bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
tert‐Butyl hydroperoxide‐induced differing plasma membrane and oxidative stress processes in yeast strains BY4741 and erg5Δ
Authors: Gazdag Zoltán , Máté Gábor , Čertik Milan , Türmer Katalin , Virág Eszter , Pócsi István , Pesti Miklós
Published: March 2014

The molecular mechanism of tert‐butyl hydroperoxide (t‐BuOOH) elicited cytotoxicity and the background of t‐BuOOH sensitivity were studied in the Saccharomyces cerevisiae ergosterol‐less gene deletion mutant erg5Δ and its parental strain BY4741. In comparison to BY4741, untreated erg5Δ cells exhibited alterations in sterol and fatty acid compositions of the plasma membrane, as reflected by the inherent amphotericin B resistance, an elevated level (31%) of plasma membrane rigidity and a decreased uptake of glycerol. Surprisingly, the untreated erg5Δ cells exhibited an unbalanced intracellular redox state, accompanied by the continuous upregulation of the antioxidant enzymes Mn superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione S‐transferase, which resulted in decreased specific concentrations of superoxide and peroxides and elevated levels of the hydroxyl radical and thiols. The 2.5‐fold sensitivity of erg5Δ to t‐BuOOH suggested that the oxidative stress adaptation processes of the mutant could not restore the redox homeostasis of the cells and there is an overlap between sterol and redox homeostases. t‐BuOOH treatment of both strains induced adaptive modification of the sterol and fatty acid compositions, increased the plasma membrane fluidity and elevated the specific activities of most antioxidant enzymes through specific regulation processes in a strain‐dependent manner.
Comparison of the tolerance of hepatic ischemia/reperfusion injury in living donors: Macrosteatosis versus microsteatosis
Authors: Han Sangbin , Kim Gaabsoo , Lee Suk-Koo , Kwon Choon Hyuck David , Gwak Misook , Lee Sanghoon , Ha Sangyun , Park Cheol-Keun , Ko Justin Sangwook , Joh Jaewon
Published: March 2014

A safe use of intermittent hepatic inflow occlusion (IHIO) has been reported for living donor hepatectomy. However, it remains unclear whether the maneuver is safe in steatotic donors. In addition, the respective importance of macrosteatosis (MaS) and microsteatosis (MiS) is an important issue. Thus, we compared MiS and MaS with respect to the tolerance of hepatic ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury induced by IHIO. One hundred forty-four donors who underwent a right hepatectomy were grouped according to the presence of MaS and MiS: a non-MaS group (n = 68) versus an MaS group (n = 76) and a non-MiS group (n = 51) versus an MiS group (n = 93). The coefficients of the regression lines between the cumulative IHIO time and the peak postoperative transaminase concentrations were used as surrogate parameters indicating the tolerance of hepatic IR injury. The coefficients were significantly greater for the MaS group versus the non-MaS group (4.12 ± 0.59 versus 2.22 ± 0.46 for alanine aminotransferase, P = 0.01). Conversely, the MiS and non-MiS groups were comparable. A subgroup analysis of donors who underwent IHIO for >30 minutes showed that MaS significantly increased the transaminase concentrations, whereas MiS had no impact. Also, IHIO for >30 minutes significantly increased the biliary complication rate for MaS donors (12.1% for ≤ 30 minutes versus 32.6% for >30 minutes, P = 0.04), whereas MiS donors were not affected. In conclusion, the tolerance of hepatic IR injury might differ between MaS livers and MiS livers. It would be rational to assign more clinical importance to MaS versus MiS. We further recommend limiting the cumulative IHIO time to 30 minutes or less for MaS donors undergoing right hepatectomy. Liver Transpl 20:775–783, 2014. © 2014 AASLD.
In vivo formation and bioavailability of isothiocyanates from glucosinolates in broccoli as affected by processing conditions
Authors: Oliviero Teresa , Verkerk Ruud , Vermeulen Martijn , Dekker Matthijs
Published: March 2014

Scope

To study the effect of residual myrosinase (MYR) activity in differently processed broccoli on sulforaphane (SR) and iberin (IB) formation, bioavailability, and excretion in human volunteers.

Methods and results

Five different broccoli products were obtained with similar glucoraphanin (GR) and glucoiberin (GI) content, yet different MYR activity. Excretion of SR and IB conjugates in urine were determined in 15 participants after ingestion of the broccoli products. A reduction of 80% of MYR in the product did not cause differences in the total amount of SR and IB found in urine compared to the product with 100% MYR. Complete inactivation of MYR gave the lowest total amount of SR and IB in urine (10 and 19%). A residual MYR of only 2% in the product gave an intermediate amount (17 and 29%). The excretion half‐lives of SR and IB conjugates were comparable for all the products (2.5 h on average), although the maximum excretion peak times were clearly shorter when the residual MYR was higher (2.3–6.1 h).

Conclusion

For the first time, the effect of residual MYR activity on isothiocyanate bioavailability was systematically and quantitatively studied. Processing conditions have a large effect on the kinetics and bioavailability of isothiocyanates from broccoli.
Finding k shortest simple paths in directed graphs: A node classification algorithm
Authors: Feng Gang
Published: March 2014

We propose a new exact algorithm for enumerating k shortest simple paths in a directed graph with n nodes and m edges. The algorithm has a complexity of and follows the same process as Yen's deviation algorithm, but the candidate paths are computed more efficiently using a node classification technique. We first show that a candidate path can be separated by its deviation node as prefix and suffix. Our algorithm then classifies the nodes as red, yellow, and green. A node on the prefix is assigned a red color, a node that can reach t (the destination node) through a shortest path without visiting a red node is assigned a green color, and all other nodes are assigned a yellow color. We prove that when searching for the suffix of a candidate path, all green nodes can be bypassed, and we only need to apply Dijkstra's algorithm to find an all‐yellow‐node subpath. Since on average the number of yellow nodes is much smaller than n, the new algorithm has a much lower average‐case running time. Experiments on many types of networks demonstrate that the new algorithm performs significantly better than existing exact algorithms that have polynomial worst‐case complexity. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. NETWORKS, Vol. 64(1), 6–17 2014
Tailoring quaternized starch as a non‐viral carrier for gene delivery applications
Authors: Sieradzki Rivka , Traitel Tamar , Goldbart Riki , Geresh Shimona , Kost Joseph
Published: March 2014

Non‐viral gene delivery systems have become increasingly desirable in both basic research and clinical settings as they overcome some of the problems associated with viral vectors. Presently, non‐viral carriers used for gene transfer consist mostly of liposomal formulations and cationic polymers. Starch, which is a biodegradable, biocompatible, non‐toxic, and water soluble polysaccharide, was evaluated for its potential as a non‐viral gene delivery carrier, after modifying it to cationic starch (Q‐starch) by means of quaternization. Q‐starch synthesis was assessed by means of nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and Kjeldahl method, demonstrating that all the chemical reactions occurred. The Q‐starch potential to condense pDNA was evaluated by gel electrophoresis, dynamic light scattering, atomic force microscopy, and zeta potential, validating the formation of nano‐sized, positively charged spherical complexes. Transfection efficiency experiments reveal that there are two barriers for efficient transfection: endosomal escape and complex de‐complexation, while the latter appears to be the rate‐limiting step. We propose that further improvement in transfection efficiency can be achieved by augmenting carrier lysosomotropic ability, as well as its ability to disconnect from the pDNA. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Size‐dependent dextran loading in protein nanotube with an interior wall of concanavalin A
Authors: Shiraishi Yuta , Akiyama Motofusa , Sato Takaaki , Hattori Minoru , Komatsu Teruyuki
Published: March 2014

This paper describes the synthesis and structure of protein nanotube (NT) with a lectin interior surface and its size‐dependent dextran loading ability in aqueous medium. The NTs were prepared using an alternating layer‐by‐layer build‐up assembly of poly‐l‐arginine (PLA) and human serum albumin (HSA) in a track‐etched polycarbonate (PC) membrane (pore diameter, 400 nm), subsequently coating concanavalin A (ConA) as the last layer. Dissolution of the PC template yielded (PLA/HSA)2PLA/ConA NTs with 419 ± 14 nm outer diameter and 50 ± 7 nm wall thickness. In a 2‐[4‐(2‐hydroxyethyl)‐1‐piperazinyl]ethanesulfonic acid (HEPES) buffered solution, the NTs captured fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)‐labeled dextran [molecular weight 4 kDa, FITC‐Dex(4k)] efficiently into the pores. The ratio of the bound FITC‐Dex(4kDa)/ConA was estimated to be 2.1 (mol/mol). Two of four glucosyl‐residue binding sites of ConA on the wall presumably faced to the aqueous inner phase of the tube, and they can bind FITC‐Dex(4k). On the one hand, only half amount of FITC‐Dex was loaded into the channels when the molecular weight of the dextran is greater than 20 kDa. Small‐angle X‐ray scattering measurements revealed that the radius of gyration (Rg) of the FITC‐Dex(4k) is 1.45 nm (5.0 mg/ml), which is satisfactorily small to interact with the each binding site of ConA independently. In contrast, the Rg values of FITC‐Dex(20k) and FITC‐Dex(40k) were 3.75 nm (5.0 mg/ml) and 6.62 nm (4.0 mg/ml), respectively. These large dextrans probably formed an equivalent complex with ConA on the tube wall. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Lattice deformations in quasi‐dynamic strain glass visualised and quantified by aberration corrected electron microscopy
Authors: Lu Jiangbo , Martinez Gerardo T. , Aert Sandra Van , Schryvers Dominique
Published: March 2014

Advanced transmission electron microscopy and statistical parameter estimated quantification procedures were applied to study the room temperature quasi‐dynamical strain glass state in Ni–Ti alloys. Nanosized strain pockets are visualised and the displacements of the atom columns are quantified. A comparison is made with conventional high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy images of point defect induced strains in Ni–Al alloys.

[001] Cs‐corrected HRTEM image of Ni51.7Ti48.3 B2 austenite with highlighted nanosized strain pocket of a few nm in diameter.
Innovative strategies to treat protein misfolding in inborn errors of metabolism: pharmacological chaperones and proteostasis regulators
Authors: Muntau Ania C. , Leandro João , Staudigl Michael , Mayer Felix , Gersting Søren W.
Published: March 2014

To attain functionality, proteins must fold into their three‐dimensional native state. The intracellular balance between protein synthesis, folding, and degradation is constantly challenged by genetic or environmental stress factors. In the last ten years, protein misfolding induced by missense mutations was demonstrated to be the seminal molecular mechanism in a constantly growing number of inborn errors of metabolism. In these cases, loss of protein function results from early degradation of missense‐induced misfolded proteins. Increasing knowledge on the proteostasis network and the protein quality control system with distinct mechanisms in different compartments of the cell paved the way for the development of new treatment strategies for conformational diseases using small molecules. These comprise proteostasis regulators that enhance the capacity of the proteostasis network and pharmacological chaperones that specifically bind and rescue misfolded proteins by conformational stabilization. They can be used either alone or in combination, the latter to exploit synergistic effects. Many of these small molecule compounds currently undergo preclinical and clinical pharmaceutical development and two have been approved: saproterin dihydrochloride for the treatment of phenylketonuria and tafamidis for the treatment of transthyretin‐related hereditary amyloidosis. Different technologies are exploited for the discovery of new small molecule compounds that belong to the still young class of pharmaceutical products discussed here. These compounds may in the near future improve existing treatment strategies or even offer a first‐time treatment to patients suffering from nowadays‐untreatable inborn errors of metabolism.
Lipid Classes and Subclasses of Cold‐Pressed and Solvent‐Extracted Oils from Commercial Indian Niger (Guizotia abyssinica (L.f.) Cass.) Seed
Authors: Bhatnagar A. S. , Gopala Krishna A. G.
Published: March 2014

Lipid classes and subclasses of cold‐pressed and solvent‐extracted (hexane and ethanol) oils from commercially available niger (Guizotia abyssinica (L.f.) Cass.) seeds were investigated. The oil yield of niger seeds obtained by cold pressing was 28.3 g/100 g while by hexane and ethanol extractions was 38.3 and 29.7 g/100 g respectively. The lipid classification of the extracted niger seed oils showed neutral lipids (65.9–95.5 %), glycolipids (2.7–24.6 %) and phospholipids (1.8–9.5 %). The acylglycerol composition of neutral lipids of extracted niger seed oils showed triacylglycerols (76.9–91.6 %), diacylglycerols (3.9–7.3 %) and monoacylglycerols (0.6–2.5 %). The fatty acid composition of tri‐, di‐, and monoacylglycerols of extracted niger seed oils showed linoleic acid (66.7–71.6 %) as the major fatty acid. The triacylglycerol composition of neutral lipids of extracted niger seed oils showed trilinolein (39.2–40.3 %) as the major triacylglycerol. The extracted niger seed oils contained 1289.9–6215.8 ppm of total phytosterols with β‐sitosterol (41.9–43.7 %) as the major phytosterol. Acylated steryl glucoside (39.5–52.2 %) was the major glycolipid in extracted niger seed oils. Phosphatidylcholine (49.6 and 47.9 %) was the major phospholipid in cold‐pressed and hexane‐extracted niger seed oils and phosphatidylethanolamine (57.1 %) was the major phospholipid in ethanol‐extracted niger seed oil. This is probably the first report on the variations in lipid classes and subclasses of Indian niger seed oil as affected by different modes of oil extraction.
Brief report: Can irritability act as a marker of psychopathology?
Authors: Mulraney Melissa , Melvin Glenn , Tonge Bruce
Published: March 2014

Irritability is ubiquitous in child and adolescent psychopathology. This study aimed to determine if the Affective Reactivity Index (ARI), a measure of irritability, could be used to screen for psychopathology in adolescents. The clinical sample comprised 31 adolescents with a DSM‐IV diagnosis. The control sample was 31 gender and age matched adolescents recruited through schools. Both samples completed a test battery that included the Affective Reactivity Index. The clinical participants reported significantly higher levels of irritability than the control sample by both self‐ and parent‐report. Using ROC analysis a cut off value of 4 on the self‐report ARI was found to be optimal for indicating psychopathology; with a specificity of 77.4% and a sensitivity of 77.4%, the area under the curve was 0.86. This paper provides evidence to suggest that irritability may be used as a general predictor of psychopathology in adolescents.
Psychosocial working conditions: An analysis of emotional symptoms and conduct problems amongst adolescent students
Authors: Plenty Stephanie , Östberg Viveca , Almquist Ylva B. , Augustine Lilly , Modin Bitte
Published: March 2014

This study explored how psychosocial features of the schoolwork environment are associated with students' mental health. Data was drawn from 3699 ninth grade (15 year‐old) Swedish students participating in the Health Behaviour in School‐Aged Children survey. Using Structural Equation Modelling, perceived school demands, decision control and social support from teachers, classmates and parents were examined in relation to students' emotional and conduct problems. Higher demands were associated with greater emotional symptoms and conduct problems. Although weaker social support predicted emotional symptoms and conduct problems, the relative influence of teachers, classmates and parents differed. Teacher support was more closely associated with conduct problems, particularly for girls, while classmate support was more strongly related to emotional symptoms. The findings indicate that while excessive school pressure is associated with poorer mental health, social support can assist in optimising adolescents' emotional health and adaptive behaviour, as well as shaping perceptions of demands.
Contribution of obstetrics and gynecology societies in South America to the prevention of unsafe abortion in the region
Authors: Tavara Luis
Published: March 2014

Unsafe abortion is one of the most serious public health and human rights issues in South America. Rates are among the highest in the world and account for 13% of maternal deaths. Nine out of 10 South American countries have enrolled in the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) Initiative for the Prevention of Unsafe Abortion and its Consequences. Each individual society of obstetrics and gynecology prepared a situational analysis, and an action plan was elaborated with the participation of their respective Ministries of Health, national and international agencies, and other collaborating institutions. Action plans were designed to respond to the problems identified in the situational analyses, with objectives corresponding with all or some of the 4 levels of prevention proposed in the FIGO initiative. This article reports the progress achieved in implementing the action proposed by each country, as well as some activities carried out in addition to those included in the formal plans.
EPISTEMIC INTUITIONS IN FAKE-BARN THOUGHT EXPERIMENTS
Authors: Colaço David , Buckwalter Wesley , Stich Stephen , Machery Edouard
Published: March 2014

In epistemology, fake-barn thought experiments are often taken to be intuitively clear cases in which a justified true belief does not qualify as knowledge. We report a study designed to determine whether members of the general public share this intuition. The data suggest that while participants are less inclined to attribute knowledge in fake-barn cases than in unproblematic cases of knowledge, they nonetheless do attribute knowledge to protagonists in fake-barn cases. Moreover, the intuition that fake-barn cases do count as knowledge is negatively correlated with age; older participants are less likely than younger participants to attribute knowledge in fake-barn cases. We also found that increasing the number of defeaters (fakes) does not decrease the inclination to attribute knowledge.
The opening of wind-driven polynyas
Authors: Morales Maqueda Miguel A. , Willmott A. J. , Walkington I. A.
Published: March 2014

The opening of wind-driven coastal polynyas has often been investigated using idealised flux models. Polynya flux models postulate that the boundary separating the region of thin ice adjacent to the coast within the polynya from the thicker ice piling up downstream is a mathematical shock. To conserve mass, any divergence of the ice flux across the shock translates into a change in the shock’s position or, in other words, a change in the width of the thin-ice region of the polynya. Polynya flux models are physically incomplete in that, while they conserve ice mass, they do not conserve linear momentum. In this paper, we investigate the improvements that can be achieved in the simulation of polynyas by imposing conservation of momentum as well as mass. We start by adopting a mathematically solid formulation of the ice mass and momentum balances throughout the polynya region, from the coast to the pack ice. Hydrostatic and plastic versions of the ice internal forces are used in the model. Two different approaches are then explored. We first postulate the existence of a shock at the seaward edge of the thin-ice region of the polynya and derive jump conditions for the conservation of ice mass and momentum at the shock which are consistent with the continuous model physics. Polynyas simulated by this mass- and momentum-conserving shock model always reach a steady state if the polynya forcing is uniform in space and constant in time. This is also true for all polynya flux models presented previously in the literature, but the location of the steady-state polynya edge and the time required to reach it can greatly differ between shock formulations and more simplistic flux ones. We next relax the assumption that a shock exists and let the boundary between thin ice and piling up ice emerge naturally as part of the full solution of the continuous model equations. Polynyas simulated in this way are very different from those simulated by either shock or flux models. Most notably, we find that steady-state polynya solutions are not always attainable in the continuous model. We determine under which conditions this is so and explain how such unsteady solutions come about. We also show that, in those cases when a steady-state solution exists in the continuous model, the steady-state polynya width is considerably larger than in the shock model, and the time required to attain it is accordingly longer. The occurrence of such significant differences between the polynya solutions calculated with flux and shock models, on the one hand, and with more sophisticated continuous formulations, on the other hand, suggests that the former are, at best, incomplete, and should be used with caution.
A Pragmatic Guide for Smoking Cessation Counselling and the Initiation of Nicotine Replacement Therapy for Pregnant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Smokers
Authors: Gould Gillian S. , Bittoun Renee , Clarke Marilyn J.
Published: March 2014

Smoking prevalence of pregnant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women is quadruple that of pregnant women in the Australian population, and is associated with significant adverse outcomes in pregnancy. While cessation is a priority, there is as yet little evidence for effective interventions. This paper provides a pragmatic approach to addressing the complexities of smoking in pregnant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and informs clinicians about the initiation of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) in pregnancy. Experts agree that nicotine replacement is safer than continuing to smoke in pregnancy. Although a pharmacotherapy-free attempt is initially recommended, if abstinence is not able to be achieved in the first few days, the women should be offered an accelerated option of NRT starting with oral forms and then, if required, progressing to nicotine patch or combined oral and transdermal therapy. Support should be offered for at least 12 weeks and post-partum. Offering counselling and cessation support to partners and family is also important, as is linking the woman in with appropriate social and community support and Aboriginal specific services. As long as oral forms of NRT are not included in the Pharmaceutical Benefit Scheme for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women a significant and inequitable barrier will remain.
Investigating change in non-government mental health service organisations’ ‘smoke-free’ attitudes and practice in New Zealand
Authors: Marlowe Penny , Paynter Janine
Published: March 2014

Smoking prevalence amongst service users from the mental health and addictions sectors is higher than the general population. Cross-sectional web- or paper-based surveys comprising open and closed response options were used to examine changes in prevailing attitudes and practices amongst non-government mental health service staff and users. Thematic analysis was used to interpret and present open response answers. Multi-variate logistic models were used to investigate which factors are associated with smoke-free attitudes and practices. Staff who smoke were found to be less likely to provide cessation support to clients (AOR 0.51, 95% CI 0.31–0.82) and gave significantly lower estimates of the percentage of clients who wish to stop smoking (30% vs 44%, p < 0.0001). Those who had completed cessation training also had more positive views about the importance of providing cessation support and service user desire to stop smoking. Staff who had not completed cessation training had significantly lower odds of reporting they carried out quit smoking support often and routinely (AOR 0.33, 95% CI 0.23–0.47) The results suggest that continuing improvement will be enabled by increasing rates of cessation training amongst staff of mental health and addictions non-government organisations. In addition, there is a need for increased incentive and support for staff who smoke to quit.
Design in Context: Existing International Agreements and New Cooperation
Authors: Copelovitch Mark S. , Putnam Tonya L.
Published: March 2014

This research note highlights an important element missing from rational design theories of international agreements: “institutional context”—the presence or absence of existing and prior agreements between prospective partners in “new” cooperation. If, as rational design theorists argue, agreement design is deliberate, strategic, and directed toward enhancing contracting parties' ability to credibly commit to future cooperation, then prior design “successes” should influence the terms of additional cooperation. We test for this omitted variable problem in three agreement design outcomes:ex antelimitations on agreement duration, exit clauses, and dispute-settlement provisions. Through an augmentation and reanalysis of data from a key study in the rational design literature—Barbara Koremenos's “Contracting Around International Uncertainty”—we show institutional context is positively correlated with inclusion ofex antetime limitations in negotiated agreements and negatively correlated with the inclusion of exit clauses and third-party dispute-settlement provisions. Institutional context also mediates and conditions the effects of the explanatory variable at the heart of existing rational design theories—uncertainty about the future distribution of gains from cooperation. Our findings show that the collective appeal of particular design features varies not only with the nature of underlying strategic problems, but also with degrees of shared institutional context.
Who Gains from Buying Bad Bidders?
Authors: Offenberg David , Straska Miroslava , Waller H. Gregory
Published: March 2014

We study the value gains from takeovers of firms with poor acquisition histories. We document that the premium received by target shareholders is higher when the value loss from the targets’ prior acquisitions is larger. However, the gains to target shareholders seem to be offset by losses to acquiring shareholders. The average announcement return to acquiring shareholders is negative and decreasing in the value loss from the targets’ prior acquisitions. Additionally, the combined acquirer-target value created in these takeovers is insignificant. These results suggest that the value lost from targets’ prior acquisitions is not recovered through changes in corporate control.
Factors affecting final facial nerve outcome following vestibular schwannoma surgery
Authors: Moffat D A , Parker R A , Hardy D G , Macfarlane R
Published: March 2014

Objective:

To determine factors affecting facial nerve outcome of vestibular schwannoma surgery.

Methods:

This retrospective cohort study comprised 652 patients. The outcome measure was House–Brackmann classification at two years post-operatively. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to determine the factors affecting facial nerve outcome. The incidence rates of hemifacial spasm, metallic taste and crocodile tear syndrome were recorded.

Results:

For tumours less than 1.5 cm, 95 per cent of outcomes were normal, 100 per cent were satisfactory (House–Brackmann grades I–III) and 0 per cent were unsatisfactory (grades IV–VI). For tumours 1.5–2.4 cm, 83 per cent of outcomes were normal, 99 per cent were satisfactory and 1 per cent were unsatisfactory. For tumours 2.5–3.4 cm, 68 per cent of outcomes were normal, 96 per cent were satisfactory and 4 per cent were unsatisfactory. For tumours 3.5–4.4 cm, 52 per cent of outcomes were normal, 80 per cent were satisfactory and 20 per cent were unsatisfactory. For tumours larger than 4.4 cm, 50 per cent of outcomes were normal, 72 per cent were satisfactory and 28 per cent were unsatisfactory.

Conclusion:

Tumour size and operation year were significant predictors of facial nerve outcome. The surgical learning curve was steepest for the first 50 patients.
Two new shallow-water species ofHaliclonafrom north-eastern Brazil (Demospongiae: Haplosclerida: Chalinidae)
Authors: Bispo André , Correia Monica Dorigo , Hajdu Eduardo
Published: March 2014

Haliclonais an unusually species-rich genus in Porifera, with more than 400 species described. In spite of many subgenera used in the taxonomic housekeeping of these sponges, over half of them remain unassigned to a subgenus, thus encouraging a wide range of redescriptions and taxonomic revisions of materials from all around the world. In this paper, we describe two newHaliclonaspp. collected at Pernambuco, Alagoas and Bahia States (north-eastern Brazil, between 08°46′S and 13°56′S).Haliclona(Reniera)chlorillasp. nov. is a dark green or black coloured, delicately-branched species; andHaliclona(Soestella)peixinhoaesp. nov., a beige-coloured, tubular species, where tubes frequently bear large thorns and possess a conspicuous sub-superficial meandering reticulation. These species highlight the importance of includingex-situcollections in compiling baseline data, as both were already present in scientific collections by the 1980s and 1990s.
The relationship between fish size and otolith dimensions of stargazer (Uranoscopus scaber) in the south-eastern Black Sea
Authors: Erdoğan Sağlam N. , Sağlam C. , Demir Sağlam Y.
Published: March 2014

Relations between fish size and otolith size of stargazer (Uranoscopus scaber) were studied in this study. A total of 268 samples were obtained from the coastal shelf of Ordu Province (south-eastern Black Sea) by commercial trawling and gillnetting operations. It was found that there were high correlations between fish size and otolith size. It was concluded that all measurable body sizes could be effectively used to estimate otolith length, width and weight. Similarly, estimation of the age of fish from otolith length and weight was also possible with high significance. The results of this research will be useful for others working on this fish, being a first study in the field. The ages of stargazer were determined between 0+ and 4+. Relationships were determined as OW = 0.001 × OWi2.76, OW = 0.35 × 10−3 × OL2.54 with high correlation coefficients of r = 0.965 and r = 0.949, respectively.
Amusia and protolanguage impairments in schizophrenia
Authors: Kantrowitz J. T. , Scaramello N. , Jakubovitz A. , Lehrfeld J. M. , Laukka P. , Elfenbein H. A. , Silipo G. , Javitt D. C.
Published: March 2014

Background

Both language and music are thought to have evolved from a musical protolanguage that communicated social information, including emotion. Individuals with perceptual music disorders (amusia) show deficits in auditory emotion recognition (AER). Although auditory perceptual deficits have been studied in schizophrenia, their relationship with musical/protolinguistic competence has not previously been assessed.

Method

Musical ability was assessed in 31 schizophrenia/schizo-affective patients and 44 healthy controls using the Montreal Battery for Evaluation of Amusia (MBEA). AER was assessed using a novel battery in which actors provided portrayals of five separate emotions. The Disorganization factor of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) was used as a proxy for language/thought disorder and the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB) was used to assess cognition.

Results

Highly significant deficits were seen between patients and controls across auditory tasks (p < 0.001). Moreover, significant differences were seen in AER between the amusia and intact music-perceiving groups, which remained significant after controlling for group status and education. Correlations with AER were specific to the melody domain, and correlations between protolanguage (melody domain) and language were independent of overall cognition.

Discussion

This is the first study to document a specific relationship between amusia, AER and thought disorder, suggesting a shared linguistic/protolinguistic impairment. Once amusia was considered, other cognitive factors were no longer significant predictors of AER, suggesting that musical ability in general and melodic discrimination ability in particular may be crucial targets for treatment development and cognitive remediation in schizophrenia.
Beneficence and Self-Love: A Kantian Perspective
Authors: Hill Thomas E.
Published: March 2014

What, if anything, are we morally required to do on behalf of others besides respecting their rights? And why is such regard for others a reasonable moral requirement? These two questions have long been major concerns of ethical theory, but the answers that philosophers give tend to vary with their beliefs about human nature. More specifically, their answers typically depend on the position they take on a third-question: To what extent, if any, is it possible for us to act altruistically?
The effects of paper-based DDL on the acquisition of lexico-grammatical patterns in L2 writing
Authors: Huang Zeping
Published: March 2014

This paper examines whether and to what extent data-driven learning (DDL) activities can improve the lexico-grammatical use of abstract nouns in L2 writing. A topic-based corpus was compiled to develop concordance learning activities, and 40 Chinese students majoring in English were randomly assigned to a control group or an experimental group. At the prewriting stage, both groups were given a list of five abstract nouns: the experimental group was provided with paper-based concordance lines to study the collocations of the words, while the control group was allowed to consult dictionaries for the usage of the words. The written texts of the pre-test, immediate post-test, and delayed post-test were analysed and compared between and within groups. The results showed that the written output by the experimental group, as compared with the control group, contained a higher variety of collocational and colligational patterns and had fewer linguistic errors in using the target abstract nouns. The post-experiment learning journals and questionnaires administered to the experimental group further confirmed that concordance activities encouraged usage-based learning, helped students notice the lexical collocations and prepositional colligations of the target words, and thus improved accuracy and complexity in their productive language. Despite these positive findings, potential problems of using concordance activities for independent learning were also reflected in the students’ written output and reported in the learning journals.
GROEBNER BASES AND NONEMBEDDINGS OF SOME FLAG MANIFOLDS
Authors: PETROVIĆ ZORAN Z. , PRVULOVIĆ BRANISLAV I.
Published: March 2014

Groebner bases for the ideals determining mod$\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}2$cohomology of the real flag manifolds$F(1,1,n)$and$F(1,2,n)$are obtained. These are used to compute appropriate Stiefel–Whitney classes in order to establish some new nonembedding and nonimmersion results for the manifolds$F(1,2,n)$.
Self-Efficacy in Persian Adolescents: Psychometric Properties of a Persian Version of the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C)
Authors: Habibi Mojtaba , Tahmasian Karineh , Ferrer-Wreder Laura
Published: March 2014

This study was designed to evaluate the psychometric properties of a Persian version of the Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Children (SEQ-C) among Iranian adolescents. The scale was translated into Persian and administered to 946 high school students (49.8% girls, ages 14 through 19). Participants also completed the Child Depression Inventory, Social Avoidance and Distress Scale, and Spielberger’s State–Trait Anxiety Inventory. Finally, participants’ grade point averages were collected. Confirmatory factor analysis upheld the original 3-factor structure: social, academic, and emotional self-efficacy. Findings supported the Persian version of the SEQ-C’s internal consistency and test–retest reliability. The SEQ-C was related to other constructs in empirically and theoretically expected ways. With respect to gender, there was some noninvariance in factor structure and mean-level gender differences. Other results indicated that girls reported higher social and academic self-efficacy, but lower emotional self-efficacy, relative to boys. The Persian version of the SEQ-C was found to be a valid and reliable measure of self-efficacy among Persian adolescents.
Constructing a Framework for the Use of Tests Within a Developing Nation’s School System
Authors: Mpofu Elias , Oakland Thomas , Ntinda Kayi , Seeco Elizabeth , Maree Jacobus G.
Published: March 2014

Interpretive participatory action research methods were used to assist the education community in Botswana, a developing nation, to identify a framework for the use of tests in the nation’s schools. User preferences for understanding important learner-related qualities through the use of tests were emphasized. Participant informants were educators and school counselors ( n = 1,221), learners ( n = 355), parents/guardians ( n = 162), and education program personnel from civic and multilateral agencies ( n = 47). The learners and school personnel were drawn from a nationally representative sample of 328 schools (49% primary and 51% secondary levels; 92% public and 8% private schools). Data on the components and content of a prospective framework were gathered using concept mapping and preference methods. The data were analyzed to construct a locally grounded test use framework appropriate to the Botswana school system. Findings suggest a test use framework spanning the following preferred assessment domains: learning readiness, aptitude, personal development, community norms, socialization, and guidance and counseling. Learners and their parents/guardians prefer that learners access test information first from their classroom teachers followed by guidance and counseling personnel. The use of a consensus-driven multilayered participatory action research consultative processes to develop a framework for test use with the education community has potential for replication in educational and other settings in other developing countries.
Predictive combinatorial design of mRNA translation initiation regions for systematic optimization of gene expression levels
Authors: Seo Sang Woo , Yang Jae-Seong , Cho Han-Saem , Yang Jina , Kim Seong Cheol , Park Jong Moon , Kim Sanguk , Jung Gyoo Yeol
Published: March 2014

Balancing the amounts of enzymes is one of the important factors to achieve optimum performance of a designed metabolic pathway. However, the random mutagenesis approach is impractical since it requires searching an unnecessarily large number of variants and often results in searching a narrow range of expression levels which are out of optimal level. Here, we developed a predictive combinatorial design method, called UTR Library Designer, which systematically searches a large combinatorial space of expression levels. It accomplishes this by designing synthetic translation initiation region of mRNAs in a predictive way based on a thermodynamic model and genetic algorithm. Using this approach, we successfully enhanced lysine and hydrogen production in Escherichia coli. Our method significantly reduced the number of variants to be explored for covering large combinatorial space and efficiently enhanced pathway efficiency, thereby facilitating future efforts in metabolic engineering and synthetic biology.
Separation of camptothecin from Camptotheca acuminate samples using cloud point extraction
Authors: Xing Wenjuan , Chen Ligang , Zhang Feng
Published: March 2014

Micelle-mediated extraction and cloud point preconcentration has been successfully applied to the separation of camptothecin (CPT) fromCamptotheca acuminate.
Synthesis and structural characterization of three 3-D aluminogermanates with different topologies
Authors: Wang Jiahong , Zhang Yu , Zhang Zaichao , Xu Yan
Published: March 2014

Compounds1and2are enantiomers with a GIS topology, while3has a JST topology. These three zeolites are all constructed from small rings formed by TO4(T = Ge or Al) tetrahedra with different inorganic topological frameworks.
A facile method for the synthesis of the Li0.3La0.57TiO3 solid state electrolyte
Authors: Zhang Qifeng , Schmidt Nick , Lan Jolin , Kim Whungwhoe , Cao Guozhong
Published: March 2014

A facile method was developed for the synthesis of the Li0.3La0.57TiO3 solid state electrolyte, producing decent grain conductivity and overall conductivity on the order of 10−4 S cm−1 and 10−5 S cm−1, respectively.
Amino group binding peptide aptamers with double disulphide-bridged loops selected by in vitro selection using cDNA display
Authors: Mochizuki Yuki , Nishigaki Koichi , Nemoto Naoto
Published: March 2014

Double disulphide-bridged loops of peptide aptamer are indispensable for the amino group recognition.
Effects of Mg doping on optical and CO gas sensing properties of sensitive ZnO nanobelts
Authors: Amin Muhammad , Shah Nazar Abbas , Bhatti Arshad Saleem , Malik Mohammad Azad
Published: March 2014

We report the synthesis, optical characterization and enhanced carbon monoxide (CO) gas sensing properties of magnesium (Mg) doped 1D zinc oxide (ZnO) nanobelts obtained via a vapor transport method.
A novel hexagonal crystal with a hexagonal star-shaped central core in poly(l-lactide) (PLLA) induced by an ionic liquid
Authors: Ni'mah Hikmatun , Woo Eamor M.
Published: March 2014

A novel hexagonal crystal with a star-shaped core was found in LMw-PLLA blended with an ionic liquid and melt-crystallized at Tc = 110 °C.
Extreme strain rate and temperature dependence of the mechanical properties of nano silicon nitride thin layers in a basal plane under tension: a molecular dynamics study
Authors: Lu Xuefeng , Wang Hongjie , Wei Yin , Wen Jiangbo , Niu Min , Jia Shuhai
Published: March 2014

The extreme strain rate and temperature dependence of the mechanical behavior of nano silicon nitride thin layers in a basal plane are determined.
Selective fluorescence sensing of polynitroaromatic explosives using triaminophenylbenzene scaffolds
Authors: Vishnoi Pratap , Walawalkar Mrinalini G. , Sen Saumik , Datta Anindya , Patwari G. Naresh , Murugavel Ramaswamy
Published: March 2014

C3-Symmetric 1,3,5-tris(4′-aminophenyl)benzene has been employed as a selective fluorescence chemosensor for polynitroaromatic compounds.
Pinacyanol chloride forms mesoscopic H- and J-aggregates in aqueous solution – a spectroscopic and cryo-transmission electron microscopy study
Authors: Berlepsch Hans v. , Ludwig Kai , Böttcher Christoph
Published: March 2014

Pinacyanol chloride self-assembles in aqueous solution into tubular H-aggregates and fibrillar J-aggregates.
About supramolecular systems for dynamically probing cells
Authors: Brinkmann Jenny , Cavatorta Emanuela , Sankaran Shrikrishnan , Schmidt Bettina , van Weerd Jasper , Jonkheijm Pascal
Published: March 2014

Rendering molecular systems bioactive and dynamic makes them powerful tools for probing cell function.
Mechanochemical synthesis of Au, Pd, Ru and Re nanoparticles with lignin as a bio-based reducing agent and stabilizing matrix
Authors: Rak Monika J. , Friščić Tomislav , Moores Audrey
Published: March 2014

A versatile, low-energy and solvent-free method to access nanoparticles (NPs) of four different transition metals, based on a bottom-up mechanochemical procedure involving milling of inorganic precursors, is presented. Lignin, a biomass waste, was used effectively as a reducing agent, for the first time in a mechanochemical context, to access MNPs where M = Au, Pd, Ru, Re. A series of metal precursors was used for this reaction and their nature was shown to be integral in determining whether NPs became incorporated within the organic lignin matrix, M@lignin, or not. Specifically, organometallic precursors resulted in extensive encapsulation of the NPs, as well as improved control over their size and shape, while ionic precursors afforded matrix-free NPs. The resulting NP-containing composites were characterized through Fourier-transform infrared attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR) spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD). This mechanochemical grinding method for accessing M@lignin (M = Au, Pd, Ru and Re) is significantly more sustainable than the traditional solvent batch syntheses of metal NPs because it relies on the use of a biomass-based polymer, it is highly atom economical, it eliminates the need for solvents and it reduces drastically the energy input.
Radicals in metal–organic frameworks
Authors: Faust Thomas B. , D'Alessandro Deanna M.
Published: March 2014

We discuss early advances in the incorporation of radicals into the ever evolving class of materials known as metal–organic frameworks.
In situ synthesis of flowery-shaped α-FeOOH/Fe2O3nanoparticles and their phase dependent supercapacitive behaviour
Authors: Barik Rasmita , Jena Bikash Kumar , Dash Ajit , Mohapatra Mamata
Published: March 2014

In situ, one-step, facile synthetic strategies for flowery-shaped iron oxide nanoparticles were developed.
Beauté et esthétique : approche juridique
Authors: Béry Alain , Delprat Laurent
Published: March 2014

Tandis que le droit de la beauté s’affirme et se densifie, principalement en ce qui
concerne les choses, apparaît une exigence nouvelle, celle du droit à la beauté que
commencent à revendiquer les personnes : le droit de vivre dans le beau et le droit d’être
beau.
Les appareils orthodontiques invisibles et presque invisibles
Authors: Baron Pascal
Published: March 2014

La demande des patients en appareil esthétique non visible est en permanente augmentation. Deux types d’orthodontie permettent d’obtenir un taux d’acceptabilité convenable auprès des patients. La technique linguale a évolué constamment en proposant des attaches pré-fabriquées ou des attaches sur mesure. Les possibilités techniques et les résultats ont été améliorés avec le temps. Les gouttières thermoplastiques sont une alternative aux dispositifs linguaux et sont en plein essor. Leurs propriétés spécifiques permettent de mieux apprécier leurs indications et leurs limites. Une revue de la littérature, l’évolution des systèmes et la présentation de quelques exemples cliniques de cas traités nous permettent de donner des éléments de compréhension de chacun de ces deux types d’appareil et de mettre en évidence les avantages et les inconvénients de chacun d’eux.
Structural phase transition of BaZrO3 under high pressure
Authors: Yang Xue , Li Quanjun , Liu Ran , Liu Bo , Zhang Huafang , Jiang Shuqing , Liu Jing , Zou Bo , Cui Tian , Liu Bingbing
Published: March 2014

We studied the phase transition behavior of cubic BaZrO3 perovskite by in situ high pressure synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiments up to 46.4 GPa at room temperature. The phase transition from cubic phase to tetragonal phase was observed in BaZrO3 for the first time, which takes place at 17.2 GPa. A bulk modulus 189 (26) GPa for cubic BaZrO3 is derived from the pressure–volume data. Upon decompression, the high pressure phase transforms into the initial cubic phase. It is suggested that the unstable phonon mode caused by the rotation of oxygen octahedra plays a crucial role in the high pressure phase transition behavior of BaZrO3.