bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of microvasculature at the auditory midbrain–the benefits of sectioning at a tangential angle
Authors: So Edmund Cheung , Lu Hui‐Pin , Hsing Chung Hsi , Wu Sheng Nan , Chang Yu‐Kai , Poon Paul W.F.
Published: October 2014

Vascular remodeling in the brain occurs as a plastic change following neural over‐activity. The auditory midbrain (or inferior colliculus, IC) is an ideal place to study sound‐induced vascular changes because it is the brain's most vascularized structure and it is tonotopically organized. However, its micro‐vascular pattern remains poorly understood. Since the IC is a sphere‐like structure, the histological assessment of vasculature could depend on the angle of sectioning. Here, we studied the effects of cutting the IC at different angles on microvascular assessment, specifically: micro‐vascular density and the shape of microvascular lumen. Photomicrographs were taken from 5 µm toluidine blue‐stained histological sections obtained at two angles of sectioning: (a) the conventional coronal sectioning, and (b) a novel “tangential” sectioning (tangential to the dorso‐medial surface of the IC). Results showed that the tangential sections, in comparison with the coronal sections, yielded (a) a higher count of micro‐vascular density and (b) a higher proportion of round‐shaped micro‐vascular lumens. This discrepancy in results between two cut angles is likely related to the spatial pattern of blood vessels supplying the IC. We propose that the tangential sectioning should be adopted as standard for the accurate study of microvasculature in the IC. Microsc. Res. Tech. 78:105–110, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Relations between the Local Chromatic Number and Its Directed Version
Authors: Simonyi Gábor , Tardos Gábor , Zsbán Ambrus
Published: October 2014

The local chromatic number is a coloring parameter defined as the minimum number of colors that should appear in the most colorful closed neighborhood of a vertex under any proper coloring of the graph. Its directed version is the same when we consider only outneighborhoods in a directed graph. For digraphs with all arcs being present in both directions the two values are obviously equal. Here, we consider oriented graphs. We show the existence of a graph where the directed local chromatic number of all oriented versions of the graph is strictly less than the local chromatic number of the underlying undirected graph. We show that for fractional versions the analogous problem has a different answer: there always exists an orientation for which the directed and undirected values coincide. We also determine the supremum of the possible ratios of these fractional parameters, which turns out to be e, the basis of the natural logarithm.
The Use of Territory of Origin as a Branding Tool
Authors: Zhang Mohua , Merunka Dwight
Published: October 2014

Territory of origin can be strategically used as a brand‐building tool in marketing communications programs. By exploiting the unique characteristics of a particular territory, a brand can enhance consumers’ perceptions of product quality and authenticity. The implementation of a territorial strategy offers firms long‐term market opportunities while benefiting stakeholders. For territory of origin branding to be successful, it is necessary to promote products that fit with the territorial image. This requires establishing a track record for the product's ingredients, its manufacturing process, and its brand heritage. A territorial strategy can also play an important part in corporate social responsibility initiatives directed at consumers and the broader local community. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Creating a Culture of Empowerment Fosters the Flexibility to Change
Authors: Schultz John R.
Published: October 2014

Agility—being able to rapidly adapt to disruptive forces and competitive challenges—is the goal of many enterprises. Traditional organizational cultures that cling to hierarchical norms and beliefs, however, can impede adaptation to change. By building a culture of empowerment in which workers at all levels can evaluate methods and operations in light of customer needs, functional deficiencies, and market forces—and propose solutions to the problems they identify—organizational leaders can foster the flexibility that is essential to respond to and even anticipate the ever‐fluctuating demands of the marketplace. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
The interaction of iron and metal‐free meso‐tetra (4‐sulfonatophenyl) porphines with CVD graphene: a comparative Raman spectroscopy study
Authors: Naumenko Denys , Naumenko Iuliia , Grinceviciute Nora , Snitka Valentinas
Published: October 2014

In this work, a non‐covalent interaction of iron and metal‐free meso‐tetra (4‐sulfonatophenyl) porphines (FeTPPS and TPPS, respectively) with high‐quality single‐layer graphene is studied by Raman spectroscopy. Such a kind of graphene functionalization is promising for a development of novel optoelectronic devices and sensors. Our results show that the central metal atom of porphyrin macrocycle, iron particularly, plays an important role in the integrity of FeTPPS on graphene surface; however, the predicted Raman enhancement is not significant. The interaction of metal‐free TPPS with graphene leads to the deprotonation of TPPS molecules and higher Raman enhancement values. Moreover, initially deprotonated TPPS solutions after the adsorption onto the graphene surface demonstrate the appearance of new Raman bands and significantly enhanced Raman signals. We propose that a strong interaction between deprotonated TPPS and graphene is realized through pyrrole and desulfonated phenyl rings of closely located planar TPPS molecules on the graphene surface. The results show that both the protonation of porphyrin macrocycle and the existence of central metal atom are crucial for a formation of nanocomposites with defined electronic properties. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Is Systemic heparinization necessary during living donor hepatectomy?
Authors: Dong Kim Joo , Lak Choi Dong , Seok Han Young
Published: October 2014

Systemic heparinization has traditionally been performed during living donor hepatectomy (LDH) at most transplant centers because of the possibility of graft vascular thrombosis. However, no consensus on the use of systemic heparinization during LDH has yet emerged. The aims of the present study were to compare donor and recipient outcomes with reference to systemic heparinization and to determine whether or not systemic heparin needs to be administered to living donors. Via a retrospective review, we analyzed the outcomes of 137 LDHs performed at our institution from January 2011 to October 2013; 79 donors received systemic heparinization (group I), whereas 58 did not, but the liver graft was flushed with a heparinized perfusate (group II). Patient demographics, intraoperative parameters, laboratory data, postoperative complications, and survival rates were compared between the 2 groups. The overall complication rates did not differ significantly between the 2 groups, but postoperative bleeding requiring red blood cell transfusions occurred more frequently in group I versus group II (7.6% versus 0.0%, P = 0.03). The incidences of graft vascular thrombosis were similar in the 2 groups, and no graft loss caused by vascular thrombosis was evident during the early postoperative period. Moreover, no difference in either posttransplant graft function or survival was apparent between the 2 groups. The rates of decreases in donor hemoglobin, hematocrit, and platelet count levels during the early postoperative period were significantly higher in group I versus group II. In conclusion, the omission of systemic heparinization during LDH is both feasible and safe, with no adverse effects on donor or recipient outcomes. Liver Transpl 21:239‐247, 2015. © 2014 AASLD.
Substrate‐induced PC12 Cell Differentiation Without Filopodial, Lamellipodial Activity or NGF Stimulationa
Authors: Lamour Guillaume , Souès Sylvie , Hamraoui Ahmed
Published: October 2014

Nanoscale gradients in energy of adhesion are physical cues from the extracellular environment that can significantly affect cell functions and enhance the neuronal differentiation of PC12 cells. How such surface effects can trigger differentiation and initiate neurite outgrowth, remains to be elucidated. Here we used surface modification, atomic force microscopy and immunofluorescence to analyze PC12 cells. We studied the kinetics of neurites growth under cytochalasin‐B treatment, known as an inhibitor of actin polymerization. We found that neither filopodia nor lamellipodia are involved in detecting the surface effects that induce the differentiation of PC12 cells. This finding suggests that the solution to this problem lies beyond identifying a precise cytoskeleton‐associated cell‐substrate intermediate. Thus, a more comprehensive model is probably required to identify the mechanism by which cell‐substrate interactions are eventually translated into a differentiation signal.
Patients with scans without evidence of dopaminergic deficit: A long‐term follow‐up study
Authors: Batla Amit , Erro Roberto , Stamelou Maria , Schneider Susanne A. , Schwingenschuh Petra , Ganos Christos , Bhatia Kailash P.
Published: October 2014

Background

We previously reported on a cohort of dystonic tremor and patients with scans without evidence of dopaminergic deficit (SWEDDs). We aim to report the long‐term clinical and imaging follow‐up of these patients.

Patients and Methods

Patients with at least 5‐year follow‐up were included. These patients had an asymmetric arm tremor, a previous diagnosis of Parkinson's disease (PD), and a subsequent normal DaTscan. The imaging and clinical follow‐up was done on the clinical basis.

Results

Sixteen patients were included. The mean gap between the first and subsequent scans was 5.4 years. Two patients (12.5%) had reduced nigrostriatal uptake on follow‐up DaTscan, whereas 14 continued to have normal dopaminergic imaging.

Conclusion

This is the longest follow up of patients with asymmetric rest tremor and normal DaT scans (SWEDDs) reported to date. We show here that only a minority of them show reduced striatonigral uptake over long term follow up.
A regularization method for the cauchy problem of the modified Helmholtz equation
Authors: Cheng Hao , Zhu Ping , Gao Jie
Published: October 2014

In the present paper, an iteration regularization method for solving the Cauchy problem of the modified Helmholtz equation is proposed. The a priori and a posteriori rule for choosing regularization parameters with corresponding error estimates between the exact solution and its approximation are also given. The numerical example shows the effectiveness of this method. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An efficient meshfree point collocation moving least squares method to solve the interface problems with nonhomogeneous jump conditions
Authors: Taleei Ameneh , Dehghan Mehdi
Published: October 2014

We are going to study a simple and effective method for the numerical solution of the closed interface boundary value problem with both discontinuities in the solution and its derivatives. It uses a strong‐form meshfree method based on the moving least squares (MLS) approximation. In this method, for the solution of elliptic equation, the second‐order derivatives of the shape functions are needed in constructing the global stiffness matrix. It is well‐known that the calculation of full derivatives of the MLS approximation, especially in high dimensions, is quite costly. In the current work, we apply the diffuse derivatives using an efficient technique. In this technique, we calculate the higher‐order derivatives using the approximation of lower‐order derivatives, instead of calculating directly derivatives. This technique can improve the accuracy of meshfree point collocation method for interface problems with nonhomogeneous jump conditions and can efficiently estimate diffuse derivatives of second‐ and higher‐orders using only linear basis functions. To introduce the appropriate discontinuous shape functions in the vicinity of interface, we choose the visibility criterion method that modifies the support of weight function in MLS approximation and leads to an efficient computational procedure for the solution of closed interface problems. The proposed method is applied for elliptic and biharmonic interface problems. For the biharmonic equation, we use a mixed scheme, which replaces this equation by a coupled elliptic system. Also the application of the present method to elasticity equation with discontinuities in the coefficients across a closed interface has been provided. Representative numerical examples demonstrate the accuracy and robustness of the proposed methodology for the closed interface problems. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 31: 1031–1053, 2015
Prenatal detection of congenital heart disease in a low risk population undergoing first and second trimester screening
Authors: Jørgensen Ditte E. S. , Vejlstrup Niels , Jørgensen Connie , Maroun Lisa Leth , Steensberg Jesper , Hessellund Anette , Jørgensen Finn Stener , Larsen Torben , Shalmi Anne‐Cathrine , Skibsted Lillian , Zingenberg Helle , Ekelund Charlotte , Tabor Ann
Published: October 2014

Objectives

The prenatal detection rate of congenital heart disease (CHD) is low compared with other fetal malformations. Our aim was to evaluate the prenatal detection of CHD in Eastern Denmark.

Methods

Fetuses and infants diagnosed with CHD in the period 01.01.2008–31.12.2010 were assessed regarding prenatal detection rate and accuracy, as well as correlation with nuchal translucency (NT) thickness.

Results

Out of 86 121 infants, 831 were born with CHD (0.96%). The prenatal detection rate of ‘all CHD’ was 21.3%, of ‘Major CHD’ 47.4%. Full agreement between prenatal and postnatal/autopsy findings was found in 96% of prenatally detected diagnoses. An NT thickness >95th percentile was found in 15.0% fetuses with ‘Major CHD’. Of ‘Major CHDs’ detected prenatally, 77% were picked up at the time of the malformation scan at weeks 18–21.

Conclusions

Nearly half of ‘Major CHDs’ were detected prenatally. The prenatal cardiac diagnoses showed a high degree of accuracy. Increased NT thickness as a screening tool for CHD performed moderately but is an important high risk group for specialist examination. A minority of the prenatally detected CHDs was identified because of extra scans performed in high risk pregnancies. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Integration of conventional quantitative and phospho‐proteomics reveals new elements in activated Jurkat T‐cell receptor pathway maintenance
Authors: Jouy Florent , Müller Stephan A. , Wagner Juliane , Otto Wolfgang , von Bergen Martin , Tomm Janina M.
Published: October 2014

Recent years have seen a constant development of tools for the global assessment of phosphoproteins. Here, we outline a concept for integrating approaches for quantitative proteomics and phosphoproteomics. The strategy was applied to the analysis of changes in signalling and protein synthesis occurring after activation of the T‐cell receptor (TCR) pathway in a T‐cell line (Jurkat cells). For this purpose, peptides were obtained from four biological replicates of activated and control Jurkat T‐cells and phosphopeptides enriched via a TiO2‐based chromatographic step. Both phosphopeptide‐enriched and flow‐through fractions were analyzed by LC–MS. We observed 1314 phosphopeptides in the enriched fraction whereas 19 were detected in the flow‐through, enabling the quantification of 414 and eight phosphoproteins in the respective fractions. Pathway analysis revealed the differential regulation of many metabolic pathways. Among the quantified proteins, 11 kinases with known TCR‐related function were detected. A kinase‐substrate database search for the phosphosites identified also confirmed the activity of a further ten kinases. In total, these two approaches provided evidence of 19 unique TCR‐related kinases. The combination of phosphoproteomics and conventional quantitative shotgun analysis leads to a more comprehensive assessment of the signalling networks needed for the maintenance of the activated status of Jurkat T‐cells.
Influence of branching on the chiral self‐assembly of poly(phenylene ethynylene)
Authors: Steverlynck Joost , Leysen Pieter , Koeckelberghs Guy
Published: October 2014

In this contribution, we report the synthesis of chiral all‐conjugated branched poly(phenylene ethynylenes) with a controlled amount of branching. Subsequently, the self‐assembly of these PPEs is studied by means of UV–vis, fluorescence spectroscopy, and DSC and the influence of branching is investigated. Finally, CD‐spectroscopy is used to study the influence of branching and self‐assembly on the chiral expression of these polymers. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 79–84
Synthesis and characterization of copoly(amide triazole)s derived from d‐Glucose
Authors: Bueno‐Martínez Manuel , Molina‐Pinilla Inmaculada , Hakkou Khalid , Galbis Juan A.
Published: October 2014

Copoly(amide triazole)s, abbreviated as PGBMn, have been prepared by copolymerization of 6‐azido‐6‐deoxy‐2,3,4‐tri‐O‐methyl‐N‐(prop‐2‐yn‐1‐yl)‐d‐gluconamide and 6‐azido‐6‐deoxy‐2,3,4‐tri‐O‐benzyl‐N‐(prop‐2‐yn‐1‐yl)‐d‐gluconamide by catalyst‐ and solvent‐free 1,3‐dipolar Huisgen cycloaddition reaction. The resulting copolymers have a diblock or a random distribution of the monomeric units along the polymer chain. Their molecular weights are in the range of 70,000–90,000 and they were characterized by GPC and IR and NMR spectroscopies. Thermal studies revealed them to be amorphous and stable up to 200 °C under nitrogen. Their qualitative solubilities in various solvents and their water sorption have also been investigated. The copolymers are hydrophilic, one of them being water soluble. The in vitro hydrolysis of this copoly(amide triazole) was studied. The degradation study was carried out at 80 °C in buffered solution at pH 10, and was monitored by GPC, and NMR spectroscopy. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2015, 53, 413–421
Identifying novel biomarkers through data mining—A realistic scenario?
Authors: Griss Johannes , Perez‐Riverol Yasset , Hermjakob Henning , Vizcaíno Juan Antonio
Published: October 2014

In this article we discuss the requirements to use data mining of published proteomics datasets to assist proteomics‐based biomarker discovery, the use of external data integration to solve the issue of inadequate small sample sizes and finally, we try to estimate the probability that new biomarkers will be identified through data mining alone.
Structural and biochemical characterization of a metagenome‐derived esterase with a long N‐terminal extension
Authors: Okano Hiroyuki , Hong Xun , Kanaya Eiko , Angkawidjaja Clement , Kanaya Shigenori
Published: October 2014

The genes encoding six novel esterolytic/lipolytic enzymes, termed LC‐Est1∼6, were isolated from a fosmid library of a leaf‐branch compost metagenome by functional screening using tributyrin agar plates. These enzymes greatly vary in size and amino acid sequence. The highest identity between the amino acid sequence of each enzyme and that available from the database varies from 44 to 73%. Of these metagenome‐derived enzymes, LC‐Est1 is characterized by the presence of a long N‐terminal extension (LNTE, residues 26–283) between a putative signal peptide (residues 1–25) and a C‐terminal esterase domain (residues 284–510). A putative esterase from Candidatus Solibacter usitatus (CSu‐Est) is the only protein, which shows the significant amino acid sequence identity (46%) to the entire region of LC‐Est1. To examine whether LC‐Est1 exhibits activity and its LNTE is important for activity and stability of the esterase domain, LC‐Est1 (residues 26–510), LC‐Est1C (residues 284–510), and LC‐Est1C* (residues 304–510) were overproduced in E. coli, purified, and characterized. LC‐Est1C* was only used for structural analysis. The crystal structure of LC‐Est1C* highly resembles that of the catalytic domain of Thermotoga maritima esterase, suggesting that LNTE is not required for folding of the esterase domain. The enzymatic activity of LC‐Est1C was lower than that of LC‐Est1 by 60%, although its substrate specificity was similar to that of LC‐Est1. LC‐Est1C was less stable than LC‐Est1 by 3.3°C. These results suggest that LNTE of LC‐Est1 rather exists as an independent domain but is required for maximal activity and stability of the esterase domain.
D‐AKAP2:PKA RII:PDZK1 ternary complex structure: Insights from the nucleation of a polyvalent scaffold
Authors: Sarma Ganapathy N. , Moody Issa S. , Ilouz Ronit , Phan Ryan H. , Sankaran Banumathi , Hall Randy A. , Taylor Susan S.
Published: October 2014

A‐kinase anchoring proteins (AKAPs) regulate cAMP‐dependent protein kinase (PKA) signaling in space and time. Dual‐specific AKAP2 (D‐AKAP2/AKAP10) binds with high affinity to both RI and RII regulatory subunits of PKA and is anchored to transporters through PDZ domain proteins. Here, we describe a structure of D‐AKAP2 in complex with two interacting partners and the exact mechanism by which a segment that on its own is disordered presents an α‐helix to PKA and a β‐strand to PDZK1. These two motifs nucleate a polyvalent scaffold and show how PKA signaling is linked to the regulation of transporters. Formation of the D‐AKAP2: PKA binary complex is an important first step for high affinity interaction with PDZK1, and the structure reveals important clues toward understanding this phenomenon. In contrast to many other AKAPs, D‐AKAP2 does not interact directly with the membrane protein. Instead, the interaction is facilitated by the C‐terminus of D‐AKAP2, which contains two binding motifs—the D‐AKAP2AKB and the PDZ motif—that are joined by a short linker and only become ordered upon binding to their respective partner signaling proteins. The D‐AKAP2AKB binds to the D/D domain of the R‐subunit and the C‐terminal PDZ motif binds to a PDZ domain (from PDZK1) that serves as a bridging protein to the transporter. This structure also provides insights into the fundamental question of why D‐AKAP2 would exhibit a differential mode of binding to the two PKA isoforms.
Reductive arylation of graphene: Insights into a reversible carbon allotrope functionalization reaction
Authors: Vecera Philipp , Edelthalhammer Konstantin , Hauke Frank , Hirsch Andreas
Published: October 2014

The covalent functionalization of graphene represents a main topic in the growing field of nano materials. The reductive exfoliation of graphite with concomitant functionalization of the respective graphenide intermediates provides a promising approach towards functional graphene derivatives. In this article, we present new insights into the reductive arylation of graphene. Graphite intercalation compounds (GICs) with varying stoichiometries have been used as starting materials. Based on the spectroscopic data obtained by scanning Raman microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis coupled to mass spectrometry (TG/MS), a clear correlation between the amount of negative charges – present in the GIC – and the degree of functionalization in the final product could be found. Furthermore, the detailed analysis of the thermal defunctionalization process provided deeper insights into the covalent addend binding.
MOCVD synthesis of compositionally tuned topological insulator nanowires
Authors: Alegria Loren D. , Yao Nan , Petta Jason R.
Published: October 2014

Device applications involving topological insulators (TIs) will require the development of scalable methods for fabricating TI samples with sub‐micron dimensions, high quality surfaces, and controlled compositions. Here we use Bi‐, Se‐, and Te‐bearing metalorganic precursors to synthesize TIs in the form of nanowires. Single crystal nanowires can be grown with compositions ranging from Bi2Se3 to Bi2Te3, including the ternary compound Bi2Te2Se. These high quality nanostructured TI compounds are suitable platforms for on‐going searches for Majorana fermions (Mourik et al., Science 336, 1003 (2012) and Cook et al., Rev. B 86, 155431 (2012) [1, 2]).

magnified image

High resolution transmission electron microscope image of a Bi2Te3 nanoribbon.

(© 2014 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Towards a high‐resolution regional reanalysis for the European CORDEX domain
Authors: Bollmeyer C. , Keller J. D. , Ohlwein C. , Wahl S. , Crewell S. , Friederichs P. , Hense A. , Keune J. , Kneifel S. , Pscheidt I. , Redl S. , Steinke S.
Published: October 2014

Atmospheric reanalyses covering the European region are mainly available as part of relatively coarse global reanalyses. The aim of this article is to present the development and evaluation of a next generation regional reanalysis for the European CORDEX EUR‐11 domain with a horizontal grid spacing of approximately 6 km. In this context, a reanalysis is understood to be an assimilation of heterogeneous observations with a physical model such as a numerical weather prediction (NWP) model. The reanalysis system presented here is based on the NWP model COSMO by the German Meteorological Service (Deutscher Wetterdienst) using a continuous nudging scheme. In order to assess the added value of data assimilation, a dynamical downscaling experiment has been conducted, i.e. an identical model set‐up but without data assimilation. Both systems have been evaluated for a 1 year test period, employing standard measures such as analysis increments, biases, or log‐odds ratios, as well as tests for distributional characteristics. An important aspect is the evaluation from different perspectives and with independent measurements such as satellite infrared brightness temperatures using forward operators, integrated water vapour from GPS stations, and ceilometer cloud cover. It can be shown that the reanalysis better resolves local extreme events; this is basically an effect of the higher spatio‐temporal resolution, as known from dynamical downscaling approaches. However, an important criterion for regional reanalyses is the coherence with independent observations of high temporal and spatial resolution, resulting in significant improvement over dynamical downscaling. The system is intended to become operational within a year, continuously reprocessing and evaluating longer time periods. The reanalysis data are planned to become available to the research community within a year.
A mathematically rigorous analysis of forced axisymmetric flows in the atmosphere
Authors: Cullen M. J. P. , Gangbo W. , Sedjro M.
Published: October 2014

This note discusses a rigorous mathematical formulation for the evolution of the Eliassen balanced vortex. It is first shown that a stable balanced vortex of finite extent can be embedded in an ambient fluid at rest, and that such a vortex exists for prescribed angular momentum and potential temperature on fluid parcels. This uses a method developed by Shutts, Booth and Norbury. This is a different way of viewing the problem from the normal methods, which analyse the stability of a prescribed vortex. The stability of the vortex depends on the presence of background rotation and on the azimuthal velocity at the boundary of the vortex being less than that in the surrounding ambient fluid. It is then shown that the evolution of this vortex under axisymmetric forcing can be written as a conservation law for a potential pseudo‐density in the transformed coordinates introduced by Schubert and Hack. The stability of the vortex to non‐axisymmetric perturbations is also discussed.
Exploratory Factor Analysis as a Construct Validation Tool: (Mis)applications in Applied Linguistics Research
Authors: Karami Hossein
Published: October 2014

Factor analysis has been frequently exploited in applied research to provide evidence about the underlying factors in various measurement instruments. A close inspection of a large number of studies published in leading applied linguistic journals shows that there is a misconception among applied linguists as to the relative merits of exploratory factor analysis and principal components analysis (PCA) and the kind of interpretations that can be drawn from each method. In addition, it is argued that the widespread application of orthogonal, rather than oblique, rotations and also the criteria used for factor selection are not in keeping with the findings in psychometrics. It is further argued that the current situation is partly due to the fact thatPCAand orthogonal rotation are default options in mainstream statistical packages such asSPSSand the guidebooks on such software do not provide an explanation of the issues discussed in this article.
Even When Job Titles Change, Principles of Quality Teaching Shouldn't!
Authors: Lamkin Steven
Published: October 2014

View From the Chalkboard essays share readers' reflections on teaching experiences, advice for new teachers, and perspectives on current issues.
Targeted nanoparticles in mitochondrial medicine
Authors: Pathak Rakesh K. , Kolishetti Nagesh , Dhar Shanta
Published: October 2014

Mitochondria, the so‐called ‘energy factory of cells’ not only produce energy but also contribute immensely in cellular mortality management. Mitochondrial dysfunctions result in various diseases including but not limited to cancer, atherosclerosis, and neurodegenerative diseases. In the recent years, targeting mitochondria emerged as an attractive strategy to control mitochondrial dysfunction‐related diseases. Despite the desire to direct therapeutics to the mitochondria, the actual task is more difficult due to the highly complex nature of the mitochondria. The potential benefits of integrating nanomaterials with properties such as biodegradability, magnetization, and fluorescence into a single object of nanoscale dimensions can lead to the development of hybrid nanomedical platforms for targeting therapeutics to the mitochondria. Only a handful of nanoparticles based on metal oxides, gold nanoparticles, dendrons, carbon nanotubes, and liposomes were recently engineered to target mitochondria. Most of these materials face tremendous challenges when administered in vivo due to their limited biocompatibility. Biodegradable polymeric nanoparticles emerged as eminent candidates for effective drug delivery. In this review, we highlight the current advancements in the development of biodegradable nanoparticle platforms as effective targeting tools for mitochondrial medicine. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2015, 7:315–329. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1305

This article is categorized under:

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies

Nanotechnology Approaches to Biology > Nanoscale Systems in Biology
Rational protein design: developing next‐generation biological therapeutics and nanobiotechnological tools
Authors: Wilson Corey J.
Published: October 2014

Proteins are the most functionally diverse macromolecules observed in nature, participating in a broad array of catalytic, biosensing, transport, scaffolding, and regulatory functions. Fittingly, proteins have become one of the most promising nanobiotechnological tools to date, and through the use of recombinant DNA and other laboratory methods we have produced a vast number of biological therapeutics derived from human genes. Our emerging ability to rationally design proteins (e.g., via computational methods) holds the promise of significantly expanding the number and diversity of protein therapies and has opened the gateway to realizing true and uncompromised personalized medicine. In the last decade computational protein design has been transformed from a set of fundamental strategies to stringently test our understanding of the protein structure–function relationship, to practical tools for developing useful biological processes, nano‐devices, and novel therapeutics. As protein design strategies improve (i.e., in terms of accuracy and efficiency) clinicians will be able to leverage individual genetic data and biological metrics to develop and deliver personalized protein therapeutics with minimal delay. WIREs Nanomed Nanobiotechnol 2015, 7:330–341. doi: 10.1002/wnan.1310

This article is categorized under:

Therapeutic Approaches and Drug Discovery > Emerging Technologies
Estimating ages of white‐tailed deer: Age and sex patterns of error using tooth wear‐and‐replacement and consistency of cementum annuli
Authors: Storm Daniel J. , Samuel Michael D. , Rolley Robert E. , Beissel Thomas , Richards Bryan J. , Van Deelen Timothy R.
Published: October 2014

The age structure of harvested animals provides the basis for many demographic analyses. Ages of harvested white‐tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) and other ungulates often are estimated by evaluating replacement and wear patterns of teeth, which is subjective and error‐prone. Few previous studies however, examined age‐ and sex‐specific error rates. Counting cementum annuli of incisors is an alternative, more accurate method of estimating age, but factors that influence consistency of cementum annuli counts are poorly known. We estimated age of 1,261 adult (≥1.5 yr old) white‐tailed deer harvested in Wisconsin and Illinois (USA; 2005–2008) using both wear‐and‐replacement and cementum annuli. We compared cementum annuli with wear‐and‐replacement estimates to assess misclassification rates by sex and age. Wear‐and‐replacement for estimating ages of white‐tailed deer resulted in substantial misclassification compared with cementum annuli. Age classes of females were consistently underestimated, while those of males were underestimated for younger age classes but overestimated for older age classes. Misclassification resulted in an impression of a younger age‐structure than actually was the case. Additionally, we obtained paired age‐estimates from cementum annuli for 295 deer. Consistency of paired cementum annuli age‐estimates decreased with age, was lower in females than males, and decreased as age estimates became less certain. Our results indicated that errors in the wear‐and‐replacement techniques are substantial and could impact demographic analyses that use age‐structure information. © 2014 The Wildlife Society.
Salivary cortisol response to infant distress in pregnant women with depressive symptoms
Authors: Murphy Susannah E. , Braithwaite Elizabeth C. , Hubbard Isabelle , Williams Kate V. , Tindall Elizabeth , Holmes Emily A. , Ramchandani Paul G.
Published: October 2014

The Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis has been proposed as a potential underlying biological mechanism linking prenatal depression with adverse offspring outcomes. However, it is unknown whether the reactivity of this system to stress is altered in pregnant women experiencing depression. The objective of this study was to investigate whether salivary cortisol response to a distressed infant film is enhanced in pregnant women with symptoms of depression compared with non-depressed controls. Salivary cortisol and subjective mood responses to the film were measured in 53 primiparous women, between 11 and 18 weeks gestation. Both groups showed similar increases in state anxiety in response to the film, but there was a significantly increased cortisol response in women experiencing symptoms of depression. Depression during pregnancy is associated with increased reactivity of the HPA axis. This is consistent with altered HPA axis functioning being a key mechanism by which prenatal mood disturbance can impact upon fetal development.
Ethical Considerations in Biobanks: How a Public Health Ethics Perspective Sheds New Light on Old Controversies
Authors: Virani Alice Hawkins , Longstaff Holly
Published: October 2014

Biobanks, collections of biospecimens with or without linked medical data, have increased dramatically in number in the last two decades. Their potential power to identify the underlying mechanisms of both rare and common disease has catalyzed their proliferation in the academic, medical, and private sectors. Despite demonstrated public support of biobanks, some within the academic, governmental, and public realms have also expressed cautions associated with the ethical, legal, and social (ELSI) implications of biobanks. These issues include concerns related to the privacy and confidentiality of data; return of results and incidental findings to participants; data sharing and secondary use of samples; informed consent mechanisms; ownership of specimens; and benefit sharing (i.e., the distribution of financial or other assets that result from the research). Such apprehensions become amplified as more researchers seek to pursue national and cross‐border collaborations between biobanks. This paper provides an overview of two of the most contentious topics in biobank literature ‐informed consent and return of individual research results or incidental findings ‐ and explores how a public health ethics lens may help to shed new light on how these issues may be best approached and managed. Doing so also demonstrates the important role that genetic counselors can play in the ongoing discussion of ethically appropriate biobank recruitment and management strategies, as well as identifies important areas of ongoing empirical research on these unresolved topics.
Prenatal Diagnosis and Elucidation of a Novel Molecular Mechanism in Carpenter Syndrome
Authors: Movva Sireesha , Kotecha Udhaya H. , Sharma Deepak , Puri Ratna D. , Verma Ishwar C.
Published: October 2014

Carpenter syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by craniosynostosis, polydactyly and syndactyly. The gene Rab23 was identified in 2007, following which there have been only four reports describing different types of mutations. The authors describe herein a case that was diagnosed solely on the basis of history, antenatal ultrasound findings and fetal photographs taken by a cellular phone. Subsequent molecular studies revealed a novel homozygous mutation in the Rab23 gene. This mutation which converted the stop codon into a coding one, results in the formation of a lengthened 307 amino acids protein in contrast to the wild type protein containing 237 amino acids. The secondary structure prediction by PSIpred revealed that the C-terminal region of the longer mutated Rab23 protein contains several helices/strands resulting in the loss of structural flexibility and consequently, prenylation. This made it possible to offer prenatal testing to this family in its next conception where the fetus was unaffected. This case reports a novel molecular mechanism and the utility of integrating the cellular phone into clinical practice.
Computational Prediction of MicroRNAs from Toxoplasma Gondii Potentially Regulating the Hosts’ Gene Expression
Authors: Saçar Müşerref Duygu , Bağcı Caner , Allmer Jens
Published: October 2014

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) were discovered two decades ago, yet there is still a great need for further studies elucidating their genesis and targeting in different phyla. Since experimental discovery and validation of miRNAs is difficult, computational predictions are indispensable and today most computational approaches employ machine learning. Toxoplasma gondii, a parasite residing within the cells of its hosts like human, uses miRNAs for its post-transcriptional gene regulation. It may also regulate its hosts’ gene expression, which has been shown in brain cancer. Since previous studies have shown that overexpressed miRNAs within the host are causal for disease onset, we hypothesized that T. gondii could export miRNAs into its host cell. We computationally predicted all hairpins from the genome of T. gondii and used mouse and human models to filter possible candidates. These were then further compared to known miRNAs in human and rodents and their expression was examined for T. gondii grown in mouse and human hosts, respectively. We found that among the millions of potential hairpins in T. gondii, only a few thousand pass filtering using a human or mouse model and that even fewer of those are expressed. Since they are expressed and differentially expressed in rodents and human, we suggest that there is a chance that T. gondii may export miRNAs into its hosts for direct regulation.
Pharmacogenomics of Cisplatin Sensitivity in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Rose Maimon C. , Kostyanovskaya Elina , Huang R. Stephanie
Published: October 2014

Cisplatin, a platinum-based chemotherapeutic drug, has been used for over 30 years in a wide variety of cancers with varying degrees of success. In particular, cisplatin has been used to treat late stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) as the standard of care. However, therapeutic outcomes vary from patient to patient. Considerable efforts have been invested to identify biomarkers that can be used to predict cisplatin sensitivity in NSCLC. Here we reviewed current evidence for cisplatin sensitivity biomarkers in NSCLC. We focused on several key pathways, including nucleotide excision repair, drug transport and metabolism. Both expression and germline DNA variation were evaluated in these key pathways. Current evidence suggests that cisplatin-based treatment could be improved by the use of these biomarkers.
Congenital Thenar Hypoplasia with Absent Radial Artery: A Case Report
Authors: Hay-Man Wan Keith , Pang Ivan C.H.
Published: October 2014

The thenar eminence is made up of the intrinsic muscles of the hand that are responsible for complex movement and finite motor functions of the hand. The wasting of these muscles can be associated with various clinical conditions. Cavanagh syndrome is a rare, isolated congenital thenar hypoplasia with characteristic clinical, radiological, and electrophysiological features. Congenital absence of the radial artery is a rare anatomic variant. We report a case of a boy with isolated right-sided congenital thenar hypoplasia meeting the clinical and radiological characteristics of Cavanagh syndrome with concurrent absence of the right radial artery.
The effect of Reynolds number on mixing in Kelvin–Helmholtz billows
Authors: Rahmani M. , Lawrence G. A. , Seymour B. R.
Published: October 2014

Mixing induced through the life-cycle of Kelvin–Helmholtz (KH) billows is studied for a range of low and intermediate Reynolds numbers using direct numerical simulations (DNS). The amount of stirring, and therefore mixing, is significantly controlled by the process of vortex pairing of two KH billows. For low Reynolds numbers, vortex pairing of the billows is complete in the pre-turbulent stage or early stages of turbulence, generating a high amount of stirring. At higher Reynolds numbers, vortex pairing is suppressed by the growth of three-dimensional instabilities, and the amount of stirring is significantly reduced. For single KH billows, as the Reynolds number increases, there is a transition in the characteristics of the mixing, similar to the laboratory measurements of Breidenthal (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 109, 1981, pp. 1–24) and Koochesfahani & Dimotakis (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 170, 1986, pp. 83–112). The transition in mixing is associated with the growth and sustainability of three-dimensional motions at sufficiently high Reynolds numbers. We examine this ‘mixing transition’ and the influence of vortex pairing on it by examining the flow properties at different stages and the exchange between the energy partitions. As the Reynolds number increases, three-dimensional motions develop over a wider range of length scales, and smaller scale eddies form. However, this does not necessarily result in a greater amount of mixing. The maximum total amount of mixing induced over the lifetime of a KH instability, for billows both with and without vortex pairing, occurs when the large-scale eddies that cause the stirring are the most energetic. The mixing efficiency reveals a non-monotonic dependence on the Reynolds number.
Voting in a Multi-dimensional Space: A Conjoint Analysis Employing Valence and Ideology Attributes of Candidates
Authors: Franchino Fabio , Zucchini Francesco
Published: October 2014

Most formal models of valence competition add a single, separable and unweighted component to the standard one-dimensional utility function of voters. This article presents the results of a conjoint analysis experiment in which respondents were asked to choose between two candidates whose profiles vary along five attributes. Four of these traits behave like valence or policy issues as expected, but one, which has been employed in recent formal and empirical works, does not. Moreover, policy and valence are not separable. They interact at least in some cases, taking a competency form whereby the marginal impact of valence on voters’ choice is conditional on candidates’ policies. This result lends support to recent studies that have found more extensive valence voting under ideological convergence. Finally, policy trumps valence in awkward choices. Respondents even prefer corrupt candidates with similar policy views to honest ones with different opinions, despite integrity being declared the most important attribute.
Boundary-Value Problems for Third-Order Lipschitz Ordinary Differential Equations
Authors: Graef John R. , Henderson Johnny , Luca Rodrica , Tian Yu
Published: October 2014

For the third-order differential equationy′″ = ƒ(t, y, y′, y″), where, questions involving ‘uniqueness implies uniqueness’, ‘uniqueness implies existence’ and ‘optimal length subintervals of (a, b) on which solutions are unique’ are studied for a class of two-point boundary-value problems.
Reduction in the structural instability of cloned eukaryotic tandem-repeat DNA by low-temperature culturing of host bacteria
Authors: THAPANA WATCHARAPORN , SUJIWATTANARAT PENPORN , SRIKULNATH KORNSORN , HIRAI HIROHISA , KOGA AKIHIKO
Published: October 2014

For accurate analyses of eukaryotic tandem-repeat DNA, it is often required to clone a genomic DNA fragment into a bacterial plasmid. It is, however, a serious problem that tandem-repeat DNA is frequently subjected to structural changes during maintenance or amplification in the host bacteria. Here, we show an example of a clear difference in the instability of tandem-repeat DNA between different culturing temperatures. A fragment of monkey centromeric DNA carried by pUC19 was considerably degraded by culturing bacteria at 37 °C, but the damage was reduced at 25 °C. Thus, culturing temperature is a significant factor for avoiding degradation, in addition to the genotype of the host bacteria.
Cultural group selection plays an essential role in explaining human cooperation: A sketch of the evidence
Authors: Richerson Peter , Baldini Ryan , Bell Adrian V. , Demps Kathryn , Frost Karl , Hillis Vicken , Mathew Sarah , Newton Emily K. , Naar Nicole , Newson Lesley , Ross Cody , Smaldino Paul E. , Waring Timothy M. , Zefferman Matthew
Published: October 2014

Human cooperation is highly unusual. We live in large groups composed mostly of non-relatives. Evolutionists have proposed a number of explanations for this pattern, including cultural group selection and extensions of more general processes such as reciprocity, kin selection, and multi-level selection acting on genes. Evolutionary processes are consilient; they affect several different empirical domains, such as patterns of behavior and the proximal drivers of that behavior. In this target article, we sketch the evidence from five domains that bear on the explanatory adequacy of cultural group selection and competing hypotheses to explain human cooperation. Does cultural transmission constitute an inheritance system that can evolve in a Darwinian fashion? Are the norms that underpin institutions among the cultural traits so transmitted? Do we observe sufficient variation at the level of groups of considerable size for group selection to be a plausible process? Do human groups compete, and do success and failure in competition depend upon cultural variation? Do we observe adaptations for cooperation in humans that most plausibly arose by cultural group selection? If the answer to one of these questions is “no,” then we must look to other hypotheses. We present evidence, including quantitative evidence, that the answer to all of the questions is “yes” and argue that we must take the cultural group selection hypothesis seriously. If culturally transmitted systems of rules (institutions) that limit individual deviance organize cooperation in human societies, then it is not clear that any extant alternative to cultural group selection can be a complete explanation.