bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
What’s wrong with this picture? an experiment in quantifying accuracy in 2D portrait drawing
Authors: Hayes Susan , Milne Nick
Published: May 2011

Traditional portraiture aims to produce a life-like representation of an individual’s unique facial features, but there are a number of perceptual factors that may affect how an artist sees and depicts a sitter’s facial shapes. The anatomical accuracy of a portrait is predominantly ascertained subjectively, and not through quantitative methods. To see if it was possible to apply the methods of analysis more typically used to study variation in biological forms, the authors produced 30 portrait drawings based on 30 pose photographs, and analysed how the portrait drawings differed from the photographs using three different measures: visual assessment, anthropometric measures, and geometric morphometric analysis. Of the three methods, geometric morphometric analysis was found to be the far better technique to account for patterns of depiction common to one artist, and our study indicates this method may have broad research applicability to the face as it is variously represented across a range of visual media.
Music and series: the verbalizing role of soundtrack lyrics from TV series to user-generated narrations
Authors: Moschini Ilaria
Published: May 2011

In 1984, the creators of Miami Vice — a famous NBC detective drama — added pop and rock hits to the original themes of the soundtrack. This new use of music, later defined as ‘MTV-inspired’, has progressively increased in the last 10 years and has now become one of the widely accepted standards for music and image integration in US TV series and movies. Recently, it has also been fully exploited by users of social networking platforms in creating their own contents. In this article, the author examines how lyrics are used to ‘design’ meaning in both TV series and user-generated narrations, by applying the methodological framework of multimodality outlined by Kress, Van Leeuwen and Jewitt and, in particular, the system network of semiotic resources of sound elaborated by Van Leeuwen.
Metaphors in editorial cartoons representing the global financial crisis
Authors: Bounegru Liliana , Forceville Charles
Published: May 2011

Lakoff and Johnson claim that metaphors play a crucial role in systematically structuring concepts, not just language. Probing the validity of this far-reaching claim requires an investigation of multimodal discourse. In this article, the authors analyse the 25 metaphors that structure a sample of 30 political cartoons pertaining to the global financial crisis that hit the world in 2008, and find that certain source domains recur systematically. They examine the role of visual and verbal modalities and argue that metaphors are manifestations of underlying conceptual ones. In the service of future research pertaining to multimodal metaphor and multimodal discourse, the authors also reflect on the methodological problems they encountered, and on the decisions they took to solve them.
Association of Obesity and Smoking With PSA and PSA Velocity in Men With Prostate Cancer
Authors: Algotar Amit M. , Stratton Steven P. , Ranger-Moore James , Stratton M. Suzanne , Hsu C.H. , Ahmann Frederick R. , Nagle Raymond B. , Thompson Patricia A.
Published: May 2011

Significant number of prostate tumors are slow growing and could probably be left untreated. However, many are aggressive and can spread rapidly causing patient suffering and/or death. Current technology does not allow physicians to differentiate between slow growing and aggressive tumors at diagnosis. Hence, many patients are exposed to invasive treatment and its associated morbidities such as incontinence and impotence. Markers that enable differentiation between slow and fast progressing cancer will allow physicians to prevent unnecessary treatments on men who may not need them, and focus on the men with aggressive disease. A longitudinal study was conducted ( N = 140) using mixed effects regression models to determine the association of obesity and smoking toward prostate cancer progression. These models account for correlation because of repeated measures over time, thus, using maximum amount of information provided by the subject. Estimates thus obtained are more robust and reliable than those obtained using data from a single time point. Rate of change of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) over time (PSA velocity) was used as a measure of prostate cancer progression. Results indicate that PSA velocity of overweight and obese subjects (0.59 and 1.05 ng/mL/year) was not significantly different as compared with normal weight subjects ( p values .91 and .31, respectively). For men in the highest tertile of pack-years of smoking, PSA velocity was significantly higher as compared with never smokers 1.57 ng/mL/year ( p = .04). Further studies with larger sample sizes and study designs specific to above exposures are needed before recommendations can be made to reduce weight or reduce/quit smoking.
Population-wide use of behavioural prevention and counselling programmes for lifestyle-related cardiovascular risk factors in Germany
Authors: Schmitz Roma , Jordan Susanne , Müters Stephan , Neuhauser Hannelore
Published: May 2011

Background: Behavioural prevention and counselling programmes for lifestyle-related cardiovascular risk factors are widely offered. However, their population-wide use is largely unexplored, particularly in high-risk persons with known CVD or diabetes.

Methods: Data were collected within GEDA 2009, a national health survey covering a representative sample of 21,262 adults in Germany. Standardised structured computer-assisted telephone interviews included self-reported physician-diagnosed coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, diabetes as well as height, weight, usual diet, physical activity, and the use of programmes for weight reduction, healthy diet and improvement of fitness or mobility in the last twelve months.

Results: The use of prevention measures was lowest for weight reduction (men 2.1%, women 3.5%), somewhat higher for healthy diet (men 3.2%, women 4.7%), and highest for improvement of fitness or mobility (men 8.6%, women 16.1%). Among individuals with the respective risk factor, programme participation was still low: 5.5% in obese men (women 7.2%) for weight reduction, 2.8% in men (women 3.7%) who did not eat fruit or vegetables daily for healthy diet, and 7.9% in physically inactive men (women 15.7%) for improvement of fitness or mobility. In the presence of known CVD or diabetes, participation increased inconsistently and only moderately.

Conclusion: Our results show low participation in behavioural prevention measures for lifestyle-related risk factors even in individuals with known CVD or diabetes. Further studies should investigate knowledge about potential programme benefit, availability and reimbursement in both patients and health care providers.
Nicotine, cigarette smoking and cardiac arrhythmia: an overview
Authors: D'Alessandro Alessandra , Boeckelmann Irina , Hammwhöner Matthias , Goette Andreas
Published: May 2011

Tobacco smoke is the single most important modifiable risk factor for coronary diseases and the leading preventable causes of death in the US. While the effect of cigarette smoking on the progression of atherosclerotic diseases is established and well studied, the role of cigarette smoking on cardiac arrhythmia is less clearly defined. In fact the pathophysiological mechanism of cigarette smoking-induced cardiac arrhythmia is very likely a complex one where the pro-fibrotic effect of nicotine on myocardial tissue with consequent increased susceptibility to catecholamine might play a role. Moreover, other constituents of cigarette smoking, such as carbon monoxide and oxidative stress, are likely to contribute to the generation of arrhythmias. Finally, cigarette smoking may induce coronary artery disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, which also might cause arrhythmia independently. The objective of this paper is to summarize the published studies relating to cardiac arrhythmia induced by cigarette smoking, and to identify a pathophysiological mechanism by which cigarette smoking might induce cardiac arrhythmia.
Leadership in crisis: ‘Events, my dear boy, events’
Authors: Mabey Christopher , Morrell Kevin
Published: May 2011

In this paper we discuss the theme for the 2009 8th International Conference on Studying Leadership (ICSL): Leadership in Crisis, which was hosted by the Centre for Leadership at the University of Birmingham (CLUB). We introduce five papers chosen from the conference which make up this special issue and that engage with different facets or manifestations of crisis — in context, method and theory. Prior to introducing the papers we offer our own reflections on the theme of crisis and its implications for new theorizing in leadership. In our necessarily brief review of the topic we suggest there is cause for optimism and opportunity to move forward — as is exemplified in the contributions we chose for this issue. We suggest crisis is inevitable, as summed up by the phrase ‘events, my dear boy’ — Harold MacMillan’s tongue-in-cheek answer when asked what was the biggest challenge facing him as a leader. At the same time, we identify three challenges in relation to current leadership studies. First, how to elevate the collective and the contextual dimensions of leadership without losing sight of the individual. Second, how to conduct ontologically diverse research which nevertheless promotes dialogue with less favoured and familiar discourses. Third, given the local and time-bound prism through which we access social phenomena, how to make the most of glimpses at crisis through occasional slivers of light.
Leadership as an elite field: Scottish banking leaders and the crisis of 2007-2009
Authors: Kerr Ron , Robinson Sarah
Published: May 2011

This paper addresses the question of the apparent auto-destructive behaviour of the leaders of the Scottish banks in the period 2005—2008. We apply Bourdieu’s concepts of field, habitus and capital to a corpus of textual sources to identify how leaders of these organisations competed with each other for leadership capital. We therefore show, through analysis of a series of historically situated crises, how competition between senior banking leaders for positions of domination within the field of elite banking in Scotland, the UK and globally, eventually contributed to the destruction of the banks themselves as independent institutions. We believe that this Bourdieusian approach to leader—leader relations can offer some explanation of the apparently ‘irrational’ behaviours of the banking leaders in the economic crisis of 2005—2008.
Leadership development: Crisis, opportunities and the leadership concept
Authors: Probert Joana , Turnbull James Kim
Published: May 2011

In this paper, we address two different types of crises. The first one refers to a crisis in the leadership development literature. We suggest that its resolution lies in focusing on the leadership concept — the schemata that organizations have embedded in their culture about leadership. We believe that the role of leadership development is to renew these assumptions, so that they reflect the new challenges organizations face. The second type of crisis refers to the pragmatic challenges facing organizations. We suggest that the context of crisis provides ideal circumstances for promoting changes in the leadership concept, as schemata are then more malleable. In addition, we argue that sensemaking may be a possible mechanism for renewing the leadership concept due to its role in schemata changes during times of ambiguity and uncertainty, such as those of crisis.
Resisting the Camp: Civil Death and the Practice of Sovereignty in New York State
Authors: Follis Luca
Published: May 2011

This article is an empirical engagement of Giorgio Agamben’s “spatial theory of power.” It explores, through the case-study of civil death in New York, the continuum of exclusion that is capped on one end by homo sacer and the sovereign on the other. I argue that civil death has had a long-running history in America, intimately connected to the expression of sovereign power and its deployment in the penal sphere. I show that despite the longue durée of this disability, and its efficacy as a tool of political and social marginalization, this practice has proved highly unstable for sovereignty and has generated significant resistance in the courts, civil society and prisons themselves. The contested status of civil death, I contend, underscores the dynamic character of resistance to sovereign power and its role in framing the conditions under which state authority can be articulated and maintained.
Voice, neutrality and respect: Use of Victim Support services, procedural fairness and confidence in the criminal justice system
Authors: Bradford Ben
Published: May 2011

Public confidence in the criminal justice system (CJS) is a topic of perennial concern across the United Kingdom, particularly in light of the relatively low levels of confidence reported in the British Crime Survey (BCS) and elsewhere. Recent work on policing has stressed that the experience of procedural fairness is an important influence on ‘user-satisfaction’, trust and legitimacy. Yet it is unclear whether this emphasis on fairness applies to the CJS as a whole, which many might see as primarily there to manage — and punish — offenders as efficiently as possible. This article reports on analysis of the BCS that suggests contact with Victim Support is linked to more favourable views of the fairness of the CJS and to higher levels of confidence in its effectiveness. By providing victims with voice and a sense that someone is listening to and taking their concerns seriously, contact with VS seems to be linked to more favourable overall assessments of the CJS. A space is therefore opened up for approaches to enhancing public confidence that do not rely on ever more punitive policies, or on the arguably Sisyphean task of convincing the public that extant policies are punitive enough.
After-Hours Care in Suburban Canada
Authors: Jones David , Carroll Linda , Frank Leonard
Published: May 2011

Objective: To determine if operation of an outpatient “after-hours” clinic (AHC) was associated with a reduction in local emergency department (ED) visits. Study Setting: Leduc, Alberta, Canada is a city of approximately 20 000 people. There is one hospital ED and a single AHC. Information on AHC and ED visits was collected from January 2005 to February 2008. Study Design: This was an observational before-and-after study of monthly ED visit frequency, stratified by patient illness severity. Data Collection: We collected patient visits per month to the ED before and after AHC implementation. Twenty-eight months of ED patient visit information were collected (14 months of pre-AHC; 14 months of post-AHC). A Wilcoxon signed-rank test was used to test the statistical strength of difference in ED visits, matched by month, before and after the AHC became operational. Results: An average of 261.2 (standard deviation [SD], 47.7) patient visits per month were made to the AHC. There was a mean reduction of 36.7 (standard error of mean [SEM], 9.6; P = .009) total patient visits per month and 49.3 (SEM, 5.6; P = .001) fewer semiurgent patient visits per month to the Leduc ED during AHC operating hours. Conclusions: There was a consistently observable and statistically significant reduction in total patients visiting the ED subsequent to AHC operation. Stratified analysis indicated that this was due to fewer semiurgent patients seeking medical care at the local ED.
Coagulation, an ancestral serine protease cascade, exerts a novel function in early immune defense
Authors: Loof Torsten G. , Mörgelin Matthias , Johansson Linda , Oehmcke Sonja , Olin Anders I. , Dickneite Gerhard , Norrby-Teglund Anna , Theopold Ulrich , Herwald Heiko
Published: May 2011

Phylogenetically conserved serine protease cascades play an important role in invertebrate and vertebrate immunity. The mammalian coagulation system can be traced back some 400 million years and shares homology with ancestral serine proteinase cascades that are involved in, for example, Toll receptor signaling in insects and release of antimicrobial peptides during hemolymph clotting. In the present study, we show that the induction of coagulation by bacteria leads to immobilization and killing of Streptococcus pyogenes bacteria inside the clot. The entrapment is mediated via cross-linking of bacteria to fibrin fibers by the action of coagulation factor XIII (fXIII), an evolutionarily conserved transglutaminase. In a streptococcal skin infection model, fXIII−/− mice developed severe signs of pathologic inflammation at the local site of infection, and fXIII treatment of wild-type animals dampened bacterial dissemination during early infection. Bacterial killing and cross-linking to fibrin networks was also detected in tissue biopsies from patients with streptococcal necrotizing fasciitis, supporting the concept that coagulation is part of the early innate immune system.
The multifunctional role of EKLF/KLF1 during erythropoiesis
Authors: Siatecka Miroslawa , Bieker James J.
Published: May 2011

The cellular events that lead to terminal erythroid differentiation rely on the controlled interplay of extra- and intracellular regulatory factors. Their downstream effects are highly coordinated and result in the structural/morphologic and metabolic changes that uniquely characterize a maturing red blood cell. Erythroid Krüppel-like factor (EKLF/KLF1) is one of a very small number of intrinsic transcription factors that play a major role in regulating these events. This review covers 3 major aspects of erythropoiesis in which EKLF plays crucial functions: (1) at the megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitor stage, where it is involved in erythroid lineage commitment; (2) during the global expansion of erythroid gene expression in primitive and definitive lineages, where it plays a direct role in globin switching; and (3) during the terminal maturation of red cells, where it helps control exit from the cell cycle. We conclude by describing recent studies of mammalian EKLF/KLF1 mutations that lead to altered red cell phenotypes and disease.
Assessment of left ventricular regional function in affected and carrier dogs with duchenne muscular dystrophy using speckle tracking echocardiography
Authors: Takano Hiroshi , Fujii Yoko , Yugeta Naoko , Takeda Shinichi , Wakao Yoshito
Published: May 2011

Background

Two-dimensional speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) is a relatively new method to detect regional myocardial dysfunction. To assess left ventricular (LV) regional myocardial dysfunction using STE in Duchenne muscular dystrophy model dogs (CXMDJ) without overt clinical signs of heart failure.

Methods

Six affected dogs, 8 carrier dogs with CXMDJ, and 8 control dogs were used. Conventional echocardiography, systolic and diastolic function by Doppler echocardiography, tissue Doppler imaging (TDI), and strain indices using STE, were assessed and compared among the 3 groups.

Results

Significant differences were seen in body weight, transmitral E wave and E' wave derived from TDI among the 3 groups. Although no significant difference was observed in any global strain indices, in segmental analysis, the peak radial strain rate during early diastole in posterior segment at chordae the tendineae level showed significant differences among the 3 groups.

Conclusions

The myocardial strain rate by STE served to detect the impaired cardiac diastolic function in CXMDJ without any obvious LV dilation or clinical signs. The radial strain rate may be a useful parameter to detect early myocardial impairment in CXMDJ.
Toxoplasma, Toxocara and Tuberculosis co-infection in a four year old child
Authors: Guneratne Randeewari , Mendis Devan , Bandara Tharaka , Fernando Sumadhya Deepika
Published: May 2011

Background

Tuberculosis. toxocariasis and toxoplasmosis are among the common infectious causes of lymphadenitis in children. Cases of Toxoplasma gondii and Toxocara spp co-infection have been reported.

Case Presentation

This case report describes a co-infection of Toxoplasma gondii, Toxocara spp and tuberculosis in a child with chronic lymphadenopathy and eosinophilia.

Conclusion

The case report highlights two important points. First is the diagnostic challenges that are encountered by clinicians in tropical countries such as Sri Lanka, where lymphadenopathy and eosinophilia with a positive serology commonly point towards a parasitic infection. Secondly the importance of proper history taking and performing the Mantoux test as a first line investigation in a country where the incidence of tuberculosis is low, even in the absence of a positive contact history.
Associations of body mass index and waist circumference with: energy intake and percentage energy from macronutrients, in a cohort of australian children
Authors: Elliott Sarah A , Truby Helen , Lee Amanda , Harper Catherine , Abbott Rebecca A , Davies Peter SW
Published: May 2011

Background

It is evident from previous research that the role of dietary composition in relation to the development of childhood obesity remains inconclusive. Several studies investigating the relationship between body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and/or skin fold measurements with energy intake have suggested that the macronutrient composition of the diet (protein, carbohydrate, fat) may play an important contributing role to obesity in childhood as it does in adults. This study investigated the possible relationship between BMI and WC with energy intake and percentage energy intake from macronutrients in Australian children and adolescents.

Methods

Height, weight and WC measurements, along with 24 h food and drink records (FDR) intake data were collected from 2460 boys and girls aged 5-17 years living in the state of Queensland, Australia.

Results

Statistically significant, yet weak correlations between BMI z-score and WC with total energy intake were observed in grades 1, 5 and 10, with only 55% of subjects having a physiologically plausible 24 hr FDR. Using Pearson correlations to examine the relationship between BMI and WC with energy intake and percentage macronutrient intake, no significant correlations were observed between BMI z-score or WC and percentage energy intake from protein, carbohydrate or fat. One way ANOVAs showed that although those with a higher BMI z-score or WC consumed significantly more energy than their lean counterparts.

Conclusion

No evidence of an association between percentage macronutrient intake and BMI or WC was found. Evidently, more robust longitudinal studies are needed to elucidate the relationship linking obesity and dietary intake.
Expression patterns of microRNAs associated with CML phases and their disease related targets
Authors: Machová Poláková Kateřina , Lopotová Tereza , Klamová Hana , Burda Pavel , Trněný Marek , Stopka Tomáš , Moravcová Jana
Published: May 2011

Background

MicroRNAs are important regulators of transcription in hematopoiesis. Their expression deregulations were described in association with pathogenesis of some hematological malignancies. This study provides integrated microRNA expression profiling at different phases of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) with the aim to identify microRNAs associated with CML pathogenesis. The functions of in silico filtered targets are in this report annotated and discussed in relation to CML pathogenesis.

Results

Using microarrays we identified differential expression profiles of 49 miRNAs in CML patients at diagnosis, in hematological relapse, therapy failure, blast crisis and major molecular response. The expression deregulation of miR-150, miR-20a, miR-17, miR-19a, miR-103, miR-144, miR-155, miR-181a, miR-221 and miR-222 in CML was confirmed by real-time quantitative PCR. In silico analyses identified targeted genes of these miRNAs encoding proteins that are involved in cell cycle and growth regulation as well as several key signaling pathways such as of mitogen activated kinase-like protein (MAPK), epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR, ERBB), transforming growth factor beta (TGFB1) and tumor protein p53 that are all related to CML. Decreased levels of miR-150 were detected in patients at diagnosis, in blast crisis and 67% of hematological relapses and showed significant negative correlation with miR-150 proved target MYB and with BCR-ABL transcript level.

Conclusions

This study uncovers microRNAs that are potentially involved in CML and the annotated functions of in silico filtered targets of selected miRNAs outline mechanisms whereby microRNAs may be involved in CML pathogenesis.
Determinants of sexual dysfunction among clinically diagnosed diabetic patients
Authors: Owiredu William KBA , Amidu Nafiu , Alidu Huseini , Sarpong Charity , Gyasi-Sarpong Christian K
Published: May 2011

Background

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease that can result in various medical, psychological and sexual dysfunctions (SD) if not properly managed. SD in men is a common under-appreciated complication of diabetes. This study assessed the prevalence and determinants of SD among diabetic patients in Tema, Greater Accra Region of Ghana.

Method

Sexual functioning was determined in 300 consecutive diabetic men (age range: 18-82 years) visiting the diabetic clinic of Tema General Hospital with the Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS) questionnaire, between November, 2010 and March, 2011. In addition to the socio-demographic characteristics of the participants, the level of glycosylated haemoglobin, fasting blood sugar (FBS) and serum testosterone were assessed. All the men had a steady heterosexual relationship for at least 2 years before enrolment in the study.

Results

Out the 300 participants contacted, the response rate was 91.3% after 20 declined participation and 6 incomplete data were excluded All the respondents had at least basic education, 97.4% were married, 65.3% were known hypertensive, 3.3% smoked cigarettes, 27% took alcoholic beverages and 32.8% did some form of exercise. The 69.3% SD rate observed in this study appears to be related to infrequency (79.2%), non-sensuality (74.5%), dissatisfaction with sexual acts (71.9%), non-communication (70.8%) and impotence (67.9%). Other areas of sexual function, including premature ejaculation (56.6%) and avoidance (42.7%) were also substantially affected. However, severe SD was seen in only 4.7% of the studied population. The perceived "adequate", "desirable", "too short" and "too long intra-vaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) are 5-10, 5-10, 1-2 and 15-30 minutes respectively. Testosterone correlates negatively with glycated haemoglobin (HBA1c), FBS, perceived desirable, too short IELT, and weight as well as waist circumference.

Conclusion

SD rate from this study is high but similar to that reported among self-reported diabetic patients in Kumasi, Ghana and vary according to the condition and age. The determinants of SD from this study are income level, exercise, obesity, higher perception of "desirable" and "too short" IELT.
Evaluation of a resistance training program for adults with or at risk of developing diabetes: an effectiveness study in a community setting
Authors: Minges Karl E , Cormick Glen , Unglik Edna , Dunstan David W
Published: May 2011

Background

To examine the effects of a community-based resistance training program (Lift for Life®) on waist circumference and functional measures in adults with or at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Methods

Lift for Life is a research-to-practice initiative designed to disseminate an evidence-based resistance training program for adults with or at risk of developing type 2 diabetes to existing health and fitness facilities in the Australian community. A retrospective assessment was undertaken on 86 participants who had accessed the program within 4 active providers in Melbourne, Australia. The primary goal of this longitudinal study was to assess the effectiveness of a community-based resistance training program, thereby precluding a randomized, controlled study design. Waist circumference, lower body (chair sit-to-stand) and upper body (arm curl test) strength, and agility (timed up-and-go) measures were collected at baseline and repeated at 2 months (n = 86) and again at 6 months (n = 32).

Results

Relative to baseline, there was a significant decrease in mean waist circumference (-1.9 cm, 95% CI: -2.8 to -1.0) and the timed agility test (-0.8 secs, 95% CI: -1.0 to -0.6); and significant increases in lower body (number of repetitions: 2.2, 95% CI: 1.4-3.0) and upper body (number of repetitions: 3.8, 95% CI: 3.0-4.6) strength at the completion of 8 weeks. Significant differences remained at the 16 week assessment. Pooled time series regression analyses adjusted for age and sex in the 32 participants who had complete measures at baseline and 24-week follow-up revealed significant time effects for waist circumference and functional measures, with the greatest change from baseline observed at the 24-week assessment.

Conclusions

These findings indicate that an evidence-based resistance training program administered in the community setting for those with or at risk of developing type 2 diabetes, can lead to favorable health benefits, including reductions in central obesity and improved physical function.
Low-temperature synthesis of CuO-interlaced nanodiscs for lithium ion battery electrodes
Authors: Seo Seung-Deok , Jin Yun-Ho , Lee Seung-Hun , Shim Hyun-Woo , Kim Dong-Wan
Published: May 2011

In this study, we report the high-yield synthesis of 2-dimensional cupric oxide (CuO) nanodiscs through dehydrogenation of 1-dimensional Cu(OH)2 nanowires at 60°C. Most of the nanodiscs had a diameter of approximately 500 nm and a thickness of approximately 50 nm. After further prolonged reaction times, secondary irregular nanodiscs gradually grew vertically into regular nanodiscs. These CuO nanostructures were characterized using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller measurements. The possible growth mechanism of the interlaced disc CuO nanostructures is systematically discussed. The electrochemical performances of the CuO nanodisc electrodes were evaluated in detail using cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic cycling. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the incorporation of multiwalled carbon nanotubes enables the enhanced reversible capacities and capacity retention of CuO nanodisc electrodes on cycling by offering more efficient electron transport paths.
A sleeping phantom leg awakened following hemicolectomy, thrombosis, and chemotherapy: a case report
Authors: Giummarra Melita J , Bradshaw John L , Nicholls Michael ER , Georgiou-Karistianis Nellie , Gibson Stephen J
Published: May 2011

Introduction

We describe the case of a patient who experienced phantom pain that began 42 years after right above-the-knee amputation. Immediately prior to phantom pain onset, this long-term amputee had experienced, in rapid succession, cancer, hemicolectomy, chemotherapy, and thrombotic occlusion. Very little has been published to date on the association between chemotherapy and exacerbation of neuropathic pain in amputees, let alone the phenomenon of bringing about pain in amputees who have been pain-free for many decades. While this patient presented with a unique profile following a rare sequence of medical events, his case should be recognized considering the frequent co-occurrence of osteomyelitis, chemotherapy, and amputation.

Case presentation

A 68-year-old Australian Caucasian man presented 42 years after right above-the-knee amputation with phantom pain immediately following hemicolectomy, thrombotic occlusion in the amputated leg, and chemotherapy treatment with leucovorin and 5-fluorouracil. He exhibited probable hyperalgesia with a reduced pinprick threshold and increased stump sensitivity, indicating likely peripheral and central sensitization.

Conclusion

Our patient, who had long-term nerve injury due to amputation, together with recent ischemic nerve and tissue injury due to thrombosis, exhibited likely chemotherapy-induced neuropathy. While he presented with unique treatment needs, cases such as this one may actually be quite common considering that osteosarcoma can frequently lead to amputation and be followed by chemotherapy. The increased susceptibility of amputees to developing potentially intractable chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain should be taken into consideration throughout the course of chemotherapy treatment. Patients in whom chronic phantom pain then develops, perhaps together with mobility issues, inevitably place greater demands on healthcare service providers that require treatment by various clinical specialists, including oncologists, neurologists, prosthetists, and, most frequently, general practitioners.
A synthetic system links FeFe-hydrogenases to essential E. coli sulfur metabolism
Authors: Barstow Buz , Agapakis Christina M , Boyle Patrick M , Grandl Gerald , Silver Pamela A , Wintermute Edwin H
Published: May 2011

Background

FeFe-hydrogenases are the most active class of H2-producing enzymes known in nature and may have important applications in clean H2energy production. Many potential uses are currently complicated by a crucial weakness: the active sites of all known FeFe-hydrogenases are irreversibly inactivated by O2.

Results

We have developed a synthetic metabolic pathway inE. colithat links FeFe-hydrogenase activity to the production of the essential amino acid cysteine. Our design includes a complementary host strain whose endogenous redox pool is insulated from the synthetic metabolic pathway. Host viability on a selective medium requires hydrogenase expression, and moderate O2levels eliminate growth. This pathway forms the basis for a genetic selection for O2tolerance. Genetically selected hydrogenases did not show improved stability in O2and in many cases had lost H2production activity. The isolated mutations cluster significantly on charged surface residues, suggesting the evolution of binding surfaces that may accelerate hydrogenase electron transfer.

Conclusions

Rational design can optimize a fully heterologous three-component pathway to provide an essential metabolic flux while remaining insulated from the endogenous redox pool. We have developed a number of convenientin vivoassays to aid in the engineering of synthetic H2metabolism. Our results also indicate a H2-independent redox activity in three different FeFe-hydrogenases, with implications for the future directed evolution of H2-activating catalysts.
CNVassoc: Association analysis of CNV data using R
Authors: Subirana Isaac , Diaz-Uriarte Ramon , Lucas Gavin , Gonzalez Juan R
Published: May 2011

Background

Copy number variants (CNV) are a potentially important component of the genetic contribution to risk of common complex diseases. Analysis of the association between CNVs and disease requires that uncertainty in CNV copy-number calls, which can be substantial, be taken into account; failure to consider this uncertainty can lead to biased results. Therefore, there is a need to develop and use appropriate statistical tools. To address this issue, we have developed , an R package for carrying out association analysis of common copy number variants in population-based studies. This package includes functions for testing for association with different classes of response variables (e.g. class status, censored data, counts) under a series of study designs (case-control, cohort, etc) and inheritance models, adjusting for covariates. The package includes functions for inferring copy number (CNV genotype calling), but can also accept copy number data generated by other algorithms (e.g. CANARY, CGHcall, IMPUTE).

Results

Here we present a new R package, CNVassoc, that can deal with different types of CNV arising from different platforms such as MLPA o aCGH. Through a real data example we illustrate that our method is able to incorporate uncertainty in the association process. We also show how our package can also be useful when analyzing imputed data when analyzing imputed SNPs. Through a simulation study we show that CNVassoc outperforms CNVtools in terms of computing time as well as in convergence failure rate.

Conclusions

We provide a package that outperforms the existing ones in terms of modelling flexibility, power, convergence rate, ease of covariate adjustment, and requirements for sample size and signal quality. Therefore, we offer CNVassoc as a method for routine use in CNV association studies.
Susceptibility of adult female Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae) to the entomopathogenic fungus Metarhizium anisopliae is modified following blood feeding
Authors: Paula Adriano R , Carolino Aline T , Silva Carlos P , Samuels Richard I
Published: May 2011

Background

The mosquito Aedes aegypti, vector of dengue fever, is a target for control by entomopathogenic fungi. Recent studies by our group have shown the susceptibility of adult A. aegypti to fungal infection by Metarhizium anisopliae. This fungus is currently being tested under field conditions. However, it is unknown whether blood-fed A. aegypti females are equally susceptible to infection by entomopathogenic fungi as sucrose fed females. Insect populations will be composed of females in a range of nutritional states. The fungus should be equally efficient at reducing survival of insects that rest on fungus impregnated surfaces following a blood meal as those coming into contact with fungi before host feeding. This could be an important factor when considering the behavior of A. aegypti females that can blood feed on multiple hosts over a short time period.

Methods

Female A. aegypti of the Rockefeller strain and a wild strain were infected with two isolates of the entomopathogenic fungus M. anisopliae (LPP 133 and ESALQ 818) using an indirect contact bioassay at different times following blood feeding. Survival rates were monitored on a daily basis and one-way analysis of variance combined with Duncan's post-hoc test or Log-rank survival curve analysis were used for statistical comparisons of susceptibility to infection.

Results

Blood feeding rapidly reduced susceptibility to infection, determined by the difference in survival rates and survival curves, when females were exposed to either of the two M. anisopliae isolates. Following a time lag which probably coincided with digestion of the blood meal (96-120 h post-feeding), host susceptibility to infection returned to pre-blood fed (sucrose fed) levels.

Conclusions

Reduced susceptibility of A. aegypti to fungi following a blood meal is of concern. Furthermore, engorged females seeking out intra-domicile resting places post-blood feeding, would be predicted to rest for prolonged periods on fungus impregnated black cloths, thus optimizing infection rates. It should be remembered that lowered susceptibility was only a temporary phenomenon and this may not necessarily occur when mosquitoes are infected with other fungal isolates. These results may have implications for field testing of entomopathogenic fungi by our group and further studies should be carried out to better understand the insect-fungus interaction.
Gene expression analysis in lymphoblasts derived from patients with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Yasuda Yuka , Hashimoto Ryota , Yamamori Hidenaga , Ohi Kazutaka , Fukumoto Motoyuki , Umeda-Yano Satomi , Mohri Ikuko , Ito Akira , Taniike Masako , Takeda Masatoshi
Published: May 2011

Background

The autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are complex neurodevelopmental disorders that result in severe and pervasive impairment in the development of reciprocal social interaction and verbal and nonverbal communication skills. In addition, individuals with ASD have stereotypical behavior, interests and activities. Rare mutations of some genes, such as neuroligin (NLGN) 3/4, neurexin (NRXN) 1,SHANK3, MeCP2andNHE9, have been reported to be associated with ASD. In the present study, we investigated whether alterations in mRNA expression levels of these genes could be found in lymphoblastoid cell lines derived from patients with ASD.

Methods

We measured mRNA expression levels ofNLGN3/4, NRXN1, SHANK3, MeCP2, NHE9andAKT1in lymphoblastoid cells from 35 patients with ASD and 35 healthy controls, as well as from 45 patients with schizophrenia and 45 healthy controls, using real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assays.

Results

The mRNA expression levels ofNLGN3andSHANK3normalized byβ-actinorTBPwere significantly decreased in the individuals with ASD compared to controls, whereas no difference was found in the mRNA expression level ofMeCP2, NHE9orAKT1. However, normalizedNLGN3andSHANK3gene expression levels were not altered in patients with schizophrenia, and expression levels ofNLGN4andNRXN1mRNA were not quantitatively measurable in lymphoblastoid cells.

Conclusions

Our results provide evidence that theNLGN3andSHANK3genes may be differentially expressed in lymphoblastoid cell lines from individuals with ASD compared to those from controls. These findings suggest the possibility that decreased mRNA expression levels of these genes might be involved in the pathophysiology of ASD in a substantial population of ASD patients.
Fasting, But Not Exercise, Increases Adipose Triglyceride Lipase (ATGL) Protein and Reduces G(0)/G(1) Switch Gene 2 (G0S2) Protein and mRNA Content in Human Adipose Tissue
Authors: Nielsen Thomas S. , Vendelbo Mikkel H. , Jessen Niels , Pedersen Steen B. , Jørgensen Jens O. , Lund Sten , Møller Niels
Published: May 2011

Context:

Fasting and exercise are characterized by increased lipolysis, but the underlying mechanisms are not fully understood.

Objective:

The study was designed to test whether fasting and exercise affect mRNA and protein levels of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) and G(0)/G(1) switch gene 2 (G0S2), a recently discovered ATGL inhibitor, in humans.

Design and Participants:

We studied eight healthy men (age, 25.5 ± 4.3 yr) for 6 h (a 4-h basal and a 2-h clamp period) on three occasions in a randomized crossover design: 1) in the basal state and after; 2) 72-h fasting; and 3) 1-h exercise (65% VO2max). Subcutaneous abdominal adipose tissue (AT) biopsies were taken at t = 30 and 270 min.

Setting:

The study was conducted at a university hospital research unit.

Results:

Circulating free fatty acids and GH were increased, and C-peptide was decreased by both fasting and exercise. During fasting, insulin failed to suppress free fatty acid levels, suggesting AT insulin resistance. ATGL protein was increased 44% (P < 0.001), and G0S2 mRNA and protein were decreased 56% (P = 0.02) and 54% (P = 0.01), respectively, after fasting, but both ATGL and G0S2 were unaffected by exercise. Protein levels of hormone-sensitive lipase and comparative gene identification-58 were unaffected throughout.

Conclusions:

We found increased AT content of ATGL and decreased protein and mRNA content of the ATGL inhibitor G0S2, suggesting increased ATGL activity during fasting, but not after short-term exercise. These findings are compatible with the notion that the ATGL-G0S2 complex is an important long-term regulator of lipolysis under physiological conditions such as fasting in humans.
Incomplete X-inactivation initiated by a hypomorphic Xist allele in the mouse
Authors: Hoki Yuko , Ikeda Rieko , Mise Nathan , Sakata Yuka , Ohhata Tatsuya , Sasaki Hiroyuki , Abe Kuniya , Sado Takashi
Published: May 2011

X chromosome inactivation (X-inactivation) in female mammals is triggered by differential upregulation of the Xist gene on one of the two X chromosomes and subsequent coating of the X in cis with its non-coding transcripts. Although targeted mutation has clearly shown that Xist is essential for X-inactivation in cis, the molecular mechanism by which Xist RNA induces chromosome silencing is largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that an Xist mutant generated previously in mouse by gene targeting, XistIVS, is unique in that it partially retains the capacity to silence the X chromosome. Although XistIVS is differentially upregulated and its mutated transcript coats the X chromosome in cis in embryonic and extra-embryonic tissues, X-inactivation thus initiated does not seem to be fully established. The state of such incomplete inactivation is probably unstable and the mutated X is apparently reactivated in a subset of extra-embryonic tissues and, perhaps, early epiblastic cells. XistIVS, which can be referred to as a partial loss-of-function mutation, would provide an opportunity to dissect the molecular mechanism of Xist RNA-mediated chromosome silencing.
Differentiation of an embryonic stem cell to hemogenic endothelium by defined factors: essential role of bone morphogenetic protein 4
Authors: Chiang Po-Min , Wong Philip C.
Published: May 2011

Current approaches to differentiate embryonic stem (ES) cells to hematopoietic precursors in vitro use either feeder cell, serum, conditioned culture medium or embryoid body, methods that cannot avoid undefined culture conditions, precluding analysis of the fate of individual cells. Here, we have developed a defined, serum-free and low cell-density differentiation program to generate endothelial and hematopoietic cells within 6 days from murine ES cells. Our novel approach identifies a set of factors that are necessary and sufficient to differentiate ES cells into definitive hematopoietic precursors, as documented by the time-lapse video microscopy of the stepwise differentiation processes from single progenitors. Moreover, this defined milieu revealed the essential role of bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) in determining the hematopoietic/endothelial fate and demonstrated that the hemogenic fate in mesoderm is determined as early as day 4 of our differentiation protocol. Our ability to directly convert ES cells to endothelial and hematopoietic precursors should have important utilities for studies of hematopoietic development and personalized medicine in the future.
Neuroendocrine regulation of Drosophila metamorphosis requires TGFβ/Activin signaling
Authors: Gibbens Ying Y. , Warren James T. , Gilbert Lawrence I. , O'Connor Michael B.
Published: May 2011

In insects, initiation of metamorphosis requires a surge in the production of the steroid hormone 20-hydroxyecdysone from the prothoracic gland, the primary endocrine organ of juvenile larvae. Here, we show that blocking TGFβ/Activin signaling, specifically in the Drosophila prothoracic gland, results in developmental arrest prior to metamorphosis. The terminal, giant third instar larval phenotype results from a failure to induce the large rise in ecdysteroid titer that triggers metamorphosis. We further demonstrate that activin signaling regulates competence of the prothoracic gland to receive PTTH and insulin signals, and that these two pathways act at the mRNA and post-transcriptional levels, respectively, to control ecdysone biosynthetic enzyme expression. This dual regulatory circuitry may provide a cross-check mechanism to ensure that both developmental and nutritional inputs are synchronized before initiating the final genetic program leading to reproductive adult development. As steroid hormone production in C. elegans and mammals is also influenced by TGFβ/Activin signaling, this family of secreted factors may play a general role in regulating developmental transitions across phyla.