bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Topical application of Nexrutine inhibits ultraviolet B‐induced cutaneous inflammatory responses in SKH‐1 hairless mouse
Authors: Alam Shamshad , Pal Anu , Singh Dhirendra , Ansari Kausar Mahmood
Published: August 2017

Background

Ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation is the major contributor to skin inflammation which leads to the development of skin cancer. Hence, in this study, we studied the effect of Nexrutine (NX) on UVB‐induced cutaneous inflammation and its mediators.

Methods

Ultraviolet absorption spectra of NX were measured by spectrophotometer. To conduct the photoprotective studies, SKH‐1 hairless mice were topically treated with NX, 30 minutes before to the UVB (180 mJ/cm2) exposure. Twenty hours of post‐UVB irradiation, mouse skin was used for edema measurements, H & E staining, myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, and estimation of plasma cytokines. In addition, expression levels of inflammatory cytokines, cyclooxygenase‐2 (COX‐2), and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were also determined by Western blot analysis.

Results

Nexrutine displayed absorbance over the UVB spectrum. NX significantly decreased the UVB‐induced epidermal edema, skin thickness, leukocyte infiltration, number of the sunburn, and TUNEL‐positive cells. NX treatment also decreased the number of mast cells, MPO activity, expression of pro‐inflammatory cytokines, and inflammation mediator protein in mouse skin.

Conclusion

These results provide evidences that NX inhibits the UVB‐induced cutaneous inflammatory responses in SKH‐1 mouse skin.
Dual Sourcing in a Serial System
Authors: Sapra Amar
Published: August 2017

We consider a finite‐horizon, periodic‐review model for a serial system with two uncapacitated external suppliers. While one external supplier (regular supplier) ships to the most upstream stage, the other one (emergency supplier) ships directly to a downstream stage. For this system, with general lead‐times we show that the optimal cost function is multimodular with respect to inventories in transit and inventories at different stages and obtain results that show how the optimal order quantities change with respect to these inventories. Our analysis also leads to sufficient conditions under which modified echelon‐basestock‐type policies are optimal.
OsTGAP1 is responsible for JA‐inducible diterpenoid phytoalexin biosynthesis in rice roots with biological impacts on allelopathic interaction
Authors: Yoshida Yuri , Miyamoto Koji , Yamane Hisakazu , Nishizawa Yoko , Minami Eiichi , Nojiri Hideaki , Okada Kazunori
Published: August 2017

Phytocassanes and momilactones are known as major diterpenoid phytoalexins (DPs), characterized by abundant production and antimicrobial activity, and their biosynthetic genes are clustered in rice genomes. The basic leucine zipper transcription factor OsTGAP1 is known to act as a regulator of the coordinated production of DPs in cultured rice cells, but in planta functions of OsTGAP1 remain largely unknown. Here, we present evidence on the biological function of OsTGAP1 in planta. In wild‐type plants, OsTGAP1 is abundantly expressed in roots compared with that in shoots. Moreover, the inductive expression of OsTGAP1 under jasmonic acid (JA) treatment was only observed in a root‐specific manner consistent with the JA‐inducible expressions of DP biosynthetic genes in roots. In reverse genetic approaches on OsTGAP1‐overexpressing and OsTGAP1‐knockdown plants, expressions of the biosynthetic genes relevant for DP accumulation were found to be remarkably increased and decreased, respectively. Reporter analysis in planta revealed that OsTGAP1 activated the promoters of OsDXS3 and momilactone biosynthetic gene OsKSL4, presumably through binding to the TGACGT motif. Furthermore, cocultivation experiments with barnyard grass suggested that the allelopathic effect of knockdown and overexpression of OsTGAP1 was significantly changed compared with the controls. These results demonstrate that OsTGAP1 positively regulates DP accumulation via the transcriptional regulation of DP biosynthetic genes in rice roots, and this is indispensable for maintaining allelopathic interactions with paddy weeds by regulating the production of specialized metabolites like momilactones.
Exporting South Korea's e‐Government Experience
Authors: Choi Inchan , Hoffman Mark C.
Published: August 2017

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Regulatory Reform in the Trump Era
Authors: Belton Keith B. , Krutilla Kerry , Graham John D.
Published: August 2017

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Bringing Rigor to the Use of Evidence in Policy Making: Translating Early Evidence
Authors: Crowley Daniel Max , Scott J. Taylor
Published: August 2017

Beyond the evidence provided by randomized controlled trials, there is a need for supplementing and contextualizing efficacy findings through early evidence. This may include evidence of program costs, quality implementation processes, and impact of programs on different groups. This article considers the Quality and Impact of Component Evidence Assessment and other exemplary efforts for translating early evidence for policy making within a common framework. This framework includes processes for strategic review, development of guiding standards on the quality of evidence, and active communication with policy makers.
Doing More with More: How “Early” Evidence Can Inform Public Policies
Authors: Barbero Colleen , Gilchrist Siobhan , Shantharam Sharada , Fulmer Erika , Schooley Michael W.
Published: August 2017

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Editor's Introduction
Authors: Balfour Danny L.
Published: August 2017

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Coordinating intermediaries: The prospects and limitations of professional associations in decentralized regulation
Authors: Carter David P. , Mahallati Nadia
Published: August 2017

A key question in understanding regulation through independent intermediaries is the extent to which intermediary actions are either coordinated, thereby supporting consistency in regulatory application, or uncoordinated, leading to monitoring and enforcement disparities. This paper examines professional associations as one mechanism by which policy action may be coordinated in decentralized arrangements. Professional associations provide means and venues for members to interact, offer training and education that develops shared understanding of policy directives, are collective representation bodies for professional members, and may play an important role in establishing and enforcing collective standards for appropriate behavior. We examine these functions in the decentralized administration of United States organic food certification, focusing on two relevant professional associations – the Accredited Certifiers Association and the International Organic Inspectors Association. Drawing on multiple methods, including interviews and survey data, our findings indicate that professional organic certification associations provide valuable education and training, disseminate information, and facilitate knowledge sharing among administrative entities and with regulatory authorities. We conclude with a discussion of the prospects and limitations of professional associations for third‐party regulation, and how accounting for professional association functions can improve our understanding of regulatory intermediary coordination and conduct.
How does knowledge circulate in a regulatory network? Observing a European Platform of Regulatory Authorities meeting
Authors: Papadopoulos Yannis
Published: August 2017

Multi‐level networks of regulatory authorities are considered as vectors of knowledge circulation, norm diffusion, and regulatory coordination. However, this is often assumed without empirical scrutiny of the concrete “micro‐dynamics” between individual participants in networks, which remain a “black box” for analysts. This paper is mainly based on direct observation and informal interviews conducted during a meeting of the European Platform of Regulatory Authorities in charge of regulation of the broadcasting sector. It seeks to elucidate what deliberation, socialization, and learning, considered as devices typical of “soft” governance modes, mean as concrete social practices within a network.
Refining the role of endobronchial ultrasound transbronchial needle aspiration in lung cancer staging
Authors: Nguyen Phan
Published: August 2017

See related Article
Narrowing the Climate Field: The Symbolic Power of Authors in the IPCC's Assessment of Mitigation
Authors: Hughes Hannah Rachel , Paterson Matthew
Published: August 2017

This article provides a critical analysis of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) as a boundary organization using Bourdieu's concepts of field, habitus, and symbolic power. The article combines quantitative, network, and survey data to explore the authorship of Working Group III's contribution to the IPCC Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). These data reveal the dominance of a small group of authors and institutions in the production of knowledge that is represented in the AR5 report, and illuminates how the IPCC's centrality to the field of climate politics is shaping the research and publication strategies of researchers within that field. As a result, the study is able to identify organizational avenues for deepening the involvement and symbolic power of authors from the global South in IPCC assessments of climate change. While empirically, the results of this study lead us to question the IPCC as an assessor of knowledge, theoretically, it suggests that particularly in the international sphere, the use of the boundary organization concept risks overlooking powerful networks of scientific actors and institutions and their broader implication in the politicization of science.
Statistical Inference for Renewal Processes
Authors: Comte F. , Duval C.
Published: August 2017

We consider non‐parametric estimation for interarrival times density of a renewal process. For continuous time observation, a projection estimator in the orthonormal Laguerre basis is built. Nonstandard decompositions lead to bounds on the mean integrated squared error (MISE), from which rates of convergence on Sobolev–Laguerre spaces are deduced, when the length of the observation interval gets large. The more realistic setting of discrete time observation is more difficult to handle. A first strategy consists in neglecting the discretization error. A more precise strategy aims at taking into account the convolution structure of the data. Under a simplifying ‘dead‐zone’ condition, the corresponding MISE is given for any sampling step. In the three cases, an automatic model selection procedure is described and gives the best MISE, up to a logarithmic term. The results are illustrated through a simulation study.
Overcoming “The Present Limits of the Necessary”: Foucault's Conception of a Critique
Authors: Tiisala Tuomo
Published: August 2017

This essay offers a novel interpretation of Michel Foucault's original and often misunderstood conception of philosophy as a critical activity. While it is well‐known that Foucault's critique undertakes to disclose contingent limits of thought that appear necessary in the present, the nature of the obstacle whose overcoming critique is meant to facilitate remains poorly understood. I argue that this obstacle, “the present limits of the necessary,” resides on the unconscious level of thought Foucault identified as the object of analysis for an archaeology of knowledge. Therefore, Foucault's conception of a critique can be grasped only against the background of the distinctive conception of thought that informs his archaeological analyses of discursive practices. According to that view, thinking is always shaped by some historically specific system of unconscious norms that define the contingent set of conceptual possibilities subjects are able to recognize in the present. Drawing on Foucault's largely neglected remarks on the obvious and the habitual, I argue that these unconscious norms of thought are enacted habitually in a discursive practice, which endows them with an appearance of obviousness. In this way, I explain how something contingent appears in the guise of necessity and begins to function as part of the present limits of the necessary. Finally, I argue that the task of a critique to expand the scope of conceptual possibility by disclosing these unconscious limits of thought is motivated by Foucault's commitment to the ideal of autonomy understood as subject's self‐determination.
The Morality of Corporate Persons
Authors: McWhorter Ladelle
Published: August 2017

This essay provides a genealogy of corporate personhood as it exists currently in US law and places moral personhood in a similar genealogical context. This treatment demonstrates that the two are inextricably intertwined in both conception and institutionalized practices. We would do well to dismantle both; meanwhile, however, corporate personhood's implicit illiberal notion of collective mentality and responsibility may suggest possibilities for establishing collective counterforces to oppose activities of transnational for‐profit corporations and mitigate their devastating political, economic, and environmental effects upon actual people and the ecosystems upon which we depend.
Conceptual Analysis for Genealogical Philosophy: How to Study the History of Practices after Foucault and Wittgenstein
Authors: Koopman Colin
Published: August 2017

Inquiry into the history of practices in the manner of Foucault's philosophical genealogy requires that we distinguish between practical action, on the one hand, and mere behavior, on the other. The need for this distinction may help explicate an aspect of Foucault's philosophical genealogy that might otherwise appear misplaced, namely his attention to rationalities and its attendant conceptual material. This article shows how a genealogical attention to practice goes hand in hand with an attention to the role of the conceptual within our practices. This is done by first drawing on considerations furnished by a Wittgensteinean branch in analytic philosophy recently developed by Robert Brandom. With an account of conceptual normativity and reflexivity in hand, the article turns second to a crucial site of conceptual self‐transformation by drawing on work from a particular Foucauldian lineage developed in the work of Arnold Davidson. Davidson's work helps us understand the crucial status of concepts of persons (akin to what Foucault called “modes of subjectivation”) for any historical inquiry into practices.
Free satellite imagery and digital elevation model analyses enabling natural resource management in the developing world: Case studies from Eastern Indonesia
Authors: Fisher Rohan Peter , Hobgen Sarah Elizabeth , Haleberek Kristianus , Sula Nelson , Mandaya Iradaf
Published: August 2017

Decentralization of governance and natural resource management is an ongoing process in many parts of Africa and Asia. Natural resource management requires spatial land resource data for planning. However, currently the financial and human capacity for natural resource mapping, monitoring and modelling remains low in local governments. In this context, this paper explores how new opportunities provided by the increasing availability of free satellite imagery, digital elevation data and open source spatial analysis software, can be applied by local government and NGOs to conduct sophisticated natural resource mapping and modelling in ways that meet their needs and incorporates local knowledge. Reported are cases of a local government using free geospatial data and GIS software to improve evidence‐based natural resource management in the developing world with a focus on raster data applications for satellite image analysis and terrain modelling. It is argued that, through removing barriers to uptake, such applications provide a means of decentralizing landscape analysis skills to improve local natural resource management. This hypothesis is supported through examples of a local government applying these tools in eastern Indonesia, and within this context barriers to wider adoption are explored.
U.S. sociology and the Iraq War
Authors: Bonds Eric
Published: August 2017

The 2003 U.S. invasion and subsequent occupation of Iraq had profound consequences for the people living in that nation. In this essay, I provide a brief overview of the dramatic changes that transpired in Iraq due to the war. I then move on to highlight the contributions U.S. sociologists have made in studies regarding the conflict, based on a review of articles published from 2003–2016 in ten generalist U.S.‐based journals. My review shows that while U.S. sociology has made significant contributions to further collective knowledge about American aspects of the Iraq War, U.S. sociologists have paid very little attention to the actual impacts of the invasion and occupation on Iraqi social organizations, Iraqi culture, and on the lives of individual Iraqis. I make the case that these historically significant events deserve more scholarly attention than they have been given so far. I further argue that U.S. sociologists have a special responsibility to document, study, and explain the consequences of their government's behavior when it causes extensive harm to people living in another land.
The Elite Is Up to Something: Exploring the Relation Between Populism and Belief in Conspiracy Theories
Authors: Castanho Silva Bruno , Vegetti Federico , Littvay Levente
Published: August 2017

We explore the relationship between populist attitudes and conspiratorial beliefs on the individual level with two studies using American samples. First, we test whether and what kinds of conspiratorial beliefs predict populist attitudes. Our results show that belief in conspiracies with greedy, but not necessarily purely evil, elites are associated with populism. Second, we test whether having a conspiratorial mentality is associated with all separate sub‐dimensions of populist attitudes – people‐centrism, anti‐elitism, and a good‐versus‐evil view of politics. Results show a relation only with the first two, confirming the common tendency of both discourses to see the masses as victims on elites’ hands. These findings contribute to research on the correlates of populism at the individual level, which is essential to understanding why this phenomenon is so strong in contemporary democracies.
Resurrection of the Russian Orthodox Church: Narrative of Analysis of the Russian National Myth*
Authors: Damm Emily Belle , Cooley Skye
Published: August 2017

Objective

The following research is a qualitative and narrative analysis aimed at understanding Russia's recent emphasis on the importance of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) to discover the narrative frameworks on national myth put forth by authoritarian regimes help maintain state legitimacy.

Methods

The researchers utilized the M3S open‐source intelligence platform at Texas A&M University to analyze the news coverage events on the state‐controlled broadcast media Rossiya24 from November 30, 2014 to November 30, 2015.

Results

The researchers found four narrative components utilized as part of the national myth discourse: the reconciliation of the ROC and the Russian state, ROC as the unifier of all Slavic people, ROC and Russian moral authority, and ROC and the Russian citizen.

Conclusion

This case study on national legitimacy demonstrates opportunities for communication scholarship to offer points of impact for policymakers.
Assessing the Role of Television, the Family, and the School in the Development of Political Trust in Adolescence
Authors: Marien Sofie
Published: August 2017

Objective

A comprehensive study on the development of political trust is absent. Studies on the socialization effect of the media generally neglect the influence of the media system. This study aims to fill this gap.

Methods

Using a within‐country comparison of two media systems, I estimate the influence of different socialization agents on the development of political trust through hierarchical models of repeated measurements on a representative panel of Belgian adolescents (BPPS 2006–2011, n = 3,025).

Results

News consumption and a public service broadcasting preference foster political trust within diverse media systems. The socioeconomic status and level of political discussion in the family, an open classroom climate, and classroom instruction about politics also promote political trust.

Conclusions

Television, the family, and the school are all equally important agents in the development of political trust. It is critical to take the nature of the media system into account when studying how the media affect political trust.
Voters' Perceptions of Party Platforms: The Role of Changing Information Contexts*
Authors: Potter Joshua D. , Dunaway Johanna L.
Published: August 2017

Objectives

Under what circumstances are voters most likely to correctly situate political parties along a left‐right spatial continuum? Answering this question is profoundly important for our understanding of the spatial theory of party competition, which has typically generated empirically verifiable predictions aboutparty‐levelplatform shifts, but fallen short when it comes to making predictions aboutvoter‐levelperceptions.Method. We use a multilevel cross‐national database of hundreds of thousands of voters in recent elections in Western and Eastern European democracies, and hierarchical linear modeling to test our hypotheses.Results. We demonstrate that the prevalence of Internet usage in a country systematically shapes individual voters'objective accuracyin their placements of parties' platforms on the left‐right spectrum. However, these effects accrue differently across certain populations of voters.Conclusion. The party placements of those individuals who self‐report as being ideologically extreme are affected more substantially by Internet prevalence than those of moderate voters.
Corruption Is Bad News for a Free Press: Reassessing the Relationship Between Media Freedom and Corruption
Authors: Solis Jonathan A. , Antenangeli Leonardo
Published: August 2017

Objective. In the following analysis, we investigate the determinants of government efforts to censor media. We develop and test a new theory that argues executive‐level corruption influences when governments are more likely to attempt media censorship. After modeling the media–government dynamic in game form, we utilize the new Varieties of Democracy (V‐Dem) dataset to empirically test this relationship on both traditional media (print and broadcast) and new media (Internet). Using panel, ordinary least squares (OLS) regression with a lagged dependent variable and country fixed effects, we examine the relationship from 1960 to 2015 for traditional media and from 1993 to 2015 for new media. The results suggest that as governments become more corrupt, governmental efforts to censor both forms of media are likely to increase. We further examine the relationship among different world regions and regime types; we find overall confirmation of our hypothesis.
Are ICTs Democratizing Dictatorships? New Media and Mass Mobilization*
Authors: Stein Elizabeth A.
Published: August 2017

Objective

This article evaluates the relationship between the degree of access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) and the extent of anti‐government protests and riots, accounting for the effects of past protest on subsequent ICT access, and examines direct and indirect effects of ICT diffusion on political change.

Method

Using a cross‐national time‐series data set from 1995 through 2014, the article employs simultaneous equations using the GSEM function in Stata to assess these relationships.

Results

The results indicate that ICT access at time t is conditioned on the number of anti‐regime mass actions four and five years earlier. They also show greater ICT access corresponds with more contemporaneous anti‐government mass actions.

Conclusions

The effect of ICT diffusion on political change occurs indirectly through its effect on mass actions, but may lead to either political retrogression or liberalization. ICT diffusions’ direct effect sustains the political status quo. The conclusion that ICTs serve as liberation technology remains ambiguous.
A Cross‐National Analysis of the Causes and Consequences of Economic News
Authors: Wlezien Christopher , Soroka Stuart , Stecula Dominik
Published: August 2017

Objective

Work on economic news argues that U.S. coverage focuses primarily on changes rather than levels of future economic conditions; it also both affects and reflects public economic sentiment. Given that economic perceptions are related to policy preferences and government support, this is of consequence for politics. This article explores the generalizability of these findings.

Methods

Using nearly 100,000 stories over 30 years in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, we compare media tone, public opinion, and economic conditions.

Result

Analyses demonstrate that media tone and public opinion follow future economic change in all three countries. Media and opinion are also related, but the effect mostly runs from the public to the media, not the other way around.

Conclusion

These results confirm the generalizability of prior findings, and the importance of considering more than a simple unidirectional link between media coverage and public economic sentiment.
Is pH increasing in the noncalcareous topsoils of France under agricultural management? A statistical framework to overcome the limitations of a soil test database
Authors: Saby N. P. A. , Swiderski C. , Lemercier B. , Walter C. , Louis B. P. , Eveillard P. , Arrouays D.
Published: August 2017

Soil pH is one of the most common and important measurements used to assess soil quality and manage soil fertility. Soil acidification is a slow process that can have large consequences. Therefore, it is important to detect soil changes early. Using a French soil test database, we show that the soil pH increased in 36% of arable soils monitored from 1996 to 2010, which suggests that soils became less acidic across the country. Conversely, decreases in pH were rarely detected. To perform this assessment, we used a statistical framework to analyse 488 717 soil test results from the French national soil test database. We excluded calcareous soils due to their relatively stable pH. Two periods were analysed: 1996 to 2000 (period 1) and 2006 to 2010 (period 2). Then, we performed nonparametric Mann–Whitney U tests following a resampling step to account for the noncontrolled selection of spatial and temporal localization in the observations. Our statistical framework smoothed the effects of some limitations of the database related to the variable number of samples collected during both periods and uncertainties in sampling locations. Overall, this study demonstrates the potential of using this type of database and a relevant statistical framework to detect long‐term changes in soil properties.
Genomic sequences of two novel HLA‐C alleles, HLA‐C*15:143 and HLA‐C*07:109:02
Authors: Balas A. , García‐Sánchez F. , Alenda R. , Vicario J. L.
Published: August 2017

Two novel HLA‐C alleles, C*07:109:02 and C*15:143, were characterized in two Spanish individuals.
HLA‐B*67:01:03, a HLA novel allele, identified in a Chinese platelet donor
Authors: Li X.‐F. , Liu Y. , Zhang X. , Lin F.‐Q. , Li J.‐P.
Published: August 2017

HLA‐B*67:01:03 has one synonymous nucleotide change from HLA‐B*67:01:02 at nucleotide 873 (codon 267 Proline).
Approaching the Relational Nature of the Port‐City Interface in Europe: Ties and Tensions Between Seaports and the Urban
Authors: Hesse Markus
Published: August 2017

This paper explores the broader setting of urban and economic development that links ports and cities in Europe and aims at enhancing our understanding of the port‐city interface. A relational view is taken for linking local developments and policies with overarching, more remote spheres of influence and impact, which can be considered both beneficial and critical for the port and the city. In order to illustrate the argument, a framework of three issues is applied to discuss the port‐city interface: first, the role of ports as economic engines of their wider region; second, the cruise ship industry as a market segment that re‐connects port and city; third, semi‐political bodies and institutions that play key roles as intermediaries and knowledge brokers. The paper finally discusses the implications of relationality for governing the port‐city interface.
Authorship in paediatric research conducted in low‐ and middle‐income countries: parity or parasitism?
Authors: Rees Chris A. , Lukolyo Heather , Keating Elizabeth M. , Dearden Kirk A. , Luboga Samuel A. , Schutze Gordon E. , Kazembe Peter N.
Published: August 2017

Objectives

Interest in global health has increased greatly in the past two decades. Concomitantly, the number and complexity of research partnerships between high‐income (HIC) and low‐ and middle‐income countries (LMICs) has grown. We aimed to determine whether there is authorship parity (equitable representation and author order) or parasitism (no authors from study countries) in paediatric research conducted in LMICs.

Methods

We reviewed all articles published from 2006 to 2015 in the four paediatric journals with the highest Eigenfactor scores. We limited our review to articles from LMICs and abstracted information on author affiliation and order, funding source and study design. We calculated Student's t‐tests and chi‐square using Fisher's exact test with Monte Carlo estimates.

Results

There were 24 169 articles published during the study period, and 1243 met inclusion criteria. Of those, 95.9% (n = 1,192) included at least one author affiliated with a LMIC. Among multicountry studies (n = 165), 40.4% did not include authors from every LMIC involved. Of the 9876 authors, most were affiliated with institutions from upper‐middle‐income countries (41.7%) and HICs (32.7%), with far fewer affiliated with lower middle‐income (15.5%) and low‐income countries (5.4%) (P < 0.001). In articles from low‐income countries, first and last authors from HICs were more common than authors with low‐income country affiliations (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

Authorship parasitism was rare overall but common in multicountry studies. In studies conducted in low‐income countries, HIC authors more commonly occupied first and last author positions than authors from the study countries. Where LMIC authors make substantial contributions, researchers should strive for authorship parity.
Cell‐type‐ and tissue‐specific transcriptomes of the white spruce (Picea glauca) bark unmask fine‐scale spatial patterns of constitutive and induced conifer defense
Authors: Celedon Jose M. , Yuen Macaire M.S. , Chiang Angela , Henderson Hannah , Reid Karen E. , Bohlmann Jörg
Published: August 2017

Plant defenses often involve specialized cells and tissues. In conifers, specialized cells of the bark are important for defense against insects and pathogens. Using laser microdissection, we characterized the transcriptomes of cortical resin duct cells, phenolic cells and phloem of white spruce (Picea glauca) bark under constitutive and methyl jasmonate (MeJa)‐induced conditions, and we compared these transcriptomes with the transcriptome of the bark tissue complex. Overall, ~3700 bark transcripts were differentially expressed in response to MeJa. Approximately 25% of transcripts were expressed in only one cell type, revealing cell specialization at the transcriptome level. MeJa caused cell‐type‐specific transcriptome responses and changed the overall patterns of cell‐type‐specific transcript accumulation. Comparison of transcriptomes of the conifer bark tissue complex and specialized cells resolved a masking effect inherent to transcriptome analysis of complex tissues, and showed the actual cell‐type‐specific transcriptome signatures. Characterization of cell‐type‐specific transcriptomes is critical to reveal the dynamic patterns of spatial and temporal display of constitutive and induced defense systems in a complex plant tissue or organ. This was demonstrated with the improved resolution of spatially restricted expression of sets of genes of secondary metabolism in the specialized cell types.
Central retinal preservation in rdAc cats
Authors: Minella Andrea Louise , Occelli Laurence Mireille , Narfström Kristina , Petersen‐Jones Simon Michael
Published: August 2017

Objective

Children with Leber congenital amaurosis (LCA) due to CEP290 mutations show characteristic macular preservation. Spectral domain‐optical coherence tomography (SD‐OCT) is a noninvasive technique to investigate retinal structural changes. Loss of integrity of the ellipsoid zone (EZ) on OCT in people with retinal disease has been associated with loss of visual function and is a useful measure of retinal disease progression. We hypothesized that rdAc felines with Cep290 mutation would have a similar pattern of degeneration, with relative central retinal preservation associated with maintenance of the EZ.

Procedures

Fundus imaging, confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, and SD‐OCT cross‐sectional imaging was performed on 11 rdAc cats ranging from 6 months to 10 years of age. Images were collected from the area centralis, visual streak, and the mid‐superior and mid‐inferior retina. Receptor plus (REC+, encompassing the entire length of photoreceptors) thicknesses were measured. Regional rates of degeneration were determined by regression analysis and compared using unpaired t‐tests. The EZ was evaluated for the presence, absence, or loss of definition.

Results

RdAc cats showed REC+ thinning over time in all regions. The area centralis and visual streak had a slower rate of thinning than the mid‐peripheral retina. There was loss of integrity of the EZ initially in the more peripheral regions, while its integrity was maintained in the area centralis and visual streak at all ages studied.

Conclusions

rdAc cats show preservation of the central retina with maintenance of EZ integrity, which recapitulates findings in human patients.
Who returns and becomes a regular blood donor? Analysis of a donor database in Fukushima, Japan
Authors: Kashimura M. , Goto A. , Nollet K. E. , Ohto H. , Yasumura S. , Konno K.
Published: August 2017

Background and Objective

A Frequent Blood Donor Club has been established by the Japanese Red Cross Society to ensure a steady supply of safe blood. This study investigated the characteristics of club members.

Materials and Methods

Database information on 50 954 donors in Fukushima Prefecture was extracted, and 1907 club members and random selections of 2030 first‐time and 2137 returning donors were enroled (sampling proportions of 40% and 5%, respectively). Eleven survey items were compared between the first‐time to returning donors and returning donors to club members, using logistic regression analysis.

Results

While 78·9% of first‐time and 86·9% of returning donors donated whole blood, 60·2% of club members donated platelet concentrate. Median number of previous donations was 7 for returning donors and 60 for club members. Eight factors were significantly associated with either donors’ return or registration in the donor club: three basic characteristics (age, sex, occupation and region), two blood donation items (no intention of future donation and donation at a fixed location) and three health and lifestyle items (BMI, systolic blood pressure and sleep duration).

Conclusions

Club members were characterised by higher numbers of previous donations and a preference for component donations. Young people and women were less likely to be returning donors. Directed efforts to recruit and retain donors considering their donation sites and health status are recommended to ensure a stable blood supply now and in the future.
Comparison of a computed tomographic pulmonary trunk to aorta diameter ratio with echocardiographic indices of pulmonary hypertension in dogs
Authors: Sutherland‐Smith James , Hankin Elyshia J. , Cunningham Suzanne M. , Sato Amy F. , Barton Bruce A.
Published: August 2017

There are limited criteria for the detection of pulmonary hypertension in dogs undergoing computed tomography (CT) for pulmonary disease. This retrospective analytical exploratory study compared a CT pulmonary trunk to aorta ratio with echocardiographic estimates of pulmonary hypertension. Dogs having both a contrast thoracic CT and echocardiogram were selected and maximal pulmonary trunk and descending aorta diameters were measured by two observers on a single transverse CT image. Computed tomographic diameter ratios were compared with the echocardiographic parameters of tricuspid regurgitation gradient, right ventricular acceleration time‐to‐ejection time ratio, pulmonary insufficiency gradient, and pulmonary artery to aorta diameter. A total of 78 dogs were sampled, with 44 dogs having one or more finding suggestive of pulmonary hypertension. A moderate positive correlation was shown between tricuspid regurgitation gradient and CT pulmonary trunk to aorta ratio (r = 0.61, P‐value < 0.0001). Mean CT pulmonary trunk to aorta ratio of dogs with moderate (P = 0.0132) and severe (P < 0.0003) pulmonary hypertension were significantly higher than normal dogs. There was no significant difference in mean CT pulmonary trunk to aorta ratio between normal and mild pulmonary hypertension dogs (P = 0.4244). The intraclass correlation coefficient (0.72) showed good reproducibility of the ratio. Findings indicated that CT pulmonary trunk to aorta ratio is a reproducible and potentially useful method to predict moderate and severe pulmonary hypertension in dogs, but not mild pulmonary hypertension. In dogs undergoing thoracic CT for pulmonary disease, an increased ratio should prompt follow up echocardiography.
Ultrasonographic identification of the dorsal atlantoaxial ligament in dogs
Authors: de Vicente Felipe , Hammond Gawain
Published: August 2017

Objective

To determine the ability to identify the dorsal atlantoaxial ligament during ultrasonographic examination of dogs.

Study design

Canine cadaveric study.

Sample population

Canine cervical spines (n = 35).

Methods

Thirty‐five canine cadavers with an estimated body weight of 6‐35 kg were retrieved. Five cervical spines were dissected to assess the length and thickness of the dorsal atlantoaxial ligament and correlate ultrasound‐guided injection of ink with anatomical dissection. Ultrasonographic evaluation of the dorsal atlantoaxial ligament was performed on 30 cadavers. The visibility of the dorsal atlantoaxial ligament in both the transverse and the sagittal planes was subjectively scored (0‐3).

Results

The dorsal atlantoaxial ligament was detectable on ultrasonographic examination in all cadavers: 27/30 and 28/30 were graded as moderately visible (grade 2) or clearly visible (grade 3) in the sagittal and transverse view, respectively. Only 1/30 cadaver specimen of a large breed dog was graded as 1 (indistinct) in both the sagittal and transverse planes. None of the cadavers were graded as 0 (not visible) in any view.

Conclusion

The dorsal atlantoaxial ligament can be identified in ultrasonographic examination of normal canine cadavers. Future studies on animals with clinical atlantoaxial instability/subluxation are needed to evaluate the role of this imaging technique in providing a safer diagnosis of this condition.

Clinical relevance

Ultrasonographic examination of the dorsal atlantoaxial ligament could potentially provide a noninvasive and safe imaging technique that may contribute to the diagnosis of atlantoaxial instability/subluxation in dogs.
A Carrel patch technique for renal transplantation in cats
Authors: Budgeon Casey , Hardie Robert J. , McAnulty Jonathan F.
Published: August 2017

Objective

To evaluate the feasibility of a Carrel patch method in feline renal transplantation.

Study design

Descriptive case series.

Animals

Nine healthy donor cats and 9 client recipient cats with chronic renal failure.

Methods

Renal transplantation was performed in 9 cats with chronic renal failure after collection of a donor's left kidney with a Carrel patch technique. A patch of donor aortic wall was removed with either 2 or 1 renal artery (ies) (n = 1 and 8 cats, respectively) central to the patch, with a cuff of tissue (≤1 mm) protruding from the base of the vessels. The Carrel patch was implanted in recipient cats with an end‐to‐side artery‐to‐aorta anastomosis, in a simple‐continuous pattern of 9‐0 nylon. The renal vein and ureter were implanted as previously described.

Results

All donors and recipients survived surgery without vascular complication.

Conclusion

The Carrel patch is a novel approach allowing the harvest of kidneys with multiple renal arteries. The technique also simplified the implant procedure, potentially decreasing the risks of bleeding and thrombosis.
The Wound‐QoL questionnaire on quality of life in chronic wounds is highly reliable
Authors: Sommer Rachel , Augustin Matthias , Hampel‐Kalthoff Carsten , Blome Christine
Published: August 2017

The Wound‐QoL questionnaire has been tested in a previous study, indicating that the instrument is a reliable and valid measurement for the assessment of HRQoL in chronic wounds. The aim of this study was to examine the test–retest reliability of the Wound‐QoL. Patients were asked to complete the Wound‐QoL twice within 3–7 days. Next to descriptive statistics, internal consistency was determined. Test–retest reliability was calculated with the intraclass correlation coefficient. The data showed ICCs between 0.79 and 0.86, which can be considered evidence of excellent reliability. Another indicator of very good reliability, high internal consistency of both global score, and subscale scores were found. The availability of the Wound‐QoL provides a step forward in allowing measurement of the HRQoL in chronic wounds. The instrument is fit for use to measure outcomes in clinical trials and as well to assess treatment outcomes in routine practice.
Profiling of glycan alterations in regrowing limb tissues of Cynops orientalis
Authors: Cui Jihong , Zheng Hanxue , Zhang Jing , Jia Liyuan , Feng Yalong , Wang Wenjun , Li Hongmin , Chen Fulin
Published: August 2017

Glycans are known to play important roles in molecular recognition, cell–cell adhesion, molecular trafficking, receptor activation, and signal transduction during development and regeneration. Despite numerous investigations of regenerating salamander limbs, global analysis of the precise variation of glycans during the limb regeneration process has received little attention. Here, we have used lectin microarrays and lectin histochemistry to analyze the alterations and distribution of glycans during the early stages leading to blastema formation during Cynops orientalis limb regeneration in response to limb amputation. Compared with the control group, analysis at several time points (3, 7, and 14 days postamputation) using microarrays containing 37 lectins showed that limb tissues expressed significantly different complements of glycans recognized by 9 different lectins. Postamputation limb tissues showed higher expression of two glycan structures recognized by the lectins STL and LTL and lower expression of seven glycan structures recognized by PHA‐E, MAL‐I, SNA, UEA‐I, PHA‐E + L, VVA, and GNA. We also observed significant changes in glycans specifically at 7 days postamputation, including higher binding capacity by WFA, GSL‐I, and NPA and lower binding capacity by PNA, HHL, ConA, LCA, GSL‐II, and PWM. Next, we validated our lectin microarray data using lectin histochemistry in limb tissues. Glycans recognized by STL and GNA showed similar changes in signal intensity to those found in the lectin microarrays, with STL staining in the cytoplasm and GNA in the cytoplasm and nucleus. Our findings are the first report of significant postamputation changes in glycans in limb tissues and suggest that those glycans perform potentially important functions during the early stages of C. orientalis limb regeneration.
Efficacy of a surfactant‐based wound dressing on biofilm control
Authors: Percival Steven L. , Mayer Dieter , Salisbury Anne‐Marie
Published: August 2017

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of both a nonantimicrobial and antimicrobial (1% silver sulfadiazine—SSD) surfactant‐based wound dressing in the control of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterococcus sp, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, and methicillin‐resistant S. aureus (MRSA) biofilms. Anti‐biofilm efficacy was evaluated in numerous adapted American Standards for Testing and Materials (ASTM) standard biofilm models and other bespoke biofilm models. The ASTM standard models employed included the Minimum biofilm eradication concentration (MBEC) biofilm model (ASTM E2799) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) biofilm reactor model (ASTM 2871). Such bespoke biofilm models included the filter biofilm model and the chamberslide biofilm model. Results showed complete kill of microorganisms within a biofilm using the antimicrobial surfactant‐based wound dressing. Interestingly, the nonantimicrobial surfactant‐based dressing could disrupt existing biofilms by causing biofilm detachment. Prior to biofilm detachment, we demonstrated, using confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), the dispersive effect of the nonantimicrobial surfactant‐based wound dressing on the biofilm within 10 minutes of treatment. Furthermore, the non‐antimicrobial surfactant‐based wound dressing caused an increase in microbial flocculation/aggregation, important for microbial concentration. In conclusion, this nonantimicrobial surfactant‐based wound dressing leads to the effective detachment and dispersion of in vitro biofilms. The use of surfactant‐based wound dressings in a clinical setting may help to disrupt existing biofilm from wound tissue and may increase the action of antimicrobial treatment.
State-Space Model and Kalman Filter Gain Identification by a Kalman Filter of a Kalman Filter
Authors: Phan Minh Q. , Vicario Francesco , Longman Richard W. , Betti Raimondo
Published: August 2017

This paper describes an algorithm that identifies a state-space model and an associated steady-state Kalman filter gain from noise-corrupted input–output data. The model structure involves two Kalman filters where a second Kalman filter accounts for the error in the estimated residual of the first Kalman filter. Both Kalman filter gains and the system state-space model are identified simultaneously. Knowledge of the noise covariances is not required.