex. The finding of greater lAG activity (less deactivation) in the more difficult task condition is inconsistent with the hypothesis that lAG activation during mental arithmetic reflects task difficulty related modulations of the DMN. Instead, the present findings provide further support for the symbol‐referent mapping hypothesis, suggesting that the lAG mediates the automatic mapping of arithmetic problems onto solutions stored in memory. Hum Brain Mapp, 2013. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Biotransformation enzymes and lung cell response to 2‐hydroxyethyl‐methacrylate
Authors: Samuelsen J. T. , Holme J. A. , Låg M. , Schwarze P. E. , Dahl J. E. , Becher R.
Published: November 2011

The aim of this in vitro study was to investigate possible involvement of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes in modifying the toxic potential of 2‐hydroxyethyl‐methacrylate (HEMA). Primary cultures of CYP expressing rat alveolar type 2 cells were exposed to varying concentrations of HEMA. Nuclear translocation of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) after HEMA exposure (100 μM) was demonstrated by immunocytochemical staining. Using reverse transcriptase PCR, increased mRNA level of AhR‐regulated genes encoding enzymes associated with detoxification of xenobiotics were found. Exposure to 1 mM HEMA rapidly (6 h) resulted in cells with an apoptotic like morphology as suggested by marked nuclear condensation. Cotreatment of the HEMA exposed cells with a CYP inhibitor (disulfiram) or an antioxidant (vitamin C) effectively rescued the cells from this fate. Despite this effect of vitamin C, no increased level of reactive oxygen species was observed in the HEMA exposed cells. Our results suggest that HEMA activates AhR regulated gene transcription and that CYP is involved in the formation of a highly reactive HEMA metabolite. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2012.
Interactions between Schwann and olfactory ensheathing cells with a starch/polycaprolactone scaffold aimed at spinal cord injury repair
Authors: Silva Nuno A. , Sousa Rui A. , Pires Ana O. , Sousa Nuno , Salgado António J. , Reis Rui L.
Published: November 2011

Spinal cord injury (SCI) represents a major world health problem. Therefore it is urgent to develop novel strategies that can specifically target it. We have previously shown that the implantation of starch‐based scaffolds (SPCL) aimed for spine stabilization on SCI animals leads to motor skills improvements. Therefore, we hypothesize that the combination of these scaffolds with relevant cell populations for SCI repair will, most likely, lead to further improvements. Therefore, in this work, the ability of SPCL scaffolds to support the 3D culture of olfactory ensheathing cells (OECs) and Schwann cells (SCs) was studied and characterized. The results demonstrate for the first time that SPCL scaffolds were able to support the growth and migration of OECs and SCs. Moreover, the results indicate that two weeks of in vitro culture is the ideal time to reach a high number of transplantable cells. Future work will focus on the spine stabilization of SCI animals using SPCL scaffolds loaded with OECs or SCs for SCI regeneration. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2012.
Biophysicochemical evaluation of chitosan‐hydroxyapatite‐marine sponge collagen composite for bone tissue engineering
Authors: Pallela Ramjee , Venkatesan Jayachandran , Janapala Venkateswara Rao , Kim Se‐Kwon
Published: November 2011

Tricomponent scaffold systems prepared by natural materials especially of marine origin are gaining much attention nowadays for the application in bone tissue engineering. A novel scaffold (Chi‐HAp‐MSCol) containing chitosan (Chi), hydroxyapatite (HAp) derived from Thunnus obesus bone and marine sponge (Ircinia fusca) collagen (MSCol) was prepared using freeze‐drying and lyophilization method. This biomimetic scaffold, along with the Chi and Chi‐HAp scaffolds were characterized biophysicochemically for their comparative significance in bone grafting applications. The structural composition of the chitosan, Chi‐Hap, and Chi‐HAp‐MSCol scaffolds were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy. The porosity, water uptake, and retention abilities of the composite scaffolds decreased, whereas Thermogravimetric and Differential Thermal Analyses results revealed the increase in thermal stability in the scaffold because of the highly stable HAp and MSCol. Homogeneous dispersion of HAp and MSCol in chitosan matrix with interconnected porosity of 60–180 μm (Chi‐HAp) and 50–170 μm (Chi‐HAp‐MSCol) was observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and optical microscopy. Cell proliferation in composite scaffolds was relatively higher than pure chitosan when observed by MTT assay and Hoechst staining in vitro using MG‐63 cell line. These observations suggest that the novel Chi‐HAp‐MSCol composite scaffolds are promising biomaterials for matrix‐based bone repair and bone augmentation. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2012.
Updated precipitation series for the UK derived from Met Office gridded data
Authors: Simpson I. R. , Jones P. D.
Published: November 2011

This paper introduces new, homogenized UK national and regional rainfall series derived from 5‐km gridded daily and monthly precipitation data. These new series have the advantage that they are based on readings from a dense network of rain gauges rather than a maximum of seven per region. Series developed by alternative statistical methods are analysed and compared. Error estimates are derived for the series, based on linear regressive residuals. Using individual regressions for each calendar month, the monthly series are extended back to 1766 for monthly precipitation in England and Wales (EW), to 1873 for monthly values for each of the five EW sub‐regions, and to 1931 for daily values in all regions. A follow‐up paper will provide analysis of how mean precipitation totals and extremes have changed over the respective periods. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society
Nonaqueous synthesis of uniform polyaniline nanospheres Via cellulose acetate template
Authors: Zhang Li , Ma Huiyan , Cao Fei , Gong Jian , Su Zhongmin
Published: November 2011

In acetone solution, uniform polyaniline (PANI) nanospheres have been successfully synthesized by using cellulose acetate (CA) as a single template, which provides the first example of uniform PANI nanospheres synthesized in nonaqueous system. Our result exhibits that the CA micelle in nonaqueous medium plays a unique role in controlling size and uniformity of PANI nanospheres. A detail formation mechanism for the uniform PANI nanospheres has been proposed. In addition, the gas sensitivity and time response of the PANI nanospheres to NH3 gas have been investigated, which shows superior gas sensing performance even at 1 ppm of NH3 gas. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012
The effect of cosurfactants and the initiator concentration on the polymer to surfactant concentration in nanolatexes
Authors: Moraes Raul P. , Zavecs Izabelle , Lauvernier Philippe , Smeets Niels M. B. , Hutchinson Robin A. , McKenna Timothy F. L.
Published: November 2011

The effect of cosurfactant and initiator concentration on theab initioproduction of nanolatexes using low surfactant levels was investigated. While the use of cosurfactants (acrylic acid and pentanol) increased the amount of monomer that can be used in styrene‐SDS microemulsion formulations to 13 wt %, high surfactant concentrations are still required, resulting in polymer‐to‐surfactant ratios (Pol/Surf) <1. Latexes with particle size of 30 ± 5 nm were produced upon polymerization of these microemulsions. The Pol/Surf can be significantly increased by increasing the initiator concentration of emulsion polymerization recipes. Particle sizes are comparable with microemulsion latexes, however, less surfactant is required. The reduction in the particle size with higher initiator concentration is attributed to a higher efficiency of particle nucleation and to a higher nucleation rate relative to the rate of monomer transfer. Nanolatexes (particle size < 30 nm) were obtained with 19 wt % solids content and Pol/Surf of 3.6 inab initio. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2012
The difference between reflectance and electroreflectance spectra of AlGaN/GaN/InGaN LED structures
Authors: Avakyants Lev , Aslanyan Artem , Bokov Pavel , Chervyakov Anatoly , Polozhentsev Kirill
Published: November 2011

In recent works one could propose that the periodicity of the interference fringes in the reflectance and electroreflectance spectra is the same. Detailed study of the GaN based LEDs multilayered heterostructures by means of reflectance and electroreflectance spectroscopy show that this proposal is not correct. The possible explanation of such difference has been shown in this paper. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
The negligible effects of miscut on indium aluminium nitride growth
Authors: Sadler Thomas , Massabuau Fabien , Kappers Menno , Oliver Rachel
Published: November 2011

InAlN has many potential applications in photonics and electronics, but the growth rate of high quality material with smooth surfaces remains low, at ∼4 nm/min, preventing its wider use in thicker structures such as distributed Bragg reflectors, although this is not a significant problem for thin structures like high electron mobility transistors. We have investigated the effects of the vicinal miscut angle on InAlN growth with the hope of increasing the growth rate at higher miscuts, whilst maintaining a smooth surface. InAlN/GaN/Sapphire structures were grown on substrates with three different miscuts (0°, 0.25° and 0.5°) according to two different recipes, with different growth rates.

This change in substrate miscut angle had no effect on either the growth rate, the indium incorporation or the surface morphology assessed by atomic force microscopy. Both the surface roughness and the volume of indium present on the surface as indium droplets were unaffected. This negative result suggests that even when the terraces on the underlying pseudo‐substrate are very closely spaced InAlN growth does not proceed by a step flow mode once epilayers are approximately 100 nm thick (although these results cannot be extrapolated to very thin layers). It also demonstrates that differing miscut angle is not an explanation for any differing properties of material produced by different groups. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Effects of annual fluctuation of environmental factors on starch properties in potato tuber development
Authors: Noda Takahiro , Tsuda Shogo , Mori Motoyuki , Suzuki Tatsuro , Takigawa Shigenobu , Matsuura‐Endo Chie , Yamauchi Hiroaki , Islam Sarker Mahammed Zaidul
Published: November 2011

To test the effects of the annual fluctuation of the environmental factors on the starch properties in potato tuber development, starches were isolated from potato cultivars grown for ten consecutive years (2001–2010) on the experimental farm in Memuro, Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. The median granule size, phosphorus content, and rapid visco‐analyzer pasting properties, peak viscosity, breakdown, and pasting temperature of these starches were analyzed. Daily temperature and precipitation records in Memuro were obtained from the Japan Meteorological Agency. Moreover, the correlation coefficients of yearly accumulated temperature and precipitation from flowering to harvesting with all the starch quality parameters were calculated. No relationships of accumulated temperature with median granule size, peak viscosity, and breakdown were found. The low phosphorus content was slightly associated with the high accumulated temperature. The pasting temperature was significantly and positively correlated with the accumulated temperature, suggesting that the pasting temperature strongly responds to the environmental temperature during potato tuber development. In contrast, all the starch quality parameters were almost irrespective of the precipitation during potato tuber development.
Starch/zirconium phosphate composite films: Hydration, thermal stability, and mechanical properties
Authors: Pica Monica , Donnadio Anna , Casciola Mario
Published: November 2011

Composite films of plasticized potato starch filled with 1, 4, and 6 wt% zirconium phosphate (ZrP) particles have been prepared by casting mixtures of gelatinized starch, a gel of partially exfoliated ZrP in water, and glycerol. The XRD patterns of the composite films reveal the formation of glycerol intercalated ZrP for the highest filler loadings (4 and 6 wt%) while suggest partial filler exfoliation for the composite with 1 wt% ZrP, in agreement with TEM analysis. The presence of the filler improves the thermal resistance of the starch, both at low and, particularly, at high temperature. The composites also exhibit a significant enhancement in the Young's modulus (from ∼700 MPa for neat starch up to ∼1600 MPa for 6 wt% filler loading) and in the yield stress (from ∼17 to ∼38 MPa). The increase in stiffness is concomitant with a water uptake reduction, which is maximum at 100% relative humidity.
Switchable electrode interfaces controlled by physical, chemical and biological signals
Authors: Bocharova Vera , Katz Evgeny
Published: November 2011

Electrode interfaces functionalized with various signal‐responsive materials have been designed to allow switchable properties of the modified electrodes. External signals of different nature (electrical potential, magnetic field, light, chemical/biochemical inputs) were applied to reversibly activate–deactivate the electrode interfaces upon demand. Multifunctional properties of the modified interfaces have allowed their responses to complex combinations of external signals. Further increase of their complexity has been achieved by integrating the signal‐responsive interfaces with unconventional biomolecular computing systems logically processing multiple biochemical signals. This approach has resulted in electrochemical systems controlled by complex variations of biomarkers corresponding to different physiological conditions, thus allowing biological control over electronic systems. The switchable electrodes have been integrated with various “smart” biosensing and signal‐processing systems and have been used to assemble biofuel cells producing power on demand. DOI 10.1002/tcr.201100025
Synthesis and Characterization of Ca2(PO2NH)4·8H2O
Authors: Sedlmaier Stefan J. , Römer S. Rebecca , Schnick Wolfgang
Published: November 2011

Ca2(PO2NH)4·8H2O was obtained as single‐phase crystalline powder starting from aqueous solution of K4(PO2NH)4·4H2O and Ca(NO3)2·4H2O. A small fiber‐like specimen has been used for single‐crystal X‐ray structure determination. In the structure of Ca2(PO2NH)4·8H2O (Pbcn (no. 60), a = 1700.6(3), b = 1069.3(2), c = 963.2(2) pm, Z = 4) there are (PO2NH)44– ions in saddle conformation which are interconnected by N–H···O hydrogen bonds forming infinite columns running along [001]. These columns are hold together by a complex hydrogen bonding network with crystal water molecules involved. The FTIR spectrum of the title compound has been measured and the relevant bands were assigned. 31P solid‐state NMR investigations yielded three resolved resonances with chemical shift values of –3.1, –4.9 and –7.9 ppm. DTA / TG data are also discussed.
Suppressor of Cytokine Signaling 4 Detected as a Novel Gastric Cancer Suppressor Gene using Double Combination Array Analysis
Authors: Kobayashi Daisuke , Nomoto Shuji , Kodera Yasuhiro , Fujiwara Michitaka , Koike Masahiko , Nakayama Goro , Ohashi Norifumi , Nakao Akimasa
Published: November 2011

Background

Molecular mechanisms behind the oncogenesis of gastric cancer (GC) have yet to be identified.

Methods

A novel candidate tumor‐suppressor gene, which is also associated with inhibition of epidermal growth factor (EGF), was sought by means of double combination array analysis for use as a prognostic marker of GC. This consisted of expression array and single nucleotide polymorphism array analysis, along with a literature search. Cancerous and noncancerous tissues from an 82‐year‐old man with GC were analyzed simultaneously.

Results

The expression array and literature search identified that the suppressor of cytokine signaling 4 (SOCS4), a negative feedback regulator of EGF signaling, had significantly attenuated expression in tumor tissue. Although chromosomal deletion was not found at 14q22 where SOCS4 is located, numerous CpG sites were observed in the promoter region of the SOCS4 gene. Several GC cell lines showed reactivation of SOCS4 mRNA expression after treatment with 5‐aza‐2′‐deoxycytidine. Using surgically resected specimens, we found that 40 of 50 (80%) tumor tissues exhibited promoter hypermethylation of the SOCS4 gene. Consequently, SOCS4 expression in tumor tissues was significantly weaker than in noncancerous counterparts (P < 0.0001). In the survival analysis, SOCS4 hypermethylation was associated with a poor prognosis of GC patients (P = 0.0320).

Conclusions

Double combination array analysis suggested that SOCS4 could be a novel candidate for further exploration as a tumor‐suppressor gene in GC. Hypermethylation was the mechanism by which SOCS4 was silenced and was implicated in the development of GC. SOCS4 methylation might be an informative marker in predicting the prognosis.
Diagnostic yield of endoscopic retrograde cholangiography and of EUS‐guided fine needle aspiration sampling in gallbladder carcinomas
Authors: Hijioka Susumu , Hara Kazuo , Mizuno Nobumasa , Imaoka Hiroshi , Ogura Takeshi , Haba Shin , Mekky Mohamed A. , Bhatia Vikram , Hosoda Waki , Yatabe Yasushi , Shimizu Yasuhiro , Niwa Yasumasa , Tajika Masahiro , Kondo Shinya , Tanaka Tsutomu , Tamada Kiichi , Yamao Kenji
Published: November 2011

Background

Obtaining histological evidence of gallbladder carcinoma (GBC) is difficult due to its extraductal nature, and pathological confirmation remains challenging. We compared the diagnostic value and safety of endoscopic ultrasound‐guided fine‐needle aspiration (EUS‐FNA) with endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) in patients with suspected GBC.

Patients

Eighty‐three patients with GBC were evaluated. Prior to definitive management, pathological evidence of GBC was obtained through either ERC cytopathologic sampling (n = 33), EUS‐FNA (n = 24) or both (n = 26).

Results

Among the 83 patients, 59 (71.0%) with biliary obstruction were sampled using ERC with 47.4% (28/59) sensitivity. In 19 of the remaining 31 cases, EUS‐FNA sampling had 100% diagnostic sensitivity. Likewise, 50 (60.2%) of the 83 patients with suspected GBC underwent EUS‐FNA of regional lymph nodes or the gallbladder (GB) mass itself with 94.8% sensitivity. The overall diagnostic sensitivity rates of ERC and EUS‐FNA were 47.4 and 96%, respectively (P < 0.001). Post‐procedural complications were seen in 6.7% of the ERC group (4/59, all were mild pancreatitis), and in none of the EUS‐FNA group (P = 0.10).

Conclusions

Gallbladder carcinoma sampling using ERC and EUS‐FNA should be incorporated into the diagnostic workup of GB lesions as complementary tools, and EUS‐FNA should be applied in the setting of failed or not indicated ERC.
A tale of two polar bear populations: ice habitat, harvest, and body condition
Authors: Rode Karyn D. , Peacock Elizabeth , Taylor Mitchell , Stirling Ian , Born Erik W. , Laidre Kristin L. , Wiig Øystein
Published: November 2011

One of the primary mechanisms by which sea ice loss is expected to affect polar bears is via reduced body condition and growth resulting from reduced access to prey. To date, negative effects of sea ice loss have been documented for two of 19 recognized populations. Effects of sea ice loss on other polar bear populations that differ in harvest rate, population density, and/or feeding ecology have been assumed, but empirical support, especially quantitative data on population size, demography, and/or body condition spanning two or more decades, have been lacking. We examined trends in body condition metrics of captured bears and relationships with summertime ice concentration between 1977 and 2010 for the Baffin Bay (BB) and Davis Strait (DS) polar bear populations. Polar bears in these regions occupy areas with annual sea ice that has decreased markedly starting in the 1990s. Despite differences in harvest rate, population density, sea ice concentration, and prey base, polar bears in both populations exhibited positive relationships between body condition and summertime sea ice cover during the recent period of sea ice decline. Furthermore, females and cubs exhibited relationships with sea ice that were not apparent during the earlier period (1977–1990s) when sea ice loss did not occur. We suggest that declining body condition in BB may be a result of recent declines in sea ice habitat. In DS, high population density and/or sea ice loss, may be responsible for the declines in body condition.
Accommodating variety in iron‐responsive elements: Crystal structure of transferrin receptor 1 B IRE bound to iron regulatory protein 1
Authors: Walden William E. , Selezneva Anna , Volz Karl
Published: November 2011

Iron responsive elements (IREs) are short stem‐loop structures found in several mRNAs encoding proteins involved in cellular iron metabolism. Iron regulatory proteins (IRPs) control iron homeostasis through differential binding to the IREs, accommodating any sequence or structural variations that the IREs may present. Here we report the structure of IRP1 in complex with transferrin receptor 1 B (TfR B) IRE, and compare it to the complex with ferritin H (Ftn H) IRE. The two IREs are bound to IRP1 through nearly identical protein‐RNA contacts, although their stem conformations are significantly different. These results support the view that binding of different IREs with IRP1 depends both on protein and RNA conformational plasticity, adapting to RNA variation while retaining conserved protein‐RNA contacts.
Excavations at Lincoln 1970–1972: The Western Defences of the Lower Town: An Interim Report
Authors: Colyer Christina
Published: November 2011

During 1970–2 three sites on the western defences of the lower Roman and medieval town were examined. The earliest defences, which consisted of a rampart fronted by a stone wall 5 feet (1·5 m.) wide, and a ditch-system, were built in the late second or early third century. At some later date, interval-towers were added to the back of the wall: that at The Park was replaced by a new gateway which was rebuilt in the later fourth century. There was slight evidence that the other gate presumed to lie on the west side of the lower town at West Parade was rebuilt at the same time. North of this, on Mother by Hill, the third-century interval-tower was partially demolished in the fourth century and replaced by an internal platform. There was contemporary thickening or rebuilding of the wall at various other points, including either side of the gate at The Park. At some time in the late Roman period a new wider ditch was dug.

The Roman defences continued substantially in use throughout the medieval period, although the gateway at The Park was no longer functioning. In the thirteenth century the line of the western defences was extended southwards to the Brayford Pool, terminating in the circular Lucy Tower. North of the tower, the new defences comprised a stone wall 7 feet (2·1 m.) wide and a ditch whose size could not be determined.

The excavations also revealed interesting but fragmentary information about occupation within the defences. There were Roman buildings as far south as The Park from the Flavian period.
Excavations at Winchester, 1971: Tenth and Final Interim Report: Part II
Authors: Biddle Martin
Published: November 2011

The excavations of 1971 concluded the eleven-year programme begun in 1961. Eight sites were investigated in a season whose main emphasis was on the Roman and Anglo-Saxon periods down to about A. D. 1000. The Iron Age defences were examined at Assize Courts North and shown to date to the mid first century B.C. The Roman defences were sectioned at Castle Yard. The Roman south gate was discovered and its development followed from c. A.D. 70. Inside the Roman city extensive areas were examined at Lower Brook Street and Wolvesey Palace. At the former a possible military phase of the mid first century A.D. was followed by urban development c. A.D. 70 which continued down into the fifth century and included a Romano-Celtic temple and a large late third- or fourth-century workshop. At Wolvesey one house was entirely excavated and parts of two others examined. At Lankhills the excavation of the late Roman cemetery was concluded with a further season in 1972. A total of about 450 graves, many of them furnished and ranging in date from c. A.D. 310 to the early fifth century, was examined in 1967–72. A small fourth-century cemetery was excavated at Winnall. Information about the defence of the late Roman town was provided by the discovery of a bastion added to the town wall at South Gate, and by the implications of structures and objects from Lower Brook Street, Wolvesey, and Lankhills. Important evidence for the state of Winchester in the fifth to ninth centuries was recovered from South Gate, Lower Brook Street, and Wolvesey. At South Gate the gate was blocked first by a ditch and then by a wall, probably in the eighth century.
Swords and Runes in South-East England
Authors: Hawkes Sonia Chadwick , Page R. I.
Published: November 2011

The rarity of runic inscriptions from early Anglo-Saxon England, and particularly from the southern kingdoms in the pagan period, makes even a nearly illegible example worth recording. We draw attention here to the remains of such an inscription, hitherto unrecognized, on a sixth-century sword-pommel from the Anglo-Saxon cemetery at Sarre, on Thanet in east Kent, and we take the opportunity of reconsidering two well-known contemporary inscriptions, on a sword-pommel from the cemetery at Gilton, Ash, also in east Kent, and on the scabbard of a sword from the cemetery on Chessell Down in the Isle of Wight.
Two Flavian Burials from Grange Road, Winchester
Authors: Biddle Martin
Published: November 2011

One evening towards the end of August 1964, Mr. G. H. Bell walked across to the excavations north of Winchester Cathedral and told the writer that some pots had been found during the digging of a new sewer trench opposite his house in Grange Road, Winchester. The site of the discovery was visited the same evening and the pots, which later proved to have come from Grave I, at once showed that the find was of Roman date. Immediate inspection revealed one pit, later numbered Grave II, in the east side of the sewer trench. The following day a talk with Mr. Butcher of King's Worthy, who had been driving the mechanical digger excavating the trench, revealed the full story of the discovery.
A Century of Ancient Monuments Legislation 1882–1982
Authors: Saunders A. D.
Published: November 2011

In his Anniversary Address to the Fellowship on St. George's Day 1883 Lord Carnarvon commented on The Act for the Better Protection of Ancient Monuments of the previous year:

Gentlemen, I am sure you will agree with me that one of the first subjects on which I ought to congratulate both this Society and the archaeological world of England is the passing into law of the Bill for the Protection of Ancient Monuments to which successive Presidents of this Society have so often, during the last ten years, wished success from this place. Perhaps I ought rather to have said a Bill than the Bill, for we all know, and so knowing we all regret—no one more than Sir John Lubbock himself—in what a mutilated condition, shorn of many of its original provisions, crippled in its powers and limited in its scope that measure finally become the law of the land. For these untoward results we must thank the supineness of the public, the prejudices of Parliament and perhaps I may add the all absorbing pressure of Irish Measures.
Stock Raising and the Origins of the Hill Fort on the South Downs
Authors: Bradley Richard
Published: November 2011

The first part of this paper is a discussion of the basic pattern of land use on the South Downs from the Middle Bronze Age to the early Pre-Roman Iron Age. In the second part, the impact upon this pattern of a group of Bronze and Iron Age stock enclosures is considered, and it is argued that these developed directly into a number of small hill forts. A contemporary group of larger, early Iron Age, hill forts is also defined, and it appears that these too grew up upon an economic basis of stock raising. The social and cultural implications of these developments are discussed, and tentative contrasts are drawn with the nature of later hill forts in the region.
A Trajanic Kiln Complex near Little Chester, Derby, 1968
Authors: Brassington M.
Published: November 2011

The excavation of ten Trajanic kilns, all of the up-draught type, was carried out in the spring of 1968 on a site now part of the Derby Racecourse Playing Fields (SK 36133775) which are situated some 700 yards east of Little Chester along the Roman road running to the Trent at Sawley. The kilns ranged in size from 18 to 51 inches in diameter (0.46 m. to 1.30 m.) and were disposed as follows: a group of six kilns, a group of three kilns, and a single kiln. A great variety of pottery was recovered with jars, flanged bowls, and carinated vessels predominating. Two unusual products from this site were lead glazed ware and an early form of Derbyshire ware.
Late Saxon Planned Towns
Authors: Biddle Martin , Hill David
Published: November 2011

Documentary, topographical, and archaeological evidence suggests that the rectilinear street plan of modern Winchester was laid out as a planned system not later than the mid tenth century and probably before c. 904. Among the places listed in the Burghal Hidage there are seven which show clear evidence of rectilinear planning which is not of Roman origin. Four are on the sites of Roman towns—Winchester, Chichester, Exeter, and Bath—and three on non-Roman sites—Wareham, Wallingford, and Cricklade. These plans are seen as the result of a deliberate policy of urban formation in response to the military situation during Alfred's reign (871–99). These places are not so much fortresses as fortified towns in which the rectilinear street plan is a deliberate expression of the organization and apportionment of the land for permanent settlement. Rectilinear street systems appear to be characteristic of the larger places founded or re-organized by Edward the Elder or Athelstan, but rectilinear planning does not thereafter appear until the plantation of new towns in the Norman and later period.
Observations on Some Medieval Glass in York Minster
Authors: French T. W.
Published: November 2011

A note on some twelfth- and fourteenth-century stained glass in York Minster, all reused, suggests that the early glass dates to 1175–1200 and was in the Norman choir, and that it was removed before the present choir was started in 1361. The fourteenth-century glass, often dated to c. 1380, can be dated to 1330-9 by stylistic parallels in York Minster, local churches, and at Rouen, and by comparisons with manuscripts and monumental brasses. It is further suggested that this glass was inserted into the Norman choir c. 1335, perhaps as part of a campaign to focus greater attention on St. William, and the old glass relegated to the nave clerestorey and, slightly later, to the vestibule.
Excavations at Gloucester, 1968–1971: First Interim Report
Authors: Hurst Henry
Published: November 2011

The 1968–71 excavations have produced a large body of information bearing on Roman Gloucester's development from legionary fortress to chartered city. It has proved possible to correlate Roman building sequences in different parts of the city. A building period which may be associated with the foundation of the colonia has been extensively excavated. The Roman forum has been discovered in a position equivalent to that of the principia of a fortress. Knowledge of the city's defences in both Roman and later periods has been amplified by work on three sides of the Roman circuit. Late Saxon use of the Roman wall is suggested and late Saxon buildings fronting Southgate Street have been discovered. At 13–17 Berkeley Street the first extensive excavation of medieval levels in the city has revealed a length of street fronted by late eleventh–fourteenth-century buildings.
Hugh, Lord Willoughby of Parham: A Neglected Society President
Authors: Higson P. J. W.
Published: November 2011

The present paper was prepared because the career of Hugh, Lord Willoughby—President of the Society from 1754 until his death in 1765—had been largely overlooked by historians, and denied even the briefest of general summaries. Yet it was a career characterized by industry, by versatility, by probity; and if in political areas it was impaired by Willoughby's diffidence, so that the opportunities arising from his own undoubted abilities and from Chancellor Hardwicke's patronage were scarcely ever taken up, it seems to have reached much more complete fruition intellectually in this Nonconformist peer's association with the Society of Antiquaries, the British Museum, the Royal Society, the Society of Arts, and the Warrington Academy. Most particularly it epitomizes the close involvement of Dissenters in the eighteenth-century Enlightenment.
Dray's Ditches, Bedfordshire, and Early Iron age Territorial Boundaries in the Eastern Chilterns
Authors: Dyer James F.
Published: November 2011

The linear dyke known as Dray's Ditches, about half a mile long, runs at right angles to the Icknield Way, whose modern track approaches it near its mid-point. The name ‘Dray's Ditche’ first appears on a map engraved by Thomas Jeffrys in 1765, and its course is marked, between Great Bramingham and the Old Bedford Road, on a map of 1774. In 1540 Leland wrote that ‘in the hye way I saw hard on eche syde 3 longe trenches, as they had been for Men of warre’. Davies referred to a ‘treble row of ditches, which run in a straight line from Bramingham to Warden Hill, where they run aslant up the hill’; whilst Beldam described ‘several trenches called Gray's Dykes which run down in irregular lines of two ditches between three banks, from a tumulus on the Warden Hills, a little to the south of the Icenhilde Road, and traverse it exactly at its junction with the old Luton and Bedford Road, but now disappearing in the cultivated fields on the opposite side of the road’. A subsidiary earthwork which runs along the western foot of Galley Hill for about half a mile, enclosing a flat area of some hundred acres, has also been described as part of this system. This earthwork, however, was considered by Crawford, in 1934, to be ‘merely an old enclosure around an arable field’, and excavation has proved his view correct.
Some Romano-British Sculptures from Ancaster and Wilsford, Lincolnshire
Authors: Frere S. S.
Published: November 2011

The purpose of this paper is to record three stones recently brought to my attention. The first was found about twenty years ago by Mr. Benjamin Wyles when digging a dyke in a field called the Long Liner near Slate House Farm, in the parish of Wilsford near Grantham. It is preserved in Wilsford church and is published by the kind permission of the Rector, the Rev. J. D. Smart. The other two, which are fragmentary, were found in the core of the north-east buttress of the east of Ancaster church in the course of reconstruction during August 1960. The wall, which is of the late twelfth century with flat plain buttresses, has had a fourteenth century window inserted into it, and has been repaired and refaced possibly at same time as the insertion of the window. There remain traces of the jamb-shafts and arch-springing of the original triple twelfth-century window. The wall developed serious settlement-cracks, and these were bonded by inserting concrete tie-beams behind the face of the wall, and at the same time grouting the loose core. Both stones are likely to have been built into the buttress in the twelfth century. I am indebted to Mr. L. H. Bond, L.R.I.B.A., for bringing them and the above facts to my notice, and to the Rev. L. W. B. Bacon, Vicar of Ancaster, for permission to publish.
Saxon and Norman Pottery from Colchester Castle Park
Authors: Dunning G. C.
Published: November 2011

The pottery is divided into four groups according to the stratigraphical evidence, which is given in detail in the descriptions of the pottery on pp. 66–67. With one exception (group 1, no. 1), which is a stray of earlier date, all the pottery may be regarded as contemporary, since even the latest, group 4 from pit C1, was sealed by the old turf-line over the Norman Bank. There is no historical evidence for the construction of this Bank, but since it is not in alignment with the Castle Keep, built c. 1076–86, it is believed to be slightly later in date. It may be said at once that no appreciable difference in date can be detected between the pottery of groups 2, 3, and 4. Comparison with dated material found elsewhere in England suggests that the pottery is not later than the early part of the twelfth century, but closer dating is provided by comparison with material from Colchester Castle itself. This consists of four sherds, including the angle of a sagging base, obtained from the foundation trench of the Castle Keep in 1931–2, which Mr. Hull kindly sent to me for examination. Although so few in number, the ware of these sherds is consistent and agrees precisely with that of groups 2, 3, and 4 as described below. The date of these groups, and therefore of the Norman Bank, is thus as close to the date of the Keep as the sequence of construction will allow. On balance, the available evidence points to a date within the period c. 1080–1100 for the Norman Bank.