bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genome diversity in wild grasses under environmental stress
Authors: Fitzgerald Timothy L. , Shapter Frances M. , McDonald Stuart , Waters Daniel L. E. , Chivers Ian H. , Drenth Andre , Nevo Eviatar , Henry Robert J.
Published: December 2011

Patterns of diversity distribution in theIsadefense locus in wild-barley populations suggest adaptive selection at this locus. The extent to which environmental selection may act at additional nuclear-encoded defense loci and within the whole chloroplast genome has now been examined by analyses in two grass species. Analysis of genetic diversity in wild barley (Hordeum spontaneum) defense genes revealed much greater variation in biotic stress-related genes than abiotic stress-related genes. Genetic diversity at theIsadefense locus in wild populations of weeping ricegrass [Microlaena stipoides(Labill.) R. Br.], a very distant wild-rice relative, was more diverse in samples from relatively hotter and drier environments, a phenomenon that reflects observations in wild barley populations. Whole-chloroplast genome sequences of bulked weeping ricegrass individuals sourced from contrasting environments showed higher levels of diversity in the drier environment in both coding and noncoding portions of the genome. Increased genetic diversity may be important in allowing plant populations to adapt to greater environmental variation in warmer and drier climatic conditions.
Candida albicans
Dicer (CaDcr1) is required for efficient ribosomal and spliceosomal RNA maturation
Authors: Bernstein Douglas A. , Vyas Valmik K. , Weinberg David E. , Drinnenberg Ines A. , Bartel David P. , Fink Gerald R.
Published: December 2011

The generation of mature functional RNAs from nascent transcripts requires the precise and coordinated action of numerous RNAs and proteins. One such protein family, the ribonuclease III (RNase III) endonucleases, includes Rnt1, which functions in fungal ribosome and spliceosome biogenesis, and Dicer, which generates the siRNAs of the RNAi pathway. The recent discovery of small RNAs in
Candida albicans
led us to investigate the function of
C. albicans
Dicer (CaDcr1). CaDcr1 is capable of generating siRNAs in vitro and is required for siRNA generation in vivo. In addition,
CaDCR1
complements a
Dicer
knockout in
Saccharomyces castellii
, restoring RNAi-mediated gene repression. Unexpectedly, deletion of the
C. albicans CaDCR1
results in a severe slow-growth phenotype, whereas deletion of another core component of the RNAi pathway (
CaAGO1
) has little effect on growth, suggesting that
CaDCR1
may have an essential function in addition to producing siRNAs. Indeed CaDcr1, the sole functional RNase III enzyme in
C. albicans
, has additional functions: it is required for cleavage of the 3′ external transcribed spacer from unprocessed pre-rRNA and for processing the 3′ tail of snRNA U4. Our results suggest two models whereby the RNase III enzymes of a fungal ancestor, containing both a canonical Dicer and Rnt1, evolved through a series of gene-duplication and gene-loss events to generate the variety of RNase III enzymes found in modern-day budding yeasts.
Fabrication and mechanical properties of column–particle nanocomposites by multiscale shape-assisted self-assembly
Authors: Hirakata Hiroyuki , Ajioka Yoshifumi , Yonezu Akio , Minoshima Kohji
Published: December 2011

We propose a multiscale shape-assisted self-assembly that combines the growth of ordered nanocolumns by glancing angle deposition (GLAD) and the assembly of colloidal nanoparticles by utilizing capillary force. In this work, in the first self-assembly, a SiO2 nanocolumn array was grown by GLAD wherein the column size and interval were regularly controlled using pre-patterned nuclei on a substrate. In the second self-assembly, SiO2 spherical nanoparticles were assembled into the nanocolumn array using an isopropyl alcohol (IPA) or a water colloidal suspension, creating a column–particle nanocomposite. The location and quantity of the assembled nanoparticles could be controlled by choice of the suspension (IPA or water) and the particle concentration. Loading experiments with a diamond flat punch revealed that the initial stiffness and fracture strength of the nanocomposite are significantly increased compared with the nanocolumn array without nanoparticles. The assembled nanoparticles between the nanocolumns effectively constrained the deformation and fracture of the nanocolumns. The multiscale shape-assisted self-assembly thus enabled the synthesis of column–particle nanocomposites with excellent mechanical properties as well as large surface areas.
The evolution of thyroid function with puberty
Authors: Marwaha Raman Kumar , Tandon Nikhil , Desai Ankush K. , Kanwar Ratnesh , Sastry Aparna , Narang Archna , Singh Satveer , Bhadra Kuntal , Mani Kalavani
Published: December 2011

Objective  This study was planned to describe thyroid functional status in different stages of puberty.

Study design  We collected data from five schools across different geographical zones of Delhi. All children who consented were evaluated for anthropometry, pubertal stage, goitre status, serum free T3 (FT3), free T4 (FT4), TSH, anti‐TPO (thyroid peroxidase) antibodies and thyroid ultrasound. From this sample, a disease‐ and risk‐free or ‘reference population’ was obtained by excluding those with history of thyroid disease or use of thyroid medications, family history of thyroid disease, goitre, hypoechogenicity or nodularity on ultrasound or positive antithyroid antibodies.

Results  The ‘total population’ comprised 3722 children; the ‘reference population’ comprised 2134 subjects. The mean, median, 3rd and 97th percentiles of serum FT3, FT4 and TSH for each stage of puberty were obtained. In both boys and girls, FT3 increased with entry into puberty and either stayed constant or declined marginally after stage 3 of puberty. In contrast, in both genders, FT4 decreased with entry into puberty and stayed relatively constant after stage 3 of puberty. TSH levels declined through puberty in boys, but remained largely unchanged in girls. An increased conversion of T4 to T3 is the possible explanation for this finding.

Conclusions  This large community‐based study in school‐age children using strict exclusion criteria provides data of thyroid function in the various stages of puberty. There is no evidence of ‘thyroidarche’ during or preceding puberty.
Validation of an instrument to measure the impact of coronary disease on patient’s daily life
Authors: dos Santos Rafaela AB , Rodrigues Roberta CM , Padilha Kátia M , Rodrigues Simey de LL , Spana Thais M , Gallani Maria CBJ
Published: December 2011

Aim.  To evaluate the psychometric Instrument to Measure the Impact of Coronary Disease on Patient’s Everyday Life (IDCV) when applied on patients with coronary disease being followed at an outpatient clinic.

Methods.  One hundred and fifty‐three patients with coronary disease were registered. Patients were analysed in terms of acceptability, ceiling and floor effect, reliability (using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient) and convergent construct validity (by means of Spearman correlation) between the domains of IDCV and of ‘Medical Outcomes Trust Short‐form Health Survey (SF‐36)’ and ‘MacNew Heart Disease Health‐related Quality of Life Questionnaire’.

Results.  Evidence was found for high acceptability of IDCV. No evidence was found for ceiling and floor effects regarding the total score of IDCV; however, ceiling and floor effects were found from the adjustment to the disease domain. Evidence was found for reliability of the instrument as a whole and for its domains (Cronbach’s α ranged between 0·70–0·85). Similar domains on the IDCV, MacNew and SF‐36 were correlated: Physical impact – symptoms on the IDCV with the physical function domain on MacNew (r = −0·64) and with most domains on the SF‐36 related to the physical dimension; Social impact and emotional impact on the IDCV with emotional function (r = −0·53) and social function (r = −0·55) on the MacNew and mental health on SF‐36 (r = −0·55). However, smaller correlations of moderate/high magnitude were found between different constructs entre: Social and emotional impact on the IDCV with physical function on the MacNew (r = −0·56) and with the following domains: Functional capacity (r = −0·50), general health (r = −0·52) and vitality (r = −0·50) on SF‐36.

Conclusion.  The IDCV is an instrument with evidence regarding reliability and convergent validity also for the population of patients with coronary disease. Further studies to validate its factor structure could offer contributions for understanding the psychometric performance of the IDCV among patients with coronary disease.
Ability of governments to take actions to confront incursions of diseases – a case study: citrus canker in Florida
Authors: Centner T. J. , Ferreira S.
Published: December 2011

When governments take actions under their police powers to prevent incursions of diseases, they may damage or destroy private property and a question arises of who should pay for property losses. A court in Florida concluded that the state needed to pay for property destroyed under a citrus canker eradication programme. Because this interpretation of the Florida Constitution’s Just Compensation Clause makes it more difficult to administer a successful eradication programme, governments and scientists, working with industry, may want to develop a more comprehensive accounting of scientific data and procedures that justify an eradication programme’s actions. This paper identifies three problems regarding Florida’s efforts to eradicate citrus canker so that scientists, affected industries, and governments can employ an objective reassessment mechanism to support their actions without legal interference.
Long‐term follow‐up of patients undergoing percutaneous suprapubic tube drainage after robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP)
Authors: Sammon Jesse D. , Trinh Quoc‐Dien , Sukumar Shyam , Diaz Mireya , Simone Andrea , Kaul Sanjeev , Menon Mani
Published: December 2011

Study Type – Therapy (case series)

Level of Evidence 4

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Initial reports of percutaneous suprapubic tube (PST) drainage following RARP demonstrated feasibility and short‐term safety, while decreasing patient discomfort and utilization of anti‐cholinergic medication.

This study demonstrates the long‐term safety and efficacy of bladder drainage by PST; splinting the urethrovesical anastomosis is simply not essential if mucosal apposition is ensured.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the long‐term safety and functional outcomes of patients undergoing percutaneous suprapubic tube (PST) drainage after robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Between January 2008 and October 2009, 339 patients undergoing RARP by one surgeon experienced in RA surgery (M.M.) had postoperative bladder drainage with PST and a minimum of 1‐year follow‐up for urinary function.

Functional outcomes were obtained via patient‐administered questionnaire.

Complications were captured by exhaustive review of multiple datasets, including our prospective prostate cancer database, claims data, as well as electronic medical and institutional morbidity and mortality records.

RESULTS

Urinary function assessed by patient‐administered questionnaire was analysed at a mean (sd) follow‐up of 11.5 (1.7) months; after RARP with PST placement, 293 patients (86.4%) had total urinary control and only nine (2.7%) required >1 pad/day.

In all, 86 patients (25.4%) never wore a pad; the median time to 0–1 pad/day was 2 weeks (interquartile range [IQR] 0,6); median time to total control was 6 weeks (IQR 1,22).

The mean (sd) follow‐up for complications was 23.7 (6.1) months. In all, 15 patients (4.4%) had a procedure‐specific complication, of which 13 were minor (Clavien Class I/II 3.8%); one patient had a bladder neck contracture.

In all, 16 patients (4.7%) required Foley placement after RARP for gross haematuria (two patients), urinary retention (three), tube malfunction (four) or need for prolonged Foley catheterization (seven).

CONCLUSIONS

PST placement after RARP is safe and efficacious on long‐term follow‐up.

Splinting of the urethrovesical anastomosis is not a critical step of RP if a watertight anastomosis and excellent mucosal apposition are achieved.
Sipuleucel‐T (Provenge®) for castration‐resistant prostate cancer
Authors: Di Lorenzo Giuseppe , Ferro Matteo , Buonerba Carlo
Published: December 2011

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

Sipuleucel‐T is known to be very well tolerated and to prolong overall survival, but not progression‐free survival, measured according to prostate‐specific antigen variations and radiographic progression. Its exact mechanism is unknown.

Although the article does not present new data, a new way of assessing immunotherapy efficacy is proposed. This involves measuring ‘consecutive’ times to progression, in an attempt to capture the delayed effects of immunotherapy.

OBJECTIVE

To propose a new way of assessing immunotherapy efficacy. Since 2010, the therapeutic armamentarium for prostate cancer has expanded to include the potent taxane agent cabazitaxel, the CYP17A1 inhibitor abiraterone and the novel immunotherapy agent sipuleucel‐T (Provenge®. Demdreon, Seattle, WA, USA).

Sipuleucel‐T is an antigen‐specific active immunotherapy agent, which is not designed to be directly toxic to tumour cells, but to help the immune system to selectively attack cancerous cells. We aimed to provide a comprehensive review of available safety and efficacy data about Sipuleucel‐T.

METHODS

A systematic analysis of the literature was conducted using the terms ‘Sipuleucel‐T’ and ‘Provenge’. PUBMED was the main search engine, but abstracts published by the American Society of Clinical Oncology and the European Society of Medical Oncology, as well as press releases and product monographs, were also considered for inclusion.

Reference lists of key articles were searched for further leads. Articles providing safety and efficacy data were included in this review.

RESULTS

Sipuleucel‐T is based on autologous dendritic cells, which are collected by leukapheresis of peripheral blood, co‐cultured with a modified PAP protein, and then re‐injected intravenously. It is the first agent of its kind to obtain Food and Drug Administration approval for any kind of malignant tumour.

Its approval was determined by the results of a placebocontrolled, randomized trial (the IMPACT trial), conducted in 512 asymptomatic or minimally symptomatic mean with metastatic castration‐resistant prostate cancer.

Although no difference in time to progression or PSA response rate was reported, a statistically meaningful 4.1‐month improvement in median survival was achieved in the active arm with respect to the placebo arm (25.8 months vs 21.7 months).

After Food and Drug Administration approval in April 2010, in view of the high economic cost of sipuleucel‐T and the not completely flawless study design of the IMPACT trial, a national coverage analysis of sipuleucel‐T was conducted by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Such analysis has recently concluded that sipuleucel‐T is a ‘necessary and reasonable’ treatment.

CONCLUSION

Sipuleucel‐T is an effective treatment for prostate cancer, although its widespread use is uncertain for complex social and economic reasons.
In‐group representation and social value affect the use of in‐group identification for maintaining and enhancing self‐evaluation
Authors: Nakashima Ken'ichiro , Isobe Chikae , Ura Mitsuhiro
Published: December 2011

Individuals with independent self‐construals identify with their in‐group in order to buffer threats to self‐esteem to a greater degree than do those with interdependent self‐construals. This study focused on the effect of the in‐group's social value and representation on this identification process among individuals who reported various real‐world threats to their self‐esteem. We conducted a questionnaire survey for university students and we examined how self‐construal, the in‐group social value, and the in‐group representation either moderate or mediate the relationship between threat to self‐esteem and identification with their academic departments. The results of multiple‐group analyses of structural equation modelling showed that independents who reported more threats to their self‐esteem identified with the in‐group when it was high in social value. In contrast, they did not exhibit in‐group identification when it was low in social value. Interdependents showed less in‐group identification regardless of the in‐group's social value. The representation of the in‐group as a common identity group mediated the relationship between threat to self‐esteem and in‐group identification for independents, whereas the representation of a common bond group played the same role for interdependents. These findings suggest the importance of considering the role of self‐construal and the in‐group social value, along with the representation of in‐group, in understanding in‐group identification in situations of threat to self‐esteem.
Exploring Explanation: Explaining Inconsistent Evidence Informs Exploratory, Hypothesis‐Testing Behavior in Young Children
Authors: Legare Cristine H.
Published: December 2011

Explaining inconsistency may serve as an important mechanism for driving the process of causal learning. Buthowmight this process generate amended beliefs? One way that explaining inconsistency may promote discovery is by guiding exploratory, hypothesis‐testing behavior. In order to investigate this, a study with young children ranging in age from 2 to 6 years (N = 80) examined the relation between explanation and exploratory behavior following consistent versus inconsistent outcomes. Results indicated that for inconsistent outcomes only, the kind of explanation children provided informed the kind of exploratory behavior they engaged in and the extent to which children modified and generated new hypotheses. In sum, the data provide insight into a mechanism by which explaining inconsistent evidence guides causal cognition.
Individual Differences in Lexical Processing at 18 Months Predict Vocabulary Growth in Typically Developing and Late‐Talking Toddlers
Authors: Fernald Anne , Marchman Virginia A.
Published: December 2011

Using online measures of familiar word recognition in the looking‐while‐listening procedure, this prospective longitudinal study revealed robust links between processing efficiency and vocabulary growth from 18 to 30 months in children classified as typically developing (n = 46) and as “late talkers” (n = 36) at 18 months. Those late talkers who were more efficient in word recognition at 18 months were also more likely to “bloom,” showing more accelerated vocabulary growth over the following year, compared with late talkers less efficient in early speech processing. Such findings support the emerging view that early differences in processing efficiency evident in infancy have cascading consequences for later learning and may be continuous with individual differences in language proficiency observed in older children and adults.
Jimmy’s Baby Doll and Jenny’s Truck: Young Children’s Reasoning About Gender Norms
Authors: Conry‐Murray Clare , Turiel Elliot
Published: December 2011

To assess the flexibility of reasoning about gender, children ages 4, 6, and 8 years (N = 72) were interviewed about gender norms when different domains were highlighted. The majority of participants at all ages judged a reversal of gender norms in a different cultural context to be acceptable. They also judged gender norms as a matter of personal choice and they negatively evaluated a rule enforcing gender norms in schools. Older children were more likely to show flexibility than younger children. Justifications obtained from 6‐ and 8‐year‐olds showed that they considered adherence to gender norms a matter of personal choice and they viewed the rule enforcing gender norms as unfair.
The Influence of Collusion on Price Changes: New Evidence from Major Cartel Cases
Authors: Blanckenburg Korbinian von , Kholodilin Konstantin A. , Geist Alexander
Published: December 2011

In this article, we compare the distribution of price changes between collusive and non-collusive periods for 11 major cartels. Based on the theoretical and empirical results from previous research, we discuss the four moments with respect to price changes (mean, variance, skewness and kurtosis). However, none of the above descriptive statistics can be considered as a robust test allowing a differentiation between competition and cartel. Therefore, we implement the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. According to our results, 9 of 11 cartels were successful in controlling the market price for a number of years. The proposed methodology may be used for antitrust screening and regulatory purposes.
Informal Caregiving and the Retirement Decision
Authors: Meng Annika
Published: December 2011

The probability of providing informal care grows with one’s own age. While labor market effects due to caregiving are moderate, they could be concentrated in the years close to retirement. Therefore, I investigate whether care in the previous year leads to retirement in the year after by using German Socio-Economic Panel data from 2001 to 2009 and discrete-time hazard models. The effect of care on the retirement decision is indeed much higher than its effect on the labor or working hours of middleaged individuals. Women are affected to a larger extent but the retirement decision of men also reacts to their caregiving obligations.
Alteration of endocannabinoid system in human gliomas
Authors: Wu Xiyue , Han Lijun , Zhang Xiaolin , Li Long , Jiang Changzhen , Qiu Yan , Huang Rui , Xie Baoying , Lin ZhiXiong , Ren Jie , Fu Jin
Published: December 2011

J. Neurochem. (2012) 120, 842–849.

Endocannabinoids are neuromodulatory lipids that mediate the central and peripheral neural functions. Endocannabinoids have demonstrated their anti‐proliferative, anti‐angiogenic and pro‐apoptotic properties in a series of studies. In the present study, we investigated the levels of two major endocannabinoids, anandamide and 2‐arachidonylglycerol (2‐AG), and their receptors, CB1 and CB2, in human low grade glioma (WHO grade I‐II) tissues, high grade glioma (WHO grade III‐IV) tissues, and non‐tumor brain tissue controls. We also measured the expressions and activities of the enzymes responsible for anandamide and 2‐AG biosynthesis and degradation, that is, N‐acylphosphatidylethanolamine‐hydrolysing phospholipase D (NAPE‐PLD), fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), monoacylglycerol lipase (MGL), and diacylglycerol lipase‐alpha (DGL), in the same samples. Liquid chromatography–mass spectometry analysis showed that the levels of anandamide decreased, whereas the levels of 2‐AG increased in glioma tissues, comparing to the non‐tumor controls. The expression levels and activities of NAPE‐PLD, FAAH and MGL also decreased in glioma tissues. Furthermore, quantitative‐PCR analysis and western‐blot analysis revealed that the expression levels of cananbinoid receptors, CB1 and CB2, were elevated in human glioma tissues. The changes of anandamide and 2‐AG contents in different stages of gliomas may qualify them as the potential endogenous biomarkers for glial tumor malignancy.
Mapping of quantitative trait loci controlling lifespan in the short‐lived fish Nothobranchius furzeri– a new vertebrate model for age research
Authors: Kirschner Jeanette , Weber David , Neuschl Christina , Franke Andre , Böttger Marco , Zielke Lea , Powalsky Eileen , Groth Marco , Shagin Dmitry , Petzold Andreas , Hartmann Nils , Englert Christoph , Brockmann Gudrun A. , Platzer Matthias , Cellerino Alessandro , Reichwald Kathrin
Published: December 2011

The African annual fish Nothobranchius furzeri emerged as a new model for age research over recent years. Nothobranchius furzeri show an exceptionally short lifespan, age‐dependent cognitive/behavioral decline, expression of age‐related biomarkers, and susceptibility to lifespan manipulation. In addition, laboratory strains differ largely in lifespan. Here, we set out to study the genetics of lifespan determination. We crossed a short‐ to a long‐lived strain, recorded lifespan, and established polymorphic markers. On the basis of genotypes of 411 marker loci in 404 F2 progeny, we built a genetic map comprising 355 markers at an average spacing of 5.5 cM, 22 linkage groups (LGs) and 1965 cM. By combining marker data with lifespan values, we identified one genome‐wide highly significant quantitative trait locus (QTL) on LG 9 (P < 0.01), which explained 11.3% of the F2 lifespan variance, and three suggestive QTLs on LG 11, 14, and 17. We characterized the highly significant QTL by synteny analysis, because a genome sequence of N. furzeri was not available. We located the syntenic region on medaka chromosome 5, identified candidate genes, and performed fine mapping, resulting in a c. 40% reduction of the initial 95% confidence interval. We show both that lifespan determination in N. furzeri is polygenic, and that candidate gene detection is easily feasible by cross‐species analysis. Our work provides first results on the way to identify loci controlling lifespan in N. furzeri and illustrates the potential of this vertebrate species as a genetic model for age research.
Challenges and Strategies in Recruiting, Interviewing, and Retaining Recent Latino Immigrants in Substance Abuse and HIV Epidemiologic Studies
Authors: De La Rosa Mario , Babino Rosa , Rosario Adelaida , Martinez Natalia Valiente , Aijaz Lubna
Published: December 2011

The growth of immigrant populations in the United States over the past 20 years has increased the need to enhance understanding about the risk factors that influence their substance abuse and HIV risk behaviors. Today, Latinos account for the largest majority of immigrants gaining entry into the United States. As the largest and fastest growing minority subgroup in the United States, they bear a disproportionate burden of disease and death compared to non‐Latinos. Latinos are confronted with escalating HIV and substance‐abuse problems, particularly Latinos between the ages of 18–34. This paper is based on our longitudinal study on the drug using and HIV risk behaviors of 527 recent Latino immigrants between the ages of 18–34 who have lived in the United States less than 1 year. The data collection activities of this study have provided insights in identifying, recruiting, interviewing, and retaining Latinos in community‐based studies. Strategies, such as utilizing a combination of translation techniques, ensured the development and implementation of culturally appropriate questionnaires. Respondent‐driven sampling facilitated identifying participants. Establishing rapport and trust was critical for interviewing, and maintaining a tracking protocol was most important for retention. The lessons learned from this study can guide substance abuse and HIV researchers when recruiting, interviewing, and retaining recent Latino immigrants in future epidemiologic studies. (Am J Addict 2011;21:11–22)
Correlation not Causation: The Relationship between Personality Traits and Political Ideologies
Authors: Verhulst Brad , Eaves Lindon J. , Hatemi Peter K.
Published: December 2011

The assumption in the personality and politics literature is that a person's personality motivates them to develop certain political attitudes later in life. This assumption is founded on the simple correlation between the two constructs and the observation that personality traits are genetically influenced and develop in infancy, whereas political preferences develop later in life. Work in psychology, behavioral genetics, and recently political science, however, has demonstrated that political preferences also develop in childhood and are equally influenced by genetic factors. These findings cast doubt on the assumed causal relationship between personality and politics. Here we test the causal relationship between personality traits and political attitudes using a direction of causation structural model on a genetically informative sample. The results suggest that personality traits do not cause people to develop political attitudes; rather, the correlation between the two is a function of an innate common underlying genetic factor.
Welfare Policymaking and Intersections of Race, Ethnicity, and Gender in U.S. State Legislatures
Authors: Reingold Beth , Smith Adrienne R.
Published: December 2011

Welfare policy in the American states has been shaped profoundly by race, ethnicity, and representation. Does gender matter as well? Focusing on state welfare reform in the mid‐1990s, we test hypotheses derived from two alternative approaches to incorporating gender into the study of representation and welfare policymaking. An additive approach, which assumes gender and race/ethnicity are distinct and independent, suggests that female state legislators—regardless of race/ethnicity—will mitigate the more restrictive and punitive aspects of welfare reform, much like their African American and Latino counterparts do. In contrast, an intersectional approach, which highlights the overlapping and interdependent nature of gender and race/ethnicity, suggests that legislative women of color will have the strongest countervailing effect on state welfare reform—stronger than that of other women or men of color. Our empirical analyses suggest an intersectional approach yields a more accurate understanding of gender, race/ethnicity, and welfare politics in the states.
Dell Hymes and the New Language Policy Studies: Update from an Underdeveloped Country
Authors: MCCARTY TERESA L. , COLLINS JAMES , HOPSON RODNEY K.
Published: December 2011

This essay updates Dell Hymes's “Report from an Underdeveloped Country” (the USA), positioning our analysis in the New Language Policy Studies. Taking up Hymes's call for comparative, critical studies of language use, we examine three cases, organizing our analysis around Hymes's questions: What “counts” as a language, a language problem, and “proper” language use? We conclude with a final question suggested by Hymes's Report: How can a critical‐ethnographic approach to language policy transform persistent linguistic inequalities? [Dell Hymes, new language policy studies, ethnography of communication, linguistic inequality, educational linguistics]
The Protective Effect of Cerebralcare Granule® on Brain Edema, Cerebral Microcirculatory Disturbance, and Neuron Injury in a Focal Cerebral Ischemia Rat Model
Authors: WANG FANG , HU QIN , CHEN CHUN‐HUA , XU XIANG‐SHUN , ZHOU CHANG‐MAN , ZHAO YA‐FANG , HU BAI‐HE , CHANG XIN , HUANG PING , YANG LEI , LIU YU‐YING , WANG CHUAN‐SHE , FAN JING‐YU , ZHANG KE , LI GUO‐YU , WANG JING‐HUI , HAN JING‐YAN
Published: December 2011

Please cite this paper as: Wang F, Hu Q, Chen C‐H , Xu X‐S, Zhou C‐M, Zhao Y‐F, Hu B‐H, Chang X, Huang P, Yang L, Liu Y‐Y, Wang C‐S, Fan J‐Y, Zhang K, Li G‐Y, Wang J‐H, Han J‐Y. The protective effect of cerebralcare granule® on brain edema, cerebral microcirculatory disturbance and neuron injury in a focal cerebral ischemia rat model. Microcirculation 19: 260–272, 2012.

Objective:  The purpose of the present study was to explore the protective effects of CG on rat cerebral injury after focal cerebral I /R.

Methods:  Male Sprague–Dawley rats were subjected to right middle cerebral artery occlusion for 60 minutes followed by reperfusion for 60 minutes or 24 hours. CG (0.4 or 0.8 g/kg) was administrated 90 minutes before ischemia. Brian edema was evaluated by Evan’s blue dye extravasations and brain water content, leukocyte adhesion, and albumin leakage were determined with an upright fluorescence microscope, and neuron damage was assessed by 2,3,5‐triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase‐mediated dUTP nick end labeling, and immunohistochemistry of caspase‐3, p53, p53 upregulated modulator of apoptosis.

Results:  Focal cerebral I/R elicited a prominent brain edema, an increase in leukocyte adhesion, and albumin leakage, as well as neuron damage. All the insults after focal cerebral I/R were significantly attenuated by pretreatment with CG.

Conclusions:  Pretreatment with CG significantly reduced focal cerebral I/R‐induced brain edema, cerebral microcirculatory disturbance, and neuron damage, suggesting the potential of CG as a prophylactic strategy for patients in danger of stroke.
The architecture of weighted mutualistic networks
Authors: Gilarranz Luis J. , Pastor Juan M. , Galeano Javier
Published: December 2011

Several ecosystem services directly depend on mutualistic interactions. In species rich communities, these interactions can be studied using network theory. Current knowledge of mutualistic networks is based mainly on binary links; however, little is known about the role played by the weights of the interactions between species. What new information can be extracted by analyzing weighted mutualistic networks? In performing an exhaustive analysis of the topological properties of 29 weighted mutualistic networks, our results show that the generalist species, defined as those with a larger number of interactions in a network, also have the strongest interactions. Though most interactions of generalists are with specialists, the strongest interactions occur between generalists. As a result and by defining binary and weighted clustering coefficients for bipartite networks, we demonstrate that generalists form strongly‐interconnected groups of species. The existence of these strong clusters reinforces the idea that generalist species govern the coevolution of the whole community.
Rethinking the conceptual foundations of habitat fragmentation research
Authors: Didham Raphael K. , Kapos Valerie , Ewers Robert M.
Published: December 2011

The conceptual foundations of habitat fragmentation research have not kept pace with empirical advances in our understanding of species responses to landscape change, nor with theoretical advances in the wider disciplines of ecology. There is now real debate whether explicit recognition of ‘habitat fragmentation’ as an over‐arching conceptual domain will stimulate or hinder further progress toward understanding and mitigating the effects of landscape change. In this paper, we critically challenge the conceptual foundations of the discipline, and attempt to derive an integrated perspective on the best way to advance mechanistic understanding of fragmentation processes. We depict the inherent assumptions underlying the discipline as a ‘conceptual phase space’ of contrasting false dichotomies in fragmentation ‘problem space’. In our opinion, the key determinant of whether ‘habitat fragmentation’ can remain a cohesive framework lies in the concept of ‘interdependence’: 1) interdependence of landscape effects on species and 2) interdependence of species responses to landscape change. If there is non‐trivial interdependence among the various sub‐components of habitat fragmentation, or non‐trivial interdependence among species responses to landscape change, then there will be real heuristic value in ‘habitat fragmentation’ as a single conceptual domain. At present, the current paradigms entrenched in the fragmentation literature are implicitly founded on strict independence of landscape effects (e.g. the debate about the independent effects of habitat loss versus fragmentation per se) and strict independence of species responses (e.g. the individualistic species response models underpinning landscape continuum models), despite compelling evidence for interdependence in both effects and responses to fragmentation. We discuss how strong ‘interdependence’ of effects and responses challenges us to rethink long‐held views, and re‐cast the conceptual foundations of habitat fragmentation in terms of spatial context‐dependence in the effects of multiple interacting spatial components of fragmentation, and community context‐dependence in the responses of multiple interacting species to landscape change.
Intrapulmonary lipopolysaccharide exposure upregulates cytokine expression in the neonatal brainstem
Authors: Balan Kannan V , Kc Prabha , Mayer Catherine A , Wilson Christopher G , Belkadi Abdelmadjid , Martin Richard J
Published: December 2011

Perinatal inflammation and neonatal sepsis trigger lung and brain injury. We hypothesized that endotoxin exposure in the immature lung upregulates proinflammatory cytokine expression in the brainstem and impairs respiratory control. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or saline was administered intratracheally to vagal intact or denervated rat pups. LPS increased brainstem IL‐1β and vagotomy blunted this response. There was an attenuated ventilatory response to hypoxia and increased brainstem IL‐1β expression after LPS.

Conclusion:  Intratracheal endotoxin exposure in rat pups is associated with upregulation of IL‐1β in the brainstem that is vagally mediated and associated with an impaired hypoxic ventilatory response.
Three‐Dimensional Accuracy of Guided Implant Placement: Indirect Assessment of Clinical Outcomes
Authors: Platzer Susanne , Bertha Georg , Heschl Alexander , Wegscheider Walther A. , Lorenzoni Martin
Published: December 2011

Purpose: Precise preoperative implant planning and its exact intraoperative transfer are crucial for successful implant‐supported rehabilitation of partially or completely edentulous patients. In the present pilot study, optical laser scanning was used to evaluate deviations between three‐dimensonal computer‐assisted planned and actual implant positions by indirect methods.

Material and Methods: Five patients receiving a total of 15 implants were included in this study. The used planning software was SimPlant 12.0 (Materialise Dental, Leuven, Belgium) to visualize the implant positions, and with an appropriate guided surgery protocol (Navigator™, Biomet 3i, Palm Beach Gardens, FL, USA) implant positions were implemented via tooth‐supported stereolithografic surgical guides. All implants (Osseotite™, Biomet 3i) were inserted in a flapless approach and immediately provided with prefabricated temporary splinted restorations. Intraoral pickup impressions were taken postoperatively, and the implant positions of the master casts were compared with presurgical casts. Implant replica deviations were evaluated by three‐dimensional optical laser scanning providing distances and angulations between implant replicas.

Results: Overall, the postsurgical implant replica positions were found to deviate from the positions in the preoperative cast by a mean of 0.46 ± 0.21 mm (range: 0.09–0.85 mm). Positional deviations were 0.27 ± 0.19 mm (range: 0.04–0.60 mm) along the x‐axis representing the buccal‐lingual directions, 0.15 ± 0.13 mm (range: 0.0–0.34 mm) along the y‐axis representing the ventrodorsal direction, and 0.28 ± 0.19 mm (range: 0.02–0.59 mm) along the z‐axis representing cranial and apical directions. Rotational deviations amounted to 14.04 ± 11.6° (range: 0.09–36.47°).

Conclusions: The results of this pilot study demonstrate precise transfer of implant replica position by means of simulated guided implant insertion into a preoperative cast and a postoperative cast obtained from impressioning. Further studies are needed to identify appropriate evaluation techniques and mechanisms to increase the transfer precision of three‐dimensional planning and guiding systems.
How myosin motors power cellular functions – an exciting journey from structure to function
Authors: Llinas Paola , Pylypenko Olena , Isabet Tatiana , Mukherjea Monalisa , Sweeney H. Lee , Houdusse Anne M.
Published: December 2011

Molecular motors such as myosins are allosteric enzymes that power essential motility functions in the cell. Structural biology is an important tool for deciphering how these motors work. Myosins produce force upon the actin‐driven conformational changes controlling the sequential release of the hydrolysis products of ATP (Pi followed by ADP). These conformational changes are amplified by a ‘lever arm’, which includes the region of the motor known as the converter and the adjacent elongated light chain binding region. Analysis of four structural states of the motor provides a detailed understanding of the rearrangements and pathways of communication in the motor that are necessary for detachment from the actin track and repriming of the motor. However, the important part of the cycle in which force is produced remains enigmatic and awaits new high‐resolution structures. The value of a structural approach is particularly evident from clues provided by the structural states of the reverse myosin VI motor. Crystallographic structures have revealed that rearrangements within the converter subdomain occur, which explains why this myosin can produce a large stroke in the opposite direction to all other myosins, despite a very short lever arm. By providing a detailed understanding of the motor rearrangements, structural biology will continue to reveal essential information and help solve current enigma, such as how actin promotes force production, how motors are tuned for specific cellular roles or how motor/cargo interactions regulate the function of myosin in the cell.
Preservation of Sexual Function with the Prostatic Urethral Lift: A Novel Treatment for Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms Secondary to Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia
Authors: Woo Henry H. , Bolton Damien M. , Laborde Eric , Jack Greg , Chin Peter T. , Rashid Prem , Thavaseelan Jeffrey , McVary Kevin T.
Published: December 2011

Introduction

We investigated the prostatic urethral lift, a novel, minimally invasive treatment for symptomatic lower urinary tract complaints presumed to be from benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which aims to mechanically open the prostatic urethra without ablation or resection. We hypothesized that this novel approach would not degrade erectile or ejaculatory function.

Aims

We sought to determine the effect of the prostatic urethral lift procedure on erectile and ejaculatory function.

Methods

The procedure was performed on 64 men in Australia with an average age of 66.9 years and an average duration of lower urinary tract symptom (LUTS) of 4.7 years. Primary inclusion criteria included International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) > 13, Qmax of 5–12 mL/second, and prostate specific antigen (PSA) < 10 ng/mL. Baseline IPSS was 22.9 ± 5.4 (N = 64). There were no inclusion criteria for sexual function. Baseline Sexual Health Inventory for Men (SHIM) was 11.7 ± 8.6 (N = 58); baseline Male Sexual Health Questionnaire for Ejaculatory Dysfunction (MSHQ-EjD) function score was 9.0 ± 3.7 (N = 46); and lack of sexual activity or unwillingness to answer sexual function questionnaires accounted for the reduced sample size in the sexual function instruments. Implants were placed to separate encroaching lateral prostatic lobes.

Main Outcome Measures

Patients were evaluated at 6 weeks and 3, 6, and 12 months postprocedure via the SHIM and MSHQ-EjD instruments.

Results

There was no evidence of degradation in sexual function after treatment for LUTS with the prostatic urethral lift procedure. Erectile function, as measured by SHIM, was slightly increased at all time points as compared with baseline. No patient reported retrograde ejaculation at any follow-up visit.

Conclusions

We demonstrated significant improvement in LUTS with no evidence of degradation in erectile or ejaculatory function after treatment with the prostatic urethral lift procedure. This procedure warrants further study as a new option for patients underserved by current treatments for LUTS/BPH.
The predatory snail Euglandina rosea successfully follows mucous trails  of both native and non‐native prey snails
Authors: Davis‐Berg Elizabeth C.
Published: December 2011

Mucous trail following is a primary means by which many predatory snails locate prey. I compared the ability of individuals of Euglandina rosea to follow mucous trails of two groups of gastropods: those found within its native habitat (southeastern USA), and those found outside its native range (Kansas). Members of E. rosea followed trails for both species found inside and outside its native range equally well. In contrast to previous studies, I found that the predatory snails consistently followed trails in the direction in which they were laid. I quantified the kinematics of trail‐following behavior using inter‐tentacle angle as the primary metric. In both prey groups, there were significant differences in the predator's inter‐tentacle angle when tracking a trail versus not, and when successfully following (in the direction the trail was laid) versus unsuccessfully following (opposite the direction that the trail was laid) trails. In addition, in both prey groups, there were significant differences in the predator's velocity when tracking a trail versus not, and when successfully versus unsuccessfully following trails. This study confirmed that members of E. rosea are robust generalist predators, capable of successfully tracking native and non‐native snails, and should not be introduced as biologic control agents. These results may be useful to managers, as they provide insight into how trail following could be used to trap members of this invasive species.
EATING QUALITY OF “FUJI” APPLES AFFECTED BY A PERIOD OF COLD AIR AFTER ULO STORAGE
Authors: ALTISENT R. , GRAELL J. , LARA I. , LÓPEZ L. , ECHEVERRÍA G.
Published: December 2011

Over two subsequent seasons, emission of volatile compounds, consumer acceptability and quality parameters were analyzed in “Fuji” apples. In both seasons, apples were harvested at the same maturity stage and stored for 19 or 30 weeks at 1C and 92% relative humidity under an ultralow oxygen (ULO) atmosphere (1% O2 + 1% CO2) or under an ULO atmosphere followed by different periods (2 or 4 weeks) in cold air. The results revealed, for both seasons, that 4 weeks of cold air storage after ULO storage helped to increase the emission of some volatile compounds for both storage period, including characteristic volatile compounds for the variety, and did not have a negative effect on quality parameters. Additionally, the consumer acceptability was superior for those fruits.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

It is well known for various apple varieties that long‐term storage under ULO conditions reduces volatile production resulting in poor flavor and aroma compared with fruits stored in air. Consequently, there is often dissatisfaction among consumers with the flavor of fruits which have been subjected to cold storage. The strategy that is proposed in the present work could be recommended to enhance the aromatic quality of fruit provided by the apple industry and, in consequence, increase its acceptability by consumers.
Inhibitors Incorporating Zinc‐Binding Groups Target the GlcNAc‐PI de‐N‐acetylase in Trypanosoma brucei, the Causative Agent of African Sleeping Sickness
Authors: Abdelwahab Nuha Z. , Crossman Arthur T. , Sullivan Lauren , Ferguson Michael A. J. , Urbaniak Michael D.
Published: December 2011

Disruption of glycosylphosphatidylinositol biosynthesis is genetically and chemically validated as a drug target against the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma brucei, the causative agent of African sleeping sickness. The N‐acetylglucosamine‐phosphatidylinositol de‐N‐acetylase (deNAc) is a zinc metalloenzyme responsible for the second step of glycosylphosphatidylinositol biosynthesis. We recently reported the synthesis of eight deoxy‐2‐C‐branched monosaccharides containing carboxylic acid, hydroxamic acid, or N‐hydroxyurea substituents at the C2 position that may act as zinc‐binding groups. Here, we describe the synthesis of a glucocyclitol‐phospholipid incorporating a hydroxamic acid moiety and report the biochemical evaluation of the monosaccharides and the glucocyclitol‐phospholipid as inhibitors of the trypanosome deNAc in the cell‐free system and against recombinant enzyme. Monosaccharides with carboxylic acid or hydroxamic acid substituents were found to be the inhibitors of the trypanosome deNAc with IC50 values 0.1–1.5 mm, and the glucocyclitol‐phospholipid was found to be a dual inhibitor of the deNAc and the α1‐4‐mannose transferase with an apparent IC50 = 19 ± 0.5 μm.