bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Ethnography of Communication and History: A Case Study of Diplomatic Intertextuality and Ideology
Authors: Verschueren Jef
Published: March 2014

This article shows that an ethnography of communication approach is not only relevant to an understanding of how ways of speaking and language codes define the social‐group boundaries of specific speech communities, but (1) that it can be equally pertinent to the analysis of the ideologies and language use of certain communities of practice, and (2) that it can be used to trace historical developments in such communities of practice intertextually. The “community of practice” on which I concentrate is the evolving segment of the world of international diplomacy that was preoccupied with the formulation of legal frameworks regulating warfare from 1856 to 1939. The source materials consist of a compilation of treaty texts, and the focus of the analysis is (a) on basic communicative terminology surrounding concepts such as arbitration, armistice, declarations of war and of neutrality, mediation, ultimatum, and the like, and (b) on regulatory discourse surrounding means of communication, from “bearers of flags of truce” to cables, postal correspondence, telegraph ships, and wireless telegraphy. Ingredients of context‐specific and historically situated ideology of communication are brought to the foreground.
THE IMPACT OF EARLY DIAGENESIS ON THE RESERVOIR QUALITY OF PRE‐SALT (APTIAN) SANDSTONES IN THE ESPÍRITO SANTO BASIN, EASTERN BRAZIL
Authors: Carvalho A. S. G. , Dani N. , De Ros L. F. , Zambonato E. E.
Published: March 2014

Fluvial and estuarine sandstones of the Aptian Mucuri Member of the Mariricu Formation are the main reservoir rocks in the onshore portion of the Espírito Santo Basin, Brazilian eastern margin. These sandstones are contemporaneous with the major lacustrine pre‐salt reservoir rocks which are currently the target of exploration offshore. The sandstones are texturally and compositionally immature, rich in feldspars, biotite, garnets and other heavy minerals, and are interpreted to have been derived from the erosion of igneous and medium‐high grade metamorphic‐plutonic terrains under dry climatic conditions. Early diagenetic processes have significantly impacted the reservoir qualities of the sandstones. Detrital feldspars were dissolved and replaced by kaolinite. Biotite was replaced and expanded by pyrite, calcite, kaolinite and/or smectite. The growth of authigenic rims and coatings of smectitic clays was the most important diagenetic process in most of the sandstones, except for those cemented by abundant poikilotopic calcite. Coarse‐crystalline pyrite replaced primary constituents, particularly biotite and mudstone intraclasts, and all other diagenetic constituents. Mechanical compaction, although relatively limited, was the main process of porosity reduction, except in sandstones with abundant calcite cement. Primary intergranular porosity was commonly strongly reduced by calcite or smectite cementation and by compaction, but intragranular and mouldic secondary pores were generated by the dissolution of detrital feldspars and heavy minerals. Characterizing the diagenetic patterns of the Mucuri sandstones is important for increasing the recovery from producing oilfields and also for the development of analogous reservoir rocks elsewhere.
Complete Genome Sequence of Peanut stripe virus Isolated in China
Authors: Xu Manlin , Gao Fangluan , Yang Jinguang , Wu Juxiang , Xie Lianhui , Chi Yucheng
Published: March 2014

The complete genome sequence of a Laixi isolate of Peanut stripe virus (PStV‐Laixi) from China was determined to be 10, 056 nucleotides in length, excluding the 3′‐terminal poly (A) tail. The viral genome contains a single long open reading frame of 9669 nucleotides encoding a polyprotein of 3222 amino acids. The polyprotein was predicted to be cleaved into ten functional proteins by three viral proteases. An additional protein, termed ‘PIPO’, is also found in the P3 cistron. The complete genome sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis indicated that PStV‐Laixi was most closely related to three other isolates of PStV (two from USA and one from Taiwan). To our knowledge, this is the first report of the complete sequence of a PStV isolate from China.
Hardiness as a mediator between perceived stress and happiness in nurses
Authors: Abdollahi A. , Abu Talib M. , Yaacob S. N. , Ismail Z.
Published: March 2014

Accessible summary

The relevance of the study of happiness and stress in nurses has been emphasized. In this sense, the intelligent use of hardiness is enable nurses to cope better with stress and contribute to being happier.

This study aimed to examine the relationship among hardiness, perceived stress, and happiness in nurses. Moreover, we examined the mediator role of hardiness on the relationship between perceived stress and happiness in nurses.

Our study revealed that hardi‐attitude nurses evaluate situations as less stressful which results in a higher happiness.

This study showed hardiness as being a protective factor against perceived stress and a facilitating factor for happiness in nurses. The findings could be important in training future nurses so that hardiness can be imparted, thereby giving them the ability to control their stress.

Nursing is a stressful occupation with high levels of stress within the health professions. Given that hardiness is an important construct to enable nurses to cope better with stress and contribute to being happier; therefore, it is necessary we advance our knowledge about the aetiology of happiness, especially the role of hardiness in decreasing stress levels and increasing happiness. The present study sought to investigate the role of hardiness as a mediator between perceived stress and happiness. The participants, comprising 252 nurses from six private hospitals in Tehran, completed the Personal Views Survey, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Oxford Happiness Inventory. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) was used to analyse the data and answer the research hypotheses. As expected, hardiness partially mediated between perceived stress and happiness among nurses, and nurses with low levels of perceived stress were more likely to report greater hardiness and happiness. In addition, nurses with high levels of hardiness were more likely to report happiness. This study showed hardiness as being a protective factor against perceived stress and a facilitating factor for happiness in nurses. The findings could be important in training future nurses so that hardiness can be imparted, thereby giving them the ability to control their stress.
Ozone as an adjunct to conventional nonsurgical therapy in chronic periodontitis: a randomized controlled clinical trial
Authors: Al Habashneh R. , Alsalman W. , Khader Y.
Published: March 2014

Background and Objective

Currently, only limited data are available from controlled clinical trials regarding the effect of irrigation by ozonated water in the treatment of periodontitis. The aim of the present study was to determine the clinical and biological effects of the adjunctive use of ozone in nonsurgical periodontal treatment.

Material and Methods

Forty‐one patients with chronic periodontitis were randomized to treatment with either subgingival scaling and root planing (SRP) followed by irrigation with ozonated water (test) or subgingival SRP followed by irrigation with distilled water irrigation (control). The following parameters were evaluated at baseline (T0), 3 mo (T1): plaque index; gingival index; bleeding on probing; probing pocket depth; gingival recession; and clinical attachment loss. In addition, the serum concentrations of high sensitivity C‐reactive protein were measured at T0 and T1.

Results

Forty‐one patients with chronic periodontitis were included in the analysis (20 in the test group and 21 in the control group). There was statistically significant improvement in the study parameters in both groups between T0 and T1, except for gingival index. However, there were no significant differences in any study parameter between test and control groups.

Conclusion

Irrigation with ozonated water as an adjunctive therapy to SRP produces no statistically significant benefit compared with SRP plus distilled water irrigation.
Do subjects with aggressive and chronic periodontitis exhibit a different cytokine/chemokine profile in the gingival crevicular fluid? A systematic review
Authors: Duarte P. M. , Bastos M. F. , Fermiano D. , Rabelo C. C. , Perez‐Chaparro P. J. , Figueiredo L. C. , Faveri M. , Feres M.
Published: March 2014

Background and Objective

Microbiological and immunological hypotheses have been raised to explain the differences in the clinical manifestations of aggressive periodontitis and chronic periodontitis. However, studies comparing the cytokine/chemokine profiles in gingival crevicular fluid between these two clinical conditions have so far not been compiled. This systematic review aimed to answer the following question: “Do subjects with aggressive periodontitis and chronic periodontitis have a different profile of cytokines/chemokines in the gingival crevicular fluid?”

Material and Methods

An electronic database search of MEDLINE/PubMed and Embase was performed from 1990 up to and including August 2013, using MeSH terms and other keywords. Titles and abstracts were screened and the papers that satisfied eligibility criteria were assessed.

Results

Of 1954 titles, 17 studies reporting the levels of 21 different cytokines/chemokines were included. Most studies did not find any significant differences in the gingival crevicular fluid levels of cytokines/chemokines between aggressive periodontitis and chronic periodontitis. Some studies demonstrated that the levels of specific proinflammatory and anti‐inflammatory cytokines/chemokines were higher (n = 5) and lower (n = 3), respectively, in aggressive periodontitis than in chronic periodontitis. The studies differed in the manner in which they reported the results (e.g. concentrations or total amounts). It was not clear in some studies whether the sample sites from both groups were matched for disease severity. Some studies did not take into account confounders, such as smoking.

Conclusion

The current weight of evidence is not sufficient to prove that there are distinct gingival crevicular fluid cytokine/chemokine profiles for patients with aggressive periodontitis and chronic periodontitis.
Phylodynamics of vampire bat‐transmitted rabies in Argentina
Authors: Torres C. , Lema C. , Dohmen F. Gury , Beltran F. , Novaro L. , Russo S. , Freire M. C. , Velasco‐Villa A. , Mbayed V. A. , Cisterna D. M.
Published: March 2014

Common vampire bat populations distributed from Mexico to Argentina are important rabies reservoir hosts in Latin America. The aim of this work was to analyse the population structure of the rabies virus (RABV) variants associated with vampire bats in the Americas and to study their phylodynamic pattern within Argentina. The phylogenetic analysis based on all available vampire bat‐related N gene sequences showed both a geographical and a temporal structure. The two largest groups of RABV variants from Argentina were isolated from northwestern Argentina and from the central western zone of northeastern Argentina, corresponding to livestock areas with different climatic, topographic and biogeographical conditions, which determined their dissemination and evolutionary patterns. In addition, multiple introductions of the infection into Argentina, possibly from Brazil, were detected. The phylodynamic analysis suggests that RABV transmission dynamics is characterized by initial epizootic waves followed by local enzootic cycles with variable persistence. Anthropogenic interventions in the ecosystem should be assessed taking into account not only the environmental impact but also the potential risk of disease spreading through dissemination of current RABV lineages or the emergence of novel ones associated with vampire bats.
Calibrating Rail Transit Assignment Models with Genetic Algorithm and Automated Fare Collection Data
Authors: Zhu Wei , Hu Hao , Huang Zhaodong
Published: March 2014

Recently, automated fare collection (AFC) systems using smart card technology have become the main method for collecting urban rail transit (URT) fares in many cities around the world. Transaction data obtained through these AFC systems contain a large amount of archived information including how passengers use the URT system, and thus can be used in calibrating assignment models for precise passenger flow calculation. We present a methodology for calibrating URT assignment models using AFC data. The calibration approach uses a genetic algorithm‐based framework with nonparametric statistical techniques. Three initial numerical tests show that the proposed approach finds more reasonable solutions than traditional approaches for the calibrated parameters. Furthermore, after calibration by the proposed approach, the existing assignment model delivers more accurate calculations of passenger flows in the network.
Some Thoughts on Material Agency, Urban Practices, and Collecting Strategies
Authors: Lawrence‐Zúñiga Denise
Published: March 2014

The concept of material agency can and should apply to museum collection strategies. Drawing on studies of preservationist homeowners who, in restoring their homes, discover the agency of previous builders and occupants in shaping the house's material qualities, this study proposes a broad concept of “habitability” to guide collecting and for actualizing the agency of older objects. A second area of inquiry examines domestic technologies designed to help humans with daily tasks. Some of these include “smart appliances” and robotics that become increasingly “normalized” through habitual use. [domestic consumption, preservation, smart appliances, designer intention, object assemblage]
Representing Tenochtitlan: Understanding Urban Life by Collecting Material Culture
Authors: Brumfiel Elizabeth , Millhauser John K.
Published: March 2014

How can museums best document and represent the complexity of urban life and the significance of modern cities? We consider this question through an examination of theAztec Worldexhibit, presented at the Field Museum of Chicago from October 2008 through April 2009. We explain how the effort to represent Tenochtitlan, the heterogeneous urban capital of the Aztec Empire (C.E. 1428–1521), was affected by the acquisitions policies of museums in the United States and Mexico, and by the curators' own ideas about how urban societies should be represented. Drawing on this background, we outline how a careful and comprehensive collection program can resist poor interpretation and misrepresentation, and may even prefigure new and better understandings of cities that will be gained in the future. [urbanism, material culture, Aztec Empire, Mexico]
The Banality of Everyday Consumption: Collecting Contemporary Urban Materiality
Authors: Mullins Paul R.
Published: March 2014

This article examines what defines contemporary urban materiality, focusing on the politics of banality and everyday life and examining how museums might collect quotidian material things. Rather than engage in guesswork about what future audiences will define as early 21st‐century urban significance, the article argues for a curatorial focus on the apparently prosaic dimensions of urban materiality. Such a curatorial strategy will use commonplace material things to illuminate the contemporary imagination and social construction of urban life by focusing on the things contemporary people reduce to banality and consign to the boundaries of consciousness. [material culture, consumption, everyday life]
Morphopathological aspects of healthy nails and nails affected by onychomycosis
Authors: Zaikovska Olga , Pilmane Mara , Kisis Janis
Published: March 2014

Patients of onychomycosis are common in the dermatology practice. Contemporary morphology creates opportunities to study the functional units of the nail when such infections occur from morphopathological point of view. There were 22 nails biopsies from onychomycosis patients taken for the research of morphopathological changes in the thickened nail plate affected by onychomycosis. Samples of cadaverous' nails were used as a control material. The material was stained with haematoxylin and eosin and immunohistochemical methods. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labelling reaction and periodic acid‐Schiff reaction were also performed. We found patchy hypertrophy in the granulose layer of the epidermis, with focal acanthosis. In the horn layer, we identified nests of parakeratosis of various sizes, with incorporations of homogenous and eosinophil masses. We found high levels of interleukin 6 and interleukin 10 positive cells in the nail bed and in the bloodstream. Interleukin 1, however, was not a part of any of the functional units of any of the nails. Significant amount of fibres containing human beta defensin‐2 were found in the bed and plate of the nail. Therefore one can conclude that as regards the nails affected by onychomycosis, the most effective morphopathogenical processes include cytokine and defensin excretion occurrence in the nail bed.
The ethical tightrope: politics of intimacy and consensual method in sexuality research
Authors: Zago Luiz F , Holmes Dave
Published: March 2014

This paper seeks to analyze the construction of ethics in sexuality research in which qualitative methods are employed in the field of social sciences. Analyses are based on a bibliographic review of current discussions on research methods of queer theory and on the authors' own experiences of past research on sexuality. The article offers a theoretical perspective on the ways ethnography and in‐depth interviews become methods that can rely on a consensual method and create a politics of intimacy between the researchers and research participants. The politics of intimacy may contribute to the production of a politically engaged knowledge while escaping from the moral matrix that usually governs the relationship between researchers and research participants. It is argued here that the researcher's sexed and gendered body matters for fieldwork; that the consensual method among participants may be employed in sexuality research as a fruitful tool; and that the relationships created among researchers and participants can pose a challenge to predetermined ethical guidelines in research. As a result, discussions problematize the existence of a politics of intimacy in sexuality research that is characterized by ethical relations among research participants.
Porphyromonas gingivalis gingipain is involved in the detachment and aggregation of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans biofilm
Authors: Haraguchi A. , Miura M. , Fujise O. , Hamachi T. , Nishimura F.
Published: March 2014

Porphyromonas gingivalis and Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans are major periodontal pathogens that cause several types of periodontal disease. Our previous study suggested that P. gingivalis gingipains secreted in the subgingival environment are related to the detachment of A.actinomycetemcomitans biofilms. However, it remains unclear whether arginine‐specific cysteine proteinase (Rgp) and lysine‐specific proteinase (Kgp) play different roles in the detachment of A. actinomycetemcomitans biofilm. The aim of this study was to investigate possible disruptive roles of Kgp and Rgp in the aggregation and attachment of A. actinomycetemcomitans. While P. gingivalis ATCC33277 culture supernatant has an ability to decrease autoaggregation and coaggregation of A. actinomycetemcomitans cells, neither the boiled culture supernatant of ATCC33277 nor the culture supernatant of KDP136 showed this ability. The addition of KYT‐1 and KYT‐36, specific inhibitors of Rgp and Kgp, respectively, showed no influence on the ability of P. gingivalis culture supernatant. The result of gelatin zymography suggested that other proteases processed by gingipains mediated the decrease of A. actinomycetemcomitans aggregations. We also examined the biofilm‐destructive effect of gingipains by assessing the detachment of A. actinomycetemcomitans from polystyrene surfaces. Scanning electron microscope analysis indicated that A. actinomycetemcomitans cells were detached by P. gingivalis Kgp. The quantity of A. actinomycetemcomitans in biofilm was decreased in co‐culture with P. gingivalis. However, this was not found after the addition of KYT‐36. These findings suggest that Kgp is a critical component for the detachment and decrease of A. actinomycetemcomitans biofilms.
A fully integrated isoprenoid emissions model coupling emissions to photosynthetic characteristics
Authors: GROTE RÜDIGER , MORFOPOULOS CATHERINE , NIINEMETS ÜLO , SUN ZHIHONG , KEENAN TREVOR F. , PACIFICO FEDERICA , BUTLER TIM
Published: March 2014

The lack of a mechanistic basis has hampered modelling isoprene emission responses to environmental drivers, in particular the simulation of isoprene emissions under different CO2 concentrations. Here, we advance previous semi‐mechanistic model formulations by introducing a model that explicitly links electron availability for other purpose than carbon assimilation (or available energy for secondary metabolism processes; supply‐constraint) and enzyme activity (capacity‐constraint) to emissions. We furthermore investigate the sensitivity of the model to variations in photosynthetic and emission‐specific parameters. By comparing species‐specific simulations with experimental data, we demonstrate that differences in photosynthetic characteristics can explain inter‐species differences in emissions. Interestingly, the seasonal development of emissions could also be explained to some degree by the change in energy supply from photosynthesis throughout the season. In addition, we show that the principal responses are not limited to isoprene but can be formulated to describe the emission of other light‐dependent volatile species. The proposed model is suitable for implementation into regional and global models, particularly those that already provide species‐specific photosynthesis estimates.
Managing Supplier Competition and Sourcing Sequence for Component Manufacturing
Authors: Jiang Li
Published: March 2014

We consider a setting in which a manufacturer sequentially sources two components and uses reverse auction to select a supplier with the lowest bidding price for each component. The manufacturer chooses a quantity to order from each supplier and a price for selling the final product. We show that the interplay between the direct competition faced by suppliers in providing their respective components and the sequence whereby the manufacturer sources components influence system performance in a subtle, and sometimes dramatic, way. As the direct competition for the early sourced component intensifies, the profit of its supplier will deteriorate while the profits of the other firms will improve. As the direct competition for the late sourced component intensifies, however, the profit of its supplier may improve, and the profits of the other supplier, the manufacturer, and the system can all decrease. Compared with when the manufacturer simultaneously sources the components, sequentially sourcing the components can benefit the manufacturer and every supplier. Furthermore, all the channel parties can unanimously agree on a specific sourcing sequence. All of these signify the importance for manufacturers to take appropriate measures to manage their sourcing procedures and the competition environments faced by their suppliers.
Molecular mapping of Asian soybean rust resistance in soybean landraces PI 594767A, PI 587905 and PI 416764
Authors: Hossain M. M. , Akamatsu H. , Morishita M. , Mori T. , Yamaoka Y. , Suenaga K. , Soares R. M. , Bogado A. N. , Ivancovich A. J. G. , Yamanaka N.
Published: March 2014

Asian soybean rust (ASR), caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi, is one of the most serious diseases of soybean. The soybean landraces PI 594767A, PI 587905 and PI 416764 previously showed high levels of resistance to a wide range of ASR fungus, while the genetic basis of the resistance has yet to be understood. In this study, the ASR resistance loci were mapped using three independent mapping populations, POP‐1, POP‐2 and POP‐3 derived from crosses BRS184 × PI 594767A, BRS184 ×  PI 587905 and BRS184 × PI 416764, respectively. In each population, the resistance to ASR segregated as a single gene, but the resistance was dominant in PI 594767A and PI 587905 and incompletely dominant in PI 416764. The resistance genes from both PI 594767A and PI 587905 were mapped on chromosome 18 corresponding to the same location as known resistance locus Rpp1. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis performed on POP‐3 identified the putative ASR resistance locus in PI 416764 on the defined region of chromosome 6 where Rpp3 was located. The QTLs detected by the mapping explained about 67–72% of the phenotypic variation in POP‐3. Cluster analysis based on disease reactions to 64 ASR populations demonstrated the presence of at least two types of functional resistant Rpp1 alleles: strong and weak allele(s), e.g. soybean accession PI 594767A and PI 587905 carry the strong resistant Rpp1 allele(s). Introducing or pyramiding strong Rpp1 allele(s) in elite soybean cultivars is expected to be useful against the South American rust population.
Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) varieties adopt strongly contrasting strategies in response to drought
Authors: Ogbaga Chukwuma C. , Stepien Piotr , Johnson Giles N.
Published: March 2014

Sorghum is one of the most drought tolerant crops but surprisingly, little is known about the mechanisms achieving this. We have compared physiological and biochemical responses to drought in two sorghum cultivars with contrasting drought tolerance. These closely related cultivars have starkly contrasting responses to water deficit. In the less tolerant Samsorg 40, drought induced progressive loss of photosynthesis. The more drought tolerant Samsorg 17 maintained photosynthesis, transpiration and chlorophyll content until the most extreme conditions. In Samsorg 40, there was a highly specific down‐regulation of selected proteins, with loss of PSII and Rubisco but maintenance of PSI and cytochrome b6f, allowing plants to maintain ATP synthesis. The nitrogen released allows for accumulation of glycine betaine and proline. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example of specific reengineering of the photosynthetic apparatus in response to drought. In contrast, in Samsorg 17 we detected no substantial change in the photosynthetic apparatus. Rather, plants showed constitutively high soluble sugar concentration, enabling them to maintain transpiration and photosynthesis, even in extremely dry conditions. The implications for these strikingly contrasted strategies are discussed in relation to agricultural and natural systems.
Wandering and dementia
Authors: Cipriani Gabriele , Lucetti Claudio , Nuti Angelo , Danti Sabrina
Published: March 2014

Wandering represents one of many behavioural problems occurring in people with dementia. To consider the phenomenon of wandering behaviour in demented patients, we conducted searches using Medline andGoogleScholar to find relevant articles, chapters, and books published since 1975. Search terms used included ‘wandering’, ‘behavioural and psychological symptoms’, ‘dementia’, ‘nursing’, and ‘elopements’. Publications found through this indexed search were reviewed for further relevant references. The term ‘wandering’ covers different types of behaviour, including aimless movement without a discernible purpose. It is associated with a variety of negatives outcomes. The aetiology of wandering is poorly understood and it remains an unsolved riddle. Wandering is an acutely distressing problem worldwide, both for the patients and caregivers, and it is a major reason for nursing home admission. Evidence on the effectiveness of pharmacological and non‐pharmacological interventions is limited. It is possible that management of coexistent psychopathology would help to ameliorate this problematic behavioural disorder.
Die Verbreitung evidenzbasierter und gleichstellungssensitiver Informationen in den Entscheidungsprozessen kantonaler Steuer‐ und Sozialtransferpolitik: eine quantitative Analyse
Authors: Balthasar Andreas , Müller Franziska
Published: March 2014

Evidenzbasierte Politikgestaltung zielt darauf ab, der Politik den aktuellen Wissensbestand aus der Forschung in kondensierter Form zur Verfügung zu stellen, um so die Effektivität und die Effizienz politischen Handelns zu erhöhen. Der vorliegende Beitrag geht der Frage nach, ob in der Schweiz kantonale Gesetzgeber über evidenzbasierte Informationen darüber verfügen, wie sich deren Steuer‐ und Sozialtransferpolitik auf die Gleichstellung von Mann und Frau im Sinne der Vereinbarkeit von Beruf und Familie auswirken, und welche Faktoren die Verfügbarkeit gegebenenfalls erklären können. Die empirische Grundlage der Analyse bilden alle Gesetzgebungsprozesse in der Sozialtransferpolitik sowie eine Auswahl solcher in der kantonalen Steuerpolitik während der Jahre 2008 bis 2011. Ausgehend von einem breiten Verständnis von Evidenz konstatiert der Beitrag einen verhältnismässig häufigen Rückgriff auf faktenbasiertes Wissen. Zudem betont er, dass insbesondere dann auf evidenzbasiertes und gleichstellungssensitives Wissen zurückgegriffen wird, wenn der Anstoss für eine Gesetzgebung nicht vom Bund kommt, wenn die Ressourcenausstattung der Verwaltung überdurchschnittlich ist oder wenn das Anliegen der Vereinbarkeit von Beruf und Familie in einem Kanton gesetzlich oder strategisch verankert ist.
The role of rift‐inherited hyper‐extension in Alpine‐type orogens
Authors: Mohn Geoffroy , Manatschal Gianreto , Beltrando Marco , Haupert Isabelle
Published: March 2014

Alpine‐type orogens are interpreted to result from the collision of former rifted margins. As many present‐day rifted margins consist of hyper‐extended domains floored by thinned continental crust (<10 km) and/or exhumed mantle, this study explores the influence of rift inheritance on the architecture and final evolution of Alpine‐type orogens. We propose that rift‐related necking zones, separating weakly thinned 25‐ to 30‐km‐thick crust from hyper‐extended domains, may act as buttresses during the transition from subduction to collision. As a result, former necking zones may now be found at the boundary between a highly deformed and overthickened nappe stack, made of relics of hyper‐extended domains, and an external, weakly deformed fold‐and‐thrust belt, which largely escaped significant rift‐related crustal thinning and orogeny‐related thickening. Therefore, the role of rift inheritance is of critical importance and is largely underestimated in controlling the architecture and evolution of Alpine‐type orogens.
Effect of maternal iron status on the number of CD34+ stem cells harvested from umbilical cord blood
Authors: Pope Belinda , Hokin Bevan , Grant Ross
Published: March 2014

Background

Hematopoietic progenitor cells (HPCs) from umbilical cord blood (UCB) are an alternative source of stem cells. However an adequate number of HPCs must be harvested from each UCB sample to make therapeutic applications possible. This study investigated the impact of selected maternal indices (in particular iron status) on the number of CD34+ cells collected in the UCB.

Study Design and Methods

Blood samples were collected from 91 matched mother and umbilical cord pairs and analyzed for full blood count, iron status, and C‐reactive protein. Viable CD34 enumeration was performed on the cord blood samples.

Results

Low CD34+ cell counts were associated with higher maternal serum ferritin (SF), older mothers, lower UCB white blood cell count (WCC), lower UCB nucleated red blood cells (NRBCs), and lower birthweight. Maternal SF correlated with maternal variables of iron status and RBC indices, newborn weight, placental weight, and NRBCs/100 WCC.

Conclusion

This study indicates that lower numbers of CD34+ cells are more likely to occur when collected from mothers with higher SF. This finding suggests that maternal SF and associated iron status play a significant, but as yet undefined, role in the generation of CD34+ cells in UCB.
The Services Sector in India's States: A Tale of Growth, Convergence and Trade
Authors: Shingal Anirudh
Published: March 2014

India's success story in services is well documented at the national level, but similar literature does not exist for India's states. We bridge this gap by studying India's services growth at the sub‐national level. Contrary to earlier commentary on the unsustainability of India's services growth process, our findings suggest that per capita services may be converging across Indian states (this is not true of per capita income); unlike previous studies on India, evidence is provided using both traditional sigma and beta‐convergence measures and advanced panel unit root tests from the recent econometrics literature. A disaggregated analysis of services sectors reveals convergence in railways, public administration and financial services. Finally, a Jensen and Kletzer approach to determine tradability and an additional original methodology provide evidence of most services being ‘traded’ across India's states, suggesting the role of such trade in the services growth story even at the sub‐national level.
Is India Specialising in Polluting Industries? Evidence from US‐India Bilateral Trade
Authors: Sawhney Aparna , Rastogi Rashmi
Published: March 2014

Recently, the apex environmental agency of India observed that domestic industrial pollution has been increasing at an alarming rate over the last two decades, and the need to rein in traditional polluting industries. This raises the pertinent question of whether the poor domestic pollution regime has affected the pattern of India's trade in dirty manufactured products in the post‐liberalisation era since 1991. We find that on the whole, India has remained a net importer of pollution‐intensive manufactured goods; however, there is a distinct trend of increasing specialisation in specific dirty industries especially in the bilateral trade with high‐income countries, and to a lesser degree with low‐income countries. The USA being India's single largest country trading partner in the post‐liberalisation era, we test for pollution offshoring at the finer industry level in US‐India bilateral trade. While we find that the pollution haven effect is not significant, India's specialisation in certain dirty manufacturing industries through the last decade remains a disturbing trend. India needs to integrate environmental sustainability within industrial growth urgently, and it is pertinent to implement policies which would reflect the true pollution costs in an industry that is increasingly competing in the international market.
Characterizing low-frequency oscillation of Hall thrusters by dielectric wall temperature variation
Authors: Ning Guo , Liqiu Wei , Yongjie Ding
Published: March 2014

The low-frequency oscillation characteristics of a Hall thruster were investigated by varying the dielectric wall temperature. Experimental results indicate that increasing the dielectric wall temperature can result in an increase in the amplitude of low-frequency oscillation and a slight decrease in its frequency. Physical analysis revealed that this change is related to the secondary electron emissions at different dielectric wall temperatures. The evidence suggests that this technique can serve as an effective way for future studies to examine how secondary electron emissions affect a discharging thruster.
Relative role of motion and PSF compensation in whole‐body oncologic PET‐MR imaging
Authors: Petibon Yoann , Huang Chuan , Ouyang Jinsong , Reese Timothy G. , Li Quanzheng , Syrkina Aleksandra , Chen Yen‐Lin , El Fakhri Georges
Published: March 2014

Purpose:

Respiratory motion and partial‐volume effects are the two main sources of image degradation in whole‐body PET imaging. Simultaneous PET‐MR allows measurement of respiratory motion using MRI while collecting PET events. Improved PET images may be obtained by modeling respiratory motion and point spread function (PSF) within the PET iterative reconstruction process. In this study, the authors assessed the relative impact of PSF modeling and MR‐based respiratory motion correction in phantoms and patient studies using a whole‐body PET‐MR scanner.

Methods:

An asymmetric exponential PSF model accounting for radially varying and axial detector blurring effects was obtained from point source acquisitions performed in the PET‐MR scanner. A dedicated MRI acquisition protocol using single‐slice steady state free‐precession MR acquisitions interleaved with pencil‐beam navigator echoes was developed to track respiratory motion during PET‐MR studies. An iterative ordinary Poisson fully 3D OSEM PET reconstruction algorithm modeling all the physical effects of the acquisition (attenuation, scatters, random events, detectors efficiencies, PSF), as well as MR‐based nonrigid respiratory deformations of tissues (in both emission and attenuation maps) was developed. Phantom and18F‐FDG PET‐MR patient studies were performed to evaluate the proposed quantitative PET‐MR methods.

Results:

The phantom experiment results showed that PSF modeling significantly improved contrast recovery while limiting noise propagation in the reconstruction process. In patients with soft‐tissue static lesions, PSF modeling improved lesion contrast by 19.7%–109%, enhancing the detectability and assessment of small tumor foci. In a patient study with small moving hepatic lesions, the proposed reconstruction technique improved lesion contrast by 54.4%–98.1% and reduced apparent lesion size by 21.8%–34.2%. Improvements were particularly important for the smallest lesion undergoing large motion at the lung‐liver interface. Heterogeneous tumor structures delineation was substantially improved. Enhancements offered by PSF modeling were more important when correcting for motion at the same time.

Conclusions:

The results suggest that the proposed quantitative PET‐MR methods can significantly enhance the performance of tumor diagnosis and staging as compared to conventional methods. This approach may enable utilization of the full potential of the scanner in oncologic studies of both the lower abdomen, with moving lesions, as well as other parts of the body unaffected by motion.
Dolphin changes in whistle structure with watercraft activity depends on their behavioral state
Authors: May-Collado Laura J. , Quiñones-Lebrón Shakira G.
Published: March 2014

Dolphins rely on whistles to identify each other and to receive and convey information about their environment. Although capable of adjusting these signals with changing environments, there is little information on how dolphins acoustically respond to different watercraft activities and if this response depends on dolphin behavioral state. Bottlenose dolphin whistles were recorded in the presence of research and dolphin-watching boats. Dolphins emitted lower frequency and longer whistles when interacting with dolphin-watching boats, particularly during foraging activities. This study suggests that dolphin-watching boat traffic significantly hinders dolphin communication during important behavioral states.
Promoting Insulin Secretion
Authors: Wong Wei
Published: March 2014

An AMPK family kinase could be targeted to increase insulin secretion in prediabetic states.
Cacophonous Clock
Authors: Berndt Jason D.
Published: March 2014

Circadian rhythms in the inner ear protect against hearing damage.
Context-Dependent Antimicrobial Responses
Authors: Foley John F.
Published: March 2014

Simultaneous signaling through interferon-γ receptor and immunoglobulin G receptor pathways generates antimicrobial responses in macrophages.
Laboratory Detection of Artemisinin-Resistant Plasmodium falciparum
Authors: Chotivanich Kesinee , Tripura Rupam , Das Debashish , Yi Poravuth , Day Nicholas P. J. , Pukrittayakamee Sasithon , Chuor Char Meng , Socheat Duong , Dondorp Arjen M. , White Nicholas J.
Published: March 2014

Conventional 48-h
in vitro
susceptibility tests have low sensitivity in identifying artemisinin-resistant
Plasmodium falciparum
, defined phenotypically by low
in vivo
parasite clearance rates. We hypothesized originally that this discrepancy was explained by a loss of ring-stage susceptibility and so developed a simple field-adapted 24-h trophozoite maturation inhibition (TMI) assay focusing on the ring stage and compared it to the standard 48-h schizont maturation inhibition (WHO) test. In Pailin, western Cambodia, where artemisinin-resistant
P. falciparum
is prevalent, the TMI test mean (95% confidence interval) 50% inhibitory concentration (IC
50
) for artesunate was 6.8 (5.2 to 8.3) ng/ml compared with 1.5 (1.2 to 1.8) ng/ml for the standard 48-h WHO test (
P
= 0.001). TMI IC
50
s correlated significantly with the
in vivo
responses to artesunate (parasite clearance time [
r
= 0.44,
P
= 0.001] and parasite clearance half-life [
r
= 0.46,
P
= 0.001]), whereas the standard 48-h test values did not. On continuous culture of two resistant isolates, the artemisinin-resistant phenotype was lost after 6 weeks (IC
50
s fell from 10 and 12 ng/ml to 2.7 and 3 ng/ml, respectively). Slow parasite clearance in falciparum malaria in western Cambodia results from reduced ring-stage susceptibility.
Inhibitors of the Tick-Borne, Hemorrhagic Fever-Associated Flaviviruses
Authors: Flint Mike , McMullan Laura K. , Dodd Kimberly A. , Bird Brian H. , Khristova Marina L. , Nichol Stuart T. , Spiropoulou Christina F.
Published: March 2014

No antiviral therapies are available for the tick-borne flaviviruses associated with hemorrhagic fevers: Kyasanur Forest disease virus (KFDV), both classical and the Alkhurma hemorrhagic fever virus (AHFV) subtype, and Omsk hemorrhagic fever virus (OHFV). We tested compounds reported to have antiviral activity against members of the
Flaviviridae
family for their ability to inhibit AHFV replication. 6-Azauridine (6-azaU), 2′-C-methylcytidine (2′-CMC), and interferon alpha 2a (IFN-α2a) inhibited the replication of AHFV and also KFDV, OHFV, and Powassan virus. The combination of IFN-α2a and 2′-CMC exerted an additive antiviral effect on AHFV, and the combination of IFN-α2a and 6-azaU was moderately synergistic. The combination of 2′-CMC and 6-azaU was complex, being strongly synergistic but with a moderate level of antagonism. The antiviral activity of 6-azaU was reduced by the addition of cytidine but not guanosine, suggesting that it acted by inhibiting pyrimidine biosynthesis. To investigate the mechanism of action of 2′-CMC, AHFV variants with reduced susceptibility to 2′-CMC were selected. We used a replicon system to assess the substitutions present in the selected AHFV population. A double NS5 mutant, S603T/C666S, and a triple mutant, S603T/C666S/M644V, were more resistant to 2′-CMC than the wild-type replicon. The S603T/C666S mutant had a reduced level of replication which was increased when M644V was also present, although the replication of this triple mutant was still below that of the wild type. The S603 and C666 residues were predicted to lie in the active site of the AHFV NS5 polymerase, implicating the catalytic center of the enzyme as the binding site for 2′-CMC.
Borrelia burgdorferi RNA Induces Type I and III Interferons via Toll-Like Receptor 7 and Contributes to Production of NF-κB-Dependent Cytokines
Authors: Love Andrea C. , Schwartz Ira , Petzke Mary M.
Published: March 2014

Borrelia burgdorferielicits a potent cytokine response through activation of multiple signaling receptors on innate immune cells. Spirochetal lipoproteins initiate expression of NF-κB-dependent cytokines primarily via TLR2, whereas type I interferon (IFN) production is induced through the endosomal receptors TLR7 and TLR9 in human dendritic cells and TLR8 in monocytes. We demonstrate that DNA and RNA are theB. burgdorfericomponents that initiate a type I IFN response by human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). IFN-α protein and transcripts forIRF7,MX1, andOAS1were induced by endosomal delivery ofB. burgdorferiDNA, RNA, or whole-cell lysate, but not by lysate that had been treated with DNase and RNase. Induction of IFN-α and IFN-λ1, a type III IFN, byB. burgdorferiRNA or live spirochetes required TLR7-dependent signaling and correlated with significantly enhanced transcription and expression of IRF7 but not IRF3. Induction of type I and type III IFNs byB. burgdorferiRNA could be completely abrogated by a TLR7 inhibitor, IRS661. In addition to type I and type III IFNs,B. burgdorferiRNA contributed to the production of the NF-κB-dependent cytokines, IFN-γ, interleukin-10 (IL-10), IL-1β, IL-6, and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), by human PBMCs. Collectively, these data indicate that TLR7-dependent recognition of RNA is pivotal for IFN-α and IFN-λ1 production by human PBMCs, and that RNA-initiated signaling contributes to full potentiation of the cytokine response generated duringB. burgdorferiinfection.
BEC, a Novel Enterotoxin of Clostridium perfringens Found in Human Clinical Isolates from Acute Gastroenteritis Outbreaks
Authors: Yonogi Shinya , Matsuda Shigeaki , Kawai Takao , Yoda Tomoko , Harada Tetsuya , Kumeda Yuko , Gotoh Kazuyoshi , Hiyoshi Hirotaka , Nakamura Shota , Kodama Toshio , Iida Tetsuya
Published: March 2014

Clostridium perfringensis a causative agent of food-borne gastroenteritis for whichC. perfringensenterotoxin (CPE) has been considered an essential factor. Recently, we experienced two outbreaks of food-borne gastroenteritis in which non-CPE producers ofC. perfringenswere strongly suspected to be the cause. Here, we report a novel enterotoxin produced byC. perfringensisolates, BEC (binary enterotoxin ofC. perfringens). Culture supernatants of theC. perfringensstrains showed fluid-accumulating activity in rabbit ileal loop and suckling mouse assays. Purification of the enterotoxic substance in the supernatants and high-throughput sequencing of genomic DNA of the strains revealed BEC, composed of BECa and BECb. BECa and BECb displayed limited amino acid sequence similarity to other binary toxin family members, such as theC. perfringensiota toxin. ThebecABgenes were located on 54.5-kb pCP13-like plasmids. Recombinant BECb (rBECb) alone had fluid-accumulating activity in the suckling mouse assay. Although rBECa alone did not show enterotoxic activity, rBECa enhanced the enterotoxicity of rBECb when simultaneously administered in suckling mice. The entertoxicity of the mutant in which thebecBgene was disrupted was dramatically decreased compared to that of the parental strain. rBECa showed an ADP-ribosylating activity on purified actin. Although we have not directly evaluated whether BECb delivers BECa into cells, rounding of Vero cells occurred only when cells were treated with both rBECa and rBECb. These results suggest that BEC is a novel enterotoxin ofC. perfringensdistinct from CPE, and that BEC-producingC. perfringensstrains can be causative agents of acute gastroenteritis in humans. Additionally, the presence ofbecABon nearly identical plasmids in distinct lineages ofC. perfringensisolates suggests the involvement of horizontal gene transfer in the acquisition of the toxin genes.