bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Clustering of simple aminosulfonic acids – electrospray ionization mass spectrometric study
Authors: Haupa Karolina , Szewczuk Zbigniew , Mielke Zofia
Published: July 2013

RATIONALE

Aminosulfonic acids are structurally related to amino acids as bifunctional compounds. Some of them like taurine and homotaurine play important roles in biology. Although there is a vast literature devoted to the electrospray ionization mass spectrometric (ESI‐MS) study of amino acid aggregation, no such study has been performed so far for aminosulfonic acids.

METHODS

A gas‐phase clustering study was performed for aminomethanesulfonic acid (AMS), taurine (Tau), homotaurine (HT), and cysteic acid (CA) from water and methanol/water solutions, using a Bruker TOF‐Q spectrometer equipped with an ESI source, in the negative‐ion mode. For selected anionic clusters the tandem mass (MS/MS) spectra were recorded and the breakdown curves were obtained. The cluster formation abilities (ACS parameter) of the studied molecules were calculated.

RESULTS

Both singly and doubly charged clusters were formed when the acids were electrosprayed from water solutions; they may be described as [(H3N‐R‐SO3)n–zH]z–, where z = 1 or 2. The largest identified clusters are built of 20, 22, 20 and 4 monomers of AMS, Tau, HT and CA, respectively. The doubly negatively charged clusters were observed for n ≥9, 12, 14 in the case of AMS, Tau and HT. AMS pentamers and Tau, HT tetramers and hexamers show higher stabilities than the other clusters.

CONCLUSIONS

The results indicate that aminosulfonic acids form large stable clusters, similarly to aminocarboxylic acids. The cluster formation ability decreases with an increase in CH2 chain length within the series of the studied compounds. The large singly and doubly charged aggregates are formed under the conditions of the experiment, possibly in the droplets. Taurine dissolved in water seems to be a good calibrant for electrospray instruments in negative ion mode. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Improved survival modeling in cancer research using a reduced piecewise exponential approach
Authors: Han Gang , Schell Michael J. , Kim Jongphil
Published: July 2013

Statistical models for survival data are typically nonparametric, for example, the Kaplan–Meier curve. Parametric survival modeling, such as exponential modeling, however, can reveal additional insights and be more efficient than nonparametric alternatives. A major constraint of the existing exponential models is the lack of flexibility due to distribution assumptions. A flexible and parsimonious piecewise exponential model is presented to best use the exponential models for arbitrary survival data. This model identifies shifts in the failure rate over time based on an exact likelihood ratio test, a backward elimination procedure, and an optional presumed order restriction on the hazard rate. Such modeling provides a descriptive tool in understanding the patient survival in addition to the Kaplan–Meier curve. This approach is compared with alternative survival models in simulation examples and illustrated in clinical studies. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Representation Reaction Abilities of Structural Units and Related Thermodynamic Properties in Fe–P Binary Melts Based on the Atom–Molecule Coexistence Theory
Authors: Yang Xue‐min , Li Peng‐cheng , Li Jin‐yan , Zhang Meng , Zhang Jian‐liang , Zhang Jian
Published: July 2013

A thermodynamic model for calculating the mass action concentrations of structural units in Fe–P binary melts based on the atom–molecule coexistence theory, i.e., AMCT–Ni model, has been developed and verified through comparing with the reported activities of both P and Fe in Fe–P binary melts with mole fraction xP of P <0.33 in a temperature from 1406 K to 1973 K. The calculated mass action concentration NP of P or NFe of Fe has a very good 1:1 corresponding relationship with the reported activity aR,P of P or aR,Fe of Fe relative to pure liquid P(l) or Fe(l) as standard state, and can be applied to substitute the measured activity aR,P of P or aR,Fe of Fe in Fe–P binary melts. The Raoultian activity coefficient of P and of Fe in the infinitely dilute solution of Fe–P binary melts in a temperature from 1406 K to 1973 K have been determined from the calculated mass action concentrations Ni of structural units in Fe–P binary melts. The activity aR,i, a%,i, and aH,i of P or Fe relative to three standard states have been obtained. The values of the first‐order activity interaction coefficient or or of P and Fe related with activity coefficients γi or f%,i or fH,i of P and Fe in Fe–P binary melts are also determined.
Three‐stage evolution of lower crustal gneiss domes at Breaksea Entrance, Fiordland, New Zealand
Authors: Betka Paul M. , Klepeis Keith A.
Published: July 2013

New structural analyses reveal the presence of several kilometer‐scale gneiss domes and many subdomes within an exhumed section of Cretaceous lower crust in SW Fiordland. The domes are defined by complex, nearly concentric trajectories of foliations and steep high‐strain zones in migmatitic, granulite, and eclogite facies orthogneiss. Structural patterns combined with evidence of deformation that was synchronous with partial melting and high‐grade metamorphism, steep mineral lineation orientations, sense of shear indicators, and near‐isothermal decompression suggest that buoyancy‐driven diapiric flow of hot, partially molten crust aided initial dome formation. Mafic‐intermediate magmatism appears to have enhanced this process. Superimposed on all high‐grade structures are upper amphibolite facies shear zones that record a change in the style and conditions of lower crustal flow. Lineation orientations, sense of shear, evidence of cooling with decompression, and other patterns suggest that the retrograde shear zones record bulk horizontal flow and crustal thinning driven by regional tectonic forces. A preferred sequence begins with the initial emplacement of mafic‐intermediate magma into the lower crust at depths up to 70 km (D1). Diapirism and initial dome formation occurred during a period of waning arc magmatism and episodic partial melting and high‐grade metamorphism (D2). Following melt crystallization, dominantly horizontal flow of a cooler, strain‐hardened lower crust occurred during Late Cretaceous continental extension (D3). This example highlights the interplay between mechanisms of horizontal and vertical flow at the root of a continental arc and illustrates their roles in the formation of gneiss domes.
Recent progress of SiC power devices and applications
Authors: Li Lijuan , Li Canbing , Cao Yijia , Wang Feng
Published: July 2013

Devices made of the wide‐bandgap semiconductor silicon carbide are capable of not only providing excellent performance for higher voltages, higher switching frequencies, higher junction temperatures, and higher power than silicon devices, but also leading to drastic reduction in system complexity, volume, and weight, as well as higher efficiency and better reliability of power electronics systems. The newly emerged technology has made rapid progress during the past decade, and we can expect even greater advantages and potential for energy savings and emission reduction in the coming years. In this paper, the research on SiC material and device technologies, the benefits, and some remaining issues are discussed. Recent progress (since 2007) in applications such as DC–DC, AC–DC, DC–AC, and AC–AC converters is discussed. Also, future applications and perspectives are analyzed. © 2013 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Anterior compartment mesh: a descriptive study of mesh anchoring failure
Authors: Shek K. L. , Wong V. , Lee J. , Rosamilia A. , Rane A. J. , Krause H. , Goh J. , Dietz H. P.
Published: July 2013

Objectives

To define types of support failure after anterior compartment mesh placement and to investigate any association with predictors of recurrence.

Methods

This was a retrospective study on patients ≥ 3 months after anterior mesh placement. All patients underwent a standardized interview, clinical examination using the International Continence Society Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification system (ICS POP‐Q) and three‐dimensional/four‐dimensional (3D/4D) translabial ultrasound. Mesh failure was defined as recurrence of anterior/central compartment prolapse seen on ultrasound. Failures were classified as anterior, global and apical. Their association with hiatal area on Valsalva maneuver and levator avulsion was tested.

Results

Three hundred and one patients were seen initially, of whom five were excluded because of missing data, leaving 296. Mean follow‐up was 1.8 (range, 0.3–5.6) years. Mean age was 65 (range, 32–88) years. One hundred and thirty-nine (47%) women were fitted with a PerigeeTM mesh, 66 (22%) with an Anterior ProliftTM mesh and 91 (31%) with an Anterior ElevateTM mesh. Recurrent symptoms (lump/drag) were reported in 65 (22%), a recurrent cystocele was noted in 128 clinically (43%) and in 105 on ultrasound (35%). Avulsion was diagnosed in 117 patients (40%). Mean hiatal area on Valsalva was 33.3 (range, 14.1–60.0) cm2. Mesh failure was diagnosed in 112 patients (38%), comprising global failure in 81 (27%), apical failure in 23 (8%) and anterior failure in eight (3%). Apical and global failures were significantly associated with hiatal area, associations that remained after controlling for potential confounders.

Conclusions

Mesh failure, i.e. anterior or central compartment recurrent prolapse, was noted in 38% of patients on average 1.8 years after placement of anterior compartment mesh. Global and apical failures together constituted 93% of all mesh failures, both types of failure being significantly associated with hiatal area on Valsalva maneuver. Copyright © 2013 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Brief report: Affluence and college alcohol problems: The relevance of parent‐ and child‐reported indicators of socioeconomic status
Authors: Harrell Zaje A.T. , Huang Jason L. , Kepler Dawn M.
Published: July 2013

A mediational model predicting alcohol problems was tested in a sample of college students (n = 130) and their parents (n = 115). The indirect effect of substance‐use coping and the age of onset of alcohol use were examined in the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and alcohol problems. Findings indicated that parent‐reported SES was associated with increased alcohol problems; the age of onset of alcohol use partially mediated this relationship. Substance‐use coping was not a significant mediator in the model. Student‐reported SES was not associated with alcohol problems. Implications for examining social status in relation to college drinking behaviors are discussed.
Protein arginine methyl transferases‐3 and ‐5 increase cell surface expression of cardiac sodium channel
Authors: Beltran-Alvarez Pedro , Espejo Alexsandra , Schmauder Ralf , Beltran Carlos , Mrowka Ralf , Linke Thomas , Batlle Montserrat , Pérez-Villa Félix , Pérez Guillermo J. , Scornik Fabiana S. , Benndorf Klaus , Pagans Sara , Zimmer Thomas , Brugada Ramon
Published: July 2013

The α‐subunit of the cardiac voltage‐gated sodium channel (NaV1.5) plays a central role in cardiomyocyte excitability. We have recently reported that NaV1.5 is post‐translationally modified by arginine methylation. Here, we aimed to identify the enzymes that methylate NaV1.5, and to describe the role of arginine methylation on NaV1.5 function. Our results show that protein arginine methyl transferase (PRMT)‐3 and ‐5 methylate NaV1.5 in vitro, interact with NaV1.5 in human embryonic kidney (HEK) cells, and increase NaV1.5 current density by enhancing NaV1.5 cell surface expression. Our observations are the first evidence of regulation of a voltage‐gated ion channel, including calcium, potassium, sodium and TRP channels, by arginine methylation.
Isokinetic Quadriceps and Hamstring Muscle Strength after Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Comparison between Single-bundle and Double-bundle Reconstruction
Authors: Emily Yip Ka-Yan , Wai-Lam Chan , Chester Lie Wai-Hung , Kevin Wong Kwun-Hung , Siu-Bon Woo , Wing-Cheung Wong
Published: July 2013

Introduction

Clinical studies have not yet proven whether single-bundle (SB) or double-bundle (DB) anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction is superior. Nonetheless, quadriceps and hamstring muscle deficit is common after ACL reconstruction and it may affect the final outcome. The purpose of this study was to compare the isokinetic quadriceps and hamstring muscle strength after SB-ACL and DB-ACL reconstruction.

Materials and methods

We recruited 40 patients with ACL reconstruction (20 SB and 20 DB) by the same team of surgeons from 2006 to 2009. Demographic data of both groups were comparable. Lower extremity concentric isokinetic peak extension and flexion torques were assessed at angular velocities of 60°/second, 180°/second, and 300°/second preoperatively and at least 1 year postoperatively. Clinical evaluation was performed, including anterior stability with an arthrometer (model KT-1000), Lysholm score, Tegner activity score, single leg hop test, and International Knee Documentation Committee score. Data were analysed statistically.

Results

The isokinetic quadriceps and hamstring peak torque values in both the SB and DB groups did not show any significant difference. The maximum displacement upon KT-1000 arthrometer measurement appeared lower in the DB group but the difference was not significant. The side-to-side percentage deficits in quadriceps and hamstring peak torque at postoperative assessment were comparable in both groups.

Conclusion

Isokinetic quadriceps and hamstring muscle strength after SB-ACL or DB-ACL reconstruction was comparable.
Tuberculosis of the Sternoclavicular Joint
Authors: Pratima Khare , Vijay Sharma , Shailendra Khare
Published: July 2013

Tuberculosis may affect almost every part of the body. However, it is very uncommon for tuberculosis to involve the sternoclavicular joint. Demonstration of acid-fast bacilli, which is the gold standard for diagnosis, is extremely rare in these lesions. Diagnosis is usually based on demonstration of granulomas on histopathology. Good radiographs and imaging studies are supportive for diagnosis. We report a case of 32-year-old male who presented with a tender swelling over the medial end of the clavicle with a sinus and signs of inflammation. The fine needle aspiration of the lesion demonstrated acid-fast bacilli on Ziehl—Neelsen staining. The patient was put on antitubercular chemotherapy for 1 year and made an uneventful recovery.
II. Remarks on the Skeleton of the Archæopteryx; and on the Relations of the Bird to the Reptile
Authors: Parker W. K.
Published: July 2013

In Plate 1 of professor Owen's invaluable memoir on the Archæopteryx (Phil. Trans. 1863) the fifth vertebra behind the Acetabula is seized upon as the first of the caudal series. In Pl. 3, fig. 5, of the same memoir, we have the delineation of a young Ostrich’s pelvis; and in that figure the first post-femoral joint is marked as the commencement of the true tail; eight such joints being, even in the young bird, embraced by the posterior processes of the iliac bones.
III. On a Nearly Perfect Specimen of Eurypterus lanceolatus (Salter) from the Upper Ludlow Rock at Lesma-hagow, Lanarkshire.
Authors: Woodward Henry
Published: July 2013

This species (under the generic name of Himantopterus)was first noticed by Mr J. W. Salter in the Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society for 1856 (vol. xii. p. 28, fig. 5); but only the penultimate segment and telson were then known.

In vol. xv. of the same Journal (1859), Mr, Salter described eight species of Eurypterus, from the Upper Ludlow Rocks and the Old Red Sandstone; but he did not refer to E. lanceolatus in that paper. Of these eight species of Eurypterus, E. pygmceus, from its smaller size, is the best preserved species. It occurs in the Downton Sandstone of Kington, in the Basement-beds of the Old Red Sandstone at the Ludlow Railway, and in the Upper Ludlow Rock of Ludford; and I have lately seen an entire specimen (in the cabinet of Mr. Jas. Powrie, F.G.S.), only one inch in length, from the Old Red Sandstone of Petterden in the Sidlaw Hills, Forfarshire.
V. Description of a New Fossil Fish from the Lower Chalk
Authors: Günther Albert
Published: July 2013

The British Museum has lately received a fossil Fish from the lower Chalk at Folkestone, which appears to be undescribed, and is probably the type of a distinct genus. The fossil is twenty inches long, with the vertebral column and the fins tolerably well preserved, whilst the head unfortunately has suffered so much that scarcely any part of it can be distinguished.
I. On Involutina liassica (Nummulites liassicus, Rupert Jones)
Authors: Brady Henry B.
Published: July 2013

In the ‘Annals and Magazine of Natural History’ for October, 1853 (2 ser. vol. xii. p. 272), there appeared a short memoir on the Lias at Fretherne (Gloucestershire) by the Rev. P. B. Brodie, and to it is appended a Note by Mr. T. Rupert Jones relative to certain Foraminifera which had been obtained from that formation. One of these Foraminifera, an organism of some interest and importance in a palæontological point of view, was partillay described by Proffessor Jones in the Note alluded to, with the provisional name Nummulites liassicus. The general from of the sheel is similar to that of the Nummutlite, though its average size is somewhat less than even the smaller fossil varieties of that genus; and the way in which the specimens are crowded together in some portions of the strata, as though the rock was almost composed of them, may have suggested by its appearance an analogy to the Nummulites in the Nummulitic limestone.
III. On the Laurentian Formation
Authors: Bigsby J. J.
Published: July 2013

The Laurentian Group is as complex in its composition as the younger fossiliferous metamorphic rocks; silica, alumina, lime, and carbon compose its beds, together with phosphorus, fluor, barytes, &c.; and it develops the same accidental minerals—staurotide, garnet, pyroxenx, metallic compounds, &c. Why then should there not be in it the buried forms of life? It is found that, as we descend in the great sedimentary column, the organic remains gradually lose substance and form, until they wholly disappear, so that in the group with which we are now concerned (the very earliest we know of) not only has the original substance of the animal and its habitation vanished, but, for the most part, the very form also: and we have the residuary elements of the organisms—lime, phosphorous, &c., in masses sometimes extraordinarily large, corresponding with the extent and thickness of this great group, at least 30,000 feet in Canada (Logan), and 30,000 feet in Norway (Durocher).
Using mental models in the analysis of human–wildlife conflict from the perspective of a social–ecological system in Namibia
Authors: Mosimane Alfons Wabahe , McCool Stephen , Brown Perry , Ingrebretson Jane
Published: July 2013

Human–wildlife conflicts occur within the context of a complex social–ecological system influenced by a wide variety of social, economic and political forces. Management responses to human–wildlife conflict are based on certain assumptions and perceptions that form the mental models of this system. Understanding these mental models provides opportunity for various stakeholders to engage management staff based on shared components and direct attention to areas of disagreement, and involve organizations that are normally considered to be outside the domain of human–wildlife conflict. Mind mapping was used in this study to identify mental models that people hold about human–wildlife conflict in Namibia, a country that has seen rapid increases in conflict, and to describe the principal factors and variables leading to such conflict. The results indicate that mind mapping is a useful tool for uncovering mental models of conflict and can reveal significant variables in reduction of conflict such as land-use planning and livelihood enhancement.
‘The Artist is the Hero of the Story’: Harold Pinter's Moonlight as a Case Study in Reception
Authors: Derbyshire Harry
Published: July 2013

The first major posthumous London revival of a play by Harold Pinter was Moonlight at the Donmar Warehouse in April 2011. There was a striking difference between the critical reception of this production and the way the play had been greeted on its 1993 premiere, when Moonlight – then framed as Pinter's return after fifteen fallow years and a number of increasingly controversial political interventions – prompted an extremely mixed response. In 2011, by contrast, the critical community was more or less united. This progression can be seen to illustrate more than just the benefits of hindsight, and in this article Harry Derbyshire considers responses to Moonlight in 1993 and 2011 as a means of illuminating the range of competing interests that underlie the journalistic and academic infrastructure within which the merits of cultural products are assessed. He also considers the emotional investment commentators often have in the triumphs and reversals of those they follow on the public and cultural stage. Harry Derbyshire's doctorate, on ‘Harold Pinter: Production, Reception, Reputation 1984–1999’, is from King's College London, and he currently lectures in Drama and English at the University of Greenwich. Publications include articles on Roy Williams, on human rights and verbatim theatre, and on the Reminiscence Theatre Archive of Pam Schweitzer, recently acquired by Greenwich.
Assessing the Control-Theory
Authors: OHLIN JENS DAVID , VAN SLIEDREGT ELIES , WEIGEND THOMAS
Published: July 2013

As the first cases before the ICC proceed to the Appeals Chamber, the judges ought to critically evaluate the merits and demerits of the control-theory of perpetratorship and its related doctrines. The request for a possible recharacterization of the form of responsibility in the case ofKatangaand the recent acquittal of Ngudjolo can be taken as indications that the control-theory is problematic as a theory of liability. The authors, in a spirit of constructive criticism, invite the ICC Appeals Chamber to take this unique opportunity to reconsider or improve the control-theory as developed by the Pre-Trial Chambers in theLubangaandKatangacases.
Posttraumatic Reduction of Edema with Aquaporin-4 RNA Interference Improves Acute and Chronic Functional Recovery
Authors: Fukuda Andrew M , Adami Arash , Pop Viorela , Bellone John A , Coats Jacqueline S , Hartman Richard E , Ashwal Stephen , Obenaus Andre , Badaut Jerome
Published: July 2013

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is common in young children and adolescents and is associated with long-term disability and mortality. The neuropathologic sequelae that result from juvenile TBI are a complex cascade of events that include edema formation and brain swelling. Brain aquaporin-4 (AQP4) has a key role in edema formation. Thus, development of novel treatments targeting AQP4 to reduce edema could lessen the neuropathologic sequelae. We hypothesized that inhibiting AQP4 expression by injection of small-interfering RNA (siRNA) targeting AQP4 (siAQP4) after juvenile TBI would decrease edema formation, neuroinflammation, neuronal cell death, and improve neurologic outcomes. The siAQP4 or a RNA-induced silencing complex (RISC)-free control siRNA (siGLO) was injected lateral to the trauma site after controlled cortical impact in postnatal day 17 rats. Magnetic resonance imaging, neurologic testing, and immunohistochemistry were performed to assess outcomes. Pups treated with siAQP4 showed acute (3 days after injury) improvements in motor function and in spatial memory at long term (60 days after injury) compared with siGLO-treated animals. These improvements were associated with decreased edema formation, increased microglial activation, decreased blood–brain barrier disruption, reduced astrogliosis and neuronal cell death. The effectiveness of our treatment paradigm was associated with a 30% decrease in AQP4 expression at the injection site.
Effects of Xenon and Hypothermia on Cerebrovascular Pressure Reactivity in Newborn Global Hypoxic—ischemic Pig Model
Authors: Chakkarapani Elavazhagan , Dingley John , Aquilina Kristian , Osredkar Damjan , Liu Xun , Thoresen Marianne
Published: July 2013

Autoregulation of cerebral perfusion is impaired in hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy. We investigated whether cerebrovascular pressure reactivity (PRx), an element of cerebral autoregulation that is calculated as a moving correlation coefficient between averages of intracranial and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) with values between −1 and +1, is impaired during and after a hypoxic-ischemic insult (HI) in newborn pigs. Associations between end-tidal CO2, seizures, neuropathology, and PRx were investigated. The effect of hypothermia (HT) and Xenon (Xe) on PRx was studied. Pigs were randomized to Sham, and after HI to normothermia (NT), HT, Xe or xenon hypothermia (XeHT). We defined PRx >0.2 as peak and negative PRx as preserved. Neuropathology scores after 72 hours of survival was grouped as ‘severe’ or ‘mild.’ Secondary PRx peak during recovery, predictive of severe neuropathology and associated with insult severity ( P = 0.05), was delayed in HT (11.5 hours) than in NT (6.5 hours) groups. Seizures were associated with impaired PRx in NT pigs ( P = 0.0002), but not in the HT/XeHT pigs. PRx was preserved during normocapnia and impaired during hypocapnia. Xenon abolished the secondary PRx peak, increased (mean (95% confidence interval (CI)) MABP (6.5 (3.8, 9.4) mm Hg) and cerebral perfusion pressure (5.9 (2.9, 8.9) mm Hg) and preserved the PRx (regression coefficient, −0.098 (95% CI (−0.18, −0.01)), independent of the insult severity.
AMGET, an R‐Based Postprocessing Tool for ADAPT 5
Authors: Guiastrennec B , Wollenberg L , Forrest A , Ait‐Oudhia S
Published: July 2013

ADAPT 5 is a powerful modeling software for population pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic systems analysis, but provides limited built‐in functionality for creating pre‐ and post‐analysis diagnostic plots. ADAPT 5 Model Evaluation Graphical Toolkit (AMGET), an external package written in the open source R programming language, was developed specifically to support efficient postprocessing of ADAPT 5 runs, as well as NONMEM and S‐ADAPT runs. Using interactive navigational menus, users of AMGET are able to rapidly create informative diagnostic plots enriched by the display of numerical and graphical elements with a high degree of customization using a simple settings spreadsheet. This article describes each feature of the AMGET package and illustrates how it allows users to utilize the powerful numerical routines of the ADAPT 5 package in a more efficient manner through the use of a simulated dataset and a simple pharmacokinetic model optimized using the maximum likelihood expectation maximization (MLEM) algorithm of ADAPT 5.

CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology (2013) 2, e61; doi:10.1038/psp.2013.36; published online 31 July 2013
Brain–computer interfaces increase whole-brain signal to noise
Authors: Papageorgiou T. Dorina , Lisinski Jonathan M. , McHenry Monica A. , White Jason P. , LaConte Stephen M.
Published: July 2013

Brain–computer interfaces (BCIs) can convert mental states into signals to drive real-world devices, but it is not known if a given covert task is the same when performed with and without BCI-based control. Using a BCI likely involves additional cognitive processes, such as multitasking, attention, and conflict monitoring. In addition, it is challenging to measure the quality of covert task performance. We used whole-brain classifier-based real-time functional MRI to address these issues, because the method provides both classifier-based maps to examine the neural requirements of BCI and classification accuracy to quantify the quality of task performance. Subjects performed a covert counting task at fast and slow rates to control a visual interface. Compared with the same task when viewing but not controlling the interface, we observed that being in control of a BCI improved task classification of fast and slow counting states. Additional BCI control increased subjects’ whole-brain signal-to-noise ratio compared with the absence of control. The neural pattern for control consisted of a positive network comprised of dorsal parietal and frontal regions and the anterior insula of the right hemisphere as well as an expansive negative network of regions. These findings suggest that real-time functional MRI can serve as a platform for exploring information processing and frontoparietal and insula network-based regulation of whole-brain task signal-to-noise ratio.
Conformations of intrinsically disordered proteins are influenced by linear sequence distributions of oppositely charged residues
Authors: Das Rahul K. , Pappu Rohit V.
Published: July 2013

The functions of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) are governed by relationships between information encoded in their amino acid sequences and the ensembles of conformations that they sample as autonomous units. Most IDPs are polyampholytes, with sequences that include both positively and negatively charged residues. Accordingly, we focus here on the sequence–ensemble relationships of polyampholytic IDPs. The fraction of charged residues discriminates between weak and strong polyampholytes. Using atomistic simulations, we show that weak polyampholytes form globules, whereas the conformational preferences of strong polyampholytes are determined by a combination of fraction of charged residues values and the linear sequence distributions of oppositely charged residues. We quantify the latter using a patterning parameter
κ
that lies between zero and one. The value of
κ
is low for well-mixed sequences, and in these sequences, intrachain electrostatic repulsions and attractions are counterbalanced, leading to the unmasking of preferences for conformations that resemble either self-avoiding random walks or generic Flory random coils. Segregation of oppositely charged residues within linear sequences leads to high
κ
-values and preferences for hairpin-like conformations caused by long-range electrostatic attractions induced by conformational fluctuations. We propose a scaling theory to explain the sequence-encoded conformational properties of strong polyampholytes. We show that naturally occurring strong polyampholytes have low
κ
-values, and this feature implies a selection for random coil ensembles. The design of sequences with different
κ
-values demonstrably alters the conformational preferences of polyampholytic IDPs, and this ability could become a useful tool for enabling direct inquiries into connections between sequence–ensemble relationships and functions of IDPs.
BRCA1promotes the ubiquitination of PCNA and recruitment of translesion polymerases in response to replication blockade
Authors: Tian Fen , Sharma Shilpy , Zou Jianqiu , Lin Shiaw-Yih , Wang Bin , Rezvani Khosrow , Wang Hongmin , Parvin Jeffrey D. , Ludwig Thomas , Canman Christine E. , Zhang Dong
Published: July 2013

Breast cancer gene 1 (BRCA1) deficient cells not only are hypersensitive to double-strand breaks but also are hypersensitive to UV irradiation and other agents that cause replication blockade; however, the molecular mechanisms behind these latter sensitivities are largely unknown. Here, we report that BRCA1 promotes cell survival by directly regulating the DNA damage tolerance pathway in response to agents that create cross-links in DNA. We show that BRCA1 not only promotes efficient mono- and polyubiquitination of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) by regulating the recruitment of replication protein A, Rad18, and helicase-like transcription factor to chromatin but also directly recruits translesion polymerases, such as Polymerase eta and Rev1, to the lesions through protein–protein interactions. Our data suggest that BRCA1 plays a critical role in promoting translesion DNA synthesis as well as DNA template switching.
Issues in Understanding the Impact of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act on Hospital Sharps Injuries
Authors: Phillips Elayne Kornblatt , Conaway Mark , Parker Ginger , Perry Jane , Jagger Janine
Published: July 2013

Objective.

Measuring the effect of the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act (NSPA) is challenging. No agreement exists on a common denominator for calculating injury rates. Does it make a difference? How are the law and safety-engineered devices related? What is the effect on injuries and costs? This study examines those issues in assessing the impact of the legislation on hospital worker percutaneous injuries.

Methods.

Using a historic prospective design, we analyzed injury data from 85 hospitals. Injury rates were calculated per 100 full-time equivalents, 100 staffed beds, and 100 admissions each year from 1995 to 2005. We compared changes for each denominator. We measured the proportion of the injury rate attributed to safety-engineered devices. Finally, we estimated a national change in injuries and associated costs.

Results.

For all denominators, a precipitous drop in injury rates of greater than one-third (P<.001) occurred in 2001, immediately following the legislation. The decrease was sustained through 2005. Concomitant with the decrease in rates, the proportion of injuries from safety-engineered devices nearly tripled (P <.001) across all denominators. We estimated annual reductions of more than 100,000 sharps injuries at a cost savings of $69-$415 million.

Conclusions.

While the data cannot demonstrate cause and effect, the evidence suggests a reduction in hospital worker injury rates related to the NSPA, regardless of denominator. It also suggests an association between the increase in safety-engineered devices and the reduction in overall injury rates. The decreases observed translate into significant reductions in injuries and associated costs.
Predicting the Effects of Sugar‐Sweetened Beverage Taxes on Food and Beverage Demand in a Large Demand System
Authors: Zhen Chen , Finkelstein Eric A. , Nonnemaker James M. , Karns Shawn A. , Todd Jessica E.
Published: July 2013

A censored Exact Affine Stone Index incomplete demand system is estimated for 23 packaged foods and beverages and a numéraire good. Instrumental variables are used to control for endogenous prices. A half‐cent per ounce increase in sugar‐sweetened beverage prices is predicted to reduce total calories from the 23 foods and beverages but increase sodium and fat intakes as a result of product substitution. The predicted decline in calories is larger for low‐income households than for high‐income households, although welfare loss is also higher for low‐income households. Neglecting price endogeneity or estimating a conditional demand model significantly overestimates the calorie reduction.
The Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation outperforms the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease equation for estimating glomerular filtration rate in chronic systolic heart failure
Authors: Valente Mattia A.E. , Hillege Hans L. , Navis Gerjan , Voors Adriaan A. , Dunselman Peter H.J.M. , van Veldhuisen Dirk J. , Damman Kevin
Published: July 2013

Aims

The Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD‐EPI) formula estimates glomerular filtration rate (GFR) better than the simplified Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (sMDRD) formula in numerous populations. It has not previously been validated in heart failure patients.

Methods and results

The GFR was measured in 120 patients with chronic systolic heart failure (CHF) using [125I]iothalamate clearance (GFRIOTH) and estimated using the sMDRD and CKD‐EPI equations. Accuracy, bias, and prognostic performance were compared. Cockcroft–Gault, CKD‐EPI serum cystatin C, and CKD‐EPI creatinine–serum cystatin C equations were compared in secondary analyses. Mean age was 59 ± 12 years, 80% were male. Mean LVEF was 29 ± 10%. Mean GFRIOTH was 74 ± 27 mL/min/1.73 m2, and mean estimated GFR was 66 ± 23 mL/min/1.73 m2 (CKD‐EPI) and 63 ± 21 mL/min/1.73m2 (sMDRD). CKD‐EPI showed less bias than sMDRD (–8 ± 15 vs. –11 ± 16 mL/min/1.73 m2, P < 0.001). Both equations underestimate at higher and overestimate at lower GFRIOTH. Eleven patients (9%) were accurately reclassified into lower CKD classes with CKD‐EPI. Cockcroft–Gault showed lower bias (–3 ± 16 mL/min/1.73 m2) but worse precision and accuracy. Cystatin C‐based estimation showed the lowest bias (–3 ± 14 mL/min/1.73 m2) and the best precision and accuracy. Prognostic value did not differ between all GFR estimates

Conclusion

The CKD‐EPI equation more accurately estimates measured GFR than the sMDRD equation in CHF patients, with less bias and greater accuracy and precision. The prognostic power of all GFR assessments was equivalent. Based on better performance and equal risk prediction, we believe the CKI‐EPI equation should be the preferred creatinine‐based GFR estimation method in heart failure patients, particularly those with preserved or moderately impaired renal function.
PAF104, a Synthetic Peptide to Control Rice Blast Disease by Blocking Appressorium Formation in Magnaporthe oryzae
Authors: Rebollar Aarón , López-García Belén
Published: July 2013

Magnaporthe oryzae is the most devastating pathogen of rice and the main cause of crop losses worldwide. The successful management of blast disease caused by this fungus is a clear necessity. The synthetic peptide PAF104 has been characterized by its inhibition of M. oryzae appressorium formation on hydrophobic surfaces. Growth and the ability of conidia to germinate was not affected by PAF104, indicating the lack of toxicity on fungal conidia. The addition of the cutin monomer 1,16-hexadecanediol does not interfere with the inhibitory effect of PAF104 on in vitro hydrophobic surfaces. On the other hand, inhibition of appressorium formation by PAF104 was nullified by the exogenous addition of cAMP. Our results suggest that PAF104 affects the Pmk1 pathway by repression of the gene expression of MoMSB2, which encodes a sensing surface protein, and the mitogen-activated protein/extracellular signal-regulated kinase kinase kinase MST11. The pathogenicity of M. oryzae was reduced after PAF104 treatment specifically blocking appressorium formation. Our results support PAF104 as a promising compound to control rice blast disease by blocking a specific target related to appressorium formation, a process essential for infection of rice leaves. Moreover, PAF104 is proposed as a lead compound to develop novel specific fungicides with improved properties.
First Report of Botrytis cinerea Causing Fruit Rot of Pyrus sinkiangensis in China
Authors: Zhang M. , Wu H. Y. , Wang X. J. , Sun B.
Published: July 2013

Fragrant pear, Pyrus sinkiangensis Yu, is widely cultured in northern China, and is typically sweeter and of higher economic value than other pears. (2,3). In early October 2012, a fruit rot affecting approximately 30% of 300 kg of P. sinkiangersis produced in Korla orchards of Xinjiang was observed in a market of Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China. Early symptoms appeared as small, round, pale yellow-brown lesions on the fruit, which expanded from 10 to 20 mm diameter in 7 days. Later, affected fruit completely rotted and were covered with grey-white mycelium after 20 days. On the surface of mycelium, branched, septate conidiophores (2.0 mm tall and 13 to 15 μm thick) were produced. These were melanized at the base and hyaline near the apex. Conidia were hyaline, aseptate, ellipsoidal to obovoid, with a slightly protuberant hilum and ranged from 7 to 13.5 × 5.5 to 8.5 μm. One isolate of the pathogen (zm120286) was made by dispersing conidia on the potato dextrose agar (PDA) medium, directly removed from the sporulating tissue with thin needle. The colony was gray to white and produced blackish sclerotia at the edge of the colonies, which was 3.0 to 4.0 × 2.0 to 3.0 mm after 2 weeks of incubation at 22°C. The pathogen was identified as Botrytis cinerea Pers.:Fr on the basis of the morphology and ITS sequencing of rDNA (1,4). The sequence (GenBank Accession No. KF010847) was 100% identical to the sequences of two Botryotinia fuckeliana (anamorph: Botrytis cinerea) (e.g., GenBank Accession Nos. KC683713, HM849615). Koch's postulates were performed by placing a 5 mm diameter mycelia plug removed from the periphery of a 7-day-old colony of zm120286 on 10 surface-sterilized fresh fragrant pears collected from Korla orchards. An equal number of fresh fragrant pears were inoculated with 5 mm diameter plugs of PDA medium to serve as controls. All fragrant pears were incubated in clear plastic boxes with a dish of sterile distilled water at 25°C under ambient light. Symptoms identical to those described in the outbreak above were observed after 3 days. From each of the symptomatic pears, B. cinerea was recovered, whereas controls remained symptom-free. To our knowledge, this is the first outbreak of B. cinerea on P. sinkiangersis in China, which may necessitate the development of pre-harvest management practices.

References: (1) M. B. Ellis. Dematiaceous Hyphomycetes. Commonwealth Mycological Institute, Kew, England, 1971. (2) X.W. Li et al. Chinese Agricultural Science Bulletin, 26(15):100-102, 2010. (3) T. Yu and K. Kuan. Acta Phytotaxon. Sin. 8: 202, 1963. (4) Z. Y. Zhang. Flora Fungorum Sinicorum. Vol. 26. Botrytis, Ramularia. Science Press, Beijing, 2006.
Population Structure and Pathotype Diversity of the Wheat Blast Pathogen Magnaporthe oryzae 25 Years After Its Emergence in Brazil
Authors: Maciel João L. Nunes , Ceresini Paulo C. , Castroagudin Vanina L. , Zala Marcelo , Kema Gerrit H. J. , McDonald Bruce A.
Published: July 2013

Since its first report in Brazil in 1985, wheat blast, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae (anamorph: Pyricularia oryzae), has become increasingly important in South America, where the disease is still spreading. We used 11 microsatellite loci to elucidate the population structure of the wheat blast pathogen in wheat fields in central-western, southeastern, and southern Brazil. No subdivision was found among the wheat-infecting populations, consistent with high levels of gene flow across a large spatial scale. Although the clonal fraction was relatively high and the two mating type idiomorphs (MAT1-1 and MAT1-2) were not at similar frequencies, the clone-corrected populations from Distrito Federal and Goiás, Minas Triangle, and São Paulo were in gametic equilibrium. Based on these findings, we propose that populations of the wheat blast pathogen exhibit a mixed reproductive system in which sexual reproduction is followed by the local dispersal of clones. Seedling virulence assays with local wheat cultivars differentiated 14 pathotypes in the current population. Detached head virulence assays differentiated eight virulence groups on the same wheat cultivars. There was no correlation between seedling and head reactions.
Perioperative Outcomes of Major Noncardiac Surgery in Adults with Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Maxwell Bryan G. , Wong Jim K. , Kin Cindy , Lobato Robert L.
Published: July 2013

Background:

An increasing number of patients with congenital heart disease are surviving to adulthood. Consensus guidelines and expert opinion suggest that noncardiac surgery is a high-risk event, but few data describe perioperative outcomes in this population.

Methods:

By using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database (years 2002 through 2009), the authors compared patients with adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) who underwent noncardiac surgery with a non-ACHD comparison cohort matched on age, sex, race, year, elective or urgent or emergency procedure, van Walraven comborbidity score, and primary procedure code. Mortality and morbidity were compared between the two cohorts.

Results:

A study cohort consisting of 10,004 ACHD patients was compared with a matched comparison cohort of 37,581 patients. Inpatient mortality was greater in the ACHD cohort (407 of 10,004 [4.1%] vs. 1,355 of 37,581 [3.6%]; unadjusted odds ratio, 1.13; P = 0.031; adjusted odds ratio, 1.29; P < 0.001). The composite endpoint of perioperative morbidity was also more commonly observed in the ACHD cohort (2,145 of 10.004 [21.4%] vs. 6,003 of 37,581 [16.0%]; odds ratio, 1.44; P < 0.001). ACHD patients comprised an increasing proportion of all noncardiac surgical admissions over the study period (P value for trend is <0.001), and noncardiac surgery represented an increasing proportion of all ACHD admissions (P value for trend is <0.001).

Conclusions:

Compared with a matched control cohort, ACHD patients undergoing noncardiac surgery experienced increased perioperative morbidity and mortality. Within the limitations of a retrospective analysis of a large administrative dataset, this finding demonstrates that this is a vulnerable population and suggests that better efforts are needed to understand and improve the perioperative care they receive.
Brochosomes protect leafhoppers (Insecta, Hemiptera, Cicadellidae) from sticky exudates
Authors: Rakitov Roman , Gorb Stanislav N.
Published: July 2013

Leafhoppers (Insecta, Hemiptera, Cicadellidae) actively coat their integuments with buckyball-shaped submicron proteinaceous secretory particles, called brochosomes. Here, we demonstrate that brochosomal coats, recently shown to be superhydrophobic, act as non-stick coatings and protect leafhoppers from contamination with their own sticky exudates—filtered plant sap. We exposed 137 wings ofAlnetoidia alneti(Dahlbom), from half of which brochosomes were removed, to the rain of exudates under a colony of liveA. alneti. One hundred and fifty-two droplets became stuck to the bared wings and only three to the intact wings. Inspection of the wings with a scanning electron microscope confirmed that the droplets that had hit the intact wings had rolled or bounced off the brochosomal coats. This is the first experimental study that tested a biological function of the brochosomal coats of leafhopper integuments. We argue that the production of brochosomes in leafhoppers and production of epidermal wax blooms in other sap-sucking hemipterans are alternative solutions, both serving to protect these insects from entrapment by their exudates.
Mechanisms of self-organization for the collagen fibril lattice in the human cornea
Authors: Cheng Xi , Pinsky Peter M.
Published: July 2013

The transparency of the human cornea depends on the regular lattice arrangement of the collagen fibrils and on the maintenance of an optimal hydration—the achievement of both depends on the presence of stromal proteoglycans (PGs) and their linear sidechains of negatively charged glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). Although the GAGs produce osmotic pressure by the Donnan effect, the means by which they exert positional control of the lattice is less clear. In this study, a theoretical model based on equilibrium thermodynamics is used to describe restoring force mechanisms that may control and maintain the fibril lattice and underlie corneal transparency. Electrostatic-based restoring forces that result from local charge density changes induced by fibril motion, and entropic elastic restoring forces that arise from duplexed GAG structures that bridge neighbouring fibrils, are described. The model allows for the possibility that fibrils have a GAG-dense coating that adds an additional fibril force mechanism preventing fibril aggregation. Swelling pressure predictions are used to validate the model with results showing excellent agreement with experimental data over a range of hydration from 30 to 200% of normal. The model suggests that the electrostatic restoring force is dominant, with the entropic forces from GAG duplexes being an order or more smaller. The effect of a random GAG organization, as observed in recent imaging, is considered in a dynamic model of the lattice that incorporates randomness in both the spatial distribution of GAG charge and the topology of the GAG duplexes. A striking result is that the electrostatic restoring forces alone are able to reproduce the image-based lattice distribution function for the human cornea, and thus dynamically maintain the short-range order of the lattice.