bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Between Aloofness and Fascination: Safavid Views of the West
Authors: Matthee Rudi
Published: September 2011

Identity implies the other. As there is no self-definition without a view of the Other, the process whereby the “Self” discovers the “Other” is crucial to the formation of a self-image, for individuals as much as for groups of people claiming a collective identity. Historically, this process has never been more acute and intense than with the explosion of intercultural contact between Europe and the rest of the world following the so-called Age of Discovery. Nothing matches the radical novelty and drama of the first encounter between Europeans and the inhabitants of the New World. Though different inasmuch as it built on previous, intermittent contact and thus lacked the shock element of the utterly outlandish and bizarre, Europe's interaction with most of the major peoples of Asia in early modern times was hardly less transformative in the long run. Unprecedented in frequency and intensity, European-Asian contact as of the sixteenth century began to undermine the exotic notions and fabulous images that had formed and developed since Antiquity and that, over time, had been allowed to harden into convention.
Art of the Book
Authors: Canby Sheila
Published: September 2011

Approximately Sixty Entries in Volumes I-VI of Encyclopaedia Iranica deal with painting and calligraphy in Islamic Iran. While Priscilla Soucek has contributed many of these, other authors include Dorothea Duda, B.W. Robinson, Barbara Schmitz, M. Dabirsiaqi, A.S. Shahbazi and Thomas Lentz. Anthony Welch, Jennifer Scarce, G. A. Pugachenkova, Soucek, and Robinson have also written general entries on art in Iran in the Islamic period. Rather than treat each entry individually, this review will assess the contribution of each author, characterizing his or her approach and noting some but not all of the entries on painters and calligraphers and their work. Additionally, this review will consider James Allan's article on ARMOR, May Beattie's on the ARDABIL CARPET, Dorothy Thompson's on silk (ABRĪŠAM), and 34 articles on CARPETS and CLOTHING.

Taken as a whole, the 34 entries by Priscilla Soucek validate her reputation as an extremely rigorous scholar of Iranian painting and calligraphy. Professor Soucek's entries raise our hopes that she will eventually publish the definitive book on these fields.
Classical Persian Literature
Authors: Hanaway William L.
Published: September 2011

The Study of Classical Persian Literature Can be Separated from the study of modern Persian literature for heuristic reasons—one can be emphasized more than the other in teaching, and the path away from classicism to modernism and beyond can be charted—but it is impossible to draw a decisive line dividing the two. The modern develops out of the classical and constantly interacts with it. The two may be separated, but in the end Persian literature is one and is best thought of as such. The present review, in which classical literature will be the focus, is one such heuristic occasion.

This review will survey the field in terms of the major concerns of literary scholarship that are affected by the work of the Encyclopaedia Iranica and will try to illuminate the role of this reference work as a source of, and an aid to, literary scholarship.
Babi‐bahais, Christians, and Jews in Iran
Authors: Sanasarian Eliz
Published: September 2011

The Following Essay is Based on the Review of Entries in Encyclopaedia Iranica dealing with Armenians, Assyrians, Chaldeans, other Christian groups, Babis-Bahais, and Jews up to the letter D. There are 36 entries for Armenia and Armenians, 28 for the Assyrians and Christians, 45 for Babis and Bahais, and 20 for Jews. These include main headings as well as extensive subheadings.

The entries show the vastness and complexity of the religious and ethnic landscape of Iran beginning long before Islam. Each group demonstrates a unique character and reflects what is significant in its link to the Persian environment. In order to introduce the reader and to present an accurate picture of the articles and the contributors, the four categories are covered separately and some points of convergence are discussed at the end. Although every attempt is made to refer to as many entries as possible, not all entries could be included.
Exit Yugoslavia: longing for mononational states or entrepreneurial manipulation?
Authors: Klanjšek Rudi , Flere Sergej
Published: September 2011

The study analyzed whether the dissolution of Yugoslavia and the establishment of succeeding mono-national states was the expression of “longing” of mass proportions on the part of the nationalities within respective federal units. Using the data from two pan-Yugoslav surveys from the period preceding the dissolution, results were obtained that indicated a very limited support for this hypothesis. More specifically, results indicated that support for emancipation was rather weak, among youth in 1986 and even among the adult population in 1990, although some significant mean differences between the federal units and between major nationalities within them were evident. Specifically, opinions favoring independence were detected among Kosovo Albanians and later among Slovenians in Slovenia. In addition, findings also indicated that those with higher socioeconomic status were not more inclined toward independence. Results thus pointed more towards the idea that the dissolution was indeed instigated by a small group of “political entrepreneurs” not captured by the survey data.
Multiculturalism, memory, and ritualization: Ukrainian nationalist monuments in Edmonton, Alberta
Authors: Rudling Per A.
Published: September 2011

Canadians of Ukrainian descent constitute a significant part of the population of the Albertan capital. Among other things, their presence is felt in the public space as Ukrainian monuments constitute a part of the landscape. The article studies three key monuments, physical manifestations of the ideology of local Ukrainian nationalist elites in Edmonton: a 1973 monument to nationalist leader Roman Shukhevych, a 1976 memorial constructed by the UkrainianWaffen-SSin Edmonton, and a 1983 memorial to the 1932–1933 famine in the Ukrainian SSR. Representing a narrative of suffering, resistance, and redemption, all three monuments were organized by the same activists and are representative for the selective memory of an “ethnic” elite, which presents nationalist ideology as authentic Ukrainian cultural heritage. The narrative is based partly upon an uncritical cult of totalitarian, anti-Semitic, and terroristic political figures, whose war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and collaboration with Nazi Germany the nationalists deny and obfuscate. The article argues that government support and direct public funding has strengthened the radicals within the community and helped promulgate their mythology. In the case of the Ukrainian Canadian political elite, official multiculturalism underwrites a narrative at odds with the liberal democratic values it was intended to promote. The failure to deconstruct the “ethnic” building blocks of Canadian multiculturalism and the willingness to accept at face value the primordial claims and nationalist myths of “ethnic” groups has given Canadian multiculturalism the character of multi-nationalism.
Inhibitory Tagging of Stimulus Properties in Inhibition of Return: Effects on Semantic Priming and Flanker Interference
Authors: Fuentes Luis J. , Vivas Ana B. , Humphreys Glyn W.
Published: September 2011

In this study we examine the level at which inhibition of return (IOR) affects the processing of visual stimuli. Experiments 1 and 2 examined the effect of IOR on semantic priming. Experiments 3 and 4 examined the effect on flanker interference. In both cases IOR could reverse the standard effects. We suggest that when attention is drawn away from a location, there is temporary inhibitory tagging of stimuli that are presented there. This tagging extends to the semantic and response-relevant properties of stimuli, helping to bias attention away from old and towards new events. Due to inhibitory tagging, responses to new targets can be slowed down when targets are semantically related (Experiments 1 and 2) or require the same response (Experiments 3 and 4) as inhibited primes.
The Influence of Linguistic Form on Reasoning: The Case of Matching Bias
Authors: Evans Jonathan St.B.T. , Legrenzi Paolo , Girotto Vittorio
Published: September 2011

A well-established phenomenon in reasoning research is matching bias: a tendency to select information that matches the lexical content of propositional statements, regardless of the logically critical presence of negations. Previous research suggested, however, that the effect might be restricted to reasoning with conditional statements. This paper reports two experiments in which participants were required to construct or identify true and false cases of propositional rules of several kinds, including universal statements, disjunctions, and negated conjunctions. Matching bias was observed across all rule types but largely restricted to problems where participants were required to falsify rather than to verify the rules. A third experiment showed a similar generalization across linguistic forms in the Wason selection task with only if conditionals substituted for universals. The results are discussed with reference to contemporary theories of propositional reasoning.
Short-Term Forgetting of Order under Conditions of Reduced Interference
Authors: Nairne James S. , Whiteman Howard L. , Kelley Matthew R.
Published: September 2011

Three experiments examined the short-term retention of order in a modified Brown-Peterson task. Our intent was to examine the loss of order memory, unconfounded by item memory, under conditions in which interference from prior trials is kept low. In previous work on the short-term forgetting of order, experimenters have tended to repeat the same items across trials or to draw from a restricted set; in our experiments, we changed the to-be-recalled items from trial to trial and used reconstruction as the retention measure. In all three experiments, very little forgetting was obtained across retention intervals that have traditionally produced dramatic and systematic loss. Our results are reminiscent of those obtained in the Brown Peterson task when performance is assessed after only the first experimental trial.
Mechanism and Biological Explanation
Authors: Bechtel William
Published: September 2011

This article argues that the basic account of mechanism and mechanistic explanation, involving sequential execution of qualitatively characterized operations, is itself insufficient to explain biological phenomena such as the capacity of living organisms to maintain themselves as systems distinct from their environment. This capacity depends on cyclic organization, including positive and negative feedback loops, which can generate complex dynamics. Understanding cyclically organized mechanisms with complex dynamics requires coordinating research directed at decomposing mechanisms into parts (entities) and operations (activities) with research using computational models to recompose mechanisms and determine their dynamic behavior. This coordinated endeavor yields dynamic mechanistic explanations.
The Explanatory Force of Dynamical and Mathematical Models in Neuroscience: A Mechanistic Perspective
Authors: Kaplan David Michael , Craver Carl F.
Published: September 2011

We argue that dynamical and mathematical models in systems and cognitive neuroscience explain (rather than redescribe) a phenomenon only if there is a plausible mapping between elements in the model and elements in the mechanism for the phenomenon. We demonstrate how this model-to-mechanism-mapping constraint, when satisfied, endows a model with explanatory force with respect to the phenomenon to be explained. Several paradigmatic models including the Haken-Kelso-Bunz model of bimanual coordination and the difference-of-Gaussians model of visual receptive fields are explored.
Mucor nidicola sp. nov., a fungal species isolated from an invasive paper wasp nest
Authors: Madden A. A. , Stchigel A. M. , Guarro J. , Sutton D. , Starks P. T.
Published: September 2011

A strain of a novel mucoralean fungus was isolated from a nest of the invasive paper wasp, Polistes dominulus. Phylogenetic analysis based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions and 5.8S rRNA gene sequences, along with physiological tests, revealed that this strain represents a novel species within the genus Mucor. The novel species also includes a representative that had previously been characterized as part of the Mucor hiemalis complex. Unlike the type strain of M. hiemalis, these two strains can grow at 37 °C and sporulate at 35 °C. Here, we present a partial resolution of the M. hiemalis species complex and propose the novel species Mucor nidicola sp. nov. to accommodate the isolate; the type strain of M. nidicola is F53T ( = NRRL 54520T = UAMH 11442T = CBS 130359T).
The common carp, Cyprinus carpio, in the Mediterranean region: origin, distribution, economic benefits, impacts and management
Authors: VILIZZI L.
Published: September 2011

Abstract  Literature data are reviewed on the origin, distribution, economic benefits and impacts of common carp Cyprinus carpio L. in the Mediterranean region. Despite the ubiquity of domesticated and feral forms, wild populations of the genetically pure ancestor are still found in confined areas of Thrace and Northern Anatolia, and possibly in eastern parts of Greece. Introductions and translocations throughout the region from at least Roman times have been driven by a combination of historical, economic and cultural motives, which have contributed to the spread of the species into many freshwater systems. Although impacts have been either documented or suspected in most areas of distribution, and intervention by biomanipulation successfully implemented in some water bodies, there is a compelling need for more focused research in more vulnerable areas characterised by drier/warmer and overall more unpredictable climate conditions, which appear to favour successful common carp population dynamics. In contrast to large‐scale (i.e. country‐wide) control measures, likely to prove unfeasible because of the intrinsically high costs associated and/or loss of revenue from sport fishing and fisheries activities, localised (integrated) management actions, followed by post‐intervention monitoring, are likely to benefit targeted water bodies for increased amenity and restoration value.
Mothers without HLA antibodies before transplantation have a low risk of alloimmunization post‐transplantation
Authors: Gatault P. , Jollet I. , Rabot N. , Boulanger M. D. , Taupin J. L. , Barbet C. , Baron C. , Thierry A. , Halimi J. M. , Lebranchu Y. , Touchard G. , Büchler M.
Published: September 2011

Human leukocyte antigen antibodies (HLA Abs) are associated with poor renal graft outcome. We selected 134 first kidney transplant recipients without HLA Ab (LABScreen® Luminex) before transplantation despite previous allogeneic exposure whether through blood transfusion (BT) and/or pregnancy (PR). We screened these patients for HLA Ab post‐transplantation (yearly) and determined the risk of HLA Ab and donor‐specific antibody (DSA) appearance according to BT/PR in a univariate and a multivariate model. Among the 134 patients (43 males/91 females), 56 were BT+/PR−, 41 BT−/PR+ and 37 BT+/PR+. Median delay between last PR or BT and transplantation were 25.9 years (0.5–47.8) and 8 months (0.8–128.0), respectively. Median number of PR and BT were 2 (1–11) and 3 units (1–28), respectively. After transplantation (median follow‐up: 47.5 months), 13 patients (9.7%) had HLA Ab and 10 DSA, mainly directed against class II HLA (HLA Ab: 10/13, DSA: 9/10). The risk of HLA Ab and DSA appearance was significantly lower in patients with PR before transplantation (P = 0.032 and P = 0.009, respectively). The risk of DSA appearance (hazard ratio = 0.17, P = 0.027) remained significantly lower after adjustment on donor age, acute rejection and number of class I/II HLA mismatches. In conclusion, we show that parous women non‐immunized are at low risk of HLA Ab production after transplantation.
Telecommunication system for children undergoing stem cell transplantation
Authors: Higuchi Kazumi , Nakazawa Yozo , Sakata Nobuhiro , Takizawa Masaomi , Ohso Keiko , Tanaka Miyuki , Yanagisawa Ryu , Koike Kenichi
Published: September 2011

Background:  Isolation in a germ‐free unit is a stressful experience for pediatric patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). To reduce the psychological distress of such children, a Web‐based telecommunications system was developed.

Methods:  The authors developed a telecommunication system that linked a laminar air flow (LAF) room that had a high efficiency particulate air filter with the hospital school/patients' homes via the Internet. Fifteen children isolated in the LAF room for allogeneic HSCT were enrolled in this study. The present study evaluated whether the system was feasible for the patients during the acute phase of HSCT.

Results:  In 10 patients, the proportion of days when they telecommunicated with teachers and/or other patients in the hospital school was 64.6 ± 32.3%. The telecommunication with the hospital school facilitated the continuation of school study under teachers' guidance, reducing the problem of lost schooling. In 13 patients, the proportion of days when they telecommunicated with their homes was 68.0 ± 34.8%. Ten of them frequently telecommunicated with their family members (especially siblings), and three patients called out to their pets at home. The incidence of telecommunication on the days when the patients had HSCT‐related symptoms including vomiting did not differ from that of telecommunication on the days when no symptoms were evident.

Conclusions:  A telecommunication system linked to a hospital school and/or the patients' homes is feasible for children undergoing HSCT, and may improve their health‐related quality of life. A larger, prospective study is required to evaluate whether the telecommunication system can reduce HSCT‐associated psychological and psychiatric symptoms.
Fracture analysis for ceramic ball in backflow valve
Authors: TAKAHASHI M. , OKABE N. , ABE Y. , FUJIKI K. , KANBAYASHI R.
Published: September 2011

Ceramic balls have been used as components of devices, such as those found in high‐pressure pumps for automobiles and industrial machines. In the backflow valve, for example, a ceramic ball is in contact with a conical surface. Fractures of ceramic balls are extremely rare. It is important to investigate the cause of these rare fractures to guarantee higher reliability in the backflow valve. In this paper, the fracture mechanism and strength are discussed for an equivalent normal stress σeq beneath the contact region and the maximum principal stress σp near the contact boundary using stress intensity from fracture mechanics. The fracture surface of the ceramic ball was formed perpendicular to load direction. We assumed that fracture origins (defect/crack) existed on lines through three high stresses that analysed by finite element method. Actual fracture of a ceramic ball was found to be caused by the equivalent normal stress beneath contact region and not to be caused by the Hertz principal stress. Stress intensity factor (SIF) was clarified to depend on pressure, taper angle, CrN‐coating thickness and the friction factor of the inside of the valve hole. A pre‐existing defect size involved in failure was estimated by the SIF using three‐dimensional elliptic defects and equivalent normal stress. Therefore, the actual fracture of a ceramic ball, which rarely occurs, could be evaluated by considering three‐dimensional elliptic defects and the Weibull distribution of defects.
Comparison of rates and risk factors for development of anaemia and erythropoiesis‐stimulating agent utilization after radical or partial nephrectomy
Authors: Woldrich Jeffrey , Mehrazin Reza , Bazzi Wassim M. , Bagrodia Aditya , Kopp Ryan P. , Malcolm John B. , Kane Christopher J. , Patterson Anthony L. , Wan Jim Y. , Derweesh Ithaar H.
Published: September 2011

Study Type – Therapy (case series)

Level of Evidence 4

What's known on the subject? and What does the study add?

The consequences and significance of iatrogenically‐induced CKD are poorly understood. Most data regarding risk of CKD and its complications are inferred from the medical literature.

This is the first study to examine impact of surgical management of renal masses on development of anaemia. Patients who underwent radical nephrectomy had a significantly higher incidence of anaemia and ESA utilization than a contemporary well‐matched cohort that underwent partial nephrectomy. The results obtained add to the growing body of data supporting the use of partial nephrectomy in the management of clinically appropriate renal masses.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the incidence of and risk factors for the development of anaemia and erythropoiesis‐stimulation agent (ESA) treatment in patients undergoing radical nephrectomy (RN) and partial nephrectomy (PN) because anaemia is a significant cause of morbidity in chronic kidney disease.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The study comprised a retrospective review of 905 patients (610 RN/295 PN; mean age, 57.5 years; mean follow‐up, 6.4 years) who underwent surgery for renal tumours at two institutions from July 1987 to June 2007.

Demographics, disease characteristics and pre‐ and postoperative (i.e. renal function, metabolic parameters, anaemia and ESA treatment) were recorded.

Data were analyzed within subgroups based on treatment (RN vs PN).

Multivariate analysis was conducted to determine the risk factors for developing anaemia after surgery.

RESULTS

Tumour size (cm) was significantly larger for RN (RN 7.0 vs PN 3.7; P < 0.001). No significant differences were noted with respect to demographics and preoperative anaemia (RN 16.4% vs PN 18.6%; P= 0.454) and ESA‐treatment (RN 0.7% vs PN 1.4%; P= 0.499).

After surgery, significantly less de novo anaemia (PN 4.1% vs RN 17.5%; P < 0.001) and ESA utilization (PN 2.7% vs RN 13.4%; P < 0.001) occurred in the PN cohort.

Multivariate analysis showed that age ≥60 years (odds ratio, OR, 1.62; P= 0.008), African American ethnicity (OR, 2.30; P < 0.001), smoking (OR, 1.60; P= 0.013), glomerular filtration rate (GFR) <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 (OR, 4.09; P < 0.001), ≥1+ proteinuria (OR, 2.19; P < 0.03), metabolic acidosis (OR, 4.08; P= 0.007) and RN (OR, 2.58; P < 0.001) were significantly associated with de novo anaemia.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients who underwent RN had a significantly higher prevalence of anaemia and ESA‐treatment compared to a well‐matched cohort that underwent PN.

In addition to RN, age ≥60 years, African American ethnicity, history of smoking, GFR < 60 mL/min/1.73 m2, proteinuria and metabolic acidosis were associated with developing anaemia.
Emotional exhaustion of nursing staff: influence of emotional annoyance and resilience
Authors: Manzano García Guadalupe , Ayala Calvo Juan Carlos
Published: September 2011

MANZANO GARCÍA G. & AYALA CALVO J. C. (2011) Emotional exhaustion of nursing staff: influence of emotional annoyance and resilience. International Nursing Review59, 101–107

Aim:  This paper aimed to study the influence of emotional annoyance and resilience on the emotional exhaustion levels of nursing staff.

Background:  Emotional exhaustion is one of the key factors in understanding both the performance and the quality of care that nurses give to their patients. There is a considerable body of knowledge that has focused on the study of emotional exhaustion in relation to cynicism and professional efficiency. More recently emotional annoyance and resilience have been identified as variables that could help explain levels of emotional exhaustion.

Methods:  Nine hundred eighty‐three nurses who work in five hospitals in the north of Spain were invited to participate in the study. Five hundred questionnaires were distributed, of which 200 were fully completed. The average response rate was 40%. A personal information form, and a questionnaire concerning nurses' emotional annoyance, resilience, professional efficiency and cynicism were used as data collection instruments. To estimate a path model with latent variables, partial least squares was used.

Findings:  Emotional annoyance and resilience contribute to a better understanding of emotional exhaustion levels of nursing staff. There was a significant association between emotional annoyance and emotional exhaustion (β = 0.26, P = 0.020), while resilience appeared to be protective against emotional exhaustion (β = −0.22, P = 0.004).

Conclusion:  A more complete explanation and understanding of emotional exhaustion in nursing is achieved when emotional annoyance and resilience is measured in addition elements of burnout, which include professional efficiency and cynicism.
COORDINATION DIAGNOSTIC ALGORITHMS FOR TEAMS OF SITUATED AGENTS: SCALING UP
Authors: Kalech Meir , Kaminka Gal A.
Published: September 2011

Agents in a team should be in agreement. Unfortunately, they may come to disagree due to sensor uncertainty, intermittent communication failures, etc. Once a disagreement occurs, the agents should detect and diagnose the disagreement. Current diagnostic techniques do not scale well with the number of agents, as they have high communication and computation complexity. We present novel techniques that enable scalability in three ways. First, we use communications early in the diagnostic process to stave off unneeded reasoning, which ultimately leads to unneeded communications. Second, we use light‐weight (and inaccurate) behavior recognition to focus the diagnostic reasoning on beliefs of agents that might be in conflict. Finally, we propose diagnosing only to a limited number of representative agents (instead of all the agents). We examine these techniques in large‐scale teams of situated agents in two domains and show that combining the techniques produces a diagnostic process that is highly scalable in both communication and computation.
Repeated exposure of human fibroblasts to UVR induces secretion of stem cell factor and senescence
Authors: Shin J. , Kim J.‐H. , Kim E.K.
Published: September 2011

Background  Some of chronic hyperpigmentary diseases, such as melasma, induced by multiple factors including chronic sunlight exposure, can recur even after chemical epidermal removal. Dermal factors may be involved in the pathogenesis of melasma. Changes in dermal fibroblasts resulting from chronic sun exposure might cause melanocytes to synthesize melanin in the epidermis.

Objective  This study aimed at determining the effects of repetitive ultraviolet (UV) radiation on cultured fibroblasts and the secretion of melanogenic factors.

Methods  Cultured human fibroblasts were exposed to ultraviolet A (UVA) or ultraviolet B (UVB) for five consecutive days. After each irradiation, the supernatant medium was isolated from each dish and measured for levels of stem cell factor (SCF) and hepatocyte growth factor using an ELISA kit assay. To assess the effect of the keratinocyte‐derived factors on fibroblast‐secretion of SCF and hepatocyte growth factor, we added supernatants of the UV‐irradiated keratinocytes to the non‐irradiated fibroblasts. Finally, the irradiated fibroblasts were stained with senescence associated‐β‐galactosidase to assess their senescent change.

Results  Fibroblasts irradiated with UVA or UVB for five consecutive days, secreted SCF at levels that increased with repeated UVA or UVB exposure. Conditioned culture medium from UV‐irradiated keratinocytes also induced SCF release from fibroblasts, depending on the number of UV exposures. UVA‐ or UVB‐irradiated fibroblasts stained positive for senescence associated‐β‐galactosidase, and the staining intensity increased with repeated exposure.

Conclusion  These results suggest that fibroblast senescence and increased SCF secretion after repeated UV irradiation may be related to the pathogenesis of recurring hyperpigmentation disorders induced by chronic sun exposure.
Acquisition of neuron‐like electrophysiological properties in neuroblastoma cells by controlled expression of NDM29 ncRNA
Authors: Gavazzo Paola , Vella Serena , Marchetti Carla , Nizzari Mario , Cancedda Ranieri , Pagano Aldo
Published: September 2011

J. Neurochem. (2011) 119, 989–1001.

Neuroblastoma is a pediatric cancer characterized by high malignancy and remarkable cell heterogeneity within the tumor nodules. It has been previously shown that the over‐expression of a specific non‐coding RNA, NDM29, reduces neuroblastoma development promoting cell differentiation. We have used neuroblastoma cells expressing NDM29 at its basal level (Mock cells) or at 5.4‐fold higher levels (S1 cells) to investigate whether a functional differentiation correlates with morphological and biochemical development induced by NDM29 expression. First, analyzing the expression of specific markers we demonstrated that NDM29 expression is accompanied by a well coordinated differentiation process toward a neuron‐like, rather than toward a glial‐like, phenotype. Next, we defined the neuron‐like traits of S1 in terms of secretion of cytokines involved in axon guidance, synapse formation and neurite outgrowth. Finally, we characterized the ionic channel apparatus of S1 cells by patch‐clamp technique and compared with the Mock counterpart. S1 cells showed much higher levels of fast inactivating Na+ current and were able to generate mature action potentials. Moreover, they developed expression of functional GABAA receptors on their membrane. In contrast, the two cell lines shared very similar pools of functional K+ channels, although slight quantitative differences can be described. Our results suggest that a maturation occurs in neuroblastoma as a consequence of NDM29 expression, inducing the appearance of neuronal‐like properties. In this context, S1 cells may represent a novel in vitro tool for electrophysiological and pharmacological studies of human cells of the neural lineage.
Adverse drug reactions associated with the use of NSAIDs: a case/noncase analysis of spontaneous reports from the French pharmacovigilance database 2002–2006
Authors: Lapeyre‐Mestre Maryse , Grolleau Sabrina , Montastruc Jean‐Louis ,   Association Française des Centres Régionaux de Pharmacovigilance (CRPV)
Published: September 2011

To evaluate the safety profile of eight oral nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) available in France, using data reported through the French pharmacovigilance system. Data (from 2002 to 2006) were analysed for aceclofenac, diclofenac, ketoprofen, meloxicam, naproxen, nimesulide, piroxicam and tenoxicam, focusing on the reported rates of serious adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in the following system organ classes: gastrointestinal, hepatic, cutaneous, renal and cardiovascular. A total of 42 389 serious ADR reports were identified, and 38 506 were included in a case/noncase analysis. Ketoprofen was associated with the highest cumulative reported rate of serious ADRs (0.78 cases per million defined daily doses), followed by diclofenac (0.58), nimesulide (0.52), naproxen (0.50), piroxicam (0.47), tenoxicam (0.42), meloxicam (0.41) and aceclofenac (0.30). The most frequently reported serious ADRs were cutaneous, followed by gastrointestinal, hepatic, renal and rarely, cardiovascular events. In the case/noncase analysis, ketoprofen, piroxicam and naproxen were associated with the highest risk of serious gastrointestinal ADRs (odds ratios [ORs] of 6.87, 6.54 and 5.07, respectively). Nimesulide and aceclofenac were associated with the highest risk of liver ADRs (adjusted ORs of 4.53 and 3.67, respectively), as was meloxicam for cutaneous ADRs (adjusted OR of 3.15) and tenoxicam for renal ADRs (adjusted OR of 3.17). The most frequent serious ADRs reported with the selected oral NSAIDs are cutaneous, followed by gastrointestinal, hepatic and renal events. The highest risks for serious gastrointestinal, hepatic, cutaneous and renal adverse events were linked, respectively, with ketoprofen, nimesulide, meloxicam and tenoxicam compared with the other NSAIDs.
Influence of a Resilient, Hard‐Carbon Thin Film on Drilling Efficiency and Thermogenesis
Authors: Gasiorowski Janik C. , Richardson Dean W. , Boston Raymond C. , Schaer Thomas P.
Published: September 2011

Objective

To determine changes in drill bit performance attributable to application of a triaxially resilient, hard‐carbon thin film.

Study Design

In vitro mechanical study.

Methods

Five matched pairs of control bits and bits with a carbon nanofilm applied were tested in equine cortical bone and a synthetic bone substrate. Thirty sequential holes were drilled with each bit. Drilling time was recorded for all holes. Maximum substrate temperature was measured with infrared thermography for holes 1, 15, and 30. Drilling time, prolongation of drilling time over successive uses, and maximum substrate temperature were compared between control and test bits in each substrate.

Results

Drilling time was significantly reduced with test bits in both substrates. Drilling time over successive osteotomies increased more slowly with test bits than with control bits. Test bits generated significantly lower substrate temperatures during drilling.

Conclusions

Bits with the carbon nanofilm completed osteotomy faster and generated less heat than control bits. Test bits also had less degradation of drilling performance with repeated use.
Central Anticholinergic Syndrome Following Dobutamine–Atropine Stress Echocardiography
Authors: Wilson Michael E. , Lee Glenn K. , Chandra Anupam , Kane Garvan C.
Published: September 2011

We present a case of central anticholinergic syndrome following dobutamine–atropine stress echocardiography in an elderly female. Although atropine toxicity is a recognized complication of stress echocardiography, no case reports are currently available. The central nervous system side effects of atropine are varied in severity (mild cognitive impairment to severe coma) and spectrum (agitation or somnolence), and thus are often overlooked. Management includes prompt recognition, stopping the offending agent, providing supportive care, and consideration of physiostigmine. Atropine is used in up to 60% of dobutamine stress echocardiograms, and has the potential to cause morbidity. (Echocardiography 2011;28:E205‐E206)
Tangled Bank dismissed too early
Authors: Song Y. , Drossel B. , Scheu S.
Published: September 2011

The Tangled Bank hypothesis has been one of the main theories to explain why most organisms reproduce sexually. It was most forcefully defended by Bell, who argued that genetically diverse offspring are able to extract more food from their environment than genetically identical clones. Due to the limited applicability of mathematical models and a lack of evidence that more sib‐competition leads to a larger advantage of sexual reproduction, the Tangled Bank hypothesis has since been abandoned by many authors in favor of the Red Queen hypothesis, which focuses on temporal environmental variation instead of spatial variation. Here, we argue that the rejection of the Tangled Bank hypothesis is based on a lack of appreciation of the importance of resources for determining the mode of reproduction, of the fundamental difference between the role of resources and the role of abiotic conditions, and of the negative feedback between resource consumption and resource availability. This negative feedback in fact leads to an ongoing temporal change in resource usage and thus connects the Tangled Bank concept to the Red Queen concept. We discuss recently introduced models that implement these ideas, and we suggest empirical studies on the relation between invasibility and genetic diversity of communities in order to test the Tangled Bank hypothesis more thoroughly.
The influence of environment, management and site context on species composition of summer arable weed vegetation in Hungary
Authors: Pinke Gyula , Karácsony Péter , Czúcz Bálint , Botta‐Dukát Zoltán , Lengyel Attila
Published: September 2011

Questions

Which environmental and management factors are the most important determinants of arable weed species composition in intensively farmed areas across an area of 93 000 km2? Does the relative importance of environmental and management factors depend on plot location within fields (centre or edge)?

Location

Hungary.

Methods

The abundance of late‐summer weed flora and 25 environmental, management and site context factors were measured in 243 maize, sunflower and stubble fields representing the entire country. Data were analysed by redundancy analysis (RDA) after backward variable selection. The gross and net effect on weed species composition were calculated for each variable. Variation partitioning based on RDA was used to assess the relative effects of the three groups of explanatory variables.

Results

The net effects of 24 variables on species composition were significant, explaining 25% of the total variation in species data. Most variation in species composition was explained by plot location, which was followed by temperature, crop type, precipitation, soil texture, neighbouring habitat, altitude, soil pH, sodium and potassium content of the soil. Variation partitioning revealed that environmental variables accounted for twice more variance than management variables, but the relative impact of management variables was larger in field cores than in field edges.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that even for intensified agriculture the effects of environmental factors are of greater importance than management factors on summer arable weed composition in a country‐wide context. The effects of intensive crop management decrease towards the field periphery.
Disentangling plant trait responses to livestock grazing from spatio‐temporal variation: the partial RLQ approach
Authors: Wesuls Dirk , Oldeland Jens , Dray Stéphane
Published: September 2011

Questions

Which plant traits consistently respond to grazing in different years and across habitat‐related environmental heterogeneity? Does the proposed partial RLQ approach allow partitioning of grazing‐related environmental parameters from other environmental and temporal variations?

Location

Semi‐arid savannas of central Namibia.

Methods

We recorded nine quantitative and 12 categorical traits from 87 plant species along grazing gradients in semi‐arid Namibian rangelands. We sampled from gradients in different habitat settings in 2 yr with differing total rainfall amounts. We first examined trait–environment relations with RLQ analysis. To remove confounding effects of temporal and habitat‐related environmental variation on trait performance, we introduced a novel partial RLQ analysis approach. Furthermore, we used the fourth‐corner statistic to quantify and test relations between traits, environmental factors and RLQ axes.

Results

Habitats and years had strong influences on trait patterns. After removing environmental variation caused by habitats and years, grazing became the most influential factor on trait responses. Traits negatively correlated with increasing grazing pressure were common to perennial grasses, such as long and entire leaves, anemochorous dispersal and rhizomatous growth. Positively correlated traits were those common to herbaceous, annual plants with a prostrate–creeping habit, compound leaves, high specific leaf area (SLA) and exo‐ or endozoochorous dispersal. Some previously acknowledged grazing response traits, like growth form and plant height, were strongly influenced by variations in habitats and years and showed no significant correlation with grazing pressure.

Conclusion

We emphasize that some traits that respond to grazing may also vary under different habitat conditions and among years, especially in highly variable environments like semi‐arid savannas. When analysing trait–environment relations we recommend using approaches that partition environmental variation, particularly when applying broad sampling schemes at larger geographical scales.
JUSTIFICATIONIST SOCIAL EPISTEMOLOGY AND CRITICAL THINKING
Authors: Ritola Juho
Published: September 2011

In this essay Juho Ritola develops a justificationist approach to social epistemology, which holds that normatively satisfactory social processes pertaining to the acquisition, storage, dissemination, and use of knowledge must be evidence‐based processes that include appropriate reflective attitudes by the relevant agents and, consequently, the relevant institutions. This implies that the teaching of critical thinking and reasoning in general should strive to bring about such attitudes in students. Ritola begins by sketching a justificationist approach and defending it on a general level against the criticism posed by Alvin Goldman. He then defends it on the level of individual reasoners against the argument set out by Michael Bishop and J.D. Trout. Based on empirical evidence, Bishop and Trout argue that the kind of reflection advocated by a justificationist approach to reasoning leads to worse outcomes than the use of various statistical prediction rules. Ritola, in contrast, maintains that one cannot and should not replace critical reflection on evidence by a mechanical application of rules. Instead, he asserts, statistical prediction rules and empirical evidence regarding our reasoning performance are part of the total evidence that we should reflect on in our critical reasoning.
Structural basis of the inhibition of class C acid phosphatases by adenosine 5′‐phosphorothioate
Authors: Singh Harkewal , Reilly Thomas J. , Tanner John J.
Published: September 2011

The inhibition of phosphatases by adenosine 5′‐phosphorothioate (AMPS) was first reported in the late 1960s; however, the structural basis for the inhibition has remained unknown. Here, it is shown that AMPS is a submicromolar inhibitor of class C acid phosphatases, a group of bacterial outer membrane enzymes belonging to the haloacid dehalogenase structural superfamily. Furthermore, the 1.35‐Å resolution crystal structure of the inhibited recombinant Haemophilus influenzae class C acid phosphatase was determined; this is the first structure of a phosphatase complexed with AMPS. The conformation of AMPS is identical to that of the substrate 5′‐AMP, except that steric factors force a rotation of the thiophosphoryl out of the normal phosphoryl‐binding pocket. This conformation is catalytically nonproductive, because the P atom is not positioned optimally for nucleophilic attack by Asp64, and the O atom of the scissile O–P bond is too far from the Asp (Asp66) that protonates the leaving group. The structure of 5′‐AMP complexed with the Asp64→Asn mutant enzyme was also determined at 1.35‐Å resolution. This mutation induces the substrate to adopt the same nonproductive binding mode that is observed in the AMPS complex. In this case, electrostatic considerations, rather than steric factors, underlie the movement of the phosphoryl. The structures not only provide an explanation for the inhibition by AMPS, but also highlight the precise steric and electrostatic requirements of phosphoryl recognition by class C acid phosphatases. Moreover, the structure of the Asp64→Asn mutant illustrates how a seemingly innocuous mutation can cause an unexpected structural change.

Database

Coordinates and structure factor amplitudes are available in the Protein Data Bank database under the accession numbers 3OCZ (rP4–AMPS) and 3SF0 (rP4 D64N–5′‐AMP).
Novel lynx spider toxin shares common molecular architecture with defense peptides from frog skin
Authors: Dubovskii Peter V. , Vassilevski Alexander A. , Samsonova Olga V. , Egorova Natalya S. , Kozlov Sergey A. , Feofanov Alexei V. , Arseniev Alexander S. , Grishin Eugene V.
Published: September 2011

A unique 30‐residue cationic peptide oxyopinin 4a (Oxt 4a) was identified in the venom of the lynx spider Oxyopes takobius (Oxyopidae). Oxt 4a contains a single N‐terminally located disulfide bond, Cys4–Cys10, and is structurally different from any spider toxin studied so far. According to NMR findings, the peptide is disordered in water, but assumes a peculiar torpedo‐like structure in detergent micelles. It features a C‐terminal amphipathic α‐helical segment (body; residues 12–25) and an N‐terminal disulfide‐stabilized loop (head; residues 1–11), and has an unusually high density of positive charge in the head region. Synthetic Oxt 4a was produced and shown to possess strong and broad‐spectrum cytolytic and antimicrobial activity. cDNA cloning showed that the peptide is synthesized in the form of a conventional prepropeptide with an acidic prosequence. Unlike other arachnid toxins, Oxt 4a exhibits striking similarity with defense peptides from the skin of ranid frogs that contain the so‐called Rana‐box motif (a C‐terminal disulfide‐enclosed loop). Parallelism or convergence is apparent on several levels: the structure, function and biosynthesis of a lynx spider toxin are mirrored by those of Rana‐box peptides from frogs.

Database

The protein sequence of oxyopinin 4a (Oxt 4a) has been submitted to the UniProt Knowledgebase (UniProtKB) under the accession number P86350. The coordinates and chemical shifts of Oxt 4a in complex with dodecylphosphocholine micelles have been deposited in the Protein Data Bank and Biological Magnetic Resonance Bank under the accession codes 2L3I and 17194, respectively. The nucleotide sequence encoding Oxt 4a has been submitted to the EMBL Nucleotide Sequence Database under the accession number FN997582.
A Computerised Sampling Strategy for Therapeutic Drug Monitoring of Lithium Provides Precise Estimates and Significantly Reduces Dose‐Finding Time
Authors: Hoegberg Lotte Christine Groth , Jürgens Gesche , Zederkof Vivian Wederking , Holgersson Bettina , Andersson John Erik , Dalhoff Kim Peder , Larsen Ejnar Bundgaard , Angelo Helle Riis
Published: September 2011

Abstract:  The clinical benefit of implementing Bayesian approach for lithium drug monitoring was evaluated. Intervention group (N = 42) and historical control group (N = 55) patients were each divided into two groups: Dosage with immediate‐release lithium carbonate or a sustained‐release formulation, lithium citrate. Bayesian approach was performed in the intervention groups, and estimation of lithium steady‐state trough concentration was obtained from non‐steady‐state blood sample, collected about 12 hr after the first lithium study dose. The estimate was compared with the actually measured steady‐state concentration. In the control group, lithium monitoring was traditionally performed as steady‐state blood sampling. Predicted and measured lithium concentrations were comparable. The desired lithium dose was reached significantly faster in the intervention group compared to control; 2.47 ± 2.22 days versus 9.96 ± 11.24 days (mean ± S.D.) (p = 0.0003). Bayesian approach was an advantage for the clinicians as a fast and safe aid to obtain the optimal lithium treatment dose.
A model for the two component γ-ray spectra observed from the γ-ray binaries
Authors: Bednarek W.
Published: September 2011

Observations of two well-known binary systems (LS 5039 and LS I +61 303) with the satellite and Cherenkov telescopes revealed the broad-band γ-ray spectra which seems to show two components, the first at GeV energies, showing exponential cut-off at a few GeV, and the second at TeV energies which does not fit well to the extrapolation of spectrum from the GeV energy range. We propose that such two component spectrum is produced by two populations of electrons which appear within the binary system as a result of acceleration on a double shock structure separated by a contact discontinuity. Such structure is created within the binary system as a result of the interaction of the pulsar and massive star winds. The shocks from the side of the pulsar and the massive star have different proprieties which allow acceleration of electrons to different maximum energies. These two populations of electrons produce two component γ-ray spectra caused by the Inverse Compton (IC) scattering of stellar radiation. The example calculations, performed in terms of the anisotropic IC e± pair cascade model, for the location of the pulsar at the periastron and apastron passages confirm the high-energy emission features observed from LS I +61 303.