bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Archaeal ribosomal stalk protein interacts with translation factors in a nucleotide-independent manner via its conserved C terminus
Authors: Nomura Naoko , Honda Takayoshi , Baba Kentaro , Naganuma Takao , Tanzawa Takehito , Arisaka Fumio , Noda Masanori , Uchiyama Susumu , Tanaka Isao , Yao Min , Uchiumi Toshio 
Published: February 2012

Protein synthesis on the ribosome requires translational GTPase factors to bind to the ribosome in the GTP-bound form, take individual actions that are coupled with GTP hydrolysis, and dissociate, usually in the GDP-bound form. The multiple copies of the flexible ribosomal stalk protein play an important role in these processes. Using biochemical approaches and the stalk protein from a hyperthermophilic archaeon,
Pyrococcus horikoshii
, we here provide evidence that the conserved C terminus of the stalk protein aP1 binds directly to domain I of the elongation factor aEF-2, irrespective of whether aEF-2 is bound to GTP or GDP. Site-directed mutagenesis revealed that four hydrophobic amino acids at the C terminus of aP1, Leu-100, 103, 106, and Phe-107, are crucial for the direct binding. P1 was also found to bind to the initiation factor aIF5B, as well as aEF-1α, but not aIF2γ, via its C terminus. Moreover, analytical ultracentrifugation and gel mobility shift analyses showed that a heptameric complex of aP1 and aP0, aP0(aP1)
2
(aP1)
2
(aP1)
2
, can bind multiple aEF-2 molecules simultaneously, which suggests that individual copies of the stalk protein are accessible to the factor. The functional significance of the C terminus of the stalk protein was also shown using the eukaryotic proteins P1/P2 and P0. It is likely that the conserved C terminus of the stalk proteins of archaea and eukaryotes can bind to translation factors both before and after GTP hydrolysis. This consistent binding ability of the stalk protein may contribute to maintaining high concentrations of translation factors around the ribosome, thus promoting translational efficiency.
H‐Ras increases release of sphingosine resulting in down‐regulation of TSP‐1 in non‐transformed cells
Authors: Kalas Wojciech , Rybka Jacek , Swiderek Ewelina , Ziolo Ewa , Rybka Wojciech , Gamian Andrzej , Rak Janusz , Strzadala Leon 
Published: February 2012

SummaryTumour progression is continuously driven by a sequence of genetic events. The presence of mutant or activated Ras proteins represents an interesting paradigm for the investigation of oncogene‐dependent induction of tumour angiogenesis. These genes are widely distributed in human cancers. Previously we have shown that cells harbouring mutant H‐Ras release soluble unidentified factor(s) associated with lowered expression of an angiogenesis inhibitor – Thrombospondin‐1 – (TSP‐1) in adjacent normal tissue. In this study, we have addressed the question as to whether or not introduction of the H‐ras oncogene leads to increased production of sphingosine. To assess the amount of sphingosine in conditioned media, we developed a technique based on sphingolipid isolation and GC‐MSMS detection of specific silylated sphingosine derivatives. Cells harbouring mutant H‐Ras, release significant amounts of sphingosine in contrast to normal isogenic cells or premalignant cells. Increased concentration of sphingosine in conditioned media was correlated with their ability to down‐regulate the expression of TSP‐1. Moreover, medium collected in the presence of U0126, an inhibitor of MAPK kinase (MEK), contained undetectable amounts of sphingosine and had no ability to down‐regulate TSP‐1 expression. Overall, our studies suggest a H‐Ras‐dependent mechanism of changing the equilibrium of angiogenic factors in favour of induction of angiogenesis, where a central role is played by sphingosine, a low molecular entity. This represents an example of how a mechanism of translating genetic changes within transformed cells could be amplified into a much larger effect involving the tumour parenchyma and stroma, and this could greatly in turn accelerate local tumour growth and metastasis.
Improved microbial and sensory quality of clams (Venerupis rhomboideus), oysters (Ostrea edulis) and mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) by refrigeration in a slurry ice packaging system
Authors: Rey Minia S. , Miranda José M. , Aubourg Santiago , Barros‐Velázquez Jorge 
Published: February 2012

SummaryThe aim of this work was to evaluate a slurry ice (SI) packaging system on three bivalve species: clams (Venerupis rhomboideus), oysters (Ostrea edulis) and mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis). Comparative analyses were performed on specimens caught in autumn and spring and compared to batches stored in conventional flake ice. Microbiological analysis of autumn specimens stored in SI showed significantly (P < 0.05) reduced numbers of mesophiles and psychrotrophs in all three species, as well as fewer Enterobacteriaceae in clams and oysters. Spring specimens also exhibited significantly (P < 0.05) lower microbial loads, with SI storage significantly (P < 0.05) improving the control of mesophiles, psychrotrophs and proteolytic bacteria in clams and oysters. Sensory analysis correlated well with microbial analyses, with a significantly (P < 0.05) better quality in terms of odour, taste, juiciness, appearance and shelf life. The SI packaging system evaluated in this work proved to be a valuable method for maintaining quality of these bivalve species.
Law, Morality, and the Existence of Human Rights*
Authors: ALEXY ROBERT 
Published: February 2012

AbstractIn the debate between positivism and non‐positivism the argument from relativism plays a pivotal role. The argument from relativism, as put forward, for instance, by Hans Kelsen, says, first, that a necessary connection between law and morality presupposes the existence of absolute, objective, or necessary moral elements, and, second, that no such absolute, objective, or necessary moral elements exist. My reply to this is that absolute, objective, or necessary moral elements do exist, for human rights exist, and human rights exist because they are justifiable.
Development of Peer‐Group‐Classification Criteria for the Comparison of Cost Efficiency among General Hospitals under the Korean NHI Program
Authors: Kang Hee‐Chung , Hong Jae‐Seok , Park Heon‐Jin 
Published: February 2012

ObjectivesTo classify general hospitals into homogeneous systematic‐risk groups in order to compare cost efficiency and propose peer‐group‐classification criteria.Data SourcesHealth care institution registration data and inpatient‐episode‐based claims data submitted by the Korea National Health Insurance system to the Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service from July 2007 to December 2009.Study DesignCluster analysis was performed to classify general hospitals into peer groups based on similarities in hospital characteristics, case mix complexity, and service‐distribution characteristics. Classification criteria reflecting clustering were developed. To test whether the new peer groups better adjusted for differences in systematic risks among peer groups, we compared the R2 statistics of the current and proposed peer groups according to total variations in medical costs per episode and case mix indices influencing the cost efficiency.Data CollectionA total of 1,236,471 inpatient episodes were constructed for 222 general hospitals in 2008.Principal FindingsNew criteria were developed to classify general hospitals into three peer groups (large general hospitals, small and medium general hospitals treating severe cases, and small and medium general hospitals) according to size and case mix index.ConclusionsThis study provides information about using peer grouping to enhance fairness in the performance assessment of health care providers.
Genetic variation and significant association of polymorphism rs7700944 G>A of TIM‐4 gene with rheumatoid arthritis susceptibility in Chinese Han and Hui populations
Authors: Xu J. , Yang Y. , Liu X. , Wang Y. 
Published: February 2012

SummaryThe T‐cell immunoglobulin and mucin domains 1 (TIM‐1) and 3 (TIM‐3) have been shown to be associated with susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in many ethnicities. In this study, we investigated the rs7700944 polymorphism of the intron region of TIM‐4 gene in Chinese Han and Hui populations, with and without RA in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region of China. Our results demonstrated genetic variations of the TIM‐4 gene, along with significantly different distributions of genotypes and alleles at rs7700944 site in these two populations, with or without RA (P < 0.01). In addition, a strong association between the polymorphism with RA susceptibility was found in the studies of Chinese Han and Hui ethnic groups (P < 0.01), although the risk genotype contributed to RA susceptibility was different between the Han and Hui groups (P < 0.01). The AG was the risk genotype for RA in Han population, while GG was the risk genotype at rs7700944 site of TIM‐4 gene in Hui ethnicity. In addition to the genotype, the risk alleles of this single nucleotide polymorphism for RA in these two populations were also different, individuals with A allele was more susceptible to RA in Chinese Han [odds ratio (OR) = 1.930; 95% CI 1.412, 2.636; P < 0.01], but the risk allele in Hui was G in this study (OR = 1.823; 95% CI 1.330, 2.498; P < 0.01). These findings strongly suggest that polymorphism of rs7700944 of TIM‐4 may be a potential genetic variant among distinguished populations, as well as an important genetic factor associated with the RA susceptibility in many ethnicities.
A study comparing the retail drug prices between Northern Malaysia and Australia
Authors: Hassali Mohamed Azmi , Shafie Asrul Akmal , Babar Zaheer-Ud-Din , Khan Tahir Mehmood 
Published: February 2012

Abstract

Objectives
The current study aims to compare the retail prices of the 10 most prescribed drugs in Northern Malaysia and Australia.

Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted to compare the retail prices of the 10 most used prescription medications in Penang, Malaysia, with the retail prices of the same drugs in Australia. Data collection was done using a standard form. Percentage difference was calculated using simple mathematical formulae in Microsoft Excel.

Key findings
Findings demonstrate that the mean retail drug prices in Penang, Malaysia, were 30.30–148.28% higher than the mean retail prices in Australia. In addition, variation between retail prices was also noticed between pharmacies in Penang, with a difference between highest and lowest of 80%.

Conclusion
Malaysia has average higher retail prescription drug prices compared to Australia due to the lack of pharmaceutical market regulation, which could impose limits on prices, profits and total spending on pharmaceuticals.
Increased radial diffusivity in spinal cord lesions in neuromyelitis optica compared with multiple sclerosis
Authors: Klawiter Eric C , Xu Junqian , Naismith Robert T , Benzinger Tammie LS , Shimony Joshua S , Lancia Samantha , Snyder Abraham Z , Trinkaus Kathryn , Song Sheng-Kwei , Cross Anne H 
Published: February 2012

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuromyelitis optica (NMO) both affect spinal cord with notable differences in pathology. Objective: Determine the utility of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to differentiate the spinal cord lesions of NMO from MS within and outside T2 lesions. Methods: Subjects greater than or equal to 12 months from a clinical episode of transverse myelitis underwent a novel transaxial cervical spinal cord DTI sequence. Ten subjects with NMO, 10 with MS and 10 healthy controls were included. Results: Within T2 affected white matter regions, radial diffusivity was increased in both NMO and MS compared with healthy controls ( p<0.001, respectively), and to a greater extent in NMO than MS ( p<0.001). Axial diffusivity was decreased in T2 lesions in both NMO and MS compared with controls ( p<0.001, p=0.001), but did not differ between the two diseases. Radial diffusivity and fractional anisotropy within white matter regions upstream and downstream of T2 lesions were different from controls in each disease. Conclusions: Higher radial diffusivity within spinal cord white matter tracts derived from diffusion tensor imaging were appreciated in NMO compared with MS, consistent with the known greater tissue destruction seen in NMO. DTI also detected tissue alterations outside T2 lesions and may be a surrogate of anterograde and retrograde degeneration.
Corticospinal output during muscular fatigue differs in multiple sclerosis patients compared to healthy controls
Authors: Scheidegger O , Kamm CP , Humpert SJ , Rösler KM 
Published: February 2012

Background: In multiple sclerosis (MS), fatigue is a common and often disabling symptom. It has multiple causes with central motor fatigue playing an important role. Objective: The objective of this study was to analyse the central motor conduction changes in relation to muscle contraction force during muscle fatigue and recovery in MS patients compared to healthy controls. Methods: A total of 23 MS patients with fatigue and 13 healthy subjects were assessed during 2 minutes of fatiguing exercise of the abductor digiti minimi muscle of the hand and the subsequent 7 minutes of recovery. Central motor conduction was quantified by transcranial magnetic stimulation using the triple stimulation protocol and calculating a central conduction index (CCI). Results: Force declined to 36% of the pre-exercise level (SD 16%; p < 0.01) in MS patients and to 44% (SD 9%, p < 0.01) in healthy subjects (group differences, not statistically significant). The decline of the CCI was significantly less marked in patients (–20%, SD 26%, p < 0.05) than in healthy subjects (–57%, SD 15%, p < 0.05; group differences, p < 0.05). The decline of force and CCI were not correlated in either group. Conclusions: During a fatiguing exercise, the decline in central motor conduction is significantly less pronounced in MS patients than healthy subjects, although the reduction of force is similar.
Caveolin-1 expression is elevated in claudin-low mammary tumor cells
Authors: Thompson Devan E , Siwicky Megan D , Moorehead Roger A 
Published: February 2012

Abstract

Background
Caveolin-1 is a scaffolding protein found in plasma membrane invaginations known as caveolae. Caveolin-1 can regulate a number of intracellular processes such as signal transduction, cholesterol metabolism and vesicular transport. With respect to breast cancer caveolin-1 has been observed in both tumor cells and stromal cells surrounding tumors however most of the recent research has focused on how the loss of caveolin-1 in the stromal cells surrounding the tumor alters the tumor microenvironment.

Methods
Caveolin-1 expression was evaluated in (1) mammary tumors induced by the transgenic overexpression of the type I insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-IR), (2) mammary tumors that became independent of IGF-IR signalling and acquired a claudin-low genotype, (3) two murine mammary epithelial tumor cell lines and (4) two murine mammary claudin-low tumor cell lines.

Results
We found that mammary tumors induced by IGF-IR overexpression expressed low levels of caveolin-1 while mammary tumors that became independent of IGF-IR signalling expressed considerably higher levels of caveolin-1. Interestingly, pockets of caveolin-1 positive cells could be observed in some of the IGF-IR-induced mammary tumors and these caveolin-1 positive cells were associated with tumor cells that expressed basal cytokeratins (cytokeratins 5 and 14). This caveolin-1 expression pattern was maintained in the murine mammary tumor cell lines in that the epithelial mammary tumor cell lines expressed little or no caveolin-1 while the claudin-low cell lines expressed caveolin-1.

Conclusions
Our model indicates that mammary tumor cells with epithelial characteristics lack caveolin-1 while mesenchymal tumor cells express caveolin-1 suggesting that caveolin-1 may serve as a marker of mammary tumor cells with mesenchymal characteristics such as claudin-low breast tumors.
The Preposterous Postness of Being: The Case of a Recent Bulgarian Adaptation of The Tempest
Authors: Niagolov Georgi 
Published: February 2012

It has been acknowledged that following the political changes of 1989, The Tempest has noticeably engaged the interest of Bulgarian theater directors and audiences. The present article continues this discussion by exploring Stefan Moskov's Bad Weather Makes a Good Story - an adaptation (rather a complete rewriting) of The Tempest . In Moskov's characteristic style the production dismantles and derides all familiar structures, jumbles registers, and drives the audience to the very verge of absurdity. Francis Drake defeats the Spanish Armada and becomes famous. People lose interest in theater and sail off to explore new territories. To avenge himself Shakespeare invents an island (he discovers it before Drake) and populates it with strange creatures and happenings. The characters are ordinary people from the street (an allusion to Moskov's well-known Pythonesque comic TV programme The Street ) who stop by a theatre poster advertising The Tempest and enter their own version of the play. The Bard appears on the stage hidden behind a cliché mask nervously inquiring "Who am I, he, she or they?" and scolding the actors for their deviations from his text. Then, his mother turns up to scold him and call him home for supper. In a word: Moskov's Bad Weather is an extreme example of art tempestuously liberating itself from all constraints - a preposterous post-Shakespeare which holds a mirror up to the curious case of contemporary Bulgarians who have eventually found themselves washed out upon a post-colonial, post-communist, postmodern, post-structural, post-ideological, post-rational, post-literate, post-et-cetera bank and shoal of time.
No 'Happy Wrecks' - Pessimism and Suffering in Krzysztof Warlikowski's Adaptation of The Tempest by William Shakespeare
Authors: Sakowska Aleksandra 
Published: February 2012

Krzysztof Warlikowski's 2003 production of The Tempest remains one of the most memorable in Poland: an avant-garde staging by a distinguished director, both politically aware and commercial. This essay addresses the historical, political and theatrical contexts of Warlikowski's Tempest, and explores the nuances of the production, in order to establish it as an important statement on early 21 st -century disillusionment. Having located Warlikowski's interpretation within the canon of 20 th and 21 st- century Polish Tempests , it is then considered in terms of its reaction to then-current issues surrounding the reestablishment of democracy in the country. Warlikowsi's political engagement is analysed in specific terms - as with his Gonzalo's impression of newspaper editor Adam Michnik - and more generally: deliberately awkward performances, unsettling modernisations, and ironic use of Polish folk iconography contributed to an atmosphere of political pessimism and psychological suffering. Prospero's uneasy relationships with Miranda and a newly-female Caliban and Ariel are explored as a conduit for Warlikowski's anger at Poland's social barriers, patriarchal dominance, and matters of gender identity. Finally, the essay questions Warlikowski's sacrifice of the traditionally 'universal' Tempest in favour of topicality, asking whether the production - or the aforementioned interpretations thereof - will stand the test of time.
Nationalizing Volpone in French Cinema and Television: Mediating Jonson through Molière, Shakespeare and Popular Screen Comedy
Authors: Hatchuel Sarah , Vienne-Guerrin Nathalie 
Published: February 2012

This article considers the challenges Jonson's Volpone presents to contemporary performance, where its apparent resistance to comprehension and apprehension frequently results in adaptation. In spite of this, Volpone has captivated the French imagination, resulting in a prominent national tradition of adapting and performing Jonson's work, evidenced by four screen versions: Maurice Tourneur's 1941 cinematic adaptation and Frédéric Auburtin's television film (2003), as well as two filmed theatre productions, directed by Jean Mayer (1978) and Francis Perrin (2001). The adaptations are the result of a re-mediation process which has taken the Jacobean play to French stages and screens in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, turning Jonson's work into a specifically 'French' item through more familiar cultural codes such as Molière, Shakespeare, and screen comedy. Through a focus on each film's insistence on the layers of rewriting that separate them from Jonson's text, the article considers how each screen adaptation both figures and disfigures its early modern source while acknowledging its debt to the Jacobean playwright, and their aesthetic and ideological consequences to specific moments of French culture. Such layers of rewriting reveal both the play's flexibility and malleability while also indicating its paradoxical resistance to adaptation, particularly in the play's ending, which is significantly altered in each of the four adaptations. These alternative endings, the article suggests, destabilise the original's categorisation of comedy mixed with dark satire and are suggestive of the early modern source text having lost significance in the eyes of French film and theatre practitioners and their audiences.
"What governs life": Švankmajer's Faust in Prague
Authors: Drábek Pavel , North Dan 
Published: February 2012

In this article, Drabek and North examine Czech filmmaker Jan Švankmajer's adaptation of the Faust legend in 1994. Svankmajer's Lekce Faust follows three previous adaptations that he worked on : Emil Radok's short film, Johannes Doktor Faust (1958), as well as two theatre productions he staged himself in 1962 and in the early 1980s. Drabek and North begin by anaylsing the construction of Svankmajer's Faust, noting the stylistic differences from Marlowe's version of the character. Furthermore, Drabek and North argue that Švankmajer does not simply transplant the legend into a contemporary Prague, but infuses the 'folkloric, alchemical history of Prague' into the film. The article also discusses Švankmajer's use of marionette theatre elements in Lekce Faust , focussing on the figure of the puppet and its ability to interrogate the materiality and the function of the body in the film. In contrast to the puppet, Drabek and North note that Švankmajer 'mechanises' his Faust, paying close attention to the organic processes and needs of his body, in particular, his tongue. By drawing influences from marionette theatre, Švankmajer is able to comment on both previous adaptations of the legend and the rich tissue of Faust myths, as well as a turbulent, post-communist Prague.
Molecular perspective of MoS2/Co unsupported catalyst using computer assisted TEM simulations
Authors: Ramos Manuel , Serrano-Matos Joseph , Martinez-Soto Eduan , Torres Brenda , Berhault Gilles , Ferrer Domingo , Farias-Mancilla José Rurik , Chianelli Russell R. 
Published: February 2012

ABSTRACTUnderstanding the morphology of catalytically active materials has been approached successfully in past decades using field electron microscopy in scanning and transmission modes. In this respect, some simulated TEM measurements for unsupported promoted molybdenum di-sulfide (MoS2/Co) provided some insights about molecular structure in those catalytic layered transition metal sulfides (LTMS). However, due to poor resolution, lack of color enhancement, and other factors, sections of those materials observed under TEM do not resolve the structure by itself; in particular about the localization of cobalt atoms for promoted MoS2 unsupported catalyst. This work concludes an epitaxial growth of MoS2 slabs over (111)-Co9S8 crystallographic plane, with a stacking degree size of 6 slabs. Results presented in here are obtained using experimental HRTEM and TEM simulations using the multi-slice method with a slice thickness of 25 Å and projected potential$f(U) = \sum\limits_{i = 1}^n {a_i e^{(- b_i U^2)} } $, where ai and bi are coefficients to be determined.