bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Consumer complaints and recovery through guaranteeing self‐service technology
Authors: Robertson Nichola , McQuilken Lisa , Kandampully Jay
Published: July 2011

Self‐service technologies are shaping the future of consumer behaviour, yet consumers often experience service failure in this context. This conceptual paper focuses on self‐service technology failure and recovery. A consumer perspective is taken. Recovering from self‐service technology failure is fraught with difficulty, mainly because of the absence of service personnel. The aim of this paper is to present a theoretical framework and associated research propositions in respect to the positive role that service guarantees can play in the context of self‐service technology failure and recovery. It contributes to the consumer behaviour domain by unifying the theory pertaining to consumer complaint behaviour, service recovery, specifically consumers' perceptions of justice, and service guarantees, which are set in a distinctive self‐service technology context. It is advanced that service guarantees, specifically multiple attribute‐specific guarantees, are associated with consumer voice complaints following self‐service technology failure, which is contingent on the attribution of blame in the light of consumers' production role. Service guarantees are argued to be associated with consumers' perceptions of just recovery in the self‐service technology context when they promise to fix the problem, compensate only when the problem cannot be remedied, offer a choice of compensation that is contingent on failure severity, afford ease of invocation and collection, and provide a personalised response to failures. Previous classifications of SSTs are used to highlight the applicability of guarantees for different types of SSTs. Managerial implications based on the theoretical framework are presented, along with future research directions. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Extracellular matrix and matrix receptors in blood–brain barrier formation and stroke
Authors: Baeten Kim M. , Akassoglou Katerina
Published: July 2011

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) is formed primarily to protect the brain microenvironment from the influx of plasma components, which may disturb neuronal functions. The BBB is a functional unit that consists mainly of specialized endothelial cells (ECs) lining the cerebral blood vessels, astrocytes, and pericytes. The BBB is a dynamic structure that is altered in neurologic diseases, such as stroke. ECs and astrocytes secrete extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins to generate and maintain the basement membranes (BMs). ECM receptors, such as integrins and dystroglycan, are also expressed at the brain microvasculature and mediate the connections between cellular and matrix components in physiology and disease. ECM proteins and receptors elicit diverse molecular signals that allow cell adaptation to environmental changes and regulate growth and cell motility. The composition of the ECM is altered upon BBB disruption and directly affects the progression of neurologic disease. The purpose of this review is to discuss the dynamic changes of ECM composition and integrin receptor expression that control BBB functions in physiology and pathology. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 71: 1018‐1039, 2011
Power system small‐signal stability as affected by grid‐connected photovoltaic generation
Authors: Du Wenjuan , Wang Haifeng , Xiao L‐Y.
Published: July 2011

This paper investigates the impact of a grid‐connected large photovoltaic (PV) power generation station on the power system small‐signal stability. The focus of discussion in the paper is the damping of local‐mode power system oscillations. Hence, a simple single‐machine infinite‐bus power system with the grid‐connected PV generation station is used. Firstly, a comprehensive model of the single‐machine infinite‐bus power system integrated with the PV generation station is established. Then the conventional technique of the damping torque analysis is employed to examine the effect of the PV generation on the damping of power system local‐mode oscillations. Analysis in the paper reveals that there exists a critical operating condition when the damping torque contribution from the PV station to the electromechanical oscillation loop of conventional generator changes sign. Hence, the small‐signal stability of the power system can be affected negatively by the PV penetration when it operates beyond the critical operating condition. In the paper, an example power system is presented. The results of numerical computation and non‐linear simulation demonstrate and confirm all the analytical conclusions obtained. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Model‐based nonlinear inverse reconstruction for T2 mapping using highly undersampled spin‐echo MRI
Authors: Sumpf Tilman J. , Uecker Martin , Boretius Susann , Frahm Jens
Published: July 2011

Purpose:

To develop a model‐based reconstruction technique for T2 mapping based on multi‐echo spin‐echo MRI sequences with highly undersampled Cartesian data encoding.

Materials and Methods:

The proposed technique relies on a nonlinear inverse reconstruction algorithm which directly estimates a T2 and spin‐density map from a train of undersampled spin echoes. The method is applicable to acquisitions with single receiver coils but benefits from multi‐element coil arrays. The algorithm is validated for trains of 16 spin echoes with a spacing of 10 to 12 ms using numerical simulations as well as human brain MRI at 3 Tesla (T).

Results:

When compared with a standard T2 fitting procedure using fully sampled T2‐weighted images, and depending on the available signal‐to‐noise ratio and number of coil elements, model‐based nonlinear inverse reconstructions for both simulated and in vivo MRI data yield accurate T2 estimates for undersampling factors of 5 to 10.

Conclusion:

This work describes a promising strategy for T2‐weighted MRI that simultaneously offers accurate T2 relaxation times and properly T2‐weighted images at arbitrary echo times. For a standard spin‐echo MRI sequence with Cartesian encoding, the method allows for a much higher degree of undersampling than obtainable by conventional parallel imaging. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2011;. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Compact ultra‐wideband printed monopole antenna having frequency band‐notch characteristic using defected ground structure
Authors: Abdollahvand M. , Dadashzadeh G. R. , Ebrahimian H. , Ojaroudi M.
Published: July 2011

A compact band‐notch ultra‐wideband (UWB) printed monopole antenna is proposed, where the band‐notch characteristic is realized by adding defected ground structure (DGS) or slit in the ground plane. Also, by inserting T‐shaped stubs in the ground plane, additional resonance is excited and hence the bandwidth is increased up to 118%. The proposed monopole antenna has ultrawide impedance bandwidth, compact size, and omni‐directional H‐plane radiation patterns which are suitable for various broadband applications. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microwave Opt Technol Lett 53:2363–2368, 2011; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com. DOI 10.1002/mop.26280
General Job Stress: A Unidimensional Measure and Its Non‐linear Relations with Outcome Variables
Authors: Yankelevich Maya , Broadfoot Alison , Gillespie Jennifer Z. , Gillespie Michael A. , Guidroz Ashley
Published: July 2011

This article aims to examine the non‐linear relations between a general measure of job stress [Stress in General (SIG)] and two outcome variables: intentions to quit and job satisfaction. In so doing, we also re‐examine the factor structure of the SIG and determine that, as a two‐factor scale, it obscures non‐linear relations with outcomes. Thus, in this research, we not only test for non‐linear relations between stress and outcome variables but also present an updated version of the SIG scale. Using two distinct samples of working adults (sample 1, N = 589; sample 2, N = 4322), results indicate that a more parsimonious eight‐item SIG has better model‐data fit than the 15‐item two‐factor SIG and that the eight‐item SIG has non‐linear relations with job satisfaction and intentions to quit. Specifically, the revised SIG has an inverted curvilinear J‐shaped relation with job satisfaction such that job satisfaction drops precipitously after a certain level of stress; the SIG has a J‐shaped curvilinear relation with intentions to quit such that turnover intentions increase exponentially after a certain level of stress. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Nationalism and International Society
Authors: Mayall James
Published: July 2011

What is meant by international society? On what principles is the notion of international society based? How has the notion of nationalism influenced its evolution? In this book James Mayall addresses these questions and sheds important new light upon the issues of nation and international society by bringing together subjects which have hitherto been examined separately. Mayall locates his study within a theoretical discussion of the relationship between the ideas of nationalism and international society, maintaining that it is one of challenge and accommodation. He then explores three central issues. First, the manner in which nationalism has created new states and pushed the boundaries of international society outwards. Second, how the confrontation between nationalist and liberal ideas about international economic relations has impelled state activity downward into the lives of ordinary people and outward into the international political economy. And third, the way Third World nationalism has reacted against the postwar international economic order but has been unable to alter it in its favour. Nationalism and international society will be of interest to specialists and students of international relations with special reference to nationalism and sovereignty, and to modern historians of world order, decolonisation and economic nationalism.
Fiscal and Monetary Policies and Problems in Developing Countries
Authors: Eshag Eprime
Published: July 2011

This book is concerned with the use of fiscal and monetary policies to overcome three major obstacles to development commonly faced by less developed countries: inadequate investment; misallocation of investment resources; and internal and external imbalances i.e. inflation and balance of payments deficits. The book is divided into six chapters the first two of which are devoted to the definition of concepts and to an explanation of the Keynesian model of income determination and of Kalecki's model of financing investment, within the framework of which the role of fiscal and monetary measures and of foreign capital is later examined. Chapters 3 and 4 discuss the role of fiscal measures and of foreign capital, respectively, in promoting domestic investment. Chapter 5 examines the use of both fiscal and monetary instruments, including industrial and agricultural development banks, to influence the pattern of investment. The last chapter is devoted to the problems of internal and external imbalances. The author examines policies pursued by a representative sample of developing countries and concludes that most of them fail adequately to exploit the potential of fiscal and monetary instruments and of foreign capital to overcome the three sets of obstacles to development largely bacause of institutonal (socio-political) constraints. The approach to inflation and balance of payments difficulties followed in the book differs significantly from that of monetarists, notably the Chicago school and the IMF, whose basic propositions are reviewed and critically examined in some detail in Chapters 2 and 6. Although the primary focus of the book is on developing economies, this part of it is also relevant to industrial countries.
Womanpower
Authors: Hijab Nadia
Published: July 2011

Womanpower unveils the lively but little-reported debate on women's position in the modern Arab world. It paints a picture drawn from individual stories as well as from national development programmes and attempts to explain why the process of social change in the region has been slow and uneven by linking it to political and economic developments. By illustrating particular themes - personal status laws, development policies, political rights - with examples from specific countries, Nadia Hijab builds up an informative overview of the Arab world today. The title sums up the two-pronged approach: the process of integrating women into the modern work-force and of empowering them to enjoy equal rights and opportunities. The book argues that those seeking equal rights for Arab women cannot isolate this aim from the search to liberate Arab potential and resources and for democratic political systems. The Arab world is a region in search of an identity. The book discusses the differing views of liberals and conservatives, most of whom are concerned that Arab identity be developed in an indigenous context rather than by slavish imitation.
Morgenthau, Law and Realism
Authors: Jütersonke Oliver
Published: July 2011

Although he is widely regarded as the 'founding father' of realism in International Relations, this book argues that Hans J. Morgenthau's legal background has largely been neglected in discussions of his place in the 'canon' of IR theory. Morgenthau was a legal scholar of German-Jewish origins who arrived in the United States in 1938. He went on to become a distinguished professor of Political Science and a prominent commentator on international affairs. Rather than locate Morgenthau's intellectual heritage in the German tradition of 'Realpolitik', this book demonstrates how many of his central ideas and concepts stem from European and American legal debates of the 1920s and 1930s. This is an ambitious attempt to recast the debate on Morgenthau and will appeal to IR scholars interested in the history of realism as well as international lawyers engaged in debates regarding the relationship between law and politics, and the history of International Law.
Lexical Meaning in Context
Authors: Asher Nicholas
Published: July 2011

This is a book about the meanings of words and how they can combine to form larger meaningful units, as well as how they can fail to combine when the amalgamation of a predicate and argument would produce what the philosopher Gilbert Ryle called a 'category mistake'. It argues for a theory in which words get assigned both an intension and a type. The book develops a rich system of types and investigates its philosophical and formal implications, for example the abandonment of the classic Church analysis of types that has been used by linguists since Montague. The author integrates fascinating and puzzling observations about lexical meaning into a compositional semantic framework. Adjustments in types are a feature of the compositional process and account for various phenomena including coercion and copredication. This book will be of interest to semanticists, philosophers, logicians and computer scientists alike.
Bose–Einstein Condensation in Dilute Gases
Authors: Pethick C. J. , Smith H.
Published: July 2011

Since an atomic Bose-Einstein condensate, predicted by Einstein in 1925, was first produced in the laboratory in 1995, the study of ultracold Bose and Fermi gases has become one of the most active areas in contemporary physics. This book explains phenomena in ultracold gases from basic principles, without assuming a detailed knowledge of atomic, condensed matter, and nuclear physics. This new edition has been revised and updated, and includes new chapters on optical lattices, low dimensions, and strongly-interacting Fermi systems. This book provides a unified introduction to the physics of ultracold atomic Bose and Fermi gases for advanced undergraduate and graduate students, as well as experimentalists and theorists. Chapters cover the statistical physics of trapped gases, atomic properties, cooling and trapping atoms, interatomic interactions, structure of trapped condensates, collective modes, rotating condensates, superfluidity, interference phenomena, and trapped Fermi gases. Problems are included at the end of each chapter.
Goldbugs and Greenbacks
Authors: Ritter Gretchen
Published: July 2011

In the late-nineteenth century, there was a popular and heated debate over what sort of financial system America should have. Behind the discussions over gold versus silver and state versus national banks was a broader dialogue about sectionalism, class relations, and the future course of the American economy and democracy. Professor Ritter contends that there was a distinctive and neglected political tradition in the United States - the antimonopoly tradition - which was championed by nearly every major agricultural and labor group during the period from the Civil War until 1900. The book explains why the antimonopolists (including the National Labor Union, the Greenbackers, the Knights of Labor, and the Populists) saw the financial system as the key to maintaining economic opportunity and democratic control for all classes and regions.
Reforming the World Bank
Authors: Phillips David A.
Published: July 2011

In the many studies of the World Bank, a critical issue has been missed. While writers have looked at the Bank's political economy, lending, conditions, advice, ownership and accounting for issues such as the environment, this study looks at the Bank as an organization - whether it is set up to do the job it is supposed to do and, if not, what should be done about it. This book is about the problems of organization and reorganization as much as it is about the problems of assisting third-world development, and it is a case study in flawed organizational reform as much as a critique of the way development assistance is managed. It covers the period that starts at the time of the first major reorganization, in 1987 under President Barber Conable, and ends at the time of the resignation of Paul Wolfowitz, in 2007, but it focuses especially on what happened during the tenure of James Wolfensohn.
The International Law of Belligerent Occupation
Authors: Dinstein Yoram
Published: July 2011

The customary law of belligerent occupation goes back to the Hague and Geneva Conventions. Recent instances of such occupation include Iraq, the former Yugoslavia, the Congo and Eritrea. But the paradigmatic illustration is the Israeli occupation, lasting for over 40 years. There is now case law of the International Court of Justice and other judicial bodies, both international and domestic. There are Security Council resolutions and a vast literature. Still, numerous controversial points remain. How is belligerent occupation defined? How is it started and when is it terminated? What is the interaction with human rights law? Who is protected under belligerent occupation, and what is the scope of the protection? Conversely, what measures can an occupying power lawfully resort to when encountering forcible resistance from inhabitants of the occupied territory? This book examines the legislative, judicial and executive rights of the occupying power and its obligations to the civilian population.
Too Smart for our Own Good
Authors: Dilworth Craig
Published: July 2011

We are destroying our natural environment at a constantly increasing pace, and in so doing undermining the preconditions of our own existence. Why is this so? This book reveals that our ecologically disruptive behaviour is in fact rooted in our very nature as a species. Drawing on evolution theory, biology, anthropology, archaeology, economics, environmental science and history, this book explains the ecological predicament of humankind by placing it in the context of the first scientific theory of our species' development, taking over where Darwin left off. The theory presented is applied in detail to the whole of our seven-million-year history. Due to its comprehensiveness, and in part thanks to its extensive glossary and index, this book can function as a compact encyclopædia covering the whole development of Homo sapiens. It would also suit a variety of courses in the life and social sciences. Most importantly, Too Smart for our Own Good makes evident the very core of the paradigm to which our species must shift if it is to survive. Anyone concerned about the future of humankind should read this groundbreaking work.
Science as Psychology
Authors: Osbeck Lisa M. , Nersessian Nancy J. , Malone Kareen R. , Newstetter Wendy C.
Published: July 2011

Science as Psychology reveals the complexity and richness of rationality by demonstrating how social relationships, emotion, culture, and identity are implicated in the problem-solving practices of laboratory scientists. In this study, the authors gather and analyze interview and observational data from innovation-focused laboratories in the engineering sciences to show how the complex practices of laboratory research scientists provide rich psychological insights, and how a better understanding of science practice facilitates understanding of human beings more generally. The study focuses not on dismantling the rational core of scientific practice, but on illustrating how social, personal, and cognitive processes are intricately woven together in scientific thinking. The book is thus a contribution to science studies, the psychology of science, and general psychology.
The Freedman in the Roman World
Authors: Mouritsen Henrik
Published: July 2011

Freedmen occupied a complex and often problematic place in Roman society between slaves on the one hand and freeborn citizens on the other. Playing an extremely important role in the economic life of the Roman world, they were also a key instrument for replenishing and even increasing the size of the citizen body. This book presents an original synthesis, for the first time covering both Republic and Empire in a single volume. While providing up-to-date discussions of most significant aspects of the phenomenon, the book also offers a new understanding of the practice of manumission, its role in the organisation of slave labour and the Roman economy, as well as the deep-seated ideological concerns to which it gave rise. It locates the freedman in a broader social and economic context, explaining the remarkable popularity of manumission in the Roman world.
Graph-based Natural Language Processing and Information Retrieval
Authors: Mihalcea Rada , Radev Dragomir
Published: July 2011

Graph theory and the fields of natural language processing and information retrieval are well-studied disciplines. Traditionally, these areas have been perceived as distinct, with different algorithms, different applications and different potential end-users. However, recent research has shown that these disciplines are intimately connected, with a large variety of natural language processing and information retrieval applications finding efficient solutions within graph-theoretical frameworks. This book extensively covers the use of graph-based algorithms for natural language processing and information retrieval. It brings together topics as diverse as lexical semantics, text summarization, text mining, ontology construction, text classification and information retrieval, which are connected by the common underlying theme of the use of graph-theoretical methods for text and information processing tasks. Readers will come away with a firm understanding of the major methods and applications in natural language processing and information retrieval that rely on graph-based representations and algorithms.
Passive Acoustic Monitoring of Cetaceans
Authors: Zimmer Walter M. X.
Published: July 2011

Passive acoustic monitoring is increasingly used by the scientific community to study, survey and census marine mammals, especially cetaceans, many of which are easier to hear than to see. PAM is also used to support efforts to mitigate potential negative effects of human activities such as ship traffic, military and civilian sonar and offshore exploration. Walter Zimmer provides an integrated approach to PAM, combining physical principles, discussion of technical tools and application-oriented concepts of operations. Additionally, relevant information and tools necessary to assess existing and future PAM systems are presented, with Matlab code used to generate figures and results so readers can reproduce data and modify code to analyse the impact of changes. This allows the principles to be studied whilst discovering potential difficulties and side effects. Aimed at graduate students and researchers, the book provides all information and tools necessary to gain a comprehensive understanding of this interdisciplinary subject.
A Breviary of Seismic Tomography
Authors: Nolet Guust
Published: July 2011

This is the first textbook to cover the essential aspects of the topic at a level accessible to students. While focusing on applications in solid earth geophysics, the book also includes excursions into helioseismology, thereby highlighting the strong affinity between the two fields. The book provides a comprehensive introduction to seismic tomography, including the basic theory of wave propagation, the ray and Born approximations required for interpretation of amplitudes, and travel times and phases. It considers observational features while also providing practical recommendations for implementing numerical models. Written by one of the leaders in the field, and containing numerous student exercises, this textbook is appropriate for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses. It is also an invaluable guide for seismology research practitioners in geophysics and astronomy. Solutions to the exercises and accompanying tomographic software and documentation can be accessed online from www.cambridge.org/9780521882446.
Rat liver mitochondrial membrane characteristics and mitochondrial functions are more profoundly altered by dietary lipid quantity than by dietary lipid quality: effect of different nutritional lipid patterns
Authors: Aoun Manar , Feillet-Coudray Christine , Fouret Gilles , Chabi Béatrice , Crouzier David , Ferreri Carla , Chatgilialoglu Chryssostomos , Wrutniak-Cabello Chantal , Cristol Jean Paul , Carbonneau Marie-Annette , Coudray Charles
Published: July 2011

Dietary lipids are known to affect the composition of the biological membrane and functions that are involved in cell death and survival. The mitochondrial respiratory chain enzymes are membrane protein complexes whose function depends on the composition and fluidity of the mitochondrial membrane lipid. The present study aimed at investigating the impact of different nutritional patterns of dietary lipids on liver mitochondrial functions. A total of forty-eight Wistar male rats were divided into six groups and fed for 12 weeks with a basal diet, lard diet or fish oil diet, containing either 50 or 300 g lipid/kg. The 30 % lipid intake increased liver NEFA, TAG and cholesterol levels, increased mitochondrial NEFA and TAG, and decreased phospholipid (PL) levels. SFA, PUFA and unsaturation index (UI) increased, whereas MUFA andtrans-fatty acids (FA) decreased in the mitochondrial membrane PL in 30 % fat diet-fed rats compared with 5 % lipid diet-fed rats. PL UI increased with fish oil dietv.basal and lard-rich diets, and PLtrans-FA increased with lard dietv.basal and fish oil diets. The 30 % lipid diet intake increased mitochondrial membrane potential, membrane fluidity, mitochondrial respiration and complex V activity, and decreased complex III and IV activities. With regard to lipid quality effects, β-oxidation decreased with the intake of basal or fish oil diets compared with that of the lard diet. The intake of a fish oil diet decreased complex III and IV activities compared with both the basal and lard diets. In conclusion, the characteristics and mitochondrial functions of the rat liver mitochondrial membrane are more profoundly altered by the quantity of dietary lipid than by its quality, which may have profound impacts on the pathogenesis and development of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
The Infarct Core is Well Represented by the Acute Diffusion Lesion: Sustained Reversal is Infrequent
Authors: Campbell Bruce CV , Purushotham Archana , Christensen Soren , Desmond Patricia M , Nagakane Yoshinari , Parsons Mark W , Lansberg Maarten G , Mlynash Michael , Straka Matus , De Silva Deidre A , Olivot Jean-Marc , Bammer Roland , Albers Gregory W , Donnan Geoffrey A , Davis Stephen M ,   fot the EPITHET—DEFUSE Investigators
Published: July 2011

Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) is commonly used to assess irreversibly infarcted tissue but its accuracy is challenged by reports of diffusion lesion reversal (DLR). We investigated the frequency and implications for mismatch classification of DLR using imaging from the EPITHET (Echoplanar Imaging Thrombolytic Evaluation Trial) and DEFUSE (Diffusion and Perfusion Imaging Evaluation for Understanding Stroke Evolution) studies. In 119 patients (83 treated with IV tissue plasminogen activator), follow-up images were coregistered to acute diffusion images and the lesions manually outlined to their maximal visual extent in diffusion space. Diffusion lesion reversal was defined as voxels of acute diffusion lesion that corresponded to normal brain at follow-up (i.e., final infarct, leukoaraiosis, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) voxels were excluded from consideration). The appearance of DLR was visually checked for artifacts, the volume calculated, and the impact of adjusting baseline diffusion lesion volume for DLR volume on perfusion-diffusion mismatch analyzed. Median DLR volume reduced from 4.4 to 1.5 mL after excluding CSF/leukoaraiosis. Visual inspection verified 8/119 (6.7%) with true DLR, median volume 2.33 mL. Subtracting DLR from acute diffusion volume altered perfusion—diffusion mismatch ( Tmax>6 seconds, ratio>1.2) in 3/119 (2.5%) patients. Diffusion lesion reversal between baseline and 3 to 6 hours DWI was also uncommon (7/65, 11%) and often transient. Clinically relevant DLR is uncommon and rarely alters perfusion—diffusion mismatch. The acute diffusion lesion is generally a reliable signature of the infarct core.
Evidence of SHIP2 Ser132 phosphorylation, its nuclear localization and stability
Authors: Elong Edimo William's , Derua Rita , Janssens Veerle , Nakamura Takeshi , Vanderwinden Jean-Marie , Waelkens Etienne , Erneux Christophe
Published: July 2011

PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 and PtdIns(3,4)P2 are major signalling molecules in mammalian cell biology. PtdIns(3,4)P2 can be produced by PI3Ks [PI (phosphoinositide) 3-kinases], but also by PI 5-phosphatases including SHIP2 [SH2 (Src homology 2)-domain-containing inositol phosphatase 2]. Proteomic studies in human cells revealed that SHIP2 can be phosphorylated at more than 20 sites, but their individual function is unknown. In a model of PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homologue deleted on chromosome 10)-null astrocytoma cells, lowering SHIP2 expression leads to increased PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 levels and Akt phosphorylation. MS analysis identified SHIP2 phosphosites on Ser132, Thr1254 and Ser1258; phosphotyrosine-containing sites were undetectable. By immunostaining, total SHIP2 concentrated in the perinuclear area and in the nucleus, whereas SHIP2 phosphorylated on Ser132 was in the cytoplasm, the nucleus and nuclear speckles, depending on the cell cycle stage. SHIP2 phosphorylated on Ser132 demonstrated PtdIns(4,5)P2 phosphatase activity. Endogenous phospho-SHIP2 (Ser132) showed an overlap with PtdIns(4,5)P2 staining in nuclear speckles. SHIP2 S132A was less sensitive to C-terminal degradation and more resistant to calpain as compared with wild-type enzyme. We have identified nuclear lamin A/C as a novel SHIP2 interactor. We suggest that the function of SHIP2 is different at the plasma membrane where it recognizes PtdIns(3,4,5)P3, and in the nucleus where it may interact with PtdIns(4,5)P2, particularly in speckles.
Topoisomerase II binds nucleosome-free DNA and acts redundantly with topoisomerase I to enhance recruitment of RNA Pol II in budding yeast
Authors: Sperling Adam S. , Jeong Kyeong Soo , Kitada Tasuku , Grunstein Michael
Published: July 2011

DNA topoisomerases are believed to promote transcription by removing excessive DNA supercoils produced during elongation. However, it is unclear how topoisomerases in eukaryotes are recruited and function in the transcription pathway in the context of nucleosomes. To address this problem we present high-resolution genome-wide maps of one of the major eukaryotic topoisomerases, Topoisomerase II (Top2) and nucleosomes in the budding yeast,
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
. Our data indicate that at promoters Top2 binds primarily to DNA that is nucleosome-free. However, although nucleosome loss enables Top2 occupancy, the opposite is not the case and the loss of Top2 has little effect on nucleosome density. We also find that Top2 is involved in transcription. Not only is Top2 enriched at highly transcribed genes, but Top2 is required redundantly with Top1 for optimal recruitment of RNA polymerase II at their promoters. These findings and the examination of candidate-activated genes suggest that nucleosome loss induced by nucleosome remodeling factors during gene activation enables Top2 binding, which in turn acts redundantly with Top1 to enhance recruitment of RNA polymerase II.
Influence of Erythrocyte Transfusion on the Risk of Acute Kidney Injury after Cardiac Surgery Differs in Anemic and Nonanemic Patients
Authors: Karkouti Keyvan , Wijeysundera Duminda N. , Yau Terrence M. , McCluskey Stuart A. , Chan Christopher T. , Wong Pui-Yuen , Beattie W. Scott
Published: July 2011

Background

Acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery is a major health issue. Two important risk factors for AKI are preoperative anemia and perioperative erythrocyte transfusion, and elucidating their relationship may help in devising preventive strategies.

Methods

In this cohort study of 12,388 adults who underwent cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass and received three units or less of erythrocytes on the day of surgery, the authors used propensity score methods and conditional logistic regression to explore the relationship between preoperative anemia (hemoglobin less than 12.5 g/dL), erythrocyte transfusion on the day of surgery, and AKI (more than 50% decrease in estimated glomerular filtration rate from preoperative to postoperative day 3-4).

Results

AKI occurred in 4.1% of anemic patients (n = 94/2,287) and 1.6% of nonanemic patients (n = 162 of 10,101) (P < 0.0001). In the 2,113 propensity-score matched pairs, anemic patients had higher AKI rates than nonanemic patients (3.8% vs. 2.0%; P = 0.0007). AKI rates increased in direct proportion to the amount of erythrocytes transfused, and this increase was more pronounced in anemic patients: in anemic patients, the rate increased from 1.8% among those not transfused to 6.6% among those transfused three units (chi-square test for trend P < 0.0001), whereas in nonanemic patients, it increased from 1.7% among those not transfused to 3.2% among those transfused three units (chi-square test for trend P = 0.1).

Conclusions

Anemic patients presenting for cardiac surgery are more susceptible to transfusion-related AKI than nonanemic patients. Interventions that reduce perioperative transfusions may protect anemic patients against AKI.
MicroRNAs support a turtle + lizard clade
Authors: Lyson Tyler R. , Sperling Erik A. , Heimberg Alysha M. , Gauthier Jacques A. , King Benjamin L. , Peterson Kevin J.
Published: July 2011

Despite much interest in amniote systematics, the origin of turtles remains elusive. Traditional morphological phylogenetic analyses place turtles outside Diapsida—amniotes whose ancestor had two fenestrae in the temporal region of the skull (among the living forms the tuatara, lizards, birds and crocodilians)—and allied with some unfenestrate-skulled (anapsid) taxa. Nonetheless, some morphological analyses place turtles within Diapsida, allied with Lepidosauria (tuatara and lizards). Most molecular studies agree that turtles are diapsids, but rather than allying them with lepidosaurs, instead place turtles near or within Archosauria (crocodilians and birds). Thus, three basic phylogenetic positions for turtles with respect to extant Diapsida are currently debated: (i) sister to Diapsida, (ii) sister to Lepidosauria, or (iii) sister to, or within, Archosauria. Interestingly, although these three alternatives are consistent with a single unrooted four-taxon tree for extant reptiles, they differ with respect to the position of the root. Here, we apply a novel molecular dataset, the presence versus absence of specific microRNAs, to the problem of the phylogenetic position of turtles and the root of the reptilian tree, and find that this dataset unambiguously supports a turtle + lepidosaur group. We find that turtles and lizards share four unique miRNA gene families that are not found in any other organisms' genome or small RNA library, and no miRNAs are found in all diapsids but not turtles, or in turtles and archosaurs but not in lizards. The concordance between our result and some morphological analyses suggests that there have been numerous morphological convergences and reversals in reptile phylogeny, including the loss of temporal fenestrae.
Abstractions for DNA circuit design
Authors: Lakin Matthew R. , Youssef Simon , Cardelli Luca , Phillips Andrew
Published: July 2011

DNA strand displacement techniques have been used to implement a broad range of information processing devices, from logic gates, to chemical reaction networks, to architectures for universal computation. Strand displacement techniques enable computational devices to be implemented in DNA without the need for additional components, allowing computation to be programmed solely in terms of nucleotide sequences. A major challenge in the design of strand displacement devices has been to enable rapid analysis of high-level designs while also supporting detailed simulations that include known forms of interference. Another challenge has been to design devices capable of sustaining precise reaction kinetics over long periods, without relying on complex experimental equipment to continually replenish depleted species over time. In this paper, we present a programming language for designing DNA strand displacement devices, which supports progressively increasing levels of molecular detail. The language allows device designs to be programmed using a common syntax and then analysed at varying levels of detail, with or without interference, without needing to modify the program. This allows a trade-off to be made between the level of molecular detail and the computational cost of analysis. We use the language to design a buffered architecture for DNA devices, capable of maintaining precise reaction kinetics for a potentially unbounded period. We test the effectiveness of buffered gates to support long-running computation by designing a DNA strand displacement system capable of sustained oscillations.
Parental depression and child outcomes – is marital conflict the missing link?
Authors: Hanington L. , Heron J. , Stein A. , Ramchandani P.
Published: July 2011

Background Both maternal and paternal depression during the perinatal period are associated with adverse effects on child outcomes. Attention has started to focus on the mechanisms mediating these relationships. Marital conflict may play a role in this context.

Methods In a large cohort study, the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (n= 14 541 pregnancies), we aimed to (i) investigate the relative influences of parental postnatal depression and marital conflict on child outcomes and to attempt to determine the pathway(s) of risk; (ii) investigate the impact of two types of antenatal stress (parental depression and marital conflict) on child outcomes; and (iii) determine the relative contributions of antenatal and postnatal risk. Parents completed the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale and a marital conflict scale during the second trimester and at 8 months postnatally. Child outcomes were assessed at 42 months using the Rutter revised pre‐school scales.

Results Marital conflict partially mediated the relationship between postnatal depression in both mothers and fathers and child outcomes, and acted as an independent risk for adverse outcomes. Parental depression (maternal and paternal) and marital conflict in the antenatal period were both associated with adverse effects which persisted even when postnatal stresses were taken into account.

Conclusions These findings, if replicated, suggest that screening and intervention programmes targeted at parental depression and marital problems should be considered antenatally, as well as postnatally.
Behavioural and chemical evidence of a male‐produced aggregation pheromone in the flower thrips Frankliniella intonsa
Authors: ZHANG PENG‐JUN , ZHU XIAO‐YUN , LU YAO‐BIN
Published: July 2011

The response of adult flower thrips Frankliniella intonsa (Trybom) (Thysanoptera: Thripidae) to conspecifics is investigated in Y‐tube olfactometer bioassays. The results show that both males and females are attracted to the odours of adult males, which indicates a male‐produced aggregation pheromone in this species. Gas chromatography‐mass spectroscopy analyses of headspace volatiles collected on solid‐phase microextraction fibres show that two major components and six minor components are present in volatiles from males but not in females. Further gas chromatography‐mass spectroscopy analyses reveal that the two major components in head‐space volatiles produced by F. intonsa males are the same compounds that are reported in volatiles of Frankliniella occidentalis males: (R)‐lavandulyl acetate and neryl (S)‐2‐methylbutanoate. However, the quantity of these two compounds in the volatiles differs between the species.
Autoimmune neutropenia in children: analysis of 116 cases
Authors: Audrain Marie , Martin Jérôme , Fromont Patricia , Prié Nolwen , Thomas Caroline , Muller et Jean‐Yves
Published: July 2011

To cite this article: Audrain M, Martin J, Fromont P, Prié N, Thomas C, Muller J‐Y. Autoimmune neutropenia in children: analysis of 116 cases. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2011; 22: 494–496.

Diagnosis of autoimmune neutropenia (AIN) in infants is important, because it allows the exclusion of more severe forms of neutropenia that have an increased risk for leukemia. AIN is characterized by chronic neutropenia, which spontaneously resolves within several months to a few years, and mild infections. Diagnosis is confirmed by the presence of antibodies directed against neutrophil antigens. The human neutrophil antigen (HNA) system is a polymorphic system, which includes five antigen groups with different polymorphisms. In AIN, antibodies are mostly directed against HNA‐1 (or against a specific allele of HNA‐1) and HNA‐4. Here, we present a series of 116 infants with AIN. We observed that anti‐neutrophil antibodies were present in 60% cases; directed against HNA‐1a in 73% of cases. In addition, we showed there was a bias in the HNA allele distribution in these infants because the frequency of the HNA‐1a allele was greater in comparison with controls.
Use of allergen components begins a new era in pediatric allergology
Authors: Borres Magnus P. , Ebisawa Motohiro , Eigenmann Philippe A.
Published: July 2011

To cite this article: Borres MP, Ebisawa M, Eigenmann PA. Use of allergen components begins a new era in pediatric allergology. Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2011; 22: 454–461.

Molecular allergology is a breakthrough science that enables the quantification of IgE and IgG antibodies against individual allergen protein components at a molecular level.

The diagnosis of IgE‐mediated allergic disorder among children is based on clinical history and sensitization demonstrated through an allergy test. Identifying whether the sensitization is primary (species specific) or a result of cross‐reactivity to proteins with similar protein structures helps the clinician to judge the risk of allergic reaction. This is possible today because allergen component tests are now available for clinicians to use in everyday practice.

This article focuses on clinical utility through the prediction of cross‐reactivity or primary sensitization, estimation of the risk of reaction to heated food and the risk of severe clinical symptoms.
Lophodermium needle cast, insect defoliation and growth responses of young Scots pines in Estonia
Authors: Hanso M. , Drenkhan R.
Published: July 2011

Using a retrospective approach, based on historical needle cast disease and insect pest records, data series of needle losses (reconstructed by the use of the needle trace method), tree growth parameters and meteorological data were studied to determine the impact of the appropriate pointer (epidemic or calamity) years on the annual radial and height increment of 46 sample trees in six Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) stands in Estonia from 1887 to 2006. First, the needle cast epidemics during the last 120 years were retrospectively determined, with resulting 4.6 epidemics per decade as a mean frequency. If the sum of precipitation from May to August reached 300 mm (the mean of 12 epidemic years studied: 361 ± 15 mm), an epidemic of needle cast caused byLophodermium seditiosummight follow the next year in young plantations. For insect defoliators, similarly clear triggering threshold values of precipitation or temperature could not be determined, although dry and warm summers and mild winters supported the calamities. We separately detected that both larger needle losses and growth reductions in trees related to Lophodermium needle cast epidemic years lasted until the same age of pines, 22–24 years, but for insect pest (diprinoid sawflies) calamity years the growth reduction lasted longer. The relevance of these findings for the prediction of Lophodermium needle cast epidemics is briefly discussed.
Onychomycosis in patients with psoriasis – a multicentre study
Authors: Zisova L. , Valtchev V. , Sotiriou E. , Gospodinov D. , Mateev G.
Published: July 2011

1–3% of human population is affected by psoriasis. Nail disorders are reported in 10–80% of patients with psoriasis. Nail deformations vary according to their degree of severity but are mainly represented by pitting, Beau’s lines, hyperkeratosis, onycholysis, leuconychia or oil drops. Onychomycosis is a fungal infection of the nails, caused by dermatophytes, yeast and moulds. In this study, 228 patients with psoriasis aged between 18 and 72 were examined (48 – from Plovdiv, Bulgaria; 145 – from Pleven, Bulgaria and 35 – from Thessaloniki, Greece); 145 of them were male and 83 of them were female. The examination of the nail material was performed via direct microscopy with 20% KOH and nail samples plated out on Sabouraud agar methodology. The severity of the nail disorders was determined according to the Nail Psoriasis Severity Index (NAPSI). Positive mycological cultures were obtained from 62% of the patients with psoriasis (52%– Plovdiv, Bulgaria; 70%– Pleven, Bulgaria and 43%– Thessaloniki, Greece). In 67% of the cases, the infection was caused by dermatophytes, in 24% by yeast, in 6% by moulds and in 3% by a combination of causes. All patients with psoriasis were identified with high levels of NAPSI, whereas the ones with isolated Candida had even higher levels. Seventeen percentage of the patients have been treated with methotrexate, 6% have been diagnosed with diabetes and 22% have been reported with onychomycosis and tinea pedis within the family. An increased prevalence of onychomycosis among the patients with psoriasis was found. Dystrophic nails in psoriasis patients are more predisposed to fungal infections. The mycological examination of all psoriasis patients with nail deformations is considered obligatory because of the great number of psoriasis patients diagnosed with onychomycosis.