bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fire characteristics of steel members coated with nano‐enhanced polymers
Authors: Butler Kathryn M. , Cheng Alexander H.‐D. , Mullen Christopher , Al‐Ostaz Ahmed
Published: January 2013

Polymeric coatings applied to masonry infill walls have been demonstrated to provide protection against blast. Steel frames may be embedded in these walls to improve the structural characteristics of the building. During the process of retrofitting the walls with blast protection polymeric coatings, the steel frame may be fully or partially coated with these materials to provide adequate anchorage of the retrofit system to the frame and to avoid global failure of walls subjected to blast loading. The development of a blast‐resistant coating for masonry walls that safeguards all structural elements in a fire would provide buildings with protection against explosions and a fire following the blast, as well as against ordinary building fires. This paper uses a numerical tool based on the particle finite element method to evaluate the melting and dripping of nano‐enhanced polymeric coatings applied on steel members embedded within masonry walls. Viscosity measurements were performed to obtain needed parameters for the simulations. Polyurea nanocomposite residues showed a minimum in viscosity with temperature, possibly caused by cross‐linking and charring. Model results for the polyurea residue with the lowest value of minimum viscosity showed that the coating remained attached, although there was some flow that caused a chunk of material to break off from an overhang. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Implementation and analysis of a partial‐element wetting and drying framework for generalized wave continuity equation‐based hydrodynamic models
Authors: Dick C. G. , Tromble E. M. , Dresback K. M. , Kolar R. L.
Published: January 2013

The ADCIRC hydrodynamic model has been used extensively to predict the effects of storm surge in coastal regions. In an effort to create a more holistic representation of coastal inundation (i.e., the total water level), some recent applications of ADCIRC have focused on modeling coastal river systems. Initial attempts to model river systems with ADCIRC have encountered complications associated with mass balance (artificial increase in mass in the downstream direction) and model instabilities when flow leaves the main channel, which suggests that complications may be attributed to the current treatment of the wet/dry boundary in CG ADCIRC. A new wetting/drying framework has been developed for, and implemented in, the 1D continuous Galerkin ADCIRC code, which is based on the generalized wave continuity equation (GWCE) formulation of the shallow water equations. The new algorithm allows for the inclusion of partially wet elements within the computational domain of ADCIRC, and the focus of this manuscript is flooding‐type wetting/drying processes (e.g., tidal fluctuations and storm surge inundation). The new framework uses a scaling factor, η, placed on the time derivative term in the primitive continuity equation, prior to formulation of the GWCE. Benefits of the new approach include better mass balance and more accurate tracking of the location of the wet/dry interface, compared with the current wetting and drying algorithm.Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evaluating the SWAT's snow hydrology over a Northern Quebec watershed
Authors: Troin Magali , Caya Daniel
Published: January 2013

The snow treatment becomes an important component of Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT)’s hydrology when spring flows are dominated by snow melting. However, little is known about SWAT's snow hydrology performance because most studies using SWAT were conducted in rainfall‐driven catchments. To fill this gap, the present study aims to evaluate the ability of SWAT in simulating snow‐melting‐dominated streamflow in the Outardes Basin in Northern Quebec. SWAT performance in simulating snowmelt is evaluated against observed streamflow data and compared to simulations from the operationally used Streamflow Synthesis and Reservoir Regulation (SSARR) model over that catchment. The SWAT 5‐year calibration showed a satisfactory performance at the daily and seasonal time scales with low volume biases. The SWAT validation was conducted over two (17‐year and 15‐year) periods. Performances were similar to the calibration period in simulating the daily and seasonal streamflows again with low model biases. The spring‐snowmelt‐generated peak flow was accurately simulated by SWAT both in magnitude and timing. When SWAT's results are compared to SSARR, similar performances in simulating the daily discharges were observed. SSARR simulates more accurately streamflow generated at the snowmelt onset whereas SWAT better predicts streamflow in summer, fall and winter. SWAT provided reasonable streamflow simulations for our snow‐covered catchment, but refinement of the process‐driven baseflow during the snowmelt onset could improve spring performances. Therefore, SWAT becomes an attractive tool for evaluating water resources management in Nordic environments when a distributed model is preferred or when water quality information (e.g. temperature) is required. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Bladder cancer and seroreactivity to BK, JC and Merkel cell polyomaviruses: The Spanish bladder cancer study
Authors: Robles Claudia , Viscidi Raphael , Malats Nuria , Silverman Debra T , Tardon Adonina , Garcia‐Closas Reina , Serra Consol , Carrato Alfredo , Herranz Jesús , Lloreta Josep , Rothman Nathaniel , Real Francisco X. , de Sanjose Silvia , Kogevinas Manolis
Published: January 2013

An infectious etiology for bladder cancer has long been suspected. Merkel cell virus (MCV), BKV and JCV polyomaviruses are possible causative agents but data remain scarce. Therefore, we evaluated the seroresponse to these three polyomaviruses in association with bladder cancer risk. 1,135 incident bladder cancer subjects from five Spanish regions and 982 hospital controls matched by sex, age and region were included. 99% of cases were urothelial‐cell carcinomas. Antibody response against MCV, BKV and JCV was measured by enzyme immunoassay using Virus‐Like‐Particles. Our results show a similar seroprevalence in cases and controls: 64/60% for BKV, 83/82% for MCV and 87/83% for JCV. However, among seropositive subjects, higher median seroreactivities were observed in cases compared to controls for BKV (0.84 vs. 0.70, p‐value = 0.009) and MCV (1.81 vs. 0.65, p‐value < 0.001). Increased bladder cancer risk was observed for BKV (OR = 1.4, 95%CI 1.04–1.8) and for MCV (OR = 1.5, 95%CI 1.2–1.9), when comparing highest to lowest seroreactivity tertiles. The associations of BKV and MCV with bladder cancer were independent of each other and neither smoking status nor disease stage and grade modified them. Furthermore, no association was observed between seroresponse to JCV and bladder cancer. Therefore, we conclude that BKV and MCV polyomavirus infection could be related to an increased bladder cancer risk.
Combination therapy of cilengitide with belotecan against experimental glioblastoma
Authors: Kim Young‐Hoon , Lee Jin Kyung , Kim Bokyong , DeWitt Judy Park , Lee Jung Eun , Han Jung Ho , Kim Seung‐Ki , Oh Chang Wan , Kim Chae‐Yong
Published: January 2013

The prognosis of patients diagnosed with glioblastoma remains dismal in spite of the current concomitant chemoradiotherapy with temozolomide. In particular, the resistance to temozolomide appears to be the greatest obstacle to the treatment of glioblastoma. In the present study, we evaluated in vitro and in vivo the antitumor effects of combination therapy of cilengitide with belotecan, a camptothecin derivate, to treat experimental glioblastoma. The therapeutic effects of the drugs on the U87MG and U251MG human glioblastoma cell lines were assessed using in vitro cell viability and apoptosis assays. The combination treatment group with cilengitide and belotecan enhanced the cytotoxic effects to the glioblastoma cell lines and increased the apoptosis of the tumor cells compared to monotherapy with either drug alone in vitro. Nude mice with established U87MG glioblastoma were assigned to the following four groups: control, cilengitide, belotecan and combination treatment. The volume of tumors and length of survival were also measured. Animals in the combination therapy group demonstrated a significant reduction of tumor volume and an increase in survival (p < 0.05). Immunohistochemistry revealed a decrease in angiogenesis by cilengitide and an increase in apoptosis by cilengitide and belotecan in vivo. The combination therapy of cilengitide with belotecan presented more cytotoxic effects compared to the monotherapy of either drug in vitro and in vivo. This combination protocol may serve as an alternative treatment option for glioblastoma.
Maternal Role Confusion: Relations to Maternal Attachment and Mother–Child Interaction from Infancy to Adolescence
Authors: Vulliez‐Coady Lauriane , Obsuth Ingrid , Torreiro‐Casal Monica , Ellertsdottir Lydia , Lyons‐Ruth Karlen
Published: January 2013

Self‐reports of role confusion with the parent in childhood are associated with a variety of adverse outcomes. However, role‐confusion has been studied primarily from the point of view of the child. The current study evaluated an instrument for assessing role confusion from maternal interviews rather than from child observations or self‐reports in adulthood. Fifty‐one mothers participating in a longitudinal study since their own child's infancy were administered the Experiences of Caregiving Interview (C. George & J. Solomon, 1996) when the child was age 20. Interviews were coded using the newly developed Parental Assessment of Role Confusion (PARC; L. Vulliez‐Coady & K. Lyons‐Ruth, 2009). Maternal PARC scores were related to observational measures of role‐confusion in interaction with the child both in infancy and late adolescence. PARC scores also were related to mothers’ hostile‐helpless states of mind on the Adult Attachment Interview (C. George, N. Kaplan, & M. Main, 1984, 1985, 1986) and to the extent of Unresolved loss, but not Unresolved Trauma. PARC scores also were related to mothers’ self‐reports of helplessness experienced in the parenting role. Discriminant validity of the PARC was demonstrated in that role confusion on the PARC was not related to hostile or disoriented forms of parent–child interaction. Implications for clinical assessment of role confusion are discussed.
Identification of a Novel Metalloproteinase and Its Role in Juvenile Development of the Tobacco Hornworm, Manduca sexta (Linnaeus)
Authors: Vishnuvardhan Smitha , Ahsan Rubina , Jackson Kathryn , Iwanicki Rebecca , Boe Jordan , Haring Jodie , Greenlee Kendra J.
Published: January 2013

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a class of zinc‐dependent endopeptidases that are highly conserved across numerous taxa, from bacteria to humans. Recently, MMPs have been identified in several insect species and are hypothesized to function in immunity and development. In this study, we identify a putative MMP and correlate its proteolytic activity and gene and protein expression in the tracheae with developmental stage. Ms‐MMP gene expression increases 10‐fold during molting, which is accompanied by an increase in both protein expression and gelatinolytic activity. To directly test the hypothesis that Ms‐MMP plays a critical role in juvenile development of Manduca sexta, we injected a broad‐spectrum MMP inhibitor and recorded its effects on growth and development. Inhibition of MMPs caused a delay in juvenile development and decreased growth rates. Understanding the function of MMPs will help us better understand molting and control of body size in insects. Furthermore, elucidating functions for MMPs in lower taxa may yield critical information about the evolution of the numerous MMPs found in vertebrates. J. Exp. Zool. (Mol. Dev. Evol.) 320B:105–117, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Quadratic Upper Bounds on the Erdős–Pósa Property for a Generalization of Packing and Covering Cycles
Authors: Fomin Fedor V. , Lokshtanov Daniel , Misra Neeldhara , Philip Geevarghese , Saurabh Saket
Published: January 2013

According to the classical Erdős–Pósa theorem, given a positive integer k, every graph G either contains k vertex disjoint cycles or a set of at most vertices that hits all its cycles. Robertson and Seymour (J Comb Theory Ser B 41 (1986), 92–114) generalized this result in the best possible way. More specifically, they showed that if is the class of all graphs that can be contracted to a fixed planar graph H, then every graph G either contains a set of k vertex‐disjoint subgraphs of G, such that each of these subgraphs is isomorphic to some graph in or there exists a set S of at most vertices such that contains no subgraph isomorphic to any graph in . However, the function f is exponential. In this note, we prove that this function becomes quadratic when consists all graphs that can be contracted to a fixed planar graph . For a fixed c, is the graph with two vertices and parallel edges. Observe that for this corresponds to the classical Erdős–Pósa theorem.
Confucian Ideology and Creativity
Authors: Niu Weihua
Published: January 2013

The study examines an important philosophical root for the Chinese notion of creativity, that is, the Confucianism, and concludes that the Confucian ideology has shaped how Chinese have viewed creativity in the past, and may still have a great impact on how contemporary Chinese perceive creativity.
American and Chinese Similarities and Differences in Defining and Valuing Creative Products
Authors: Lan Lan , Kaufman James C.
Published: January 2013

This review of the literature explores how Americans and Chinese view creativity and what they expect from creative products. American and Chinese explicit beliefs about creativity (i.e., expert opinions) share many similarities. Implicit beliefs, however, show more divergence: Americans tend to value novelty and more “groundbreaking” types of creativity, whereas Chinese tend to appreciate creativity within constraints, such as reworking a traditional concept. The context of how people respond to creativity obviously varies by culture, although there are also some communal and universal creative ideals.
Selection and characterization of wheat genotypes for saline soils prone to water‐logging
Authors: Saqib Muhammad , Akhtar Javaid , Qureshi Riaz Hussain , Nasim Muhammad
Published: January 2013

Wheat (Tritcum aestivum L.) genotypes were screened and characterized for performance under salt stress and/or water‐logging. In a solution‐culture study, ten wheat genotypes were tested under control, 200 mM–NaCl salt stress and 4‐week water‐logging (nonaerated solution stagnated with 0.1% agar), alone or in combination. Shoot and root growth of the wheat genotypes was reduced by salinity and salinity × water‐logging, which was associated with increased leaf Na+ and Cl– concentrations as well as decreased leaf K+ concentration and K+ : Na+ ratio. The genotypes differed significantly for their growth and leaf ionic composition. The genotypes Aqaab and MH‐97 were selected as salinity×water‐logging‐resistant and sensitive wheat genotypes, respectively, on the basis of their shoot fresh weights in the salinity × water‐logging treatment relative to control. In a soil experiment, the effect of water‐logging was tested for these two genotypes under nonsaline (EC = 2.6 dS m–1) and saline (EC = 15 dS m–1) soil conditions. The water‐logging was imposed for a period of 21 d at various growth stages, i.e., tillering, stem elongation, booting, and grain filling alone or in combinations. The maximum reduction in grain yield was observed after water‐logging at stem‐elongation + grain‐filling stages followed by water‐logging at grain‐filling stage, booting stage, and stem‐elongation stage, respectively. Salinity intensified the effect of water‐logging at all the growth stages. It is concluded that the existing genetic variation in wheat for salinity × water‐logging resistance can be successfully explored using relative shoot fresh weight as a selection criterion in nonaerated 0.1% agar–containing nutrient solution and that irrigation in the field should be scheduled to avoid temporary water‐logging at the sensitive stages of wheat growth.
Comparison of different sample pre‐treatments for multi‐residue analysis of organochlorine and pyrethroid pesticides in chrysanthemum by gas chromatography with electron capture detection
Authors: Xue Jiaying , Xu Yanjun , Liu Fengmao , Xue Jian , Li Huichen , Peng Wei
Published: January 2013

The widespread use of insecticides in Chinese herbal medicines has created a compelling need for the development of a multiresidue analytical method to help assure herbs safety. The operating variables affecting the performance of the multiresidue analysis of 34 organochlorine and 12 pyrethroid pesticides in chrysanthemum, a widely used kind of Chinese herbal medicines, were evaluated. Three different extraction solvents including n‐hexane and its mixtures with acetone and petroleum ether were compared, and n‐hexane was found to be an appropriate option. A combination of gel permeation chromatography and SPE was selected as the optimum cleanup, in comparison with dispersive SPE, or the two former methods alone. The determination of the 46 pesticide residues in the spiked chrysanthemum samples was performed by GC with electron capture detection. The average recoveries ranged from 71.3 to 102.6% with RSDs of 1.4–15.7% for all of the pesticides. The LOQs were in the range of 0.0015–0.2 mg/kg, while the LODs were between 0.0005 and 0.1 mg/kg. The satisfactory accuracy, and precision, in combination with a good separation and few interferences, have demonstrated the strong potential of this technique for its application in chrysanthemum analysis.
The study of enantioselectivity of all regioisomers of mono‐carboxymethyl‐β‐cyclodextrin used as chiral selectors in CE
Authors: Navrátilová Klára , Řezanka Pavel , Řezanka Michal , Sýkora David , Jindřich Jindřich , Král Vladimír
Published: January 2013

This work documents the influence of the position of single carboxymethyl group on the β‐cyclodextrin skeleton on the enantioselectivity. These synthesized monosubstituted carboxymethyl cyclodextrin (CD) derivatives, native β‐cyclodextrin, and commercially available carboxymethyl‐β‐cyclodextrin with degree of substitution approximately 3 were used as additives into the BGE consisting of phosphate buffer at 20 mmol/L concentration, pH 2.5, and several biologically significant low‐molecular‐mass chiral compounds were enantioseparated by CE. The results indicate that different substituent location on β‐cyclodextrin skeleton has a significant influence on the enantioseparation of the investigated enantiomers. The enantioselectivity of 2I‐O‐regioisomer was better than with native β‐cyclodextrin. Comparable results to native β‐cyclodextrin were obtained for 6I‐O‐ regioisomer and the enantioselectivity of 3I‐O‐regioisomer was even worse than with native β‐cyclodextrin. Commercially available derivative of CD provides better resolutions than the monosubstituted carboxymethyl CD derivatives for most of the investigated analytes.
Recent advances in monoclinic crystal optics
Authors: Petit Yannick , Joly Simon , Segonds Patricia , Boulanger Benoît
Published: January 2013

This article is mainly devoted to the modeling and measurement of the absorption and fluorescence angular distributions in polarized light of monoclinic crystals. Up to now theoretical crystal optics were mostly devoted to crystals having a high crystallographic symmetry. In these crystals belonging to the cubic, hexagonal, tetragonal, trigonal or orthorhombic lattice classes, the tensor properties related to the real part of the dielectric permittivity and to its imaginary part can be described in the same frame which orientation does not vary as a function of wavelength. The situation is much more complicated in the case of monoclinic crystals because it is necessary to define a specific frame for each property and each wavelength that are considered. The main features of monoclinic crystal optics are described in detail, followed by a review of monoclinic materials and the consequence of these features on their related optical properties.
An ultra‐compact multimode interference coupler with a subwavelength grating slot
Authors: Ortega‐Moñux Alejandro , Alonso‐Ramos Carlos , Maese‐Novo Alejandro , Halir Robert , Zavargo‐Peche Luis , Pérez‐Galacho Diego , Molina‐Fernández Iñigo , Wangüemert‐Pérez J. Gonzalo , Cheben Pavel , Schmid Jens H. , Lapointe Jean , Xu Danxia , Janz Siegfried
Published: January 2013

Multimode interference couplers (MMIs) are fundamental building blocks in photonic integrated circuits. Here it is experimentally demonstrated, for the first time, a two‐fold length reduction in an MMI coupler without any penalty on device performance. The design is based on a slotted 2 × 2 MMI fabricated on a commercial silicon‐on‐insulator (SOI) substrate. The slot is implemented with a subwavelength grating (SWG) comprising holes fully etched down to the oxide cladding, thereby allowing single etch step fabrication. The device has been designed using an in‐house tool based on the Fourier Eigenmode Expansion Method. It has a footprint of only 3.5 μm x 23 μm and it exhibits a measured extinction ratio better than 15 dB within the full C‐band (1530 nm‒1570 nm). SWG engineered slots thus offer excellent perspectives for the practical realization of MMIs couplers with substantially reduced footprint yet with outstanding performance.
Biodegradable Microparticles with Surface Dimples as a Bi‐Modal Imaging Contrast Agent
Authors: Kim Mi Ri , Lim Yong Taik , Cho Kuk Young
Published: January 2013

Fabrication of physically engineered colloids and their application to the biological fields is emerging importance because of their potential to provide an enhanced performance without altering the chemical properties of biomaterials used. A facile approach is reported to fabricate sub‐10‐μm‐sized PLGA microparticle with small dimples covering the surface by droplet imprinting. Optical and magnetic resonance bioimaging agents are easily co‐encapsulated inside the microparticles to obtain a bi‐modal imaging agent. Cell internalization efficacy of dimpled particles in DC 2.4 cell is enhanced compared with conventional smooth round‐shaped colloids. Our result indicates that morphology‐controlled microparticles show promise as a cell labeling with improved cell interaction.
The interaction of epoxy adhesives with steel surfaces
Authors: Munkert H. , Voigts F. , Wegewitz L. , Palkowski H. , Maus‐Friedrichs W.
Published: January 2013

Deformable sandwich sheet materials have the advantage to be produced as raw materials and to be formed afterwards to even complex geometries. Moreover they are cost effective and predestinated for mass production. For such systems the necessity is given for a good bonding to guarantee a good shear transfer between the single layers. Because of deformation, failures by delamination often occur at the interface between the metal and the epoxy layer. Therefore investigations at this interface were performed using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) and X‐ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), to understand the basic effect of the surfaces’ bonding behavior in selected preparation steps of the system. Basic information about the adhesion mechanisms between the stainless steel 316L and the epoxy is given. The chemical interaction between the epoxy and the steel results in a significant reduction of Fe3+ to Fe2+.
Friction and wear of friction composites reinforced by natural fibres
Authors: Bakry M. , Mousa M. O. , Ali W. Y.
Published: January 2013

In the present work, friction material composites were proposed to be used as automotive friction materials. The composites were reinforced by agricultural fibres of corn, palm, and sugar bars. The conventional friction materials based on asbestos cause serious lung diseases and being cancerous potential. The aim of the present work is to replace them by the proposed composites because they are environmentally friendly friction material for brake lining and clutch facings. Agricultural wastes of sugar bars, corn and palms fibres were prepared to obtain fibres of length less than 5 mm. The fibre materials were mixed by carbon, barium sulfate, silica, metallic powders and phenol formaldehyde. The proposed composites were pressed in the die at 105°C temperature. The produced specimens were subjected to machining processes to obtain the cylindrical form of 8 mm diameter. Experiments were carried out using test rig designed and manufactured to measure both friction and wear. It consists of a rotating hollow flat disc made of carbon steel, with an outside diameter of 250 mm and 16 mm thickness. The experiments investigated the effect of agriculture fibre wastes (corn, sugar bars, and palms fibres) on friction coefficient and wear. Wear mechanisms of the proposed composites were characterized by scanning electronic microscopy. The tribological properties of the proposed composites materials were compared to three commercial brake linings. Based on the experimental results it was found that, addition of agriculture fibre wastes (corn, sugar bars, and palms fibres) to composites materials increased friction coefficient and decreased wear. Friction coefficient slightly increased, while wear drastically decreased with increasing fibres content. The maximum friction value (0.58) was obtained by composites containing 30 wt.% iron and 25 wt.% sugar bar fibres. The corn fibres were more compatible with aluminum powder where it gave the highest friction coefficient and relatively lower wear compared to other composites. Wear resistance of the tested composites containing bunches and aluminum represented the lowest values among composites containing corn and bunches fibres. The lowest wear values were observed for composites containing 25 wt.% corn fibres and 30 wt.% aluminum and composites containing 20–25 wt.% sugar bar fibres.
Tribological behaviour of proposed polymeric bearing materials
Authors: Khashaba M. I. , Eatemad H. S. , Youssef M. M. , Ali W. Y.
Published: January 2013

The aim of the present work is to introduce new polymeric bearing materials. The proposed polymeric composites are consisting of polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS) and filled by fibres of polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) in concentration up to 25 wt.% as well as different types of natural oils such as (corn oil, olive oil, paraffin oil, glycerin oil, castor oil and sunflower oil) in concentration up to 10 wt.%. The frictional behavior of the proposed composites and wear resistance are investigated at different values of applied load. Based on the experimental observations, it was found that for composites free of oil, friction of PS and PE specimens decreased, while friction of PP specimens slightly increased with increasing PTFE content. PP composites filled by corn oil showed slight friction increase. Besides, friction coefficient displayed by PS and PE specimens filled by glycerin oil decreased with increasing oil content, while friction coefficient displayed by PP specimens showed consistent trend. It was noted that, PE filled with 7.5% glycerin oil and 20 wt.% PTFE displayed the minimum value of friction coefficient (0.07). This friction coefficient values recommend those composites to be used as bearing materials. PE filled by glycerin oil displayed relatively lower friction values due its common known good lubricating property. Friction of PE composites filled by paraffin oil drastically decreased with the increasing oil content. PP composites showed the lowest wear values. In addition to that, it was shown that wear displayed by composites filled by glycerin oil was higher than that containing corn oil, while wear of the tested composites filled with olive oil showed lower values than that displayed by corn oil filled composites. Composites containing 5.0–7.5% paraffin oil content showed good wear resistance which recommends them to be used as bearing material. Wear of PP, PS and PE composites filled with sunflower oil and 15 wt.% PTFE drastically decreased with increasing oil content. The minimum wear was displayed by PP and PE composites filled with 10% oil content.
Metallothionein 1 h tumour suppressor activity in prostate cancer is mediated by euchromatin methyltransferase 1
Authors: Han Yu‐Chen , Zheng Zhong‐Liang , Zuo Ze‐Hua , Yu Yan P , Chen Rui , Tseng George C , Nelson Joel B , Luo Jian‐Hua
Published: January 2013

Metallothioneins (MTs) are a group of metal binding proteins thought to play a role in the detoxification of heavy metals. Here we showed by microarray and validation analyses that MT1h, a member of MT, is down‐regulated in many human malignancies. Low expression of MT1h was associated with poor clinical outcomes in both prostate and liver cancer. We found that the promoter region of MT1h was hypermethylated in cancer and that demethylation of the MT1h promoter reversed the suppression of MT1h expression. Forced expression of MT1h induced cell growth arrest, suppressed colony formation, retarded migration, and reduced invasion. SCID mice with tumour xenografts with inducible MT1h expression had lower tumour volumes as well as fewer metastases and deaths than uninduced controls. MT1h was found to interact with euchromatin histone methyltransferase 1 (EHMT1) and enhanced its methyltransferase activity on histone 3. Knocking down of EHMT1 or a mutation in MT1h that abrogates its interaction with EHMT1 abrogated MT1h tumour suppressor activity. This demonstrates tumour suppressor activity in a heavy metal binding protein that is dependent on activation of histone methylation. Copyright © 2013 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Accuracy of self‐reported smoking status in first trimester aneuploidy screening
Authors: Spencer Kevin , Cowans Nicholas J.
Published: January 2013

Objectives

To review the accuracy of self‐reporting of smoking status in our first trimester screening population and to assess the levels of pregnancy‐associated plasma protein‐A (PAPP‐A) and free‐β human chorionic gonadotropin (free‐hCGβ) in women who were classified for smoking status by serum cotinine concentrations and self‐reporting.

Methods

Cotinine concentration was determined in the stored serum 696 self‐reported smokers and 442 self‐reported non‐smokers. PAPP‐A and free‐hCGβ multiples of the medians (MoMs) determined at screening were reverted to uncorrected for self‐reported smoking status.

Results

A total of 21.7% of those self‐reporting as non‐smokers had increased serum cotinine concentrations (using a cut‐off of 13.7 ng/mL), indicating a positive smoking status. This under‐reporting meant that serum PAPP‐A and free‐hCGβ MoMs were greater reduced in smokers classified by cotinine levels (17.2% and 9.7%) than in those classified by self‐reporting (14.6% and 2.8%). Women who were classified as smokers at conception but had stopped at some time afterwards did not have significantly reduced marker MoMs to non‐smokers.

Conclusions

Self‐reporting results in under‐representation of smoking in our population, resulting in a significant bias and inflated screen‐positive rates. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Reversal of Inhibitors in Congenital Hemophilia
Authors: DeFrates Sean R. , McDonagh Kevin T. , Adams Val R.
Published: January 2013

Hemophilias A and B are heritable bleeding disorders characterized by deficient baseline levels of factor VIII (fVIII) and factor IX (fIX), respectively. Standard treatment for acute bleeding events and for prophylaxis in patients with severe disease consists of recombinant fVIII and fIX infusions. The development of alloantibodies, or inhibitors, is a serious complication of congenital hemophilia that may impair the effectiveness of fVIII and fIX, leading to increased morbidity and cost of therapy. When inhibitors are present, bypassing agents such as recombinant activated factor VII and factor eight inhibitor bypass agent are available for treatment of bleeding events. Although usually effective, they are costly treatments. Immune‐modulatory therapy may reverse inhibitors, allowing fVIII and fIX to be used again. Immune tolerance induction is the chief treatment option to decrease inhibitor levels, but about 20–30% of patients fail this treatment. Alternatively, multiple immune‐modulating agents have been tried with limited success. Rituximab, an anti‐CD20 monoclonal antibody, is one therapy that has been successful in reducing inhibitor titers in multiple case reports. Although current evidence is limited and questions regarding its use and place in therapy still exist, this agent shows promise for the future.
Prunella vulgaris Attenuates Prepulse Inhibition Deficit and Attention Disruption induced by MK‐801 in Mice
Authors: Park Se Jin , Jeon Se Jin , dela Peña Ike C. , Lee Hyung Eun , Kim Dong Hyun , Kim Jong Min , Lee Young Woo , Jung Jun Man , Shin Bum Young , Lee Seungheon , Cheong Jae Hoon , Shin Chan Young , Jang Dae Sik , Ryu Jong Hoon
Published: January 2013

Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina is widely distributed in Korea, Japan, China, and Europe, and it has been traditionally used to treat inflammation or hypertension. In the present study, we investigated the effects of the ethanolic extract of the spikes of Prunella vulgaris var. lilacina (EEPV) on dizocilpine (MK‐801)‐induced schizophrenia‐like phenotype behaviors such as the disruption of prepulse inhibition and attention deficits in mice. We also determined the effect of EEPV on MK‐801‐induced alterations in phosphorylated extracellular signal‐regulated kinase, phosphorylated protein kinase B, phospho‐glycogen synthase kinase 3‐β, and phosphorylated cAMP response element‐binding protein levels in the cortex and hippocampus of mice. MK‐801‐induced prepulse inhibition deficits were ameliorated by the administration of EEPV, as shown in the acoustic startle response test. Furthermore, EEPV attenuated the MK‐801‐induced attention deficits in the water finding test. We also found that EEPV attenuated the increased phosphorylated extracellular signal‐regulated kinase, phosphorylated protein kinase B, or phospho‐glycogen synthase kinase 3‐β levels induced by MK‐801 in the cortex but not in the hippocampus. These results suggest that EEPV could be useful for treating schizophrenia because EEPV ameliorates prepulse inhibition disruption and attention deficits induced by MK‐801. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Explorations in Ancient and Modern Philosophy
Authors: Burnyeat M. F.
Published: January 2013

M. F. Burnyeat taught for 14 years in the Philosophy Department of University College London, then for 18 years in the Classics Faculty at Cambridge, 12 of them as the Laurence Professor of Ancient Philosophy, before migrating to Oxford in 1996 to become a Senior Research Fellow in Philosophy at All Souls College. The studies, articles and reviews collected in these two volumes of Explorations in Ancient and Modern Philosophy were all written, and all but two published, before that decisive change. Whether designed for a scholarly audience or for a wider public, they range from the Presocratics to Augustine, from Descartes and Bishop Berkeley to Wittgenstein and G. E. Moore. Their subject-matter falls under four main headings: 'Logic and Dialectic' and 'Scepticism Ancient and Modern', which make up the first volume, with 'Knowledge' and 'Philosophy and the Good Life' contained in this, the second volume. The title 'Explorations' well expresses Burnyeat's ability to discover new aspects of familiar texts, new ways of solving old problems. In his hands the history of philosophy becomes itself a philosophical activity.
TRACE INEQUALITIES AND A QUESTION OF BOURIN
Authors: HAYAJNEH SAJA , KITTANEH FUAD
Published: January 2013

We give an affirmative answer to one of the questions posed by Bourin regarding a special type of inequality referred to as subadditivity inequalities in the case of the Hilbert–Schmidt and the trace norms. We formulate the solution for arbitrary commuting positive operators, and we conjecture that it is true for all unitarily invariant norms and all commuting positive operators. New related trace inequalities are also presented.
Biosphere Reserves for conservation and development in Ukraine? Legal recognition and establishment of the Roztochya initiative
Authors: ELBAKIDZE MARINE , ANGELSTAM PER , SANDSTRÖM CAMILLA , STRYAMETS NATALIE , CROW SARAH , AXELSSON ROBERT , STRYAMETS GALYNA , YAMELYNETS TARAS
Published: January 2013

The Biosphere Reserve (BR) concept is an approach that simultaneously reconciles and promotes conservation of natural and cultural diversity, environmentally and socioculturally sustainable economic development, and research. This study focuses on the legal recognition of the BR concept as a tool for sustainable development (SD) in Ukraine, and what impact legislation has had on BR implementation. The BR concept has been incorporated into Ukrainian nature conservation legislation. However, interviews with locals engaged with the Roztochya BR initiative revealed that the aim to promote sustainability through stakeholder collaboration was poorly implemented. Legislative misplacement of the BR concept created misunderstandings among local people during the emergence of the Roztochya BR initiative. BR implementation may be improved by (1) choosing national terminology describing the concept carefully, because this affects stakeholder perceptions, (2) ensuring that legislation for BRs has a multi-sectoral character, and (3) ensuring that those who implement BR initiatives have the understanding, knowledge and will to lead and facilitate SD as a collaborative social learning process towards ecological, economic, social and cultural sustainability.
Cardiac tamponade as an initial manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus in a child
Authors: Sharda Navreet
Published: January 2013

Cardiac involvement is a rare initial presentation of systemic lupus erythematosus. An 11-year-old girl was described to have massive haemorrhagic pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade, which was later diagnosed as systemic lupus erythematosus. Therefore, in children presenting with cardiac tamponade, systemic lupus erythematosus should be considered as one of the differential diagnoses, as morbidity and mortality associated with cardiac tamponade can be dramatically reduced with early diagnosis and use of steroids.
Effect of a single dose of escitalopram on serotonin concentration in the non-human and human primate brain
Authors: Nord Magdalena , Finnema Sjoerd J. , Halldin Christer , Farde Lars
Published: January 2013

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are widely prescribed for treatment of psychiatric disorders. The exact mechanism underlying the clinical effects of SSRIs remains unclear, although increased synaptic serotonin concentrations have been hypothesized to be an initial step. [11C]AZ10419369 is a novel 5-HT1B receptor selective radioligand, which is sensitive to changes in endogenous serotonin concentrations. To assess whether a single dose of the SSRI escitalopram affects endogenous serotonin concentrations in serotonergic projection areas and in the raphe nuclei (RN), three cynomolgus monkeys and nine human subjects underwent PET examinations with [11C]AZ10419369 at baseline conditions and after escitalopram administration. In monkeys, the binding potential (BPND) was significantly lower post dose compared to baseline in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, occipital cortex, thalamus, midbrain and RN (p < 0.05). In humans, the BPND tended to decrease in RN post dose (p = 0.08). In all serotonergic projection areas, the BPND was conversely higher post dose compared to baseline. The increase was significant in a combined region of all projection areas (p = 0.01) and in occipital and temporal cortex (p < 0.05). SSRIs are generally assumed to elevate endogenous serotonin concentrations in projection areas, evoking the antidepressant effect. In the present study, a single, clinically relevant, dose of escitalopram was found to decrease serotonin concentrations in serotonergic projection areas in humans. Hypothetically, desensitization of inhibitory serotonergic autoreceptors will cause the serotonin concentration in projection areas to increase over time with chronic administration. Thus, the findings in the present study might aid in understanding the mechanism of SSRIs' delayed onset of clinical effect.
Crafting precise multivalent architectures
Authors: Levine Paul M. , Carberry Tom P. , Holub Justin M. , Kirshenbaum Kent
Published: January 2013

Development of elaborate three-dimensional multivalent displays appended on natural or synthetic molecular scaffolds.
Factors Limiting Brook Trout Biomass in Northeastern Vermont Streams
Authors: Kratzer Jud F. , Warren Dana R.
Published: January 2013

Habitat, water chemistry, and water temperature requirements and preferences have been well documented for stream-dwelling Brook Trout Salvelinus fontinalis, but fisheries managers rarely know what factors limit Brook Trout abundance in their jurisdictions. We measured various habitat (width, depth,% pool, and wood abundance), water chemistry (pH and conductivity), and water temperature metrics and estimated Brook Trout biomass at 33 stream reaches in northeastern Vermont to determine what factors were most strongly related to Brook Trout biomass, with the ultimate goal of predicting whether adding wood to these streams could be expected to increase Brook Trout abundance. We fit generalized additive models to investigate potential linear and nonlinear relationships between Brook Trout biomass and the various habitat, chemistry, and temperature metrics. Akaike's information criterion was used to rank candidate models. The top-ranked model included the duration of water temperatures exceeding 20°C, total wood density, and maximum riffle depth, and it predicted that Brook Trout biomass could be expected to increase with increasing woody habitat as long as water temperature does not exceed 20°C for 200 h or more per summer. The model also predicted that the benefits of adding woody habitat would be more pronounced in streams with deeper riffles. The absence of stream pH and pool area from the top-ranked models was surprising. Our results highlight the importance of evaluating the local relationships between fish biomass and stream habitat as well as the important influence of study design on the results and conclusions.

Received August 10, 2012; accepted October 23, 2012
Patricide: Basic Facts and Literature
Authors: Heide Kathleen M.
Published: January 2013

This chapter examines available knowledge on patricide. It begins by presenting basic information about patricide and steppatricide victims, offenders, and incidents over the 32-year period of 1976–2007. Data shows that most male parricide victims were killed in single-victim, single-offender homicides. Multiple-victim and multiple-offender incidents were rare. Most fathers and stepfathers were killed by children over age 18. Offenders who killed stepfathers tended to be younger than those who killed fathers. The average age of steppatricide offenders was 23, compared to 26 for patricide offenders. Juvenile offenders were significantly more likely than their adult counterparts to use firearms to kill fathers (79% vs. 54%) and stepfathers (72% vs. 58%). The chapter also reviews the literature on patricide, focusing first on studies of adult or predominantly adult male patricide offenders, followed by studies of females who killed fathers. After the discussion of the adult literature, case studies of male and female adolescent parricide offenders are synthesized.
The Is and Ought of Sharing: The Equality Heuristic Across the Lifespan
Authors: Keller Monika , Gummerum Michaela , Canz Thomas , Gigerenzer Gerd , Takezawa Masanori
Published: January 2013

The chapter reports a series of studies comparing sharing behavior, moral judgment, and the negotiation of sharing in the dictator game, a nonstrategic fairness task in behavioral economics. Participants of five age groups of 9-, 12-, 14-, 17-year-olds and adults first made (hypothetical) individual decisions and then negotiated in groups of three persons of the same sex how much to share with an anonymous same-sex other group. Sharing equally was the modal choice across all age groups; the youngest and oldest participants offered somewhat less than the other age groups. Arguments in the group negotiations were scored according to a coding manual. The arguments for both fair offers and offers that deviated from equal splits became increasingly elaborate across age groups; groups that offered less than equal splits provided more and more different arguments. A second study including the same age groups assessed offers in an anonymous individual context and also moral judgments of what was evaluated as the fairest offer in this context. No differences in offers were found compared to the first study; across all age groups the majority of participants evaluated equal sharing as the morally right offer. Offers and fairness judgments were in general found to be highly consistent. However, the discrepancy between the fairness judgment and the actual offer, e.g., offering less than what was evaluated as fair, increased substantially in adolescence and in particular in adulthood.
When Will We Meet Again? Regularities of Social Connectivity and Their Reflections in Memory and Decision Making
Authors: Pachur Thorsten , Schooler Lael J. , Stevens Jeffrey R.
Published: January 2013

Do we move through our social world in lawful ways? And how to describe the regularities that underlie the frequency with which we encounter the different members of our social networks? Based on records of daily social contact, this chapter shows that the probability of contact with another person follows three lawful regularities. Specifically, the probability of future contact is lawfully related to the frequency of past contact, the recency of the last contact and how the past contacts have been distributed over time. The dynamics between the probability of future contact and these aspects of past contact thus seem to follow general regularities that have also been found for word occurrence and document access. Moreover, the distribution of contact probability across the different network members is highly skewed, with frequent contact restricted to only very few individuals. The chapter discusses the possible implications of these regularities for the emergence of cooperation and point out that in an environment in which contact probability to most network members is very low, prominent cooperation heuristics such as tit-for-tat are unlikely to emerge. Moreover, the chapter discusses how memory might assist in assessing the probability of future contact. Specifically, the chapter shows that one plausible mechanism, based on memory activation, will lead to predictable errors in the estimations.