bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Desert Biome
Authors: Ward David
Published: March 2013

Deserts are defined by their arid conditions. However, deserts are not necessarily dry. It is the high evaporation relative to the precipitation that makes a desert such a harsh environment. Such evaporation occurs because deserts are often, but not always, hot, and because precipitation is low. A result of this aridity is that most of the area occupied by deserts is barren and monotonous. However, biologists perceive deserts to be laboratories of nature, where natural selection is exposed at its most extreme. Scientists have long considered the many unique adaptations of plants and animals for surviving the harsh desert environment. More recently, researchers have focused on the biotic interactions among organisms. Thus, the harsh abiotic environment defines the desert and imposes the strong selection pressures on organisms that live there. However, it is the relative simplicity of desert ecosystems that makes them frequently more tractable for study than more complex environments such as forests. According to Gideon Louw and Mary Seely’s Ecology of Desert Organisms (Louw and Seely 1982, cited under General Overviews) and John Sowell’s Desert Ecology (Sowell 2001, cited under Specific Deserts), most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than 400 mm. A common definition distinguishes between true deserts, which receive less than 250 mm of average annual precipitation, and semideserts or steppes, which receive between 250 mm and 400 to 500 mm. Four factors influence the lack of rainfall in deserts: (1) the global atmospheric circulation maintains twin belts of dry, high-pressure air over the edges of the tropics, called Hadley cells; (2) marine circulation patterns contribute to aridity when cold coastal waters on the west coasts of North and South America, Africa, and Australia chill the air, reducing its moisture-carrying capacity; (3) rain shadows are created by mountain ranges; and (4) if the distances to the interior of a continent are too great (such as in the Gobi and Taklamakan deserts of China), then water is limited. Many of these four factors act in tandem. An additional type of desert is the polar desert, which occurs in the McMurdo dry valleys of Antarctica. This desert has extremely low humidity and no snow cover. Katabatic winds, which occur when cold and dense air is pulled down by gravity, heat as they descend and evaporate all moisture (see Doran, et al. 2002, cited under Defining the Desert Biome). These winds can reach speeds in excess of 300 km per hour. Here too, rain shadows are created by mountain ranges that are sufficiently high that the seaward-flowing ice is blocked from reaching the sea, thereby reducing humidity.
Latin American Jewish Literature
Authors: Stavans Ilan
Published: March 2013

Jewish writing in Latin America is a centuries-old tradition dating back to the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas. During the colonial period, it manifested itself among crypto-Jews who hid their religious identity for fear of being persecuted by the Holy Office of the Inquisition. Assimilation mostly decimated this chapter, which is often seen as connected with Sephardic literature after the expulsion of Jews from Spain in 1492. New waves of Jews arrived in the last third of the 19th century from two geographic locations: the Ottoman Empire (this wave is described as Levantine and its languages as Ladino, French, Spanish, and Arabic) and eastern Europe (or Ashkenazi with Yiddish, German, and central European tongues). Jewish life thrived in Latin America throughout the 20th century. The largest, most artistically productive communities were in Argentina, Brazil, Cuba, and Mexico, and smaller ones existed in Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Guatemala, Panama, and Uruguay. Identity as a theme permeates everything written by Latin American Jewish writers. Central issues defining this literary tradition are immigration, anti-Semitism, World War II, Zionism, and the Middle Eastern conflict. The Jewish literary tradition in Latin America has undergone crossovers as a result of translations, global marketing, and the polyglot nature of several of its practitioners. This field of study is still in its infancy. Some important studies on Latin American Jewish history, either continental in scope or by country, appeared in the late 20th century and serve as context for the analysis. The literature has received less attention (some periods, such as the 19th century, are entirely forgotten), although, as this article attests, things are changing. The foundation for daring, in-depth literary explorations as well as interdisciplinary analysis is already in place. When possible this article showcases available monographs, although important research material remains scattered in periodicals and edited volumes.
Russia
Authors: Freeze ChaeRan
Published: March 2013

Following the partitions of Poland (1772–1795), the Russian Empire inherited one of the largest Jewish populations in Europe. Catherine II extended religious tolerance to her new subjects, a decision that exploited existing confessional structures to maintain the status quo and impose a semblance of order in the borderlands. At the same time, eager to integrate her new subjects, Catherine II required Jews to register in the social estate system, which defined juridical identities. The dual impulse to integrate while exploiting separation was one of the key characteristics of tsarist policies toward the Jews throughout the imperial period. The Jews became subject to an increasingly invasive complex of legislation including conscription, compulsory education, and other reforms intended to break down Jewish insularity. At the same time, they confronted legal discrimination, especially the notorious Pale of Settlement, which enforced Jewish segregation. During the Great Reforms, the regime began to liberalize policy, allowing “useful” categories of Jews to settle beyond the Pale, creating unprecedented opportunities for social and geographic mobility and professional advancement. The state also unintentionally unleashed dangerous expectations and ambitions for more radical change, planting the seeds of revolution and violence. By the mid-1880s, the regime began to reverse its concessions, promulgating the infamous May Laws (1882) with educational quotas and other legal restrictions and failing to act decisively against the pogroms. In response to violence, discrimination, poverty, and the tumultuous events of the Revolution of 1905 and World War I, Jews opted to emigrate, revitalize Jewish life in Russia through civic and cultural initiatives, or participate in revolutionary political movements. The Jewish population in the Russian Empire was astonishingly diverse in terms of its religious traditions and subcultures. The rapid spread of Hasidim during the 19th century spurred opposition and reinvigorated institutions of Torah study among the mitnagdim and ethical studies among the adherents of the Musar movement. The Jewish Enlightenment movement, though it boasted only a small number of adherents, was influential in shaping new sensibilities and cultural codes. It gave birth to a modern Jewish literature in Hebrew, Yiddish, and Russian and a secular culture. Though Jewish enlightened thinkers embraced modernization, some feared radical assimilation and searched for national solutions, especially following the failure of reformism and the rise of anti-Semitism and nationalism. Movements such as Zionism, Bundism, and autonomism provided a secular framework for expressing Jewish identity and political aspirations.
Biblical Archaeology
Authors: Faust Avraham
Published: March 2013

The term “biblical archaeology” has meant different things to different people at different times. During most of its history, the term was used broadly and included archaeological (and archaeology-related) activities in the biblical lands, mainly the Near East but even beyond it, from prehistory to the medieval period. Later, the term was seen as parochial, narrow, and religiously loaded, and many felt uncomfortable using it, sometimes calling for a “secular archaeology” (e.g., William Dever), and preferring instead terms such as “Syria-Palestinian archaeology,” “Near Eastern archaeology,” or “archaeology of the Levant.” The change has also been connected with the decrease in the historical value attributed to the biblical narratives, and to political correctness. The term, nevertheless, is still widely used, and many scholars speak today about “new biblical archaeology.” Geographically, the new term is narrower, covering mainly the Land of Israel (also known as the southern Levant, Palestine, or the Holy Land; roughly covering the area of modern Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian Authority). Chronologically, it still covers a long period, but a difference exists between Israeli usage and American/European usage. Both “groups” begin the era with the start of the Bronze Age (although all agree that there was nothing “biblical” in those periods). For Israeli scholars, however, the biblical period refers to the time covered in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament), and it ends by the Late Iron Age, or the Persian period. For most American and European scholars, especially in the past, the term embraced the Hellenistic period, the Roman period, and perhaps even the Byzantine period. Today, however, scholars specialize either in the early periods (Bronze and Iron Ages) or in the later (Hellenistic-Byzantine) periods, and the term “biblical archaeology” is becoming synonymous with the Bronze and Iron Ages (including the Persian period). Indeed, these are the periods that will receive most attention here. Although originally the “child” of biblical studies and archaeology, in its current usage the term is not necessarily connected with the Bible; rather, it relates to studies of a certain era in a certain region. Due to the wide definitions of biblical archaeology, and in light of the differences in meanings associated with it, the boundaries between biblical archaeology and other disciplines are not always clear cut, and they have changed over the course of the discipline’s history. Therefore, the following sections will address some works that are not archaeological in nature. Notably, this article will usually not refer to excavation reports or technical ceramic studies.
Entrepreneurship
Authors: Barringer Bruce R.
Published: March 2013

The word “entrepreneur” derives from the French word entre, meaning “between,” and prendre, meaning “to take.” The word was originally used to describe people who “take on the risk” between buyers and sellers or who “undertake” a task such as starting a new business. Inventors and entrepreneurs differ from each other. An inventor creates something new. An entrepreneur assembles and then integrates all the resources needed—the money, the people, the business model, the legal structure, the risk-bearing ability—to transfer the idea into a viable business. Entrepreneurship is defined by H. H. Stevenson and J. C. Jarillo, two prominent entrepreneurship scholars, as “the process by which individuals pursue opportunities without regard to the resources they currently control.” Others see entrepreneurship as the art of turning an idea into a business. In both instances, the essence of entrepreneurship is identifying opportunities and putting useful ideas into practice. This task can be accomplished by an individual, a group, or an established corporation and requires creativity, drive, and a willingness to take risks. Compared to other academic disciplines, entrepreneurship is a new field. For instance, the first article in the Journal of Applied Psychology was published in 1917, while the first article to appear in an entrepreneurship journal was published in 1987. Entrepreneurship has since become a vibrant academic field. It has also captured the attention of individuals, groups, and governments across the world. Even young people are aware of entrepreneurship and its potential. In fact, according to a Harris Interactive survey of 2,438 Americans ages eight to twenty-one, 40 percent said they would like to start their own business someday.
Emotions in Organizational Behavior
Authors: Ashkanasy Neal M.
Published: March 2013

The study of emotions in organizational settings is a subfield within the discipline of organizational behavior (OB), which Ricky W. Griffin defines as “the study of human behavior in organizational settings, of the interface between human behavior and the organization, and of the organization itself” (see the Oxford Bibliographies in Management article Organizational Behavior). As is the case with OB, emotion research is multidisciplinary, including influences from psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science, economics, industrial engineering, and philosophy. In this article the term “emotion” is used as a catch-all, covering discrete emotion (visceral reaction to environmental events), mood (longer-term visceral states, not necessarily related to environmental events), affect (positive or negative emotions or moods, varying on dimensions of valence and intensity), and feelings (subjective experience of emotions or moods).
Coaching and Feedback for Leadership Development and Organizational Change
Authors: London Manuel , Zyberaj Jetmir
Published: March 2013

The purpose of this article is to provide a review of predominantly early-21st-century publications in the field of executive coaching and feedback methods and processes. The article begins with books on coaching practice, moves to research on coaching methods and effects, then turns to the literature on feedback. This literature is growing considerably as more practitioners publish work on methods, and as more researchers on organizational behavior and development and organizational psychology conduct studies to understand reactions to coaching and the value of coaching and feedback to clients’ behavior change and job performance.
Humanistic Geography
Authors: Allen Casey D.
Published: March 2013

Since its inception, humanistic geography has often been contested as a “real” discipline. Sometimes used (incorrectly, some critical theorists say) interchangeably with the concept of humanism because of its focus on the human in all its forms (e.g., agency, awareness, consciousness, creativity, etc.), humanistic geography focuses on products of human activity. Humanistic geography can also be seen as a way to understand those events considered valuable and meaningful to humans. Although usually seen as a specifically human geography pursuit, as philosopher, author, and geographer Yi-Fu Tuan alludes, it can (and should) also play a role in physical geography. Some physical geographers realize that “hard” science still includes humanistic tenets and advocate a need for infusing humanistic geography into that field. This new physical geography critique notwithstanding, humanistic geography is usually historically equated with the French school of human geography (such as the writings by Paul Vidal de la Blache) along with Neo-Kantianism and Robert E. Park’s Chicago School pragmatism, while also focusing on (sense of) place and the individual’s interpretation of place—although “people” and “humans” also collectively fall under its umbrella.
Cuban Americans
Authors: Moreno Dario
Published: March 2013

Cuban American refers to people of Cuban origins who live in the United States. The term can be applied to recent immigrants from the island as well as fifth-generation native-born Americans of Cuban ancestry. Cuban American studies are focused largely on Cuban exceptionalism. Scholars postulate that the Cuban American community in the United States is unique from other Latino and immigrant groups. The identity of exile combined with Miami’s Cuban economic enclave creates a distinctive immigration experience for Cubans. The idea that Cuban Americans are different from other Latin groups is pervasive throughout the literature. Sociologists argue that Cubans are different from other Latinos on the basis of a variety of socioeconomic indicators. Cubans simply have been more economically successful than any other Latino groups. Political scientists point out that unlike other Latinos, Cuban exiles have become Republicans due to their strong anti-Communist belief. Other political scientists have found that Cuban Americans have unique voting behavior in terms of higher participation and bloc voting. Other writers look at the long history of Cuban migration to the United States, the use of religious symbolism, and Cuban literature and art to understand Cuban American exceptionalism.
Pseudo-Hermitian quantum mechanics with unbounded metric operators
Authors: Mostafazadeh Ali
Published: March 2013

I extend the formulation of pseudo-Hermitian quantum mechanics to
η
+
-pseudo-Hermitian Hamiltonian operators
H
with an unbounded metric operator
η
+
. In particular, I give the details of the construction of the physical Hilbert space, observables and equivalent Hermitian Hamiltonian for the case that
H
has a real and discrete spectrum and its eigenvectors belong to the domain of
η
+
and consequently

.
AtWRKY40 and AtWRKY63 Modulate the Expression of Stress-Responsive Nuclear Genes Encoding Mitochondrial and Chloroplast Proteins
Authors: Van Aken Olivier , Zhang Botao , Law Simon , Narsai Reena , Whelan James
Published: March 2013

The expression of a variety of nuclear genes encoding mitochondrial proteins is known to adapt to changes in environmental conditions and retrograde signaling. The presence of putative WRKY transcription factor binding sites (W-boxes) in the promoters of many of these genes prompted a screen of 72 annotated WRKY factors in the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) genome for regulators of transcripts encoding mitochondrial proteins. A large-scale yeast one-hybrid screen was used to identify WRKY factors that bind the promoters of marker genes (Alternative oxidase1a, NADH dehydrogenaseB2, and the AAA ATPase Ubiquinol-cytochrome c reductase synthesis1), and interactions were confirmed using electromobility shift assays. Transgenic overexpression and knockout lines for 12 binding WRKY factors were generated and tested for altered expression of the marker genes during normal and stress conditions. AtWRKY40 was found to be a repressor of antimycin A-induced mitochondrial retrograde expression and high-light-induced signaling, while AtWRKY63 was identified as an activator. Genome-wide expression analysis following high-light stress in transgenic lines with perturbed AtWRKY40 and AtWRKY63 function revealed that these factors are involved in regulating stress-responsive genes encoding mitochondrial and chloroplast proteins but have little effect on more constitutively expressed genes encoding organellar proteins. Furthermore, it appears that AtWRKY40 and AtWRKY63 are particularly involved in regulating the expression of genes responding commonly to both mitochondrial and chloroplast dysfunction but not of genes responding to either mitochondrial or chloroplast perturbation. In conclusion, this study establishes the role of WRKY transcription factors in the coordination of stress-responsive genes encoding mitochondrial and chloroplast proteins.
Understanding the microcrystal tests of three related phenethylamines: theortho-metallated (±)-amphetamine formed with gold(III) chloride, and the tetrachloridoaurate(III) salts of (+)-methamphetamine and (±)-ephedrine
Authors: Wood Matthew R. , Lalancette Roger A.
Published: March 2013

Theortho-metallation product of the reaction of (±)-amphetamine with gold(III) chloride, [D,L-2-(2-aminopropyl)phenyl-κ2N,C1]dichloridogold(III), [Au(C9H12N)Cl2], and the two salts resulting from crystallization of (+)-methamphetamine with gold(III) chloride, D-methyl(1-phenylpropan-2-yl)azanium tetrachloridoaurate(III), (C10H16N)[AuCl4], and of (±)-ephedrine with gold(III) chloride, D,L-(1-hydroxy-1-phenylpropan-2-yl)(methyl)azanium tetrachloridoaurate(III), (C10H16NO)[AuCl4], have different structures. The first makes a bidentate complex directly with a dichloridogold(III) group, forming a six-membered ring structure; the second and third each form a salt with [AuCl4]−(each has two formula units in the asymmetric unit). The organic components are all members of the same class of stimulants that are prevalent in illicit drug use. These structures are important contributions to the understanding of the microcrystal tests for these drugs that have been employed for well over 100 years.
(4,6-Dimethyl-2-sulfanylidenepyrimidin-1-ium) trichlorido(thiourea-κS)zinc(II)
Authors: Fu Wei-Wei , Chen Man-Sheng , Liu Yang , Zhang Fu-Xing
Published: March 2013

The title compound, (C6H9N2S)[ZnCl3{SC(NH2)2}], exists as a zincate where the zinc(II) centre is coordinated by three chloride ligands and a thiourea ligand to form the anion. The organic cation adopts the protonated 4,6-dimethyl-2-sulfanylidenepyrimidin-1-ium (L) form of 4,6-dimethylpyrimidine-2(1H)-thione. Two short N—H...Cl hydrogen bonds involving the pyrimidine H atoms and the [ZnCl3L]−anion form a crystallographically centrosymmetric dimeric unit consisting of two anions and two cations. The packing structure is completed by longer-range hydrogen bonds donated by the thiourea NH2groups to chloride ligand hydrogen-bond acceptors.
A hydrogen-bonded tetramer in (2RS,4SR)-7-bromo-2-(2-methylphenyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-naphtho[1,2-b]azepin-4-ol and a three-dimensional hydrogen-bonded framework in (2RS,4SR)-2-(3-methylthiophen-2-yl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-naphtho[1,2-b]azepin-4-ol
Authors: Yépes Andrés F. , Palma Alirio , Cobo Justo , Glidewell Christopher
Published: March 2013

(2RS,4SR)-7-Bromo-2-(2-methylphenyl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-naphtho[1,2-b]azepin-4-ol, C21H20BrNO, (I), and (2RS,4SR)-2-(3-methylthiophen-2-yl)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-naphtho[1,2-b]azepin-4-ol, C19H19NOS, (II), both crystallize withZ′ = 2 in the space groupsP21/candCc, respectively; compound (II) crystallizes as a nonmerohedral twin, with twin fractions 0.183 (2) and 0.817 (2). The molecules of (I) are linked by O—H...O and O—H...N hydrogen bonds to form a cyclic centrosymmetricR44(16) tetramer. The molecules of (II) are linked by O—H...O hydrogen bonds to form aC22(4) chain and these chains are weakly linked by a single C—H...π(thienyl) interaction to form a three-dimensional array. Comparisons are made with some related compounds.
Evolutionary replacement of obligate symbionts in an ancient and diverse insect lineage
Authors: Koga Ryuichi , Bennett Gordon M. , Cryan Jason R. , Moran Nancy A.
Published: March 2013

Many insect groups depend on ancient obligate symbioses with bacteria that undergo long‐term genomic degradation due to inactivation and loss of ancestral genes. Sap‐feeding insects in the hemipteran suborder Auchenorrhyncha show complex symbioses with at least two obligate bacterial symbionts, inhabiting specialized host cells (bacteriocytes). We explored the symbiotic relationships of the spittlebugs (Auchenorrhyncha: Cercopoidea) using phylogenetic and microscopy methods. Results show that most spittlebugs contain the symbionts Sulcia muelleri (Bacteroidetes) and Zinderia insecticola (Betaproteobacteria) with each restricted to its own bacteriocyte type. However, the ancestral Zinderia symbiont has been replaced with a novel symbiont closely related to Sodalis glossinidius (Enterobacteriaceae) in members of the ecologically successful spittlebug tribe Philaenini. At least one spittlebug species retains Sulcia and Zinderia, but also has acquired a Sodalis‐like symbiont, possibly representing a transitional stage in the evolutionary succession of symbioses. Phylogenetic analyses including symbionts of other Auchenorrhyncha lineages suggest that Zinderia, like Sulcia, descends from an ancestral symbiont present in the common ancestor of Auchenorrhyncha. This betaproteobacterial symbiont has been repeatedly replaced by other symbionts, such as the Sodalis‐like symbiont of spittlebugs. Symbiont replacement may offer a route for hosts to escape dependence on an ancient, degraded and potentially inefficient symbiont.
Endometriosis in adolescence: predictive markers and management
Authors: Steenberg Christine K. , Tanbo Tom G. , Qvigstad Erik
Published: March 2013

Endometriosis has long been thought mostly to affect the adult female population. However, awareness of possible endometriosis already in adolescence is now receiving increasing attention. It seems that certain markers in adolescence are associated with a subsequent diagnosis of the disease. These include chronic pelvic pain, severe dysmenorrhea, dysmenorrhea resistant to non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs and oral contraceptive pills, and pain interfering with daily activity. Based on current knowledge, it should be possible to diagnose endometriosis before adulthood, thereby alleviating symptoms and possibly limiting sequelae. To do so, knowledge of adolescent endometriosis has to be improved among both health professionals and the public.
A novel GFP reporter mouse reveals Mustn1 expression in adult regenerating skeletal muscle, activated satellite cells and differentiating myoblasts
Authors: Krause M. P. , Moradi J. , Coleman S. K. , D'Souza D. M. , Liu C. , Kronenberg M. S. , Rowe D. W. , Hawke T. J. , Hadjiargyrou M.
Published: March 2013

Aim

Mustn1 has been implicated in myofusion as well as skeletal muscle growth and repair; however, the exact role and spatio‐temporal expression of Mustn1 have yet to be fully defined.

Methods

Transgenic mice were generated with a 1512‐bp sequence of the Mustn1 promoter directing the expression of GFP (Mustn1PRO‐GFP). These mice were used to investigate the spatio‐temporal expression of Mustn1PRO‐GFP during skeletal muscle development and adult skeletal muscle repair, as well as various phases of the satellite cell lifespan (i.e. quiescence, activation, proliferation, differentiation).

Results

Mustn1PRO‐GFP expression was observed within somites at embryonic day 12 and developing skeletal muscles at embryonic day 15 and 18. While uninjured adult tibialis anterior muscle displayed no detectable Mustn1PRO‐GFP expression, cardiotoxin injury robustly elevated Mustn1PRO‐GFP expression at 3 days post‐injury with decreasing levels observed at 5 days and minimal, focal expression seen at 10 days. The expression of Mustn1PRO‐GFP at 3 days post‐injury consistently overlaid with MyoD although the strongest expression of Mustn1PRO‐GFP was noted in newly formed myotubes that were expressing minimal levels of MyoD. By 5 days post‐injury, Mustn1PRO‐GFP overlaid in all myotubes expressing myogenin although cells were present expressing Mustn1PRO‐GFP alone. The expression patterns of Mustn1PRO‐GFP in regenerating muscle preceded the expression of desmin throughout the regenerative time course consistent with Mustn1 being upstream of this myogenic protein. Further, quiescent satellite cells located on freshly isolated, single myofibers rarely expressed Mustn1PRO‐GFP, but within 24 h of isolation, all activated satellite cells expressed Mustn1PRO‐GFP. Expression of Mustn1PRO‐GFP in primary myoblasts diminished with prolonged time in proliferation media. However, in response to serum withdrawal, the expression of Mustn1PRO‐GFP increased during myofusion (day 2) followed by declining expression thereafter.

Conclusion

Mustn1PRO‐GFP is expressed in activated satellite cells and myoblasts but continued time in proliferation media diminished Mustn1PRO‐GFP expression. However, myoblasts exposed to serum withdrawal increased Mustn1PRO‐GFP expression consistent with its demonstrated role in myofusion. The in vivo expression pattern of Mustn1 observed in regenerating and developing skeletal muscle is consistent with its presence in satellite cells and its critical role in myofusion.
Determination of the pharmacokinetics of glycopyrronium in the lung using a population pharmacokinetic modelling approach
Authors: Bartels Christian , Looby Michael , Sechaud Romain , Kaiser Guenther
Published: March 2013

Aims

Glycopyrronium bromide (NVA237) is a once‐daily long‐acting muscarinic antagonist recently approved for the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In this study, we used population pharmacokinetic (PK) modelling to provide insights into the impact of the lung PK of glycopyrronium on its systemic PK profile and, in turn, to understand the impact of lung bioavailability and residence time on the choice of dosage regimen.

Methods

We developed and validated a population PK model to characterize the lung absorption of glycopyrronium using plasma PK data derived from studies in which this drug was administered by different routes to healthy volunteers. The model was also used to carry out simulations of once‐daily and twice‐daily regimens and to characterize amounts of glycopyrronium in systemic compartments and lungs.

Results

The model‐derived PK parameters were comparable to those obtained with noncompartmental analysis, confirming the usefulness of our model. The model suggested that the lung absorption of glycopyrronium was dominated by slow‐phase absorption with a half‐life of about 3.5 days, which accounted for 79% of drug absorbed through the lungs into the bloodstream, from where glycopyrronium was quickly eliminated. Simulations of once‐daily and twice‐daily administration generated similar PK profiles in the lung compartments.

Conclusions

The slow absorption from the lungs, together with the rapid elimination from the systemic circulation, could explain how once‐daily glycopyrronium provides sustained bronchodilatation with a low incidence of adverse effects in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Its extended intrapulmonary residence time also provides pharmacokinetic evidence that glycopyrronium has the profile of a once‐daily drug.
Creativity, visualization abilities, and visual cognitive style
Authors: Kozhevnikov Maria , Kozhevnikov Michael , Yu Chen Jiao , Blazhenkova Olesya
Published: March 2013

Background

Despite the recent evidence for a multi‐component nature of both visual imagery and creativity, there have been no systematic studies on how the different dimensions of creativity and imagery might interrelate.

Aims

The main goal of this study was to investigate the relationship between different dimensions of creativity (artistic and scientific) and dimensions of visualization abilities and styles (object and spatial). In addition, we compared the contributions of object and spatial visualization abilities versus corresponding styles to scientific and artistic dimensions of creativity.

Samples

Twenty‐four undergraduate students (12 females) were recruited for the first study, and 75 additional participants (36 females) were recruited for an additional experiment.

Method

Participants were administered a number of object and spatial visualization abilities and style assessments as well as a number of artistic and scientific creativity tests.

Results

The results show that object visualization relates to artistic creativity and spatial visualization relates to scientific creativity, while both are distinct from verbal creativity. Furthermore, our findings demonstrate that style predicts corresponding dimension of creativity even after removing shared variance between style and visualization ability. The results suggest that styles might be a more ecologically valid construct in predicting real‐life creative behaviour, such as performance in different professional domains.
Communal and agentic behaviour in response to facial emotion expressions
Authors: aan het Rot Marije , Hogenelst Koen , Gesing Christina M.
Published: March 2013

Facial emotions are important for human communication. Unfortunately, traditional facial emotion recognition tasks do not inform about how respondents might behave towards others expressing certain emotions. Approach‐avoidance tasks do measure behaviour, but only on one dimension. In this study 81 participants completed a novel Facial Emotion Response Task. Images displaying individuals with emotional expressions were presented in random order. Participants simultaneously indicated how communal (quarrelsome vs. agreeable) and how agentic (dominant vs. submissive) they would be in response to each expression. We found that participants responded differently to happy, angry, fearful, and sad expressions in terms of both dimensions of behaviour. Higher levels of negative affect were associated with less agreeable responses specifically towards happy and sad expressions. The Facial Emotion Response Task might complement existing facial emotion recognition and approach‐avoidance tasks.
If you're going to be a leader, at least act like it! Prejudice towards women who are tentative in leader roles
Authors: Bongiorno Renata , Bain Paul G. , David Barbara
Published: March 2013

Role congruity theory predicts prejudice towards women who meet the agentic requirements of the leader role. In line with recent findings indicating greater acceptance of agentic behaviour from women, we find evidence for a more subtle form of prejudice towards women who fail to display agency in leader roles. Using a classic methodology, the agency of male and female leaders was manipulated using assertive or tentative speech, presented through written (Study 1, N = 167) or verbal (Study 2, N = 66) communications. Consistent with predictions, assertive women were as likeable and influential as assertive men, while being tentative in leadership reduced the likeability and influence of women, but not of men. Although approval of agentic behaviour from women in leadership reflects progress, evidence that women are quickly singled out for disapproval if they fail to show agency is important for understanding how they continue to be at a distinct disadvantage to men in leader roles.
Age‐stratified outcomes of holmium laser enucleation of the prostate
Authors: Mmeje Chinedu O. , Nunez‐Nateras Rafael , Warner Jonathan N. , Humphreys Mitchell R.
Published: March 2013

Objective

To present the first age‐stratified assessment of outcomes after holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) for the treatment of lower urinary tract symptoms resulting from prostate enlargement.

Patients and Methods

We retrospectively analysed and compared the morbidity, and the peri‐operative and functional outcomes of patients aged 50–59, 60–69, 70–79 and ≥80 years. Complications at 30 days were stratified using the Clavien system.

Functional outcomes were assessed using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax), post‐void residual urine volume (PVR) and urinary continence.

Results

A total of 311 patients underwent HoLEP for obstructive voiding symptoms from August 2007 to June 2011, of whom 22 patients were aged 50–59 years, 91 were aged 60–69 years, 153 were aged 70–79 years, and 45 were aged ≥80 years.

The overall morbidity rates were similar among the age groups (20, 24.4, 21.6 and 22.1% for groups 1, 2, 3 and 4, respectively), as were the incidence of significant complications (Clavien grade ≥ III), change in serum haemoglobin level, and length of hospital stay.

Patients ≥80 years did have a longer catheterization time (3.4 days) than patients aged 50–59 years (1.68 days).

By 1 year there were no significant differences in urinary continence, IPSS, Qmax, or PVR among the age groups.

Conclusions

Overall morbidity, hospital stay, and 1‐year functional outcomes of HoLEP were similar among all age groups.

This study shows that HoLEP is a safe and effective treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia regardless of age.
Shrub Cover Influence on Seedling Growth and Survival Following Logging of a Tropical Forest
Authors: Duclos Vanessa , Boudreau Stéphane , Chapman Colin A.
Published: March 2013

Logging in tropical forests may create large canopy openings. These gaps provide suitable conditions for some opportunistic shrubs and herbs to take advantage of the surge in resources and rapidly colonize disturbed sites. This dense plant cover may limit forest regeneration by interfering with tree seedling establishment, growth, and survival by altering the light and nutrients available to seedlings, modifying herbivore behavior, or a number of other factors. In Kibale National Park (Uganda), old logging sites are mainly covered by dense stands of Acanthus pubescens Engl., which appear to inhibit tree regeneration. We wanted to identify the ecological processes underlying this regeneration collapse. To do so, we designed a factorial experiment to evaluate the influences of herbivory and vegetation cover on the growth and survival of tree seedlings. We compared the survival and growth of transplanted tree seedlings in A. pubescens stands and logged forests, in the presence or absence of the understory vegetation layer (logged forest) or vegetation cover (A. pubescens), and with or without herbivory. We found no evidence to support the hypothesis that herbivory is significantly higher under dense A. pubescens cover. Seedling survival was not influenced by the environment. Seedling growth, however, was positively influenced by the removal of A. pubescens, suggesting that changes in resource availability associated with the presence of A. pubescens, may be important for regeneration. Our results suggest that sustained cutting of A. pubescens cover could foster the growth of established seedlings and could lead to tree regeneration and habitat restoration.
Lower plasma testosterone or dihydrotestosterone, but not estradiol, is associated with symptoms of intermittent claudication in older men
Authors: Yeap Bu B. , Alfonso Helman , Chubb S. A. Paul , Handelsman David J. , Hankey Graeme J. , Golledge Jonathan , Flicker Leon , Norman Paul E.
Published: March 2013

Objective

In men, testosterone (T) levels decline with age, and lower T predicts all‐cause and cardiovascular mortality. However, the associations of T and its metabolites, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estradiol (E2), with symptomatic peripheral arterial disease remain unclear. We assessed associations of T, DHT and E2 with lower limb intermittent claudication in older men.

Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Participants

Community‐dwelling men aged 70–89 years resident in Perth, Western Australia.

Measurements

Intermittent claudication was ascertained by the Edinburgh Claudication Questionnaire. Early morning, plasma T, DHT and E2 were assayed using liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry.

Results

There were 268 men with intermittent claudication and 2435 without claudication or any leg pain. Men with nonspecific leg pain (n = 986) were excluded. After adjusting for age, smoking, BMI, waist/hip ratio, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, diabetes, creatinine and prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD), higher T was associated with reduced risk of having claudication (per 1 SD increase, odds ratio [OR] = 0·80, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0·69–0·94, P = 0·006; quartiles, Q4/Q1, OR = 0·54, 95% CI = 0·36–0·81). Higher DHT was associated with reduced risk of having claudication (per 1 SD increase, OR = 0·86, 95% CI = 0·73–1·00, P = 0·048; Q4/Q1, OR = 0·64, 95% CI = 0·43–0·95). E2 was not associated with claudication (per 1 SD increase, OR = 0·96, 95% CI = 0·83–1·11, P = 0·565; Q4/Q1, OR = 0·88, 95% CI = 0·60–1·29).

Conclusions

Lower T or DHT levels, but not E2, are associated with symptoms of intermittent claudication in older men. Reduced exposure to androgens may represent a causal factor or biomarker for symptomatic peripheral arterial disease. Further studies are needed to examine underlying mechanisms and evaluate therapeutic options in ageing men.
Cost analysis of adjuvant therapy with XELOX or FOLFOX4 for colon cancer
Authors: Xie Q. , Wen F. , Wei Y. Q. , Deng H. X. , Li Q.
Published: March 2013

Aim

XELOX and FOLFOX4 have both been recommended as adjuvant therapy for stage III colon cancer. This study compared the two regimens in terms of monetary costs, assuming equal efficacy of the therapies.

Method

A retrospective financial audit was conducted of the medical records of patients treated with XELOX or FOLFOX4. All itemized expenses were classified as direct (chemotherapy, hospitalization, venous access and tests), related to adverse effects due to the adjuvant therapy, or societal (travel and time costs). The cost of supportive care was not included.

Results

XELOX involved less total cost to the patient than FOLFOX4 (a difference of US$2857.68), fewer costs related to adverse effects ($668.97), and less travel ($26.07) and time ($390.93) expenditure per patient.

Conclusion

The results indicate that, overall, XELOX is a more affordable option than FOLFOX4 in China.
TrkB expression level correlates with metastatic properties of L1 mouse sarcoma cells cultured in non‐adhesive conditions
Authors: Miłoszewska J. , Przybyszewska M. , Gos M. , Swoboda P. , Trembacz H.
Published: March 2013

Objectives

Ability of a cell to survive without adhesion, and to overcome anoikis, is indispensable for malignant cell invasion and metastasis formation. It has previously been shown that TrkB ‐neutrophin growth factor receptor might be involved in suppression of apoptosis, induced by the lack of adhesion. The aim of our study was to analyse changes in expression of genes and proteins as well as in biological properties of cancer cells cultured without adhesion. A mouse sarcoma, stable, adherent L1 cell line, derived from a spontaneously arisen Balb/c mouse lung tumour, was established in vitro.

Materials and methods

L1 cells resistant to anoikis were established by culture of L1 cells without adhesion, followed by selection of clones with elevated expression levels of TrkB protein. Biological characteristics of the cells were studied by migration/invasion tests and colony forming assay. Gene expression analysis was performed by with the aid of cDNA Gene Expression Array and Real‐Time PCR. In vivo experiments were conducted in syngeneic Balb/c mice.

Results

Significant changes in gene expression, including higher expression level of TrkB, were found in cells that were able to survive without adhesion. Selected TrkB‐expressing clones were found to have higher clonogenicity and invasive potential, formed more colonies in mouse lungs, and induced larger tumours, when injected subcutaneously into Balb/c mice.

Conclusion

Lack of adhesion induced significant changes in the cancer cells’ behaviour, which may result from alterations in gene and protein expression levels, including changes in anoikis‐connected protein – TrkB.
Statistical word learning at scale: the baby's view is better
Authors: Yurovsky Daniel , Smith Linda B. , Yu Chen
Published: March 2013

A key question in early word learning is how children cope with the uncertainty in natural naming events. One potential mechanism for uncertainty reduction is cross‐situational word learning – tracking word/object co‐occurrence statistics across naming events. But empirical and computational analyses of cross‐situational learning have made strong assumptions about the nature of naming event ambiguity, assumptions that have been challenged by recent analyses of natural naming events. This paper shows that learning from ambiguous natural naming events depends on perspective. Natural naming events from parent–child interactions were recorded from both a third‐person tripod‐mounted camera and from a head‐mounted camera that produced a ‘child's‐eye’ view. Following the human simulation paradigm, adults were asked to learn artificial language labels by integrating across the most ambiguous of these naming events. Significant learning was found only from the child's perspective, pointing to the importance of considering statistical learning from an embodied perspective.
Infant ERPs separate children at risk of dyslexia who become good readers from those who become poor readers
Authors: van Zuijen Titia L. , Plakas Anna , Maassen Ben A.M. , Maurits Natasha M. , van der Leij Aryan
Published: March 2013

Dyslexia is heritable and associated with phonological processing deficits that can be reflected in the event‐related potentials (ERPs). Here, we recorded ERPs from 2‐month‐old infants at risk of dyslexia and from a control group to investigate whether their auditory system processes /bAk/ and /dAk/ changes differently. The speech sounds were presented in an oddball paradigm. The children were followed longitudinally and performed a word reading fluency test in second grade. The infant ERPs were subsequently analyzed according to high or low reading fluency in order to find a neurophysiological precursor of poor reading fluency. The results show that the fluent reading children (from both the at‐risk and the control group) processed the speech sound changes differentially in infancy as indicated by a mismatch response (MMR). In the control group the MMR was frontally positive and in the fluent at‐risk group the MMR was parietally positive. The non‐fluent at‐risk group did not show an MMR. We conclude that at‐risk children who became fluent readers were better at speech processing in infancy than those who became non‐fluent readers. This indicates a very early speech processing deficit in the group of later non‐fluent readers.
Hysteroscopic hydrotubation of the equine oviduct
Authors: Inoue Y.
Published: March 2013

Reason for performing study

Diagnostic techniques for oviductal obstruction in the mare are limited and development of a more reliable and direct method to assess oviductal patency is needed.

Objective

To evaluate the feasibility of hysteroscopic selective hydrotubation of the equine oviduct via videoendoscopy in standing mares.

Methods

Using a catheter inserted under endoscopic guidance into the uterotubal junctions of 10 mares, 5 ml of indigo carmine solution (4 mg/ml) was flushed into the oviduct. After introduction of the dye, peritoneal fluid was obtained via abdominocentesis. A colpotomy was also performed to allow introduction of a videoendoscope into the abdominal cavity to assess the presence of dye visually at the ovarian end of the oviduct.

Results and conclusions

In 15 of 20 (75.0%) attempts, the catheter was successfully inserted into the uterotubal junction, and dye was observed at the ampulla, fimbria, overlying the ovary or surrounding tissue. In 2 mares, the videoendoscope could not be manipulated to identify the uterotubal junction. Only one of 2 oviducts was flushed in an additional mare because insufflation of the uterus could not be maintained. The colour of the dye was evident macroscopically and spectrophotometrically in 4 of 8 mares from which peritoneal fluid was successfully collected.

Potential relevance

The equine oviduct can be evaluated by hysteroscopic selective hydrotubation.
Substrate specificity and the effect of calcium on Trypanosoma brucei metacaspase 2
Authors: Machado Maurício F. M. , Marcondes Marcelo F. , Juliano Maria A. , McLuskey Karen , Mottram Jeremy C. , Moss Catherine X. , Juliano Luiz , Oliveira Vitor
Published: March 2013

Metacaspases are cysteine peptidases found only in yeast, plants and lower eukaryotes, including the protozoa. To investigate the extended substrate specificity and effects of Ca2+ on the activation of these enzymes, detailed kinetic, biochemical and structural analyses were carried out on metacaspase 2 from Trypanosoma brucei (TbMCA2). These results reveal that TbMCA2 has an unambiguous preference for basic amino acids at the P1 position of peptide substrates and that this is most probably a result of hydrogen bonding from the P1 residue to Asp95 and Asp211 in TbMCA2. In addition, TbMCA2 also has a preference for charged residues at the P2 and P3 positions and for small residues at the prime side of a peptide substrate. Studies into the effects of Ca2+ on the enzyme revealed the presence of two Ca2+ binding sites and a reversible structural modification of the enzyme upon Ca2+ binding. In addition, the concentration of Ca2+ used for activation of TbMCA2 was found to produce a differential effect on the activity of TbMCA2, but only when a series of peptides that differed in P2 were examined, suggesting that Ca2+ activation of TbMCA2 has a structural effect on the enzyme in the vicinity of the S2 binding pocket. Collectively, these data give new insights into the substrate specificity and Ca2+ activation of TbMCA2. This provides important functional details and leads to a better understanding of metacaspases, which are known to play an important role in trypanosomes and make attractive drug targets due to their absence in humans.