bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Influencing welfare worldwide
Authors: Bacon Heather
Published: December 2014

Heather Bacon is veterinary welfare and outreach manager at the Jeanne Marchig International Centre for Animal Welfare Education at Edinburgh vet school. Here she outlines the role of the new centre, and how she got involved
From clinical pathology teaching to telemedicine
Authors: Pietersma Anne
Published: December 2014

Since moving to the UK from Canada in 2006, Anne Pietersma has set up a telemedicine referral service. Here, she explains how it came about
Ten‐minute chat
Authors: Alderman Cliff
Published: December 2014

Cliff Alderman is director of a two‐site small animal practice in Gloucester. He has kept bees since 2007.
Expanding your horizons
Authors: James Edward
Published: December 2014

The summer before starting vet school provided Edward James with his first taste of living and working abroad, and whetted his appetite for further travel. He describes how far he got and what brought him home
Ten‐minute chat
Authors: Day Michael
Published: December 2014

Michael Day is Professor of Veterinary Pathology at the University of Bristol. He is chairman of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Scientific Advisory Committee, the WSAVA One Health Committee and the WSAVA Vaccination Guidelines Group. He is also vice‐president of the British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA).
From print to practice
Authors: Stacey Donna Cordon
Published: December 2014

Donna Cordon Stacey had a career in print and publishing before embarking on her dream of being a vet. She now works in small animal practice and lives in Oxfordshire with her husband and two boys
Central production of lepton–antilepton pairs and heavy quark composite states in hadron diffractive collisions at ultrahigh energies
Authors: Anisovich V. V. , Matveev M. A. , Nikonov V. A. , Nyiri J.
Published: December 2014

Central production of lepton–antilepton pairs (e+e- and μ+μ-) and heavy quark composite states (charmonia and bottomonia) in diffractive proton collisions (proton momenta transferred |q⊥| ~ m/ ln s) are studied at ultrahigh energies ( ln s ≫ 1), where σ tot (pp±) ~ ln N s with 1 ≲ N ≲ 2. The pp±-rescattering corrections, which are not small, are calculated in terms of the K-matrix approach modified for ultrahigh energies. Two versions of hadron interactions are considered in detail: the growth (i) σ tot (pp±) ~ ln 2 s, σ inel (pp±) ~ ln 2 s within the black disk mode and (ii) σ tot (pp±) ~ ln 2 s, σ inel (pp±) ~ ln s within the resonant disk mode. The energy behavior of the diffractive production processes differs strongly for these modes, thus giving a possibility to distinguish between the versions of the ultrahigh energy interactions.
An non-centrosymmetric mononuclear Zr complex exhibiting UV second-harmonic-generation
Authors: Han Cai-Yun , Qu Mei , Dang Qin-Qin , Zhang Xian-Ming
Published: December 2014

A novel non-centrosymmetric (NCS) orthorhombic complex Zr ( dmpu )2 Cl 4 (1) has been solvothermally prepared in situ from starting materials of Zirconium(IV) acetylacetonate ( Zr ( acac )4) and N,N-dimethylpropyleneurea (dmpu), in which dmpu can act not only as solvent but also as organic ligand of monodentate oxygen donor. The second-harmonic generation (SHG) measurements reveal that complex 1 has a strong response of 1.4 times that of potassium dihydrogen phosphate (KDP) at 532 nm based on the Kurtz–Perry method. Furthermore, optical transmission study indicates that complex 1 has a wide transparency range in the UV region (200–850 nm) with a cutoff at 291 nm. According to first-principles calculations, the enhanced macroscopic SHG response of 1 can be attributed to the organic ligand dmpu. Therefore, 1 could be a promising candidate for non-linear optical material.
Three-dimensional welding residual stresses evaluation based on the eigenstrain methodology via X-ray measurements at the surface
Authors: Ogawa Masaru
Published: December 2014

In order to assure structural integrity for operating welded structures, it is necessary to evaluate crack growth rate and crack propagation direction for each observed crack non-destructively. Here, three dimensional (3D) welding residual stresses must be evaluated to predict crack propagation. Today, X-ray diffraction is used and the ultrasonic method has been proposed as non-destructive method to measure residual stresses. However, it is impossible to determine residual stress distributions in the thickness direction. Although residual stresses through a depth of several tens of millimeters can be evaluated non-destructively by neutron diffraction, it cannot be used as an on-site measurement technique. This is because neutron diffraction is only available in special irradiation facilities. Author pays attention to the bead flush method based on the eigenstrain methodology. In this method, 3D welding residual stresses are calculated by an elastic Finite Element Method (FEM) analysis from eigenstrains which are evaluated by an inverse analysis from released strains by strain gauges in the removal of the reinforcement of the weld. Here, the removal of the excess metal can be regarded as non-destructive treatment because toe of weld which may become crack starters can be eliminated. The effectiveness of the method has been proven for welded plates and pipes even with relatively lower bead height. In actual measurements, stress evaluation accuracy becomes poorer because measured values of strain gauges are affected by processing strains on the machined surface. In the previous studies, the author has developed the bead flush method that is free from the influence of the affecting strains by using residual strains on surface by X-ray diffraction. However, stress evaluation accuracy is not good enough because of relatively poor measurement accuracy of X-ray diffraction. In this study, a method to improve the estimation accuracy of residual stresses in this method is formulated, and it is shown numerically that inner welding residual stresses can be estimated accurately from the residual strains measured by X-ray diffraction.
Structural, Visual and Refractive Outcomes of Intravitreal Aflibercept Injection in High-Risk Prethreshold Type 1 Retinopathy of Prematurity
Authors: Salman Abdelrahman G. , Said Aza M.
Published: December 2014

Purpose: To study the structural, visual and refractive outcomes of intravitreal injection of aflibercept monotherapy in patients with high-risk prethreshold type 1 retinopathy of prematurity (ROP). Design: Prospective nonrandomized interventional case series study. Patients and Methods: 1 mg/0.025 ml intravitreal aflibercept was administered for patients with high-risk prethreshold type 1 ROP. The primary outcomes studied were unfavorable structural outcome, unfavorable visual outcome and unfavorable refractive outcome. The secondary outcomes were absence of recurrence, ocular and systemic adverse events. Results: Twenty-six eyes were enrolled in the study; all had completed 1 year of follow-up. The mean birth weight was 991 ± 266 g (range: 875-1,105 g); the mean gestational age at birth was 26.33 ± 2.1 weeks (range: 24-30 weeks); 9 eyes were graded as ROP with stage 2+, zone I retinopathy, 14 eyes had stage 3+ disease in zone II and 3 eyes were diagnosed with stage 3 disease in zone I. Twenty-five eyes (96.2%) showed a favorable structural and 21 (80.1%) a favorable visual outcome, and the median refractive error after 1 year was 0.75 dpt (range: -9.5 to +4). Conclusions: Intravitreal injection of aflibercept monotherapy is an easy, safe and effective alternative modality of therapy for high-risk prethreshold type 1 ROP. A further multicenter study with a longer duration of follow-up is required. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel
Combined Therapy with Peritoneal Dialysis and Hemodialysis: A Multicenter Retrospective Observational Cohort Study in Japan
Authors: Maruyama Yukio , Yokoyama Keitaro , Nakayama Masaaki , Higuchi Chieko , Sanaka Tsutomu , Tanaka Yoshihide , Sakai Ken , Mizuiri Sonoo , Otsuka Yasushi , Kuriyama Satoru , Maeba Teruhiko , Iwasawa Hideaki , Nakao Toshiyuki , Hosoya Tatsuo ,   for the EARTH (Evaluation of the Adequacy of Renal replacement THerapy) study group
Published: December 2014

Background/Aims: Combining peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis (HD) has been common treatment option in Japan. Methods: In this retrospective, multicenter, observational study, the clinical characteristics and outcomes of 104 patients (57 w 11 years, males 72%) who had switched from PD alone to combined therapy with PD and HD were studied. Clinical parameters were measured at baseline and after 3 months of combined therapy. Results: At baseline, urine volume, dialysate-to-plasma ratio of creatinine (D/P Cr), and total Kt/V were 150 ml/day (range: 0-2,000 ml/day), 0.67 w 0.11, and 1.8 w 0.4, respectively. During the first 3 months of combined therapy, body weight, urine volume, serum creatinine level, and D/P Cr decreased, whereas hemoglobin levels increased. Conclusions: In patients where PD does not result in acceptable outcomes, combined therapy with PD and HD may have potential benefits in terms of dialysis adequacy and hydration status. Video Journal Club “Cappuccino with Claudio Ronco” at http://www.karger.com/?doi=368389 i 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel
In vitro Adhesion of Oral Candida dubliniensis Isolates to Acrylic Denture Surfaces following Brief Exposure to Sub-Cidal Concentrations of Polyenes, Azoles and Chlorhexidine
Authors: Ellepola Arjuna N.B. , Joseph Bobby K. , Altarakemah Yacoub , Samaranayake Lakshman P. , Anil Sukumaran , Hashem Mohamed , Khan Zia U.
Published: December 2014

Objectives: We aimed to investigate the effect of brief exposure to sub-cidal concentrations of nystatin, amphotericin B, ketoconazole, fluconazole and chlorhexidine gluconate on the adhesion of oral Candida dubliniensis isolates to the surface of acrylic dentures. Methods: After determining the minimum inhibitory concentration of each drug, 20 oral isolates of C. dubliniensis were exposed to sub-cidal concentrations of the drugs for 1 h. The drugs were then removed by dilution, and the adhesion of the isolates to denture acrylic strips was assessed by an in vitro adhesion assay. Results: Compared to the controls, exposure to nystatin, amphotericin B, ketoconazole, fluconazole and chlorhexidine gluconate suppressed the ability of C. dubliniensis isolates to adhere to acrylic denture surfaces with a reduction of 74.68, 74.27, 57.31, 44.57 and 56.53% (p < 0.001 for all drugs), respectively. Conclusions: Brief exposure to sub-cidal concentrations of anti-mycotics suppressed the adhesion of C. dubliniensis oral isolates to acrylic denture surfaces.
Rappaport, Revisited
Authors: Cassell Paul
Published: December 2014

In Ritual and Religion in the Making of Humanity, Roy Rappaport misses an opportunity to more tightly theorize the synergistic relationship between concepts of the divine, the psyches of ritual participants, and the adaptive dynamics of religious sociality. This paper proposes such a theory by drawing on implicit features of Rappaport’s account, fulfilling his goal of a “cybernetics of the holy.” I argue that concepts of the divine, when made authoritative for participants through ritual, have three important effects: they invite intense and meaningful reconstructions of personal identity according to paradigmatic examples; they act as a form of encoded social memory by organizing human relationship according to a “spiritual map”; and they provide the cognitive framework that make religious community organization robust, adaptive, and reproductive. We can characterize divine concepts as “specified absences” that ground each of these effects and link them together in a mutually-reinforcing set.
Rethinking the Structural Prevention of Mass Atrocities
Authors: McLoughlin Stephen
Published: December 2014

Interest amongst scholars and policy decision-makers in the prevention of genocide and other mass atrocities has grown in recent years. Despite this, many have overlooked problems inherent in the commonly accepted notion of prevention. Crystalized in the Carnegie Commission’s 1997 report, ‘Preventing Deadly Conflict’, prevention has typically been understood in two parts, one addressing impending cases of violence (direct prevention) and the other focusing on the underlying causes of violence (structural prevention). The concept of structural prevention is especially problematic. Commonly defined as the identification and addressing of ‘root causes’, this conceptualisation contains at least two limitations: first, there is an implicit assumption that root causes lead inevitably to violence, and second, there has been a tendency for international actors to decide, in general and global terms, what counts as root causes and how to ameliorate them, downplaying the role of local contexts and overlooking the preventive work of local and national actors. This article argues that the concept of structural prevention needs broadening to incorporate an understanding of the dynamic interaction between the risk that root causes pose, and locally-based mitigation factors that foster resilience. Effective long-term prevention should be based – not only on identifying and ameliorating negative characteristics in countries at risk – but also on contributing to the complex management of diversity. While this makes intuitive sense – and may in fact reflect the reality of how much preventive work is done – such an approach has not hitherto been reflected in conceptual understandings of prevention adopted by the United Nations, as well as academic researchers.
Rethinking Approaches to Prevention under the Responsibility to Protect
Authors: Mayersen Deborah
Published: December 2014

Within the responsibility to protect (R2P) principle, there is an assumption that is rarely questioned. Beneath the statement that states and the international community are charged with the responsibility to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and ethnic cleansing, lies the implication that vulnerable populations cannot protect themselves. In periods of crisis, when the international community might consider mobilising a response under pillar three, this is often the case. Yet outside of such crises, when pillar one – the enduring responsibility of the state to protect its own populations – and pillar two – assistance from the international community to meet this responsibility – might be invoked in a preventive capacity, vulnerable populations may not be wholly reliant upon protection from external actors. In these circumstances, persecuted groups may actively seek to protect themselves, and may be successfully able to do so. In this paper, I challenge the current understanding of prevention within R2P as an externally imposed process, by considering how persecuted groups have themselves acted in ways that mitigate their vulnerability to mass atrocities. The paper considers a number of historical case studies in which targeted groups were able to leverage their own agency, often with assistance from others, to reduce this vulnerability. These include cases that culminated in genocide, namely the experiences of German and Austrian Jews under Nazi rule, and negative cases studies in which a demonstrable risk of mass atrocities was not realised, such as the experiences of Yemenite Jews in the first half of the twentieth century and those of the Bahá’í community in Iran since the 1979 Iranian revolution. These cases suggest that assisting persecuted populations to empower themselves can be an effective way to promote resilience to mass atrocities. In the final section of the paper, I explore why this approach is often overlooked, despite its capacity for some success. I consider the potential benefits and costs of a greater focus on utilising the agency of vulnerable groups in endeavours to prevent mass atrocities.
Экспертократия в России
Authors: Нестеров Анатолий
Published: December 2014

“Expertocracy in Russia” by Anatoly Nesterov (State University Higher School of Economics, Moscow): This article considers the meaning of the terms “expertocracy” and “expertocrat,” which in the contemporary Russian Federation are newly constructed words based linguistically, but not conceptually, from the English loan word “expertise.” This article considers the meaning of the terms “expertocracy” and “expertocrat,” which in the contemporary Russian Federation are newly constructed words based linguistically, but not conceptually, from the English loan word “expertise.” A socio-economic analysis of the theory of expertise reveals that the activities of the new expertocrats (many of whom self-identify with this term) do not relate to traditional notions of expertise, particularly within today's Russian state apparatus and the private sector. Instead, this article explores the new social phenomena of “expertocracy” and “expertocrats” as well as the arrival of a newly rebranded buzzword, “narrative,” which has taken on new meaning aside from its historical and cultural interpretation and can now be used to describe the activities of the newly emergent expertocrat class in Russia.
WAT MOGEN WE VAN EEN THEORIE OVER WAARHEID VERWACHTEN?
Authors: van Woudenberg René
Published: December 2014

Hoewel misschien minder dan vroeger, zijn velen van ons op zoek naar waarheid, of ‘de’ waarheid (ik gebruik de uitdrukkingen ‘waarheid’ en ‘de waarheid’ nu nog door elkaar maar zal ze straks onderscheiden). We beseffen dat het ‘hebben’ van waarheid een groot goed is. We beseffen ook dat waarheid, of ‘de’ waarheid, soms of vaak, moeilijk te achterhalen (en daarmee bedoel ik: te kennen) is: het is een soms of vaak ongrijpbaar goed. Wie echter geen volslagen scepticus is (en wie is dat?) kan in beginsel lijsten aanleggen van beweringen waarvan hij weet dat ze waar zijn, beweringen waarvan hij weet dat ze onwaar zijn, maar ook van beweringen waarvan hij niet weet of ze waar dan wel onwaar zijn.
CRITICAL STUDY: REDE EN RELIGIE IN DE KLAS
Authors: Koster Edwin
Published: December 2014

Betreffende Michiel Leezenberg, Rede en religie. Een verkenning. Amsterdam 2007: Van Gennep. 205 pagina’s. ISBN 9789055157266. Examencahier filosofie VWO. Rede en religie lijken elkaar uitsluitende begrippen te zijn. Religieuze tradities verwijzen immers (meestal) naar een als transcendent beleefde werkelijkheid en transcendentie onttrekt zich, minstens voor een deel, aan ons bevattingsvermogen. Als voorwerp van religieuze overtuigingen gaat de transcendente werkelijkheid ons verstand te boven. Deze gedachte is op onnavolgbare wijze verwoord door Rudolf Otto in zijn bekende en populaire boek Das Heilige. Über das Irrationale in der Idee des Göttlichen und Sein Verhältnis zum Rationalen. Volgens Otto is er in het idee van het goddelijke een ‘rationeel deel’ dat door ons verstand gevat kan worden en binnen het gebied van te definiëren begrippen valt. Onder dat gebied ligt echter ‘een donkere diepte’ dat zich aan onze begrippen onttrekt: het Ganz Andere waar religies over spreken is uiteindelijk onzegbaar. Het is het irrationele in engere zin, dat niet gedacht kan worden en ingaat tegen het verstand. Een voorbeeld daarvan noemt Otto de verschijning van God aan Job, die gekenmerkt wordt door een boven elk begrip uitstijgende wonderbaarlijkheid. Toch ontgaat ons het irrationele niet: het onttrekt zich namelijk niet aan ons gevoel. Dankzij het gevoel kan men volgens Otto de irrationele momenten van het goddelijke op ‘een eigensoortige wijze begrijpen’.
UNDERSTANDING DOOYEWEERD BETTER THAN HE UNDERSTOOD HIMSELF
Authors: Plantinga Theodore
Published: December 2014

Ernst Cassirer (1946, 140) once observed: “In the history of ideas it is by no means unusual that a thinker develops a theory, the full purport and significance of which is still hidden to himself.” Cassirer was echoing no less a personage than Kant himself. Kant had written long before: “”¦ it is by no means unusual, upon comparing the thoughts which an author has expressed in regard to his subject, whether in ordinary conversation or in writing, to find that we understand him better than he has understood himself. As he has not sufficiently determined his concept, he has sometimes spoken, or even thought, in opposition to his own intention.”2 May we take our lead from Kant here? May we understand Dooyeweerd better than he understood himself, even to the point of attributing to him a view or views that would appear to be “in opposition to his own intention”? It may sound a little strange, but something of this sort seems to have been underway among Dooyeweerd interpreters for quite some time. Many have started from the assumption that Dooyeweerd and Vollenhoven held to essentially the same position. Now, since there were some widely acknowledged differences, something would have to yield, and what often yielded was Dooyeweerd. It was thought that in essence Dooyeweerd was saying what Vollenhoven had also been saying. One could therefore allow for an error in Dooyeweerd here or there — perhaps even a “contradiction” — while continuing to hold him in high esteem.
IS DOOYEWEERD A PANENTHEIST? — COMMENTS ON FRIESEN’S ‘95 THESES ON HERMAN DOOYEWEERD’
Authors: Glas Gerrit
Published: December 2014

What is the purpose of Friesen’s 95 theses and what is the audience he has in mind? The title refers to a major church historical event and suggests that — like in 1517 — we are dealing with a concise statement of a new and radical doctrine that is unfolded in opposition to an established canon. But who is the opponent in this case? What is the established canon that is rejected? And what is new or radical in the summary? Dooyeweerd’s philosophy was definitely new and radical at the time of its conception. It still has an enormous potential for the special sciences. It offers important resources for any (transcendental) critique of ‘immanence’ philosophies. However, on first reading and without knowledge of the context, Friesen does not seem to aim at offering a new or radical interpretation of Dooyeweerd’s philosophy. I read the 95 theses as an attempt to wipe off the dust, to provide the overall picture, doing justice to aspects that (maybe) were neglected or (maybe) were wrongly understood in the reformational tradition. However, the audience he has in mind seems to be one that is already familiar with the basic concepts and the thrust of Dooyeweerdian thinking; not an audience that is opposed to reformational philosophical thinking, but one that might be helped by a succinct summary in order to encourage further study and discussion.
Aristotle, On the Life-Bearing Spirit (De Spiritu). A Discussion with Plato and his Predecessors on Pneuma as the Instrumental Body of the Soul. Introduction, Translation and Commentary by Abraham P. Bos and Rein Ferwerda, Leiden/Boston 2008: Brill. 209 pages. ISBN: 9789004164581
Authors: Groenewoud G.
Published: December 2014

Abraham P. Bos and Rein Ferwerda, Aristotle, On the Life-Bearing Spirit (De Spiritu). A Discussion with Plato and his Predecessors on Pneuma as the Instrumental Body of the Soul (G. Groenewoud) Linda Trinkaus Zagzebski, The Philosophy of Religion: An Historical Introduction (A. Vroom) Jonathan L. Kvanvig (ed.), Oxford Studies in Philosophy of Religion (J. de Ridder) Lambert Zuidervaart, Social Philosophy after Adorno (R. Hayward)
Jacob Klapwijk, Purpose in the living world? Cambridge 2008: Cambridge University Press. 322 pages. ISBN 978-0521729437
Authors: Clouser Roy
Published: December 2014

Book Reviews Jacob Klapwijk, Purpose in the living world? (R. Clouser) Bradley Monton, Seeking God in Science: An Atheist Defends Intelligent Design (J. de Ridder) Alvin Plantinga and Michael Tooley, Knowledge of God (J. de Ridder) Nicholas Wolterstorff, Justice: Rights and Wrongs (A. Soeteman)
Peter Harrison, The Fall of Man and the Foundations of Science, Cambridge 2009: Cambridge University Press. 316 pages. ISBN 978-0521117296
Authors: de Pater Kees
Published: December 2014

Peter Harrison, The Fall of Man and the Foundations of Science (K. de Pater) Albert Weideman, Beyond Expression, A Systematic Study of the Foundations of Linguistics (D.F.M. Strauss)
Albert Weideman, Beyond expression, A systematic study of the foundations of linguistics, Grand Rapids, 2009: Paideia Press. 240 pages. ISBN: 978-0-88815-204-6.
Authors: Strauss D. F. M.
Published: December 2014

Peter Harrison, The Fall of Man and the Foundations of Science (K. de Pater) Albert Weideman, Beyond Expression, A Systematic Study of the Foundations of Linguistics (D.F.M. Strauss)
HOW NOT TO BE AN ANTI-REALIST: HABERMAS, TRUTH, AND JUSTIFICATION
Authors: Zuidervaart Lambert
Published: December 2014

This article responds to a debate in analytic philosophy between realist and antirealist conceptions of truth, as formulated by Alvin Plantinga. Whereas Plantinga recommends a return to Aquinas, I argue for a new understanding of propositional truth that grows out of Jürgen Habermas’s “pragmatic realist” conception. By critically appropriating Habermas’s insights, I aim to move beyond the realism/anti-realism dispute, replacing questions of independence with questions of interdependence. I claim that truth theory needs to begin with the interdependence of “mind” and “object” and with the corporeal multidimensionality of both human knowers and that about which they acquire knowledge.
KUYPER’S EARLY CRITIQUE OF UNCHECKED CAPITALISM
Authors: Van Dyke Harry
Published: December 2014

It was in the days when European society was in the throes of expanding industrial capitalism that Abraham Kuyper formulated his basic ideas about the pitfalls of the free enterprise system and the need for a structural make-over of society. Already two decades before his mature address of 1891 on the social question, he urged the church to concern herself seriously with the plight of the working classes. In 1874 he railed against “fictitious trade” and mere “paper assets.” In an extensive commentary on his political party’s program (1878/79) he repeated his fundamental objection to the “fictitious expansion of capital”, calling for legislation to curb such excesses and to create a better balance in incomes between the different classes making up society. He argued for equity and justice rather than charity and philanthropy, and for wages and salaries proportional to effort, skill and education. Yet while the gap between rich and poor cried out to heaven, the first step toward solving the social question, according to the youthful Kuyper, was not to focus on the poor but to provide employment opportunities so that the able and willing working man could earn a living wage. He proposed raising import duties and protective tariffs, replacing taxes on necessaries with taxes on luxuries, abolishing government-run lotteries, and lifting the ban on organizing trade-unions. To achieve these reforms, it was essential that the lower classes be given greater representation in parliament and that selfish greed make way for neighbourly love and mutual solidarity.
Mohammed Girma, Understanding Religion and Social Change in Ethiopia. Toward a Hermeneutic of Covenant. Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2012. 240 pages. ISBN 978-1-137-269416
Authors: Griffioen Sander
Published: December 2014

Mohammed Girma, Understanding Religion and Social Change in Ethiopia. Toward a Hermeneutic of Covenant.Palgrave Macmillan, New York, 2012. 240 pages. ISBN 978-1-137-269416
Review of the species of the genus Marthogryllacris (Orthoptera, Gryllacrididae, Gryllacridinae)
Authors: LI MIAOMIAO , FANG YAN , LIU XIANWEI , LI KAI
Published: December 2014

A review of the genus Marthogryllacris Karny, 1937 was presented. The genus Borneogryllacris should be regarded as a subgenus of Marthogryllacris. Five new species were described: M. (M.) rufonotata sp. nov., M. (B.) nanlingensis sp. nov., M. (B.) bimaculata sp. nov., M. (B.) spinosa sp. nov. and M. (B.) elongata sp. nov.. A key to the species of Marthogryllacris and the distributional data were provided.
Common Marginal Cold Pools
Authors: Mahrt L. , Heald Robert
Published: December 2014

This study examines marginal cold pools forming in a shallow valley. “Marginal” refers to cold pools that are generally weak and intermittent. Nineteen stations were instrumented with sonic anemometers and accurate slow-response temperature measurements. The vertical structure of the cold pool is determined from a 20-m tower on the valley floor that includes eight levels of sonic anemometers and eight additional levels of slow-response temperature. On the basis of the data analysis, the traditional concept of a cold pool must be generalized to include cold-pool intermittency, complex variation of temperature related to some three-dimensional effects of terrain, and a diffuse cold-pool top. Different types of cold pools are classified in terms of the stratification and gradient of potential temperature along the slope. The strength of the cold pool is related to a forcing temperature scale that is proportional to the net radiative cooling divided by the wind speed above the valley. The scatter is large partly because of nonstationarity of the marginal cold pool in this shallow valley.
Parents, Children, and Law
Authors: Vial-Dumas Manuel
Published: December 2014

This research covers the changes in the familial structures that occurred during the first millennium. In particular, it focuses on the institution of patria potestas and on emancipation. By looking at the transformation of juridical institutions, this article seeks to show the long-term evolution of the relation between adulthood, marriage, and emancipation in the families of late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages. This research analyzes Roman law and the law of the Christian Mediterranean during this period, particularly in the Iberian and Italian Peninsulas as well as in the Byzantine Empire.
Telling a national narrative that is not your own. Does it enable critical historical consumption?
Authors: Lopez Cesar , Carretero Mario , Rodriguez-Moneo Maria
Published: December 2014

National narratives are a key element in the process of history consumption and production. These master narratives have been analyzed in both theoretical and empirical studies as general schematic templates producing an essentialist and nationalist representation of the own past. The majority of studies examining historical representations of national narratives have used historical content of the students’ own nation. This study, on the other hand, analyzed the historical understanding of 34 Spanish university students concerning three dimensions of historical narratives about a nation other than their own. These dimensions were: the establishment of the historical subject, the moral judgment about the national group actions, and the legitimacy of the ownership of the territory. The distinction among three different dimensions is presented as providing a better both theoretical and empirical comprehension of master narratives as sociocultural devices. Our results indicated that participants had a more critical representation about the second and third mentioned features, whereas they had a romantic conception about the first one, suggesting then that the establishment of the historical subject could be the core dimension of the master narrative. Finally, some considerations about the process of history consumption and its relations to national identity are presented.
Nb–Al diffusion reaction in high Nb containing TiAl porous alloys
Authors: Wang F. , Liang Y. F. , Shang S. L. , Liu Z. K. , Lin J. P.
Published: December 2014

High Nb containing TiAl porous alloys were synthesised by powder metallurgy (PM). In order to reveal reaction mechanism of Nb in preparation of the porous alloys, Nb–Al diffusion reaction was investigated using diffusion couples at relatively low temperatures of 600–800°C. The porous Nb–Al diffusion layer was identified as NbAl3 phase and the thickness of diffusion layer indicated that the Nb–Al diffusion mainly occurred at 800°C. In addition, the pore diameter distribution indicated that Nb–Al diffusion also contributed to the increase in pore diameter. According to these results, the diffusion reaction model was established for high Nb containing TiAl porous alloys.
Microstructure and cytocompatibility of plasma sprayed gradient hydroxyapatite coatings
Authors: Xiao G. Y. , Lu Y. P. , Xu W. H. , Zhu R. F.
Published: December 2014

The fine (38–75 μm) and coarse (75–106 μm) hydroxyapatite (HA) particles were used to fabricate double layer gradient HA coatings on pure titanium (Ti) by plasma spraying method. The inner layer and outer layer of HA coatings had a different melting degree because of various spraying parameters. The microstructure and cytocompatibility of the double layer HA coatings were researched in this paper. In addition, the effect of sintering treatment on the properties of HA coatings was also studied. It showed that the flattened splats distributed randomly in the HA coatings and dissolved after being eroded by dilute nitric acid, revealing that the stability of this part was weak. Meanwhile, the microstructure of HA coating became uniform and the brittleness of coatings increased after sintering. The biological results showed that the heat treatment could accelerate the osteoblast MC3T3 adhesion and differentiation on the coatings after culture for a period.
Bronchial thermoplasty: a new therapeutic option for the treatment of severe, uncontrolled asthma in adults
Authors: Dombret Marie-Christine , Alagha Khuder , Boulet Louis Philippe , Brillet Pierre Yves , Joos Guy , Laviolette Michel , Louis Renaud , Rochat Thierry , Soccal Paola , Aubier Michel , Chanez Pascal
Published: December 2014

Bronchial thermoplasty is a young yet promising treatment for severe asthma whose benefit for long-term asthma control outweighs the short-term risk of deterioration and hospitalisation in the days following the treatment. It is an innovative treatment whose clinical efficacy and safety are beginning to be better understood. Since this is a device-based therapy, the overall evaluation of risk–benefit is unlike that of pharmaceutical products; safety aspects, regulatory requirements, study design and effect size assessment may be unfamiliar. The mechanisms of action and optimal patient selection need to be addressed in further rigorous clinical and scientific studies. Bronchial thermoplasty fits in perfectly with the movement to expand personalised medicine in the field of chronic airway disorders. This is a device-based complimentary asthma treatment that must be supported and developed in order to meet the unmet needs of modern severe asthma management. The mechanisms of action and the type of patients that benefit from bronchial thermoplasty are the most important challenges for bronchial thermoplasty in the future.
Breathing exercises for asthma
Authors: Thomas Mike , Bruton Anne
Published: December 2014

Educational aims

To summarise the evidence of the role of breathing control approaches in the management of asthma

To provide information on the content of evidence-based breathing exercises programmes

Asthma is a complex, multi-dimensional condition that affects patients in many ways. Having asthma is inherently stressful and psychological problems are common and associated with poor asthma outcomes. Although most patients in clinical trials can achieve high levels of control with optimised pharmacotherapy, in “real-life” practice, poor control is common, with over-reliance on rescue bronchodilator medication and ongoing symptoms and quality-of-life impairment. Many patients are interested in non-pharmacological treatments to improve asthma control, particularly breathing control exercises but, until recently, the evidence base has been inadequate. The place of breathing exercises has been controversial, partly because some proponents have made exaggerated, implausible claims of effectiveness. Recent evidence, however, has resulted in endorsement of breathing exercises as add-on treatment in asthma in systematic reviews and guidelines.

This review summarises the current evidence of effectiveness of breathing exercises programmes as an adjuvant treatment to pharmacological strategies for people with asthma. The types of breathing training programmes used and the content of effective programmes are discussed. We conclude that patients whose asthma continues to cause symptoms and quality-of-life impairment, despite adequate pharmacological treatment, or who have high bronchodilator use, should be offered access to an effective breathing training programme as a part of holistic, integrated asthma care.

Key points

Asthma is frequently poorly controlled despite effective modern medication

Psychological factors can be as important as physiological ones in affecting symptom perception and disease impact

Breathing exercises can improve patient-reported outcomes and psychological state

Breathing exercises should be offered to all asthma patients with symptoms or impaired quality of life despite standard treatment
The Bactrocera dorsalis species complex: comparative cytogenetic analysis in support of Sterile Insect Technique applications
Authors: Augustinos Antonios A , Drosopoulou Elena , Gariou-Papalexiou Aggeliki , Bourtzis Kostas , Mavragani-Tsipidou Penelope , Zacharopoulou Antigone
Published: December 2014

Background

TheBactrocera dorsalisspecies complex currently harbors approximately 90 different members. The species complex has undergone many revisions in the past decades, and there is still an ongoing debate about the species limits. The availability of a variety of tools and approaches, such as molecular-genomic and cytogenetic analyses, are expected to shed light on the rather complicated issues of species complexes and incipient speciation. The clarification of genetic relationships among the different members of this complex is a prerequisite for the rational application of sterile insect technique (SIT) approaches for population control.

Results

Colonies established in the Insect Pest Control Laboratory (IPCL) (Seibersdorf, Vienna), representing five of the main economic important members of theBactrocera dorsaliscomplex were cytologically characterized. The taxa under study wereB. dorsalis s.s., B. philippinensis, B. papayae, B. invadensandB. carambolae. Mitotic and polytene chromosome analyses did not reveal any chromosomal characteristics that could be used to distinguish between the investigated members of theB. dorsaliscomplex. Therefore, their polytene chromosomes can be regarded as homosequential with the reference maps ofB. dorsalis s.s.. In situhybridization of six genes further supported the proposed homosequentiallity of the chromosomes of these specific members of the complex.

Conclusions

The present analysis supports that the polytene chromosomes of the five taxa under study are homosequential. Therefore, the use of the available polytene chromosome maps forB. dorsalis s.s. as reference maps for all these five biological entities is proposed. Present data provide important insight in the genetic relationships among the different members of theB. dorsaliscomplex, and, along with other studies in the field, can facilitate SIT applications targeting this complex. Moreover, the availability of 'universal' reference polytene chromosome maps for members of the complex, along with the documented application ofin situhybridization, can facilitate ongoing and future genome projects in this complex.
Perspective on the combined use of an independent transgenic sexing and a multifactorial reproductive sterility system to avoid resistance development against transgenic Sterile Insect Technique approaches
Authors: Eckermann Kolja N , Dippel Stefan , Carrami Eli M. , Ahmed Hassan M , Curril Ingrid M , Wimmer Ernst A
Published: December 2014

Background

The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) is an accepted species-specific genetic control approach that acts as an insect birth control measure, which can be improved by biotechnological engineering to facilitate its use and widen its applicability. First transgenic insects carrying a single killing system have already been released in small scale trials. However, to evade resistance development to such transgenic approaches, completely independent ways of transgenic killing should be established and combined.

Perspective

Most established transgenic sexing and reproductive sterility systems are based on the binary tTA expression system that can be suppressed by adding tetracycline to the food. However, to create 'redundant killing' an additional independent conditional expression system is required. Here we present a perspective on the use of a second food-controllable binary expression system - the inducible Q system - that could be used in combination with site-specific recombinases to generate independent transgenic killing systems. We propose the combination of an already established transgenic embryonic sexing system to meet the SIT requirement of male-only releases based on the repressible tTA system together with a redundant male-specific reproductive sterility system, which is activated by Q-system controlled site-specific recombination and is based on a spermatogenesis-specifically expressed endonuclease acting on several species-specific target sites leading to chromosome shredding.

Conclusion

A combination of a completely independent transgenic sexing and a redundant reproductive male sterility system, which do not share any active components and mediate the induced lethality by completely independent processes, would meet the 'redundant killing' criteria for suppression of resistance development and could therefore be employed in large scale long-term suppression programs using biotechnologically enhanced SIT.
Hypothesizing if responses to climate change affect herbicide exposure risk for amphibians
Authors: Lötters Stefan , Filz Katharina J , Wagner Norman , Schmidt Benedikt R , Emmerling Christoph , Veith Michael
Published: December 2014

Pesticide use is well known to be detrimental for maintaining biodiversity in the agricultural landscape. Amphibians are especially affected by these agrochemicals. In particular, these animals’ high sensitivity was demonstrated for glyphosate-based herbicides which are dominating the world market today. Pesticide impacts are influenced by several co-stressors, and we for the first time link the exposure risk of amphibians to these commonly used pesticides to observed recent effects from ongoing climate change. In a simple verbal model, based on present-day data from Germany, we show that amphibian populations which have undergone phenological shift towards earlier reproduction potentially suffer less from applications of glyphosate-based herbicides compared to those which (yet) show no such reproductive shift. Although, apparently observed recent climate change effects lower the exposure risk, we advocate that amphibians are not necessarily safer now, mainly because farmers most likely will adapt their cultivation practices in the future if climate change becomes more obvious. Rather, we conclude that combining pesticide applications, climate change and phenological responses need an increased consideration in amphibian conservation. The results from our verbal model should be seen as a hypothesis that needs to be tested with specific field studies and (based on these data which are widely lacking today) more complex modelling of future exposure risk of pesticides to amphibians.
Acid-base status is an important factor for inflammation, but don’t forget CO2!
Authors: Payen Didier , Haloui Houda
Published: December 2014

Zampieri and colleagues used sophisticated statistical methods to create a picture of acid-base pattern and inflammation relationship in a clinical context. The observed independent relationship between acidosis and albumin concentration and inflammatory pattern opens up a new area for research. It has become clear that, in addition to the characterization of mediators, receptors, and cellular phenotypes, the inflammatory response has to be interpreted in light of acid-base status, albumin concentration, and probably also carbon dioxide level.
Interspinous bursitis is common in polymyalgia rheumatica, but is not associated with spinal pain
Authors: Camellino Dario , Paparo Francesco , Morbelli Silvia , Cutolo Maurizio , Sambuceti Gianmario , Cimmino Marco A
Published: December 2014

Introduction

Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) is a common inflammatory disease in older people characterized by shoulder and/or pelvic girdle, and cervical and, occasionally, lumbar pain. Interspinous bursitis has been suggested as a potential cause of spinal symptoms. We evaluated, by 18 F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography integrated with computed tomography (PET/CT), the vertebral structures involved in PMR in a cohort of consecutive, untreated patients.

Methods

Sixty-five consecutive patients with PMR were studied. After a standardized physical examination, which included evaluation of pain and tenderness in the vertebral column, they underwent FDG-PET/CT. Sites of increased uptake and their correlation with spontaneous and provoked pain were recorded. For comparison, FDG-PET/CT was performed also in 65 age- and sex-matched controls and in 10 rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients.

Results

The most frequent site of spontaneous and provoked pain was the cervical portion. FDG uptake was more frequent in the lumbar portion than at any other location, and in the cervical rather than in the thoracic portion (P <0.0001). No correlation was found between uptake and spontaneous or provoked pain. There was an association between presence of cervical and lumbar bursitis (r = 0.34, P = 0.007). None of the control patients and one out of ten RA patients showed interspinous bursitis.

Conclusions

Interspinous bursitis is a frequent finding in the lumbar spine of patients with PMR. However, it is not associated with clinical symptoms and can hardly explain the spinal pain reported by the patients. Cervical pain is more frequent than lumbar pain in PMR patients and may be caused by shoulder girdle involvement.
A new process for the rapid and direct vermicomposting of the aquatic weed salvinia (Salvinia molesta)
Authors: Ganeshkumar T , Premalatha M , Gajalakshmi S , Abbasi SA
Published: December 2014

Background

The concept of high-rate vermicomposting was successfully used to achieve direct vermicomposting of the aquatic weed salvinia - without any precomposting or cow dung supplementation as previously reported processes for the vermicomposting of phytomass had necessitated.

Results

Both the epigeic species of earthworms that were explored, Eudrilus eugeniae and Eisenia fetida, provided efficient vermicast production with no mortality, persistent gain in body mass, and good fecundity over the 270-day-long course of the reactor operation. In this period, all reactors were pulse-fed at the solid retention time of 15 days and were operated in the pseudo-discretized continuous operation protocol developed earlier by the authors. With this, it was possible to almost completely dampen the influence of natural biodegradation of the feed or grazing by the earthworm born in the vermireactors. This has made it possible to link vermicast production directly to the ability of the earthworm to feed upon, and digest, salvinia. In turn, this enables accurate process monitoring and provides clear pointers on how to improve process efficiency.

Conclusion

The paper establishes the capability of high-rate vermicomposting technology developed earlier by the authors in direct and efficient vermicomposting of salvinia without any precomposting or manure supplementation. The findings have very significant implications in improving process economics and consequently process utility. No previous report exists in primary literature on the vermicomposting of salvinia.