bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multilocus sequence typing and biocide tolerance of Arcobacter butzleri from Danish broiler carcasses
Authors: Rasmussen Louise Hesselbjerg , Kjeldgaard Jette , Christensen Jens Peter , Ingmer Hanne
Published: August 2013

Background

Arcobacter spp. have in recent years received increasing interest as potential emerging enteropathogens and zoonotic agents. They are associated with various animals including poultry and can be isolated from meat products. The possibilities of persistence and cross-contamination in slaughterhouses during meat processing are not well established. We have evaluated the occurrence and persistence of Arcobacter spp. in a Danish slaughterhouse and determined the sensitivity of isolates to sodium hypochlorite, a commonly used biocide.

Results

Arcobacter contamination was examined in a broiler slaughterhouse by selective enrichment of 235 swabs from the processing line during two production days and after sanitizing in between. In total 13.6% of samples were positive for A. butzleri with the majority (29 of 32 isolates) originating from the evisceration machine. No Arcobacter spp. was isolated after cleaning. A. butzleri isolates confirmed by PCR were typed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST) resulting in 10 new sequence types (STs). Two sequence types were isolated on both processing days. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) to sodium hypochlorite was determined to 0.5% hypochlorite biocide (500 ppm chlorine) for most isolates, which allows growth of A. butzleri within the working concentration of the biocide (0.2 - 0.5%).

Conclusions

A. butzleri was readily isolated from a Danish broiler slaughterhouse, primarily in the evisceration machine. Typing by MLST showed high strain variability but the recurrence of two STs indicate that some persistence or cross-contamination takes place. Importantly, the isolates tolerated sodium hypochlorite, a biocide commonly employed in slaughterhouse sanitizing, at levels close to the disinfection concentration, and thus, A. butzleri may survive the disinfection process although this was not observed in our study.
Identification of a single amino acid in GluN1 that is critical for glycine-primed internalization of NMDA receptors
Authors: Han Lu , Campanucci Verónica A , Cooke James , Salter Michael W
Published: August 2013

Background

NMDA receptors are ligand-gated ion channels with essential roles in glutamatergic synaptic transmission and plasticity in the CNS. As co-receptors for glutamate and glycine, gating of the NMDA receptor/channel pore requires agonist binding to the glycine sites, as well as to the glutamate sites, on the ligand-binding domains of the receptor. In addition to channel gating, glycine has been found to prime NMDA receptors for internalization upon subsequent stimulation of glutamate and glycine sites.

Results

Here we address the key issue of identifying molecular determinants in the glycine-binding subunit, GluN1, that are essential for priming of NMDA receptors. We found that glycine treatment of wild-type NMDA receptors led to recruitment of the adaptor protein 2 (AP-2), and subsequent internalization after activating the receptors by NMDA plus glycine. However, with a glycine-binding mutant of GluN1 – N710R/Y711R/E712A/A714L – we found that treating with glycine did not promote recruitment of AP-2 nor were glycine-treated receptors internalized when subsequently activated with NMDA plus glycine. Likewise, GluN1 carrying a single point mutation – A714L – did not prime upon glycine treatment. Importantly, both of the mutant receptors were functional, as stimulating with NMDA plus glycine evoked inward currents.

Conclusions

Thus, we have identified a single amino acid in GluN1 that is critical for priming of NMDA receptors by glycine. Moreover, we have demonstrated the principle that while NMDA receptor gating and priming share a common requirement for glycine binding, the molecular constraints in GluN1 for gating are distinct from those for priming.
RABEX-5 plays an oncogenic role in breast cancer by activating MMP-9 pathway
Authors: Zhang Xiang , Min Jie , Wang Yingjian , Li Yan , Li Hongzhong , Liu Qiang , Liang Xinjie , Mu Peng , Li Hongyuan
Published: August 2013

Background

RABEX-5, a guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) for RAB-5, plays an important role in cell mobility and altered expression associated with tumor metastasis. This study aimed to investigate the role of RABEX-5 in proliferation and metastasis of breast cancer in vitro and ex vivo.

Methods

RABEX-5 expression was examined in breast cancer, benign tumor and normal breast tissues by immunohistochemistry and western blot. Two stable cell lines were established, the MCF-7/NC negative control cell line and the MCF-7/KD cell line, which stably expressed an RNA interference (RNAi) construct that induced downregulation of RABEX-5 expression. These cell lines were utilized to evaluate the role of RABEX-5 in cell proliferation and migration in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo. The possible role of RABEX-5 in the regulation of matrix metallopeptidase 9 (MMP-9) was evaluated using western blot and real-time PCR.

Results

RABEX-5 expression was found to be significantly higher in breast cancer tissues compared with benign tumor and normal breast tissues. High levels of RABEX-5 expression were associated with axillary lymph node metastasis. In addition, RABEX-5 silencing significantly reduced cancer cell proliferation, colony formation and migration ability in vitro and inhibited tumor growth in vivo. RABEX −5 knockdown also attenuated the migration of breast cancer cells via modulation of MMP-9 transcriptional activity.

Conclusions

Our results indicate that RABEX-5 plays an oncogenic role in breast cancer by modulating the proliferation and metastasis potential of breast cancer cells. Thus, RABEX-5 is a promising prognostic indicator for patients with breast cancer.
Nadir hemoglobin is associated with poor outcome from intracerebral hemorrhage
Authors: Chang Tiffany R , Boehme Amelia K , Aysenne Aimee , Albright Karen C , Burns Christopher , Beasley T Mark , Martin-Schild Sheryl
Published: August 2013

Objective

Examine the relationship between anemia and outcomes from intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH).

Methods

Patients admitted with spontaneous ICH between July 2008 and December 2010 were identified from our prospective stroke registry. Patients were divided into two groups based on admission hemoglobin (low vs. normal based on laboratory reference range for gender). Baseline characteristics were compared between groups using Chi-square, t-tests and Wilcoxon Rank Sum tests. Primary outcome was functional status at discharge, with modified Rankin Scale (mRS) 5–6 considered a poor outcome. Cumulative logit and logistic regression models were used to assess the relationships between baseline hemoglobin, nadir hemoglobin, and transfusion with outcomes.

Results

Of the 109 patients, 28% (n = 30) were anemic on admission. Baseline anemia did not predict the primary outcome. Nadir hemoglobin was associated with poor functional outcome at discharge (OR = 1.58, 95% CI 1.31-1.90, p < 0.0001) and remained significant after adjusting for age, baseline NIHSS, transfusion, and length of stay (OR = 1.43, 95% CI 1.06-1.94, p = 0.02). Patients who received a transfusion had 9 times greater odds of having a discharge mRS 5–6 (OR 9.37, 95% CI 2.84-30.88, p = 0.0002) compared with patients who did not receive transfusion. This was no longer statistically significant after adjusting for other factors impacting outcome (OR 4.01, 95% CI 0.64-25.32, p = 0.1392). Neither nadir hemoglobin nor transfusion was found to be independent predictors of in-hospital mortality.

Conclusion

This study suggests that nadir hemoglobin, not admission hemoglobin, can be used to predict poor functional outcome. Transfusion was not an independent predictor of poor outcome from ICH.
Bioprocess and biotechnology: effect of xylanase from Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus on pulp biobleaching and enzyme production using agroindustrial residues as substract
Authors: de Alencar Guimaraes Nelciele Cavalieri , Sorgatto Michele , Peixoto-Nogueira Simone de Carvalho , Betini Jorge Henrique Almeida , Zanoelo Fabiana Fonseca , Marques Maria Rita , de Moraes Polizeli Maria de Lourdes Teixeira , Giannesi Giovana C
Published: August 2013

This study compares two xylanases produced by filamentous fungi such as A. niger and A. flavus using agroindustrial residues as substract and evaluated the effect of these enzymes on cellulose pulp biobleaching process. Wheat bran was the best carbon source for xylanase production by A. niger and A. flavus. The production of xylanase was 18 and 21% higher on wheat bran when we compare the xylanase production with xylan. At 50°C, the xylanase of A. niger retained over 85% activity with 2 h of incubation, and A. flavus had a half-life of more than 75 minutes. At 55°C, the xylanase produced by A. niger showed more stable than from A. flavus showing a half-life of more than 45 minutes. The xylanase activity of A. niger and A. flavus were somehow protected in the presence of glycerol 5% when compared to the control (without additives). On the biobleaching assay it was observed that the xylanase from A. flavus was more effective in comparison to A. niger. The kappa efficiency corresponded to 36.32 and 25.93, respectively. That is important to emphasize that the cellulase activity was either analyzed and significant levels were not detected, which explain why the viscosity was not significantly modified.
Problem gambling and family violence: family member reports of prevalence, family impacts and family coping
Authors: Suomi Aino , Jackson Alun C , Dowling Nicki A , Lavis Tiffany , Patford Janet , Thomas Shane A , Harvey Peter , Abbott Max , Bellringer Maria E , Koziol-McLain Jane , Cockman Sue
Published: August 2013

There exists only a small number of empirical studies investigating the patterns of family violence in problem gambling populations, although some evidence exists that intimate partner violence and child abuse are among the most severe interpersonal correlates of problem gambling. The current article reports on the Australian arm of a large-scale study of the patterns and prevalence of co-occurrence of family violence and problem gambling in Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong. The current study screened 120 help-seeking family members of problem gamblers in a range of clinical services for both family violence and problem gambling. The main results showed that 52.5% reported some form of family violence in the past 12 months: 20.0% reported only victimisation, 10.8% reported only perpetration and 21.6% reported both victimisation and perpetration of family violence. Parents, current and ex-partners were most likely to be both perpetrators and victims of family violence. There were no gender differences in reciprocal violence but females were more likely to be only victims and less likely to report no violence in comparison to males. Most of the 32 participants interviewed in depth, reported that gambling generally preceded family violence. The findings suggest that perpetration of family violence was more likely to occur as a reaction to deeply-rooted and accumulated anger and mistrust whereas victimisation was an outcome of gambler’s anger brought on by immediate gambling losses and frustration. While multiple and intertwined negative family impacts were likely to occur in the presence of family violence, gambling-related coping strategies were not associated with the presence or absence of family violence. The implications of the findings for service providers are discussed.
Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial of Yoga for Sleep Quality Among Cancer Survivors
Authors: Mustian Karen M. , Sprod Lisa K. , Janelsins Michelle , Peppone Luke J. , Palesh Oxana G. , Chandwani Kavita , Reddy Pavan S. , Melnik Marianne K. , Heckler Charles , Morrow Gary R.
Published: August 2013

Purpose

Thirty percent to 90% of cancer survivors report impaired sleep quality post-treatment, which can be severe enough to increase morbidity and mortality. Lifestyle interventions, such as exercise, are recommended in conjunction with drugs and cognitive behavioral therapy for the treatment of impaired sleep. Preliminary evidence indicates that yoga—a mind-body practice and form of exercise—may improve sleep among cancer survivors. The primary aim of this randomized, controlled clinical trial was to determine the efficacy of a standardized yoga intervention compared with standard care for improving global sleep quality (primary outcome) among post-treatment cancer survivors.

Patients and Methods

In all, 410 survivors suffering from moderate or greater sleep disruption between 2 and 24 months after surgery, chemotherapy, and/or radiation therapy were randomly assigned to standard care or standard care plus the 4-week yoga intervention. The yoga intervention used the Yoga for Cancer Survivors (YOCAS) program consisting of pranayama (breathing exercises), 16 Gentle Hatha and Restorative yoga asanas (postures), and meditation. Participants attended two 75-minute sessions per week. Sleep quality was assessed by using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and actigraphy pre- and postintervention.

Results

In all, 410 survivors were accrued (96% female; mean age, 54 years; 75% had breast cancer). Yoga participants demonstrated greater improvements in global sleep quality and, secondarily, subjective sleep quality, daytime dysfunction, wake after sleep onset, sleep efficiency, and medication use at postintervention (all P ≤ .05) compared with standard care participants.

Conclusion

Yoga, specifically the YOCAS program, is a useful treatment for improving sleep quality and reducing sleep medication use among cancer survivors.
A molecular basis for developmental plasticity in early mammalian embryos
Authors: Arias Alfonso Martinez , Nichols Jennifer , Schröter Christian
Published: August 2013

Early mammalian embryos exhibit remarkable plasticity, as highlighted by the ability of separated early blastomeres to produce a whole organism. Recent work in the mouse implicates a network of transcription factors in governing the establishment of the primary embryonic lineages. A combination of genetics and embryology has uncovered the organisation and function of the components of this network, revealing a gradual resolution from ubiquitous to lineage-specific expression through a combination of defined regulatory relationships, spatially organised signalling, and biases from mechanical inputs. Here, we summarise this information, link it to classical embryology and propose a molecular framework for the establishment and regulation of developmental plasticity.
Post-transcriptional regulation of myotube elongation and myogenesis by Hoi Polloi
Authors: Johnson Aaron N. , Mokalled Mayssa H. , Valera Juliana M. , Poss Kenneth D. , Olson Eric N.
Published: August 2013

Striated muscle development requires the coordinated expression of genes involved in sarcomere formation and contractility, as well as genes that determine muscle morphology. However, relatively little is known about the molecular mechanisms that control the early stages of muscle morphogenesis. To explore this facet of myogenesis, we performed a genetic screen for regulators of somatic muscle morphology in Drosophila, and identified the putative RNA-binding protein (RBP) Hoi Polloi (Hoip). Hoip is expressed in striated muscle precursors within the muscle lineage and controls two genetically separable events: myotube elongation and sarcomeric protein expression. Myotubes fail to elongate in hoip mutant embryos, even though the known regulators of somatic muscle elongation, target recognition and muscle attachment are expressed normally. In addition, a majority of sarcomeric proteins, including Myosin Heavy Chain (MHC) and Tropomyosin, require Hoip for their expression. A transgenic MHC construct that contains the endogenous MHC promoter and a spliced open reading frame rescues MHC protein expression in hoip embryos, demonstrating the involvement of Hoip in pre-mRNA splicing, but not in transcription, of muscle structural genes. In addition, the human Hoip ortholog NHP2L1 rescues muscle defects in hoip embryos, and knockdown of endogenous nhp2l1 in zebrafish disrupts skeletal muscle development. We conclude that Hoip is a conserved, post-transcriptional regulator of muscle morphogenesis and structural gene expression.
The Osa-containing SWI/SNF chromatin-remodeling complex regulates stem cell commitment in the adult Drosophila intestine
Authors: Zeng Xiankun , Lin Xinhua , Hou Steven X.
Published: August 2013

The proportion of stem cells versus differentiated progeny is well balanced to maintain tissue homeostasis, which in turn depends on the balance of the different signaling pathways involved in stem cell self-renewal versus lineage-specific differentiation. In a screen for genes that regulate cell lineage determination in the posterior midgut, we identified that the Osa-containing SWI/SNF (Brahma) chromatin-remodeling complex regulates Drosophila midgut homeostasis. Mutations in subunits of the Osa-containing complex result in intestinal stem cell (ISC) expansion as well as enteroendocrine (EE) cell reduction. We further demonstrated that Osa regulates ISC self-renewal and differentiation into enterocytes by elaborating Notch signaling, and ISC commitment to differentiation into EE cells by regulating the expression of Asense, an EE cell fate determinant. Our data uncover a unique mechanism whereby the commitment of stem cells to discrete lineages is coordinately regulated by chromatin-remodeling factors.
Photoelectric Conversion Properties of Compositionally Graded Dye–Titania Electrode
Authors: Setiawan Rudi Agus , Nishikiori Hiromasa , Tanaka Nobuaki , Fujii Tsuneo
Published: August 2013

The compositionally graded dye–titania electrode (WE-C) was prepared by combining thin films having different compositions of dye and titania through a sol–gel process. The photoelectric conversion efficiency of WE-C was higher than the normal electrode (WE-N) because a step-like band structure was formed due to the difference in the conduction band level of the thin layers in the WE-C. This structure is presumed to provide the driving force of the electron transport and inhibit the back electron transfer.
Regulation of CYP3A genes by glucocorticoids in human lung cells
Authors: Roberts Jessica K , Moore Chad D , Romero Erin G , Ward Robert M , Yost Garold S , Reilly Christopher A
Published: August 2013

Inhaled glucocorticoids are the first-line treatment for patients with persistent asthma.  However, approximately thirty percent of patients exhibit glucocorticoid insensitivity, which may involve excess metabolic clearance of the glucocorticoids by CYP3A enzymes in the lung.  CYP3A4, 3A5, and 3A7 enzymes metabolize glucocorticoids, which in turn induce CYP3A genes.  However, the mechanism of CYP3A5 mRNA regulation by glucocorticoids in lung cells has not been determined.  In hepatocytes, glucocorticoids bind to the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), which induces the expression of the constitutive androstane receptor or pregnane X receptor; both of which bind to the retinoid X receptor alpha, leading to the induction of CYP3A4, 3A5, and 3A7.  There is also evidence to suggest a direct induction of CYP3A5 by GR activation in liver cells. In this study, these pathways were evaluated as the mechanism for CYP3A5 mRNA induction by glucocorticoids in freshly isolated primary tracheal epithelial, adenocarcinomic human alveolar basal epithelial (A549), immortalized bronchial epithelial (BEAS-2B), primary normal human bronchial/tracheal epithelial (NHBE), primary small airway epithelial (SAEC), and primary lobar epithelial lung cells. In A549 cells, beclomethasone 17-monopropionate ([M1]) induced CYP3A5 mRNA through the glucocorticoid receptor. CYP3A5 mRNA induction by five different glucocorticoids was attenuated by inhibiting the glucocorticoid receptor using ketoconazole, and for beclomethasone dipropionate, using siRNA-mediated knock-down of the glucocorticoid receptor. The constitutive androstane receptor was not expressed in lung cells. SAEC cells, a primary lung cell line, expressed CYP3A5, but CYP3A5 mRNA was not induced by glucocorticoid treatment despite evaluating a multitude of cell culture conditions. None of the other lung cells expressed CYP3A4, 3A5 or 3A7 mRNA. These studies demonstrate that CYP3A5 mRNA is induced by glucocorticoids in A549 cells via the glucocorticoid receptor, but that additional undefined regulatory processes exist in primary lung cells.
Speech communication, informational interaction in the context of society and education informatization
Authors: Есенина  , Esenina N.
Published: August 2013

The article considers the influence of the spread of information technologies on speech communication and informational interaction. The author analyses the development and functioning of informational and communicative environment, the creation and use of linguistic information resource, the use of artificial intelligence for human-machine interaction. Special attention is given to the problem of Modern Foreign Languages teaching in the age of rapid ICT progress.
Condition Forecasting of Underground Main Pipelines in Permafrost Regions
Authors: Котляревский  , Kotlyarevskiy Vladimir
Published: August 2013

The problems relating to assessment of pipelines operated in the permafrost were analyzed and the need to resolve them was justified. Possible methods and software tools allowing the systematic approach implementation to forecasting the stress state of pipelines were presented. The strength prediction algorithm of main pipelines upon deformation due to the soil subsidence in the thawing areoles in permafrost sections was shown. The calculation of thawing and subsidence zone is based on existing rules with adaptation to underground pipelines. For operation safety control the alternative calculations of main oil pipeline durability for real conditions of the route section in the Amur region district have been executed.
Fluorimetric Control of Organic Impurities in Water Fraction of Oily Waste
Authors: Бондаренко  , Bondarenko E. , Андрианова  , Andrianova M. , Чусов  , Chusov A.
Published: August 2013

To organize the fluorimetric control of purification efficiency of water fraction received at oily waste processing, the fluorescence intensity characteristics have been investigated with lengths of waves equal to 300, 340, 440 nanometers in the range of excitement from 220 to 350 nanometers depending on the general organic carbon (GOC) content. It is shown that linear dependences with the greatest approximation reliability are observed at the following parameters (lengths of excitement and fluorescence waves, ranges of the GOC maintenance): 260–280 nm and 300 nm, 0–60 mg of GOC/l; 260–320 nm and 340 nm, 0–170 mg of GOC/l; 300–350 nm and 440 nm, 0–800 mg of GOC/l.
Electromagnetic Fields in Urbanized Space with Metal Roof
Authors: Аполлонский  , Apollonskiy S. , Коровченко  , Korovchenko P.
Published: August 2013

The roofing iron influence on distribution of electromagnetic fields in the air environment of urbanized space is considered. The approximate calculation method of this influence is given. Possible impact on human being is estimated.
Legal and Regulatory Regime of Laser Technology Safe Application
Authors: Рахманов  , Rakhmanov Boris , Кибовский  , Kibovskiy V.
Published: August 2013

Legal and regulatory regime subject to laser technology safe application in Russia, Europe and USA is considered. Comparative evaluation of national and foreign regulatory documents related to laser safety is realized. Unreasonable enactment the IEC 60825 standards in Russia is critically considered.
Technical and Economic Assessment of Protection Methods against Noise (as exemplified by the Noise of Refinery Furnaces’ Burner Units)
Authors: Катин  , Katin V. , Косыгин  , Kosygin V.
Published: August 2013

The technical and economic assessment of noise-protective actions is made during the operation of refinery furnaces’ burner units. The presented assessment technique is applicable to evaluation of protection measures against noise created by several sources.

The assessment problem is solved with application of Lagrange multiplier method.
Problems of russian JSC «Gazprom»
Authors: Лунёва  , Luneva Anna
Published: August 2013

The problems the management and development plans of JSC «Gazprom». Summarizes the financial activities of the company, the types of extraction of natural resources. Cooperation with foreign partners in the construction of transportation projects. Keeping personnel policy of «Gazprom».
Theoretical and practical aspects of analysis of competitiveness of insurance company
Authors: Медушевская  , Medushevskaya Inna
Published: August 2013

In the article the theoretical and practical aspects of the analysis of the competitiveness of the insurance company CJSC «Insurance Group Uralsib» as an example were revieled. The competitiveness of the insurance companies is based on the general principles and provisions of the theory of competition and competitiveness. It was detailed the concept of competition in the insurance market, revealed its specificity and the possible non-price competition on it. The competitiveness of the insurance company is considered as a multi-faceted category, its determining factors were reflected. The competitiveness of Penza branch based on the analysis of financial ratios was evaluated and conducted the SWOT-analysis. The recommendations were given.
Prospects of russian defence information in public utility
Authors: Архангельский  , Arkhangelskiy V. , Фомичева  , Fomicheva Irina , Труфанов  , Trufanov V.
Published: August 2013

The urgency of market research software and hardware-way data transfer for use in the infrastructure sectors. Based on the analysis of secondary sources and field studies revealed trends and copyrights are the integral assessment of the prospects of development of this market, conducted an appraisal of the competitive position of domestic and foreign manufacturers of software and hardware-way data transfer.
A new reaction mechanism of Claisen rearrangement induced by few-optical-cycle pulses: Demonstration of nonthermal chemistry by femtosecond vibrational spectroscopy
Authors: Iwakura Izumi , Yabushita Atsushi , Liu Jun , Okamura Kotaro , Kezuka Satoko , Kobayashi Takayoshi
Published: August 2013

Time-resolved vibration spectroscopy is the only known way to directly observe reaction processes. In this work, we measure time-resolved vibration spectra of the Claisen rearrangement triggered and observed by few-optical-cycle pulses. Changes in molecular structure during the reaction, including its transition states (TSs), are elucidated by observing the transient changes of molecular vibration wavenumbers. We pump samples with visible ultrashort pulses of shorter duration than the molecular vibration period, and with photon energies much lower than the minimum excitation energy of the sample. The results indicate that the “nonthermal Claisen rearrangement” can be triggered by visible few-optical-cycle pulses exciting molecular vibrations in the electronic ground state of the sample, which replaces the typical thermal Claisen rearrangement.
The Brazilian sertão as post-national landscape in the work of Marcelo Gomes
Authors: Dennison Stephanie
Published: August 2013

This article takes as its main focus Marcelo Gomes’s 2005 Cinema, Aspirins and Vultures and examines the extent to which, through Gomes’ work, we can identify the emergence of a new, ‘post-national’ cinema in Brazil. Such post-national film-making represents a move beyond concerns for the need to represent in an authentic fashion the nation on screen and discussions of national identity, more broadly speaking, that have marked Brazilian cinema for decades, and particularly in relation to the representation of the sertão or Brazilian backlands as a site of ‘cultural purity’. Instead, it opens up the possibility of reading Brazilian films in a much wider framework such as that of World Cinema.
Filming Fierro: Aesthetics and politics in film adaptations of national-epic poetry
Authors: Bollig Ben
Published: August 2013

Adaptations of epics such as Beowulf or the Odyssey generally treat their source material as narrative, relating plot and character at the expense of poetics. José Hernández’s gaucho epic poem ‘Martín Fierro’/‘La vuelta de Martín Fierro’ can now lay claim to half a dozen versions in film and animation. Hernández’s work has proved remarkably adaptable to a range of political and artistic interpretations; the poem has been read as a nostalgic celebration of a rural culture quickly disappearing, as a conservative reaction to modernizing national projects, and as a model of artistic-cultural integration for a new, modern nation. Cinematic versions have offered equally varied approaches to its politics. This article uses the fictional adaptation of Fierro proposed in Thomas Pynchon’s 1973 novel Gravity’s Rainbow as a starting point for an examination of the poetics of filmic adaptation. What of the poem’s specific prosodic features – the use of a traditional verse form, its rhythm, rhyme and distinctive lexis – are adopted and/or adapted by filmic versions, and what relationship, if any, can be detected between the implicit political standpoints of different versions and the aesthetic approach to the source text? If Pynchon’s fictional adaptation formed part of an anarchist plot, what political plotting can be detected in real-life film adaptations of the poem?
MECHANISMS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY: Pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes in South Asians
Authors: Bakker Leontine E H , Sleddering Maria A , Schoones Jan W , Meinders A Edo , Jazet Ingrid M
Published: August 2013

The risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is exceptionally high among both native and migrant South Asians. T2DM occurs more often and at a younger age and lower BMI, and the risk of coronary artery and cerebrovascular disease, and renal complications is higher for South Asians compared with people of White Caucasian descent. The high prevalence of T2DM and its related complications in South Asians, which comprise one-fifth of the total world's population, poses a major health and socioeconomic burden. The underlying cause of this excess risk, however, is still not completely understood. Therefore, gaining insight into the pathogenesis of T2DM in South Asians is of great importance. The predominant mechanism, in this ethnicity seems to be insulin resistance (IR) rather than an impaired β-cell function. In this systematic review, we describe several possible mechanisms that may underlie or contribute to the increased IR observed in South Asians.
Ultrasensitive serum thyroglobulin measurement is useful for the follow-up of patients treated with total thyroidectomy without radioactive iodine ablation
Authors: Nascimento C , Borget I , Troalen F , Al Ghuzlan A , Deandreis D , Hartl D , Lumbroso J , Chougnet C N , Baudin E , Schlumberger M , Leboulleux S
Published: August 2013

Context

Thyroglobulin (Tg) measurement is a major tool for the follow-up of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) patients; however, in patients who do not undergo radioactive iodine (RAI) ablation, normal ultrasensitive Tg levels measured under levothyroxine treatment (usTg/l-T4) are not well defined.

Objective and design

This single-center retrospective study assessed usTg/l-T4 level in 86 consecutive patients treated with total thyroidectomy without RAI ablation for low-risk DTC (n=77) or for tumors of uncertain malignant potential (TUMP) (n=9).

Results

DTCs were classified as pT1, pT2, and pT3 in 75, 1, and 1 case respectively and pN0, pN1, and pNx in 40, 6, and 31 respectively. Following surgery, ten patients had Tg antibodies (TgAb). Among those without TgAb, the first usTg/l-T4 determination obtained at a mean time of 9 months after surgery was ≤0.1 ng/ml in 62% of cases, ≤0.3 ng/ml in 82% of cases, ≤1 ng/ml in 91%, and ≤2 ng/ml in 96% of cases. After a median follow-up of 2.5 years (range: 0.6–7.2 years), one patient had persistent disease with an usTg/l-T4 at 11 ng/ml and an abnormal neck ultrasonography (US) and two patients had usTg/l-T4 level >2 ng/ml (3.9 and 4.9 ng/ml) with a normal neck US. Within the first 2 years following total thyroidectomy without RAI ablation, usTg/l-T4 level is ≤2 ng/ml in 96% of the cases.

Conclusion

After total thyroidectomy, sensitive serum Tg/l-T4 level is ≤2 ng/ml in most patients and can be used for patient follow-up.
Functional Abdominal Pain in Childhood and Long-term Vulnerability to Anxiety Disorders
Authors: Shelby Grace D. , Shirkey Kezia C. , Sherman Amanda L. , Beck Joy E. , Haman Kirsten , Shears Angela R. , Horst Sara N. , Smith Craig A. , Garber Judy , Walker Lynn S.
Published: August 2013

BACKGROUND:

Cross-sectional studies link functional abdominal pain (FAP) to anxiety and depression in childhood, but no prospective study has evaluated psychiatric status in adulthood or its relation to pain persistence.

METHODS:

Pediatric patients with FAP (n = 332) and control subjects (n = 147) were tracked prospectively and evaluated for psychiatric disorders and functional gastrointestinal disorders (FGIDs) at follow-up in adolescence and young adulthood (mean age = 20.01 years). Participants were classified according to presence (FGID-POS) or absence (FGID-NEG) of FGIDs at follow-up.

RESULTS:

Lifetime and current risk of anxiety disorders was higher in FAP than controls (lifetime: 51% vs 20%; current: 30% vs 12%). Controlling for gender and age, the odds ratio was 4.9 (confidence interval = 2.83–7.43) for lifetime anxiety disorder and 3.57 (confidence interval = 2.00–6.36) for current anxiety disorder at follow-up for FAP versus controls. Lifetime risk of depressive disorder was significantly higher in FAP versus controls (40% vs. 16%); current risk did not differ. In most cases, initial onset of anxiety disorders was before pediatric FAP evaluation; onset of depressive disorders was subsequent to FAP evaluation. Within the FAP group, risk of current anxiety disorders at follow-up was significantly higher for FGID-POS versus FGID-NEG (40% vs 24%), and both were higher than controls (12%); current depressive disorders did not differ across FGID-POS, FGID-NEG, and controls.

CONCLUSIONS:

Patients with FAP carry long-term vulnerability to anxiety that begins in childhood and persists into late adolescence and early adulthood, even if abdominal pain resolves.
Ethnic Differences in the Link Between Insulin Resistance and Elevated ALT
Authors: DeBoer Mark D. , Wiener R. Constance , Barnes Barrett H. , Gurka Matthew J.
Published: August 2013

BACKGROUND:

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) exhibits tight links with insulin resistance (IR) and the metabolic syndrome (MetS), a cluster of cardiovascular risk factors. Compared with non-Hispanic whites, non-Hispanic black adolescents have more IR but a lower prevalence of NAFLD and MetS. Our hypothesis was that IR would be a better predictor of alanine aminotransferase (ALT) elevations than is MetS among non-Hispanic blacks.

METHODS:

We analyzed data from 4124 adolescents aged 12 to 19 years in the 1999 to 2010 NHANES, using unexplained elevations in ALT (>30 U/L) to characterize presumed NAFLD and using a pediatric adaptation of the Adult Treatment Panel III definition of MetS.

RESULTS:

Prevalence of elevated ALT varied by race/ethnicity (Hispanics 13.7%, non-Hispanic white 8.6%, non-Hispanic blacks 5.4%, P < .0001). Among non-Hispanic whites and Hispanics, a classification of MetS performed well in identifying adolescents with elevated ALT (odds ratios [ORs] 9.53 and 5.56, respectively), as did MetS-related indices. However, among non-Hispanic blacks, the association between MetS and ALT elevations was smaller in magnitude and technically nonsignificant (OR = 3.24, P = .051). Furthermore, among non-Hispanic blacks, the presence of IR and elevated waist circumference performed more poorly at identifying ALT elevations (ORs 3.93 and 2.28, respectively: significantly smaller than ORs for non-Hispanic whites, P < .05), with triglyceride elevations being a better predictor (OR = 4.44).

CONCLUSIONS:

Non-Hispanic black adolescents exhibit a lower relationship between IR and elevated ALT, supporting racial/ethnic differences in the link between MetS and NAFLD. These data may have implications regarding triggers for screening for NAFLD among non-Hispanic black adolescents, focusing particularly on those with triglyceride elevations.
Disparities in Breast Cancer Treatment and Outcomes: Biological, Social, and Health System Determinants and Opportunities for Research
Authors: Wheeler Stephanie B. , Reeder-Hayes Katherine E. , Carey Lisa A.
Published: August 2013

Racial disparities in breast cancer mortality have been widely documented for several decades and persist despite advances in receipt of mammography across racial groups. This persistence leads to questions about the roles of biological, social, and health system determinants of poor outcomes. Cancer outcomes are a function not only of innate biological factors but also of modifiable characteristics of individual behavior and decision making as well as characteristics of patient-health system interaction and the health system itself. Attempts to explain persistent racial disparities have mostly been limited to discussion of differences in insurance coverage, socioeconomic status, tumor stage at diagnosis, comorbidity, and molecular subtype of the tumor. This article summarizes existing literature exploring reasons for racial disparities in breast cancer mortality, with an emphasis on treatment disparities and opportunities for future research. Because breast cancer care requires a high degree of multidisciplinary team collaboration, ensuring that guideline recommended treatment (such as endocrine therapy for hormone receptor positive patients) is received by all racial/ethnic groups is critical and requires coordination across multiple providers and health care settings. Recognition that variation in cancer care quality may be correlated with race (and socioeconomic and health system factors) may assist policy makers in identifying strategies to more equally distribute clinical expertise and health infrastructure across multiple user populations.
An ecological regime shift resulting from disrupted predator–prey interactions in Holocene Australia
Authors: Prowse Thomas A. A. , Johnson Christopher N. , Bradshaw Corey J. A. , Brook Barry W.
Published: August 2013

The mass extinction events during human prehistory are striking examples of ecological regime shifts, the causes of which are still hotly debated. In Australia, human arrival approximately 50 thousand years ago was associated with the continental‐scale extinction of numerous marsupial megafauna species and a permanent change in vegetation structure. An alternative stable state persisted until a second regime shift occurred during the late Holocene, when the largest two remaining marsupial carnivores, the thylacine and devil, disappeared from mainland Australia. These extinctions have been widely attributed to the human‐assisted invasion of a competing predator, the dingo. In this unusual case, the simultaneous effects of human “intensification” (population growth and technological advances) and climate change (particularly increased ENSO variability) have been largely overlooked. We developed a dynamic model system capable of simulating the complex interactions between the main predators (humans, thylacines, devils, dingoes) and their marsupial prey (macropods), which we coupled with reconstructions of human population growth and climate change for late‐Holocene Australia. Because the strength of important interspecific interactions cannot be estimated directly, we used detailed scenario testing and sensitivity analysis to identify robust model outcomes and investigate competing explanations for the Holocene regime shift. This approach identified human intensification as the most probable cause, while also demonstrating the potential importance of synergies with the effects of climate change. Our models indicate that the prehistoric impact of humans on Australian mammals was not limited to the late Pleistocene (i.e., the megafaunal extinctions) but extended into the late Holocene.
20th Anniversary of Budapest Nephrology School: History and Lessons
Authors: Rosivall László
Published: August 2013

Nephrology practice and research in Hungary was strong in the last century. Sándor von Korányi, founder of
renal pathophysiology, was the first who applied freezing point reduction to measure osmotic activity of urine and coined
the term renal insufficiency. After a decline in the standards of nephrology practice in the 1970s to 80s, I established the
Hungarian Kidney Foundation in order to revitalize nephrology in Hungary and the region. Besides, a PhD programme
was successfully introduced together with the Budapest Nephrology School (BNS). During the 20 years of its history the
BNS became one of the most successful one-week-long CME refresher nephrology course having more than 1500
students representing 61 countries. BNS is a meeting point of young talented nephrologists and dedicated experts proving
that personal contacts, discussions cannot be substituted by books, videos or internet. BNS has been a unique tool to once
again bring Budapest into the center of attention and recognition for the development of regional nephrology.
The Role of Phytotherapy in the Management of Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: O. Olufunmilayo Adeyemi , A. Adewale Adeneye
Published: August 2013

Diabetes mellitus remains the most common endocrine disorder of
carbohydrate metabolism, often associated with attendant complications with high
morbidity and mortality. Despite the successes recorded with the use of conventional
chemotherapy in the disease management, phytotherapy appears to have good prospects
in the effective management of the disease course and prognosis. In this review we will
examine the etiopathological basis (including the recent advancements in its pathology),
diagnosis and monitoring of diabetes mellitus. The chapter provides information on the
current conventional pharmacotherapy and supportive care as well as an in-depth and
incisive analysis on the emerging trend in the use of herbal products. The evidencebased
herbal pharmacotherapy that is currently employed in the management of the
disease is discussed. In the concluding part of the chapter, the future prospects of the
diverse anti-diabetic herbal remedies are also discussed.
Utilized Prismatic Blades Vs. Utilized Flakes at the Phil Stratton Cumberland Site, Kentucky
Authors: Gramly Richard Michael
Published: August 2013

The ratio of utilized prismatic blades ( N = 499, whole tool count) to utilized flakes ( N = 276) at the Phil Stratton site is approximately 2:1; however, if we allow for undercounting of fragmented utilized flakes, the ratio likely approaches 3:2. Such a finding—the first to be reported for any Middle Stage Cumberland assemblage—might be matched at Clovis habitation sites of a later era. This ratio is robust in the favor of prismatic blades and attests to the importance of a prismatic blade industry during the Middle Stage of the Cumberland Tradition with an estimated age of 14,500 calendar years before present.
The Archaeology of Bear Trap Spring Rockshelter, Ulster County, New York
Authors: Diamond Joseph E.
Published: August 2013

The Bear Trap Spring Rockshelter (NYSM 9792) is a Multi-Component Pre-Contact Site in the Rondout drainage in the Town of Olive, situated along the eastern edge of the Catskills in New York's Mid-Hudson Valley. It was almost entirely excavated by avocational archaeologists from the New York State Archaeological Association's Mid-Hudson Chapter from c. 1959 to 1966. Occupations found in the rockshelter range from the Middle Archaic Neville Phase to those of the Late Woodland/Contact Period Esopus Indians. Comparisons with 8 other nearby rockshelters in the Ashokan Catskills, as well as 14 rockshelters within a 50 km radius, point to consistent peaks in occupation during the Late Archaic and the Late Woodland.
A Focus on Solutions: The Appropriate Coping Response to Suffering and Pain
Authors: Mnkandla Maureen , Nkala Barbara
Published: August 2013

The study explored ways that therapeutic work can be done with bereaved families in the Zimbabwean, African cultural context. The study used stories that families provided about their losses. These narratives were explored as ways to inform therapeutic practice. Findings were that a focus on solutions is valuable as an adaptive intervention and might prove to be one of the most effective means by which a number of people in Zimbabwe learn to cope with grief and adapt after the death of loved ones.
A Scale to Measure the Desire to be Dead
Authors: Lester David
Published: August 2013

Andrej Marušič suggested that it might be useful for therapists to assess the wish to be dead in clients, a preliminary step in the pathway to suicide. The aim of the present research was to develop a brief scale to measure the wish to be dead. Two samples of undergraduate students were administered a brief 10-item scale to measure the wish to be dead. The scale had moderately good test-retest reliability and internal consistency (as measured with Cronbach alpha). Scores on the wish to be dead scale had modest correlations with a history of suicidal ideation and attempts and with scores on a scale to measure obsession with death. The wish to be dead scale, therefore, appears to measure a state of mind different from suicidal ideation and obsession with death, has adequate psychometric properties (reliability and validity), and may prove useful for clinical practice and research.
Requirements-level language and tools for capturing software system essence
Authors: Nowakowski Wiktor , Śmiałek Michał , Ambroziewicz Albert , Straszak Tomasz
Published: August 2013

Creation of an unambiguous requirements specification with precise domain
vocabulary is crucial for capturing the essence of any software system,
either when developing a new system or when recovering knowledge from a
legacy one. Software specifications usually maintain noun notions and include
them in central vocabularies. Verb or adjective phrases are easily forgotten
and their definitions buried inside imprecise paragraphs of text. This paper
proposes a model-based language for comprehensive treatment of domain
knowledge, expressed through constrained natural language phrases that are
grouped by nouns and include verbs, adjectives and prepositions. In this
language, vocabularies can be formulated to describe behavioural
characteristics of a given problem domain. What is important, these
characteristics can be linked from within other specifications similarly to a
wiki. The application logic can be formulated through sequences of imperative
subject-predicate sentences containing only links to the phrases in the
vocabulary. The paper presents an advanced tooling framework to capture
application logic specifications making them available for automated
transformations down to code. The tools were validated through a controlled
experiment.