bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Oxygen Plasma Treatment of Platinized Ultramicroelectrodes Increases Sensitivity for Hydrogen Peroxide Detection on Mitochondria
Authors: Ben‐Amor Salem , Devin Anne , Rigoulet Michel , Sojic Neso , Arbault Stéphane
Published: January 2013

Hydrogen peroxide is a major bio‐active molecule produced by mitochondria during aerobic metabolism. In order to monitor that production, platinized ultramicroelectrodes with high surface‐area were used. Their sensitivity was significantly improved following an oxygen plasma treatment. Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry analyses of ferricyanide reduction and hydrogen peroxide oxidation showed that ultramicroelectrodes’ capacitive current was decreased 3‐fold, while faradaic currents remained constant. Then, plasma‐treated ultramicroelectrodes allowed the chronoamperometric detection of 100 nM H2O2 injections. This eventually enabled monitoring the mitochondria release of H2O2 following injection of substrates and a respiratory inhibitor; a flux of few hundreds picomoles H2O2/mg protein/min was detected.
A hierarchical functional data analytic approach for analyzing physiologically based pharmacokinetic models
Authors: Mandal Siddhartha , Sen Pranab K. , Peddada Shyamal D.
Published: January 2013

Ordinary differential equation based models find application in a wide variety of biological and physiological phenomena. For instance, they arise in the description of gene regulatory networks, study of viral dynamics and other infectious diseases and so on. In the field of toxicology, they are used in physiologically based pharmacokinetic models for describing absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion of a chemicalin vivo. Knowledge about the model parameters is important in understanding the mechanism of action of a chemical and are often estimated using nonlinear least squares methodology. However, there are several challenges associated with the usual methodology. Using functional data analytic methodology, in this article, we develop a general framework for drawing inferences on parameters in models described by a system of differential equations. The proposed methodology takes into account variability between and within experimental units. The performance of the proposed methodology is evaluated using a simulation study and data obtained from a benzene inhalation study. We also describe an R‐based software developed toward this purpose. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Unsteady MHD mixed convection flow of a micropolar fluid along an inclined stretching plate
Authors: Aurangzaib  , Kasim A.R.M. , Mohammad N.F. , Shafie Sharidan
Published: January 2013

In this research, the unsteady magnetohydrodynamic mixed convection flow of a micropolar fluid over an inclined plate has been investigated. The problem is reduced to a system of non‐dimensional partial differential equations, which are solved numerically using the implicit finite‐difference scheme. Velocity profiles, temperature profiles, concentration profiles, the skin friction coefficient, the rate of heat transfer, and the rate of mass transfer are computed numerically for various values of different physical parameters. In this study, we consider both assisting and opposing flow. It is found that in the assisting flow case, a solution could be obtained for all positive values of the buoyancy parameter λ, while in the opposing flow case the solution terminated at $\lambda = {\lambda _c}(\lambda < 0)$. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/htj). DOI 10.1002/htj.21034
Quality of health answers in social Q&A
Authors: Oh Sanghee , Yi Yong Jeong , Worrall Adam
Published: January 2013

The purpose of the current study is to investigate perceptions regarding the quality of online health answers in social Q&A. The current study differs from previous studies by focusing on the topic of health, comparing the evaluations of users against experts. Three groups of participants – librarians, nurses, and users of Yahoo! Answers – were invited to assess the quality of health answers posted in Yahoo! Answers. Forty participants from each group reviewed a total of 400 health answers, rating them with a 5‐points Likert scale according to 10 evaluation criteria: accuracy, completeness, relevance, objectivity, source credibility, readability, politeness, confidence, knowledge, and efforts. Findings indicated that there was no significant difference of the quality ratings between librarians and nurses. There was, however, significant difference between those two expert groups (librarians and nurses) and users. Librarians and nurses rated the quality of answers lower on most of the evaluation criteria than users. This research will help librarians and nurses better understand how laypeople, such as their patrons and patients, evaluate online health information in social contexts, leading to the offering of better health information services to these audiences.
Integrated ACE model for consumer health information needs: A content analysis of questions in Yahoo! Answers
Authors: Chiu Ming‐Hsin Phoebe , Wu Chi‐Chuan
Published: January 2013

Consumer Health Information (CHI) seeking on the Internet is becoming more popular, yet very complex as Social Q&A services emerge. Health information needs occur at various stages of health and illness. In response to the need to ensure that information provision is effective from prevention and treatment, this study attempted to uncover how health information seekers articulate their information needs. In this study, 440 health‐related questions in Yahoo! Answers were first pre‐identified into eight progressive stages of health information seeking. Each question was treated as an information seeking activity, and content of the question was considered as health information needs. Through analyzing questions in action, cognition, and emotion dimensions inspired by Kuhlthau's Information Seeking Process model, each question was further coded to reflect the nature of clarity, urgency, and length of information needs articulation. The findings uncover the fact that CHI seeking is multi‐tasking and non‐liner, and the way information seekers articulate the health information needs changes over the stages of health status. This study may inform consumer health information providers in designing services that may address the time‐sensitive nature of CHI seeking.
Enriching text representation with frequent pattern mining for probabilistic topic modeling
Authors: Kim Hyun Duk , Park Dae Hoon , Lu Yue , Zhai ChengXiang
Published: January 2013

Probabilistic topic models have been proven very useful for many text mining tasks. Although many variants of topic models have been proposed, most existing works are based on the bag‐of‐words representation of text in which word combination and order are generally ignored, resulting in inaccurate semantic representation of text. In this paper, we propose a general way to go beyond the bag‐of‐words representation for topic modeling by applying frequent pattern mining to discover frequent word patterns that can capture semantic associations between words and then using them as additional supplementary semantic units to augment the conventional bag‐of‐words representation. By viewing a topic model as a generative model for such augmented text data, we can go beyond the bag‐of‐words assumption to potentially capture more semantic associations between words. Since efficient algorithms for mining frequent word patterns are available, this general strategy for improving topic models can be applied to improve any topic models without substantially increasing the computational complexity of the model. Experiment results show that such a frequent pattern‐based data enrichment approach can improve over two representative existing probabilistic topic models for the classification task. We also studied variations of frequent pattern usage in topic modeling and found that using compressed and closed patterns performs best.
Scholarly conformity: Origins, framework, applications and implications
Authors: Zhang Guo , Ding Ying
Published: January 2013

This paper examines the concept of social conformity and provides a theoretical framework to conceptualize and operationalize scholarly conformity, a specific type of social conformity in the process of scholarly communication. It proposes that scholarly conformity can be conceptualized and operationalized by citations (which constitute by the most formal and official way to show “attachment” and “conformity” to authorities and/or popularities). It suggests that one of the most important applications of scholarly conformity is to indicate the evolution of a research community as five phrases of a life cycle. Potentials and limitations of studies in this issue are also provided.
The role of location‐based services in shaping sense of place
Authors: Farrelly Glen
Published: January 2013

The increasing ubiquity of mobile devices with positioning technology has enabled more people to access and create information where it is geographically relevant. These location‐based services are growing in user adoption, yet the role of such emerging technology in our relationships to the places we encounter has not been fully examined. This paper reports on a survey study that examines how people use mobile devices in relation to place and the potential for location‐based services to improve sense of place. It was found that location‐based services enhance people's familiarity, personal engagement, and social connection to place, leading to an improved sense of place.
Effects of permeability and surface roughness on the behavior of an oscillating viscoelastic squeeze film
Authors: Mahbubur Razzaque M. , Mustafa Muhannad
Published: January 2013

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present a parametric study of the effects of permeability and surface roughness on the hydrodynamic force and the leakage flow rate in an oscillating squeeze film between a rigid surface and a rubber surface.

Design/methodology/approach

The study is conducted numerically using a squeeze film model that incorporates the effects of viscoelasticity, permeability and surface roughness.

Findings

It is seen that with increasing permeability of the porous rubber block, both the hydrodynamic force and the leakage flow rate decrease. Increasing center line average (CLA) of surface roughness height distribution decreases the leakage flow rate slightly but increases the hydrodynamic force. The decrease in the hydrodynamic force due to using permeable material in squeeze film may be compensated for by deliberately increasing the surface roughness. The effect of variation in frequency of system vibration may be minimized by using optimally selected permeable materials with rough surface.

Originality/value

The paper reports the extension of previous work of the authors and the results of this portion were never published. The findings of this paper are based on original work and have practical value.
Asset endowments, non‐farm participation and local separability in remote rural China
Authors: Liang Yicheng , Feldman Marcus W. , Li Shuzhuo , Daily Gretchen C.
Published: January 2013

Purpose

The aim of this paper is to address a local separability character partly identified by non‐farm participation behaviors in the context of multiple market imperfections.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper develops a model to analyze agricultural household's non‐farm participation based on heterogeneous asset endowments. The model is applied to recent data from Zhouzhi, a mountainous county in rural western China.

Findings

The paper shows that human capital, social capital and other capital assets have significant but different effects on the agricultural household's participation in non‐farm activities, and they help to break down non‐farm labor constraints. Nonseparability holds only for those households unable to participate in non‐farm activities due to poor asset endowments.

Originality/value

The agricultural household model developed in this paper and its application in China provide insights into theory and empirical analysis of agricultural households' behavior and rural development.
DOES IMPRISONMENT ALTER THE LIFE COURSE? EVIDENCE ON CRIME AND EMPLOYMENT FROM A NATURAL EXPERIMENT
Authors: LOEFFLER CHARLES E.
Published: January 2013

Ex‐prisoners consistently manifest high rates of criminal recidivism and unemployment. Existing explanations for these poor outcomes emphasize the stigmatizing effects of imprisonment on prisoners seeking postrelease employment as well as the deleterious effects of imprisonment on prisoners’ attitudes and capabilities. However, these explanations must be distinguished from selection effects in the criminal sentencing process, which also could explain some or all of these poor outcomes. To distinguish between criminogenic and selection explanations for ex‐prisoners’ postrelease experience, I analyze data from a natural experiment in which criminal cases were assigned randomly to judges with sizable sentencing disparities. Using these exogenous sentencing disparities, I produce unbiased estimates of the causal effects of imprisonment on the life course. The results of this analysis suggest that selection effects could be sufficiently large to account for prisoners’ poor postrelease outcomes because judges with large sentencing disparities in their use of imprisonment had similarly high caseload unemployment and criminal recidivism rates.
Detection and characterization of early gastric cancer for curative endoscopic submucosal dissection
Authors: Yao Kenshi , Nagahama Takashi , Matsui Toshiyuki , Iwashita Akinori
Published: January 2013

Because endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) of gastric cancer can only be curative if the cancer is detected at an early stage and a precise preoperative diagnosis is made, we reviewed the detection and characterization of early gastric cancer (EGC) using both conventional endoscopy with white‐light imaging (C‐WLI) and image‐enhanced endoscopy (chromoendoscopy [CE] and magnifying narrow‐band imaging [M‐NBI]). Systematic screening of the stomach by C‐WLI after ideal preparation of the patient is important for detecting a mucosal lesion, which can then be characterized using CE. However, a limitation of C‐WLI with CE is the diagnosis of flat or small gastric cancers. To overcome this, M‐NBI together with a comprehensive diagnostic system, termed the ‘vessel plus surface classification’ system, was developed and has proven very useful. Preoperative assessment for ESD involves determining: (i) histological type; (ii) size; (iii) depth of invasion; (iv) presence or absence of associated ulceration; and (v) horizontal extent of the cancer. A limitation of endoscopic diagnosis using M‐NBI is the histologically undifferentiated type of carcinoma, in which case the biopsy specimen is used to make a histopathological diagnosis.
Losing a job on purpose: relationships with borderline personality symptomatology
Authors: Sansone Randy A. , Wiederman Michael W.
Published: January 2013

Aim

The purpose of the present study was to examine one facet of employment viability, losing a job on purpose, among individuals with borderline personality symptomatology (BPS).

Methods

Using a cross‐sectional self‐report survey methodology in a combined sample of four prior studies from the same study site (n = 1493), we examined the relationship between losing a job on purpose and two self‐report measures for BPS.

Results

There were 7.6% of participants that endorsed losing a job on purpose, with no statistically significant difference between the proportions of males and females. Point‐biserial correlation coefficients revealed that those who endorsed losing a job on purpose scored statistically significantly higher on both measures of BPS and were more likely to exceed the clinical cut‐off scores on both measures of BPS. Multiple regression analyses indicated that findings were independent of gender or age.

Conclusion

One factor in poor employment viability among individuals with BPS appears to be the behaviour of losing a job on purpose.
Assessing psychotic‐like symptoms using the BASC‐2: adolescent, parent and teacher agreement
Authors: Nugent Katie L. , Kline Emily , Thompson Elizabeth , Reeves Gloria , Schiffman Jason
Published: January 2013

Aim

The aim of the current study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the BASC‐2 (Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition) Atypicality subscale in a sample of adolescents receiving mental health services.

Methods

A large sample (n = 1916) of adolescents aged 12–20 years (median = 14.7 years) completed the BASC‐2. A parent and teacher also completed the measure for each child. We analyzed internal consistency and interrater reliabilities for the Atypicality subscale, as well as the Depression and Hyperactivity subscales for comparison. Further analyses explored the influence of a participant's subscale scores, gender, and quality of relationships with adults on interrater agreement.

Results

All subscales demonstrated good internal consistency; however, interrater agreement was low for all subscales. Gender, Atypicality subscale score, and self‐reported quality of relationships with adults could not account for poor interrater agreement.

Conclusions

The Atypicality subscale has strong internal consistency across informants. Low interrater agreement for the Atypicality subscale, as well as other scales, however, presents a challenge when interpreting multi‐informant scales.
Initial predictors of outcome in an early intervention in psychosis service
Authors: Harrington Emily , Neffgen Marion , Sasalu Punitha , Sehgal Tarun , Woolley James
Published: January 2013

Aims

The aims of this study were to determine medium‐term outcomes of a cohort of early intervention service users after discharge from the service. Additionally, to establish whether characteristics can be easily identified in the early stages of treatment to predict outcome, aid discharge planning and focus interventions.

Methods

One hundred fifty‐five early intervention service users were followed‐up for a mean of 4.6 years from the start of early intervention treatment. Patients were divided into good and poor outcome groups and these groups were compared on gender, duration of untreated psychosis, age at first presentation to mental health services, hospital admissions in the first year and time spent on the waiting list.

Results

A third of the patients had a good outcome, with a discharge to primary care and no subsequent return to mental health services. Good outcome was associated with a later age of first contact with mental health services and fewer hospital admissions in the first year of treatment.

Conclusions

We would suggest that clinicians working in this and similar services could use these two factors as early as one year into treatment to begin to consider discharge planning, or conversely to focus resources most appropriately on those likely to benefit most or those who have the greatest predicted need. This study supports an optimist view of prognosis for a significant proportion of first‐episode psychosis patients.
How fast is fisheries‐induced evolution? Quantitative analysis of modelling and empirical studies
Authors: Audzijonyte Asta , Kuparinen Anna , Fulton Elizabeth A.
Published: January 2013

A number of theoretical models, experimental studies and time‐series studies of wild fish have explored the presence and magnitude of fisheries‐induced evolution (FIE). While most studies agree that FIE is likely to be happening in many fished stocks, there are disagreements about its rates and implications for stock viability. To address these disagreements in a quantitative manner, we conducted a meta‐analysis of FIE rates reported in theoretical and empirical studies. We discovered that rates of phenotypic change observed in wild fish are about four times higher than the evolutionary rates reported in modelling studies, but correlation between the rate of change and instantaneous fishing mortality (F) was very similar in the two types of studies. Mixed‐model analyses showed that in the modelling studies traits associated with reproductive investment and growth evolved slower than rates related to maturation. In empirical observations age‐at‐maturation was changing faster than other life‐history traits. We also found that, despite different assumption and modelling approaches, rates of evolution for a given F value reported in 10 of 13 modelling studies were not significantly different.
Asian origin and upslope migration of Hawaiian Artemisia (Compositae–Anthemideae)
Authors: Hobbs Christopher R. , Baldwin Bruce G.
Published: January 2013

Aim

Major habitat shifts are well documented for the Hawaiian flora, but examples of shifts to the highest Hawaiian habitats by plant lineages of lowland tropical ancestry have been lacking. We sought to determine whether Hawaiian Artemisia (Compositae–Anthemideae), which includes lowland and subalpine species, represents such an example, by investigating the origin and relationships of the Hawaiian taxa.

Location

Hawaiian Islands and continental settings world‐wide (except Antarctica and Australia).

Methods

Molecular phylogenetic analyses of Hawaiian Artemisia in the context of world‐wide diversity were conducted using nuclear and chloroplast DNA spacers. The timing of divergence events associated with inferred dispersals was estimated with calibration from fossil pollen records. Historical biogeographical analyses based on molecular trees and ecological modelling of the distributions of extant taxa were used to aid the interpretation of geographical and habitat shifts associated with diversification and long‐distance dispersal.

Results

Our findings indicate that the Hawaiian endemic species (A. australis, A. kauaiensis and A. mauiensis) constitute a clade sister to Southeast Asian A. chinensis, which, like the Hawaiian endemics, has ribbed fruit walls and, unlike other members of Artemisia except A. kauaiensis, has a distinct pappus, which is often associated with dispersal ability in Compositae. The clade encompassing A. chinensis and Hawaiian Artemisia was resolved to be most likely of Asian origin. The natural occurrence of A. chinensis in littoral habitats of Taiwan, Okinawa, and the Ryukyu and Bonin islands, and of A. australis in similar settings in the Hawaiian Islands, is likely to reflect the ancestral ecology of the Hawaiian clade, with subsequent colonization of inland, higher‐elevation habitats, including subalpine shrubland, where A. mauiensis is endemic.

Main conclusions

An ecological shift in Hawaiian Artemisia from tropical coastal habitats to drier and colder subalpine slopes is consistent with evidence from recent studies for repeated colonization of the Arctic by diverse lineages of Artemisia. Artemisia appears to be prone to such anticlimatic ecological shifts, which may explain this exceptional example of an ancestrally lowland tropical lineage in the Hawaiian high‐montane flora.
Fournier's Gangrene Associated with Intradermal Injection of Cocaine
Authors: Khan Fahd , Mukhtar Saheel , Anjum Faqar , Tripathi Bharati , Sriprasad Seshadri , Dickinson Ian K. , Madaan Sanjeev
Published: January 2013

Introduction

Cocaine abuse is associated with a number of medical complications, most notably arrhythmias, myocardial infarction, and cerebral hemorrhages. The injection of cocaine in the penis has been predominantly recorded into the corpus cavernosae and is associated with priapism.

Aim

Here we describe the injection of subcutaneous cocaine within the penile shaft skin producing ischemic necrosis and Fournier's gangrene.

Main Outcome Measures

We sought to highlight the effects of cocaine use within the penis and emphasize the different effects that may ensue.

Methods

We reviewed a recent clinical case and conducted a literature review on the use of cocaine within the penis.

Results

The use of cocaine has been reported previously within the literature and is mainly limited to case reports. Cocaine use within the corpora and the subcutaneous tissues produces significantly different consequences ranging from priapism to Fournier's gangrene.

Conclusions

The case illustrates the growing use of cocaine and other illicit drugs and emphasizes the importance of this issue to all clinicians.
Identification of a Role for the
trans
-Golgi Network in Human Papillomavirus 16 Pseudovirus Infection
Authors: Day Patricia M. , Thompson Cynthia D. , Schowalter Rachel M. , Lowy Douglas R. , Schiller John T.
Published: January 2013

Human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) enters its host cells by a process that most closely resembles macropinocytosis. Uncoating occurs during passage through the endosomal compartment, and the low pH encountered in this environment is essential for infection. Furin cleavage of the minor capsid protein, L2, and cyclophilin B-mediated separation of L2 and the viral genome from the major capsid protein, L1, are necessary for escape from the late endosome (LE). Following this exodus, L2 and the genome are found colocalized at the ND10 nuclear subdomain, which is essential for efficient pseudogenome expression. However, the route by which L2 and the genome traverse the intervening cytoplasm between these two subcellular compartments has not been determined. This study extends our understanding of this phase in PV entry in demonstrating the involvement of the Golgi complex. With confocal microscopic analyses involving 5-ethynyl-2′-deoxyuridine (EdU)-labeled pseudogenomes and antibodies to virion and cellular proteins, we found that the viral pseudogenome and L2 travel to the
trans
-Golgi network (TGN) following exit from the LE, while L1 is retained. This transit is dependent upon furin cleavage of L2 and can be prevented pharmacologically with either brefeldin A or golgicide A, inhibitors of anterograde and retrograde Golgi trafficking. Additionally, Rab9a and Rab7b were determined to be mediators of this transit, as expression of dominant negative versions of these proteins, but not Rab7a, significantly inhibited HPV16 pseudovirus infection.
Double migration of a schwannoma of thoracic spine
Authors: Khan Robert Ahmed , Rahman Asifur , Bhandari Paawan Bahadur , Khan SIM Khairun Nabi
Published: January 2013

Mobile intraspinal tumours have rarely been reported. In most cases, mobile tumours such as schwannomas or ependymomas were located in the cauda equina. Perusal of the literature revealed only two reports of mobile schwannomas in the cervical and thoracic regions. We report a case of thoracic schwannoma which migrated twice in successive operations resulting in negative exploration in the expected area. The aim of this report is to remind the surgeons about the possibility of migration of intradural-extramedullary tumour.
THE PARAMETERS MATCHING OF ELECTRIC VEHICLE DRIVE MOTOR AND DRIVE SYSTEM
Authors: WAN XIAOKAN , WANG QIONG
Published: January 2013

The determination principle of the transmission and the gear number in the electric vehicle driving system are studied in this paper. The results show that the rated power or torque and speed of the motor must reasonably match the parameters of transmission system. A type of electric vehicle is taken as the research object. Two of the five manual transmission speeds gears are calculated and analyzed, which are the equilibrium diagram of the driving force and the driving resistance force between the second gear and the third gear. The single gear-driven scheme of the fixed speed ratio reducer is proposed to replace the heavy mechanical gear reducer. It can reduce the mass of the whole vehicle and increase the driving distance from the theorem. Appling the simulation software Advanced Vehicle Simulator (ADVISOR) of electric vehicle to simulate the vehicle power performance and continued mileage, it verifies that the parameters determination principle and the method of the proposed drive system are correct.
Migrations of hatchling European pond turtles (Emys orbicularis) after nest emergence
Authors: Najbar Bartłomiej , Mitrus Sławomir
Published: January 2013

Distances between nest sites of Emys orbicularis and the nearest water bodies can be long. We studied whether a longer distance could affect the probability of hatchling survival, migration time, and body mass loss. In our research area (Lubuskie district, western Poland), nest sites were situated on a slope; the closest water body was in a distance of 72-290 m. Near the water body we constructed a 550 m long drift fence to recapture hatchlings migrating down the slope. We monitored 32 hatchlings from 7 different nests deposited in the years 2008-2010. The hatchlings started to emerge from their nests on 9 and 13 April 2009, 7 and 9 April 2010, 30 March, 7 and 8 April 2011. Then, hatchlings were radiotracked using transmitters glued on their carapaces. Individuals () recaptured near the fence travelled the distance between the nest site and the fence within 18-727 hours (0.75-∼30 days). Hatchlings from nests situated only a short distance away (72-81 m) were recaptured in higher numbers, compared to those from nests situated further away (227-290 m). During the journey the hatchlings lost on average ∼3.8% of their initial body mass. The hatchlings which migrated longer lose more of their initial body mass than those which migrated shorter.
Contributions to the knowledge of Dichelops Spinola: description of a new species of Dichelops (Diceraeus) and of the male of Dichelops (Prodichelops) divisus (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Pentatomidae: Pentatominae: Carpocorini)
Authors: POOCK-DA-SILVA PRISCILA , BARÃO KIM RIBEIRO , GRAZIA JOCELIA
Published: January 2013

A new species of Dichelops (Diceraeus) Dallas and the so-far unknown male of Dichelops (Prodichelops) divisus (Walker, 1867) are described, based upon morphological characters. D. (Dice.) caatinguensis sp. nov. is compared to the other four species of Diceraeus. Revised keys to separate the subgenera of Dichelops and the species of Diceraeus are also presented. D. (P.) divisus male is described and compared to the type species. Comparative illustrations of external and internal genitalia of the species are provided.
Involvement of the mitogen activated protein kinase Hog1p in the response of Candida albicansto iron availability
Authors: Kaba Hani EJ , Nimtz Manfred , Müller Peter P , Bilitewski Ursula
Published: January 2013

Background

Iron is an essential nutrient for almost all organisms, and generating iron limiting conditions for pathogens is one of the host defense strategies against microbial infections. Excess of iron can be toxic; therefore, iron uptake is tightly controlled. The high affinity iron uptake system of the opportunistic pathogenic yeast Candida albicans has been shown to be essential for virulence. Several transcription factors and regulators of iron uptake genes were identified, but the knowledge of signaling pathways is still limited. Gene expression profiling of the Δhog1 deletion mutant indicated an involvement of the mitogen activated protein (MAP) kinase Hog1p. However, the function of Hog1p in the response of C. albicans to iron availability was not studied in detail. Thus, we analyzed phenotypic and molecular responses of C. albicans to different iron concentrations particularly with respect to the activity of the Hog1p MAP kinase module.

Results

We observed flocculation of yeast cells, when the iron ion concentration was equal to or higher than 5 μM. This phenotype was dependent on the MAP kinase Hog1p and the corresponding MAP kinase kinase Pbs2p. Moreover, high extracellular iron ion concentrations led to hyper-phosphorylation of Hog1p. We determined lower amounts of multicopper ferroxidase (MCFO) proteins and lower ferric reductase activity, when the iron ion concentration in the medium was increased. This effect was also observed for the Δhog1 mutant. However, the amounts of MCFO proteins and the cell surface ferric reductase activity were increased in the Δhog1 in comparison to wild type cells. This effect was independent of iron availability in growth media.

Conclusions

In C. albicans, the MAP kinase Hog1p is part of the network regulating the response of the organism to iron availability. Hog1p was transiently phosphorylated under high iron concentrations and was essential for a flocculent phenotype. Furthermore, deletion of HOG1 led to increased levels of components of the reductive iron uptake system in comparison to the wild-type, independent of iron concentrations in the media. However, the additional induction of this system by low iron concentrations was independent of HOG1.
Gbx2, a LIF/Stat3 target, promotes reprogramming to and retention of the pluripotent ground state
Authors: Tai Chih-I , Ying Qi-Long
Published: January 2013

Activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (Stat3) by leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) maintains mouse embryonic stem cell (mESC) self-renewal and also facilitates reprogramming to ground state pluripotency. Exactly how LIF/Stat3 signaling exerts these effects, however, remains elusive. We identified gastrulation brain homeobox 2 (Gbx2) as a LIF/Stat3 downstream target that, when overexpressed, allows long-term expansion of undifferentiated mESCs in the absence of LIF/Stat3 signaling. Elevated Gbx2 expression also enhanced reprogramming of mouse embryonic fibroblasts to induced pluripotent stem cells. Moreover, overexpression of Gbx2 was sufficient to reprogram epiblast stem cells to ground state ESCs. Our results reveal a novel function of Gbx2 in mESC reprogramming and LIF/Stat3-mediated self-renewal.
In vivo T‐cell depletion with alemtuzumab in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: Combined results of two studies on aplastic anemia and HLA‐mismatched haploidentical transplantation
Authors: Kanda Yoshinobu , Oshima Kumi , Kako Shinichi , Fukuda Takahiro , Uchida Naoyuki , Miyamura Koichi , Kondo Yukio , Nakao Shinji , Nagafuji Koji , Miyamoto Toshihiro , Kurokawa Mineo , Okoshi Yasushi , Chiba Shigeru , Ohashi Yasuo , Takaue Yoichi , Taniguchi Shuichi
Published: January 2013

We evaluated the efficacy of in vivo T‐cell depletion with alemtuzumab in two prospective studies according to the International Conference on Harmonisation (ICH)—Good Clinical Practice (ICH–GCP) guidelines; one was for patients with aplastic anemia (AA study) and the other was for patients who were undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) from a 2‐ or 3‐antigen‐mismatched haploidentical donor (MM study). The final dose of alemtuzumab in these studies was 0.16 mg/kg/day for 6 days. At this dose, all of the 12 and 11 patients in the AA and MM studies, respectively, achieved initial engraftment and the incidences of Grade II–IV acute graft‐versus‐host disease (GVHD) were 0% and 18%. While cytomegalovirus (CMV) frequently reactivated, none of the patients developed fatal CMV disease. Transplantation‐related mortality within 1 year after HSCT was observed in only two and one patients, respectively. The numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T‐cells and T‐cell receptor rearrangement excision circles remained low within 1 year after HSCT. These findings suggest that the use of alemtuzumab at this dose in a conditioning regimen enables safe allogeneic HSCT even from a 2‐ or 3‐antigen‐mismatched donor. However, the use of a lower dose of alemtuzumab should be explored in future studies to accelerate immune recovery after HSCT. Am. J. Hematol. 88:294–300, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Male body movements as possible cues to physical strength: A biomechanical analysis
Authors: McCarty Kristofor , Hönekopp Johannes , Neave Nick , Caplan Nick , Fink Bernhard
Published: January 2013

Objectives

Comparative research suggests that male courtship displays signal condition‐dependent traits tofemales; these displays might also provide cues to potential male competitors. Although some associations betweenhuman movements and physical/behavioral qualities have been found, such research has typically only been conducted from a perspective of female mate choice. Here, using advanced motion capture and biomechanical analyses, we examine the extent to which male dancing provides cues about the dancer's physical qualities to both males and females.

Methods

Thirty men aged 19–37 were recorded using motion‐capture technology as they danced to a standard rhythm. Participants also completed a vascular fitness test, assessments of upper‐ and lower‐body strength, and biomechanical indices were extracted from their dance movements. Dance clips were converted into virtual humanoid characters (avatars) and rated by 27 women and 21 men on perceived dance quality.

Results

General linear mixed modeling revealed that both handgrip strength and arm movements of the dancer were statistically significant predictors of dance quality ratings; stronger males who displayed larger, more variable, and faster movements of their arms being rated as better dancers. There was no effect of the sex of the observer in predicting dance quality ratings, indicating that male and female observers rated dance quality equivalently. Physical fitness was not associated with perceived dance quality.

Conclusions

Men and women are able to derive certain quality cues from observing male dance movements in the form of controlled stimuli. Thus, male dancing may form a condition‐dependent ornament of certain aspects of mate quality. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 25:307–312, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A Diacetylene‐Containing Wedge‐Shaped Compound: Synthesis, Morphology, and Photopolymerization
Authors: Rosenthal Martin , Li Lei , Hernandez Jaime J. , Zhu Xiaomin , Ivanov Dimitri A. , Möller Martin
Published: January 2013

A novel wedge‐shaped compound containing two diacetylene tails, namely, methyl 3,5‐bis(trideca‐2,4‐diyn‐1yloxyl)benzoate (DDABM), was synthesized. As shown by UV/Vis spectroscopy this compound can be polymerized under UV irradiation. The crystalline structure of DDABM was investigated by grazing‐incidence wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction on oriented crystalline films deposited on PTFE‐rubbed silicon wafer substrates. Furthermore, the spherulites formed in thicker films were analyzed by wide‐angle X‐ray diffraction. A molecular packing model of DDABM based on the X‐ray diffraction data is proposed. The diacetylene units are oriented along a defined lattice direction with a reticular distance of 4.85 Å, which fulfills the requirements for topochemical polymerization. It was observed that UV polymerization does not affect the phase behavior of the compound, but mainly alters its optical properties.
Preparation of microporous activated carbon from Aegle marmelos fruit shell by KOH activation
Authors: Gottipati Ramakrishna , Mishra Susmita
Published: January 2013

Activated carbon (AC) is well‐known for its unique properties; hence, the search for new precursors and the investigation of new methods for the preparation of AC is still drawing attention of many researchers. In the present work, microporous AC was prepared from Aegle marmelos fruit shell (AMFS) by potassium hydroxide (KOH) activation. The effect of process parameters such as impregnation ratio, carbonisation temperature and holding time on porous characteristics was investigated. The porous characteristics of prepared AC samples were analysed by N2 adsorption–desorption isotherms, and it was found that the isotherms obtained resemble typical microporous solids (Type‐I). The Langmuir surface area and total pore volume of the sample prepared at optimum conditions were found to be 937 m2/g and 0.33 cm3/g, respectively. The contribution of micropores to the porous characteristics of the prepared AC is very much appreciable, and about 97% of the total surface area and pore volume is attained by micropores. Pore size distribution (PSD) by Dubinin–Astakhov (DA) and micro‐pore (MP) methods confirmed the presence of micropores to a great extent with insignificant mesoporosity. © 2013 Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering
Michael Additions in Aqueous Media: “On‐Water” and “In‐Water” Processes from α‐Nitro Ketones and Their Anions
Authors: Giorgi Giorgio , López‐Alvarado Pilar , Miranda Sonia , Rodriguez Jean , Menéndez J. Carlos
Published: January 2013

A variety of α,β‐unsaturated aldehydes and ketones gave very high‐yielding Michael addition reactions with α‐nitrocycloalkanones in water, at room temperature without added catalyst. These can be considered as one of the very few “on‐water” Michael reactions known in the literature, because they took place in suspension or emulsion and at increased speed relative to the same transformations performed in organic solvents. A related protocol that uses very dilute, aqueous solutions of potassium carbonate as the reaction media extended the scope of the method to cyclic enones and unsaturated esters, nitriles and sulfones and is likely to take place in the bulk of the aqueous phase, i.e., “in‐water”. Both preparative methods constitute environmentally benign and efficient alternatives to previously known procedures.
The evolution of information behavior research: Looking back to see the future
Authors: Given Lisa M. , Julien Heidi , Case Donald
Published: January 2013

This panel will examine past, present and future trends for one of the central bodies of research within information science – human information behavior (HIB). Beginning with a brief history of the settings, populations, methodologies, theories and other key features of HIB research, the panel will then explore possibilities for the future. Attendees will engage in an interactive ‘working session’ exploring the key research questions being addressed (or that should be addressed) in HIB research, as well as trends in methods and techniques that will inform future work. The panelists have received numerous grants for research on human information behavior, have published widely on the topic, and have served as research leaders within the discipline. They are all very engaging speakers, having presented at numerous international conferences and symposia. These panelists are well‐placed to facilitate an engaging discussion of trends in this important research area of the discipline.
Ten years later: Information and policy in the aftermath of 9/11
Authors: Bertot John Carlo , Jaeger Paul T. , Caidi Nadia , Shilton Katie , Gorham Ursula
Published: January 2013

The theme of this year's ASIS&T conference inspires us to examine our past, present, and future as a discipline. This panel adopts a similar lens but focuses specifically on the decade that has passed since the events of 9/11 and the subsequent legislative and policy impacts on information. The aim is to provide information professionals and scholars with an open forum to critically reflect on the post 9/11 legislation, policies, and practices and how these have affected access to information and informational activities more generally, including the production, management, and diffusion of public information. With an eye toward the future, we examine the extent to which the discourses and practices of the past decade have contributed to shaping and reshaping our information environment, how the information field has responded in the ten years since this defining event, and why and how information professionals ought to remain engaged in these matters in the future.
Time and space in collaborative information seeking: The clash of effectiveness and uniqueness
Authors: González‐Ibáñez Roberto , Haseki Muge , Shah Chirag
Published: January 2013

Collaboration takes place at different time‐space conditions. Past research has shown that these two dimensions may have different implications in the collaboration process, as well as on its outcomes, depending upon the task being performed. In collaborative information seeking (CIS), as a relatively new topic in information science, little is known about the effects of different temporal‐spatial contexts. To address this, we conducted a user study involving 80 participants in 40 pairs, which were assigned to four experimental conditions, namely: co‐located, remotely located with text chat, remotely located with audio chat, and asynchronous. Using quantitative methods, we investigated the effects of these conditions on communication, information synthesis, productivity, and user experience. Results regarding the space dimension suggest that information seeking behaviors of co‐located users tend to overlap thus affecting their coverage of diverse and useful information. Conversely, when team members are remotely located, limited interaction allows them to work more independently, leading them to explore more diverse and useful information with the added value of less cognitive and affective load. With respect to the time dimension, we found that asynchronous collaboration enables participants to reach high levels of independency at the cost of effectiveness. These results provide practical implications about how various spatial‐temporal contexts in CIS could influence factors such as productivity, efficiency, effectiveness, and uniqueness.
Accessibility and management of information sources in contexts: A case study among research engineers
Authors: Musnik Noémie , Ricard Benoit
Published: January 2013

Assuming that workplace significantly affects information seeking and information management patterns, this study explores accessibility and management of information sources among a group of research engineers. The study analyses how these engineers, who belong to the R&D entity of a major energy group, require, search and manage information sources in given professional contexts. Furthermore, it strives to identify the contextual factors that shape information practices. This empirical study is based on a qualitative approach: following exploratory inquiries, semi‐structured interviews and observations were conducted with 15 actors in their proper workplace. Our integration within the team facilitated the participant observation stance. The study provides an analytic cartography of the various components of the organizational and informational environments whereby the activities and tasks of the above mentioned actors take place. A wide range of practices has been identified via interviews but also through the activities and work rhythms observed. An appreciative methodological framework is currently developed to analyze the practices of access to information produced and used; it underlines the contextual factors that may become driving dimensions to support an innovative perspective on information management structures. The study attempts to provide an innovative approach for the analysis of information practices in contexts, oriented toward the design of a facetted and collaborative information management system.
Old data, new scheme: An exploration of metadata migration using expert‐guided computational techniques
Authors: Mitchell Erik , McCallum Carolyn
Published: January 2013

This paper explores the evaluation of metadata quality within the context of migration to new conceptual models. While metadata quality and interoperability are commonly studied areas, few studies have explored the issues introduced when migrating metadata to models that require a re‐definition of metadata record to resource relationships. In order to explore this issue, this study asks the question “How do human and computational techniques compare with regards to the creation of FRBR work‐sets from existing bibliographic metadata?” The study compared cataloger assessment of FRBR relationships in a selection of 848 MARC records with automatically generated work‐sets. The Levenhstein edit‐distance algorithm was used to identify work‐sets in the automated approach. The comparison found that an improved version of work‐set keys from the OCLC FRBR algorithm provided the highest match rate with 62% of keys matching perfectly and 87% of correct work‐sets showing an 80% or higher similarity rate. The study methodology and evaluative measure overall indicate that a hybrid expert/automated approach and an improved key generation algorithm are effective alternatives to manual or automated approaches alone.