bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Study of the carapace shape and growth in two Galápagos tortoise lineages
Authors: Chiari Ylenia , Claude Julien
Published: January 2011

Galápagos tortoises possess two main shell forms, domed and saddleback, that correlate with the biogeographic history of this species group. However, the lack of description of morphological shell variation within and among populations has prevented the understanding of the contribution of evolutionary forces and the potential role of ontogeny in shaping morphological shell differences. Here, we analyze two lineages of Galápagos tortoises inhabiting Santa Cruz Island by applying geometric morphometrics in combination with a photogrammetry 3D reconstruction method on a set of tortoises of different ages (from juvenile to adult). The aim of this study is to describe morphological features on the carapace that could be used for taxonomic recognition by taking into account confounding factors, such as the morphological changes occurring during growth. Our results indicate that despite the shared similarities of growth patterns and of morphological changes observed during growth, the two lineages and the different sexes can be distinguished on the basis of distinct carapace features. Lineages differ by the shape of the vertebral (especially concerning their width) and pleural scutes, with one lineage having a more compressed carapace shape, whereas the other possesses a carapace that is more elongated and expanded toward the sides as well as an higher positioning of the first vertebral scute. Furthermore, females have a more elongated and wider carapace shape than males. Finally, carapace shape changes with growth, with vertebral scutes becoming narrower and pleural scutes becoming larger during late ontogeny. J. Morphol., 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Evaluation of two statistical downscaling models for daily precipitation over an arid basin in China
Authors: Liu Zhaofei , Xu Zongxue , Charles Stephen P. , Fu Guobin , Liu Liu
Published: January 2011

Two statistical downscaling (SD) models, the nonhomogeneous hidden Markov model (NHMM) and the statistical down‐scaling model (SDSM), which have been widely applied and proved skillful in terms of downscaling precipitation, were evaluated based on observed daily precipitation over the Tarim River basin, an arid basin located in China. The evaluated metrics included residual functions, correlation analyses, probability density functions (PDFs) and distributions. Overall, both models exhibited stability with little model performance difference between the calibration and validation periods. There was little difference for model performance on dry‐spell length (dsl) and wet‐spell length (wsl) between NHMM and SDSM. NHMM showed skill in simulating wet‐day precipitation amount (wpa), whilst SDSM performed relatively poorly on extreme values of wpa, especially for dry stations with annual precipitation lower than 200 mm. Both NHMM and SDSM captured the spatial distribution characteristics of precipitation for most of the stations, as 11 months had an at‐station correlation coefficient being greater than 0.9 and 0.8 for NHMM and SDSM in calibration period. NHMM showed slightly better model performance than SDSM on simulating monthly precipitation, as the former was able to model precipitation well for all months, whereas the later was well only for certain months. SDSM was able to capture the inter‐site correlation characteristics of observed series, whilst the NHMM multi‐site simulation over estimated inter‐site correlation. Both NHMM and SDSM had less skill downscaling annual series because of stochastic components in precipitation amounts modelling. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological Society
Factors explaining chronic knee extensor strength deficits after ACL reconstruction
Authors: Krishnan Chandramouli , Williams Glenn N.
Published: January 2011

Persistent quadriceps muscle weakness is common after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. The mechanisms underlying these chronic strength deficits are not clear. This study examined quadriceps strength in people 2–15 years post‐ACL reconstruction and tested the hypothesis that chronic quadriceps weakness is related to levels of voluntary quadriceps muscle activation, antagonistic hamstrings moment, and peripheral changes in muscle. Knee extensor strength and activation were evaluated in 15 ACL reconstructed and 15 matched uninjured control subjects using an interpolated triplet technique. Electrically evoked contractile properties were used to evaluate peripheral adaptations in the quadriceps muscle. Antagonistic hamstrings moments were predicted using a practical mathematical model. Knee extensor strength and evoked torque at rest were significantly lower in the reconstructed legs (p < 0.05). Voluntary activation and antagonistic hamstrings activity were similar across legs and between groups (p > 0.05). Regression analyses indicated that side‐to‐side differences in evoked torque at rest explained 71% of the knee extensor strength differences by side (p < 0.001). Voluntary activation and antagonistic hamstrings moment did not contribute significantly (p > 0.05). Chronic quadriceps weakness in this sample was primarily related to peripheral changes in the quadriceps muscle, not to levels of voluntary activation or antagonistic hamstrings activity. © 2011 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 29:633–640, 2011
Overexpression of the orphan receptor Nur77 and its translocation induced by PCH4 may inhibit malignant glioma cell growth and induce cell apoptosis
Authors: Chang Li‐Fu , Lin Po‐Cheng , Ho Li‐Ing , Liu Po‐Yen , Wu Wan‐Chen , Chiang I‐Ping , Chang Hui‐Wen , Lin Shinn‐Zong , Harn Yeu‐Chern , Harn Horng‐Jyh , Chiou Tzyy‐Wen
Published: January 2011

Background

In previous study, n‐butylidenephthalide (BP), a natural compound from Angelica sinensis, has anti‐glioblastoma multiform (GBM) cell effects. In this study, we modified BP structure to increase anti‐GBM cell effects. The anti‐GBM cell effects of one derivative of BP, (Z)‐N‐(2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl)‐2‐(3‐((3‐oxoisobenzofuran‐1(3H)‐ylidene)methyl)phenoxy)acetamide (PCH4) were tested in vitro and in vivo.

Methods

MTT assay and PI/Annexin V assay were performed to evaluate the anti‐GBM effects of PCH4. The Nur77 expression and translocation were assayed by RT‐PCR and Western blot. The Nur77 siRNA was used to downregulate the Nur77 expression. The JNK inhibitor (SP600125) was used to block the JNK pathway.

Results

The anti‐GBM effect of PCH4 is four times more than BP. The IC50 of PCH4 on DBTRG‐05MG cells was 50 µg/ml. Nur77 expression and translocation from the nucleus to the cytoplasm were important in PCH4‐induced apoptosis. Furthermore, the downregulation of PCH4‐induced Nur77 expression by Nur77 siRNA reduced PCH4‐induced apoptosis. In addition, PCH4‐induced apoptosis was associated with the JNK pathway. The JNK inhibitor, SP600125, inhibited Nur77 mRNA expression and reduced PCH4‐induced apoptosis.

Conclusions

In conclusion, PCH4, a derivative of BP, induced Nur77‐mediated apoptosis via the JNK pathway and this mechanism, which is different from that of BP, may explain the increase in the anti‐tumor effects on GBM. J. Surg. Oncol. 2011; 103:442–450. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Determination of doripenem and related substances in medicinal product using capillary electrophoresis
Authors: Michalska Katarzyna , Pajchel Genowefa , Tyski Stefan
Published: January 2011

Doripenem, the latest carbapenem antibiotic licensed in the United States (15 October 2007) and the European Union (25 July 2008), has been implemented into therapeutic use along with imipenem, meropenem and ertapenem. The described method of zone electrophoresis in a low pH buffer for the separation of doripenem from its impurities has been successfully performed using field‐amplified sample stacking (FASS), followed by UV absorption detection at 214 nm. The best results were obtained with phosphate buffer (100 mM) pH 2.9 containing 10% (v/v) of methanol, as the background electrolyte. Uncoated fused‐silica capillary (60/52 cm; 75 μm id) with normal polarity, and voltage values of 25 kV, was used throughout the investigation. The optimised method of doripenem determination was validated in terms of linearity, accuracy and precision, and provides a detection limit of 3.0 μg/mL of doripenem. The repeatability, expressed by relative standard deviation (RSD) of the migration time, for doripenem and its degradation products varied from 1.37 to 2.51%, whereas the corrected peak areas were about 0.91–9.87%. Satisfactory separation was achieved within 20 min of electrophoresis; moreover, all carbapenems (imipenem, meropenem, ertapenem and doripenem) were well separated from each other during this time. The evaluated CZE method was applied in the analysis of a medicinal product containing doripenem Doribax® powder for solution for infusion.
Application of liquid–liquid–liquid microextraction and high‐performance liquid chromatography for the determination of alkylphenols and bisphenol‐A in water
Authors: Lin Che‐Yi , Fuh Ming‐Ren , Huang Shang‐Da
Published: January 2011

A method termed liquid–liquid–liquid microextraction (LLLME) was utilized to extract 4‐t‐butylphenol, 4‐t‐octylphenol, 4‐n‐nonylphenol, and bisphenol‐A from water. The extracted target analytes were separated and quantified by high‐performance liquid chromatography using a fluorescence detector. In LLLME, the donor phase (i.e. water sample) was made weakly acidic by adding monobasic potassium phosphate (KH2PO4); the organic phase adopted was 4‐chlorotoluene; the acceptor phase (i.e. enriched extract) was 0.2 M tetraethylammonium hydroxide dissolved in ethylene glycol. This study solves a problem associated with the surface activity of long‐chain alkylphenolate ions, permitting LLLME to extract long‐chain alkylphenols. Experimental conditions such as acceptor phase composition, organic phase identity, acceptor phase volume, sample agitation, extraction time, and salt addition were optimized. The relative standard deviation (RSD, 2.0–5.8%), coefficient of determination (r2 0.9977–0.9999), and detection limit (0.017–0.0048 ng/mL) of the proposed method were achieved under the selected optimized conditions. The method was successfully applied to analyses of lake and tap water samples, and the relative recoveries of target analytes from the spiked lake and tap water samples were 92.8–106.3 and 93.6–105.6%, respectively. The results obtained with the proposed method confirm this microextraction technique to be reliable for the monitoring of alkylphenols and bisphenol‐A in water samples.
Silicon phthalocyanine (pc 4) photodynamic therapy is a safe modality for cutaneous neoplasms: results of a phase 1 clinical trial
Authors: Baron Elma D. , Malbasa Christi L. , Santo‐Domingo Diana , Fu Pingfu , Miller Janine D. , Hanneman Kaija K. , Hsia Andrew H. , Oleinick Nancy L. , Colussi Valdir C. , Cooper Kevin D.
Published: January 2011

Background

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a non‐invasive treatment for non‐melanoma skin cancer. However, PDT systems currently used clinically have limitations such as pain and superficial tissue penetration. The silicon phthalocyanine Pc 4 is a second‐generation photosensitizer with peak absorption in the far red at 675 nm.

Objective

To assess the safety and tolerability of topically applied Pc 4 followed by red light (Pc 4‐PDT) in treating cutaneous neoplasms.

Study Design/Materials and Methods

Forty three adults with a diagnosis of neoplasms including actinic keratoses, Bowen's disease, squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma, or mycosis fungoides were treated with a single administration of Pc 4‐PDT and followed for 14 days. The study utilized a light and Pc 4 dose escalation design in sequential groups of three subjects each.

Results

Pc 4‐PDT was well tolerated with no significant local toxicity or increased photosensitivity. It has promising biologic effects, particularly in mycosis fungoides where 14 of 35 subjects demonstrated a clinical response, which correlates with Pc 4‐PDT‐induced apoptosis, as measured by increased active caspase‐3 in the treated skin lesions.

Conclusions

Pc 4‐PDT is a safe and tolerable treatment modality that effectively triggers apoptosis in cutaneous neoplasms such as mycosis fungoides. Lasers Surg. Med. 42:888–895, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
Pilot clinical study for quantitative spectral diagnosis of non‐melanoma skin cancer
Authors: Rajaram Narasimhan , Reichenberg Jason S. , Migden Michael R. , Nguyen Tri H. , Tunnell James W.
Published: January 2011

Background

Several research groups have demonstrated the non‐invasive diagnostic potential of diffuse optical spectroscopy (DOS) and laser‐induced fluorescence (LIF) techniques for early cancer detection. By combining both modalities, one can simultaneously measure quantitative parameters related to the morphology, function and biochemical composition of tissue and use them to diagnose malignancy. The objective of this study was to use a quantitative reflectance/fluorescence spectroscopic technique to determine the optical properties of normal skin and non‐melanoma skin cancers and the ability to accurately classify them. An additional goal was to determine the ability of the technique to differentiate non‐melanoma skin cancers from normal skin.

Study Design

The study comprised 48 lesions measured from 40 patients scheduled for a biopsy of suspected non‐melanoma skin cancers. White light reflectance and laser‐induced fluorescence spectra (wavelength range = 350–700 nm) were collected from each suspected lesion and adjacent clinically normal skin using a custom‐built, optical fiber‐based clinical instrument. After measurement, the skin sites were biopsied and categorized according to histopathology. Using a quantitative model, we extracted various optical parameters from the measured spectra that could be correlated to the physiological state of tissue.

Results

Scattering from cancerous lesions was significantly lower than normal skin for every lesion group, whereas absorption parameters were significantly higher. Using numerical cut‐offs for our optical parameters, our clinical instrument could classify basal cell carcinomas with a sensitivity and specificity of 94% and 89%, respectively. Similarly, the instrument classified actinic keratoses and squamous cell carcinomas with a sensitivity of 100% and specificity of 50%.

Conclusion

The measured optical properties and fluorophore contributions of normal skin and non‐melanoma skin cancers are significantly different from each other and correlate well with tissue pathology. A diagnostic algorithm that combines these extracted properties holds promise for the potential non‐invasive diagnosis of skin cancer. Lasers Surg. Med. 42:876–887, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.
A new, four‐item instrument to measure workplace bullying
Authors: Simons Shellie R. , Stark Roland B. , DeMarco Rosanna F.
Published: January 2011

Studies on workplace bullying either in the U.S. or internationally rarely include nurses. We tested the concurrent validity of the Negative Acts Questionnaire—Revised (22 items) with a sample of nurses. Five hundred eleven registered nurses (RNs) responded to a mailed survey. Factor, reliability, and regression analyses tested dimensionality, reliability, and construct and criterion validity. Workplace bullying is best seen as a one‐dimensional construct. A subset of four items was found to be both valid and reliable in measuring bullying in this sample. Findings support the use of a one‐dimensional, four‐item questionnaire to measure perceived bullying in nursing populations. Using a four‐item questionnaire decreases participant and researcher burden and makes available an outcome measure for future descriptive and predictive interventional research. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Res Nurs Health
Trends in emergency department visits attributable to acetaminophen overdoses in the United States: 1993–2007
Authors: Li Chenghui , Martin Bradley C.
Published: January 2011

Purpose

With the heightened concern over acetaminophen overdose induced liver toxicity, it is important to track the overdose incidences over time. We estimated the trends in emergency department (ED) visits attributable to acetaminophen overdoses and compared the risk across sociodemographic groups and geographic regions.

Methods

ED visits attributable to acetaminophen overdoses were identified using physician diagnosis codes and cause of injury codes from the National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (1993–2007). Annual rates of ED visits for acetaminophen overdoses per 100 000 persons in the U.S. population and by subgroups (age, gender, race, insurance coverage, geographic region, and presence of alcohol abuse and dependence) were calculated. Bivariate analysis and logistic regressions were used to examine the associations of patient demographic characteristics with ED visits for acetaminophen overdoses. Data were analyzed using STATA 9.2 accounting for complex survey design.

Results

From 1993 through 2007, an estimated 751 552 ED visits (0.05% of all ED visits) were attributable to acetaminophen overdoses. The annual rate per 100 000 persons was significantly higher prior to 2000 (21.0 visits in 1993–1999 vs. 15.2 visits in 2000–2007, p = 0.017). Rates were particularly high in young children under 5 years (72.4 visits, 95% confidence interval (CI): 49.1–95.8) and for adolescents between 15–17 years (61.8 visits, 95%CI: 35.4–88.3). Rates also varied cross gender, insurance coverage, and geographic regions.

Conclusions

ED visits attributable to acetaminophen overdose decreased in recent years. Children less than 5 years of age, adolescents and young adults account for the overwhelming majority of these visits. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Synthesis of dendronized polymers through bergman cyclization of enediyne‐containing Frechet‐type dendrimers
Authors: Ma Jianguo , Ma Xiaowei , Deng Sheng , Li Fei , Hu Aiguo
Published: January 2011

In this article, dendronized polymers with rigid backbones were synthesized from enediyne‐containing Frechet‐type dendrimers. Two generations of dendrimers were conically incorporated with 3‐(2‐(2‐(trimethylsilyl)ethynyl)phenyl)prop‐2‐yn‐1‐ol. The trimethylsilyl protection groups of enediyne units were subsequently removed, and two types of brush polymers with rigid conjugated backbone were prepared through Bergman cyclization polymerization at elevated temperature under vacuum. The dendronized polymers were characterized with GPC, IR, UV–vis, and NMR spectroscopy. Furthermore, the morphology of the dendronized polymer was revealed by atomic force microscopy. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011
Synthesis and helical properties of N‐substituted p‐benzamide random copolymers possessing chiral/achiral and (S)/(R) side chains
Authors: Yokoyama Akihiro , Inagaki Yuko , Ono Tomomi , Yokozawa Tsutomu
Published: January 2011

Random copolymers of poly(p‐benzamide)s having a methyl‐substituted tri(ethylene glycol) unit as a chiral side chain and a nonsubstituted tri(ethylene glycol) or branching alkyl unit as an achiral side chain were synthesized by copolymerization of N‐substituted 4‐aminobenzoic acid ester monomers with a base in the presence of an initiator. Copolymerizations of the chiral (S)‐monomer with N‐tri(ethylene glycol) achiral monomer and with the racemic monomer were carried out by the addition of a mixture of two monomers and an initiator to a solution of a base all at once, affording the corresponding random copolymers. On the other hand, random copolymerization of the chiral monomer with monomer having an achiral branching alkyl side chain required dropwise addition of the achiral monomer to a mixture of the chiral monomer, the initiator, and the base. These copolymers formed helical structures, but analysis of the CD spectra indicated the absence of cooperativity between the monomer units along the copolymers. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem, 2011
Molecular model studies based on ab initio calculations of nucleophilic and electrophilic addition‐substitution reactions focused on carbon–halogen compounds
Authors: Buck Henk M.
Published: January 2011

We describe with molecular model studies based on the intrinsic parameters of van't Hoff's regular tetrahedron nucleophilic and electrophilic addition‐substitution reactions via a selected reaction coordinate for the displacement of carbon. Geometries of stable, intermediate transition complexes or transition states are compared with the corresponding ab initio values. Specific attention is given on the hypervalent and nonhypervalent character of carbon supported by ab initio calculations, our model consideration and experimental evidence. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011
Correlated n1,3S states for coulomb three‐body systems
Authors: Ancarani L. U. , Rodriguez K. V. , Gasaneo G.
Published: January 2011

n1,3S (n = 1 − 4) states for atomic three‐body systems are studied with the Angular Correlated Configuration Interaction method. A recently proposed angularly correlated basis set is used to construct, simultaneously and with a single diagonalization, ground and excited states wave functions which: (i) satisfy exactly Kato cusp conditions at the two‐body coalescence points; (ii) involve only linear parameters; (iii) show a fast convergency rate for the energy; and (iv) form an orthogonal set. The efficiency of the method is illustrated by the study a variety of three‐body atomic systems [m m m] with two negatively charged light particles, with diverse masses m and m, and a heavy positively charged nucleus m. The calculated ground 11S and excited n1,3S (n = 2 − 4) state energies are compared with those given in the literature, when available. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011
Interaction energy‐based drug–receptor interaction study of metal–bicyclam complexes
Authors: Singh R. K. , Khan Mohd. Adil
Published: January 2011

Bicyclams inhibit HIV replication by binding to the CXCR4 chemokine receptor, which is the main coreceptor for gp120 used by X4, T‐tropic strains of HIV for membrane fusion and cell entry. Bicyclam AMD3100 mainly interacts with the aspartic acid residues namely Asp171 and Asp262, which are located at the extracellular ends in the CXCR4 coreceptor. Incorporation of some metal ions by the macrocyclic rings of bicyclam enhances its binding affinity to the CXCR4 receptor and enhances their anti‐HIV activity because the acetate can make a strong coordination bond to the metal and one weaker hydrogen bond to nitrogen in the cyclam ring. The interaction energy (Eint) between 150 metal–bicyclam complexes and aspartic acid has been evaluated. The metal–bicyclam complexes are obtained by the incorporation of six metal ions namely Fe3+, Co3+, Ni2+, Cu2+, Zn2+, and Pd2+ in 25 well‐known bicyclams including AMD3100. In most of the cases, Fe and Co–bicyclam complexes interact best with aspartic acid. The anti‐HIV activity of metal–bicyclam complexes can be predicted on the basis of interaction energy before the synthesis of the metal–bicyclam complex. On the basis of interaction energy, the anti‐HIV activity of bicyclam complexes can be predicted in advance to their synthesis. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Quantum Chem, 2011
Integrating program analyses with programmer productivity tools
Authors: von Dincklage Daniel , Diwan Amer
Published: January 2011

Because software continues to grow in size and complexity, programmers increasingly rely on productivity tools to understand, debug, and modify their programs. These tools typically use program analyses to produce information for the programmer. This is problematic because it is based on the assumption that the programmer and program analyses all use the same vocabulary. If the programmer and analyses did not use the same vocabulary then the results of the analyses will be meaningless to the programmer. For example, ‘v124 may be NULL’ does not mean much to the programmer but ‘myStack may be NULL’ is meaningful. Often, the programmer and analyses prefer different vocabularies. While the programmer prefers his programs' source code, an analysis will prefer a simplified representation. Unfortunately, writing an analysis that works on the source code is difficult because the analysis must deal with the idiosyncracies of the source language (e.g. nested classes). In comparison, writing an analysis on SSA form is easy but the output of the analysis is not meaningful to the programmer; it must somehow be translated into something the programmer understands. We present a system, RTalk, that makes it easy to support both the programmers' and the analysis' needs. RTalk generates a translator between the programmers' and the analysis' vocabulary. Thus both the programmer and the analysis can use the vocabulary most natural to them. We demonstrate the effectiveness of RTalk by describing program understanding and program optimization tools that we have already built using RTalk. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A 10‐year experience of laparoscopic surgery for adnexal masses during pregnancy
Authors: Koo Yu‐Jin , Lee Ji‐Eun , Lim Kyung‐Taek , Shim Jae‐Uk , Mok Jung‐Eun , Kim Tae‐Jin
Published: January 2011

Objective

To assess the clinicopathologic outcomes of laparoscopic surgery for adnexal masses during pregnancy.

Methods

In a retrospective study, the medical records of 88 patients who underwent laparoscopic surgery for adnexal masses during pregnancy between 2000 and 2009 were reviewed.

Results

The mean age of the study population was 30.1 years (range 21–40 years), and the mean gestational age at surgery was 11.6 weeks (4.6–23.6 weeks). The mean diameter of the mass on sonography was 7.5 cm (1.8–18 cm). Pathologically, the most common tumor was a mature cystic teratoma (35.2%), and the prevalence of malignancy was 6.8%. Emergency surgery due to torsion was performed in 28 patients (31.8%). Two spontaneous abortions occurred, both after emergency surgery. The frequency of obstetric complications, such as low birth weight, preterm delivery, use of tocolytics for preterm labor, low Apgar score, and fetal anomaly, was acceptable.

Conclusion

Laparoscopic surgery for adnexal masses during pregnancy provided tolerable outcomes for the fetus and the mother. In the future, larger prospective clinical trials are necessary to elucidate fully the impact on the fetus.
Ethical dilemmas in women's health in under‐resourced settings
Authors: Wilkinson Jeffrey P. , Lyerly Anne D. , Masenga Gileard , Hayat Sumera K. , Prabhu Malavika
Published: January 2011

Ethical decision making in women's health presents a series of unique challenges that are exacerbated considerably in under‐resourced settings. Severe constraints on both autonomy and resources highlight limitations of principle‐based ethics for addressing ethical dilemmas. Other useful ethical “tools” are considered in the context of 2 cases that emphasize the challenges to ethical decision making in under‐resourced settings. The cases confront traditional notions of patient autonomy, highlight pervasive issues with regard to allocation of resources, and demonstrate the difficulties encountered in the careful application of medical ethics.
Context-Dependent Product Evaluations: An Empirical Analysis of Internet Book Reviews
Authors: Hu Ye , Li Xinxin
Published: January 2011

Using book review data on Amazon.com , the authors extend current research into online consumer reviews by empirically investigating the context dependence effect in the review writing process. They find that when product quality remains constant, later reviews tend to differ from previously posted ones, and the difference is moderated by the popularity of the product, the variance of previous reviews, whether later reviews explicitly refer to previous reviews, and the age of the product and the reviews. This phenomenon can be explained by both consumer expectation and self-selection effects in review writing. The implications of this research can help practitioners understand the reviewing process and provide some guidelines for improving the objectivity of online product reviews.
The implementation of elder-care in France and Sweden: a macro and micro perspective
Authors: JÖNSSON INGRID , DAUNE-RICHARD ANNE-MARIE , ODENA SOPHIE , RING MAGNUS
Published: January 2011

This paper presents results from a comparative project on the implementation of elder-care in France and Sweden. The transition to requiring care is understood as a process, and elder-care is seen as a part of a more general organisation of social care that reflects different welfare traditions. An overview of elder-care on the institutional level in the two countries is supplemented by case studies from the perspective of older people which identify ways of co-operation between actors, such as public eldercare providers, family members and help provided by profit and non-profit organisations. The interviews include approximately 20 older persons in each country as well as a small number of administrators and adult children. The study sheds light on how policies are implemented on the local level and puts the focus on who actually does what and when for older persons with care needs. The different roles played by the state, the family, the market and civil society are examined. Family members in France take on a more active role both as co-ordinators of care and as actual caregivers. The study shows that gender and social class remain associated with caring but that such differences are much larger in France than in Sweden.
‘BUT CAN'T WE GET THE SAME THING WITH A STANDARD MODEL?’ RATIONALIZING BOUNDED-RATIONALITY MODELS
Authors: Spiegler Ran
Published: January 2011

This paper discusses a common criticism of economic models that depart from the standard rational-choice paradigm - namely, that the phenomena addressed by such models can be ‘rationalized’ by some standard model. I criticize this criterion for evaluating bounded-rationality models. Using a market model with boundedly rational consumers due to Spiegler (2006a) as a test case, I show that even when it initially appears that a bounded-rationality model can be rationalized by a standard model, rationalizing models tend to come with unwarranted ‘extra baggage’. I conclude that we should impose a greater burden of proof on rationalizations that are offered in refutation of bounded-rationality models.
Stiefel–Whitney numbers for singular varieties
Authors: McTAGUE CARL
Published: January 2011

This paper determines which Stiefel–Whitney numbers can be defined for singular varieties compatibly with small resolutions. First an upper bound is found by identifying theF2-vector space of Stiefel–Whitney numbers invariant under classical flops, equivalently by computing the quotient of the unoriented bordism ring by the total spaces ofRP3bundles. These Stiefel–Whitney numbers are then defined for any real projective normal Gorenstein variety and shown to be compatible with small resolutions whenever they exist. In light of Totaro's result [Tot00] equating the complex elliptic genus with complex bordism modulo flops, equivalently complex bordism modulo the total spaces of3bundles, these findings can be seen as hinting at a new elliptic genus, one for unoriented manifolds.
The impact of a workplace catering initiative on dietary intakes of salt and other nutrients: a pilot study
Authors: Geaney F , Harrington J , Fitzgerald AP , Perry IJ
Published: January 2011

Objective

Owing to modern lifestyles, individuals are dependent on out-of-home eating. The catering sector can have a pivotal role in influencing our food choices. The objective of the present study was to examine the impact of a structured catering initiative on food choices in a public sector workplace setting.

Design

A cross-sectional comparison study in two hospitals, one of which had implemented a catering initiative designed to provide nutritious food while reducing sugar, fat and salt intakes.

Setting

Two public sector hospitals in Cork, Ireland.

Subjects

A total of 100 random participants aged 18–64 years (fifty intervention, fifty non-intervention) who consumed at least one main meal in the hospital staff canteen daily. Each respondent was asked to complete one anonymous 24 h dietary recall and questionnaire. Food and nutrient analysis was conducted using WISP (Weighed Intake Software Program).

Results

Reported mean intakes of total sugars (P< 0·001), total fat (P< 0·000), saturated fat (P< 0·000) and salt (P< 0·046) were significantly lower in the intervention hospital when adjusted for age and gender. In the intervention hospital, 72 % of respondents, compared with 42 % in the non-intervention hospital, complied with the recommended under-3 daily servings of food high in fat and sugar (P< 0·005). In the intervention hospital, 43 % of respondents exceeded the recommended salt intake of 4–6 g/d, compared with 57 % in the non-intervention hospital.

Conclusions

Structured catering initiatives in the workplace are a potentially important option in the promotion of healthy food choices. Targeted public health programmes and health policy changes are needed to motivate caterers in the public sector and other industries to develop interventions that promote a healthy diet.
Detecting sp2-bonded carbon in diamond using optically detected X-ray absorption spectroscopy
Authors: Jones G. O. , Roberts O. R. , Williams G. T. , Langstaff D. P. , Poolton N. R. J. , Martineau P. , Fisher D. , Lawson S. , Evans D. A.
Published: January 2011

Optically detected X-ray absorption spectroscopy (ODXAS) and X-ray excited optical luminescence (XEOL) have been applied in parallel to the study of local bonding in luminescent diamonds. Imaging ODXAS and XEOL reveal correlations between lateral variation in colour (transmitted light and luminescence) and local carbon bonding in selected samples showing strong optical absorption contrast. Dark regions of the crystals viewed in transmitted light correlate with a lower total luminescence yield when excited with soft X-rays of photon energy ~280 eV. ODXAS reveals a higher proportion of sp2-bonded carbon species in darker (less luminescent) regions associated with graphitic micro-inclusions.
Neonatal exposure to UVR alters skin immune system development, and suppresses immunity in adulthood
Authors: McGee Heather M , Malley Roslyn C , Muller H Konrad , Woods Gregory M
Published: January 2011

Neonates have a developing immune response, with a predisposition towards induction of tolerance. As the immune system develops, immunity rather than tolerance is induced, with this development of immunity occurring in response to external factors such as the environment. As ultraviolet radiation (UVR) suppresses immunity, it is likely that the effect of UVR on the neonatal immune system would be augmentation of the suppressive response. In support, childhood exposure to UVR has been linked with an increased incidence of melanoma; consistent with an increase in suppression. To address this, phenotypic and functional immune system studies were undertaken at 8 weeks after one single exposure of solar‐simulated UVR to mice, when mice had reached adulthood. Subtle changes were observed in cell populations resident in the skin‐draining lymph nodes (LNs) and there also appeared to be a subtle, but not statistically significant, increase in the production of interleukin‐10 and interferon‐γ. Importantly, these changes also corresponded with significant suppression of the contact hypersensitivity response in irradiated mice compared with their control counterparts. This suppression was apparent when antigen sensitisation occurred during the neonatal or adult period, and thus did not appear to be analogous to UVR‐induced suppression in adults. Although the percentage of T regulatory cells was increased in the skin‐draining LNs, they were induced in a different manner to those induced following adult UVR exposure, with no increase in function on a per‐cell basis. It therefore appears that one single neonatal exposure to UVR alters development of the immune system, leading to long‐term implications for induction of immunity.
The Eph/ephrinB signal balance determines the pattern of T‐cell maturation in the thymus
Authors: Alfaro David , Muñoz Juan José , García‐Ceca Javier , Cejalvo Teresa , Jiménez Eva , Zapata Agustín G
Published: January 2011

In order to carry out an in‐depth study of the roles of EphB receptors in T‐cell development and to determine the specific relevance of forward and reverse signals in the process, we established severe combined immunodeficient (SCID) mice chimeras with wild‐type (WT) or EphB‐deficient bone marrow cells. The obtained results demonstrate that EphB2 contributes more significantly than EphB3 in the control of CD4−CD8− (DN)–CD4+CD8+ (DP) progression, and that reverse signals generated in SCID mice receiving EphB2LacZ precursors, which express the EphB2 extracellular domain, partially rescue the blockade of DN cell maturation observed in EphB2‐null chimeras. In addition, increased apoptotic DP thymocytes occurring in EphB2 and/or EphB3 SCID chimeras also contribute to the reduced proportions of DP cells. However, EphB2LacZ chimeras do not show any changes in the proportions of apoptotic DP cells, thus suggesting that there is a role for ephrinB reverse signaling in thymocyte survival. The maturation of DP to CD4+CD8− or CD4−CD8+ seems to need EphB2 forward signaling and EphB3; a fact that was confirmed in reaggregates formed with either EphB2‐ or EphB3‐deficient DP thymocytes and WT thymic epithelial cells (TECs). The DP thymocyte–TEC conjugate formation was also affected by the absence of EphB receptors. Finally, EphB‐deficient SCID chimeras show profoundly altered thymic epithelial organization that confirms a significant role for EphB2 and EphB3 receptors in the thymocyte–TEC crosstalk.
Erratum: Survival of Escherichia coli in the environment: fundamental and public health aspects
Authors: van Elsas Jan Dirk , Semenov Alexander V , Costa Rodrigo , Trevors Jack T
Published: January 2011

Correction to: The ISME Journal advance online publication, 24 June 2010; doi: 10.1038/ismej.2010.80 The authors of the above article have noticed a misprint in the publication of their paper. This occurs in the second sentence of the introduction. The sentence should read: ‘On the basis of genomic information, the species has been divided into five (four major) different phylogenetic groups, denoted as A, B1, B2, D and E (Touchon et al.
The CALBC RDF Triple store: retrieval over large literature content
Authors: Croset Samuel , Grabmüller Christoph , Li Chen , Kavaliauskas Silvestras , Rebholz-Schuhmann Dietrich
Published: January 2011

Background

Integration of the scientific literature into a biomedical research infrastructure requires the processing of the literature, identification of the contained named entities (NEs) and concepts, and to represent the content in a standardised way. Little efforts have been spent on the integration of content from the literature text into RDF Triple Stores.The CALBC project partners (PPs) have produced a large-scale annotated biomedical corpus with four different semantic groups through the harmonisation of annotations from automatic text mining solutions, the first version of the Silver Standard Corpus I (SSC-I). The four semantic groups were chemical entities and drugs (CHED), genes and proteins (PRGE), diseases and disorders (DISO) and species (SPE). The annotations of the corpus has been transformed into RDF Triple Store representation to query the content in combination with bioinformatics data resources (UniProtKb, ArrayExpress) using RDF query language (SPARQL).

Results

All four PPs from the CALBC project contributed annotated data sets for generating the SSC-I and in addition, 12 challenge participants (CPs) provided annotated data sets for evaluation against the SSC-I and for the generation of the SSC-II. The SSC-II contains the following annotations: CHED 238,431, PRGE 435,797, DISO 245,524, and SPE 304,503. The content of the SSC-II has been fully integrated into RDF Triple Store (4,568,678 triples) and has been aligned with content from the GeneAtlas (182,840 triples), UniProtKb (12,552,239 triples for human) and the lexical resource LexEBI (BioLexicon). RDF Triple Store enables querying the scientific literature and bioinformatics resources at the same time for evidence for gene-disease links that involve immunological processes. In total the CALBC RDF Triple Store makes use of 1,224,255 annotations in the corpus for exposing links between the entities supported by the evidence in the text. RDF Triple Store is implemented as a retrieval engine that allows querying for collocations of named entities and associated relevant information from the bioinformatics data resources (UniProtKb, ArrayExpress).

Conclusions

The CALBC RDF Triple Store is the first of its kind that exposes content extracted from the scientific literature in combination with a large scale terminological resource to enable querying for causes of immunological diseases across the most relevant bioinformatics data resources.
Observation of ultrafast Q-band fluorescence in horse heart cytochrome c in reduced and oxidized forms
Authors: Suemoto Tohru , Ebihara Hideaki , Nakao Hiroyuki , Nakajima Makoto
Published: January 2011

The dynamics of fluorescence from horse heart cytochrome c is investigated in reduced (ferrous) and oxidized (ferric) forms by a streak camera and an up-conversion technique under B-band excitation at 415 nm. In the reduced form, we found the Q-band emission at 550 and 600 nm originated from the S1 state in a short time range. A very broad continuum observed from 440 to 660 nm had only shown a slow component and was assigned to impurity. In the reduced form, the lifetime of S1 was determined to be 120 fs by using the up-conversion technique. In the oxidized form, the S1 lifetime was estimated to be 21 fs. These values are consistent with the values estimated from the quantum yield in order of their magnitude.
Numerical analysis of relaxation times of multiple quantum coherences in the system with a large number of spins
Authors: Doronin S. I. , Fel'dman E. B. , Zenchuk A. I.
Published: January 2011

We study the decay of multiple quantum (MQ) NMR coherences in systems with the large number of equivalent spins. As being created on the preparation period of the MQ NMR experiment, they decay due to the dipole–dipole interactions (DDI) on the evolution period of this experiment. It is shown that the relaxation time decreases with the increase in MQ coherence order (according to the known results) and in the number of spins. We also consider the modified preparation period of the MQ NMR experiment [G. A. Alvarez and D. Suter, Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 230403 (2010)] concatenating the short evolution periods under the secular DDI Hamiltonian (the perturbation) with the evolution period under the nonsecular averaged two-spin/two-quantum Hamiltonian. The influence of the perturbation on the decoherence rate is investigated for the systems consisting of 200–600 equivalent spins.
Crystal nucleation of colloidal hard dumbbells
Authors: Ni Ran , Dijkstra Marjolein
Published: January 2011

Using computer simulations, we investigate the homogeneous crystal nucleation in suspensions of colloidal hard dumbbells. The free energy barriers are determined by Monte Carlo simulations using the umbrella sampling technique. We calculate the nucleation rates for the plastic crystal and the aperiodic crystal phase using the kinetic prefactor as determined from event driven molecular dynamics simulations. We find good agreement with the nucleation rates determined from spontaneous nucleation events observed in event driven molecular dynamics simulations within error bars of one order of magnitude. We study the effect of aspect ratio of the dumbbells on the nucleation of plastic and aperiodic crystal phases, and we also determine the structure of the critical nuclei. Moreover, we find that the nucleation of the aligned close-packed crystal structure is strongly suppressed by a high free energy barrier at low supersaturations and slow dynamics at high supersaturations.
Comment on “Nanohardness of high purity Cu single crystals” [J. Appl. Phys. 107, 043510 (2010)]
Authors: Brown L. M.
Published: January 2011

The data recently presented by Dub et al. [J. Appl. Phys. 107, 043510 (2010)] is analyzed using the equations developed by the author [Brown, Mater. Sci. Forum 550, 105 (2007)]. Contrary to their assertions a reasonable semiquantitative explanation can be given for their data.
Contrasting population genetic structure of two widespread aquatic insects in the Chilean high-slope rivers
Authors: Sabando M. C. , Vila I. , Peñaloza R. , Véliz D.
Published: January 2011

Dispersal and many other factors affect population genetic structure. In central Chile, rivers are characterised by strong currents and transverse mountain chains, which impose physical barriers to the populations that inhabit them. The objective of the present study was to study the population genetic structure of two widespread species of aquatic insects, the caddisfly Smicridea annulicornis and the mayfly Andesiops torrens, in three isolated rivers, Choapa, Maipo and Maule. The analysis of population structure, using both mtDNA (cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1, COI) and nuclear markers (amplified fragment length polymorphism, AFLP), considered samples from within and among rivers. In S. annulicornis, we found differentiation within and among rivers, indicating a low dispersal among the study area. Populations of A. torrens shared haplotypes in all three rivers and no differences were found among rivers, indicating that this species probably has more dispersal potential than does S. annulicornis; however, significant differences were observed within rivers. Our results indicate that the transverse mountain chains are not a barrier for A. torrens, which can disperse among rivers. Within rivers, the population structure suggests that these species are probably adapted to avoid drift because of the torrential character of these Chilean rivers.
A macroinvertebrate index to assess stream-bed stability
Authors: Schwendel Arved C. , Joy Michael K. , Death Russell G. , Fuller Ian C.
Published: January 2011

Biotic indices based on community composition and calculated from sensitivity scores assigned to individual taxa are commonly used as indicators for ecological integrity of fluvial ecosystems. Macroinvertebrate indices can assess water quality but invertebrate community composition also responds to other environmental factors including stream bed disturbance. This study presents a biotic community index that assesses stream bed stability in stony riffles. This Macroinvertebrate Index of Bed Stability is calibrated on transport and entrainment of in situ-marked tracer stones in 46 streams in New Zealand’s North Island, representing a wide range of substrate stability. Scores were investigated for 67 common invertebrate taxa using Indicator Species Analysis based on taxa abundance at varying levels of substrate stability. The resulting site score, weighted by taxa abundance, improved a predictive model of bed stability, generated with model trees, when added to the pool of habitat variables and explained 69% of the variation in bed stability. Site scores were strongly correlated with measured bed stability at the development sites, but not at eight independent validation sites, suggesting the need for further testing on a larger dataset including streams in other regions of New Zealand, and overseas.