bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Perinatal course of Ebstein's anomaly and tricuspid valve dysplasia in the fetus
Authors: Lasa Javier J. , Tian Zhi‐Yun , Guo Rong , Rychik Jack 
Published: March 2012

ABSTRACTObjectiveWe sought to better define echocardiographic predictors of perinatal mortality in fetuses with Ebstein's anomaly (EA) or tricuspid valve dysplasia (TVD).MethodParameters included measured chamber size, the presence of hydrops, and Doppler recordings of the left ventricular (LV) myocardial performance index (MPI).ResultsBetween 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2008, 21 fetuses were diagnosed with either EA (17) or TVD (4). Five fetuses were lost to follow‐up, and 12 of 16 fetuses were born live (75%). Survivors were found to have smaller right atrial area index scores when compared with non‐survivors (1.025 ± 0312 vs 1.502 ± 0.105, respectively, p = 0.013) and were less likely to present with hydrops (0% survivors vs 75% of non‐survivors, p < 0.01). LV MPI sub‐analysis revealed a shorter combined isovolemic contraction and relaxation time for non‐survivors compared wth survivors (46.5 ± 8.2 ms vs 82.3 ± 21.2 ms, respectively, p = 0.004) although no difference was observed for LV ejection times or overall LV MPI between survivors and non‐survivors.ConclusionPhysiologic analysis of left ventricular function via the LV Tei index and its component measurements demonstrates potentially novel insights into hemodynamic derangements and their association with outcomes in patients with EA/TVD. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Calculation of the electron transfer coupling matrix element in diabatic reactions
Authors: Shoji Mitsuo , Hanaoka Kyohei , Sato Akimasa , Kondo Daiki , Yang Moon Young , Kamiya Katsumasa , Shiraishi Kenji 
Published: March 2012

AbstractElectron transfer coupling matrix elements, T values, are evaluated for three typical electron transfer (ET) systems: phenoxyl radical–phenol, DNA fragments, and copper‐containing nitrite reductase. Fragment charge difference method is improved by introducing the Pipek‐Mezey localization method. We found that T values are stably evaluated by using beta lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals, which are significantly more easily found compared to alpha ET orbitals. This technique is essential for metal‐containing ET systems. Redox‐active orbitals for the donor and accepter sites are derived by localizing the ET orbitals, and other related parameters such as the state energy gap and the localization index are also obtained. These orbitals and parameters are very useful to characterize their ET reactions. These practical techniques can be utilized for other general ET reactions. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Background Rates of Acute Mountain Sickness-Like Symptoms at Low Altitude in Adolescents Using Lake Louise Score
Authors: Dallimore Jon , Foley Jo-ai , Valentine Peter 
Published: March 2012

Objective To record the incidence of symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of acute mountain sickness (AMS), using the Lake Louise questionnaire, in adolescents hiking at low altitude. Methods The study was carried out on a cohort of 123 adolescents during a 3-day trip on Dartmoor, UK, at an altitude of less than 500 m. The incidence of symptoms experienced was measured using the Lake Louise questionnaire, which was completed twice daily by each participant. An episode consistent with AMS, but in the low altitude setting, was defined as a score of 3 or more on the Lake Louise questionnaire in the presence of a headache. Results There were 59 boys and 64 girls in the study with an average age of 16.7 years. The response rate was 100%. A total of 59 episodes of scores consistent with AMS was recorded during the 3-day period. Forty-two of these episodes were reported by girls (71%). AMS scores between 3 and 8 were recorded, and the daily incidence rates of scores consistent with AMS but at low altitude were between 7.3% and 11.3%. Conclusions This study shows that adolescents at low altitude reported a background incidence of symptoms that at high altitude would lead to a diagnosis of AMS.
HOW LAW PROTECTS DIGNITY
Authors: Waldron Jeremy 
Published: March 2012

AbstractOne way in which law protects dignity is by enforcing human rights provisions that explicitly prohibit degradation. But, as Lon Fuller and others have observed, law's connection with dignity is also deeper and more pervasive than this. In the way that its requirements are presented, in its procedures, in its sponsorship of argumentation, in treating people as equals, even in the distinctive way in which it makes use of coercion, law treats humans as dignified agents, capable of self-control, with a good sense of their own interests, and an ability to respond intelligently to its demands.
STABILITY OF SINGULAR JUMP-LINEAR SYSTEMS WITH A LARGE STATE SPACE: A TWO-TIME-SCALE APPROACH
Authors: NGUYEN DUNG TIEN , MAO XUERONG , YIN G. , YUAN CHENGGUI 
Published: March 2012

AbstractThis paper considers singular systems that involve both continuous dynamics and discrete events with the coefficients being modulated by a continuous-time Markov chain. The underlying systems have two distinct characteristics. First, the systems are singular, that is, characterized by a singular coefficient matrix. Second, the Markov chain of the modulating force has a large state space. We focus on stability of such hybrid singular systems. To carry out the analysis, we use a two-time-scale formulation, which is based on the rationale that, in a large-scale system, not all components or subsystems change at the same speed. To highlight the different rates of variation, we introduce a small parameter ε>0. Under suitable conditions, the system has a limit. We then use a perturbed Lyapunov function argument to show that if the limit system is stable then so is the original system in a suitable sense for ε small enough. This result presents a perspective on reduction of complexity from a stability point of view.
Lantibiotics from
Geobacillus thermodenitrificans
Authors: Garg Neha , Tang Weixin , Goto Yuki , Nair Satish K. , van der Donk Wilfred A. 
Published: March 2012

The lantibiotic nisin has been used as an effective food preservative to combat food-borne pathogens for over 40 y. Despite this successful use, nisin’s stability at pH 7 is limited. Herein, we describe a nisin analog encoded on the genome of the thermophilic bacterium
Geobacillus thermodenitrificans
NG80-2. This analog termed geobacillin I was obtained by heterologous expression in
Escherichia coli
and subsequent purification. Extensive NMR characterization demonstrated that geobacillin I contains seven thioether cross-links, two more than the five cross-links found in nisin and the most cross-links found in any lantibiotic to date. The antimicrobial spectrum of geobacillin I was generally similar to that of nisin A, with increased activity against
Streptococcus dysgalactiae
, one of the causative agents of bovine mastitis. Geobacillin I demonstrated increased stability compared to nisin A. In addition to geobacillin I, the genome of
G. thermodenitrificans
NG80-2 also contains a class II lantibiotic biosynthetic gene cluster. The corresponding compound was produced in
E. coli
, and has a ring topology different than that of any known lantibiotic as determined by tandem mass spectrometry. Interestingly, geobacillin II only demonstrated antimicrobial activity against
Bacillus
strains. Seven
Geobacillus
strains were screened for production of the geobacillins using whole-cell MALDI-MS and five were shown to produce geobacillin I, but none produced geobacillin II.
Structure of a hepatitis C virus RNA domain in complex with a translation inhibitor reveals a binding mode reminiscent of riboswitches
Authors: Dibrov Sergey M. , Ding Kejia , Brunn Nicholas D. , Parker Matthew A. , Bergdahl B. Mikael , Wyles David L. , Hermann Thomas 
Published: March 2012

The internal ribosome entry site (IRES) in the hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA genome is essential for the initiation of viral protein synthesis. IRES domains adopt well-defined folds that are potential targets for antiviral translation inhibitors. We have determined the three-dimensional structure of the IRES subdomain IIa in complex with a benzimidazole translation inhibitor at 2.2 Å resolution. Comparison to the structure of the unbound RNA in conjunction with studies of inhibitor binding to the target in solution demonstrate that the RNA undergoes a dramatic ligand-induced conformational adaptation to form a deep pocket that resembles the substrate binding sites in riboswitches. The presence of a well-defined ligand-binding pocket within the highly conserved IRES subdomain IIa holds promise for the development of unique anti-HCV drugs with a high barrier to resistance.
Partially collapsed cristobalite structure in the non molecular phase V in CO
2
Authors: Santoro Mario , Gorelli Federico A. , Bini Roberto , Haines Julien , Cambon Olivier , Levelut Claire , Montoya Javier A. , Scandolo Sandro 
Published: March 2012

Non molecular CO
2
has been an important subject of study in high pressure physics and chemistry for the past decade opening up a unique area of carbon chemistry. The phase diagram of CO
2
includes several non molecular phases above 30 GPa. Among these, the first discovered was CO
2
-V which appeared silica-like. Theoretical studies suggested that the structure of CO
2
-V is related to that of β-cristobalite with tetrahedral carbon coordination similar to silicon in SiO
2
, but reported experimental structural studies have been controversial. We have investigated CO
2
-V obtained from molecular CO
2
at 40–50 GPa and T > 1500 K using synchrotron X-ray diffraction, optical spectroscopy, and computer simulations. The structure refined by the Rietveld method is a partially collapsed variant of SiO
2
β-cristobalite, space group

, in which the CO
4
tetrahedra are tilted by 38.4° about the
c
-axis. The existence of CO
4
tetrahedra (average O-C-O angle of 109.5°) is thus confirmed. The results add to the knowledge of carbon chemistry with mineral phases similar to SiO
2
and potential implications for Earth and planetary interiors.
Finessing the fracture energy barrier in ballistic seed dispersal
Authors: Deegan Robert D. 
Published: March 2012

Fracture is a highly dissipative process in which much of the stored elastic energy is consumed in the creation of new surfaces. Surprisingly, many plants use fracture to launch their seeds despite its seemingly prohibitive energy cost. Here we use
Impatiens glandulifera
as model case to study the impact of fracture on a plant’s throwing capacity.
I. glandulifera
launches its seeds with speeds up to 4 m/s using cracks to trigger an explosive release of stored elastic energy. We find that the seed pod is optimally designed to minimize the cost of fracture. These characteristics may account for its success at invading Europe and North America.
Project Transfer comes of age?
Authors: MITCHELL Alison , WINTER Elizabeth L. 
Published: March 2012

ABSTRACTThe Transfer Code of Practice, first released in 2008, is a set of recommendations that establishes a baseline level of quality and performance in the event that a journal changes publisher. 2012 will see new developments from the Transfer Working Group, but there is still more work to be done to inform and educate all of the various constituencies involved in the journal transfer process.
Fluorescence‐based experimental model to evaluate the concomitant effect of drugs on the tumour microenvironment and cancer cells
Authors: Ramasamy Karthik , Khatun Hazera , Macpherson Lee , Caley Mathew P. , Sturge Justin , Mufti Ghulam J. , Schey Stephen A. , Calle Yolanda 
Published: March 2012

SummaryThe response of the tumour microenvironment to anti‐cancer drugs can influence treatment efficacy. Current drug‐screening methodologies fail to distinguish and quantify simultaneously the concomitant effect of drugs on the tumour stroma and cancer cells. To overcome this limitation we have developed a fluorescence‐based experimental model that employs mCherry‐labelled stromal cells (e.g. bone marrow fibroblastic stromal cells) co‐cultured in direct contact with enhanced green fluorescent protein‐labelled tumour cell lines for accurate assessment of proliferation and viability in both cell compartments and adhesion of tumour cells. Additionally, we used fluorescence‐based image analysis to determine morphological changes that correlate with cell function (e.g. morphology of the actin cytoskeleton and nuclearity of osteoclasts to predict their bone resorption activity). Using this platform we have revealed that dexamethasone induces HS5 fibroblast proliferation and contact with multiple myeloma cells via a process involving Src/c‐Abl kinases. Osteoclasts also inhibited dexamethasone‐induced apoptosis in myeloma cells while retaining their normal morphology and functionality in bone resorption. Myeloma resistance to dexamethasone mediated by HS5 cells and osteoclasts was reversed by treatment with the Src/c‐Abl inhibitor dasatinib but not with bortezomib. This new experimental platform provides a more precise screening of new therapeutics for improved efficacy of tumour cell killing within the bone marrow microenvironment.
Ex vivo expansion of cord blood progenitors impairs their short‐term and long‐term repopulating activity associated with transcriptional dysregulation of signalling networks
Authors: Holmes T. , Yan F. , Ko K.‐H. , Nordon R. , Song E. , O'Brien T. A. , Dolnikov A. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractObjectivesCord blood (CB) has been established to be an alternative source of haematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HPC) for transplantation. The number of HPC per CB unit is limited, which results in engraftment delay. Ex vivo expansion of HPC improvement must overcome this.Materials and methodsFlow cytometry was used to extensively phenotype HPC pre‐ and post‐expansion and CFDA‐SE staining was used to track cell divisions. The NSG mouse model was employed in transplantation studies to determine long and short term repopulation in human cells. Gene array analysis was used to evaluate signalling pathways regulated following ex vivo expansion of HPC.Resultsexpansion of CD34+ HPC impaired their regenerative function. In this xenograft transplantation model we showed that repopulating activity of CB cells declined following expansion. Expanded HPC had delayed engraftment at early and late stages post‐transplant. High resolution division tracking revealed that the cultured HPC had reduced expansion and self‐renewal probability and increased differentiation rate compared to non‐expanded cells. Gene expression analysis exposed significant modulation of a complex network of genes and pathways that normally maintain HPC proliferation and limit their differentiation.ConclusionsThe decline in short‐term engraftment is consistent with the loss of rapid SCID repopulating ability r(SRA) by expanded CD34+CD38+ cells recently reported (1). Our data raise concerns for future clinical applications of expanded HPC alone in transplantation.
Predictive‐focus illumination for reducing photodamage in live‐cell microscopy
Authors: SCHILLING Z. , FRANK E. , MAGIDSON V. , WASON J. , LONČAREK J. , BOYER K. , WEN J. , KHODJAKOV A. 
Published: March 2012

SummaryDue to photobleaching and phototoxicity induced by high‐intensity excitation light, the number of fluorescence images that can be obtained in live cells is always limited. This limitation becomes particularly prominent in multidimensional recordings when multiple Z‐planes are captured at every time point. Here we present a simple technique, termed predictive‐focus illumination (PFI), which helps to minimize cells’ exposure to light by decreasing the number of Z‐planes that need to be captured in live‐cell 3D time‐lapse recordings. PFI utilizes computer tracking to predict positions of objects of interest (OOIs) and restricts image acquisition to small dynamic Z‐regions centred on each OOI. Importantly, PFI does not require hardware modifications and it can be easily implemented on standard wide‐field and spinning‐disc confocal microscopes.
Automatic cell counting in vivo in the larval nervous system of Drosophila
Authors: FORERO M.G. , KATO K. , HIDALGO A. 
Published: March 2012

SummaryIdentification and counting of cells is necessary to test biological hypotheses, for instance of nervous system formation, disease, degeneration, injury and regeneration, but manual counting is time consuming, tedious, and subject to bias. The fruit fly Drosophila is a widely used model organism to analyse gene function, and most research is carried out in the intact animal or in whole organs, rather than in cell culture. Inferences on gene function require that cell counts are known from these sample types. Image processing and pattern recognition techniques are appropriate tools to automate cell counting. However, counting cells in Drosophila is a complex task: variations in immunohistochemical markers and developmental stages result in images of very different properties, rendering it challenging to identify true cells. Here, we present a technique for counting automatically larval glial cells in three dimensions, from confocal microscopy serial optical sections. Local outlier thresholding and domes are combined to find the cells. Shape descriptors extracted from a data set are used to characterize cells and avoid oversegmentation. Morphological operators are employed to divide cells that could otherwise be missed. The method is accurate and very fast, and treats all samples equally and objectively, rendering all data comparable across specimens. Our method is also applicable to identify cells labelled with other nuclear markers and in sections of mouse tissues.
Historical distribution, habitat requirements and feeding ecology of the genus Equus (Perissodactyla)
Authors: Schulz Ellen , Kaiser Thomas M. 
Published: March 2012

Abstract
Dietary traits of nine extant Equus species (E. africanus, E. ferus, E. grevyi, E. hartmannae, E. hemionus, E. khur, E. kiang, E. quagga and E. zebra) were reconstructed and ranked in a continuum reflecting the relative proportions of abrasion and attrition.
In order to match them automatically with climatic data, localities were referenced within a 2° worldwide grid system using geographical information system software. The mesowear score was used as a proxy variable to test the covariance of diet with mean annual precipitation, evapotranspiration, mean annual climatic water balance and mean annual temperature.
Seven of the nine equid species presented mesowear signatures indicating a grass‐dominated diet, and we found interspecific as well as intraspecific variability. Non‐gramineous food components shifted the equilibrium towards the attrition‐dominated end in E. africanus and E. khur, indicating an intermediate diet. Especially in E. zebra, additional sources of exogenous abrasives (grit and soil) might increase dietary abrasiveness. In E. quagga, dietary flexibility and the capability to cope with increased abrasiveness are considered keystone factors allowing its large geographical range.
The broad, species‐specific range of climate parameters associated with the habitats was used to define the thresholds of the species' feeding niches. Our data suggest that climate as represented by the variables we used does not, in the first instance, relate to the tooth wear signature of equids.
We thus conclude that the tooth wear signature is more specific to the feeding strategy and should be regarded a dietary trait rather than an immediate imprint of climate. However, tooth wear can be used to infer local dietary traits and might therefore become an important tool in conservation management.
Plants and tortoises: mutations in the Arabidopsis jasmonate pathway increase feeding in a vertebrate herbivore
Authors: MAFLI ALIA , GOUDET JÉRÔME , FARMER EDWARD E. 
Published: March 2012

AbstractPhotosynthetic tissues, the major food source of many invertebrates and vertebrates, are well defended. Many defence traits in leaves are controlled via the jasmonate signalling pathway in which jasmonate acts as a hormone by binding to a receptor to activate responses that lead to increased resistance to invertebrate folivores. We predicted that mutations in jasmonate synthesis might also increase the vulnerability of leaves to vertebrate folivores and tested this hypothesis using the Eastern Hermann’s tortoise (Eurotestudo boettgeri) and an Arabidopsis thaliana (Brassicaceae) allene oxide synthase (aos) mutant unable to synthesize jasmonate. Tortoises preferred the aos mutant over the wild type (WT). Based on these results, we then investigated the effect of mutating jasmonate perception using a segregating population of the recessive A. thaliana jasmonate receptor mutant coronatine insensitive1‐1 (coi1‐1). Genotyping of these plants after tortoise feeding revealed that the homozygous coi1‐1 receptor mutant was consumed more readily than the heterozygous mutant or the WT. Therefore, the plant’s ability to synthesize or perceive jasmonate reduces feeding by a vertebrate herbivore. We also tested whether or not tortoise feeding behaviour was influenced by glucosinolates, the principal defence chemicals in Arabidopsis leaves with known roles in defence against many generalist insects. However, in contrast to what has been observed with such insects, leaves in which the levels of these compounds were reduced genetically were consumed at a similar rate to those of the WT.
Perceived service quality, perceived value, overall satisfaction and happiness of outlook for long‐term care institution residents
Authors: Lin Jesun , Hsiao Chih‐Tung , Glen Robert , Pai Jar‐Yuan , Zeng Sin‐Huei 
Published: March 2012

AbstractObjective  To investigate the psychometric properties and relationships of perceived service quality, perceived value and overall satisfaction for residents with respect to their long‐term care institutions.Design  The five‐point Likert scale questionnaire administered through facetoface interviews.Setting  Fourteen long‐term care institutions located in central and southern Taiwan stratified according to services and accommodation population.Participants  One hundred and eighty long‐term institutional care residents.Main outcome measures  Perceived service quality (the SERVPERF model), perceived value and overall satisfaction (models based on the literature on perceived value and satisfaction).Results  Student’s t‐test on institutional location shows a significant difference between overall satisfaction for central and southern institution long‐term care recipients. The correlation test revealed that the higher a resident’s level of education, the higher the scores for perceived value. The factor loading results of confirmation factor analysis show acceptable levels of reliability and index‐of‐model fits for perceived service, perceived value and overall satisfaction. In addition, the results suggest that an additional construct, a positive attitude (happiness of outlook) towards long‐term care institutions, is also an important factor in residents’ overall satisfaction.Conclusion  The primary goal of long‐term institutional care policy in Taiwan, as in other countries, is to provide residents with practical, cost‐effective but high‐quality care. On the basis of the results of in‐depth interviews with long‐term institutional care residents, this study suggests long‐term care institutions arrange more family visit days to increase the accessibility and interaction of family and residents and thereby increase the happiness of outlook of the residents.