bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nested autoinhibitory feedbacks alter the resistance of homeostatic adaptive biochemical networks
Authors: Schaber Jörg , Lapytsko Anastasiya , Flockerzi Dietrich
Published: December 2013

Negative feedback control is a ubiquitous feature of biochemical systems, as is time delay between a signal and its response. Negative feedback in conjunction with time delay can lead to oscillations. In a cellular context, it might be beneficial to mitigate oscillatory behaviour to avoid recurring stress situations. This can be achieved by increasing the distance between the parameters of the system and certain thresholds, beyond which oscillations occur. This distance has been termed resistance. Here, we prove that in a generic three-dimensional negative feedback system the resistance of the system is modified by nested autoinhibitory feedbacks. Our system features negative feedbacks through both input-inhibition as well as output-activation, a signalling component with mass conservation and perfect adaptation. We show that these features render the system applicable to biological data, exemplified by the high osmolarity glycerol system in yeast and the mammalian p53 system. Output-activation is better supported by data than input-inhibition and also shows distinguished properties with respect to the system's stimulus. Our general approach might be useful in designing synthetic systems in which oscillations can be tuned by synthetic autoinhibitory feedbacks.
Evidence of photosymbiosis in Palaeozoic tabulate corals
Authors: Zapalski Mikołaj K.
Published: December 2013

Coral reefs form the most diverse of all marine ecosystems on the Earth. Corals are among their main components and owe their bioconstructing abilities to a symbiosis with algae (Symbiodinium). The coral–algae symbiosis had been traced back to the Triassic (ca240 Ma). Modern reef-building corals (Scleractinia) appeared after the Permian–Triassic crisis; in the Palaeozoic, some of the main reef constructors were extinct tabulate corals. The calcium carbonate secreted by extant photosymbiotic corals bears characteristic isotope (C and O) signatures. The analysis of tabulate corals belonging to four orders (Favositida, Heliolitida, Syringoporida and Auloporida) from Silurian to Permian strata of Europe and Africa shows these characteristic carbon and oxygen stable isotope signatures. Theδ18O toδ13C ratios in recent photosymbiotic scleractinians are very similar to those of Palaeozoic tabulates, thus providing strong evidence of such symbioses as early as the Middle Silurian (ca430 Ma). Corals in Palaeozoic reefs used the same cellular mechanisms for carbonate secretion as recent reefs, and thus contributed to reef formation.
Recurrent gene loss correlates with the evolution of stomach phenotypes in gnathostome history
Authors: Castro L. Filipe C. , Gonçalves Odete , Mazan Sylvie , Tay Boon-Hui , Venkatesh Byrappa , Wilson Jonathan M.
Published: December 2013

The stomach, a hallmark of gnathostome evolution, represents a unique anatomical innovation characterized by the presence of acid- and pepsin-secreting glands. However, the occurrence of these glands in gnathostome species is not universal; in the nineteenth century the French zoologist Cuvier first noted that some teleosts lacked a stomach. Strikingly, Holocephali (chimaeras), dipnoids (lungfish) and monotremes (egg-laying mammals) also lack acid secretion and a gastric cellular phenotype. Here, we test the hypothesis that loss of the gastric phenotype is correlated with the loss of key gastric genes. We investigated species from all the main gnathostome lineages and show the specific contribution of gene loss to the widespread distribution of the agastric condition. We establish that the stomach loss correlates with the persistent and complete absence of the gastric function gene kit—H+/K+-ATPase (Atp4AandAtp4B) and pepsinogens (Pga,Pgc,Cym)—in the analysed species. We also find that in gastric species the pepsinogen gene complement varies significantly (e.g. two to four in teleosts and tens in some mammals) with multiple events of pseudogenization identified in various lineages. We propose that relaxation of purifying selection in pepsinogen genes and possibly proton pump genes in response to dietary changes led to the numerous independent events of stomach loss in gnathostome history. Significantly, the absence of the gastric genes predicts that reinvention of the stomach in agastric lineages would be highly improbable, in line with Dollo's principle.
Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 Vpr polymorphisms associated with progressor and nonprogressor individuals alter Vpr-associated functions
Authors: Hadi Kevin , Walker Leah A. , Guha Debjani , Murali Ramachandran , Watkins Simon C. , Tarwater Patrick , Srinivasan Alagarsamy , Ayyavoo Velpandi
Published: December 2013

Following infection with Human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) there is a remarkable variation in virus replication and disease progression. Both host and viral factors have been implicated in the observed differences in disease status. Here, we focus on understanding the contribution of HIV-1 viral protein R (Vpr) by evaluating the disease-associated Vpr polymorphism and its biological functions from HIV-1 positive rapid progressor (RP) and long-term nonprogressor (LTNP) subjects. Results presented here show distinct variation in phenotypes of Vpr alleles from LTNP and RP subjects. Most notably, the polymorphism of Vpr at R36W and L68M associated with RP shows higher levels of oligomerization, and increased virus replication, whereas R77Q exhibits poor replication kinetics. Interestingly, we did not observe correlation with cell cycle arrest function. Together these results indicate that polymorphisms in Vpr in part may contribute to altered virus replication kinetics leading to the observed differences in disease progression in LTNP and RP groups.
High Genetic Diversity and Adaptive Potential of Two Simian Hemorrhagic Fever Viruses in a Wild Primate Population
Authors: Bailey Adam L. , Lauck Michael , Weiler Andrea , Sibley Samuel D. , Dinis Jorge M. , Bergman Zachary , Nelson Chase W. , Correll Michael , Gleicher Michael , Hyeroba David , Tumukunde Alex , Weny Geoffrey , Chapman Colin , Kuhn Jens H. , Hughes Austin L. , Friedrich Thomas C. , Goldberg Tony L. , O’Connor David H.
Published: December 2013

Key biological properties such as high genetic diversity and high evolutionary rate enhance the potential of certain RNA viruses to adapt and emerge. Identifying viruses with these properties in their natural hosts could dramatically improve disease forecasting and surveillance. Recently, we discovered two novel members of the viral familyArteriviridae: simian hemorrhagic fever virus (SHFV)-krc1 and SHFV-krc2, infecting a single wild red colobus (Procolobus rufomitratus tephrosceles) in Kibale National Park, Uganda. Nearly nothing is known about the biological properties of SHFVs in nature, although the SHFV type strain, SHFV-LVR, has caused devastating outbreaks of viral hemorrhagic fever in captive macaques. Here we detected SHFV-krc1 and SHFV-krc2 in 40% and 47% of 60 wild red colobus tested, respectively. We found viral loads in excess of 106− 107RNA copies per milliliter of blood plasma for each of these viruses. SHFV-krc1 and SHFV-krc2 also showed high genetic diversity at both the inter- and intra-host levels. Analyses of synonymous and non-synonymous nucleotide diversity across viral genomes revealed patterns suggestive of positive selection in SHFV open reading frames (ORF) 5 (SHFV-krc2 only) and 7 (SHFV-krc1 and SHFV-krc2). Thus, these viruses share several important properties with some of the most rapidly evolving, emergent RNA viruses.
Variational Inference of Population Structure in Large SNP Datasets
Authors: Raj Anil , Stephens Matthew , Pritchard Jonathan K.
Published: December 2013

Tools for estimating population structure from genetic data are now used in a wide variety of applications in population genetics. However, inferring population structure in large modern data sets imposes severe computational challenges. Here, we develop efficient algorithms for approximate inference of the model underlying the STRUCTURE program using a variational Bayesian framework. Variational methods pose the problem of computing relevant posterior distributions as an optimization problem, allowing us to build on recent advances in optimization theory to develop fast inference tools. In addition, we propose useful heuristic scores to identify the number of populations represented in a dataset and a new hierarchical prior to detect weak population structure in the data. We test the variational algorithms on simulated data, and illustrate using genotype data from the CEPH-Human Genome Diversity Panel. The variational algorithms are almost two orders of magnitude faster than STRUCTURE and achieve accuracies comparable to those of ADMIXTURE. Furthermore, our results show that the heuristic scores for choosing model complexity provide a reasonable range of values for the number of populations represented in the data, with minimal bias towards detecting structure when it is very weak. Our algorithm, fastSTRUCTURE, is freely available online athttp://pritchardlab.stanford.edu/structure.html.
U2AF1mutations alter splice site recognition in hematological malignancies
Authors: Ilagan Janine O. , Ramakrishnan Aravind , Hayes Brian , Murphy Michele E. , Zebari Ahmad S. , Bradley Philip , Bradley Robert K.
Published: December 2013

Whole-exome sequencing studies have identified common mutations affecting genes encoding components of the RNA splicing machinery in hematological malignancies. Here, we sought to determine how mutations affecting the 3′ splice site recognition factor U2AF1 alter its normal role in RNA splicing. We find thatU2AF1mutations influence the similarity of splicing programs in leukemias, but do not give rise to widespread splicing failure.U2AF1mutations cause differential splicing of hundreds of genes, affecting biological pathways such as DNA methylation (DNMT3B), X chromosome inactivation (H2AFY), the DNA damage response (ATR, FANCA), and apoptosis (CASP8). We show thatU2AF1mutations alter the preferred 3′ splice site motif in patients, in cell culture, andin vitro. Mutations affecting the first and second zinc fingers give rise to different alterations in splice site preference and largely distinct downstream splicing programs. These allele-specific effects are consistent with a computationally predicted model of U2AF1 in complex with RNA. Our findings suggest thatU2AF1mutations contribute to pathogenesis by causing quantitative changes in splicing that affect diverse cellular pathways, and give insight into the normal function of U2AF1’s zinc finger domains.
Analysis of the study of the cerebellar pinceau by Korn and Axelrad
Authors: Blot Antonin , Barbour Boris
Published: December 2013

The axon initial segment of each cerebellar Purkinje cell is ensheathed by basket cell axons in a structure called the pinceau, which is largely devoid of chemical synapses and gap junctions. These facts and ultrastructural similarities with the axon cap of the teleost Mauthner cell led to the conjecture that the pinceau mediatesephaptic(via the extracellular field) inhibition. Korn and Axelrad published a study in 1980 in which they reported confirmation of this conjecture. We have analysed their results and show that most are likely to be explained by an artefactual signal arising from the massive stimulation of parallel fibres they employed. We reproduce their experiments and confirm that all of their results are consistent with this artefact. Their data therefore provide no evidence regarding the operation of the pinceau.
From single-cell to cell-pool transcriptomes: Stochasticity in gene expression and RNA splicing
Authors: Marinov Georgi K. , Williams Brian A. , McCue Ken , Schroth Gary P. , Gertz Jason , Myers Richard M. , Wold Barbara J.
Published: December 2013

Single-cell RNA-seq mammalian transcriptome studies are at an early stage in uncovering cell-to-cell variation in gene expression, transcript processing and editing, and regulatory module activity. Despite great progress recently, substantial challenges remain, including discriminating biological variation from technical noise. Here we apply the SMART-seq single-cell RNA-seq protocol to study the reference lymphoblastoid cell line GM12878. By using spike-in quantification standards, we estimate the absolute number of RNA molecules per cell for each gene and find significant variation in total mRNA content: between 50,000 and 300,000 transcripts per cell. We directly measure technical stochasticity by a pool/split design and find that there are significant differences in expression between individual cells, over and above technical variation. Specific gene coexpression modules were preferentially expressed in subsets of individual cells, including one enriched for mRNA processing and splicing factors. We assess cell-to-cell variation in alternative splicing and allelic bias and report evidence of significant differences in splice site usage that exceed splice variation in the pool/split comparison. Finally, we show that transcriptomes from small pools of 30–100 cells approach the information content and reproducibility of contemporary RNA-seq from large amounts of input material. Together, our results define an experimental and computational path forward for analyzing gene expression in rare cell types and cell states.
Granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis for Behçet's disease in a pregnant woman
Authors: Higashi Yuko , Shimokawa Mitsuyoshi , Kawai Kazuhiro , Kanekura Takuro
Published: December 2013

We present a 39‐year‐old pregnant woman with Behçet's disease who was treated successfully with granulocyte and monocyte adsorption apheresis (GMA). There were no complications or adverse effects during her pregnancy and delivery. The neonate manifested no abnormalities.
Case of immunoglobulin G4‐related skin disease: Possible immunoglobulin G4‐related skin disease cases in cutaneous pseudolymphoma only by immunohistochemical analysis
Authors: Iwata Yohei , Mizoguchi Yoshikazu , Takahashi Masayuki , Tanaka Beni , Kuroda Makoto , Yagami Akiko , Matsunaga Kayoko
Published: December 2013

Immunoglobulin G4‐related disease (IgG4‐RD) is a newly recognized disease characterized by elevated serum IgG4 levels, tissue infiltration rich in IgG4+ plasma cells. We report on a case which was first considered as pseudolymphoma from the histopathological analysis, but finally diagnosed as IgG4‐related skin lesions. As the morphological features of cutaneous involvement of IgG4‐RD are consistent with those of cutaneous pseudolymphoma, we tried immunostaining past potential cases of IgG4‐RD. Thirty‐two skin specimens (15 men and 17 women; mean age, 53 years) diagnosed as having pseudolymphoma were retrieved from the archives to conduct hematoxylin–eosin, IgG and IgG4 staining. Out of the 32 cases of cutaneous pseudolymphoma, germinal center formation was seen in 22 cases, and moderate–severe fibrosis was seen in seven cases. Eleven cases showed more than 10 IgG4+ plasma cell infiltration/high‐power field, and among these 11 cases, seven cases (22%) showed A ratio of IgG4+/IgG+ cells of more than 40%. Thus, out of the 32 cases of cutaneous pseudolymphomas, two cases (6.3%) satisfied IgG4‐RD histopathological diagnostic criteria. As clinical presentations and histopathological features of skin involvement of IgG4‐RD are analogous to cutaneous B‐cell pseudolymphoma, careful identification is required through systemic examination, serum IgG4 measurement and other means.
Feminist ‘Radicality’ and ‘Moderation’ in Times of Crises and Change
Authors: Roy Srila
Published: December 2013

The article considers different registers of moderation in contemporary discourses around feminism particularly in the context of postfeminism, neoliberalism and faith. It explores what work ‘moderation’, together with (but not reducible to) that of a ‘moderate feminism’, does in these distinct but not unrelated contexts. A distinction is made between moderation – as performance, process and practice –against various invocations of ‘moderate feminism’ that serve to dismiss, co-opt, diminish or even domesticate feminist practice (even as their mutually constitutive nature is acknowledged at times). I am less interested in what the politics of moderation has to offer feminism or what a moderate feminism might look like than what the term signifies in various discursive and political contexts. Why, on the one hand, has a supposedly ‘domesticated’ feminism found more public patronage via the media as opposed to a ‘radical’ one? Why, on the other hand, has this domestication been read as a sign of feminism's co-option and attendant depoliticization in critiques of postfeminism and neoliberal development? And finally, why are the virtues of a moderate feminism being exalted and even more problematically, legitimized in complicated local terrains of politicized faith and secularism? These different discursive incarnations and effects serve to demonstrate the instability of the term ‘moderation’, its blurring with a ‘moderate feminism’ found in discussions of postfeminism, neoliberalism and religion, and how its rhetoric and politics serve to bridge some of the polarities that pervade contemporary feminist thought and activism while, at times, reinforcing these.
Democracy Begins at Home: Moderation and the Promise of Salvage Ethnography
Authors: Smith Alexander Thomas T.
Published: December 2013

This article ethnographically maps the activism of moderates engaged with grassroots Republican Party politics in Kansas, a state that for the last two decades has been a primary battleground in America's so-called ‘culture wars’ in which the value of ‘moderation’ has been the subject of strident contestation. Drawing inspiration from the writings of the American pragmatist philosopher John Dewey, it probes the testimony of activists in an effort to identify those political and social practices and principles that might be considered constitutive in the making of a moderate politics. The goal is to ‘salvage’ a rudimentary activist theory of moderation for those seeking to champion and defend contemporary American democracy at a time when publics and their institutions have been compromised by, or succumbed to, electoral polarization and political extremism. The article argues for the displacement of the usual representation of moderation as a default position defined by the absence of strong ideological or other convictions in favour of an understanding of moderation as a disciplined engagement with divided publics. Most importantly, moderates embrace democracy as a yet-to-be-fulfilled moral project, which serves to infuse the values that underpin moderate politics with normative power and purpose. How to render these values operational in a divided politics remains a central question for both activists and scholars committed to moderation and the practices and values it names.
Pride and Prejudice: Gay Rights and Religious Moderation in Belfast
Authors: Curtis Jennifer
Published: December 2013

In the summer of 2008, a Northern Irish politician began publicly denouncing homosexuality. Her remarks galvanized responses from a broad range of groups and individuals. New voices joined the discussion of LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) civil rights, including trade unions and political parties that had previously been silent. Notably, some Christian churches expressed their support for gay rights by participating in Belfast's annual LGBT Pride Festival. Since 2008, long-standing opponents of gay rights have modulated their critiques. This article draws upon ethnographic research with Belfast's Pride Festival to examine religious groups' increasing support for LGBT rights since 2008. I describe this engagement as a practice of moderation in terms of its social and political effects. Here, moderation is conceived not in spatial terms as a position between opposed poles, but as a discursive practice that transforms political and religious debates. Drawing from Bakhtin's (1981) concept of ‘dialogism’, I consider how these discussions of Christianity, sexuality and politics unfolded. A Bakhtinian approach to the production and reception of these debates reveals how moderation is socially and historically situated. Moderation is practised in relation to particular conditions and histories, yet has the potential to transform them.
The Blogosphere and its Enemies: The Case of Oophorectomy
Authors: Turner Stephen
Published: December 2013

The blogosphere is loathed and feared by the press, expert-opinion makers, and representatives of authority generally. Part of this is based on a social theory: that there are implicit and explicit social controls governing professional journalists and experts that make them responsible to the facts. These controls don't exist for bloggers or the people who comment on blogs. But blog commentary is good at performing a kind of sociology of knowledge that situates speakers and motives, especially in cases of complex professional and administrative decision-making, as well as providing specific factual material that qualifies claims of experts and authorities. In many contexts the commentaries are examples of Habermasian demands for justification, to which there is a response. A major topic in women's health, and on the blogs, is the effects of hysterectomy, especially accompanied by oophorectomy, the removal of (normally healthy) ovaries. Physicians make extreme claims on web pages about the lack of consequences, or their manageability through hormone therapy, which they claim is supported by research. Blog posters, and a blog opposed to hysterectomy generally, claim that there are numerous damaging effects, and deconstruct the claims of experts. Blog posters fill in the claims with personal experiences and analysis of the conduct of physicians and nurses, as well as the motives of women who deny symptoms. Physicians provide their own critique and analysis of the blogs, to which they attribute great influence. A later meta-analysis and new longitudinal research affirms the bloggers, and explains why much of the research cited by experts is wrong.
Understanding Chinese non‐managerial employees' response to western HRM: changes in turnover intention
Authors: Jin Jiafei , Chen Chih‐Chieh , Fosh Patricia , Chen Yang
Published: December 2013

Chinese lower‐level employees' perspective on western‐style HRM is neglected. Partly remedying this gap, we report changes in non‐managerial employees' feelings as they move from employment in Chinese‐owned enterprises to that in Anglo‐American‐invested multinational corporations (MNCs). We investigate the employees' appreciation of their enterprise and three work aspects linked both to their enterprise HRM environment and to Chinese cultural emphases. Our findings show that increases in pride in enterprise and in feeling responsible for own work correlate significantly with increased intention to stay, but increases in feeling involved in enterprise decision‐making do not. This suggests that Chinese non‐managerial employees appreciate western‐style HRM practices that resonate with their cultural values but not otherwise. Further, this suggests that Chinese cultural emphases on mianzi, collectivism and power distance remain important for non‐managerial employees and that Chinese MNC unit managers, when introducing HRM practices, need to take account of possible differences in outlook between them and their subordinates.
How resilient is the (future) workforce inChina? A study of the banking sector and implications for human resource development
Authors: Wang Jue , Cooke Fang Lee , Huang Wenhui
Published: December 2013

Having a resilient workforce is crucial to enhancing organisational competitiveness in an era of intensifying global competition. However, few organisations see resilience as part of the soft skills and attitudes that can be developed strategically. This study examines nine dimensions of resilience of over 1500 banking employees and 310 university students being trained for the industry. The study shows that gender, age and education level affect the level of resilience. It also reveals that performance pressure does not seem to have detrimental effect on the bank employees' resilience. The study points to a number of research and management implications and highlights the need to provide tailored training and development to increase the resilience level of employees. It also provides indications of the types of skills that universities should help their students develop in order to better prepare them for their future employment.
Supporting Insurance in European Agriculture: Experience of Mutuals in the Netherlands
Authors: Meuwissen Miranda P.M. , Assefa Tsion Taye , van Asseldonk Marcel A.P.M.
Published: December 2013

The Common Agricultural Policy currently allows the support of agricultural insurance, with a particular focus on mutuals. This article analyses the experience of mutuals in the Netherlands over the past 20 years. A total of nine mutuals are reviewed, some operating on a purely private basis, others receiving some form of public support. Results illustrate that mutuals are well equipped to insure risks that are uninsurable in the commercial market. This is especially true for animal and crop disease risks. Mutuals are furthermore able to fulfil the EU conditions for receiving premium support hence opening up the opportunity for farmers to insure against multi‐peril weather risks. Experience has however demonstrated that mutuals are not always successful, even with substantial public support. Lack of members caused several mutuals to be discontinued only a few years after their foundation. In order to secure the benefits of mutuals, it is shown that there is a need to carefully balance size of risk, affordability of premiums, financial robustness and solidarity. These issues are even more important in the case of mutuals providing income stabilisation tools as these have the added responsibility of data and (classified) market information management.
A New Era in the European Union: Time to Reform the Cyprus National Food Safety System
Authors: Hadjigeorgiou Andreas
Published: December 2013

This article critically examines the current National Food Safety System (NFSS) of Cyprus and identifies its main shortcomings related mainly to duplication and overlapping of food safety responsibilities between competent agencies. Although food supply in Cyprus is generally safe, the country does not have a single and independent National Food Safety Authority (NFSA), but a multi‐level, fragmented system divided among several ministries and governmental agencies based on different food inspection tasks. On the contrary, the European Union (EU) and the majority of EU Member States have re‐organised their systems and established stand‐alone authorities at the central or national level. Within this context, the limitations and strengths of a proposed draft law for the establishment of a Cyprus NFSA embedded in the current environment of economic crisis are also discussed. Finally, the findings of a population‐based survey, which was carried out to determine the beliefs and attitudes of interested parties (regular consumers, food business operators and public service directors or head officers) concerning the operation of the NFSS in Cyprus, are presented. The findings are highlighted in relation to the different practices employed in the EU Member States to rebuild their corresponding NFSS.
Management of benign biliary strictures with a novel retrievable self‐expandable metal stent
Authors: Hu Bing , Leung Joseph W , Gao Dao Jian , Wang Tian Tian , Wu Jun
Published: December 2013

Objective

Endoscopic placement of covered self‐expandable metal stent (SEMS) has gained popularity in the management of benign biliary strictures (BBS). The existing SEMS has been designed primarily to palliate malignant biliary obstruction and has a high frequency of stent migration, difficulty in retrieval and stricture recurrence after stent removal. This study aimed to design a novel retrievable SEMS dedicated to the treatment of extrahepatic BBS and evaluate its clinical efficacy and safety.

Methods

A short fully covered SEMS (FCSEMS) with a retrieval lasso was designed for the specific treatment of BBS. A total of 45 patients with segmental extrahepatic BBS were included in this study. The stent was placed entirely inside the bile duct with only the retrieval lasso extending from the papilla. The stents were recommended to be in situ for 6 to 12 months before removal.

Results

The FCSEMS was successfully placed in all 45 patients. In all, 33 patients had their FCSEMS successfully removed after a mean period of 8.6 ± 3.7 (range 2–15.5) months. Stent migration occurred in 9.1% of the patients. During a mean follow‐up of 18.9 months after stent removal, recurrent stricture was found in 2 (6.1%) patients and was successfully treated with a second FCSEMS. Overall, the strictures resolved in 30/33 (90.9%) patients.

Conclusions

Intraductal placement of a short FCSEMS is suitable for the treatment of segmental extrahepatic BBS. This new removable design offered prolonged stenting and drainage for BBS for up to one year with minimal complications.
Incidence of clinically silent malrotation detected on barium swallow examination in children
Authors: Atkin Karen L , Chowdhury Moti M , Bartlett Murray
Published: December 2013

Introduction

Duodenojejunal flexure (DJF) orientation is often examined routinely during contrast swallow studies, including those performed for purely oesophageal queries. We examine the radiation burden and the incidence of malrotation in patients undergoing contrast swallow, without clinical suspicion for malrotation.

Methods

Two hundred eighteen consecutive contrast swallow studies were reviewed. Patients whose history may potentially suggest malrotation were identified (n = 90), and remaining children were grouped based on whether DJF was examined (Group 1; n = 88) or not (Group 2; n = 40). Data extracted include demographics, radiographic parameters (dosage, screening time, number of images obtained) and examination findings. Outcome measures comprised: (i) prevalence of clinically incidental malrotation; and (ii) influence of additional evaluation of DJF on patient dosage (mean ± SEM).

Results

Malrotation was identified in 2 of 90 patients (2.2%) examined with clinical indications for possible malrotation, but none in Group 1 (13% already had normal DJF confirmed on previous examinations). Groups 1 and 2 were comparable with respect to age and gender (P = ns). Additional evaluation of DJF (Group 1) meant that 54% more images were acquired (48.5 ± 2.9 vs. 31.4 ± 3.4 images in group 2; P = 0.0002) and 24.9% increased screening time (130.8 ± 9.3 vs. 104.7 ± 13.0 seconds in group 2; P = 0.089), resulting in 32.6% increased patient dosage (1.36 ± 0.21 vs. 1.02 ± 0.16 microGym2/kg in group 2; P = 0.19).

Conclusions

This study highlights the increased radiation exposures involved with routine screening for DJF position in those patients without clinical suspicion of malrotation, and raises questions about the validity of this practice; however, further research is needed.
Role of 3D sonohysterography in the investigation of uterine synechiae/asherman's syndrome: Pictorial assay
Authors: Ahmadi Firoozeh , Javam Maryam
Published: December 2013

Several imaging methods have been applied for evaluation of suspected uterine synechiae; however, sonohysterography is yet recognised as a valid and accurate modality. Performing three‐dimensional (3D) imaging along with sonohysterography enables evaluation of the uterus in the coronal plane to detect and grade the adhesions that characterise this condition. Thus, 3D sonohysterography is a minimally invasive and cost‐effective tool for investigating suspected synechiae and is particularly useful when the transvaginal sonography findings are normal.
Informing Depositors: A Proposed Reform Of The Australian Banking Sector
Authors: Byford Martin , Davidson Sinclair
Published: December 2013

Financial regulation has the perverse effect of reducing incentives for depositors to monitor the risks banks take. We propose a rating scheme – the Financial Stability Rating – that would work similarly to other product ratings to inform depositors of the risks they face. Our proposal entails greater disclosure of information that is already in the hands of the prudential regulator. There would be no additional regulatory burden on either financial institutions or the regulator. By linking our rating to a formal deposit insurance scheme, depositors would have both the incentive and ability to make informed decisions about the risk return profile of their deposits.
Planning Urban Water Investments with an Uncertain Climate
Authors: Clarke Harry
Published: December 2013

Policies for assessing the effects of climate change risk and uncertainty on urban water provision are analysed with reference to Australia. The emphasis is on analytical insights derived from use of low‐order real option and stochastic dynamic programming models. Attention is also paid to insurance and portfolio approaches and to issues raised by uncertainty, gross ignorance and catastrophic risks.
Access to Finance Thresholds and the Finance‐Growth Nexus
Authors: Abdmoulah Walid , Jelili Riadh Ben
Published: December 2013

Based on Aghion et al. (), this article provides new insights regarding whether financial development can affect economic growth non‐linearly by adopting the concept of threshold effects. The empirical approach adopted in this article allows for the finance‐growth relationship to be piecewise linear with a set of indicators including access to finance acting as a regime‐switching trigger. Using cross‐country observations from 144 countries stretching from 1985 to 2009, strong evidence of threshold effects in finance‐growth link is found. It is suggested that financial development in general, and access to finance in particular, is among the important forces contributing to cross‐country (non)‐convergences in growth rates.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells Seeded on Cross‐Linked and Noncross‐Linked Acellular Porcine Dermal Scaffolds for Long‐Term Full‐Thickness Hernia Repair in a Small Animal Model
Authors: Mestak Ondrej , Matouskova Eva , Spurkova Zuzana , Benkova Kamila , Vesely Pavel , Mestak Jan , Molitor Martin , Pombinho Antonio , Sukop Andrej
Published: December 2013

Biological meshes are biomaterials consisting of extracellular matrix that are used in surgery particularly for hernia treatment, thoracic wall reconstruction, or silicone implant‐based breast reconstruction. We hypothesized that combination of extracellular matrices with autologous mesenchymal stem cells used for hernia repair would result in increased vascularization and increased strength of incorporation. We cultured autologous adipose‐derived stem cells harvested from the inguinal region of Wistar rats on cross‐linked and noncross‐linked porcine extracellular matrices. In 24 Wistar rats, a standardized 2 × 4 cm fascial defect was created and repaired with either cross‐linked or noncross‐linked grafts enriched with stem cells. Non‐MSC‐enriched grafts were used as controls. The rats were sacrificed at 3 months of age. The specimens were examined for the strength of incorporation, vascularization, cell invasion, foreign body reaction, and capsule formation. Both materials showed cellular ingrowth and neovascularization. Comparison of both tested groups with the controls showed no significant differences in the capsule thickness, foreign body reaction, cellularization, or vascularization. The strength of incorporation of the stem cell‐enriched cross‐linked extracellular matrix specimens was higher than in acellular specimens, but this result was statistically nonsignificant. In the noncross‐linked extracellular matrix, the strength of incorporation was significantly higher in the stem cell group than in the acellular group. Seeding of biological meshes with stem cells does not significantly contribute to their increased vascularization. In cross‐linked materials, it does not ensure increased strength of incorporation, in contrast to noncross‐linked materials. Owing to the fact that isolation and seeding of stem cells is a very complex procedure, we do not see sufficient benefits for its use in the clinical setting.
Twentieth century shifts in abundance and composition of vegetation types of theSierraNevada, CA,US
Authors: Dolanc Christopher R. , Safford Hugh D. , Dobrowski Solomon Z. , Thorne James H.
Published: December 2013

Questions

Has tree density changed consistently across vegetation types? Do changes in component species correspond with changes across vegetation types? Do patterns of changes suggest potential drivers of change?

Location

Northern two‐thirds of theSierraNevada,CA,USA, ca. 45 000 km2.

Methods

Using two data sets that cover the span of elevations and land jurisdictions in the study area, we classified 4321 historical plots and 1000 modern plots into nine broad groups of vegetation types that are widely used by land managers and researchers in the region. We compared tree density and composition between historical and modern plots across and within these nine types.

Results

In the modern data set, tree density was significantly higher in eight of nine vegetation types. Total density was significantly higher in modern plots for all west slope types, especially for montane hardwood, where modern forests are 128% denser, and mixed conifer forests, which are 69% denser. Relative density of component species was also very different between data sets in these forests, and suggests a shift in dominance toward shade‐tolerant conifers and evergreen oaks. Fire suppression is likely a driving factor in these types but density was also significantly higher in high‐elevation types such as sub‐alpine forest (+20%), where neither fire suppression nor logging have had major impacts on structure. East slope forest types (eastsideP. jeffreyiforest and piñon‐juniper woodland) were very similar in both modern and historical data sets, with no significant differences in density or composition.

Conclusion

West slope forest types, especially montane hardwood and mixed conifer forest, appear the most altered types of the mountain range. These types are more productive but have also been subject to greater disturbance than high‐elevation and east slope forest types. Climate change may also be driving changes across the study area. Species such asQuercus chrysolepisandCalocedrus decurrens, which have each increased markedly in abundance, appear well positioned to dominate in the near future, especially under continued fire suppression and a warmer climate.
Restoration dynamics evaluation by vegetation mapping and transition matrix modelling: analysis of 20 yr of restoration and management at the megalithic site of Carnac (Brittany, France)
Authors: Gallet Sébastien , Sawtschuk Jérôme
Published: December 2013

Question

The main aim of this study is to consider how long‐term spatial vegetation surveys can be optimized via a simple quantitative statistical model to assess, and potentially predict, restoration success. How can modelling be used as a decision‐making tool?

Location

The study was conducted in the megalithic site of Carnac (Brittany, France). Due to over‐frequentation (more than 500 000 visitors·yr−1) and lack of adapted management, the vegetation (heathlands and grasslands) of the site, which constitutes not only the framework of the monument, but also an essential protection for archaeological soils, was highly damaged during the 1980s. In order to initiate restoration of the vegetation, the whole site was fenced at the beginning of the 1990s, and a management plan (including vegetation management and frequentation control) was initiated in 2001.

Methods

The site has been mapped (with the same methodology) in 1985 (before enclosure), 1997 (5 yrs after fencing), 2006 (after 5 yrs of management plan application) and in 2012. GIS analysis and transition matrix modelling were used to describe vegetation dynamics changes in both time and space. Restoration trajectories were considered in two specific parts of the study site, which are analysed both together and separately in order to show potential spatial heterogeneity in vegetation dynamics.

Results

The matrices approach underlined the heterogeneity of restoration process within the study site. The restoration process leads to the establishment of a complex of grassland with a potential dynamic toward broom thicket in one area, and to a heathland complex in the other area. These differences are needed to refine restoration goals, first defined as heathland for the whole site.

Conclusions

The matrix approach used on vegetation maps allows a more precise description of restoration processes than analysis only based on the evolution of the extent of each vegetation type. It notably includes the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation dynamics at site scale. It provides large data sets for qualitative assessment of restoration operations, and could potentially be used to build up prediction models. Indeed, maps, which are one of the main survey methods used in natural areas management, can offer much scientific knowledge for research in restoration ecology.
HarnessingSDandCSRwithin Corporate Self‐regulation of Weak Economies— A Meta‐regulation Approach
Authors: Rahim Mia Mahmudur
Published: December 2013

The semantic of the terms “sustainable development” and “corporate social responsibility” have changed over time to a point where these concepts have become two interrelated processes for ensuring the far‐reaching development of society. Their convergence has given dimension to the environmental and corporate regulation mechanisms in strong economies. This article deals with the question of how the ethos of this convergence could be incorporated into the self‐regulation of businesses in weak economies where nonlegal drivers are either inadequate or inefficient. It proposes that the policies for this incorporation should be based on the precepts of meta‐regulation that have the potential to hold force majeure, economic incentives, and assistance‐related strategies to reach an objective from the perspective of weak economies.
Ignorance and historical geographies of Aboriginal exclusion: Evidence from the 2007 Bouchard‐Taylor Commission on Reasonable Accommodation
Authors: Schaefli Laura M. , Godlewska Anne M.C.
Published: December 2013

Ignorance is linked to colonialism and is deeply implicated in the maintenance of unequal social relations. The authors theorize ignorance as structural and self‐interested, and undertake a geographically sensitive analysis of Quebec's 2007 Bouchard‐Taylor Commission to demonstrate how ignorance of Aboriginal realities works strategically to sustain unequally occupied rhetorical and material space. The Bouchard‐Taylor Commission was a public inquiry into Quebec citizens' opinions on the degree to which cultural difference should be accommodated in the province. Through both geographic decisions about where to hold public meetings and in its very mandate, the Commission restricted participation to Quebecers of French‐Canadian descent and immigrants of long and more recent standing. The authors analyze how the law, and ignorance of how it applies to Aboriginal peoples, was mobilized by the Commissioners to create a space from which Aboriginal peoples could be excluded, and highlight the continuity of this strategy with past debates over Quebec identity. The case of the Bouchard‐Taylor Commission demonstrates how ignorance operates in highly sophisticated and often readily justifiable ways to uphold settler interests.
Black Teenage Mothers' Understandings of the Effects of Maltreatment on their Coping Style and Parenting Practice: A Pilot Study
Authors: Bernard Claudia
Published: December 2013

This article discusses a qualitative pilot study conducted with Black teenage mothers affected by maltreatment histories, exploring the feasibility of researching how they develop insights into the effects on their parenting skills. The results indicate key impact areas, including their relationships with their carers, perceptions of significant relationships and increased vulnerability to relationship abuse. As the young mothers resisted seeing themselves as victims and utilised an avoidance‐centred coping strategy, their ability to recognise the impact of harmful childhood experiences was limited. The article concludes with reflections on the pilot study's implications and limitations.
Permanent stoma rates: a misleading marker of quality in rectal cancer surgery
Authors: Codd R. J. , Evans M. D. , Davies M. , Harris D. A. , Chandrasekaran T. V. , Khot U. P. , Morgan A. R. , Beynon J.
Published: December 2013

Aim

The latest National Bowel Cancer Audit Programme (NBOCAP) audit identified our colorectal unit as an outlier with regard to the high permanent stoma rate. The aim of this study was to perform an audit of the rationale for stoma formation in patients undergoing rectal cancer resection in our unit.

Method

A review was conducted of all rectal cancer operations between April 2011 and March 2013. Preoperative staging investigations and operation reports were reviewed to identify the reasons for nonrestorative surgery. Postoperative histology reports were used to identify circumferential resection margin (CRM) involvement and tumour height.

Results

One‐hundred and twenty‐five patients underwent surgery for rectal cancer, of whom 102 underwent elective resection with curative intent. The permanent stoma rate was 63.2% when emergency and palliative procedures were included and 54.9% when only elective curative cases were considered. Tertiary referrals made up 31.4% of elective cases. The main reasons for nonrestorative surgery included multivisceral resection (n = 24) for locally advanced cancer and operations for lesions close to the anal sphincter (n = 21). The median length of stay was 8 days, the 90‐day mortality was 2.9% and the rate of CRM involvement was 2.0%.

Conclusion

Our unit provides multivisceral surgery for locally advanced rectal cancer and receives a substantial number of tertiary referrals. Many of the rectal cancers referred are locally advanced or threaten the anal sphincter. This study demonstrates that the complexity of a unit's case‐mix can have a profound effect on the permanent stoma rate. Stoma rates taken at face value do not therefore provide an accurate representation of surgical quality.

What does this paper add to the literature?

The study reviews the practice of a colorectal surgical unit with an interest in multivisceral surgery with regard to the permanent stoma rate. The reasons for nonrestorative surgery are analysed, and the problems associated with the use of stoma rates as a marker of quality in colorectal surgery are highlighted.