bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nano/microfibrous polymeric constructs loaded with bioactive agents and designed for tissue engineering applications: A review
Authors: Puppi Dario , Zhang Xuanmiao , Yang Likai , Chiellini Federica , Sun Xun , Chiellini Emo
Published: March 2014

Nano/microfibrous polymeric constructs present various inherent advantages, such as highly porous architecture and high surface to volume ratio, making them attractive for tissue engineering purposes. Electrospinning is the most preferred technique for the fabrication of polymeric nanofibrous assemblies that can mimic the physical functions of native extracellular matrix greatly favoring cells attachment and thus influencing their morphology and activities. Different approaches have been developed to apply polymeric microfiber fabrication techniques (e.g. wet‐spinning) for the obtainment of scaffolds with a three‐dimensional network of micropores suitable for effective cells migration. Progress in additive manufacturing technology has led to the development of complex scaffold's shapes and microfibrous structures with a high degree of automation, good accuracy and reproducibility. Various loading methods, such as direct blending, coaxial electrospinning and microparticles incorporation, are enabling to develop customized strategies for the biofunctionalization of nano/microfibrous scaffolds with a tailored kinetics of release of different bioactive agents, ranging from small molecules, such as antibiotics, to protein drugs, such as growth factors, and even cells. Recent activities on the combination of different processing techniques and loading methods for the obtainment of biofunctionalized polymeric constructs with a complex multiscale structure open new possibilities for the development of biomimetic scaffolds endowed with a hierarchical architecture and a sophisticated release kinetics of different bioactive agents. This review is aimed at summarizing current advances in technologies and methods for manufacturing nano/microfibrous polymeric constructs suitable as tissue engineering scaffolds, and for their combination with different bioactive agents to promote tissue regeneration and therapeutic effects. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 102B: 1562–1579, 2014.
Biomineralization regulation by nano‐sized features in silk fibroin proteins: Synthesis of water‐dispersible nano‐hydroxyapatite
Authors: Huang Xiaowei , Liu Xi , Liu Shanshan , Zhang Aili , Lu Qiang , Kaplan David L. , Zhu Hesun
Published: March 2014

In the present study, silk fibroin (SF) was used as a template to prepare nano‐hydroxyapatite (nano‐HA) via a biomineralization process. We observed that the content of SF affected both the morphology and water dispersibility of nano‐HA particles. Scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), zetasizer, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) were used to examine nano‐HA particle features including the surface morphology, aggregation performance, and crystallization. Rod‐like nano‐HA particles with desired water dispersibility were achieved when the ratio of SF/HA (calculated) was above 7:3. SEM, TEM, and zeta potential results revealed that nano‐HA particles were enclosed by the SF which formed a negative charge layer preventing the aggregation of HA nanoparticles in aqueous solution. Moreover, the nano‐HA particles were able to re‐disperse in water without precipitation for two weeks at room temperature, 60°C, and 90°C. Our work suggested a facile and effective approach of designing water‐dispersible nano‐HA particles which may have wide potential application in tissue engineering especially bone regeneration. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 102B: 1720–1729, 2014.
Bone Metabolism After Bariatric Surgery
Authors: Yu Elaine W
Published: March 2014

Bariatric surgery is a popular and effective treatment for severe obesity but may have negative effects on the skeleton. This review summarizes changes in bone density and bone metabolism from animal and clinical studies of bariatric surgery, with specific attention to Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB), adjustable gastric banding (AGB), and sleeve gastrectomy (SG). Skeletal imaging artifacts from obesity and weight loss are also considered. Despite challenges in bone density imaging, the preponderance of evidence suggests that bariatric surgery procedures have negative skeletal effects that persist beyond the first year of surgery, and that these effects vary by surgical type. The long-term clinical implications and current clinical recommendations are presented. Further study is required to determine mechanisms of bone loss after bariatric surgery. Although early studies focused on calcium/vitamin D metabolism and mechanical unloading of the skeleton, it seems likely that surgically induced changes in the hormonal and metabolic profile may be responsible for the skeletal phenotypes observed after bariatric surgery. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Identification of Novel Transcription Factors in Osteoclast Differentiation Using Genome-wide Analysis of Open Chromatin Determined by DNase-seq
Authors: Inoue Kazuki , Imai Yuuki
Published: March 2014

Clarification of the mechanisms underlying osteoclast differentiation enables us to understand the physiology of bone metabolism as well as the pathophysiology of bone diseases such as osteoporosis. Recently, it has been reported that epigenetics can determine cell fate and regulate cell type–specific gene expression. However, little is known about epigenetics during osteoclastogenesis. To reveal a part of epigenetics, especially focused on chromatin dynamics, during early osteoclastogenesis and to identify novel transcription factors involved in osteoclastogenesis, we performed a genome-wide analysis of open chromatin during receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL)-induced osteoclastogenesis using DNase I hypersensitive sites sequencing (DNase-seq). DNase-seq was performed using the extracted nuclei from RAW264 cells treated with or without RANKL for 24 hours, followed by several bioinformatic analyses. DNase I hypersensitive sites (DHSs) were dynamically changed during RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis and they accumulated in promoter regions. The distributions of DHSs among cis-regulatory DNA regions were identical regardless of RANKL stimulation. Motif discovery analysis successfully identified well-known osteoclastogenic transcription factors including Jun, CREB1, FOS, ATF2, and ATF4, but also novel transcription factors for osteoclastogenesis such as Zscan10, Atf1, Nrf1, and Srebf2. siRNA knockdown of these identified novel transcription factors impaired osteoclastogenesis. Taken together, DNase-seq is a useful tool for comprehension of epigenetics, especially chromatin dynamics during osteoclastogenesis and for identification of novel transcription factors involved in osteoclastogenesis. This study may reveal underlying mechanisms that determine cell type–specific differentiation of bone cells and may lead to investigation of novel therapeutic targets for osteoporosis. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Reductions in Heel Bone Quality Across Gestation Are Attenuated in Pregnant Adolescents With Higher Prepregnancy Weight and Greater Increases in PTH Across Gestation
Authors: Whisner Corrie M , Young Bridget E , Witter Frank R , Harris Zena Leah , Queenan Ruth A , Cooper Elizabeth M , O'Brien Kimberly O
Published: March 2014

Few studies have examined the effect of maternal calcium intake and vitamin D status on bone health across gestation in pregnant adolescents. This study aimed to characterize maternal bone quality and determinants of bone-quality change across gestation in pregnant adolescents. Healthy pregnant adolescents (n = 156; aged 13 to 18 years) with singleton pregnancies and at 12 to 30 weeks gestation at enrollment were recruited from two urban maternity clinics in Baltimore, MD, and Rochester, NY, for this prospective longitudinal study. Maternal serum was collected at midgestation and at delivery for assessment of bone biomarkers and calcitropic hormones. Maternal bone quality (assessed by heel ultrasound) and sonographic fetal biometry were measured up to three times across pregnancy. Racially diverse teens (64.7% African American, 35.3% white) were followed from 21.0 (interquartile range [IQR] 17.3, 27.0) weeks of gestation until delivery at 40.0 (IQR 39.0, 40.7) weeks. Significant decreases in calcaneal speed of sound (SOS), broadband ultrasound attenuation (BUA), and quantitative ultrasound index (QUI) (–9.2 ± 16.1 m/s, –3.2 (–8.0, 2.1) dB/MHz and –5.3 ± 8.8, respectively) were evident across pregnancy. Multivariate analysis controlling for baseline measures and measurement intervals was used to identify independent predictors of normalized (per week) calcaneal bone loss. Weekly decreases in bone quality were not significantly associated with maternal calcium intake or 25(OH)D concentration. Greater weekly reductions in calcaneal bone quality were evident in teens with lower prepregnancy weight (BUA, p = 0.006 and QUI, p = 0.012) and among those with lower weekly increase in PTH (SOS, p = 0.046). Overall, significant decreases in calcaneal bone quality occurred across pregnancy in adolescents, but the magnitude of this loss was attenuated in those with greater prepregnancy weight and weekly increases in PTH. Further studies are needed to understand the role of elevated PTH and greater prepregnancy weight in preserving adolescent bone during pregnancy. © 2014 American Society for Bone and Mineral Research.
Quantifying Mitotic Chromosome Dynamics and Positioning
Authors: Bissonette Samantha , Stumpff Jason
Published: March 2014

The proper organization and segregation of chromosomes during cell division is essential to the preservation of genomic integrity. To understand the mechanisms that spatially control the arrangement and dynamics of mitotic chromosomes requires imaging assays to quantitatively resolve their positions and movements. Here, we will discuss analytical approaches to investigate the position‐dependent control of mitotic chromosomes in cultured cells. These methods can be used to dissect the specific contributions of mitotic proteins to the molecular control of chromosome dynamics. J. Cell. Physiol. 229: 1301–1305, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Comparison of magnetic resonance feature tracking for systolic and diastolic strain and strain rate calculation with spatial modulation of magnetization imaging analysis
Authors: Moody William E. , Taylor Robin J. , Edwards Nicola C. , Chue Colin D. , Umar Fraz , Taylor Tiffany J. , Ferro Charles J. , Young Alistair A. , Townend Jonathan N. , Leyva F. , Steeds Richard P.
Published: March 2014

Purpose

To compare cardiovascular magnetic resonance‐feature tracking (CMR‐FT) with spatial modulation of magnetization (SPAMM) tagged imaging for the calculation of short and long axis Lagrangian strain measures in systole and diastole.

Materials and Methods

Healthy controls (n = 35) and patients with dilated cardiomyopathy (n = 10) were identified prospectively and underwent steady‐state free precession (SSFP) cine imaging and SPAMM imaging using a gradient‐echo sequence. A timed offline analysis of images acquired at identical horizontal long and short axis slice positions was performed using CMR‐FT and dynamic tissue‐tagging (CIMTag2D). Agreement between strain and strain rate (SR) values calculated using these two different methods was assessed using the Bland–Altman technique.

Results

Across all participants, there was good agreement between CMR‐FT and CIMTag for calculation of peak systolic global circumferential strain (−22.7 ± 6.2% vs. −22.5 ± 6.9%, bias 0.2 ± 4.0%) and SR (−1.35 ± 0.42 1/s vs. −1.22 ± 0.42 1/s, bias 0.13 ± 0.33 1/s) and early diastolic global circumferential SR (1.21 ± 0.44 1/s vs. 1.07 ± 0.30 1/s, bias −0.14 ± 0.34 1/s) at the subendocardium. There was satisfactory agreement for derivation of peak systolic global longitudinal strain (−18.1 ± 5.0% vs. −16.7 ± 4.8%, bias 1.3 ± 3.8%) and SR (−1.04 ± 0.29 1/s vs. −0.95 ± 0.32 1/s, bias 0.09 ± 0.26 1/s). The weakest agreement was for early diastolic global longitudinal SR (1.10 ± 0.40 1/s vs. 0.67 ± 0.32 1/s, bias −0.42 ± 0.40 1/s), although the correlation remained significant (r = 0.42, P < 0.01). CMR‐FT generated these data over four times quicker than CIMTag.

Conclusion

There is sufficient agreement between systolic and diastolic strain measures calculated using CMR‐FT and myocardial tagging for CMR‐FT to be considered as a potentially feasible and rapid alternative. J. Magn. Reson. Imaging 2015;41:1000–1012. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Bioreducible Polycations in Nucleic Acid Delivery: Past, Present, and Future Trends
Authors: Oupický David , Li Jing
Published: March 2014

Polycations that are degradable by reduction of disulfide bonds are developed for applications in delivery of nucleic acids. This Feature Article surveys methods of synthesis of bioreducible polycations and discusses current understanding of the mechanism of action of bioreducible polyplexes. Emphasis is placed on the relationship between the biological redox environment and toxicity, trafficking, transfection activity, and in vivo behavior of bioreducible polycations and polyplexes.
Macroporous Nanocomposite Materials Prepared by Solvent Evaporation from Pickering Emulsion Templates
Authors: Hu Yang , Gu Xiaoyu , Chen Weike , Zou Shengwen , Wang Chaoyang
Published: March 2014

Hydroxyapatite (HAp)/poly(L‐lactic acid) (PLLA) interconnected macroporous materials are facilely and effectively fabricated by templating water‐in‐dichloromethane with PLLA (W/O) Pickering emulsions. The HAp nanoparticles modified with PLLA (g‐HAp nanoparticles) are used as effective particulate emulsifiers to produce stable W/O Pickering emulsions. Evaporation of the W/O Pickering emulsions directly leads to interconnected porous nanocomposite materials in absence of any chemical reactions. This simple and effective method can be used to prepare a variety of functionalized porous materials, which are suitable for biomedical applications.
Butyrate modulates antioxidant enzyme expression in malignant and non‐malignant human colon tissues
Authors: Jahns Franziska , Wilhelm Anne , Jablonowski Nadja , Mothes Henning , Greulich Karl Otto , Glei Michael
Published: March 2014

The induction of antioxidant enzymes is an important mechanism in colon cancer chemoprevention, but the response of human colon tissue to butyrate, a gut fermentation product derived from dietary fiber, remains largely unknown. Therefore, our study investigated the effect of a butyrate treatment on catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD2) in matched human colon tissues of different transformation stages (n = 3–15 in each group) ex vivo. By performing quantitative real‐time PCR, Western blot, and spectrophotometric measurements, we found an increase in SOD2 at expression and activity level in colonic adenocarcinomas (mRNA: 1.96‐fold; protein: 1.41‐fold, activity: 1.8‐fold; P < 0.05). No difference was detectable for CAT between normal, adenoma, and carcinoma colon tissues. Treatment of normal colon epithelium (12 h) with a physiologically relevant concentration of butyrate (10 mM) resulted in a significant increase (P < 0.05) in CAT mRNA (1.24‐fold) and protein (1.39‐fold), without affecting the enzymatic activity. Consequently, preliminary experiments failed to show any protective effect of butyrate against H2O2‐mediated DNA damage. Despite a significantly lowered SOD2 transcript (0.51‐fold, P < 0.01) and, to a lesser extent, protein level (0.86‐fold) after butyrate exposure of normal colon cells, the catalytic activity was significantly enhanced (1.19‐fold, P < 0.05), suggesting an increased protection against tissue superoxide radicals. In malignant tissues, greater variations in response to butyrate were observed. Furthermore, both enzymes showed an age‐dependent decrease in activity in normal colon epithelium (CAT: r = −0.49, P = 0.09; SOD2: r = −0.58, P = 0.049). In conclusion, butyrate exhibited potential antioxidant features ex vivo but cellular consequences need to be investigated more in depth. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mutant p53 accumulation in human breast cancer is not an intrinsic property or dependent on structural or functional disruption but is regulated by exogenous stress and receptor status
Authors: Bouchalova Pavla , Nenutil Rudolf , Muller Petr , Hrstka Roman , Appleyard M Virginia , Murray Karen , Jordan Lee B , Purdie Colin A , Quinlan Philip , Thompson Alastair M , Vojtesek Borivoj , Coates Philip J
Published: March 2014

Many human cancers contain missense TP53 mutations that result in p53 protein accumulation. Although generally considered as a single class of mutations that abrogate wild‐type function, individual TP53 mutations may have specific properties and prognostic effects. Tumours that contain missense TP53 mutations show variable p53 stabilization patterns, which may reflect the specific mutation and/or aspects of tumour biology. We used immunohistochemistry on cell lines and human breast cancers with known TP53 missense mutations and assessed the effects of each mutation with four structure–function prediction methods. Cell lines with missense TP53 mutations show variable percentages of cells with p53 stabilization under normal growth conditions, ranging from approximately 50% to almost 100%. Stabilization is not related to structural or functional disruption, but agents that stabilize wild‐type p53 increase the percentages of cells showing missense mutant p53 accumulation in cell lines with heterogeneous stabilization. The same heterogeneity of p53 stabilization occurs in primary breast cancers, independent of the effect of the mutation on structural properties or functional disruption. Heterogeneous accumulation is more common in steroid receptor‐positive or HER2‐positive breast cancers and cell lines than in triple‐negative samples. Immunohistochemcal staining patterns associate with Mdm2 levels, proliferation, grade and overall survival, whilst the type of mutation reflects downstream target activity. Inhibiting Mdm2 activity increases the extent of p53 stabilization in some, but not all, breast cancer cell lines. The data indicate that missense mutant p53 stabilization is a complex and variable process in human breast cancers that associates with disease characteristics but is unrelated to structural or functional properties. That agents which stabilize wild‐type p53 also stabilize mutant p53 has implications for patients with heterogeneous mutant p53 accumulation, where therapy may activate mutant p53 oncogenic function. Copyright © 2014 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Impacts of vortex intensity and outer winds on tropical cyclone size
Authors: Chan Kelvin T. F. , Chan Johnny C. L.
Published: March 2014

The present study seeks to understand how the initial vortex intensity and outer winds influence tropical cyclone (TC) size, which is defined as the azimuthally averaged radius of the 10 m 17 m s−1 wind from the TC centre (R17), using a full baroclinic model in a quiescent f‐plane environment. The initial vortex intensity is found to influence the size growth rate in the developing phase of the vortex life cycle. However, when the vortex comes to the mature and/or decaying phase of the vortex life cycle, the initial vortex intensity (ranging between 20 and 40 m s−1 in this study) does not strongly affect TC size. On the other hand, vortex intensification or re‐intensification resulting from inner‐core dynamics is apparently favourable for size growth in most instances. In addition, the lower‐tropospheric outer winds of a vortex (i.e. winds beyond R17; e.g. the environmental flows around the TC) are found to be an important factor governing size change. The outer winds closer to R17 are more effective and can influence the vortex size at an earlier stage, especially if the winds are strong.

The impact of the initial lower‐tropospheric outer winds on the TC size evolution appears to be more prominent than that of the initial vortex intensity. The size change is much more sensitive to the outer‐core, rather than inner‐core, dynamics. The higher the angular momentum (AM) beyond R17, the more the AM can be brought towards the centre and hence favour size growth, and vice versa.
Summary of ISO/TC 201 Standard: ISO 18115‐1:2013 – Surface chemical analysis – Vocabulary – General terms and terms used in spectroscopy
Authors: Seah Martin P.
Published: March 2014

Amendments have been made to International Standards Organization (ISO) 18115‐1:2010 extending the number of terms and, in a few cases where usage has changed, incorporating revisions. Part 1 covers 600 terms used in Auger electron spectroscopy, elastic peak electron spectroscopy, reflected electron energy loss spectroscopy, SIMS, UPS, XPS, etc. as well as 75 acronyms. The terms cover words or phrases used in describing the samples, instruments and theoretical concepts involved in surface chemical analysis. © 2014 Crown copyright. Surface and Interface Analysis © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ni50Mo40Ti10 alloy prepared by mechanical alloying as electroactive material for hydrogen evolution reaction
Authors: Panek Joanna , Kubisztal Julian , Bierska‐Piech Bożena
Published: March 2014

The subject of this work is Ni50Mo40Ti10 alloy produced by mechanical alloying and subsequent heat treatment. The obtained material was tested as electrode for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) in an alkaline environment. The results were compared with those obtained for the Ni50Mo50 catalyst. Electrochemical characterization was carried out by the steady‐state polarization method and the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). On the basis of the results of the EIS measurements, the average rate constant of the HER was determined. The calculated values of surface roughness factor, Rf, allowed to evaluate the true catalytic effect of the investigated electrode material. It was stated that Ni50Mo40Ti10 alloy annealed at 1173 K exhibits the higher electrocatalytic activity for the HER compared with the Ni50Mo50. The increase in the intrinsic activity could be attributed to the presence of NiMo intermetallic phase and Ni(Ti) solid solution. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Religious Identity, Religious Attendance, and Parental Control
Authors: Kim Young-Il , Wilcox W. Bradford
Published: March 2014

Using a national sample of adolescents aged 10-18 years and their parents ( N = 5,117), this article examines whether parental religious identity and religious participation are associated with the ways in which parents control their children. We hypothesize that both religious orthodoxy and weekly religious attendance are related to heightened levels of three elements of parental control: monitoring activities, normative regulations, and network closure. Results indicate that an orthodox religious identity for Catholic and Protestant parents and higher levels of religious attendance for parents as a whole are associated with increases in monitoring activities and normative regulations of American adolescents.
miR‐181a mediates metabolic shift in colon cancer cells via the PTEN/AKT pathway
Authors: Wei Zhonghua , Cui Long , Mei Zubing , Liu Min , Zhang Daoxiang
Published: March 2014

Cancer cell metabolism is often characterized by a shift from an oxidative to a glycolytic bioenergetics pathway, a phenomenon known as the warburg effect. Whether the deregulation of miRNAs contributes to the warburg effect remains largely unknown. Here we show that miR‐181a expression is increased and thus induces a metabolic shift in colon cancer cells. miR‐181a performs this function by inhibiting the expression of PTEN, leading to an increase of phosphorylated AKT which triggers metabolic shift. The increase of lactate production induced by miR‐181a results in the rapid growth of cancer cells. These results identify miR‐181a as a molecular switch involved in the orchestration of the warburg effect in colon cancer cells via the PTEN/AKT pathway.
On the substrate‐ and stereospecificity of the plant carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase 7
Authors: Bruno Mark , Hofmann Manuel , Vermathen Martina , Alder Adrian , Beyer Peter , Al-Babili Salim
Published: March 2014

Strigolactones are phytohormones synthesized from carotenoids via a stereospecific pathway involving the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases 7 (CCD7) and 8. CCD7 cleaves 9‐cis‐β‐carotene to form a supposedly 9‐cis‐configured β‐apo‐10′‐carotenal. CCD8 converts this intermediate through a combination of yet undetermined reactions into the strigolactone‐like compound carlactone. Here, we investigated the substrate and stereo‐specificity of the Arabidopsis and pea CCD7 and determined the stereo‐configuration of the β‐apo‐10′‐carotenal intermediate by using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. Our data unequivocally demonstrate the 9‐cis‐configuration of the intermediate. Both CCD7s cleave different 9‐cis‐carotenoids, yielding hydroxylated 9‐cis‐apo‐10′‐carotenals that may lead to hydroxylated carlactones, but show highest affinity for 9‐cis‐β‐carotene.
Improving manual vacuum aspiration service delivery, introducing misoprostol for cases of incomplete abortion, and strengthening postabortion contraception in Bangladesh
Authors: Begum Ferdousi , Zaidi Shahida , Fatima Parveen , Shamsuddin Latifa , Anowar‐ul‐Azim A.K.M. , Begum Rowshan Ara
Published: March 2014

The Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Bangladesh was an important advocate in mobilizing government authorities to adopt new techniques for postabortion care and provide long‐acting contraceptives post abortion. With the support of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), the Society provided commodities and training to increase the use of these techniques in 7 private and public hospitals and clinics. Data from two of these institutes for the January 2012 to June 2013 period showed a rapid decrease in the use of dilation and curettage, an increase in the use of manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) and misoprostol, and the progressive adoption of long‐acting reversible contraceptives, permanent contraception, and injectable contraceptives in one of these two hospitals. The Directorates General of Health and Family Planning incorporated training in the use of MVA and misoprostol in their national operation plans. The success in these hospitals shows that the proposed changes have been well accepted by providers and clients.
Changes in the use of manual vacuum aspiration for postabortion care within the public healthcare service network in Honduras
Authors: Chinchilla Ana Ligia , Flores Ivo Flores , Morales Alma Fabiola , de Gil Marina Padilla
Published: March 2014

Honduras is one of the 17 priority countries included in the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Initiative for the Prevention of Unsafe Abortion and its Consequences. The priority category enables the country to request emergency funding to acquire services or commodities that could contribute toward achieving the objectives laid out in its plan of action. These objectives include improving postabortion care by increasing the use of manual vacuum aspiration (MVA) as an outpatient procedure with minimal human and material resources. Since the Ministry of Health lacked funding, use of the emergency fund was approved for the purchase and distribution of MVA kits nationwide to ensure continuity and the hope of increasing MVA use. Eleven hospitals participating in this initiative provided data for analysis of the outcome. These data show no increase in MVA use; however, as discussed in the article, further investigation provided valuable information on the reasons behind these results.
Multiple finger propagation modes in Hele-Shaw channels of variable depth
Authors: Thompson Alice B. , Juel Anne , Hazel Andrew L.
Published: March 2014

We consider the propagation of an air finger into a wide fluid-filled channel with a spatially varying depth profile. Our aim is to understand the origin of the multiple coexisting families of both steady and oscillatory propagating fingers previously observed in experiments in axially uniform channels each containing a centred step-like occlusion. We find that a depth-averaged model can reproduce all the finger propagation modes observed experimentally. In addition, the model reveals new modes for symmetric finger propagation. The inclusion of a spatially variable channel depth in the depth-averaged equations leads to: (i) a variable mobility coefficient within the fluid domain due to variations in viscous resistance of the channel; and (ii) a variable transverse curvature term in the dynamic boundary condition that modifies the pressure jump over the air–liquid interface. We use our model to examine the roles of these two distinct effects and find that both contribute to the steady bifurcation structure, while the transverse curvature term is responsible for the distinctive oscillatory propagation modes.
Speeding up thermocapillary migration of a confined bubble by wall slip
Authors: Liao Ying-Chih , Li Yen-Ching , Chang Yu-Chih , Huang Chih-Yung , Wei Hsien-Hung
Published: March 2014

It is usually believed that wall slip contributes small effects to macroscopic flow characteristics. Here we demonstrate that this is not the case for the thermocapillary migration of a long bubble in a slippery tube. We show that a fraction of the wall slip, with the slip length $\lambda $ much smaller than the tube radius $R$, can make the bubble migrate much faster than without wall slip. This speedup effect occurs in the strong-slip regime where the film thickness $b$ is smaller than $\lambda $ when the Marangoni number $S= \tau _{T} R/\sigma _{0}~ (\ll 1)$ is below the critical value $S^* \sim (\lambda /R)^{1/2}$, where $\tau _{T}$ is the driving thermal stress and $\sigma _{0}$ is the surface tension. The resulting bubble migration speed is found to be $U_{b} \sim (\sigma _{0}/\mu )S^{3}(\lambda /R)$, which can be more than a hundred times faster than the no-slip result $U_{b} \sim (\sigma _{0}/\mu )S^{5}$ (Wilson, J. Eng. Math., vol. 29, 1995, pp. 205–217; Mazouchi & Homsy, Phys. Fluids, vol. 12, 2000, pp. 542–549), with $\mu $ being the fluid viscosity. The change from the fifth power law to the cubic one also indicates a transition from the no-slip state to the strong-slip state, albeit the film thickness always scales as $b\sim RS^{2}$. The formal lubrication analysis and numerical results confirm the above findings. Our results in different slip regimes are shown to be equivalent to those for the Bretherton problem (Liao, Li & Wei, Phys. Rev. Lett., vol. 111, 2013, 136001). Extension to polygonal tubes and connection to experiments are also made. It is found that the slight discrepancy between experiment (Lajeunesse & Homsy, Phys. Fluids, vol. 15, 2003, pp. 308–314) and theory (Mazouchi & Homsy, Phys. Fluids, vol. 13, 2001, pp. 1594–1600) can be interpreted by including wall slip effects.
Language effects on the conceptualization of hybrids
Authors: MASHAL NIRA , SHEN YESHAYAHU , JOSPE KARINE , GIL DAVID
Published: March 2014

abstract

The current study investigates the conceptual hierarchy of humans−animals−plants−non-animate objects by using novel hybrids. Three experiments were conducted. In Experiment 1, twenty-one participants were presented with a grammatically asymmetrical phrase, in which the two components are associated with different linguistic properties, (e.g.,a man with a horse’s head) followed by a visual hybrid, and were asked to judge whether the phrase described the hybrid. In Experiment 2, thirty participants were presented with a visual hybrid and were asked to categorize it according to one of its visually presented components in a forced-choice judgment task. In Experiment 3, twenty-nine participants were presented with a visual hybrid that followed a grammatically symmetrical phrase, in which both components carry similar grammatical properties (e.g.,half-human half-horse), and were asked to judge whether the phrase described the hybrid. A conceptual hierarchy effect was found in Experiment 1 but not in the other two experiments. These findings show that the hierarchy effect occurs only in verbal tasks that involve asymmetrical grammatical constructions. We suggest that the pragmatic tendency to map the hierarchically higher concept onto the higher grammatical function applies to asymmetrical constructions but not to symmetrical constructions.
THE BIBLE MORALISÉE, THE GOLDEN LEGEND AND THE SALVATOR MUNDI: OBSERVATIONS ON THE ICONOGRAPHY OF THE WESTMINSTER RETABLE
Authors: Michael M A
Published: March 2014

The iconography of the Westminster Retable is compared primarily with sources in the Bible moralisée tradition created in France in the thirteenth century. Through analysing the iconography of the miracle scenes displayed on the Retable and relating them to specific copies of the Bible moralisée it is suggested that the artist of the Retable had close personal knowledge of French models. Analysis of the iconography of the central section of the Retable suggests that the text of the Golden Legend may also have been used by the artist and/or the iconographer as a source. It is also suggested that there is an underlying theme in the Retable that relates closely to the creation of the Westminster pavement. Finally, it is suggested that the artist of the Westminster Retable should be integrated into the history of French painting as much as of English painting in order to explore more fully the possibility that he was trained in France.
Comparing parasitological vs serological determination of Schistosoma haematobium infection prevalence in preschool and primary school-aged children: implications for control programmes
Authors: WAMI WELCOME M. , NAUSCH NORMAN , BAUER KATHARINA , MIDZI NICHOLAS , GWISAI REGGIS , SIMMONDS PETER , MDULUZA TAKAFIRA , WOOLHOUSE MARK , MUTAPI FRANCISCA
Published: March 2014

To combat schistosomiasis, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that infection levels are determined prior to designing and implementing control programmes, as the treatment regimens depend on the population infection prevalence. However, the sensitivity of the parasitological infection diagnostic method is less reliable when infection levels are low. The aim of this study was to compare levels of Schistosoma haematobium infection obtained by the parasitological method vs serological technique. Infection levels in preschool and primary school-aged children and their implications for control programmes were also investigated. Infection prevalence based on serology was significantly higher compared with that based on parasitology for both age groups. The difference between infection levels obtained using the two methods increased with age. Consequentially, in line with the WHO guidelines, the serological method suggested a more frequent treatment regimen for this population compared with that implied by the parasitological method. These findings highlighted the presence of infection in children aged ⩽5 years, further reiterating the need for their inclusion in control programmes. Furthermore, this study demonstrated the importance of using sensitive diagnostic methods as this has implications on the required intervention controls for the population.
Electoral Rules or Electoral Leverage? Explaining Muslim Representation in England
Authors: Dancygier Rafaela M.
Published: March 2014

Immigration has fundamentally altered the ethnic and religious makeup of most advanced democracies, but substantial variation is observed in the political representation of immigrant-origin minority groups across countries and cities. Though existing research has highlighted the role of electoral institutions in explaining minority representation, it is often difficult to isolate their effects across contexts. Focusing on Muslims in England and employing a new data set containing over 42,000 candidate-level observations, this article explains Muslim candidate election and selection. To do this, the author makes use of a rule change whereby a subset of localities switched from the use of multimember elections to the use of single-member elections. She finds that these electoral rules have no significant effect on the share of Muslims that gets elected but that they do influence the selection process: in a given election, Muslims are half as likely to be selected when only one seat is up for election as compared with when three seats are in play. Yet parties balance the slate across consecutive single-member elections, leading to similar results across systems. Further, the more undesirable the seat, the more likely it is to have a Muslim on the ticket, but this effect holds only in single-member elections, and it reverses as Muslims gain electoral leverage. Overall electoral leverage proves crucial: the effect of institutions and the potential for institution-based discrimination are conditional on the size and concentration of the local Muslim population and the votes it can deliver at both the election and the selection stages.
How Aid Targets Votes: The Impact of Electoral Incentives on Foreign Aid Distribution
Authors: Jablonski Ryan S.
Published: March 2014

Despite allegations that foreign aid promotes corruption and patronage, little is known about how recipient governments' electoral incentives influence aid spending. This article proposes a distributional politics model of aid spending in which governments use their informational advantages over donors in order to allocate a disproportionate share of aid to electorally strategic supporters, allowing governments to translate aid into votes. To evaluate this argument, the author codes data on the spatial distribution of multilateral donor projects in Kenya from 1992 to 2010 and shows that Kenyan governments have consistently influenced the aid allocation process in favor of copartisan and coethnic voters, a bias that holds for each of Kenya's last three regimes. He confirms that aid distribution increases incumbent vote share. This evidence suggests that electoral motivations play a significant role in aid allocation and that distributional politics may help explain the gap between donor intentions and outcomes.
Iranian EFL teachers’ perceptions of the difficulties of implementing CALL
Authors: Hedayati Hora (Fatemeh) , Marandi S. Susan
Published: March 2014

Despite the spread of reliable technological tools and the availability of computers in Iranian universities, as well as the mounting evidence of the effectiveness of blended learning, many Iranian language teachers are still reluctant to incorporate such tools in their English as a foreign language (EFL) classes. This study inspected the status quo of technology integration in Iranian EFL classes and investigated the obstacles, as perceived by the Iranian EFL teachers, toward implementing CALL in Iran. First, 100 EFL teachers completed the Teacher Technology Integration Survey developed by Vannatta and Banister (2009), to help estimate technology use in EFL classes. Then the researchers interviewed twelve teachers, comprising two EFL teacher educators with no CALL experience, four teachers with the experience of integrating technology in their EFL classes, four EFL teachers who had recently finished an online CALL teacher education program, and two EFL teachers with no CALL experience. The semi-structured interview questions were designed by the researchers, one of whom has extensive experience with CALL, and were revised based on the suggestions of a colleague with expertise in teacher education. One of the researchers conducted the interviews, each of which lasted for 30–50 minutes. The researchers used structural content analysis of the interview transcripts to find themes relevant to the research question. The results suggest that on the whole, Iranian EFL teachers do not usually integrate digital technology into their classes; and the obstacles in implementing CALL in language classrooms could be classified into three categories: teacher, facility, and learner constraints. Each of the categories is discussed in detail and suggestions are provided for promoting CALL in the Iranian context.
Very fast germination: additional records and relationship to embryo size and phylogeny
Authors: Parsons Robert F. , Vandelook Filip , Janssens Steven B.
Published: March 2014

Recently, a list has been published of angiosperms capable of germinating in less than 24 h (‘very fast germination’). Here, we add three families and 23 species to that list. The main extra families complement ecological groups already recognized – the Cactaceae into the aridity-adapted group and the Tamaricaceae into the floodplain-adapted group. These amended findings on very fast germination (VFG) are integrated into the recent work on the functional ecology of embryo size. They confirm the important connection between germination speed and embryo to seed ratio. Plotting the plant orders containing VFG species on a phylogenetic tree shows that VFG has evolved multiple times throughout angiosperm history, including at least three times within the Caryophyllales. The fact that species with VFG are mainly restricted to advanced clades shows that VFG is a derived trait that evolved as an adaptation to either arid, saline or floodplain habitats.
The evolution of violence risk assessment
Authors: Monahan John , Skeem Jennifer L.
Published: March 2014

Many instruments have been published in recent years to improve the ability of mental health clinicians to estimate the likelihood that an individual will behave violently toward others. Increasingly, these instruments are being applied in response to laws that require specialized risk assessments. In this review, we present a framework that goes beyond the “clinical” and “actuarial” dichotomy to describe a continuum of structured approaches to risk assessment. Despite differences among them, there is little evidence that one instrument predicts violence better than another. We believe that these group-based instruments are useful for assessing an individual's risk, and that the instrument should be chosen based on the purpose of the assessment.
5-Azacytidine treatment sensitizes tumor cells to T-cell mediated cytotoxicity and modulates NK cells in patients with myeloid malignancies
Authors: Gang A O , Frøsig T M , Brimnes M K , Lyngaa R , Treppendahl M B , Grønbæk K , Dufva I H , Straten P thor , Hadrup S R
Published: March 2014

Treatment with the demethylating agent 5-Azacytidine leads to prolonged survival for patients with myelodysplastic syndrome, and the demethylation induces upregulation of cancer-testis antigens. Cancer-testis antigens are well-known targets for immune recognition in cancer, and the immune system may have a role in this treatment regimen. We show here that 5-Azacytidine treatment leads to increased T-cell recognition of tumor cells. T-cell responses against a large panel of cancer-testis antigens were detected before treatment, and these responses were further induced upon initiation of treatment. These characteristics point to an ideal combination of 5-Azacytidine and immune therapy to preferentially boost T-cell responses against cancer-testis antigens. To initiate such combination therapy, essential knowledge is required about the general immune modulatory effect of 5-Azacytidine. We therefore examined potential treatment effects on both immune stimulatory (CD8 and CD4 T cells and Natural Killer (NK) cells) and immune inhibitory cell subsets (myeloid-derived suppressor cells and regulatory T cells). We observed a minor decrease and modulation of NK cells, but for all other populations no effects could be detected. Together, these data support a strategy for combining 5-Azacytidine treatment with immune therapy for potential clinical benefit.
Recent advances in the synthesis of pyrroles by multicomponent reactions
Authors: Estévez Verónica , Villacampa Mercedes , Menéndez J. Carlos
Published: March 2014

Efficient and environmentally attractive access to pyrroles can be gained by use of multicomponent reactions.
Recent advances in porous polyoxometalate-based metal–organic framework materials
Authors: Du Dong-Ying , Qin Jun-Sheng , Li Shun-Li , Su Zhong-Min , Lan Ya-Qian
Published: March 2014

POM-based MOF materials, which combine the advantages of both POMs and MOFs, have received increasing attention. In this review, we present the recent developments in porous POM-based MOF materials for the first time, including their classification, synthesis strategies and applications, especially in the field of catalysis.
Oxamato-based coordination polymers: recent advances in multifunctional magnetic materials
Authors: Grancha Thais , Ferrando-Soria Jesús , Castellano María , Julve Miguel , Pasán Jorge , Armentano Donatella , Pardo Emilio
Published: March 2014

The design and synthesis of novel examples of multifunctional magnetic materials based on the so-called coordination polymers (CPs) have become very attractive for chemists and physicists due to their potential applications in nanoscience and nanotechnology.
Chemical applications carried out by local pair natural orbital based coupled-cluster methods
Authors: Sparta Manuel , Neese Frank
Published: March 2014

Local pair natural orbital coupled-cluster methods are suitable for accurate assessment of the energies of large molecular and supramolecular systems.
Semiconducting composite oxide Y2CuO4–5CuO thin films for investigation of photoelectrochemical properties
Authors: Ahmed Sohail , Mansoor Muhammad Adil , Mazhar Muhammad , Söhnel Tilo , Khaledi Hamid , Basirun Wan Jefrey , Arifin Zainudin , Abubakar Shahzad , Muhammad Bakhtiar
Published: March 2014

Y2CuO4–5CuO composite thin films having a band gap of 1.82 eV and a photocurrent density of 9.85 μA cm−2at 0.8 V have been deposited from a solution of precursor1by AACVD.
A metabolomics approach for predicting the response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in cervical cancer patients
Authors: Hou Yan , Yin Mingzhu , Sun Fengyu , Zhang Tao , Zhou Xiaohua , Li Huiyan , Zheng Jian , Chen Xiuwei , Li Cong , Ning Xiaoming , Lou Ge , Li Kang
Published: March 2014

Cervical cancer is a clinical and pathological heterogeneity disease, which requires different types of treatments and leads to a variety of outcomes.
Lipase-catalyzed asymmetric synthesis of oxathiazinanones through dynamic covalent kinetic resolution
Authors: Hu Lei , Zhang Yan , Ramström Olof
Published: March 2014

A domino addition–lactonization pathway has been applied to a dynamic covalent resolution protocol, leading to efficient asymmetric synthesis of oxathiazinanones.
Iodonium ylides for one-step, no-carrier-added radiofluorination of electron rich arenes, exemplified with 4-(([18F]fluorophenoxy)-phenylmethyl)piperidine NET and SERT ligands
Authors: Cardinale Jens , Ermert Johannes , Humpert Sven , Coenen Heinz H.
Published: March 2014

Iodonium ylide precursors of electron rich arenes, i.e. the NET and SERT ligands 4-((3- and 4-fluorophenoxy)phenylmethyl)piperidine, served as model compounds for the direct substitution with n.c.a. [18F]fluoride.
Preparation and characterization of highly sodium ion conducting Na3PS4–Na4SiS4 solid electrolytes
Authors: Tanibata Naoto , Noi Kousuke , Hayashi Akitoshi , Tatsumisago Masahiro
Published: March 2014

Glass–ceramic electrolyte in the system Na3PS4–Na4SiS4 exhibits a high Na+ ion conductivity of 7.4 × 10−4 S cm−1 at 25 °C.
Characterization of structural, mechanical and nano-mechanical properties of electrospun PGS/PCL fibers
Authors: Salehi S. , Bahners T. , Gutmann J. S. , Gao S.-L. , Mäder E. , Fuchsluger T. A.
Published: March 2014

Structural and mechanical properties of aligned PGS/PCL nanofibers for cornea tissue engineering are studied and compared to natural corneal stroma.
SWCNT/BiVO4 composites as anode materials for supercapacitor application
Authors: Khan Ziyauddin , Bhattu Shateesh , Haram Santosh , Khushalani Deepa
Published: March 2014

In this report, we have systematically investigated the effect of SWCNTs on the electrochemical performance of BiVO4: a material not studied thus far for energy storage.