bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Coupled common fixed point results involving a "Equation missing" -contractive condition for mixed g-monotone operators in partially ordered metric spaces
Authors: Jain Manish , Tas Kenan , Kumar Sanjay , Gupta Neetu
Published: December 2012

In the setting of partially ordered metric spaces, using the notion of compatible mappings, we establish the existence and uniqueness of coupled common fixed points involving a

(
φ
,
ψ
)

-contractive condition for mixed g-monotone operators. Our results extend and generalize the well-known results of Berinde (Nonlinear Anal. TMA 74:7347-7355, 2011; Nonlinear Anal. TMA 75:3218-3228, 2012) and weaken the contractive conditions involved in the results of Alotaibi et al. (Fixed Point Theory Appl. 2011:44, 2011), Bhaskar et al. (Nonlinear Anal. TMA 65:1379-1393, 2006), and Luong et al. (Nonlinear Anal. TMA 74:983-992, 2011). The effectiveness of the presented work is validated with the help of suitable examples.

MSC:54H10, 54H25.
Validation of a mobility item bank for older patients in primary care
Authors: Cabrero-García Julio , Ramos-Pichardo Juan Diego , Muñoz-Mendoza Carmen Luz , Cabañero-Martínez María José , González-Llopis Lorena , Reig-Ferrer Abilio
Published: December 2012

Background

To develop and validate an item bank to measure mobility in older people in primary care and to analyse differential item functioning (DIF) and differential bundle functioning (DBF) by sex.

Methods

A pool of 48 mobility items was administered by interview to 593 older people attending primary health care practices. The pool contained four domains based on the International Classification of Functioning: changing and maintaining body position, carrying, lifting and pushing, walking and going up and down stairs.

Results

The Late Life Mobility item bank consisted of 35 items, and measured with a reliability of 0.90 or more across the full spectrum of mobility, except at the higher end of better functioning. No evidence was found of non-uniform DIF but uniform DIF was observed, mainly for items in the changing and maintaining body position and carrying, lifting and pushing domains. The walking domain did not display DBF, but the other three domains did, principally the carrying, lifting and pushing items.

Conclusions

During the design and validation of an item bank to measure mobility in older people, we found that strength (carrying, lifting and pushing) items formed a secondary dimension that produced DBF. More research is needed to determine how best to include strength items in a mobility measure, or whether it would be more appropriate to design separate measures for each construct.
Establishment of a method to determine the magnetic particles in mouse tissues
Authors: Wu Yifan , Zhang Wuxu , Wang Yuxia , Li Qian , Gao Guo , Dong Na , Hu Hengyao , Wang Kan , Wu Junhua , Gao Zhongcai , Cui Daxiang
Published: December 2012

This work is aimed to evaluate a method to detect the residual magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) in animal tissues. Ferric ions released from MNPs through acidification with hydrochloric acid can be measured by complexation with potassium thiocyanate. MNPs in saline could be well detected by this chemical colorimetric method, whereas the detected sensitivity decreased significantly when MNPs were mixed with mouse tissue homogenates. In order to check the MNPs in animal tissues accurately, three improvements have been made. Firstly, proteinase K was used to digest the proteins that might bind with iron, and secondly, ferrosoferric oxide (Fe3O4) was collected by a magnetic field which could capture MNPs and leave the bio-iron in the supernatant. Finally, the collected MNPs were carbonized in the muffle furnace at 420°C before acidification to ruin the groups that might bind with ferric ions such as porphyrin. Using this method, MNPs in animal tissues could be well measured while avoiding the disturbance of endogenous iron and iron-binding groups.
Co-delivery of docetaxel and endostatin by a biodegradable nanoparticle for the synergistic treatment of cervical cancer
Authors: Qiu Bo , Ji Minghui , Song Xiaosong , Zhu Yongqiang , Wang Zhongyuan , Zhang Xudong , Wu Shu , Chen Hongbo , Mei Lin , Zheng Yi
Published: December 2012

Cervical cancer remains a major problem in women's health worldwide. In this research, a novel biodegradable d-α-tocopheryl polyethylene glycol 1000 succinate-b-poly(ε-caprolactone-ran- glycolide) (TPGS-b-(PCL-ran-PGA)) nanoparticle (NP) was developed as a co-delivery system of docetaxel and endostatin for the synergistic treatment of cervical cancer. Docetaxel-loaded TPGS-b-(PCL-ran-PGA) NPs were prepared and further modified by polyethyleneimine for coating plasmid pShuttle2-endostatin. All NPs were characterized in size, surface charge, morphology, and in vitro release of docetaxel and pDNA. The uptake of coumarin 6-loaded TPGS-b-(PCL-ran-PGA)/PEI-pDsRED by HeLa cells was observed via fluorescent microscopy and confocal laser scanning microscopy. Endostatin expression in HeLa cells transfected by TPGS-b-(PCL-ran-PGA)/PEI-pShuttle2-endostatin NPs was detected using Western blot analysis, and the cell viability of different NP-treated HeLa cells was determined by MTT assay. The HeLa cells from the tumor model, nude mice, were treated with various NPs including docetaxel-loaded-TPGS-b-(PCL-ran-PGA)/PEI-endostatin NPs, and their survival time, tumor volume and body weight were monitored during regimen process. The tumor tissue histopathology was analyzed using hematoxylin and eosin staining, and microvessel density in tumor tissue was evaluated immunohistochemically. The results showed that the TPGS-b-(PCL-ran-PGA)/PEI NPs can efficiently and simultaneously deliver both coumarin-6 and plasmids into HeLa cells, and the expression of endostatin was verified via Western blot analysis. Compared with control groups, the TPGS-b-(PCL-ran-PGA)/PEI-pShuttle2-endostatin NPs significantly decreased the cell viability of HeLa cells (p < 0.01), inhibited the growth of tumors, and even eradicated the tumors. The underlying mechanism is attributed to synergistic anti-tumor effects by the combined use of docetaxel, endostatin, and TPGS released from NPs. The TPGS-b-(PCL-ran-PGA) NPs could function as multifunctional carrier for chemotherapeutic drugs and genetic material delivery, and offer considerable potential as an ideal candidate for in vivo cancer therapy.
Capacity-maximization threshold design for wideband sensing with guaranteed minimum primary user rate
Authors: Jia Peng , Le-Ngoc Tho
Published: December 2012

We investigate the design of optimal threshold for energy detection of primary user (PU) beacon signals in spectrum sensing. The weighted sum of the PU and secondary user (SU) link rates is used as the objective function with constraint on the guaranteed minimum PU link rate. SU with wideband sensing capability selects the idle frequency-slot with the lowest sensed power to be the candidate to access. Numerical results show that the wideband sensing capability with the proposed optimal threshold and accessing strategy can help the SU to meet the stringent PU rate constraints while achieving much higher SU link rate and network capacity.
Uncommon mandibular osteomyelitis in a cat caused by Nocardia africana
Authors: de Farias Marconi Rodrigues , Werner Juliana , Ribeiro Márcio Garcia , Rodigheri Sabrina Marin , Cavalcante Carolina Zaghi , Chi Kung Darh , Condas Larissa Anuska Zeni , Gonoi Tohru , Matsuzama Tetsuhiro , Yazama Katsukiyo
Published: December 2012

Background

Nocardiosis is an unusual infection in companion animals characterized by suppurative to pyogranulomatous lesions, localized or disseminated. Cutaneous-subcutaneous, pulmonary and systemic signs are observed in feline nocardiosis. However, osteomyelitis is a rare clinical manifestation in cats. Nocardia cyriacigeorgica (formerly N. asteroides sensu stricto), Nocardia brasiliensis, Nocardia otitidiscaviarum, and Nocardia nova are the most common pathogenic species identified in cats, based on recent molecular classification (16S rRNA gene). The present report is, to our knowledge, the first case of mandibular osteomyelitis in a cat caused by Nocardia africana, diagnosed based upon a combination of methods, including molecular techniques.

Case presentation

A one-year-old non-neutered female cat, raised in a rural area, was admitted to the Companion Animal Hospital-PUCPR, São José dos Pinhais, State of Paraná, Brazil, with a history a progressive facial lesion, difficulty apprehending food, loss of appetite, apathy and emaciation. Clinical examination showed fever, submandibular lymphadenitis, and a painless, 8 cm diameter mass, which was irregularly-shaped, of firm consistency, and located in the region of the left mandible. The skin around the lesion was friable, with diffuse inflammation (cellulitis), multiple draining sinuses, and exudation of serosanguinous material containing whitish “sulfur” granules.

Diagnosis was based initially in clinical signs, microbiological culture, cytological, and histopathological findings, and radiographic images. Molecular sequencing of 16S rRNA of isolate allowed diagnosis of Nocardia africana. Despite supportive care and antimicrobial therapy based on in vitro susceptibility testing the animal died.

Conclusion

The present report describes a rare clinical case of feline osteomyelitis caused by Nocardia africana, diagnosed based upon a combination of clinical signs, microbiological culture, cytological and histopathological findings, radiographic images, and molecular methods. The use of modern molecular techniques constitutes a quick and reliable method for Nocardia species identification, and may contribute to identification to new species of Nocardia that are virulent in cats.
Thymidylate synthase gene (TYMS) polymorphisms in sporadic and hereditary breast cancer
Authors: Junior José da Silva Nogueira , Marson Fernando Augusto de Lima , Bertuzzo Carmen Sílvia
Published: December 2012

Background

Breast cancer (BC) is a genetic disorder characterized by growth and proliferation of breast cells in a disorderly. In Brazil, there are approximately 49.240 new cases of BC, every year. The BC etiology is still poorly understood. The BC can be sporadic (SBC) or hereditary (HBC). Recent studies have correlated gene polymorphisms with the BC, such as alterations in thymidylate synthase gene (TYMS), which are used to improve diagnosis and prevention of the disease. Polymorphisms in the TYMS gene 5’-UTR region, usually present reps double (2R) and/or triple (3R). Studies have shown that homozygous 3R/3R is overexpressed compared with 2R/2R genotype, and these polymorphic variations may contribute to individual susceptibility to the development of BC. In this context, the objective of this study was to evaluate the frequency of the TYMS 2R and 3R polymorphisms, comparing genotypic and allelic distribution with SBC and HBC patients.

Methods

In this study we included a total of 204 subjects, 70 with BC (33 with SBC, and 37 with HBC) and 134 healthy subjects (controls). The Polymerase Chain Reaction was the method used.

Results

Results demonstrated a high frequency of the 3R allele at BC, SBC, and HBC groups. The frequency of genotype 2R/3R was significantly higher in BC group. This work showed association between the 2R/3R variants (OR = 4.14, CI95% = 1.77-9.71) in the development of SBC, and 2R/2R (OR = 0.233, CI95% = 1.63-7.65) and 2R/3R (OR = 3.53, CI95% = 0.06-0.81) for developing HBC. To BC, there was association with the genotype 2R/3R (OR: 3.79, CI95% = 2.03-7.08).

Conclusion

Our results show relation to the development of BC in association with the analyzed polymorphisms.
DNA methylation at the Igf2/H19 imprinting control region is associated with cerebellum mass in outbred mice
Authors: Pidsley Ruth , Fernandes Cathy , Viana Joana , Paya-Cano Jose L , Liu Lin , Smith Rebecca G , Schalkwyk Leonard C , Mill Jonathan
Published: December 2012

Background

Insulin-like growth factor 2 (Igf2) is a paternally expressed imprinted gene regulating fetal growth, playing an integral role in the development of many tissues including the brain. The parent-of-origin specific expression of Igf2 is largely controlled by allele-specific DNA methylation at CTCF-binding sites in the imprinting control region (ICR), located immediately upstream of the neighboring H19 gene. Previously we reported evidence of a negative correlation between DNA methylation in this region and cerebellum weight in humans.

Results

We quantified cerebellar DNA methylation across all four CTCF binding sites spanning the murine Igf2/H19 ICR in an outbred population of Heterogeneous Stock (HS) mice (n = 48). We observe that DNA methylation at the second and third CTCF binding sites in the Igf2/H19 ICR shows a negative relationship with cerebellar mass, reflecting the association observed in human post-mortem cerebellum tissue.

Conclusions

Given the important role of the cerebellum in motor control and cognition, and the link between structural cerebellar abnormalities and neuropsychiatric phenotypes, the identification of epigenetic factors associated with cerebellum growth and development may provide important insights about the etiology of psychiatric disorders.
SU11652 Inhibits tyrosine kinase activity of FLT3 and growth of MV-4-11 cells
Authors: Guo Yao , Chen Yun , Xu Xuesong , Fu Xueqi , Zhao Zhizhuang Joe
Published: December 2012

Background

FLT3-ITD and FLT3-TKD mutations are frequently found in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). This makes tyrosine kinase FLT3 a highly attractive target for therapeutic drug development. However, effective drugs have not yet emerged. This study is intended to identify and to characterize new FLT3 inhibitors.

Methods

By using the protein substrate GST-FLT3S to analyze kinase activity of recombinant proteins carrying the catalytic domain of wild type and mutant forms of FLT3, we screened a chemical library containing 80 known protein kinase inhibitors. We identified SU11652 as a potent FLT3 inhibitor and further employed FLT3-ITD-positive MV- 4–11 cells to study its effects on cell growth, apoptosis, cell cycles, and cell signaling.

Results

SU11652 strongly inhibited the activity of wild type, D835Y, and D835H mutant forms of FLT3 with IC50 values of 1.5, 16, and 32 nM, respectively. It effectively blocked the growth of FLT3-ITD -positive MV-4-11 cells at nanomolar concentrations but exhibited much less effects on several other cells which do not carry mutations of FLT3. SU11652 inhibited growth of MV-4-11 cells by inducing apoptosis, causing cell cycle arrest, and blocking activation of the ERK, Akt, and STAT signaling pathways.

Conclusion

SU11652 is a potent FLT3 inhibitor which selectively targets FLT3-ITD-positive cells. It should serve as a good candidate for development of therapeutic drugs to treat AML.
Tombusvirus P19 RNA silencing suppressor (RSS) activity in mammalian cells correlates with charged amino acids that contribute to direct RNA-binding
Authors: Liu Xiang , Houzet Laurent , Jeang Kuan-Teh
Published: December 2012

Background

Tombusvirus P19 is a protein encoded by tomato bushy stunt virus and related tombusviruses. Earlier studies have demonstrated that P19 is an RNA silencing suppressor (RSS) in plant cells. However, it has not been systematically investigated how P19 suppresses RNA interference in various mammalian cell settings.

Results

We have studied the RSS effect of P19 in mammalian cells, HEK293T, HeLa, and mouse embryonic fibroblasts. We have individually mutated 18 positively charged residues in P19 and found that 6 of these charged residues in P19 reduce its ability to suppress RNA interference. In each case, the reduction of silencing of RNA interference correlated with the reduced ability by these P19 mutants to bind siRNAs (small interfering RNAs).

Conclusions

Our findings characterize a class of RNA-binding proteins that function as RSS moieties. We find a tight correlation between positively charged residues in P19 accounting for siRNA-binding and their RSS activity. Because P19’s activity is conserved in plant and animal cells, we conclude that its RSS function unlikely requires cell type-specific co-factors and likely arises from direct RNA-binding.
Dryden’s Occult Rhetoric in the Early Poems, 1649 – 1663
Authors: Armistead Jack M.
Published: December 2012

In the poems composed before his first serious plays, Dryden rhetorically exploits the malleability of occult beliefs during this period. He uses the mixed attitudes toward astrology, alchemy, and, to a lesser extent, demonology and other folks beliefs, to broaden meaning and to address some of the problems associated with the subjects he chooses to discuss.
“Nae Hottentots”: Thomas Blacklock, Robert Burns, and the Scottish Vernacular Revival
Authors: Shuttleton David E.
Published: December 2012

The Scottish poet Dr. Thomas Blacklock (1720-90) is often cited as the first professional man of letters to recognize the poetic achievements of Robert Burns. As Burns later recalled to John Moore, it was a letter from Blacklock in late 1786 praising the “Kilmarnock Poems” that confirmed him to abandon his plans to emigrate and try his poetic fortunes in Edinburgh. But while this story has often been recounted, scant critical attention has been paid to Burns’s reflection that “the Doctor belonged to a set of Critics whose applause I had not even dared to hope.” The lack of an adequate biography of Blacklock has meant that the significance of his complex cultural positioning for Burns still generates equivocation. This essay considers why, as an established member of Edinburgh’s polite literary culture, Blacklock was drawn to vernacular verse. It reconstructs the contexts for his initial championing of Burns and the origins of the song-collecting project over which they eventually collaborated while drawing attention to how Blacklock’s own somewhat ambivalent, yet active engagement with the vernacular poetic tradition had been largely hidden at the behest of his own literary patrons, notably David Hume, Joseph Spence, James Beattie, and Henry Mackenzie. The discussion focuses upon Blacklock’s substantial vernacular verse epistle “To the Revd Mr. Oliver On receiving a collection of Scotch poems from him,” published here for the first time in its entirety (see appendix). The essay aims to increase our understanding of the early reception of Burns in Edinburgh and the contemporary dialogue between vernacular and Anglophone literary culture.
Swift and the Scheme for Badging Beggars in Dublin, 1726 – 1737
Authors: Carter Mary
Published: December 2012

Most scholars turn a blind eye to A Proposal for Giving Badges to the Beggars in All the Parishes of Dublin, but as Jonathan Swift’s final pamphlet on Irish affairs, it deserves our attention. This essay contextualizes the pamphlet among Swift’s more familiar arguments for solving Ireland’s problems of poverty and unemployment, including a scheme for giving badges to Dublin’s deserving poor while setting the able-bodied to work, under threat of corporeal punishment. Swift supported this scheme in the 1720s and 1730s, and this essay gives us a fuller picture of Swift at the end of his political career.
Genocide Is a Neglected Area of Criminological Inquiry
Authors: Cooke-Welling Andrew
Published: December 2012

This essay considers whether genocide is a neglected area of criminological inquiry. After a brief history of its evolution and definition, genocide is considered alongside other crimes against international law, including international human rights law (specifically, war crimes and crimes against humanity). The essay reviews contemporary perceptions of international crimes in established academic literature. Specific consideration is made of the incidence of genocide in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. Genocide is considered across three broad areas: as an issue of law (no crime without law); the nature of the offenders (state, agents of the state, and mass participation); and the nature of the phenomenon itself (with reference to Rwanda and Yugoslavia). Finally, this essay considers whether criminology has neglected genocide and suggests ways of improving academic engagement on this issue.
Anathemas and Blessings: Negotiating Group Identity and State Ownership Through the Constitution in Cyprus, 1959–74
Authors: Kanavou Angeliki Andrea
Published: December 2012

This essay highlights the role of contingent provisions in the London-Zurich Agreements, which established the Republic of Cyprus, in damaging the future chances for a smoothly functioning state of affairs between the ethnic groups on Cyprus. By allowing contentious elements such as geographic division of municipalities, allocation of sovereign territory by a colonial power (the British), taxation and allocation of resources for the two communities to manage their affairs separately, the extent of integration of the armed forces, and the ratio of participation in the civil service, these provisions set up the young republic for turmoil. A powerful lesson emerges for constitutive arrangements as ethnic groups are driven to the negotiating table. The reluctance of drafters of agreements to address contentious issues sets up the conditions for reignition of conflict. To the extent issues are not addressed, a conflict simply continues by “other means,” and peace is merely imagined.
Queering the Carceral
Authors: Vitulli Elias Walker
Published: December 2012

This essay reviews three recently published books that stand at the intersection of queer/trans studies and critical prison studies. These books show the multiple and complex ways that queerness pervades the US prison system and the devastating effects of criminalization and incarceration on queer, gender- and sexual-nonconforming, and LGBT people. The author argues that this scholarship also demonstrates the need for queer and trans studies to engage with the US prison system and for critical prison studies to use queer analytics and examine the incarceration of queer and LGBT people.
MD Simulation Study of Ras/Raf Dissociation and the Resonating Structure of Deactivated Ras
Authors: Ogata Koji , Shen Jun-Wei , Sugawa Satoshi , Nakamura Shinichiro
Published: December 2012

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to investigate the dissociation of the Ras/Raf complex. Three models of Ras/Raf complexes were used in this study: two active GTP-bound forms with either GTP or GDP and one inactive GDP-bound form. The dissociation process in these short time scale (10 ns) MD simulations was accelerated by adding random velocities to phosphate groups in the GTP or GDP molecule. Only the complex with the inactive GDP-bound form heated with the random velocities showed dissociation. The Raf in it was unable to recover its initial position during the MD simulations. In simulations with and without added random velocities the Raf in the other complexes moved back to its initial position. The Raf in complexes with the active GTP-bound form recovered its initial position even when the ligands in the complexes were heated. The details of these mechanisms are discussed here.
Heterochromatin reprogramming in rabbit embryos after fertilization, intra-, and inter-species SCNT correlates with preimplantation development
Authors: Yang Cai-Xia , Liu Zichuan , Fleurot Renaud , Adenot Pierre , Duranthon Véronique , Vignon Xavier , Zhou Qi , Renard Jean-Paul , Beaujean Nathalie
Published: December 2012

To investigate the embryonic genome organization upon fertilization and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), we tracked HP1β and CENP, two well-characterized protein markers of pericentric and centromeric compartments respectively, in four types of embryos produced by rabbitin vivofertilization, rabbit parthenogenesis, rabbit-to-rabbit, and bovine-to-rabbit SCNT. In the interphase nuclei of rabbit cultured fibroblasts, centromeres and associated pericentric heterochromatin are usually isolated. Clustering into higher-order chromatin structures, such as the chromocenters seen in mouse and bovine somatic cells, could not be observed in rabbit fibroblasts. After fertilization, centromeres and associated pericentric heterochromatin are quite dispersed in rabbit embryos. The somatic-like organization is progressively established and completed only by the 8/16-cell stage, a stage that corresponds to major embryonic genome activation in this species. In SCNT embryos, pericentric heterochromatin distribution typical for rabbit and bovine somatic cells was incompletely reverted into the 1-cell embryonic form with remnants of heterochromatin clusters in 100% of bovine-to-rabbit embryos. Subsequently, the donor cell nuclear organization was rapidly re-established by the 4-cell stage. Remarkably, the incomplete remodeling of bovine-to-rabbit 1-cell embryos was associated with delayed transcriptional activation compared with rabbit-to-rabbit embryos. Together, the results confirm that pericentric heterochromatin spatio-temporal reorganization is an important step of embryonic genome reprogramming. It also appears that genome reorganization in SCNT embryos is mainly dependent on the nuclear characteristics of the donor cells, not on the recipient cytoplasm.
Early cell fate decisions in the mouse embryo
Authors: Saiz Néstor , Plusa Berenika
Published: December 2012

During mammalian preimplantation development, the fertilised egg gives rise to a group of pluripotent embryonic cells, the epiblast, and to the extraembryonic lineages that support the development of the foetus during subsequent phases of development. This preimplantation period not only accommodates the first cell fate decisions in a mammal's life but also the transition from a totipotent cell, the zygote, capable of producing any cell type in the animal, to cells with a restricted developmental potential. The cellular and molecular mechanisms governing the balance between developmental potential and lineage specification have intrigued developmental biologists for decades. The preimplantation mouse embryo offers an invaluable system to study cell differentiation as well as the emergence and maintenance of pluripotency in the embryo. Here we review the most recent findings on the mechanisms controlling these early cell fate decisions. The model that emerges from the current evidence indicates that cell differentiation in the preimplantation embryo depends on cellular interaction and intercellular communication. This strategy underlies the plasticity of the early mouse embryo and ensures the correct specification of the first mammalian cell lineages.
Nondisjunctional Segregations in Drosophila Female Meiosis I Are Preceded by Homolog Malorientation at Metaphase Arrest
Authors: Gillies Shane C , Lane Fiona M , Paik Wonbeom , Pyrtel Khateriaa , Wallace Nneka T , Gilliland William D
Published: December 2012

The model of Drosophila female meiosis I was recently revised by the discovery that chromosome congression precedes metaphase I arrest. Use of the prior framework to interpret data from meiotic mutants led to the conclusion that chromosome segregation errors (nondisjunction, NDJ) occurred when nonexchange chromosomes moved out on the spindle in a maloriented configuration and became trapped there at metaphase arrest. The discovery that congression returns nonexchange chromosomes to the metaphase plate invalidates this interpretation and raises the question of what events actually do lead to NDJ. To address this, we have assayed an allelic series of ald (mps1) meiotic mutants that complete congression at wild-type rates, but have widely varying NDJ rates in an otherwise isogenic background, as well as a nod mutant background that primarily undergoes loss of chromosome 4. Using genetic assays to measure NDJ rates, and FISH assays to measure chromosome malorientation rates in metaphase-arrested oocytes, shows that these two rates are highly correlated across ald mutants, suggesting that malorientation during congression commits these chromosomes to eventually nondisjoin. Likewise, the rate of chromosome loss observed in nod is similar to the rate at which these chromosomes fail to associate with the main chromosome mass. Together these results provide a proximal mechanism for how these meiotic mutants cause NDJ and chromosome loss and improve our understanding of how prometaphase chromosome congression relates to anaphase chromosome segregation.
Valerie J. Roebuck (ed. and trans.), The Dhammapada
Authors: Harris Elizabeth J.
Published: December 2012

Valerie J. Roebuck (ed. and trans.), The Dhammapada. London and New York: Penguin, 2010. lxxiv + 246pp. ISBN: 978-0-140-44941-9 (pbk). £9.99/$15.
Folk Identity and Tibetan Wedding Poetry
Authors: Swann Nick
Published: December 2012

Weddings vary considerably in form across the Tibetan cultural area and in exile. Furthermore, there is much scope for creativity within the wedding format in any given region. One such area of creativity is poetry and riddling between ‘champions’ from the bride and groom’s parties. Leaving the riddling aside, the poetry (ka bshad, or ‘pillar exposition’) enables the bridegroom’s champion to lay out the cosmology of the household and place its occupants within it. In the course of laying out this cosmology, themes of health, prosperity and protection recur—often in the idiom of household deities and/or related astrological concepts. Certain configurations of these household deities correspond to personal deities residing in different parts of the body, establishing a form of ‘folk ontology’ where personal identity is triangulated from the household and the local area. Drawing from, among other sources, ethnography from India, this article examines themes of this ‘folk ontology’ found in Tibetan wedding poetry. Specific attention is paid to poems concerning the groom’s ritual arrow (mda’ dar), and the central pillar (ka ba) of the house (which gives the genre of wedding poetry its name), and the roles of these objects in weddings and other occasions.
Radhe, Radhe!
Authors: Taylor McComas
Published: December 2012

This article focuses on the sacred week-long story-telling event known as a Bhagavat-saptah. The saptah centres on narratives of the deity Visnu and, in particular, his manifestation as Krsna, and on Krsna’s devoted lover Radha. These stories are preserved in their most authoritative form in the Sanskrit text of the Bhagavatapurana. First I will examine the traditional instructions for holding a saptah, which I will call the ‘archetype’. I will then describe a saptah which took place at Vrindavan, Uttarpradesh, India, in November 2009. I will then compare the archetype with the case study, identifying six major continuities: the central role of the text, temporal aspects, economic considerations, visual preparation, spatial arrangements and social inclusiveness. I also identify two major divergences: the sectarian content and the use of the vernacular. Finally, I seek to explain both in terms of modernizing processes. Continuity and divergence are found to take place both in spite of, and because of, such processes.
Temporal dynamics of a simple community with intraguild predation: an experimental test
Authors: Hiltunen T. , Jones L. E. , Ellner S. P. , Hairston N. G.
Published: December 2012

We explore how adding complexity to a typical predator–prey interaction affects temporal dynamics. Intraguild predation webs contain competition, predation, and omnivory in a system of three species where theory and empirical results can be compared. We studied a planktonic microcosm community in which an alga is consumed by a flagellate and by a rotifer that also consumes the flagellate. Previously published theory predicts that phase lags between the species are the outcome of a “tug of war” among the intraguild‐predation links: rotifers↔algae, flagellates↔algae, and rotifers↔flagellates. We observed sustained oscilltions with abundance peaks that corresponded exactly to theoretical predictions in all replicates: peaks of the rotifers and flagellates fell on either side of a quarter‐period lag behind the prey (algae) peaks, with the peak of the intermediate predator (flagellates) preceding that of the top predator (rotifers). The phase lags in these experiments suggest that temporal variation in flagellate growth rate is primarily driven by variation in the intensity of its consumption by rotifers, rather than by variation in the density of its algal prey. This system illustrates how interaction strength affects the pattern of intraguild predation cycles and provides an opportunity to explore how evolution of interaction strength may affect those dynamics.
Adoption of IFRS in Brazil and the Consequences to Accounting Education
Authors: Carvalho L. Nelson , Salotti Bruno M.
Published: December 2012

Brazil is a rare case of a complete adoption of IFRS, not only for consolidated financial statements, but also for the individual ones. Very few countries dared to converge their accounting standards toward IFRS in the company-only financial statements, probably afraid of the tax or dividends impact. Brazil made the ambitious move, changing the Company law and altering the income tax legislation in such a way that a safe path was built to bridge from the old BR GAAP standards to IFRS.
Prolonged Curing Time Reduces the Effects of Simulated Pulpal Pressure on the Bond Strength of One-step Self-etch Adhesives
Authors: Feitosa VP , Watson TF , Vitti RP , Bacchi A , Correr-Sobrinho L , Correr AB , Sinhoreti MAC , Sauro S
Published: December 2012

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of extended light-curing procedures on the microtensile bond strength (μTBS) of one-step self-etch adhesives (1-SEAs) submitted to simulated pulpal pressure. Coronal deep-dentin specimens were bonded using Clearfil S3 Bond (S3), Adper Easy Bond (EB), or G-Bond Plus (GB) following the manufacturers' recommendations and light-cured for 10 seconds or 40 seconds. The dentin-bonded specimens were stored in distilled water for 24 hours without pulpal pressure (control) or submitted to 20 cm H2O simulated pulpal pressure for 24 hours. The specimens were cut into matchsticks and subjected to μTBS testing. The data were statistically analyzed using the three-way analysis of variance and Tukey's tests (p<0.05). Debonded sticks were investigated through scanning electron microscopy. EB obtained higher bond strengths than GB and S3. However, prolonged light activation (40 seconds) provided higher μTBS for all adhesives when submitted to pulpal pressure. Conversely, pulpal pressure caused a drop in μTBS in EB and S3 when light-cured for 10 seconds. A mixed failure mode was mainly attained for the control groups, whereas the specimens submitted to pulpal pressure failed in the adhesive mode. The μTBS of GB was not affected by pulpal pressure when light-cured for 10 seconds. Adhesive was the most prevalent failure mode, except when light-cured for 40 seconds, which showed predominantly cohesive failure. Extended curing times improved the resistance of 1-SEAs to simulated pulpal pressure.
Long-term neurologic outcome of hemilaminectomy and disk fenestration for treatment of dogs with thoracolumbar intervertebral disk herniation: 831 cases (2000–2007)
Authors: Aikawa Takeshi , Fujita Hiroshi , Kanazono Shinichi , Shibata Mitsuhiro , Yoshigae Yuki
Published: December 2012

Objective—To determine the proportion of dogs with thoracolumbar intervertebral disk herniation (IVDH) that successfully recovered following hemilaminectomy and fenestration, the time to ambulation (TTA) in affected dogs after surgery, and the frequency of urinary and fecal incontinence in recovered dogs and to document long-term complications.

Design—Retrospective case series.

Animals—831 dogs with thoracolumbar IVDH treated by hemilaminectomy and concomitant disk fenestration by the same surgeon.

Procedures—For all dogs, neurologic deficits before surgery had been assessed with a modified grading system. Dogs were reexamined after surgery over a period of 3 to 6 months, and follow-up evaluation was performed at > 12 months. The proportion of dogs that neurologically improved after surgery, TTA, and incidence of fecal or urinary incontinence in recovered dogs were compared among dogs with various grades of neurologic dysfunction before surgery.

Results—Of 831 dogs, 122 had unsuccessful outcomes and 709 had successful outcomes. Of 620 dogs with intact deep nociception before surgery, 606 (97.7%) were ambulatory after surgery. Despite maintaining the ability to walk, 7 dogs were judged to have an unsuccessful outcome because the severity of ataxia did not improve. Of 211 paraplegic dogs with loss of deep nociception, 110 (52.1%) dogs became ambulatory after surgery. Long-term complications included incontinence, permanent neurologic deterioration, and self-mutilation. Dogs with paraplegia before surgery had a higher frequency of urinary or fecal incontinence, compared with dogs that were ambulatory.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Prognosis for dogs with thoracolumbar IVDH that retain deep nociception in at least 1 of the pelvic limbs or tail before surgery was good.
Use of surgery and mitoxantrone chemotherapy in a dog with disseminated lymphangiosarcoma
Authors: Sicotte Véronique , Benamou Jérôme , Fifle Lyanne C. , Planté Jérôme , Lacoste Hugues I. , Joly Hugo , Stern Adam W.
Published: December 2012

Case Description—A 5-year-old sexually intact male Giant Schnauzer was evaluated because of difficulty breathing and left pelvic limb swelling. Eighteen months previously, the patient had had intermittent left pelvic limb swelling, but the owner declined further testing at that time.

Clinical Findings—Physical examination revealed severe pitting edema of the left pelvic limb and prepuce and muffled heart sounds on thoracic auscultation. Results of thoracic radiography and thoracocentesis were consistent with chylothorax, and CT imaging of the thorax and abdomen revealed a mass involving the whole left sublumbar area.

Treatment and Outcome—In an attempt to treat the chylothorax, pleural omentalization and pericardectomy were performed. Histologic evaluation of several biopsy specimens harvested in the abdominal and thoracic cavities revealed disseminated lymphangiosarcoma. The patient recovered well from surgery, and mitoxantrone chemotherapy was administered. As of 10 months after surgery, the dog was clinically normal except for mild pelvic limb edema.

Clinical Relevance—The combination of clinical signs, multiple imaging features, surgical findings, and histologic examination findings enabled the final diagnosis of lymphangiosarcoma. Clinical management that included medical and surgical treatments and chemotherapy resulted in improved quality of life and extended survival time in a dog with metastatic lymphangiosarcoma.
From macro to lab-scale: Changes in bacterial community led to deterioration of EBPR in lab reactor
Authors: Muszyński Adam , Łebkowska Maria , Tabernacka Agnieszka , Miłobędzka Aleksandra
Published: December 2012

A laboratory scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR), fed with synthetic wastewater containing a mixture of organic compounds, was operated for nearly six months. Despite maintaining the same operational conditions, a deterioration of enhanced biological phosphorus removal (EBPR) occurred after 40 days of SBR operation. The Prel/Cupt ratio decreased from 0.28 to 0.06 P-mol C-mol−1, and C requirements increased from 11 to 32 mg C h−1 g−1 of mixed liquor suspended solids. A FISH analysis showed that the percentage of Accumulibacter in an overall community of polyphosphate accumulating organisms (PAOs) and glycogen accumulating organisms (GAOs) dropped from 93% to 13%. An increase in abundance of Gammaproteobacteria (from 2.6% to 22%) and Alphaproteobacteria (from 1.8% to 10%) was observed. The number of Competibacter increased from 0.5% to nearly 9%. Clusters 1 and 2 of Defluviicoccus-related GAOs, not detected before deterioration, constituted 35% and 27% of Alphaproteobacteria, respectively. We concluded that lab-scale experiments should not be extended implicitly to full-scale EBPR systems because some bacterial groups are detected mainlyin lab-scale reactors. Well-defined, lab-scale operational conditions reduce the number of ecological niches available to bacteria.
DREAM regulates insulin promoter activity through newly identified DRE element
Authors: Daneva Teodora , Pashova Shina , Emilova Radoslava , Padeshki Plamen , Gagov Hristo , Georgiev Volodia
Published: December 2012

Downstream regulatory element antagonist modulator (DREAM) protein is a 31 kDa Ca2+-regulated transcriptional repressor. It functions as a silencer of the gene transcription. In low intracellular free Ca2+ concentration DREAM tightly binds to the downstream regulatory element (DRE) of gene promoter and impedes the transcription. In higher Ca2+ concentrations DREAM binds Ca2+ and disconnects from DRE of the gene promoter enabling transcription. We report that DREAM is expressed in different human tissues including the pancreas, where it is located in the islets of Langerhans. Location of DREAM in RIN-F5 cells in cultures is restricted to the nucleus and membranes and changes after increased Ca2+-levels. The proteins dissociate from dimmers to monomers and translocate out of the nucleus. The expression of DREAM in β-cells in the islets of Langerhans regulates the promoter activity of the insulin gene by directly interacting with the sequence located between +52 bp and +81 bp downstream of the transcriptional start site of the promoter. Our results provide evidence for the existence of DRE sequence in the insulin gene promoter. It is suggested that DREAM is a repressor of insulin gene transcription, whose effect is mediated by direct binding to DRE sequence.
Sulphur distribution in the products of waste tire pyrolysis
Authors: Susa Dalibor , Haydary Juma
Published: December 2012

The aim of the presented work was to investigate the distribution of sulphur in tire pyrolysis products as well as the influence of process parameters (temperature and residence time) on sulphur distribution due to environmental concerns. Among modern methods used for waste tire recycling, pyrolysis is one of the most reasonable alternatives meeting current environmental standards. However, waste tire sulphur content can be a potential drawback for pyrolysis products utilisation as fuels. Sulphur is present in tires in different concentrations, depending on the type and age of the tires. Typical sulphur content in tires is about 1.6 mass %. In this paper, the distribution of sulphur in tire pyrolysis products was investigated. Tire pyrolysis yields three different products: liquid, gaseous, and solid residue composed mostly of carbon black (chars). Temperature and residence time are the two most important parameters affecting the yield and composition of the volatile fraction and they are therefore expected to affect the sulphur content in residues. Pyrolysis experiments were carried out in a laboratory pyrolysis reaction unit in the temperature range of 650°C to 750°C at different residence times: 88.6 s, 80.2 s, and 73.9 s. Liquid and solid products were analysed by elemental analysis and the distribution of total sulphur in tire pyrolysis products was calculated.
Long-term variations of the seasonal snow cover in Nordland, Norway: the influence of the North Atlantic Oscillation
Authors: Theakstone Wilfred H.
Published: December 2012

Temporal and spatial variations of the seasonal snow cover at 40 sites in Nordland county, Norway, since the last decade of the 19th century are examined. Nordland lies across the Arctic Circle. Annual maximum snow depths there have varied, reflecting the interaction of synoptic conditions, temperature and terrain. North/south and coastal/inland differences are evident, but common temporal trends are identified. Maximum snow depths are strongly related to the winter North Atlantic Oscillation index. Early in the 20th century, the index was positive and the associated stormy conditions resulted in a deep, prolonged snow cover. As the index declined in the 1920s, snow depths decreased sharply. Through much of the second half of the 20th century they increased as the index tended to become more positive. The start and duration of the period of continuous snow cover is influenced by the autumn NAO index. A decrease of duration around 1990 was particularly evident at low-lying stations and those in northern Nordland. The NAO has varied considerably over the past 120 years. Because of its influence, forecasting future trends of snow depth and snow-cover duration is not a simple task.
Registration of ‘TAM 113’ Wheat
Authors: Rudd Jackie C. , Devkota Ravindra N. , Baker Jason A. , Ibrahim Amir M. , Worrall David , Lazar Mark D. , Sutton Russell , Rooney Lloyd W. , Nelson Lloyd R. , Bean Brent , Duncan Robert , Seabourn Brad W. , Bowden Robert L. , Jin Yue , Graybosch Robert A.
Published: December 2012

‘TAM 113’ (Reg. No. CV‐1081, PI 666125), a hard red winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivar with experimental designation TX02A0252, was developed and released by Texas AgriLife Research in 2010. TAM 113 is an F5–derived line from the cross TX90V6313/TX94V3724 made at Vernon, TX in 1995. Both TX90V6313 and TX94V3724 are Texas experimental lines derived from the crosses TAM 200“S”/TX78A3345‐V34 and U1254‐1‐8‐1‐1/‘TAM 202’ (PI 561933), respectively. TAM 113 is an awned, medium maturing, semidwarf wheat with white glumes. It was released primarily for its excellent grain‐yield potential in both irrigated and dryland environments of the Texas High Plains; for its resistance to leaf rust (caused by Puccinia triticina Eriks.), stripe rust (caused by P. striiformis Westend.), and stem rust (caused by P. graminis Pers.:Pers f. sp. tritici Eriks. & E. Henn.); and for its good milling and exceptional bread‐baking characteristics. TAM 113 has a similar area of adaptation and grain‐yield potential as ‘TAM 111’ (PI 631352) and ‘TAM 112’ (PI 643143). However, compared with TAM 111, it has better leaf rust resistance and better bread‐baking qualities, and compared with TAM 112, it has better resistance to leaf and stripe rusts. TAM 113, with better milling and baking characteristics and resistance to leaf, stripe, and stem rusts, will provide a good complement to other hard red winter wheat cultivars for wheat producers in the southern Great Plains.
Registration of ‘CPCL 95‐2287’ Sugarcane
Authors: Davidson R. Wayne , Milligan Scott B. , Gilbert Robert A. , Glynn Neil C. , Zhao Duli , Comstock Jack C. , Glaz Barry , Edmé Serge J. , Hu Chen-Jian , Holder David G. , Sood Sushma
Published: December 2012

Development of ‘CPCL 95‐2287’ (Reg. No. CV‐149, PI 664938) sugarcane (a complex hybrid of Saccharum spp.) is the latest in a series of commercial sugarcane cultivar releases originating from the United States Sugar Corporation (USSC) and completed by the cooperative Canal Point sugarcane breeding and selection program, which included the USDA‐ARS, the University of Florida, and the Florida Sugarcane League, Inc. CPCL 95‐2287, which was released in Florida on 20 Sept. 2011, was selected from a cross of genotype CL 78‐1120 × CL 78‐1600 made at Clewiston, FL on 27 Dec. 1994. The female and male parents, CL 78‐1120 and CL 78‐1600, are proprietary genotypes of USSC. CPCL 95‐2287 was released because of its high cane yield, acceptable levels of commercial recoverable sucrose on organic (muck) soils, and its resistance to brown rust (caused by Puccinia melanocephala H. & P. Sydow), smut (caused by Ustilago scitaminea H. & P. Sydow), Sugarcane mosaic virus strain E (mosaic), and leaf scald [caused by Xanthomonas albilineans (Ashby) Dowson], and its moderate resistance to orange rust (caused by Puccinia kuehnii E.J. Butler). All of these diseases are of economic importance to sugarcane production in Florida.
From the Desk of Editor-in-Chief
Authors: Uddin A K M Rafique
Published: December 2012

Not available DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jemc.v2i2.12836J Enam Med Col 2012; 2(2): 50