bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Gene profiling of inflammatory genes in day 18 endometria from pregnant and non‐pregnant mares
Authors: Patterson Amanda L. , Squires Edward L. , Hansen Thomas R. , Bouma Gerrit J. , Bruemmer Jason E. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractMaternal recognition of pregnancy is a physiological process that primarily describes endometrial responses to a conceptus. Recognition of a conceptus prevents the release of prostaglandin F2α, thereby ensuring survival of the corpus luteum and continued progesterone production. Exactly how this occurs in the mare is poorly understood. Because prostaglandin F2α is a pro‐inflammatory hormone, we hypothesized that differential gene expression in the endometrium at the time of maternal recognition reflects an anti‐inflammatory event leading to decreased prostaglandin F2α secretion. Mares were inseminated, and endometrial biopsies were recovered from pregnant mares on Day 18 post‐ovulation. In subsequent estrous cycles, mares were not inseminated and Day 18 post‐ovulation endometrial biopsies were collected (non‐pregnant control, matched per individual). Endometrial gene expression profiles were examined by screening an Affymetrix equine GeneChip containing probes specific for genes related to inflammatory processes. Microarray analysis revealed 118 genes that were up‐regulated and 93 genes that were down‐regulated (P < 0.001) at least 1.5‐fold in the endometrium of pregnant versus non‐pregnant mares. Quantitative, real‐time RT‐PCR confirmed the microarray results for three up‐regulated genes homologous to TSC22D3, PPAPDC2, and KLF6, and three down‐regulated genes homologous to ESR1, MARCKSL1, and EPSTI1 (P < 0.05). It is concluded that the presence of the equine embryo induces differential gene expression in the endometrium of Day 18 pregnant mares, and that these genes are associated with inflammatory processes and pathways involving cellular growth and proliferation. The results from this study provide important new insights into endometrial gene expression in response to early equine pregnancy. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 79: 777–784, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Plasma Functionalization of Carbon Nanotubes for the Synthesis of Stable Aqueous Nanofluids and Poly(vinyl alcohol) Nanocomposites
Authors: Hordy Nathan , Coulombe Sylvain , Meunier Jean‐Luc 
Published: September 2012

AbstractCarbon nanotubes (CNTs) synthesized by direct thermal chemical vapor deposition growth from stainless steel mesh are surface functionalized via an Ar/O2/C2H6 capacitively coupled RF plasma discharge. The open and rigid network of CNTs allows for a high degree of the CNT surface to be treated. As a result, the aqueous nanofluids that are produced by removing the CNTs from the substrate are found to remain stable for extended periods of time (greater than six months). X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis revealed that oxygen comprised approximately 21 at.% of the functionalized CNT surface. Poly(vinyl alcohol)/CNT nanocomposites produced using the plasma functionalized CNTs are homogenous with excellent dispersion of the CNTs. Mechanically, the 0.75 wt.‐% functionalized‐CNT nanocomposite show 54 and 60% increases in tensile strength and modulus, respectively, over the neat polymer. Little to no change is seen in the degree of crystallinity or the glass transition and melting point temperatures of the nanocomposites. Finally, water content is found to have a significant effect on the polymer and composite's tensile properties. magnified image
Pharmacological read‐through of nonsense ARSB mutations as a potential therapeutic approach for mucopolysaccharidosis VI
Authors: Bartolomeo Rosa , Polishchuk Elena V. , Volpi Nicola , Polishchuk Roman S. , Auricchio Alberto 
Published: September 2012

AbstractMucopolysaccharidosis type VI (MPS VI) is a severe lysosomal storage disorder without central nervous system involvement caused by arylsulfatase B (ARSB) deficiency. MPS VI is characterized by dysostosis multiplex, corneal clouding, heart valve defects and urinary excretion of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). The current treatment for MPS VI is enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) which has limited efficacy on bone, joints and heart valve disease, as well as high costs. A potential therapeutic approach for the subgroup of MPS VI patients that carry nonsense mutations is to enhance stop‐codon read‐through, using small molecules, to restore production of the full‐length ARSB protein. In this study we investigated whether two compounds known to induce stop codon read‐through, the aminoglycoside gentamicin and PTC124, can promote read‐through of four different ARSB nonsense mutations (p.R315X, p.R327X, p.Q456X and p.Q503X) associated with MPS VI and enable the synthesis of full‐length functional ARSB protein in patients fibroblast cell lines. Our study demonstrates that PTC124 but not gentamicin, increases the level of ARSB activity in three MPS VI patient fibroblast cell lines. In two of them the levels of ARSB activity obtained were significantly higher than in untreated cells, reaching ≤2.5 % of those detected in wild‐type fibroblasts and resulting in significant reduction of lysosomal size. Since even small increases in enzyme activity can dramatically influence the clinical phenotype of MPS VI, our study suggests that pharmacological read‐through may be combined with ERT potentially increasing therapeutic efficacy in those patients bearing nonsense ARSB mutations.
Acceptability of cervical cancer screening via visual inspection with acetic acid or Lugol's iodine at Mulago Hospital, Uganda
Authors: Busingye Priscilla , Nakimuli Annettee , Nabunya Evelyn , Mutyaba Twaha 
Published: September 2012

AbstractObjectiveTo assess acceptability of cervical cancer screening via visual inspection with acetic acid or Lugol's iodine (VIA/VILI) at Mulago Hospital, Uganda.MethodsExit interviews were conducted among women who had undergone opportunistic screening by VIA/VILI at 2 family planning clinics based within the hospital. Measures of acceptability were willingness to undergo the procedure in future if required and willingness to recommend the procedure to others. Focus group discussions were conducted to determine reasons for declining VIA/VILI.ResultsA total of 384 participants were recruited into the study. Of the 229 women who agreed to undergo screening by VIA/VILI, 209 (91.3%) were willing to recommend the service to other women, while 223 (97.4%) stated that they would undergo VIA/VILI again if the need arose. Education level showed a significant association with screening uptake (P = 0.007). In all, 155 women declined screening. Reasons for refusal included fears about privacy, fear of pain or discomfort, and worry about the test results.ConclusionCervical cancer screening by VIA/VILI was rated highly acceptable among women who underwent the procedure. Women with a positive attitude toward screening could be trained as peer educators and community champions to improve uptake.
Subjective Experiences of Men With and Without Spinal Cord Injury: Tolerability of the Juvent and WAVE Whole Body Vibration Plates
Authors: Hadi Stephanie C. , Delparte Jude J. , Hitzig Sander L. , Craven Beverley Catharine 
Published: September 2012

BackgroundDevice tolerability is an important determinant of subject adherence and intervention effectiveness. Although popular in rehabilitation settings, the tolerability of whole‐body vibration (WBV) among patients with spinal cord injury (SCI) is unknown.ObjectiveTo assess feedback from SCI and non‐SCI subjects on the usability of passive standing and WBV devices (Juvent [Juvent Medical, Somerset, NJ] and WAVE [WAVE Manufacturing, Windsor, Ontario, Canada]) using a priori specified knee postures, plate amplitudes, and frequencies.DesignA matched groups design with repeated measures.SettingA tertiary SCI rehabilitation center.SubjectsEight men with chronic SCI (C4‐L2, American Spinal Injury Association Impairment Scale A‐D) and 10 men without SCI of similar height, weight, and body mass index.InterventionSubjects (N = 18; 8 with SCI) underwent intermittent WBV during passive standing (EasyStand 5000 [Altimate Medical, Morton, MN]) for 45 minutes using the optimized WAVE and Juvent plates. WBV parameters were sequentially altered every 2 minutes and included parameter combinations of (1) postures of 140°, 160°, and 180° knee extension (180° with Juvent only); (2) amplitudes of 0.7 mm and 1.1 mm (WAVE only); and (3) frequencies of 25 Hz, 35 Hz, and 45 Hz. Outcome assessments were completed at 4‐minute intervals throughout WBV exposure.Main Outcome MeasuresQualitative, semistructured interviews were used to generate neutral, positive, and negative descriptors of the subjects' overall experience and device preference.ResultsSCI subjects reported a greater frequency of positive descriptors than non‐SCI subjects during WBV, regardless of plate, posture, amplitude, or frequency, with the exception of 1 combination of parameters (WAVE plate at 140°, 1.1 mm, and 25 Hz). Non‐SCI subjects reported the highest frequency of negative effects with the WAVE plate at 160°, 1.1 mm, 25 Hz, and 35 Hz. Non‐SCI subjects preferred the Juvent, whereas SCI subjects preferred the WAVE plate.ConclusionsSCI and non‐SCI subjects reported differing frequencies of positive and negative descriptors and indicated divergent device preferences. SCI subjects preferred the WAVE plate and vibration at high frequency. Future research will determine the therapeutic potential and adverse events associated with the device and WBV parameters tolerable for persons with SCI.
Similarity solutions for unsteady stagnation point flow
Authors: Kolomenskiy D. , Moffatt H. K. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractA class of similarity solutions for two-dimensional unsteady flow in the neighbourhood of a front or rear stagnation point on a plane boundary is considered, and a wide range of possible behaviour is revealed, depending on whether the flow in the far field is accelerating or decelerating. The solutions, when they exist, are exact solutions of the Navier–Stokes equations, having a boundary-layer character analogous to that of the classical steady front stagnation point flow. The velocity profiles are obtained by numerical integration of a nonlinear ordinary differential equation. For the front-flow situation, the solution is unique for the accelerating case, but bifurcates for modest deceleration, while for sufficient rapid deceleration there exists a one-parameter family of solutions. For the rear-flow situation, a unique solution exists (remarkably!) for sufficiently strong acceleration, and a one-parameter family again exists for sufficient strong deceleration. Analytic results, which are consistent with the numerical results, are obtained in the limits of strong acceleration or deceleration, and for the asymptotic behaviour far from the boundary.
Probing the historical sources of the Mauritian miracle: sugar exporters and state building in colonial Mauritius
Authors: Saylor Ryan 
Published: September 2012

Scholars increasingly agree that the ‘Mauritian Miracle’ was enabled by the country's significant level of state capacity. This article probes Mauritius's state-building past to identify the early sources of Mauritian state capacity. Specifically, I find that the close collaboration between the island's export-oriented sugar planters, known as the Franco-Mauritians, and colonial officials accounts for the growth of Mauritian state capacity during the nineteenth century. Following the island's first major commodity boom, in 1825, sugar planters pressed colonial officials to ‘regulate’ the island's labour supply, improve its transportation infrastructure, and undertake research and development initiatives. These efforts collectively promoted the growth of state capacity and laid the groundwork for the country's relatively capable state. The influence of Mauritius's export-oriented coalition on state building may shed light on the country's comparative success to other African countries, where export-oriented coalitions have been rare both historically and in the contemporary era.
[Sonder les sources historiques du miracle mauricien: les exportateurs de sucre et la construction des bâtiments dans les colonies de l'Etat de l'île Maurice.] De plus en plus, les chercheurs s'accordent à dire que le « miracle mauricien » a été activé par le niveau important du pays par sa capacité d'État. Cet article fait un bilan du domaine de construction dans le passé par l'État Mauricien afin d'identifier les sources préalables de capacité pour l'État mauricien. Plus précisément, je trouve que la collaboration étroite entre les planteurs de canne à sucre de l'île orientés vers l'exportation, lesquels étaient connus sous la désignation de Franco-Mauriciens et des fonctionnaires coloniaux, compte pour la croissance de la capacité de l'État mauricien au cours du dix-neuvième siècle. A la suite de l'explosion de la principale marchandise en 1825, les planteurs de sucre ont fait pression sur les autorités coloniales de « régulariser » les conditions de la main d'œuvre sur l'île, d'améliorer ses infrastructures de transport, et d'entreprendre des initiatives de recherche et développement. Ces efforts ont collectivement contribué à promouvoir la croissance de la capacité de l'État et jeté les bases d'état relativement capables pour le pays. L'influence de la coalition d'exportation de l'île Maurice sur l'édification de l'État peut apporter de la lumière sur le succès comparatif du pays par rapport à d'autres pays africains, où des coalitions axées sur l'exportation ont été rares à la fois historiquement et à l'époque contemporaine.

Mots-clés: L'île Maurice; les exportations de sucre; l'explosion des matières premières; les coalitions; l'édification de l'État; le développement politique
Re‐sequencing of ankyrin 3 exon 48 and case‐control association analysis of rare variants in bipolar disorder type I
Authors: Doyle Glenn A , Lai Alison T , Chou Andrew D , Wang Min‐Jung , Gai Xiaowu , Rappaport Eric F , Berrettini Wade H 
Published: September 2012

Doyle GA, Lai AT, Chou AD, Wang M‐J, Gai X, Rappaport EF, Berrettini WH. Re‐sequencing of ankyrin 3 exon 48 and case‐control association analysis of rare variants in bipolar disorder type I. Bipolar Disord 2012: 14: 809–821. © 2012 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.Objectives:  Genome‐wide association studies (GWAS) recently identified ankyrin 3 (ANK3) as a candidate gene for bipolar disorder type I (BPD‐I). Because the GWAS suggested multiple common haplotypes associated with BPD‐I (with odds ratio ∼1.3), we hypothesized that rare variants within these common haplotypes might increase risk for BPD‐I.Methods:  We undertook a project in which the serine‐rich domain–tail domain (SRD‐TD)‐encoding exon of ANK3 was amplified from genomic DNA (gDNA) of 384 BPD‐I patients and re‐sequenced by next generation sequencing (NGS; SOLiD™).Results:  We confirmed 18 novel mis‐sense rare variants and one novel insertion/deletion variant within the SRD‐TD exon, many of which change amino acid residues with extremely high evolutionary conservation. We genotyped most of these mis‐sense variants in ≥ 1000 BPD‐I and ≥ 1000 control individuals. We found no statistically significant association of any of the rare variants detected with BPD‐I.Conclusions:  Thus, we conclude that rare variants within the re‐sequenced structural domains of ANK3 exon 48 do not contribute to BPD‐I.
Chances and limits of an improved method to assess water resistance of cosmetic sunscreen products in vitro on polymethylmethacrylate plates
Authors: Bielfeldt S. , Röck C. , Wilhelm K.‐P. 
Published: September 2012

SynopsisWhile sun protection factor (SPF) and UVA protection are the most important determinants of a cosmetic sunscreen product, water resistance is the third important feature. The Colipa in vivo method is the internationally accepted standard method to assess water resistance. It is time‐consuming and expensive. A screening method to quickly predict water resistance properties on low cost therefore is a specific request of product developers. Several in vitro screening methods are published but the predictive power of all these methods is limited. In this paper, we describe an adaptation of the in vitro UVA protection method of Colipa for a water resistance screening. Although the method is quick and most parts are standardized and approved by Colipa, the results were not in advantage of other published screening methods. Taking into account, the scatter of the results, seven of 16 sunscreen products that were developed as water resistant formulations could be unambiguously estimated to be water resistant by the in vivo water resistance screening method on five subjects while nine failed. In 10 of these 16 results, the in vitro SPF‐based method was in accordance with in vivo findings, whereas in six cases, the method was not predicting correctly. Based on these results, the authors recommend to use the in vitro screening methods to pre‐select from candidates which cannot all be tested in vivo. The pre‐selected products can be screened in the Colipa in vivo water resistance method with a reduced number of volunteers (usually 5) to predict water resistance. In case, the water resistance estimated in such an in vivo screening is found at about 65% or higher the study can be deemed successful and completed with further subjects to fulfil the Colipa requirements.
The phenolic profiles and antioxidant activity in different types of tea
Authors: Yang Jun , Liu Rui H. 
Published: September 2012

SummaryPhenolics are suggested to be the major bioactive compounds responsible for the health benefits of tea. Seven types of tea were extracted using boiling water. The extraction kinetics was investigated. To more fully characterise the antioxidant profiles and possible associated health benefits of these tea types, the total water‐soluble solid content, phenolics, flavonoids, and antioxidant and antiproliferative activities were quantified. Green tea leaves (GTL) were found to have the highest phenolic content (128.7 ± 1.7 mg g−1, P < 0.05), followed by teas of decaffeinated green tea bag (dGTB), green tea bag (GTB), black tea bag (BTB), decaffeinated BTB, black tea leaves and oolong tea leaves (OTL). Among the three leaf teas, GT displayed the greatest antioxidant activity (4850.2 ± 60.7 μmol g−1, P < 0.05), followed by black tea (BT) and oolong tea (OT). As for the four bag teas, decaffeinated GT possessed the strongest antioxidant activity (4431.1 ± 335.0 μmol g−1, P < 0.05), followed by GT, BT and decaffeinated BT. The results display that phenolic/flavonoid content well correlated with antioxidant activity. Proliferation of three human cancer cells was significantly inhibited in a dose‐dependent manner after exposure to some tea extracts. This may influence consumers in selecting the type of tea and tea brewing times, exhibiting greater health benefits.
Optimised methodology for carboxymethylation of (1→3)‐β‐d‐glucan from Yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and promotion of mechanical activation
Authors: Ding, Junzhou , Wang, Yufang , Xiong, Shanbai , Zhao Siming , Huang Qilin 
Published: September 2012

SummaryWith a view to utilise yeast (1→3)‐β‐d‐glucan as biological response modifiers with better water solubility, carboxymethylation was carried out by a two‐step alkalisation and etherification with monochloroacetic acid. Four technological parameters of carboxymethylation were investigated by orthogonal experiments for obtaining the maximum degree of substitution (DS), apparent viscosity (η) and solubility of carboxymethyl derivatives. In view of the orthogonal analysis, the optimal technological parameters were reaction temperature 50 °C, total reaction time 5 h, 3 mL of 50% sodium hydroxide as the second alkali dosage and 15 mL of 4 m chloroacetic acid. In addition, it was found that ball milling pretreatment for original (1→3)‐β‐d‐glucan can be an advantage for carboxymethylation. By contrast, DS, η and solubility of carboxymethyl product increased 24%, 6% and 22%, respectively, suggesting the effect of ball milling pretreatment could not be neglected on improvement of DS, η and solubility for carboxymethyl products.
Varicella zoster central nervous system vasculitis after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant successfully treated with cyclophosphamide
Authors: Molina B. , Gonzalez‐Vicent M. , Albi G. , Andión M. , Herrero B. , Sevilla J. , Díaz M.A. 
Published: September 2012

AbstractWe report the first case of varicella zoster central nervous system vasculitis, to our knowledge, which responded to intravenous pulses of cyclophosphamide in an immunocompromised child with severe and progressive disease, without sequelae.
African American Serial Killers: Over‐Represented Yet Underacknowledged
Authors: Branson Allan L. 
Published: September 2012

Abstract‘Can you name an African American (black) serial killer?’ In the US, the answer is often silence. For those who can remember, it might be Wayne Williams, the so‐called ‘Atlanta child murderer’. More astute individuals could mention the more recent D.C. Snipers who, while not comparable to the traditional media portrayals of serial killers, do qualify as such, based on the FBI's assessment. The existence of African American serial killers is a fact that appears to have escaped the attention of the American public. Previous research has identified 90 black serial killers beginning in 1945, yet their notoriety and celebrity are absent from America's popular cultural landscape. Despite the fact that numerous television shows, news reports and films address serial murder in fictional and non‐fictional portrayals, there remains a dearth of information and portrayals regarding black serial killers. This is an interesting conundrum. The media show little reticence in portraying black males as low‐level criminals, but rarely portray them as serial killers. This article suggests that the unquestioned ethnocentric profile of the serial killer as a white male in the US was created by the FBI, and subsequent media portrayals have reinforced this myth. Consequently, the predominant media portrayals of serial murderers are white male perpetrators. The impact of race‐based assumptions among law enforcement agencies and the public regarding the criminality of any group poses a danger to that whole society.
The Next Link in the Chain Reaction: Symbolic Racism and Obama's Religious Affiliation
Authors: Maxwell Angie , Dowe Pearl Ford , Shields Todd 
Published: September 2012

ObjectivesDuring the 2008 presidential election, questions about Barack Obama's religious affiliations spread rapidly over the Internet and became a regular story in the national news. Despite Obama's repeated testimony that he is a Christian, surveys indicated that a sizeable portion of the public believed that he was a Muslim, while others indicated that they were “unsure” of his religious allegiances. We evaluate the extent to which racial attitudes played a role in how the public viewed Obama's religious affiliations.MethodsWe used nationally representative surveys conducted by the Pew Foundation and a state‐level survey conducted in Arkansas.ResultsOur findings suggest that attitudes about Obama's religious affiliation were significantly influenced by symbolic racism.ConclusionsThese findings suggest that the American public dialogue about racial politics has evolved in recent years to include religious denominations.