bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Proton therapy for pediatric and adolescent esthesioneuroblastoma
Authors: Lucas John T. , Ladra Matthew M. , MacDonald Shannon M. , Busse Paul M. , Friedmann Alison M. , Ebb David H. , Marcus Karen J. , Tarbell Nancy J. , Yock Torunn I.
Published: March 2015

Background

Esthesioneuroblastoma (EN) of the paranasal sinus comprises less than 3% of tumors of in pediatric and adolescent patients [1]. The collective adult literature indicates a critical role for radiotherapy in attaining cure [2], yet pediatric outcome data is limited. Radiation in pediatric patients with EN can cause significant morbidity due to the proximity of critical structures. Proton radiotherapy offers a potential dosimetric benefit that may improve long‐term survival and toxicity outcomes in the pediatric population [3].

Methods

We retrospectively identified eight patients treated for EN with proton radiotherapy from 2000‐2013. Times to event clinical endpoints are summarized using the Kaplan–Meier methods and are from the date of radiotherapy completion. Toxicities are reviewed and graded according to CTCAE v. 4.0.

Results

Median follow up was 4.6 years for survivors (range 0.8–9.4 years). The 4 year overall survival was 87.5%. Four of eight patients (one elective) had comprehensive neck radiotherapy. No local or regional failures were observed. Two patients failed distantly with diffuse leptomeningeal disease and intraparenchymal brain metastases, at 0.6 and 1.3 months respectively. Four patients developed radiation related late toxicities including endocrine dysfunction, two cases of grade 2 retinopathy and one case of grade 3 optic neuropathy.

Conclusions

In a limited cohort, proton radiotherapy appears to provide excellent locoregional disease control even in those patients with locally advanced disease and intracranial extension. Distant failure determined overall survival in our cohort. Toxicities were acceptable given disease location and extent. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:1523–1528. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Radiologic resolution of malignant infantile osteopetrosis skeletal changes following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation
Authors: Hashemi Taheri Amir Pejman , Radmard Amir Reza , Kooraki Soheil , Behfar Maryam , Pak Neda , Hamidieh Amir Ali , Ghavamzadeh Ardeshir
Published: March 2015

Introduction

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is the only known curative treatment of malignant infantile osteopetrosis (MIOP). In this study, short‐term serial bone surveys were used to assess radiologic evolution of skeletal changes after HSCT in MIOP.

Materials and Methods

Baseline whole‐body bone survey was performed in all patients. HSCT was successful in 14 patients (11 with full chimerism, three with mixed chimerism) in whom follow‐up bone surveys were carried out at 6 and 12 months after HSCT.

Results

Normal corticomedullary differentiation was evident in five (P = 0.06) and 12 (P < 0.005) patients at 6 and 12 months, respectively. Abnormal endobone appearance in long bones, present in 11 participants at baseline exam, disappeared in eight (P = 0.008) and all (P = 0.001) patients at 6 and 12 months, respectively. In 6‐month follow‐up, rachitic changes significantly disappeared (P < 0.01) in long bones; however, they were evident in ribs of 12 patients (P = 0.50). No patient had rickets in ribs or long bones after 12 months.

Conclusion

We observed considerable resolution of MIOP skeletal changes after HSCT in all patients with either full or mixed chimerism. Rachitic changes in long bones, attenuated corticomedullary differentiation, and endobone appearance were the first to resolve. We propose using single long bone plain x‐ray to demonstrate short‐term skeletal response to HSCT. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2015;62:1645–1649. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Atomic layer deposition TiO2/Al2O3 nanolayer of dyed polyamide/aramid blend fabric for high intensity UV light protection
Authors: Xiao Xingfang , Liu Xin , Cao Genyang , Zhang Chunhua , Xia Liangjun , Xu Weilin , Xiao Shili
Published: March 2015

Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation can cause a severe damage to textiles, such as color fading, polymer degradation, and mechanical strength decrease. The aim of this study was to deposit inorganic UV blocking agents onto polyamide/aramid dyed fabric using atomic layer deposition (ALD) technique to produce functional fabrics that are resistant to high intensity UV light. Scanning electron microscopy (coupled to energy‐dispersive spectroscopy), X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermogravimetry studies demonstrated that TiO2, Al2O3, and TiO2/Al2O3 nanolayer could be successfully deposited onto the fiber surface. The dyed fabrics with different ALD coatings showed excellent high intensity UV resistance and were also more resistant to high intensity UV‐induced mechanical strength damage. These results suggested that the ALD technology could be effective technique to improve the properties of dyed fabrics. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:1296–1302, 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Preparation and characterization of biodegradable polymer blends from poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate)/poly(vinyl acetate)‐modified corn starch
Authors: Lai Sun‐Mou , Sun Wei‐Wei , Don Trong‐Ming
Published: March 2015

Biodegradable polymer blends prepared by blending poly(3‐hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and corn starch do not form intact films due to their incompatibility and brittle behavior. For improving their compatibility and flexibility, poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) was grafted from the corn starch to prepare the PVAc‐modified corn starch (CSV). The resulting CSV consisted of 47.2 wt% starch‐g‐PVAc copolymer and 52.8 wt% PVAc homopolymer and its structure was verified by FT‐IR analysis. In comparison with 35°C of the neat PVAc, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the grafted PVAc chains on starch‐g‐PVAc was higher at 44°C because of the hindered molecular mobility imposed from starch on the grafted PVAc. After blending PHB with the CSV, structure and thermal properties of the blends were investigated. Only a single Tg was found for all the PHB/CSV blends and increased with increasing the CSV content. The Tg‐composition dependence of the PHB/CSV blends was well‐fitted with the Gordon‐Taylor equation, indicating that the CSV was compatible with the PHB. In addition, the presence of the CSV could raise the thermal stability of the PHB component. It was also found that the presence of the PHB and PVAc components would not hinder the enzymatic degradation of the corn starch by α‐amylase. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:1321–1329, 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Fabrication of polylactic acid/polyethylene glycol (PLA/PEG) porous scaffold by supercriticalCO2foaming and particle leaching
Authors: Chen Bin‐Yi , Jing Xin , Mi Hao‐Yang , Zhao Haibin , Zhang Wen‐Hao , Peng Xiang‐Fang , Turng Lih‐Sheng
Published: March 2015

PLA/PEG/NaCl blends were melt‐blended followed by gas foaming and particle leaching process to fabricate porous scaffold with high porosity and interconnectivity. A home‐made triple‐screw compounding extruder was used to intensify the mixability and dispersion of NaCl and PEG in the PLA matrix. Supercritical carbon dioxide was used as physical blowing agent for the microcellular foaming process. Sodium chloride (NaCl) was used as the porogen to further improve the porosity of PLA scaffold. This study investigated the effects of PEG and NaCl on the structure and properties of the PLA‐based blend, as well as the porosity, pore size, interconnectivity, and hydrophilicity of porous scaffolds. It was found that the incorporation of PEG and NaCl significantly improved the crystallization rate and reduced viscoelasticity of PLA. Moreover, scaffolds obtained from PLA/PEG/NaCl blends had an interconnected bimodal porous structure with the open‐pore content about 86% and the highest porosity of 80%. And the presence of PEG in PLA/NaCl composite improved the extraction ability of NaCl particles during leaching process, which resulted in a well‐interconnected structure. The biocompatibility of the porous scaffolds fabricated was verified by culturing fibroblast cells for 10 days. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:1339–1348, 2015. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Comparison of higher energy collisional dissociation and collision‐induced dissociation MS/MS sequencing methods for identification of naturally occurring peptides in human urine
Authors: Pejchinovski Martin , Klein Julie , Ramírez‐Torres Adela , Bitsika Vasiliki , Mermelekas George , Vlahou Antonia , Mullen William , Mischak Harald , Jankowski Vera
Published: March 2015

Purpose

The aim of this study is to determine the best fragmentation method for sequence identification of naturally occurring urinary peptides in the field of clinical proteomics.

Experimental design

We used LC‐MS/MS analysis of urine samples to determine the analytical performance of higher energy collisional dissociation (HCD), CID with high and low resolution MS/MS for the identification of naturally occurring peptides in the low molecular weight urinary proteome.

Results

HCD and CID high‐resolution generated a 22% error rate in peptide sequence identifications. CID low‐resolution showed significantly higher error rates (37%). Excluding the error rate (i.e rejection of cysteine‐containing peptides), we observed a higher degree of overlap between HCD and CID high resolution for identification of peptide sequences of rank 1 and cross‐correlation ≥ 1.9 (262 peptide sequences) compared to CID low (208 peptide sequences with HCD and 192 peptide sequences with CID high). Reproducibility of detected peptides in three out of the five replicates was also higher in HCD and CID high in relation to CID low resolution.

Conclusion and clinical relevance

Our data demonstrated that HCD and CID high‐resolution performed with better accuracy and reproducibility than CID low resolution in respect to the identification of naturally occurring urinary peptide sequences.
Analysis of Augmented Unreplicated Factorial Designs Repeated in Time
Authors: Vivacqua Carla A. , de Pinho André Luís Santos , Lee Ho Linda
Published: March 2015

Unreplicated designs are fairly common in industrial applications; however, there is resistance to their use in agricultural science. In the agriculture community, there is still a belief that lack of replication may prevent the experimenter from getting useful conclusions. Nevertheless, sound statistical methods that permit valid comparisons in unreplicated studies are available for many types of designs. The objective of this paper is to present an analysis procedure for unreplicated designs combining typical characteristics found in industrial experimentation (factorial designs augmented with center points) and in agricultural applications (inclusion of control treatments and repeated measurements). We illustrate the method through a real experiment to evaluate the use of sugarcane by‐products in chicken diet. Specifically, it is an unreplicated two‐level factorial design with two additional runs (a center point and a control treatment), with experimental units measured in two periods of time. Replication was initially planned in the case study, but the actual treatment application led to an unreplicated design. The application of the proposed method allows interpretation of the data collected. We conclude that the appropriate use of unreplicated designs in agricultural and biological research may reduce overall costs and lessen the use of in vivo testing. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
An in vitro analysis of separation of multi‐use ProTaper Universal and ProTaper Next instruments in extracted mandibular molar teeth
Authors: Ertas Huseyin , Capar Ismail Davut
Published: March 2015

This study investigated the separation incidence of reused ProTaper Universal and ProTaper Next rotary instruments and identified the location of separated fragments. The root canals of extracted human mandibular molars were prepared with 10 assorted sets of ProTaper Universal and ProTaper Next instruments. After each preparation, instrument sets were autoclaved. This arrangement was repeated until an instrument fractured. The number of prepared teeth until fracture occurred was recorded for each instrument set. Teeth in which the instruments fractured were analyzed to determine the separation grade, apical relation, and coronal position. Fracture surfaces of the instruments were examined with scanning electron microscope. ProTaper Universal instruments fractured after application to a mean of 7.3 teeth, and ProTaper Next instruments after application to a mean of 5.7 teeth (p > 0.05). In the ProTaper Universal and ProTaper Next groups, F2 and X1 were the most commonly fractured instruments, respectively. Torsional and cyclic failures were evenly distributed in both the groups. The mean lengths of the fractured fragments of the instruments showed no statistically significant difference. The distance between the tip of the fractured instruments and apical constriction was similar (p > 0.05). However, the mean distance between the root canal orifice and coronal part of the fractured instrument was shorter in the ProTaper Next group (p < 0.05). The life span of ProTaper Universal and ProTaper Next instruments was the same for preparation of mandibular molar teeth. None of the instruments were fractured in the first usage. SCANNING 37:270–276, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Non‐linear analysis of shear‐critical reinforced concrete beams using the softened membrane model
Authors: Kassem Wael
Published: March 2015

A method of analysis for predicting the shear strength and behaviour of shear‐dominated reinforced concrete beams is presented in this paper. The proposed model is based on the softened membrane model that accounts for the Poisson's effect on the behaviour of reinforced concrete beams subjected to the combined effect of shear and flexure. The softened membrane model is appealing for modelling the shear behaviour of concrete elements as it is based on solid mechanics of materials fundamentals. The accuracy of the proposed mathematical model was validated against the experimental results of 66 reinforced concrete elements tested under pure shear as well as 167 shear‐dominated RC beams available in the literature. Analysis results showed that the proposed model could satisfactorily predict the shear strength as well as the entire shear stress‐shear strain behaviour of shear‐dominated beams.
Maximum power tracking control for a wind energy conversion system based on a quasi‐ARX neural network model
Authors: Jami'in Mohammad Abu , Sutrisno Imam , Hu Jinglu
Published: March 2015

By itself, a wind turbine is already a fairly complex system with highly nonlinear dynamics. Changes in wind speed can affect the dynamic parameters of wind turbines, thus rendering the parameters uncertain. However, we can identify the dynamics of the wind energy conversion system (WECS) online by a quasi‐ARX neural network (QARXNN) model. A QARXNN presents a problem in searching for the coefficients of the regression vector (input vector). A multilayer perceptron neural network (MLPNN) is an embedded system that provides the unknown parameters used to parameterize the input vector. Fascinatingly, the coefficients of the input vector from prediction model can be set as controller parameters directly. The stability of the closed‐loop controller is guaranteed by the switching of the linear and nonlinear parts of the parameters. The dynamic of WECS is derived with given parameters, and then a wind speed signal created by a random model is fed to the system causing uncertainty parameters and reducing the power that can be absorbed from wind. By using a minimum variance controller, the maximum power is tracked from WECS. From the simulation results, it is observed that the proposed controller is effective in tracking the maximum power of WECS. © 2015 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Constrained multiobjective optimization for microgrid based on nondominated immune algorithm
Authors: Huang Daizheng , Gong Renxi , Gong Shu
Published: March 2015

The optimization of a microgrid is a typical multivariable nonlinear programming problem with multiple hybrid constraints. In this paper, a kind of constrained multiobjective optimization based on nondominated immune algorithm is used, in which the constraint is transformed into a target function, a relatively isolated nondominated antibody is selected as the active antibody, and ratio cloning, recombination, and mutation are performed in order, according to the crowding distance of the active antibody, thus obtaining the convergence of an ideal Pareto front and a uniform distribution of the Pareto‐optimal solution. The optimization model of the power output of the microgrid and the simulation of the operation in two microgrids for 24 h are carried out by utilizing the algorithm. The results show that good environmental protection is obtained at the lowest cost of running and maintenance, thus satisfying the stability of power supply requirements for users. © 2015 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
A novel analog maximum power point tracker for low‐cost and low‐power distributed PV systems
Authors: Cao Guoen , Kim Hee‐Jun
Published: March 2015

The main disadvantage of the voltage‐based maximum power point tracking (VMPPT) method is in the way the photovoltaic (PV) array is disconnected from the load when sampling open‐circuit voltage, which inevitably results in power loss. Another disadvantage is in case of rapid irradiance variation, where the duration between two successive samplings is too long, leading to considerable loss. To overcome these problems, this paper proposes a low‐cost analog VMPPT circuit that is designed on the basis of an ultralow‐power sample‐and‐hold circuit with the least hardware complexity, which has not been reported before. Furthermore, the method of determining the sampling frequency and time interval of the sampling mode is investigated. Experimental verification with a series of different PV power sources is likewise conducted. The experimental results confirm that the proposed MPPT circuit can operate over a wide range of PV power and can adapt quickly to the changing environment. The disconnection energy loss is reduced significantly, with a high system efficiency of up to 95.9%. © 2015 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Developing a University Learning Community of Critical Readers and Writers: The Story of a Liberal Arts andIEPPartnership
Authors: Ernst Beth Kozbial , Wonder Kelly , Adler Julie
Published: March 2015

Integrating English language learners into the academic mainstream is a critically important goal. For students who are learning content in their second or third language as well as negotiating the university's social context, integrating into the mainstream academic environment can be challenging. Instructors at a public university intensive English program (IEP) addressed these problems by developing a common reading project and creating a learning community composed of U.S. native‐English‐speaking freshman in a critical reading class and intermediate‐ and advanced‐levelIEPstudents in integrated skills courses. Communities of practice, inquiry, and creativity were built through the process of coplanning and coteaching and through methods and activities implemented in the classroom. Through collaboration on a common reading and theme,Nightby Elie Wiesel, and genocide, the instructors built a supportive learning environment that was mutually beneficial to both groups. In this article, the instructors discuss the nature of the learning community, present theories related to cross‐cultural learning communities, and explain how intercultural communities support the distinctive goals of a liberal arts education. Then they describe the process of developing curriculum for the common reading project and share findings from student questionnaires evaluating the project.
MicroRNA‐184 modulates canonical Wnt signaling through the regulation of frizzled‐7 expression in the retina with ischemia‐induced neovascularization
Authors: Takahashi Yusuke , Chen Qian , Rajala Raju V.S. , Ma Jian-xing
Published: March 2015

Aberrant activation of Wnt signaling contributes to ischemia‐induced retinal neovascularization in oxygen‐induced retinopathy (OIR), although the underlying mechanism is so far unclear. Here, we show that microRNA‐184 (miR‐184) is significantly down‐regulated in the retina of OIR mice, and miR‐184 negatively modulates Wnt signaling both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, we show that the Wnt receptor, frizzled‐7, is a downstream target of miR‐184, and delivery of miR‐184 mimic inhibits Wnt signaling in the OIR retina. These results suggest that decreased levels of miR‐184 are responsible, at least in part, for the aberrant activation of Wnt signaling in ischemia‐induced retinal neovascularization.
The Priority Principle
Authors: BAILEY ANDREW M.
Published: March 2015

Some philosophers say that you do not think in the primary or nonderivative sense. Rather, they say some item distinct from you (perhaps one of your parts or something of which you are a part) does your thinking for you; you inherit your mental life from that item. In this paper, I argue that this is a mistake. We do not inherit our thoughts in this way.
Debunking Biased Thinkers (Including Ourselves)
Authors: BALLANTYNE NATHAN
Published: March 2015

Most of what we believe comes to us from the word of others, but we do not always believe what we are told. We often reject thinkers’ reports by attributing biases to them. We may call this debunking. In this essay, I consider how debunking might work and then examine whether, and how often, it can help to preserve rational belief in the face of disagreement.
Transitional Anger
Authors: NUSSBAUM MARTHA C.
Published: March 2015

A close philosophical analysis of the emotion of anger will show that it is normatively irrational: in some cases, based on futile magical thinking, in others, based on defective values.
On Spinoza's ‘Free Man’
Authors: NADLER STEVEN
Published: March 2015

In this paper, I examine Spinoza's ‘model of human nature’ in the Ethics, and especially his notion of the ‘free man’. I argue that, contrary to usual interpretations, the free man is not an individual without passions and inadequate ideas but rather an individual who is able consistently to live according to the guidance of reason. Therefore, it is not an impossible and unattainable ideal or incoherent concept, as has often been claimed, but a very realizable goal for the achievement of human well-being.
SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROBLEM OF THE PROBLEM OF INDUCTION
Authors: Cariani Fabrizio
Published: March 2015

White advances two central claims. The first is that a version of the problem of induction involves the reliability principle.

Reliability principle: If S considers whether the methods or rules she followed in concluding P are reliable, and she is not justified in believing that they are reliable, then she is not justified in believing P.
ARGUMENTATION AND THE SOCIAL SIGNIFICANCE OF REASONS
Authors: Rysiew Patrick
Published: March 2015

Jennifer Nagel suggests that Mercier and Sperber’s argumentative theory of reasoning can shed light on “why we commonly think of perceptually and testimonially supported judgments as justified despite feeling worried, on reflection, that only what is internally available can justify”. While I agree that there is indeed a natural path (or paths) from the argumentative theory to this asymmetry, and instability, in our epistemic judgments, I am not sure that it is quite the one that Nagel identifies. Having registered some reservations about Nagel’s account, I make an alternative suggestion as to how the argumentative theory might help to explain the naturalness of the relevant judgments.
Very near-nozzle shear-layer turbulence and jet noise
Authors: Fontaine Ryan A. , Elliott Gregory S. , Austin Joanna M. , Freund Jonathan B.
Published: March 2015

One of the principal challenges in the prediction and design of low-noise nozzles is accounting for the near-nozzle turbulent mixing layers at the high Reynolds numbers of engineering conditions. Even large-eddy simulation is a challenge because the locally largest scales are so small relative to the nozzle diameter. Model-scale experiments likewise typically have relatively thick near-nozzle shear layers, which potentially hampers their applicability to high-Reynolds-number design. To quantify the sensitivity of the far-field sound to nozzle turbulent-shear-layer conditions, a family of diameter $D$ nozzles is studied in which the exit turbulent boundary layer momentum thickness is varied from $0.0042D$ up to $0.021D$ for otherwise identical flow conditions. Measurements include particle image velocimetry (PIV) to within $0.04D$ of the exit plane and far-field acoustic spectra. The influence of the initial turbulent-shear-layer thickness is pronounced, though it is less significant than the well-known sensitivity of the far-field sound to laminar versus turbulent shear-layer exit conditions. For thicker shear layers, the nominally missing region, where the corresponding thinner shear layer would develop, leads to the noise difference. The nozzle-exit momentum thickness successfully scales the high-frequency radiated sound for nozzles of different sizes and exhaust conditions. Yet, despite this success, the detailed turbulence statistics show distinct signatures of the different nozzle boundary layers from the different nozzles. Still, the different nozzle shear-layer thicknesses and shapes have a similar downstream development, which is consistent with a linear stability analysis of the measured velocity profiles.
THE DEFENCE OF ILLEGALITY IN TORT LAW: BEYOND JUDICIAL REDEMPTION?
Authors: Goudkamp James , Zou Mimi
Published: March 2015

IN Hounga v Allen [2014] UKSC 47; [2014] 1 W.L.R. 2889, the Supreme Court unanimously upheld a claim in the statutory tort of discrimination by a woman who had been dismissed from her employment. The fact that the woman had been working in breach of immigration laws did not enliven the illegality defence. Hounga is one of several recent cases in which the illegality defence has been examined at the ultimate appellate level, the other decisions being Gray v Thames Trains Ltd [2009] UKHL 33; [2009] 1 A.C. 1339, Stone & Rolls Ltd v Moore Stephens [2009] UKHL 39; [2009] A.C. 1391, and Les Laboratoires Servier v Apotex Inc [2014] UKSC 55; [2014] 3 W.L.R. 1257. The fact that the defence has been considered so frequently as of late at the apex level seems to confirm that the Law Commission was wrong in its prediction, made shortly after Gray and Moore Stephens were decided, that the defence would be brought into a satisfactory state if responsibility for reforming it was left to the courts (The Illegality Defence (Law Com 320, 2010), at [3.37]–[3.41]). We are not alone in holding this view. Writing extra-judicially, Lord Mance and Lord Sumption have called for the Law Commission to re-examine the defence (J. Mance, “Ex Turpi Causa – When Latin Avoids Liability” (2014) 18 Edinburgh Law Review 175, 192; J. Sumption, “Reflections on the Law of Illegality” (2012) 20 Restitution Law Review 1, 8–12). We argue here that Hounga perpetuates (and possibly aggravates) the difficulties from which this area of law suffers.
RESPONSIBILITY IN GROUPS OF COMPANIES AND THE FUTURE OF INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL LITIGATION
Authors: Grušić Uglješa
Published: March 2015

EVER since the establishment of separate legal personality of companies and their limited liability in the nineteenth century, there have been attempts by voluntary and involuntary creditors of the insolvent or dissolved subsidiary to obtain remedies from the parent company. The orthodox view is that the parent company is neither responsible for the acts and omissions of the subsidiary nor liable for its debts. The Court of Appeal in David Thompson v The Renwick Group plc [2014] EWCA Civ 635 confirmed that the exceptions to this orthodoxy apply only in truly exceptional circumstances. As discussed below, the importance of this judgment extends into the realm of international human rights and environmental litigation and has the potential to set back the existing efforts within the European Union to ensure effective judicial remedy for corporate abuses.
THE EFFECT OF ROME II ON NATIONAL PROCEDURAL LAW
Authors: Folkard Joshua
Published: March 2015

AT common law, in cases where the substantive claim is governed by foreign law, questions of procedure are nonetheless governed by the lex fori. In the context of damages, although the existence of damage is a question for the lex causae, its quantification and assessment is determined according to the law of the forum (Boys v Chaplin [1971] A.C. 356). The distinction between substance and procedure is preserved by Article 1(3) of Council Regulation (EC) No 864/2007 (“Rome II”) which provides, with certain exceptions, that Rome II “shall not apply to evidence and procedure”. That rule is, however, qualified by Article 15, which requires the law applicable under the Regulation (i.e. “the law applicable to non-contractual obligations”) to govern, inter alia, “the existence, the nature and the assessment of damage or the remedy claimed” (Article 15(c)). The decision of the Court of Appeal in Wall v Mutuelle De Poitiers Assurances [2014] EWCA Civ 138; [2014] 3 All E.R. 340 concerns the definition of “procedure” in Article 1(3) and the meaning of “applicable law” in Article 15(c). It raises the important question of how far Rome II has encroached on the traditional view of national procedural autonomy in the conflict of laws.
L'efficacité de l'échantillonnage passif pour obtenir un portrait représentatif de l'électorat: Le cas deVote au pluriel – Québec
Authors: Tessier Charles , Bodet Marc André , Gélineau François
Published: March 2015

On estime généralement que l'utilisation d'une méthode d’échantillonnage actif pour la conduite de sondage Internet est plus efficace que l'utilisation d’échantillonnage passif, autant en ce qui a trait au recrutement des participants que de la représentativité de l’échantillon. Dans le premier cas, des firmes spécialisées contactent directement des répondants, alors que dans le deuxième cas les participants doivent se rendre par eux-mêmes sur une plate-forme de sondage en ligne. Dans cet article, nous évaluons empiriquement l'efficacité relative d'une stratégie d’échantillonnage passif à l'aide d'une campagne médiatique mise en place dans le cadre de l'expérience WebVote au pluriel – Québec. Cette stratégie avait pour objectif d'augmenter le nombre de participants et d'améliorer la représentativité de l’échantillon obtenu par échantillonnage passif. Nos résultats suggèrent que la stratégie a eu un impact significatif, mais limité, sur le recrutement des participants. De plus, la représentativité de l’échantillon complet comprend d'importantes lacunes, surtout lorsque celui-ci est comparé à un échantillon Web obtenu par échantillonnage actif. Nos analyses démontrent cependant que l'utilisation des médias traditionnels, dans le cadre d'une stratégie plus large, pourrait diminuer l'impact négatif dudigital divide, qui nuit à la représentativité des échantillons récoltés sur le Web.
Analyse écologique des déterminants de la participation électorale municipale au Québec
Authors: Couture Jérôme , Breux Sandra , Bherer Laurence
Published: March 2015

Au Canada, la participation électorale à l’échelle municipale est plus faible qu'aux autres échelles de gouvernement et les raisons susceptibles d'expliquer ce moindre engagement sont encore mal connues. À partir des taux de participation à la mairie aux élections de 2005 et de 2009 dans l'ensemble des municipalités du Québec (n = 949), la recherche teste 15 hypothèses explicatives de la participation électorale municipale. Les résultats montrent que quatre facteurs expliquent en grande partie la participation électorale municipale et ses variations. Il s'agit de la taille de l’électorat, de la présence d'un électorat âgé, de la marge victorieuse et du nombre de candidats en lice. Ces résultats permettent de mieux cerner le coût du vote à l’échelle municipale, tout en soulignant la nécessité de réaliser davantage d'enquêtes monographiques sur cet objet au Canada, notamment dans les plus grandes municipalités où la participation électorale y est plus faible.
Expression, characterization and crystal structure of thioredoxin fromSchistosoma japonicum
Authors: LI YONGDONG , LI PAN , PENG YUN , WU QUNFENG , HUANG FUYAN , LIU XIANG , LI XUN , ZHOU HUI , GUO DAOYI , SHI DASHUANG , ZHOU XIAO-NONG , FAN XIAOLIN
Published: March 2015

Schistosoma japonicum, a human blood fluke, causes a parasitic disease affecting millions of people in Asia. Thioredoxin–glutathione system ofS. japonicumplays a critical role in maintaining the redox balance in parasite, which is a potential target for development of novel antischistosomal agents. Here we cloned the gene ofS. japonicumthioredoxin (SjTrx), expressed and purified the recombinant SjTrx inEscherichia coli. Functional assay shows that SjTrx catalyses the dithiothreitol (DTT) reduction of insulin disulphide bonds. The coupling assay of SjTrx with its endogenous reductase, thioredoxin glutathione reductase fromS. japonicum(SjTGR), supports its biological function to maintain the redox homeostasis in the cell. Furthermore, the crystal structure of SjTrx in the oxidized state was determined at 2·0 Å resolution, revealing a typical architecture of thioredoxin fold. The structural information of SjTrx provides us important clues for understanding the maintenance function of redox homeostasis inS. japonicumand pathogenesis of this chronic disease.
Traits associated with nutrient impoverishment and shade-tolerance in tree juveniles of three Bornean rain forests with contrasting nutrient availability
Authors: Aoyagi Ryota , Kitayama Kanehiro
Published: March 2015

In this study, we tested the hypothesis that functional traits associated with nutrient impoverishment contribute to enhancing shade-tolerance (survival at low light) for the juveniles of canopy tree species in Bornean rain forests. To test the hypothesis, survival and functional traits (biomass allocation, leaf dynamics and foliar nutrient concentration) were investigated as a function of light conditions for saplings of 13 species in three forests with different levels of nutrient availability. As predicted by the hypothesis, the species in the severely nutrient-poor site (a tropical heath forest on nutrient-poor soils) showed greater shade-tolerance (>91% survival for 8 mo at 5% global site factor) than in the other two sites (mixed dipterocarp forests) (54–87% survival). Across the species, greater shade-tolerance was associated with a higher biomass allocation to roots, a slower leaf production and a higher foliar C concentration, which are considered as C-conservation traits under nutrient impoverishment. These results suggest that the juveniles of the canopy species occurring on nutrient-poor soils can enhance shade-tolerance by the same mechanisms as the adaptation to nutrient impoverishments. Tree species in nutrient-poor environments may be selected for surviving also in shaded conditions.
Religiously inspired urbanism: Catholicism and the planning of the southern Dutch provincial cities Eindhoven and Roermond,c. 1900 to 1960
Authors: JANSSEN JOKS
Published: March 2015

The discourse on twentieth-century urban planning has hidden from view the way religion (re)shaped the urban landscape. By analysing the interaction between urban development and Catholic politics in the southern Dutch provincial cities of Eindhoven and Roermond, this article argues that religious thinking, practice and institutions had considerable influence on urban planning. Religious views and ideas played an important role in the spatial transformation of these towns. The secular instruments of urban planning were used during the ‘pillarization’ period to emphasize thesensus catholicusof town and region, and to achieve the desired Catholic social and moral order.
Absent right superior caval vein in situs solitus
Authors: Lytzen Rebekka , Sundberg Karin , Vejlstrup Niels
Published: March 2015

Introduction

In up to 0.07% of the general population, the right anterior cardinal vein obliterates and the left remains open, creating an absent right superior caval vein and a persistent left superior caval vein. Absent right superior caval vein is associated with additional congenital heart disease in about half the patients. We wished to study the consequences of absent right superior caval vein as an incidental finding on prenatal ultrasonic malformation screening.

Material and methods

This is a retrospective case series study of all foetuses diagnosed with absent right superior caval vein at the national referral hospital, Rigshospitalet, Denmark, from 2009 to 2012.

Results

In total, five cases of absent right superior caval vein were reviewed. No significant associated cardiac, extra-cardiac, or genetic anomalies were found. Postnatal echocardiographies confirmed the diagnosis and there were no postnatal complications. All children were found to have healthy hearts at follow-up.

Conclusions

In all cases, the findings proved to be a benign condition with no clinical manifestations or complications. Although isolated absent right superior caval vein does not seem to affect the outcome, associated anomalies may be serious. Absent right superior caval vein should, therefore, prompt a search for additional malformations. Furthermore, the diagnosis of an isolated absent right superior caval vein is important, because knowledge of the anomaly can prevent future problems when invasive procedures are necessary.
MULTIFRACTAL ANALYSIS OF FUNCTIONS ON HEISENBERG AND CARNOT GROUPS
Authors: Seuret S. , Vigneron F.
Published: March 2015

In this article, we investigate the pointwise behaviors of functions on the Heisenberg group. We find wavelet characterizations for the global and local Hölder exponents. Then we prove some a priori upper bounds for the multifractal spectrum of all functions in a given Hölder, Sobolev, or Besov space. These upper bounds turn out to be optimal, since in all cases they are reached by typical functions in the corresponding functional spaces. We also explain how to adapt our proof to extend our results to Carnot groups.
Thai Political Families: The Impact of Political Inheritance
Authors: Ockey James
Published: March 2015

Studies of political families in the West focus on political inheritance, or the pattern of children following the careers of their parents. In contrast, studies of political families in other parts of the world focus on nepotism, corruption, and capturing of the political system in a particular area. In this study of political families in Thailand, I seek to distinguish between political inheritance and capturing a local political system. I then focus on political inheritance, finding that it is much more common than capturing a locality in Thailand. Working with a database of all members of the Thai parliament since 1932, I find that political inheritance benefits younger candidates and female candidates, with members of political families able to enter parliament at a younger age, and with women members of parliament more likely to come from a political family than men. I find further that political inheritance is found in all regions of Thailand, including Bangkok, and is not associated with different levels of development or regional cultures. With the strengthening of political parties and a declining birth rate, the number of families in the Thai parliament has declined, but has stabilised at a lower level. This indicates that political families are adapting to change, and can be expected to continue to play an important role in Thai politics.
Der Alltag pflegender Angehöriger – Was sie während des Spitalaufenthalts ihres Familienmitglieds beschäftigt im Hinblick auf den Austritt und was sie diesbezüglich für sich benötigen: eine qualitative Studie
Authors: Küttel Cornelia , Schäfer-Keller Petra , Brunner Corinne , Conca Antoinette , Schütz Philipp , Frei Irena Anna
Published: March 2015

Hintergrund: Pflegende Angehörige tragen eine große Verantwortung bei der Betreuung ihres älteren kranken Familienmitglieds. Sie sind nach einem Spitalaufenthalt des kranken Familienmitglieds oft ungenügend über den Gesundheitszustand, Prognosen, Komplikationen sowie Pflege- und Betreuungsmaßnahmen informiert. Unbekannt ist, was sie hinsichtlich ihres Alltags nach der Entlassung beschäftigt und welche Bedürfnisse sie diesbezüglich für sich haben. Ziel: Mit der Studie wurde untersucht, was pflegende Angehörige in ihrer Lebenssituation vor der Entlassung ihres Familienmitglieds beschäftigte und was sie für sich benötigten. Methode: Es wurden acht narrative Interviews mit Angehörigen von pflegebedürftigen älteren Patient(inn)en geführt und mittels qualitativer Inhaltsanalyse nach Mayring ausgewertet. Ergebnisse: Die pflegenden Angehörigen beschäftigten sich mit dem Erhalten eines funktionierenden Alltags. Dazu gehörten Pflege- und Haushaltsarbeiten und das Bedürfnis nach persönlichem Freiraum. Die Hoffnung half, die Realität des sich verschlechternden Gesundheitszustands des Familienmitglieds auszuhalten. Die Art der familiären Bindung beeinflusste den funktionierenden Alltag. Die pflegenden Angehörigen hatten unterschiedliche Erwartungen an ein Eingebunden sein im Spital. Schlussfolgerung: Um pflegende Angehörige in ihrer Lebenssituation zu unterstützen ist es wichtig, die funktionierende Alltagsroutine zu erfassen, sowie das Bedürfnis nach Freiraum und den Edukationsbedarf bezüglich Krankheitsverlauf, Unterstützungsangeboten und Symptommanagement zu erkennen. Es braucht Untersuchungen, wie pflegende Angehörige im Entlassungsprozess ihre Verantwortung einbringen und welche Aufgaben sie übernehmen können.
Scientists Watch Solar Winds Blast Mercury's Magnetic Field
Authors: Betz Eric
Published: March 2015

A NASA team used the MESSENGER spacecraft to analyze Mercury's magnetosphere during intense solar wind pressure.
Loss of Drosophila pseudouridine synthase triggers apoptosis-induced proliferation and promotes cell-nonautonomous EMT
Authors: Vicidomini R , Di Giovanni A , Petrizzo A , Iannucci L F , Benvenuto G , Nagel A C , Preiss A , Furia M
Published: March 2015

Many developing tissues display regenerative capability that allows them to compensate cell loss and preserve tissue homeostasis. Because of their remarkable regenerative capability, Drosophila wing discs are extensively used for the study of regenerative phenomena. We thus used the developing wing to investigate the role played in tissue homeostasis by the evolutionarily conserved eukaryotic H/ACA small nucleolar ribonucleoprotein pseudouridine synthase. Here we show that localized depletion of this enzyme can act as an endogenous stimulus capable of triggering apoptosis-induced proliferation, and that context-dependent effects are elicited in different sub-populations of the silenced cells. In fact, some cells undergo apoptosis, whereas those surrounding the apoptotic foci, although identically depleted, overproliferate. This overproliferation correlates with ectopic induction of the Wg and JAK-STAT (Janus kinase-signal transducer and activator of transcription) mitogenic pathways. Expression of a p35 transgene, which blocks the complete execution of the death program and generates the so-called ‘undead cells’, amplifies the proliferative response. Pseudouridine synthase depletion also causes loss of apicobasal polarity, disruption of adherens cell junctions and ectopic induction of JNK (c-Jun N-terminal kinase) and Mmp1 (matrix metalloproteinase-1) activity, leading to a significant epithelial reorganization. Unexpectedly, cell-nonautonomous effects, such as epithelial mesenchymal transition in the contiguous unsilenced squamous epithelium, are also promoted. Collectively, these data point out that cell–cell communication and long-range signaling can take a relevant role in the response to pseudouridine synthase decline. Considering that all the affected pathways are highly conserved throughout evolution, it is plausible that the response to pseudouridine synthase depletion has been widely preserved. On this account, our results can add new light on the still unexplained tumor predisposition that characterizes X-linked dyskeratosis, the human disease caused by reduced pseudouridine synthase activity.
Aberrant hippocampal neurogenesis contributes to epilepsy and associated cognitive decline
Authors: Cho Kyung-Ok , Lybrand Zane R. , Ito Naoki , Brulet Rebecca , Tafacory Farrah , Zhang Ling , Good Levi , Ure Kerstin , Kernie Steven G. , Birnbaum Shari G. , Scharfman Helen E. , Eisch Amelia J. , Hsieh Jenny
Published: March 2015

Acute seizures after a severe brain insult can often lead to epilepsy and cognitive impairment. Aberrant hippocampal neurogenesis follows the insult but the role of adult-generated neurons in the development of chronic seizures or associated cognitive deficits remains to be determined. Here we show that the ablation of adult neurogenesis before pilocarpine-induced acute seizures in mice leads to a reduction in chronic seizure frequency. We also show that ablation of neurogenesis normalizes epilepsy-associated cognitive deficits. Remarkably, the effect of ablating adult neurogenesis before acute seizures is long lasting as it suppresses chronic seizure frequency for nearly 1 year. These findings establish a key role of neurogenesis in chronic seizure development and associated memory impairment and suggest that targeting aberrant hippocampal neurogenesis may reduce recurrent seizures and restore cognitive function following a pro-epileptic brain insult.
Mitochondrial protein import receptors in Kinetoplastids reveal convergent evolution over large phylogenetic distances
Authors: Mani Jan , Desy Silvia , Niemann Moritz , Chanfon Astrid , Oeljeklaus Silke , Pusnik Mascha , Schmidt Oliver , Gerbeth Carolin , Meisinger Chris , Warscheid Bettina , Schneider André
Published: March 2015

Mitochondrial protein import is essential for all eukaryotes and mediated by hetero-oligomeric protein translocases thought to be conserved within all eukaryotes. We have identified and analysed the function and architecture of the non-conventional outer membrane (OM) protein translocase in the early diverging eukaryote Trypanosoma brucei. It consists of six subunits that show no obvious homology to translocase components of other species. Two subunits are import receptors that have a unique topology and unique protein domains and thus evolved independently of the prototype receptors Tom20 and Tom70. Our study suggests that protein import receptors were recruited to the core of the OM translocase after the divergence of the major eukaryotic supergroups. Moreover, it links the evolutionary history of mitochondrial protein import receptors to the origin of the eukaryotic supergroups.
The genome-wide effects of ionizing radiation on mutation induction in the mammalian germline
Authors: Adewoye Adeolu B. , Lindsay Sarah J. , Dubrova Yuri E. , Hurles Matthew E.
Published: March 2015

The ability to predict the genetic consequences of human exposure to ionizing radiation has been a long-standing goal of human genetics in the past 50 years. Here we present the results of an unbiased, comprehensive genome-wide survey of the range of germline mutations induced in laboratory mice after parental exposure to ionizing radiation and show irradiation markedly alters the frequency and spectrum of de novo mutations. Here we show that the frequency of de novo copy number variants (CNVs) and insertion/deletion events (indels) is significantly elevated in offspring of exposed fathers. We also show that the spectrum of induced de novo single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) is strikingly different; with clustered mutations being significantly over-represented in the offspring of irradiated males. Our study highlights the specific classes of radiation-induced DNA lesions that evade repair and result in germline mutation and paves the way for similarly comprehensive characterizations of other germline mutagens.