bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sport, Culture, and Nation Among the Hibernians of Philadelphia
Authors: Mullan Michael L.
Published: January 2013

The Irish Americans of Philadelphia, prompted by an awakening of cultural nationalism across the Atlantic in native Ireland, constructed their own community of Irish culture, nationalism and ethnic pride in the waning years of the nineteenth century and early decades of the twentieth. The expressions of this Gaelic public awakening were seen in literature, language, theatre, and in sport; the adoption of Gaelic games became a particular poignant emblem of late-century Irish resurgence, the gallant Irish hurler a symbol of Irish masculinity. The return to Gaelic culture in a hard, industrial city coincided with the public posturing of a Celtic paramilitarism in the form of Hibernian rifle regiments, overnight encampments, and other displays of the revived and armed Celt of Irish Philadelphia.
Changing Knowledge, Local Knowledge, and Knowledge Gaps
Authors: Ottinger Gwen
Published: January 2013

Procedural justice, or the ability of people affected by decisions to participate in making them, is widely recognized as an important aspect of environmental justice (EJ). Procedural justice, moreover, requires that affected people have a substantial understanding of the hazards that a particular decision would impose. While EJ scholars and activists point out a number of obstacles to ensuring substantial understanding—including industry’s nondisclosure of relevant information and technocratic problem framings—this article shows how key insights from Science and Technology Studies (STS) about the nature of knowledge pose even more fundamental challenges for procedural justice. In particular, the knowledge necessary to inform participation in decision making is likely not to exist at the time of decision making, undermining the potential for people to give their informed consent to being exposed to an environmental hazard. In addition, much of the local knowledge important to understanding the consequences of hazards will develop only after decisions have been made, and technoscientific knowledge of environmental effects will inevitably change over the period during which people will be affected by a hazard. The changing landscape of knowledge calls into question the idea that consent or participation during one decision-making process can by itself constitute procedural justice. An STS-informed understanding of the nature of knowledge, this article argues, implies that procedural justice should include proactive knowledge production to fill in knowledge gaps, and ongoing opportunities for communities to consent to the presence of hazards as local knowledge emerges and scientific knowledge changes.
Research Output From University–Industry Collaborative Projects
Authors: Banal-Estañol Albert , Macho-Stadler Inés , Pérez-Castrillo David
Published: January 2013

We study collaborative and noncollaborative projects that are supported by government grants. First, we propose a theoretical framework to analyze optimal decisions in these projects. Second, we test our hypotheses with a unique data set containing academic publications and research funds for all academics at the major university engineering departments in the United Kingdom. We find that the type of the project (measured by its level of appliedness) increases the type of both the university and firm partners. Also, the quality of the project (number and impact of the publications) increases with the quality of the researcher and firm, and with the affinity in the partners’ preferences. The collaboration with firms increases the quality of the project only when the firms’ characteristics make them valuable partners.
Internationalisation of Vocational Education and Training
Authors: Tran Ly Thi
Published: January 2013

Competency-based training and training packages are mandatory for Australian vocational education and training (VET). VET qualifications are designed to provide learners with skills, knowledge, and attributes required for Australian workplaces. Yet, toward the end of December 2011, there were 171,237 international student enrolments in the Australian vocational education sector. VET currently ranks second behind the university sector by volume of international student enrolments in Australia. The flow of international students into Australian vocational education, their diverse learning characteristics, and their different acquired values have created new challenges as well as possibilities for teachers to transform their pedagogic practices and contribute to reshaping the pedagogy landscape in vocational education. Drawing on interviews with 50 teachers from VET institutes in three states of Australia, this article discusses the emergence of international vocational education pedagogy that enables international students and indeed all learners to develop necessary skills, knowledge, and attributes in response to the new demands of the changing workplace context and global skills and knowledge mobility. This article addresses a number of important issues concerning the interrelationship of international pedagogy and learner-centered education, notions of productive and inclusive pedagogies, transnational skills mobility, cultural diversity, and internationalization within the context of the Australian VET sector. Finally, the significance of these issues to educational providers and teachers across different educational levels and national contexts is discussed.
Predictors of Successful Weight Loss
Authors: Johnston Craig A.
Published: January 2013

The identification of variables in the early stages of treatment that are related to successful weight loss provides practitioners with important information. These factors may be assessed to determine the likelihood of future success. Weight loss at the beginning of treatment, depressive symptomatology, and social support, each of these has been shown to be predictive of long-term outcomes for weight loss efforts.
Intellectual Property Rights and the North-South Contest for Agricultural Germplasm: A Historical Perspective
Authors: Kho Tung-Yi
Published: January 2013

This article examines intellectual property rights (IPR) regimes as they apply to agricultural germplasm in the context of global North-South relations. The issue is pertinent particularly since TRIPs (Trade-related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights) became enshrined in the statutes of the World Trade Organization in 1994, institutionalizing the notion of ‘germplasm as property’ throughout the globe. Yet, the idea of ‘germplasm as property’ is a notion culturally specific to the global North historically. It is perhaps no surprise that many germplasm patents are being held on biological matter that originated in the South–in the Vavilovian ‘centers of diversity’. This paradox situates the contest over biodiversity resources in a world-historic context and undermines the declared reasons for germplasm IPRs. Besides, more than just a North-South conflict over resources, this episode features also a confrontation between competing worldviews of nature-human relations.
Pathogenesis of reproductive failure induced by Trypanosoma vivax in experimentally infected pregnant ewes
Authors: Silva Taciana MF , Olinda Roberio G , Rodrigues Carla MF , Câmara Antônio CL , Lopes Francisco C , Coelho Wesley AC , Ribeiro Múcio FB , Freitas Carlos IA , Teixeira Marta MG , Batista Jael S
Published: January 2013

The present study was aimed at investigating the effect of experimental infection by Trypanosoma vivax in different stages of pregnancy, determining the pathogenesis of reproductive failure, and confirming transplacental transmission. We used 12 pregnant ewes distributed into four experimental groups: G1, was formed by three ewes infected with T. vivax in the first third of pregnancy (30 days); G2 comprised three infected ewes in the final third of pregnancy (100 days); G3 and G4 were composed of three non-infected ewes with the same gestational period, respectively. Each ewe of G1 and G2 was inoculated with 1.25 × 105 tripomastigotes. Clinical examination, determination of parasitemia, serum biochemistry (albumin, total protein, glucose, cholesterol, and urea), packed cell volume (PCV), serum progesterone, and pathological examination were performed. Placenta, amniotic fluid, blood and tissues from the fetuses and stillbirths were submitted to PCR. Two ewes of G1 (Ewe 1 and 3) presented severe infection and died in the 34th and 35th days post-infection (dpi), respectively; but both fetuses were recovered during necropsy. In G2, Ewe 5 aborted two fetuses on the 130th day (30 dpi) of pregnancy; and Ewe 6 aborted one fetus in the 140th day (40 dpi) of gestation. Ewes 2 and 4 delivered two weak lambs that died five days after birth. Factors possibly involved with the reproductive failure included high parasitemia, fever, low PCV, body score, serum glucose, total protein, cholesterol, and progesterone. Hepatitis, pericarditis, and encephalitis were observed in the aborted fetuses. The presence of T. vivax DNA in the placenta, amniotic fluid, blood, and tissues from the fetuses confirms the transplacental transmission of the parasite. Histological lesion in the fetuses and placenta also suggest the involvement of the parasite in the etiopathogenesis of reproductive failure in ewes.
Circulating microRNA signatures in mice exposed to lipoteichoic acid
Authors: Hsieh Ching-Hua , Yang Johnson Chia-Shen , Jeng Jonathan Chris , Chen Yi-Chun , Lu Tsu-Hsiang , Tzeng Siou-Ling , Wu Yi-Chan , Wu Chia-Jung , Rau Cheng-Shyuan
Published: January 2013

Background

Previously, we had identified a specific whole blood–derived microRNAs (miRNAs) signature in mice following in vivo injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) originated from Gram-negative bacteria. This study was designed to profile the circulating miRNAs expression in mice exposed to lipoteichoic acid (LTA) which is a major component of the wall of Gram-positive bacteria.

Results

C57BL/6 mice received intraperitoneal injections of 100 μg of LTA originated from Bacillus subtilis, Streptococcus faecalis, and Staphylococcus aureus were killed 6 h and the whole blood samples were obtained for miRNA expression analysis using a miRNA array (Phalanx miRNA OneArray® 1.0). Up-regulated expression of miRNA targets in the whole blood, serum and white blood cells (WBCs) of C57BL/6 and Tlr2
−/− mice upon LTA treatment in 10, 100, or 1000 ug concentrations was quantified at indicated time (2, 6, 24, and 72 h) using real-time RT-PCR and compared with that in the serum of C57BL/6 mice injected with 100 ug of LPS. A significant increase of 4 miRNAs (miR-451, miR-668, miR-1902, and miR-1904) was observed in the whole blood and the serum in a dose- and time-dependent fashion following LTA injection. Induction of miRNA occurred in the serum after 2 h and persisted for at least 6 h. No increased expression of these 4 miRNAs was found in the WBCs. Higher but not significant expression level of these 4 miRNAs were observed following LTA treatment in the serum of Tlr2
−/−against that of C57BL6 mice. In contrast, LPS exposure induced moderate expression of miR-451 but not of the other 3 miRNA targets.

Conclusions

We identified a specific circulating miRNA signature in mice exposed to LTA. That expression profile is different from those of mice exposed to LPS. Those circulating miRNAs induced by LTA or LPS treatment may serve as promising biomarkers for the differentiation between exposures to Gram-positive or Gram-negative bacteria.
Visualizing spatiotemporal dynamics of apoptosis after G1 arrest by human T cell leukemia virus type 1 Tax and insights into gene expression changes using microarray-based gene expression analysis
Authors: Arainga Mariluz , Murakami Hironobu , Aida Yoko
Published: January 2013

Background

Human T cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV-1) Tax is a potent activator of viral and cellular gene expression that interacts with a number of cellular proteins. Many reports show that Tax is capable of regulating cell cycle progression and apoptosis both positively and negatively. However, it still remains to understand why the Tax oncoprotein induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, or whether Tax-induced apoptosis is dependent upon its ability to induce G1 arrest. The present study used time-lapse imaging to explore the spatiotemporal patterns of cell cycle dynamics in Tax-expressing HeLa cells containing the fluorescent ubiquitination-based cell cycle indicator, Fucci2. A large-scale host cell gene profiling approach was also used to identify the genes involved in Tax-mediated cell signaling events related to cellular proliferation and apoptosis.

Results

Tax-expressing apoptotic cells showed a rounded morphology and detached from the culture dish after cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase. Thus, it appears that Tax induces apoptosis through pathways identical to those involved in G1 arrest. To elucidate the mechanism(s) by which Tax induces cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, regulation of host cellular genes by Tax was analyzed using a microarray containing approximately 18,400 human mRNA transcripts. Seventeen genes related to cell cycle regulation were identified as being up or downregulated > 2.0-fold in Tax-expressing cells. Several genes, including SMAD3, JUN, GADD45B, DUSP1 and IL8, were involved in cellular proliferation, responses to cellular stress and DNA damage, or inflammation and immune responses. Additionally, 23 pro- and anti-apoptotic genes were deregulated by Tax, including TNFAIP3, TNFRS9, BIRC3 and IL6. Furthermore, the kinetics of IL8, SMAD3, CDKN1A, GADD45A, GADD45B and IL6 expression were altered following the induction of Tax, and correlated closely with the morphological changes observed by time-lapse imaging.

Conclusions

Taken together, the results of this study permit a greater understanding of the biological events affected by HTLV-1 Tax, particularly the regulation of cellular proliferation and apoptosis. Importantly, this study is the first to demonstrate the dynamics of morphological changes during Tax-induced apoptosis after cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase.
Prevalence and correlates of dizziness in community-dwelling older people: a cross sectional population based study
Authors: de Moraes Suzana Albuquerque , Soares Wuber Jefferson de Souza , Ferriolli Eduardo , Perracini Monica Rodrigues
Published: January 2013

Background

Dizziness is a common complaint among older adults and has been linked to a wide range of health conditions, psychological and social characteristics in this population. However a profile of dizziness is still uncertain which hampers clinical decision-making. We therefore sought to explore the relationship between dizziness and a comprehensive range of demographic data, diseases, health and geriatric conditions, and geriatric syndromes in a representative sample of community-dwelling older people.

Methods

This is a cross-sectional, population-based study derived from FIBRA (Network for the Study of Frailty in Brazilian Elderly Adults), with 391 elderly adults, both men and women, aged 65 years and older. Elderly participants living at home in an urban area were enrolled through a process of random cluster sampling of census regions. The outcome variable was the self-report of dizziness in the last year. Several feelings of dizziness were investigated including vertigo, spinning, light or heavy headedness, floating, fuzziness, giddiness and instability. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to estimate the adjusted odds ratios and build the probability model for dizziness.

Results

The complaint of dizziness was reported by 45% of elderly adults, from which 71.6% were women (p=0.004). The multivariate regression analysis revealed that dizziness is associated with depressive symptoms (OR = 2.08; 95% CI 1.29–3.35), perceived fatigue (OR = 1.93; 95% CI 1.21-3.10), recurring falls (OR = 2.01; 95% CI 1.11-3.62) and excessive drowsiness (OR = 1.91; 95% CI 1.11–3.29). The discrimination of the final model was AUC = 0.673 (95% CI 0.619-0.727) (p< 0.001).

Conclusions

The prevalence of dizziness in community-dwelling elderly adults is substantial. It is associated with other common geriatric conditions usually neglected in elderly adults, such as fatigue and drowsiness, supporting its possible multifactorial manifestation. Our findings demonstrate the need to expand the design in future studies, aiming to estimate risk and identify possible causal relations.
Evaluating an evidence-based curriculum in undergraduate palliative care education: piloting a phase II exploratory trial for a complex intervention
Authors: Schulz Christian , Möller Mischa F , Seidler Daniel , Schnell Martin W
Published: January 2013

Background

By 2013 Palliative Care will become a mandatory examination subject in the medical curriculum in Germany. There is a pressing need for effective and well-designed curricula and assessment methods. Debates are on going as how Undergraduate Palliative Care Education (UPCE) should be taught and how knowledge and skills should be assessed. It is evident by this time that the development process of early curricula in the US and UK has led to a plethora of diverse curricula which seem to be partly ineffective in improving the care for the seriously ill and dying offered by newly qualified doctors, as is demonstrated in controlled evaluations. The goals of this study were to demonstrate an evidence-based approach towards developing UPCE curricula and investigate the change in medical students’ self-perceived readiness to deal with palliative care patients and their families.

Methods

To evaluate the effects of the UPCE curriculum we chose a prospective, controlled, quasi-experimental, pre, retrospective-pre, post study design. A total of n = 37 3rdand 4th–year medical students were assigned to the intervention group (n = 15; 4th-year) and to the control group (n = 22; 3rd-year). Resting on the self-efficacy concept of Bandura the measurement was conducted by a refined test-battery based on two independent measurements (the revised Collet-Lester-Fear-of-Death-Scale and the instrument of the “Program in Palliative Care Education and Practice” at Harvard Medical School) including 68 items altogether in a five-point Likert-scale. These items were designed to test elementary skills in caring for the dying and their relatives as perceived by medical undergraduates. Datasets from both groups were analysed by paired and independent two-sample t-test. The TREND statement for reporting non-randomized evaluations was applied for reporting on this quasi-experimental study.

Results

Three constructs showed statistically significant differences comparing the intervention group before and after. Willingness to accompany a dying patient increased from 21.40 to 37.30 (p < .001). Self-estimation of competence in communication with dying patients and their relatives increased from 12.00 to 23.60 (p = .001). Finally, self-estimation of knowledge and skills in Palliative Care increased from 8.30 to 13.20 (p = .001).

Conclusions

This study is a small but systematic step towards rigorous curricular development in palliative care. Our manualised curriculum is available for scrutiny and scientific feedback to support an open and constructive process of best-practice comparison in palliative care.
Cross-layered resource allocation in UWB noise-OFDM-based ad hoc surveillance networks
Authors: Surender Shrawan Chittoor , Narayanan Ram M , Das Chita R
Published: January 2013

Situational awareness in military surveillance and emergency responder scenarios requires detection of long range targets and secure communication of this information across a multi-sensor network. A potential approach towards this requirement is to harness the coexisting advantages of radar sensing and wireless communications. A multi-functional communications-embedded radar design that implicitly develops into a cross-layered multi-radar secure wireless ad hoc network is proposed to address this need. First, we demonstrate radar and communications coexistence through analysis of our novel composite orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM)-embedded ultra wideband (UWB) noise waveform’s bit error rate and ambiguity function formulations. Second, to solve the medium access problem of allocating the multiple OFDM frequencies between different ad hoc radars nodes, we propose a simple yet fully distributed, channel-diversity-aided algorithm. It constructs a contention-free network, scaling logarithmically with the number of radar nodes, and analytically guarantees a provable fraction of the maximum throughput achieved by any optimal centralized allocation algorithm. Furthermore, our solution dynamically adapts with channel variations and topology changes. Working in-sync with the UWB noise-based single radio multi-channel wireless platform, this distributed resource allocation builds a synergistic cross-layered ad hoc network of radars.
Identification of prognostic factors in canine mammary malignant tumours: a multivariable survival study
Authors: Santos Andreia A , Lopes Célia C , Ribeiro Jorge R , Martins Liliana R , Santos Joana C , Amorim Irina F , Gärtner Fátima , Matos Augusto J
Published: January 2013

Background

Although several histopathological and clinical features of canine mammary gland tumours have been widely studied from a prognostic standpoint, considerable variations in tumour individual biologic behaviour difficult the definition of accurate prognostic factors. It has been suggested that the malignant behaviour of tumours is the end result of several alterations in cellular physiology that culminate in tumour growth and spread. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to determine, using a multivariable model, the independent prognostic value of several immunohistochemically detected tumour-associated molecules, such as MMP-9 and uPA in stromal cells and Ki-67, TIMP-2 and VEGF in cancer cells.

Results

Eighty-five female dogs affected by spontaneous malignant mammary neoplasias were followed up for a 2-year post-operative period. In univariate analysis, tumour characteristics such as size, mode of growth, regional lymph node metastases, tumour cell MIB-1 LI and MMP-9 and uPA expressions in tumour-adjacent fibroblasts, were associated with both survival and disease-free intervals. Histological type and grade were related with overall survival while VEGF and TIMP-2 were not significantly associated with none of the outcome parameters. In multivariable analysis, only a MIB-1 labelling index higher than 40% and a stromal expression of MMP-9 higher than 50% retained significant relationships with poor overall and disease-free survival.

Conclusions

The results of this study indicate that MMP-9 and Ki-67 are independent prognostic markers of canine malignant mammary tumours. Furthermore, the high stromal expressions of uPA and MMP-9 in aggressive tumours suggest that these molecules are potential therapeutic targets in the post-operative treatment of canine mammary cancer.
Prevalence of intestinal protozoa infection among school-aged children on Pemba Island, Tanzania, and effect of single-dose albendazole, nitazoxanide and albendazole-nitazoxanide
Authors: Speich Benjamin , Marti Hanspeter , Ame Shaali M , Ali Said M , Bogoch Isaac I , Utzinger Jürg , Albonico Marco , Keiser Jennifer
Published: January 2013

Background

Pathogenic intestinal protozoa infections are common in school-aged children in the developing world and they are frequently associated with malabsorption syndromes and gastrointestinal morbidity. Since diagnosis of these parasites is difficult, prevalence data on intestinal protozoa is scarce.

Methods

We collected two stool samples from school-aged children on Pemba Island, Tanzania, as part of a randomized controlled trial before and 3 weeks after treatment with (i) single-dose albendazole (400 mg); (ii) single-dose nitazoxanide (1,000 mg); (iii) nitazoxanide-albendazole combination (1,000 mg–400 mg), with each drug given separately on two consecutive days; and (iv) placebo. Formalin-fixed stool samples were examined for the presence of intestinal protozoa using an ether-concentration method to determine the prevalence and estimate cure rates (CRs).

Results

Almost half (48.7%) of the children were diagnosed with at least one of the (potentially) pathogenic protozoa Giardia intestinalis, Entamoeba histolytica/E. dispar and Blastocystis hominis. Observed CRs were high for all treatment arms, including placebo. Nitazoxanide showed a significant effect compared to placebo against the non-pathogenic protozoon Entamoeba coli.

Conclusions

Intestinal protozoa infections might be of substantial health relevance even in settings where they are not considered as a health problem. Examination of a single stool sample with the ether-concentration method lacks sensitivity for the diagnosis of intestinal protozoa, and hence, care is indicated when interpreting prevalence estimates and treatment effects.
European rodent on the edge: status and distribution of the Vojvodina blind mole rat
Authors: Németh Attila , Krnács György , Krizsik Virág , Révay Tamás , Czabán Dávid , Stojnić Nikola , Farkas János , Csorba Gábor
Published: January 2013

Recent research of blind mole rats of the species complex Nannospalax (superspecies leucodon) identified a small and fragmented population of these rodents on both sides of the Hungarian-Serbian border. Cytogenetic investigations proved that this population karyologically identical with the Vojvodina blind mole rat described earlier as Nannospalax (leucodon) montanosyrmiensis. Based on cytochrome b gene sequences obtained from three specimens originating from separate locations, these blind mole rats form a discrete phylogenetic clade which, with a difference of about 10%, is well separated from other blind mole rat taxa inhabiting the Carpathian Basin. The taxon has only two extant populations that are 150 km apart from each other. The combined occupied area is estimated to be less than 10 km2, and the total estimated number of individuals is less than 300. These two remaining populations are heavily fragmented and under imminent threat by the establishment of tree plantations, small-scale and agro-industrial farms and land development. The situation is further aggravated by the fact that 80% of the individuals inhabit unprotected areas. A study of the landscape history of the wider area surrounding one of the populations - based on military maps spanning over the last 200 years - has shown a drastic decrease in the extent and quality of potential habitats. Based on our present knowledge, the Vojvodina blind mole rat is one of the most seriously threatened, rarest mammal in Europe, the remaining population of which can be wiped out within years unless immediate conservation action is taken.
Limits on resolution enhancement for PS data mapped to PP time
Authors: Ursenbach Chuck , Cary Peter , Perz Mike
Published: December 2012

Motivated by the desire for greater resolution in PS data, and an interest in methods designed to produce this, we have explored some fundamental concepts of PS resolution in order to better understand proposed methods. Our study has produced three key results: PS-to-PP mapping using either interval or average velocity ratios yields identical results. Although mapping changes the bandwidth of the PS signal, it does not change its wavelength or resolution. Modest increases in resolution can be realized after mapping if the wavelet is known, but any method designed to increase bandwidth without such knowledge should be treated with caution.
Functional evaluation of ES cell-derived endodermal populations reveals differences between Nodal and Activin A-guided differentiation
Authors: Chen Alice E. , Borowiak Malgorzata , Sherwood Richard I. , Kweudjeu Anastasie , Melton Douglas A.
Published: January 2013

Embryonic stem (ES) cells hold great promise with respect to their potential to be differentiated into desired cell types. Of interest are organs derived from the definitive endoderm, such as the pancreas and liver, and animal studies have revealed an essential role for Nodal in development of the definitive endoderm. Activin A is a related TGFβ member that acts through many of the same downstream signaling effectors as Nodal and is thought to mimic Nodal activity. Detailed characterization of ES cell-derived endodermal cell types by gene expression analysis in vitro and functional analysis in vivo reveal that, despite their similarity in gene expression, Nodal and Activin-derived endodermal cells exhibit a distinct difference in functional competence following transplantation into the developing mouse embryo. Pdx1-expressing cells arising from the respective endoderm populations exhibit extended differences in their competence to mature into insulin/c-peptide-expressing cells in vivo. Our findings underscore the importance of functional cell-type evaluation during stepwise differentiation of stem cells.
Radial glia – from boring cables to stem cell stars
Authors: Malatesta Paolo , Götz Magdalena
Published: January 2013

The discovery in the year 2000 that radial glial cells act as neural stem and progenitor cells in development has led to a change in the concept of neural stem cells in the adult brain. Not only are adult stem cells in the neurogenic niches glial in nature, but also glial cells outside these niches display greater potential when reacting to brain injury. Thus, a concept that emerged from developmental studies may hold the clue for neural repair.
Sox17 haploinsufficiency results in perinatal biliary atresia and hepatitis in C57BL/6 background mice
Authors: Uemura Mami , Ozawa Aisa , Nagata Takumi , Kurasawa Kaoruko , Tsunekawa Naoki , Nobuhisa Ikuo , Taga Tetsuya , Hara Kenshiro , Kudo Akihiko , Kawakami Hayato , Saijoh Yukio , Kurohmaru Masamichi , Kanai-Azuma Masami , Kanai Yoshiakira
Published: January 2013

Congenital biliary atresia is an incurable disease of newborn infants, of unknown genetic causes, that results in congenital deformation of the gallbladder and biliary duct system. Here, we show that during mouse organogenesis, insufficient SOX17 expression in the gallbladder and bile duct epithelia results in congenital biliary atresia and subsequent acute ‘embryonic hepatitis’, leading to perinatal death in ~95% of the Sox17 heterozygote neonates in C57BL/6 (B6) background mice. During gallbladder and bile duct development, Sox17 was expressed at the distal edge of the gallbladder primordium. In the Sox17+/− B6 embryos, gallbladder epithelia were hypoplastic, and some were detached from the luminal wall, leading to bile duct stenosis or atresia. The shredding of the gallbladder epithelia is probably caused by cell-autonomous defects in proliferation and maintenance of the Sox17+/− gallbladder/bile duct epithelia. Our results suggest that Sox17 plays a dosage-dependent function in the morphogenesis and maturation of gallbladder and bile duct epithelia during the late-organogenic stages, highlighting a novel entry point to the understanding of the etiology and pathogenesis of human congenital biliary atresia.
A germline-centric view of cell fate commitment, reprogramming and immortality
Authors: Torres-Padilla Maria-Elena , Ciosk Rafal
Published: January 2013

To ensure species continuity, the tantalising developmental plasticity of early embryonic cells, also called totipotency, must be transmitted to the offspring. This responsibility rests within the reproductive cell lineage: the germ line. At the recent EMBO/EMBL symposium ‘Germline – Immortality through Totipotency’, researchers discussed the mechanisms that establish and control totipotency, with an eye towards the mechanisms that may endow germ cells with the ability to propagate totipotency across generations.
Cyclin E controlsDrosophilafemale germline stem cell maintenance independently of its role in proliferation by modulating responsiveness to niche signals
Authors: Ables Elizabeth T. , Drummond-Barbosa Daniela
Published: January 2013

Stem cells must proliferate while maintaining ‘stemness’; however, much remains to be learned about how factors that control the division of stem cells influence their identity. Multiple stem cell types display cell cycles with short G1 phases, thought to minimize susceptibility to differentiation factors. Drosophila female germline stem cells (GSCs) have short G1 and long G2 phases, and diet-dependent systemic factors often modulate G2. We previously observed that Cyclin E (CycE), a known G1/S regulator, is atypically expressed in GSCs during G2/M; however, it remained unclear whether CycE has cell cycle-independent roles in GSCs or whether it acts exclusively by modulating the cell cycle. In this study, we detected CycE activity during G2/M, reflecting its altered expression pattern, and showed that CycE and its canonical partner, Cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (Cdk2), are required not only for GSC proliferation, but also for GSC maintenance. In genetic mosaics, CycE- and Cdk2-deficient GSCs are rapidly lost from the niche, remain arrested in a G1-like state, and undergo excessive growth and incomplete differentiation. However, we found that CycE controls GSC maintenance independently of its role in the cell cycle; GSCs harboring specific hypomorphic CycE mutations are not efficiently maintained despite normal proliferation rates. Finally, CycE-deficient GSCs have an impaired response to niche bone morphogenetic protein signals that are required for GSC self-renewal, suggesting that CycE modulates niche-GSC communication. Taken together, these results show unequivocally that the roles of CycE/Cdk2 in GSC division cycle regulation and GSC maintenance are separable, and thus potentially involve distinct sets of phosphorylation targets.
Age estimation from physiological changes of teeth by Gustafson's method
Authors: Shrigiriwar Manish , Jadhav Vijay
Published: December 2012

Age determination is crucial in medicolegal cases. Various factors are considered for determination of age, out of which teeth are the most durable structures in human body which are better preserved even in the acidic soil. In many archaeological sites and forensic cases, teeth are the only available human remains for the identification and age determination purpose. We conducted this study to know the changes in teeth with advancement of age. In our study, 80 cases in the age group of 26-70 years were studied, out of which 58 were men and 22 women. The six physiological changes in teeth, viz. attrition, periodontosis, secondary dentin deposition, root translucency, cementum apposition and root resorption, were studied with each parameter having score ranging from 0 to 3. Total score was calculated by adding the scores of all the six physiological factors. The regression analysis was done by plotting the total score allotted against the actual age of the person. This regression line was used to derive the regression formula which came out as y = 3.71 x + 16.03 and from this, age of the person was calculated. The average age difference between known and estimated age in this study was found to be ±4.43 years.
Having versus Consuming: Failure to Estimate Usage Frequency Makes Consumers Prefer Multifeature Products
Authors: Goodman Joseph K. , Irmak Caglar
Published: January 2013

The authors investigate whether consumers systematically consider feature usage before making multifunctional product purchase decisions. Across five studies and four product domains, the article shows that consumers fail to estimate their feature usage rate before purchasing multifunctional products, negatively affecting product satisfaction. The findings demonstrate that when consumers do estimate their feature usage before choice, preferences shift from many-feature products toward few-feature products. The authors show that this shift in preferences is due to a change in elaboration from having features to using features, and they identify three key moderators to the effect: need for cognition, feature trivialness, and materialism. Finally, the authors investigate the downstream consequences of usage estimation on product satisfaction, demonstrating that consumers who estimate usage before choice experience greater product satisfaction and are more likely to recommend their chosen product. These results point to the relative importance consumers place on having versus using product features.
Conflict Irresolution in the South China Sea
Authors: Scott David
Published: January 2013

In the South China Sea dispute, some Track-2 settings, along with Track-1 efforts by ASEAN and China, have facilitated some conflict “management.” But they have not brought about conflict “resolution” of the basic sovereignty and control issues. Conflict “irresolution” has ensued instead. Short-term balancing may perhaps generate long-term socialization convergence.
India's New Public Diplomacy
Authors: Hall Ian
Published: January 2013

Over the past decade, India has invested significant resources in public diplomacy, using traditional and new approaches to build and leverage its soft power. This article examines the reasons for this investment, the various forms of public diplomacy India employs, and the effectiveness of its efforts to shape public opinion. It finds that Indian investment in public diplomacy is partly a response to concerns about the perceived growth of Chinese soft power and partly a function of changed beliefs in the foreign policy-making elite about the uses of new social media. It also finds that India's new public diplomacy seems to have met with some––albeit patchy––success in augmenting its soft power.
Understanding China's Behavioral Change in the WTO Dispute Settlement System
Authors: Li Xiaojun
Published: January 2013

This article reviews China's change from cautious observer to active participant in the World Trade Organization's (WTO) dispute settlement system over the past decade. It argues that normative, rather than material, constraints deterred China from WTO litigation in the initial years of its membership.
Intragenic suppression of a constitutively active allele of Gsα associated with McCune–Albright syndrome
Authors: Tobar-Rubin Raquel , Sultan Dahlia , Janevska Daniela , Turcic Kyle , Carroll Julie , Ooms Laura , Pals-Rylaarsdam Robin
Published: January 2013

McCune–Albright syndrome (MAS) is a human genetic disorder caused by a mutation that constitutively activates the Gsα subunit by abolishing GTP hydrolysis. MAS patients suffer from a range of endocrinopathies as well as polyostotic fibrous dysplasia of bone. We previously identified an intragenic suppressor of the MAS mutation in a yeast system, which substituted two residues in the GTP-binding site of Gpa1: L318P and D319V to suppress the constitutive activity of an R297H mutation, corresponding to the human F222P, D223V, and R201H mutations respectively. To extend these studies, the humanGNASgene was subjected to site-directed mutagenesis. Constructs expressing the MAS mutation (R201H), the MAS mutation plus the mutations homologous to the yeast suppressors (R201H, F222P/D223V), or the yeast suppressor mutation alone (F222P/D223V) were transfected into HEK293 cells, and basal and receptor-stimulated cAMP levels were measured. Expression of R201H increased the basal cAMP levels and decreased the EC50for hormone-stimulated cAMP production. These effects were dependent on the amount of R201H protein expressed. R201H, F222P/D223V abolished the constitutive activity of the MAS mutation and caused responses to hormone that were not different from those measured in cells expressing WT Gsα. Interestingly, F222P/D223V behaved similar to R201H in causing increases in basal cAMP production, thus demonstrating constitutive activity. Substitution of another acidic (E) or polar (N, T, and G) amino acid at position 223 caused no suppression of R201H activity, while substitution of a second nonpolar amino acid (A) at this position partially suppressed, and the larger polar I residue completely suppressed the effects of R201H.
Coated vs Uncoated Implants: Bone Defect Configurations After Progressive Peri-implantitis in Dogs
Authors: Madi Marwa , Zakaria Osama , Kasugai Shohei
Published: January 2013

In this study, hydroxyapatite coated vs uncoated implants were used to evaluate the type and dimensions of bone defects after progressive peri-implantitis in dogs. Thirty-two dental implants with 4 different surfaces—machined (M), sandblasted acid-etched (SA), 1-μm thin sputter hydroxyapatite (HA)-coated (S), and plasma-sprayed HA-coated (P)—were inserted into the mandibles of 4 beagle dogs after extracting all mandibular premolars. Experimental peri-implantitis was induced after 3 months using ligature to allow for plaque accumulation. After 4 months, ligatures were removed and plaque accumulation continued for 5 months (progression period). The open flap surgery demonstrated 3 patterns of peri-implantitis bone defect: (1) Class I defect: represented as circumferential intra-alveolar bone loss; (2) Class II defect: circumferential intra-alveolar defect with supra-alveolar bone loss exposing the implant surface; and (3) Class III defect: represented as circumferential intra-alveolar defect with supra-alveolar bone loss and buccal dehiscence. Class I was the most frequent (62.5%) defect pattern around implant types M, SA, and S; while implant type-P showed a recurring majority of Class II (62.5%). Comparison among the 4 implant groups revealed a significant defect width (DW) in implant type-P relative to other types (P < 0.01). However, no statistically significant differences were noted for defect depth (DD) (P > 0.05). We concluded that the shape and size of peri-implantitis bone defects were influenced by the type and thickness of the HA coat together with the quantity of the available peri-implant bone. Plasma-sprayed HA-coated implants showed larger peri-implant defects than did thin sputter HA-coated implants.
Characteristic study of fly-ash+quartz+illmenite composite coatings on copper substrates
Authors: Behera Ajit , Mishra Subash Chandra
Published: January 2013

Fly ash produced from iron and steel industries contains rich amount of metal oxides, which has the potential of using it as a coating material on structural and engineering components. This demand leads to the development and characterizes various types of composite coatings of fly ash by using a robust technique, that is, plasma spraying. Plasma spray technology has the advantage of being able to process various low-grade minerals to obtain value-added products and also to deposit metals, ceramics and a combination of these, generating approximately homogeneous coatings with the desired microstructure. In the present investigation, coatings are developed on copper substrates using fly-ash+quartz+illmenite composite at various plasma torch input power levels ranging from 11 to 21 kW DC. Metallographic and chemical characterization of the produced composite coatings was performed with the aid of scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. The adhesion strength was measured by using coating pull-out method. Maximum adhesion strength is found to be 6·32 MPa. Here, adhesion strength was higher than that of fly-ash+quatz and fly-ash+illmenite composite coating. It was found that the quality and properties of the composite coating are significantly affected by the operating power level of the plasma spray torch. This study identifies fly ash+quartz+illmenite as a potential coating material for structural and engineering applications.
Age effects on sensory-processing abilities and their impact on handwriting
Authors: Engel-Yeger Batya , Hus Sari , Rosenblum Sara
Published: December 2012

Background.

Sensory-processing abilities are known to deteriorate in the elderly. As a result, daily activities such as handwriting may be impaired. Yet, knowledge about sensory-processing involvement in handwriting characteristics among older persons is limited.

Purpose

To examine how age influences sensory-processing abilities and the impact on handwriting as a daily performance.

Method.

The study participants were 118 healthy, independently functioning adults divided into four age groups: 31–45, 46–60, 61–75 and 76+ years. All participants completed the Adolescent/Adult Sensory Profile (AASP). Handwriting process was documented using the Computerized Handwriting Penmanship Evaluation Tool (ComPET).

Findings.

Age significantly affects sensory processing and handwriting pressure as well as temporal and spatial measures. Both handwriting time and spatial organization of the written product were predicted by sensory seeking. When examining age contribution to the prediction of handwriting by sensory processing, sensory seeking showed a tendency for predicting handwriting pressure (p = .06), while sensory sensitivity significantly predicted handwriting velocity.

Implications.

Age appears to influence sensory-processing abilities and affect daily performance tasks, such as handwriting, for which sensitivity and seeking for sensations are essential. Awareness of clinicians to sensory-processing deficits among older adults and examining their impact on broader daily activities are essential to improve daily performance and quality of life.
Atherosclerotic Disease in Type 2 Diabetes Is Associated With an Increase in Sclerostin Levels
Authors: Morales-Santana Sonia , García-Fontana Beatriz , García-Martín Antonia , Rozas-Moreno Pedro , García-Salcedo José Antonio , Reyes-García Rebeca , Muñoz-Torres Manuel
Published: January 2013

OBJECTIVE

Wnt/β-catenin signaling is related to the pathogenesis of several diseases. Sclerostin is an inhibitor of Wnt/β-catenin signaling. However, there are few data regarding the sclerostin levels and vascular disease. Our aim was to examine the relationship between serum sclerostin and atherosclerotic disease (AD) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We performed a cross-sectional study including 78 T2DM patients (45.3% females, mean age 59 ± 5.7 years; 54.7% males, 57.4 ± 6.7 years).

RESULTS

Serum sclerostin concentrations of T2DM patients in the AD group were significantly higher than in the non-AD group (P = 0.006). For each increase of 1 pmol/L in sclerostin level, there was a 4% increase of the risk of AD in T2DM patients. A concentration of ≥42.3 pmol/L showed a sensitivity of 69% and a specificity of 54.8% to detect an increased risk of AD. In males, sclerostin levels were higher in those with AD (P = 0.04), abnormal intima-media thickness (IMT) (P = 0.004), carotid plaques (P < 0.001), and aortic calcification (P < 0.001). In females, higher levels of sclerostin were related to abnormal IMT (P = 0.03) and aortic calcifications (P = 0.004). Homocysteine (β = 0.319 [95% CI 0.561–2.586], P = 0.003) and IMT (β = 0.330 [14.237–67.693], P = 0.003) were positively correlated with sclerostin.

CONCLUSIONS

Circulating sclerostin is increased in T2DM patients with atherosclerotic lesions. Although the sample size of our study was small, these data suggest that sclerostin levels could be a major modulator of Wnt signaling in AD with implications in T2DM patients.