bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Three-dimensional hydrogen-bonded framework structures in flunarizinium nicotinate and flunarizinediium bis(4-toluenesulfonate) dihydrate
Authors: Kavitha Channappa N. , Yathirajan Hemmige S. , Kaur Manpreet , Hosten Eric C. , Betz Richard , Glidewell Christopher
Published: July 2014

The structures of two salts of flunarizine, namely 1-bis[(4-fluorophenyl)methyl]-4-[(2E)-3-phenylprop-2-en-1-yl]piperazine, C26H26F2N2, are reported. In flunarizinium nicotinate {systematic name: 4-bis[(4-fluorophenyl)methyl]-1-[(2E)-3-phenylprop-2-en-1-yl]piperazin-1-ium pyridine-3-carboxylate}, C26H27F2N2+·C6H4NO2−, (I), the two ionic components are linked by a short charge-assisted N—H...O hydrogen bond. The ion pairs are linked into a three-dimensional framework structure by three independent C—H...O hydrogen bonds, augmented by C—H...π(arene) hydrogen bonds and an aromatic π–π stacking interaction. In flunarizinediium bis(4-toluenesulfonate) dihydrate {systematic name: 1-[bis(4-fluorophenyl)methyl]-4-[(2E)-3-phenylprop-2-en-1-yl]piperazine-1,4-diium bis(4-methylbenzenesulfonate) dihydrate}, C26H28F2N22+·2C7H7O3S−·2H2O, (II), one of the anions is disordered over two sites with occupancies of 0.832 (6) and 0.168 (6). The five independent components are linked into ribbons by two independent N—H...O hydrogen bonds and four independent O—H...O hydrogen bonds, and these ribbons are linked to form a three-dimensional framework by two independent C—H...O hydrogen bonds, but C—H...π(arene) hydrogen bonds and aromatic π–π stacking interactions are absent from the structure of (II). Comparisons are made with some related structures.
Topological analysis of the three-dimensional coordination polymer poly[(μ4-azido)[μ4-5-(pyridin-4-yl)tetrazolido]disilver(I)]
Authors: Meng Gao-Xiang , Feng Ya-Min , Huang Xin-Tang
Published: July 2014

The title compound, [Ag2(C6H4N4)(N3)]n, was obtained under hydrothermal conditions at 433 K. The asymmetric unit of the orthorhombic space group (Pna21) consists of two Ag+cations, an anionic 5-(pyridin-4-yl)tetrazolide (4-ptz−) ligand and an anionic azide ligand. Both Ag+centres are coordinated by four N atoms, forming a distorted tetrahedral coordination environment. When all the component ions are viewed as 4-connected nodes, the whole three-dimensional network can be regarded topologically as a new kind of 4,4,4,4-connected net with the Schläfli symbol (4.85)(42.84)(43.83)2.
A three-dimensional zinc-based coordination polymer built from 5-carboxylato-1-carboxylatomethyl-2-oxidopyridinium with a 4-connectedsratopology
Authors: Ma De-Yun , Zheng Jing , Cao Jie-Qiong , Lin Xu-Min , Ling You-Biao
Published: July 2014

A novel three-dimensional ZnIIcomplex, poly[aqua(μ4-5-carboxylato-1-carboxylatomethyl-2-oxidopyridinium)zinc(II)], [Zn(C8H5NO4)(H2O)]n, has been prepared by hydrothermal assembly of Zn(CH3COO)2·2H2O and 5-carboxy-1-(carboxymethyl)pyridin-1-ium-2-olate (H2ccop). The ccop2−anions bridge the ZnIIcations in a head-to-tail fashionviamonodentate aromatic carboxylate and phenolate O atoms to form an extended zigzag chain which runs parallel to the [011] direction. One O atom of the aliphatic carboxylate group of the ccop2−ligand coordinates to the ZnIIatom of a neighbouring chain thereby producing undulating layers which lie parallel to the (01-1) plane. A similar parallel undulating planar structure can be obtained if a path involving the other O atom of the aliphatic carboxylate group is considered. Thus, the aliphatic carboxylate group acts in a bridging bidentate mode to give extended –Zn–O–C–O–Zn– sequences running parallel to [001] which link the layers into an overall three-dimensional framework. The three-dimensional framework can be simplified as a 4-connected sra topology with a Schläfli symbol of 42.63.8 if all the ZnIIcentres and ccop2−anions are regarded as tetrahedral 4-connected nodes. The three-dimensional luminescence spectrum was measured at room temperature with excitation and emission wavelengths of 344–354 and 360–630 nm, respectively, at intervals of 0.15 and 2 nm, respectively.
Transthoracic biopsy of lung masses: Non technical factors affecting complication occurrence
Authors: Aktas Aykut Recep , Gozlek Emel , Yazkan Rasih , Yilmaz Omer , Kayan Mustafa , Demirtas Hakan , Cetin Meltem , Unlu Nisa , Kara Mustafa , Degirmenci Bumin
Published: July 2014

Background

To investigate the transthoracic computed tomography (CT)‐guided lung nodule biopsy complications and risk factors associated with the development of these complications.

Methods

We retrospectively evaluated a total of 41 CT‐guided transthoracic biopsy complications. Data was analyzed by chi‐square and independent sample t‐tests.

Results

Twenty‐seven patients (28.7%) developed pneumothorax and eight patients (8.5%) developed parenchymal hemorrhage, and four patients (4.3%) hemothorax and two (2.1%) patients developed subcutaneous emphysema. A significant correlation was obtained between the development of pneumothorax and lesion size (P = 0.040), and the distance that traversed the parenchyma (P = 0.001). There was a statistically significant difference between the parenchymal hemorrhage and lesion size and the distance from passed parenchyma (P values were 0.021 and 0.008, respectively). An increased incidence of parenchymal hemorrhage and pneumothorax was observed at small size and deep‐seated lesions.

Conclusion

Lesion size and the distance that traversed the parenchyma on the biopsy tract are the most important factors that influence the development of complications in CT‐guided transthoracic biopsy.
Risk factors for recurrence after complete resection of pathological stage N2 non‐small cell lung cancer
Authors: Qiang Guangliang , Liang Chaoyang , Yu Qiduo , Xiao Fei , Song Zhiyi , Tian Yanchu , Shi Bin , Liu Deruo , Guo Yongqing
Published: July 2014

Background

Tumor recurrence is the most common cause of treatment failure, especially after complete resection of pathological stage N2 non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this study, we investigated the clinicopathological characteristics in order to identify independent risk factors for postoperative recurrence.

Methods

Between January 2001 and December 2013, 96 patients who underwent surgical resection for pathological N2 NSCLC were retrospectively reviewed. Recurrence‐free survival (RFS) was calculated by the Kaplan‐Meier method to explore risk factors, while the Cox proportional hazard model was used to assess independent predictors.

Results

The median and five‐year RFS rates were 15 months and 27.4%, respectively. Univariate analysis showed a significantly poorer prognosis for non‐regional N2 metastasis, more than three metastatic N2 lymph nodes, multiple N2 station, and multiple N2 zone involvement. Multivariate analysis demonstrated that non‐regional N2 metastasis (hazard ratio [HR] 1.857, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.061–3.249, P = 0.030) and more than three metastatic N2 lymph nodes (HR 2.555, 95% CI 1.164–5.606, P = 0.019) were independent risk factors for RFS. Additionally, the incidence of non‐regional N2 metastasis was higher in patients with a primary tumor in the left lower (57.1%) or right lower lobe (48.1%), followed by left upper (31.8%), right middle (14.3%) and right upper lobe (7.7%).

Conclusion

The combination of the distribution and number of metastatic N2 lymph nodes provides a more accurate prediction for N2 NSCLC regarding recurrence. Non‐regional N2 metastasis could occur with a primary tumor in any lobe, but occurs more frequently in the lower lobe.
Investigating three‐dimensional mesoscale habitat complexity and its ecological implications using low‐cost RGB‐D sensor technology
Authors: Kamal Shafagh , Lee Shing Yip , Warnken Jan
Published: July 2014

Structural complexity, that is, spatial patterns of structural ‘units of interest’, is one of the most fundamental drivers in habitat use of animals and other functions of habitats. Assessment of habitat structural complexity (e.g. mangrove root complexity) and its ecological implications (e.g. mangroves as nursery sites) has, however, been hampered by the lack of satisfactory methods for realistically measuring and analysing field habitat structure.

We demonstrate a simple low‐cost approach comprising an RGB_D scanning sensor (Kinect), free and readily accessible software (Meshlab, Matlab (or Octave), Qubicle Constructor and Voxeliser) and fractal dimension to measure mangrove root structure and complexity at spatial scales relevant to juvenile fish use of the habitat. The cube‐counting method was used for three‐dimensional characterisation of fractal dimensions of space around aerial roots of mangroves from a ‘fish point of view’. Space–fish relationship under different ecological situations was assessed by simulating a falling tide and using different rectangular prisms to represent varying fish allometries utilizing the space.

Fractal dimension (FD) of space around roots decreased with decreasing height of the ‘object’ mimicking a falling tide. The same root system may therefore look more complex to aquatic animals as the water level decreases. We also assessed the variation in FD responding to manipulation of the density and arrangement of objects (pneumatophores). Difference in FD was generally small, due attention to replication is necessary for comparisons of habitat structural complexity using this metric.

This simple low‐cost approach will enable field measurements of habitat structure at spatial scales relevant to its influence on habitat use and animal behaviour, as well as allowing realistic replication of field structure for laboratory‐based experiments.
Laparoscopic reduced port surgery for schwannoma of the sigmoid colon: A case report
Authors: Tokuhara Katsuji , Nakatani Kazuyoshi , Oishi Masaharu , Iwamoto Shigeyoshi , Inoue Kentaro , Kwon A‐Hon
Published: July 2014

A 74‐year‐old woman who developed schwannoma of the sigmoid colon was referred to our hospital for colonography to determine the cause of her stool occult blood. Colonoscopy revealed a submucosal tumor, which measured 3 cm in diameter, in the sigmoid colon. Endoscopic ultrasonography revealed a low echoic, homogeneous and demarcated submucosal tumor that continued into the fourth layer of the colonic wall. Gastrointestinal stromal, myogenic or neurogenic tumor was suspected, and thus, laparoscopic sigmoidectomy was carried out. We used two ports during the operation, a SILS Port in the umbilical region and a 12‐mm port in the right lower abdominal wall, and performed sigmoidectomy with D2 lymph node dissection. Histological findings revealed spindle‐like tumor cells with multiform nuclei. The tumor was diagnosed by immunostaining as benign schwannoma of the sigmoid colon. The conventional surgical treatment for schwannoma of the digestive tract is partial resection, but if preoperative diagnosis is unknown, radical resection with lymphadenectomy is acceptable for submucosal tumors in the digestive tract. In this case, laparoscopic reduced port surgery using only one or two ports may be more feasible and beneficial with regard to cosmesis and reduced postoperative pain than conventional laparoscopic colectomy.
Hybrid technique for laparoscopic incisional ventral hernia repair combining laparoscopic primary closure and mesh repair
Authors: Yoshikawa Kozo , Shimada Mitsuo , Kurita Nobuhiro , Sato Hirohiko , Iwata Takashi , Higashijima Jun , Chikakiyo Motoya , Nishi Masaaki , Kashihara Hideya , Takasu Chie , Matsumoto Noriko , Eto Syohei
Published: July 2014

Introduction

Incisional ventral hernia is one of the most common surgical complications after laparotomy. Laparoscopic repair of incisional ventral hernia has been conducted recently, and the advantages of this procedure have been reported. However, in large orifice cases, the recurrence rate is increased. To improve recurrence rates in large cases, a hybrid method combining laparoscopic primary closure and mesh repair can be applied.

Materials and Surgical Technique

Monofilament thread was inserted into the abdominal cavity for hernia closure and pulled from the other side of the orifice. The same procedure was performed from the upper side to the lower side without closure, and all thread was placed in line. Both sides of the thread were then introduced to the midline of the incision through a subcutaneous route. This procedure was conducted with an introducer. All threads were tied, and then a mesh was placed.

Discussion

Hybrid techniques already combine mini‐laparotomy for hernia closure and subsequent laparoscopic intraoperative onlay mesh for reinforcement, but such techniques require laparotomy. In our technique, closure of the linea alba does not require laparotomy. All procedures were performed laparoscopically. This procedure is very easy and safe, and does not require the abdominal cavity to be opened. Thus, hybrid methods are effective for treating cases of incisional hernia involving a large orifice.
Hand‐assisted laparoscopic splenectomy for sclerosing angiomatoid nodular transformation of the spleen complicated by chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation: A case report
Authors: Kakisaka Tatsuhiko , Kamiyama Toshiya , Yokoo Hideki , Orimo Tatsuya , Wakayama Kenji , Tsuruga Yosuke , Kamachi Hirofumi , Harada Taisuke , Kato Fumi , Yamada Yosuke , Mitsuhashi Tomoko , Taketomi Akinobu
Published: July 2014

A 36‐year‐old man who presented with a nosebleed and anemia was referred to our hospital. Laboratory test results showed platelet depletion, decreased levels of fibrinogen, and increased fibrinogen degeneration products. CT showed a 13‐cm splenic tumor. T2‐weighted MRI revealed a high‐intensity mass. We preoperatively diagnosed splenic hemangioma with chronic disseminated intravascular coagulation and scheduled an operation to relieve the disseminated intravascular coagulation. We also performed hand‐assisted laparoscopic splenectomy to ensure easy handling of the splenomegaly. The resected specimen microscopically consisted of hemorrhages and hemangiomatous lesions, and multiple angiomatoid nodules were scattered and separated by fibrocollagenous stroma with inflammatory cells. Three types of vessels (capillaries, sinusoids and small veins) were contained in the angiomatoid nodules, and the pathological diagnosis was sclerosing angiomatoid nodular transformation. The results of this case suggest that we should consider sclerosing angiomatoid nodular transformation in the differential diagnosis of patients with splenic tumors, as sclerosing angiomatoid nodular transformation with hemangiomatous features may cause coagulation disorders for which splenectomy should be performed.
Dispute Settlement in the Law of the Sea Convention and Territorial and Maritime Disputes inSoutheastAsia: Issues, Opportunities, and Challenges
Authors: Bautista Lowell
Published: July 2014

The 1982UnitedNationsConvention on theLaw of theSea (LOSC) provides for a dispute settlement regime that establishes a compulsory and binding framework for the peaceful settlement of all ocean‐related disputes. InSoutheastAsia, despite the long‐standing myriad of territorial and maritime disputes, there appears to be a general reluctance to utilize the dispute settlement provisions ofLOSC. The region has very little experience in international litigation involving territorial and maritime disputes, and a reluctance to utilize the dispute settlement provisions ofLOSC. While theLOSClegal framework offers some options, the highly complicated nature of the disputes in the region, especially those pertaining to the overlapping and conflicting claims over theSouthChinaSea, cultural factors, and other pragmatic considerations, test the limits of international law and obscure the possibility of a legal solution.
The neurosteroid 5β‐pregnan‐3α‐ol‐20‐one enhances actions of etomidate as a positive allosteric modulator of α1β2γ2L GABAA receptors
Authors: Li P , Bracamontes J R , Manion B D , Mennerick S , Steinbach J H , Evers A S , Akk G
Published: July 2014

Background and Purpose

Neurosteroids potentiate responses of the GABAA receptor to the endogenous agonist GABA. Here, we examined the ability of neurosteroids to potentiate responses to the allosteric activators etomidate, pentobarbital and propofol.

Experimental Approach

Electrophysiological assays were conducted on rat α1β2γ2L GABAA receptors expressed in HEK 293 cells. The sedative activity of etomidate was studied in Xenopus tadpoles and mice. Effects of neurosteroids on etomidate‐elicited inhibition of cortisol synthesis were determined in human adrenocortical cells.

Key Results

The neurosteroid 5β‐pregnan‐3α‐ol‐20‐one (3α5βP) potentiated activation of GABAA receptors by GABA and allosteric activators. Co‐application of 1 μM 3α5βP induced a leftward shift (almost 100‐fold) of the whole‐cell macroscopic concentration–response relationship for gating by etomidate. Co‐application of 100 nM 3α5βP reduced the EC50 for potentiation by etomidate of currents elicited by 0.5 μM GABA by about three‐fold. In vivo, 3α5βP (1mg kg‐1) reduced the dose of etomidate required to produce loss of righting in mice (ED50) by almost 10‐fold. In tadpoles, the presence of 50 or 100 nM 3α5βP shifted the EC50 for loss of righting about three‐ or ten‐fold respectively. Exposure to 3α5βP did not influence inhibition of cortisol synthesis by etomidate.

Conclusions and Implications

Potentiating neurosteroids act similarly on orthosterically and allosterically activated GABAA receptors. Co‐application of neurosteroids with etomidate can significantly reduce dosage requirements for the anaesthetic, and is a potentially beneficial combination to reduce undesired side effects.
Molecular targets of the multifunctional iron‐chelating drug, M30, in the brains of mouse models of type 2 diabetes mellitus
Authors: Mechlovich Danit , Amit Tamar , Bar‐Am Orit , Weinreb Orly , Youdim Moussa B H
Published: July 2014

Background and Purpose

Neurodegenerative diseases are now recognized to be multifunctional, whereby a heterogeneous set of reactions acts independently or cooperatively, leading eventually to the demise of neurons. This has led our group to design and synthesize the multifunctional, nontoxic, brain‐permeable, iron chelator compound M30 with a range of pharmacological properties. Here, we have characterized the molecular targets of M30 in the brains of animal models of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).

Experimental Approach

Effects of M30 on molecular mechanisms associated with neuroprotection in the CNS were investigated‐in the high‐fat diet (HFD) and ob/ob transgenic mouse models of T2DM, using real‐time PCR and Western blotting analyses. Brain monoamine oxidase (MAO) activity and catecholamine levels, and peripheral glucose tolerance were assayed after treatment in vivo.

Key Results

M30 increased cerebral levels of insulin and insulin receptor and phosphorylated‐GSK‐3β in HFD mice, compared with vehicle‐treated HFD mice. In both T2DM mice models, M30 treatment significantly up‐regulated cerebral hypoxia‐inducible factor (HIF)‐1α protein levels and induced the expression of several HIF‐1 target genes involved in neuroprotection, glycolysis, neurogenesis, oxidative stress and anti‐inflammation. Additionally, M30 inhibited MAO‐A and ‐B activities in the cerebellum. Accordingly, M30 administration significantly reduced brain levels of dopamine metabolites and increased levels of 5‐HT and noradrenaline. Glucose tolerance was also improved after M30 treatment in both models of T2DM.

Conclusions and Implications

In the brain of HFD and ob/ob transgenic mice, M30 exerted a variety of beneficial neuroprotective regulatory effects that may act synergistically to delay or prevent neurodegenerative processes associated with T2DM.
Simulation with cells in vitro of tamoxifen treatment in premenopausal breast cancer patients with different CYP2D6 genotypes
Authors: Maximov Philipp Y , McDaniel Russell E , Fernandes Daphne J , Korostyshevskiy Valeriy R , Bhatta Puspanjali , Mürdter Thomas E , Flockhart David A , Jordan V Craig
Published: July 2014

Background and Purpose

Tamoxifen is a prodrug that is metabolically activated by 4‐hydroxylation to the potent primary metabolite 4‐hydroxytamoxifen (4OHT) or via another primary metabolite N‐desmethyltamoxifen (NDMTAM) to a biologically active secondary metabolite endoxifen through a cytochrome P450 2D6 variant system (CYP2D6). To elucidate the mechanism of action of tamoxifen and the importance of endoxifen for its effect, we determined the anti‐oestrogenic efficacy of tamoxifen and its metabolites, including endoxifen, at concentrations corresponding to serum levels measured in breast cancer patients with various CYP2D6 genotypes (simulating tamoxifen treatment).

Experimental Approach

The biological effects of tamoxifen and its metabolites on cell growth and oestrogen‐responsive gene modulation were evaluated in a panel of oestrogen receptor‐positive breast cancer cell lines. Actual clinical levels of tamoxifen metabolites in breast cancer patients were used in vitro along with actual levels of oestrogens observed in premenopausal patients taking tamoxifen.

Key Results

Tamoxifen and its primary metabolites (4OHT and NDMTAM) only partially inhibited the stimulant effects of oestrogen on cells. The addition of endoxifen at concentrations corresponding to different CYP2D6 genotypes was found to enhance the anti‐oestrogenic effect of tamoxifen and its metabolites with an efficacy that correlated with the concentration of endoxifen; at concentrations corresponding to the extensive metabolizer genotype it further inhibited the actions of oestrogen. In contrast, lower concentrations of endoxifen (intermediate and poor metabolizers) had little or no anti‐oestrogenic effects.

Conclusions and Implications

Endoxifen may be a clinically relevant metabolite in premenopausal patients as it provides additional anti‐oestrogenic actions during tamoxifen treatment.
Selective Na+/Ca2+ exchanger inhibition prevents Ca2+ overload‐induced triggered arrhythmias
Authors: Nagy Norbert , Kormos Anita , Kohajda Zsófia , Szebeni Áron , Szepesi Judit , Pollesello Piero , Levijoki Jouko , Acsai Károly , Virág László , Nánási Péter P , Papp Julius Gy , Varró András , Tóth András
Published: July 2014

Background and Purpose

Augmented Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) activity may play a crucial role in cardiac arrhythmogenesis; however, data regarding the anti‐arrhythmic efficacy of NCX inhibition are debatable. Feasible explanations could be the unsatisfactory selectivity of NCX inhibitors and/or the dependence of the experimental model on the degree of Ca2+i overload. Hence, we used NCX inhibitors SEA0400 and the more selective ORM10103 to evaluate the efficacy of NCX inhibition against arrhythmogenic Ca2+i rise in conditions when [Ca2+]i was augmented via activation of the late sodium current (INaL) or inhibition of the Na+/K+ pump.

Experimental Approach

Action potentials (APs) were recorded from canine papillary muscles and Purkinje fibres by microelectrodes. NCX current (INCX) was determined in ventricular cardiomyocytes utilizing the whole‐cell patch clamp technique. Ca2+i transients (CaTs) were monitored with a Ca2+‐sensitive fluorescent dye, Fluo‐4.

Key Results

Enhanced INaL increased the Ca2+ load and AP duration (APD). SEA0400 and ORM10103 suppressed INCX and prevented/reversed the anemone toxin II (ATX‐II)‐induced [Ca2+]i rise without influencing APD, CaT or cell shortening, or affecting the ATX‐II‐induced increased APD. ORM10103 significantly decreased the number of strophanthidin‐induced spontaneous diastolic Ca2+ release events; however, SEA0400 failed to restrict the veratridine‐induced augmentation in Purkinje‐ventricle APD dispersion.

Conclusions and Implications

Selective NCX inhibition – presumably by blocking revINCX (reverse mode NCX current) – is effective against arrhythmogenesis caused by [Na+]i‐induced [Ca2+]i elevation, without influencing the AP waveform. Therefore, selective INCX inhibition, by significantly reducing the arrhythmogenic trigger activity caused by the perturbed Ca2+i handling, should be considered as a promising anti‐arrhythmic therapeutic strategy.
Dopamine D1 and corticotrophin‐releasing hormone type‐2α receptors assemble into functionally interacting complexes in living cells
Authors: Fuenzalida J , Galaz P , Araya K A , Slater P G , Blanco E H , Campusano J M , Ciruela F , Gysling K
Published: July 2014

Background and Purpose

Dopamine and corticotrophin‐releasing hormone (CRH; also known as corticotrophin‐releasing factor) are key neurotransmitters in the interaction between stress and addiction. Repeated treatment with cocaine potentiates glutamatergic transmission in the rat basolateral amygdala/cortex pathway through a synergistic action of D1‐like dopamine receptors and CRH type‐2α receptors (CRF2α receptors). We hypothesized that this observed synergism could be instrumented by heteromers containing the dopamine D1 receptor and CRF2α receptor.

Experimental Approach

D1/CRF2α receptor heteromerization was demonstrated in HEK293T cells using co‐immunoprecipitation, BRET and FRET assays, and by using the heteromer mobilization strategy. The ability of D1 receptors to signal through calcium, when singly expressed or co‐expressed with CRF2α receptors, was evaluated by the calcium mobilization assay.

Key Results

D1/CRF2α receptor heteromers were observed in HEK293T cells. When singly expressed, D1 receptors were mostly located at the cell surface whereas CRF2α receptors accumulated intracellularly. Interestingly, co‐expression of both receptors promoted D1 receptor intracellular and CRF2α receptor cell surface targeting. The heteromerization of D1/CRF2α receptors maintained the signalling through cAMP of both receptors but switched D1 receptor signalling properties, as the heteromeric D1 receptor was able to mobilize intracellular calcium upon stimulation with a D1 receptor agonist.

Conclusions and Implications

D1 and CRF2α receptors are capable of heterodimerization in living cells. D1/CRF2α receptor heteromerization might account, at least in part, for the complex physiological interactions established between dopamine and CRH in normal and pathological conditions such as addiction, representing a new potential pharmacological target.
Unemployment and product market competition in a Cournot model with efficiency wages
Authors: Chen Zhiqi , Zhao Bo
Published: July 2014

This paper analyzes the impact of product market competition on unemployment, wage and welfare in a model where unemployment is caused by the efficiency wage consideration and oligopolistic firms compete in quantity. It is shown that while more intense competition in the product market increases output and reduces price, it does not necessarily lead to a lower unemployment rate or a higher wage for workers. Depending on the technologies, the relationship between the intensity of competition and the level of employment (respectively, wage, welfare) is not always monotonic, and, in some instances, has an inverted U‐shape.
International trade and directed search unemployment in general equilibrium
Authors: King Ian , Stähler Frank
Published: July 2014

We develop an open economy general equilibrium model, with auction‐based directed search unemployment, to study the interactions of trade and unemployment. The theory ascribes all outcomes purely to the fundamentals of technology and endowment. If countries differ by endowment, trade makes both the unemployment rate and the rental in the capital‐(labour‐) abundant country rise (decline) but does not lead to equalization. If, alternatively, countries differ by technology, trade increases (decreases) the unemployment rate in the country whose technology is relatively superior (inferior) for producing the capital‐intensive good.
Flexible inflation forecast targeting: Evidence from Canada
Authors: Otto Glenn D. , Voss Graham M.
Published: July 2014

We test whether the Bank of Canada pursues a flexible inflation forecast target, one that weights output growth as well as inflation. For the period 1996–2007, we find evidence that the Bank did effectively pursue such a target over the forecast horizon of 12 to 18 months. We find the relative weight that the Bank gives to output growth in its target to be positive and statistically significant within the range of 0.2 to 0.4.
How important are school principals in the production of student achievement?
Authors: Dhuey Elizabeth , Smith Justin
Published: July 2014

As school leaders, principals can influence student achievement in a number of ways, such as hiring and firing of teachers, monitoring instruction and maintaining student discipline, among many others. We measure the effect of individual principals on gains in math and reading achievement between grades 4 and 7 using a value‐added framework. We estimate that a one standard deviation improvement in principal quality can boost student performance by 0.289 to 0.408 standard deviations in reading and math, while the principal at the 75th percentile improves scores by 0.170 to 0.193 relative to the median principal. Our results imply that isolating the most effective principals and allocating them accordingly between schools can have a significant positive effect on reducing achievement gaps.
Post‐secondary attendance by parental income in the U.S. and Canada: Do financial aid policies explain the differences?
Authors: Belley Philippe , Frenette Marc , Lochner Lance
Published: July 2014

We examine the extent to which tuition and needs‐based aid policies explain important differences in the relationship between family income and post‐secondary attendance relationships between Canada and the U.S. Using data from recent cohorts, we estimate substantially smaller attendance gaps by parental income in Canada relative to the U.S., even after controlling for family background, cognitive achievement, and local‐residence fixed effects. We next document that U.S. public tuition and financial aid policies are actually more generous to low‐income youth than are Canadian policies. Equalizing these policies across Canada and the U.S. would likely lead to a greater difference in income‐attendance gradients.
Unemployment and welfare consequences of international outsourcing under monopolistic competition
Authors: Brecher Richard A. , Chen Zhiqi
Published: July 2014

This paper challenges the conventional academic view that international outsourcing is just another form of gainful trade. Contrary to that view, we show that labour‐service outsourcing can reduce the high‐wage country's welfare even when product‐market trade is beneficial, within a model that combines involuntary unemployment and monopolistic competition. Outsourcing's impact on welfare is worsened by a definite loss of jobs and a possible contraction in the range of varieties produced worldwide. While owners of capital benefit from outsourcing under certain conditions, labour's welfare always falls.
Quality of life in a large cohort of adult Brazilian patients with 46,XX and 46,XY disorders of sex development from a single tertiary centre
Authors: Cassia Amaral Rita , Inacio Marlene , Brito Vinicius N. , Bachega Tania A. S. S. , Oliveira Ari A. , Domenice Sorahia , Denes Francisco T. , Sircili Maria Helena , Arnhold Ivo J. P. , Madureira Guiomar , Gomes Larissa , Costa Elaine M. F. , Mendonca Berenice B.
Published: July 2014

Objective

Few studies have focused on the quality of life (QoL) of patients with disorders of sex development (DSD). Our aim was to evaluate QoL in DSD patients with defined diagnoses followed until adulthood in a single tertiary centre.

Patients and Methods

Adult patients with DSD (56 patients with 46,XX DSD – 49 with female social sex and 7 with male social sex as well as 88 patients with 46,XY DSD – 54 with female social sex and 34 with male social sex).

Measurements

QoL using WHOQOL‐Bref questionnaire.

Results

Both patients with 46,XX DSD and patients with 46,XY DSD had similar QoL scores on the WHOQOL‐Bref, comparable to the scores of the Brazilian general population. The chronological age at the start of treatment was negatively and significantly associated with general QoL score. Patients with male social sex DSD had better scores on the psychological domain than patients with female social sex DSD, as found in the Brazilian general population. In addition, among the 46,XY DSD group, the male social sex patients had better QoL compared with the female social sex patients. There was a positive and significant correlation between sexual performance and general QoL, although it explained only 4% of the variability of the general QoL score. The most influencing variables were general health, positive feelings and spirituality, religion and personal beliefs, each of them contributing with 18% of the variability of the general QoL score.

Conclusion

Our large cohort of adult patients with DSD, which was followed by a multidisciplinary team in a single tertiary centre, had good QoL in adulthood; in addition, late treatment compromised the QoL of patients with DSD, whereas sexual performance has little influence on QoL.
Prioritizing Regions to Conserve a Specialist Folivore: Considering Probability of Occurrence, Food Resources, and Climate Change
Authors: Adams‐Hosking Christine , McAlpine Clive A. , Rhodes Jonathan R. , Moss Patrick T. , Grantham Hedley S.
Published: July 2014

For species that are increasingly threatened by the combined impacts of habitat loss and climate change, the identification of priority regions for conservation planning efforts is urgently required. In the case of specialist folivores, consideration of the effects of climate change on the distributions of their essential food resources should be a key component of conservation planning. The koala (Phascolarctos cinereus) was listed in 2012 as vulnerable under Australian Commonwealth Government law. Here, we incorporate species distribution models for the koala, an arboreal marsupial, and its specialized food resources, to identify broad‐scale priority conservation regions. We demonstrate a spatial prioritization approach that informs conservation planning and that links the shifting distribution of this declining species and its critical food resources under climate change. We find that the inclusion of food plants affected the identification of priority regions for conserving koalas, and that priority regions for the conservation of this species are predicted to shift considerably, often outside the current range of this species, posing additional challenges for its conservation.
FISHing for pancreatobiliary tract malignancy in endoscopic brushings enhances the sensitivity of routine cytology
Authors: Barr Fritcher E. G. , Kipp B. R. , Halling K. C. , Clayton A. C.
Published: July 2014

Pancreatobiliary tract carcinoma is a lethal disease with low survival rates and limited treatment options. Diagnosis is complicated by benign conditions that can mimic malignancy on radiological studies (e.g. primary sclerosing cholangitis or PSC) and the suboptimal sensitivity of endoscopic biopsy/brushings obtained by endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). The detection of multiple chromosomal gains by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), referred to as polysomy, has demonstrated improved sensitivity over routine cytological evaluation. The evaluation of brushings by both routine cytology and FISH in our cytopathology laboratory has been in clinical practice since 2003. Strong morphological and screening skills enable cytotechnologists to become proficient in the assessment of FISH slides, which translates into cost and time savings. Multiple reports from various institutions have demonstrated the utility of FISH for patients with and without PSC. The incorporation of routine cytology and FISH results into the management algorithm for patients under suspicion for pancreatobiliary malignancy is a testament to the clinical success of these cytological assays.
Use of Sato's curved laryngoscope and an insulated‐tip knife for endoscopic incisional therapy of esophageal web
Authors: Ohtaka Masahiko , Kobayashi Shouji , Yoshida Takashi , Yamaguchi Tatsuya , Uetake Tomoyosi , Sato Tadashi , Hayashi Akira , Kanai Mari , Yamamoto Takanori , Hatsushika Kyosuke , Masuyama Keisuke , Enomoto Nobuyuki
Published: July 2014

We experienced two cases of esophageal web accompanying severe stricture that were treated by endoscopic incisions with an insulated‐tip knife (IT‐knife). With attention paid to the mucosa at the stricture, the lesion was incised with an IT‐knife without complications. Sato's curved laryngoscope was used even in cervical esophageal lesions and an excellent field was secured.
Thermal change alters the outcome of behavioural interactions between antagonistic partners
Authors: LE LANN CECILE , LODI MONICA , ELLERS JACINTHA
Published: July 2014

1. Concerns about climate change often trigger the question whether physiological and behavioural responses of species will enable them to persist. However, species do not exist alone and are largely dependent on interactions with others within communities.

2. In the present study, a mechanistic approach is used to test the hypothesis that inter‐specific differences in metabolic response to unpredictable short‐term thermal changes can change the outcome of host–parasitoid behavioural interactions.

3. The effect of a drop or a rise of 5 °C on resting metabolic rates (RMR) of the main aphid pest of cereal crops in Western Europe, the host Sitobion avenae Fabricius and its main natural enemy, the parasitoid Aphidius rhopalosiphi De Stefani‐Perez was measured. Also, defence and attack behaviours were measured for host and parasitoid separately as well as in interaction, since behavioural strategies of both species largely determine parasitism success.

4. The results showed that, when no change in temperature occurred, parasitoids had the highest oviposition rate. However, only with a rise of temperature behavioural interactions were disrupted: the parasitoid attack rate decreased whereas the aphid defence rate increased. This alteration in behaviour was associated with a stronger thermal response of RMR in hosts than in parasitoids, suggesting that species‐specific thermal responses of RMR could give valuable information on changes in the outcome of species interactions under warm spells but not under cold ones.

5. It was shown that relatively modest thermal changes with non‐lethal effects can have profound consequences for interacting co‐evolved species which may affect ecosystem services, such as biological control of pest populations.
Contrasting patterns of genetic and phenotypic differentiation in two invasive salmonids in the southern hemisphere
Authors: Monzón‐Argüello Catalina , Consuegra Sofia , Gajardo Gonzalo , Marco‐Rius Francisco , Fowler Daniel M. , DeFaveri Jacquelin , Garcia de Leaniz Carlos
Published: July 2014

Invasion success may be expected to increase with residence time (i.e., time since first introduction) and secondary releases (i.e., those that follow the original introduction), but this has rarely been tested in natural fish populations. We compared genetic and phenotypic divergence in rainbow trout and brown trout in Chile and the Falkland Islands to test the prediction that adaptive divergence, measured as PST/FST, would increase with residence time and secondary releases. We also explored whether interspecific competition between invaders could drive phenotypic divergence. Residence time had no significant effect on genetic diversity, phenotypic divergence, effective population size, or signatures of expansion of invasive trout. In contrast, secondary releases had a major effect on trout invasions, and rainbow trout populations mostly affected by aquaculture escapees showed significant divergence from less affected populations. Coexistence with brown trout had a positive effect on phenotypic divergence of rainbow trout. Our results highlight an important role of secondary releases in shaping fish invasions, but do not support the contention that older invaders are more differentiated than younger ones. They also suggest that exotic trout may not have yet developed local adaptations in these recently invaded habitats, at least with respect to growth‐related traits.
Topical acidic cream prevents the development of atopic dermatitis‐ and asthma‐like lesions in murine model
Authors: Lee Hae‐Jin , Yoon Na Young , Lee Noo Ri , Jung Minyoung , Kim Dong Hye , Choi Eung Ho
Published: July 2014

Long‐standing or repeated skin barrier damage followed by atopic dermatitis (AD) is the initial step of the atopic march that eventually progresses to respiratory allergies. Maintenance of an acidic pH in the stratum corneum (SC) is an important factor for normal skin barrier function. We performed this study to determine whether an oxazolone (Ox)‐induced AD murine model can develop airway inflammation by topical application and nasal inhalation of a house dust mite, Dermatofagoides pteronyssinus (Dp), which is a novel ‘atopic march animal model’, and whether an acidic SC environment, made by repeated application of acidic cream, can interrupt this atopic march. During repeated treatment with Ox and Dp to make an atopic march murine model, acidic cream (pH 2.8) and neutral cream (pH 7.4) adjusted by citric acid and sodium hydroxide mixed with vehicle were applied twice daily. Repeated treatment with Ox and Dp to hairless mice induced AD‐like skin lesions followed by respiratory allergy, defining it as an atopic march model. Acidic cream inhibited the occurrence of respiratory allergic inflammation as well as AD‐like skin lesions. These results indicate that a novel atopic march animal model can be developed by repeated topical and nasal treatments with house dust mite on Ox‐induced AD mice and that the acidification of SC could be a novel intervention method to block the atopic march.
Resource Curse and Regional Development: Does Dutch Disease Apply to Local Economies? Evidence from Canada
Authors: Dubé Jean , Polèse Mario
Published: July 2014

Looking at 135 Canadian urban areas over a 35‐year period (1971–2006), the paper examines the relationship between initial specialisation (using employment) in resource industries and various growth indicators via a mix of descriptive statistics and econometric modelling. The paper differentiates between two resources sectors: resource extraction (mining, logging, etc.); primary resource transformation (paper mills, foundries, smelters, etc.). The evidence for a “resource curse” is mixed. Resource transformation industries are found to be associated with slower population growth, also depressing growth in college‐educated cohorts. However, no such relationship is found for resource extraction. We find no evidence for a durable Dutch Disease wage effect. Wages fluctuate in response to resource demand as do working‐age populations. Many relationships hold only for the short run. In the end, we argue, the impact of resource specialisation depends on the particular resource and type of industry it spawns, as well as location. There is no generalisable resource curse, valid for all resources and all places.
American Indian Histories as Education History
Authors: Warren Donald
Published: July 2014

Choosing between “studies” and “stories,” as Herbert Butterfield couched the alternatives in 1959, has aggravated historians for years. He preferred an exit. With structure and narrative combined, Butterfield thought, “one may gain a profounder insight into both the ways of men and the processes of time.” Difficult as that approach may be, Karl Jacoby cautioned, it only balances a false dichotomy. Like the event in Apache history he reconstructed, some episodes lie hidden, wholly or in part, in silences not broken by documents or statistics. Adding American Indians to the mix of U.S. history, he argued, illustrates ways to resolve the dilemma and lead “toward a deeper revisioning of the American past.” Jacoby proposed “spotlighting the fraught relationship between storytelling and historical evaluation” to loosen the stubborn knot of history. The essential aim is not merely to fill a knowledge gap, an easier undertaking, but to evoke an episode's meanings, then and later. Undeniably, the past has legs, its tracks detected or hypothesized along divergent, sheltered, and sometimes surprising courses. Historians happen upon them more often along the way than at the outset, however careful and comprehensive the research design. Leaving room for possible interpretations tests its adequacy for reducing unknowns and finding new ones. They may use a compass of sorts to begin, if only to chart a general direction, but other research tools are essential for exploring details of unfamiliar territories. There, enhanced capacities for seeing and listening can help avoid unfounded claims and other epistemological disasters. For Jacoby, such are the risks historians run upon entering the places of American Indians' pasts.
Epic Learning in an Indian Pueblo: A Framework for Studying Multigenerational Learning in the History of Education
Authors: Lawrence Adrea
Published: July 2014

Writing from her position as the Office of Indian Affairs (OIA) Superintendent at the Potrero School on the Morongo (Malki) reservation in southern California in 1909, Clara D. True concluded an article on her experiences as an Anglo teacher working with American Indian populations in the United States:

The more one knows of the Indian as he really is, not as he appears to the tourist, the teacher, or the preacher, the more one wonders. The remnant of knowledge that the Red Brother has is an inheritance from a people of higher thought than we have usually based our speculation upon. It is to be regretted that in dealing with the Indian we have not regarded him worthwhile until it is too late to enrich our literature and traditions with the contribution he could so easily have made. We have regarded him as a thing to be robbed and converted rather than as a being with intellect, sensibilities, and will, all highly developed, the development being one on different lines from our own as only necessity dictated. The continent was his college. The slothful student was expelled from it by President Nature. Physically, mentally, and morally, the North American Indian before the degradation at our hands was a man whom his descendants need not despise.
The History of North American Education, 15,000 BCE to 1491
Authors: Gaither Milton
Published: July 2014

In an earlier work I provided quantitative evidence for the claim that the recent historiography of American education is characterized by an increased emphasis on the recent past to the detriment of the colonial, early national, and even antebellum eras. In that piece I noted offhandedly that there has been next to no work done on the history of American education before the arrival of Europeans. This article is my attempt to initiate the process of filling this appalling gap. Anyone so foolhardy as to hazard a history of education before European contact in the land that is now the United States, however, must deal at the outset with at least four theoretical and methodological concerns.
Reproductive performance ofEurasianKestrelFalco tinnunculusin an agricultural landscape with a mosaic of land uses
Authors: Costantini David , Dell'Omo Giacomo , La Fata Isabella , Casagrande Stefania
Published: July 2014

There are serious concerns about the environmental and ecological degradation caused by modern agriculture and its impact on animal populations. There is therefore a need to assess the reproductive performance of free‐living animals in agricultural landscapes. We undertook a 4‐year study on the reproductive biology of Eurasian KestrelFalco tinnunculusin the Parma district of Italy. Kestrels breeding in areas of intensive agriculture delayed egg‐laying and their offspring were in poorer condition compared with those breeding in areas of temporary or permanent grasslands. However, egg volume and fledging success were similar among sites. The availability of temporary and permanent grasslands may limit the negative impacts of intensive agriculture on the breeding activity of Kestrels.