bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Evaluating multimodal literacies in student blogs
Authors: O'Byrne Barbara , Murrell Stacey
Published: August 2013

This research presents ways in which high school students used the multimodal and interactive affordances of blogs to create, organize, communicate and participate on an educational blog. Their actions demonstrated how plural modes of literacy are infiltrating digital environments and reshaping literacy and learning. Multimodal blogging practices of participants broaden the discourse about educational blogs to include an understanding of blogs as media‐rich platforms in which learners operate with plural modes of literacy to construct meaning, communicate and participate.
New evidence for the presence of reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) on the Iberian Peninsula in the Pleistocene: an archaeopalaeontological and chronological reassessment
Authors: Gómez‐Olivencia Asier , Arceredillo Diego , Álvarez‐Lao Diego J. , Garate Diego , San Pedro Ziortza , Castaños Pedro , Rios‐Garaizar Joseba
Published: August 2013

Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus) populations reached the Iberian Peninsula during the end of the Middle Pleistocene and there are numerous examples of this species from Late Pleistocene Mousterian and Upper Palaeolithic sites. In this paper, new evidence of reindeer in the east Cantabrian region is presented that further supports the timing of this species’ first appearance, and previous assessments are updated. To date, the presence of this species has been identified at 55 sites in the Iberian Peninsula, nearly as many as those of mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) and woolly rhinoceros (Coelodonta antiquitatis) combined. Most of the sites with presence of reindeer (50) are located in the Cantabrian region with a clear increase in the density of sites and remains towards the Pyrenees. The remaining five sites with evidence of reindeer are located on the other side of the Pyrenees in the NW corner of Catalonia. In contrast, archaeological evidence of reindeer in the form of art (both parietal and portable) is more scarce and scattered. Evidence for the representation of these animals has been found outside the northern fringe of the Iberian Peninsula, which could reflect either long‐distance cultural communication or the movement of human groups.
Convection‐Enhanced Drug Delivery to the Brain: Therapeutic Potential and Neuropathological Considerations
Authors: Barua Neil U. , Gill Steven S. , Love Seth
Published: August 2013

Convection‐enhanced delivery (CED) describes a direct method of drug delivery to the brain through intraparenchymal microcatheters. By establishing a pressure gradient at the tip of the infusion catheter in order to exploit bulk flow through the interstitial spaces of the brain, CED offers a number of advantages over conventional drug delivery methods—bypass of the blood–brain barrier, targeted distribution through large brain volumes and minimization of systemic side effects. Despite showing early promise, CED is yet to fulfill its potential as a mainstream strategy for the treatment of neurological disease. Substantial research effort has been dedicated to optimize the technology for CED and identify the parameters, which govern successful drug distribution. It seems likely that successful clinical translation of CED will depend on suitable catheter technology being used in combination with drugs with optimal physicochemical characteristics, and on neuropathological analysis in appropriate preclinical models. In this review, we consider the factors most likely to influence the success or failure of CED, and review its application to the treatment of high‐grade glioma, Parkinson's disease (PD) and Alzheimer's disease (AD).
Histamine pharmacology: four years on
Authors: Chazot Paul L
Published: August 2013

The histamine field has moved on rapidly in the last four years, with expansion in roles and clinical development, particularly in the newest two of four histamine receptors. This themed volume is a testament to this expansion with 16 original and review articles spanning a wide spectrum of histamine‐related topics, with therapeutic translational relevance to addiction, dementias, anxiety disorders, cancers, vestibular disorders, migraine and autoimmune disorders.

Linked Articles

This article is part of a themed issue on Histamine Pharmacology Update. To view the other articles in this issue visit http://dx.doi.org/
10.1111/bph.2013.170.issue‐1
A “Choreography of Becoming”: Fathering, Embodied Care, and New Materialisms
Authors: Doucet Andrea
Published: August 2013

Cet article souligne l'absence du corps dans les études sur la division sexuelle des responsabilités parentales et soutient qu'on doit y intégrer le concept clé de l'embodiment masculin dans les soins proférés aux enfants. Issue d'une recherche qualitative qui se penche depuis vingt ans sur les mères pourvoyeuses économiques et les pères pourvoyeurs des soins, je cite les penseurs fondateurs de ce concept  (Dorothy E. Smith, Merleau‐Ponty, Bourdieu, Goffman) et aboutis à une réflexion informée par de nouvelles approches matérialistes, en postulant l'indivisibilité ontologique du lien corps/social et l'interrelation entre donneurs et receveurs de soins. L'article se veut une invitation au débat, une réponse tentative à l'exhortation d'Anne Fausto‐Sterling () de “reformuler nos vieilles questions pour pouvoir arriver à une façon systématique d'aborder l'entrelacement corps‐culture” (pp. 1516–1517).

This article points to the recurring invisibility of the body in studies of parental care giving and argues that one critical missing link within our understandings of gender differences in care work is that of male embodiment in care giving. Rooted in a two‐decade‐long qualitative and ethnographic research program on breadwinning mothers and care‐giving fathers, I begin with several key thinkers on embodiment (Dorothy E. Smith, Merleau‐Ponty, Bourdieu, Goffman) and I end the article with thinking‐in‐progress, informed by new materialist lenses, and argue for the ontological inseparability of body‐social linkages and care‐giving relations between carers and the cared‐for.  This article is an invitation to debate and a quiet taking up of Anne Fausto‐Sterling's (2005) plea that “(w)e need to ask old questions in new ways so that we can think systematically about the interweaving of bodies and culture” (pp. 1516–1517).
Are Canadian‐Trained PhDs Disadvantaged in the Academic Labor Market?
Authors: Wilkinson Lori , Bramadat Janine , Dolynchuk Rachel , St. Aubin Zoë T.
Published: August 2013

Beaucoup d’étudiants s'inquiéent de leurs perspectives d'emploi à la fin de leurs éudes. Un de leurs soucis principaux provient de l'idée répandue chez les Canadiens qu'une formation doctorale outre‐mer augmente leurs chances de trouver une position à leur retour au pays. Ils s'appuient sur la conviction que beaucoup de facultés de sociologie préfèrent engager des diplômés de programmes  de pays étrangers. Or, l'information accessible concernant le nombre et l'origine des titres de professeurs en sociologie récemment embauchés au Canada, et compte tenu d'une attention particulière portée à cet écart, montre que les facultés canadiennes ont tendance à recruter plus de personnel ayant obtenu un doctorat au Canada qu’à l’étranger, bien qu'il y ait quelques exceptions.

Many PhD students are anxious about their job prospects upon graduation. One of the major themes involves a perception that Canadians going abroad for doctoral training are privileged in their job search when they return to Canada to look for academic work. The belief is that many sociology departments prefer to hire graduates of programs outside the country. An examination of available information regarding the number and origin of degrees for recently hired sociology professors in Canada can help address this gap and finds that Canadian departments tend to hire Canadian‐trained PhDs more than not, but there are some exceptions.
Unseen Powers and Democratic Detectives: Street Vendors in an Indonesian City
Authors: GIBBINGS SHERI
Published: August 2013

This article documents how the democratic detective is related to important changes in the meaning and clustering of both keywords and social types since the democratic transition in Indonesia in 1998. The article describes how during a government‐organized street vendor relocation, Arif, a young street vendor, as a democratic detective, positions himself in relation to the rakyat (the people), which is viewed as the most authentic body to bring forth social and political change in Indonesia; and to the oknum, an individual who abuses his position of power for personal benefit. In this paper, I show how the democratic detective is developing new techniques for achieving transparency based on a shared pattern of latent communication in newspapers and is involved in producing a narrative reminiscent of a detective story. [Indonesia, Yogyakarta City, transparency, detectives, street vendors, urban figures].
A Detective Story Writer: Exploring Stockholm as It Once Was
Authors: HANNERZ ULF
Published: August 2013

There has been a change in the typical setting of detective fiction, from small, closed, tranquil communities to urban contexts of greater opacity and diversity. Its hero/heroine is thus now a recurrent figure in a global genre of urban fiction; and the actual detective story writer is a connoisseur of life in the big city. In this article I point to a certain affinity between detective stories and urban ethnography, and proceed to suggest some contrasts between Swedish writers who have recently achieved international fame and a writer of an earlier generation whom I knew personally. This is a way of demonstrating changes in the urban scene of Stockholm, and transformations in Swedish national society.
Phenotypic description of multiple congenital ocular anomalies in Comtois horses
Authors: Depecker M. , Ségard E. , Cadoré J‐L.
Published: August 2013

Multiple congenital ocular anomalies (MCOA) and their relation to coat colour genotype have not yet been described in Comtois horses, unlike in Rocky Mountain Horses. The objectives of the study were to describe prevalence, nature and severity of congenital ocular anomalies relating to the PMEL17 (Silver) mutation in Comtois horses. Seventy‐four purebred Comtois and one half‐cross Comtois horses, aged 10 days to 18 years, were examined by transillumination, direct ophthalmoscopy and ultrasonography. Hair samples were collected from 34 horses for coat colour genotyping. Sixty‐six horses (88%) revealed cysts (65 horses) or abnormal thickness (one horse) of the ciliary bodies, most of them only diagnosed by ultrasonography. Cysts were localised in the nasal part of the eye in 8 horses. All these horses presented the silver phenotype with mane and tail being white or flaxen, or were chestnut with genetic testing confirming PMEL17 mutation. Of these, 39 (58%) showed MCOA‐syndrome with iridal hypoplasia (100%), cataract (85%), cornea globosa (56%) and lens luxation (8%). Only 8 bay mature horses (11%) were classified as being disease‐free. Genetic testing confirmed that cyst‐phenotype horses were heterozygous carriers for the Silver mutation, MCOA‐phenotype horses were homozygous carriers, and bay horses were noncarriers. Bay homozygous carriers had significantly lighter coat colour than heterozygous carriers. One foal with heterozygous mutation had normal eyes. Thus, MCOA‐syndrome related to PMEL17 mutation is overrepresented in Comtois horses, and should be taken into consideration for breeding purposes. Ultrasonography permitted detection of cysts in all Silver carriers apart from one, some of them being localised in the nasal part of the eye.
Human action recognition with sparse classification and multiple‐view learning
Authors: Cilla Rodrigo , Patricio Miguel A. , Berlanga Antonio , Molina José M.
Published: August 2013

Employing multiple camera viewpoints in the recognition of human actions increases performance. This paper presents a feature fusion approach to efficiently combine 2D observations extracted from different camera viewpoints. Multiple‐view dimensionality reduction is employed to learn a common parameterization of 2D action descriptors computed for each one of the available viewpoints. Canonical correlation analysis and their variants are employed to obtain such parameterizations. A sparse sequence classifier based on L1 regularization is proposed to avoid the problem of having to choose the proper number of dimensions of the common parameterization. The proposed system is employed in the classification of the Inria Xmas Motion Acquisition Sequences (IXMAS) data set with successful results.
DenGraph‐HO: a density‐based hierarchical graph clustering algorithm
Authors: Schlitter Nico , Falkowski Tanja , Lässig Jörg
Published: August 2013

DenGraph‐HO is an extension of the density‐based graph clustering algorithm DenGraph. It is able to detect dense groups of nodes in a given graph and produces a hierarchy of clusters, which can be efficiently computed. The generated hierarchy can be used to investigate the structure and the characteristics of social networks. Each hierarchy level provides a different level of detail and can be used as the basis for interactive visual social network analysis. After a short introduction of the original DenGraph algorithm, we present DenGraph‐HO and its top‐down and bottom‐up approaches. We describe the data structures and memory requirements and analyse the run‐time complexity. Finally, we apply the DenGraph‐HO algorithm to the real‐world datasets obtained from the online music platform Last.fm and from the former US company Enron.
A Taxonomy of Male British Family Annihilators, 1980–2012
Authors: Yardley Elizabeth , Wilson David , Lynes Adam
Published: August 2013

This exploratory article presents an overview of British, male family annihilators from 1980 to 2012. In doing so it provides a range of criminological information relevant to the incidents being described, and offers a taxonomy of four different types of annihilators that moves discussion beyond ‘revenge/altruistic’ categories.
Non‐family support for breastfeeding maintenance among career women in Taiwan: A qualitative study
Authors: Chang Shu‐min , Rowe Jennifer , Goopy Suzanne
Published: August 2013

The purpose of the study was to describe the influence of non‐family‐based support on breastfeeding practices among career women in Taiwan during the first four postnatal months. A qualitative, case study approach was used to investigate the phenomenon. A purposive sample of 14 women was recruited and took part in two to three in‐depth interviews. The data were transcribed and analysed using descriptive content analysis. It was found that non‐family supports had significant influence on their efforts to maintain breastfeeding. Women faced a number of challenges to breastfeeding. The services provided by in‐centre care organizations, the resources and organizations accessed through the Internet, and the support provided by colleagues in their workplaces supported women's efforts to maintain breastfeeding. Given the low breastfeeding maintenance rates in Taiwan and the changing societal structure where fewer families rely on family support, the findings highlight the resources, programmes and nursing practice which might support women's needs and promote breastfeeding among career women.
Kurdish women's preference for mode of birth: A qualitative study
Authors: Shahoei Roonak , Rezaei Masomeh , Ranaei Fariba , Khosravy Farangis , Zaheri Farzaneh
Published: August 2013

Choosing between a normal delivery and Caesarean section is a matter of critical importance for a pregnant woman. The third trimester is the time for her to think about methods of delivery. The study aims to gain insight into Kurdish pregnant women's birth preference and their perception of factors influencing this choice. In this qualitative study, 22 pregnant Kurdish women were interviewed during the third trimester of their pregnancies. The setting for the study included three public health‐care centres of Kurdistan University of Medical Sciences in Sanandaj, a centre of the Kurdistan province at the western part of Iran. Study participants were recruited from maternity units of health‐care centres. A purposive sample was used initially and then theoretical sampling was used towards the end of the data analysis. Sample size was not predetermined but was determined when interviewing reached saturation, that is, when no new data emerged about categories. The sample size was restricted to 22, as no new data were generated after the 20th interview. The criteria required for inclusion in the study were being Kurdish women, being in the third trimester of pregnancy, no physical disability, no history of Caesarean section and interest in the study. A qualitative design was chosen, as it is particularly suited to studying complex phenomena or processes that are less understood. This study revealed that of the 22 participants, 18 preferred vaginal delivery and only four preferred Caesarean section. The reasons for choosing the vaginal delivery method were grouped into four categories: safety of baby, fear, previous experience and social support. This finding does not support the rate of Caesarean section among Kurdish women in Sanandaj. It might reflect the effect of other factors such as social, institutional, professional and quality of care on women's choice for delivery method.
Effects of peripheral cold application on core body temperature and haemodynamic parameters in febrile patients
Authors: Asgar Pour Hossein , Yavuz Meryem
Published: August 2013

This study designed to assess the effects of peripheral cold application (PCA) on core body temperature and haemodynamic parameters in febrile patients. This study was an experimental, repeated‐measures performed in the neurosurgical intensive‐care unit. The research sample included all patients with fever in postoperative period. PCA was performed for 20 min. During fever, systolic blood pressure, mean arterial blood pressure and arterial oxygen saturation (O2Sat) decreased by 5.07 ± 7.89 mm Hg, 0.191 ± 6.00 mm Hg and 0.742% ± 0.97%, respectively, whereas the pulse rate and diastolic blood pressure increased by 8.528 ± 4.42 beats/ min and 1.842 ± 6.9 mmHg, respectively. Immediately after PCA, core body temperature and pulse rate decreased by 0.3°C, 3.3 beats/min, respectively, whereas systolic, diastolic, mean arterial blood pressure and O2Sat increased by, 1.40 mm Hg, 1.87 mm Hg, 0.98 mmHg and 0.27%, respectively. Thirty minutes after the end of PCA, core body temperature, diastolic, mean arterial blood pressure and pulse rate decreased by 0.57°C, 0.34 mm Hg, 0.60 mm Hg and 4.5 beats/min, respectively, whereas systolic blood pressure and O2Sat increased by 0.98 mm Hg and 0.04%, respectively. The present results showed that PCA increases systolic, diastolic, mean arterial blood pressure and O2Sat, and decreases core body temperature and pulse rate.
Microvessel area of immature vessels is a prognostic factor in renal cell carcinoma
Authors: Sato Mototaka , Nakai Yasutomo , Nakata Wataru , Yoshida Takahiro , Hatano Koji , Kawashima Atsunari , Fujita Kazutoshi , Uemura Motohide , Takayama Hitoshi , Nonomura Norio
Published: August 2013

Objectives

To analyze the presence of immature vessels as a predictive factor of prognosis in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

Methods

Tissue samples were obtained from 50 renal cell carcinoma patients who underwent radical nephrectomy, and the blood vessels were stained using antibodies to cluster of differentiation 34 and α‐smooth muscle actin. Immature vessels were defined as those positive for cluster of differentiation 34, and mature vessels as those positive for both cluster of differentiation 34 and α‐smooth muscle actin. The extent of vascularization was quantified by calculating the microvessel area and microvessel density.

Results

The microvessel area of immature vessels was positively associated with tumor grade (P < 0.0001), T stage (P < 0.0001) and American Joint Committee on Cancer stage (P < 0.0001), and was significantly higher in tumors with metastasis than in those without metastasis (P < 0.0001). The microvessel density did not associate with tumor grade or T stage. The disease‐free survival and overall survival were significantly shorter in patients with high microvessel area.

Conclusions

The microvessel area of immature vessels seems to be associated with renal cell carcinoma aggressiveness, suggesting this might be considered as a novel prognostic factor in patients with these tumors.
Building clinical practice in the Palestine Red Crescent operation theatres in Lebanon: reflections from the perspective of an expatriate nurse
Authors: Tjoflåt I. , Karlsen B.
Published: August 2013

Aim

This paper, based on the experience of the first author as an expatriate nurse, aims to describe and discuss some aspects of collaboration that contributed to the building of clinical practice when implementing an operating theatre programme in the Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) hospitals in Lebanon.

Background

The operation theatre programme lasted for 8 months: 6 months in 2008 and 2 months in 2009. The programme was part of the partnership project ‘Quality of care in the five PRCS hospitals in Lebanon’ between the International Committee of the Red Cross and the PRCS Lebanon (PRCS‐L) branch.

Findings

The essential aspects that may have contributed to the building of clinical practice in the operation theatre programme included the expatriate nurse and the Palestine Red Crescent operating theatre nurses working together over time as colleagues, the socio‐cultural pedagogic perspective selected for the implementation and the collaboration with the management of the hospitals and counterparts in the PRCS‐L branch. One should also note the human and structural issues that seemed to influence the implementation of the programme in a more negative way.

Conclusions

This experience may provide insight for other nurses into the importance of working as colleagues, selecting an appropriate pedagogic perspective and establishing productive collaboration with all partners when building clinical practice during a humanitarian mission.
An analysis of parameter adaptation in reactive tabu search
Authors: Mascia Franco , Pellegrini Paola , Birattari Mauro , Stützle Thomas
Published: August 2013

On‐line parameter adaptation schemes are widely used in metaheuristics. They are sometimes preferred to off‐line tuning techniques for two main reasons. First, they promise to achieve good performance even on new instance families that have not been considered during the design or the tuning phase of the algorithm. Second, it is assumed that an on‐line scheme could adapt the algorithm's behaviour to local characteristics of the search space. This paper challenges the second hypothesis by analysing the contribution of the parameter adaptation to the performance of a state‐of‐the‐art reactive tabu search () algorithm for the maximum clique problem. Our experimental analysis shows that this on‐line parameter adaptation scheme converges to good instance‐specific settings for the parameters, and that there is no evidence that it adapts to the local characteristics of the search space. The insights gained from the analysis are confirmed by further experiments with an algorithm for the quadratic assignment problem. Together, the results of the two algorithms shed some new light on the reasons behind the effectiveness of .
Breeding biology of Red‐billed oxpeckers Buphagus erythrorhynchus at the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa
Authors: Plantan T. B. , Howitt M. J. , Kotzé A. , Gaines M. S.
Published: August 2013

Oxpeckers Buphagus spp are unique passerines owing to their involvement in a cleaning association with domestic and wild African ungulates. Oxpeckers not only utilize their hosts for food but also use them as perches for resting, preening, displaying and copulating, as well as a source of nesting material. Because of their high activity levels, unusual dietary requirements and complex interspecific association, the management and breeding of oxpeckers is challenging. In July 2007, 21 Red‐billed oxpeckers Buphagus erythrorhynchus were collected from the wild and housed at the Mokopane Biodiversity Conservation Centre of the National Zoological Gardens of South Africa, Pretoria. They were fed an artificial diet supplemented with Blue ticks Boophilus decoloratus and Mealworms Tenebrio molitor. Oxpeckers had limited contact with Donkey Equus asinus hosts, which they used for plucking hair and performing their nuptial display. During the 2007–2008 oxpecker breeding season, intense intraspecific aggression and dominance exhibited by the breeding pair led to the removal of 18 oxpeckers from the enclosure. Only the breeding pair and one other adult ♀ remained in the enclosure. In December, a single ♂ Red‐billed oxpecker hatched. The remaining three adults assisted in feeding the hatchling until it began to feed entirely on its own at day 68–70. The fledgling reached adult coloration at c. 8 months.
Rule of Law with Chinese Characteristics: The Role of Campaigns in Lawmaking
Authors: BIDDULPH SARAH , COONEY SEAN , ZHU YING
Published: August 2013

China increasingly relies on its legal system to regulate a broad spectrum of social and economic activity. There is, however, widespread failure to observe the law, which periodically leads to social crises and popular unrest. The Chinese state is not, of course, alone in experiencing this, but it responds to enforcement failures in distinctive ways. This article examines one such response. In this article, we explore the role played by the enforcement campaign in the development of the Chinese legal system. We focus on one campaign in particular: the campaign that was waged between 2004 and 2007 to redress the chronic failure to pay wages. Chinese enforcement campaigns are not simply directed at securing greater compliance with existing law. They are integrally linked to cycles of law reform in the PRC. Whilst their main impact is on enforcement, they also have an important role in influencing the drafting of legislation and the interpretation of law. This article documents the impact of this campaign on the production of law: in speeding up the iterative process of lawmaking, interpretation, and implementation, with production of important reforms to existing labour law in 2007 and 2008. It is the strong “planned” nature of the campaign and its emphasis on state leadership of lawmaking and enforcement that continues to shape the development of China's particular version of the “rule of law.”
Mandate, Discretion, and Professionalisation in an Employment Standards Enforcement Agency: An Antipodean Experience
Authors: Howe John , Hardy Tess , Cooney Sean
Published: August 2013

In recent years, there has been a resurgence of scholarly interest in the operation and effect of labour inspectorates around the world. This article aims to contribute to this mounting comparative and socio‐legal literature by considering the emergence of an active and high‐profile enforcement agency inAustralia—theFairWorkOmbudsman (FWO). Drawing on the experiences of inspectors and senior managers at theFWO, we examine the structure and mandate of the agency, as well as the discretion afforded to, and the professionalisation of, individual inspectors. While some have sought to draw a distinction between a rule‐bound, specialised approach characteristic of certain Anglo‐American countries and the so‐called Franco‐Iberian model, which places a greater emphasis on flexibility and pragmatism, we found that theFWOdoes not necessarily fit neatly within this dichotomy. Rather, we observe that as theFWOis a new institution, its mode of operation is in the process of evolution. At present it is pluralistic, in the sense that it exhibits a hierarchical, procedural approach in a drive to address concerns of consistency and accountability, while at the same time allowing, and sometimes encouraging, individuals to be experimental and adaptive.
State‐Sponsored Homophobia and the Denial of the Right of Assembly in Central and Eastern Europe: The “Boomerang” and the “Ricochet” between European Organizations and Civil Society to Uphold Human Rights
Authors: Holzhacker Ronald
Published: August 2013

State‐sponsored homophobia emerged in certain Central and Eastern European states in the past decade, with the denial of the right of assembly for gay pride marches. However, more recently there has been progress in the recognition of the fundamental democratic right of assembly. What accounts for this progress in fulfilling commitments enshrined in the European human rights treaties? This article proposes that the response of European organizations, in particular the Council of Europe and the European Union, as well as human rights nongovernmental organizations working in collaboration with local civil society organizations, have been critical to this progress. Previous literature has described a “boomerang” effect, in which aggrieved citizens use transnational activist networks to publicize human rights violations and put pressure on governments to fulfill their international legal commitments. To understand the functioning and effectiveness of the “boomerang” we introduce the concept of the “ricochet”—a process in which various institutions and civil society rapidly exchange information as well as political and legal argumentation. We posit that the ricochet is an integral process in the development of a European consensus on the human rights recognized by the European Court of Human Rights. Four cases have been selected for empirical analysis: Poland, Latvia, Serbia, and Russia. In analyzing the ricochet of information and argumentation between institutions and civil society, we find the consensus has been framed around the right of assembly, instead of the more contested area of human rights and sexual orientation.
Hydrogen sulphide suppresses human atrial fibroblast proliferation and transformation to myofibroblasts
Authors: Sheng Jingwei , Shim Winston , Wei Heming , Lim Sze Yun , Liew Reginald , Lim Tien Siang , Ong Boon Hean , Chua Yeow Leng , Wong Philip
Published: August 2013

Cardiac fibroblasts are crucial in pathophysiology of the myocardium whereby their aberrant proliferation has significant impact on cardiac function. Hydrogen sulphide (H2S) is a gaseous modulator of potassium channels on cardiomyocytes and has been reported to attenuate cardiac fibrosis. Yet, the mechanism of H2S in modulating proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts remains poorly understood. We hypothesized that H2S inhibits proliferative response of atrial fibroblasts through modulation of potassium channels. Biophysical property of potassium channels in human atrial fibroblasts was examined by whole‐cell patch clamp technique and their cellular proliferation in response to H2S was assessed by BrdU assay. Large conductance Ca2+‐activated K+ current (BKCa), transient outward K+ current (Ito) and inwardly rectifying K+ current (IKir) were found in human atrial fibroblasts. Current density of BKCa (IC50 = 69.4 μM; n = 6), Ito (IC50 = 55.1 μM; n = 6) and IKir (IC50 = 78.9 μM; n = 6) was significantly decreased (P < 0.05) by acute exposure to NaHS (a H2S donor) in atrial fibroblasts. Furthermore, NaHS (100–500 μM) inhibited fibroblast proliferation induced by transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1; 1 ng/ml), Ang II (100 nM) or 20% FBS. Pre‐conditioning of fibroblasts with NaHS decreased basal expression of Kv4.3 (encode Ito), but not KCa1.1 (encode BKCa) and Kir2.1 (encode IKir). Furthermore, H2S significantly attenuated TGF‐β1–stimulated Kv4.3 and α‐smooth muscle actin expression, which coincided with its inhibition of TGF‐β–induced myofibroblast transformation. Our results show that H2S attenuates atrial fibroblast proliferation via suppression of K+ channel activity and moderates their differentiation towards myofibroblasts.
Transcriptomic analysis of inbreeding depression in cold‐sensitive Drosophila melanogaster shows upregulation of the immune response
Authors: Vermeulen C. J. , Sørensen P. , Kirilova Gagalova K. , Loeschcke V.
Published: August 2013

In sexually reproducing species, increased homozygosity often causes a decline in fitness, called inbreeding depression. Recently, researchers started describing the functional genomic changes that occur during inbreeding, both in benign conditions and under environmental stress. To further this aim, we have performed a genome‐wide gene expression study of inbreeding depression, manifesting as cold sensitivity and conditional lethality. Our focus was to describe general patterns of gene expression during inbreeding depression and to identify specific processes affected in our line. There was a clear difference in gene expression between the stressful restrictive environment and the benign permissive environment in both the affected inbred line and the inbred control line. We noted a strong inbreeding‐by‐environment interaction, whereby virtually all transcriptional differences between lines were found in the restrictive environment. Functional annotation showed enrichment of transcripts coding for serine proteases and their inhibitors (serpins and BPTI/Kunitz family), which indicates activation of the innate immune response. These genes have previously been shown to respond transcriptionally to cold stress, suggesting the conditional lethal effect is associated with an exaggerated cold stress response. The set of differentially expressed genes significantly overlapped with those found in three other studies of inbreeding depression, demonstrating that it is possible to detect a common signature across different genetic backgrounds.
Phylogenetic signal, feeding behaviour and brain volume inNeotropical bats
Authors: Rojas D. , Mancina C. A. , Flores‐Martínez J. J. , Navarro L.
Published: August 2013

Comparative correlational studies of brain size and ecological traits (e.g. feeding habits and habitat complexity) have increased our knowledge about the selective pressures on brain evolution. Studies conducted in bats as a model system assume that shared evolutionary history has a maximum effect on the traits. However, this effect has not been quantified. In addition, the effect of levels of diet specialization on brain size remains unclear. We examined the role of diet on the evolution of brain size in Mormoopidae and Phyllostomidae using two comparative methods. Body mass explained 89% of the variance in brain volume. The effect of feeding behaviour (either characterized as feeding habits, as levels of specialization on a type of item or as handling behaviour) on brain volume was also significant albeit not consistent after controlling for body mass and the strength of the phylogenetic signal (λ). Although the strength of the phylogenetic signal of brain volume and body mass was high when tested individually, λ values in phylogenetic generalized least squares models were significantly different from 1. This suggests that phylogenetic independent contrasts models are not always the best approach for the study of ecological correlates of brain size in New World bats.
Ecological and genetic factors influencing the transition between host‐use strategies in sympatric Heliconius butterflies
Authors: Merrill R. M. , Naisbit R. E. , Mallet J. , Jiggins C. D.
Published: August 2013

Shifts in host‐plant use by phytophagous insects have played a central role in their diversification. Evolving host‐use strategies will reflect a trade‐off between selection pressures. The ecological niche of herbivorous insects is partitioned along several dimensions, and if populations remain in contact, recombination will break down associations between relevant loci. As such, genetic architecture can profoundly affect the coordinated divergence of traits and subsequently the ability to exploit novel habitats. The closely related species Heliconius cydno and H. melpomene differ in mimetic colour pattern, habitat and host‐plant use. We investigate the selection pressures and genetic basis underlying host‐use differences in these two species. Host‐plant surveys reveal that H. melpomene specializes on a single species of Passiflora. This is also true for the majority of other Heliconius species in secondary growth forest at our study site, as expected under a model of interspecific competition. In contrast, H. cydno, which uses closed‐forest habitats where both Heliconius and Passiflora are less common, appears not to be restricted by competition and uses a broad selection of the available Passiflora. However, other selection pressures are likely involved, and field experiments reveal that early larval survival of both butterfly species is highest on Passiflora menispermifolia, but most markedly so for H. melpomene, the specialist on that host. Finally, we demonstrate an association between host‐plant acceptance and colour pattern amongst interspecific hybrids, suggesting that major loci underlying these important ecological traits are physically linked in the genome. Together, our results reveal ecological and genetic associations between shifts in habitat, host use and mimetic colour pattern that have likely facilitated both speciation and coexistence.
Dental anomalies associated with buccally‐ and palatally‐impacted maxillary canines
Authors: Sajnani Anand K. , King Nigel M.
Published: August 2013

Aim

The aim of the present study was to determine the association of both buccally‐ and palatally‐impacted canines with other dental anomalies.

Methods

This retrospective study was conducted on a population of 533 southern Chinese children and adolescents who had impacted maxillary canines that had been treated in the Paediatric Dentistry and Orthodontics Clinic, Prince Philip Dental Hospital, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong. Descriptions of the impacted canine and other associated anomalies were obtained from the case notes and radiographs. Clinical photographs and study casts were used, where available.

Results

A total of 253 (47.5%) patients with impacted maxillary canines were diagnosed with other dental anomalies. Microdontia was the most frequently‐occurring anomaly reported in these patients, with the maxillary lateral incisor the most commonly affected tooth. Other odontogenic anomalies that were associated with both buccally‐ and palatally‐impacted canines included hypodontia, supernumerary teeth, transposition of other teeth, enamel hypoplasia, other impacted teeth, and dens invaginatus.

Conclusion

Both buccally‐ and palatally‐impacted canines were found to be associated with other odontogenic anomalies.
Influence of flowable composite and restorative technique on microleakage of class II restorations
Authors: Hernandes Natália M.A.P. , Catelan Anderson , Soares Giulliana P. , Ambrosano Gláucia M.B. , Lima Débora A.N.L. , Marchi Giselle M. , Martins Luís R.M. , Aguiar Flávio H.B.
Published: August 2013

Aim

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the microleakage in class II cavities restored with dental composite by varying the thickness of two flowable composite resins and the restorative technique.

Methods

A total of 130 cavities were prepared on proximal surfaces of bovine teeth and randomly divided in 13 groups. Twelve experimental groups were performed using flowable composite resin as the liner, and they were divided according to the type of flowable composite resin (Filtek Z350 Flow–Z350F and SureFil SDR Flow–SUR), the thickness of the flowable composite (0.5, 1, or 2 mm), and the restorative technique (flowable composite applied at the cavosurface angle or amelodentinal junction) (n = 10). A control group was performed without using a flowable composite. Following restorative procedures and thermocycling, the samples were immersed in Methylene Blue for 2 h, and prepared for analysis in an absorbance spectrophotometer. All results were statistically analyzed (α = 0.05).

Results

There was no significant difference between the flowable composites (P > 0.05). The restorative techniques influenced microleakage and were flowable composite dependent (P ≤ 0.05). The lower thickness of the flowable composite provided less microleakage (P ≤ 0.05).

Conclusion

The use a lower thickness of a flowable composite resin provided less microleakage, suggesting a better sealing tooth–restoration interface.
Effect of polymerization mode and time of adhesive system on microleakage in composite resin restorations
Authors: Soares Giulliana P. , Silva Gustavo G. , Ambrosano Glaucia M. B. , Lima Debora A. N. L. , Marchi Giselle M. , Lovadino José R. , Aguiar Flávio H. B.
Published: August 2013

Aim

To quantify the microleakage on restorations carried out with a two‐step etch‐and‐rise adhesive system and nanofilled composite resin after thermal and mechanical loading cycling.

Methods

Ninety cavities were prepared on proximal surfaces of incisive teeth, and were randomly divided according to the photoactivation time (10, 20, or 30 s) and light‐curing mode (Quartz Tungsten Halogen (QTH) lamps, 450 mW/cm2; Light Emitting Diode (LED) second generation, 1100 mW/cm2; or LED third generation, 700 mW/cm2) of an adhesive system (n = 10). Following restorative procedures and thermal and mechanical loading cycling, the samples were immersed in Methylene Blue for 2 h. The samples were ground, and the powder was prepared for analysis in an absorbance spectrophotometer. All results were statistically analyzed by anova and Tukey's test at the 5% level of significance.

Results

There were no significant statistical difference in microleakage between the light‐curing mode (P = 0.1212) and light‐curing time (P = 0.2043).

Conclusion

Different curing modes and increasing the curing time were not factors that influenced the process of microleakage.
The Most Beautiful Variations on Fair Wages and the Phillips Curve
Authors: VAONA ANDREA
Published: August 2013

This paper explores the connection between inflation and unemployment in two different models with fair wages in both the short and the long runs. Under customary assumptions regarding the sign of the parameters of the effort function, more inflation lowers the unemployment rate, albeit to a declining extent. This is because firms respond to inflation—which spurs effort by decreasing the reference wage—by increasing employment, thus maintaining the effort level constant as implied by the Solow condition. A stronger short‐run effect of inflation on unemployment is produced under varying as opposed to fixed capital, given that in the former case the boom produced by a monetary expansion is reinforced by an increase in investment. Therefore, I provide a new theoretical foundation for recent empirical contributions that find negative long‐ and short‐run effects of inflation on unemployment.
The Impact of House Prices on Consumer Credit: Evidence from an Internet Bank
Authors: RAMCHARAN RODNEY , CROWE CHRISTOPHER
Published: August 2013

This paper shows that house price fluctuations can have a significant impact on credit availability. Data from Prosper.com, a peer‐to‐peer lending site that matches borrowers and lenders to provide unsecured consumer loans, indicate that homeowners in states with declining house prices experience higher interest rates, greater credit rationing, and faster delinquency. We find especially large effects for subprime borrowers whose balance sheets are likely most exposed to asset price declines. This evidence suggests that asset price fluctuations can play an important role in determining credit conditions and are thus a potentially significant mechanism for propagating macroeconomic shocks.
Significance of cervical ripening in pre‐induction treatment for premature rupture of membranes at term
Authors: Kurasawa Kentaro , Yamamoto Megumi , Usami Yuki , Mochimaru Aya , Mochizuki Akihiko , Aoki Shigeru , Okuda Mika , Takahashi Tsuneo , Hirahara Fumiki
Published: August 2013

Aim

This study aimed to determine whether mechanical cervical dilatation with a laminaria tent in women with premature rupture of membranes (PROM) at term may influence the maternal/neonatal outcomes.

Methods

We reviewed the medical records and histopathologic results of the placenta in 782 women with PROM at term. Of the 486 women seen prior to 2010 (group 1), 85 had Bishop scores of 5 or less and underwent insertion of laminaria tents (group A). In the 296 women admitted after 2010 (group 2), 27 had Bishop scores of 5 or less and underwent labor management without insertion of laminaria tents (group B). The patient characteristics, delivery course and neonatal outcomes were compared between the groups.

Results

There were no significant differences in the maternal age, percentage of nulliparas, body mass index, gestational age at delivery or Bishop score between the groups. The Bishop score improved from 2.5 to 6.1 after laminaria tent insertion in group A. However, there were no significant intergroup differences in the frequency of use of labor‐inducing agents or the time interval from PROM to delivery. The incidence of clinical/pathological chorioamnionitis was not higher in group A than in group B. No significant differences were found in the Apgar scores, umbilical artery pH or frequency of asphyxia neonatorum between the groups. Mechanical cervical dilatation by laminaria tent insertion neither increased the incidence of infection nor contributed to improvement of the perinatal prognosis.

Conclusion

Mechanical cervical dilatation does not provide any benefit for women with PROM at term.
The emergence of reproductive division of labor in forced queen groups of the ant Pogonomyrmex barbatus
Authors: Cahan S. Helms , Gardner‐Morse E.
Published: August 2013

One of the defining features of advanced eusocial groups is reproductive division of labor, where one or a few individuals specialize on reproduction while others perform strictly nonreproductive tasks such as brood care, defense and foraging. Recent theoretical work suggests that the rudiments of division of labor may originate spontaneously during initial group formation as an emergent property, rather than requiring a secondary adaptation. Empirical studies on nonreproductive tasks support the emergence hypothesis, but it is unclear whether this mechanism also extends to reproduction. To test whether reproductive division of labor can be produced as an emergent property, we assessed the extent and mechanisms of both nonreproductive and reproductive division of labor in forced associations of normally solitary queens of the harvester ant Pogonomyrmex barbatus. We find that division of labor in both types of tasks can be induced in groups of individuals with no evolutionary history of social cooperation. Specialization in excavation behavior was more pronounced than reproduction, which tended to be incomplete although significantly skewed. In addition to reproductive division of labor, enhanced productivity in forced pairs relative to solitary queens suggests that both queens contributed cooperatively to brood care despite unequal maternity. Thus, two of the three defining features of eusociality may have originated through self‐organizing mechanisms concurrently with the evolution of grouping, exposing these social strategies to selection early on in the evolution of social life.