bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The identification of 14 new genes for meat quality traits in chicken using a genome-wide association study
Authors: Sun Yanfa , Zhao Guiping , Liu Ranran , Zheng Maiqing , Hu Yaodong , Wu Dan , Zhang Lei , Li Peng , Wen Jie
Published: July 2013

Background

Meat quality is an important economic trait in chickens. To identify loci and genes associated with meat quality traits, we conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of F2 populations derived from a local Chinese breed (Beijing-You chickens) and a commercial fast-growing broiler line (Cobb-Vantress).

Results

In the present study, 33 association signals were detected from the compressed mixed linear model (MLM) for 10 meat quality traits: dry matter in breast muscle (DMBr), dry matter in thigh muscle (DMTh), intramuscular fat content in breast muscle (IMFBr), meat color lightness (L*) and yellowness (b*) values, skin color L*, a* (redness) and b* values, abdominal fat weight (AbFW) and AbFW as a percentage of eviscerated weight (AbFP). Relative expressions of candidate genes identified near significant signals were compared using samples of chickens with High and Low phenotypic values. A total of 14 genes associated with IMFBr, meat color L*, AbFW, and AbFP, were differentially expressed between the High and Low phenotypic groups. These genes are, therefore, prospective candidate genes for meat quality traits: protein tyrosine kinase (TYRO3) and microsomal glutathione S-transferase 1 (MGST1) for IMFBr; collagen, type I, alpha 2 (COL1A2) for meat color L*; and RET proto-oncogene (RET), natriuretic peptide B (NPPB) and sterol regulatory element binding transcription factor 1 (SREBF1) for the abdominal fat (AbF) traits.

Conclusions

Based on the association signals and differential expression of nearby genes, 14 candidate loci and genes for IMFBr, meat L* and b* values, and AbF are identified. The results provide new insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying meat quality traits in chickens.
Evidence for isolated evolution of deep-sea ciliate communities through geological separation and environmental selection
Authors: Stock Alexandra , Edgcomb Virginia , Orsi William , Filker Sabine , Breiner Hans-Werner , Yakimov Michail M , Stoeck Thorsten
Published: July 2013

Background

Deep hypersaline anoxic basins (DHABs) are isolated habitats at the bottom of the eastern Mediterranean Sea, which originate from the ancient dissolution of Messinian evaporites. The different basins have recruited their original biota from the same source, but their geological evolution eventually constituted sharp environmental barriers, restricting genetic exchange between the individual basins. Therefore, DHABs are unique model systems to assess the effect of geological events and environmental conditions on the evolution and diversification of protistan plankton. Here, we examine evidence for isolated evolution of unicellular eukaryote protistan plankton communities driven by geological separation and environmental selection. We specifically focused on ciliated protists as a major component of protistan DHAB plankton by pyrosequencing the hypervariable V4 fragment of the small subunit ribosomal RNA. Geospatial distributions and responses of marine ciliates to differential hydrochemistries suggest strong physical and chemical barriers to dispersal that influence the evolution of this plankton group.

Results

Ciliate communities in the brines of four investigated DHABs are distinctively different from ciliate communities in the interfaces (haloclines) immediately above the brines. While the interface ciliate communities from different sites are relatively similar to each other, the brine ciliate communities are significantly different between sites. We found no distance-decay relationship, and canonical correspondence analyses identified oxygen and sodium as most important hydrochemical parameters explaining the partitioning of diversity between interface and brine ciliate communities. However, none of the analyzed hydrochemical parameters explained the significant differences between brine ciliate communities in different basins.

Conclusions

Our data indicate a frequent genetic exchange in the deep-sea water above the brines. The “isolated island character” of the different brines, that resulted from geological events and contemporary environmental conditions, create selective pressures driving evolutionary processes, and with time, lead to speciation and shape protistan community composition. We conclude that community assembly in DHABs is a mixture of isolated evolution (as evidenced by small changes in V4 primary structure in some taxa) and species sorting (as indicated by the regional absence/presence of individual taxon groups on high levels in taxonomic hierarchy).
Isolation and characterization of diverse antimicrobial lipopeptides produced by Citrobacter and Enterobacter
Authors: Mandal Santi M , Sharma Shalley , Pinnaka Anil Kumar , Kumari Annu , Korpole Suresh
Published: July 2013

Background

Increasing multidrug-resistance in bacteria resulted in a greater need to find alternative antimicrobial substances that can be used for clinical applications or preservation of food and dairy products. Research on antimicrobial peptides including lipopeptides exhibiting both narrow and broad spectrum inhibition activities is increasing in the recent past. Therefore, the present study was aimed at isolation and characterization of antimicrobial lipopeptide producing bacterial strains from fecal contaminated soil sample.

Results

The phenotypic and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of all isolates identified them as different species of Gram-negative generaCitrobacterandEnterobacter. They exhibited common phenotypic traits like citrate utilization, oxidase negative and facultative anaerobic growth. The HPLC analysis of solvent extracts obtained from cell free fermented broth revealed the presence of multiple antimicrobial lipopeptides. The comprehensive mass spectral analysis (MALDI-TOF MS and GC-MS) of HPLC purified fractions of different isolates revealed that the lipopeptides varied in their molecular weight between (m/z) 607.21 to 1536.16 Da. Isomers of mass ion m/z 984/985 Da was produced by all strains. The 1495 Da lipopeptides produced by strains S-3 and S-11 were fengycin analogues and most active against all strains. While amino acid analysis of lipopeptides suggested most of them had similar composition as in iturins, fengycins, kurstakins and surfactins, differences in their β-hydroxy fatty acid content proposed them to be isoforms of these lipopeptides.

Conclusion

Although antimicrobial producing strains can be used as biocontrol agents in food preservation, strains with ability to produce multiple antimicrobial lipopeptides have potential applications in biotechnology sectors such as pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. This is the first report on antibacterial lipopeptides production by strains ofCitrobacterandEnterobacter.
Fatty liver index correlates with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, but not with newly diagnosed coronary artery atherosclerotic disease in Chinese patients
Authors: Jiang Zhao-Yan , Xu Chen-Ying , Chang Xian-Xing , Li Wei-Wei , Sun Lu-Ying , Yang Xiao-Bo , Yu Li-Fen
Published: July 2013

Background

Fatty liver index (FLI) was recently established to predict non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in general population, which is known to be associated with coronary artery atherosclerotic disease (CAD).

This study aims to investigate whether FLI correlates with NAFLD and with newly diagnosed CAD in a special Chinese population who underwent coronary angiography.

Methods

Patients with CAD (n = 231) and without CAD (n = 482) as confirmed by coronary angiography were included. Among them, 574 patients underwent B-ultrosonography were divided into NAFLD group (n = 209) and non-NAFLD group (n = 365). Correlation between FLI and NAFLD was analyzed using pearson’s correlation. The associations between FLI and NAFLD as well as CAD were assessed using logistic regression. The predictive accuracy of FLI for NAFLD was evaluated using receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis.

Results

FLI was significantly higher in NAFLD group (37.10 ± 1.95) than in non-NAFLD group (17.70 ± 1.04), P < 0.01. FLI correlated with NAFLD (r = 0.372, P < 0.001). The algorithm for FLI had a ROC-AUC of 0.721 (95% CI: 0.678–0.764) in the prediction of NAFLD. Logistic regression analysis showed that FLI was associated with NAFLD (adjusted OR = 1.038, 95% CI: 1.029-1.047, P < 0.01). The proportion of patients with CAD did not differ among the groups of FLI ≤ 30 (32.3%), 30-60 (31.0%), and ≥60 (35.3%). No significant association was found between FLI and CAD (adjusted OR = 0.992, 95% CI: 0.981-1.003 in men and OR = 0.987, 95% CI: 0.963-1.012 in women, P > 0.05).

Conclusions

FLI showed good correlation with NAFLD in patients who underwent coronary angiography, but not with newly diagnosed CAD. This might be underestimated because some patients in non-CAD group may have other underlying cardiovascular diseases.
Clinical features and outcome of cryptogenic hepatocellular carcinoma compared to those of viral and alcoholic hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Lee Sang Soo , Jeong Sook-Hyang , Byoun Young-Sang , Chung Seong Min , Seong Mun Hyuk , Sohn Hyung Rae , Min Bo-young , Jang Eun Sun , Kim Jin-Wook , Park Guan Jung , Lee Yoon Jin , Lee Kyoung Ho , Ahn Soyeon
Published: July 2013

Background

Cryptogenic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is thought to arise due to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This study investigated the prevalence, clinical features, and outcomes of cryptogenic HCC and compared them with those of HCC related to hepatitis B virus infection (HBV-HCC), hepatitis C virus infection (HCV-HCC), and alcohol (ALC-HCC) in Korea.

Methods

The clinical features, treatment modalities, and survival data for 480 patients with HCC consecutively enrolled from January 2003 to June 2012 were analyzed. Computed tomography images were used to measure the visceral fat area (VFA) and liver-spleen density ratio.

Results

Cryptogenic HCC accounted for 6.8% of all HCC cases, whereas HBV-HCC, HCV-HCC, and ALC-HCC accounted for 62.7%, 13.5%, and 10.7% of HCC cases, respectively. The cryptogenic HCC group was characterized by older age, a low proportion of male patients, a high proportion of patients with metabolic syndrome or single nodular presentation, and a low proportion of patients with portal vein invasion compared to the viral-HCC and ALC-HCC groups. However, Child Pugh classes, tumor stages, and overall survival rates of cryptogenic HCC patients were similar to those of patients with HCC of other etiologies. VFA in cryptogenic HCC patients was significantly higher than that in viral-HCC patients, but similar to that in ALC-HCC patients. The liver-spleen density ratio did not vary according to HCC etiology.

Conclusions

Cryptogenic HCC accounts for approximately 7% of HCC cases in Korea, associated with an older age at diagnosis, more frequent occurrence of metabolic syndrome, and less aggressive tumor characteristics, but similar survival compared to viral-HCC or ALC-HCC. Based on VFA and the liver-to-spleen density ratio, cryptogenic HCC may be burnt-out NAFLD in which visceral fat remains but liver fat is depleted.
MiR-214 regulate gastric cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion by targeting PTEN
Authors: Yang Ting-Song , Yang Xiao-Hu , Wang Xu-Dong , Wang Yi-Ling , Zhou Bo , Song Zhen-Shun
Published: July 2013

Background

MicroRNAs are a class of small non-coding RNAs that play an important role in various human tumor initiation and progression by regulating gene expression negatively. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of miR-214 on cell proliferation, migration and invasion, as well as the functional connection between miR-214 and PTEN in gastric cancer.

Methods

miR-214 and PTEN expression was determined in gastric cancer and matched normal tissues, and human gastric cancer cell lines by quantitative real-time PCR. The roles of miR-214 in cell proliferation, migration and invasion were analyzed with anti-miR-214 transfected cells. In addition, the regulation of PTEN by miR-214 was evaluated by Western blotting and luciferase reporter assays.

Results

miR-214 was noted to be highly overexpressed in gastric cancer tissues and cell lines using qRT-PCR. The expression level of miR-214 is significantly associated with clinical progression and poor prognosis according to the analysis of the clinicopathologic data. We also found that the miR-214 levels are inversely correlated with PTEN in tumor tissues. And PTEN expression level is also associated with metastasis and invasion of gastric cancer. In addition, knockdown of miR-214 could significantly inhibit proliferation, migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells. Moreover, we demonstrate that PTEN is regulated negatively by miR-214 through a miR-214 binding site within the 3’-UTR of PTEN at the posttranscriptional level in gastric cancer cells.

Conclusions

These findings indicated that miR-214 regulated the proliferation, migration and invasion by targeting PTEN post-transcriptionally in gastric cancer. It may be a novel potential therapeutic agent for gastric cancer.
Epidemiology of cough in relation to China
Authors: Lai Kefang , Pan Jiayu , Chen Ruchong , Liu Baojuan , Luo Wei , Zhong Nanshan
Published: July 2013

Cough is one of the most common complaints for which patients seek medical attention. Misdiagnosis and mistreatment of cough exist commonly in China. The prevalence of acute cough caused by upper airway infection fluctuates between 9% and 64% in the community, for chronic cough, the prevalence >10% in most surveys, ranging from 7.2%-33%. The common causes of chronic cough are upper airway cough syndrome (previously called as post nasal drip syndrome [PNDS]), cough variant asthma (CVA), gastroesophageal reflux related cough (GERD) and eosinophilic bronchitis (EB). There is a regional discrepancy regarding the prevalence of common causes of cough and distribution of gender among China, UK, USA, the most common cause of chronic cough in China are CVA, followed by UACS, EB and atopic cough (AC), the male is almost equal to female in numbers in China. The risk factors for cough includes cold air, smoking, environmental pollutants, noxious substances and allergens, and unreasonable diet habits.
Maternal sociodemographic characteristics and the use of the Iowa Infant Attitude Feeding Scale to describe breastfeeding initiation and duration in a population of urban, Latina mothers: a prospective cohort study
Authors: Holbrook Katherine E , White Mary C , Heyman Melvin B , Wojcicki Janet M
Published: July 2013

Background

The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months of age. Maternal attitudes toward infant feeding are correlated with chosen feeding method and breastfeeding duration. The Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS) has been used to assess attitudes towards breastfeeding prenatally and is predictive of breastfeeding decisions in certain population groups.

Methods

In a cohort of pregnant Latina women recruited from two hospitals in the San Francisco Bay Area (n=185), we administered the IIFAS prior to delivery. Information regarding feeding choice, maternal sociodemographic information, and anthropometrics were collected at 6 months and 1 year postpartum. Analysis of predictors for breastfeeding initiation, breastfeeding at 6 and 12 months and exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months were evaluated using multivariate logistic regression adjusting for potential confounders.

Results

In our cohort of Latina mothers, breastfeeding a previous infant was associated with breastfeeding initiation (OR 8.29 [95% CI 1.00, 68.40] p = 0.05) and breastfeeding at 6 months (OR 18.34 [95% CI 2.01, 167.24] p = 0.01). College education was associated with increased exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months (OR 58.67 [95% CI 4.97, 692.08] p = 0.001) and having other children was associated with reduced breastfeeding at six months (OR 0.08 [95% CI 0.01, 0.70] p = 0.02). A higher IIFAS score was not associated with breastfeeding initiation, breastfeeding at 6 or 12 months or exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months of age.

Conclusions

Initial choices about breastfeeding will likely influence future breastfeeding decisions, so breastfeeding interventions should specifically target new mothers. Mothers with other children also need additional encouragement to maintain breastfeeding until 6 months of age. The IIFAS, while predictive of breastfeeding decisions in other population groups, was not associated with feeding decisions in our population of Latina mothers.
Human cord blood-derived mononuclear cell transplantation for viral encephalitis-associated cognitive impairment: a case report
Authors: Yang Wan-Zhang , Shu Guo-Jian , Zhang Yun , Wu Fang , Ye Bi-Yu , Hu Xiang
Published: July 2013

Introduction

Herpes simplex virus is the most common cause of sporadic viral encephalitis. Cognitive impairments persist in most patients who survive herpes simplex virus-caused encephalitis after undergoing currently available treatments. This is the first report on the development of human cord blood-derived mononuclear cell transplantation as a new treatment intervention to improve the prognosis of sequelae of viral encephalitis.

Case presentation

An 11-year-old Han Chinese boy developed sequelae of viral encephalitis with cognitive, mental and motor impairments in the 8 months following routine treatments. Since receiving allogeneic cord blood-derived mononuclear cell transplantation combined with comprehensive rehabilitation therapies 7 years ago, the patient’s health has significantly improved and remained stable.

Conclusions

Human cord blood-derived mononuclear cell transplantation may be a potential therapeutic strategy for treating the neuropsychiatric and neurobehavioral sequelae of viral encephalitis.
Synthesis of chemically cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol-co-poly (methacrylic acid) hydrogels by copolymerization; a potential graft-polymeric carrier for oral delivery of 5-fluorouracil
Authors: Minhas Muhammad Usman , Ahmad Mahmood , Ali Liaqat , Sohail Muhammad
Published: July 2013

Background of the Study

The propose of the present work was to develop chemically cross-linked polyvinyl alcohol-co-poly(methacrylic acid) hydrogel (PVA-MAA hydrogel) for pH responsive delivery of 5-Fluorouracil (5-FU).

Methods

PVA based hydrogels were prepared by free radical copolymerization. PVA has been cross-linked chemically with monomer (methacrylic acid) in aqueous medium, cross-linking agent was ethylene glycol di-methacrylate (EGDMA) and benzoyl peroxide was added as reaction initiator. 5-FU was loaded as model drug. FTIR, XRD, TGA and DSC were performed for characterization of copolymer. Surface morphology was studied by SEM. pH sensitive properties were evaluated by swelling dynamics and equilibrium swelling ratio at low and higher pH.

Results

FTIR, XRD, TGA and DSC studies confirmed the formation of new copolymer. Formulations with higher MAA contents showed maximum swelling at 7.4 pH. High drug loading and higher drug release has been observed at pH 7.4.

Conclusions

The current study concludes that a stable copolymeric network of PVA was developed with MAA. The prepared hydrogels were highly pH responsive. This polymeric network could be a potential delivery system for colon targeting of 5-FU in colorectal cancers.
Scorpion venom peptide SPVII promotes irradiated cells proliferation and increases the expression of the IL-3 receptor
Authors: Qiu Yifang , Jiang Liyuan , Wang Caixia , Wang Yan , Li Ting , Xing Baiqian , Zhou Meixun , Kong Tianhan , Dong Weihua
Published: July 2013

Background

The previous investigation demonstrated the radioprotective efficacy of peptides isolated from the venom ofButhus Martti Karsch. In this study, the effect of isolated scorpion venom peptide II (SVPII) on irradiated M-NFS-60 cells and mouse bone marrow mononuclear cells (BM-MNCs) was observed. The AlamarBlue cell viability assay, a colony-forming unit (CFU) assay, flow cytometry (FCM), immunofluorescence, and Western blotting were used to evaluate cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, and the expression of the IL-3 receptor (IL-3R) protein in non-irradiated and irradiated cells.

Results

Proliferation of irradiated M-NFS-60 cells was significantly accelerated by SPVII, and this effect was further enhanced by co-application of IL-3. Similarly, SPVII increased the number of BM-MNC CFUs and this proliferative effect was greater in the presence of SVPII plus IL-3. In addition, SPVII significantly altered cell cycle progression; SVPII enhanced the fraction of unirradiated M-NFS-60 cells in S phase and the fraction of irradiated M-NFS-60 cells arrested in G2/M. The expression of IL-3R protein by unirradiated M-NFS-60 cells was enhanced significantly by SVPII, and SVPII-induced IL-3R overexpression was 10-fold greater in irradiated M-NFS-60 cells.

Conclusions

These results indicated the hematopoietic growth factor (HGF)-like effects of SVPII on irradiated cells, possibly mediated by upregulation of IL-3R.
Mammary gland-derived nestin-positive cell populations can be isolated from human male and female donors
Authors: Richter Anja , Nissen Nicole , Mailänder Peter , Stang Felix , Siemers Frank , Kruse Charli , Danner Sandra
Published: July 2013

Introduction

Nestin-expressing cells isolated from different human tissues reveal self-renewal capacity and a multilineage differentiation potential. In particular, adult stem/progenitor cell populations from exocrine glands such as the pancreas, salivary gland and sweat gland are characterized by prominent nestin expression. Interestingly, human mammary gland histological examinations also demonstrated the existence of nestin-positive cells in the ductal compartments. Within the scope of our previous work we wonder whether an isolation of nestin-positive cell populations from human mammary gland biopsies is possible and what characteristics they have in vitro. Cell populations from both sexes were propagated and subjected to a comparison with other gland-derived cell populations.

Methods

Human mammary tissue biopsies were mechanically and enzymatically treated, and the isolated acini structures were observed with time-lapse microscopy to track adherently outgrowing cells. The proliferation potential of the cell population was assessed by performing growth curves. On the gene and protein levels we investigated the expression of stem cell markers as well as markers indicating multilineage differentiation.

Results

We succeeded in establishing proliferating cell populations from breast tissue biopsies of both sexes. Our results display several similarities to the glandular stem cell populations from other exocrine glands. Beside their proliferation capacity during in vitro culture, the obtained cell populations are characterized by their prominent nestin expression. The cells share surface proteins commonly expressed on adult stem cells. We demonstrated the expression of stem cell-related genes like Oct4, Sox2, KLF4 and Nanog, and confirmed multipotent differentiation capacity by detecting transcripts expressed in endodermal, mesodermal and ectodermal cell types.

Conclusion

With this study we present an efficient procedure for isolation and propagation of nestin-positive stem cells obtained from male and female breast tissue, which is frequently available. The established multipotent cell populations could be easily expanded in vitro and thus hold promise for cell-based therapies and personalized medicine.
Reading Black Reconstruction on the Eve of 1968
Authors: Gambino Ferruccio
Published: July 2013

This reminiscence intends to sketch out the political and intellectual atmosphere in which a minor episode took place within a wide redefinition of political activity: how a tiny but diverse group of young radicals came to read W. E. B. Du Bois’s Black Reconstruction in the second half of 1967 in Milan, Italy. Black Reconstruction struck a responsive chord in those readers because of both its vision of an egalitarian social structure in its formative years and a sense of victory by the exploited and the oppressed in their process of putting an end to slavery. This group of readers was motivated by the ascent of the desegregationist campaigns in the United States and by the anticolonial struggles being waged in Africa and Asia, while Europe remained deeply divided by the barbed wire of the Cold War. It was in that European context that many young people from all kinds of social backgrounds in the 1960s, instead of limiting themselves to the assigned textbooks, took position on crucial issues of world politics.
Gendering the General Strike: W. E. B. Du Bois’sBlack Reconstructionand Black Feminism’s “Propaganda of History”
Authors: Weinbaum Alys Eve
Published: July 2013

This article builds on the premise that there are two periods in the history of racial capitalism during which women’s reproductive labor power has been engineered for profit: the four hundred years of chattel slavery in the Americas, and our biocapitalist present. Black feminist production—including theory, history, and fiction written in the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s—constitutes the principal philosophy of history adequate to the task of revealing this particular feature of the gendered afterlife of slavery and, too, of imagining alternatives to it. Black feminist production should thus be recognized as part and parcel of a long black radical tradition that stretches back to W. E. B. Du Bois’s Black Reconstruction, the text that initially opened up consideration of slave women’s breeding as “work” and of slave women’s protest against reproduction in bondage as an expression of their resistance to slavery. In allowing us to discern otherwise obscured historical continuities between reproductive exploitation in the past and present, black feminism emerges as a privileged political heuristic for biocapitalist times. Indeed, works by Angela Davis, Darlene Clark Hine, Gayl Jones, Octavia Butler, Toni Morrison, and others can be proleptically read as together comprising an extended, collaborative, and multigeneric meditation on enslaved women’s roles in what Du Bois called the “general strike” and thus as offering forward a “freedom dream” of pressing relevance.
Du Bois’s Black Reconstruction and Slave Women’s War for Freedom
Authors: Glymph Thavolia
Published: July 2013

As W. E. B. Du Bois famously posited in Black Reconstruction in America (1935), the Civil War witnessed a massive slave rebellion. The “general strike,” as Du Bois called it, involved directly the flight of hundreds of thousands of slaves and the resistance mounted by those who stayed put and contributed to the destruction of slavery on the South’s plantations and farms and in its cities and towns. This essay suggests, however, that while neither Du Bois nor the scholars who followed him fully grasped the part slave women played in the wartime destruction of slavery, his paradigm-shifting work has the potential to provide a critical opening for this discussion to take place. Like their husbands, fathers, and brothers, enslaved women who engaged the crisis of the Union as an opportunity to secure their freedom risked as much. The Emancipation Proclamation opened a sanctioned path for slave men to pursue freedom through military service. The sanctioned path it offered slave women was also the path of war but without even the veneer of protection black men enjoyed.
Democracy’s Remains: The Hermeneutic Historiography ofBlack Reconstruction
Authors: Fisher Rebecka Rutledge
Published: July 2013

This essay discusses what W. E. B. Du Bois, in Black Reconstruction in America, 1860–1880, sees as the possibilities of black being, even as this being is conditioned by the constrictive and problematic interstitial sites of postbellum, Jim Crow existence that Du Bois names and renames across the vast trajectory of his scholarly career. As I consider Du Bois’s engagement with the hermeneutics of Schleiermacher and Dilthey, I trace his historicization of and inquiry into these interstices and their attendant existential situations. Such situatedness regularly emerges as the conceptual object of what I refer to as Du Bois’s hermeneutic historiographic praxis.
Enhancement of Cost-effectiveness and Activity of Formaldehyde Dehydrogenase by Immobilization onto Mesoporous Silica with an Interparticle Pore Structure
Authors: Masuda Yuichi , Kugimiya Shin-ichi , Kawachi Yuki , Kato Katsuya
Published: July 2013

Mesoporous silica (MPS) materials with cylindrical pore and interparticle mesoporous silica (IPMPS) were synthesized by common sol–gel methods. Using these two types of MPS, we examined the effect of enzyme activity on MPS with different pore structures. We observed that enzymes immobilized on IPMPS showed a higher activity.
Covered Bonds: uma alternativa viável?
Authors: De Andrade Filho Mauro Francisco , Pagano Leonardo , Rocha Ricardo Humberto
Published: July 2013

Especialistas discutem uma nova opção de captação de recursos no mercado imobiliário: os Covered Bonds. Diferentes pontos de vista, da empresa ao investidor qualificado, parecem revelar conclusões diversas. DOI: 10.12660/gvcasosv3n1c1http://dx.doi.org/10.12660/gvcasosv3n1c1
Socorro! Onde estão os relatórios?
Authors: De Souza Mariana , Cunha Maria Alexandra
Published: July 2013

Uma empresa fabricante de motores enfrenta problemas com a adaptação da nova gerente de logística à cultura da organização e com dificuldades no relacionamento entre líder e colaboradores. DOI: 10.12660/gvcasosv3n1c2 http://dx.doi.org/10.12660/gvcasosv3n1c2
A Internacionalização da B2W Companhia Global de Varejo
Authors: Gloria Tiago Barbosa , Da Rocha Angela , Levy Barbara Pagliari
Published: July 2013

Devido à entrada de grandes varejistas no comércio eletrônico, a B2W, maior empresa de e-commerce da América Latina, começou a perder espaço no Brasil. Intensificar a expansão internacional aparece como opção estratégica, ainda que tenha também seus riscos.DOI: 10.12660/gvcasosv3n1c3http://dx.doi.org/10.12660/gvcasosv3n1c3
Os ambientes de negócios e os desafios para a criação de uma marca própria: o caso da Vella
Authors: De Almeida Luciene Nascimento , Garcia Rodrigo Antonio
Published: July 2013

A Vella tem sua história ligada à produção confecção de roupas para grandes grifes. Alguns sócios se questionavam se não era chegado o momento de lançar sua própria marca de roupas masculinas.DOI: 10.12660/gvcasosv3n1c4 http://dx.doi.org/10.12660/gvcasosv3n1c4
Covered Bonds: uma alternativa viável? (Notas de ensino)
Authors: De Andrade Filho Mauro Francisco , Pagano Leonardo , Humberto Rocha Ricardo
Published: July 2013

DOI: 10.12660/gvcasosv3n1n1http://dx.doi.org/10.12660/gvcasosv3n1n1
Socorro! Onde estão os relatórios? (Notas de ensino)
Authors: De Souza Mariana , Cunha Maria Alexandra
Published: July 2013

DOI: 10.12660/gvcasosv3n1n2http://dx.doi.org/10.12660/gvcasosv3n1n2
A Internacionalização da B2W Companhia Global de Varejo (Notas de ensino)
Authors: Barbosa Gloria Tiago , Da Rocha Angela , Pagliari Levy Barbara
Published: July 2013

DOI: 10.12660/gvcasosv3n1n3http://dx.doi.org/10.12660/gvcasosv3n1n3
The recent history of financial inclusion in Autazes (Notas de ensino)
Authors: Birochi Rene , Ara Peerally Jahan , Pozzebon Marlei
Published: July 2013

DOI: 10.12660/gvcasosv3n1n5http://dx.doi.org/10.12660/gvcasosv3n1n5
Everyday Life of Young Adults With Intellectual Disabilities: Inclusionary and Exclusionary Processes Among Young Adults of Parents With Intellectual Disability
Authors: Starke Mikaela
Published: July 2013

Ten young adults with an intellectual disability whose parents, too, have an intellectual disability were interviewed and completed questionnaires for this exploratory study aimed at charting their experiences of everyday life. Most of the participants reported high life satisfaction, especially with the domains of friends, leisure time, and family, and considered their families as a resource for their empowerment and development of resilience. The study participants' informal networks were composed of only a few individuals who, moreover, were mostly of dissimilar age and also included support professionals. The participants typically described themselves as excluded from others, an experience that was articulated most conspicuously in their narratives about the special schools they were attending.
Transferring Young People With Profound Intellectual and Multiple Disabilities From Pediatric to Adult Medical Care: Parents' Experiences and Recommendations
Authors: Bindels-de Heus Karen G. C. B. , van Staa AnneLoes , van Vliet Ingeborg , Ewals Frans V. P. M. , Hilberink Sander R.
Published: July 2013

Many children with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities (PIMD) now reach adulthood. The aim of this study was to elicit parents' experiences with the transfer from pediatric to adult medical care. A convenience sample of 131 Dutch parents of young people with PIMD (16–26 years) completed a web-based questionnaire. Twenty-two percent of the young persons were still in pediatric care; 22% of the others had no care coordinator, although their health needs were the same. Parents valued the care provided by the pediatrician, and wished to see it continued. They were critical about how they had been prepared for transfer to adult care. Parents provided suggestions to improve transitional care, such as early start, information provision, and a joint consultation between pediatric and adult care.
Interactions Between Turkish Mothers and Preschool Children With Autism
Authors: Diken Ozlem , Mahoney Gerald
Published: July 2013

This study explored the relationship between Turkish mothers' style of interaction and the engagement of their preschool-aged children with autism. Data were collected from fifty mother–child dyads in which all children had diagnoses of autism. Video recordings of mother–child interaction were analyzed using the Turkish versions of the Maternal Behavior Rating Scale and the Child Behavior Rating Scale (O. Diken, 2009). Similar to mothers from Western countries, Turkish mothers tended to engage in highly directive interactions with their children. However, a cluster analysis revealed considerable variability in mothers' style of interaction. This included a directive nonengaged style, a directive/achievement-oriented style, and a responsive style of interaction. Children's level of engagement was associated with differences in mothers' style of interaction. Children were least engaged with directive/nonengaged mothers and most engaged with responsive mothers. However, children's engagement was only associated with their mothers' responsiveness, not with their directiveness. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for early intervention.
Zinc-Modified MCM-22 as Potential Solid acid Catalyst for Friedel–Crafts Alkylation Reaction
Authors: V. Lande Sharad , Sakthivel, A. , Murthy K. V. V. S. B. S. R. , Sreedharan Unnikrishnan , Das Jagannath , Vir Jasra Raksh
Published: July 2013

In this paper, we report loading of ZnCl2 on microporous medium pore high surface area zeolite, which was achieved by incipient wetness method. The zinc-modified mobil composite material
-22 (Zn-MCM-22) was systematically characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption-desorption analysis, scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The acidity of the materials was studied by temperature programmed desorption of ammonia analysis. The well-characterized Zn-MCM-22 catalyst was investigated for the Friedel–Crafts alkylation of benzene by benzyl chloride in liquid phase medium. A systematic investigation of various operating parameters like effect of different temperature, catalyst loading and reactant molar ratio was carried out. The Zn-MCM-22 found to be promising, further the catalytic activity remains stable over several recycles.
Mutation Rates, Spectra, and Genome-Wide Distribution of Spontaneous Mutations in Mismatch Repair Deficient Yeast
Authors: Lang Gregory I , Parsons Lance , Gammie Alison E
Published: July 2013

DNA mismatch repair is a highly conserved DNA repair pathway. In humans, germline mutations in hMSH2 or hMLH1, key components of mismatch repair, have been associated with Lynch syndrome, a leading cause of inherited cancer mortality. Current estimates of the mutation rate and the mutational spectra in mismatch repair defective cells are primarily limited to a small number of individual reporter loci. Here we use the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae to generate a genome-wide view of the rates, spectra, and distribution of mutation in the absence of mismatch repair. We performed mutation accumulation assays and next generation sequencing on 19 strains, including 16 msh2 missense variants implicated in Lynch cancer syndrome. The mutation rate for DNA mismatch repair null strains was approximately 1 mutation per genome per generation, 225-fold greater than the wild-type rate. The mutations were distributed randomly throughout the genome, independent of replication timing. The mutation spectra included insertions/deletions at homopolymeric runs (87.7%) and at larger microsatellites (5.9%), as well as transitions (4.5%) and transversions (1.9%). Additionally, repeat regions with proximal repeats are more likely to be mutated. A bias toward deletions at homopolymers and insertions at (AT)n microsatellites suggests a different mechanism for mismatch generation at these sites. Interestingly, 5% of the single base pair substitutions might represent double-slippage events that occurred at the junction of immediately adjacent repeats, resulting in a shift in the repeat boundary. These data suggest a closer scrutiny of tumor suppressors with homopolymeric runs with proximal repeats as the potential drivers of oncogenesis in mismatch repair defective cells.
The Developmental Transcriptome of the Mosquito Aedes aegypti, an Invasive Species and Major Arbovirus Vector
Authors: Akbari Omar S , Antoshechkin Igor , Amrhein Henry , Williams Brian , Diloreto Race , Sandler Jeremy , Hay Bruce A
Published: July 2013

Mosquitoes are vectors of a number of important human and animal diseases. The development of novel vector control strategies requires a thorough understanding of mosquito biology. To facilitate this, we used RNA-seq to identify novel genes and provide the first high-resolution view of the transcriptome throughout development and in response to blood feeding in a mosquito vector of human disease, Aedes aegypti, the primary vector for Dengue and yellow fever. We characterized mRNA expression at 34 distinct time points throughout Aedes development, including adult somatic and germline tissues, by using polyA+ RNA-seq. We identify a total of 14,238 novel new transcribed regions corresponding to 12,597 new loci, as well as many novel transcript isoforms of previously annotated genes. Altogether these results increase the annotated fraction of the transcribed genome into long polyA+ RNAs by more than twofold. We also identified a number of patterns of shared gene expression, as well as genes and/or exons expressed sex-specifically or sex-differentially. Expression profiles of small RNAs in ovaries, early embryos, testes, and adult male and female somatic tissues also were determined, resulting in the identification of 38 new Aedes-specific miRNAs, and ~291,000 small RNA new transcribed regions, many of which are likely to be endogenous small-interfering RNAs and Piwi-interacting RNAs. Genes of potential interest for transgene-based vector control strategies also are highlighted. Our data have been incorporated into a user-friendly genome browser located at www.Aedes.caltech.edu, with relevant links to Vectorbase (www.vectorbase.org)
Transoral C2 biopsy and vertebroplasty
Authors: Kaminsky Ian A. , Härtl Roger , Sigounas Dimitri , Mlot Stefan , Patsalides Athos
Published: July 2013

Pathologic fractures involving the C2 vertebral body and odontoid process pose a unique dilemma, as the surgical approach for direct odontoid process screw fixation has several limitations. There have been a small number of transoral approach C2 vertebroplasty or kyphoplasty reported in the literature. Previous attempts were performed utilizing fluoroscopy or CT guidance. We report a case of a fluoroscopically guided transoral approach vertebroplasty in a patient with a lytic lesion involving the C2 vertebral body, extending into the odontoid process with an underlying pathologic fracture. This case is unique as two separate punctures were required in order to adequately stabilize the pathologic fracture, CTA was performed preoperatively to better evaluate regional vasculature, and a post-procedure rotational flat panel CT was performed to assess cement placement.
The Influence of Low-Level Laser on Osseointegration Around Machined and Sandblasted Acid-Etched Implants: A Removal Torque and Histomorphometric Analyses
Authors: Teixeira Eduardo Rolim , Torres Marco Antônio Rambo Osório , Meyer Kleber Ricardo Monteiro , Zani Sabrina Rebollo , Shinkai Rosemary Sadami Arai , Grossi Márcio Lima
Published: July 2013

Evaluation of the influence of laser application on osseointegration around implants with different surface characteristics is limited. This study aims to evaluate the influence of low-level lasers on the early stages of osseointegration. Ninety-six external hex implants (3.75 mm × 5.0 mm) were placed in 24 rabbits—one machined and one sandblasted acid-etched per tibia. The rabbits were later divided into the laser group, which received a total dose of 24 J/cm2 of gallium-aluminum-arsenide laser over 15 days, and a control group. At 16 and 30 days after surgery, removal torque and histomorphometric analyses were performed. No statistical differences in removal torque or histomorphometric analyses were verified between laser and control groups regardless of implant surface (P > .05). Time was the only variable presenting significant differences between measurements (P < .05). Low-level laser had no significant short-term effect on bone-to-implant contact and removal torque values regardless of implant surface characteristics.
How wide is a stream? Spatial extent of the potential “stream signature” in terrestrial food webs using meta‐analysis
Authors: Muehlbauer Jeffrey D. , Collins Scott F. , Doyle Martin W. , Tockner Klement
Published: July 2013

The magnitude of cross‐ecosystem resource subsidies is increasingly well recognized; however, less is known about the distance these subsidies travel into the recipient landscape. In streams and rivers, this distance can delimit the “biological stream width,” complementary to hydro‐geomorphic measures (e.g., channel banks) that have typically defined stream ecosystem boundaries. In this study we used meta‐analysis to define a “stream signature” on land that relates the stream‐to‐land subsidy to distance. The 50% stream signature, for example, identifies the point on the landscape where subsidy resources are still at half of their maximum (in‐ or near‐stream) level. The decay curve for these data was best fit by a negative power function in which the 50% stream signature was concentrated near stream banks (1.5 m), but a non‐trivial (10%) portion of the maximum subsidy level was still found >0.5 km from the water's edge. The meta‐analysis also identified explanatory variables that affect the stream signature. This improves our understanding of ecosystem conditions that permit spatially extensive subsidy transmission, such as in highly productive, middle‐order streams and rivers. Resultant multivariate models from this analysis may be useful to managers implementing buffer rules and conservation strategies for stream and riparian function, as they facilitate prediction of the extent of subsidies. Our results stress that much of the subsidy remains near the stream, but also that subsidies (and aquatic organisms) are capable of long‐distance dispersal into adjacent environments, and that the effective “biological stream width” of stream and river ecosystems is often much larger than has been defined by hydro‐geomorphic metrics alone. Limited data available from marine and lake sources overlap well with the stream signature data, indicating that the “signature” approach may also be applicable to subsidy spatial dynamics across other ecosystems.
Skin-to-Skin Contact Diminishes Pain From Hepatitis B Vaccine Injection in Healthy Full-Term Neonates
Authors: Kostandy Raouth , Anderson Gene C. , Good Marion
Published: July 2013

Abstract

Purpose: This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that skin-to-skin contact (SSC) would reduce hepatitis B vaccine injection pain in full-term neonates.

Design: Randomized controlled trial (RCT).

Sample: Thirty-six mother–neonate dyads were randomly assigned to SSC or control groups.

Main Outcomes: Cry time (CT), behavioral state (BSt), and heart rate (HR) were measured throughout the 16-minute protocol. HR and BSt were measured every 30 seconds; CT was recorded continuously.

Results: SSC neonates cried less compared with controls (23 vs 32 seconds during injection; 16 vs 72 seconds during recovery), reached calmer BSts sooner (M = 2.8 vs M = 6.5 time points), and trended toward more rapid HR decrease. SSC as described was safe and effective and merits further testing.
The Integrated Web Portal for Escalation with Overdose Control (EWOC)
Authors: Wang Haibin , Tighiouart Mourad , Huang Shao-Chi , Berel Dror , Cook-Wiens Galen , Bresee Catherine , Li Quanlin , Rogatko André
Published: July 2013

In this paper, we present the design and implementation of a novel web portal for the cancer phase I clinical trial design method Escalation with Overdose Control (EWOC). The web portal has two major components: a web-based dose finding calculator; and a standalone and downloadable dose finding software which can be installed on Windows operating systems. The web-based dose finding calculator uses industry standards and is a database-driven and distributed computing platform for designing and conducting dose finding in cancer phase I clinical trials utilizing EWOC methodology. The web portal is developed using open source software: PHP, JQuery, R and OpenBUGS. It supports any standard browsers with internet connection. The web portal can be accessed at: http://biostatistics.csmc.edu.
Interview: European collaboration in relative effectiveness assessment: the use of patient registries and development of common guidelines
Authors: Goettsch Wim
Published: July 2013

Wim Goettsch
is currently the Project Leader of Work Package 5 of the European Network of Health Technology Assessment (EUnetHTA) Joint Action 2 (2012–2015). EUnetHTA is a network of the health technology assessment organizations in Europe responsible for advising or deciding on the national reimbursement of pharmaceuticals and other health technologies. In this work package, rapid joint assessments of the relative effectiveness of pharmaceuticals are piloted between more than 25 health technology assessment organizations around Europe. These pilots are based on the methodology that was developed in a similar work package in EUnetHTA JA1 (2010–2012), of which Dr Goettsch was also the Project Leader. Until the beginning of 2013, Dr Goettsch was the Deputy Secretary of the Medicinal Products Reimbursement Committee at Dutch Healthcare Insurance Board (CVZ). The Dutch Medicinal Products Reimbursement Committee advises the Dutch Minister of Health on whether new drugs need to be included in the basic insurance package. Before joining CVZ, he worked as a research manager for the PHARMO Institute (Utrecht, The Netherlands) and was responsible for the coordination of numerous pharmacoepidemiological and outcomes studies for international offices of pharmaceutical companies, such as AstraZeneca, Novartis, Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline. Dr Goettsch has approximately 50 publications in peer-reviewed international journals.