bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Radio Source Scintillations Through Comet Tails Revisited: Comet Wilson (1987)
Authors: Slee OB , Bobra AD , Waldron D , Lim J
Published: June 2013

Observations of the quasars 0606-795 and 0637-752 as the tail of Comet Wilson swept across them on May 1 and May 2, 1987, showed a three-fold increase in scintillation index over that of nearby compact radio sources outside the tail. Two scintillation regimes have been identified: (1) small-scale turbulence of 10-40 km develops near the tail-axis; (2) large-scale turbulence of 90-350 km is present in the off-axis transition region between the tail plasma and solar wind. At a distance 0�12 AU downstream from the nucleus the r.m.s. electron-density variation in these turbules is 4-8 cm-3 on axis and 0�8-1� 7 cm-3 in the transition region between the tail and the solar wind. The reported negative results from earlier comets are shown to be of doubtful significance.
Transport Phenomena in the Presence of Reactions: Definition and Measurement of Transport Coefficients
Authors: Robson RE
Published: June 2013

Transport coefficients defined as constants of proportionality in flux-gradient relationships generally differ, in the presence of reactions, from coefficients of gradient terms appearing in balance equations such as the diffusion equation. Consequently, experiments sampling fluxes have to be interpreted differently from those sampling bulk properties. This difference is analysed here from the perspective of swarm experiments, which are surveyed and analysed with the help of a phenomenological transport theory. Standardisation in terminology and reporting of transport coefficients, along the lines suggested by Blevin and Fletcher (1984), is strongly supported.
Nonlinear Aspects of Wave Propagation in a Magnetised Plasma in the Presence of Coriolis Force
Authors: Chakraborty B , Paul SN , Sur AK , Kashyapi PK
Published: June 2013

Nonlinear modifications in the refractive indices of quasicircular electromagnetic waves, propagating obliquely in a cold homogeneous magnetised plasma in the presence of the Corio lis force of rotation, have been theoretically investigated. Some interesting properties are found to occur, which depend on the gyrofrequency, rotational frequency and the amplitudes of the waves. The characteristic variations of the refractive indices of the left and right circularly polarised waves, for different values of the gyrofrequency and rotational frequency, are shown graphically. The stop-bands, which are located for both the waves in the presence of the Coriolis force, are discussed. The stability criteria of the waves interacting with a plasma are also investigated. The results obtained are more general than those reported previously.
Anomalous Anisotropic Diffusion of Electron Swarms in AC Electric Fields
Authors: White RD , Robson RE , Ness KF
Published: June 2013

A time-dependent multi-term solution of the Boltzmann equation is used to calculate the drift and diffusion coefficients of electron swarms in gases under the influence of a time varying electric field. Two model gases are considered and for a.c. electric fields results are presented for a wide range of applied frequencies. Of particular interest is the anomalous temporal behaviour of the longitudinal diffusion coefficient, which is discussed here for the first time.
High Power Lasers and Novel Optics for Laser Interferometric Gravitational Wave Detectors
Authors: Veitch PJ , Munch J , Hamilton MW , Ottaway D , Greentree A , Tikhomirov A
Published: June 2013

Research at Adelaide is directed towards the development of critical optical components for second generation long baseline gravitational wave interferometers. In particular, the development of high power, low noise lasers, and an investigation to determine the potential of holographic, diffractive and nonlinear optical components for solving some of the problems which could limit the sensitivity of second generation detectors. In this paper we will outline the proposed research and present some early results.
The Triple Coincidence Detection of the Helium 31D State Decay
Authors: Mikosza AG , Williams JF
Published: June 2013

The first triple coincidence detection of the scattered energy loss electron and the sequential cascading photons, 667�8 nm 31 D → 21P and 58�4 nm 21P → 11S, from the electron impact excitation of the 31D state of helium is reported. An experimental method for identification and determination of the triple coincidences and initial results is reported. The measurement is the final experimental step in determining all the information to define completely the excited 3D state.
Gravitational Paramagnetism, Diamagnetism and Gravitational Superconductivity
Authors: Agop M , Gh Buzea C , Griga V , Ciubotariu C , Buzea C , Stan C , Jatomir D
Published: June 2013

In the weak field approximation to the gravitational field equations, we study gravitational paramagnetism and diamagnetism, the gravitational Meissner effect and gravitational superconductivity. The spontaneous symmetry breaking corresponds to crossing from closed geodesics to open ones, and to the existence of a critical temperature in the frame of a gauge model at finite temperature. In this later case one can obtain expressions giving the dependence of several superconducting parameters on temperature.
Immunolocalisation and oestrogen regulation of small proline-rich protein 2a protein in the mouse uterus
Authors: Lee Hyang-Ah , Kim Hye-Ryun , Lee Young Jin , Lee Seung-Joon , Kim Woo Jin , Han Seon-Sook , Yang Se-Ran , Woo Heung-Myong , Na Sunghun , Song Haengseok , Hong Seok-Ho
Published: June 2013

Small proline-rich protein 2a (Sprr2a) is one of the structural components of the cornified keratinocyte cell envelope that contributes to form a protective barrier in the skin against dehydration and environmental stress. Interestingly, Sprr2a mRNA is detected in the mouse uterus and is regulated by 17β-oestradiol (E2). In the present study, we investigated the effects of E2 and oestrogenic compounds on the regulation and localisation of Sprr2a protein in the mouse uterus. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that Sprr2a protein is detected only in the adult uterus, and not in the ovary, oviduct or testis. We also demonstrated that Sprr2a protein is tightly regulated by E2 in the mouse uterus and exclusively detected in luminal and glandular epithelial cells. Furthermore, Sprr2a is dose-dependently induced by oestrogenic compounds such as bisphenol A and 4-tert-octylphenol. Collectively, our studies suggest that Sprr2a protein may have a unique function in physiological events in the mouse uterus and can be used as an indicator to detect compounds with oestrogenic activity in the mouse uterus.
A cohomological interpretation of Bogomolov’s instability
Authors: Di Cerbo Gabriele
Published: June 2013

We give a new proof of Bogomolov’s instability theorem. Furthermore, we prove that it is equivalent to a statement which characterizes when the first cohomology group of a suitable divisor does not vanish.
BeCAS: biomedical concept recognition services and visualization
Authors: Nunes Tiago , Campos David , Matos Sérgio , Oliveira José Luís
Published: June 2013

Summary: The continuous growth of the biomedical scientific literature has been motivating the development of text-mining tools able to efficiently process all this information. Although numerous domain-specific solutions are available, there is no web-based concept-recognition system that combines the ability to select multiple concept types to annotate, to reference external databases and to automatically annotate nested and intercepted concepts. BeCAS, the Biomedical Concept Annotation System, is an API for biomedical concept identification and a web-based tool that addresses these limitations. MEDLINE abstracts or free text can be annotated directly in the web interface, where identified concepts are enriched with links to reference databases. Using its customizable widget, it can also be used to augment external web pages with concept highlighting features. Furthermore, all text-processing and annotation features are made available through an HTTP REST API, allowing integration in any text-processing pipeline.

Availability: BeCAS is freely available for non-commercial use at http://bioinformatics.ua.pt/becas.

Contacts:  tiago.nunes@ua.pt or jlo@ua.pt
Poles Apart? The Contestation between the Ideas of No Fault Dismissal and Unfair Dismissal for Protecting Job Security
Authors: Howe Joanna
Published: June 2013

Unfair dismissal law has been the persistent subject of reform since its inception in Britain and Australia. This paper endeavours to identify the ideas and perceptions that have animated the contestations between traditional and emerging notions of unfair dismissal law producing this reform. In Britain in particular and to a lesser extent in Australia, there has been consideration of a new reform proposal of compensated no fault dismissal which would seek to challenge the normative ideal of industrial justice used to justify traditional unfair dismissal law. The primary arguments being used by proponents of the no fault dismissal proposal pertain to efficiency, simplicity and reducing regulatory burdens upon business. This paper questions whether these arguments provide a sufficient basis for replacing traditional unfair dismissal law with no fault dismissal, arguing that the latter relies upon a commodity conception of work that does not account for benefits other than the economic value which an individual receives from their job.
Good consent practice
Authors: Jibawi Abdullah , Cade David
Published: June 2013

Good consent practice
Preoperative assessment
Authors: Jibawi Abdullah , Cade David
Published: June 2013

Preoperative assessment - Assessment of cardiovascular system - Assessment of
respiratory system
Prevention of infective endocarditis (IE)
Authors: Jibawi Abdullah , Cade David
Published: June 2013

Prevention of infective endocarditis
Sepsis and septic shock
Authors: Jibawi Abdullah , Cade David
Published: June 2013

Sepsis and septic shock
Barrett's oesophagus
Authors: Jibawi Abdullah , Cade David
Published: June 2013

Barrett's oesophagus (columnar-lined oesophagus)
Management of oesophageal variceal haemorrhage
Authors: Jibawi Abdullah , Cade David
Published: June 2013

Management of oesophageal variceal haemorrhage
Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs)
Authors: Jibawi Abdullah , Cade David
Published: June 2013

Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs)
Carotid artery stenosis
Authors: Jibawi Abdullah , Cade David
Published: June 2013

Carotid artery stenosis
Chronic venous insufficiency (CVI)
Authors: Jibawi Abdullah , Cade David
Published: June 2013

Chronic venous insufficiency
Surgery for hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Jibawi Abdullah , Cade David
Published: June 2013

Surgery for hyperparathyroidism
Frank John Fenner FAA. 21 December 1914 — 22 November 2010
Authors: Boyden Stephen , Blanden Robert , Mims Cedric
Published: June 2013

Frank Fenner made major contributions to our understanding of viruses through his research on ectromelia and on the co-evolution of the myxoma virus and its rabbit host. Then in later life he applied his formidable administrative skills to promoting the study of the environment as the first Director of the Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies at the Australian National University. Fenner was a key member of the World Health Organization team behind the eradication of smallpox. He made a very impressive contribution to the literature in microbiology, and his textbooks on virology are used throughout the world.
Epidemiological mechanisms of genetic resistance to kuru
Authors: Atkins Katherine E. , Townsend Jeffrey P. , Medlock Jan , Galvani Alison P.
Published: June 2013

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), such as kuru, are invariably fatal neurodegenerative conditions caused by a malformation of the prion protein. Heterozygosity of codon 129 of the prion protein gene has been associated with increased host resistance to TSEs, although the mechanism by which this resistance is achieved has not been determined. To evaluate the epidemiological mechanism of human resistance to kuru, we developed a model that combines the dynamics of kuru transmission and the population genetics of human resistance. We fitted our model to kuru data from the epidemic that occurred in Papua New Guinea over the last hundred years. To elucidate the epidemiological mechanism of human resistance, we estimated the incubation period and transmission rate of kuru for codon 129 heterozygotes and homozygotes using kuru incidence data and human genotype frequency data from 1957 to 2004. Our results indicate that human resistance arises from a combination of both a longer incubation period and reduced susceptibility to infection. This work provides evidence for balancing selection acting on a human population and the mechanistic basis for the heterozygote resistance to kuru.
Optical parameters of the tunable Bragg reflectors in squid
Authors: Ghoshal Amitabh , DeMartini Daniel G. , Eck Elizabeth , Morse Daniel E.
Published: June 2013

Cephalopods (e.g. octopus, squid and cuttlefish) dynamically tune the colour and brightness of their skin for camouflage and communication using specialized skin cells called iridocytes. We use high-resolution microspectrophotometry to investigate individual tunable Bragg structures (consisting of alternating reflectin protein-containing, high-refractive index lamellae and low-refractive index inter-lamellar spaces) in live and chemically fixed iridocytes of the California market squid,Doryteuthis opalescens. This subcellular, single-stack microspectrophotometry allows for spectral normalization, permitting use of a transfer-matrix model of Bragg reflectance to calculate all the parameters of the Bragg stack—the refractive indices, dimensions and numbers of the lamellae and inter-lamellar spaces. Results of the fitting analyses show that eight or nine pairs of low- and high-index layers typically contribute to the observed reflectivity in live cells, whereas six or seven pairs of low- and high-index layers typically contribute to the reflectivity in chemically fixed cells. The reflectin-containing, high-index lamellae of live cells have a refractive index proportional to the peak reflectivity, with an average of 1.405 ± 0.012 and a maximum around 1.44, while the reflectin-containing lamellae in fixed tissue have a refractive index of 1.413 ± 0.015 suggesting a slight increase of refractive index in the process of fixation. As expected, incremental changes in refractive index contribute to the greatest incremental changes in reflectivity for those Bragg stacks with the most layers. The excursions in dimensions required to tune the measured reflected wavelength from 675 (red) to 425 nm (blue) are a decrease fromca150 to 80 nm for the high-index lamellae and fromca120 to 50 nm for the low-index inter-lamellar spaces. Fixation-induced dimensional changes also are quantified, leading us to suggest that further microspectrophotometric analyses of this iridocyte system can be used as a model system to quantify the effects of various methods of tissue fixation. The microspectrophotometry technique described can be expected to provide deeper insights into the molecular and physical mechanisms governing other biophotonically active cells and structures.
Covariance in plasticity
Authors: Mariano Paolo Maria
Published: June 2013

Covariance is imposed to the second law of thermodynamics and consequences are shown for elastic-perfectly plastic bodies. In this setting, pointwise balances of standard and configurational actions, constitutive restrictions on the first Piola–Kirchhoff stress and the Eshelby one, and the structure of the dissipation are all derived from a unique source.
Quaternions and hybrid nematic disclinations
Authors: Čopar Simon , Žumer Slobodan
Published: June 2013

Disclination lines in nematic liquid crystals can exist in different geometric conformations, characterized by their director profile. In certain confined colloidal suspensions and even more prominently in chiral nematics, the director profile may vary along the disclination line. We construct a robust geometric decomposition of director profile in closed disclination loops and use it to apply topological classification to linked loops with arbitrary variation of the profile, generalizing the self-linking number description of disclination loops with the winding number. The description bridges the gap between the known abstract classification scheme derived from homotopy theory and the observable local features of disclinations, allowing application of said theory to structures that occur in practice.
Is low pathogenic avian influenza virus virulent for wild waterbirds?
Authors: Kuiken Thijs
Published: June 2013

Although low pathogenic avian influenza virus (LPAIV) is traditionally considered to have adapted to its wild waterbird host to become avirulent, recent studies have suggested that LPAIV infection might after all have clinical effects. Therefore, I reviewed the literature on LPAIV infections in wild waterbirds. The virulence of LPAIV was assessed in 17 studies on experimental infections and nine studies on natural infections. Reported evidence for virulence were reductions in return rate, feeding rate, body weight, long-range movement and reproductive success, as well as pathological changes in infected organs. However, major caveats in studies of experimental infections were unnatural route of LPAIV inoculation, animal husbandry not simulating natural stressors and low sensitivity of clinical assessment. Major caveats in studies of natural infections were incomplete measurement of LPAIV infection burden, quasi-experimental design and potential misclassification of birds. After taking these caveats into account, the only remaining evidence for virulence was that presence and intensity of LPAIV infection were negatively correlated with body weight. Based on this correlation, together with the demonstrated LPAIV tropism for the intestinal tract, I hypothesize that LPAIV reduces digestive tract function, and suggest how future studies could be directed to test this hypothesis.
Measuring Ca2+Release Evoked by Cyclic ADP-Ribose
Authors: Guse Andreas H.
Published: June 2013

As a ubiquitous second messenger, the Ca2+mobilizing activity of cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR) has been observed in many different cell types. The measurement of Ca2+release evoked by cADPR comprises several practical challenges. At physiological pH, cADPR has a net negative charge and it therefore cannot cross the cell membrane in cells that lack a suitable cADPR-transporting system. Thus, either the plasma membrane must be permeabilized or microinjection must be used to deliver cADPR to the cytosol. In this article, two methods for cADPR delivery (using permeabilized cells or microinjection) are explained step-by-step. Because most of our work has been performed using the Jurkat T-lymphoma cell line, the methods are tailored for this specific cell type. For other cell types, the procedures may need to be adapted.
Plasticity influencing the light compensation point offsets the specialization for light niches across shrub species in a tropical forest understorey
Authors: Sterck Frank J. , Duursma Remko A. , Pearcy Robert W. , Valladares Fernando , Cieslak Mikolaj , Weemstra Monique
Published: June 2013

Shade tolerance can be defined as the light level at which plants can survive and possibly grow. This light level is referred to as the whole‐plant light compensation point (LCP). The LCP depends on multiple leaf and architectural traits. We are still uncertain how often interspecific trait differences allow species to specialize for separate light niches, as observed between shade‐tolerant species and light‐demanding species. Alternatively, trait plasticity may allow many species to grow in similar light conditions.

We measured leaf and architectural traits of up to 1.5‐year‐old seedlings of 15 sympatric Psychotria shrub species grown at three light levels. We used a 3D plant model to estimate the impacts of leaf traits, architectural traits and plant size on the whole‐plant light compensation point (LCPplant). Plant growth rates were estimated from destructive harvests and allometric relationships.

At lower light levels, plants of all species achieved a lower leaf light compensation point (LCPleaf). The light interception efficiency (LIE), an index of self‐shading, decreased with increasing plant size and was therefore lower in high‐light treatments where plants grew more rapidly. When corrected for size, LIE was lower in the low‐light treatment, possibly as a result of lower investments in woody support. Species did not show trade‐offs in growth under low‐ and high‐light conditions, because species with the greatest plasticity in LCPplant and underlying traits (LCPleaf and LIE) achieved the highest growth rates at lower light levels.

Synthesis. The interspecific differences in LCPplant did not result in a growth or survival trade‐off between low‐ and high‐light conditions. Instead, these differences were more than offset by the greater plasticity in LCPplant in some species, which was driven by greater plasticity in both leaves and architecture. The most plastic species achieved the fastest growth at different light levels. The results show that plasticity largely neutralizes the separation of light niches amongst species in this forest understorey genus and imply that differential preferences of species for either gaps or forest understorey occur in later life phases or are driven by other stress factors than low light alone.
Neural plasticity and the Kennard principle: does it work for the preterm brain?
Authors: Bennet Laura , Van Den Heuij Lotte , M Dean Justin , Drury Paul , Wassink Guido , Jan Gunn Alistair
Published: June 2013

The Kennard principle suggests that the immature brain should be more able to recover from injury than the more developed brain. Curiously, preterm infants continue to have a high rate of debilitating neurodevelopmental handicaps despite a progressive improvement in structural damage to the brain, from acute necrotic injury of the periventricular white matter, with axonal loss in historical cohorts, to diffuse gliosis with trivial axonal damage.

 In the present review we examine recent evidence that disability after preterm birth is largely mediated by disturbed development of neuronal connections. Potential mechanisms include impaired white matter maturation associated with gliosis, suboptimal neuronal maturation, adverse effects of infection/inflammation on the cell environment, exposure to clinical therapies that modulate brain function (including maternal glucocorticoids), upregulation of physiological apoptosis and loss or misprogramming of progenitor cells in the subventricular zone.

 These findings suggest that insults during this critical phase alter the trajectory of brain development and that a key focus of basic science and clinical research should be to understand neuronal connectivity, as well as the triggers of cell death.
MreB and MurG as scaffolds for the cytoplasmic steps of peptidoglycan biosynthesis
Authors: Favini‐Stabile Sandy , Contreras‐Martel Carlos , Thielens Nicole , Dessen Andréa
Published: June 2013

Peptidoglycan is a major determinant of cell shape in bacteria, and its biosynthesis involves the concerted action of cytoplasmic, membrane‐associated and periplasmic enzymes. Within the cytoplasm, Mur enzymes catalyse the first steps leading to peptidoglycan precursor biosynthesis, and have been suggested as being part of a multicomponent complex that could also involve the transglycosylase MurG and the cytoskeletal protein MreB. In order to initialize the characterization of a potential Mur interaction network, we purified MurD, MurE, MurF, MurG and MreB from Thermotoga maritima and characterized their interactions using membrane blotting and surface plasmon resonance. MurD, MurE and MurF all recognize MurG and MreB, but not each other, while the two latter proteins interact. In addition, we solved the crystal structures of MurD, MurE and MurF, which indicate that their C‐termini display high conformational flexibilities. The differences in Mur conformations could be important parameters for the stability of an intracytoplasmic murein biosynthesis complex.
Worshipping Bodies: Affective Labour in the Hillsong Church
Authors: WADE MATTHEW , HYNES MARIA
Published: June 2013

The Australian megachurch, Hillsong, is as well known for its music and spectacle as it is for the content of its religious ideas. This is largely due, as Connell argues in his geography of Hillsong, to the peculiar mix of the theological and the modern that a highly globalised and mediatised context can today produce. This paper re‐examines the phenomenon of Hillsong through the theory of affect, which has gained notable analytical purchase in geography in recent years. More specifically, it uses the concept of ‘affective labour’ to analyse the specific ways in which bodies are put to work in the spaces of Hillsong worship. We demonstrate the way that Hillsong produces and mobilises affect in order to attain the collective experience of the spectacle, which is so crucial to Hillsong's visibility as a social phenomenon and also to its recruitment of the individual member into the logic and ethos of the church as a whole. We indicate the importance for the success of Hillsong of producing particular kinds of subject, namely, subjects who are at once comfortable, enthusiastic and loyal. By recruiting its followers as affective labourers towards a shared evangelical cause, the embodied and vaguely felt sense of potential of members is mobilised towards the spectacular phenomenon that is the Hillsong church.
Feasibility study for efficacy of group weight management programmes achieving therapeutic weight loss in people with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Farrer Olivia , Golley Rebecca
Published: June 2013

Aim

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of traditional diabetes and weight management advice to short‐term use of a very low calorie diet combined with traditional education in a group setting for people with type 2 diabetes.

Methods

A 12‐week, non‐randomised dietary intervention was used including a control and treatment group in a community setting targeting obese individuals with type 2 diabetes. Participants attended a pilot programme aiming to lose 5–10% body weight. Main outcome measures included percentage weight loss, change in HbA1c and total cholesterol.

Results

At 12 weeks more participants in the treatment group achieved significant weight loss of 5–10%, an average loss of 6.6 kg and a significant change in HbA1c (P = 0.017). Overall there was no significant changes in cholesterol for either group (P = 0.9).

Conclusions

The study demonstrates the feasibility for short‐term use of a very low‐calorie diet for medically significant change in weight and HbA1c in obese people with type 2 diabetes and could provide a realistic framework clinical management of weight in a group setting.
Venom production, venom gland cell fine structure and complementary DNA cloning of a novel cysteine‐rich secretory venom protein of the parasitoid wasp Cotesia glomerata (L.) (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)
Authors: Arakawa Toru , Tanaka Hiromitsu , Ishibashi Jun , Fujii‐Muramatsu Rika , Murakami Ritsuko , Nakashima Nobuhiko
Published: June 2013

In host‐parasitoid interactions, the venom fluid of a female wasp (Cotesia glomerata) is considered to play a role in regulation of the host immune response to protect her offspring. In this study, we detected a rapid increase in protein content in the female C. glomerata venom reservoir just after eclosion, at which time the venom gland cell exhibited fine structures typical of secretory function. We isolated a protein from the venom, termed C. glomerata venom protein 1 (CgVP1). After N‐terminal amino acid sequencing analysis of CgVP1, the complementary DNA (cDNA) encoding this protein was cloned and sequenced. Two cDNAs (CgVP1‐a and CgVP1‐b) were obtained whose nucleotide sequences differed at two positions, resulting in putative substitutions of amino acid residues at two positions in the mature protein. The following features were indicated by cDNA sequence analysis and matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionisation time‐of‐flight mass spectrometry analysis: (1) CgVP1 consists of 81 amino acid residues, eight of which are cysteine; (2) CgVP1 is preceded by a putative secretory signal consisting of 18 amino acids; (3) the molecular masses of mature CgVP1‐a and CgVP1‐b are 9316.2 and 9302.0, respectively; (4) the eight cysteines of CgVP1 form four pairs of intramolecular disulfide bonds; and (5) BLAST searching indicated that CgVP1 has no similarity to previously reported proteins.
Newcomers Navigating Language Choice and Seeking Voice: Peer Talk in a Multilingual Primary School Classroom in Finland
Authors: Mökkönen Alicia Copp
Published: June 2013

This article investigates how two young newcomers navigate an institutional policy of “English only” in a Finnish primary school and how this policy impacts opportunities for voice. From a discourse analytic and sociolinguistic perspective, the analysis takes an ethnographic path to a focal event of language conflict in the classroom. The analysis reveals that these two learners negotiate more powerful voices for themselves, despite responding differently to normative practices for code use in the classroom.
Electrohysterography of labor contractions: propagation velocity and direction
Authors: Mikkelsen Eva , Johansen Peter , Fuglsang‐Frederiksen Anders , Uldbjerg Niels
Published: June 2013

Objective

Electrohysterographic assessment of the propagation velocity of uterine depolarization has been introduced as a promising predictor of preterm labor. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to characterize the uterine electrohysterographic signals during labor and to determine the propagation velocity and propagation direction of electrohysterographic signals.

Design

Descriptive study.

Setting

Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Aarhus University Hospital, Denmark.

Population

Eight women in active labor at term.

Methods

Electrohysterograms (three channels) were recorded using surface electrodes placed abdominally along the vertical median axis with an inter‐electrode distance of 6.5–11.2 cm. In total, 89 contractions were analyzed.

Results

Electrohysterographic characteristics: The duration of the contractions was 61.0 ± 18.0 s (mean ± SD). The median frequency of the power spectrum density was 0.51 (0.44; 0.51) Hz (median; 10th; 90th percentile). The greatest signal magnitude was obtained by the electrode in the centermost position. The propagation velocity: 2.15 (0.66; 13.8) cm/s in the upper part and 1.53 (0.58; 6.7) cm/s in the lower part of the uterus. Propagation direction: Both downward (58%) and upward (42%) propagation of the electrohysterographic signals occurred. Moreover, downward and upward propagations were recorded simultaneously in the upper and lower part of the uterus, suggesting a multidirectional propagation pattern.

Conclusions

Labor contractions, expressed by electrohysterographic signals, propagate both in the downward and upward direction, a phenomenon that must be taken into account when determining the propagation velocity for preterm labor diagnostics.
The effect of concrete supplements on metacognitive regulation during learning and open‐book test taking
Authors: Ackerman Rakefet , Leiser David
Published: June 2013

Background

Previous studies have suggested that when reading texts, lower achievers are more sensitive than their stronger counterparts to surface‐level cues, such as graphic illustrations, and that even when uninformative, such concrete supplements tend to raise the text's subjective comprehensibility.

Aims

We examined how being led astray by uninformative concrete supplements in expository texts affects achievement. We focused on the mediating role of metacognitive processes by partialling out the role of cognitive ability, as indicated bySATscores, in accounting for the found differences between higher and lower achievers.

Sample and method

Undergraduate students studied expository texts in their base versions or in concrete versions, including uninformative supplements, in a within‐participant design. The procedure had three phases: Studying, open‐book test taking, and reanswering questions of one's choice.

Results

Overall, judgements of comprehension (JCOMPs) were higher after participants studied the concrete than the base versions, and the participants benefited from the open‐book test and the reanswering opportunity. An in‐depth examination of time investment,JCOMP, confidence in test answers, choice of questions to reanswer, and test scores indicated that those whose metacognitive processes were more effective and goal driven achieved higher scores.

Conclusions

The effectiveness of metacognitive processes during learning and test taking constitutes an important factor differentiating between higher and lower achievers when studying texts that include potentially misleading cues.
Ki67 is an independent predictor of oncological outcomes in patients with localized clear‐cell renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Gayed Bishoy A. , Youssef Ramy F. , Bagrodia Aditya , Darwish Oussama M. , Kapur Payal , Sagalowsky Arthur , Lotan Yair , Margulis Vitaly
Published: June 2013

Objective

To validate the impact of Ki67 expression on oncological outcomes of patients treated for clinically localized clear‐cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC).

Patients and Methods

Immunohistochemistry for Ki67 was performed on tissue microarray constructs of patients treated with radical or partial nephrectomy for clinically localized (M0) ccRCC and Ki67 expression >10% was considered abnormal.

Clinical and pathological data elements were entered into an institutional review board‐approved database.

The Kaplan–Meier method and Cox regression models were used to analyse disease‐free survival (DFS) and cancer‐specific survival (CSS) probabilities.

Results

Of 401 patients, 59.6% were males. The median (range) age was 58 (17–85) years, follow‐up was 22 (0–150) months and time to death was 27 (0–150) months. A total of 20.2% of patients had advanced stage (pT3–T4) and 31% had advanced grade (3–4) disease.

Abnormal expression of Ki67 was seen in 6.5% of our cohort and was associated with adverse pathological features (P < 0.05).

Patients with high expression of Ki67 were found to have 5‐year DFS and CSS rates of 67 and 84%, respectively, vs 87 and 95%, respectively, in those with normal expression (P < 0.001 and P < 0.05, respectively).

In multivariable analyses, adjusting for stage and grade, abnormal Ki67 expression was an independent predictor of DFS (hazard ratio [HR] 3.77, P = 0.011, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.35–10.52), but not of CSS (HR 3.51 P = 0.137, 95% CI 0.671–18.35).

Conclusions

Our findings support the role of Ki67 as a powerful independent predictor of inferior oncological outcomes in patients with ccRCC.

Further prospective studies are needed to determine the clinical applicability of these findings.
Baked egg food challenges – clinical utility of skin test to baked egg and ovomucoid in children with egg allergy
Authors: Tan J. W.‐L. , Campbell D. E. , Turner P. J. , Kakakios A. , Wong M. , Mehr S. , Joshi P.
Published: June 2013

Background

Many children with IgE‐mediated egg allergy can tolerate products containing extensively heated (baked) egg. Aside from food challenge, there are no tests which reliably predict tolerance to baked egg in egg‐allergic individuals.

Objectives

To determine if skin prick test (SPT) to baked egg (muffin) and ovomucoid can predict the outcome of baked egg challenges in egg allergic patients.

Methods

In this prospective study, children with a recent history of immediate allergic reactions to egg [and corroborative positive SPT or serum‐specific IgE (ssIgE) to egg] or those with SPT/ssIgE > 95% PPV for egg allergy were invited to undergo an open standardized baked egg (muffin) challenge. SPT to egg white, ovomucoid, and fresh muffin were performed immediately prior to challenge.

Results

One hundred and forty‐three egg allergic children underwent baked egg challenge and of these, 90 (63%) tolerated 1 g of egg protein in a baked muffin. Of the 53 positive challenges, eight (15%) had respiratory and/or cardiovascular symptoms. The median SPT diameters in positive challenges compared with negative challenges were baked muffin – 6.0 mm/4.0 mm and ovomucoid 7.5 mm/5.0 mm respectively. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated for SPT to baked egg and ovomucoid. The area under the curve was 0.68 for baked egg, and 0.67 for ovomucoid. A muffin SPT of < 2 mm had a negative predictive value of 88% and an ovomucoid SPT ≥ 11 mm had a positive predictive value of 100%.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

A SPT of < 2 mm to muffin had a high negative predictive value to baked egg challenge. Ovomucoid SPT ≥ 11 mm was very likely to predict a reaction to baked egg. In these children, deferring the challenge would be appropriate.
Glucose impairs B-1 cell function in diabetes
Authors: Jennbacken K , Ståhlman S , Grahnemo L , Wiklund O , Fogelstrand L
Published: June 2013

B-1 lymphocytes produce natural immunoglobulin (Ig)M, among which a large proportion is directed against apoptotic cells and altered self-antigens, such as modified low-density lipoprotein (LDL). Thereby, natural IgM maintains homeostasis in the body and is also protective against atherosclerosis. Diabetic patients have an increased risk of developing certain infections as well as atherosclerosis compared with healthy subjects, but the underlying reason is not known. The aim of this study was to investigate whether diabetes and insulin resistance affects B-1 lymphocytes and their production of natural IgM. We found that diabetic db/db mice had lower levels of peritoneal B-1a cells in the steady state-condition compared to controls. Also, activation of B-1 cells with the Toll-like receptor (TLR)-4 agonist Kdo2-Lipid A or immunization against Streptococcus pneumoniae led to a blunted IgM response in the diabetic db/db mice. In-vitro experiments with isolated B-1 cells showed that high concentrations of glucose, but not insulin or leptin, caused a reduced secretion of total IgM and copper-oxidized (CuOx)-LDL- and malondialdehyde (MDA)-LDL-specific IgM from B-1 cells in addition to a decreased differentiation into antibody-producing cells, proliferation arrest and increased apoptosis. These results suggest that metabolic regulation of B-1 cells is of importance for the understanding of the role of this cell type in life-style-related conditions.
The effect of mandibular 2‐implant overdentures on oral health–related quality of life: an international multicentre study
Authors: Awad Manal A. , Rashid Faahim , Feine Jocelyne S. ,   Overdenture Effectiveness Study Team Consortium
Published: June 2013

Objectives

To determine the difference in oral health–related quality of life (OHRQoL) in patients who received mandibular 2‐implant overdentures and conventional dentures in a pragmatic international study.

Materials and methods

In this prospective study, data were gathered from 203 edentulous patients (mean age, 68.8; SD: 10.4 years) at eight centres in North America, South America and Europe. The patients were provided with new mandibular conventional dentures or implant overdentures supported by 2 implants and ball attachments and opposed by conventional dentures. At baseline and at 6 months post‐treatment, patients rated their oral health–related quality of life using the OHIP‐20.

Results

A significantly higher proportion of the participants in the implant group in North America reported improvement in both the psychological and the handicap domains, compared to those who received conventional dentures (93% vs. 52%; P < 0.05). In South America, 100% of participants who received implant overdentures reported improvement in physical pain, compared to 66% in the conventional group (P < 0.05). Differences in mean change scores among those who expressed improvement were not significantly different between sites or treatments.

Conclusion

Mandibular 2‐implant overdentures are more likely than conventional dentures to improve OHRQL for edentulous patients. Cultural differences were also observed in the impact of implant overdentures on the different domains of the OHIP‐20.
The Suppressive Effect of IL‐27 on Encephalitogenic Th17 Cells Induced by Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes Reduces the Severity of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis
Authors: Moraes Adriel S. , Paula Rosemeire F.O. , Pradella Fernando , Santos Mariana P.A. , Oliveira Elaine C. , von Glehn Felipe , Camilo Daniela S. , Ceragioli Helder , Peterlevitz Alfredo , Baranauskas Vitor , Volpini Walkyria , Farias Alessandro S. , Santos Leonilda M.B.
Published: June 2013

Background

Both Th1 and Th17 cells specific for neuroantigen are described as encephalitogenic in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model.

Aim

The proposal of this study was to investigate how carbon nanotubes internalized by antigen‐presenting cells (APCs) affect the development of encephalitogenic CD4+ T cells.

Methods

Therefore, we stimulated encephalitogenic T cells in the presence or not of multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWCNT). After the incubation, we analyzed the expression profile of the encephalitogenic T cells and their capacity to induce EAE.

Results

Encephalitogenic CD4+ T cells cultured with APCs that were previously incubated with MWCNTs do not express IL‐17. The adoptive transfer of these cells causes less severe EAE than the transfer of both Th1 and Th17 cells that are not incubated with MWCNTs. These results suggest that the increased IL‐27 level produced by the APCs incubated with the carbon nanotubes inhibits the development of Th17 cells. This observation is confirmed by the concomitant reduction in the level of RORγt, which is a transcription factor essential for the development of Th17 cells. Moreover, the incubation of encephalitogenic T cells devoid of Th17 cells with neutralizing anti‐IL‐27 antibodies restored the production of IL‐17.

Conclusion

This finding confirms the suppressive effect of IL‐27 on encephalitogenic Th17 cells. The results presented suggest that the stimulation of APCs with carbon nanoparticles prior to neuroantigen presentation affects the development of the Th17 subset of encephalitogenic CD4+ T lymphocytes and results in less severe EAE.
Efficacy of video capsule endoscopy with flexible spectral imaging color enhancement at setting 3 for differential diagnosis of red spots in the small bowel
Authors: Maeda Mitsunori , Hiraishi Hideyuki
Published: June 2013

Background

Red spots on the small bowel mucosa are observed in patients with angioectasia and enteritis. The present study investigated the effectiveness of capsule endoscopy (CE)–flexible spectral imaging color enhancement (FICE) as a method for differential diagnosis of the two conditions.

Patients and Methods

The subjects were 30 patients who underwent CE and double‐balloon endoscopy at Dokkyo Medical University Hospital between February 2007 and January 2013. Of these 30 patients, those diagnosed with angioectasia were assigned to Group A (n = 13) and those diagnosed with enteritis were assigned to Group E (n = 17).

Results

Using FICE at setting 3 and comparing the color intensity of the red spots on a four‐step scale (0–3), no statistically significant (P = 0.712) difference was found between the twogroups (Group A: 2.69 ± 0.48, Group E: 2.76 ± 0.56). Subjects were considered to show a positive blue sign when areas of blue were observed against the yellow‐green background and surrounding the red spots. A comparison of the ratio of positive blue sign for both groups (Group A: 15.4% ± 37.6%, Group E: 94.1% ± 24.2%) showed a statistically significant increase in the ratio in Group E (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

The results of the present study suggest that blue sign may be effective in the differential diagnosis of angioectasia and enteritis in patients with red spots.
Just Promise: Reformulating Justice as a Practice of the Gift
Authors: Walter Gregory
Published: June 2013

The triune God's justice is best understood as promised justice. Promised justice enables Christian practices that critique and end injustice.
Overwinter survival, energy storage and reproductive allocation in the invasive round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) from a river system
Authors: Houston Brianna E. , Rooke Anna C. , Brownscombe Jacob W. , Fox Michael G.
Published: June 2013

The dynamic nature of population density during the invasion process may compromise how a population is able to cope with challenging environmental conditions within their non‐native range. In temperate regions, one of the greatest seasonal environmental challenges is winter. We assess overwinter survival, changes in body condition and lipid content, and reproductive allocation of round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) from the point of introduction and the leading edges of an expanding invasive population in a tributary of Lake Ontario. Autumn lipid content was highest in round goby from the downstream edge and lowest at the centre of the invasive range, likely due to lower population density and reduced intraspecific resource competition at the expanding edges of its distribution. After 142 days of starvation under simulated winter conditions, round goby exhibited 96% survival. Despite the extended starvation period, the majority of females were able to allocate energy into ovarian development, with 60% of females having a gonadosomatic index of >5% at the end of the overwintering period. Individuals originating from the downstream edge allocated significantly more energy towards reproduction compared with individuals from the upstream and centre locations. The results suggest that the position within an expanding invasive range can influence the autumn energy content and consequently the reproductive effort of round goby in early spring. High overwinter survival and greater allocation of energy to reproduction at the expanding edge of an invasion may contribute to the highly successful expansion of the round goby in the Great Lakes Basin.
Differential responses of circadian Per2 rhythms in cultured slices of discrete brain areas from rats showing internal desynchronisation by methamphetamine
Authors: Natsubori Akiyo , Honma Ken‐ichi , Honma Sato
Published: June 2013

Chronic methamphetamine (MAP) treatment desynchronises the behavior rhythms of rats from light–dark cycles. Our previous study (Masubuchi et al., 2000) demonstrated the phase reversal of circadian rhythms in clock gene expression in several brain areas of rats treated with MAP. However, for technical reasons, it was not clear whether the phase shifts were the consequence of phase‐shifted behavior rhythms or reflected phase shifts of extra‐suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) oscillators in these areas. In the present study, circadian gene expression rhythms in discrete brain areas were continuously monitored in slice cultures of MAP‐treated rats. Methamphetamine was given to rats carrying a Period2‐dLuciferase reporter system via the drinking water for more than 2 weeks. When behavior rhythms were completely phase reversed, the brain was sampled for slice cultures and circadian bioluminescence rhythms were measured for 5 days in the SCN and four areas of the dopaminergic system, the olfactory bulb, caudate putamen, parietal cortex and substantia nigra. The circadian rhythms in the SCN and caudate putamen were not significantly phase shifted, whereas those in the parietal cortex and substantia nigra showed significant phase‐delay shifts of 6–8 h and that in the olfactory bulb showed phase‐advance shifts of ca. 8 h. Neither the period nor the amplitude of the circadian rhythm was changed by MAP treatment. These findings indicate that the extra‐SCN oscillators in several brain areas are desynchronised from the SCN circadian pacemaker by MAP treatment in parallel with the desynchronisation of behavior rhythms in rats. As the direction and extent of phase shifts of circadian rhythms were different among the areas examined, the brain extra‐SCN oscillators responded differentially to MAP.