bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Raf and PI3K are the Molecular Targets for the Anti‐metastatic Effect of Luteolin
Authors: Kim Ho Young , Jung Sung Keun , Byun Sanguine , Son Joe Eun , Oh Mi Hyun , Lee Jihoon , Kang Min Jeong , Heo Yong‐Seok , Lee Ki Won , Lee Hyong Joo
Published: November 2012

Metastases are the primary cause of human cancer deaths. Luteolin, a naturally occurring phytochemical, has chemopreventive and/or anticancer properties in several cancer cell lines. However, anti‐metastatic effects of luteolin in vivo and the underlying molecular mechanisms and target(s) remain unknown. Luteolin suppresses matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)‐2 and ‐9 activities and invasion in murine colorectal cancer CT‐26 cells. Western blot and kinase assay data revealed that luteolin inhibited Raf and phosphatidylinositol 3‐kinase (PI3K) activities and subsequently attenuated phosphorylation of MEK and Akt. A pull‐down assay indicated that luteolin non‐competitively bound with ATP to suppress Raf activity and competitively bound with ATP to inhibit PI3K activity. GW5074, a Raf inhibitor, and LY294002, a PI3K inhibitor, inhibited MMP‐2 and ‐9 activities and invasion in CT‐26 cells. An in vivo mouse study showed that oral administration (10 or 50 mg/kg) of luteolin significantly inhibited tumor nodules and tumor volume of lung metastasis induced by intravenous injection of CT‐26 cells. Luteolin also inhibited MMP‐9 expression and activity in CT‐26‐induced mouse lung tissue. These results suggest that luteolin may have considerable potential for development as an anti‐metastatic agent. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Perceptions and Use of Language Learning Strategies Among ESL Teachers and ELLs
Authors: Ardasheva Yuliya , Tretter Thomas R.
Published: November 2012

This survey study explored perceptions and use of language learning strategies among English as a second language teachers and English‐learning students (Grades 3–8, 10, and 11). The sample comprised 1,057 students (651 elementary, 275 middle, and 131 high school) and 54 teachers (31 elementary, 11 middle, and 12 high school) from 38 schools located in one urban midwestern U.S. school district. Results indicate that (a) the level of strategy effectiveness awareness among teachers working at all educational levels was high; (b) teacher and student strategy ratings differed qualitatively, with most of the teacher scores being above the high‐level benchmark and most of the students' scores within the medium‐level benchmark; and (c) none of the correlations between teacher and student strategy ratings were statistically significant. Implications for teachers and professional development providers are discussed.
Integrating Clinical Experiences in a TESOL Teacher Education Program: Curriculum Mapping as Process
Authors: Baecher Laura
Published: November 2012

Across all certification areas, teacher education is being challenged to better integrate clinical experiences with coursework. This article describes the process of curriculum mapping and its impact on the organization of clinical experiences in a master's TESOL program over a 1‐year redesign process. Although curriculum mapping has been employed in higher education, this has not yet been extended as a means to integrate clinical or field experiences in teacher education. Document analysis shows how curriculum mapping provided a structure for faculty to engage in developing well‐defined, developmental clinical activities as well as a means to foster greater coherence both horizontally and vertically in the TESOL curriculum. An additional affordance of the curriculum mapping process was the collaboration that occurred between TESOL full time faculty and part time clinical supervisors, as well as between TESOL and other teacher education program areas.
Laryngeal cancer: an overview
Authors: Williamson Jeremy S. , Biggs Timothy C. , Ingrams Duncan
Published: November 2012

The authors outline the clinical features of laryngeal cancer, explain how a diagnosis is reached and describe the implications of the various treatment modalities. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons
Cardiovascular and skeletal events in men treated with ADT for advanced prostate cancer: survivorship issues
Authors: Jefferies Edward , Bahl Amit , Hounsome Luke , Eylert Maike , Verne Julia , Persad Raj
Published: November 2012

With increasing recognition that androgen deprivation therapy has deleterious side‐effects to cardiovascular, metabolic and bone health, the authors advocate taking a more active role in the management of men who have been treated for prostate cancer, to help them live with and beyond cancer. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons
Absolute determination of the X‐ray absorption coefficient of barium in the L region using a liquid absorption cell
Authors: Kodre Alojz , Padežnik Gomilšek Jana , Hauko Robert , Šala Martin , Arčon Iztok
Published: November 2012

A method of absolute measurement of X‐ray absorption coefficient is proposed, on the basis of the use of an adjustable pathlength liquid cell and a solution of the investigated element. A variational analysis of the measured data is developed to remove some sources of systematic error. A check of the exponential attenuation with thickness is used to suppress beam harmonics admixture and dark current drifts. The method is illustrated by a measurement on Ba in the L edge region, using aqueous solution of Ba nitrate. Measured data provide information on detailed energy dependence of the absorption beyond the Victoreen‐like trends reproduced in compilations. The proposed method provides a way to measure the absorption data for practically all elements and a wide range of photon energies. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Testing new physics with the electron g − 2
Authors: Giudice G. F. , Paradisi P. , Passera M.
Published: November 2012

Abstract

We argue that the anomalous magnetic moment of the electron (a

e
) can be used to probe new physics. We show that the present bound on new-physics contributions to a

e
is 8 × 10−13, but the sensitivity can be improved by about an order of magnitude with new measurements of a

e
and more refined determinations of α in atomic-physics experiments. Tests on new-physics effects in a

e
can play a crucial role in the interpretation of the observed discrepancy in the anomalous magnetic moment of the muon (a

μ
). In a large class of models, new contributions to magnetic moments scale with the square of lepton masses and thus the anomaly in a

μ
suggests a new-physics effect in a

e
of (0.7 ± 0.2) × 10−13. We also present examples of new-physics theories in which this scaling is violated and larger effects in a

e
are expected. In such models the value of a

e
is correlated with specific predictions for processes with violation of lepton number or lepton universality, and with the electric dipole moment of the electron.
The spatial pattern of light determines the kinetics and modulates backpropagation of optogenetic action potentials
Authors: Grossman Nir , Simiaki Vasiliki , Martinet Claire , Toumazou Christofer , Schultz Simon R. , Nikolic Konstantin
Published: November 2012

Optogenetics offers an unprecedented ability to spatially target neuronal stimulations. This study investigated via simulation, for the first time, how the spatial pattern of excitation affects the response of channelrhodopsin-2 (ChR2) expressing neurons. First we described a methodology for modeling ChR2 in the NEURON simulation platform. Then, we compared four most commonly considered illumination strategies (somatic, dendritic, axonal and whole cell) in a paradigmatic model of a cortical layer V pyramidal cell. We show that the spatial pattern of illumination has an important impact on the efficiency of stimulation and the kinetics of the spiking output. Whole cell illumination synchronizes the depolarization of the dendritic tree and the soma and evokes spiking characteristics with a distinct pattern including an increased bursting rate and enhanced back propagation of action potentials (bAPs). This type of illumination is the most efficient as a given irradiance threshold was achievable with only 6 % of ChR2 density needed in the case of somatic illumination. Targeting only the axon initial segment requires a high ChR2 density to achieve a given threshold irradiance and a prolonged illumination does not yield sustained spiking. We also show that patterned illumination can be used to modulate the bAPs and hence spatially modulate the direction and amplitude of spike time dependent plasticity protocols. We further found the irradiance threshold to increase in proportion to the demyelination level of an axon, suggesting that measurements of the irradiance threshold (for example relative to the soma) could be used to remotely probe a loss of neural myelin sheath, which is a hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases.
NSGC Practice Guideline: Prenatal Screening and Diagnostic Testing Options for Chromosome Aneuploidy
Authors: Wilson K. L. , Czerwinski J. L. , Hoskovec J. M. , Noblin S. J. , Sullivan C. M. , Harbison A. , Campion M. W. , Devary K. , Devers P. , Singletary C. N.
Published: November 2012

The BUN and FASTER studies, two prospective multicenter trials in the United States, validated the accuracy and detection rates of first and second trimester screening previously reported abroad. These studies, coupled with the 2007 release of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Practice Bulletin that endorsed first trimester screening as an alternative to traditional second trimester multiple marker screening, led to an explosion of screening options available to pregnant women. ACOG also recommended that invasive diagnostic testing for chromosome aneuploidy be made available to all women regardless of maternal age. More recently, another option known as Non‐invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT) became available to screen for chromosome aneuploidy. While screening and testing options may be limited due to a variety of factors, healthcare providers need to be aware of the options in their area in order to provide their patients with accurate and reliable information. If not presented clearly, patients may feel overwhelmed at the number of choices available. The following guideline includes recommendations for healthcare providers regarding which screening or diagnostic test should be offered based on availability, insurance coverage, and timing of a patient's entry into prenatal care, as well as a triage assessment so that a general process can be adapted to unique situations.
Gambling Increases Self-Control Strength in Problem Gamblers
Authors: Bergen Anne E. , Newby-Clark Ian R. , Brown Andrea
Published: November 2012

In two studies it is demonstrated that, in the short-term, slot machine gambling increases self-control strength in problem gamblers. In Study 1 (N = 180), participants were randomly assigned to either play slot machines or engage in a control task (word anagrams) for 15 min. Subsequent self-control strength was measured via persistence on an impossible tracing task. Replicating Bergen et al. (J Gambl Stud, doi:10.1007/s10899-011-9274-9, 2011), control condition participants categorized as problem gamblers persisted for less time than did lower gambling risk participants. However, in the slot machine condition, there were no significant differences in persistence amongst participants as a function of their gambling classification. Moreover, problem gambling participants in the slot machine condition persisted at the impossible tracing task longer than did problem gambling participants in the control condition. Study 2 (N = 209) systematically replicated Study 1. All participants initially completed two tasks known to deplete self-control strength and a different control condition (math problems) was used. Study 2 results were highly similar to those of Study 1. The results of the studies have implications for the helping professions. Specifically, helping professionals should be aware that problem gamblers might seek out gambling as a means of increasing self-control strength.
Loss of Fat with Increased Adipose Triglyceride Lipase‐Mediated Lipolysis in Adipose Tissue During Laying Stages in Quail
Authors: Yang Shujin , Suh Yeunsu , Choi Young Min , Shin Sangsu , Han Jae Yong , Lee Kichoon
Published: November 2012

The goal of the current study was to investigate regulation of key genes involved in lipid metabolism in adipose and liver to relate lipolytic and lipogenic capacities with physiological changes at the pre‐laying, onset of laying, and actively laying stages of quail. Followed by a 50 % increase from pre‐laying to onset of laying, adipose to body weight ratio was significantly reduced by 60 % from the onset of laying to the actively laying stage (P < 0.05), mainly resulting from the significantly increased adipocyte size from the pre‐laying stage to the onset of laying and reduction of adipocyte size from the onset of laying to the actively laying stage (P < 0.05). In the adipose tissue of actively laying quail, increased protein expression and phosphorylation of adipose triglyceride lipase (ATGL) together with an elevated mRNA expression of comparative gene identification‐58, an activator of ATGL, contributes to increased lipolytic activity, as proved by increased amounts of plasma non‐esterified fatty acid (P < 0.05). In addition, decreased mRNA expression of fatty acid transport protein in the actively laying quail could contribute to the adipocyte hypotrophy (P < 0.05). In the liver, relative mRNA expression of apo‐very low density lipoprotein (VLDL)‐II increased significantly from the pre‐laying to actively laying stages (P < 0.05), indicating increased apoVLDL‐II actively facilitated VLDL secretion in the actively laying quail. These results suggest that the laying birds undergo active lipolysis in the adipocyte, and increase VLDL secretion from the liver in order to secure a lipid supply for yolk maturation.
Chemo‐Enzymatic Synthesis and Antimicrobial Evaluation of Alkyloxy Propanol Amine‐Based Cationic Ether Lipids
Authors: Reddy J. R. C. , Rao B. V. S. K. , Karuna M. S. L. , Kumar K. P. , Murthy U. S. N. , Prasad R. B. N.
Published: November 2012

The present study involved the synthesis and antimicrobial evaluation of alkyloxy propanol amine‐based cationic lipids N,N‐dimethyl‐1‐octadecylamino‐3‐alkyloxy‐2‐propanol (series A, 7a–e) and N‐methyl‐N,N‐di‐(2‐hydroxy‐3‐alkyloxy‐2 propyl) octadecylamine (series B, 9a–e) and their acetylated derivatives (8a–e and 10a–e). A simple three‐step chemo‐enzymatic approach was employed for the synthesis of 7a–e and 9a–e in 71–80 and 67–88 % yields, respectively. The first step involved the synthesis of a series of glycidyl ethers from a series of alcohols (C4, C8, C10, C12, C14) which were opened in the second step with octadecylamine to obtain 1‐octadecylamino‐3‐alkyloxy‐2 propanol (5a–e) and N,N‐di‐(2‐hydroxy‐3‐alkyloxypropyl) octadecylamine (6a–e). In the third step, alkyloxy propanolamines (5a–e, 6a–e) were quaternized using methyl iodide to yield quaternized ammonium salts. The quaternized ammonium salts were enzymatically acetylated using Candida antarctica lipase‐B based immobilized enzyme Novozym 435 to obtain their acetylated derivatives. The quaternized salts as well as their acetylated derivatives were evaluated for antibacterial and antifungal properties. The title compounds were found to possess moderate to good antibacterial activities against all the studied bacterial strains namely, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Klebsiella aerogenes compared to streptomycin and cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB). The title compounds exhibited relatively good antifungal activities against Candida albicans and no significant activities against other fungal strains namely, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Rhizopus oryzae and Aspergillus niger when compared to amphotericin B and CTAB.
Unity in Diversity: The Epp's Two and a Half Decades of Expansion
Authors: Freudenstein Roland
Published: November 2012

During the 1980s, the originally purely Christian Democratic European People's Party (EPP) took the strategic decision to open up to conservative and other like-minded parties in order to increase its political weight. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the emergence of new democracies in Central Europe, the EPP continued its enlargement to include Central Europe's centre-right parties. Despite initial differences based on varying historical experiences, the EPP's Eastern enlargement was an enrichment. It was based on essential common values and succeeded in making this political family the strongest political force in European politics.
The Influence of the Economic Crisis on Centre-right Values: A Christian Democratic Perspective
Authors: Bruton John
Published: November 2012

Does the economic crisis affect our values, and how? A values system helps individuals and organisations to analyse the world around them and shapes their political responses to it. It is important, in discussing our values as parties occupying the centre-right, that we continue to draw heavily on the rich heritage of Christian Democracy, which is part of the inheritance of many of the European People's Party member parties. Economic growth is but a means to an end, and efforts to avoid future crises must not be based solely on regulation, but on a long-term vision of the values that underpin our political system and the search for sustainable economic growth.
Climate reconstruction in the Urals from geothermal data
Authors: Golovanova I.V. , Sal’manova R.Yu. , Demezhko D.Yu.
Published: November 2012

Results of paleoclimatic analysis of geothermal data in the Middle and Southern Urals for different time intervals are presented. Climate reconstruction for the past millennium was made using data from 44 boreholes, and the magnitude of the Wurm–Holocene warming event was estimated based on data from two deep boreholes. The method of functional space inversion was used. The resolution of the method for reconstruction of various climatic events in the past was investigated. Parameters specified a priori and the required duration of the period to be reconstructed were chosen from the results of numerical modeling. According to the inversion results, the ground surface temperature at the maximum of the Medieval Warm Period in 1100–1200 was approximately the same as the present temperature, and at the minimum of the Little Ice Age around 1720, it was 1.2–3 °C lower than at present. The subsequent temperature rise was more pronounced in the past century. The magnitude of the Wurm–Holocene warming event, reconstructed using data from two deep boreholes is 10–11 °C.
Commentary on ‘Cultural Diversity Across the Pacific’: Samoan Cultural Constructs of Emotion, New Zealand-Born Samoan Youth Suicidal Behaviours, and Culturally Competent Human Services
Authors: Tiatia Jemaima
Published: November 2012

A recent special section on cultural diversity across the Pacific, in this journal, highlighted the need for greater alignment between human services and cultural diversity in the region. Alignment entails detailing a local context. Samoan cultural constructs of emotion, particularly anger and shame, may precede suicidal behaviours among New Zealand-born (NZ-born) Samoan youth. These behaviours can stem from perceived ruptures in family unity, as youth partly identify with majority norms. A barrier to integration faced by acculturating youth is that the young person either lives with the shame of their offence, or avoids it by taking their life. It seems Samoan cultural constructs of emotion must be considered in effective service delivery for this population. Consistent with the articles in the special section, suicide prevention should focus on developing culturally competent tools tailored for NZ-born Samoan youth, so they may communicate their feelings without fear of disrupting cultural prescriptions and expectations, as well as functioning successfully in both the Samoan and Western worlds. Although the point is discussed in relation to one special population in the Pacific region, it is consistent with an emergent theme in the special section and subsequent commentaries: the need to integrate and acculturate human services.
Lexically specific knowledge and individual differences in adult native speakers’ processing of the English passive
Authors: STREET JAMES A. , DĄBROWSKA EWA
Published: November 2012

This article provides experimental evidence for the role of lexically specific representations in the processing of passive sentences and considerable education-related differences in comprehension of the passive construction. The experiment measured response time and decision accuracy of participants with high and low academic attainment using an online task that compared processing and comprehension of active and passive sentences containing verbs strongly associated with the passive and active constructions, as determined by collostructional analysis. As predicted by usage-based accounts, participants’ performance was influenced by frequency (both groups processed actives faster than passives; the low academic attainment participants also made significantly more errors on passive sentences) and lexical specificity (i.e., processing of passives was slower with verbs strongly associated with the active). Contra to proposals made by Dąbrowska and Street (2006), the results suggest that all participants have verb-specific as well as verb-general representations, but that the latter are not as entrenched in the participants with low academic attainment, resulting in less reliable performance. The results also show no evidence of a speed–accuracy trade-off, making alternative accounts of the results (e.g., those of two-stage processing models, such as Townsend & Bever, 2001) problematic.
Processing of native and foreign language subtitles in films: An eye tracking study
Authors: BISSON MARIE-JOSÉE , VAN HEUVEN WALTER J. B. , CONKLIN KATHY , TUNNEY RICHARD J.
Published: November 2012

Foreign language (FL) films with subtitles are becoming increasingly popular, and many European countries use subtitling as a cheaper alternative to dubbing. However, the extent to which people process subtitles under different subtitling conditions remains unclear. In this study, participants watched part of a film under standard (FL soundtrack and native language subtitles), reversed (native language soundtrack and FL subtitles), or intralingual (FL soundtrack and FL subtitles) subtitling conditions while their eye movements were recorded. The results revealed that participants read the subtitles irrespective of the subtitling condition. However, participants exhibited more regular reading of the subtitles when the film soundtrack was in an unknown FL. To investigate the incidental acquisition of FL vocabulary, participants also completed an unexpected auditory vocabulary test. Because the results showed no vocabulary acquisition, the need for more sensitive measures of vocabulary acquisition are discussed. Finally, the reading of the subtitles is discussed in relation to the saliency of subtitles and automatic reading behavior.
Pre-service music teachers' satisfaction: person–environment fit approach
Authors: Perkmen Serkan , Cevik Beste , Alkan Mahir
Published: November 2012

Guided by three theoretical frameworks in vocational psychology, (i) theory of work adjustment, (ii) two factor theory, and (iii) value discrepancy theory, the purpose of this study was to investigate Turkish pre-service music teachers' values and the role of fit between person and environment in understanding vocational satisfaction. Participants were 85 students enrolled in the department of music education in a Turkish university. The Minnesota Importance Questionnaire (MIQ) was used to examine the participants’ values in six dimensions: achievement, comfort, status, altruism, safety and autonomy. Results revealed that the pre-service teachers value achievement most followed by autonomy, which suggests that they would like to have a sense of accomplishment and control in their future job. The degree to which their values fit their predictions about future work environment was found to be highly correlated with vocational satisfaction. These results provided evidence that the vocational theories used in the current study offers a helpful and different perspective to understand the pre-service teachers' satisfaction with becoming a music teacher in the future. We believe that researchers in the field of music education may use these theories and MIQ to examine the role of values in pre-service and in-service music teachers' job satisfaction.
Newly identified variability inBrucella canisfatty-acid content is associated with geographical origin
Authors: BROWER A. , LUCERO N. , OKWUMABUA O. , GOPAUL K. K. , WHATMORE A. M. , CRAVERO S. L. , TRANGONI M. D.
Published: November 2012

This study compared the fatty-acid profiles ofBrucella canisblood culture isolates obtained from infected dogs in the UK, Germany, Japan, South Africa, Peru, Mexico, Colombia, and Argentina, and from a human clinical case in Argentina, to a bank of isolates obtained from canine outbreaks in the USA. Analysis of a total of 42B. canisisolates and one reference strain found a marked variation within the species. Fatty-acid analysis showed that only the isolates from Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico, which included the humanB. canisisolate, contained a specific fatty acid, 19:0 cyclopropane (lactobacillic acid), w8c (cis-11,12-methylene octadecanoic acid), and that this fatty acid, when present, made up a large percentage of overall fatty-acid content. Prior to this study, the cellular fatty-acid 19:0 cyclopropane had been identified in all of the species ofBrucellaconsidered to be pathogenic to humans (B.abortus,B.melitensis,B.suis) except forB.canis. Discovering that this fatty acid not only occurs inB. canis, but also that it is only present in some strains of the species provides a new focus for investigations aimed at identifying the cause of reported geographical variability in humanB. canisinfection, and at finding predictors of biological behaviour and human pathogenicity within thisBrucellaspecies.
A free boundary problem coming from the perpetual American call options with utility
Authors: LIPING SONG , WANGHUI YU
Published: November 2012

A free boundary problem, which comes from the model of the perpetual American call options with utility functions in financial market, is investigated. It is a degenerative parabolic free boundary problem and is studied by the line method. The existence, regularity and uniqueness of the solution as well as some properties of the free boundary are established.
The combined treatment of calcium ionophore with strontium improves the quality of ovine SCNT embryo development
Authors: Choi Inchul , Zhu Jie , Campbell Keith H. S.
Published: November 2012

Poor embryo quality is a major problem that contributes to the failure of pregnancy in somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). The aims of this study were to improve the quality of ovine SCNT embryos by modifying the conventional activation protocol with the addition of SrCl2. In order to achieve this objective we conducted a series of experiments with in vitro-matured oocytes to optimize conditions for oocyte activation with strontium, and subsequently applied the protocol to SCNT embryos. The results showed that in vitro-matured oocytes could be activated effectively by 10 mM SrCl2 + 5 mg/ml cytochalasin B (CB) for 5 h in the absence of Ca2+ and that the blastocyst rate on day 7 (33.2%) was similar to that in the control group (31.0%) (5 M calcium ionophore [IP] A23187 for 5 min and cultured in CB/cycloheximide [CHX] for 5 h; P > 0.05). In SCNT experiments, the total cell number/blastocyst (104.12 ± 6.86) in the IP + SrCl2/CB-treatment group was, however, significantly higher than that in the control group (81.07 ± 3.39; P < 0.05). Apoptotic index (12.29 ± 1.22%) was significantly lower than the control (17.60 ± 1.39%; P < 0.05) when a combination of IP and SrCl2/CB was applied to SCNT embryos. In addition, karyotyping of the SCNT embryos showed that the percentage of diploid blastocysts in the IP + SrCl2/CB-treatment group was slightly higher than that in the control (P > 0.05). We conclude that the modified activation protocol with IP + SrCl2/CB can improve significantly the quality of ovine SCNT embryos in terms of total cell number, apoptosis and ploidy.
Restoring fertility after ovarian tissue cryopreservation: a half century of research
Authors: Lunardi Franciele Osmarini , Araújo Valdevane Rocha , Bernuci Marcelo Picinin , Lunardi Luciane Osmarini , Gonçalves Raphael Fernando Braga , Carvalho Adeline de Andrade , de Figueiredo José Ricardo , Rodrigues Ana Paula Ribeiro
Published: November 2012

Tissue transplantation and in vitro ovarian follicle culture have been investigated as alternative techniques to restore fertility in young women who are facing fertility-threatening diseases or treatments following ovarian tissue cryopreservation. Although transplants of fresh or frozen ovarian tissue have successfully yielded healthy live births in different species including humans, the risks of reintroducing cancer cells back into the patient, post treatment, have limited its clinical purpose. The in vitro ovarian follicle culture minimizes these risks and provides a way to harvest more mature oocytes, however its clinical translation has yet to be determined. Not only is it possible for tissue cryopreservation to safeguard fertility in cancer patients, this technique also allows the maintenance of germplasm banks for animals of high commercial value or for those animals that are at risk of extinction. Given the importance of managing female genetic material, this paper reviews the progress of the methods used to preserve and restore female fertility in different species to demonstrate the results obtained in the past 50 years of research, the current achievements and the future directions on this field.
Effect of dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate on reactive oxygen species and glutathione of porcine oocytes, apoptosis of cumulus cells, and embryonic development
Authors: Park Sang-Hyoun , Yu Il-Jeoung
Published: November 2012

The present study was conducted to investigate the effect of dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (dbcAMP) supplemented into porcine maturation medium on reactive oxygen species (ROS) and glutathione (GSH) levels of oocytes, and apoptosis of cumulus cells (CC). In addition, the effect of dbcAMP on embryonic development following in vitro fertilization (IVF) or parthenogenetic activation (PA) was determined. Cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) were cultured in 0 mM (control), 0.5 mM, 1 mM, 5 mM, or 10 mM dbcAMP-supplemented medium for 22 h, then for another 22 h without dbcAMP. GSH and ROS levels of oocytes were assessed at 44 h of culture by dichlorohydrofluorescein diacetate or 4-chloromethyl-6,8-difluoro-7-hydroxycoumarin staining, respectively. Additionally, COCs were cultured in 0.5 mM or 1 mM dbcAMP and then fertilized in vitro or activated parthenogenetically. Embryonic development and blastocyst cell numbers and apoptosis levels on day 8 of culture were investigated. CC apoptosis at 44 h of culture and blastocyst apoptosis were assessed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay. GSH levels in the 0.5 mM dbcAMP and control groups were increased (P < 0.05), while levels of oocyte ROS and CC apoptosis in the control, 0.5 mM, and 1 mM dbcAMP groups were significantly lower than the levels in other groups. Cleavage and blastocyst rates, cell numbers, and apoptosis levels were not significantly different in embryos derived by either IVF or PA among the groups, with the exception of significantly increased apoptotic levels in IVF blastocysts produced from oocytes treated with 1 mM dbcAMP. In conclusion, dbcAMP treatment during in vitro maturation (IVM) did not improve embryonic development under our study's parameters compared with control conditions, although 0.5 mM dbcAMP showed significantly higher GSH levels and lower blastocyst apoptotic levels compared with 1 mM dbcAMP.
Context identification of sentences in research articles: Towards developing intelligent tools for the research community
Authors: ANGROSH M. A. , CRANEFIELD STEPHEN , STANGER NIGEL
Published: November 2012

Scientific literature is an important medium for disseminating scientific knowledge. However, in recent times, a dramatic increase in research output has resulted in challenges for the research community. An increasing need is felt for tools that exploit the full content of an article and provide insightful services with value beyond quantitative measures such as impact factors and citation counts. However, the intricacies of language and thought, and the unstructured format of research articles present challenges in providing such services. The identification of sentence contexts that encode the role of specific sentences in advancing an article's scientific argument can facilitate in developing intelligent tools for the research community. This paper describes our research work in this direction. First, we investigate the possibility of identifying contexts associated with sentences and propose a scheme of thirteen context type definitions for sentences, based on the generic rhetorical pattern found in scientific articles. We then present the results of our experiments using sequential classifiers – conditional random fields – for achieving automatic context identification. We also describe our Semantic Web application developed for providing citation context based information services for the research community. Finally, we present a comparison and analysis of our results with similar studies and explain the distinct features of our application.
NOTE ON ERGODIC CHAOS IN THE RSS MODEL
Authors: Sousa Paulo S. A.
Published: November 2012

We show the possibility of ergodic chaos in the RSS model, due to Robinson, Solow, and Srinivasan. Moreover, under a relevant parametric regime, we analytically characterize the unique invariant probability measure that describes the statistical properties of a typical trajectory of capital stocks.
INFLATION AND QUALITY DISPERSION
Authors: Dutu Richard
Published: November 2012

One questionable aspect of price posting with directed search is the strong commitment by sellers to commit to the advertised terms of trade. In this paper I explore the welfare implications of assuming that sellers cannot commit and vary the quality of their output ex post according to realized demand. I show that such lack of commitment translates into lower participation by buyers, lower average quality, and a consumption-equivalent loss of 0.3% of annual GDP.
Test–retest reliability and agreement between children's and parents’ reports of a computerized food preferences tool
Authors: Vereecken Carine , Covents Marc , Parmentier Julie , Maes Lea
Published: November 2012

Objective

To investigate test–retest reliability of primary-school children's reports of food preferences and to investigate agreement with parental reports.

Design

Children completed an online test and retest, one to two weeks later, during school hours; parents completed a paper-and-pencil or an online questionnaire at home. The children's preferences questionnaire contained 148 food items, reduced to twelve scales; the parental questionnaire contained seventy-eight items reduced to nine scales.

Setting

Children of fourteen primary schools in Belgium-Flanders.

Subjects

In total 572 children participated; test–retest data were available for 354 children, children's tests could be matched to 362 parental reports.

Results

Test–retest intraclass correlations were on average 0·73, ranging between 0·62 and 0·86; correlations between children's and parents’ reports were on average 0·50, ranging between 0·32 and 0·62. Retest preferences were significantly higher for more than half of the scales. Children reported higher preferences than their parents for milk & milk products, fruit and soft drinks, while parents reported higher preferences for bread & breakfast cereals, meat, snacks and sauces.

Conclusions

The results indicate that the test–retest stability was good; however, agreement between parents and children was rather low to moderate.
College cafeteria snack food purchases become less healthy with each passing week of the semester
Authors: Wansink Brian , Cao Ying , Saini Prerna , Shimizu Mitsuru , Just David R
Published: November 2012

Objective

Snacks, stress and parties all contribute to the weight gain – the elusive ‘Freshman 15’ – that some college-goers unfortunately experience. The present study examines how à la carte snack choice changes on a university campus during each progressing week of the academic calendar.

Design

How à la carte snack choices change on a university campus with each progressing week of the academic calendar was examined.

Setting

The data were collected from three large cafeterias (or dining halls) on Cornell University's campus during four semesters (Fall 2006, Spring 2007, Fall 2007 and Spring 2008), for 18 weeks in each semester.

Subjects

After the à la carte snack items were divided into healthy snacks and unhealthy snacks, the percentage share for each food category was calculated.

Results

Within each semester, the unhealthy snack food choices increased consistently by 0·4 % per week (β = 0·00418, P < 0·01). Furthermore, a sharp (8 %) increase occurred in the final two weeks of the semester. In contrast, healthy snack food choices decreased by almost 4 % (β = −0·0408, P < 0·01) in the final two weeks during the fall semester.

Conclusions

These results demonstrate an increased demand for hedonic, or unhealthy, snack foods as the college semester progresses and in particular at the very end of the semester. To counter this tendency towards unhealthy snacking, cafeterias and stores should make extra effort to promote healthy alternatives during the later weeks of the semester.
Formative evaluation of the feedback component of Children's and Adolescents’ Nutrition Assessment and Advice on the Web (CANAA-W) among parents of schoolchildren
Authors: Vereecken Carine , Covents Marc , Maes Lea , Moyson Tinneke
Published: November 2012

Objective

The aim of the paper is to describe the formative evaluation of the feedback component of an online nutrition tailoring instrument, the Children's and Adolescents’ Nutrition Assessment and Advice on the Web (CANAA-W), among parents of schoolchildren.

Design

Parents of pre-primary and primary-school children recorded their child's food intake over 3 d with CANAA-W and completed the evaluation questionnaire online. A subsample participated in focus group discussions.

Setting

Parents completed CANAA-W at home.

Subjects

Forty-six parents completed the evaluation questionnaire. Seventeen parents participated in three focus group discussions.

Results

Parents were enthusiastic: the majority (81 % or more) found the advice comprehensible, interesting, logical, useful, believable, well formulated, correct, personal, relevant, complete, attractive, containing enough and not too much information; they indicated that it is helpful to improve their children's eating habits and that they intend to use it. The qualitative analyses revealed that the respondents appreciated the confrontation with their child's diet and the visualization (i.e. traffic light colours, pictograms, food models, diagrams). The length of the feedback was rather a drawback, but it was useful nevertheless.

Conclusions

CANAA-W was well received by the parents; the scores on the feasibility questionnaire were high and the qualitative analyses showed that the confrontation with their child's diet, and attractive visualization of the most relevant feedback linked to more elaborated optional feedback, were well appreciated. The major challenge will be to convince parents who are less interested in food habits and less computer-literate to participate in this type of study.
Drop the Salt! Assessing the impact of a public health advocacy strategy on Australian government policy on salt
Authors: Webster Jacqui , Dunford Elizabeth , Kennington Sarah , Neal Bruce , Chapman Simon
Published: November 2012

Objective

In 2007 the Australian Division of World Action on Salt and Health (AWASH) launched a campaign to encourage the Australian government to take action to reduce population salt intake. The objective of the present research was to assess the impact of the Drop the Salt! campaign on government policy.

Design

A review of government activities related to salt reduction was conducted and an advocacy strategy implemented to increase government action on salt. Advocacy actions were documented and the resulting outcomes identified. An analysis of stakeholder views on the effectiveness of the advocacy strategy was also undertaken.

Settings

Advocacy activities were coordinated through AWASH at the George Institute for Global Health in Sydney.

Subjects

All relevant State and Federal government statements and actions were reviewed and thirteen stakeholders with known interests or responsibilities regarding dietary salt, including food industry, government and health organisations, were interviewed.

Results

Stakeholder analysis affirmed that AWASH influenced the government's agenda on salt reduction and four key outputs were attributed to the campaign: (i) the Food Regulation Standing Committee discussions on salt, (ii) the Food and Health Dialogue salt targets, (iii) National Health and Medical Research Council partnership funding and (iv) the New South Wales Premier's Forum on Fast Foods.

Conclusions

While it is not possible to definitively attribute changes in government policy to one organisation, stakeholder research indicated that the AWASH campaign increased the priority of salt reduction on the government's agenda. However, a coordinated government strategy on salt reduction is still required to ensure that the potential health benefits are fully realised.
ANALYTIC PROPERTIES OF MIRROR MAPS
Authors: KRATTENTHALER C. , RIVOAL T.
Published: November 2012

We consider a multi-parameter family of canonical coordinates and mirror maps originally introduced by Zudilin. This family includes many of the known one-variable mirror maps as special cases, in particular many of modular origin and the celebrated ‘quintic’ example of Candelas, de la Ossa, Green and Parkes. In a previous paper, we proved that all coefficients in the Taylor expansions at 0 of these canonical coordinates (and, hence, of the corresponding mirror maps) are integers. Here we prove that all coefficients in their Taylor expansions at 0 are positive. Furthermore, we provide several results about the behaviour of the canonical coordinates and mirror maps as complex functions. In particular, we address their analytic continuation, points of singularity, and radius of covergence. We present several very precise conjectures on the radius of covergence of the mirror maps and the sign pattern of the coefficients in their Taylor expansions at 0.
TWIN SQUAREFUL NUMBERS
Authors: CHAN TSZ HO
Published: November 2012

A number is squareful if the exponent of every prime in its prime factorization is at least two. In this paper, we give, for a fixed $l$, the number of pairs of squareful numbers $n$, $n+l$ such that $n$is less than a given quantity.
miR-15a and miR-16 regulate serotonin transporter expression in human placental and rat brain raphe cells
Authors: Moya Pablo R. , Wendland Jens R. , Salemme Jennifer , Fried Ruby L. , Murphy Dennis L.
Published: November 2012

The serotonin transporter (SERT) is a key regulatory molecule in serotonergic transmission implicated in numerous biological processes relevant to human disorders. Recently, it was shown that SERT expression is controlled by miR-16 in mouse brain. Here, we show that SERT expression is regulated additionally by miR-15a as well as miR-16 in human and rat tissues. This post-transcriptional regulation was observed and characterized in reporter assays and likewise when endogenous SERT expression was evaluated in human placental choriocarcinoma JAR cells and rat brain raphe RN46A cells – two cell lines that endogenously express SERT. Similar effects for miR-16 to those of miR-15a were found in both human and rat cell lines. The effects of miR-15a and miR-16 were comparable in extent to those originally reported for miR-16 in mice. These findings represent a novel layer of complexity for SERT expression regulation exerted by the mir-15a/16 cluster, whose genes are adjacently located at human chromosome 13q14.3.
Exploring Explanations for Local Reductions in Teenage Pregnancy Rates in England: An Approach Using Qualitative Comparative Analysis
Authors: Blackman Tim
Published: November 2012

Teenage pregnancy rates in the UK are high compared with many other countries but there is marked variation across local areas, including those with high deprivation. This study uses the method of Qualitative Comparative Analysis to identify conditions associated with the presence or absence of a narrowing gap in teenage pregnancy rates as measured by the differences between deprived local authority areas and the national average. A higher proportion of black and minority ethnic groups in the local population is found to be a sufficient although not necessary condition for narrowing to have occurred. Surprisingly, a good assessment of commissioning practice – combined with other conditions – was associated with areas where the gap has not been narrowing.
The Israel Cancer Association's role as a volunteer organization in forecasting, establishing, implementing and upgrading palliative care services in Israel
Authors: Kislev Livia , Yaffe Aliza , Ziv Miri , Waller Alexander
Published: November 2012

The Israel Cancer Association has contributed, as a key player, to the establishment and upgrade of palliative care in Israel. The aim of this article is to describe the involvement and contribution of the ICA, as a volunteer organization, from a clinical, educational, legal, and organizational perspective. Another main goal of this survey is to shed light on the palliative care network in Israel, in each one of these infrastructures.
A review of cognitive therapy in acute medical settings. Part I: Therapy model and assessment
Authors: Levin Tomer T. , White Craig A. , Kissane David W.
Published: November 2012

Introduction:

Although cognitive therapy (CT) has established outpatient utility, there is no integrative framework for using CT in acute medical settings where most psychosomatic medicine (P-M) clinicians practice. Biopsychosocial complexity challenges P-M clinicians who want to use CT as the a priori psychotherapeutic modality. For example, how should clinicians modify the data gathering and formulation process to support CT in acute settings?

Method:

Narrative review methodology is used to describe the framework for a CT informed interview, formulation, and assessment in acute medical settings. Because this review is aimed largely at P-M trainees and educators, exemplary dialogues model the approach (specific CT strategies for common P-M scenarios appear in the companion article.)

Results:

Structured data gathering needs to be tailored by focusing on cognitive processes informed by the cognitive hypothesis. Agenda setting, Socratic questioning, and adaptations to the mental state examination are necessary. Specific attention is paid to the CT formulation, Folkman's Cognitive Coping Model, self-report measures, data-driven evaluations, and collaboration (e.g., sharing the formulation with the patient.) Integrative CT-psychopharmacological approaches and the importance of empathy are emphasized.

Significance of results:

The value of implementing psychotherapy in parallel with data gathering because of time urgency is advocated, but this is a significant departure from usual outpatient approaches in which psychotherapy follows evaluation. This conceptual approach offers a novel integrative framework for using CT in acute medical settings, but future challenges include demonstrating clinical outcomes and training P-M clinicians so as to demonstrate fidelity.