bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Qualitative and quantitative characterization of the arsenic‐binding behaviour of sulfur‐containing peptides and proteins by the coupling of reversed phase liquid chromatography to electrospray ionization mass spectrometry
Authors: Schmidt Anne‐Christine , Mickein Kathleen
Published: August 2012

Phenylarsenic‐substituted cysteine‐containing peptides and proteins were completely differentiated from their unbound original forms by the coupling of reversed phase liquid chromatography with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. The analysis of biomolecules possessing structure‐stabilizing disulfide bridges after reduction provides new insights into requirements concerning the accessibility of cysteine residues for reducing agents as well as for arsenic compounds in a spatial protein structure. Complementary binding studies performed using direct ESI‐MS without chromatographic coupling in different solvent systems demonstrated that more than one binding site were activated for aprotinin and lysozyme in denaturing solvents because of a stronger defolding. From the intensities of the different charge states occurring in the mass spectra as well as from the LC elution behaviour, it can be deduced that the folding state of the arsenic‐bound protein species resembles the native, oxidized conformation. In contrast, although the milk protein α‐lactalbumin has several disulfide bridges, only one phenylarsenic moiety was bound under strongly denaturing conditions. Because of the charge state distribution in the ESI mass spectra, a conformational change to a molten globule structure is assumed. For the second considered milk protein ß‐lactoglobulin, a noncovalent interaction with phenylarsine oxide was detected.

In general, smaller apparent binding constants for the condensation reactions of the biomolecules with phenylarsine oxide leading to covalent arsenic–sulfur bindings were determined from direct injection ESI‐MS measurements than from LC‐ESI‐MS coupling. The following order of binding affinities for one phenylarsenic group can be assumed from both ESI‐MS and LC‐ESI‐MS: nonapeptide vasopressin > nonapeptide vasotocin > lysozyme > aprotinin > α‐lactalbumin > thioredoxin. Kinetic investigations by LC‐ESI‐MS yielded a partial reaction order of 2 for vasopressin, Lys and α‐lactalbumin and corresponding half‐lives of 0.93, 2.56 and 123.5 min, respectively. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Alkylated phenol series in lacustrine black shales from the Nördlinger Ries, southern Germany
Authors: Barakat Assem O. , Baumgart Susan , Brocks Peter , Scholz‐Böttcher Barbara M. , Rullkötter Jürgen
Published: August 2012

Several series of alkylated phenols were detected for the first time in the extractable bitumens of organic matter‐rich sediments from the Nördlinger Ries (southern Germany). Most abundant and significant constituents comprise those with n‐octadecyl, n‐eicosanyl, phytanyl, and iso‐pentadecyl and anteiso‐pentadecyl substituents. The structures of these compounds are suggested from mass spectrometric and retention time data and coinjection with synthetic standards. Diagenetic alteration of phenolic algal lipids is suggested as a possible way to the formation of these compounds in the Nördlinger Ries sediments. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The effects of dexamethasone on human patellar tendon stem cells: Implications for dexamethasone treatment of tendon injury
Authors: Zhang Jianying , Keenan Camille , Wang James H‐C.
Published: August 2012

Injection of Dexamethasone (Dex) is commonly used in clinics to treat tendon injury such as tendinopathy because of its anti‐inflammatory capabilities. However, serious adverse effects have been reported as a result of Dex treatment, such as impaired tendon healing and tendon rupture. Using both in vitro and in vivo approaches, this study was to determine the effects of Dex treatment on the proliferation and differentiation of human tendon stem cells (hTSCs), which can directly impact tendon healing. We found that Dex treatment stimulated cell proliferation at lower concentrations (<1,000 nM), whereas a high concentration (1,000 nM) decreased cell proliferation. Moreover, at all concentrations used (5, 10, 100, and 1,000 nM), Dex treatment induced non‐tenocyte differentiation of hTSCs, as evidenced by a change in cell shape, a nearly complete suppression of collagen type I expression, and an upregulation of non‐tenocyte related genes (PPARγ and Sox‐9), which was especially evident when higher concentrations (>10 nM) of Dex were used. Implantation of Dex‐treated hTSCs for a short time (3 weeks) resulted in the extensive formation of fatty tissues, cartilage‐like tissues, and bony tissues. These findings suggest that Dex treatment in clinics may cause a paradoxical effect on the injured tendons it is supposed to treat: by inducing non‐tenocyte differentiation of hTSCs, Dex treatment depletes the stem cell pool and leads to the formation of non‐tendinous tissues (e.g., fatty and cartilage‐like tissues), which make tendon susceptible to rupture. © 2012 Orthopaedic Research Society. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Orthop Res 31:105–110, 2012
Permanent Polymer Coating for in vivo MRI Visualization of Tissue Reinforcement Prostheses
Authors: Guillaume Olivier , Blanquer Sébastien , Letouzey Vincent , Cornille Arnaud , Huberlant Stephanie , Lemaire Laurent , Franconi Florence , de Tayrac Renaud , Coudane Jean , Garric Xavier
Published: August 2012

The clinical advantage of MRI visualization of prostheses in soft tissue prolapses is very appealing as over 1 000 000 MRI‐transparent synthetic meshes are implanted annually, and postoperative complications such as mesh shrinkage and migration are frequent. Here, the synthesis of a new material composed of a DTPA‐Gd complex grafted onto a backbone of PMA via a covalent bond is described (DTPA‐Gd‐PMA). This new polymer is sprayed onto meshes and gives an MR signal for a long period without any significant release of Gd. In vitro cytocompatibility tests on fibroblasts show limited cytotoxicity. Microscopic investigations indicate that vital cells rapidly colonize the material. Finally, coated meshes implanted in rats are easily recognizable using an MR imaging system.

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Clinical correlates of charcot–marie–tooth disease in patients with pes cavus deformities
Authors: Karakis Ioannis , Gregas Matt , Darras Basil T. , Kang Peter B. , Royden Jones H.
Published: August 2012

Introduction: Given its association with Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease (CMT), pes cavus is a common reason for referral to a neurologist. We investigated clinical features that may predict CMT in children with pes cavus. Methods: In this study we retrospectively reviewed pes cavus patients referred to Boston Children's Hospital in the past 20 years. Patients were categorized as idiopathic or CMT, based on EMG/genetic testing, and their clinical features were compared. Results: Of the 70 patients studied, 33 had idiopathic pes cavus, and 37 had genetically confirmed CMT. Symptoms of weakness, unsteady gait, family history of pes cavus and CMT, and signs of sensory deficits, distal atrophy and weakness, absent ankle jerks, and gait abnormalities were associated with CMT. Conclusions: In children with pes cavus, certain clinical features can predict CMT and assist in selection of patients for further, potentially uncomfortable (EMG) and expensive (genetic) confirmatory investigations. Muscle Nerve, 2013
CVD diamond film deposited on copper substrate enhanced by a thin platinum modification layer
Authors: Liu Xuezhang , Wei Qiuping , Yu Zhiming , Yin Dengfeng
Published: August 2012

By coating a platinum layer of about 40 nm thickness to a copper substrate seeded with ultradispersed nanodiamond particles (UDDs), faceted diamond with high density was detected. It presents a novel nucleation mechanism – carbon in UDDs was dissolved in platinum and was transferred through the platinum interlayer, followed the formation of sp3‐bonded diamond clusters at the platinum surface, which was distinguished from UDDs without platinum modification layer. The diamond film was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) with energy‐dispersive X‐rays, and laser Raman spectroscopy, respectively. After 4 h diamond growth, diamond film developed into two different layers: one nanocrystalline and one microcrystalline. Such a composite structure was attributed to the platinum layer that modified the interface properties of diamond nuclei and copper substrate at high temperature.
Optoelectronic and low temperature thermoelectric effects in the OVC n‐CuIn3Se5 thin films
Authors: Jacob R. , Geethu R. , Shripathi T. , Okram G. S. , Ganesan V. , Pradeep B. , Urmila K. S. , Philip R. R.
Published: August 2012

Optoelectronic properties and low temperature thermoelectric effects were studied on polycrystalline thin films of ternary chalcopyrite ordered vacancy compound (OVC) n‐CuIn3Se5. The thin films prepared by three source vacuum co‐evaporation method were preliminarily characterized structurally, morphologically, and compositionally by X‐ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Optical and optoelectronic measurements were done to obtain the band gap, carrier concentration, and photosensitivity of the materials. Thermopower dependence on temperature exhibited a non‐degenerate semiconductivity, establishing Boltzmann statistics relation between carrier density and Fermi level in the films. While ionized impurity scattering has been detected near room temperature, an enhanced negative thermopower due to contribution from phonon drag has been noticed toward lower temperature in the films. Thermopower together with Hall coefficient and conductivity measurements permitted the correlation of density of states, carrier concentration, drift velocity, and the effective mass of the carriers with the conductivity of the films.
Influence of dissolved ions on determination of oxygen isotope composition of aqueous solutions using the CO2‐H2O equilibration method
Authors: Kim Sang‐Tae , Park Seong‐Sook , Yun Seong‐Taek
Published: August 2012

RATIONALE

Stable isotope compositions of natural waters, such as seawater, glaciers and basinal brines, can provide valuable information about Earth's hydrological cycle and its evolutionary history. However, a high concentration of dissolved ions in some natural waters hinders an accurate analysis of their oxygen isotope composition. A laboratory study was carried out in order to provide guidelines on how to resolve this analytical difficulty.

METHODS

CO2 gas was equilibrated with saline aqueous solutions of various chemical compositions at 25 °C. Subsequently, the oxygen isotope composition of the CO2 was determined at different equilibration times using a dual‐inlet isotope ratio mass spectrometer in order to evaluate the oxygen isotope salt effect and the rate of oxygen isotope exchange between CO2 and the saline solution.

RESULTS

Using the experimentally determined oxygen isotope salt effects of aqueous chloride and sulfate solutions, an empirical method for the prediction of the oxygen isotope salt effect of a 1.0 molal chloride or sulfate solution was proposed. The rates of oxygen isotope exchange between CO2 and saline solutions were also examined. Our experimental data indicates that the sequence of the oxygen isotope exchange time is as: MgSO4 > CaCl2 ≈ Na2SO4 > NaCl > MgCl2 > KCl > H2O.

CONCLUSIONS

The isotope salt effect and the kinetics of isotope exchange must be taken into account when the oxygen isotope composition of a saline aqueous solution is determined using the CO2‐H2O equilibration method. Our experimental data and the proposed prediction method provide essential guidelines for the accurate δ18O analysis of saline aqueous solutions. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Students' reasoning and decision making about a socioscientific issue: A cross‐context comparison
Authors: Lee Yeung Chung , Grace Marcus
Published: August 2012

It has been argued that decision making about socioscientific issue (SSIs) necessitates informal reasoning, which involves multiperspective thinking and moral judgment. This study extends the scope of the literature concerning students' reasoning on SSIs to a cross‐contextual study by comparing decisions made on avian flu by 12–13‐year‐old Chinese students in two different contextual settings using a prescribed decision‐making framework. The findings reveal differences between students in the two settings with respect to their reasoning perspectives, evidence perceived to be useful to gather, decision‐making criteria, and postactivity decisions. When coupled with cross‐contextual exchange, the prescribed decision‐making framework was found to have an impact on both multiperspective reasoning and metacognitive reflection on the multifaceted nature of decision making. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed 96:787–807, 2012
Preparation of MoS2‐Polyvinylpyrrolidone Nanocomposites for Flexible Nonvolatile Rewritable Memory Devices with Reduced Graphene Oxide Electrodes
Authors: Liu Juqing , Zeng Zhiyuan , Cao Xiehong , Lu Gang , Wang Lian‐Hui , Fan Qu‐Li , Huang Wei , Zhang Hua
Published: August 2012

A facile method for exfoliation and dispersion of molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) with the aid of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) is proposed. The resultant PVP‐coated MoS2 nanosheets, i.e., MoS2‐PVP nanocomposites, are well dispersed in the low‐boiling ethanol solvent, facilitating their thin film preparation and the device fabrication by solution processing technique. As a proof of concept, a flexible memory diode with the configuration of reduced graphene oxide (rGO)/MoS2‐PVP/Al exhibited a typical bistable electrical switching and nonvolatile rewritable memory effect with the function of flash. These experimental results prove that the electrical transition is due to the charge trapping and detrapping behavior of MoS2 in the PVP dielectric material. This study paves a way of employing two‐dimensional nanomaterials as both functional materials and conducting electrodes for the future flexible data storage.
Silicon Nanocrystal OLEDs: Effect of Organic Capping Group on Performance
Authors: Mastronardi Melanie L. , Henderson Eric J. , Puzzo Daniel P. , Chang Yilu , Wang Zhi Bin , Helander Michael G. , Jeong Junho , Kherani Nazir P. , Lu Zhenghong , Ozin Geoffrey A.
Published: August 2012

The synthesis of highly luminescent, colloidally‐stable and organically‐capped silicon nanocrystals (ncSi) and their incorporation into a visible wavelength organic light‐emitting diode (OLED) is reported. By substituting decyl chains with aromatic allylbenzene capping ligands and size‐selecting visible emitting ncSi, superior packing density, enhanced charge transport, and an improved photoluminescence absolute quantum yield of the ncSi is obtained in the active layer of an OLED.
Fluorine‐Free Mould Powders for Slab Casting: Crystallization Control in the CaO–SiO2–TiO2–Na2O–Al2O3 System
Authors: Klug Jeferson L. , Hagemann René , Heck Nestor C. , Vilela Antônio C. F. , Heller Hans P. , Scheller Piotr R.
Published: August 2012

The main problem related to the development of fluorine‐free mould powders for slab casting is effectively controlling the heat transfer between the steel shell and mould. In commercial mould powders crystallization of cuspidine (Ca4Si2O7F2) from mould slag has a great effect on heat‐transfer control. In industrial process the crystallization rate for a fluorine‐free mould slag should be similar to the crystallization rate of cuspidine. To evaluate the crystallization rate for slags time‐temperature‐transformation (TTT) diagrams can be constructed using the Single Hot Thermocouple Technique by in situ observation. In the present work, fundamental information related to crystallization control in the CaO–SiO2–TiO2–Na2O–Al2O3 system was obtained. It was observed that the addition of Na2O in CaO–SiO2–TiO2 slags dramatically shortens the crystals' incubation times in TTT diagrams to the range of seconds. It is possible to control the crystallization kinetics in CaO–SiO2–TiO2 slags by changing the Na2O content. Some observations for the crystals' morphology are reported.
Mining social media: key players, sentiments, and communities
Authors: Atzmueller Martin
Published: August 2012

Social media is the key component of social networks and organizational social applications. The emergence of new systems and services has created a number of novel social and ubiquitous environments for mining information, data, and, finally, knowledge. This connects but also transcends private and business applications featuring a range of different types of networks and organizational contexts. Important structures concern subgroups emerging in those applications as communities (connecting people), roles and key actors in the networks and communities, and opinions, beliefs, and sentiments of the set of actors. Collective intelligence can then be considered as an emerging phenomenon of the different interactions. This focus article considers mining approaches concerning social media in social networks and organizations and the analysis of such data. We first summarize important terms and concepts. Next, we describe and discuss key actor identification and characterization, sentiment mining and analysis, and community mining. In the sequel we consider different application areas and briefly discuss two exemplary ubiquitous and social applications—the social conference guidance system Conferator, and the MyGroup system for supporting working groups. Furthermore, we describe the VIKAMINE system for mining communities and subgroups in social media in the sketched application domains. Finally, we conclude with a discussion and outlook. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

This article is categorized under:

Algorithmic Development > Web Mining

Fundamental Concepts of Data and Knowledge > Data Concepts

Technologies > Structure Discovery and Clustering
Coupling of P2Y receptors to G proteins and other signaling pathways
Authors: Erb Laurie , Weisman Gary A.
Published: August 2012

P2Y receptors are G protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs) that are activated by adenine and uridine nucleotides and nucleotide sugars. There are eight subtypes of P2Y receptors (P2Y1, P2Y2, P2Y4, P2Y6, P2Y11, P2Y12, P2Y13, and P2Y14), which activate intracellular signaling cascades to regulate a variety of cellular processes, including proliferation, differentiation, phagocytosis, secretion, nociception, cell adhesion, and cell migration. These signaling cascades operate mainly by the sequential activation or deactivation of heterotrimeric and monomeric G proteins, phospholipases, adenylyl and guanylyl cyclases, protein kinases, and phosphodiesterases. In addition, there are numerous ion channels, cell adhesion molecules, and receptor tyrosine kinases that are modulated by P2Y receptors and operate to transmit an extracellular signal to an intracellular response. WIREs Membr Transp Signal 2012, 1:789–803. doi: 10.1002/wmts.62

For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Bromine Monofluoride
Authors: Drews Thomas , Seppelt Konrad
Published: August 2012

BrF can be prepared by reaction of Br2 and F2 in various solvents below –100 °C. In solution it is identified by 19F NMR and Raman spectroscopy. From CH3Cl solution a single crystal structure determination of a BrF/CH3Cl adduct was obtained. The preparation from BrF3 and Br2 at 600 °C also delivers BrF in small amounts. The crystal structure of BrCl comes in an ordered and a disordered variety. The ordered structure is made of Br–Cl···Br–Cl chains. Computations suggest that neat BrF crystallizes in a dipol‐dipole type polymeric structure rather than a halogen bonded one as in ClF. A possible intermediate along the decomposition pathway into BrF3 and Br2 is Br–BrF2.
Normobaric Hyperoxia Does Not Change Optical Scattering or Pathlength but Does Increase Oxidised Cytochrome c Oxidase Concentration in Patients with Brain Injury
Authors: Ghosh Arnab , Tachtsidis Ilias , Kolyva Christina , Highton David , Elwell Clare , Smith Martin
Published: August 2012

We report the use of a novel hybrid near-infrared spectrometer for the measurement of optical scattering, pathlength and chromophore concentration in critically ill patients with brain injury. Ten mechanically ventilated patients with acute brain injury were studied. In addition to standard neurointensive care monitoring, middle cerebral artery flow velocity, brain lactate–pyruvate ratio (LPR) and brain tissue oxygen tension were monitored. The patients were subjected to graded normobaric hyperoxia (NBH), with the inspired fraction of oxygen increased from baseline to 60% then 100%. NBH induced significant changes in the concentrations of oxyhaemoglobin, deoxyhaemoglobin and oxidised–reduced cytochrome c oxidase; these were accompanied by a corresponding reduction in brain LPR and increase in brain tissue oxygen tension. No significant change in optical scattering or pathlength was observed. These results suggest that the measurement of chromophore concentration in the injured brain is not confounded by changes in optical scattering or pathlength and that NBH induces an increase in cerebral aerobic metabolism.
Supersymmetric vacua in N = 2 supergravity
Authors: Louis Jan , Smyth Paul , Triendl Hagen
Published: August 2012

Abstract

We use the embedding tensor formalism to analyse maximally symmetric backgrounds of N = 2 gauged supergravities which have the full N = 2 supersymmetry. We state the condition for N = 2 vacua and discuss some of their general properties. We show that if the gauged isometries leave the SU(2) R-symmetry invariant, then the N = 2 vacuum must be Minkowski. This implies that there are no AdS backgrounds with eight unbroken supercharges in the effective N = 2 supergravity of six-dimensional SU(3) × SU(3) structure compactifications of type II string theory and M-theory. Combined with previous results on N = 1 vacua, we show that there exist N = 2 supergravities with a given set of gauged Abelian isometries that have both N = 2 and N = 1 vacua. We also argue that an analogue of our analysis holds in five and six spacetime dimensions.
Toward standardization of the cut‐off value for the direct immunobead test using the postcoital test in immunologically infertile males
Authors: Koriyama Junko , Shibahara Hiroaki , Ikeda Tomoe , Hirano Yuki , Suzuki Tatsuya , Suzuki Mitsuaki
Published: August 2012

Purpose

There is a need to improve our understanding of the cut‐off value of the direct immunobead test (D‐IBT).

Methods

The subjects were 26 D‐IBT‐positive and 140 D‐IBT‐negative males. The results of post coital tests (PCTs) for each subject were examined.

Results

A significant difference was observed in abnormal PCTs between values <20 % and those ≥20 % (P = 0.02). However, there was no significant difference in abnormal PCTs between values <50 % and those ≥50 % (P = 0.084).

Conclusions

A cut‐off value of 20 % was correlated with the possibility of conception on treatment with IUI. The D‐IBT is a screening test, and the value of 20 % initially suggested by Bronson et al. seems to be more appropriate than that of 50 % in the criteria defined by the World Health Organization.
Adsorption of Fibronectin, Fibrinogen, and Albumin on TiO2: Time-Resolved Kinetics, Structural Changes, and Competition Study
Authors: Pegueroles Marta , Tonda-Turo Chiara , Planell Josep A. , Gil Francisco-Javier , Aparicio Conrado
Published: August 2012

An understanding of protein adsorption process is crucial for designing biomaterial surfaces. In this work, with the use of a quartz-crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, we researched the following: (a) the kinetics of adsorption on TiO2 surfaces of three extensively described proteins that are relevant for metallic implant integration [i.e., albumin (BSA), fibrinogen (Fbg), and fibronectin (Fn)]; and (b) the competition of those proteins for adsorbing on TiO2 in a two-step experiment consisted of sequentially exposing the surfaces to different monoprotein solutions. Each protein showed a different process of adsorption and properties of the adlayer—calculated using the Voigt model. The competition experiments showed that BSA displaced larger proteins such as Fn and Fbg when BSA was introduced as the second protein in the system, whereas the larger proteins laid on top of BSA forming an adsorbed protein bi-layer when those were introduced secondly in the system.
Clinic‐level introduction of medical abortion in Vietnam
Authors: Raghavan Sheila , Ngoc Nguyen thi Nhu , Shochet Tara , Winikoff Beverly
Published: August 2012

Objective

To assess the efficacy of medical abortion and patient satisfaction in the clinic setting, in addition to determining healthcare providers’ views.

Methods

From 2006 to 2008, 2400 women were enrolled at 10 Vietnam Family Planning Association (VINAFPA) clinics in an operations research project. Participants took 200 mg of oral mifepristone in the clinic and 400 μg of oral misoprostol 2 days later at home or in the clinic. Abortion status was assessed at follow‐up. Furthermore, in 2006, 900 clinicians at 45 health facilities answered a knowledge, attitudes, and practices survey to capture providers' views.

Results

In total, 93.8% of participants had successful medical abortions. The majority (84.5%) administered misoprostol at home. Adverse effects included bleeding, pain/cramps, and nausea. Most women (92.6%) were satisfied/very satisfied with the method. Most providers who took the survey (85.6%) recommended that medical abortion be introduced at VINAFPA clinics.

Conclusion

The operations research data demonstrate the safety, efficacy, and acceptability of medical abortion at VINAFPA clinics. The majority of surveyed providers endorsed adding medical abortion at their own facilities. Developing national guidelines for providing medical abortion at the clinic level is an important step in expanding access to services in Vietnam.
Stillbirth in cases of severe acute maternal morbidity
Authors: Olagbuji Biodun N. , Ezeanochie Michael C. , Igbaruma Solomon , Okoigi Samson O. , Ande Adedapo B.
Published: August 2012

Objective

To determine the incidence and correlates of stillbirths among women with severe acute maternal morbidity (SAMM).

Methods

In an observational study of 728 women who had SAMM between January 2007 and December 2010 at a referral tertiary health facility in Benin, Nigeria, the incidence of stillbirth, and the clinical and demographic correlates of stillbirth were evaluated.

Results

The rate of stillbirth among women with SAMM was 210 per 1000 deliveries. The rate among women who had uterine rupture (643 per 1000 deliveries) far exceeded other cause‐specific rates of stillbirth. Unbooked status (odds ratio [OR], 2.2; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.3–3.8), low maternal education (OR, 2.1; 95% CI, 1.2–4.0), vaginal delivery (OR, 8.1; 95% CI, 5.1–13.0), and maternal comorbidity (OR, 12.9; 95% CI, 6.2–26.9) were factors associated with stillbirth after adjusting for confounding variables.

Conclusion

In Nigeria, SAMM was found to be associated with an unacceptably high rate of stillbirth. Strategies to improve fetal surveillance among women with SAMM are necessary to address the excessively high incidence of stillbirth among these patients.
MicroRNAs in atherosclerosis
Authors: Chen Ku‐Chung , Juo Suh‐Hang Hank
Published: August 2012

MicroRNAs are endogenously expressed small noncoding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the post‐transcriptional level. MicroRNAs have emerged as key regulators of several physiological and pathophysiological processes in the cardiovascular system. Aberrant expression of microRNAs has been implicated in the pathophysiological processes underlying the development of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease, including change in endothelial function, vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and migration, macrophage function, and foam cell formation. In this review, we summarize the recent data showing the roles of microRNAs in cell studies, studies on atherosclerotic mice, and human studies.
Introduction to Bisimulation and Coinduction
Authors: Sangiorgi Davide
Published: August 2012

Induction is a pervasive tool in computer science and mathematics for defining objects and reasoning on them. Coinduction is the dual of induction and as such it brings in quite different tools. Today, it is widely used in computer science, but also in other fields, including artificial intelligence, cognitive science, mathematics, modal logics, philosophy and physics. The best known instance of coinduction is bisimulation, mainly employed to define and prove equalities among potentially infinite objects: processes, streams, non-well-founded sets, etc. This book presents bisimulation and coinduction: the fundamental concepts and techniques and the duality with induction. Each chapter contains exercises and selected solutions, enabling students to connect theory with practice. A special emphasis is placed on bisimulation as a behavioural equivalence for processes. Thus the book serves as an introduction to models for expressing processes (such as process calculi) and to the associated techniques of operational and algebraic analysis.
Cognitive Science
Authors: Bermúdez José Luis
Published: August 2012

This exciting textbook introduces students to the dynamic vibrant area of cognitive science - the scientific study of the mind and cognition. Cognitive science draws upon many academic disciplines, including psychology, computer science, philosophy, linguistics and neuroscience. This is the first textbook to present a unified view of cognitive science as a discipline in its own right, with a distinctive approach to studying the mind. Students are introduced to the cognitive scientist's 'toolkit' - the vast range of techniques and tools that cognitive scientists can use to study the mind. The book presents the main theoretical models that cognitive scientists are currently using, and shows how those models are being applied to unlock the mysteries of the human mind. Cognitive Science is replete with examples, illustrations, and applications, and draws on cutting-edge research and new developments to explore both the achievements that cognitive scientists have made, and the challenges that lie ahead.
Nerve Cells and Animal Behaviour
Authors: Simmons Peter , Young David
Published: August 2012

An extensively revised third edition of this introduction to neuroethology - the neuronal basis of animal behaviour - for zoology, biology and psychology undergraduate students. The book focuses on the roles of individual nerve cells in behaviour, from simple startle responses to complex behaviours such as route learning by rats and singing by crickets and birds. It begins by examining the relationship between brains and behaviour, and showing how study of specialised behaviours reveals neuronal mechanisms that control behaviour. Information processing by nerve cells is introduced using specific examples, and the establishing roles of neurons in behaviour is described for a predator-prey interaction, toads versus cockroaches. New material includes: vision by insects, which describes sensory filtering; hunting by owls and bats, which describes sensory maps; and rhythmical movements including swimming and flying, which describes how sequences of movements are generated. Includes stunning photographs which capture the detail of the behaviour.
Transitions and Trees
Authors: Hüttel Hans
Published: August 2012

Structural operational semantics is a simple, yet powerful mathematical theory for describing the behaviour of programs in an implementation-independent manner. This book provides a self-contained introduction to structural operational semantics, featuring semantic definitions using big-step and small-step semantics of many standard programming language constructs, including control structures, structured declarations and objects, parameter mechanisms and procedural abstraction, concurrency, nondeterminism and the features of functional programming languages. Along the way, the text introduces and applies the relevant proof techniques, including forms of induction and notions of semantic equivalence (including bisimilarity). Thoroughly class-tested, this book has evolved from lecture notes used by the author over a 10-year period at Aalborg University to teach undergraduate and graduate students. The result is a thorough introduction that makes the subject clear to students and computing professionals without sacrificing its rigour. No experience with any specific programming language is required.
Canonical Gravity and Applications
Authors: Bojowald Martin
Published: August 2012

Canonical methods are a powerful mathematical tool within the field of gravitational research, both theoretical and experimental, and have contributed to a number of recent developments in physics. Providing mathematical foundations as well as physical applications, this is the first systematic explanation of canonical methods in gravity. The book discusses the mathematical and geometrical notions underlying canonical tools, highlighting their applications in all aspects of gravitational research from advanced mathematical foundations to modern applications in cosmology and black hole physics. The main canonical formulations, including the Arnowitt-Deser-Misner (ADM) formalism and Ashtekar variables, are derived and discussed. Ideal for both graduate students and researchers, this book provides a link between standard introductions to general relativity and advanced expositions of black hole physics, theoretical cosmology or quantum gravity.
Rome, Pollution and Propriety
Authors: Stow Kenneth
Published: August 2012

Rome, Pollution and Propriety brings together scholars from a range of disciplines in order to examine the historical continuity of dirt, disease and hygiene in one environment, and to explore the development and transformation of these ideas alongside major chapters in the city's history, such as early Roman urban development, Roman pagan religion, the medieval Church, the Renaissance, the Unification of Italy and the advent of Fascism. This volume sets out to identify the defining characteristics, functions and discourses of pollution in Rome in such realms as disease and medicine, death and burial, sexuality and virginity, prostitution, purity and absolution, personal hygiene and morality, criminality, bodies and cleansing, waste disposal, decay, ruins and urban renovation, as well as studying the means by which that pollution was policed and controlled.
Peter Singer and Christian Ethics
Authors: Camosy Charles C.
Published: August 2012

Interaction between Peter Singer and Christian ethics, to the extent that it has happened at all, has been unproductive and often antagonistic. Singer sees himself as leading a 'Copernican Revolution' against a sanctity of life ethic, while many Christians associate his work with a 'culture of death'. Charles Camosy shows that this polarized understanding of the two positions is a mistake. While their conclusions about abortion and euthanasia may differ, there is surprising overlap in Christian and Singerite arguments, and disagreements are interesting and fruitful. Furthermore, it turns out that Christians and Singerites can even make common cause, for instance in matters such as global poverty and the dignity of non-human animals. Peter Singer and Christian ethics are far closer than almost anyone has imagined, and this book is valuable to those who are interested in fresh thinking about the relationship between religious and secular ethics.
Words at Work and Play
Authors: Brice Heath Shirley
Published: August 2012

Childhood and family life have changed significantly in recent decades. What is the nature of these changes? How have they affected the use of time, space, work and play? In what ways have they influenced face-to-face talk and the uses of technology within families and communities? Eminent anthropologist Shirley Brice Heath sets out to find answers to these and similar questions, tracking the lives of 300 black and white working-class families as they reshaped their lives in new locations, occupations and interpersonal alignments over a period of thirty years. From the 1981 recession through the economic instabilities and technological developments of the opening decade of the twenty-first century, Shirley Brice Heath shows how families constantly rearrange their patterns of work, language, play and learning in response to economic pressures. This outstanding study is a must-read for anyone interested in family life, language development and social change.
Helmholtz and the Modern Listener
Authors: Steege Benjamin
Published: August 2012

The musical writings of scientist Hermann von Helmholtz (1821–94) have long been considered epoch-making in the histories of both science and aesthetics. Widely regarded as having promised an authoritative scientific foundation for harmonic practice, Helmholtz can also be read as posing a series of persistent challenges to our understanding of the musical listener. Helmholtz was at the forefront of sweeping changes in discourse about human perception. His interrogation of the physiology of hearing threw notions of the self-possessed listener into doubt and conjured a sense of vulnerability to mechanistic forces and fragmentary experience. Yet this new image of the listener was simultaneously caught up in wider projects of discipline, education and liberal reform. Reading Helmholtz in conjunction with a range of his intellectual sources and heirs, from Goethe to Max Weber to George Bernard Shaw, Steege explores the significance of Helmholtz's listener as an emblem of a broader cultural modernity.
Myth and Philosophy in Plato's Phaedrus
Authors: Werner Daniel S.
Published: August 2012

Plato's dialogues frequently criticize traditional Greek myth, yet Plato also integrates myth with his writing. Daniel S. Werner confronts this paradox through an in-depth analysis of the Phaedrus, Plato's most mythical dialogue. Werner argues that the myths of the Phaedrus serve several complex functions: they bring nonphilosophers into the philosophical life; they offer a starting point for philosophical inquiry; they unify the dialogue as a literary and dramatic whole; they draw attention to the limits of language and the limits of knowledge; and they allow Plato to co-opt cultural authority as a way of defining and legitimating the practice of philosophy. Platonic myth, as a species of traditional tale, is thus both distinct from philosophical dialectic and similar to it. Ultimately, the most powerful effect of Platonic myth is the way in which it leads readers to participate in Plato's dialogues and to engage in a process of self-examination.
Political Conflict in Western Europe
Authors: Kriesi Hanspeter , Grande Edgar , Dolezal Martin , Helbling Marc , Höglinger Dominic , Hutter Swen , Wüest Bruno
Published: August 2012

What are the consequences of globalization for the structure of political conflicts in Western Europe? How are political conflicts organized and articulated in the twenty-first century? And how does the transformation of territorial boundaries affect the scope and content of political conflicts? This book sets out to answer these questions by analyzing the results of a study of national and European electoral campaigns, protest events and public debates in six West European countries. While the mobilization of the losers in the processes of globalization by new right populist parties is seen to be the driving force of the restructuring of West European politics, the book goes beyond party politics. It attempts to show how the cleavage coalitions that are shaping up under the impact of globalization extend to state actors, interest groups and social movement organizations, and how the new conflicts are framed by the various actors involved.
Financial Markets and Institutions
Authors: de Haan Jakob , Oosterloo Sander , Schoenmaker Dirk
Published: August 2012

Since the first edition of this book, the world's financial system went through its greatest crisis for a century. What made this crisis unique is that severe financial problems emerged simultaneously in many different countries and that its economic impact was felt throughout the world as a result of the increased interconnectedness of the global economy. Written for undergraduate and graduate students of finance, economics and business, the second edition of this successful textbook provides a fresh analysis of the world financial system in light of the recent financial crisis. Combining theory, empirical data and policy, it examines and explains financial markets, financial infrastructures, financial institutions and challenges in the domain of financial supervision and competition policy. This new edition features three completely new chapters, one on financial crises, a second on financial innovation, and, on the policy side, a third on the monetary policy of the European Central Bank.
Modeling Shallow Over-Saturated Mixtures on Arbitrary Rigid Topography
Authors: Luca I. , Kuo C. Y. , Hutter K. , Tai Y. C.
Published: August 2012

In this paper a system of depth-integrated equations for over-saturated debris flows on three-dimensional topography is derived. The lower layer is a saturated mixture of density preserving solid and fluid constituents, where the pore fluid is in excess, so that an upper fluid layer develops above the mixture layer. At the layer interface fluid mass exchange may exist and for this a parameterization is needed. The emphasis is on the description of the influence on the flow by the curvature of the basal surface, and not on proposing rheological models of the avalanching mass. To this end, a coordinate system fitted to the topography has been used to properly account for the geometry of the basal surface. Thus, the modeling equations have been written in terms of these coordinates, and then simplified by using (1) the depth-averaging technique and (2) ordering approximations in terms of an aspect ratio ϵ which accounts for the scale of the flowing mass. The ensuing equations have been complemented by closure relations, but any other such relations can be postulated. For a shallow two-layer debris with clean water in the upper layer, flowing on a slightly curved surface, the equilibrium free surface is shown to be horizontal.
Three-Dimensional Numerical Evaluation of Influence Factors of Mechanical Properties of Asphalt Mixture
Authors: Yang S. F. , Yang X. H. , Yin A. Y. , Jiang W.
Published: August 2012

Heterogeneous asphalt mixture is treated as a two-phase composite consisting of asphalt mastic, namely a mixture of asphalt and fine aggregates, and coarse aggregates in this paper. A novel three-dimensional (3D) random modeling frame for asphalt mixture is developed, and as its applications, some numerical samples involving various polyhedric coarse aggregates with given gradations are generated. Viscoelastic asphalt mastic is simply characterized by the generalized Maxwell model whose parameters are determined by fitting the uniaxial compressive creep experimental data of asphalt mastic. After validation, the 3D random numerical samples are used to perform a series of numerical experiments in order to evaluate the influences of coarse aggregate distribution, content, average size, size deviation, shape and loading rate on the mechanical behaviors of asphalt mixture quantitatively. Finally, some important conclusions are given.
VARIETIES WHOSE TOLERANCES ARE HOMOMORPHIC IMAGES OF THEIR CONGRUENCES
Authors: CZÉDLI GÁBOR , KISS EMIL W.
Published: August 2012

The homomorphic image of a congruence is always a tolerance (relation) but, within a given variety, a tolerance is not necessarily obtained this way. By a Maltsev-like condition, we characterise varieties whose tolerances are homomorphic images of their congruences (TImC). As corollaries, we prove that the variety of semilattices, all varieties of lattices, and all varieties of unary algebras have TImC. We show that a congruencen-permutable variety has TImC if and only if it is congruence permutable, and construct an idempotent variety with a majority term that fails TImC.
Dak Roads, Dak Runners, and the Reordering of Communication Networks
Authors: Joshi Chitra
Published: August 2012

With the expansion of its territory in India in the first half of the nineteenth century, the British East India Company increasingly felt the need to widen postal networks and speed up communications. This essay looks at the crucial role of thedauriya(mail runner) in the development of postal networks by exploring the narratives around popular images of this “traditional” communication worker. Accounts of the lives of mail runners were interwoven with stories of their extraordinary physical strength and the dangers they negotiated along the way, their encounters with tigers, and their commitment to carry the imperial mail through rain and flood. Behind such narratives lay a history of regulations, a story of the making of a “modern” postal system. This entailed an effort to rationalize the system, calculating the speed of running, ensuring regularity, projecting estimated times of travel, and enforcing contracts. This essay aims to understand the logic of these changes, and the implications of these regulations.
Comparison of the population biology ofEpialtus bituberculatusfrom two rocky shores with distinct hydrodynamic patterns
Authors: Barros-Alves Samara de Paiva , Alves Douglas Fernandes Rodrigues , Cobo Valter José
Published: August 2012

The population biology ofEpialtus bituberculatuswas compared between two different intertidal localities with differing levels of wave exposure. Sampling was conducted monthly between January and December, 2001 on seaweed banks ofSargassum cymosumin the intertidal zone of the rocky shores Grande (GR) (23°23′S–45°03′W) and Domingas Dias (DD) (23°29′S–45°08′W). Four hundred and twenty-eight crabs were captured at the GR site: 111 juvenile males, 106 adult males, 57 juvenile females, 17 adult females and 137 ovigerous females; while 455 specimens were obtained at the DD site: 76 juvenile males, 113 adult males, 37 juvenile females, 40 adult females and 189 ovigerous females. The population from GR showed a non-normal distribution and from DD a normal distribution. The sex-ratio (female/male) was 1:0.97 at GR (χ2 = 0.77,P = 0.084), whereas it was 1:1.41 at DD (χ2 = 13.03,P < 0.001). The largest individuals occurred at DD (U = 78249.0,P < 0.001). The estimated size at sexual maturity was 6.3 and 5.0 mm carapace width (CW) for males, and 5.4 and 5.2 mm CW for females, from GR and DD, respectively. The observed differences inE. bituberculatusbetween the studied localities might be explained by the different degrees of wave exposure between sites. However, other factors that might also explain the observed differences (e.g. temperature, salinity and food availability) cannot be discarded as relevant in influencing the population structure between sites herein studied.
The presence of HBV mRNA in the fertilized in vitro embryo of HBV patients confirms vertical transmission of HBV via the ovum
Authors: YE F. , JIN Y. , KONG Y. , SHI J. Z. , QIU H. T. , ZHANG X. , ZHANG S. L. , LIN S. M.
Published: August 2012

This study aimed to confirm that vertical transmission of hepatitis B virus (HBV) can occur via the infected ovum. Specimens studied were obtained from discarded test-tube embryos from mothers with chronic HBV infection who had received in vitro fertilization treatment. Single-cell reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction was used to detect HBV mRNA in the embryos. HBV mRNA was detected in the cleavage embryos of patients with chronic HBV infection, with a detection rate of 13·2% (5/38). The level of serum HBV DNA was not related to the HBV mRNA positivity rates in embryos. In this study, HBV mRNA was detected in test-tube embryos from HBV-infected mothers who had received in vitro fertilization treatment. This confirms the theory of vertical transmission of HBV via the ovum, thereby providing an important theoretical basis for further study on the mechanism of HBV vertical transmission, influencing factors and blocking measures.