bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Exploration and characterization of genes involved in the synthesis of diterpene defence secretion in nasute termite soldiers
Authors: Hojo M. , Maekawa K. , Saitoh S. , Shigenobu S. , Miura T. , Hayashi Y. , Tokuda G. , Maekawa H. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractNasutitermes takasagoensis soldiers defend their colonies using characteristic diterpenes. Diterpenes are thought to be synthesized in the frontal gland cells surrounding the gland reservoir. To identify the genes involved in diterpene synthesis, a cDNA library was prepared from the frontal gland cells and exhaustively sequenced using a 454 pyrosequencer (GS Junior; Roche, Branford, CT, USA). A total of 50 290 clean sequences were assembled into 1111 contigs, which were grouped into 774 genes (isogroups). Based on sequence similarity with known proteins, we identified seven genes encoding the following four enzymes associated with diterpene synthesis: 3‐hydroxy‐3‐methylglutaryl coenzyme A (HMG‐CoA) synthase (HMGS), HMG‐CoA reductase (HMGR), farnesyl diphosphate synthase, and geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthases. The expression levels of two enzymes, HMGS and HMGR, involved in the mevalonate pathway were examined, assuming that the site of the defensive terpenoid synthesis strongly activates the mevalonate pathway, which produces a precursor of terpenoids. Real‐time quantitative reverse‐transcriptase PCR confirmed significantly higher expression of HMGS and HMGR in the heads of soldiers. We then divided the head into three parts and found that the expression levels of HMGS and HMGR were significantly higher in the part containing class 1 secretory cells of the frontal gland. Overall, the results suggested that the mevalonate pathway for diterpene synthesis occurs in class 1 cells around the frontal gland reservoir.
The impact of training and delivering alcohol brief intervention on the knowledge and attitudes of community pharmacists: A before and after study
Authors: Dhital Ranjita , Whittlesea Cate M. , Milligan Peter , Khan Natasha S. , Norman Ian J. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractIntroduction and AimsAlcohol misuse is the third leading cause of ill health in the UK. Alcohol brief intervention can identify risky drinkers and motivate individuals to take action. Community pharmacists have been identified as having a role in providing brief interventions. This study aimed to evaluate: pharmacists' attitudes towards hazardous/harmful drinkers and knowledge before training and after delivering brief intervention; and their experience of training.Design and MethodsPharmacists' attitudes to alcohol problems were assessed using Short Alcohol and Alcohol Problems Perception Questions before training and after brief intervention delivery. Alcohol misuse knowledge was assessed by questionnaire prior to and immediately after training, and after the delivery period. Following brief intervention delivery, pharmacists' experience of training was obtained using a questionnaire and focus groups. Qualitative thematic analysis identified experiences of brief intervention training. Quantitative data were analysed using spss.ResultsOne hundred and thirty‐nine alcohol interventions were delivered by 19 pharmacists over five months (recruiters). Ten pharmacists completed no interventions (non‐recruiters). Both groups improved their alcohol knowledge between baseline and immediately following training; and their knowledge decreased between the end of training and following service delivery. Pharmacists who were initially more motivated recruited more participants and increased their work satisfaction.Discussion and ConclusionsThis confirmed findings of previous studies that pharmacists unfamiliar with brief intervention could be trained to deliver this service. Pharmacists with positive attitude towards drinkers delivered a greater number of alcohol interventions and experienced increased work satisfaction than those pharmacists with less positive attitudes.
Bedroom Politics: The Vexed Spaces of Late Medieval Public Making
Authors: Wilson Bronwen 
Published: September 2012

AbstractIn theSecret History of Domesticity, Michael McKeon explores the process through which the private and public realms were wrought by tracing changes in literary, architectural, and pictorial forms. One example is the Curtain Lecture, illustrated in 17th‐century prints, in which earlier expressions of wifely authority, familiar from thetoposof the woman‐on‐top, have been reduced to bedroom rants to oblivious husbands. This essay extends the geographical purview of McKeon’s framework to painted fresco decorations in a late 14th‐century bedroom in Florence, the Sala della Castellana in the Palazzo Davizzi‐Davanzati. Secrecy, seduction, betrayal, blackmail, suicide and revenge are themes from a 13th‐century chivalric romance played out in a narrative frieze in which a verdant landscape with castellated structures is set within a continuous arcaded loggia. The female protagonists, and the threat of female authority and desire, are associated with the crenellated buildings in the frescoes, and thus the old order of magnates who had been expelled from Florence, but whose feudal values were making a resurgence. The loggia instead echoes recent urban developments designed to foster loyalties to new and more egalitarian forms of political representation. Bedrooms were not yet private spaces, but the frescoes anticipate the later English pamphlets by deflecting anxieties about masculine authority and loyalty onto the figure of the aggressive and philandering wife, thereby underscoring emerging but still entangled family and civic allegiances.
Model for the Part Manufacturing and Vehicle Assembly Component of the Vehicle Life Cycle Inventory
Authors: Sullivan John Lorenzo , Burnham Andrew , Wang Michael Q. 
Published: September 2012

SummaryA model is presented for calculating the environmental burdens of the part manufacturing and vehicle assembly (VMA) stage of the vehicle life cycle. The model is based on a process‐level approach, accounting for all significant materials by their transformation processes (aluminum castings, polyethylene blow molding; etc.) and plant operation activities (painting; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning [HVAC], etc.) germane to VMA. Using quantitative results for these material/transformation process pairings, a percent‐by‐weight material/transformation distribution (MTD) function was developed that permits the model to be applied to a range of vehicles, both conventional and advanced (e.g., hybrid electric, light weight, aluminum intensive). Upon consolidation of all inputs, the model reduces to two terms: one proportional to vehicle mass and a plant overhead per vehicle term. When the model is applied to a materially well‐characterized conventional vehicle, reliable estimates of cumulative energy consumption (34 gigajoules/vehicle) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions (2 tonnes/vehicle) with coefficients of variation are computed for the VMA life cycle stage. Due to the more comprehensive coverage of manufacturing operations, our energy estimates are on the higher end of previously published values. Nonetheless, they are still somewhat underestimated due to a lack of data on overhead operations in part manufacturing facilities and transportation of parts and materials between suppliers and vehicle manufacturing operations. For advanced vehicles, the material/transformation process distribution developed above needs some adjusting for different materials and components. Overall, energy use and CO2 emissions from the VMA stage are about 3.5% to 4.5% of total life cycle values for vehicles.
Acquiescence and the Willingness to Pay for Environmental Protection: A Comparison of the ISSP, WVS, and EVS*
Authors: Franzen Axel , Vogl Dominikus 
Published: September 2012

ObjectivesThis study examines the effect of countries’ wealth on individuals’ willingness to pay for environmental protection. Former studies using the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) report a positive effect, while studies using the World Values Survey (WVS) or the European Values Study (EVS) find the opposite. In this article, we explain and reconcile these opposing findings.MethodsFirst, we analyze the three data sets (ISSP, WVS, and EVS) separately by applying multilevel analyses and replicate the different findings. Second, we take respondents’ acquiescence into account and demonstrate that wealth has a positive effect on the willingness to pay in the combined data set.ResultsRespondents in poorer nations in Asia and Eastern Europe have higher levels of acquiescence than respondents in richer Western nations. This difference conceals the wealth effect of studies analyzing the WVS or EVS. If acquiescence is properly taken into account, the wealth effect is confirmed.ConclusionTheory predicts that wealth and the willingness to protect the environment should be positively associated. This wealth effect is confirmed by our analyses of the ISSP, WVS, and EVS.
Understanding the Effects of Corruption and Political Trust on Willingness to Make Economic Sacrifices for Environmental Protection in a Cross‐National Perspective
Authors: Harring Niklas 
Published: September 2012

ObjectiveThis study investigates, from a cross‐national perspective, the determinants of public willingness to make economic sacrifices for environmental protection. Departing from the argument that corrupt institutions diminish the potential for social cooperation, it argues that earlier studies fail to stress the effect of corruption and political trust on people's attitudes.MethodsA multilevel regression analysis is performed using data from the International Social Survey Programme.ResultsThe study shows that the willingness to make economic sacrifices for environmental protection is affected by individual political trust while it is hard to actually disentangle any contextual effects of corruption from other contextual effects.ConclusionAcknowledging the effects of political trust and corruption improves the discussion on country differences in willingness to make economic sacrifices for environmental protection.
Enhancement of immune response induced by DNA vaccine cocktail expressing complete LACK and TSA genes against Leishmania major
Authors: Ghaffarifar Fatemeh , Jorjani Ogholniaz , Sharifi Zohreh , Dalimi Abdolhossein , Hassan Zuhair M. , Tabatabaie Fatemeh , Khoshzaban Fariba , Hezarjaribi Hajar Ziaei 
Published: September 2012

Leishmaniasis is an important disease in humans. Leishmania homologue of receptor for Activated C Kinase (LACK) and thiol specific antioxidant (TSA) as immuno‐dominant antigens of Leishmania major are considered the most promising molecules for a DNA vaccine. We constructed a DNA cocktail, containing plasmids encoding LACK and TSA genes of Leishmania major and evaluated the immune response and survival rate in BALB/c mice. IgG and Interferon gamma values were noticeably increased in the immunized group with DNA cocktail vaccine, which were significantly higher than those in the single‐gene vaccinated and control groups (p < 0.05) following the immunization and after challenging with Leishmania major. Interleukin 4 values were decreased in all immunized groups, but only in DNA vaccine cocktail and single‐gene vaccination with pc‐LACK there were statistical differences with control groups (p > 0.05). The immunized mice with the cocktail DNA vaccine presented a considerable reduction in diameter of lesion compared to other groups and a significant difference was observed (p < 0.05) in this regard. The survival time of the immunized mice with the cocktail DNA vaccine was significantly higher than that in the other groups (p < 0.05) after their being challenged with Leishmania major. The findings of this study indicated that the cocktail DNA vaccine increased the cellular response and survival rate and induced protection against infection with Leishmania in the mice.
Single‐incision laparoscopic adrenalectomy at Viet Duc University Hospital
Authors: Tran Giang Binh , Nguyen Tien Duc , Le Khanh Viet 
Published: September 2012

AbstractIntroductionLaparoscopic adrenalectomy is the technique of choice in the treatment of adrenal tumors. SILS has recently been introduced in this field and applied in Viet Duc University Hospital. Herein, we report our experience with single‐incision transperitoneal adrenalectomy.MethodsBetween August 2010 and January 2012, 61 patients (23 men, 38 women) underwent SILS adrenalectomy at our institution. The diagnoses consisted of 20 patients with pheochromocytoma, 17 with nonfunctioning adenoma, 16 with Conn syndrome, 4 with Cushing syndrome and 4 with adrenal cysts. The mean age was 47.8 years (range, 21–68 years). There were 29 right‐sided and 32 left‐sided tumors; their mean diameter was 30.7 mm (range, 8–59 mm). Patients were in the flank position with the operated side up. A 2.5‐cm pararectal incision at the level of the umbilicus was made to insert the SILS Port.ResultsThe mean operating time was 78 min (range, 50–120 min), and mean blood loss was approximately 70 mL. Left‐sided tumors were excised entirely with the SILS technique. Right‐sided lesions sometimes required an additional trocar (hybrid technique). No drainage was needed at the operating site. There were no intraoperative or postoperative complications, but one case was converted to the conventional three‐port technique. The mean length of hospital stay was 3.4 days (range, 2–6 days).ConclusionOur preliminary results show that SILS adrenalectomy is safe and technically feasible. It should be considered among the surgical managements for selected patients with adrenal tumors.
Identification and validation of differentially expressed genes from pig skeletal muscle
Authors: Verardo L.L. , Nascimento C.S. , Silva F.F. , Gasparino E. , Martins M.F. , Toriyama E. , Faria V.R. , Botelho M.E. , Costa K.A. , Lopes P.S. , Guimarães S.E.F. 
Published: September 2012

SummaryPig is an important animal for meat production; this is generally associated with characteristics determined prenatally during myogenesis. Expressed sequence tags (EST) can provide direct information on the transcriptome and indirect information on the relation between the genome and phenotype, giving information about differentially expressed genes (DEG). In this work, the identification and annotation of DEG from EST libraries of three pig breeds (Duroc, Large White and Local Breed Piau) were performed followed by real‐time PCR analyses during pre‐ and postnatal stages (21, 40, 70 and 90 days of pregnancy and 107, 121 and 171 days postnatal) from commercial breed animals for analysis of genes expression levels. Therefore, 34 genes differentially expressed were identified, of which 21 grouped in a network related with muscle development. From this, the expression profile of 13 genes was measured, to confirm their relationship with myogenesis like ANKRD2, MYBPC1, NEB and MYL2. These genes showed a prenatal high expression in this study. Besides, novels candidates for muscle development (TP53 and DCTN1) were listed. These findings can contribute to better explaining gene function mechanism and are helpful in uncovering the pathways that mediate pre‐ and postnatal skeletal muscle development in vertebrates.
Crop breeding for salt tolerance in the era of molecular markers and marker‐assisted selection
Authors: Ashraf Muhammad , Foolad Majid R. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractCrop salt tolerance (ST) is a complex trait affected by numerous genetic and non‐genetic factors, and its improvement via conventional breeding has been slow. Recent advancements in biotechnology have led to the development of more efficient selection tools to substitute phenotype‐based selection systems. Molecular markers associated with genes or quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting important traits are identified, which could be used as indirect selection criteria to improve breeding efficiency via marker‐assisted selection (MAS). While the use of MAS for manipulating simple traits has been streamlined in many plant breeding programmes, MAS for improving complex traits seems to be at infancy stage. Numerous QTLs have been reported for ST in different crop species; however, few commercial cultivars or breeding lines with improved ST have been developed via MAS. We review genes and QTLs identified with positive effects on ST in different plant species and discuss the prospects for developing crop ST via MAS. With the current advances in marker technology and a better handling of genotype by environment interaction effects, the utility of MAS for breeding for ST will gain momentum.
Sports medicine, confidentiality and the press
Authors: Ribbans Bill , Ribbans Hannah , Nightingale Craig , McNamee Michael 
Published: September 2012

ObjectiveTo analyse athletes' medical information disclosed by English newspapers.MethodsTen daily national newspapers, nine Sunday newspapers and one local newspaper were studied during March 2010 for media releases relating to the medical conditions of athletes.ResultsThree hundred and thirty-three newspapers were reviewed revealing 5640 specific bulletins regarding athletes' health. Daily national newspapers averaged 18.72 daily bulletins, Sunday newspapers 11.86 and one local newspaper reviewed 6.07. The frequency with which various sports had their athletes' medical details published was analysed. Football accounted for 83.78%. The information source in 77.32% of articles is not clearly stated. The patient was only responsible in 6.10% of cases, where the source of attribution is clear.ConclusionsEnglish newspapers are replete with athletes' medical details, with football dominant. A significant risk to clinicians' professional status exists if they collude to release the un-consented confidential medical information to those with no direct involvement in athletes' medical care. Athletes' education as to their rights as patients and to sports medicine professionals as to their obligations are urgently required.
Sudden Cardiac Death in Adult Congenital Heart Disease
Authors: Koyak Zeliha , Harris Louise , de Groot Joris R. , Silversides Candice K. , Oechslin Erwin N. , Bouma Berto J. , Budts Werner , Zwinderman Aeilko H. , Van Gelder Isabelle C. , Mulder Barbara J.M. 
Published: September 2012

Background—
Sudden cardiac death (SCD) is a major cause of mortality in adults with congenital heart disease (CHD). The aim of this study was to determine the adult CHD population at risk of SCD and the clinical parameters associated with SCD.

Methods and Results—

We performed a multicenter case-control study. Patients who died suddenly as a result of proven or presumed arrhythmia were included (cases). For each case, 2 controls matched on diagnosis, type of surgical intervention, age, and gender were included. From 3 databases including 25 790 adults with CHD, 1189 deaths (5%) were identified, of whom 213 patients (19%) died suddenly. Arrhythmic death occurred in 171 of 1189 patients. The underlying cardiac lesions were mild, moderate, and severe CHD in 12%, 33%, and 55% of the SCD cases, respectively. Clinical variables associated with SCD were supraventricular tachycardia (odds ratio [OR], 3.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.5–7.9;
P=
0.004), moderate to severe systemic ventricular dysfunction (OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.1–10.4;
P=
0.034), moderate to severe subpulmonary ventricular dysfunction (OR, 3.4; 95% CI, 1.1–10.2;
P=
0.030), increased QRS duration (OR, 1.34 [per 10-ms increase]; 95% CI, 1.10–1.34;
P
=0.008), and QT dispersion (OR, 1.22 [per 10-ms increase]; 95% CI, 1.22–1.48;
P
=0.008).

Conclusions—
The clinical parameters found to be associated with SCD in adults with a broad spectrum of CHD, including systemic right ventricles, are similar to those in ischemic heart disease. Moreover, even those patients with mild cardiac lesions are potentially at risk for SCD. This highlights the need for further prospective studies as well as vigilant ongoing follow-up of the adult with CHD.
Cigarette smoke-induced accumulation of lung dendritic cells is interleukin-1α-dependent in mice
Authors: Botelho Fernando M , Nikota Jake K , Bauer Carla MT , Morissette Mathieu C , Iwakura Yoichiro , Kolbeck Roland , Finch Donna , Humbles Alison A , Stämpfli Martin R 
Published: September 2012

Abstract

Background
Evidence suggests that dendritic cells accumulate in the lungs of COPD patients and correlate with disease severity. We investigated the importance of IL-1R1 and its ligands IL-1α and β to dendritic cell accumulation and maturation in response to cigarette smoke exposure.

Methods
Mice were exposed to cigarette smoke using a whole body smoke exposure system. IL-1R1-, TLR4-, and IL-1α-deficient mice, as well as anti-IL-1α and anti-IL-1β blocking antibodies were used to study the importance of IL-1R1 and TLR4 to dendritic cell accumulation and activation.

Results
Acute and chronic cigarette smoke exposure led to increased frequency of lung dendritic cells. Accumulation and activation of dendritic cells was IL-1R1/IL-1α dependent, but TLR4- and IL-1β-independent. Corroborating the cellular data, expression of CCL20, a potent dendritic cells chemoattractant, was IL-1R1/IL-1α-dependent. Studies using IL-1R1 bone marrow-chimeric mice revealed the importance of IL-1R1 signaling on lung structural cells for CCL20 expression. Consistent with the importance of dendritic cells in T cell activation, we observed decreased CD4+ and CD8+ T cell activation in cigarette smoke-exposed IL-1R1-deficient mice.

Conclusion
Our findings convey the importance of IL-1R1/IL-1α to the recruitment and activation of dendritic cells in response to cigarette smoke exposure.
Novel PRRT2 mutation in an African-American family with paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia
Authors: Hedera Peter , Xiao Jianfeng , Puschmann Andreas , Momčilović Dragana , Wu Steve W , LeDoux Mark S 
Published: September 2012

Abstract

Background
Recently, heterozygous mutations in PRRT2 (Chr 16p11.2) have been identified in Han Chinese, Japanese and Caucasians with paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia. In previous work, a paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia locus was mapped to Chr 16p11.2 - q11.2 in a multiplex African-American family.

Methods
Sanger sequencing was used to analyze all four PRRT2 exons for sequence variants in 13 probands (9 Caucasian, 1 Caucasian-Thai, 1 Vietnamese and 2 African-American) with some form of paroxysmal dyskinesia.

Results
One patient of mixed Caucasian-Thai background and one African-American family harbored the previously described hotspot mutation in PRRT2 (c.649dupC, p.R217Pfs*8). Another African-American family was found to have a novel mutation (c.776dupG, p.E260*). Both of these variants are likely to cause loss-of-function via nonsense-mediated decay of mutant PRRT2 transcripts. All affected individuals had classic paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia phenotypes.

Conclusions
Heterozygous PRRT2 gene mutations also cause paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia in African-Americans. The c.649dupC hotspot mutation in PRRT2 is common across racial groups.