bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
An Examination of the Geography of Population Composition and Change in the United States, 2000–2010: Insights from Geographical Indices and a Shift–Share Analysis
Authors: Franklin Rachel S.
Published: November 2012

Between 2000 and 2010, almost all states in the United States experienced population growth. However, as contributions to this growth made by racial/ethnic groups and age cohorts varied from place to place, any discussion of population ‘change’ necessarily refers not only to numerical but also compositional change. This paper presents an analysis of the sources of US population change in the first decade of the new millennium, with an emphasis on changing patterns in population composition in terms of both age and race/ethnicity. Using age and race/ethnicity ‐ specific data from the 2000 and 2010 US decennial censuses ‐ the analysis applies traditional regional analysis tools to identify areas of low or high racial and ethnic concentration and diversity and areas of the country that exemplify ‘typical’ American population composition. In addition, the paper uses shift‐share analysis, a descriptive technique most often used to assess employment change across a set of economic sectors, to evaluate state‐level population change between 2000 and 2010. The following questions, among others, are answered: Have some states experienced population growth over the past 10 years mainly because the country as a whole has been growing? Or is it more the case that these places had a ‘demographic advantage’ because much of their population is in age cohorts or race/ethnic groups that are growing the fastest? Finally, where does growth appear to be due to region‐specific factors? Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Interfacial properties and thermal stability of modified poly(m‐phenylene isophthalamide) thin films
Authors: Cruz dos Santos Sandra , Fernandes Loguercio Lara , Silva Corrêa Diogo , Ramos Nunes Michael , Antônio Villetti Marcos , Teresinha Santos Garcia Irene
Published: November 2012

Poly(m‐phenylene isophthalamide) (PMIA) is a resistant to high temperatures and chemically stable engineering material. The application as coatings and membranes, however, is limited by its poor interaction with other materials. In this report, we describe the molecular modification of PMIA through reaction with dimsyl sodium and 2‐iodine‐1‐ethanol. The substitution of 58% of amide hydrogen by ethanol (etOH) groups produces a material (MPMIA) able to develop regularly structured films on silicon substrate. The morphology of the films is dependent on the ionic strength of the precursory solution. MPMIA starts a degradation process by losing the etOH group. MPMIA has a better affinity with poly(p‐cresolformaldehyde) than with a pristine one, increasing the range of composition in which thermal stability and miscibility are observed. Thin films of these blends have different morphologies that vary from nanometric porous to two‐phase microstructured grains, according to the composition. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Temporal Techniques: Dynamic Tracking of Nanomaterials in Live Cells
Authors: Li Wei , Liu Ru , Wang Yaling , Zhao Yuliang , Gao Xueyun
Published: November 2012

Temporal analytical techniques to track nanoparticles in live cell would provide rich information to well understand the biologic properties of nanoparticles in molecular level. Significant advances in fluorescence microscopy techniques with high temporal and spatial resolution allow single nanoparticles to label biomolecules, ions, and microstructures in live cells, which will address many fundamental questions in cell biology. This review highlights the real time tracking techniques for monitoring the movement of nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), quantum dots (QDs), metal clusters, upconver‐sional nanomaterials, and polystyrene (PS) nanoparticles etc. in live cells. The biological properties of nanoparticles in live cells are also briefly summarized according to fluorescence microscopy studies.
The Pursuit of Quality Over Quantity in TESOL Teacher Education: Coursework Versus Test Only
Authors: Sehlaoui Abdelilah Salim , Shinge Manjula
Published: November 2012

The purpose of this study was to examine whether licensed in‐service teachers of English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) in K–12 schools are more knowledgeable in the area of applied linguistics than their nonlicensed counterparts, and whether the ESOL‐licensed teachers who have taken courses toward their licensure are more knowledgeable in applied linguistics than their counterparts who have not taken any courses before being licensed. Data were collected from 201 PK–12 in‐service teachers in Kansas. A chi‐square statistical test was used to analyze the association between and among the above‐mentioned variables. The results of this study suggest that teachers who are ESOL licensed and also those who have taken ESOL coursework are more knowledgeable in applied linguistics than teachers who are not ESOL licensed or those who have not taken any ESOL courses.
The retreat from overgeneralization in child language acquisition: word learning, morphology, and verb argument structure
Authors: Ambridge Ben , Pine Julian M. , Rowland Caroline F. , Chang Franklin , Bidgood Amy
Published: November 2012

This review investigates empirical evidence for different theoretical proposals regarding the retreat from overgeneralization errors in three domains: word learning (e.g., *doggie to refer to all animals), morphology [e.g., *spyer, *cooker (one who spies/cooks), *unhate, *unsqueeze, *sitted; *drawed], and verb argument structure [e.g., *Don't giggle me (c.f. Don't make me giggle); *Don't say me that (c.f. Don't say that to me)]. The evidence reviewed provides support for three proposals. First, in support of the pre‐emption hypothesis, the acquisition of competing forms that express the desired meaning (e.g., spy for *spyer, sat for *sitted, and Don't make me giggle for *Don't giggle me) appears to block errors. Second, in support of the entrenchment hypothesis, repeated occurrence of particular items in particular constructions (e.g., giggle in the intransitive construction) appears to contribute to an ever strengthening probabilistic inference that non‐attested uses (e.g., *Don't giggle me) are ungrammatical for adult speakers. That is, both the rated acceptability and production probability of particular errors decline with increasing frequency of pre‐empting and entrenching forms in the input. Third, learners appear to acquire semantic and morphophonological constraints on particular constructions, conceptualized as properties of slots in constructions [e.g., the (VERB) slot in the morphological un‐(VERB) construction or the transitive‐causative (SUBJECT) (VERB) (OBJECT) argument‐structure construction]. Errors occur as children acquire the fine‐grained semantic and morphophonological properties of particular items and construction slots, and so become increasingly reluctant to use items in slots with which they are incompatible. Findings also suggest some role for adult feedback and conventionality; the principle that, for many given meanings, there is a conventional form that is used by all members of the speech community. WIREs Cogn Sci 2013, 4:47–62. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1207

This article is categorized under:

Linguistics > Language Acquisition
The complex act of projecting oneself into the future
Authors: Klein Stanley B.
Published: November 2012

Research on future‐oriented mental time travel (FMTT) is highly active yet somewhat unruly. I believe this is due, in large part, to the complexity of both the tasks used to test FMTT and the concepts involved. Extraordinary care is a necessity when grappling with such complex and perplexing metaphysical constructs as self and time and their co‐instantiation in memory. In this review, I first discuss the relation between future mental time travel and types of memory (episodic and semantic). I then examine the nature of both the types of self‐knowledge assumed to be projected into the future and the types of temporalities that constitute projective temporal experience. Finally, I argue that a person lacking episodic memory should nonetheless be able to imagine a personal future by virtue of (1) the fact that semantic, as well as episodic, memory can be self‐referential, (2) autonoetic awareness is not a prerequisite for FMTT, and (3) semantic memory does, in fact, enable certain forms of personally oriented FMTT.WIREs Cogn Sci2013, 4:63–79. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1210

This article is categorized under:

Psychology > Memory
Computational biology of RNA interactions
Authors: Dieterich Christoph , Stadler Peter F.
Published: November 2012

The biodiversity of the RNA world has been underestimated for decades. RNA molecules are key building blocks, sensors, and regulators of modern cells. The biological function of RNA molecules cannot be separated from their ability to bind to and interact with a wide space of chemical species, including small molecules, nucleic acids, and proteins. Computational chemists, physicists, and biologists have developed a rich tool set for modeling and predicting RNA interactions. These interactions are to some extent determined by the binding conformation of the RNA molecule. RNA binding conformations are approximated with often acceptable accuracy by sequence and secondary structure motifs. Secondary structure ensembles of a given RNA molecule can be efficiently computed in many relevant situations by employing a standard energy model for base pair interactions and dynamic programming techniques. The case of bi‐molecular RNA–RNA interactions can be seen as an extension of this approach. However, unbiased transcriptome‐wide scans for local RNA–RNA interactions are computationally challenging yet become efficient if the binding motif/mode is known and other external information can be used to confine the search space. Computational methods are less developed for proteins and small molecules, which bind to RNA with very high specificity. Binding descriptors of proteins are usually determined by in vitro high‐throughput assays (e.g., microarrays or sequencing). Intriguingly, recent experimental advances, which are mostly based on light‐induced cross‐linking of binding partners, render in vivo binding patterns accessible yet require new computational methods for careful data interpretation. The grand challenge is to model the in vivo situation where a complex interplay of RNA binders competes for the same target RNA molecule. Evidently, bioinformaticians are just catching up with the impressive pace of these developments. WIREs RNA 2013, 4:107–120. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1147

This article is categorized under:

RNA Evolution and Genomics > Computational Analyses of RNA

RNA Interactions with Proteins and Other Molecules > Protein–RNA Recognition
Polyol‐Derived Alkoxide/Hydroxide Base Catalysts I. Production
Authors: Gok Hwee Yoong Felicia , Shen Jianhneg , Emami Shahram , Reaney Martin J. T.
Published: November 2012

A metal methoxide is more expensive than a metal hydroxide and dissolves in methanol releasing a methoxide ion without producing water. The methoxide ion has a higher reaction rate making it more preferred for industrial biodiesel production. This study describes the preparation of alkoxide catalysts from metal hydroxides and non‐volatile, non‐toxic polyols. Heating aqueous solutions of metal hydroxides and different polyols (1,2‐propanediol, 1,3‐propanediol, glycerol, xylitol and sorbitol) under vacuum yielded polyol‐derived alkoxide base catalysts (PDABC). Comparison of the drying process for respective sodium hydroxide‐polyol combinations at two mole ratios of sodium hydroxide to polyol showed that drying at 2:1 mole ratio (metal hydroxide to polyol) was more efficient than that of 3:1. Dehydration of alkaline solutions containing three or more hydroxyl groups (glycerol, sorbitol and xylitol) was faster than drying similar solutions of diols. The empirical formula determined confirmed that the resulting powders contained mono‐sodium substituted alkoxides at 1:1, 2:1 and 3:1 (sodium hydroxide: polyol) mole ratio. Fatty acid methyl esters were prepared from canola oil and methanol using glycerol sodium alkylate as a catalyst. The conversion yield of oil to methyl ester was greater than 99 %.
Characteristics and surgical success of patients presenting for repair of obstetric fistula in western Kenya
Authors: Hawkins Lesley , Spitzer Rachel F. , Christoffersen‐Deb Astrid , Leah Jessica , Mabeya Hillary
Published: November 2012

Objective

To carry out a large‐scale retrospective review of patients who had undergone surgical repair of obstetric fistula in Kenya to determine patient characteristics and determinants of successful surgical repair.

Methods

The patient records of 483 surgical repairs of obstetric fistula treated by a single surgeon (H.M.) between January 2005 and July 2010 at 3 medical centers in western Kenya were retrospectively reviewed. Descriptive and bivariate statistical analyses were performed.

Results

Young women with some primary or no education and prolonged labor at the time of first delivery were most highly correlated with obstetric fistula formation. Success of fistula closure was 86% for first‐time vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) repairs and 67% for first‐time VVF combined with rectovaginal fistula (RVF) repairs. Among women who had previously attempted VVF or combined VVF/RVF repairs, 73% and 50% of fistulas, respectively, were repaired successfully. First‐time repair was significantly associated with surgical success compared with patients with a history of previous repair attempts (P = 0.027).

Conclusion

Among Kenyan women presenting for fistula repair, fistula most was most highly correlated with a low level of education and prolonged labor. The findings are consistent with results reported from other countries in Sub‐Saharan Africa.
Risk disclosure and preclinical Alzheimer's disease clinical trial enrollment
Authors: Grill Joshua D. , Karlawish Jason , Elashoff David , Vickrey Barbara G.
Published: November 2012

To identify the facilitators and barriers to preclinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) clinical trial recruitment, 50 cognitively normal participants were interviewed after being randomized to one of two hypothetical AD risk scenarios: (1) the general age‐related risk for AD, or (2) being at 50% increased risk for AD. Participants provided uncued barriers and facilitators to the hypothetical decision of whether they would enroll. Thirteen themes of facilitators and five themes of barriers were identified. The most common barrier was fear related to taking study drug. Those randomized to being at increased risk for AD more frequently cited lowering personal risk as a facilitator (P = .01) and less frequently cited time as a barrier to enrollment (P = .02). These results suggest potential challenges to preclinical AD clinical trial recruitment and that disclosing risk information may enhance enrollment.
Gestures and words during the transition to two-word speech
Authors: Capirci Olga , Iverson Jana M. , Pizzuto Elena , Volterra Virginia
Published: November 2012

This study explores the communicative use of the gestural and vocal modalities by normally developing Italian children during the transition from one- to two-word speech. We analysed the spontaneous production of 12 children at 1;4 and at 1;8, focusing on the use of two-element combinations of words and/or gestures. Results indicated that use of gesture and gesture-word combinations during the transition to two-word speech is a robust feature of communicative development across a relatively large number of children in a rich gestural culture, and that the number of gesture-word and two-word combinations increased significantly from 1;4 to 1;8. Number of gestures and gesture-word combinations produced at 1;4 was also predictive of total vocal production at 1;8. Findings are discussed in terms of the role of gesture as a transitional device en route to two-word speech.
Microscopic elasticity and rate and state friction evolution laws
Authors: Sleep Norman H.
Published: November 2012

Rate and state friction formalism represents the dependence of macroscopic shear traction τM on sliding velocity V and the history of the sliding surface. In macroscopic terms, τM = PN[μ0 + a ln(V/Vref) + b ln(ψ/ψnorm)], where PN is normal traction, μ0 is the coefficient of friction, a ≈ b ≈ 0.01 are small dimensionless parameters, Vref is a reference velocity, ψ is the state variable that depends on history, and ψnorm represents the effect of changes in normal traction. This representation does not consider microscopic elasticity and is inadequate over very small times. The apparent value of a just after a small decrease in shear traction is a factor of a few larger than its traditional value of ∼0.01. Changes of microscopic elastic strain energy may cause this effect. Microscopic elasticity affects friction after changes in normal traction. Shear traction does not change instantly after a sudden change in normal traction because time is required for real contact area to change. A hybrid of the aging law (where ψincreases linearly with time during holds) and the slip law behavior (where the state variable does not change in the limit of zero sliding velocity) is necessary. Slip‐law behavior dominates near steady state and also applies to sudden initial sliding where the state variable and porosity are far from steady state. Porosity increases from its initial value toward the steady state value over slip scaling with the critical displacementDc. The ratio of dilatant to shear strain in low porosity material is a modest fraction of 1 and related to the construct of dilatancy angle in engineering.
Friction of ice on ice
Authors: Schulson Erland M. , Fortt Andrew L.
Published: November 2012

New measurements have been made of the friction coefficient of freshwater polycrystalline ice sliding slowly (5 × 10−8 to 1 × 10−3 m s−1) upon itself at temperatures from 98 to 263 K under low normal stresses (≤98 kPa). Sliding obeys Coulomb’s law: the shear stress is directly proportional to the normal stress across the interface, while cohesion offers little contribution to frictional resistance. The coefficient of kinetic friction of smooth surfaces varies from μk = 0.15 to 0.76 and, at elevated temperatures (≥223 K), exhibits both velocity strengthening at lower velocities (<10−5 to 10−4 m s−1) and velocity weakening at higher velocities. Strengthening and weakening are attributed to creep deformation of asperities and localized melting, respectively. At intermediate temperatures of 173 and 133 K, the kinetic coefficient appears to not exhibit significant dependence upon velocity. However, at the low temperature of 98 K the coefficient of kinetic friction exhibits moderate velocity strengthening at both the lowest and the highest velocities but velocity independence over the range of intermediate velocities. No effect was detected of either grain size or texture. Over the range of roughness 0.4 × 10−6 m ≤ Ra ≤ 12 × 10−6 m, a moderate effect was detected, where μk ∝ Ra0.08. Slide‐hold‐slide experiments revealed that the coefficient of static friction increases by an amount that scales logarithmically with holding time. Implications of the results are discussed in relation to shearing across “tiger stripe” faults within the icy crust of Saturn's Enceladus, sliding of the arctic sea ice cover and brittle compressive failure of cold ice.
Wildfire impacts on soil‐water retention in the Colorado Front Range, United States
Authors: Ebel Brian A.
Published: November 2012

This work examined the plot‐scale differences in soil‐water retention caused by wildfire in the area of the 2010 Fourmile Canyon Fire in the Colorado Front Range, United States. We measured soil‐water retention curves on intact cores and repacked samples, soil particle‐size distributions, and organic matter content. Estimates were also made of plant‐available water based on the soil‐water retention curves. Parameters for use in soil‐hydraulic property models were estimated; these parameters can be used in unsaturated flow modeling for comparing burned and unburned watersheds. The primary driver for measured differences in soil‐water retention in burned and unburned soils was organic matter content and not soil‐particle size distribution. The tendency for unburned south‐facing soils to have greater organic matter content than unburned north‐facing soils in this field area may explain why unburned south‐facing soils had greater soil‐water retention than unburned north‐facing soils. Our results suggest that high‐severity wildfire can “homogenize” soil‐water retention across the landscape by erasing soil‐water retention differences resulting from organic matter content, which for this site may be affected by slope aspect. This homogenization could have important implications for ecohydrology and plant succession/recovery in burned areas, which could be a factor in dictating the window of vulnerability of the landscape to flash floods and erosion that are a common consequence of wildfire.
An improved standardization procedure to remove systematic low frequency variability biases in GCM simulations
Authors: Mehrotra Rajeshwar , Sharma Ashish
Published: November 2012

The quality of the absolute estimates of general circulation models (GCMs) calls into question the direct use of GCM outputs for climate change impact assessment studies, particularly at regional scales. Statistical correction of GCM output is often necessary when significant systematic biasesoccur between the modeled output and observations. A common procedure is to correct the GCM output by removing the systematic biases in low‐order moments relative to observations or to reanalysis data at daily, monthly, or seasonal timescales. In this paper, we present an extension of a recently published nested bias correction (NBC) technique to correct for the low‐ as well as higher‐order moments biases in the GCM‐derived variables across selected multiple time‐scales. The proposed recursive nested bias correction (RNBC) approach offers an improved basis for applying bias correction at multiple timescales over the original NBC procedure. The method ensures that the bias‐corrected series exhibits improvements that are consistently spread over all of the timescales considered. Different variations of the approach starting from the standard NBC to the more complex recursive alternatives are tested to assess their impacts on a range of GCM‐simulated atmospheric variables of interest in downscaling applications related to hydrology and water resources. Results of the study suggest that three to five iteration RNBCs are the most effective in removing distributional and persistence related biases across the timescales considered.
Fluorescence properties and electron paramagnetic resonance studies of γ-irradiated Sm3+-doped oxyfluoroborate glasses
Authors: Babu B. Hari , Ravi Kanth Kumar V. V.
Published: November 2012

The permanent photoinduced valence manipulation of samarium doped oxyfluoroborate glasses as a function of γ-ray irradiation has been investigated using a steady-state fluorescence and electron paramagnetic resonance techniques. An increase in SrF2 content in the glass led to the red shift of the peaks in as prepared glass, while in irradiated glasses this led to the decrease in defect formation as well as increase in photoreduction of Sm3+ to Sm2+ ion. The energy transfer mechanism of induced permanent photoreduction of Sm3+ to Sm2+ ions in oxyfluoroborate glasses has been discussed. The decay analysis shows exponential behavior before irradiation and non-exponential behavior after irradiation. The energy transfer in irradiated glasses increases with the increase in SrF2 content in the glass and also with the irradiation dose.
Effect of inhomogeneous microstructure of granular layer on inter granular/inter layer exchange coupling in stacked perpendicular recording media
Authors: Tham Kim Kong , Saito Shin , Hasegawa Daiji , Itagaki Norikazu , Hinata Shintaro , Ishibashi Shinichi , Takahashi Migaku
Published: November 2012

The effect of inhomogeneous microstructure of granular layer on inter granular/inter layer exchange coupling in stacked perpendicular recording media is studied by varying SiO2 content of CoCrPt-SiO2 granular layer. From cross-section and plane-view TEM observation, it can be concluded that each magnetic grain at cap layer (CL) grows on one magnetic grain of granular layer (GL), and inhomogeneous nucleation site at GL leads to inhomogeneous initial growth of continuous layer at CL. This phenomenon leads to the increase of inter granular coupling fluctuation in CL. Evaluation of inter granular coupling between magnetic grains at GL in stacked media with CL deposited directly on GL shows average and fluctuation of exchange coupling constant of around 2.9 erg/cm2 and 0.6 erg/cm2. In order to reduce the inter granular coupling, spacer layer (SL) with Pd material was inserted between GL and CL. As a result, average and fluctuation of exchange coupling constant decrease to 1.4 erg/cm2 and 0.3 erg/cm2 which suggests that by inserting a SL with small ferromagnetic exchange coupling between GL and CL will make it possible to control the inter granular coupling between magnetic grains at GL with CoCrPt-oxide material.
Lithographically defined low dimensional SiGe nanostripes as silicon stressors
Authors: Bollani M. , Chrastina D. , Fiocco M. , Mondiali V. , Frigerio J. , Gagliano L. , Bonera E.
Published: November 2012

The introduction of strain in semiconductors is a well-known technique for increasing their conductivity and thus for enhancing the performance of silicon-based electronic devices. In the present work, we investigate the strain induced in the Si substrate by linear SiGe/Si structures with a width less than 100 nm. By varying the Ge content and geometrical parameters, it is possible to maximize the strain in the Si substrate without detrimental plastic relaxation in the SiGe stripes. The structures were defined by electron-beam lithography from strained SiGe deposited epitaxially by low-energy plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. The strain in the heterostructures has been characterized by a combination of finite-element modeling, x-ray diffraction, and μRaman spectroscopy techniques. We show that nano-patterning induces an anisotropic strain relaxation in the SiGe stripe with a simultaneous strong compression of the Si substrate.
Tensile and fatigue behaviors of printed Ag thin films on flexible substrates
Authors: Sim Gi-Dong , Won Sejeong , Lee Soon-Bok
Published: November 2012

Flexible electronics using nanoparticle (NP) printing has been highlighted as a key technology enabling eco-friendly, low-cost, and large-area fabrication. For NP-based printing to be used as a successive alternative to photolithography and vacuum deposition, stretchability and long term reliability must be considered. This paper reports the stretchability and fatigue behavior of 100 nm thick NP-based silver thin films printed on polyethylene-terephthalate substrate and compares it to films deposited by electron-beam evaporation. NP-based films show stretchability and fatigue life comparable to evaporated films with intergranular fracture as the dominant failure mechanism.
Surface acoustic wave nebulization on nanocrystalline ZnO film
Authors: Fu Y. Q. , Li Y. , Zhao C. , Placido F. , Walton A. J.
Published: November 2012

Surface acoustic wave (SAW) nebulization/atomization has been realised on thin ZnO film based SAW devices. The surface acoustic wave nebulization (SAWN) process has been observed to produce significant mist generation and ejected satellite droplets. By modifying the geometry of the interdigitated transducers to reduce the wavelengths from 400 μm to 120 μm, higher frequency SAWN has been achieved by increasing radio frequency driving frequencies from 11.8 MHz to 37.2 MHz, respectively. Compared with the commonly used LiNbO3 SAWN devices, ZnO film devices exhibit better thermal dissipation, and to date, they have shown no susceptibility to substrate failure during fabrication or operation. They also have the added advantage of the technology being suitable for direct integration with microsystems and integrated circuit microelectronics.
Australian and Indian Plants: Making Connexions in Nineteenth-Century Botany
Authors: Maroske Sara
Published: November 2012

Despite the expectation in nineteenth-century botany that the plants of one country were most similar to those of adjacent countries, by the middle of the century it was accepted that there was a connexion between flora of northern Australia and ?India'. The pattern and reasons for plant distribution around the world were studied in the emerging science of phytogeography, but this paper suggests that the strength of the Indo-Australian connexion was influenced by species limits in the established science of phytography or descriptive botany. This paper also shows that while the botany of Australia and ?India' was predominantly studied in European nations, Ferdinand Mueller used resources obtained from Joseph Hooker in Great Britain, and Friedrich Miquel in the Netherlands to add new details to the distribution pattern of ?Indian' plants in northern Australia. Although Mueller was unwilling to reflect on these findings himself, they seemed to challenge attempts to introduce evolutionary and geological explanations into phytogeography.
Chromatin remodeling by the CHD7 protein is impaired by mutations that cause human developmental disorders
Authors: Bouazoune Karim , Kingston Robert E.
Published: November 2012

Mutations in the
CHD7
gene cause human developmental disorders including CHARGE syndrome. Genetic studies in model organisms have further established CHD7 as a central regulator of vertebrate development. Functional analysis of the CHD7 protein has been hampered by its large size. We used a dual-tag system to purify intact recombinant CHD7 protein and found that it is an ATP-dependent nucleosome remodeling factor. Biochemical analyses indicate that CHD7 has characteristics distinct from SWI/SNF- and ISWI-type remodelers. Further investigations show that CHD7 patient mutations have consequences that range from subtle to complete inactivation of remodeling activity, and that mutations leading to protein truncations upstream of amino acid 1899 of CHD7 are likely to cause a hypomorphic phenotype for remodeling. We propose that nucleosome remodeling is a key function for CHD7 during developmental processes and provide a molecular basis for predicting the impact of disease mutations on that function.
Blame it on patriarchy: More sexist attitudes are associated with stronger consideration of cosmetic surgery for oneself and one's partner
Authors: Swami Viren , Pietschnig Jakob , Stewart Natasha , Nader Ingo W. , Stieger Stefan , Shannon Samantha , Voracek Martin
Published: November 2012

In the present work, we examined associations between oppressive, sexist beliefs and consideration of cosmetic surgery for oneself and also endorsement of cosmetic surgery for one's romantic partner. A total of 554 German‐speaking volunteers from the community, mainly in Austria, completed measures of consideration of cosmetic surgery and three measures of sexist attitudes, while a subset of participants in romantic relationships completed a measure of endorsement of cosmetic surgery for their partners along with the measures of sexism. Preliminary analyses showed that women and single respondents were more likely to consider having cosmetic surgery than men and committed respondents, respectively. Further analyses showed that consideration of cosmetic surgery for oneself was significantly associated with sexist attitudes, particularly hostile attitudes to women. In addition, among participants in a relationship, sexist attitudes were associated with endorsement of cosmetic surgery for one's partner. These results indicate that attitudes to cosmetic surgery for oneself and one's partner are shaped by gender‐ideological belief systems in patriarchal societies. Possible implications for understanding the motivations for having cosmetic surgery, among both single respondents and couples, are discussed.
Repurposing process measures to train psychotherapists: Training outcomes using a new approach
Authors: Pascual-Leone Antonio , Andreescu Cristina
Published: November 2012

Aims: First, this paper presents the rationale for a novel approach to training counsellors in which measures for psychotherapy process research are taught to students before moving on to teaching basic empathic reflections and interventions. The rationale for this is that client process measures can be re‐purposed to help orient and sensitise trainees to key in‐session moments. Second, we present a training outcome study that assesses the effectiveness of this approach. Method: Using an experiential‐integrative therapy approach, a 13‐week training program was used to teach psychotherapy skills and process research measures to22 clinical graduate students taken from two cohorts. As part of the course, trainees conducted several single sessions with volunteer clients on four separate occasions. Training outcomes were measured using both trainee and client reports. Results: Compared to baseline, therapists reported significant and steady gains (all p's<.05) in session management, reducing their anxious self‐awareness, and in improved sense of self‐efficacy, with the latter having the largest effect (partial Eta Sq.=.381). Discussion: While the findings provide some support for a new training strategy, a dismantling design is needed next to more closely examine the process‐measure approach to training.
Daydreamer, a Ras effector and GSK-3 substrate, is important for directional sensing and cell motility
Authors: Kölsch Verena , Shen Zhouxin , Lee Susan , Plak Katarzyna , Lotfi Pouya , Chang Jessica , Charest Pascale G. , Romero Jesus Lacal , Jeon Taeck J. , Kortholt Arjan , Briggs Steven P. , Firtel Richard A.
Published: November 2012

How independent signaling pathways are integrated to holistically control a biological process is not well understood. We have identified Daydreamer (DydA), a new member of the Mig10/RIAM/lamellipodin (MRL) family of adaptor proteins that localizes to the leading edge of the cell. DydA is a putative Ras effector that is required for cell polarization and directional movement during chemotaxis. dydA−cells exhibit elevated F-actin and assembled myosin II (MyoII), increased and extended phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K) activity, and extended phosphorylation of the activation loop of PKB and PKBR1, suggesting that DydA is involved in the negative regulation of these pathways. DydA is phosphorylated by glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK-3), which is required for some, but not all, of DydA's functions, including the proper regulation of PKB and PKBR1 and MyoII assembly. gskA−cells exhibit very strong chemotactic phenotypes, as previously described, but exhibit an increased rate of random motility. gskA−cells have a reduced MyoII response and a reduced level of phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-triphosphate production, but a highly extended recruitment of PI3K to the plasma membrane and highly extended kinetics of PKB and PKBR1 activation. Our results demonstrate that GSK-3 function is essential for chemotaxis, regulating multiple substrates, and that one of these effectors, DydA, plays a key function in the dynamic regulation of chemotaxis.
Diffusion Tensor Imaging to Predict Long-term Outcome after Cardiac Arrest
Authors: Luyt Charles-Edouard , Galanaud Damien , Perlbarg Vincent , Vanhaudenhuyse Audrey , Stevens Robert D. , Gupta Rajiv , Besancenot Hortense , Krainik Alexandre , Audibert Gérard , Combes Alain , Chastre Jean , Benali Habib , Laureys Steven , Puybasset Louis
Published: November 2012

Background

Prognostication in comatose survivors of cardiac arrest is a major clinical challenge. The authors' objective was to determine whether an assessment with diffusion tensor imaging, a brain magnetic resonance imaging sequence, increases the accuracy of 1 yr functional outcome prediction in cardiac arrest survivors.

Methods

Prospective, observational study in two intensive care units. Fifty-seven comatose survivors of cardiac arrest underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging. Fractional anisotropy (FA), a diffusion tensor imaging value, was measured in predefined white matter regions, and apparent diffusion coefficient was assessed in predefined grey matter regions. Prediction of unfavorable outcome at 1 yr was compared using four prognostic models: FA global, FA selected, apparent diffusion coefficient, and clinical classifiers.

Results

Of the 57 patients included in the study, 49 had an unfavorable outcome at 12 months. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (95% CI) to predict unfavorable outcome for the FA global, FA selected, clinical, and apparent diffusion coefficient models were 0.92 (0.82-0.98), 0.96 (0.87-0.99), 0.78 (0.65-0.88), and 0.86 (0.74-0.94), respectively. The FA selected model had the best overall accuracy for predicting outcome, with a score above 0.44 having 94% (95% CI, 83-99%) sensitivity and 100% (95% CI, 63-100%) specificity for the prediction of unfavorable outcome.

Conclusion

Quantitative diffusion tensor imaging indicates that white matter damage is widespread after cardiac arrest. A prognostic model based on FA values in selected white matter tracts seems to predict accurately 1 yr functional outcome. These preliminary results need to be confirmed in a larger population.
Interaction of Metabolic and Respiratory Acidosis with α and β-adrenoceptor Stimulation in Rat Myocardium
Authors: Biais Matthieu , Jouffroy Romain , Carillion Aude , Feldman Sarah , Jobart-Malfait Aude , Riou Bruno , Amour Julien
Published: November 2012

Background

The effects of acute respiratory versus metabolic acidosis on the myocardium and their consequences on adrenoceptor stimulation remain poorly described. We compared the effects of metabolic and respiratory acidosis on inotropy and lusitropy in rat myocardium and their effects on the responses to α- and β-adrenoceptor stimulations.

Methods

The effects of acute respiratory and metabolic acidosis (pH 7.10) and their interactions with α and β-adrenoceptor stimulations were studied in isolated rat left ventricular papillary muscle (n=8 per group). Intracellular pH was measured using confocal microscopy and a pH-sensitive fluorophore in isolated rat cardiomyocytes. Data are mean percentages of baseline±SD.

Results

Respiratory acidosis induced more pronounced negative inotropic effects than metabolic acidosis did both in isotonic (45±3 versus 63±6%, P<0.001) and isometric (44±5 versus 64±3%, P<0.001) conditions concomitant with a greater decrease in intracellular pH (6.85±0.07 versus 7.12±0.07, P<0.001). The response to α-adrenergic stimulation was not modified by respiratory or metabolic acidosis. The inotropic response to β-adrenergic stimulation was impaired only in metabolic acidosis (137±12 versus 200±33%, P<0.001), but this effect was not observed with administration of forskolin or dibutiryl-cyclic adenosine monophosphate. This effect might be explained by a change in transmembrane pH gradient only observed with metabolic acidosis. The lusitropic response to β-adrenergic stimulation was not modified by respiratory or metabolic acidosis.

Conclusion

Acute metabolic and respiratory acidosis induce different myocardial effects related to different decreases in intracellular pH. Only metabolic acidosis impairs the positive inotropic effect of β-adrenergic stimulation.
Effects of Positive End-expiratory Pressure Titration and Recruitment Maneuver on Lung Inflammation and Hyperinflation in Experimental Acid Aspiration–induced Lung Injury
Authors: Ambrosio Aline M. , Luo Rubin , Fantoni Denise T. , Gutierres Claudia , Lu Qin , Gu Wen-Jie , Otsuki Denise A. , Malbouisson Luiz M.S. , Auler Jose O.C. , Rouby Jean-Jacques
Published: November 2012

Background

In acute lung injury positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) and recruitment maneuver are proposed to optimize arterial oxygenation. The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of such a strategy on lung histological inflammation and hyperinflation in pigs with acid aspiration-induced lung injury.

Methods

Forty-seven pigs were randomly allocated in seven groups: (1) controls spontaneously breathing; (2) without lung injury, PEEP 5 cm H2O; (3) without lung injury, PEEP titration; (4) without lung injury, PEEP titration + recruitment maneuver; (5) with lung injury, PEEP 5 cm H2O; (6) with lung injury, PEEP titration; and (7) with lung injury, PEEP titration + recruitment maneuver. Acute lung injury was induced by intratracheal instillation of hydrochloric acid. PEEP titration was performed by incremental and decremental PEEP from 5 to 20 cm H2O for optimizing arterial oxygenation. Three recruitment maneuvers (pressure of 40 cm H2O maintained for 20 s) were applied to the assigned groups at each PEEP level. Proportion of lung inflammation, hemorrhage, edema, and alveolar wall disruption were recorded on each histological field. Mean alveolar area was measured in the aerated lung regions.

Results

Acid aspiration increased mean alveolar area and produced alveolar wall disruption, lung edema, alveolar hemorrhage, and lung inflammation. PEEP titration significantly improved arterial oxygenation but simultaneously increased lung inflammation in juxta-diaphragmatic lung regions. Recruitment maneuver during PEEP titration did not induce additional increase in lung inflammation and alveolar hyperinflation.

Conclusion

In a porcine model of acid aspiration-induced lung injury, PEEP titration aimed at optimizing arterial oxygenation, substantially increased lung inflammation. Recruitment maneuvers further improved arterial oxygenation without additional effects on inflammation and hyperinflation.
Aerosolized Antibiotics for Ventilator-associated Pneumonia
Authors: Rouby Jean-Jacques , Bouhemad Belaïd , Monsel Antoine , Brisson Hélène , Arbelot Charlotte , Lu Qin
Published: November 2012

The aim of this review is to perform a critical analysis of experimental studies on aerosolized antibiotics and draw lessons for clinical use in patients with ventilator-associated pneumonia. Ultrasonic or vibrating plate nebulizers should be preferred to jet nebulizers. During the nebulization period, specific ventilator settings aimed at decreasing flow turbulence should be used, and discoordination with the ventilator should be avoided. The appropriate dose of aerosolized antibiotic can be determined as the intravenous dose plus extrapulmonary deposition. If these conditions are strictly respected, then high lung tissue deposition associated with rapid and efficient bacterial killing can be expected. For aerosolized aminoglycosides and cephalosporins, a decrease in systemic exposure leading to reduced toxicity is not proven by experimental studies. Aerosolized colistin, however, does not easily cross the alveolar-capillary membrane even in the presence of severe lung infection, and high doses can be delivered by nebulization without significant systemic exposure.
Evolutionary inference for function-valued traits: Gaussian process regression on phylogenies
Authors: Jones Nick S. , Moriarty John
Published: November 2012

Biological data objects often have both of the following features: (i) they are functions rather than single numbers or vectors, and (ii) they are correlated owing to phylogenetic relationships. In this paper, we give a flexible statistical model for such data, by combining assumptions from phylogenetics with Gaussian processes. We describe its use as a non-parametric Bayesian prior distribution, both for prediction (placing posterior distributions on ancestral functions) and model selection (comparing rates of evolution across a phylogeny, or identifying the most likely phylogenies consistent with the observed data). Our work is integrative, extending the popular phylogenetic Brownian motion and Ornstein–Uhlenbeck models to functional data and Bayesian inference, and extending Gaussian process regression to phylogenies. We provide a brief illustration of the application of our method.
The evolution of fairness: explaining variation in bargaining behaviour
Authors: Lamba Shakti , Mace Ruth
Published: November 2012

Conceptions of fairness vary across the world. Identifying the drivers of this variation is key to understanding the selection pressures and mechanisms that lead to the evolution of fairness in humans. Individuals' varying fairness preferences are widely assumed to represent cultural norms. However, this assumption has not previously been tested. Fairness norms are defined as culturally transmitted equilibria at which bargainers have coordinated expectations from each other. Hence, if fairness norms exist at the level of the ethno-linguistic group, we should observe two patterns. First, cultural conformism should maintain behavioural homogeneity within an ethno-linguistic group. Second, bargainers' expectations should be coordinated such that proposals and responses to proposals should covary. Here we show that neither of these patterns is observed across 21 populations of the same ethno-linguistic group, the Pahari Korwa of central India. Our findings suggest that what constitutes a fair division of resources can vary on smaller scales than that of the ethno-linguistic group. Individuals' local environments may play a central role in determining conceptions of fairness.
Molecular evolution of lineage 2 West Nile virus
Authors: McMullen Allison R. , Albayrak Harun , May Fiona J. , Davis C. Todd , Beasley David W. C. , Barrett Alan D. T.
Published: November 2012

Since the 1990s West Nile virus (WNV) has become an increasingly important public health problem and the cause of outbreaks of neurological disease. Genetic analyses have identified multiple lineages with many studies focusing on lineage 1 due to its emergence in New York in 1999 and its neuroinvasive phenotype. Until recently, viruses in lineage 2 were not thought to be of public health importance due to few outbreaks of disease being associated with viruses in this lineage. However, recent epidemics of lineage 2 in Europe (Greece and Italy) and Russia have shown the increasing importance of this lineage. There are very few genetic studies examining isolates belonging to lineage 2. We have sequenced the full-length genomes of four older lineage 2 WNV isolates, compared them to 12 previously published genomic sequences and examined the evolution of this lineage. Our studies show that this lineage has evolved over the past 300–400 years and appears to correlate with a change from mouse attenuated to virulent phenotype based on previous studies by our group. This evolution mirrors that which is seen in lineage 1 isolates, which have also evolved to a virulent phenotype over the same period of time.