bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modelling the 20th and 21st century evolution of Hoffellsjökull glacier, SE-Vatnajökull, Iceland
Authors: Aðalgeirsdóttir G. , Guðmundsson S. , Björnsson H. , Pálsson F. , Jóhannesson T. , Hannesdóttir H. , Sigurðsson S. Þ. , Berthier E.
Published: April 2011

Abstract. The Little Ice Age maximum extent of glaciers in Iceland was reached about 1890 AD and most glaciers in the country have retreated during the 20th century. A model for the surface mass balance and the flow of glaciers is used to reconstruct the 20th century retreat history of Hoffellsjökull, a south-flowing outlet glacier of Vatnajökull, which is located close to the southeast coast of Iceland. The bedrock topography was surveyed with radio-echo soundings in 2001. A wealth of data are available to force and constrain the model, e.g. surface elevation maps from ~1890, 1936, 1946, 1986, 2001, 2008 and 2010, mass balance observations conducted in 1936–1938 and after 2001, energy balance measurements after 2001, and glacier surface velocity derived by DGPS and correlation of SPOT5 images. The 21% volume loss of this glacier in the period 1895–2010 is realistically simulated with the model. After calibration of the model with past observations, it is used to simulate the future response of the glacier during the 21st century. The mass balance model was forced with an ensemble of temperature and precipitation scenarios from a study of the effect of climate change on energy production in the Nordic countries (the CES project). If the average climate of 2000–2009 is maintained into the future, the volume of the glacier is projected to be reduced by 30% with respect to the present at the end of this century, and the glacier will almost disappear if the climate warms as suggested by most of the climate change scenarios. Runoff from the glacier is predicted to increase for the next 30–40 years and decrease after that as a consequence of the diminishing ice-covered area.
Treatment of Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head with Core Decompression and Bone Grafting
Authors: Wei Biao Fang , Ge Xiang Hua
Published: April 2011

Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is a disorder that can lead to femoral head collapse. Various procedures have been advocated to avert the need for total hip replacement. These include vascularised and non-vascularised bone grafting procedures. We examined the effect of core decompression combined with an allogeneic, antigen-extracted, autolysed fibular allograft and autologous impacted bone grafting for the treatment of osteonecrosis of the femoral head. The study included 162 patients (223 hips; 61 females, 101 males; mean age 33.5 years, range 19–54 years) with stage II–III avascular necrosis of the femoral head according to the ARCO (Association Research Circulation Osseous) classification. The outcome was determined by changes in the Harris hip score, by progression in radiographic stages, and by the need for hip replacement. The mean follow-up was 24 months (range 7–42 months). Statistical evaluation included Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.

The mean Harris hip score increased from 61 to 85. Excellent and good results were obtained in 93.3% of cases in stage II, and 87% in stages III with a survivorship of 81% in all cases.

Core decompression combined with an allogeneic, antigen-extracted, autolysed fibular allograft and autologous impacted bone grafting may be the treatment of choice, particularly in the precollapse stage.
A Prospective Randomised Study of Periprosthetic Femoral Bone Remodeling Using Four Different Bearings in Hybrid Total Hip Arthroplasty
Authors: Zerahn Bo , Borgwardt Lotte , Ribel-Madsen Søren , Borgwardt Arne
Published: April 2011

We performed a study to assess whether different bearing materials have an impact on femoral bone remodeling within the first four years after a hybrid total hip arthroplasty.

205 of 300 patients were available for 4 years follow-up after being randomly allocated to four prosthetic combinations: A: Zirconia ceramic head, polyethylene cup; B: Cobalt-Chrome-Molybdenum head and cup; C: Zirconia ceramic head, polyethylene moulded on the Titanium shell of the Asian cup; D: Alumina head and cup. Bone mineral density (BMD) was measured with Dual-Energy X-ray Absorptiometry in seven Gruen zones adjacent to the femoral implant. Scans were performed within one week after surgery and four years postoperatively. Clinical outcomes were monitored using the Oxford Hip Score (OHS).

A high proportion of patients from group D were excluded due to re-operations (19 patients). BMD decreased significantly in all Gruen zones with the largest declines in group D. BMD changes in Gruen zones 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 correlated with height, and body weight. Advanced age was associated with an increase in bone loss in Gruen zones 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7. A large stem size was associated with a decline in BMD in Gruen zones 1, 6, and 7.

Bone remodeling after total hip arthroplasty may depend on the composition of bearing materials, but age, height, weight, and stem size are also related to changes in BMD.
Component Dissociation after Closed Reduction of Dual Mobility Sockets - A Report of Three Cases
Authors: Stigbrand Hampus , Ullmark Gösta
Published: April 2011

Dual mobility sockets have been introduced in recent years to manage cases of potential instability after hip arthroplasty, and their use is increasing in revision surgery. We present 3 cases of intra-prosthetic dissociation between the outer polyethylene liner and the femoral head after closed reduction of prosthetic dislocation.
Das Projekt NaWi‐aktiv
Authors: Höffler Tim N. , Lüthjohann Frank , Bertelsen Gesine , Demuth Reinhard , Parchmann Ilka
Published: April 2011

Leistungsschwächere Kinder der fünften und sechsten Jahrgangsstufe mit ihren oft unentdeckten und wenig geförderten Talenten sind die Zielgruppe des Projektes NaWi‐aktiv. Eine Förderung naturwissenschaftlicher Kompetenzen und Interessen wird mit der Weiterentwicklung anderer Fähigkeiten und des allgemeinen Selbstkonzepts der Kinder verbunden. Dieser Beitrag stellt das an fünf Pilotschulen in Schleswig‐Holstein realisierte Projekt mit seiner Kombination aus wöchentlicher Naturwissenschafts‐Arbeitsgemeinschaft und einwöchigen „Forschercamps“ vor und berichtet von ersten Ergebnissen der Evaluation.
Small cell variant of malignant melanoma masquerading as lymphoma on fine‐needle aspiration cytology: A case report
Authors: Buehler Darya , Waknitz Michelle , Rehrauer William , Ranheim Erik , Selvaggi Suzanne
Published: April 2011

The morphologic and immunohistochemical diversity of malignant melanoma is well known to pathologists but despite this widespread awareness the diagnosis remains a constant challenge, particularly when a noncutaneous or metastatic tumor is evaluated by fine‐needle aspiration cytology. We present a case of the small cell variant of malignant melanoma mimicking lymphoma in a 78‐year‐old previously healthy male who presented with multiple pulmonary masses and a right‐sided pleural effusion. This particular case was also immunoreactive for the hematopoietic marker CD43, a feature not previously reported in malignant melanoma. Cytologic, histologic, and immunohistochemical features of this case are presented and discussed. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Maxillary cementifying fibroma: A case report with fine‐needle aspiration cytology highlighting the expanding role of e‐medicine in cytopathologist collaborations
Authors: Sivasubramaniam Vanathi , Faduyile Francis , Zarka Matthew A. , Deery Alastair , Field Andrew
Published: April 2011

Cementifying fibroma is an uncommon fibro‐osseous lesion presenting in the oral cavity, which may present in children as an aggressive juvenile subtype of either psammomatoid or trabecular variant. Appropriate management, to achieve local control and prevent destructive expansion, requires early diagnosis, which fine‐needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) can provide rapidly in a minimally invasive manner. The role of FNAC is even more powerful in situations where medical facilities are limited or where surgical biopsy is contraindicated. We report a case of a 6‐year‐old boy from Lagos, Nigeria, whose initial diagnosis of cementifying fibroma was made on photographed digital images in jpeg format of FNAC slides, which were then emailed as attachments to Sydney, Australia and to Scottsdale, USA. The tumor was subsequently confirmed as a juvenile trabecular variant of cementifying fibroma on histopathology on a surgical excision in London, United Kingdom. The ability to electronically send cytopathology images around the world for a definitive second opinion is a practical example of the power of e‐medicine to achieve an accurate FNAC diagnosis. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
TGF‐β limits IL‐33 production and promotes the resolution of colitis through regulation of macrophage function
Authors: Rani Reena , Smulian Alan G. , Greaves David R. , Hogan Simon P. , Herbert De'Broski R.
Published: April 2011

Mϕs promote tissue injury or repair depending on their activation status and the local cytokine milieu. It remains unclear whether the immunosuppressive effects of transforming growth factor β (TGF‐β) serve a nonredundant role in Mϕ function in vivo. We generated Mϕ‐specific transgenic mice that express a truncated TGF‐β receptor II under control of the CD68 promoter (CD68TGF‐βDNRII) and subjected these mice to the dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) model of colitis. CD68TGF‐βDNRII mice have an impaired ability to resolve colitic inflammation as demonstrated by increased lethality, granulocytic inflammation, and delayed goblet cell regeneration compared with transgene negative littermates. CD68TGF‐βDNRII mice produce significantly less IL‐10, but have increased levels of IgE and numbers of IL‐33+ Mϕs than controls. These data are consistent with associations between ulcerative colitis and increased IL‐33 production in humans and suggest that TGF‐β may promote the suppression of intestinal inflammation, at least in part, through direct effects on Mϕ function.
Th17 differentiation is the default program for DPP2‐deficient T‐cell differentiation
Authors: Mele Deanna A. , Sampson James F. , Huber Brigitte T.
Published: April 2011

Dipeptidyl peptidase 2 (DPP2) is an N‐terminal dipeptidase, required for maintaining lymphocytes in a resting state. Mutant mice with T‐cell‐specific knock‐down (kd) of DPP2 (lck‐DPP2 kd) were generated and analyzed for their phenotype. Normal thymocyte development and a modest increase in the proportions of peripheral T cells were observed in these mice compared with littermate controls. Interestingly, the peripheral T cells were hyperactive upon TCR stimulation in vitro, although they did not express any activation markers. Furthermore, CD3‐crosslinking in the naïve CD4+ and CD8+ T cells of lck‐DPP2 kd mice resulted mainly in IL‐17 production. Similarly, the mutant T cells secreted primarily IL‐17 after in vivo priming and in vitro antigen‐specific restimulation. These data suggest that IL‐17 production is the default program for T‐cell differentiation in the absence of DPP2. Thus, DPP2 seems to impose a threshold for quiescent T cells, preventing them from drifting into cell cycle.
Rigid Luminescent Bis‐Zinc(II)–Bis‐Cyclen Complexes for the Detection of Phosphate Anions and Non‐Covalent Protein Labeling in Aqueous Solution
Authors: Bhuyan Mouchumi , Katayev Evgeny , Stadlbauer Stefan , Nonaka Hiroshi , Ojida Akio , Hamachi Itaru , König Burkhard
Published: April 2011

A series of water‐soluble bis‐ and tetrakis‐ZnII–cyclen complexes with rigid structures was prepared to enhance the carboxylate and phosphate ion binding response in contrast to analogues with less‐confined molecular structures. Boc‐protected 6‐chloro‐1,3,5‐triazine–bis‐cyclen was coupled to different aryl and alkyl moieties in moderate to high yields and subsequently converted into the corresponding bis‐ or tetrakis‐ZnII–cyclen complexes. The bis‐ZnII–cyclen moiety is known for its affinity to anions. Depending on the arene substituent some of the synthesized synthetic receptors are luminescent. They were studied by absorption and emission spectroscopy for their response to the presence of phosphate anions of biological relevance in buffered aqueous solution at neutral pH and for their affinity to the genetically encodable oligoaspartate and glutamate sequences (D4 and E4 tag) recently introduced. The rigid structures of the compounds enhance the electronic coupling between the metal complex binding site and the reporter dye. This leads to an increased anion binding response in homogeneous aqueous solution.
Psychological resilience in young and older adults
Authors: Gooding P. A. , Hurst A. , Johnson J. , Tarrier N.
Published: April 2011

Background

The goal of the current study was to investigate psychological resilience in the older adults (>64 years) compared with that of the young ones (<26 years).

Methods

Questionnaire measures of depression, hopelessness, general health and resilience were administered to the participants. The resilience measure comprised three sub‐scales of social support, emotional regulation and problem solving.

Results

The older adults were the more resilient group especially with respect to emotional regulation ability and problem solving. The young ones had more resilience related to social support. Poor perceptions of general health and low energy levels predicted low levels of resilience regardless of age. Low hopelessness scores also predicted greater resilience in both groups. Experiencing higher levels of mental illness and physical dysfunction predicted high resilience scores especially for the social support resilience scale in the older adults. The negative effects of depression on resilience related to emotional regulation were countered by low hopelessness but only in the young adults.

Conclusions

These results highlight the importance of maintaining resilience‐related coping skills in both young and older adults but indicate that different psychological processes underlie resilience across the lifespan. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Excitation profiles of resonant coherent Raman scattering by impurity molecules
Authors: Tehver Imbi , Kaasik Helle , Hizhnyakov Vladimir
Published: April 2011

The amplitudes and the excitation profiles of coherent resonant Raman scattering (coherent anti‐Stokes and Stokes Raman scattering (CARS and CSRS)) by impurity centers in crystals and/or molecules in solutions are studied, taking into account the coherence of the excited mode and the inhomogeneity of the environment. The CARS and CSRS excitation profiles can directly be related to one‐photon absorption when using the transform theory known from spontaneous resonant Raman scattering. The enlargement of the amplitude of the active mode reveals itself in an enhancement of the vibrational overtones. At large amplitudes, a splitting in the profiles caused by the contribution of two turning points of a strong coherent vibration is observed. The inhomogeneous broadening is different in the excitation profiles of CARS and CSRS. The overlapping contributions to spectrally narrow and broad transitions lead to Fano peculiarities. The effects are illustrated by model calculations. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A novel algorithm for detection of adverse drug reaction signals using a hospital electronic medical record database
Authors: Park Man Young , Yoon Dukyong , Lee KiYoung , Kang Seok Yun , Park Inwhee , Lee Suk‐Hyang , Kim Woojae , Kam Hye Jin , Lee Young‐Ho , Kim Ju Han , Park Rae Woong
Published: April 2011

Purpose

Quantitative analytic methods are being increasingly used in postmarketing surveillance. However, currently existing methods are limited to spontaneous reporting data and are inapplicable to hospital electronic medical record (EMR) data. The principal objectives of this study were to propose a novel algorithm for detecting the signals of adverse drug reactions using EMR data focused on laboratory abnormalities after treatment with medication, and to evaluate the potential use of this method as a signal detection tool.

Methods

We developed an algorithm referred to as the Comparison on Extreme Laboratory Test results, which takes an extreme representative value pair according to the types of laboratory abnormalities on the basis of each patient's medication point. We used 10 years' EMR data from a tertiary teaching hospital, containing 32 033 710 prescriptions and 115 241 147 laboratory tests for 530 829 individual patients. Ten drugs were selected randomly for analysis, and 51 laboratory values were matched. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the algorithm were calculated.

Results

The mean number of detected laboratory abnormality signals for each drug was 27 (±7.5). The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the algorithm were 64–100%, 22–76%, 22–75%, and 54–100%, respectively.

Conclusion

The results of this study demonstrated that the Comparison on Extreme Laboratory Test results algorithm described herein was extremely effective in detecting the signals characteristic of adverse drug reactions. This algorithm can be regarded as a useful signal detection tool, which can be routinely applied to EMR data. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Protein acetylation in prokaryotes
Authors: Jones Joshua D. , O'Connor C. David
Published: April 2011

Protein acetylation plays a critical regulatory role in eukaryotes but until recently its significance and function in bacteria and the archaea were obscure. It is now clear, however, that prokaryotes have the capacity to acetylate both the α‐amino groups of N‐terminal residues and the ε‐amino groups of lysine side chains. In this review, we bring together information indicating that such acetylation is widespread and that it is likely to regulate fundamental cellular processes. We particularly focus on lysine acetylation, which recent studies show can occur in proteins involved in transcription, translation, pathways associated with central metabolism and stress responses. Intriguingly, specific acetylated lysine residues map to critical regions in the three‐dimensional structures of key proteins, e.g. to active sites or to surfaces that dock with other major cellular components. Like phosphorylation, acetylation appears to be an ancient reversible modification that can be present at multiple sites in proteins, thereby potentially producing epigenetic combinatorial complexity. It may be particularly important in regulating central metabolism in prokaryotes due to the requirement for acetyl‐CoA and NAD+ for protein acetyltransferases and Sir2‐type deacetylases, respectively.
Endoscopic ultrasound‐guided injection therapy for hepatobiliary disease
Authors: Ponnudurai Ryan , Sachithanandan S. , George A.
Published: April 2011

Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)‐guided injection therapy is the new frontier in the management of patients with hepatobiliary disease. Celiac plexus block/neurolysis was the first form of injection therapy and has been validated in many subsequent trials. Cyst ablation therapy, fiducial insertion, angiography, portal hypertensive therapy, endoscopic portosystemic shunt creation, portal vein embolization and injection of chemotherapeutic/biologic agents for antitumor therapy are more recent uses and will be discussed. Celiac plexus neurolysis is currently well established in providing adjunct pain control in patients with advanced malignancy. There are limited data available for its use in benign conditions. EUS‐guided ablative therapy for pancreatic cysts remains an area for future research but seems to have a role for small thin‐walled non‐septated cysts. EUS‐guided implantation of fiducials is technically feasible but its exact impact on tumor regression is unknown. Several case reports have documented EUS‐guided alcohol and thrombin injection into pseudoaneurysms and cyanoacrylate and coil embolization for variceal therapy. Injection of viral vectors and immunomodulating cell cultures as antitumor therapy has been described but the evidence is still preliminary and further data are awaited.
Reversal of gastrointestinal carcinoma‐induced immunosuppression and induction of antitumoural immunity by a combination of cyclophosphamide and gene transfer of IL‐12
Authors: Malvicini Mariana , Ingolotti Mariana , Piccioni Flavia , Garcia Mariana , Bayo Juan , Atorrasagasti Catalina , Alaniz Laura , Aquino Jorge B. , Espinoza Jaime A. , Gidekel Manuel , Scharovsky O. Graciela , Matar Pablo , Mazzolini Guillermo
Published: April 2011

Immunotherapy‐based strategies for gastrointestinal carcinomas (GIC) have been exploited so far, but these approaches have to face strong mechanisms of immune escape induced by tumours. We previously demonstrated that sub‐therapeutic doses of an adenovirus expressing IL‐12 genes (AdIL‐12) mediated a potent antitumour effect against subcutaneous (s.c.) colorectal carcinomas (CRC) in mice pre‐treated with low doses of cyclophosphamide (Cy). In our study we used this combination to assess its impact on the immunosuppressive microenvironment. In s.c. CRC model we demonstrated that non‐responder mice failed to decrease Tregs in tumour, spleen and peripheral blood. Reconstitution of Tregs into tumour‐bearing mice treated with combined therapy abolished the antitumoural effect. In addition, Cy + AdIL‐12 modified Tregs functionality by inhibiting the in vitro secretion of IL‐10 and TGF‐β and their ability to inhibit dendritic cells activation. Combined treatment decreased the number of myeloid‐derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) in comparison to non‐treated mice and, interestingly, administration of Tregs restored splenic MDSCs population. Furthermore, combined therapy potently generated specific cytotoxic IFN‐γ‐secreting CD4+ T cells able to eradicate established CRC tumours after adoptive transfer. Finally, we evaluated the combination on disseminated CRC and pancreatic carcinoma (PC). Cy + AdIL‐12 were able to eradicate liver metastatic CRC (47%) and PC tumour nodules (40%) and to prolong animal survival. The results of this study support the hypothesis that Cy + AdIL‐12 might be a valid immunotherapeutic strategy for advanced GIC.
A new species ofArthoniais a pest in an orchid nursery
Authors: APTROOT André
Published: April 2011

The lichenArthonia orchidicidais described as new to science from the leaves of orchids in a nursery. It is a pest organism, as it is affecting the habitus of the plants and diminishing the vitality of small plants. No prophylax is known and the lichen has to be regularly removed by rubbing it off manually. It is the first lichen reported to cause economic damage. It occurs in the Netherlands, but its country of origin is unknown.
Possibilities Lost: Transcendental Declarations of Independence in Hawthorne's The Blithedale Romance
Authors: Rheingold Hugh M.
Published: April 2011

The Blithedale Romance occupies a unique position in the Haw-thorneian corpus for at least two reasons: Hawthorne's use of a first-person narrator and his decision to base, albeit loosely, the fictional Blithedale on his experiences as a resident at Brook Farm, an actual Utopian community founded by the transcendentalist minister George Ripley in 1841. If The Blithedale Romance constitutes a new point of departure for Hawthorne's fictional project, it is nevertheless a point of departure that Hawthorne, in particular in his prefaces, had contemplated all along. Hawthorne's fidelity to a new kind of fiction that more closely approximates lived experience would seem to be a betrayal of his notion of romance, which does not, like the novel, aim to be faithful to “the probable and ordinary course of man's experience,” but it is part and parcel of Hawthorne's anxieties about the transgressions of representation, transgressions peculiar to the kind of fictional project Hawthorne attempts to prosecute (Seven Gables, 1). While Hawthorne's preface to The Blithedale Romance celebrates his romances as “a theatre, a little removed from the highway of ordinary travel, where the creatures of his brain may play their phan-tasmagorical antics (38), his preface to The House of the Seven Gables warns that romance runs the risk of sinning unpardonably; that it commits, in other words, a “literary crime” (1). Our concern with Hawthorne as a writer seems all the more urgent, indeed necessary, given the connections Hawthorne seeks to establish between himself and his self-confessed minor poet and alter ego Miles Coverdale.
A Community Art Center for Harlem: The Cultural Politics of “Negro Art” Initiatives in the Early 20th Century
Authors: Calo Mary Ann
Published: April 2011

During the interwar decades, African American artists grew in number and visibility, and a wide range of publications featured stories on so-called Negro art. Notices on Negro art exhibitions and educational initiatives appeared in the black press and the mainstream mass media, as well as in special interest publications ranging from Art News to the Club Candle (the newsletter of the New Rochelle Women's Club). Though small in number, collectively these events served as opportunities to measure the overall progress or pulse of the African American artist.
Reassessing the History of Postwar America
Authors: Sugrue Thomas J.
Published: April 2011

In the american popular imagination, the 1950s and 1960s stand in stark juxtaposition. The conformity of the 1950s contrasts with the rebelliousness of the 1960s. Consumerism was undermined by the challenge of youthful antimaterialism. Repressed sexuality gave way to sexual liberation. Political centrism yielded to polarization. A homogeneous mass culture fragmented into balkanized cultures. Consensus broke down into irrepressible conflict. For conservatives, the 1950s serve as a symbolic “golden age,” an era that atavistic (and terribly forgetful) Americans evoke when pondering current economic, cultural, and social problems. For those on the Left, the 1950s remain the “dark ages” of repression, corporate domination, and racial and sexual subordination.
Great Barrier Reef coral luminescence reveals rainfall variability over northeastern Australia since the 17th century
Authors: Lough Janice M.
Published: April 2011

Northeast tropical Queensland rainfall is concentrated in the summer half year and characterized by high interannual variability, partly related to El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events. This results in highly variable river flows affecting nearshore coral reefs of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Freshwater flood events are recorded in long‐lived, annually banded massive coral skeletons as luminescent lines. Quantitative measurements of luminescence intensity were made for 20 Porites coral cores from nearshore reef sites between 11°S and 23°S. Seventeen of the coral luminescence series were significantly correlated with an instrumental record of northeast Queensland summer rainfall and were used to develop seven significantly calibrated and verified rainfall reconstructions based on between 17 (starting 1891) and 1 (starting 1639) coral series. The longest reconstruction, based on more than one coral, provides insights into northeast Queensland rainfall variability from the late 17th century. Comparisons with various independent climate proxies are equivocal: the magnitude and significance of relationships with, for example, a proxy ENSO index vary through time. An extended drier period reconstructed from approximately the 1760s to the 1850s is associated with lower interannual rainfall variability. Since the late 19th century average rainfall and its variability have significantly increased, with wet and dry extremes becoming more frequent than in earlier centuries. This suggests that a warming global climate maybe associated with more variable tropical Queensland rainfall.
Long-lasting protection in brain trauma by endotoxin preconditioning
Authors: Longhi Luca , Gesuete Raffaella , Perego Carlo , Ortolano Fabrizio , Sacchi Noemi , Villa Pia , Stocchetti Nino , De Simoni Maria-Grazia
Published: April 2011

We investigated the occurrence of endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide, LPS) preconditioning in traumatic brain injury (TBI), evaluating the time window of LPS-induced protection, its persistence, and the associated molecular mechanisms. Mice received 0.1 mg/kg LPS or saline intraperitoneally and subsequently TBI (by controlled cortical impact brain injury) at various time intervals. Mice receiving LPS 3, 5, or 7 days before TBI showed attenuated motor deficits at 1 week after injury compared with mice receiving saline. Those receiving LPS 5 days before injury had also a reduced contusion volume (7.9 ± 1.3 versus 12 ± 2.3 mm3) and decreased cell death. One month after injury, the protective effect of LPS on contusion volume (14.5 ± 1.2 versus 18.2 ± 1.2 mm3) and neurologic function was still present. Traumatic brain injury increased glial fibrillary acidic protein, CD11b, CD68, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-10, and IL-6 mRNA expression 24 hours after injury. Lipopolysaccharide administered 5 (but not 9) days before injury increased the expression of CD11b (233%) and of interferon β (500%) in uninjured mice, while it reduced the expression of CD68 (by 46%) and increased that of IL-6 (by 52%) in injured mice. Lipopolysaccharide preconditioning conferred a long-lasting neuroprotection after TBI, which was associated with a modulation of microglia/macrophages activity and cytokine production.
Mechanical deformation of carbon nanotube nano-rings on flat substrate
Authors: Zheng Meng , Ke Changhong
Published: April 2011

We present a numerical analysis of the mechanical deformation of carbon nanotube (CNT) nano-rings on flat graphite substrates, which is motivated by our recent experimental findings on the elastic deformation of CNT nano-rings. Our analysis considers a perfectly circular CNT ring formed by bending a straight individual or bundled single-walled nanotube to connect its two ends. The seamless CNT ring is placed vertically on a flat graphite substrate and its respective deformation curvatures under zero external force, compressive, and tensile forces are determined using a continuum model based on nonlinear elastica theory. Our results show that the van der Waals interaction between the CNT ring and the substrate has profound effects on the deformation of the CNT ring, and that the interfacial binding interaction between the CNT ring and the substrate is strongly modulated by the ring deformation. Our results demonstrate that the CNT ring in force-free conditions has a flat ring segment in contact with the substrate if the ring radius R≥EI2Wvdw, in which EI is the flexural rigidity of the nanotube and Wvdw is the per-unit-length van der Waals energy between the flat ring segment and the substrate. Our results reveal that the load-deformation profiles of the CNT ring under tensile loadings exhibit bifurcation behavior, which is ascribed to its van der Waals interaction with the substrate and is dependent on its relaxed conformation on the substrate. Our work suggests that CNT nano-rings are promising for a number of applications, such as ultrasensitive force sensors and stretchable and flexible structural components in nanoscale mechanical and electromechanical systems.
Morphological and magnetic characterization of Fe, Co, and FeCo nanoplates and nanoparticles prepared by surfactants-assisted ball milling
Authors: Poudyal Narayan , Rong Chuan-bing , Liu J. Ping
Published: April 2011

We report here the preparation of Fe, Co, and FeCo nanoplates and nanoparticles by ball milling in the presence of surfactants in organic solvents. By controlling the milling and centrifugation conditions, the Fe, Co, and FeCo nanoplates and nanoparticles with different sizes were successfully obtained, from the slurries and from the top part of the solutions, respectively. The thickness of the nanoplates is in the range of 20–200 nm and their diameter is from 5 to 30 μm. The Fe, Co, and FeCo nanoparticles of about 6 nm show superparamagnetic behavior at room temperature and are ferromagnetic at low temperatures with blocking temperatures of 33, 103, and 54 K, respectively. It is found that the surfactants play multifold roles in the process.
Phase transition studies of sodium deintercalated Na2−xFePO4F (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) by Mössbauer spectroscopy
Authors: Lee In Kyu , Shim In-Bo , Kim Chul Sung
Published: April 2011

The phase transition in sodium deintercalated Na2−xFePO4F (0 ≤ x ≤ 1) polycrystalline samples was studied by x-ray diffraction and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Sodium deintercalated samples were obtained by chemical deintercalation of pure Na2FePO4F. From the refined x-ray diffraction patterns, the crystalline structure of Na2FePO4F was determined to be orthorhombic with the space group Pbcn. The structure of fully sodium deintercalated NaFePO4F is identical to that of pure Na2FePO4F, differing only in the cell parameters. The changes in the unit cell parameters and atomic positions in Na2−xFePO4F (x = 0, 1) samples originated from a Na2 ion deficiency in the interlayer spaces. The room-temperature Mössbauer spectra of Na2−xFePO4F (x = 0, 1) were fitted with one set of the Fe2+ /3+ doublets. A decrease in the absorption area of Fe2 + in Na2FePO4F with increasing sodium deintercalation was observed in the Mössbauer spectra of Na2−xFePO4F, whereas the area of the Fe3+ doublet in NaFePO4F increased. The large value of ΔEQ for the Fe2+ doublet phase was due to the asymmetric charge distribution of FeO4F2 arising from different lattice and valence state contributions.
Soft generators using dielectric elastomers
Authors: McKay Thomas G. , O’Brien Benjamin M. , Calius Emilio P. , Anderson Iain A.
Published: April 2011

The potential to produce light-weight, low-cost, wearable dielectric elastomer generators has been limited by the requirement for bulky rigid, and expensive external circuitry. In this letter, we present a soft dielectric elastomer generator whose stretchable circuit elements are integrated within the membrane. The soft generator achieved an energy density of 10 mJ/g at an efficiency of 12% and simply consisted of low-cost acrylic membranes and carbon grease mounted in a frame.
Electrochemically tunable ultrafast optical response of graphene oxide
Authors: Kürüm Ulaş , Ekiz Okan Öner , Yaglioglu H. Gul , Elmali Ayhan , Ürel Mustafa , Güner Hasan , Mızrak Alpay Koray , Ortaç Bülend , Dâna Aykutlu
Published: April 2011

We demonstrate reversible and irreversible changes in the ultrafast optical response of multilayer graphene oxide thin films upon electrical and optical stimulus. The reversible effects are due to electrochemical modification of graphene oxide, which allows tuning of the optical response by externally applied bias. Increasing the degree of reduction in graphene oxide causes excited state absorption to gradually switch to saturable absorption for shorter probe wavelengths. Spectral and temporal properties as well as the sign of the ultrafast response can be tuned either by changing the applied bias or exposing to high intensity femtosecond pulses.
The emergence of spatial cyberinfrastructure
Authors: Wright Dawn J. , Wang Shaowen
Published: April 2011

Cyberinfrastructure integrates advanced computer, information, and communication technologies to empower computation-based and data-driven scientific practice and improve the synthesis and analysis of scientific data in a collaborative and shared fashion. As such, it now represents a paradigm shift in scientific research that has facilitated easy access to computational utilities and streamlined collaboration across distance and disciplines, thereby enabling scientific breakthroughs to be reached more quickly and efficiently. Spatial cyberinfrastructure seeks to resolve longstanding complex problems of handling and analyzing massive and heterogeneous spatial datasets as well as the necessity and benefits of sharing spatial data flexibly and securely. This article provides an overview and potential future directions of spatial cyberinfrastructure. The remaining four articles of the special feature are introduced and situated in the context of providing empirical examples of how spatial cyberinfrastructure is extending and enhancing scientific practice for improved synthesis and analysis of both physical and social science data. The primary focus of the articles is spatial analyses using distributed and high-performance computing, sensor networks, and other advanced information technology capabilities to transform massive spatial datasets into insights and knowledge.
Molecular Characterization of Boscalid Resistance in Field Isolates of Botrytis cinerea from Apple
Authors: Yin Y. N. , Kim Y. K. , Xiao C. L.
Published: April 2011

Botrytis cinerea isolates obtained from apple orchards were screened for resistance to boscalid. Boscalid-resistant (BosR) isolates were classified into four phenotypes based on the levels of the concentration that inhibited fungal growth by 50% relative to control. Of the 220 isolates tested, 42 were resistant to boscalid, with resistant phenotypes ranging from low to very high resistance. There was cross resistance between boscalid and carboxin. Analysis of partial sequences of the iron-sulfur subunit of succinate dehydrogenase gene in B. cinerea (BcSdhB) from 13 BosR and 9 boscalid-sensitive (BosS) isolates showed that point mutations in BcSdhB leading to amino acid substitutions at the codon position 272 from histidine to either tyrosine (H272Y) or arginine (H272R) were correlated with boscalid resistance. Allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of 66 BosR isolates (including 24 additional isolates obtained from decayed apple fruit) showed that 19 carried the point mutation H272Y and 46 had the point mutation H272R, but 1 BosR isolate gave no amplification product. Analysis of the BcSdhB sequence of this isolate revealed a different point mutation at codon 225, resulting in a substitution of proline (P) by phenylalanine (F) (P225F). The results indicated that H272R/Y in BcSdhB were the dominant genotypes of mutants in field BosR isolates from apple. A multiplex allele-specific PCR assay was developed to detect point mutations H272R/Y in a single PCR amplification. Levels of boscalid resistance ranged from low to very high within isolates carrying either the H272R or H272Y mutation, indicating that, among BosR isolates, different BosR phenotypes (levels of resistance) were not associated with particular types of point mutations (H272R versus H272Y) in BcSdhB. Analysis of genetic relationships between 39 BosR and 56 BosS isolates based on three microsatellite markers showed that 39 BosR isolates and 30 BosS isolates were clustered into two groups, and the third group consisted of only BosS isolates, suggesting that the development of resistance to boscalid in B. cinerea likely is not totally random, and resistant populations may come from specific genetic groups.
Lekking birds in a tropical forest forego sex for migration
Authors: Boyle W. Alice , Guglielmo Christopher G. , Hobson Keith A. , Norris D. Ryan
Published: April 2011

Facultative, partially migratory animals provide a contemporary window into the evolution of migration, offering rare opportunities to examine the life-history trade-offs associated with migration. For the first time, to our knowledge, we describe the nature of these trade-offs, using a lek-breeding tropical bird, the white-ruffed manakin (Corapipo altera). Previous evidence indicated that weather drives post-breeding migration to lower elevations bringing condition-related benefits. Using elevation-sensitive stable isotope measurements and more than 1200 h of behavioural observations, we show that male manakins which migrate incur costs of diminished social status and matings with females the following breeding season. Because migratory tendency depends on inter-annual variation in weather, physical costs of displays and breeding prospects the following year, migratory decisions are subject to both natural and sexual selection, with the outcome of such decisions linked to changing climatic regimes.
Outcomes, infections, and immune reconstitution after double cord blood transplantation in patients with high‐risk hematological diseases
Authors: Ruggeri A. , Peffault de Latour R. , Carmagnat M. , Clave E. , Douay C. , Larghero J. , Cayuela J.‐M. , Traineau R. , Robin M. , Madureira A. , Ribaud P. , Ferry C. , Devergie A. , Purtill D. , Rabian C. , Gluckman E. , Toubert A. , Socié G. , Rocha V.
Published: April 2011

A. Ruggeri, R. Peffault de Latour, M. Carmagnat, E. Clave, C. Douay, J. Larghero, J.‐M. Cayuela, R. Traineau, M. Robin, A. Madureira, P. Ribaud, C. Ferry, A. Devergie, D. Purtill, C. Rabian, E. Gluckman, A. Toubert, G. Socié, V. Rocha. Outcomes, infections, and immune reconstitution after double cord blood transplantation in patients with high‐risk hematological diseases Transpl Infect Dis 2011: 13: 456–465. All rights reserved

Abstract:
Double unrelated cord blood transplant (dUCBT) has been used to circumvent cell dose limitation of single UCBT; however, few data are available describing outcomes, infectious disease, and immune recovery. We analyzed 35 consecutive dUCBT recipients with high‐risk malignant disorders (n=21) and bone marrow failure syndromes (n=14). Median follow‐up was 32 months. Conditioning regimen was myeloablative in 14 and reduced intensity in 21 patients. Median infused nucleated cell dose was 4 × 107/kg. Median time to absolute neutrophil count >0.5 × 109/L was 25 days. Cumulative incidence (CI) of acute grade II–IV graft‐versus‐host disease was 47%. Estimated overall survival at 2 years was 48%. CI of first viral infections at 1 year was 92%. We observed 49 viral infections in 30 patients, 34 bacterial infections in 19 patients, and 16 fungal or parasitic infections in 12 patients. Lymphocyte subset analyses were performed at 3, 6, 9, and >12 months after dUCBT. Decreased T‐cell and B‐cell counts with expansion of natural killer cells were observed until 9 months post transplantation. Recovery of thymopoiesis measured by  T‐cell receptor excision circles was impaired until 9 months after dUCBT, when the appearance of new thymic precursors was observed. Delayed immune recovery and high incidence of infectious complications were observed after dUCBT in patients with high‐risk hematological diseases.
Anesthesia and neurotoxicity to the developing brain: the clinical relevance
Authors: Davidson Andrew J.
Published: April 2011

Laboratory work has confirmed that general anesthetics cause increased neuronal apoptosis and changes to the morphology of dendritic spines in the developing brains of animals. It is an effect seen with most volatile anesthetics as well as with ketamine and propofol. The effects are dose dependent and seen over particular periods of early development. There is some evidence that rodents exposed to anesthesia during infancy have delayed neurobehavioral development. There are inherent limitations in translating the preclinical data to human practice but the data cannot be ignored. Some human clinical studies have found evidence for an association between major surgery and changes in neurobehavioral outcome, although the evidence is less clear for minor surgery. These associations are certainly at least partly because of factors apart from anesthesia, such as coexisting pathology or the effect of surgery itself. Other clinical studies have found no evidence for an association between surgery and outcome. These studies are also not without limitations. Thus it remains unclear what role anesthesia exposure in infancy actually plays in determining neurobehavioral outcome. To date studies can neither confirm that anesthesia plays a role nor rule it out.
Local Campaign Spending at the 2010 General Election and Its Impact: Exploring What Wider Regulation has Revealed
Authors: JOHNSTON RON , PATTIE CHARLES , CUTTS DAVID , FIELDHOUSE EDWARD , FISHER JUSTIN
Published: April 2011

The regulation of party political funding and expenditure in the United Kingdom is an issue of continuing political and public debate. Campaign expenditure by candidates has been regulated since the late nineteenth century, but this has applied only during the short campaign period between the dissolution of Parliament and polling day. Concerns have been raised about earlier expenditure levels, but these were not regulated until legislation in 2009 which limits the amount that candidates can spend in the months prior to Parliament's dissolution—in 2010 this covered the period between 1 January and 15 April: the election was held on 6 May. The Electoral Commission has released information on all candidates who made a return of their expenditure during both periods. This article provides descriptive data on those amounts, by party and type of constituency, plus analyses which show that the more that a party spent the better its performance at the polls.
A Visual Model for the Variance and Standard Deviation
Authors: Orris J. B.
Published: April 2011

This paper shows how the variance and standard deviation can be represented graphically by looking at each squared deviation as a graphical object – in particular, as a square. A series of displays show how the standard deviation is the size of the average square.
Two Applications of Venn Diagrams
Authors: Waddell, Jr. Glenn , Quinn Robert J.
Published: April 2011

The Venn diagram is suggested as a graphical solution to conjunction fallacies and a modification of it is suggested to more fully communicate set relations.
Inhibition of monoacylglycerol lipase attenuates vomiting in Suncus murinus and 2‐arachidonoyl glycerol attenuates nausea in rats
Authors: Sticht Martin A , Long Jonathan Z , Rock Erin M , Limebeer Cheryl L , Mechoulam Raphael , Cravatt Benjamin F , Parker Linda A
Published: April 2011

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE To evaluate the role of 2‐arachidonoyl glycerol (2AG) in the regulation of nausea and vomiting using animal models of vomiting and of nausea‐like behaviour (conditioned gaping).

EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH Vomiting was assessed in shrews (Suncus murinus), pretreated with JZL184, a selective monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL) inhibitor which elevates endogenous 2AG levels, 1 h before administering the emetogenic compound, LiCl. Regulation of nausea‐like behaviour in rats by exogenous 2AG or its metabolite arachidonic acid (AA) was assessed, using the conditioned gaping model. The role of cannabinoid CB1 receptors, CB2 receptors and cyclooxygenase (COX) inhibition in suppression of vomiting or nausea‐like behaviour was assessed.

KEY RESULTS JZL184 dose‐dependently suppressed vomiting in shrews, an effect prevented by pretreatment with the CB1 receptor inverse agonist/antagonist, AM251. In shrew brain tissue, JZL184 inhibited MAGL activity in vivo. In rats, 2AG suppressed LiCl‐induced conditioned gaping but this effect was not prevented by AM251 or the CB2 receptor antagonist, AM630. Instead, the COX inhibitor, indomethacin, prevented suppression of conditioned gaping by 2AG or AA. However, when rats were pretreated with a high dose of JZL184 (40 mg·kg−1), suppression of gaping by 2AG was partially reversed by AM251. Suppression of conditioned gaping was not due to interference with learning because the same dose of 2AG did not modify the strength of conditioned freezing to a shock‐paired tone.

CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Our results suggest that manipulations that elevate 2AG may have anti‐emetic or anti‐nausea potential.

LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on Cannabinoids in Biology and Medicine. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2012.165.issue‐8. To view Part I of Cannabinoids in Biology and Medicine visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2011.163.issue‐7