bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Warm Glow or Cold, Hard Cash? Social Identity Effects on Consumer Choice for Donation versus Discount Promotions
Authors: Winterich Karen Page , Barone Michael J.
Published: September 2011

Across five studies, the authors investigate how social identification influences consumer preference for discount-based promotions (i.e., cents-off deals) versus donation-based promotions (in which purchase results in a donation to a charitable cause). In doing so, they demonstrate the interplay between self-construal and a specific social identity (i.e., that associated with the particular charity featured in a donation-based promotion) on consumers' preferences for these two types of promotions. The results show that, in general, consumers possessing interdependent self-construals prefer donations to a greater extent than those with independent self-construals. However, the findings further indicate that these effects of self-construal are attenuated if (1) the donation-based promotion does not involve a charity that is identity congruent or (2) a cause-congruent identity is more salient than self-construal at the time of decision making. The authors also identify boundary conditions of charity efficiency and product type for these self-construal effects. In addition to demonstrating how multiple identities interact to influence consumer promotion preferences, the authors discuss important managerial implications regarding the use of discount versus donation-based promotions.
Automated Marketing Research Using Online Customer Reviews
Authors: Lee Thomas Y. , Bradlow Eric T.
Published: September 2011

Market structure analysis is a basic pillar of marketing research. Classic challenges in marketing such as pricing, campaign management, brand positioning, and new product development are rooted in an analysis of product substitutes and complements inferred from market structure. In this article, the authors present a method to support the analysis and visualization of market structure by automatically eliciting product attributes and brand's relative positions from online customer reviews. First, the method uncovers attributes and attribute dimensions using the “voice of the consumer,” as reflected in customer reviews, rather than that of manufacturers. Second, the approach runs automatically. Third, the process supports rather than supplants managerial judgment by reinforcing or augmenting attributes and dimensions found through traditional surveys and focus groups. The authors test the approach on six years of customer reviews for digital cameras during a period of rapid market evolution. They analyze and visualize results in several ways, including comparisons with expert buying guides, a laboratory survey, and correspondence analysis of automatically discovered product attributes. The authors evaluate managerial insights drawn from the analysis with respect to proprietary market research reports from the same period analyzing digital imaging products.
The Impact of Candidate Appearance and Advertising Strategies on Election Results
Authors: Hoegg Joandrea , Lewis Michael V.
Published: September 2011

Spending on political advertising has grown dramatically in recent years, and political campaigns have increasingly adopted the language and techniques of marketing. As such political marketing efforts proliferate, the factors that drive electoral success warrant greater attention and investigation. The authors employ a combination of laboratory studies and analysis of actual election results to reveal influences of candidate appearance and spending strategies in campaigns. They analyze how personality trait inferences based on candidate appearance interact with political party brand image, advertising spending, and negative advertising. The results indicate that appearance-based inferences about candidates influence election outcomes, but their impact is driven partially by trait associations at the party brand level. This interaction between appearance and party alters the effects of advertising spending, particularly the effects of negative advertising. The findings have implications for the marketing of political candidates in terms of their party's brand image.
Deutsche Nominalkomposita und ihre Übersetzungsproblematik ins Arabische
Authors: Mohamed Nasser E. A.
Published: September 2011

Though bilingual dictionaries (German-Arabic) contain a great number of compound words which help decode their meaning, a great number of these words are not listed in these dictionaries. This comes as a result of producing daily new constructions especially in the field of press and media, which causes a great difficulty in defining the meaning of these compound words.

German Language Department students at the College of Languages and Translation find a great difficulty in translating compound words into Arabic, because they give literal translation of these words without doing any research for an Arabic equivalent. Since these words are composed of phrases or prepositional phrases, transference process to Arabic requires first to deconstruct these words into a phrase or a suitable prepositional phrase before starting the process of translation. The difficulty lies in the fact that there are no fixed deconstructing rules, which requires accurate knowledge of the characteristics of these words especially the way they are compound and deconstructed.

The research attempts at finding a mechanism which students can practice in language classes. Later, in translation classes, this will help them to correctly transfer these words into Arabic
The problem of equivalence in translating legal texts
Authors: Paolucci Sandro
Published: September 2011

Although it is a subject of continuous debate and a frequent source of controversy, the concept of equivalence remains a central topic in translation studies. The solution to any translation problem is obviously far beyond the mere linear transposition of a source text into a target language and, particularly when translating legal texts, specialists in comparative law and legal translators continuously strive to find the most equivalent term or concept in the target language. After briefly presenting equivalence issues in general translation, this article examines the problem of equivalence in legal texts. It stresses the relevance of terminological equivalence, including as a translation process that may compete with others within the same text.
Contextual Novelty Modulates the Neural Dynamics of Reward Anticipation
Authors: Bunzeck Nico , Guitart-Masip Marc , Dolan Ray J. , Düzel Emrah
Published: September 2011

We investigated how rapidly the reward-predicting properties of visual cues are signaled in the human brain and the extent these reward prediction signals are contextually modifiable. In a magnetoencephalography study, we presented participants with fractal visual cues that predicted monetary rewards with different probabilities. These cues were presented in the temporal context of a preceding novel or familiar image of a natural scene. Starting at ∼100 ms after cue onset, reward probability was signaled in the event-related fields (ERFs) over temporo-occipital sensors and in the power of theta (5–8 Hz) and beta (20–30 Hz) band oscillations over frontal sensors. While theta decreased with reward probability beta power showed the opposite effect. Thus, in humans anticipatory reward responses are generated rapidly, within 100 ms after the onset of reward-predicting cues, which is similar to the timing established in non-human primates. Contextual novelty enhanced the reward anticipation responses in both ERFs and in beta oscillations starting at ∼100 ms after cue onset. This very early context effect is compatible with a physiological model that invokes the mediation of a hippocampal-VTA loop according to which novelty modulates neural response properties within the reward circuitry. We conclude that the neural processing of cues that predict future rewards is temporally highly efficient and contextually modifiable.
Nucleus Accumbens Dopamine/Glutamate Interaction Switches Modes to Generate Desire versus Dread: D1Alone for Appetitive Eating But D1and D2Together for Fear
Authors: Richard Jocelyn M. , Berridge Kent C.
Published: September 2011

The medial shell of nucleus accumbens (NAc) and its mesolimbic dopamine inputs mediate forms of fearful as well as of incentive motivation. For example, either appetitive and/or actively fearful behaviors are generated in a keyboard pattern by localized glutamate disruptions in NAc (via microinjection of the AMPA receptor antagonist DNQX) at different anatomical locations along a rostrocaudal gradient within the medial shell of rats. Rostral glutamate disruptions produce intense increases in eating, but more caudally placed disruptions produce increasingly fearful behaviors: distress vocalizations and escape attempts to human touch, and a spontaneous and directed antipredator response called defensive treading/burying. Local endogenous dopamine is required for either intense motivation to be generated by AMPA disruptions. Here we report that only endogenous local signaling at D1dopamine receptors is needed for rostral generation of excessive eating, potentially implicating a direct output pathway contribution. In contrast, fear generation at caudal sites requires both D1and D2signaling simultaneously, potentially implicating an indirect output pathway contribution. Finally, when motivation valence generated by AMPA disruptions at intermediate sites was flipped by manipulating environmental ambience, from mostly appetitive in a comfortable home environment to mostly fearful in a stressful environment, the roles of local D1and D2signaling in dopamine/glutamate interaction at microinjection sites also switched dynamically to match the motivation valence generated at the moment. Thus, NAc D1and D2receptors, and their associated neuronal circuits, play different and dynamic roles in enabling desire and dread to be generated by localized NAc glutamate disruptions in medial shell.
Breathing without CO2Chemosensitivity in ConditionalPhox2bMutants
Authors: Ramanantsoa Nelina , Hirsch Marie-Rose , Thoby-Brisson Muriel , Dubreuil Véronique , Bouvier Julien , Ruffault Pierre-Louis , Matrot Boris , Fortin Gilles , Brunet Jean-François , Gallego Jorge , Goridis Christo
Published: September 2011

Breathing is a spontaneous, rhythmic motor behavior critical for maintaining O2, CO2, and pH homeostasis. In mammals, it is generated by a neuronal network in the lower brainstem, the respiratory rhythm generator (Feldman et al., 2003). A century-old tenet in respiratory physiology posits that the respiratory chemoreflex, the stimulation of breathing by an increase in partial pressure of CO2in the blood, is indispensable for rhythmic breathing. Here we have revisited this postulate with the help of mouse genetics. We have engineered a conditional mouse mutant in which the toxicPHOX2B27Alamutation that causes congenital central hypoventilation syndrome in man is targeted to the retrotrapezoid nucleus, a site essential for central chemosensitivity. The mutants lack a retrotrapezoid nucleus and their breathing is not stimulated by elevated CO2at least up to postnatal day 9 and they barely respond as juveniles, but nevertheless survive, breathe normally beyond the first days after birth, and maintain blood PCO2within the normal range. Input from peripheral chemoreceptors that sense PO2in the blood appears to compensate for the missing CO2response since silencing them by high O2abolishes rhythmic breathing. CO2chemosensitivity partially recovered in adulthood. Hence, during the early life of rodents, the excitatory input normally afforded by elevated CO2is dispensable for life-sustaining breathing and maintaining CO2homeostasis in the blood.
Fukutin-Related Protein Alters the Deposition of Laminin in the Eye and Brain
Authors: Ackroyd Mark R. , Whitmore Charlotte , Prior Sarah , Kaluarachchi Manuja , Nikolic Margareta , Mayer Ulrike , Muntoni Francesco , Brown Susan C.
Published: September 2011

Mutations in fukutin-related protein (FKRP) are responsible for a common group of muscular dystrophies ranging from adult onset limb girdle muscular dystrophies to severe congenital forms with associated structural brain involvement. The defining feature of this group of disorders is the hypoglycosylation of α-dystroglycan and its inability to effectively bind extracellular matrix ligands such as laminin α2. However, α-dystroglycan has the potential to interact with a number of laminin isoforms many of which are basement membrane/tissue specific and developmentally regulated. To further investigate this we evaluated laminin α-chain expression in the cerebral cortex and eye of our FKRP knock-down mouse (FKRPKD). These mice showed a marked disturbance in the deposition of laminin α-chains including α1, α2, α4, and α5, although only laminin α1- and γ1-chain mRNA expression was significantly upregulated relative to controls. Moreover, there was a diffuse pattern of laminin deposition below the pial surface which correlated with an abrupt termination of many of the radial glial cells. This along with the pial basement membrane defects, contributed to the abnormal positioning of both early- and late-born neurons. Defects in the inner limiting membrane of the eye were associated with a reduction of laminin α1 demonstrating the involvement of the α-dystroglycan:laminin α1 axis in the disease process. These observations demonstrate for the first time that a reduction inFkrpinfluences the ability of tissue-specific forms of α-dystroglycan to direct the deposition of several laminin isoforms in the formation of different basement membranes.
Global Functional Connectivity Deficits in Schizophrenia Depend on Behavioral State
Authors: Salomon Roy , Bleich-Cohen Maya , Hahamy-Dubossarsky Avital , Dinstien Ilan , Weizman Ronit , Poyurovsky Michael , Kupchik Marina , Kotler Moshe , Hendler Talma , Malach Rafael
Published: September 2011

Schizophrenia is a devastating psychiatric illness characterized by deterioration of cognitive and emotional processing. It has been hypothesized that aberrant cortical connectivity is implicated in the disease (Friston, 1998), yet previous studies of functional connectivity (FC) in schizophrenia have shown mixed results (Garrity et al., 2007; Jafri et al., 2008; Lynall et al., 2010). We measured FC using fMRI in human schizophrenia patients and healthy controls during two different tasks and a rest condition, and constructed a voxel-based global FC index. We found a striking FC decrease in patients compared with controls. In the task conditions, relatively weaker FC was specific to regions of cortex not active during the task. In the rest condition, the FC difference between patients and controls was larger and allowed a case-by-case separation between individuals of the two groups. The results suggest that the relative reduction of FC in schizophrenia is dependent on the state of cortical activity, with voxels not activated by the task showing higher levels of FC deficiency. This novel finding may shed light on previous reports of FC in schizophrenia. Whether this neural characteristic is related to the development of the disorder remains to be established.
Mitochondrial Ca2+Uptake Is Essential for Synaptic Plasticity in Pain
Authors: Kim Hee Young , Lee Kwan Yeop , Lu Ying , Wang Jigong , Cui Lian , Kim Sang Jeong , Chung Jin Mo , Chung Kyungsoon
Published: September 2011

The increase of cytosolic free Ca2+([Ca2+]c) due to NMDA receptor activation is a key step for spinal cord synaptic plasticity by altering cellular signal transduction pathways. We focus on this plasticity as a cause of persistent pain. To provide a mechanism for these classic findings, we report that [Ca2+]cdoes not trigger synaptic plasticity directly but must first enter into mitochondria. Interfering with mitochondrial Ca2+uptake during a [Ca2+]cincrease blocks induction of behavioral hyperalgesia and accompanying downstream cell signaling, with reduction of spinal long-term potentiation (LTP). Furthermore, reducing the accompanying mitochondrial superoxide levels lessens hyperalgesia and LTP induction. These results indicate that [Ca2+]crequires downstream mitochondrial Ca2+uptake with consequent production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) for synaptic plasticity underlying chronic pain. These results suggest modifying mitochondrial Ca2+uptake and thus ROS as a type of chronic pain therapy that should also have broader biologic significance.
Matrix Metalloproteinase-9 Contributes to Kindled Seizure Development in Pentylenetetrazole-Treated Mice by Converting Pro-BDNF to Mature BDNF in the Hippocampus
Authors: Mizoguchi Hiroyuki , Nakade Junya , Tachibana Masaki , Ibi Daisuke , Someya Eiichi , Koike Hiroyuki , Kamei Hiroyuki , Nabeshima Toshitaka , Itohara Shigeyoshi , Takuma Kazuhiro , Sawada Makoto , Sato Jun , Yamada Kiyofumi
Published: September 2011

Recurrent seizure activity has been shown to induce a variety of permanent structural changes in the brain. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) function to promote neuronal plasticity, primarily through cleavage of extracellular matrix proteins. Here, we investigated the role of MMP-9 in the development of pentylenetetrazole (PTZ)-induced kindled seizure in mice. Repeated treatment with PTZ (40 mg/kg) produced kindled seizure, which was accompanied by enhanced MMP-9 activity and expression in the hippocampus. No change in MMP-9 activity was observed in the hippocampi of mice with generalized tonic seizure following single administration of PTZ (60 mg/kg). MMP-9 colocalized with the neuronal marker NeuN and the glial marker GFAP in the dentate gyrus of the kindled mouse hippocampus. Coadministration of diazepam or MK-801 with PTZ inhibited the development of kindling and the increased MMP-9 levels in the hippocampus. Marked suppression of kindled seizure progression in response to repeated PTZ treatment was observed in MMP-9(−/−)mice compared with wild-type mice, an observation that was accompanied by decreased hippocampal levels of mature brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Microinjecting the BDNF scavenger TrkB-Fc into the right ventricle before each PTZ treatment significantly suppressed the development of kindling in wild-type mice, whereas no effect was observed in MMP-9(−/−)mice. On the other hand, bilateral injections of pro-BDNF into the hippocampal dentate gyrus significantly enhanced kindling in wild-type mice but not MMP-9(−/−)mice. These findings suggest that MMP-9 is involved in the progression of behavioral phenotypes in kindled mice because of conversion of pro-BDNF to mature BDNF in the hippocampus.
Dynamics of Population Response to Changes of Motion Direction in Primary Visual Cortex
Authors: Wu Wei , Tiesinga Paul H. , Tucker Thomas R. , Mitroff Stephen R. , Fitzpatrick David
Published: September 2011

The visual system is thought to represent the direction of moving objects in the relative activity of large populations of cortical neurons that are broadly tuned to the direction of stimulus motion, but how changes in the direction of a moving stimulus are represented in the population response remains poorly understood. Here we take advantage of the orderly mapping of direction selectivity in ferret primary visual cortex (V1) to explore how abrupt changes in the direction of a moving stimulus are encoded in population activity using voltage-sensitive dye imaging. For stimuli moving in a constant direction, the peak of the V1 population response accurately represented the direction of stimulus motion, but following abrupt changes in motion direction, the peak transiently departed from the direction of stimulus motion in a fashion that varied with the direction offset angle and was well predicted from the response to the component directions. We conclude that cortical dynamics and population coding mechanisms combine to place constraints on the accuracy with which abrupt changes in direction of motion can be represented by cortical circuits.
Grapefruit juice and licorice increase cortisol availability in patients with Addison's disease
Authors: Methlie Paal , Husebye Eystein E S , Hustad Steinar , Lien Ernst A , Løvås Kristian
Published: September 2011

Objective

Failure to mirror the diurnal cortisol profile could contribute to the impaired subjective health status in Addison's disease (AD). Some patients report benefit from the use of various nutritional compounds. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of licorice and grapefruit juice (GFJ) on the absorption and metabolism of cortisone acetate (CA).

Design

Patients (n=17) with AD on stable CA replacement therapy were recruited from the outpatient clinic at Haukeland University Hospital, Norway. They were assessed on their ordinary CA medication and following two 3-day periods of co-administration of licorice or GFJ.

Methods

Time series of glucocorticoids (GCs) in serum and saliva were obtained, and GCs in 24 h urine samples were determined. The main outcome measure was the area under the curve (AUC) for serum cortisol in the first 2.6 h after orally administered CA.

Results

Compared with the ordinary treatment, the median AUC for serum cortisol increased with licorice (53 783 vs 50 882, P<0.05) and GFJ (60 661 vs 50 882, P<0.05). Median cortisol levels in serum were also elevated 2.6 h after tablet ingestion (licorice 223 vs 186 nmol/l, P<0.05; GFJ 337 vs 186 nmol/l, P<0.01). Licorice increased the median urinary cortisol/cortisone ratio (0.43 vs 0.21, P<0.00001), whereas GFJ increased the (allo-tetrahydrocortisol+tetrahydrocortisol)/tetrahydrocortisone ratio (0.55 vs 0.43, P<0.05).

Conclusion

Licorice and in particular GFJ increased cortisol available to tissues in the hours following oral CA administration. Both patients and physicians should be aware of these interactions.
The Sda/GM2-glycan is a carbohydrate marker of porcine primordial germ cells and of a subpopulation of spermatogonia in cattle, pigs, horses and llama
Authors: Klisch K , Contreras D A , Sun X , Brehm R , Bergmann M , Alberio R
Published: September 2011

Spermatogonia are a potential source of adult pluripotent stem cells and can be used for testis germ cell transplantation. Markers for the isolation of these cells are of great importance for biomedical applications. Primordial germ cells and prepubertal spermatogonia in many species can be identified by their binding ofDolichos biflorusagglutinin (DBA). This lectin binds to two different types of glycans, which are α-linkedN-acetylgalactosamine (GalNac) and β-linked GalNac, if this is part of the Sda or GM2 glycotopes. We used the MAB CT1, which is specific for the trisaccharides motif NeuAcα2–3(GalNAcβ1–4)Galβ1-, which is common to both Sda and GM2 glycotopes, to further define the glycosylation of DBA binding germ cells. In porcine embryos, CT1 bound to migratory germ cells and gonocytes. CT1/DBA double staining showed that the mesonephros was CT1 negative but contained DBA-positive cells. Gonocytes in the female gonad became CT1 negative, while male gonocytes remained CT1 positive. In immunohistological double staining of cattle, pig, horse and llama testis, DBA and CT1 staining was generally colocalised in a subpopulation of spermatogonia. These spermatogonia were mainly single, sometimes paired or formed chains of up to four cells. Our data show that the Sda/GM2 glycotope is present in developing germ cells and spermatogonia in several species. Owing to the narrower specificity of the CT1 antibody, compared with DBA, the former is likely to be a useful tool for labelling and isolation of these cells.
Role of gastrointestinal inflammations in the development and treatment of depression
Authors: Fehér János , Kovács Illés , Balacco Gabrieli Corrado
Published: September 2011

Recent studies have revealed that inflammation, among other factors, may be involved in the pathogenesis of depression. One line of studies has shown that depression is frequently associated with manifest gastrointestinal inflammations and autoimmune diseases as well as with cardiovascular diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, type 2-diabetes and also cancer, in which chronic low-grade inflammation is a significant contributing factor. Thus depression may be a neuropsychiatric manifestation of a chronic inflammatory syndrome. Another line of studies has shown that the primary cause of inflammation may be the dysfunction of the “gut-brain axis”. Although, this is a bidirectional mechanism, life style factors may primarily affect the symbiosis between host mucous membrane and the microbiota. Local inflammation through the release of cytokines, neuropeptides and eicosanoids may also influence the function of the brain and of other organs. Role of metabolic burst due to inflammation represents a new aspect in both pathophysiology and treatment of the depression. Finally, an increasing number of clinical studies have shown that treating gastrointestinal inflammations with probiotics, vitamin B, D and omega 3 fatty acids, through attenuating proinflammatory stimuli to brain, may also improve depression symptoms and quality of life. All these findings justify an assumption that treating gastrointestinal inflammations may improve the efficacy of the currently used treatment modalities of depression and related diseases. However, further studies are certainly needed to confirm these findings. Orv. Hetil., 2011, 152, 1477–1485.
Classifying echinoid skeleton models: testing ideas about growth and form
Authors: Chakra Maria Abou , Stone Jon Rich
Published: September 2011

Theoretical morphology is the scientific field in which researchers model organism growth and form. The field is developed well in studies on skeletons, especially shells. Researchers have contributed echinoid skeleton models to the field, but these have yet to be recognized collectively. We present herein the first comprehensive review for echinoid skeleton models in theoretical morphology. We apply a phylogenetic systematic analysis to those models, use the resulting consensus cladogram to classify and interrelate the models in an analogy in which they are likened to fossil specimens in a biostratigraphic record, and utilize the biostratigraphic metaphor to define trends within theoretical morphology as it applies to echinoid skeleton models.
Laboratory and in situ studies on a compacted clayey silt fill
Authors: Almeida Marcio S. S. , Filho Marcelo G. Rios , Futai Marcos M. , Filho Mario Riccio
Published: September 2011

This paper presents laboratory and in situ studies carried out on a 200 000 m3 large clayey silt compacted embankment. Laboratory studies carried out on undeformed block samples included index tests, strength tests and water retention curves using the filter paper technique. Grain size analyses with and without a deflocculating agent clearly showed the existence of grain clusters, which appear to be naturally formed. Field instrumentation installed at depths from 0·25 m to 1·0 m included tensiometers, equitensiometers, time domain reflectometry and geothermometers. Pluviometer data from a nearby weather station are also used to analyse the field data. The ranges of water content and suction values were measured, both of which correlated well with the pluviometer data. The water retention curves including laboratory and field data showed a bimodal shape, consistent with the presence of micro- and macropores shown in the grain size analysis.
Floral and environmental gradients on a Late Cretaceous landscape
Authors: Wing Scott L. , Strömberg Caroline A. E. , Hickey Leo J. , Tiver Fleur , Willis Brian , Burnham Robyn J. , Behrensmeyer Anna K.
Published: September 2011

We describe an in situ fossil flora of Late Cretaceous age (∼73 Ma [mega‐annum or million years]) from Big Cedar Ridge in central Wyoming, USA, which we sampled using a modified line‐intercept method to quantify the relative abundances of 122 taxa at 100 sites across 4 km of exposed sedimentary deposits. We also measured three physical variables at each site: paleotopographic level, grain size, and total organic content. Paleoenvironmental conditions and paleofloral composition at Big Cedar Ridge covary strongly and are highly heterogeneous on small spatial scales. The reconstructed vegetation has some similarities with extant topogenous fens, but also important differences. Non‐monocot angiosperms were abundant only on wet, mineral substrates that had been disturbed shortly before preservation, consistent with the weedy life histories that are inferred for their Early Cretaceous ancestors. Many non‐monocot angiosperms grew in small, dispersed populations, consistent with the hypothesis that they were biotically pollinated. Overall, non‐monocot angiosperm abundance was low compared with many modern wetlands. A single species of coryphoid palm was the dominant on moist, stable, moderately organic‐rich sites, a pattern seen in some subtropical to tropical wetlands in the present day. Fern thickets at Big Cedar Ridge occupied highly organic, possibly low‐nutrient substrates, and were dominated by Dipteridaceae, Gleicheniaceae, Schizaeaceae, and Matoniaceae. The overall high diversity and abundance of pteridophytes is unusual in the context of modern vegetation, regardless of climate zone, and probably represents a late occurrence of pteridophyte‐dominated vegetation that was common earlier in the Mesozoic. Plant distributions at Big Cedar Ridge combine aspects of pre‐angiosperm and modern vegetation in a way that suggests both niche conservatism and niche evolution on geological time scales.
Attrition in Models of Intergenerational Links Using the PSID with Extensions to Health and to Sibling Models
Authors: Fitzgerald John M
Published: September 2011

Selective attrition potentially biases estimation of intergenerational links in health and economic status. This paper documents attrition in the PSID through 2007 for a cohort of children, and investigates attrition bias in intergenerational models predicting adult health, education and earnings, including models based on sibling differences. Although attrition affects unconditional means, the weighted PSID generally maintains its representativeness along key dimensions in comparison to the National Health Interview Survey. Using PSID, sibling correlations in outcomes and father-son correlations in earnings are not significantly affected by attrition. Models of intergenerational links with covariates yield more mixed results with females showing few robust impacts of attrition and males showing potential attrition bias for education and earnings outcomes. For adult health outcomes conditional on child background, neither gender shows significant impacts of attrition for the age ranges and models considered here. Sibling models do not produce robustly higher attrition impacts than individual models.
Optimization of esterification activity of lipase from Candida rugosa immobilized using microwave irradiation
Authors: Mihailovic Mladen , Knezevic-Jugovic Zorica , Mijin Dusan , Bezbradica Dejan
Published: September 2011

Lipases are very efficient biocatalysts with wide application in synthesis of
important ingredients of food, cosmetics and pharmaceutical products, due to
their capacity to catalyze both, ester synthesis and ester hydrolysis. The
preparation of stable and active immobilized derivatives of lipases is
necessity for their application in industrial enzymatic processes. In this
work, the optimization of lipase from C. rugosa immobilization by microwave
irradiation was performed, since it was previously reported that
immobilization process can be drastically accelerated by means of microwave
irradiation, even resulting with slight increase of lipase activity.
Eupergit?, commercial support with active epoxy groups, was used as
immobilization support. In first stage of our study, the immobilization time
and ionic strength of immobilization buffer were optimized. It was found out
that the highest immobilized activity can be achieved at high ionic strengths
(1 M buffer) after 3 min, while further increase of immobilization time led
to decrease of lipase activity. Then, the immobilized derivative obtained at
optimum conditions was applied in synthesis of amyl isobutyrate in organic
solvent. Key reaction factors (temperature, water concentration, immobilized
lipase concentration, and substrate molar ratio) were optimized using
response surface methodology. The substrate conversion higher above 85% was
achieved in our study. The statistical analysis revealed that each of
analyzed factors had significant effect on yield of ester, with initial
enzyme concentration and substrate molar ratio being the most prominent
factors. The second-order regression model that describes the effect of all
four factors on substrate conversion was established. The optimum values of
factors were: temperature 50?C, initial immobilized enzyme concentration 220
mg ml-1, added water concentration 0.1% (v/v), and molar ratio acid/alcohol
2.5.
Genetic Examination of SETD7 and SUV39H1/H2 Methyltransferases and the Risk of Diabetes Complications in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Syreeni Anna , El-Osta Assam , Forsblom Carol , Sandholm Niina , Parkkonen Maikki , Tarnow Lise , Parving Hans-Henrik , McKnight Amy J. , Maxwell Alexander P. , Cooper Mark E. , Groop Per-Henrik ,   on behalf of the FinnDiane Study Group
Published: September 2011

OBJECTIVE

Hyperglycemia plays a pivotal role in the development and progression of vascular complications, which are the major sources of morbidity and mortality in diabetes. Furthermore, these vascular complications often persist and progress despite improved glucose control, possibly as a result of prior episodes of hyperglycemia. Epigenetic modifications mediated by histone methyltransferases are associated with gene-activating events that promote enhanced expression of key proinflammatory molecules implicated in vascular injury. In this study, we investigated genetic polymorphisms of the SETD7, SUV39H1, and SUV39H2 methyltransferases as predictors of risk for micro- and macrovascular complications in type 1 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In the Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy Study (FinnDiane) cohort, 37 tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped in 2,991 individuals with type 1 diabetes and diabetic retinopathy, diabetic nephropathy, and cardiovascular disease. Seven SNPs were genotyped in the replication cohorts from the Steno Diabetes Center and All Ireland/Warren 3/Genetics of Kidneys in Diabetes (GoKinD) U.K. study.

RESULTS

In a meta-analysis, the minor T allele of the exonic SNP rs17353856 in the SUV39H2 was associated with diabetic retinopathy (genotypic odds ratio 0.75, P = 1.2 × 10−4). The same SNP showed a trend toward an association with diabetic nephropathy as well as cardiovascular disease in the FinnDiane cohort.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings propose that a genetic variation in a gene coding for a histone methyltransferase is protective for a diabetic microvascular complication. The pathophysiological implications of this polymorphism or other genetic variation nearby for the vascular complications of type 1 diabetes remain to be investigated.
Expansion of Th17 Cells and Functional Defects in T Regulatory Cells Are Key Features of the Pancreatic Lymph Nodes in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes
Authors: Ferraro Alessandra , Socci Carlo , Stabilini Angela , Valle Andrea , Monti Paolo , Piemonti Lorenzo , Nano Rita , Olek Sven , Maffi Paola , Scavini Marina , Secchi Antonio , Staudacher Carlo , Bonifacio Ezio , Battaglia Manuela
Published: September 2011

OBJECTIVE

Autoimmune diseases, including type 1 diabetes, are thought to have a Th17-cell bias and/or a T-regulatory cell (Treg) defect. Understanding whether this is a hallmark of patients with type 1 diabetes is a crucial question that is still unsolved, largely due to the difficulties of accessing tissues targeted by the disease.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

We phenotypically and functionally characterized Th17 cells and Tregs residing in the pancreatic-draining lymph nodes (PLNs) of 19 patients with type 1 diabetes and 63 nondiabetic donors and those circulating in the peripheral blood of 14 type 1 diabetic patients and 11 healthy subjects.

RESULTS

We found upregulation of Th17 immunity and functional defects in CD4+CD25bright Tregs in the PLNs of type 1 diabetic subjects but not in their peripheral blood. In addition, the proinsulin-specific Treg-mediated control was altered in the PLNs of diabetic patients. The dysfunctional Tregs isolated from diabetic subjects did not contain contaminant effector T cells and were all epigenetically imprinted to be suppressive, as defined by analysis of the Treg-specific demethylated region within the forkhead box P3 (FOXP3) locus.

CONCLUSIONS

These data provide evidence for an unbalanced immune status in the PLNs of type 1 diabetic subjects, and treatments restoring the immune homeostasis in the target organ of these patients represent a potential therapeutic strategy.
Deletion of the G6pc2 Gene Encoding the Islet-Specific Glucose-6-Phosphatase Catalytic Subunit–Related Protein Does Not Affect the Progression or Incidence of Type 1 Diabetes in NOD/ShiLtJ Mice
Authors: Oeser James K. , Parekh Vrajesh V. , Wang Yingda , Jegadeesh Naresh K. , Sarkar Suparna A. , Wong Randall , Lee Catherine E. , Pound Lynley D. , Hutton John C. , Van Kaer Luc , O’Brien Richard M.
Published: September 2011

OBJECTIVE

Islet-specific glucose-6-phosphatase catalytic subunit–related protein (IGRP), now known as G6PC2, is a major target of autoreactive T cells implicated in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes in both mice and humans. This study aimed to determine whether suppression of G6p2 gene expression might therefore prevent or delay disease progression.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

G6pc2 −/− mice were generated on the NOD/ShiLtJ genetic background, and glycemia was monitored weekly up to 35 weeks of age to determine the onset and incidence of diabetes. The antigen specificity of CD8+ T cells infiltrating islets from NOD/ShiLtJ G6pc2+/+ and G6pc2−/− mice at 12 weeks was determined in parallel.

RESULTS

The absence of G6pc2 did not affect the time of onset, incidence, or sex bias of type 1 diabetes in NOD/ShiLtJ mice. Insulitis was prominent in both groups, but whereas NOD/ShiLtJ G6pc2+/+ islets contained CD8+ T cells reactive to the G6pc2 NRP peptide, G6pc2 NRP-reactive T cells were absent in NOD/ShiLtJ G6pc2−/− islets.

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate that G6pc2 is an important driver for the selection and expansion of islet-reactive CD8+ T cells infiltrating NOD/ShiLtJ islets. However, autoreactivity to G6pc2 is not essential for the emergence of autoimmune diabetes. The results remain consistent with previous studies indicating that insulin may be the primary autoimmune target, at least in NOD/ShiLtJ mice.
Revision of chamois infection by lung nematodes under ecological conditions of national parks of Slovakia with respect to ongoing global climate changes
Authors: Štefančíková A. , Chovancová B. , Hájek B. , Dudiňák V. , Šnábel V.
Published: September 2011

The aim of our study was to analyze helminth status and to evaluate ecological conditions for infections of chamois with lung nematodes in national parks of Slovakia during global warming. The autopsies and larvoscopic examination of faeces collected from localities inhabited by Tatra chamois (Rupicapra rupicapra tatrica) in Tatra National Park (TANAP) and Low Tatras National Park (NAPANT) revealed the presence of following protostrongylids: Muellerius capillaris, Neostrongylus linearis and the specific chamois species Muellerius tenuispiculatus. Same species of lung nematodes were found in introduced chamois of Alpine origin (Rupicapra rupicapra rupicapra) in the Slovak National Park Veľká Fatra (NAPVF) and the Slovak Paradise National Park (NAPSR), and in the latter park also geohelminth Dictyocaulus viviparus was sporadically determined. The mean prevalence of lung nematodes in individual parks varied from 70.9 to 97.2 %. The mean number of L1 larvae per 1 g of faeces in Tatra chamois from TANAP in Belianske Tatras and in Alpine subspecies from NAPSR corresponded to a high level of infection (120.3 and 110.1, respectively). In other studied biotopes the mean number of L1 larvae (19.4–42.5) revealed the moderate infection. Although no significant differences concerning levels of infection within the monitored years were observed, the level of infection during the summer was significantly lower than that during spring and autumn periods. The variety of snail species as the intermediate hosts of lung nematodes provide suitable conditions for the development of lung nematodes in the all studied Slovak National Parks. Global climatic changes have also likely contributed to an increase of infectivity rate.
Lagochilascaris minor: Specific antibodies are related with resistance to experimental infection in A/J strain of mice
Authors: Prudente M. , Freitas J. , Ribeiro E. , Carvalhaes M.
Published: September 2011

Lagochilascaris minor is the causative agent of human lagochilascariosis, a disease that affects the neck region causing abscesses with eggs, adult parasites and L3/L4 larvae within purulent exudates. Nowadays, mice are considered intermediary hosts for the parasite. In previous study we observed that A/J mice experimentally infected with Lagochilascaris minor showed higher survival ratios than B10.A mice. Now, we denoted that A/J mice (resistant to experimental infection) produced higher levels of IgM, IgG and IgA against the crude extract (excepted for IgM) and secreted/excreted antigens of the parasite; on the other hand, B10.A mice (susceptible to experimental infection) produced higher levels of IgE in the later period of the experimental infection than A/J infected mice.
Ultrastructure of the cirrus sac of the male strobila of Shipleya inermis (Fuhrmann, 1908) (Cestoda: Cyclophyllidea)
Authors: Poddubnaya L. , Pospekhova N.
Published: September 2011

This study was designed to provide information on the ultrastructural traits of the cirrus sac of the male strobila of the dioecious cyclophyllidean tapeworm, Shipleya inermis Fuhrmann, 1908 from the small intestine of long-billed dowitchers, Limnodromus scolopaceus, in Chukotka, Russia. The cirrus sac is characterised by a thick muscular wall (comprising about 20 layers of longitudinal muscles) with the muscle cells being located outside the wall along the peripheral muscle layer and the presence of a thick, fibrillar septum inside the sac along the inner muscle layer of the wall. The epithelium of the intrabursal ducts is syncytial and has sunken perikarya. The ejaculatory duct is characterised by surface luminal microvilli and a large number of the sunken perikarya producing electron-dense secretory granules, which discharge into the duct lumen as an apocrine secretion. The cirrus is armed with two types of sclerotized structures formed by its epithelium, hooks of about 25 μm in length and microthrix-like structures on its luminal surface. The hooks are sigmoid in shape, have a blade circular in transverse section and about 3.5 μm in width, and taper at both extremities. The hook body consists of moderately electron-dense material mixed with a more electron-dense material and an electron-lucent core. The hook roots lie within the cirrus epithelium, where their lateral margins are composed of a thin covering of electrondense material with narrow lateral extensions. The usefulness of the ultrastructural characters of the cirrus sac as indicators of phylogenetic relationships within the Eucestoda is discussed.
The effect of soil compost treatments on potato cyst nematodes Globodera rostochiensis and Globodera pallida
Authors: Renčo M. , Sasanelli N. , Kováčik P.
Published: September 2011

A pot experiment on potato was carried out to verify the nematicidal effect of four composts of different origin (C1: 70 % horse manure + 15 % sugar beet pomace + 5 % poultry manure + 10% grape pomace; C2: 100 % pig manure decomposed by juveniles of Musca domestica; C3: 100 % vermicompost from medical plants wastes; C4: 100% vermicompost from cattle manure) on the potato cyst nematodes G. rostochiensis (Ro1) and G. pallida (Pa2 and Pa3). Composts at different rates (1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 % w/w) were mixed with the nematode infested soils. Pots with unamended soils were used as control. Pots (4 l) were arranged in a glasshouse according to a randomized block design with four replications per each treatment. A significant reduction in number of cysts, eggs and juveniles/cyst and eggs and juveniles/g soil was observed in each compost in comparison to unamended soil. The suppressive nematode effect increased according to the compost NH4+ content and compost rate.
eppex: Epochal Phrase Table Extraction for Statistical Machine Translation
Authors: Przywara Česlav , Bojar Ondřej
Published: September 2011

eppex: Epochal Phrase Table Extraction for Statistical Machine Translation

We present a tool that extracts phrase pairs from a word-aligned parallel corpus and filters them on the fly based on a user-defined frequency threshold. The bulk of phrase pairs to be scored is much reduced, making the whole phrase table construction process faster with no significant harm to the ultimate phrase table quality as measured by BLEU. Technically, our tool is an alternative to the extract component of the phrase-extract toolkit bundled with Moses SMT software and covers some of the functionality of sigfilter.
Multi-Task Minimum Error Rate Training for SMT
Authors: Simianer Patrick , Wäschle Katharina , Riezler Stefan
Published: September 2011

Multi-Task Minimum Error Rate Training for SMT

We present experiments on multi-task learning for discriminative training in statistical machine translation (SMT), extending standard minimum-error-rate training (MERT) by techniques that take advantage of the similarity of related tasks. We apply our techniques to German-to-English translation of patents from 8 tasks according to the International Patent Classification (IPC) system. Our experiments show statistically significant gains over task-specific training by techniques that model commonalities through shared parameters. However, more finegrained combinations of shared parameters with task-specific ones could not be brought to bear on models with a small number of dense features. The software used in the experiments is released as open-source tool.
Multi-input multi-output fuzzy logic controller for utility electric vehicle
Authors: Gasbaoui Brahim , Abdelkader Chaker , Adellah Laoufi
Published: September 2011

Multi-input multi-output fuzzy logic controller for utility electric vehicle

Currently commercialization of electric vehicle (EV) is based to minimize the time of starting and acceleration. To undergo this problem multi-input multi-output fuzzy logic controller (MIMO-FLC) affect on propelled traction system forming MMS process was proposed. This paper introduces a MIMO-FLC applied on speeds of electric vehicle, the electric drive consists of two directing wheels and two rear propulsion wheels equipped with two light weight induction motors. The EV is powered by two motors of 37 kilowatts each one, delivering a 476 Nm total torque. Its high torque (476Nm) is instantly available to ensure responsive acceleration performance in built-up areas. Acceleration and steering are ensured by an electronic differential system which maintains robust control for all cases of vehicle behavior on the road. It also allows controlling independently every driving wheel to turn at different speeds in any curve. Direct torque control based on space vector modulation (DTC-SVM) is proposed to achieve the tow rear driving wheel control. The MIMO-FLC control technique is simulated in MATLAB SIMULINK environment. The simulation results have proved that the MIMO-FLC method decreases the transient oscillations and assure efficiency comportment in all type of road constraints, straight, slope, descent and curved road compared to the single input single output fuzzy controller (SISO-FLC).