bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Microstructure of Nb–Ti–Cr–Si based ultrahigh temperature alloy processed by integrally directional solidification
Authors: Guo B. H. , Guo X. P.
Published: February 2014

The Nb–Ti–Cr–Si based ultrahigh temperature alloy was integrally directionally solidified with the using of special ceramic crucibles. The effects of different withdrawing rates on the microstructure and the solidification path in a Nb–Ti–Cr–Si based ultrahigh temperature alloy were investigated. The results showed that the microstructure was composed of primary niobium solid solution (Nbss) dendrites, Nbss/(Nb,X)5Si3 (here X represents Ti and Hf elements) eutectic colonies and fine Ti rich phase layer between Nbss dendrites and Nbss/(Nb,X)5Si3 eutectic colonies when the withdrawal rates vary from 2·5 to 10 μm s−1. However, the directionally solidified microstructures were composed of primary Nbss dendrites, Nbss/(Nb,X)5Si3 eutectic colonies and finer (Ti,Nb)ss/Nb3Si/Cr2Nb colonies colonies when the withdrawal rate was reached and exceed than 20 μm s−1. The primary Nbss and Nbss/(Nb,X)5Si3 eutectic aligned the growth direction when the withdrawal rates vary from 2·5 to 20 μm s−1; however, the discontinuous (Nb,X)5Si3 plates were present when the withdrawal rates vary from 50 to 100 μm s−1. The solidification path was studied according to the microstructure of solid/liquid interface.
Oxidation resistance of SiO2 bonded coating formed on Ti–Al–Zr alloy
Authors: Tian H. , Wang Y. M. , Guo L. X. , Ouyang J. H. , Zhou Y. , Jia D. C.
Published: February 2014

Methyl hydrogen silicone converted SiO2 bonded composite coatings with high infrared emissivity additives of Cr2O3 and Al2O3 were prepared on Ti–6Al–2Zr–1Mo–1V titanium alloy by a dipping and then pyrolysing process. The phase composition and microstructure of the coating were characterised by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that after exposing the samples to an oxidative atmosphere at 600°C for 100 h, the coated samples pyrolysed at 600 and 800°C exhibit a significantly lower weight gain (0·11 mg cm−2) compared with that of the titanium substrate (0·54 mg cm−2). The weight gain for both coated samples oxidised at 800°C increases up to 1·4 mg cm−2, while the titanium substrate damages by oxide scale peeling. The coating pyrolysed at 800°C has a high infrared emissivity value of above 0·85, which is slightly higher than that of the coating pyrolysed at 600°C.
Coccidiomycosis infection of the patella mimicking a neoplasm – two case reports
Authors: Li Yi-Chen , Calvert George , Hanrahan Christopher J , Jones Kevin B , Randall Robert Lor
Published: February 2014

Background

Coccidioidomycosis is an endemic fungal infection in the southwestern of United States. Most infections are asymptomatic or manifest with mild respiratory complaints. Rare cases may cause extrapulmonary or disseminated disease. We report two cases of knee involvement that presented as isolated lytic lesions of the patella mimicking neoplasms.

Case Presentation

The first case, a 27 year-old immunocompetent male had progressive left anterior knee pain for four months. The second case was a 78 year-old male had left anterior knee pain for three months. Both of them had visited general physicians without conclusive diagnosis. A low attenuation lytic lesion in the patella was demonstrated on their image studies, and the initial radiologist’s interpretation was suggestive of a primary bony neoplasm. The patients were referred for orthopaedic oncology consultation. The first case had a past episode of pulmonary coccioidomycosis 2 years prior, while the second case had no previous coccioidal infection history but lived in an endemic area, the central valley of California. Surgical biopsy was performed in both cases due to diagnostic uncertainty. Final pathologic examination revealed large thick walled spherules filled with endospores establishing the final diagnosis of extrapulmonary coccidioidomycosis.

Conclusions

Though history and laboratory findings are supportive, definitive diagnosis still depends on growth in culture or endospores identified on histology. We suggest that orthopaedic surgeons and radiologists keep in mind that chronic fungal infections can mimic osseous neoplasm by imaging.
Amelioration of azoxymethane induced-carcinogenesis by reducing oxidative stress in rat colon by natural extracts
Authors: Waly Mostafa I , Al-Rawahi Amani S , Al Riyami Marwa , Al-Kindi Mohamed A , Al-Issaei Halima K , Farooq Sardar A , Al-Alawi Ahmed , Rahman Mohammad S
Published: February 2014

Background

Azoxymethane (AOM) is a potent carcinogenic agent commonly used to induce colon cancer in rats; the cytotoxicity of AOM is considered to mediate oxidative stress. This study investigated the chemopreventive effect of three natural extracts [pomegranate peel extract (PomPE), papaya peel extract (PapPE) and seaweed extract (SE)] against AOM-induced oxidative stress and carcinogenesis in rat colon.

Methods

Eighty Sprague–Dawley rats (aged 4 weeks) were randomly divided into 8 groups (10 rats/group). Control group was fed a basal diet; AOM-treated group was fed a basal diet and received AOM intraperitonial injections for two weeks at a dose of 15 mg/kg bodyweight, whereas the other six groups were received oral supplementation of PomPE, PapPE or SE, in the presence or absence of AOM injection. All animals were continuously fed ad-libitum until aged 16 weeks, then all rats were sacrificed and the colon tissues were examined microscopically for pathological changes and aberrant crypt foci (ACF) development, genotoxicity (induced micronuclei (MN) cells enumeration), and glutathione and lipid peroxidation.

Results

Our results showed that AOM-induced ACF development and pathological changes in the colonic mucosal tissues, increased bone marrow MN cells and oxidative stress (glutathione depletion, lipid peroxidation) in rat colonic cells. The concomitant treatment of AOM with PomPE, PapPE or SE significantly ameliorated the cytotoxic effects of AOM.

Conclusions

The results of this study provide in-vivo evidence that PomPE, PapPE and SE reduced the AOM-induced colon cancer in rats, through their potent anti-oxidant activities.
Intensity-modulated radiotherapy with simultaneous integrated boost for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Authors: Yi Junlin , Huang Xiaodong , Gao Li , Luo Jingwei , Zhang Shiping , Wang Kai , Qu Yuan , Xiao Jianping , Xu Guozhen
Published: February 2014

Objective

To compare the treatment outcomes of intensity-modulated radiotherapy with simultaneous integrated boost (IMRT-SIB) alone to concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods

From November 2001 to December 2009, 333 patients with pathologically diagnosed, locoregionally advanced NPC were treated by IMRT-SIB with or without weekly cisplatin concurrent chemotherapy at our institute. Among them, 62 patients received neo- or adjuvant chemotherapy or molecular target drugs were excluded from this analysis. There were 129 patients received IMRT-SIB alone, and 142 patients received IMRT-SIB with weekly cisplatin 30 mg/m2 for 7 weeks. The radiotherapy protocol was identical for each group.

Results

There were no significant differences in survival between CCRT and IMRT-SIB group in terms of gender, T/N classifications and concurrent chemoradiotherapy. The 5-year local control (LC), overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS) and distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) for the entire group were 87.0%, 79.4%, 69.7 and 83.3%, respectively. The LC, OS, DFS and DMFS for CCRT and IMRT-SIB alone groups were 80.6% vs. 90.8% (P = 0.10), 71.7% vs. 83.2% (P = 0.201), 63.9% vs. 74.6% (P = 0.07), and 79.6% vs. 86.0% (P = 0.27), respectively.

Conclusion

Compared to CCRT, IMRT-SIB alone had demonstrated similar disease LC, OS, DFS and DMFS in locoregionally advanced NPC. Careful radiation target volume design and simultaneous integrated boost may play a role that overrides the benefit from concurrent chemotherapy. Further investigation with randomized study is necessary to determine whether IMRT-SIB alone can achieve similar outcomes of concurrent chemoradiotherapy.
Endophthalmitis after open globe injuries: changes in microbiological spectrum and isolate susceptibility patterns over 14 years
Authors: Jindal Animesh , Pathengay Avinash , Mithal Kopal , Jalali Subhadra , Mathai Annie , Pappuru Rajeev Reddy , Narayanan Raja , Chhablani Jay , Motukupally Swapna R , Sharma Savitri , Das Taraprasad , Flynn Harry W
Published: February 2014

Background

The objective of this study was to evaluate the microbiologic spectrum and antimicrobial susceptibility of isolates in post-traumatic endophthalmitis and compare with our earlier published report. A retrospective review was conducted on 581 consecutive patients with culture-proven post-traumatic endophthalmitis at L. V. Prasad Eye Institute, India, from January 2006 to March 2013.

Findings

A total of 620 isolates from 581 patients were identified (565 bacteria and 55 fungi). The most common isolate was Bacillus spp. (106/620, 17.1%) closely followed by Streptococcus pneumoniae (105/620, 16.9%), and coagulase-negative Staphylococci (97/620, 15.6%). In our earlier report, the commonest bacteria included Streptococcus spp. (30/139, 21.6%) and gram-positive coagulase-negative micrococci (26/139, 18.7%). Gram-positive isolates were usually susceptible to vancomycin (98.2%). Gram-negative isolates were generally susceptible to gatifloxacin (92.9%), ofloxacin (89.4%), chloramphenicol (88.6%, Pseudomonas isolates were often resistant), amikacin (83.5%), and ceftazidime (77.2%). Fourteen years ago, the most sensitive antibiotic was ciprofloxacin for both gram-positive bacteria (95.12%) and gram-negative bacteria (100%).

Conclusions

The microbiological spectrum of post-traumatic endophthalmitis has remained unchanged over the last 14 years, and Bacillus spp. continues as the most common infecting organism. Vancomycin is the drug of choice for empiric coverage of gram-positive bacteria. Susceptibility of gram-negative bacteria to commonly used antimicrobials (amikacin and ciprofloxacin) has decreased by 10% - 15% and to ceftazidime has increased by 10.5%.
Will women outrun men in ultra-marathon road races from 50 km to 1,000 km?
Authors: Zingg Matthias Alexander , Karner-Rezek Klaus , Rosemann Thomas , Knechtle Beat , Lepers Romuald , Rüst Christoph Alexander
Published: February 2014

It has been assumed that women would be able to outrun men in ultra-marathon running. The present study investigated the sex differences in running speed in ultra-marathons held worldwide from 50 km to 1,000 km. Changes in running speeds and the sex differences in running speeds in the annual fastest finishers in 50 km, 100 km, 200 km and 1,000 km events held worldwide from 1969–2012 were analysed using linear, non-linear and multi-level regression analyses. For the annual fastest and the annual ten fastest finishers, running speeds increased non-linearly in 50 km and 100 km, but not in 200 km and 1,000 km where running speeds remained unchanged for the annual fastest. The sex differences decreased non-linearly in 50 km and 100 km, but not in 200 and 1,000 km where the sex difference remained unchanged for the annual fastest. For the fastest women and men ever, the sex difference in running speed was lowest in 100 km (5.0%) and highest in 50 km (15.4%). For the ten fastest women and men ever, the sex difference was lowest in 100 km (10.0 ± 3.0%) and highest in 200 km (27.3 ± 5.7%). For both the fastest (r2 = 0.003, p = 0.82) and the ten fastest finishers ever (r2 = 0.34, p = 0.41) in 50 km, 100 km, 200 km and 1,000 km, we found no correlation between sex difference in performance and running speed. To summarize, the sex differences in running speeds decreased non-linearly in 50 km and 100 km but remained unchanged in 200 km and 1,000 km, and the sex differences in running speeds showed no change with increasing length of the race distance. These findings suggest that it is very unlikely that women will ever outrun men in ultra-marathons held from 50 km to 100 km.
Effects of prostacyclin on the early inflammatory response in patients with traumatic brain injury-a randomised clinical study
Authors: Wahlström Marie Rodling , Olivecrona Magnus , Ahlm Clas , Bengtsson Anders , Koskinen Lars-Owe D , Naredi Silvana , Hultin Magnus
Published: February 2014

Objective and design

A prospective, randomised, double-blinded, clinical trial was performed at a level 1 trauma centre to determine if a prostacyclin analogue, epoprostenol (Flolan®), could attenuate systemic inflammatory response in patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI).

Subjects

46 patients with severe TBI, randomised to epoprostenol (n = 23) or placebo (n = 23).

Treatment

Epoprostenol, 0.5 ng · kg-1 · min-1, or placebo (saline) was given intravenously for 72 hours and then tapered off over the next 24 hours.

Methods

Interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), soluble intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), C-reactive protein (CRP), and asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) levels were measured over five days. Measurements were made at 24 h intervals ≤24 h after TBI to 97–120 h after TBI.

Results

A significantly lower CRP level was detected in the epoprostenol group compared to the placebo group within 73–96 h (p = 0.04) and within 97–120 h (p = 0.008) after trauma. IL-6 within 73–96 h after TBI was significantly lower in the epoprostenol group compared to the placebo group (p = 0.04). ADMA was significantly increased within 49–72 h and remained elevated, but there was no effect of epoprostenol on ADMA levels. No significant differences between the epoprostenol and placebo groups were detected for IL-8 or sICAM-1.

Conclusions

Administration of the prostacyclin analogue epoprostenol significantly decreased CRP and, to some extent, IL-6 levels in patients with severe TBI compared to placebo. These findings indicate an interesting option for treatment of TBI and warrants future larger studies.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier,NCT01363583
Microtubule-severing protein Katanin regulates neuromuscular junction development and dendritic elaboration in Drosophila
Authors: Mao Chuan-Xi , Xiong Ying , Xiong Zhaohuan , Wang Qifu , Zhang Yong Q. , Jin Shan
Published: February 2014

Microtubules (MTs) are crucial for diverse biological processes including cell division, cell growth and motility, intracellular transport and the maintenance of cell shape. MT abnormalities are associated with neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative diseases such as hereditary spastic paraplegia. Among many MT regulators, katanin was the first identified MT-severing protein, but its neuronal functions have not yet been examined in a multicellular organism. Katanin consists of two subunits; the catalytic subunit katanin 60 contains an AAA (ATPases associated with a variety of cellular activities) domain and breaks MT fibers while hydrolyzing ATP, whereas katanin 80 is a targeting and regulatory subunit. To dissect the in vivo functions of Katanin, we generated mutations in Drosophila Katanin 60 and manipulated its expression in a tissue-specific manner. Null mutants of Katanin 60 are pupal lethal, demonstrating that it is essential for viability. Loss-of-function mutants of Katanin 60 showed excess satellite boutons, reduced neurotransmission efficacy, and more enlarged cisternae at neuromuscular junctions. In peripheral sensory neurons, loss of Katanin 60 led to increased elaboration of dendrites, whereas overexpression of Katanin 60 resulted in the opposite. Genetic interaction analyses indicated that increased levels of MT acetylation increase its susceptibility to Katanin-mediated severing in neuronal and non-neuronal systems. Taken together, our results demonstrate for the first time that Katanin 60 is required for the normal development of neuromuscular synapses and dendrites.
The Mediator complex: a master coordinator of transcription and cell lineage development
Authors: Yin Jing-wen , Wang Gang
Published: February 2014

Mediator is a multiprotein complex that is required for gene transcription by RNA polymerase II. Multiple subunits of the complex show specificity in relaying information from signals and transcription factors to the RNA polymerase II machinery, thus enabling control of the expression of specific genes. Recent studies have also provided novel mechanistic insights into the roles of Mediator in epigenetic regulation, transcriptional elongation, termination, mRNA processing, noncoding RNA activation and super enhancer formation. Based on these specific roles in gene regulation, Mediator has emerged as a master coordinator of development and cell lineage determination. Here, we describe the most recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of Mediator function, with an emphasis on its role during development and disease.
Eph-Ephrin signaling and focal adhesion kinase regulate actomyosin-dependent apical constriction of ciliary band cells
Authors: Krupke Oliver A. , Burke Robert D.
Published: February 2014

Apical constriction typically accompanies inward folding of an epithelial sheet. In recent years there has been progress in understanding mechanisms of apical constriction and their contribution to morphogenetic processes. Sea urchin embryos form a specialized region of ectoderm, the ciliary band, which is a strip of epithelium, three to five cells wide, encircling the oral ectoderm and functioning in larval swimming and feeding. Ciliary band cells exhibit distinctive apical-basal elongation, have narrow apices bearing a cilium, and are planar polarized, so that cilia beat away from the mouth. Here, we show that filamentous actin and phosphorylated myosin light chain are uniquely distributed in ciliary band cells. Inhibition of myosin phosphorylation or actin polymerization perturbs this distribution and blocks apical constriction. During ciliary band formation, Sp-Ephrin and Sp-Eph expression overlap in the presumptive ciliary band. Knockdown of Sp-Eph or Sp-Ephrin, or treatment with an Eph kinase inhibitor interferes with actomyosin networks, accumulation of phosphorylated FAK (pY397FAK), and apical constriction. The cytoplasmic domain of Sp-Eph, fused to GST and containing a single amino acid substitution reported as kinase dead, will pull down pY397FAK from embryo lysates. As well, pY397FAK colocalizes with Sp-Eph in a JNK-dependent, planar polarized manner on latitudinal apical junctions of the ciliary band and this polarization is dissociable from apical constriction. We propose that Sp-Eph and pY397FAK function together in an apical complex that is necessary for remodeling actomyosin to produce centripetal forces causing apical constriction. Morphogenesis of ciliary band cells is a unique example of apical constriction in which receptor-mediated cell shape change produces a strip of specialized tissue without an accompanying folding of epithelium.
Earmuff restricts progenitor cell potential by attenuating the competence to respond to self-renewal factors
Authors: Janssens Derek H. , Komori Hideyuki , Grbac Daniel , Chen Keng , Koe Chwee Tat , Wang Hongyan , Lee Cheng-Yu
Published: February 2014

Despite expressing stem cell self-renewal factors, intermediate progenitor cells possess restricted developmental potential, which allows them to give rise exclusively to differentiated progeny rather than stem cell progeny. Failure to restrict the developmental potential can allow intermediate progenitor cells to revert into aberrant stem cells that might contribute to tumorigenesis. Insight into stable restriction of the developmental potential in intermediate progenitor cells could improve our understanding of the development and growth of tumors, but the mechanisms involved remain largely unknown. Intermediate neural progenitors (INPs), generated by type II neural stem cells (neuroblasts) in fly larval brains, provide an in vivo model for investigating the mechanisms that stably restrict the developmental potential of intermediate progenitor cells. Here, we report that the transcriptional repressor protein Earmuff (Erm) functions temporally after Brain tumor (Brat) and Numb to restrict the developmental potential of uncommitted (immature) INPs. Consistently, endogenous Erm is detected in immature INPs but undetectable in INPs. Erm-dependent restriction of the developmental potential in immature INPs leads to attenuated competence to respond to all known neuroblast self-renewal factors in INPs. We also identified that the BAP chromatin-remodeling complex probably functions cooperatively with Erm to restrict the developmental potential of immature INPs. Together, these data led us to conclude that the Erm-BAP-dependent mechanism stably restricts the developmental potential of immature INPs by attenuating their genomic responses to stem cell self-renewal factors. We propose that restriction of developmental potential by the Erm-BAP-dependent mechanism functionally distinguishes intermediate progenitor cells from stem cells, ensuring the generation of differentiated cells and preventing the formation of progenitor cell-derived tumor-initiating stem cells.
Spatial response of the globally-endangered Sokoke Pipit (Anthus sokokensis van Someren, 1921) to habitat modification in an Eastern Arc Coastal Forest
Authors: Otieno Nickson Erick , Ngala David , Mwalimu Alex
Published: February 2014

The Arabuko-Sokoke forest is the largest relic of a formerly larger contiguous East African coastal forest. It forms part of the Eastern Arc Forest system which is a global biodiversity hotspot with considerable species endemism. As one of the most important bird habitats in Africa, it hosts nine globally-threatened and four regionally threatened species. Despite such conservation significance, the forest is undergoing rapid modification and habitat loss mainly from anthropogenic pressures, with negative impacts on sensitive species such as the Sokoke Pipit (Anthus sokokensis). This study examined impacts of change in habitat quality on the species’ population and spatial occurrence within three blocks of Brachystegia woodland in the forest. Over a three week period, six 1-km transects were used to estimate the species’ population in relation to major habitat quality variables. Sokoke Pipits occurred at an overall mean density of 0.72±0.15 birds/ha with an estimated population of 5,544 in the Brachystegia woodland. Tree logging intensity was the key cause of the degradation of the Sokoke Pipit’s critical habitat, which affected its density (R2 = 0.663, ß = -0.814, p = 0.048). The species also preferred sites covered with deep floor litter (R2 = 0.769, ß = 0.877, p = 0.021) even in areas with low tree canopy height, but showed no clumped distribution (χ2(2, 0.05) = 2.061). Sites with intensive elephant activity, which leads to tree felling and clearing of the understorey, had low Sokoke Pipit densities. We conclude that  although human-driven tree removal is a major driver of degradation of the Sokoke Pipit’s critical habitat, elephant activity may be an important additional factor in this process. Long term conservation strategies for the species will require stricter control of logging but management of the population and dispersal of elephants across the forest, especially in Brachystegia woodland, may also be helpful.
Perinatalno zbrinjavanje novorođenčeta s rascjepom neuralne cijevi: prikaz bolesnika
Authors: Zakanj Zora , Šegović Igor , Zahariev Venera
Published: February 2014

Defekti neuralne cijevi najčešće su prirođene anomalije središnjeg živčanog sustava. Najteži oblik defekta neuralne cijevi je meningomijelokela. Ova anomalija nastaje zbog poremećaja u spontanom zatvaranju neuralne cijevi između 3. i 4. tjedna intrauterinogživota. Točan uzrok je nepoznat, iako se sumnja na mnoge čimbenike: hipertermija, lijekovi, malnutricija, majčina debljina, šećernabolest, nedostatak folne kiseline. Očituje se kao vrećasta cistična struktura pokrivena tankim slojem epiteliziranog tkiva. Može seprevenirati majčinim uzimanjem folne kiseline u perikoncepcijskom razdoblju. U ovom radu prikazali smo perinatalno zbrinjavanjelumbosakralne meningomijelokele u novorođenčeta, udružene s hidrocefalusom i Chiari II. malformacijom.
Prijelomi ključne kosti u zdrave donošene novorođenčadi
Authors: Zakanj Zora
Published: February 2014

Porođajne ozljede su čest razlog novorođenačkog pobola u inače zdrave novorođenčadi, s incidencijom od 0,2% do 37%. Prijelomključne kosti je najčešći među ozljedama kostiju u novorođenčeta. Cilj ove retrospektivne analize je utvrđivanje učestalosti prijelomaključne kosti u rodilištu naše ustanove tijekom jedne godine i prikaz perinatalnih okolnosti u kojima smo zabilježili te ozljede. Ujednogodišnjem razdoblju (od 01. 01.-31. 12. 2010.), u rodilištu je evidentirano 19-ero novorođenčadi s prijelomom ključne kosti.Analizirali smo podatke s majčine strane i s one novorođenčeta. Učestalost prijeloma ključne kosti u našem ispitivanju je 0,7%. Desnostrani prijelom je češći nego ljevostrani (61,7% : 36,8%). Nema statistički značajne razlike u porođajnoj masi dječaka i djevojčicas prijelomom ključne kosti (χ2=3,753, p>0,05). Samo jedno novorođenče s prijelomom ključne kosti rođeno je carskim rezom, a svaostala su rođena prirodnim putem (94,7%). Dvoje novorođenčadi (10,5%) imalo je frakturu zelenog drveta, a 17-ero (89,5%) imalo jepotpunu frakturu. Jedno dijete je uz prijelom ključne kosti imalo i prijelom lopatice. Kod ostalih ispitanika nisu nađeni drugi prijelomini koštane anomalije. Nijedno dijete nije imalo pridruženu Erbovu paralizu. Svi su prijelomi zacijeljeli bez komplikacija. Prijelomiključne kosti u novorođenačkoj dobi u našem rodilištu su na donjoj granici pojavnosti u odnosu na rezultate dosadašnjih studija iprognostički su povoljan oblik porođajne ozljede.
The role of pulsoximetry simulator during paramedic student pediatric resuscitation examination
Authors: Marton József , Máté Orsolya , Pék Emese , Nagy Gábor , Deutsch Krisztina , Radnai Balázs , Betlehem József
Published: February 2014

One of the most important aspects of advanced life support training is proper simulation. Our work group has built a pulsoximetry simulator, which can assist our students’ decisions. Paramedic students’ patient assessment tasks were explored during pediatric resuscitation examinations. The main question was how the pulsoximetry simulator can aff ect our students’ patient assessment procedures in a simulated pediatric resuscitation situation. Cross section survey was conducted among 87 bachelor paramedic students. Patient assessment tasks were investigated during their resuscitation examination with checklists. The students were divided into two groups. The fi rst group was off ered a pulsoximetry simulator for the scenario. The other part of students had only verbal information about oxygen saturation and peripheral pulse. More students of those who had pulsoximetry simulator examined airway (p=0.046) and measured oxygen saturation (p=0.002) compared to those who had to ask the facilitator for information on oxygen saturation. In conclusion, pulsoximetry simulator can aff ect students’ performance in patient assessment during simulated pediatric resuscitation situation.
Shangri La: Architecture As Collection
Authors: Akhtar Saima
Published: February 2014

As the sole heiress to the Duke fortunes, Doris Duke came into wealth at a relatively young age and invested it in ways that reflected her evolving artistic palette. One of her major artistic achievements was the construction of Shangri La in Hawaii, a residence made entirely of Islamic art objects that were collected and commissioned by Duke during and after her honeymoon cruise in 1935. Twentieth-century orientalist art collectors exhibited an interest in a ‘Near East’ long before Duke travelled through the Middle East and India, yet Duke’s method of acquisition and access to objects was unconventional when compared to her peers. The example of Shangri La as a built collection required an aesthetic sensibility and spatial logic that was unparalleled at the time.

This article traces the historical evolution of Shangri La through Duke’s family history, art-oriented relationships and her personal adaptation of the arts and architecture of Islam. What emerges is a private residence that is a visible culmination of the relationships Duke forged in her fascination with Islamic culture, which she continually developed from its inception in 1937 until her death in 1993. As Duke’s reliance on her artistic advisors deepened, so did her own interest in designing and constructing Shangri La to suit her own needs and tastes. Moreover, as this article shows, Duke was purposeful in procuring the objects she commissioned from the ‘Muslim’ world, careful in their placement, and showed an independent will that varied from other collectors of Islamic art in the inter- and post-war periods.
From Japanese to Cairene Houses: A Contribution to the Design of Socially Responsible Housing in Egypt
Authors: Gelil Mohamed Nermine Abdel
Published: February 2014

This article represents a contribution to social and spatial problems of low-income housing units in Egypt. It is an illustrated product of work previously accomplished in several separate studies. In this article, I attempt to offer more tangible solutions and architectural drawings inspired by ideas from traditional Cairene homes and traditional small-scale urban Japanese residences (to which I was exposed during my research in Japan) in light of surveys conducted among housing-unit residents in Egypt. The article first takes a brief look at the history of the emergence of apartments and housing units in Egypt. Second, it explores examples of small-scale apartments and housing units attempting to incorporate traditional patterns and elements into their design. Third, it proposes a 70m 2 unit plan showing architectural and structural modules, a suggested combination of four units, and proposed spatial organizations and architectural solutions for unit interiors: entrance zone, guestroom, living and sleeping zones, prayer area, washing and ablution area, kitchen, bathroom and guest toilet, and doors and partitions, while incorporating a suggested latticework device that has been proposed and discussed in detail in my previous studies.
Towards Sustainable Urbanism in the Persian Gulf: Analysis of the Past
Authors: Ardalan Nader
Published: February 2014

Since the 1990s, economic determinism has principally dominated developments in many of the Persian Gulf countries. While spectacular short-term financial gains have been achieved, serious long-term retrogressive and destructive ecological and sociocultural impacts on both land and sea have been recorded. These compelling concerns for the past, present and future of this region prompted Harvard Graduate School of Design’s 2011 agreement with Msheireb Properties (a subsidiary of the Qatar Foundation) to undertake a three-phase research programme entitled ‘Gulf Sustainable Urbanism’ (GSU). For the purpose of this research project, the Gulf (Persian Gulf) region was defined as the eight countries that border the Persian Gulf, which include Oman, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran and Iraq. This region provides a significant basis for future analysis and scholarship, as it exhibits continuous urban settlement and sustainability models that may prove significant as we face future ecological challenges.

The first phase of this holistic, multi-year, cross-disciplinary study focused on the past urban sustainability of ten maritime port cities in the Persian Gulf. The research worked within a framework structured by three main research topics, namely, Environment/Public Health, Social/Cultural/Economic and Urban Form/Architecture, and investigated these within four distinct scales: region, city, neighbourhood and unit. This article presents the basis of our selection process when defining urban targets and an overview of the lessons learned from the initial investigations.
Book Reviews
Authors: Miller Susan Gilson , Crane Howard , Çağaptay Suna , Sobti Manu P. , Youssef Mary
Published: February 2014

Sharing Sacred Spaces in the Mediterranean: Christians, Muslims, and Jews at Shrines and Sanctuaries, Dionigi Albera and Maria Couroucli (eds) (2012) Bloomington and Indianapolis: University of Indiana Press, 277 pp., 1 b/w illus., ISBN 9780253356338, $70 (hardback), ISBN 9780253223173, $24.95 (paperback)

The Art and Architecture of Ottoman Istanbul, Richard Yeomans (2012) Reading, Berkshire: Garnet Publishing, 260 pp., 202 plates and plans, glossary, bibliography, index, ISBN 9781859642245, $46.99 (hardback)

A History of Ottoman Architecture, John Freely (2011) Boston: WIT Press, 437 pp., 373 plates and plans, glossary, bibliography. ISBN 9781845645069, $194 (hardback)

Constantinopolis/Istanbul: Cultural Encounter, Imperial Vision and the Construction of the Ottoman Capital, ÇIğdem KafescIoglu (2009) University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press, 346 pp., 152 illus., 5 maps, ISBN 9780271027760, $100 (hardback)

Islamic Architecture in Iran – Post-structural Theory and the Architectural History of Iranian Mosques, Saeid Khaghani (2012) London and New York: I.B. Tauris, 288 pp., 39 b/w illus./line drawings, ISBN 9781848857292, £59.50 (hardback)

Urban Spaces in Contemporary Egyptian Literature: Portraits of Cairo, Mara Naaman (2011) New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 254 pp., 11 b/w illus., 3 maps, ISBN 9780230108653, $90 (hardback)
Exhibition Review
Authors: Sims Eleanor
Published: February 2014

‘Flora Islamica’, The David Collection, Copenhagen, Denmark, March 22–October 27, 2013
Urbanism of Grandiosity: Planning a New Urban Centre for Tehran (1973–76)
Authors: Emami Farshid
Published: February 2014

In the 1970s a grand-scale ceremonial urban centre, with an extensive programme of governmental, commercial and residential buildings, was planned for north Tehran. Construction began in 1975, but was soon halted by the eruption of the street protests that led to the 1979 revolution. This essay analyses the project’s conception, socio-political underpinnings and ultimate failure, by contextualizing it within Tehran’s urban landscape and by tracing its design trajectory. As a grandiose project made possible by the oil boom, the final plan of Shahestan, drawn up by the planning firm Llewelyn-Davies International, not only reflects the megalomania of Mohammad Reza Shah (r. 1941–79) but also reveals the totalitarian nature of the Pahlavi regime in the 1970s. But prior to hiring the planning firm, Queen Farah supported a rival design by the internationally famous architects Louis Kahn and Kenzo Tange, who were indeed involved in the project for a few months before Kahn’s death in 1974. I argue that this duality of patronage, and all the oppositions that it embodies, is echoed in the gendered representation of monarchy in the final plan and signifies how the project subverts a liberal narrative of modernism. Moreover, the new urban centre was not at the city’s physical core but rather at the centre of its northern part – the locus of an expanding upper middle class. The discrepancy between the intended purpose of the project and the social realities of its urban context epitomizes the regime’s paradoxical approach to modernity and modernization.
Developmental Changes of Lymphoid Tissue in the Harderian Gland of Laying Hens
Authors: Bejdić Pamela , Avdić Rizah , Amidžić Ljiljana , Ćutahija Velida , Tandir Faruk , Hadžiomerović Nedžad
Published: February 2014

The Harderian gland of 110 laying hens was histologically investigated from the time of hatching to the period of 10 months of age. Tissue sections were stained with haematoxylin and eosin, periodic acid-schiff (PAS) and methyl green-pyronin technique. The research shows that lymphoid tissue is colonised by three types of cells: heterophils, lymphocytes and plasma cells. The number of these cells is directly dependent on the bird’s age. During the lifetime of the hens there gradually comes a shift in the dominance of these three cell types. Lymphoid nodules are detected only in 40-day-old chickens, while later in adult birds the Harderian gland is the organ which contains the largest number of mature plasma cells. Some plasma cells contain Russell bodies with different size and shape.
Gray-Box Model of Inland Navigation Channel: Application to the Cuinchy–Fontinettes Reach
Authors: Horváth Klaudia , Duviella Eric , Blesa Joaquim , Rajaoarisoa Lala , Bolea Yolanda , Puig Vicenç , Chuquet Karine
Published: February 2014

In a context of global change, inland navigation transport has gained interest with economic and environmental benefits. The development of this means of conveyance requires the improvement of its management rules to deal with the increase of navigation (schedules and frequency) and the potential impact of global change. To achieve this aim, it is first necessary to have a better knowledge about the dynamics of inland navigation networks and their interaction with the environment. Second, the potential effects of global change have to be anticipated. This article focuses on the modeling of inland navigation reaches. An inland navigation network is a large-scale distributed system composed of several interconnected reaches. These reaches are characterized by non-linearities, time delays, and generally no significant slope. To deal with these particularities, a gray-box model is proposed. It consists in determining the delays according to the physical characteristics of the system. The parameters of the model are identified with measured data. The gray-box model is used to reproduce the dynamics of the Cuinchy–Fontinettes reach located in the north of France.
Kinetic analysis for non-isothermal decomposition of un-irradiated and gamma-irradiated anhydrous cadmium nitrate
Authors: Culas S. , Samuel J.
Published: February 2014

The thermal decomposition of untreated and γ-irradiated samples of anhydrous cadmium nitrate was performed under non-isothermal
conditions at different heating rates (5, 10, 15 and 20 ℃ min
–1). The results showed that the decomposition
proceeds in one major step with the formation of cadmium oxide as solid residue. The data were analysed by using both isoconversional
and non-isoconversional methods. The activation energy was calculated by various model-free isoconversional methods: Flynn-Wall-Ozawa
(FWO), Kissinger-Akahira-Sunose (KAS) and Friedman (FR) methods. Irradiation enhances the decomposition and the effect increases with
the irradiation dose. The activation energy decreases on irradiation. The appropriate conversion model for the thermal decomposition
process selected by means of the master-plot method agrees with phase boundary reaction with spherical symmetry (R3 mechanism) for both
untreated and irradiated salts at all heating rates.
Production of 256Lr in the 249,250,251Cf + 11B, 243Am + 18O,
and 248Cm + 14N reactions
Authors: Sato N. , Sato T. K. , Asai M. , Toyoshima A. , Tsukada K. , Li Z. J. , Nishio K. , Nagame Y. , Schädel M. , Haba H. , Ichikawa S. , Kikunaga H.
Published: February 2014

Production cross-sections of the isotope 256Lr in the 249,250,251Cf +11B,
243Am +18O, and
248Cm +14N reactions were measured using a He/KCl gas-jet transport system and a rotating
wheel α-particle detection apparatus. The α-particle energy of 256Lr was distributed from 8.3 to
8.7 MeV and its half-life, T
1/2, was measured to be 28 ± 1 s. The maximum cross sections in the
249Cf(11B, 4n)256Lr and
243Am(18O, 5n)256Lr reactions were determined to be
122 ± 36 nb at the beam energy of 63 MeV and 26 ± 7 nb at 96 MeV, respectively. In the
248Cm(14N, 6n)256Lr reaction, the cross section was measured to be 27 ± 10 nb at
91 MeV.
Low amounts of mitochondrial reactive oxygen species define human sperm quality
Authors: Marques Mónica , Sousa Ana Paula , Paiva Artur , Almeida-Santos Teresa , Ramalho-Santos João
Published: February 2014

We have applied the mitochondria-specific superoxide fluorescent probe MitoSOX Red (MitoSOX) to detect mitochondria-specific reactive oxygen species (mROS) production in human sperm samples using flow cytometry. We show that human ejaculates are heterogeneous in terms of mROS production, with three subpopulations clearly detectable, comprising sperm that produce increasing amounts of mROS (MitoSOX−, MitoSOX+, and MitoSOX++). The sperm subpopulation producing the lowest amount of mROS represented the most functional subset of male gametes within the ejaculate, as it was correlated with the highest amount of live and non-apoptotic sperm and increased both in samples with better semen parameters and in samples processed by both density-gradient centrifugation and swim-up, both known to select for higher quality sperm. Importantly, the MitoSOX− subpopulation was clearly more prevalent in samples that gave rise to pregnancies following assisted reproduction. Our work, therefore, not only describe discreet human sperm heterogeneity at the mROS level but also suggests that mROS may represent a strategy to both evaluate sperm samples and isolate the most functional gametes for assisted reproduction.

Free Portuguese abstract

A Portuguese translation of this abstract is freely available athttp://www.reproduction-online.org/content/147/6/817/suppl/DC1
Identification of Major and Minor QTL for Ecologically Important Morphological Traits in Three-Spined Sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus)
Authors: Liu Jun , Shikano Takahito , Leinonen Tuomas , Cano José Manuel , Li Meng-Hua , Merilä Juha
Published: February 2014

Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping studies of Pacific three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) have uncovered several genomic regions controlling variability in different morphological traits, but QTL studies of Atlantic sticklebacks are lacking. We mapped QTL for 40 morphological traits, including body size, body shape, and body armor, in a F2 full-sib cross between northern European marine and freshwater three-spined sticklebacks. A total of 52 significant QTL were identified at the 5% genome-wide level. One major QTL explaining 74.4% of the total variance in lateral plate number was detected on LG4, whereas several major QTL for centroid size (a proxy for body size), and the lengths of two dorsal spines, pelvic spine, and pelvic girdle were mapped on LG21 with the explained variance ranging from 27.9% to 57.6%. Major QTL for landmark coordinates defining body shape variation also were identified on LG21, with each explaining ≥15% of variance in body shape. Multiple QTL for different traits mapped on LG21 overlapped each other, implying pleiotropy and/or tight linkage. Thus, apart from providing confirmatory data to support conclusions born out of earlier QTL studies of Pacific sticklebacks, this study also describes several novel QTL of both major and smaller effect for ecologically important traits. The finding that many major QTL mapped on LG21 suggests that this linkage group might be a hotspot for genetic determinants of ecologically important morphological traits in three-spined sticklebacks.
Centromeric Barrier Disruption Leads to Mitotic Defects inSchizosaccharomyces pombe
Authors: Gaither Terilyn L , Merrett Stephanie L , Pun Matthew J , Scott Kristin C
Published: February 2014

Centromeres are cis-acting chromosomal domains that direct kinetochore formation, enabling faithful chromosome segregation and preserving genome stability. The centromeres of most eukaryotic organisms are structurally complex, composed of nonoverlapping, structurally and functionally distinct chromatin subdomains, including the specialized core chromatin that underlies the kinetochore and pericentromeric heterochromatin. The genomic and epigenetic features that specify and preserve the adjacent chromatin subdomains critical to centromere identity are currently unknown. Here we demonstrate that chromatin barriers regulate this process in Schizosaccharomyces pombe. Reduced fitness and mitotic chromosome segregation defects occur in strains that carry exogenous DNA inserted at centromere 1 chromatin barriers. Abnormal phenotypes are accompanied by changes in the structural integrity of both the centromeric core chromatin domain, containing the conserved CENP-ACnp1 protein, and the flanking pericentric heterochromatin domain. Barrier mutant cells can revert to wild-type growth and centromere structure at a high frequency after the spontaneous excision of integrated exogenous DNA. Our results reveal a previously undemonstrated role for chromatin barriers in chromosome segregation and in the prevention of genome instability.
A Genetic Screen Based onin VivoRNA Imaging Reveals Centrosome-Independent Mechanisms for LocalizinggurkenTranscripts inDrosophila
Authors: Hayashi Rippei , Wainwright S Mark , Liddell Sophie J , Pinchin Sheena M , Horswell Stuart , Ish-Horowicz David
Published: February 2014

We have screened chromosome arm 3L for ethyl methanesulfonate−induced mutations that disrupt localization of fluorescently labeled gurken (grk) messenger (m)RNA, whose transport along microtubules establishes both major body axes of the developing Drosophila oocyte. Rapid identification of causative mutations by single-nucleotide polymorphism recombinational mapping and whole-genomic sequencing allowed us to define nine complementation groups affecting grk mRNA localization and other aspects of oogenesis, including alleles of elg1, scaf6, quemao, nudE, Tsc2/gigas, rasp, and Chd5/Wrb, and several null alleles of the armitage Piwi-pathway gene. Analysis of a newly induced kinesin light chain allele shows that kinesin motor activity is required for both efficient grk mRNA localization and oocyte centrosome integrity. We also show that initiation of the dorsoanterior localization of grk mRNA precedes centrosome localization, suggesting that microtubule self-organization contributes to breaking axial symmetry to generate a unique dorsoventral axis.
Accuracy of Estimation of Genomic Breeding Values in Pigs Using Low-Density Genotypes and Imputation
Authors: Badke Yvonne M , Bates Ronald O , Ernst Catherine W , Fix Justin , Steibel Juan P
Published: February 2014

Genomic selection has the potential to increase genetic progress. Genotype imputation of high-density single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotypes can improve the cost efficiency of genomic breeding value (GEBV) prediction for pig breeding. Consequently, the objectives of this work were to: (1) estimate accuracy of genomic evaluation and GEBV for three traits in a Yorkshire population and (2) quantify the loss of accuracy of genomic evaluation and GEBV when genotypes were imputed under two scenarios: a high-cost, high-accuracy scenario in which only selection candidates were imputed from a low-density platform and a low-cost, low-accuracy scenario in which all animals were imputed using a small reference panel of haplotypes. Phenotypes and genotypes obtained with the PorcineSNP60 BeadChip were available for 983 Yorkshire boars. Genotypes of selection candidates were masked and imputed using tagSNP in the GeneSeek Genomic Profiler (10K). Imputation was performed with BEAGLE using 128 or 1800 haplotypes as reference panels. GEBV were obtained through an animal-centric ridge regression model using de-regressed breeding values as response variables. Accuracy of genomic evaluation was estimated as the correlation between estimated breeding values and GEBV in a 10-fold cross validation design. Accuracy of genomic evaluation using observed genotypes was high for all traits (0.65−0.68). Using genotypes imputed from a large reference panel (accuracy: R2 = 0.95) for genomic evaluation did not significantly decrease accuracy, whereas a scenario with genotypes imputed from a small reference panel (R2 = 0.88) did show a significant decrease in accuracy. Genomic evaluation based on imputed genotypes in selection candidates can be implemented at a fraction of the cost of a genomic evaluation using observed genotypes and still yield virtually the same accuracy. On the other side, using a very small reference panel of haplotypes to impute training animals and candidates for selection results in lower accuracy of genomic evaluation.