bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Relationship between nature of science understandings and argumentation skills: A role for counterargument and contextual factors
Authors: Khishfe Rola 
Published: February 2012

AbstractThe study investigated the relationship of high school students' understandings about nature of science (NOS) aspects and their argumentation skills in relation to two controversial socioscientific issues. The study was conducted in five schools selected from different geographical areas in Beirut, Lebanon. Participants were 219 grade 11 students. Students in all the schools were administered a survey that consisted of two scenarios that addressed the controversial socioscientific issues about genetically modified food and water fluoridation. The two scenarios were followed by questions relating to argumentation and NOS. The study used a mixed methods approach where quantitative and qualitative measures were employed. Analysis involved participants' views of the target NOS aspects (subjective, tentative, and empirical) and their argumentation components (argument, counterargument, and rebuttal). The Pearson analyses showed strong correlations between the counterargument, compared to argument and rebuttal, and the three NOS aspects. Further, the chi‐square analyses showed significant differences in participants' argumentation skills and NOS understandings between the two scenarios. Qualitative data from questionnaires and interviews further confirmed these findings. Two central implications for the teaching of NOS and argumentation skills were discussed in terms of highlighting the role of counterarguments and considering contextual factors that involve issue exposure and familiarity, prior content knowledge, and personal relevance. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 49: 489–514, 2012
Ellipsis: computation of
Authors: Kobele Greg 
Published: February 2012

AbstractA computational account of ellipsis should specify not only how the meaning of an elliptical sentence is computed in context but also a description of what is being computed. Many proposals can be divided into two groups, as per whether they compute the meaning of an elliptical sentence based on the semantic or the syntactic parts of its context. A unifying theme of these proposals is that they are all based on the idea that the meaning of an elliptical sentence is determinable based on a structured representation which is transformationally related to its surface syntactic structure.WIREs Cogn Sci2012, 3:411–418. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1168This article is categorized under:Linguistics > Computational Models of Language
Quality of life of methylphenidate treatment‐responsive adolescents with attention‐deficit/hyperactivity disorder
Authors: Yang Pin‐Chen , Lung For‐Wey , Chiou Shyh‐Shin , Yen Cheng‐Fang , Fuh Jong‐Ling 
Published: February 2012

AbstractQuality of life (QOL) in methylphenidate treatment‐responsive adolescents with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) was assessed. Patients were 12‐ to 18‐year‐old adolescents with ADHD (total n = 45) who had been on methylphenidate treatment for at least 3 months and were clinically judged to be improved. The self‐completed Taiwanese Quality of Life Questionnaire for Adolescents (TQOLQA) was used, and the resulting measures were compared between adolescents with ADHD and: (1) community adolescents (n = 2316); (2) treatment‐responsive adolescents with a chronic medical condition (i.e., adolescents with leukemia in its first and complete continuous remission for at least 3 years after chemotherapy) (n = 39). Patients' cognitive profile and their daily executive functioning were also obtained for analysis. The QOL of the treated adolescents with ADHD was reported to be worse than that of both the community healthy adolescents and the adolescent leukemia survivors in the self‐reported TQOLQA domain of “psychological well‐being”. Treated adolescents with ADHD still had impaired executive skills in natural, everyday environments, and the scores for daily executive abilities could predict the QOL measures. Factors besides pharmacotherapy should be explored to further improve the QOL of medication‐treated adolescents with ADHD.
The antinociceptive effect of acetaminophen in a rat model of neuropathic pain
Authors: Im Kyong‐Shil , Jung Hyun‐Ju , Kim Jong‐Bun , Lee Jae‐Myeong , Park Hue‐Jung , Joo Choong‐Hee , Moon Dong‐Eon 
Published: February 2012

AbstractAcetaminophen is one of the most popular and widely used analgesics for the treatment of pain and fever but few studies have evaluated its effects on neuropathic pain. This study examined the effect of acetaminophen on thermal hyperalgesia, mechanical and cold allodynia in a rat model of neuropathic pain. Male Sprague‐Dawley rats were prepared by tightly ligating the left L5 and L6 spinal nerves to produce a model of neuropathic pain. Sixty neuropathic rats were assigned randomly into six groups. Normal saline and acetaminophen (25, 50, 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg) were administered intraperitoneally to these individual groups. Thermal hyperalgesia, mechanical and cold allodynia were examined at preadministration and at 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240 and 360 min after administering the drug. Mechanical allodynia was quantified by measuring the paw withdrawal threshold to stimuli with von Frey filaments. Cold allodynia was quantified by measuring the frequency of foot lift after applying 100% acetone. Thermal hyperalgesia was quantified by measuring the thermal withdrawal threshold. The rotarod performance was measured to detect any drug‐induced adverse effects, such as drowsiness. The hepatic and renal adverse effect was also assessed by measuring the serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, blood urea nitrogen and creatinine. The paw withdrawal thresholds to mechanical stimuli and the thermal withdrawal threshold were increased significantly and withdrawal frequencies to cold stimuli were reduced by acetaminophen administration in a dose‐dependent manner. Acetaminophen reduces thermal hyperalgesia, mechanical and cold allodynia in a rat model of neuropathic pain, and might be useful for managing neuropathic pain.
Using known QTLs to detect directional epistatic interactions
Authors: SLATKIN MONTGOMERY , KIRKPATRICK MARK 
Published: February 2012

SummaryEpistasis plays important roles in evolution, for example in the evolution of recombination, but each of the current methods to study epistasis has limitations. Here, we propose a new strategy. If a quantitative trait locus (QTL) affecting a quantitative character has been identified, individuals who have the same genotype at that QTL can be regarded as comprising a subpopulation whose response to selection depends in part on interactions with other loci affecting the character. We define the marginal differences to be the differences in the average phenotypes of individuals with different genotypes of that QTL. We show that the response of the marginal differences to directional selection on the quantitative character depends on epistatic gene interactions. For a model with no interactions, the marginal differences do not differ on average from their starting values once linkage equilibrium has been re-established. If there is directional epistasis, meaning that interactions between the QTL and other loci tend to increase or decrease the character more than under an additive model, then the marginal differences will tend to increase or decrease accordingly when larger values of the character are selected for. We develop a likelihood ratio test for significant changes in the marginal differences and show that it has some power to detect directional epistasis for realistic sample sizes. We also show that epistatic interactions which affect the evolution of the marginal differences do not necessarily result in a substantial epistatic component of the genetic variance.
The on-line charge breeding program at TRIUMF's Ion Trap For Atomic and Nuclear Science for precision mass measurements
Authors: Simon M. C. , Bale J. C. , Chowdhury U. , Eberhardt B. , Ettenauer S. , Gallant A. T. , Jang F. , Lennarz A. , Luichtl M. , Ma T. , Robertson D. , Simon V. V. , Andreoiu C. , Brodeur M. , Brunner T. , Chaudhuri A. , Crespo López-Urrutia J. R. , Delheij P. , Frekers D. , Grossheim A. , Gwinner G. , Kwiatkowski A. A. , Lapierre A. , Mané E. , Pearson M. R. , Ringle R. , Schultz B. E. , Dilling J. 
Published: February 2012

TRIUMF's Ion Trap for Atomic and Nuclear science (TITAN) constitutes the only high precision mass measurement setup coupled to a rare isotope facility capable of increasing the charge state of short-lived nuclides prior to the actual mass determination in a Penning trap. Recent developments around TITAN's charge breeder, the electron beam ion trap, form the basis for several successful experiments on radioactive isotopes with half-lives as low as 65 ms and in charge states as high as 22+.
Evidence for an intermediate conformational state of LacY
Authors: Jiang Xiaoxu , Guan Lan , Zhou Yonggang , Hong Wen-Xu , Zhang Qinghai , Kaback H. Ronald 
Published: February 2012

LacY mutant Cys154 → Gly exhibits a periplasmic-closed crystal structure identical to the WT, but is periplasmic-open in the membrane. The mutant hardly catalyzes transport, but binds galactosides from either side of the membrane with the same affinity and is resistant to site-directed proteolysis relative to the pseudo-WT. Site-directed alkylation was also applied to 11 single-Cys mutants in Cys154 → Gly LacY in right-side-out membrane vesicles or after solubilization and purification in dodecyl-β-D-maltopyranoside (DDM). Unlike the pseudo-WT, Cys replacements on the periplasmic side of the Cys154 → Gly mutant label rapidly in the membrane without sugar, but labeling decreases markedly after the mutant proteins are purified. Thus, Cys154 → Gly LacY likely favors a higher-energy intermediate periplasmic-open conformation in situ, but collapses to a lower-energy periplasmic-closed conformation in DDM after purification. Notably, branched-chain or neopentyl glycol maltoside detergents stabilize Cys154 → Gly LacY in the membrane-embedded form.
Expression of an Entire Bacterial Operon in Plants
Authors: Mozes-Koch Rita , Gover Ofer , Tanne Edna , Peretz Yuval , Maori Eyal , Chernin Leonid , Sela Ilan 
Published: February 2012

Abstract
Multigene expression is required for metabolic engineering, i.e. coregulated expression of all genes in a metabolic pathway for the production of a desired secondary metabolite. To that end, several transgenic approaches have been attempted with limited success. Better success has been achieved by transforming plastids with operons. IL-60 is a platform of constructs driven from the geminivirus Tomato yellow leaf curl virus. We demonstrate that IL-60 enables nontransgenic expression of an entire bacterial operon in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants without the need for plastid (or any other) transformation. Delivery to the plant is simple, and the rate of expressing plants is close to 100%, eliminating the need for selectable markers. Using this platform, we show the expression of an entire metabolic pathway in plants and delivery of the end product secondary metabolite (pyrrolnitrin). Expression of this unique secondary metabolite resulted in the appearance of a unique plant phenotype disease resistance. Pyrrolnitrin production was already evident 2 d after application of the operon to plants and persisted throughout the plant's life span. Expression of entire metabolic pathways in plants is potentially beneficial for plant improvement, disease resistance, and biotechnological advances, such as commercial production of desired metabolites.
Cellular Force Microscopy for in Vivo Measurements of Plant Tissue Mechanics
Authors: Routier-Kierzkowska Anne-Lise , Weber Alain , Kochova Petra , Felekis Dimitris , Nelson Bradley J. , Kuhlemeier Cris , Smith Richard S. 
Published: February 2012

Abstract
Although growth and morphogenesis are controlled by genetics, physical shape change in plant tissue results from a balance between cell wall loosening and intracellular pressure. Despite recent work demonstrating a role for mechanical signals in morphogenesis, precise measurement of mechanical properties at the individual cell level remains a technical challenge. To address this challenge, we have developed cellular force microscopy (CFM), which combines the versatility of classical microindentation techniques with the high automation and resolution approaching that of atomic force microscopy. CFM’s large range of forces provides the possibility to map the apparent stiffness of both plasmolyzed and turgid tissue as well as to perform micropuncture of cells using very high stresses. CFM experiments reveal that, within a tissue, local stiffness measurements can vary with the level of turgor pressure in an unexpected way. Altogether, our results highlight the importance of detailed physically based simulations for the interpretation of microindentation results. CFM’s ability to be used both to assess and manipulate tissue mechanics makes it a method of choice to unravel the feedbacks between mechanics, genetics, and morphogenesis.
The Amino-Terminal Domain of Chloroplast Hsp93 Is Important for Its Membrane Association and Functions in Vivo
Authors: Chu Chiung-Chih , Li Hsou-min 
Published: February 2012

Abstract
Chloroplast 93-kD heat shock protein (Hsp93/ClpC), an Hsp100 family member, is suggested to have various functions in chloroplasts, including serving as the regulatory chaperone for the ClpP protease in the stroma and acting as a motor component of the protein translocon at the envelope. Indeed, although Hsp93 is a soluble stromal protein, a portion of it is associated with the inner envelope membrane. The mechanism and functional significance of this Hsp93 membrane association have not been determined. Here, we mapped the region important for Hsp93 membrane association by creating various deletion constructs and found that only the construct with the amino-terminal domain deleted, Hsp93-ƊN, had reduced membrane association. When transformed into Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), most atHsp93V-ƊN proteins did not associate with membranes and atHsp93V-ƊΝN failed to complement the pale-green and protein import-defective phenotypes of an hsp93V knockout mutant. The residual atHsp93V-ƊN at the membranes had further reduced association with the central protein translocon component Tic110. However, the degradation of chloroplast glutamine synthetase, a potential substrate for the ClpP protease, was not affected in the hsp93V mutant or in the atHSP93V-ƊN transgenic plants. Hsp93-ƊN also had the same ATPase activity as that of full-length Hsp93. These data suggest that the association of Hsp93 with the inner envelope membrane through its amino-terminal domain is important for the functions of Hsp93 in vivo.
Use of antidepressant serotoninergic medications and cardiac valvulopathy: a nested case–control study in the health improvement network (THIN) database
Authors: Lapi Francesco , Nicotra Federica , Scotti Lorenza , Vannacci Alfredo , Thompson Mary , Pieri Francesco , Mugelli Niccolò , Zambon Antonella , Corrao Giovanni , Mugelli Alessandro , Rubino Annalisa 
Published: February 2012

WHAT IS ALREADY KNOWN ABOUT THIS SUBJECT• Some medications can induce cardiac valvulopathy by acting on 5‐HT2B receptors.• Antidepressant serotoninergic medications may activate 5‐HT2B receptors via a direct or an indirect mechanism.WHAT THIS STUDY ADDS• These data do not appear to support an association between exposure to antidepressant serotoninergic medications and an increased risk of cardiac valvulopathy.AIMS To quantify the risk of cardiac valvulopathy (CV) associated with the use of antidepressant serotoninergic medications (SMs).METHODS We conducted a case–control study nested in a cohort of users of antidepressant SMs selected from The Health Improvement Network database. Patients who experienced a CV event during follow‐up were cases. Cases were ascertained in a random sample of them. Up to 10 controls were matched to each case by sex, age, month and year of the study entry. Use of antidepressant SMs during follow‐up was defined as current (the last prescription for antidepressant SMs occurred in the 2 months before the CV event), recent (in the 2–12 months before the CV event) and past (>12 months before the CV event). We fitted a conditional regression model to estimate the association between use of antidepressant SMs and the risk of CV by means of odds ratios (ORs) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Sensitivity analyses were conducted to test the robustness of our results.RESULTS The study cohort included 752 945 subjects aged 18–89 years. Throughout follow‐up, 1663 cases (incidence rate: 3.4 per 10 000 person‐years) of CV were detected and were matched to 16 566 controls. The adjusted OR (95% CI) for current and recent users compared with past users of antidepressant SMs were 1.16 (0.96–1.40) and 1.06 (0.93–1.22), respectively. Consistent effect estimates were obtained when considering cumulative exposure to antidepressant SMs during follow‐up.CONCLUSIONS These results would suggest that exposure to antidepressant SMs is not associated with an increased risk of CV.
Genetic and phenotypic variation in juvenile development in relation to temperature and developmental pathway in a geometrid moth
Authors: KIVELÄ S. M. , VÄLIMÄKI P. , MÄENPÄÄ M. I. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractLife histories show genetic population‐level variation due to spatial variation in selection pressures. Phenotypic plasticity in life histories is also common, facilitating fine‐tuning of the phenotype in relation to the prevailing selection regime. In multivoltine (≥ 2 generations per year) insects, individuals following alternative developmental pathways (diapause/direct development) experience different selection regimes. We studied the genetic and phenotypic components of juvenile development in Cabera exanthemata (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) in a factorial split‐brood experiment. F2 offspring of individuals originating from populations in northern and central Finland were divided among manipulations defined by temperature (14 °C/20 °C) and day length (24 h/15 h). Short day length invariably induced diapause, whereas continuous light almost invariably induced direct development in both regions, although northern populations are strictly univoltine in the wild. Individuals from northern Finland had higher growth rates, shorter development times and higher pupal masses than individuals from central Finland across the conditions, indicating genetic differences between regions. Individuals that developed directly into adults tended to have higher growth rates, shorter development times and higher pupal masses than those entering diapause, indicating phenotypic plasticity. Temperature‐induced plasticity was substantial; growth rate was much higher, development time much shorter and pupal mass higher at 20 °C than at 14 °C. The degree of plasticity in relation to developmental pathway was pronounced at 20 °C in growth rate and development time and at 14 °C in pupal mass, emphasizing multidimensionality of reaction norms. The observed genetic variation and developmental plasticity seem adaptive in relation to time‐stress due to seasonality.
Mortality impact of MON863 transgenic maize roots on western corn rootworm larvae in the field
Authors: Clark T. L. , Frank D. L. , French B. W. , Meinke L. J. , Moellenbeck D. , Vaughn T. T. , Hibbard B. E. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractMortality of western corn rootworm (Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) due to feeding on MON863 transgenic maize (Zea mays L.) expressing the Cry3Bb1 protein was evaluated at three Missouri sites in both 2003 and 2004 and at one site each in South Dakota, Nebraska and Iowa in 2004. To do this, survivorship relative to survivorship on isoline maize (i.e. the same genetic background, but without Cry3Bb1) was evaluated. Comparisons were made using low (1650–2500 eggs/m) and high (3300–3500 eggs/m) western corn rootworm egg densities. Significantly fewer beetles were recovered from MON863 than from isoline maize. Emergence from MON863 as a percentage of viable eggs ranged from 0.02% to 0.10%, whereas percentage emergence from isoline maize ranged from 1.09% to 7.14%. Survivorship on MON863 relative to survivorship on isoline averaged 1.51% when averaged across all environments and both years, so mortality because of the Cry3Bb1 protein averaged 98.49%. The average time delay to 50% cumulative beetle emergence from MON863 was 18.3 days later than from isoline maize. Females comprised 56% and 71% of total beetles recovered from MON863 in 2003 and 2004, respectively. Results are discussed in relation to insect resistance management (IRM) of western corn rootworm.
Psychology of earthquake‐induced stress cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction and non‐cardiac chest pain
Authors: Zarifeh J. A. , Mulder R. T. , Kerr A. J. , Chan C. W. , Bridgman P. G. 
Published: February 2012

AbstractAims:  To compare psychological factors in patients presenting to hospital with earthquake‐induced stress cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction (MI) and non‐cardiac chest pain. We hypothesised that patients with stress cardiomyopathy and non‐cardiac chest pain would be more psychologically vulnerable than those with MI.Methods:  Cardiology admitting staff in the week following the September 2010 Christchurch earthquake prospectively identified patients with earthquake‐precipitated chest pain. Males were excluded. All consenting women met diagnostic criteria for one of the three conditions. Patients underwent a semistructured interview with a senior clinical psychologist who was blind to the cardiac diagnosis. Premorbid psychological factors, experience of the earthquake and psychological response were assessed using a range of validated tools.Results:  Seventeen women were included in the study, six with stress cardiomyopathy, five with MI and six with non‐cardiac chest pain. Earthquake experiences were notably similar across the groups. Patients with non‐cardiac chest pain scored high on the hospital anxiety and depression scale, the health anxiety questionnaire, the Eysenck neuroticism scale and the Impact of Event scale. Women with stress cardiomyopathy scored as the most psychologically robust. Depression and extroversion scores were the same across groups.Conclusion:  Our hypothesis was incorrect. Women with non‐cardiac chest pain following an earthquake have higher anxiety and neuroticism scores than women with either MI or stress cardiomyopathy. Stress cardiomyopathy following an earthquake is not specific to psychologically vulnerable women. The psychology of natural disaster‐induced stress cardiomyopathy may differ from that of sporadic cases.