bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Jumping translocations of 1q12 in multiple myeloma: a novel mechanism for deletion of 17p in cytogenetically defined high-risk disease
Authors: Sawyer Jeffrey R. , Tian Erming , Heuck Christoph J. , Epstein Joshua , Johann Donald J. , Swanson Charles M. , Lukacs Janet L. , Johnson Marian , Binz Regina , Boast Angela , Sammartino Gael , Usmani Saad , Zangari Maurizio , Waheed Sarah , van Rhee Frits , Barlogie Bart
Published: February 2014

Key Points

Jumping translocations of 1q12 (JT1q12) provide a mechanism for the deletion of 17p in cytogenetically defined high-risk myeloma. Sequential JT1q12s introduce unexpected copy number gains and losses in receptor chromosomes during subclonal evolution.
Stable time patterns of railway suicides in Germany: comparative analysis of 7,187 cases across two observation periods (1995–1998; 2005–2008)
Authors: Lukaschek Karoline , Baumert Jens , Erazo Natalia , Ladwig Karl-Heinz
Published: February 2014

Background

The majority of fatalities on the European Union (EU) railways are suicides, representing about 60% of all railway fatalities. The aim of this study was to compare time patterns of suicidal behaviour on railway tracks in Germany between two observation periods (1995–1998 and 2005–2008) in order to investigate their stability and value in railway suicide prevention.

Methods

Cases were derived from the National Central Registry of person accidents on the German railway network (STABAG). The association of daytime, weekday and month with the mean number of suicides was analysed applying linear regression. Potential differences by observation period were assessed by adding observation period and the respective interaction terms into the linear regression. A 95% confidence interval for the mean number of suicides was computed using the t distribution.

Results

A total of 7,187 railway suicides were recorded within both periods: 4,102 (57%) in the first period (1995–1998) and 3,085 (43%) in the second (2005–2008). The number of railway suicides was highest on Mondays and Tuesdays in the first period with an average of 3.2 and 3.5 events and of 2.6 events on both days in the second period. In both periods, railway suicides were more common between 6:00 am and noon, and between 6:00 pm and midnight. Seasonality was only prominent in the period 1995–1998.

Conclusions

Over the course of two observation periods, the weekday and circadian patterns of railway suicides remained stable. Therefore, these patterns should be an integral part of railway suicide preventive measures, e.g. gatekeeper training courses.
Meniscus body position and its change over four years in asymptomatic adults: a cohort study using data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI)
Authors: Bruns Katharina , Svensson Fredrik , Turkiewicz Aleksandra , Wirth Wolfgang , Guermazi Ali , Eckstein Felix , Englund Martin
Published: February 2014

Background

A high degree of meniscal body extrusion on knee magnetic resonance imaging has been shown to be strongly associated with development of knee osteoarthritis. However, very little is known about meniscal position in the asymptomatic knee and its natural history. Hence our objective was to study meniscal body position and its change over 4 years in asymptomatic adults.

Methods

Cohort study using data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative (OAI) involving four clinical sites in the United States (Baltimore, Maryland, Pawtucket, Rhode Island, Columbus, Ohio, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). We studied both knees from 118 subjects (mean age 55 years, 61% women, mean body mass index 24.4) from the OAI “non-exposed” reference cohort free of knee pain, radiographic knee osteoarthritis and risk factors for knee osteoarthritis at baseline. We assessed mid-coronal intermediate-weighted 3-Tesla magnetic resonance images from baseline and the 2- and 4-year follow-up visit. One observer measured tibia plateau, meniscal body width and meniscal body extrusion in both compartments. We calculated meniscal overlap distance on the tibial plateau, % coverage, and extrusion index compared to tibia width. Potential trends in position over the 4-year period were evaluated using a linear mixed-effects regression model.

Results

The mean (SD) values at baseline for medial meniscal body extrusion and overlap distance were 1.64 mm (0.92) and 10.1 mm (3.5), and coverage was 34.4% (11.9). The corresponding values for the lateral compartment were 0.63 mm (0.73), 9.8 mm (2.4), and 31.0% (7.7). Medial meniscus body extrusion index was greater in female knees (p = 0.03). There was slight increase in medial meniscal body extrusion over 4 years (0.040 mm/year [95% CI: 0.019-0.062]). The other variables were relatively stable.

Conclusions

In asymptomatic adults, the relative degree of meniscus body extrusion is more pronounced in female knees. Although a slight increase in extrusion over time was noted for the medial body, positions were relatively stable within subjects over time.
Reliability and reproducibility analysis of the Cobb angle and assessing sagittal plane by computer-assisted and manual measurement tools
Authors: Wu Weifei , Liang Jie , Du Yuanli , Tan Xiaoyi , Xiang Xuanping , Wang Wanhong , Ru Neng , Le Jinbo
Published: February 2014

Background

Although many studies on reliability and reproducibility of measurement have been performed on coronal Cobb angle, few results about reliability and reproducibility are reported on sagittal alignment measurement including the pelvis. We usually use SurgimapSpine software to measure the Cobb angle in our studies; however, there are no reports till date on its reliability and reproducible measurements.

Methods

Sixty-eight standard standing posteroanterior whole-spine radiographs were reviewed. Three examiners carried out the measurements independently under the settings of manual measurement on X-ray radiographies and SurgimapSpine software on the computer. Parameters measured included pelvic incidence, sacral slope, pelvic tilt, Lumbar lordosis (LL), thoracic kyphosis, and coronal Cobb angle. SPSS 16.0 software was used for statistical analyses. The means, standard deviations, intraclass and interclass correlation coefficient (ICC), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated.

Results

There was no notable difference between the two tools (P = 0.21) for the coronal Cobb angle. In the sagittal plane parameters, the ICC of intraobserver reliability for the manual measures varied from 0.65 (T2–T5 angle) to 0.95 (LL angle). Further, for SurgimapSpine tool, the ICC ranged from 0.75 to 0.98. No significant difference in intraobserver reliability was found between the two measurements (P > 0.05). As for the interobserver reliability, measurements with SurgimapSpine tool had better ICC (0.71 to 0.98 vs 0.59 to 0.96) and Pearson’s coefficient (0.76 to 0.99 vs 0.60 to 0.97). The reliability of SurgimapSpine measures was significantly higher in all parameters except for the coronal Cobb angle where the difference was not significant (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Although the differences between the two methods are very small, the results of this study indicate that the SurgimapSpine measurement is an equivalent measuring tool to the traditional manual in coronal Cobb angle, but is advantageous in spino-pelvic measurement in T2-T5, PT, PI, SS, and LL.
Expression of DNA-repair proteins and their significance in pancreatic cancer and non-cancerous pancreatic tissues of Sprague–Dawley rats
Authors: Tan Xing-guo , Yang Zhu-lin , Yang Le-ping , Miao Xiong-ying
Published: February 2014

Background

To establish a model of pancreatic cancer induced by 7,12-dimethylbenzantracene (DMBA) in Sprague–Dawley (SD) rats, and detect the expression of DNA-repair proteins (MGMT, ERCC1, hMSH2, and hMLH1) and their significance in pancreatic cancer and non-cancerous pancreatic tissues of SD rats.

Methods

DMBA was directly implanted into the parenchyma of rat pancreas (group A and group B), and group B rats were then treated with trichostatin A (TSA). The rats in both groups were executed within 3 to 5 months, and their pancreatic tissues were observed by macrography and under microscopy. Meanwhile, the rats in the control group (group C) were executed at 5 months. Immunohistochemistry was used to assay the expression of MGMT, ERCC1, hMSH2, and hMLH1.

Results

The incidence of pancreatic cancer in group A within 3 to 5 months was 48.7% (18/37), including 1 case of fibrosarcoma. The incidence of pancreatic cancer in group B was 33.3% (12/36), including 1 case of fibrosarcoma. The mean of maximal diameters of tumors in group A was higher than that in group B (P <0.05). No pathological changes were found in pancreas of group C and other main organs (except pancreas) of group A and group B. No statistical differences were found among the positive rates of MGMT, ERCC1, hMSH2, and hMLH1 in ductal adenocarcinoma and non-cancerous pancreatic tissues of group A (P >0.05). The positive rates of MGMT, ERCC1, hMSH2, and hMLH1 were significantly lower in ductal adenocarcinoma than those in non-cancerous tissues of group B (P ≤0.05). All pancreas of group C had positive expression of MGMT, ERCC1, hMSH2, and hMLH1 and two cases of fibrosarcoma showed a negative expression.

Conclusions

DMBA, directly implanted into the parenchyma of pancreas, creates an ideal pancreatic cancer model within a short time. TSA might restrain DNA damage related to the genesis and growth of pancreatic cancer in rats. The DNA-repair proteins, including MGMT, ERCC1, hMSH2, and hMLH1, might play an important role in the genesis of pancreatic cancer induced by DMBA in rats.
A survey of medicinal plants used by the Deb barma clan of the Tripura tribe of Moulvibazar district, Bangladesh
Authors: Kabir Mohammad Humayun , Hasan Nur , Rahman Md Mahfuzur , Rahman Md Ashikur , Khan Jakia Alam , Hoque Nazia Tasnim , Bhuiyan Md Ruhul Quddus , Mou Sadia Moin , Jahan Rownak , Rahmatullah Mohammed
Published: February 2014

Background

The number of tribes present within Bangladesh has been estimated to approximate one hundred and fifty. Information on traditional medicinal practices, particularly of the smaller tribes and their clans is lacking. It was the objective of the study to document the tribal medicinal practices of the Deb barma clan of the Tripura tribe, which clan can be found residing in Dolusora Tripura Palli of Moulvibazar district of Bangladesh. A further objective was to determine the extent of the community households who still prefer traditional treatment to other forms of treatment, particularly allopathic treatment.

Methods

Interviews of the tribal healer and the tribal community regarding their ethnomedicinal practices were carried out with the help of a semi-structured questionnaire and the guided field-walk method. All together 67 clan members were interviewed including the Headman, tribal healer, 19 Heads of households and 46 other adult members of the clan. Information on number of members of household, their age, gender, educational status, occupation of working household members and preferred mode of treatment was obtained through the semi-structured questionnaire. In the guided field-walk method, the healer took the interviewers on field-walks through areas from where he collected his medicinal plants, pointed out the plants, and described their uses.

Results

The clan had a total of 135 people distributed into 20 households and had only one traditional healer. Use of medicinal plants, wearing of amulets, and worship of the evil god ‘Bura debta’ constituted the traditional medicinal practices of the clan for treatment of diseases. The healer used a total of 44 medicinal plants distributed into 34 families for treatment of various ailments like pain, coughs, cold, gastrointestinal disorders, cuts and wounds, diabetes, malaria, heart disorders, and paralysis.

Conclusions

Available scientific reports validate the use of a number of plants by the traditional healer. A number of the plants used by the clan healer had reported similar uses in Ayurveda, but differ considerably in their therapeutic uses from that reported for other tribes in Bangladesh. The present survey also indicated that in recent years the Deb barma clan members are inclining more towards allopathic medicine.
A margin-based analysis of the dosimetric impact of motion on step-and-shoot IMRT lung plans
Authors: Waghorn Benjamin J , Shah Amish P , Rineer Justin M , Langen Katja M , Meeks Sanford L
Published: February 2014

Purpose

Intrafraction motion during step-and-shoot (SNS) IMRT is known to affect the target dosimetry by a combination of dose blurring and interplay effects. These effects are typically managed by adding a margin around the target. A quantitative analysis was performed, assessing the relationship between target motion, margin size, and target dosimetry with the goal of introducing new margin recipes.

Methods

A computational algorithm was used to calculate 1,174 motion-encoded dose distributions and DVHs within the patient’s CT dataset. Sinusoidal motion tracks were used simulating intrafraction motion for nine lung tumor patients, each with multiple margin sizes.

Results

D95% decreased by less than 3% when the maximum target displacement beyond the margin experienced motion less than 5 mm in the superior-inferior direction and 15 mm in the anterior-posterior direction. For target displacements greater than this, D95% decreased rapidly.

Conclusions

Targets moving in excess of 5 mm outside the margin can cause significant changes to the target. D95% decreased by up to 20% with target motion 10 mm outside the margin, with underdosing primarily limited to the target periphery. Multi-fractionated treatments were found to exacerbate target under-coverage. Margins several millimeters smaller than the maximum target displacement provided acceptable motion protection, while also allowing for reduced normal tissue morbidity.

PACS

87.55.dk
Perianal mantle cell lymphoma mimicking an external thrombosed hemorrhoid: a case report
Authors: Gulcu Baris , Ozer Ali , Nazlioglu Hulya Ozturk , Ozturk Ersin , Yilmazlar Tuncay
Published: February 2014

Introduction

Malignancies of the anal margin and perianal skin are relatively uncommon, and account for approximately 2% to 3% of all anorectal malignancies. Despite the fact that gastrointestinal presentation of lymphoma is not uncommon, primary localization of mantle cell lymphoma to the perianal region is rare.

Case presentation

We present the case of a 64-year-old Turkish man with a rapidly progressive perianal mass. Our patient had previously required medical treatment on multiple occasions for hemorrhoidal disease; however, the treatment was ineffective and gross lymph nodes were noted in his left inguinal region. Following excision of the mass and his lymph nodes, the pathological diagnosis of both tissues was mantle cell lymphoma.

Conclusion

Although gastrointestinal presentation of non-Hodgkin lymphoma is common, the literature includes only a few cases of perianal localization. Our case illustrates the importance of suspicion and complete examination of perianal masses. In practice, examination of the inguinal region should be a part of routine proctological examination.
A new haemocyanin in cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) eggs: sequence analysis and relevance during ontogeny
Authors: Thonig Anne , Oellermann Michael , Lieb Bernhard , Mark Felix Christopher
Published: February 2014

Background

Haemocyanin is the respiratory protein of most of the Mollusca. In cephalopods and gastropods at least two distinct isoforms are differentially expressed. However, their physiological purpose is unknown. For the common cuttlefish Sepia officinalis, three isoforms are known so far, whereas for only two of them the complete mRNA sequences are available. In this study, we sequenced the complete mRNA of the third haemocyanin isoform and measured the relative expression of all three isoforms during embryogenesis to reveal a potential ontogenetic relevance.

Results

The cDNA of isoform 3 clearly correlates to the known Sepia officinalis haemocyanin subunits consisting of eight functional units and an internal duplicated functional unit d. Our molecular phylogenetic analyses reveal the third isoform representing a potentially ancestral haemocyanin isoform, and the analyses of the expression of haemocyanin type 3 reveal that haemocyanin type 3 only can be observed within eggs and during early development. Isoforms 1 and 2 are absent at these stages. After hatching, isoform 3 is downregulated, and isoform 1 and 2 are upregulated.

Conclusions

Our study clearly shows an embryonic relevance of the third isoform, which will be further discussed in the light of the changes in the physiological function of haemocyanin during ontogeny. Taken together with the fact that it could also be the isoform closest related to the common ancestor of cuttlefish haemocyanin, the phylogeny of cuttlefish haemocyanin may be recapitulated during its ontogeny.
Survivin but not Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand is up-regulated before the onset of rheumatoid arthritis: a pilot study
Authors: Bokarewa Maria , Brink Mikael , Erlandsson Malin , Rantapää Dahlqvist Solbritt
Published: February 2014

Introduction

Antibodies against citrullinated peptides (anti-CCP) and increased levels of cytokines precede the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by several years. Recently, the proteins survivin and Fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ligand (Flt3L) have been identified as biomarkers of RA associated with joint destruction. Our objective was to investigate the potential of survivin and Flt3L as predictors of RA in samples from patients prior to onset of symptoms.

Methods

This study included 47 individuals sampled before onset of RA (median 2.5 years (IQR 4.5) and 155 matched controls, all were donors to the Medical Biobank of Northern Sweden, and 36 RA patients. Levels of anti-CCP, survivin and Flt3L were measured using ELISAs and 29 cytokines/chemokines by multiplex detection.

Results

Levels of survivin were increased in pre-symptomatic individuals compared with controls (P = 0.003), whilst the levels of Flt3L were similar. The frequency of survivin positivity in the pre-symptomatic individuals was increased compared with the controls (36.2 vs.14.2%, P = 0.001) and predicted disease development (odds ratio (OR) =3.4 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.6-7.2)). The frequency of survivin and Flt3L in RA patients was increased compared with the controls (both, P <0.0001, OR = 12.1 (95% CI, 5.3-27.6) and OR = 11.0 (95% CI, 3.9-30.9), respectively). Anti-CCP positive pre-symptomatic individuals and patients had significantly higher levels of survivin compared with anti-CCP2 negative individuals. In pre-symptomatic individuals, survivin correlated with IL-12, IL-1β and IL-9 whereas Flt3L correlated to a significantly broader spectrum of cytokines in RA patients.

Conclusion

Proto-oncogene survivin was increased in individuals prior to onset of symptoms of RA and was correlated to cytokines suggesting its role at pre-clinical stages of the disease.
2013 Honors and Awards citations
Authors: Roden Rocky
Published: February 2014

Mike Forrest has a lifelong and extraordinary record of service to the Society, particularly the Foundation and its Trustee Associates. Mike joined the SEG Foundation Board in 2008, and his subsequent contributions have been and are enormous.
Covered with Such a Cappe: The Archaeology of Seneca Clothing, 1615–1820
Authors: Kane Maeve
Published: February 2014

This piece examines a collection of archaeological fabrics never before published, from fifteen historic-period Seneca sites, held by the Rochester Museum and Science Center (RMSC). The collection includes one of the largest assemblages of early modern archaeological fabrics in the world and the single largest collection of such fabrics from Native North American sites. The documentary sources for this period mainly cover the frontiers of Iroquois-European interaction, but the RMSC collection represents a unique window on cultural entanglement and incorporation of new material culture in Native American homelands. Together with the textual record, the RMSC collection shows the ways in which Seneca cultural entanglement with European settlements on the fringes of Iroquoia allowed women to elaborate on existing decorative traditions with new raw materials and to craft a rising standard of living. A careful reading of the choices apparent in the selection of fabrics at Seneca sites shows that the symbolic meanings of Iroquois material culture shifted between home and the diplomatic frontier while Seneca paradigms structured the integration of imported goods.
The Right to Possess Memory: Winter Counts of the Blackfoot, 1830–1937
Authors: Tovías Blanca
Published: February 2014

This article analyzes four Siksika (Blackfoot) winter counts covering the period 1830–1937, created in the early twentieth century. In common with those of other Plains First Nations, Blackfoot winter counts are chronological yearly records of salient events. Among the Blackfoot this was predominantly an oral genre and, less frequently, one that employed pictographs drawn on tanned bison hides as mnemonic devices. The article focuses on the continued relevance of a genre steeped in the oral tradition. It argues that despite having access to writing and familiarity with Western historical genres, Siksika historians/keepers of winter counts revitalized the indigenous genre in order to remember their past on their own terms.
Women on Fire: Immolation, Consent, and the Revolutionary Subject
Authors: Saha Poulomi
Published: February 2014

The years between 1930 and 1933 saw a dramatic rise in anticolonial violence in Bengal. Young women who participated in this violence, caught between competing masculinist discourses of colonial authorities and nationalist communities that deemed them either dupes or martyrs, recognized an incongruity between their revolutionary insurgency and the conditions of possibility for its memorialization. This essay follows Pritilata Waddedar, the first woman to die in the commission of an anticolonial terrorist attack, as she is incarnated into legal, historical, and cultural evidence by colonial authorities and nationalists alike. It responds to Gayatri Spivak’s canonical question of whether the subaltern woman’s voice can be excavated from the historical archive by suggesting that Waddedar augurs and undermines the future narratives of her death and allegorically calls herself sati as a political strategy of refusal and illegibility. Waddedar’s iteration of sati relies on its peculiar status in nineteenth-century colonial law, where it was classified as “voluntary culpable homicide by consent.” This legislation inaugurated a new juridical index of female desire that shaped the political conditions of possibility for revolutionary women decades later. Waddedar prophesies the ways in which her death, like that of the immolated widow, will come to be the object of disputed meaning making and insistently jams the gears of systems of evidence that promise an epistemological clarity of the terms by which a woman lives or dies.
Ube2g2-gp78-mediated HERP polyubiquitination is involved in ER stress recovery
Authors: Yan Long , Liu Weixiao , Zhang Huihui , Liu Chao , Shang Yongliang , Ye Yihong , Zhang Xiaodong , Li Wei
Published: February 2014

A large number of studies have focused on how individual organism responses to a stress condition, but little attention was paid to the stress recovery process especially to ER (endoplasmic reticulum) stress recovery. HERP was originally identified as a chaperone-like protein that is strongly induced upon ER stress. Here we show that, after ER stress induction, HERP is rapidly degraded via an Ube2g2-gp78-mediated ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. The polyubiquitination of HERP in vitro depends on a physical interaction between the CUE domain of gp78 and the UBL domain of HERP, which is essential for HERP degradation in vivo during ER stress recovery. We further show that although HERP promotes cell survival under ER stress, high levels of HERP expression reduces cell viability under oxidative stress conditions, suggesting that HERP plays a dual role in cellular stress adaptation. Together, these results establish the ubiquitin proteasome-mediated degradation of HERP as a novel mechanism that fine-tunes the stress tolerance capacity of the cell.
Changes in protein expression in the salt marsh musselGeukensia demissa: evidence for a shift from anaerobic to aerobic metabolism during prolonged aerial exposure
Authors: Fields Peter , Eurich Chris , Gao William , Cela Bekim
Published: February 2014

During aerial exposure (emersion), most sessile intertidal invertebrates experience cellular stress caused by hypoxia, and the amount and types of hypoxia-induced stress will differ as exposure time increases, likely leading to altered metabolic responses. We examined proteomic responses to increasing emersion times and decreasing recovery (immersion) times in the mussel Geukensia demissa, which occurs in salt marshes along the east coast of North America. Individuals are found above mean tide level, and can be emersed for over 18 hours during spring tides. We acclimated mussels to full immersion at 15°C for four weeks, and compared changes in gill protein expression between groups of mussels that continually were immersed (control), were emersed for six hours and immersed during recovery for 18 hours (6E/18R), were emersed for 12 hours and recovered for 12 hours (12E/12R), or were emersed for 18 hours with a six hour recovery (18E/6R). We found clear differences in protein expression patterns among the treatments. Proteins associated with anaerobic fermentation increased in abundance in 6E/18R but not 12E/12R or 18E/6R. Increases in oxidative stress proteins were most apparent in 12E/12R, and in 18E/6R changes in cytoskeletal protein expression predominated. We conclude that G. demissa alters its strategy for coping with emersion stress over time, relying on anaerobic metabolism for short- to medium-duration exposure, but switching to an air-gaping strategy for long term exposure, which reduces hypoxia stress but may cause structural damage to gill tissue.
Management Practices, Relational Contracts, and the Decline of General Motors
Authors: Helper Susan , Henderson Rebecca
Published: February 2014

General Motors was once regarded as the best-managed and most successful firm in the world. However, between 1980 and 2009, GM's US market share fell from 46 to 20 percent, and in 2009 the firm went bankrupt. We argue that the conventional explanation for this decline—namely high legacy labor and healthcare costs—is seriously incomplete, and that GM's share collapsed for many of the same reasons that many highly successful American firms of the 1960s were forced from the market, including a failure to understand the nature of the competition they faced and an inability to respond effectively once they did. We focus particularly on the problems GM encountered in developing the relational contracts essential to modern design and manufacturing, and we discuss a number of possible causes for these difficulties. We suggest that GM's experience may have important implications for our understanding of the role of management in the modern, knowledge-based firm and for the potential revival of manufacturing in the United States.
Association of a peptoid ligand with the apical loop of pri-miR-21 inhibits cleavage by Drosha
Authors: Diaz Jason P. , Chirayil Rachel , Chirayil Sara , Tom Martin , Head Katie J. , Luebke Kevin J.
Published: February 2014

We have found a small molecule that specifically inhibits cleavage of a precursor to the oncogenic miRNA, miR-21, by the microprocessor complex of Drosha and DGCR8. We identified novel ligands for the apical loop of this precursor from a screen of 14,024 N-substituted oligoglycines (peptoids) in a microarray format. Eight distinct compounds with specific affinity were obtained, three having affinities for the targeted loop in the low micromolar range and greater than 15-fold discrimination against a closely related hairpin. One of these compounds completely inhibits microprocessor cleavage of a miR-21 primary transcript at concentrations at which cleavage of another miRNA primary transcript, pri-miR-16, is little affected. The apical loop of pri-miR-21, placed in the context of pri-miR-16, is sufficient for inhibition of microprocessor cleavage by the peptoid. This compound also inhibits cleavage of pri-miR-21 containing the pri-miR-16 apical loop, suggesting an additional site of association within pri-miR-21. The reported peptoid is the first example of a small molecule that inhibits microprocessor cleavage by binding to the apical loop of a pri-miRNA.
Hedonic Function Estimation for Cars in Terms of Market Segmentation
Authors: Поляков  , Polyakov K.
Published: February 2014

It is shown how to specify and estimate hedonic function for well segmented markets, as exemplified by the new foreign-made cars market of this country. It has been proved that taking in consideration current market segmentation along with very few functional attributes of goods can dramatically improve accuracy of foreign-made cars’ market price approximation. The analysis of interclass difference in implicit prices on a good’s functional attributes has also been performed. Its results confirm, that system of implicit prices correctly reflects market segments positioning. As a mathematical apparatus technique for hedonic function analysis semi log switching regression is used.
Beyond campus borders: Canadian campus radio and community representation on the FM dial
Authors: Fauteux Brian
Published: February 2014

At a time when a number of prominent American college stations have moved online, the processes by which Canadian campus stations acquired FM licences exemplifies what can potentially be lost when stations move off the dial, as may occur if the Internet is assumed to be the most viable means of distributing alternative and community radio. The Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) first licensed campus radio in 1975. The licensing of community and campus stations by the CRTC represented not only the recognition of community media initiatives by the Canadian government but also the expansion of radio broadcasting on Canadian university and college campuses. This article addresses on-campus radio broadcasting in the years leading up to the FM licensing of three campus radio stations in Canada. Before stations crafted mandates catered to their communities that ensured the broadcasting of culturally and musically diverse content, many stations existed as insular radio clubs or closed-circuit stations that circulated through various university buildings. The transition from broadcasting within campus borders to FM broadcasting, as exemplified by CHMA, CKUW and CiTR, points to concerted efforts by groups and individuals who strove to expand the boundaries of campus radio. FM licences were acquired through administrative work and concerted campaigns by campus radio practitioners, who sought to reflect and represent local musical and cultural activity and increase its prominence in the wider community.
The birth of radio broadcasting: The matrix of science, technology and communication in the western world
Authors: Barboutis Christos
Published: February 2014

Between the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth, the possibilities of three different types of wireless communication technology were made evident to the western world. Instead of uncritically presenting US-based accounts, this article delineates the relationship between radio technology and communication, moulded by the notion of modern science, which bears as a consequence the establishment of broadcasting as a mass phenomenon in western societies. The above-mentioned relationship is explained without downplaying at the same time the existence of relativism in particular social settings. Thus, the article is underpinned by the interplay among the cultural, economic and political factors that finally led to the development of radio broadcasting during the ‘Roaring Twenties’.
Mediastinal Schwannoma Diagnosed Preoperatively as a Cyst
Authors: Taguchi Shinichi , Mori Atsuo , Suzuki Ryo , Hasegawa Ichiro , Sato Hiroaki , Sugiura Hitoshi , Irie Rie
Published: February 2014

Mediastinal schwannomas are sometimes diagnosed as pericardial or bronchogenic cysts, if cystic degeneration is extensive. When mediastinal schwannomas are not diagnosed as primary cardiac tumors, the use of cardiopulmonary bypass in their resection appears to be infrequent.

We report the case of a 48-year-old woman who presented with symptoms from a suspected intrapericardial cyst. Multiple diagnostic images revealed a large mass, potentially a proteinaceous or hemorrhagic cyst, in the transverse sinus behind the ascending aorta and against the left main trunk. After complete resection with the use of cardiopulmonary bypass, the mass was identified as a benign extracardiac schwannoma. More than 3 years postoperatively, the patient had no relevant symptoms. We discuss the preoperative diagnosis, the method of resection, and our broad strategy for dealing with such a case.
Severe Spinal Cord Ischemic Injury Secondary to Device Embolization after Transcatheter Closure of a Patent Arterial Duct
Authors: Tang Liang , Zhou Shenghua , Shen Xiangqian
Published: February 2014

Percutaneous closure of patent arterial ducts with the Amplatzer Ductal Occluder has become an effective and widely accepted alternative to surgical management. Although rarely, the occluder can be dislodged after an initially successful deployment, and with catastrophic consequences. We describe such a case in a 12-month-old girl who underwent transcatheter closure of a patent arterial duct. After device deployment, the occluder embolized in the patient's descending thoracic aorta, and severe spinal cord ischemic injury resulted. To our knowledge, ours is the first report of this complication after the deployment of an Amplatzer Ductal Occluder. We discuss pathophysiologic mechanisms that could expose patients to the risk of device dislodgment, and we review the relevant medical literature.
Catastrophic Systemic Embolization from a Left Atrial Myxoma
Authors: Mackie Benjamin D. , Shirazi Farheen , Swadley Matthew J. , Williams Byron R. , Kumar Gautam , Rab S. Tanveer
Published: February 2014

We report the fatal course of a left atrial myxoma: its systemic embolization to the coronary, cerebral, renal, and peripheral vascular beds in a 39-year-old woman resulted in rapid clinical deterioration, multiorgan failure, and death. Among reported cases of left atrial myxoma, this degree of embolic burden is exceedingly rare. In addition to reporting the patient's case, we discuss the presentation and diagnosis of possible intracardiac sources of systemic emboli.
Surgical Removal of an Atrial Septal Occluder Device Embolized to the Main Pulmonary Artery
Authors: Boysan Emre , Cicek Omer Faruk , Cicek Mustafa Cuneyt , Hamurcu Ziyaddin , Gurkahraman Sami
Published: February 2014

Percutaneous closure of atrial septal defects in adults has emerged as an alternative to surgery. We report a sequela of such closure in a 16-year-old boy: embolization of the atrial septal defect occluder into the main pulmonary artery when the patient experienced an episode of intense coughing immediately after device deployment. We removed the device surgically and closed the atrial septal defect in a standard manner, with an autologous pericardial patch.
Repair of Bicuspid Aortic Valve in the Presence of Endocarditis and Leaflet Perforation
Authors: Kent William D.T. , Toeg Hadi D. , Appoo Jehangir J.
Published: February 2014

Aortic valve repair can be a good option in younger patients who have severe aortic regurgitation. A systematic, disease-directed approach can simplify repair. This case report describes how a simplified approach can be successfully applied to complex pathologic conditions of the aortic valve.

A 49-year-old man with a bicuspid aortic valve and a history of endocarditis presented with severe aortic regurgitation and evidence of recurrent infection. Intraoperatively, we found congenital and degenerative aortic anatomy with endocarditis and perforation. We performed aortic valve repair to enable leaflet coaptation and to adjust the coaptation height. After 24 months, the patient remained well, with an intact repair and trivial aortic regurgitation. We describe our systematic repair approach and rationales for targeting repairs to identified lesions. To our knowledge, this is the first description of complex aortic valve repairs in a patient who had simultaneous congenital, degenerative, and infectious conditions.
Multiple Left Internal Mammary Artery-to-Pulmonary Artery Fistulae 15 Years after Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting
Authors: Barot Tushar C. , LaPietra Angelo , Santana Orlando , Beohar Nirat , Lamelas Joseph
Published: February 2014

Left internal mammary artery (LIMA)-to-pulmonary artery fistulae rarely develop after coronary artery bypass grafting. Fewer than 30 cases of these fistulae have been reported since 1947. Nevertheless, this entity should be considered as a cause of recurrent angina after bypass surgery, in the absence of other causes. We present the case of a 67-year-old man with cardiac symptoms in whom multiple LIMA-to-pulmonary artery fistulae were found, 15 years after he had undergone coronary artery bypass grafting. The diagnosis was confirmed by means of coronary angiography with selective catheterization of the LIMA and by computed tomographic angiography of the heart. The patient underwent reoperative 2-vessel coronary artery bypass grafting and ligation of multiple fistulae; 16 months postoperatively, he was asymptomatic and doing well. In addition to reporting this case, we discuss relevant diagnostic and treatment considerations.
A Topical History of JMR
Authors: Huber Joel , Kamakura Wagner , Mela Carl F.
Published: February 2014

Using subject indexes and text mining of author abstracts, the authors track the evolution of content in Journal of Marketing Research since its inception 50 years ago. These data reveal that the journal has expanded beyond its initial emphasis on marketing research methods and advertising to increase its coverage of other substantive topics and consumer behavior. Moreover, a joint space of topics and editors reveals that editorial orientations appear largely evolutionary rather than revolutionary and that a major shift in journal coverage occurs at the time Marketing Science began publication. The authors conclude their analysis with several policy recommendations.
Monte Carlo Simulation of a Microgrid Harmonic Power Flow
Authors: Amoo Abdullahi Lanre , Aliyu Usman O. , Said Dalila Mat , Mohd Zin Abdullah Asuhaimi , Bappah Abubakar Sadiq
Published: February 2014

With the transformation of power utility companies from vertical structure to full deregulated entities, the need for the integration of distributed generation (DG) resource in the form of Microgrid (MG) system would soon become indispensable in most deregulated power systems. This is due to renewability of such generation systems. The power quality performance in terms of intermittent energy of these DG systems supply is the major limitation to their full integration as the sole generation entities that can propel rapid decentralization of electric power systems operation. Nonetheless, the acceptable standard is to operate them in an islanding mode or as a MG optimally dispatch among generation mix. This paper developed a total harmonic distortion models for a Microgrid bus in a Nigerian grid system and applied Monte Carlo technique to reliably predict the level of harmonic power flow in the system. The result shows that the distortion increases as the demand factor of the station decreases.
On commutator socle-regular Abelian p-groups
Authors: Danchev Peter , Goldsmith Brendan
Published: February 2014

We define the notion of a commutator socle-regular Abelian p-group.
After establishing some crucial properties of commutator socle-regularity, we investigate its relationship with
socle-regularity, strong socle-regularity and projection socle-regularity.
Optimal design of spherical capacitive probe with
ultra-large aspect ratio based on modal analysis
Authors: Cui Junning , Lu Yesheng , He Zhangqiang , Guo Junchao
Published: February 2014

In order to solve the problem of stylus vibration of the spherical
capacitive probe with ultra-large aspect ratio, modal analysis of
the stylus is done and optimal design of stylus structure is carried out. The
Euler–Bernoulli Beam model is introduced to build the dynamic equation of
lateral vibration of the stylus. Based on results of modal analysis and
simulation, the first order natural frequency of the stylus is optimized to
near 100 Hz, and the resolution of the probing sensor is improved from 20 nm
to 4 nm with adoption of damping material.
Contactless flow rate measurements in metallic melts
Authors: Buchenau D. , Eckert S. , Lenk S.
Published: February 2014

Control of the flow rate of liquid metals is required in a number of
technological processes such as the cooling of nuclear reactors,
transmutation systems and the dosing and casting of liquid
metals. Electromagnetic flow meters play an important role in the
diagnostics and automatic control of such processes. For example, the
electromagnetic control of casting processes can be used to improve
the quality of products by reducing their brittleness and increasing
durability at high production efficiency, especially for complex shape
components. A number of different electromagnetic flow meter designs
have been developed starting from the end of the forties of the last
century. One such flow meter – the Magnetic Flywheel, which is
described in the textbook of Shercliff uses the electromagnetic force
exerted by the flow on a close magnet. Commercial electromagnetic flow
meters are typically based on the flow-induced electrical voltage
measurements by electrodes in direct contact to the melt in a steady
magnetic field. In view of the typical problems coming along with
applications at liquid metal flows such as high temperatures,
interfacial effects and corrosion, the main disadvantage of this type
of flow meter is the electrical contact to the liquid metal, which is
necessary to measure the electric potential difference. Therefore,
contactless operating measurement techniques are very attractive for
liquid metal applications.
A Novel Mechanism for Nicotinic Potentiation of Glutamatergic Synapses
Authors: Halff Andrew W. , Gómez-Varela David , John Danielle , Berg Darwin K.
Published: February 2014

Selective strengthening of specific glutamatergic synapses in the mammalian hippocampus is critical for encoding new memories. This is most commonly achieved by input-specific Hebbian-type plasticity involving glutamate-dependent coincident presynaptic and postsynaptic depolarization. Our results demonstrate a novel mechanism by which nicotinic signaling, independently of coincident fast glutamatergic transmission, increases synaptic strength in the hippocampus. Electrophysiological recordings from rat hippocampal neurons in culture revealed that 1–3 h of exposure to 1 μm nicotine, even with action potentials being blocked, produced increases in both the frequency and amplitude of miniature EPSCs. Possible mechanisms were analyzed both in mouse organotypic slice culture and in rat cell culture by inducing the cells to express super-ecliptic pHluorin-tagged GluA1-containing AMPA receptors, which fluoresce only on the cell surface. Pharmacological and genetic manipulation of the cells, in combination with fluorescence-recovery-after-photobleaching experiments, revealed that nicotine, acting through α7-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on the postsynaptic neuron, induces the stabilization and accumulation of GluA1-containing AMPA receptors on dendritic spines. The process relies on intracellular calcium signaling, PDZ [postsynaptic density-95 (PSD-95)/Discs large (Dlg)/zona occludens-1 (ZO-1)] interactions with members of the PSD-95 family, and lateral diffusion of the GluA1 receptors on the cell surface. These findings define a new avenue by which nicotinic signaling modulates synaptic mechanisms thought to subserve learning and memory.
The Relationship between PSD-95 Clustering and Spine StabilityIn Vivo
Authors: Cane Michele , Maco Bohumil , Knott Graham , Holtmaat Anthony
Published: February 2014

The appearance and disappearance of dendritic spines, accompanied by synapse formation and elimination may underlie the experience-dependent reorganization of cortical circuits. The exact temporal relationship between spine and synapse formationin vivoremains unclear, as does the extent to which synapse formation enhances the stability of newly formed spines and whether transient spines produce synapses. We usedin uteroelectroporation of DsRedExpress- and eGFP-tagged postsynaptic density protein 95 (PSD-95) to investigate the relationship between spine and PSD stability in mouse neocortical L2/3 pyramidal cellsin vivo. Similar to previous studies, spines and synapses appeared and disappeared, even in naive animals. Cytosolic spine volumes and PSD-95-eGFP levels in spines covaried over time, suggesting that the strength of many individual synapses continuously changes in the adult neocortex. The minority of newly formed spines acquired PSD-95-eGFP puncta. Spines that failed to acquire a PSD rarely survived for more than a day. Although PSD-95-eGFP accumulation was associated with increased spine lifetimes, most new spines with a PSD did not convert into persistent spines. This indicates that transient spines may serve to produce short-lived synaptic contacts. Persistent spines that were destined to disappear showed, on average, reduced PSD-95-eGFP levels well before the actual pruning event. Altogether, our data indicate that the PSD size relates to spine stabilityin vivo.
Transgenic Mouse Lines Subdivide External Segment of the Globus Pallidus (GPe) Neurons and Reveal Distinct GPe Output Pathways
Authors: Mastro Kevin J. , Bouchard Rachel S. , Holt Hiromi A. K. , Gittis Aryn H.
Published: February 2014

Cell-type diversity in the brain enables the assembly of complex neural circuits, whose organization and patterns of activity give rise to brain function. However, the identification of distinct neuronal populations within a given brain region is often complicated by a lack of objective criteria to distinguish one neuronal population from another. In the external segment of the globus pallidus (GPe), neuronal populations have been defined using molecular, anatomical, and electrophysiological criteria, but these classification schemes are often not generalizable across preparations and lack consistency even within the same preparation. Here, we present a novel use of existing transgenic mouse lines, Lim homeobox 6 (Lhx6)–Cre and parvalbumin (PV)–Cre, to define genetically distinct cell populations in the GPe that differ molecularly, anatomically, and electrophysiologically. Lhx6–GPe neurons, which do not express PV, are concentrated in the medial portion of the GPe. They have lower spontaneous firing rates, narrower dynamic ranges, and make stronger projections to the striatum and substantia nigra pars compacta compared with PV–GPe neurons. In contrast, PV–GPe neurons are more concentrated in the lateral portions of the GPe. They have narrower action potentials, deeper afterhyperpolarizations, and make stronger projections to the subthalamic nucleus and parafascicular nucleus of the thalamus. These electrophysiological and anatomical differences suggest that Lhx6–GPe and PV–GPe neurons participate in different circuits with the potential to contribute to different aspects of motor function and dysfunction in disease.