bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Amino‐Acid‐Based Zwitterionic Polymer and Its Cu(II)‐Induced Aggregation into Nanostructures: A Template for CuS and CuO Nanoparticles
Authors: Banerjee Sanjib , Maji Tanmoy , Paira Tapas K. , Mandal Tarun K.
Published: August 2013

A convenient and water‐based approach is described for the synthesis of an l‐lysine‐based zwitterionic polymer, poly(ε−l‐lysinyl acrylamide) (PLAM), without using protecting group chemistry, chromatographic purifications, and organic solvents as the reaction media. PLAM contains both amine and carboxylic acid groups in each repeating unit, which can either be protonated or deprotonated just by altering the pH of the solution to obtain overall positive or negative charge. PLAM is tested for its applicability as a zwitterionic polymeric buffer in water. Cu(II) ion‐induced aggregation of PLAM as a function of solution pH is studied. Spherical nanogel aggregates are formed at pH 9.5 due to aggregation of PLAM through its complexation with Cu(II) ion. Spherical aggregates appear to dissociate via breaking of the complexation at a pH < 5.5 resulting in molecular dissolution of PLAM. This aggregation process is pH reversible. The Cu(II)–PLAM aggregates are used as a template for fabrication of CuO and CuS nanoparticles.

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Diverse antimicrobial interactions of halophilic archaea and bacteria extend over geographical distances and cross the domain barrier
Authors: Atanasova Nina S. , Pietilä Maija K. , Oksanen Hanna M.
Published: August 2013

The significance of antimicrobial substances, halocins, produced by halophilic archaea and bacteria thriving in hypersaline environments is relatively unknown. It is suggested that their production might increase species diversity and give transient competitive advances to the producer strain. Halocin production is considered to be common among halophilic archaea, but there is a lack of information about halocins produced by bacteria in highly saline environments. We studied the antimicrobial activity of 68 halophilic archaea and 22 bacteria isolated from numerous geographically distant hypersaline environments. Altogether 144 antimicrobial interactions were found between the strains and aside haloarchaea, halophilic bacteria from various genera were identified as halocin producers. Close to 80% of the interactions were detected between microorganisms from different genera and in few cases, even across the domain boundary. Several of the strains produced halocins with a wide inhibitory spectrum as has been observed before. Most of the antimicrobial interactions were found between strains from distant sampling sites indicating that hypersaline environments around the world have similar microorganisms with the potential to produce wide activity range antimicrobials.
Disruption of visual and motor connectivity in spinocerebellar ataxia type 7
Authors: Hernandez‐Castillo Carlos R. , Alcauter Sarael , Galvez Victor , Barrios Fernando A. , Yescas Petra , Ochoa Adriana , Garcia Lizbeth , Diaz Rosalinda , Gao Wei , Fernandez‐Ruiz Juan
Published: August 2013

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) is an autosomal‐dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive ataxia and retinal dystrophy. It is caused by a CAG trinucleotide expansion in the ataxin7 gene. Anatomical studies have shown severe cerebellar degeneration and region‐specific neocortical atrophy in SCA7 patients. However, the impact of the neurodegeneration on the functional integration of the remaining tissue is still unknown. The aim of this study was to examine functional connectivity abnormalities in areas with significant gray matter atrophy in SCA7 patients and their relationship with number of CAG repeats. Using a combination of voxel‐based morphometry and resting‐state fMRI, we studied 26 genetically confirmed SCA7 patients and aged‐matched healthy controls. In SCA7 patients we found reduced functional interaction between the cerebellum and the middle and superior frontal gyri, disrupted functional connectivity between the visual and motor cortices, and increased functional coordination between atrophied areas of the cerebellum and a range of visual cortical areas compared with healthy controls. The degree of mutation expansion showed a negative effect on both the functional interaction between the right anterior cerebellum and the left superior frontal gyrus and the connectivity between the right anterior cerebellum and left parahippocampal gyrus. We found abnormal functional connectivity patterns, including both hypo‐ and hyperconnectivity, compared with controls. These abnormal patterns show reasonable association with the severity of gene mutation. Our findings suggest that aberrant changes are prevalent in both motor and visual systems, adding significantly to our understanding of the pathophysiology of SCA7. © 2013 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society
5‐Demethyltangeretin inhibits human nonsmall cell lung cancer cell growth by inducing G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis
Authors: Charoensinphon Noppawat , Qiu Peiju , Dong Ping , Zheng Jinkai , Ngauv Pearline , Cao Yong , Li Shiming , Ho Chi‐Tang , Xiao Hang
Published: August 2013

Scope

Tangeretin (TAN) and 5‐demethyltangeretin (5DT) are two closely related polymethoxyflavones found in citrus fruits. We investigated growth inhibitory effects on three human nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells.

Methods and results

Cell viability assay demonstrated that 5DT inhibited NSCLC cell growth in a time‐ and dose‐dependent manner, and IC50s of 5DT were 79‐fold, 57‐fold, and 56‐fold lower than those of TAN in A549, H460, and H1299 cells, respectively. Flow cytometry analysis showed that 5DT induced extensive G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in NSCLC cells, while TAN at tenfold higher concentrations did not. The apoptosis induced by 5DT was further confirmed by activation of caspase‐3 and cleavage of PARP. Moreover, 5DT dose‐dependently upregulated p53 and p21Cip1/Waf1, and downregulated Cdc‐2 (Cdk‐1) and cyclin B1. HPLC analysis revealed that the intracellular levels of 5DT in NSCLC cells were 2.7–4.9 fold higher than those of TAN after the cells were treated with 5DT or TAN at the same concentration.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrated that 5DT inhibited NSCLC cell growth by inducing G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. These effects were much stronger than those produced by TAN, which is partially due to the higher intracellular uptake of 5DT than TAN.
Assessing intrarenal nonperfusion and vascular leakage in acute kidney injury with multinuclear 1H/19F MRI and perfluorocarbon nanoparticles
Authors: Hu Lingzhi , Chen Junjie , Yang Xiaoxia , Senpan Angana , Allen John S. , Yanaba Noriko , Caruthers Shelton D. , Lanza Gregory M. , Hammerman Marc R. , Wickline Samuel A.
Published: August 2013

Purpose

We sought to develop a unique sensor‐reporter approach for functional kidney imaging that employs circulating perfluorocarbon nanoparticles and multinuclear 1H/19F MRI.

Methods

19F spin density weighted and T1 weighted images were used to generate quantitative functional mappings of both healthy and ischemia‐reperfusion (acute kidney injury) injured mouse kidneys. 1H blood‐oxygenation‐level‐dependent (BOLD) MRI was also employed as a supplementary approach to facilitate the comprehensive analysis of renal circulation and its pathological changes in acute kidney injury.

Results

Heterogeneous blood volume distributions and intrarenal oxygenation gradients were confirmed in healthy kidneys by 19F MRI. In a mouse model of acute kidney injury, 19F MRI, in conjunction with blood‐oxygenation‐level‐dependent MRI, sensitively delineated renal vascular damage and recovery. In the cortico‐medullary junction region, we observed 25% lower 19F signal (P < 0.05) and 70% longer 1H T2* (P < 0.01) in injured kidneys compared with contralateral kidneys at 24 h after initial ischemia‐reperfusion injury. We also detected 71% higher 19F signal (P < 0.01) and 40% lower 1H T2* (P < 0.05) in the renal medulla region of injured kidneys compared with contralateral uninjured kidneys.

Conclusion

Integrated 1H/19F MRI using perfluorocarbon nanoparticles provides a multiparametric readout of regional perfusion defects in acutely injured kidneys. Magn Reson Med 71:2186–2196, 2014. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bariatric surgery influences the number and quality of oocytes in patients submitted to assisted reproduction techniques
Authors: Christofolini Juliana , Bianco Bianca , Santos Gustavo , Adami Fernando , Christofolini Denise , Barbosa Caio Parente
Published: August 2013

Objective

To determine differences in follicle stimulation, oocyte retrieval, maturation, and fertilization among patients who underwent bariatric surgery, obese patients, and patients with 18 < BMI < 30 kg/m² submitted to assisted reproduction techniques and check that these patients may have some impairment in ovarian response.

Methods

The study comprised three groups: GI: 29 patients who had undergone restrictive and/or malabsorptive bariatric surgery; GII: 57 obese patients (BMI > 30 kg/m²); and GIII: 94 patients (18 < BMI < 30 kg/m²) with infertility due to a male factor. BMI, weight loss until oocyte retrieval, vitamin supplementation, and anemia were evaluated. Data were compared with the number of follicles observed, the number of oocytes retrieved, and the maturation status of these oocytes. Results were analyzed statistically.

Results

A statistically significant difference in the number of follicles observed by ultrasound (P < 0.01), the number of oocytes retrieved (P = 0.013), and the number of metaphase II oocytes (P < 0.01) between the patients with prior bariatric surgery and both GII and GIII group was found.

Conclusions

The weight loss resulting from bariatric surgery can be very beneficial to the overall health of the woman, but the reproductive process can be impaired. Bariatric surgery appears to have an important impact on the formation of follicles and oocytes.
Differential reward response to palatable food cues in past and current dieters: A fMRI study
Authors: Ely Alice V. , Childress Anna Rose , Jagannathan Kanchana , Lowe Michael R.
Published: August 2013

Objective

Prior neuroimaging research has shown that restrained and unrestrained eaters demonstrate differential brain activation in response to food cues that parallels their food intake in lab studies. These findings were extended by comparing brain activation in response to food cues in normal weight nondieters, historical dieters, and current dieters under the conditions that mimicked past lab studies.

Methods

Participants (N = 30) were shown pictures of highly and moderately palatable food and neutral cues while being scanned in an fMRI BOLD paradigm following an 8‐h fast and again after a liquid meal.

Results

In the Fed state, historical dieters showed elevated reward circuitry activation in response to highly palatable food, as compared to nondieters and current dieters. In contrast, current dieters did not show the same pattern of activation as historical dieters, despite their shared history of frequent weight‐loss dieting.

Conclusions

The parallels between eating behavior and regional brain activation across groups suggest that (1) a neurophysiological response which could represent a vulnerability to overeat exists in some normal weight young women that may increase susceptibility to weight gain in the long term, and (2) current dieting temporarily reverses this vulnerability.
Two cases of placental T21 mosaicism: challenging the detection limits of non‐invasive prenatal testing
Authors: Wang Yanlin , Zhu Jiansheng , Chen Yan , Lu Shoulian , Chen Biliang , Zhao Xinrong , Wu Yi , Han Xu , Ma Duan , Liu Zhongyin , Cram David , Cheng Weiwei
Published: August 2013

What's already known about this topic?

Confined placental mosaicism (CPM) is a known biological phenomenon that can lead to false positive non-invasive prenatal test results.

The small number of false negative non‐invasive prenatal test results reported to date are believed to be because of a low fetal DNA fraction in maternal plasma and/or placental mosaicism

What does this study add?

The degree and compartmentalization of placental mosaicism can potentially reduce the effective output of fetal DNA into the maternal circulation to steady state levels below the detection limit of non‐invasive prenatal testing, leading to a false negative result
Practical examples of system design to mitigate overpressure scenarios—An owner's perspective
Authors: Tipler Scott , Champion John , Wagner Tim , First Ken , Stack Robert J. , Eure Don
Published: August 2013

In 2007, the American Petroleum Institute (API 521/ISO 23251) published guidance on the use of High Integrity Protective Systems (HIPS) to mitigate overpressure scenarios. A natural extension of HIPS is to use system design and operating discipline to mitigate overpressure scenarios where use of fully instrumented protection layers or conventional relief devices is neither practical nor effective. In Dow, this approach is referred to as Alternate Overpressure Protection (AOP).

System design (HIPS or AOP) is commonly used to mitigate overpressure scenarios when: (1) a conventional pressure relief device (PRD) is not practical or effective, (2) a conventional PRD will not be reliable or (3) a conventional PRD will work but is not cost effective. HIPS or AOP can also be used to reduce the required relief size by limiting the operating window of the process.

The purpose of this article is to provide several practical examples on the use of HIPS and AOP and to describe some of the challenges and associated strategies to ensure successful implementation and sustained process safety performance. © 2013 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Process Saf Prog 32: 248–254, 2013
Graphene–Ruthenium(II) Complex Composites for Sensitive ECL Immunosensors
Authors: Xiao Fang‐Nan , Wang Min , Wang Feng‐Bin , Xia Xing‐Hua
Published: August 2013

Non‐covalent modiﬁcation method has been proven as an effective strategy for enhancing the chemical properties of graphene while the structure and electronic properties of graphene can be retained. This work describes a novel strategy to fabricate a solid‐state electrochemiluminescent (ECL) immunosensor based on ruthenium(II) complex/3,4,9,10‐perylenetetracarboxylic acid (PTCA)/graphene nanocomposites (Ru‐PTCA/G) for sensitive detection of α‐fetoprotein (AFP). It is found that immobilization of PTCA and reduction of GO can be simultaneously achieved in one‐pot synthesis method under alkaline condition and moderate temperature, forming PTCA/G nanocomposites. Further covalent attachment of ruthenium(II) complex to the PTCA assembled on graphene sheets produces the functional Ru‐PTCA/G nanocomposites which show good electrochemical activity and ca. 21 times higher luminescence quantum efficiency than the adsorbed derivative ruthenium(II) complex. The Ru‐PTCA/G nanocomposites based solid‐state ECL sensor exhibits high stability toward the determination of tripropylamine (TPA) coreactant. In addition, a new ECL immunosensor based on steric hindrance effect is fabricated by cross‐linking α‐fetoprotein antibody (anti‐AFP) with chitosan covered on Ru‐PTCA/G composites modiﬁed electrode for detection of cancer biomarker AFP. This ECL immunosensor shows an extremely sensitive response to AFP in a linear range of 5 pg·mL‐1–10 ng·mL‐1 with a detection limit of 0.2 pg·mL‐1. The present approach is effective for various molecules immobilization and may become a promising technique for biomolecular detection.
Self‐assembly in nature: using the principles of nature to create complex nanobiomaterials
Authors: Mendes Ana C. , Baran Erkan T. , Reis Rui L. , Azevedo Helena S.
Published: August 2013

Self‐assembly is a ubiquitous process in biology where it plays numerous important roles and underlies the formation of a wide variety of complex biological structures. Over the past two decades, materials scientists have aspired to exploit nature's assembly principles to create artificial materials, with hierarchical structures and tailored properties, for the fabrication of functional devices. Toward this goal, both biological and synthetic building blocks have been subject of extensive research in self‐assembly. In fact, molecular self‐assembly is becoming increasingly important for the fabrication of biomaterials because it offers a great platform for constructing materials with high level of precision and complexity, integrating order and dynamics, to achieve functions such as stimuli‐responsiveness, adaptation, recognition, transport, and catalysis. The importance of peptide self‐assembling building blocks has been recognized in the last years, as demonstrated by the literature available on the topic. The simple structure of peptides, as well as their facile synthesis, makes peptides an excellent family of structural units for the bottom‐up fabrication of complex nanobiomaterials. Additionally, peptides offer a great diversity of biochemical (specificity, intrinsic bioactivity, biodegradability) and physical (small size, conformation) properties to form self‐assembled structures with different molecular configurations. The motivation of this review is to provide an overview on the design principles for peptide self‐assembly and to illustrate how these principles have been applied to manipulate their self‐assembly across the scales. Applications of self‐assembling peptides as nanobiomaterials, including carriers for drug delivery, hydrogels for cell culture and tissue repair are also described. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2013, 5:582–612. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1227

This article is categorized under:

Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology

Implantable Materials and Surgical Technologies > Nanotechnology in Tissue Repair and Replacement

Biology-Inspired Nanomaterials > Peptide-Based Structures
Regulation of flavivirus RNA synthesis and capping
Authors: Saeedi Bejan J. , Geiss Brian J.
Published: August 2013

RNA viruses, such as flaviviruses, are able to efficiently replicate and cap their RNA genomes in vertebrate and invertebrate cells. Flaviviruses use several specialized proteins to first make an uncapped negative strand copy of the viral genome that is used as a template for the synthesis of large numbers of capped genomic RNAs. Despite using relatively simple mechanisms to replicate their RNA genomes, there are significant gaps in our understanding of how flaviviruses switch between negative and positive strand RNA synthesis and how RNA capping is regulated. Recent work has begun to provide a conceptual framework for flavivirus RNA replication and capping and shown some surprising roles for genomic RNA during replication and pathogenesis. WIREs RNA 2013, 4:723–735. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1191

This article is categorized under:

RNA Processing > Capping and 5' End Modifications

RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease
Enhancement of γ-aminobutyric acid production in recombinant Corynebacterium glutamicum by co-expressing two glutamate decarboxylase genes from Lactobacillus brevis
Authors: Shi Feng , Jiang Junjun , Li Yongfu , Li Youxin , Xie Yilong
Published: August 2013

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA), a non-protein amino acid, is a bioactive component in the food, feed and pharmaceutical fields. To establish an effective single-step production system for GABA, a recombinant Corynebacterium glutamicum strain co-expressing two glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) genes (gadB1 and gadB2) derived from Lactobacillus brevis Lb85 was constructed. Compared with the GABA production of the gadB1 or gadB2 single-expressing strains, GABA production by the gadB1–gadB2 co-expressing strain increased more than twofold. By optimising urea supplementation, the total production of l-glutamate and GABA increased from 22.57 ± 1.24 to 30.18 ± 1.33 g L−1, and GABA production increased from 4.02 ± 0.95 to 18.66 ± 2.11 g L−1 after 84-h cultivation. Under optimal urea supplementation, l-glutamate continued to be consumed, GABA continued to accumulate after 36 h of fermentation, and the pH level fluctuated. GABA production increased to a maximum level of 27.13 ± 0.54 g L−1 after 120-h flask cultivation and 26.32 g L−1 after 60-h fed-batch fermentation. The conversion ratio of l-glutamate to GABA reached 0.60–0.74 mol mol−1. By co-expressing gadB1 and gadB2 and optimising the urea addition method, C. glutamicum was genetically improved for de novo biosynthesis of GABA from its own accumulated l-glutamate.
CloudNMF: A MapReduce Implementation of Nonnegative Matrix Factorization for Large-Scale Biological Datasets
Authors: Liao Ruiqi , Zhang Yifan , Guan Jihong , Zhou Shuigeng
Published: August 2013

In the past decades, advances in high-throughput technologies have led to the generation of huge amounts of biological data that require analysis and interpretation. Recently, nonnegative matrix factorization (NMF) has been introduced as an efficient way to reduce the complexity of data as well as to interpret them, and has been applied to various fields of biological research. In this paper, we present CloudNMF, a distributed open-source implementation of NMF on a MapReduce framework. Experimental evaluation demonstrated that CloudNMF is scalable and can be used to deal with huge amounts of data, which may enable various kinds of a high-throughput biological data analysis in the cloud. CloudNMF is freely accessible at http://admis.fudan.edu.cn/projects/CloudNMF.html.
Opaque financial reports and R2: Revisited
Authors: Datta Sudip , Iskandar‐Datta Mai , Singh Vivek
Published: August 2013

In this study, we revisit the link between R2 (synchronicity) and earnings management (opacity) because of the importance of the ongoing debate on the relation between idiosyncratic risk and earnings management in the finance and accounting literatures. Hutton et al. (J. Financial Economics, 2009) provide evidence of a positive link between opacity and R2. They interpret their finding to imply that firms with high R2 (high synchronicity) have less firm‐specific information impounded in their stock price. Our results for this relationship fail to unequivocally support the results reported in Hutton et al. (2009). We show that their results are not only time variant but also not robust to the alternative empirical technique recommended for panel data by Petersen (2009) and alternative estimation of discretionary accruals adjusted for firm performance prescribed by Kothari et al. (2005). We also find no support for a convex relation between idiosyncratic risk and opacity. The findings documented in this study substantially revise some of Hutton et al.'s findings in this important and growing area of research.
A Method Integrating Optimal Algorithm and FEM on CMOS Residual Stress
Authors: Chuang W. C. , Lin David T. W. , Hu Y.-C. , Lee H.-L. , Cheng C.-H. , Chang P.-Z. , Quyen N. B.
Published: August 2013

Residual stress in MEMS is of inherent importance in various respects. This study proposes a specific method using ANSYS including the birth and death method and combined with the optimal method (SCGM) to reduce the residual stresses during the CMOS fabrication process. The suitable cooling temperature for decreasing the residual stress is proposed and available. It demonstrates that the suitable parameter on the fabrication can reduce the residual stress in MEMS devices without any extra manufacturing process or external apparatus. The proposed method can expand to simulate the realistic MEMS model effectively.
Lateral Performance of Drilled Shafts due to Combined Lateral and Axial Loading
Authors: Chien C. J. , Lin S. S. , Yang C. C. , Liao J. C.
Published: August 2013

This paper reports the results of a series of full-scale drilled shaft load tests subjected to combined axial and lateral loading and lateral loading only. The tested shafts, 1.4m in diameter, were embedded 37m in sandy silt. All tested shafts were installed using reverse circulation method. The test results indicated, given the same lateral loading, 63% of pile head displacement resulted from combined load corresponded with the case of lateral loading only. The test results were compared to the numerical results of the software LPILE as well as the analytical solutions proposed by the senior author and his co-workers. The analytical results of the pile bending moments along shaft showed better results than that of LPILE.
Development of the gut microbiota in southern Indian infants from birth to 6 months: a molecular analysis
Authors: Kabeerdoss Jayakanthan , Ferdous Shama , Balamurugan Ramadass , Mechenro John , Vidya R. , Santhanam Sridhar , Jana Atanu K. , Ramakrishna Balakrishnan S.
Published: August 2013

Acquisition of the gastrointestinal microbiota at birth may have long-term health impacts. We longitudinally characterised major microbial communities in the faeces of a cohort of infants using molecular methods. Faecal samples were prospectively obtained at several time points after birth from eighty-three infants. Real-time PCR using SYBR green and primers targeted at 16S rRNA gene sequences were used to quantifyBifidobacterium,Lactobacillus acidophilusgroup,Bacteroides–Prevotellagroup,Enterobacteriaceae,Enterococcus,Clostridium coccoides–Eubacterium rectalegroup,Clostridium leptumgroup andStaphylococcus. Microbial community abundance was expressed relative to amplification of sequences conserved universally for domain bacteria. Faecal copy number of 16S rRNA genes increased non-significantly from a mean of 4·1 × 109/g on day 1 to 1·1 × 1010/g on day 4. All microbial communities were detected from day 1 after birth.Enterobacteriaceaeand lactobacilli predominated on day 1, while bifidobacteria and staphylocci increased on day 4.Bacteroides–PrevotellaandC. coccoides–E. rectaleincreased by day 180.C. leptumwas detected in half of the cohort at birth and in a slightly larger percentage by 6 months. Caesarean section was associated with delayed colonisation by several bacterial communities. Higher socio-economic status was associated with more abundant lactobacilli andBacteroides–Prevotellaat 90 and 180 d. Supplemental feeding was associated with a reduction inEnterobacteriaceae. Microbial colonisation of the gut was well established on the first day of birth, and relative abundance of microbial communities was influenced by mode of delivery, socio-economic status and supplemental feeding. These findings may have relevance to infant nutrition and growth.
Role of cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential response in identifying vestibular dysfunction
Authors: Isaradisaikul S , Navacharoen N , Hanprasertpong C , Kangsanarak J
Published: August 2013

Objectives:

To analyse cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential response parameters in normal volunteers and vertiginous patients.

Subjects and methods:

A prospective study of 50 normal subjects and 50 patients with vertigo was conducted at Chiang Mai University Hospital, Thailand. Cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential responses were measured using air-conducted, 500-Hz, tone-burst stimuli with subjects in a sitting position with their head turned toward the contralateral shoulder.

Results:

The mean ± standard deviation age and male:female ratio in the normal (44.0 ± 9.3 years; 12:38) and vertigo groups (44.7 ± 9.8 years; 17:33) were not significantly different. The prevalence of absent responses in the normal (14 per cent) and vertigo ears (46 per cent) differed significantly (p < 0.0001). Other cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential parameters (i.e. response threshold, P1 and N1 latency, P1–N1 interlatency and interamplitude, inter-ear difference in P1 threshold, and asymmetry ratio) showed no inter-group differences.

Conclusion:

The absence of a cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential response is useful in the identification of vestibular dysfunction. However, patients should undergo a comprehensive battery of other vestibular tests to supplement their cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential response findings.
The false thyroid capsule: new findings
Authors: Tan Y-H , Du G-N , Xiao Y-G , Guo S-Q , Wu T , Chen P-Z , Yan G-B , Tan D-X , Wang K
Published: August 2013

Purpose:

The false thyroid capsule is an important anatomical structure involved in thyroidectomy, yet it is rarely studied. This study aimed to define the anatomy of the false thyroid capsule, and its clinical significance.

Methods:

A prospective study was performed involving 151 patients with goitre who underwent thyroid lobectomy. The anatomy of the false thyroid capsule was carefully documented intra-operatively.

Results:

The false thyroid capsule enclosed the inferior and middle thyroid veins and the superior thyroid vessels, forming a mesentery-like structure by attaching to the gland. Once the unilateral lobe had been removed, the thyroid mesentery could be seen to have a C-shaped edge. The recurrent laryngeal nerve, inferior thyroid artery and parathyroid glands were located beneath the C-shaped edge of the thyroid mesentery.

Conclusion:

The thyroid mesentery is a distinctive structure that can be used as a guide for surgical dissection.
Food security and social protection in highland Ethiopia: linking the Productive Safety Net to the land question
Authors: Lavers Tom
Published: August 2013

While much recent research has focused on the Productive Safety Net Programme (PSNP), this is by no means the only social protection policy in rural Ethiopia. Drawing on a very different rationale to the PSNP, the Ethiopian government also justifies state land ownership as a form of social protection for smallholders. This paper examines the links between these policies through a case study of an extremely food-insecure site. The paper concludes that while the PSNP and land policy together provide minimal security for landholders, land shortages and the problematic nature of agricultural production are such that there is little chance that the PSNP and its complementary programmes can achieve food security. As a result, the PSNP is used to support failing agricultural policies, limiting urban migration in the interests of political stability. These findings highlight the importance of situating safety net programmes within the socioeconomic context which generates insecurity.
Second time around: Ex-combatants at the polls in Liberia
Authors: Söderström Johanna
Published: August 2013

A precondition for sustainable peace and democracy is the acceptance of new ways of solving political problems without resorting to arms. Post-war elections are an important point for testing the legitimacy of the new regime, highlighting the depth of micro-level support for democracy. In the case of Liberia, the most notable problem of the elections of 2005 related to the issue of legitimacy. The ex-combatants did not trust the results and felt abandoned after the elections. Such experiences stand in the way of further deepening democracy in Liberia and may offer the grounds for mobilising anew. Yet, it is only by repeated experiences with elections that a process of democratisation takes place. This article addresses how the second experience with elections has changed ex-combatants' relation with democracy and experience of legitimacy, through re-interviewing a number of ex-combatants concerning their electoral experience from 2005 and 2011.
Some aspects of reproductive biology of Gobius paganellus (Gobiidae) on the north-eastern coasts of Tunisia (Bizerta lagoon)
Authors: Louiz Ibtissem , Ben Attia Mossadok , Ben Hassine Oum Kalthoum
Published: August 2013

The rock goby, Gobius paganellus one of the most common gobiid fish in Bizerta lagoon (north-east of Tunisia), is a gonochoric species that belongs to the Gobiidae family. This study provides the first detailed information of its reproductive biology in lagoon environments. Gobius paganellus was sampled monthly from January 2005 to December 2006 involving 1486 specimens. Total length distribution ranged between 38 and 125 mm. The maximum recorded total lengths were, respectively, 122 mm and 125 mm for female and male. Over the entire population, the sex-ratio was unbalanced in favour of females. According to months, a predominance of females sex-ratio was recorded during the spawning period while according to body size, males were dominating among larger size-classes. In both sexes, the variation of the gonadosomatic index (GSI) was independent of size. Macroscopic and microscopic examination of the gonads added to the monthly monitoring of gonadosomatic index and hepatosomatic index showed that gonads development begins in October and spawning period extends from December to March. The cyclic pattern of gonads development was determined by histology. Results indicated that G. paganellus exhibits a group-synchronous oocyte development. The sizes of first sexual maturity related to 50% of mature individuals were 78.3 mm (CI95: 77–84 mm) for males and 79 mm (CI95: 75–85 mms) for females. The discussion part underlined the impacts of some environmental factors and antropization of this lagoon on sexual cycle of G. paganellus.
Taking the Measure of Madison
Authors: Gibson Alan
Published: August 2013

Jeff Broadwater, a Barton college history professor and the author of one of the three biographies reviewed in this essay, recently began a public lecture on James Madison's presidency with the following story. A decade ago, Garry Wills, Broadwater notes, wrote the biography of Madison for an American presidency series, edited by the late Arthur Schlesinger Jr. and published by Times Books. The Madison volume in this series contains only two illustrations: a portrait of Madison on the dust jacket and another adjacent to the title page. The portrait pictured next to the title page in the initial run of this book is of, well, James Monroe.
ESTIMATING THE PERSISTENCE AND THE AUTOCORRELATION FUNCTION OF A TIME SERIES THAT IS MEASURED WITH ERROR
Authors: Hansen Peter R. , Lunde Asger
Published: August 2013

An economic time series can often be viewed as a noisy proxy for an underlying economic variable. Measurement errors will influence the dynamic properties of the observed process and may conceal the persistence of the underlying time series. In this paper we develop instrumental variable (IV) methods for extracting information about the latent process. Our framework can be used to estimate the autocorrelation function of the latent volatility process and a key persistence parameter. Our analysis is motivated by the recent literature on realized volatility measures that are imperfect estimates of actual volatility. In an empirical analysis using realized measures for the Dow Jones industrial average stocks, we find the underlying volatility to be near unit root in all cases. Although standard unit root tests are asymptotically justified, we find them to be misleading in our application despite the large sample. Unit root tests that are based on the IV estimator have better finite sample properties in this context.
Validating Chronic Disease Ascertainment Algorithms for Use in the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging*
Authors: Oremus Mark , Postuma Ronald , Griffith Lauren , Balion Cynthia , Wolfson Christina , Kirkland Susan , Patterson Christopher , Shannon Harry S. ,   CLSA Algorithms Validation Group, Raina Parminder
Published: August 2013

Nous avons validé sept algorithmes d’évaluation de maladie chronique pour l’usage dans L’Étude longitudinale canadienne (ÉLCV) sur le vieillissement. Les algorithmes ont concerné le diabète type 2, parkinsonisme, obstruction chronique de flux d’air, ostéoarthrite de main, ostéoarthrite de hanche, ostéoarthrite de genou, et la maladie cardiaque ischémique. Notre recrutement de cible était 20 cas et contrôles par chaque maladie. Quelques cas ont été utilisés comme contrôles avec certaines maladies. Tous les participants ont répondu à des questionnaires au sujet des symptômes de la maladie et d’utilisation de médicaments. Les cas et les contrôles de diabète ont subi le test de jeûne de glucose et les cas et les contrôles de l’obstruction chronique de flux d’air ont subi le test de spirométrie. Pour chaque maladie, nous avons utilisé l’algorithme adapté pour classifier si les participants étaient positifs ou négatif pour la maladie. Nous avons également calculé la sensibilité et la spécificité utilisant le diagnostic de médecin comme norme. L’échantillon final a fait participer 176 participants, qui ont été recrutés dans trois villes canadiennes entre 2009 et 2011. La plupart des sensibilités et spécificités étaient 80% ou plus, indiquant que les sept algorithmes peuvent correctement identifier des personnes avec les maladies.
Simulations to compare efficacies of tetravalent dengue vaccines and mosquito vector control
Authors: THAVARA U. , TAWATSIN A. , NAGAO Y.
Published: August 2013

Infection with dengue, the most prevalent mosquito-borne virus, manifests as dengue fever (DF) or the more fatal dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF). DHF occurs mainly when an individual who has acquired antibodies to one serotype is inoculated with another serotype. It was reported that mosquito control may have increased the incidence of DF and DHF due to age-dependency in manifesting these illnesses or an immunological mechanism. Tetravalent dengue vaccine is currently being tested in clinical trials. However, seroconversions to all four serotypes were achieved only after three doses. Therefore, vaccines may predispose vaccinees to the risk of developing DHF in future infections. This study employed an individual-based computer simulation, to emulate mosquito control and vaccination, incorporating seroconversion rates reported from actual clinical trials. It was found that mosquito control alone would have increased incidence of DF and DHF in areas of high mosquito density. A vaccination programme with very high coverage, even with a vaccine of suboptimal seroconversion rates, attenuated possible surges in the incidence of DF and DHF which would have been caused by insufficient reduction in mosquito abundance. DHF cases attributable to vaccine-derived enhancement were fewer than DHF cases prevented by a vaccine with considerably high (although not perfect) seroconversion rates. These predictions may justify vaccination programmes, at least in areas of high mosquito abundance. In such areas, mosquito control programmes should be conducted only after the vaccination programme with a high coverage has been initiated.
Socio-stylistic reflexes of syntactic change in Old French
Authors: DONALDSON BRYAN
Published: August 2013

This paper analyses aspects of the loss of verb-second (V2) in Old French in a historical sociolinguistic perspective. Data come from sequences in which a main declarative is preceded immediately by a tensed subordinate clause (Vance, Donaldson, and Steiner, 2010). Following Romaine (1982), represented speech and narrative are considered to represent distinct registers within a single text. An analysis of intra-textual variation between narrative and represented speech reveals stylistic variation, in that represented speech evinces higher rates of surface subject-verb-(object) orders in main clauses than narrative passages within the same text. The data also reveal gender variation, as the represented speech of women tends to be more linguistically conservative than that of men.
Learning by doing: the failure of the 1697 Malt Lottery Loan
Authors: Gallais-Hamonno Georges , Rietsch Christian
Published: August 2013

The failure in 1697 of the ‘Malt Lottery’, the second lottery loan, presents a fruitful case study. From a practical point of view, it tells us three things. First, the technical features of the English state lottery loans were established for more than a century after only three experiments. Second, its two components (‘lottery’ and ‘loan’) led to an abnormally poor return for investors since its expected return was 3.91 per cent whereas its effective return was 5.84 per cent – two figures in contradiction with the 6.3 per cent advanced by Dickson (1967). Third, a most strange solution was devised to counteract the failure: delivering the unsold tickets to the Exchequer to be used as cash. From a more theoretical point of view, the condition North and Weingast (1989) advanced for a successful financial issue proves necessary but not sufficient. The Malt Lottery failed (1,763 tickets sold out of 140,000) because it did not meet the three requirements for success: its return was too low and was lower than the return on competitive assets; its reimbursement dates were uncertain; and the economic and political environment was gloomy.
Repeated triggering of sporulation in Bacillus subtilis selects against a protein that affects the timing of cell division
Authors: Siebring Jeroen , Elema Matthijs J H , Drubi Vega Fátima , Kovács Ákos T , Haccou Patsy , Kuipers Oscar P
Published: August 2013

Bacillus subtilis sporulation is a last-resort phenotypical adaptation in response to starvation. The regulatory network underlying this developmental pathway has been studied extensively. However, how sporulation initiation is concerted in relation to the environmental nutrient availability is poorly understood. In a fed-batch fermentation set-up, in which sporulation of ultraviolet (UV)-mutagenized B. subtilis is repeatedly triggered by periods of starvation, fitter strains with mutated tagE evolved. These mutants display altered timing of phenotypical differentiation. The substrate for the wall teichoic acid (WTA)-modifying enzyme TagE, UDP-glucose, has recently been shown to be an intracellular proxy for nutrient availability, and influences the timing of cell division. Here we suggest that UDP-glucose also influences timing of cellular differentiation.
Synthesis of well-defined poly(phenylcarbazole-alt-triphenylphosphine oxide) siloxane as a bipolar host material for solution-processed deep blue phosphorescent devices
Authors: Sun Dianming , Fu Qiang , Ren Zhongjie , Li Huihui , Ma Dongge , Yan Shouke
Published: August 2013

Bipolar polysiloxane hosts for blue phosphorescent PLED are synthesized successfully. This work provides a new approach for the development of solution-processable polymers for high efficiency OLEDs
Mammalian ribosomal and chaperone protein RPS3A counteracts α-synuclein aggregation and toxicity in a yeast model system
Authors: De Graeve Stijn , Marinelli Sarah , Stolz Frank , Hendrix Jelle , Vandamme Jurgen , Engelborghs Yves , Van Dijck Patrick , Thevelein Johan M.
Published: August 2013

Accumulation of aggregated forms of αSyn (α-synuclein) into Lewy bodies is a known hallmark associated with neuronal cell death in Parkinson's disease. When expressed in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, αSyn interacts with the plasma membrane, forms inclusions and causes a concentration-dependent growth defect. We have used a yeast mutant, cog6Δ, which is particularly sensitive to moderate αSyn expression, for screening a mouse brain-specific cDNA library in order to identify mammalian proteins that counteract αSyn toxicity. The mouse ribosomal and chaperone protein RPS3A was identified as a suppressor of αSyn [WT (wild-type) and A53T] toxicity in yeast. We demonstrated that the 50 N-terminal amino acids are essential for this function. The yeast homologues of RPS3A were not effective in suppressing the αSyn-induced growth defect, illustrating the potential of our screening system to identify modifiers that would be missed using yeast gene overexpression as the first screening step. Co-expression of mouse RPS3A delayed the formation of αSyn–GFP inclusions in the yeast cells. The results of the present study suggest that the recently identified extraribosomal chaperonin function of RPS3A also acts on the neurodegeneration-related protein αSyn and reveal a new avenue for identifying promising candidate mammalian proteins involved in αSyn functioning.
Auditory and Cognitive Effects of Aging on Perception of Environmental Sounds in Natural Auditory Scenes
Authors: Gygi Brian , Shafiro Valeriy
Published: August 2013

Purpose

Previously, Gygi and Shafiro (2011) found that when environmental sounds are semantically incongruent with the background scene (e.g., horse galloping in a restaurant), they can be identified more accurately by young normal-hearing listeners (YNH) than sounds congruent with the scene (e.g., horse galloping at a racetrack). This study investigated how age and high-frequency audibility affect this Incongruency Advantage (IA) effect.

Method

In Experiments 1a and 1b, elderly listeners (
N
= 18 for 1a;
N
= 10 for 1b) with age-appropriate hearing (EAH) were tested on target sounds and auditory scenes in 5 sound-to-scene ratios (So/Sc) between −3 and −18 dB. Experiment 2 tested 11 YNH on the same sound–scene pairings lowpass-filtered at 4 kHz (YNH-4k).

Results

The EAH and YNH-4k groups exhibited an almost identical pattern of significant IA effects, but both were at approximately 3.9 dB higher So/Sc than the previously tested YNH listeners. However, the psychometric functions revealed a shallower slope for EAH listeners compared with YNH listeners for the congruent stimuli only, suggesting a greater difficulty for the EAH listeners in attending to sounds expected to occur in a scene.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that semantic relationships between environmental sounds in soundscapes are mediated by both audibility and cognitive factors and suggest a method for dissociating these factors.
Long-term effect on in vitro cloning efficiency after treatment of somatic cells with Xenopus egg extract in the pig
Authors: Liu Ying , Østrup Olga , Li Rong , Li Juan , Vajta Gábor , Kragh Peter M. , Schmidt Mette , Purup Stig , Hyttel Poul , Klærke Dan , Callesen Henrik
Published: August 2013

In somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), donor cell reprogramming is considered as a biologically important and vulnerable event. Various donor cell pre-treatments with Xenopus egg extracts can promote reprogramming. Here we investigated if the reprogramming effect of one treatment with Xenopus egg extract on donor cells was maintained for several cell passages. The extract treatment resulted in increased cell-colony formation from early passages in treated porcine fibroblasts (ExTES), and increased development of cloned embryos. Partial dedifferentiation was observed in ExTES cells, shown as a tendency towards upregulation of NANOG, c-MYC and KLF-4 and downregulation of DESMIM compared with ExTES at Passage 2. Compared with our routine SCNT, continuously increased development of cloned embryos was observed in the ExTES group, and ExTES cloned blastocysts displayed hypermethylated DNA patterns and hypermethylation of H3K4me3 and H3K27me3 in ICM compared with TE. All seven recipients became pregnant after transferral of ExTES cloned embryos and gave birth to 7–22 piglets per litter (average 12). In conclusion, our results demonstrate that one treatment of porcine fibroblasts with Xenopus egg extract can result in long-term increased ability of the cells to promote their in vitro function in subsequent SCNT. Finally these cells can also result in successful development of cloned embryos to term.
Synthesis of leukotrienes in porcine uteri with endometritis induced by infection with Escherichia coli
Authors: Jana Barbara , Czarzasta Joanna , Jaroszewski Jerzy
Published: August 2013

Leukotrienes (LTs) are lipid mediators that play a significant role in the inflammatory process. Their production in inflamed uteri is not fully understood. The present experiment aimed to determine LTB4 and LTC4 amounts, 5-lipooxygenase (5-LO), LTA4 hydrolase (LTAH) and LTC4 synthase (LTCS) mRNA levels and protein expression in inflamed porcine uteri. On Day 3 of the oestrous cycle (Day 0 of the study), either Escherichia coli suspension or saline were infused into uterine horns. Collection of uterine tissues and washings took place eight or sixteen days later. In gilts suffering from endometritis increased LTB4 and LTC4 levels in the endometrium and washings and 5-LO mRNA levels in the myometrium on Days 8 and 16, 5-LO protein levels in the endometrium and myometrium on Day 8, LTAH mRNA and protein levels in the endometrium and myometrium on Days 8 and 16, respectively. Although LTCS mRNA and protein expression in the myometrium and LTCS protein expression in the endometrium were enhanced on Day 16 after Escherichia coli inoculation, LTCS mRNA levels decreased on Day 8 in both tissues. Our study shows the upregulation of LT production in inflamed porcine uteri, which suggests the importance of these factors to the process of uterine inflammation.