bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Burden of Injuries Avertable By a Basic Surgical Package in Low‐ and Middle‐Income Regions: A Systematic Analysis From the Global Burden of Disease 2010 Study
Authors: Higashi Hideki , Barendregt Jan J. , Kassebaum Nicholas J. , Weiser Thomas G. , Bickler Stephen W. , Vos Theo
Published: July 2014

Background

Injuries accounted for 11 % of the global burden of disease in 2010. This study aimed to quantify the burden of injury in low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) that could be averted if basic surgical services were made available and accessible to the entire population.

Methods

We examined all causes of injury from the Global Burden of Disease 2010 Study. We split the disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs) for these conditions between surgically “avertable” and “nonavertable” burdens. For estimating the avertable fatal burden, we applied the lowest fatality rates among the 21 epidemiologic regions to each LMIC region, assuming that the differences in death rates between each region and the lowest rates reflect the gap in surgical care. We adjusted for fatal cases that occur prior to reaching hospitals as they are not surgically avertable. Similarly, we applied the lowest nonfatal burden per case to each LMIC region.

Results

Overall, 21 % of the injury burden in LMICs was potentially avertable by basic surgical care (52.3 million DALYs). The avertable proportion was greater for deaths than for nonfatal burden (23 vs. 20 %), suggesting that surgical services for injuries more effectively save lives than ameliorate disability. Sub‐Saharan Africa had the largest proportion of potentially avertable burden (25 %). South Asia had the highest total avertable DALYs (17.4 million). Road injury comprised the largest total avertable burden in LMICs (16.1 million DALYs).

Conclusions

Basic surgical care has the potential to play a major role in reducing the injury‐related burden in LMICs.
Residents’ Engagement and Empathy Associated With Their Perception of Faculty’s Teaching Performance
Authors: Lases S. S. Lenny , Arah Onyebuchi A. , Pierik E. G. J. M. Robert , Heineman Erik , Lombarts M. J. M. H. Kiki
Published: July 2014

Background

Faculty members rely on residents’ feedback about their teaching performance. The influence of residents’ characteristics on evaluations of faculty is relatively unexplored. We aimed to evaluate the levels of work engagement and empathy among residents and the association of both characteristics with their evaluation of the faculty’s teaching performance.

Methods

A multicenter questionnaire study among 271 surgery and gynecology residents was performed from September 2012 to February 2013. Residents’ ratings of the faculty’s teaching performance were collected using the system for evaluation of teaching quality (SETQ). Residents were also invited to fill out standardized measures of work engagement and empathy using the short Utrecht Work Engagement Scale and the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy, respectively. Linear regression analysis using generalized estimating equations to evaluate the association of residents’ engagement and empathy with residents’ evaluations of teaching performance.

Results

Overall, 204 (75.3 %) residents completed 1814 SETQ evaluations of 302 faculty, and 143 (52.8 %) and 140 (51.7 %) residents, respectively, completed the engagement and empathy measurements. The median scores of residents’ engagement and empathy were 4.56 (scale 0–6) and 5.55 (scale 1–7), respectively. Higher levels of residents’ engagement (regression coefficient b = 0.128; 95 % confidence interval (CI) 0.072–0.184; p < 0.001) and empathy (b = 0.113; 95 % CI 0.063–0.164; p < 0.001) were associated with higher faculty teaching performance scores.

Conclusions

Residents’ engagement and empathy appear to be positively associated with their evaluation of the faculty’s performance. A possible explanation is that residents who are more engaged and can understand and share others’ perspectives stimulate and experience faculty’s teaching better than others.
Optimization of a Colorimetric Test Method for Quantifying Glycerol in Aqueous Solution
Authors: Bompelly Radhika , Skaf Dorothy W.
Published: July 2014

Many analytical methods for glycerol involve chemical techniques or instrumentation that may be unavailable to small biodiesel processors or have potential interactions with other components in the glycerol phase. This work presents an analytical method based on periodate oxidation of glycerol to formaldehyde, which is then quantified using a modification of the Nash test required to remove excess periodate. The method provides a linear calibration over the range of diluted glycerol concentrations from 0.02 to 0.25 mM and is limited at high concentrations by the formation of precipitate during the Nash test. There are no observed interferences from the formic acid coproduct of the glycerol oxidation or from potential contaminants in the crude glycerol, which includes methanol and sodium. Several disaccharides and starch, both as individual solutes or in glycerol solutions, gave no response under the conditions of the described method.
Toxin Content of Commercial Castor Cultivars
Authors: McKeon Thomas A. , Auld Dick , Brandon David L. , Leviatov Shai , He Xiaohua
Published: July 2014

The castor plant Ricinus communis L. is the source of castor oil which has numerous uses and is a key chemical feedstock for an array of products from polymers to cosmetics. Although castor was once widely grown throughout the world, the presence of the toxic protein ricin has deterred the re‐introduction of this useful crop. In order to develop a low‐ricin or no‐ricin castor crop, a robust, accurate method for screening castor seed for ricin content is essential. In this study, we validated a sandwich enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of ricin and the homologous Ricinus communis agglutinin (RCA) in castor beans and screened a collection of castor lines including commercial varieties using this assay. Although the average content derived by extracting several seeds provided a fair representation of the ricin content for a given selection, there was enough seed‐to‐seed variation to justify determining the ricin/RCA content of individual seeds. Ricin levels observed ranged from 1.16 to 6.25 % by weight.
Effect of Acid Value on TBHQ and BHT Losses in Heating Oils: Identification of the Esterification Products of TBHQ and Free Fatty Acids
Authors: Li Jun , Bi Yanlan , Liu Wei , Sun Shangde , Liu Cuifang , Ma Sumin
Published: July 2014

The loss of phenolic antioxidants is one of the major problems associated with the food frying process. As temperature increases and heating time is prolonged, losses of both tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) are significantly increased. In this work, the effect of different types of free fatty acids (FFA) and the acid value (AV) of soybean oil (SBO) on TBHQ and BHT losses during heating were systematically studied. The results showed that the higher the AV of SBO at 120 or 180 °C, the greater the TBHQ loss. The type of FFA also had an observable effect on TBHQ losses at both temperatures, whereas FFA type had no effect on BHT losses. Employing high performance liquid chromatography and liquid chromatography–mass spectra (LC–MS analysis, it was determined that esterification of TBHQ with FFA (C8:0, C18:0, C18:1) occurred at 120 or 180 °C, whereas esterification of BHT with FFA (C8:0, C18:0, C18:1) in SBO was not observed. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis showed that esterification occurred at the 4‐position of TBHQ.
PGD by FISH for a Reciprocal Translocation: First Baby from India
Authors: Naik Dattatray J. , Madon Prochi F. , Naik Nandkishor J. , Athalye Arundhati S. , Parikh Firuza R.
Published: July 2014

A couple with a history of five early miscarriages due to a balanced reciprocal translocation t(6;19) (p22;q13.4) in the wife, was referred for preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). After oocyte retrieval, nine embryos were obtained. One cell from each embryo was biopsied, fixed and subjected to FISH using centromere and subtelomere probes for chromosomes 6 and 19. Five embryos which had unbalanced translocations, were not transferred. A balanced translocation or absence of translocation was seen in three embryos, which were transferred. One embryo had an anucleate cell and subsequently arrested. A pregnancy was achieved in the first intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycle itself and resulted in the birth of a healthy baby. This is the first baby after PGD for a reciprocal translocation in India. In 2010, the team of the authors reported the first successful pregnancy after PGD for a Robertsonian translocation and a normal child was born.
Pubertal maturation and cortisol level in response to a novel social environment among female adolescents
Authors: Blumenthal Heidemarie , Leen‐Feldner Ellen W. , Badour Christal L. , Trainor Casey D. , Babson Kimberly A.
Published: July 2014

Research indicates changes in HPA‐axis activity across puberty. The current study extends existing work by evaluating pubertal status and cortisol level in a novel social environment (research laboratory) while controlling for several important biological, behavioral, and psychological variables. Participants were 30 girls (ages 9–16 years) from the United States. Pubertal status was assessed via the Pubertal Development Scale. Salivary samples were collected at laboratory‐introduction and a matched at‐home period; laboratory‐introduction levels were regressed on basal cortisol levels to create standardized residual scores. After controlling for covariates, pubertal status was positively associated with residualized cortisol values. Findings indicate more advanced puberty related to greater cortisol response to the laboratory; data are discussed in terms of future research and building biopsychosocial models of the puberty‐psychopathology linkage.
Nuclear export of the influenza virus ribonucleoprotein complex: Interaction of Hsc70 with viral proteins M1 and NS2
Authors: Watanabe Ken , Shimizu Teppei , Noda Saiko , Tsukahara Fujiko , Maru Yoshiro , Kobayashi Nobuyuki
Published: July 2014

The influenza virus replicates in the host cell nucleus, and the progeny viral ribonucleoprotein complex (vRNP) is exported to the cytoplasm prior to maturation. NS2 has a nuclear export signal that mediates the nuclear export of vRNP by the vRNP–M1–NS2 complex. We previously reported that the heat shock cognate 70 (Hsc70) protein binds to M1 protein and mediates vRNP export. However, the interactions among M1, NS2, and Hsc70 are poorly understood. In the present study, we demonstrate that Hsc70 interacts with M1 more strongly than with NS2 and competes with NS2 for M1 binding, suggesting an important role of Hsc70 in the nuclear export of vRNP.
The influence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) biomarkers on clinical dementia evaluations
Authors: Gooblar Jonathan , Carpenter Brian D. , Coats Mary A. , Morris John C. , Snider B. Joy
Published: July 2014

Background

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteins have become accepted biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease (AD) in research settings. The extent of their use, perceived utility, and influence on decision making in clinical settings, however, are less well studied.

Methods

Clinicians who evaluate older adults (N = 193) were randomized to view normal, borderline, AD‐consistent, or no CSF information in two vignettes portraying patients with borderline and mild AD symptoms. Clinicians also reported on the use and perceived utility of CSF biomarkers.

Results

Although clinicians reported infrequent use and low perceived utility of CSF biomarkers, viewing AD‐consistent CSF values made clinicians more likely to make an AD‐related diagnosis, increased diagnostic confidence, and led clinicians to initiate treatment more often than clinicians who had no CSF information.

Conclusions

CSF biomarkers influence decision making depending on the extent to which biomarkers reflect AD pathology, consistency between clinical–pathologic information, and the ambiguity of protein values.
Isolation, screening and partial purification of antimicrobial antibiotics from soil Streptomyces sp. SCA 7
Authors: Saravana Kumar P. , Duraipandiyan V. , Ignacimuthu S.
Published: July 2014

Thirty‐seven actinomycetes strains were isolated from soil samples collected from an agriculture field in Vengodu, Thiruvannamalai District, Tamil Nadu, India (latitude: 12° 54′ 0033″, North; longitude: 79° 78′ 5216″, East; elevation: 228.6/70.0 ft/m). The isolates were assessed for antagonistic activity against five Gram‐positive bacteria, seven Gram‐negative bacteria, and two pathogenic fungi. During the initial screening, 43% of the strains showed weak activity, 16% showed moderate activity, 5% showed good activity, and 35% showed no antagonistic activity. Among the strains tested, SCA 7 showed strong antimicrobial activity. Maximum biological activity was obtained on modified nutrient glucose agar (MNGA) medium. The mycelia of SCA 7 were extracted with methanol and tested against microbial pathogens using the disc diffusion method. The crude extract was purified partially using column chromatography and assessed for antimicrobial activity. Fraction 10 showed good activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis (31.25 μg/mL) and Malassezia pachydermatis (500 μg/mL) and the active principle (fraction 10) was identified as 2,4‐bis (1,1‐dimethylethyl) phenol. Based on morphological, physiological, biochemical, cultural, and molecular characteristics (16S rDNA sequencing), this strain was identified as Streptomyces sp. SCA 7. It could be used in the development of new substances for pharmaceutical or agricultural purposes.
Evolution of disturbance wavepackets in an oscillatory Stokes layer
Authors: Thomas Christian , Davies Christopher , Bassom Andrew P. , Blennerhassett P. J.
Published: July 2014

Numerical simulation results are presented for the linear and nonlinear evolution of disturbances in a flat Stokes layer. The response to a spatially localised impulsive forcing is investigated and it is found that the spatial–temporal development of the flow displays an intriguing family-tree-like structure, which involves the birth of successive generations of distinct wavepacket components. It is shown that some features of this unexpected structure can be predicted using the results of a linear stability analysis based on Floquet theory.
Thermally driven Marangoni surfers
Authors: Würger Alois
Published: July 2014

We study autopropulsion of an interface particle that is driven by the Marangoni stress arising from a self-generated asymmetric temperature or concentration field. We calculate separately the long-range Marangoni flow $\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}{\boldsymbol {v}}^{I}$ due to the stress discontinuity at the interface and the short-range velocity field ${\boldsymbol {v}}^{P}$ imposed by the no-slip condition on the particle surface. Both contributions are evaluated for a spherical floater with temperature monopole and dipole moments. We find that the self-propulsion velocity is given by the amplitude of the ‘source doublet’ that belongs to the short-range contribution ${\boldsymbol {v}}^{P}$. Hydrodynamic interactions, on the other hand, are determined by the long-range Marangoni flow ${\boldsymbol {v}}^{I}$. Its dipolar part results in an asymmetric advection pattern of neighbouring particles, which in turn may perturb the known hexatic lattice or even favour disordered states.
Energy expenditure, nutritional status, body composition and physical fitness of Royal Marines during a 6-month operational deployment in Afghanistan
Authors: Fallowfield Joanne L. , Delves Simon K. , Hill Neil E. , Cobley Rosalyn , Brown Pieter , Lanham-New Susan A. , Frost Gary , Brett Stephen J. , Murphy Kevin G. , Montain Scott J. , Nicholson Christopher , Stacey Michael , Ardley Christian , Shaw Anneliese , Bentley Conor , Wilson Duncan R. , Allsopp Adrian J.
Published: July 2014

Understanding the nutritional demands on serving military personnel is critical to inform training schedules and dietary provision. Troops deployed to Afghanistan face austere living and working environments. Observations from the military and those reported in the British and US media indicated possible physical degradation of personnel deployed to Afghanistan. Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the changes in body composition and nutritional status of military personnel deployed to Afghanistan and how these were related to physical fitness. In a cohort of British Royal Marines (n249) deployed to Afghanistan for 6 months, body size and body composition were estimated from body mass, height, girth and skinfold measurements. Energy intake (EI) was estimated from food diaries and energy expenditure measured using the doubly labelled water method in a representative subgroup. Strength and aerobic fitness were assessed. The mean body mass of volunteers decreased over the first half of the deployment ( − 4·6 (sd3·7) %), predominately reflecting fat loss. Body mass partially recovered (mean +2·2 (sd2·9) %) between the mid- and post-deployment periods (P< 0·05). Daily EI (mean 10 590 (sd3339) kJ) was significantly lower than the estimated daily energy expenditure (mean 15 167 (sd1883) kJ) measured in a subgroup of volunteers. However, despite the body mass loss, aerobic fitness and strength were well maintained. Nutritional provision for British military personnel in Afghanistan appeared sufficient to maintain physical capability and micronutrient status, but providing appropriate nutrition in harsh operational environments must remain a priority.
The Nature of Berlin: Green Space and Visions of a New German Capital, 1900–45
Authors: Jackisch Barry A.
Published: July 2014

In the conclusion of his 1915 dissertation, the influential German urban planner Martin Wagner argued forcefully for a new approach to the role of green space in city planning. Referring to recent efforts to improve urban hygiene and general cleanliness in major German cities, especially the public bathhouse movement of the late nineteenth century, Wagner claimed that expansion and promotion of accessible green space constituted the next big challenge for those interested in improving urban living:

The health conditions of the big cities demand an expansion of sanitary living space. To incorporate nature into this development will be the communal-political challenge of the coming years. Cities, which encompass more than half of Germany's total population, have a duty . . . to secure the health of the German body and increase German strength. We must solve this challenge before we reach a point where a solution through natural means is no longer possible.
The Search for the “Other Germany”: Refugee Historians from Nazi Germany and the Contested Historical Legacy of the Resistance to Hitler
Authors: Lamberti Marjorie
Published: July 2014

During his visit to the Federal Republic of Germany in the summer of 1954, Fritz Stern, a young history professor at Columbia University, witnessed in Berlin the memorial service for the victims of the July 20, 1944, revolt against Hitler. His feelings were stirred at the sight of the sorrowful faces of the widows and children of the conspirators who were executed in the aftermath of the failed assassination attempt, and by President Theodor Heuss's speech, recalling the anguish and courage of the Germans who made the decision to rebel in an act of atonement. Born in Germany in 1926 to Protestant parents of Jewish ancestry, Stern experienced racist antisemitism in the Third Reich firsthand before his family emigrated in 1938. He returned to Germany with conflicted emotions. During World War II, when the magnitude of the annihilation of European Jewry was uncovered, he felt intense hatred toward National Socialism. The distinction between German and Nazi became blurred. And yet, he could not bring himself to hold the German people collectively guilty for such crimes and to reject his native land. At the ceremony he struggled with his own feelings, saying to himself at first that “their purposes had not been ours.” Then a sense of shame for his indiscriminate hatred overwhelmed him. He left Germany in August “purged of hatred—though not disloyal to the feelings of the past, and full of forebodings about the future.”
Immigration, Integration, and Support for Redistribution in Europe
Authors: Burgoon Brian
Published: July 2014

Immigration poses individual or collective economic risks that might increase citizen support for government redistribution, but it can also generate fiscal pressure or undermine social solidarity to diminish such support. These offsetting conditions obscure the net effects of immigration for welfare states. This article explores whether immigration's effects are mediated by the economic and social integration of immigrants. Integration can be conceptualized and measured as involving the degree to which immigrants suffer unemployment rates, depend on welfare-state benefits, and harbor social attitudes similarly to the native population. Such integration may alter how immigration reduces solidarity and imposes fiscal and macroeconomic pressures, but does not much alter how immigration spurs economic risks for natives. Where migrants are more integrated by such measures, immigration should have less negative or more positive implications for native support for government redistribution and welfare states than where migrants are less integrated. The article explores these arguments using survey data for twenty-two European countries between 2002 and 2010. The principal finding is that economic integration, more than sociocultural integration, softens the tendency of immigration to undermine support for redistributive policies.
Defying the Law of Gravity: The Political Economy of International Migration
Authors: Fitzgerald Jennifer , Leblang David , Teets Jessica C.
Published: July 2014

Bilateral flows of international migrants exhibit tremendous variance both across destination countries and over time. To explain this variance, studies of international migration tend to focus on economic determinants such as income differentials or on social conditions such as the presence of coethnics in certain destination countries. The authors argue that migration is driven not solely by economic or social determinants; rather, the political environment across destinations plays a substantively large role in influencing bilateral migration flows. They test the importance of the political environment—citizenship rights and the prominence of right-wing parties—using data on migration flows from 178 origin countries into 18 destination countries over the period 1980–2006. They find, even after controlling for a variety of economic, social, policy, and international variables, that variation in political environments across time and destination plays a key role in observed patterns of international migration.
The Effect of Authorita rian Regime Type on Exchange Rate Policy
Authors: Steinberg David A. , Malhotra Krishan
Published: July 2014

Conventional wisdom holds that autocracies are more likely than democracies to adopt interventionist and protectionist economic policies, including fixed and undervalued exchange rates. This article suggests that this view is only partially correct: nondemocracies are a heterogeneous grouping, and only some types of authoritarian regimes adopt different foreign economic policies from those of their democratic counterparts. Using the example of exchange rate policy, the authors show that foreign economic policy varies across monarchic, military, and civilian dictatorships. More specifically, they hypothesize that monarchies and military regimes are more likely than democracies and civilian dictatorships to maintain fixed exchange rate regimes because the former regimes have smaller “selectorates” than the latter. The authors also expect that monarchies and civilian dictatorships maintain more undervalued exchange rates than democracies and military regimes because the former regimes provide their leaders with greater tenure security than the latter regimes. These hypotheses are evaluated using a time-series–cross-sectional data set of a large sample of developing countries from 1973 to 2006. The statistical results accord with these predictions. These findings indicate that the ways in which democracies engage with the global economy may be less unique than many believe.
An expressional simplified mechanism in anthropomorphic face robot design
Authors: Lin Chyi-Yeu , Huang Chun-Chia , Cheng Li-Chieh
Published: July 2014

The goal of this research is to develop a low-cost face robot which has a lower degree-of-freedom facial expression mechanism. Many designs of facial robots have been announced and published in the past. Face robots can be classified into two major types based on their respective degrees of freedom. The first type has various facial expressions with higher degrees of freedom, and the second has finite facial expressions with fewer degrees of freedom. Due to the high cost of the higher-degree-of-freedom face robot, most commercial face robot products are designed in the lower-degrees-of-freedom form with finite facial expressions. Therefore, a face robot with a simplified facial expression mechanism is proposed in this research. The main purpose of this research is to develop a device with a lower degree-of-freedom mechanism that is able to generate many facial expressions while keeping one basic mouth shape variation. Our research provides a new face robot example and development direction to reduce costs and conserve energy.
Study on hexapod robot manipulation using legs
Authors: Ding Xilun , Yang Fan
Published: July 2014

In order to provide a novel approach for the operational problems of walking robots, this paper presents a method by which a hexapod robot uses its legs to manipulate an object, and this involves the following two steps. First, two adjacent legs are used to manipulate the object. Next, the supporting legs are required to assist the arms to obtain high manipulability. The manipulation constraints, workplaces, and kinematic models are analyzed using screw theories. Moreover, an optimization algorithm is proposed to reduce energy consumption under stability constraints. We also introduce a manipulation control model that simultaneously considers the supporting and operating legs. Finally, the validity of these methods is proved by the results of experiments and simulations.
Robust L∞convex optimisation for monocular visual odometry trajectory estimation
Authors: Boulekchour Mohammed , Aouf Nabil , Richardson Mark
Published: July 2014

The most important applications of many computer vision systems are based on robust features extraction, matching and tracking. Due to their extraction techniques, image features locations accuracy is heavily dependent on the variation in intensity within their neighbourhoods, from which their uncertainties are estimated. In the present work, a robust L∞optimisation solution for monocular motion estimation systems has been presented. The uncertainty estimation techniques based on SIFT derivative approach and its propagation through the eight-point algorithm, singular value decomposition SVD and the triangulation algorithm have proved an improvement to the global motion estimation. Using monocular systems makes the motion estimation challenging due to the absolute scale ambiguity caused by projective effects. For this, we propose robust tools to estimate both the trajectory of a moving object and the unknown absolute scale ratio between consecutive image pairs. Experimental evaluations showed that robust convex optimisation with the L∞norm under uncertain data and the Robust Least Squares clearly outperform classical methods based on Least Squares and Levenberg-Marquardt algorithms.
A Note on a Problem Posed by D. E. Knuth on a Satisfiability Recurrence
Authors: JACQUET PHILIPPE , KNESSL CHARLES , SZPANKOWSKI WOJCIECH
Published: July 2014

We resolve a conjecture proposed by D.E. Knuth concerning a recurrence arising in the satisfiability problem. Knuth's recurrence resembles recurrences arising in the analysis of tries, in particular PATRICIA tries, and asymmetric leader election. We solve Knuth's recurrence exactly and asymptotically, using analytic techniques such as the Mellin transform and analytic depoissonization.
The ambiguous role of remittances in West African countries facing climate variability
Authors: Couharde Cécile , Generoso Rémi
Published: July 2014

We investigate the consequences of remittances inflows on the macroeconomic performance of West African countries over the 1985–2007 period. We take into account the exposure of those countries to climate variability by estimating a PCHVAR model which allows heterogeneity between countries’ responses to rainfall shocks. Our results show that the impact of remittances on macroeconomic performance is highly sensitive to those shocks. In particular, when drought conditions prevail, remittances no longer exert any short-term spillover effects on growth and may increase a situation of economic dependence, by spurring agricultural imports.
Karyological analysis of bitter gourd (Momordica charantia L., Cucurbitaceae) from Southeast Asian countries
Authors: Kausar Nadia , Yousaf Zubaida , Younas Afifa , Ahmed Hafiza Sadia , Rashid Madiha , Arif Ayesha , Rehman Hafiza Ayesha
Published: July 2014

Momordica charantia L. (Cucurbitaceae) is a commonly cultivated functional food plant. In the present study, karyological variation among 34 accessions of M. charantia originating from the Indian subcontinent (Bangladesh, India and Pakistan) and Thailand was evaluated. Ploidy levels ranging from diploid (2n= 22) to hexaploid (2n= 66) were observed. Hexaploidy in M. charantia is reported herein for the first time. Chromosome length ranged from 0.8 to 2.9 μm. The hexaploid accessions had submetacentric and subtelocentric chromosomes. All accessions harboured median and submedian chromosomes. Only one hexaploid accession (TOT1140) had chromosomes with subterminal centromeres. There was considerable variation in chromosome length and chromosome arm ratio.
Elternpartizipation in der Therapie lese- und rechtschreibschwacher Kinder
Authors: Multhauf Bettina , Buschmann Anke
Published: July 2014

Fragestellung: Ziel vorliegender Studie war eine erste Erhebung der derzeitigen Praxis der Zusammenarbeit mit Eltern im Rahmen von außerschulischen Übungsbehandlungen lese- und rechtschreibschwacher Schüler. Formen und Bedingungsfaktoren geleisteter Elternarbeit sowie mögliche Gründe für das Scheitern einer Zusammenarbeit sollten identifiziert werden. Methodik: Ein Paper-Pencil-Fragebogen diente der Erhebung von Ausmaß und Form praktizierter Elternarbeit. Zudem wurden die Einstellung der Therapeuten zur Elternpartizipation und deren subjektive Kompetenz hinsichtlich der Zusammenarbeit mit Eltern erfasst. Die Fragebögen wurden bundesweit an eine Zufallsstichprobe von 120 LRS-Therapeuten versandt (Rücklaufquote: 44 %). Ergebnisse: Die häufigsten genannten Formen der Elternpartizipation waren der Einbezug der Eltern in die Erhebung der Anamnese und das Geben von Hinweisen für das Üben zu Hause. Die Einstellung der Therapeuten gegenüber Elternarbeit prädizierte bedeutsam das Ausmaß der Elternpartizipation (β = .58). Es bestand ein signifikanter Zusammenhang zwischen Elternarbeit und subjektiver Kompetenz der Therapeuten (r = .28), welcher über die Einstellung der Therapeuten mediiert wurde. Ein Desinteresse der Eltern sowie ein Zeitmangel seitens der Fachpersonen sind aus Sicht der Therapeuten Gründe für das geringe Durchführen von Elternarbeit. Diskussion: Im Gegensatz zu der insgesamt positiven Einstellung der Therapeuten zu Elternarbeit werden die verschiedenen Möglichkeiten der Elternpartizipation in der Praxis relativ selten und einseitig genutzt.
Konkordanz zwischen Selbst- und Klinikerurteil hinsichtlich depressiver Symptomatik bei Jugendlichen am Beispiel von BDI-II und CDRS-R
Authors: Straub Joana , Plener Paul L. , Koelch Michael , Keller Ferdinand
Published: July 2014

Fragestellung: Vorhergehende Studien zeigen eine hohe Übereinstimmung von Selbst- und Klinikerurteil bei der Erfassung von Depressivität. Die Übereinstimmung auf Summen-, Subskalen- und Einzelitemebene wurde aber bisher nicht bei einer psychiatrischen jugendlichen Stichprobe untersucht. Der Einfluss von Drittvariablen, wie Alter, Geschlecht, IQ und Behandlungssetting wurde bei Jugendlichen bisher unzureichend überprüft. Methodik: Untersucht wurden 105 depressive Jugendliche (mittleres Alter = 15.94) bei welchen innerhalb einer Woche das BDI-II und CDRS-R durchgeführt wurde. Korrelationsanalysen erfolgten auf Ebene der Summenwerte, Subskalen und Einzelitems. Ergebnisse: Es zeigte sich eine hohe Korrelation zwischen Selbst- und Klinikerurteil (r = .67). Auf Subskalen-Ebene zeigten Items, die somatische Inhalte erfassen, keine höhere Konkordanz als Subskalen, die kognitive oder affektive Inhalte messen. Auf Symptom-Ebene zeigte sich die höchste Übereinstimmung bei dem Item Selbstmordgedanken. Drittvariablen hatten keinen signifikanten Einfluss auf die Höhe der Korrelation aber Jugendliche mit einem eher hohen IQ und ambulant Behandelte neigten zur relativen Überschätzung ihrer Symptomatik. Schlussfolgerungen: Die Gesamtkorrelation war hoch und unterschied sich nicht von Ergebnissen vergleichbarer Korrelationsstudien. Die höchste Übereinstimmung bei dem Item «Selbstmordgedanken» spricht für die gute Erfassbarkeit von Suizidalität auch im Klinikerurteil. Der Fragebogen kann somit deutliche Hinweise auf das Vorliegen einer Depression liefern, jedoch sollte trotz hoher Korrelationen nicht ein Verfahren durch ein anderes ersetzt werden.
Vom Hirnbild zum guten Unterricht
Authors: Stubenrauch Christa , Krinzinger Helga , Konrad Kerstin
Published: July 2014

Psychische Störungen im Kindes- und Jugendalter, vor allem Störungen der Aufmerksamkeit, Lese-Rechtschreibstörungen (LRS) und Rechenstörungen, betreffen in ihrem Auftreten und ihren Auswirkungen ganz besonders die Schule und das schulische Lernen. In jüngster Zeit entfachten neurowissenschaftliche Befunde sowohl in der Öffentlichkeit als auch in der Lehr- und Lernforschung eine rege Diskussion, ob und inwieweit neue Erkenntnisse zur Funktionsweise des Gehirns auch relevant für das Lernen und Lehren in der Schule sein können. Der vorliegende Übersichtsartikel fasst neurowissenschaftliche Befunde zur regelhaften kindlichen Entwicklung von Aufmerksamkeits-, Arbeitsgedächtnis- und Exekutivfunktionen zusammen und diskutiert kritisch deren Relevanz für schulisches Lernen. Des Weiteren werden Bildgebungsbefunde zu spezifischen Teilleistungsstörungen wie LRS und Dyskalkulie dargestellt und mögliche praktische Implikationen für Unterrichtspraxis, Lehrerausbildung, Frühdiagnostik und Prävention sowie störungsspezifische Therapie zusammengefasst. Insgesamt sind es wohl weniger neue Anwendungen (wie z. B. Lehrmethoden), die von einer Neurodidaktik als interdisziplinärem Forschungsfeld zu erwarten sind; vielmehr können die Neurowissenschaften Argumentationsgrundlagen für bestimmte Theorien und Modelle liefern, welche ein tieferes Verständnis zugrundeliegender kognitiver Mechanismen und Pathomechanismen von Lernprozessen und –störungen ermöglichen.
DSM-5 – Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit-/Hyperaktivitätsstörungen
Authors: Banaschewski Tobias , Döpfner Manfred
Published: July 2014

Die Modifikationen, die im DSM-5 bei den Kriterien für die Diagnose einer Aufmerksamkeitsdefizit-/Hyperaktivitätsstörung (ADHS) vorgenommen wurden, werden vorgestellt und kritisch diskutiert. Die wichtigsten Veränderungen beziehen sich auf den Beginn der Symptomatik, die Reduktion der Anzahl der notwendigen Kriterien ab dem Alter von 17 Jahren und die Streichung von Autismusspektrumstörungen als Ausschlussdiagnose. Diese Veränderungen sind überwiegend zu begrüßen, bei der Heraufsetzung des Alters für den Störungsbeginn müssen jedoch auch problematische Aspekte bedacht werden.
Implementationsforschung in der Klinischen Psychologie, Rehabilitationspsychologie und Psychotherapie
Authors: Baumeister Harald
Published: July 2014

Die Wirksamkeit klinisch-psychologischer und psychotherapeutischer Interventionen ist für eine Vielzahl psychischer Belastungen und Störungen sowie verhaltensabhängiger Gesundheitsrisikofaktoren und körperlicher Erkrankungen gut belegt. Entsprechend wenig spricht gegen eine flächendeckende Implementation dieser Interventionsmaßnahmen. Versorgungsepidemiologische Studien verdeutlichen jedoch, dass die Verbreitung evidenzbasierter psychologischer und psychotherapeutischer Interventionen noch deutlich eingeschränkt ist. Diese auch in anderen Bereichen vorhandene Forschungs-Praxis-Lücke zeigt die Notwendigkeit, Forschungsergebnisse aktiv in den klinischen Alltag zu überführen sowie diesen Prozess und dessen förderliche und hinderliche Faktoren zu evaluieren. Dieser Forschungsansatz wird unter dem Begriff der Implementationsforschung eingeführt und dessen Gegenstandsbereich beschrieben sowie anstehende Herausforderungen für die Implementationsforschung diskutiert.
Tissue Oxygen Saturation Mapping with Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Christen Thomas , Bouzat Pierre , Pannetier Nicolas , Coquery Nicolas , Moisan Anaïck , Lemasson Benjamin , Thomas Sébastien , Grillon Emmanuelle , Detante Olivier , Rémy Chantal , Payen Jean-François , Barbier Emmanuel Luc
Published: July 2014

A quantitative estimate of cerebral blood oxygen saturation is of critical importance in the investigation of cerebrovascular disease. While positron emission tomography can map in vivo the oxygen level in blood, it has limited availability and requires ionizing radiation. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) offers an alternative through the blood oxygen level-dependent contrast. Here, we describe an in vivo and non-invasive approach to map brain tissue oxygen saturation ( StO2) with high spatial resolution. StO2 obtained with MRI correlated well with results from blood gas analyses for various oxygen and hematocrit challenges. In a stroke model, the hypoxic areas delineated in vivo by MRI spatially matched those observed ex vivo by pimonidazole staining. In a model of diffuse traumatic brain injury, MRI was able to detect even a reduction in StO2 that was too small to be detected by histology. In a F98 glioma model, MRI was able to map oxygenation heterogeneity. Thus, the MRI technique may improve our understanding of the pathophysiology of several brain diseases involving impaired oxygenation.
Application of a Physiologically Based Pharmacokinetic Model to Predict OATP1B1‐Related Variability in Pharmacodynamics of Rosuvastatin
Authors: Rose RH , Neuhoff S , Abduljalil K , Chetty M , Rostami‐Hodjegan A , Jamei M
Published: July 2014

Typically, pharmacokinetic–pharmacodynamic (PK/PD) models use plasma concentration as the input that drives the PD model. However, interindividual variability in uptake transporter activity can lead to variable drug concentrations in plasma without discernible impact on the effect site organ concentration. A physiologically based PK/PD model for rosuvastatin was developed that linked the predicted liver concentration to the PD response model. The model was then applied to predict the effect of genotype‐dependent uptake by the organic anion‐transporting polypeptide 1B1 (OATP1B1) transporter on the pharmacological response. The area under the plasma concentration–time curve (AUC0–∞) was increased by 63 and 111% for the c.521TC and c.521CC genotypes vs. the c.521TT genotype, while the PD response remained relatively unchanged (3.1 and 5.8% reduction). Using local concentration at the effect site to drive the PD response enabled us to explain the observed disconnect between the effect of the OATP1B1 c521T>C polymorphism on rosuvastatin plasma concentration and the cholesterol synthesis response.

CPT Pharmacometrics Syst. Pharmacol. (2014) 3, e124; doi:10.1038/psp.2014.24; published online 09 July 2014
Overview
Authors: Williams Robert J. P.
Published: July 2014

This chapter gives on overview of the topics covered in the book.
Vanadium
Authors: Garribba Eugenio , Sanna Daniele
Published: July 2014

Vanadium is a trace element which is essential for certain organisms such as ascidians, polychaete worms and Amanita mushrooms. However, there is only limited information about its essentiality for mammals and humans. In this chapter, the current understanding of the mechanisms of uptake of vanadium in the gastrointestinal tract, release into the blood, biotransformation in the plasma and transport and complexation within the cell are described. In the blood and cells, interconversion between the most relevant oxidation states (+IV and +V) and binding with the most important proteins and low-molar-mass ligands of the biological fluids play a key role and affect the biochemical action. The mechanism of cellular uptake depends on the properties of the particular vanadium species involved. In the absence of exhaustive data about transport across biological membranes, recent studies have explored the way in which vanadium compounds associate with interfaces of membrane model systems. The analogy between phosphate and vanadate(V) is related to the inhibition and stimulation of several cellular enzymes and proteins and can explain most of the pharmacological effects. Vanadium metabolism is also discussed. Finally, the uptake, accumulation and binding of vanadium in ascidians and polychaete worms, in the mushroom Amanita and in bacteria are discussed briefly.
Iron Uptake and Homeostasis in Prokaryotic Microorganisms
Authors: Cornelis Pierre
Published: July 2014

The vast majority of prokaryotic microorganisms require iron as an essential cofactor involved in many important reactions in the cell. Very little is known about iron uptake mechanisms in Archaea, and most of our knowledge is based on an abundant literature concerning iron uptake and homeostasis in bacteria (Gram-positive and Gram-negative). Multiple strategies are used in iron uptake, depending on whether iron is in the soluble Fe2+ or in the insoluble Fe3+ form. For aerobes, the latter must be chelated by siderophores and the mechanisms of acquisition of ferri-siderophores will be reviewed. Another source of iron is assimilation of the haem group extracted from haemoproteins. Iron accumulation in the cell can be toxic due to the generation of reactive oxygen species caused by the Fenton reaction. Consequently, bacteria have developed regulatory mechanisms to control iron homeostasis and to link their response to oxidative stress to the control of iron levels in the cell.
Iron-sulfur Clusters
Authors: Cammack Richard , Balk Janneke
Published: July 2014

Iron-sulfur clusters are universally distributed groups occurring in iron-sulfur proteins. They have a wide range of cellular functions which reflect the chemistry of the clusters. Some clusters are involved in electron transport and energy transduction in photosynthesis and respiration. Others can bind substrates and participate in enzyme catalysis. Regulatory functions have also been documented for clusters that respond to oxygen partial pressure and iron availability. Finally, there are some for which no function has been defined; they may act as stabilizing structures, for example, in enzymes involved in nucleic acid metabolism. The clusters are constructed intracellularly and inserted into proteins, which can then be transported to intracellular targets, in some cases, across membranes. Three different types of iron-sulfur cluster assembly machinery have evolved in prokaryotes: NIF, ISC and SUF. Each system involves a scaffold protein on which the cluster is constructed (encoded by genes nifU, iscU, sufU or sufB) and a cysteine desulfurase (encoded by nifS, iscS or sufS) which provides the sulfide sulfur. In eukaryotic cells, clusters are formed in the mitochondria for the many iron-sulfur proteins in this organelle. The mitochondrial biosynthesis pathway is linked to the cytoplasmic iron-sulfur assembly system (CIA) for the maturation of cytoplasmic and nuclear iron-sulfur proteins. In plant cells, a SUF-type system is used for cluster assembly in the plastids. Many accessory proteins are involved in cluster transfer before insertion into the appropriate sites in Fe-S proteins.
Platinum
Authors: Arnesano Fabio , Losacco Maurizio , Natile Giovanni
Published: July 2014

Platinum (Pt) is not a native metal in biology, but is the key component of selected anti-cancer drugs with universally recognized efficacy. Three Pt(II) compounds (cisplatin, carboplatin and oxaliplatin) are currently used, mainly for the clinical treatment of solid tumours, given favourable ligand-exchange kinetics and ability to interact with DNA, prompting malignant cell killing. Similarly to other chemotherapeutics, also platinum drugs can develop resistance and exhibit adverse side effects depending on their interaction with other cellular targets, in addition to nuclear DNA. A recent advancement in this field is the discovery of molecular mechanisms of transport of platinum drugs, beside passive diffusion. Interestingly, proteins responsible for copper (Cu) homeostasis (namely CTR1 and CTR2, ATOX1, ATP7A and ATP7B) have been found to mobilize also cisplatin and its derivatives. The accumulating bulk of information can significantly contribute to the set-up of new therapeutic protocols and to the rational design of more effective platinum drugs, with improved bioavailability and reduced toxicity. Platinum is also largely used, in combination with other heavy metals, such as palladium, in the fabrication of automobile catalytic converters, with consequent release in the environment. Indeed, Pt exposure may represent a health risk, particularly at the chronic level.
Copper in Mitochondria
Authors: Vest Katherine E. , Cobine Paul A.
Published: July 2014

Copper is a cofactor in the mitochondrial enzymes cytochrome c oxidase (CcO) and superoxide dismutase. Delivery and insertion of copper to CcO is mediated by a series of metallochaperones localized in the intermembrane space and inner membrane of mitochondria. The soluble protein Cox17 transiently binds copper in the intermembrane space and delivers it to inner membrane-tethered Sco1 and Cox11, which then deliver copper to the appropriate CcO subunits. CcO has two distinct catalytic copper sites, CuA and CuB, assembled by Sco1 and Cox11, respectively. Metallation of mitochondrial superoxide dismutase 1 is dependent on the copper chaperone for Sod1 in the intermembrane space. CcO and Sod1 account for between 10 and 40% of the total copper present in mitochondria depending on the conditions and organism. The remainder of the copper is found in a labile pool within the matrix. Matrix copper is relocalized to the intermembrane space as a source of copper for the aforementioned copper chaperones. Herein, we discuss the current understanding of storage, binding and utilization of copper in mitochondria and address the major unresolved questions concerning the nature of mitochondrial copper.