bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Gamma‐amino butyric acid and the A‐type receptor suppress decidualization of mouse uterine stromal cells by down‐regulating cyclin D3
Authors: Luo Wenping , Liu Zhenzhen , Tan Dongmei , Zhang Qian , Peng Hongying , Wang Yingxiong , Tan Yi 
Published: November 2012

AbstractUterine decidualization, characterized by stromal cell proliferation and differentiation into polyploid decidual cells, is critical to the establishment of pregnancy in mice, although the mechanism underlying this process remains poorly understood. This study is the first to investigate the expression of gamma‐amino butyric acid (GABA) and the GABA A‐type receptor π subunit (GABPR) in the early‐pregnancy mouse uterus and their roles in decidualization. The expression of GABRP was detected from Day 4 to 8 of pregnancy. The effects of GABA and GABA A‐type receptor on cell proliferation and apoptosis were investigated using the Cell Titer 96® AQueous One Solution Cell Proliferation Assay and flow cytometry. The levels of cyclin D3 protein were measured in cultured stromal cells artificially induced to undergo decidualization, and treated with GABA and a GABA A‐type receptor agonist or antagonist, respectively, at the same time. mRNA expression of gabrp in implantation sites was lower than that in inter‐implanted sites. GABA and GABRP protein were localized in the luminal and glandular epithelium, stromal cells, and decidual cells. In vitro, GABPR protein level was decreased in cultured stromal cells during the decidualization process. The addition of GABA and the GABA A‐type receptor agonist Muscimol inhibited stromal cell proliferation, promoted apoptosis, and arrested cells in S‐phase, followed by decreased expression of cyclin D3. These results show that in mice, GABA was actively involved in inhibiting stromal cell proliferation and suppresses decidualization progress through GABA A‐type receptors by down‐regulating cyclin D3 level. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 80: 59–69, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Würdige Preisträger
Authors: Beck‐Sickinger Annette 
Published: November 2012

AbstractDer Chemienobelpreis 2012 geht an die US‐Amerikaner Robert J. Lefkowitz von der Duke University, Durham, sowie an Brian K. Kobilka von der Stanford University für ihre Untersuchungen zu G‐Protein‐gekoppelten Rezeptoren. Weshalb haben diese Rezeptoren eine solche Bedeutung? Und warum wurden gerade diese beiden Wissenschaftler ausgezeichnet?
Pionier der Agrikulturchemie
Authors: Schwenke Klaus Dieter 
Published: November 2012

AbstractAls Pionier der Agrikulturchemie steht Carl Sprengel heute im Schatten von Justus von Liebig. Zu Unrecht — stammen doch viele originelle Ideen und Denkansätze von Sprengel; vor allem geht die Mineralstofflehre der Pflanzenernährung und das Minimumgesetz auf ihn zurück.
Schutzschichten kontrollieren
Authors: Viefhaus Tillmann , Haug Peter , Massonne Hans‐Joachim 
Published: November 2012

AbstractEin konfokales Ramanmikroskop charakterisiert Eloxalschichten in situ und so schnell, dass es die Veränderung solcher Schichten bereits während des Produktionsprozesses zeigt. Dies eröffnet die Möglichkeit, den Prozess zu optimieren.
Observer‐based H ∞  control of discrete Markovian jump delay systems with random packet losses and multiplicative noises
Authors: Wen Shiping , Zeng Zhigang , Huang Tingwen , Bao Gang 
Published: November 2012

SUMMARYThis paper investigates the observer‐based H ∞  control problem for a class of mixed‐delay Markovian jump systems with random communication packet losses and multiplicative noises. The mixed delays comprise both discrete time‐varying delays and distributed delays, the random packet losses are described by a Bernoulli distributed white sequence that obeys a conditional probability distribution, and the multiplicative disturbances are in the form of a scalar Gaussian white noise with unit variance. In the presence of mixed delays, random packet losses and multiplicative noises, sufficient conditions for the existence of an observer‐based feedback controller are derived such that the closed‐loop control system is asymptotically mean‐square stable and preserves a guaranteed H ∞  performance. Then, a linear matrix inequality approach for designing such an observer‐based H ∞  controller is presented. Finally, a numerical example is provided to illustrate the effectiveness of the developed theoretical results. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Hydrocephalus, agenesis of the corpus callosum, and cleft lip/palate represent frequent associations in fetuses with Peters' plus syndrome and B3GALTL mutations. – Fetal PPS phenotypes, expanded by Dandy Walker cyst and encephalocele
Authors: Schoner Katharina , Kohlhase Juergen , Müller Annette M. , Schramm Thomas , Plassmann Margit , Schmitz Ralf , Neesen Juergen , Wieacker Peter , Rehder Helga 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACTObjectiveFetal pathology aims to recognize syndromal patterns of anomalies for goal‐directed mutation analyses, genetic counseling, and early prenatal diagnosis in consecutive pregnancies. Here, we report on five fetuses with Peters' plus syndrome (PPS) from two distinct families aborted after prenatal ultrasound diagnosis of hydrocephaly.MethodWe performed fetal autopsies and molecular analyses.ResultsAmong 44 fetuses with prenatally diagnosed hydrocephaly, four fetuses of 16 to 21 gestational weeks presented with additional cleft lip/palate and/or agenesis of the corpus callosum. Other features were growth retardation, hypertelorism, anomalies of the eyes, in part consistent with Peters' anterior chamber anomalies, mild brachymelia, brachydactyly, and also internal anomalies. Suspected PPS was confirmed by detection of B3GALTL mutation in these four fetuses and in one additional sib fetus, revealing homozygosity for the common c.660 + 1G > A donor splice site mutation in intron 8.ConclusionsAutosomal‐recessive PPS has not yet been diagnosed prenatally. We want to alert ultrasonographers to the diagnosis of this disorder in growth‐retarded fetuses with (recurrent) hydrocephaly, agenesis of the corpus callosum, and cleft lip/palate and stress the more severe fetal manifestation, describing a first such case with additional Dandy–Walker cyst and occult meningoencephalocele. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
International Student Migration: Mapping the Field and New Research Agendas
Authors: King Russell , Raghuram Parvati 
Published: November 2012

ABSTRACTDespite rapid growth in the student component of global migration flows, the study of international student migration/mobility (ISM) is a relatively neglected field in migration research. This special issue helps to address this lacuna. This introductory paper highlights the contradictions between international students as ‘desired’ because of their internationalism and fee contributions, and as ‘unwanted’ because of the politics of migration control especially in the context of the securitisation of study in the post 9/11 scenario. It argues that interrogating the terms ‘international’ and ‘students’ is critical to addressing the slipperiness that underlies these contradictions. Focusing on students per se ignores their multiple roles, as family members, actual or potential workers, or perhaps refugees and asylum‐seekers, while definitions of international students ignore the diversity of study that students undertake. After summarising the papers that follow, this paper concludes with an agenda for future research on ISM: greater theoretical insight drawing on the cognate field of mobility studies; more in‐depth ethnographic research on mobile students who recognise their multiple roles in knowledge diffusion and social reproduction; further research on ISM datasets and quantitative surveys, which employs statistical analysis; more attention paid to gender and race as they relate to ISM; and a stronger link to pedagogy and systems of higher education and knowledge production.Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Low‐temperature electrophoretic deposition of Cu2‐xSe nanoparticles
Authors: Ting Chu‐Chi , Lee Wen‐Yuan 
Published: November 2012

AbstractCu1.95Se films were fabricated by electrophoresis deposition (EPD) with Cu1.95Se nanocrystals synthesized by the one‐pot solution‐phase process. The resistivity (7.64×10‐3 Ωcm), carrier concentration (1.07×1020 cm‐3), and mobility [7.62 cm2V‐1s‐1] of Cu1.95Se film fabricated at an EPD voltage of 30 V were an improvement on that of Cu1.95Se film fabricated at an EPD voltage of 70 V, den which can be attributed to the higher density (packing sity = 52.4%) of the film fabricated at 30 V. The EPD‐growth method has high potential for fabrication of non‐vacuum, room‐temperature‐grown Cu2‐xSe films (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Investigation of local field effect of α‐NaYF4:Nd3+ nanocrystals
Authors: Xue Xiaojie , Suzuki Takenobu , Tong Hoang Tuan , Ohishi Yasutake 
Published: November 2012

AbstractPure α‐NaYF4: Nd3+ nanocrystals of various sizes from 6 nm to 18 nm were successfully synthesized by a solvothermal method. The monodispersed oleate‐capped nanocrystals were dispersed in several nonpolar solvents to obtain stable colloidal. Under the excitation by an 803 nm laser, luminescent decay curves of the colloidal were measured. The relationship between emission lifetimes of samples and effective refractive indices of solvents was studied for the local field correction factor. In the 18 nm sample, the real cavity model was preferable model. As the particle size decreased to 6 nm, the preferred model altered from the real cavity model to the virtual cavity model which might be derived from changing of polarizability density. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Fabrication and optical properties of Mn2+‐doped CdS/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals
Authors: Takada Masahiro , Ishizumi Atsushi , Yanagi Hisao 
Published: November 2012

AbstractWe have fabricated Mn2+‐doped CdS/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals (NCs) where Mn ions exist within ZnS shell layer, and have studied optical properties of the samples with different Mn concentrations. The exciton and Mn PL are clearly observed in the Mn2+‐doped CdS/ZnS core/shell NCs. The intensity of the exciton PL decreases with the Mn concentration, while that of the Mn PL increases. Furthermore, the Stokes shift of the exciton PL is suppressed by doping of the Mn ions. Our findings reveal that the Mn ions within the ZnS shell is excited by energy transfer from excitons of the CdS cores. (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Traceable measurements of electrical conductivity and Seebeck coefficient of β‐Fe0.95Co0.05Si2 and Ge in the temperature range from 300 K to 850 K
Authors: Lenz E. , Haupt S. , Edler F. , Ziolkowski P. , Pernau H.‐F. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractThe paper describes a measuring system and a measuring method to measure the Seebeck coefficient and the electrical conductivity of different bulk materials. Some improvements of the original setup allow a reduction of the achievable relative measurement uncertainty regarding the Seebeck coefficient to a few percent. This is demonstrated by the results of Seebeck coefficient measurements of metallic and different semiconducting samples (© 2012 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Fabrication and characterization of semiconducting half‐Heusler YPtSb thin films
Authors: Shan Rong , Vilanova Enrique V. , Qin Juan , Casper Frederick , Fecher Gerhard H. , Jakob Gerhard , Felser Claudia 
Published: November 2012

Abstractmagnified imageThe semiconducting half‐Heusler compound YPtSb has been predicted to convert into a topological insulator under the application of an appropriate degree of strain. In this study, p‐type semiconducting YPtSb thin films were prepared by magnetron co‐sputtering, using a specially designed target. YPtSb thin films grown on MgO (100) substrates at 600 °C showed a textured structure with the (111) plane parallel to the (001) plane of MgO. Electrical measurements showed that the resistivity of the YPtSb films decreases with increasing temperature, indicating semiconductor‐like behavior. The carrier density was as high as 1.15 × 1021 cm–3 at 300 K. The band gap of the YPtSb thin films was around 0.1–0.15 eV, which was in good agreement with the theoretical prediction and the value measured for bulk YPtSb. (© 2013 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Operational implementation of a hybrid ensemble/4D‐Var global data assimilation system at the Met Office
Authors: Clayton A. M. , Lorenc A. C. , Barker D. M. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractWe describe the development and testing of the hybrid ensemble/4D‐Var global data assimilation system that was implemented operationally at the Met Office in July 2011, giving an average reduction of RMS errors of just under 1%. The scheme uses the extended control variable technique to implement a hybrid background error covariance that combines the standard climatological covariance with a covariance derived from the 23‐member operational ensemble MOGREPS‐G. Unique features of the Met Office scheme include application of a horizontal ‘anti‐aliasing’ filter to the ensemble error modes, a vertical localization scheme based uniquely on a modification of the climatological stream function covariance, and inflation of the climatological covariance to maintain the analysis fit to observations. Findings during development include a significantly greater impact of the scheme in 3D‐Var than 4D‐Var, a clear positive impact from the combination of the anti‐aliasing filter and vertical localization, and a relatively small sensitivity to full coupling of the ensemble and 4D‐Var systems. Supplementary experiments suggest that the ability of the ensemble to capture coherent ‘Errors of the Day’ is key to the improvements in forecast skill.A particular problem encountered during development was significantly poorer tropical verification scores when measured against own analyses. In contrast, verification against independent (ECMWF) analyses gave scores that were much more consistent with those against observations.
Shape‐based similarity searching in chemical databases
Authors: Finn Paul W. , Morris Garrett M. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractShape similarity is a key concept and requirement for molecular recognition. As a result, much research has been undertaken to develop methods to represent molecular shape and to quantify the shape similarity between molecules. A great variety of shape descriptions and similarity comparison approaches have been developed, ranging from explicit representations using intersecting atom‐centered spheres and molecular superposition to abstract statistical representations that allow alignment‐free comparisons. Several of these methods have sufficient computational performance to allow shape similarity searches over extremely large compound databases as a ligand‐based virtual screening (VS) technique. As with other approaches to VS, the relative performance of shape similarity methods is dataset and problem specific, with each approach having its merits and limitations and no one approach showing a clear and consistent advantage over the others. Again, as with other VS approaches, most reports of performance are in the context of retrospective validation studies, which show competitive performance against target‐based and two‐dimensional methods. Prospective studies are rarer in the literature, but a number of successes have been reported. Intensive research continues in the search for improved representations of shape, partial shape matching, and approaches to address the challenges imposed by ligand and target flexibility. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.This article is categorized under:

Computer and Information Science > Chemoinformatics
Why Is Infant Mortality Higher in Boys Than in Girls? A New Hypothesis Based on Preconception Environment and Evidence From a Large Sample of Twins
Authors: Pongou Roland 
Published: November 2012

AbstractInfant mortality is higher in boys than girls in most parts of the world. This has been explained by sex differences in genetic and biological makeup, with boys being biologically weaker and more susceptible to diseases and premature death. At the same time, recent studies have found that numerous preconception or prenatal environmental factors affect the probability of a baby being conceived male or female. I propose that these environmental factors also explain sex differences in mortality. I contribute a new methodology of distinguishing between child biology and preconception environment by comparing male-female differences in mortality across opposite-sex twins, same-sex twins, and all twins. Using a large sample of twins from sub-Saharan Africa, I find that both preconception environment and child biology increase the mortality of male infants, but the effect of biology is substantially smaller than the literature suggests. I also estimate the interacting effects of biology with some intrauterine and external environmental factors, including birth order within a twin pair, social status, and climate. I find that a twin is more likely to be male if he is the firstborn, born to an educated mother, or born in certain climatic conditions. Male firstborns are more likely to survive than female firstborns, but only during the neonatal period. Finally, mortality is not affected by the interactions between biology and climate or between biology and social status.
Dementia and out‐of‐pocket spending on health care services
Authors: Delavande Adeline , Hurd Michael D. , Martorell Paco , Langa Kenneth M. 
Published: November 2012

BackgroundHigh levels of out‐of‐pocket (OOP) spending for health care may lead patients to forego needed services and medications as well as hamper their ability to pay for other essential goods. Because it leads to disability and the loss of independence, dementia may put patients and their families at risk for high OOP spending, especially for long‐term care services.MethodsWe used data from the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study, a nationally representative subsample (n = 743) of the Health and Retirement Study, to determine whether individuals with dementia had higher self‐reported OOP spending compared with those with cognitive impairment without dementia and those with normal cognitive function. We also examined the relationship between dementia and utilization of dental care and prescription medications—two types of health care that are frequently paid for OOP. Multivariate and logistic regression models were used to adjust for the influence of potential confounders.ResultsAfter controlling for demographics and comorbidities, those with dementia had more than three times the yearly OOP spending compared with those with normal cognition ($8216 for those with dementia vs. $2570 for those with normal cognition, P < .01). Higher OOP spending for those with dementia was mainly driven by greater expenditures on nursing home care (P < .01). Dementia was not associated with the likelihood of visiting the dentist (P = .76) or foregoing prescription medications owing to cost (P = .34).ConclusionsDementia is associated with high levels of OOP spending but not with the use of dental care or foregoing prescription medications, suggesting that excess OOP spending among those with dementia does not “crowd out” spending on these other health care services.
Alzheimer's disease pathology does not mediate the association between depressive symptoms and subsequent cognitive decline
Authors: Royall Donald R. , Palmer Raymond F. 
Published: November 2012

AbstractBackgroundDepressive symptoms in nondemented individuals appear to hasten the progression from mild cognitive impairment to clinical Alzheimer's disease (AD) and double the risk of incident AD. However, the mechanism(s) by which depression might affect this risk has not been well established. The purpose of this analysis was to test the hypothesis that AD pathology mediates depression's apparent effect on the risk of dementia conversion using longitudinally collected psychometric testing and autopsy data from the Honolulu–Asia Aging Study.MethodsLatent factor variables representing AD, cortical Lewy body (CLB), and ischemic neuropathology were tested as potential mediators of the association between the Center for Epidemiological Studies depression scale (CES‐D) score and the 10‐year prospective rate of cognitive decline, adjusted for baseline cognition, age, education, total number of medications, and brain weight at autopsy.ResultsCES‐D scores, neurofibrillary tangle counts, CLB counts, and ischemic lesions each made significant independent contributions to cognitive decline. However, CES‐D scores were not significantly associated with any pathological variable; thus the pathological variables were not mediators of the effect of CES‐D scores on cognitive decline.ConclusionsSubsyndromal depressive symptoms are significantly associated with subsequent cognitive decline. Although the effect is relatively modest, it is stronger than that of amyloid‐related neuropathologies and independent of that of neurofibrillary tangles, cortical Lewy bodies, and ischemic lesions. Our results argue against the role of AD‐related neuropathology as a mediator of depression's effect on cognitive decline, but cannot rule out a significant mediation effect in a subset of cases, perhaps with more severe baseline depressive symptoms.
The synaptic proteome in Alzheimer's disease
Authors: Chang Rachel Yoon Kyung , Nouwens Amanda S. , Dodd Peter R. , Etheridge Naomi 
Published: November 2012

AbstractBackgroundSynaptic dysfunction occurs early in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is recognized to be a primary pathological target for treatment. Synapse degeneration or dysfunction contributes to clinical signs of dementia through altered neuronal communication; the degree of synaptic loss correlates strongly with cognitive impairment. The molecular mechanisms underlying synaptic degeneration are still unclear, and identifying abnormally expressed synaptic proteins in AD brain will help to elucidate such mechanisms and to identify therapeutic targets that might slow AD progression.MethodsSynaptosomal fractions from human autopsy brain tissue from subjects with AD (n = 6) and without AD (n = 6) were compared using two‐dimensional differential in‐gel electrophoresis. AD pathology is region specific; human subjects can be highly variable in age, medication, and other factors. To counter these factors, two vulnerable areas (the hippocampus and the temporal cortex) were compared with two relatively spared areas (the motor and occipital cortices) within each group. Proteins exhibiting significant changes in expression were identified (≥20% change, Newman‐Keuls P value < .05) using either matrix‐assisted laser desorption ionization time‐of‐flight or electrospray ionisation quadrupole‐time of flight mass spectrometry.ResultsTwenty‐six different synaptic proteins exhibited more than twofold differences in expression between AD and normal subjects. These proteins are involved in regulating different cellular functions, including energy metabolism, signal transduction, vesicle transport, structure, and antioxidant activity.ConclusionComparative proteome analysis uncovered markers of pathogenic mechanisms involved in synaptic dysfunction.