bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Further evaluation of a novel nano‐scale gene vector for in vivo transfection of siRNA
Authors: Liu Fan , Qiao Fang‐Fang , Tong Man‐Li , Liu Li‐Li , Fu Zuo‐Gen , Dan Bing , Lin Li‐Rong , Yang Tian‐Ci , Zhang Zhong‐Ying
Published: February 2011

In this research, a lipid‐cationic polymer (LCP) containing the side‐chain branching of brassidic acid was synthesized using chemical methods. As a gene vector for small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA) transfection, the efficiency and biosafety of LCP were preliminarily evaluated to investigate its possible application on tumor gene therapy. The toxicity, side‐effects, and biosafety of LCP were investigated in animals based on the results of in vitro experiments. The siRNA against cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2) was transfected by LCP to interfere with the COX‐2 expression in nude‐transplanted tumors. Hematoxylin and eosin stains, immunohistochemistry, reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction, and Western blot were performed to evaluate the efficiency of LCP for siRNA transfection. The animal toxicity experiment showed that a high concentration of LCP had a low toxic effect on animals and did not induce allergic or pyrogenic reactions. The results from the in vivo transfection indicated that LCP could efficiently transfect siRNA and silence the target gene expression. The LCP gene vector for siRNA transfection is highly efficient during in vivo transfection and had low toxicity. From all aspects of tumor gene therapy and basic research, LCP is valuable for scientific research and medical applications. J. Cell. Biochem. 112: 1329–1336, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Quality improvement projects targeting health care–associated infections: Comparing virtual collaborative and toolkit approaches
Authors: Speroff Theodore , Ely E. Wes , Greevy Robert , Weinger Matthew B. , Talbot Thomas R. , Wall Richard J. , Deshpande Jayant K. , France Daniel J. , Nwosu Sam , Burgess Hayley , Englebright Jane , Williams Mark V. , Dittus Robert S.
Published: February 2011

BACKGROUND:

Collaborative and toolkit approaches have gained traction for improving quality in health care.

OBJECTIVE:

To determine if a quality improvement virtual collaborative intervention would perform better than a toolkit‐only approach at preventing central line–associated bloodstream infections (CLABSIs) and ventilator‐associated pneumonias (VAPs).

DESIGN AND SETTING:

Cluster randomized trial with the Intensive Care Units (ICUs) of 60 hospitals assigned to the Toolkit (n=29) or Virtual Collaborative (n=31) group from January 2006 through September 2007.

MEASUREMENT:

CLABSI and VAP rates. Follow‐up survey on improvement interventions, toolkit utilization, and strategies for implementing improvement.

RESULTS:

A total of 83% of the Collaborative ICUs implemented all CLABSI interventions compared to 64% of those in the Toolkit group (P = 0.13), implemented daily catheter reviews more often (P = 0.04), and began this intervention sooner (P < 0.01). Eighty‐six percent of the Collaborative group implemented the VAP bundle compared to 64% of the Toolkit group (P = 0.06). The CLABSI rate was 2.42 infections per 1000 catheter days at baseline and 2.73 at 18 months (P = 0.59). The VAP rate was 3.97 per 1000 ventilator days at baseline and 4.61 at 18 months (P = 0.50). Neither group improved outcomes over time; there was no differential performance between the 2 groups for either CLABSI rates (P = 0.71) or VAP rates (P = 0.80).

CONCLUSION:

The intensive collaborative approach outpaced the simpler toolkit approach in changing processes of care, but neither approach improved outcomes. Incorporating quality improvement methods, such as ICU checklists, into routine care processes is complex, highly context‐dependent, and may take longer than 18 months to achieve. © Society of Hospital Medicine Journal of Hospital Medicine 2011
Tuning structural and optical properties of blue‐emitting polymeric semiconductors
Authors: Guha Suchi , Chandrasekhar Meera , Scherf Ulli , Knaapila Matti
Published: February 2011

We present a comparison of the optical properties of blue‐emitting polymers with varying backbone conformation under pressure. Among them alkyl substituted side chain polyfluorenes (PF) have a rich phase morphology. The effect of pressure on the backbone emission allows an understanding of the localized and delocalized electronic states and energy transfer mechanisms. The photoluminescence spectra are characterized by well‐defined vibronic peaks, which red‐shift and broaden with increasing pressure. Effects on both interchain and intrachain ordering in these polymer chains can be deduced from such optical studies under pressure. The Raman spectra under pressure provide insight into structural changes as well as electron–phonon interactions in PFs.

magnified image

The blue emission of PF at atmospheric pressure appears green (through a diamond anvil cell) at higher pressure.
Correlation effects in the electronic and structural properties of Cr2AlC
Authors: Ramzan M. , Lebègue S. , Ahuja R.
Published: February 2011

In this Letter, we present the electronic and structural properties calculated by first principles GGA and GGA+U calculations of Cr2AlC, a member of the MAX phases family of compounds. While GGA fails to obtain a correct description, the GGA+U method successfully reproduces the experimental equilibrium volume and bulk modulus values of Cr2AlC, and predict it to be a ferromagnet. Therefore, correlation effects are crucial for the correct description of Cr2AlC, provided that a suitable value of U is chosen. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Hierarchical modeling using generalized linear models
Authors: Kumar, Naveen , Mastrangelo Christina , Montgomery Doug
Published: February 2011

In a complex manufacturing environment, there are hundreds of interrelated processes that form a complex hierarchy. This is especially true of semiconductor manufacturing. In such an environment, modeling and understanding the impact of critical process parameters on final performance measures such as defectivity is a challenging task. In addition, a number of modeling issues such as a small number of observations compared to process variables, difficulty in formulating a high‐dimensional design matrix, and missing data due to failures pose challenges in using empirical modeling techniques such as classical linear modeling as well as generalized linear modeling (GLM) approaches. Our approach is to utilize GLM in a hierarchical structure to understand the impact of key process and subprocess variables on the system output. A two‐level approach, comprising subprocess modeling and meta‐modeling, is presented and modeling related issues such as bias and variance estimation are considered. The hierarchical GLM approach helps not only in improving output measures, but also in identifying and improving subprocess variables attributed to poor output quality. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A comparison of designs for one‐step screening and response surface estimation
Authors: Edwards David J. , Truong David H. Q.
Published: February 2011

The sequential design approach to response surface exploration is often viewed as advantageous as it provides the opportunity to learn from each successive experiment with the ultimate goal of determining optimum operating conditions for the system or process under study. Recent literature has explored factor screening and response surface optimization using only one three‐level design to handle situations where conducting multiple experiments is prohibitive. The most straightforward and accessible analysis strategy for such designs is to first perform a main‐effects only analysis to screen important factors before projecting the design onto these factors to conduct response surface exploration. This article proposes the use of optimal designs with minimal aliasing (MA designs) and demonstrates that they are more effective at screening important factors than the existing designs recommended for single‐design response surface exploration. For comparison purposes, we construct 27‐run MA designs with up to 13 factors and demonstrate their utility using established design criterion and a simulation study. Copyright 2011 © John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Photoelectrochemical studies on aqueous suspensions of 3‐dodecyl 2–5 di‐thionyl pyrrole/metal oxide photoactive interfaces
Authors: Kasem Kasem K.
Published: February 2011

Colloidal ZnO, Fe2O3 and Cu2O solutions were used to explore photonic activities at metal oxides/organic semiconductors interfaces. Fluorescence spectroscopic and dynamic electrochemical techniques were performed on colloidal metal oxides articles modified with 3‐dodecyl 2–5 di‐thionyl pyrrole (3‐DODTh‐Py) to investigate the quantum absorbance efficiency at this inorganic/organic interface (IOI). The IOI assemblies were p‐n junction‐type interfaces, where 3‐DODTh‐Py) functions as electron donor. Results were interpreted using the optical and electrochemical parameters of the organic monomer such as IP (ionization potential), EA (electron affinity), and Eg (Energy band gap), and the barrier height at the IOI interface. One of the driving forces for great absorption at IOI was the great difference in electronegativity between inorganic and organic interface. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Functional Effects of Adult Human Olfactory Stem Cells on Early-Onset Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Authors: Pandit Sonali R. , Sullivan Jeremy M. , Egger Viktoria , Borecki Alexander A. , Oleskevich Sharon
Published: February 2011

Transplantation of exogenous stem cells has been proposed as a treatment to prevent or reverse sensorineural hearing loss. Here, we investigate the effects of transplantation of adult human olfactory mucosa-derived stem cells on auditory function in A/J mice, a strain exhibiting early-onset progressive sensorineural hearing loss. Recent evidence indicates that these stem cells exhibit multipotency in transplantation settings and may represent a subtype of mesenchymal stem cell. Olfactory stem cells were injected into the cochleae of A/J mice via a lateral wall cochleostomy during the time period in which hearing loss first becomes apparent. Changes in auditory function were assessed 1 month after transplantation and compared against animals that received sham injections. Hearing threshold levels in stem cell-transplanted mice were found to be significantly lower than those of sham-injected mice (p < .05) for both click and pure tone stimuli. Transplanted cells survived within the perilymphatic compartments but did not integrate into cochlear tissues. These results indicate that transplantation of adult human olfactory mucosa-derived stem cells can help preserve auditory function during early-onset progressive sensorineural hearing loss.
Sequestration through forestry and agriculture
Authors: Conant Richard T.
Published: February 2011

Current climate mitigation policies have not fully resolved contentious issues regarding the inclusion of carbon sequestration through changes in forestry and agricultural management practices. Terrestrial carbon sinks could be a low‐cost mitigation option that fosters conservation and development, yet issues related to accurately documenting the amount of carbon sequestered undermine confidence that emission offsets through sequestration are equivalent to emission reductions. From an atmospheric perspective, net of CO2removals through sequestration are equivalent to emission reductions over a given period of time. But carbon will not remain sequestered in biomass or soils indefinitely and investments in sequestration could stifle investments in reducing emissions from other sources. Many international climate agreements cap emissions from some countries or sectors but enable participation of uncapped countries or sectors for forestry and agricultural sequestration. This structure can prompt emission increases in parts of the uncapped entities that weaken the value of emission reductions earned through sequestration. This has been a minor issue under the Clean Development Mechanism of the Kyoto Protocol. Reduced emissions through deforestation and degradation is susceptible to the same problems. The purpose of this article is to review the science, politics, and policy that form the basis of arguments for and against the inclusion forestry and agricultural sequestration as a component of current and future international climate mitigation policies.WIREs Clim Change2011 2 238–254 DOI: 10.1002/wcc.101

This article is categorized under:

The Carbon Economy and Climate Mitigation > Decarbonizing Energy and/or Reducing Demand
Victims of bullying in childhood and suicide attempts in adulthood
Authors: Meltzer H. , Vostanis P. , Ford T. , Bebbington P , Dennis M.S.
Published: February 2011

Purpose

To examine whether self-reported exposure to bullying during childhood is associated with suicide attempts over the life course, and if so, what mechanisms could account for this relationship.

Subjects and methods

A random probability sample comprising 7461 respondents was interviewed for the 2007 survey of psychiatric morbidity of adults in Great Britain. Survey respondents were asked about suicidal attempts and whether they were bullied in childhood.

Results

Recall of being bullied in childhood decreased with age from 25% of 16–24-year-olds to 4% among those 75 or over with few differences in the proportions between men and women. Bullying co-occurred with several victimisation experiences including sexual abuse and severe beatings and with running away from home. Even after controlling for lifetime factors known to increase the risk of suicidal behaviour, adults who reported bullying in childhood were still more than twice as likely as other adults to attempt suicide later in life.

Discussion

Being the victim of bullying involves the experience of suffering a defeat and humiliation that in turn could lead to entrapment, hopelessness, depression and suicidal behaviour.

Conclusions

Bullying is already known to be associated with substantial distress and other negative consequences and this further evidence of a strong correlation with the risk of suicide in later life should increase further the motivation of society, services and citizens to act decisively to reduce bullying in childhood.
A rare case of multiple neuromuscular variations in the axilla and arm
Authors: Wang Pei , Hsien Yu‐Lin , Ho Wan‐Yi , Liu Chun‐Chih , Hsiao Tin‐Hsin
Published: February 2011

During the dissection of a 73‐year‐old embalmed male cadaver, we noted unusual variations in the flexor compartment of the upper limb—bilateral axillary arch muscles, a three‐headed biceps brachii muscle with two supernumerary bellies—and variations in the origin of the musculocutaneous and median nerves from the brachial plexus. The morphological and clinical significance of this unique coexistence of multiple neuromuscular variations are discussed.
Dispensing of prescribed analgesics in Norway among young people with foreign-or Norwegian-born parents
Authors: Log Tomas , Skurtveit Svetlana , Tverdal Aage , Furu Kari , Hartz Ingeborg
Published: February 2011

Purpose

To examine and compare dispensing of prescribed analgesics between young people with parents from countries with a Muslim majority and those with parents born in Norway.

Methods

Our study-population constituted 11,542 adolescents from the Norwegian Youth Health Surveys conducted in 2000–2003. Users and non-users of prescribed analgesics at baseline were analysed separately. Self-reported information on their parents’ birth country was used to classify them into one of the three predefined groups: Norway, countries with a Muslim majority or others. To study and compare dispensing of prescribed analgesics, data from the youth surveys were linked to the Norwegian Prescription Database (NorPD) 2004–2007. Dispensed analgesics studied were antiinflammatory and antirheumatic products (non-steroid), opioids and other analgesics and antipyretics.

Results

Among non-users of prescribed analgesics at baseline, 34% of all males with parents born in Norway received prescribed analgesics at least once during 2004–2007, compared to 36% in the group with parents from countries with a Muslim majority. The proportions of females receiving prescribed analgesics were about 44% in both of the two previously mentioned groups. Among users of prescribed analgesics at baseline, the proportion of individuals who were dispensed prescribed analgesics in 2004–2007 was generally higher than for those that were non-users at baseline. Both males and females with parents from countries with a Muslim majority reported more pain compared to those with parents born in Norway. No statistical differences were detected between participants with parents from countries with a Muslim majority compared to those with parents born in Norway in terms of prescribed analgesics dispensed or total amount of analgesics dispensed in 2004–2007. For the dispensing of all analgesics in 2004–2007 the adjusted OR for having parents from countries with a Muslim majority compared to parents born in Norway was 1.02 (0.87–1.21) among non-users of prescribed analgesics at baseline and 0.82 (0.57–1.16) among users.

Conclusions

There were no differences in the dispensing of prescribed analgesics between young people with parents born in countries with a Muslim majority and those with parents born in Norway. Nor did the amount of prescribed analgesics differ between these groups.
The wall pressure signature of transonic shock/boundary layer interaction
Authors: BERNARDINI MATTEO , PIROZZOLI SERGIO , GRASSO FRANCESCO
Published: February 2011

The structure of wall pressure fluctuations beneath a turbulent boundary layer interacting with a normal shock wave at Mach number M∞ = 1.3 is studied exploiting a direct numerical simulation database. Upstream of the interaction, in the zero-pressure-gradient region, pressure statistics compare well with canonical low-speed boundary layers in terms of fluctuation intensities, space–time correlations, convection velocities and frequency spectra. Across the interaction zone, the root-mean-square wall pressure fluctuations attain very large values (in excess of 162 dB), with a maximum increase of about 7 dB from the upstream level. The two-point wall pressure correlations become more elongated in the spanwise direction, indicating an increase of the pressure-integral length scales, and the convection velocities (determined from space–time correlations) are reduced. The interaction qualitatively modifies the shape of the frequency spectra, causing enhancement of the low-frequency Fourier modes and inhibition of the higher ones. In the recovery region past the interaction, the pressure spectra collapse very accurately when scaled with either the free-stream dynamic pressure or the maximum Reynolds shear stress, and exhibit distinct power-law regions with exponent −7/3 at intermediate frequencies and −5 at high frequencies. An analysis of the pressure sources in the Lighthill's equation for the instantaneous pressure has been performed to understand their contributions to the wall pressure signature. Upstream of the interaction the sources are mainly located in the proximity of the wall, whereas past the shock, important contributions to low-frequency pressure fluctuations are associated with long-lived eddies developing far from the wall.
Spatial structure of first and higher harmonic internal waves from a horizontally oscillating sphere
Authors: ERMANYUK E. V. , FLÓR J.-B. , VOISIN B.
Published: February 2011

An experimental study is presented on the spatial structure of the internal wave field emitted by a horizontally oscillating sphere in a uniformly stratified fluid. The limits of linear theory and the nonlinear features of the waves are considered as functions of oscillation amplitude. Fourier decomposition is applied to separate first harmonic waves at the fundamental frequency and higher harmonic waves at multiples of this frequency. For low oscillation amplitude, of 10% of the sphere radius, only the first harmonic is significant and the agreement between linear theory and experiment is excellent. As the oscillation amplitude increases up to 30% of the radius, the first harmonic becomes slightly smaller than its linear theoretical prediction and the second and third harmonics become detectable. Two distinct cases emerge depending on the ratio Ω between the oscillation frequency and the buoyancy frequency. When Ω > 0.5, the second harmonic is evanescent and localized near the sphere in the plane through its centre perpendicular to the direction of oscillation, while the third harmonic is negligible. When Ω < 0.5, the second harmonic is propagative and appears to have an amplitude that exceeds the amplitude of the first harmonic, while the third harmonic is evanescent and localized near the sphere on either side of the plane through its centre perpendicular to the direction of oscillation. Moreover, the propagative first and second harmonics have radically different horizontal radiation patterns and are of dipole and quadrupole types, respectively.
Oscillations of weakly viscous conducting liquid drops in a strong magnetic field
Authors: PRIEDE JĀNIS
Published: February 2011

We analyse small-amplitude oscillations of a weakly viscous electrically conducting liquid drop in a strong uniform DC magnetic field. An asymptotic solution is obtained showing that the magnetic field does not affect the shape eigenmodes, which remain the spherical harmonics as in the non-magnetic case. A strong magnetic field, however, constrains the liquid flow associated with the oscillations and, thus, reduces the oscillation frequencies by increasing effective inertia of the liquid. In such a field, liquid oscillates in a two-dimensional (2D) way as solid columns aligned with the field. Two types of oscillations are possible: longitudinal and transversal to the field. Such oscillations are weakly damped by a strong magnetic field – the stronger the field, the weaker the damping, except for the axisymmetric transversal and inherently 2D modes. The former are overdamped because of being incompatible with the incompressibility constraint, whereas the latter are not affected at all because of being naturally invariant along the field. Since the magnetic damping for all other modes decreases inversely with the square of the field strength, viscous damping may become important in a sufficiently strong magnetic field. The viscous damping is found analytically by a simple energy dissipation approach which is shown for the longitudinal modes to be equivalent to a much more complicated eigenvalue perturbation technique. This study provides a theoretical basis for the development of new measurement methods of surface tension, viscosity and the electrical conductivity of liquid metals using the oscillating drop technique in a strong superimposed DC magnetic field.
Constructing Interethnic Conflict and Cooperation: Why Some People Harmed Jews and Others Helped Them during the Holocaust in Romania
Authors: Dumitru Diana , Johnson Carter
Published: February 2011

The authors draw on a natural experiment to demonstrate that states can reconstruct conflictual interethnic relationships into cooperative relationships in relatively short periods of time. The article examines differences in how the gentile population in each of two neighboring territories in Romania treated its Jewish population during the Holocaust. These territories had been part of tsarist Russia and subject to state-sponsored anti-Semitism until 1917. During the interwar period one territory became part of Romania, which continued anti-Semitic policies, and the other became part of the Soviet Union, which pursued an inclusive nationality policy, fighting against inherited anti-Semitism and working to integrate its Jews. Both territories were then reunited under Romanian administration during World War II, when Romania began to destroy its Jewish population. The authors demonstrate that, despite a uniform Romanian state presence during the Holocaust that encouraged gentiles to victimize Jews, the civilian population in the area that had been part of the Soviet Union was less likely to harm and more likely to aid Jews as compared with the region that had been part of Romania. Their evidence suggests that the state construction of interethnic relationships can become internalized by civilians and outlive the life of the state itself.
Regimes of Ethnicity: Comparative Analysis of Germany, the Soviet Union/Post-Soviet Russia, and Turkey
Authors: Aktürk Şener
Published: February 2011

How do state policies that regulate the relationship between ethnicity and nationality change? This article examines the dynamics of persistence and change in state policies toward ethnicity. In order to better comprehend the nature of political contestation over these state policies, the author first develops a new typology, “regimes of ethnicity,” and categorizes states as having monoethnic, multiethnic, and antiethnic regimes. These regimes are defined along dimensions of membership and expression. Second, he develops a theory of ethnic regime change. He explains the persistence and change in policies related to ethnicity and nationality in Germany, the Soviet Union/post-Soviet Russia, and Turkey since the 1950s by reference to the presence or absence of three independent variables: counterelites, new discourses, and hegemonic majority. He argues that if counterelites representing constituencies with ethnically specific grievances come to power equipped with a new discourse on ethnicity and nationality and garner a hegemonic majority, they can change state policies on ethnicity. These three factors are separately necessary and jointly sufficient for change. Reform in the German citizenship law, removal of ethnicity from Russian internal passports, and the beginning of public broadcasting in Kurdish and other minority languages on state television in Turkey are examined as major changes in state policies.
Electoral Reform and Public Policy Outcomes in Thailand: The Politics of the 30-Baht Health Scheme
Authors: Selway Joel Sawat
Published: February 2011

How do changes in electoral rules affect the nature of public policy outcomes? The current evidence supporting institutional theories that answer this question stems almost entirely from quantitative cross-country studies, the data of which contain very little within-unit variation. Indeed, while there are many country-level accounts of how changes in electoral rules affect such phenomena as the number of parties or voter turnout, there are few studies of how electoral reform affects public policy outcomes. This article contributes to this latter endeavor by providing a detailed analysis of electoral reform and the public policy process in Thailand through an examination of the 1997 electoral reforms. Specifically, the author examines four aspects of policy-making: policy formulation, policy platforms, policy content, and policy outcomes. The article finds that candidates in the pre-1997 era campaigned on broad, generic platforms; parties had no independent means of technical policy expertise; the government targeted health resources to narrow geographic areas; and health was underprovided in Thai society. Conversely, candidates in the post-1997 era relied more on a strong, detailed national health policy; parties created mechanisms to formulate health policy independently; the government allocated health resources broadly to the entire nation through the introduction of a universal health care system, and health outcomes improved. The author attributes these changes in the policy process to the 1997 electoral reform, which increased both constituency breadth (the proportion of the population to which politicians were accountable) and majoritarianism.
Parametric excitation-based inverse bending gait generation
Authors: Harata Yuji , Asano Fumihiko , Taji Kouichi , Uno Yoji
Published: February 2011

In a gait generation method based on the parametric excitation principle, appropriate motion of the center of mass restores kinetic energy lost by heel strike. The motion is realized by bending and stretching a swing-leg regardless of bending direction. In this paper, we first show that inverse bending restores more mechanical energy than forward bending, and then propose a parametric excitation-based inverse bending gait for a kneed biped robot, which improves gait efficiency of parametric excitation walking.
Interdisciplinary progress in approaches to address social-ecological and ecocultural systems
Authors: PRETTY JULES
Published: February 2011

The emergent human cultures have shaped, and in turn been shaped by, local ecosystems. Yet humanity's intense modification of the environment has resulted in dramatic worldwide declines in natural and cultural capital. Social-ecological systems are becoming more vulnerable through the disruption of livelihoods, governance, institutions, resources and cultural traditions. This paper reviews the environmental sub-disciplines that have emerged to seek solutions for conservation and maintenance of the resilience of social-ecological systems. It shows that a central component is engagement with the knowledges of people within their contexts. Local knowledges of nature (traditional, indigenous, local ecological knowledge and ecoliteracy) are used by place-based cultures to guide actions towards nature. The importance of new engagements between different knowledges is now becoming more widely recognized by scientific institutions. Yet there still exist many false dualisms (for example local knowledge versus science) which tend to emphasize a superiority of one over the other. Ecocultures retain or strive to regain their connections with the environment, and thus improve their own resilience. Revitalization projects offer ways to connect knowledge with action to produce optimal outcomes for both nature and culture, suggesting that systems can be redesigned by emphasis on incorporation of local and traditional knowledge systems.
Okadaic acid-sensitive phosphatase is related to MII/G1 transition in mouse oocytes
Authors: Moride Naoko , Kuwahara Akira , Sutoh Ayako , Tanaka Yu , Mukai Yukari , Yamashita Mizuho , Matsuzaki Toshiya , Yasui Toshiyuki , Irahara Minoru
Published: February 2011

It is reported that okadaic acid (OA)-sensitive phosphatase is related to mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK)/p90rsk activation in mammalian oocytes. OA is also involved in the positive feedback loop between M phase-promoting factor (MPF) and cdc25c inXenopusoocytes during meiotic maturation. However, the effect of phosphatase inhibition by OA on MPF and MAPK activities at the MII/G1 in oocytes remains unknown. The aim of this study is to clarify the relationship between OA-sensitive phosphatase and mitosis MII/G1 transition in mouse oocytes. MII-arrested oocytes were, isolated from mice, inseminated and cultured in TYH medium (control group) or TYH medium supplemented with 2.5 μM of OA (OA group). Histone H1 kinase and myelin basic protein (MBP) kinase activities were measured as indicators of MPF and p42 MAPK activities after insemination. Phosphorylation of cdc25c after insemination was analized in OA and control group by western blotting. Seven hours after insemination a pronucleus (PN) was formed in 84.1% (69/85) of oocytes in the control group. However, no PN was formed in oocytes of the OA group (p< 0.001). Although MPF and MAPK activities in the control group significantly decreased at 3, 4, 5, and 7 h after insemination, these decreases were significantly inhibited by OA addition (p< 0.05). Furthermore, OA addition prevented cdc25c dephosphorylation 7 h after insemination. In conclusion, OA-sensitive phosphatase correlates with inactivation of MPF and MAPK, and with the dephosphorylation of cdc25c at the MII/G1 transition in mouse oocytes.
Why does Stirling loom so large in modern architecture Showing others the consequences of their logic
Authors: Wolin Judith
Published: February 2011

If we ask ourselves the question, ‘why does Jim Stirling loom so large in the landscape of British and continental architecture?’, the answer does not come easily. We will begin by saying that Leicester alone – its clarity, its curious fragility, its wit and inventiveness – earned him a singular place in modern architectural history. It seemed to have arrived just at the moment when modern architecture had reached its expiry date. Next we will probably remember the straightforward intelligence of his essays on Le Corbusier's post-war work. But we will just as quickly disown one or another of the later buildings: the Tate, the Fogg, or most often, the elephantine competition entry for the Bibliothèque Nationale. We will ignore the fine restraint of the architecture building at Rice University and instead bemoan the cartoonish (but astonishing) facades of the Berlin Wissenschaftszentrum. We will uneasily ponder his lifelong love of quotation and self-quotation, recognising the wit but wondering about the line where quotation becomes laziness or theft.
Live architecture: the design of portable buildings for live music performance
Authors: Kronenburg Robert
Published: February 2011

On 15 August 1965, The Beatles performed before more than 55,600 fans at Shea Stadium, New York, USA. In what was by far the biggest event to date of its type, that evening a dramatic revelation of the commercial possibilities of popular music took place, and changed the nature of the music business for ever. Simultaneously, despite using more powerful amplification than had been used before, the virtually non-existent connection between the musicians and their audience revealed the enormous technical and architectural challenges of large-scale concerts. Though this concert took place in a permanent building structure, the equipment it was hoped would temporarily alter its use for performance purposes was portable. That it was clearly inadequate for this task reinforced the need for new mobile facilities that would do the job better [1, 2].
Reciprocities: Danish buildings in Schleswig-Holstein
Authors: Andersen Michael Asgaard
Published: February 2011

The painter Emil Nolde's studio was built in 1927 and, the following year, construction was begun on what was to become the house that he shared with his wife Ada in Seebüll. The building was located on a mound in the middle of the marsh, not far from the new border between Germany and Denmark that was made as a result of the vote in 1920. Nolde had designed the building according to the principle that it was to have ‘three facades following the passage of the sun’. Like a sunflower, the facades of the building were to reach out and take in the changing light in step with the sun's flight across the sky. There would be ample opportunity for both skylight and sunlight to enter the building as the positioning on a mound raised the building above the surroundings. In Nolde's view, up on the mound, ‘the entire celestial sphere was above us; it was greater than a semicircle - strange how even a small elevation in the flat landscape can make the vault of heaven seem larger’.
Viollet-le-Duc and the body: the metaphorical integrations of race and style in structural rationalism
Authors: Davis Charles L.
Published: February 2011

At first glance, it might seem counterintuitive to insist upon Eugène Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc's (1814-79) critical interest in the human body as a metaphor for style in architecture. Not only did he oppose the anthropomorphic metaphors for style touted by Neo-Classical theorists at the École des Beaux-Arts, but he was most widely known in the nineteenth century for his preoccupation with the monumental and structural potential of modern materials such as iron. This reception of Viollet-le-Duc's thought persisted in the twentieth century with Sir John Summerson's estimation of Frank Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier's debt to the constructive principles of his architectural organicism. Such accounts have made it possible to interpret construction and/or structure as the main ‘body’ of Viollet-le-Duc's architecture theory. However, this reading confuses the eclipse of Neo-Classical anthropomorphic metaphors for style - which translated the proportional relationships between the human body's constituent parts into a compositional system of design - with the complete eclipse of critical references to the human body in the French style debates of the nineteenth century. As we trace the role of the human body in Viollet-le-Duc's style theory, it becomes clear that the principles of human variation in biology and ethnography enabled him to account for the cultural variations of national peoples in his conception of style.
The appearance of Korean architecture in the modern West
Authors: Kim Hyon-Sob
Published: February 2011

Although the general influence of the architecture of East Asian countries on the formation and development of modern architecture has been widely recognised, detailed evidence about the extent and nature of this influence has been accruing through a growing body of research. This began with Chinoiserie, a Chinese-style fashion around the eighteenth century in Europe, which was imprinted in the Rococo interior as well as in the jardin anglo-chinois with its Chinese pavilions. Then in the late nineteenth century there was a European zeal for Japanese art, Japonisme, which appeared in the Arts and Crafts Movement and Art Nouveau. Consequently, East Asian influences came to be reflected in the concepts and designs of numerous modern architects. The representative figure is the American master Frank Lloyd Wright, who adopted the spatial concept of Laozi (or Lao-Tzu) and the organic characteristics of Japanese architecture. China and Japan had also appeared in various publications and architecture played a typical role in the interchange. Also, some notable Westerners had visited China and Japan.
Noise properties of balanced amplifier configurations
Authors: Woestenburg E.E.M.
Published: February 2011

This paper analyzes the noise properties of balanced amplifier configurations in terms of noise waves and discusses the effect of various amplifier configurations on the noise and signal parameters. It shows how the noise generated in the load on the input coupler of a balanced amplifier deteriorates the amplifiers noise resistance parameter with respect to that of its component amplifiers. The properties of two new balanced amplifier configurations will be discussed, which enable the reduction or elimination of this deterioration.
Oxygen Extraction Fraction at Maximally Vasodilated Tissue in the Ischemic Brain Estimated from the Regional CO2 Responsiveness Measured by Positron Emission Tomography
Authors: Kanno Iwao , Uemura Kazuo , Higano Schuichi , Murakami Matsutaro , Iida Hidehiro , Miura Shuichi , Shishido Fumio , Inugami Atsushi , Sayama Ichiro
Published: February 2011

The oxygen extraction fraction (OEF) at maximally vasodilated tissue in patients with chronic cerebrovascular disease was evaluated using positron emission tomography. The vascular responsiveness to changes in PaCO2 was measured by the H215O autoradiographic method. It was correlated with the resting-state OEF, as estimated using the 15O steady-state method. The subjects comprised 15 patients with unilateral or bilateral occlusion and stenosis of the internal carotid artery or middle cerebral artery or moyamoya disease. In hypercapnia, the scattergram between the OEF and the vascular responsiveness to changes in PaCO2 revealed a significant negative correlation in 11 of 19 studies on these patients, and the OEF at the zero cross point of the regression line with a vascular responsiveness of 0 was 0.53 ± 0.08 (n = 11). This OEF in the resting state corresponds to exhaustion of the capacity for vasodilation. The vasodilatory capacity is discussed in relation to the lower limit of autoregulation.
Genomic constitution and phylogenetic position of several New Zealand Triticeae species revealed by two single copy nuclear genes
Authors: Oliver Aimee G. , Harnish Kara , Sun Genlou
Published: February 2011

Three genera of Triticeae, Elymus, Stenostachys and Australopyrum, are described in the New Zealand flora. Cytological analyses suggested that five basic genomes (St, H, Y, P and W) donated by different diploid species in different combinations exist in the genera Elymus and Stenostachys, whereas Australopyrum species contain the W genome only. Morphological and cytogenetic data suggested that the genome constitution for both E. apricus and E. multiflorus is StYW. Chloroplast DNA and ITS data supported the genome constitution of these Elymus species, but the HW genome constitution was assigned to the Stenostachys species. In this study, sequences of two single copy nuclear genes, RPB2 and DMC1, were used to confirm or refute the genome constitutions of the two Stenostachys species and the two Elymus species from New Zealand, and to analyse their phylogenetic relationships with other Elymus species. Our RPB2 and DMC1 data confirmed that the genome constitution of hexaploid E. apricus is StWY, and tetraploid S. gracilis is HW. The presence of the StW genome in hexaploid E. multiflorus, and the W genome in tetraploid S. laevis is also confirmed. No obvious St genome differentiation between New Zealand and non-New Zealand species is observed. The H genomes in the S. gracilis and S. laevis are closely related to the H genome from North American species, indicating that the H genomes in these two New Zealand species might originate from North American Hordeum species.
Changes in light and nutrient availabilities do not alter the duration of use of seed reserves in Araucaria angustifolia seedlings
Authors: Löwe T. R. , Dillenburg L. R.
Published: February 2011

Initial plant growth is entirely dependent on seed reserves, until the photosynthetic organs become a significant net carbon source to the growing plant. The time during which these reserves are used may vary within species, depending on the availability of external resources. We have investigated the duration of use of the seed reserves in the large-seeded tree species Araucaria angustifolia, when growing under different light and nutrient availabilities. We hypothesised that this duration would not vary with growing conditions, because of the high pressure exerted by predators on these seeds and because of the existing possibility of transferring to and restoring part of their starchy reserves in the underground hypocotyl. Plant growth took place for 139 days under shade cloth in outside gardens, under each of the four combinations of high and low light or nutrient availabilities. Plants within each treatment were separated into six different groups, each including seedlings which were separated from their seeds by cotyledon excision at five different time periods after seed sowing (43, 63, 83, 103 and 124 days), plus a Control group of seedlings which were not deprived from their seeds. Final mass accumulation by seedlings that had full access to the seed reserves was compared with that of seedlings which were separated from their seeds at different time periods after seed sowing. Seed mass evaluations at each excision period allowed us to follow the temporal pattern of seed consumption. We found that seedlings growing under low light used seed reserves for growth longer than those under high light, regardless of their nutrient condition, pointing to the importance of a large seed for seedling establishment under deep shade. However, seed consumption followed a very similar pattern in both light treatments. Nutrient availability did not affect the duration of growth dependency on seed reserves or the pace of seed mass depletion. Our initial hypothesis was then accepted, and the possible implications of the reported early growth behaviour of the species in coping with seed predation and shading are discussed.
Effects of snail shell and iron filings on properties of green moulding sand
Authors: Adedayo A. V. , Oyetoyan O. A. , Ibitoye S. A. , Adeleke A. A.
Published: February 2011

This paper presents the report of a research on the adaptation of green moulding sand. This was done by addition of iron filings and snail shell to standard silica sand. The objective is to evaluate the compatibility of iron filings and snail shell with green moulding sand in order to know their usability with green moulding sand. Twenty-five sand samples were prepared with different Fe and snail shell contents ranging from 1 wt% to 5 wt%. A control sand sample which had no iron and snail shell content was also prepared. The properties of the sand samples were tested. The results show that addition of Fe filing does not have any adverse effects on the properties of green moulding sand; however, the snail shell content show some effects on some of the properties of the moulding sand.
Distribution and chemical fractionation of arsenic in surficial sediments of the Lami coastal environment in Fiji
Authors: Chand Vimlesh , Prasad Surendra , Prasad Rajendra
Published: February 2011

A case of arsenic contamination has recently been detected in the Lami coastal environment during the course of a heavy metal monitoring in Fiji's coastal environment. Twenty two surficial sediment samples were sampled during the 2008–2009 period, extracted for arsenic and analysed using graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry. Two sites within the Lami estuary recorded the highest As levels of 334 and 282 mg kg–1 as dry weight in sediments samples, which has greatly exceeded the local and global average background concentrations. Chemical fractionation studies using a standard sequential protocol showed that As is mostly associated with residual (strong acid extractable) phase of the sediments, however significant amounts of As were also detected in bioavailable (exchangeable, water and acid soluble), reducible and oxidisable fractions. Comparison with standard sediment quality guidelines (SQGs) indicate that As levels are likely to be highly toxic to biota, hence further ecotoxicological studies are warranted to evaluate possible
environmental effects on the aquatic environment.
Regulation of an intracellular subtilisin protease activity by a short propeptide sequence through an original combined dual mechanism
Authors: Gamble Michael , Künze Georg , Dodson Eleanor J. , Wilson Keith S. , Jones D. Dafydd
Published: February 2011

A distinct class of the biologically important subtilisin family of serine proteases functions exclusively within the cell and forms a major component of the
bacilli
degradome. However, the mode and mechanism of posttranslational regulation of intracellular protease activity are unknown. Here we describe the role played by a short N-terminal extension prosequence novel amongst the subtilisins that regulates intracellular subtilisin protease (ISP) activity through two distinct modes: active site blocking and catalytic triad rearrangement. The full-length proenzyme (proISP) is inactive until specific proteolytic processing removes the first 18 amino acids that comprise the N-terminal extension, with processing appearing to be performed by ISP itself. A synthetic peptide corresponding to the N-terminal extension behaves as a mixed noncompetitive inhibitor of active ISP with a
K

i

of 1 μM. The structure of the processed form has been determined at 2.6 Å resolution and compared with that of the full-length protein, in which the N-terminal extension binds back over the active site. Unique to ISP, a conserved proline introduces a backbone kink that shifts the scissile bond beyond reach of the catalytic serine and in addition the catalytic triad is disrupted. In the processed form, access to the active site is unblocked by removal of the N-terminal extension and the catalytic triad rearranges to a functional conformation. These studies provide a new molecular insight concerning the mechanisms by which subtilisins and protease activity as a whole, especially within the confines of a cell, can be regulated.