bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Interaction of Myoglobin with Cationic Gemini Surfactants in Phosphate Buffer at pH 7.4
Authors: Mondal Satyajit , Das Sibani , Ghosh Soumen 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThe interactions between myoglobin, a monomeric water soluble heme protein, and cationic gemini surfactants 14‐3‐14, 14‐4‐14, 14‐5‐14 have been studied in phosphate buffer at pH 7.4 using different techniques such as surface tension, UV–visible spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy and circular dichroism. Myoglobin is a surface active protein and it is bound with surfactant molecules. The spin states of the heme group of myoglobin change depending on the concentration of surfactant. The unfolding process of protein in the presence of surfactant is observed from fluorescence spectra. With increasing surfactant concentration, α‐helicity of myoglobin decreases with the appearance of β‐sheet and random coil. The extent of interaction of myoglobin with gemini surfactant increases with increasing spacer length.
A cross‐sectional study of tumor markers during normal and high‐risk pregnancies
Authors: Sharma Jai B. , Sharma Subhadra , Usha B.R. , Gupta Ashish , Kumar Sunesh , Mukhopadhyay Asok K. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractObjectiveTo determine tumor marker concentrations during normal and high‐risk pregnancies.MethodsThe present cross‐sectional study included women attending the gynecology outpatient department at All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India, between November 1, 2012 and March 31, 2013. Their serum was assayed for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cancer antigen 19–9 (CA19‐9), and cancer antigen 15–3 (CA15‐3).ResultsA total of 251 pregnant women and 31 nonpregnant women were included. Median CEA value was lower among pregnant women than among nonpregnant women (1.2 μg/L vs 1.4 μg/L; P = 0.006), whereas that of CA15‐3 was higher (16.7 U/mL vs 12.3 U/mL; P = 0.03). CA19‐9 concentration was higher among pregnant women aged 25–29 years (7.0 U/mL) or 30–34 years (7.2 U/mL) than among those aged 20–24 years (4.2 U/mL; P = 0.01 for both). The CA15‐3 level was increased during the second (13.0 U/mL) and third (60.5 U/mL) trimesters compared with the first trimester (9.5 U/mL) (P ≤ 0.01 for both comparisons). It was also raised in high‐risk pregnancies (33.7 U/mL), specifically pregnancies complicated by gestational diabetes mellitus (39.7 U/mL), intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (64.3 U/mL), or heart disease (54.0 U/mL) (P < 0.05 for all).ConclusionCA15‐3 concentrations rise during pregnancy, but whether this increase can be attributed to physiological changes in breast tissue needs to be investigated further.
Regional differences in the placental levels of oxidative stress markers in pre‐eclampsia
Authors: Sahay Akriti S. , Sundrani Deepali P. , Wagh Girija N. , Mehendale Savita S. , Joshi Sadhana R. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractObjectiveTo examine placental malondialdehyde (MDA), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) levels in four placental regions among women with and without pre‐eclampsia.MethodsA cross‐sectional study was conducted among women aged 18–35 years with a singleton pregnancy in Pune, India, between May 3, 2013, and June 16, 2014. Three groups were enrolled: normotensive; pre‐eclampsia, delivered at term; and pre‐eclampsia, delivered preterm. Samples were collected from the central and peripheral placental regions (maternal and fetal sides) immediately after delivery.ResultsA total of 60 women were enrolled (35 normotensive; 11 with pre‐eclampsia delivered at term; 14 with pre‐eclampsia, delivered preterm). MDA levels were higher in all regions of the placenta among the pre‐eclampsia versus normotensive groups (P < 0.01). MDA levels were higher in the central maternal region than in the central fetal region in the preterm pre‐eclampsia group (P = 0.023). The MDA levels in the central maternal region were also higher in the preterm than in the term pre‐eclampsia group (P = 0.014). Catalase activity was lower in the peripheral maternal (P = 0.036) and fetal (P = 0.050) regions in the preterm pre‐eclampsia group versus the normotensive group. The activity of GPx was higher in the peripheral maternal region than in the central fetal region in the normotensive group (P = 0.033).ConclusionPre‐eclampsia might be characterized by differential placental oxidative stress and antioxidant enzyme activity.
Tracking exchange rate management in Latin America
Authors: Carrera César 
Published: March 2015

AbstractOne way to track exchange‐rate deviations from its long‐run value is to examine numerical patterns in exchange rates to see if those patterns appear to have been subjected to some degree of policy management. We applyBenford's Lawto exchange rates in Latin American countries, computing and comparing the distribution of exchange‐rate observed values with those ofBenford's Law. For most cases we find that the exchange rate for the US dollar does not satisifyBenford's Law, however this law holds when the euro is considered. This result may be explained by the fact that these countries are characterized for having different degrees of dollarization and intervention in the US dollar forex market while there is almost no policy intervention in the euro forex market. Our approach is an alternative view of how these characteristics play a role inducing deviations with respect to an implied equilibrium exchange rate.
Prevention of Needle-Stick Injuries in Healthcare Facilities: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Tarigan Lukman H. , Cifuentes Manuel , Quinn Margaret , Kriebel David 
Published: March 2015

OBJECTIVETo estimate the summary effectiveness of different needle-stick injury (NSI)-prevention interventions.DESIGNWe conducted a meta-analysis of English-language articles evaluating methods for reducing needle stick, sharp, or percutaneous injuries published from 2002 to 2012 identified using PubMed and Medline EBSCO databases. Data were extracted using a standardized instrument. Random effects models were used to estimate the summary effectiveness of 3 interventions: training alone, safety-engineered devices (SEDs) alone, and the combination of training and SEDs.SETTINGHealthcare facilities, mainly hospitalsPARTICIPANTSHealthcare workers including physicians, midwives, and nursesRESULTSFrom an initial pool of 250 potentially relevant studies, 17 studies met our inclusion criteria. Six eligible studies evaluated the effectiveness of training interventions, and the summary effect of the training intervention was 0.66 (95% CI, 0.50–0.89). The summary effect across the 5 studies that assessed the efficacy of SEDs was 0.51 (95% CI, 0.40–0.64). A total of 8 studies evaluated the effectiveness of training plus SEDs, with a summary effect of 0.38 (95% CI, 0.28–0.50).CONCLUSIONTraining combined with SEDs can substantially reduce the risk of NSIs.Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol2015;36(7):823–829
POSITIONAL STRATEGIES IN LONG EHRENFEUCHT–FRAÏSSÉ GAMES
Authors: SHELAH S. , VÄÄNÄNEN J. , VELIČKOVIĆ B. 
Published: March 2015

AbstractWe prove that it is relatively consistent with ZF + CH that there exist two models of cardinality $\aleph _2 $ such that the second player has a winning strategy in the Ehrenfeucht–Fraïssé-game of length ω1 but there is no σ-closed back-and-forth set for the two models. If CH fails, no such pairs of models exist.
Unravelling the ‘Tangled Web’: Chemotherapy for Tuberculosis in Britain, 1940–70The William Bynum Prize Essay
Authors: Leeming-Latham Clare 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThe introduction and assimilation of chemotherapy to treat pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) during the mid-twentieth century appears at first sight to be a success story dominated by the use of streptomycin in a series of randomised clinical trials run under the auspices of the Medical Research Council (MRC). However, what this standard rhetoric overlooks is the complexity of TB chemotherapy, and the relationship between this and two other ways of treating the disease, bed rest and thoracic surgery. During the late 1940s and 1950s, these three treatment strands overlapped one another, and determining best practice from a plethora of prescribing choices was a difficult task. This article focuses on the clinical decision-making underpinning the evolution of successful treatment for TB using drugs alone. Fears over the risk of streptomycin-resistant organisms entering the community meant that, initially, the clinical application of streptomycin was limited. Combining it with other drugs lessened this risk, but even so the potential of chemotherapy as a curative option for TB was not immediately apparent. The MRC ran a series of clinical trials in the post-war period but not all of their recommendations were adopted by clinicians in the field. Rather, a range of different determinants, including the timing of trials, the time taken for results to emerge, and whether these results ‘fitted’ with individual experience all influenced the translation of trial results into clinical practice.
Forgotten Dreams: Recalling the Patient in British Psychotherapy, 1945–60
Authors: Poskett James 
Published: March 2015

AbstractThe forgotten dream proved central to the early development of Sigmund Freud’s psychoanalytic technique inThe Interpretation of Dreams(1900). However, little attention has been paid to the shifting uses of forgotten dreams within psychotherapeutic practice over the course of the twentieth century. This paper argues that post-war psychotherapists in London, both Jungian and Freudian, developed a range of subtly different approaches to dealing with their patients’ forgotten dreams. Theoretical commitments and institutional cultures shaped the work of practitioners including Donald Winnicott, Melanie Klein, Anna Freud, and Edward Griffith. By drawing on diaries and case notes, this paper also identifies the active role played by patients in negotiating the mechanics of therapy, and the appropriate response to a forgotten dream. This suggests a broader need for a detailed social history of post-Freudian psychotherapeutic technique, one that recognises the demands of both patients and practitioners.
Ethnic Identity and Second Language Learning
Authors: Trofimovich Pavel , Turuševa Larisa 
Published: March 2015

ABSTRACTEthnic identity refers to the subjective experience embracing the feelings, experiences, and behaviors through which people position their membership in a single or multiple ethnic groups. The goal of this article is to integrate evidence from social psychology and applied linguistics, by focusing on the identity–language link from the perspective most relevant to second language (L2) development, namely, by considering how ethnic identity might be implicated in L2 learning. We first define and contextualize ethnic identity and its possible relationships to language. We then review recent empirical evidence for the link between ethnic identity and L2 measures, and we speculate on whether this link represents a bidirectional relationship whereby ethnic identity and language are interlocked through self-reinforcing processes and mediated through language users’ experience with language. We conclude by framing research on ethnic identity within sociocognitive views of L2 learning and describe several possible avenues for advancing this area of research.
Social Class in Applied Linguistics
Authors: Block David 
Published: March 2015

ABSTRACTSocial class is a curious construct. In the discipline where it has traditionally been most at home, sociology, there has been a constant flow of commentary on its demise and, indeed, its death over the years. In applied linguistics, the situation is somewhat different in that there has been a degree of social classdenial, but more importantly, there has been social classerasurein that the construct has tended to receive little or no attention in publications that deal with language and identity and social life. Where social class is introduced into research, it is almost always done in a very cursory, partial, and superficial way. Still, there has been some research examining the interrelationship between social class and language over the years, and in this article, I provide a review of that research, focusing primarily on the period 2000–2014. First, however, I include a discussion of what social class means in 21st-century societies and a short review of class-based research carried out from the 1960s to the 1990s, the inclusion of the latter being necessary to an understanding of research after 2000. I conclude the article with some thoughts about future directions.
Effect of Visual Cues on the Resolution of Perceptual Ambiguity in Parkinson’s Disease and Normal Aging
Authors: Díaz-Santos Mirella , Cao Bo , Mauro Samantha A. , Yazdanbakhsh Arash , Neargarder Sandy , Cronin-Golomb Alice 
Published: March 2015

AbstractParkinson’s disease (PD) and normal aging have been associated with changes in visual perception, including reliance on external cues to guide behavior. This raises the question of the extent to which these groups use visual cues when disambiguating information. Twenty-seven individuals with PD, 23 normal control adults (NC), and 20 younger adults (YA) were presented a Necker cube in which one face was highlighted by thickening the lines defining the face. The hypothesis was that the visual cues would help PD and NC to exert better control over bistable perception. There were three conditions, including passive viewing and two volitional-control conditions (hold one percept in front; and switch: speed up the alternation between the two). In the Hold condition, the cue was either consistent or inconsistent with task instructions. Mean dominance durations (time spent on each percept) under passive viewing were comparable in PD and NC, and shorter in YA. PD and YA increased dominance durations in the Hold cue-consistent condition relative to NC, meaning that appropriate cues helped PD but not NC hold one perceptual interpretation. By contrast, in the Switch condition, NC and YA decreased dominance durations relative to PD, meaning that the use of cues helped NC but not PD in expediting the switch between percepts. Provision of low-level cues has effects on volitional control in PD that are different from in normal aging, and only under task-specific conditions does the use of such cues facilitate the resolution of perceptual ambiguity. (JINS, 2015, 21, 146–155)
Explaining why, right or wrong, (Italian) households do not like reverse mortgages
Authors: FORNERO ELSA , ROSSI MARIACRISTINA , URZÍ BRANCATI MARIA CESIRA 
Published: March 2015

AbstractWe investigate the determinants of interest in reverse mortgages (RM) for a sample of Italian homeowners and find that the majority of individuals belonging to categories identified, on the basis of economic analysis, as the main potential beneficiaries (i.e., women, elderly and ‘house rich–cash poor’ individuals) are, in fact, less likely to express an interest. When allowing for individual characteristics, we find that most results remain robust and notice that risk aversion and negative expectations on one's standard of living after retirement predict higher interest in the product. These results suggest that RM is perceived not so much as an ordinary instrument to achieve a better standard of living, but rather as a remedy against poor consumption.
A benzimidazole derivative exhibiting antitumor activity blocks EGFR and HER2 activity and upregulates DR5 in breast cancer cells
Authors: Chu B , Liu F , Li L , Ding C , Chen K , Sun Q , Shen Z , Tan Y , Tan C , Jiang Y 
Published: March 2015

AbstractAberrant expression or function of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or the closely related human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) can promote cell proliferation and survival, thereby contributing to tumorigenesis. Specific antibodies and low-molecular-weight tyrosine kinase inhibitors of both proteins are currently in clinical trials for cancer treatment. Benzimidazole derivatives possess diverse biological activities, including antitumor activity. However, the anticancer mechanism of 5a (a 2-aryl benzimidazole compound; 2-chloro-N-(2-p-tolyl-1H-benzo[d]imidazol-5-yl)acetamide, C16H14ClN3O, MW299), a novel 2-aryl benzimidazole derivative, toward breast cancer is largely unknown. Here, we demonstrate that 5a potently inhibited both EGFR and HER2 activity by reducing EGFR and HER2 tyrosine phosphorylation and preventing downstream activation of PI3K/Akt and MEK/Erk pathways in vitro and in vivo. We also show that 5a inhibited the phosphorylation of FOXO and promoted FOXO translocation from the cytoplasm into the nucleus, resulting in the G1-phase cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Moreover, 5a potently induced apoptosis via the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK)-mediated death receptor 5 upregulation in breast cancer cells. The antitumor activity of 5a was consistent with additional results demonstrating that 5a significantly reduced tumor volume in nude mice in vivo. Analysis of the primary breast cancer cell lines with HER2 overexpression further confirmed that 5a significantly inhibited Akt Ser473 and Bad Ser136 phosphorylation and reduced cyclin D3 expression. On the basis of our findings, further development of this 2-aryl benzimidazole derivative, a new class of multitarget anticancer agents, is warranted and represents a novel strategy for improving breast cancer treatment.
Plasma membrane poration by opioid neuropeptides: a possible mechanism of pathological signal transduction
Authors: Maximyuk O , Khmyz V , Lindskog C-J , Vukojević V , Ivanova T , Bazov I , Hauser K F , Bakalkin G , Krishtal O 
Published: March 2015

AbstractNeuropeptides induce signal transduction across the plasma membrane by acting through cell-surface receptors. The dynorphins, endogenous ligands for opioid receptors, are an exception; they also produce non-receptor-mediated effects causing pain and neurodegeneration. To understand non-receptor mechanism(s), we examined interactions of dynorphins with plasma membrane. Using fluorescence correlation spectroscopy and patch-clamp electrophysiology, we demonstrate that dynorphins accumulate in the membrane and induce a continuum of transient increases in ionic conductance. This phenomenon is consistent with stochastic formation of giant (~2.7 nm estimated diameter) unstructured non-ion-selective membrane pores. The potency of dynorphins to porate the plasma membrane correlates with their pathogenic effects in cellular and animal models. Membrane poration by dynorphins may represent a mechanism of pathological signal transduction. Persistent neuronal excitation by this mechanism may lead to profound neuropathological alterations, including neurodegeneration and cell death.
MicroRNA-532-3p regulates mitochondrial fission through targeting apoptosis repressor with caspase recruitment domain in doxorubicin cardiotoxicity
Authors: Wang J-X , Zhang X-J , Feng C , Sun T , Wang K , Wang Y , Zhou L-Y , Li P-F 
Published: March 2015

AbstractDoxorubicin (DOX) is a wide-spectrum antitumor drug, but its clinical application is limited by its cardiotoxicity. However, the mechanisms underlying DOX-induced cardiomyopathy remain mostly unclear. Here we observed that apoptosis repressor with caspase recruitment domain (ARC) was downregulated in mouse heart and cardiomyocytes upon DOX treatment. Furthermore, enforced expression of ARC attenuated DOX-induced cardiomyocyte mitochondrial fission and apoptosis. ARC transgenic mice demonstrated reduced cardiotoxicity upon DOX administration. DOX-induced mitochondrial fission required the activity of dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1). In elucidating the molecular mechanism by which ARC was downregulated upon DOX treatment, miR-532-3p was found to directly target ARC and participated in DOX-induced mitochondrial fission and apoptosis. MiR-532-3p was not involved in DOX-induced apoptosis in cancer cells. Taken together, these findings provide novel evidence that miR-532-3p and ARC constitute an antiapoptotic pathway that regulates DOX cardiotoxicity. Therefore, the development of new therapeutic strategies based on ARC and miR-532-3p is promising for overcoming the cardiotoxicity of chemotherapy for cancer therapy.
Endometrial cancer-associated mutants of SPOP are defective in regulating estrogen receptor-α protein turnover
Authors: Zhang P , Gao K , Jin X , Ma J , Peng J , Wumaier R , Tang Y , Zhang Y , An J , Yan Q , Dong Y , Huang H , Yu L , Wang C 
Published: March 2015

AbstractIncreasing amounts of evidence strongly suggests that dysregulation of ubiquitin-proteasome system is closely associated with cancer pathogenesis. Speckle-type POZ protein (SPOP) is an adapter protein of the CUL3-based E3 ubiquitin ligase complexes. It selectively recruits substrates for their ubiquitination and subsequent degradation. Recently, several exome-sequencing studies of endometrial cancer revealed high frequency somatic mutations in SPOP (5.7–10%). However, how SPOP mutations contribute to endometrial cancer remains unknown. Here, we identified estrogen receptor-α (ERα), a major endometrial cancer promoter, as a substrate for the SPOP-CUL3-RBX1 E3 ubiquitin ligase complex. SPOP specifically recognizes multiple Ser/Thr (S/T)-rich degrons located in the AF2 domain of ERα, and triggers ERα degradation via the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. SPOP depletion by siRNAs promotes endometrial cells growth. Strikingly, endometrial cancer-associated mutants of SPOP are defective in regulating ERα degradation and ubiquitination. Furthermore, we found that SPOP participates in estrogen-induced ERα degradation and transactivation. Our study revealed novel molecular mechanisms underlying the regulation of ERα protein homeostasis in physiological and pathological conditions, and provided insights in understanding the relationship between SPOP mutations and the development of endometrial cancer.
PAK1 regulates RUFY3-mediated gastric cancer cell migration and invasion
Authors: Wang G , Zhang Q , Song Y , Wang X , Guo Q , Zhang J , Li J , Han Y , Miao Z , Li F 
Published: March 2015

AbstractActin protrusion at the cell periphery is central to the formation of invadopodia during tumor cell migration and invasion. Although RUFY3 (RUN and FYVE domain containing 3)/SINGAR1 (single axon-related1)/RIPX (Rap2 interacting protein X) has an important role in neuronal development, its pathophysiologic role and relevance to cancer are still largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which RUFY3 involves in gastric cancer cell migration and invasion. Here, our data show that overexpression of RUFY3 leads to the formation of F-actin-enriched protrusive structures at the cell periphery and induces gastric cancer cell migration. Furthermore, P21-activated kinase-1 (PAK1) interacts with RUFY3, and promotes RUFY3 expression and RUFY3-induced gastric cancer cell migration; inhibition of PAK1 attenuates RUFY3-induced SGC-7901 cell migration and invasion. Importantly, we found that the inhibitory effect of cell migration and invasion is significantly enhanced by knockdown of both PAK1 and RUFY3 compared with knockdown of RUFY3 alone or PAK1 alone. Strikingly, we found significant upregulation of RUFY3 in gastric cancer samples with invasive carcinoma at pathologic TNM III and TNM IV stages, compared with their non-tumor counterparts. Moreover, an obvious positive correlation was observed between the protein expression of RUFY3 and PAK1 in 40 pairs of gastric cancer samples. Therefore, these findings provide important evidence that PAK1 can positively regulate RUFY3 expression, which contribute to the metastatic potential of gastric cancer cells, maybe blocking PAK1-RUFY3 signaling would become a potential metastasis therapeutic strategy for gastric cancer.