bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Maori Tribalism and Post‐settler Nationhood in New Zealand
Authors: Sissons Jeffrey
Published: February 2015

In this article I begin by sketching the main events in a recent dispute over the allocation of fishing quota among Maori. I seek to shed some light on the ideological grounding of this dispute in the simultaneous individualisation and tribalisation of Maori society since the late 19th century. Because the New Zealand nation is now imagined as an essentially binary one (bicultural, or treaty‐based) there is no secure place for urban indigeneity which constitutes a third voice. The inability of urban Maori Authorities to gain a share of the fishing quota is a reflection of this binarism.
Review
Authors: Denham Tim
Published: February 2015

Marx's Ghost: conversations with archaeologists By Thomas C. Patterson Oxford and New York: Berg. 2003. Pp: xvi + 204 Price: US $****
Feeding Relationship: Uncovering Cosmology in Christian Women's Fellowship in Papua New Guinea
Authors: Heekeren Deborah Van
Published: February 2015

While the Christian doctrine to which Hula villagers of the south east coast of Papua New Guinea today subscribe claims that community is achieved contractually through membership in the Church, this paper suggests that, in practice, Hula sociality is shaped by other exigencies. As part of their program the members of the Iru‐ale United Church Women's Fellowship undertake the incorporation of certain outsiders (in this case the ethnographer) through the ceremonial presentation of food and the act of feeding. A phenomenology of this imperative reveals important connections to pre‐Christian mythology and cosmology. Incorporation seen in this context situates the ‘feeding relationship’ at the core of a Hula ontology in which body and food are consubstantial. The manipulation of food as body is shown to play a determining role in the constitution of various modes of existence; human and non‐human, male and female, the living and the non‐living. The feeding relationship thus facilitates continuity between past and present practices and suggests that the Hula have assimilated the introduced religion into their lifeworld largely on their own terms.
Review
Authors: Baker Brett
Published: February 2015

Bininj Gun‐wok: a pan‐dialectal grammar of Mayali, Kunwinjku and Kune. By Nicholas Evans. Canberra: Pacific Linguistics. 2003. 2 volumes. Pp: xxix + 357, xxii + 389. Price: A$159.50 (for both volumes)
Review
Authors: Denoon Donald
Published: February 2015

Passage of Change: Law, Society and Governance in the Pacific, Edited by Anita Jowitt and Tess Newton Cain, Canberra: Pandanus Books, Australian National University, 2003. Pp:xix + 352 + index.
Drinking to Mana and Ethnicity: Trajectories of Yaqona Practice and Symbolism in Eastern Fiji
Authors: Abramson Allen
Published: February 2015

This paper sets out a transformational history of yaqona use in Fiji from first contact with Europeans to present times. Trying to transcend the familiar history/structure dichotomy, two relatively separate trajectories of Fijian practice are identified, both incorporating enduring cultural premises, both logically and historically transformative. In the older of these trajectories, yaqona drinking is transformed ritually to promote or block the circulation of mana in embodied Fijian ‘lands’. In the younger pathway, by contrast, secular variants of yaqona ceremonial are invented to ethnic effect as one particular transformation of a modern structure that, against the grain of ritual practice, tends to detach ethnic Fijians from ancestral powers. It is suggested that, whilst, in appropriate spaces, contemporary ethnic objectifications of yaqona are formulated in opposition to other ethnic presences as expressions of ‘authentic’ Fijian‐ness, the underlying ritual transformations of yaqona produce a range of Fijian states that exceed this authenticity and challenge the otherwise hegemonic claims of ethnicity.
Marijuana, Guns, Crocodiles and Submarines: Economies of Desire in the Purari Delta
Authors: Bell Joshua A.
Published: February 2015

Traded down the Purari River by male youth through a network of friends, kuku dipi, as marijuana is known in the Purari Delta, is consumed locally, and traded for guns it is rumoured that the American Mafia bring in submarines. The movement of kuku dipi is part of a constellation of informal trade that has emerged alongside the large‐scale logging and oil projects in the Gulf Province. These networks involve the exchange of alcohol, pornography and radios by logging ship crews for live birds, crocodile skins and other local flora and fauna. Numerous sets of speculations have arisen about the seen and unseen transactions that these exchanges are felt to entail. Focusing on aspects of kuku dipi's use and movement in the Delta, I examine some of the explanations and anxieties around this illicit commodity. Doing so provides insight into kuku dipi's social impact and illuminates how the Purari's engagement in this trade is an attempt to transcend and cope with the economic and political disparities caused by the current resource extraction projects.
Drug Bodies: Relations with Substance in the Wau Bulolo Valley
Authors: Halvaksz Jamon
Published: February 2015

Over the past decade, marijuana has become a significant element in the lives of Papua New Guinean youth. While placing them in conflict with community leaders, young men find meaning in marijuana. Used to affect agency, differentiated according to strength and color, and compared to plants once used by their ancestors, the drug is attributed with properties that do in fact change the substance of the body. Contrary to Strathern (1987), marijuana is now seen as transforming the bodies of its users, giving the power to overcome shame, understand ancestral stories, and work without tiring. Non‐users' discourses against use likewise evoke changes in substance, drying the blood of men who smoke it and oversee its circulation. Offspring of such men are characterized by their weak bones and they often die as infants. In this paper, I will examine these competing discourses of marijuana as they emerge in the communities around Wau (Morobe Province, PNG). I examine the way in which this new commodity begins to take on locals meanings and emerges as a powerful substance in the lives of young men and women.
Contemporary Histories of the Conflict in Solomon Islands
Authors: Allen Matthew
Published: February 2015

Happy Isles in Crisis. The historical causes for a failing state in Solomon Islands 1998–2004. Australian National University, Canberra: Asia Pacific Press 2004. Pp: xi + 265. By Clive Moore. Price A$35

The Manipulation of Custom. From Uprising to Intervention in the Solomon Islands Australian National University, Canberra: Pandanus Books RSPAS 2004. Pp: 262. By Jon Fraenkel. Price: $34.95
Enhancing the biological activity of chitosan and controlling the degradation by nanoscale interaction with bioglass
Authors: Ravarian Roya , Craft Michaela , Dehghani Fariba
Published: February 2015

A nonuniform degradation of physical mixture of organic–inorganic biomaterials increases their risk of failure. In this study a chemical bonding between chitosan and bioglass was used as an alternative product to address this issue. To prepare a homogenous composite, chitosan was functionalized with γ‐glycidoxypropyl trimethoxysilane and chemically bonded with bioglass during sol–gel method. The gelation time of these hybrids samples was optimized by varying parameters such as composition of chitosan and temperature. It was shown that gelation time was reduced from 7 days for pure bioglass at 25°C to less than six minutes at 70°C for chitosan 40 vol % bioglass hybrid. Furthermore, the enzymatic degradation after 4 weeks was decreased from 80% mass loss for pure chitosan to 32% for chitosan 40 vol % bioglass hybrid. The results of in vitro study demonstrated that the presence of nanoscale interaction enhanced the bioactivity of chitosan. Additionally, hybrid scaffolds were fabricated with pore sizes in the range of 200–400 µm. These scaffolds were prepared by the addition of sodium bicarbonate during sol–gel method as a gas foaming agent and a neutralizer that resulted in decreasing the gelation time of hybrids to less than three minutes. The hybrids fabricated in this study possessed superior characteristics compared to chitosan, also physical mixture of chitosan–bioglass and are promising alternatives for bone tissue engineering applications. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 103A: 2898–2908, 2015.
Effect of nano‐hydroxyapatite‐coated magnetic nanoparticles on axonal guidance growth of rat dorsal root ganglion neurons
Authors: Liu Meili , Zhou Gang , Hou Yongzhao , Kuang Gang , Jia Zhengtai , Li Ping , Fan Yubo
Published: February 2015

Proper extracellular substrate can stimulate neural regeneration in nerve tissue engineering, including magnetic nanoparticles (iron oxide nanoparticles, Fe3O4), but they are always neurotoxic, with low saturation magnetization and so on. These nanomaterials cannot be used to stimulate the growth and elongation of axons. Therefore, this work attempts to overcome these deficiencies. Nano‐hydroxyapatite (n‐HA) coated magnetic nanoparticles were using an ultrasound‐assisted co‐precipitation method. X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the structure and chemical composition of the produced samples. These synthesized nanomaterials were added into the primary cultured dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons; our results showed that n‐HA‐coated magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4+n‐HA) can effectively increase cell viability and promote axonal elongation, which enhanced saturation magnetization. In addition, we demonstrated that axonal guidance cues Netrin‐1 increase significantly after n‐HA‐coated magnetic nanoparticles treatment by Western blots assay. n‐HA‐coated magnetic particles maybe applied to enhance or accelerate nerve regeneration, and it may provide guidance for regenerating axons in future. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 103A: 3066–3071, 2015.
Design and characterization of a conductive nanostructured polypyrrole‐polycaprolactone coated magnesium/PLGA composite for tissue engineering scaffolds
Authors: Liu Haixia , Wang Ran , Chu Henry K. , Sun Dong
Published: February 2015

A novel biodegradable and conductive composite consisting of magnesium (Mg), polypyrrole‐block‐ploycaprolactone (PPy‐PCL), and poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) (PLGA) is synthesized in a core‐shell‐skeleton manner for tissue engineering applications. Mg particles in the composite are first coated with a conductive nanostructured PPy‐PCL layer for corrosion resistance via the UV‐induced photopolymerization method. PLGA matrix is then added to tailor the biodegradability of the resultant composite. Composites with different composition ratios are examined through experiments, and their material properties are characterized. The in vitro experiments on culture of 293FT‐GFP cells show that the composites are suitable for cell growth and culture. Biodegradability of the composite is also evaluated. By adding PLGA matrix to the composite, the degrading time of the composite can last for more than eight weeks, hence providing a longer period for tissue formation as compared to Mg composites or alloys. The findings of this research will offer a new opportunity to utilize a conductive, nanostructured‐coated Mg/PLGA composite as the scaffold material for implants and tissue regeneration. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 103A: 2966–2973, 2015.
Understanding the Effects of Faith: A Comparison of Religious and Secular HIV Prevention NGOS in Kenya
Authors: Hershey Megan
Published: February 2015

Religious non‐governmental organizations (NGOs) are active in development efforts, yet the role faith plays in these organizations—and its effects on programs—remains unclear. Drawing on evidence from a study of Kenyan NGOs, I find that faith rarely emerges in the programs of Christian religious NGOs. I argue that both secular and religious NGOs are constrained by donor restrictions and a need for legitimacy that simultaneously remove religious elements from religious NGOs and promote minimal religious practices within secular organizations. The second half of the article discusses the nuanced ways in which faith does manifest within the organizational characteristics and practices of NGOs. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Silicon biofortification of leafy vegetables and its bioaccessibility in the edible parts
Authors: D'Imperio Massimiliano , Renna Massimiliano , Cardinali Angela , Buttaro Donato , Santamaria Pietro , Serio Francesco
Published: February 2015

BACKGROUND

The mineral silicon (Si) is an essential element for humans and a general component of the diet found mainly in plant‐based foods. The aim of this study was to obtain Si biofortificated leafy vegetables (tatsoi, mizuna, purslane, basil, Swiss chard, and chicory) to use for the fresh‐cut products (ready to use). For the production of biofortified plants, a floating system with 0, 50 and 100 mg L−1 of Si in nutrient solution, was used. In addition, the assessment of bioaccessibility of biofortified plants, by in vitro gastro‐digestion process, was performed.

RESULTS

The added silicon in nutrient solution did not influence yield and colour of vegetables but a species‐related accumulation of Si (expressed as SiO2) was found: from 18 to 69 mg kg−1 fresh weight (FW) in tatsoi, from 19 to 106 mg kg−1 FW in mizuna, from 15 to 93 mg kg−1 FW in purslane, from 41 to 294 mg kg−1 FW in basil, from 17 to 76 mg kg−1 FW in Swiss chard, and from 23 to 76 mg kg−1 FW in chicory. The Si became bioaccessible in all species considered in a range from 23% (basil) to 64% (chicory).

CONCLUSION

The application of Si to the nutrient solution in the range of 50–100 mg L−1 allows biofortification of leafy vegetables. In addition, the biofortified vegetables showed, on average, more bioaccessible Si, with respect to unbiofortified vegetables. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Contrasting effects of fresh and fermented kimchi consumption on gut microbiota composition and gene expression related to metabolic syndrome in obese Korean women
Authors: Han Kyungsun , Bose Shambhunath , Wang Jing‐hua , Kim Bong‐Soo , Kim Mi Jeong , Kim Eun‐Jung , Kim Hojun
Published: February 2015

Accumulating evidence suggests relationship of compositional changes of gut microbiota with onset of metabolic disorders and obesity. Kimchi, a traditional Korean side dish, is known for its beneficial impact on metabolic parameters and anti‐obesity effects. The current study was designed to evaluate the association between gut microbiota and human genome after kimchi intervention in an effort to understand the molecular mechanism(s) underlying the antiobesity impact of kimchi. Twenty‐four obese women were randomly assigned to either fresh or fermented kimchi group for eight weeks of kimchi intervention. Pyrosequencing of fecal microbiota and microarray analyses of blood samples revealed that fresh and fermented kimchi interventions exerted differential effects on the obesity‐related clinical parameters. Correlations of these effects with changes in blood gene expression and gut microbial population were more evident in the fermented kimchi group than the fresh kimchi group.
Fast approximate inversion of a block triangular Toeplitz matrix with applications to fractional sub‐diffusion equations
Authors: Lu Xin , Pang Hong‐Kui , Sun Hai‐Wei
Published: February 2015

A fast approximate inversion method is proposed for the block lower triangular Toeplitz with tri‐diagonal blocks (BL3TB) matrix. The BL3TB matrix is approximated by a block ϵ‐circulant matrix, which can be efficiently inverted using the fast Fourier transforms. The error estimation is given to show the high accuracy of the approximation. In applications, the proposed method is employed to solve the fractional sub‐diffusion equation whose discretized matrix by a finite difference method is a BL3TB matrix. Numerical experiments are carried out to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Factors precipitating erythropoiesis‐stimulating agent responsiveness in a European haemodialysis cohort: case‐crossover study
Authors: Gillespie Iain A. , Macdougall Iain C. , Richards Sharon , Jones Vincent , Marcelli Daniele , Froissart Marc , Eckardt Kai‐Uwe ,   on behalf of the ARO Steering Committee
Published: February 2015

Purpose

Hyporesponsiveness to erythropoiesis‐stimulating agents (ESAs) is clinically and economically important in the treatment of anaemia in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients. Previous studies focused on baseline predictors of ESA hyporesponsiveness, rather than factors associated with the transition to this state. Reversibility of ESA hyporesponsiveness has also not been studied previously.

Methods

Case‐crossover methodology was applied to a cohort of 6645 European CKD patients undergoing haemodialysis and prescribed ESAs. Ninety‐day ESA exposure periods were defined, haemoglobin (Hb) response was calculated using the last 30 days of one period and the first 30 days of the next, and periods were classified based on a median ESA dose (80.8 IU/kg/week) and a 10 g/dL Hb threshold. Clinical, dialysis and laboratory data from patients' first hyporesponsive ‘case’ period was compared with the preceding responsive ‘control’ period using conditional logistic regression. A similar approach was applied to hyporesponsiveness reversal.

Results

Of the patients, 672 experienced hyporesponsiveness periods with preceding responsive periods; 711 reversed to normality from hyporesponsiveness periods. Transition to hyporesponsiveness was associated with hospitalization, vascular access changes or worsening inflammation, with these factors accounting for over two‐thirds of transitions. Findings were largely insensitive to alternative ESA doses and Hb thresholds. Continued hospitalization, catheter insertion and uncontrolled secondary hyperparathyroidism were associated with a lack of regain of responsiveness.

Conclusions

Transition to hyporesponsiveness is linked to the development of conditions such as hospitalization events, vascular access issues or episodes of systemic inflammation. However, a third of hyporesponsive episodes remain unexplained. © 2015 The Authors. Pharmacoepidemiology and Drug Safety published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Identification of nodule‐specific cysteine‐rich plant peptides in endosymbiotic bacteria
Authors: Durgo Hajnalka , Klement Eva , Hunyadi‐Gulyas Eva , Szucs Attila , Kereszt Attila , Medzihradszky Katalin F. , Kondorosi Eva
Published: February 2015

The symbiosis of Medicago truncatula with Sinorhizobium meliloti or Sinorhizobium medicae soil bacteria results in the formation of root nodules where bacteria inside the plant cells are irreversibly converted to polyploid, nondividing nitrogen‐fixing bacteroids. Bacteroid differentiation is host‐controlled and the plant effectors are symbiosis‐specific secreted plant peptides. In the M. truncatula genome there are more than 600 symbiotic peptide genes including 500 small genes coding for nodule‐specific cysteine‐rich (NCR) peptides. While NCR transcripts represent >5% of the nodule transcriptome, the existence of only eight NCR peptides has been demonstrated so far. The predicted NCRs are secreted peptides targeted to the endosymbionts. Correspondingly, all the eight detected peptides were present in the bacteroids. Here, we report on large‐scale detection of NCR peptides from nodules and from isolated, semipurified endosymbionts at various stages of their differentiation. In total 138 NCRs were detected in the bacteroids; 38 were cationic while the majority was anionic. The presence of early NCRs in nitrogen‐fixing bacteroids indicates their high stability, and their long‐term maintenance suggests persisting biological roles in the bacteroids.
The 20th anniversary of proteomics and some of its origins
Authors: Humphery‐Smith Ian
Published: February 2015

The term “proteome” was first introduced into the scientific literature in July 1995. Almost 20 years ago attempts to characterize the “total protein complement able to be encoded by a given genome” only became possible due to privileged access to what were then the world's most complete sets of genomic data. Today, proteomics has become an important pillar in the fields of disease diagnosis and drug research and development, while also playing a critical role in the much larger field of Healthcare Analytics and Biomarker Discovery and Detection. It is important to note that this industry originated mostly from building blocks in analytical science that predated the term “proteomics” by many decades. However, proteomics, as a discipline, has allowed protein scientists to more favorably compete in the face of highly fashionable Big Science and, more specifically, genomics.
Do Chest Expansion Exercises Aid Re‐shaping the Diaphragm Within the First 72 Hours Following Lung Transplantation in a Usual Interstitial Pneumonia Patient?
Authors: Polastri Massimiliano , Venturini Erika , Pastore Saverio , Dell'Amore Andrea
Published: February 2015

Background and Purpose

Usual interstitial pneumonia is a chronic pulmonary disease, and it is characterized by progressive and rapid lung fibrosis and typically affects patients older than 50 years. This study sought to discuss the use of chest expansion exercises during the immediate post‐operative phase in a lung transplantation recipient.

Methods

This was a non‐experimental case report study. A 58‐year‐old man who was affected by usual interstitial pneumonia with severe respiratory insufficiency requiring continuous oxygen therapy underwent double lung transplantation. Pre‐operative x‐ray showed elevation of the diaphragm. Rehabilitation treatment started within the first 24 h. Pain intensity was assessed using a numeric rating scale, and pulmonary function was evaluated based on variation in tidal volume. Each treatment lasted about 1 h, and the sessions were initially carried out twice daily, increasing over the intensive care unit stay to three or four times daily.

Results

At 72 h, the tidal volume increased to 850–900 mL (approximately 400 mL more than baseline) during the chest expansion exercises. The diaphragm began to gradually lower. Chest x‐ray examination on post‐operative day 6 showed further reshaping of the diaphragm.

Conclusion

Chest expansion exercises seem to be suitable in order to re‐establish lung volume and diaphragmatic function as early as within the first 72 h after bilateral lung transplantation. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Crude extract of Rheum palmatum L. Induces cell cycle arrest S phase and apoptosis through mitochondrial‐dependent pathways in U‐2 OS human osteosarcoma cells
Authors: Lin Chin‐Chung , Lee Ming‐Huei , Lin Ju‐Hwa , Lin Meng‐Liang , Chueh Fu‐Shin , Yu Chien‐Chih , Lin Jing‐Pin , Chou Yu‐Cheng , Hsu Shu‐Chun , Chung Jing‐Gung
Published: February 2015

Cancer is the second cause of death in children. Osteosarcoma is the most common primary malignancy of solid bone cancer primarily affecting adolescents and young adults. In the Chinese population, the crude extract of Rheum palmatum L. (CERP) has been used for treating different diseases, including SARS, rheumatoid arthritis, coxsackievirus B3, and human colon cancer cell, pancreatic cancer. There are no reports on CERP and human osteosarcoma cells. The present study examined effects of CERP on cytotoxicity including cell cycle distribution and cell death (apoptosis) in U‐2 OS human osteosarcoma cells. CERP significantly induced S phase arrest in U‐2 OS cells in a dose‐dependent. CERP produced DNA damage and DNA condensation. Other effects of CERP were stimulation of ROS and Ca2+, mitochondria impairment, and activation of caspase‐3, −8, and −9. CERP increased the levels of Bax, Bak, Bad, cyclin B, Fas, PARP, GRP78, GADD153, AIF, Endo G, Calpain‐2, p21, and p27, but decreased the levels of Bcl‐2, BCL‐X, XIAP, Akt, CDC25A, CDK2, Cyclin A, and Cyclin E of U‐2 OS cells. It was also observed that CERP promoted the expression of AIF, Endo G, GADD153, and cytochrome c. These results indicate that CERP has anticancer effects in vitro and provide the foundation for in vivo studies of animal models of osteosarcoma. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 31: 957–969, 2016.
Building Critical Capacities for Leadership Learning
Authors: Torrez Mark Anthony , Rocco Melissa L.
Published: February 2015

Cognitive elements of transformational learning, particularly metacognition and critical self‐reflection, are discussed as essential considerations for leadership development in the 21st century. The importance of developmentally sequencing leadership‐learning experiences and addressing evolving complexities of leadership identity are also explored.
Variation in irradiance, soil features and regeneration patterns in experimental forest canopy gaps
Authors: Vilhar Urša , Roženbergar Dušan , Simončič Primož , Diaci Jurij
Published: February 2015

Key message

Natural regeneration of beech, maple and fir was investigated in relation to irradiance, ground vegetation and soil features. Seedling establishment may be favoured by creating small and irregular gaps and by successive extension of gaps along the sun-exposed gap edge.

Context

To successfully manage natural regeneration, it is important to understand the interactions of forest gap micro-climates and soil features.

Aim

The aim of this study was to identify conditions for successful natural regeneration of European beech, sycamore maple and silver fir in mixed forests.

Methods

Seedling growth and survival were recorded within and around two artificial gaps, and the relationships to irradiance, ground vegetation and soil features were examined. A simple conceptual model was applied to identify optimal micro-sites for regeneration.

Results

Ground vegetation hindered the establishment of natural regeneration in the centre of the gaps. Small seedlings of maple and beech were more abundant within the small gap and along gap edges; beech had the highest density on sun-exposed edges and maple on shaded gap edges. Tall beech and maple seedlings were more abundant along sun-exposed gap edges. Greater variability of irradiance in the larger gap contributed to greater micro-site heterogeneity relative to the small gap.

Conclusions

Seedling establishment may be favoured by creating small and irregular gaps and by successive extension of gaps along the sun-exposed gap edge. Circular gaps with diameters greater than stand height contribute to increased ground vegetation coverage and hinder tree regeneration, including semi-shade tolerant maple and spruce.
Radiological Approach to Forefoot Pain
Authors: Chung Ho Sai , Hing Lui Tun , Fai Tarn Kwok
Published: February 2015

Forefoot pain is a common clinical complaint in orthopaedic practice. In this article, we discuss the anatomy of the forefoot, clinical and radiological approaches to forefoot pain, and common painful forefoot disorders and their associated radiological features.
Gender differences in socio-demographic, clinical characteristics and psychiatric diagnosis in/of suicide attempters in a Mexican population
Authors: Fresán Ana , González-Castro Thelma Beatriz , Peralta-Jiménez Yesenia , Juárez-Rojop Isela , Pool-García Sherezada , Velázquez-Sánchez Martha Patricia , López-Narváez Lilia , Tovilla-Zárate Carlos Alfonso
Published: February 2015

Objective

The aim of the present study was to analyse demographic and clinical characteristics, as well as psychiatric diagnoses to identify gender differences in patients with attempted suicide in a Mexican population.

Methods

Between September 2010 and September 2012, 140 suicide attempts were documented in the Department of Psychiatry at the General Hospital of Comalcalco (Hospital General de Comalcalco in Spanish) in Tabasco, Mexico. Diagnoses were established using the DSM-IV questionnaire in which Axis I and II were considered. The Suicide Intent Scale was also applied.

Results

In our sample, 63.6% were females and 36.4% males. With regard to socio-demographic characteristics, the predominant marital status in males was single, and in females married (χ2=5.93, df=2,p=0.05). In occupation the male group was mainly unemployed and housewife in females (χ2=55.51, df=4,p<0.001). Male subjects were more likely to consume alcohol (χ2=20.40, df=1,p≤0.001), cannabis (χ2=16.62, df=1, p≤0.001) or tobacco. The prevalence of psychiatric diagnosis was significantly different because, the male group was mainly diagnosed with substance-related disorders, whereas female participants showed a prevalence of stress-related disorders (χ2=34.17, gl=4,p=0.0001).

Conclusion

Our results provide evidence that the characteristics of suicide attempt are different by gender in the Mexican population. Interventions are necessary for the development of prevention strategies that may lead to a reduction in suicidal behaviour. These preventive activities should consider the occupation for the female group and consumption of alcohol, cannabis or tobacco in the male group.
Frasnian (Late Devonian) conodonts and environment at the northern margin of the Algerian Sahara platform: the Ben Zireg section
Authors: MAHBOUBI ABDESSAMED , FEIST RAIMUND , CORNÉE JEAN-JACQUES , MEHADJI ABDELKADER OUALI , GIRARD CATHERINE
Published: February 2015

The Ben Zireg anticline NW of Bechar yields the currently most-important Frasnian succession on the northern margin of the Algerian Sahara. It represents 26.5 m of calcilutites which are attributed to the middle–late Frasnian. As the early Frasnian is not represented, the succession rests conformably on undifferentiated, probably late Givetian, substrate. Fine-scaled conodont biostratigraphy reveals a continuous sequence of Montagne Noire Zones 5–13, superseded by the earliest Famennian LowertriangularisZone. The deposits are organized into 15 sedimentary cycles that are initially condensed and become dilated upwards. Conodont biofacies indicate an overall deepening towards the top of the section with an episode of slight shallowing at the MN11/12 transition marked by an increase of ancyrodellids, which is also seen in the Marhouma section of the Ougarta region (SW Algeria). Homogeneous calcareous microfacies with only a few shaly intercalations determine a predominantly oxygenated depositional environment on an outer platform, submarine rise or ramp setting. This is also indicated by relatively low sedimentation rates which are similar in selected sections from the Tafilalt platform, and contrast with those from the Marhouma trough and the Maider basin. Unlike other Frasnian successions south of the Atlas Fault, but similar to the Moroccan Meseta, the Upper Kellwasser horizon is clearly discriminated at Ben Zireg by an outstanding occurrence of black shales on top of the oxygenated latest Frasnian deposits.
The rise and fall of gluten!
Authors: Aziz Imran , Branchi Federica , Sanders David S.
Published: February 2015

Mankind has existed for 2·5 million years but only in the last 10 000 years have we been exposed to wheat. Wheat was first cultivated in the Fertile Crescent (South Western Asia) with a farming expansion that lasted from about 9000BC to 4000BC. Thus it could be considered that wheat (and gluten) is a novel introduction to man's diet! Prior to 1939 the rationing system had already been devised. This led to an imperative to try to increase agricultural production. Thus it was agreed in 1941 that there was a need to establish a Nutrition Society. The very roots of the society were geared towards necessarily increasing the production of wheat. This goal was achieved and by the end of the 20th century, global wheat output had expanded 5-fold. Perhaps as a result the epidemiology of coeliac disease (CD) or gluten sensitive enteropathy has changed. CD is a state of heightened immunological responsiveness to ingested gluten in genetically susceptible individuals. CD now affects 1 % or more of all adults, for which the treatment is a strict lifelong gluten-free diet. However, there is a growing body of evidence to show that a far greater proportion of individuals without coeliac disease are taking a gluten-free diet of their own volition. This clinical entity has been termed non-coeliac gluten sensitivity (NCGS), although the condition is fraught with complexities due to overlap with other gluten-based constituents that can also trigger similar clinical symptoms. This review will explore the relationship between gluten, the rising prevalence of modern coeliac disease, and the new entity of NCGS along with its associated uncertainties.
English in the linguistic landscape of Suzhou
Authors: Li Songqing
Published: February 2015

The concept of linguistic landscape (LL) covers all of the linguistic objects that mark the public space, i.e. any written sign one observes from road signs to advertising billboards, to the names of shops, streets or schools (Landry & Bourhis, 1997). Because it both shapes and is shaped by social and cultural associations (Ben-Rafael, 2009; Jaworski & Thurlow, 2010: 6–23), the LL has proved an important area for investigating the dynamics of major aspects of social life (e.g. Backhaus, 2006; Huebner, 2006; Curtin, 2009; Lado, 2011; Papen, 2012). One strand of this research is particularly concerned with the role of LL in relation to ethnolinguistic vitality that ‘makes a group likely to behave as a distinctive and active collective entity in intergroup relations’ (Giles, Bourhis & Taylor, 1977: 308). The higher the vitality an ethnolinguistic group enjoys, the more it will be able to use language so as to survive and thrive as a collective entity.
ALTERITY AND UNIVERSALISM IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY MUSICAL THOUGHT UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD, 30 MAY–1 JUNE 2014
Authors: GELBART MATTHEW
Published: February 2015

In every aspect of cultural theory, considering both the apparently universal aspects of our common humanity and the manifold differences between cultures and individuals is such a huge and fraught undertaking that no one conference can hope to do more than chip away at the edges of the questions raised. This is true even if the purview is limited to the historical study of eighteenth-century musical approaches to these questions. Nevertheless, chipping away at those edges is productive and stimulating, and in this spirit we converged at Oxford – part of the time at the music faculty at St Aldate’s, and part of the time at Wadham College – to discuss ‘Alterity and Universalism in Eighteenth-Century Musical Thought’. The conference was organized by David R. M. Irving (Australian National University) and Estelle Joubert (Dalhousie University) under the auspices of Reinhard Strohm's Balzan prize. Strohm is only the second musicologist (the other was Ludwig Finscher) to have received the Balzan award. He will pursue his ambitious project called ‘Towards a Global History of Music’ over the coming three years.
PERFORMING EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY IBERIAN MUSIC ESCOLA SUPERIOR DE MÚSICA DE CATALUNYA, BARCELONA, 14–16 JULY 2014
Authors: VERA ALEJANDRO
Published: February 2015

Musical performers and performing processes are relatively new objects of study if we compare them with composers and works, categories that have been at the centre of musicological concerns for a long time: so much so that in a relatively recent publication, An Introduction to Music Studies, ed. J. P. E. Harper-Scott and Jim Samson (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009), the study of musical performance is presented as a field of renewal for music history and analysis.
The microbe-mediated mechanisms affecting topsoil carbon stock in Tibetan grasslands
Authors: Yue Haowei , Wang Mengmeng , Wang Shiping , Gilbert Jack A , Sun Xin , Wu Linwei , Lin Qiaoyan , Hu Yigang , Li Xiangzhen , He Zhili , Zhou Jizhong , Yang Yunfeng
Published: February 2015

Warming has been shown to cause soil carbon (C) loss in northern grasslands owing to accelerated microbial decomposition that offsets increased grass productivity. Yet, a multi-decadal survey indicated that the surface soil C stock in Tibetan alpine grasslands remained relatively stable. To investigate this inconsistency, we analyzed the feedback responses of soil microbial communities to simulated warming by soil transplant in Tibetan grasslands. Whereas microbial functional diversity decreased in response to warming, microbial community structure did not correlate with changes in temperature. The relative abundance of catabolic genes associated with nitrogen (N) and C cycling decreased with warming, most notably in genes encoding enzymes associated with more recalcitrant C substrates. By contrast, genes associated with C fixation increased in relative abundance. The relative abundance of genes associated with urease, glutamate dehydrogenase and ammonia monoxygenase (ureC, gdh and amoA) were significantly correlated with N2O efflux. These results suggest that unlike arid/semiarid grasslands, Tibetan grasslands maintain negative feedback mechanisms that preserve terrestrial C and N pools. To examine whether these trends were applicable to the whole plateau, we included these measurements in a model and verified that topsoil C stocks remained relatively stable. Thus, by establishing linkages between microbial metabolic potential and soil biogeochemical processes, we conclude that long-term C loss in Tibetan grasslands is ameliorated by a reduction in microbial decomposition of recalcitrant C substrates.
Botulinum toxin A complex exploits intestinal M cells to enter the host and exert neurotoxicity
Authors: Matsumura Takuhiro , Sugawara Yo , Yutani Masahiro , Amatsu Sho , Yagita Hideo , Kohda Tomoko , Fukuoka Shin-Ichi , Nakamura Yutaka , Fukuda Shinji , Hase Koji , Ohno Hiroshi , Fujinaga Yukako
Published: February 2015

To cause food-borne botulism, botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) in the gastrointestinal lumen must traverse the intestinal epithelial barrier. However, the mechanism by which BoNT crosses the intestinal epithelial barrier remains unclear. BoNTs are produced along with one or more non-toxic components, with which they form progenitor toxin complexes (PTCs). Here we show that serotype A1 L-PTC, which has high oral toxicity and makes the predominant contribution to causing illness, breaches the intestinal epithelial barrier from microfold (M) cells via an interaction between haemagglutinin (HA), one of the non-toxic components, and glycoprotein 2 (GP2). HA strongly binds to GP2 expressed on M cells, which do not have thick mucus layers. Susceptibility to orally administered L-PTC is dramatically reduced in M-cell-depleted mice and GP2-deficient (Gp2−/−) mice. Our finding provides the basis for the development of novel antitoxin therapeutics and delivery systems for oral biologics.
Controlling the Spins Angular Momentum in Ferromagnets with Sequences of Picosecond Acoustic Pulses
Authors: Kim Ji-Wan , Vomir Mircea , Bigot Jean-Yves
Published: February 2015

Controlling the angular momentum of spins with very short external perturbations is a key issue in modern magnetism. For example it allows manipulating the magnetization for recording purposes or for inducing high frequency spin torque oscillations. Towards that purpose it is essential to modify and control the angular momentum of the magnetization which precesses around the resultant effective magnetic field. That can be achieved with very short external magnetic field pulses or using intrinsically coupled magnetic structures, resulting in a transfer of spin torque. Here we show that using picosecond acoustic pulses is a versatile and efficient way of controlling the spin angular momentum in ferromagnets. Two or three acoustic pulses, generated by femtosecond laser pulses, allow suppressing or enhancing the magnetic precession at any arbitrary time by precisely controlling the delays and amplitudes of the optical pulses. A formal analogy with a two dimensional pendulum allows us explaining the complex trajectory of the magnetic vector perturbed by the acoustic pulses.
Delay-induced patterns in a two-dimensional lattice of coupled oscillators
Authors: Kantner Markus , Schöll Eckehard , Yanchuk Serhiy
Published: February 2015

We show how a variety of stable spatio-temporal periodic patterns can be created in 2D-lattices of coupled oscillators with non-homogeneous coupling delays. The results are illustrated using the FitzHugh-Nagumo coupled neurons as well as coupled limit cycle (Stuart-Landau) oscillators. A “hybrid dispersion relation” is introduced, which describes the stability of the patterns in spatially extended systems with large time-delay.
Conserved hydrogen bonding in tetrahydrocarbazolone derivatives: influence of solution-state assembly on crystal form nucleation
Authors: Edkins Robert M. , Hayden Elliott , Steed Jonathan W. , Fucke Katharina
Published: February 2015

How subtle changes in substitution pattern can effect massive changes in crystallisation behaviour.
The reluctant polymorph: investigation into the effect of self-association on the solvent mediated phase transformation and nucleation of theophylline
Authors: Bobrovs Raitis , Seton Linda , Dempster Nicola
Published: February 2015

Evidence that theophylline forms aggregates in H-bond donor solvents, and the presence of these aggregates hinders the nucleation and phase transformation to form IV.
Solvent-tuned dual emission: a structural and electronic interplay highlighting a novel planar ICT (OPICT)
Authors: Chevreux S. , Paulino Neto R. , Allain C. , Nakatani K. , Jacques P. , Ciofini I. , Lemercier G.
Published: February 2015

Displaying a dual emission, a Phen-PENMe2compound can be foreseen as a new model for fundamental studies.
Rate coefficients for the reaction of OH radicals with cis-3-hexene: an experimental and theoretical study
Authors: Barbosa Thaís da Silva , Peirone Silvina , Barrera Javier A. , Abrate Juan P. A. , Lane Silvia I. , Arbilla Graciela , Bauerfeldt Glauco Favilla
Published: February 2015

Microcanonical variational rate coefficients and experimental rate coefficients for the OH addition tocis-3-hexene have been determined. Theoretical results showed a non-Arrhenius profile and good agreement with the experimental data.
The reactions of N-methylformamide and N,N-dimethylformamide with OH and their photo-oxidation under atmospheric conditions: experimental and theoretical studies
Authors: Bunkan Arne Joakim C. , Hetzler Jens , Mikoviny Tomáš , Wisthaler Armin , Nielsen Claus J. , Olzmann Matthias
Published: February 2015

The atmospheric oxidation of amides is studied with a combination of laser photolysis and smog chamber experiments along with quantum chemical and statistical rate theory calculations.
Li+ solvation in glyme–Li salt solvate ionic liquids
Authors: Ueno Kazuhide , Tatara Ryoichi , Tsuzuki Seiji , Saito Soshi , Doi Hiroyuki , Yoshida Kazuki , Mandai Toshihiko , Matsugami Masaru , Umebayashi Yasuhiro , Dokko Kaoru , Watanabe Masayoshi
Published: February 2015

Raman spectra and electrode potentials corroborated that glyme–Li salt solvate ionic liquids consist of crown-ether like complex cations and counter anions with a few uncoordinated glyme molecules in the liquid state.
Asymmetric polarization and hysteresis behaviour in ferroelectric P(VDF–TrFE) (76 : 24) copolymer thin films spatially resolved via LIMM
Authors: Putzeys T. , Wübbenhorst M.
Published: February 2015

The role of charges for achieving and stabilizing the ferroelectric polarization in PVDF–TrFE (76 : 24) is revisited using advanced photothermal methods.
Ultra-small Co3O4 nanoparticles–reduced graphene oxide nanocomposite as superior anodes for lithium-ion batteries
Authors: Lou Yongbing , Liang Jing , Peng Yinglian , Chen Jinxi
Published: February 2015

A facile solution-based method was reported to prepare ultra-small Co3O4 nanoparticles–reduced graphene oxide (Co3O4–RGO) nanocomposite as anode material for lithium-ion batteries. This Co3O4–RGO nanocomposite showed good electrochemical performance.
Exclusion of metal oxide by an RF sputtered Ti layer in flexible perovskite solar cells: energetic interface between a Ti layer and an organic charge transporting layer
Authors: Ameen Sadia , Akhtar M. Shaheer , Seo Hyung-Kee , Nazeeruddin Mohammad Khaja , Shin Hyung-Shik
Published: February 2015

The effects of a titanium (Ti) layer on the charge transport and recombination rates of flexible perovskite solar cells were studied.
Catalytic conversion of biomass pyrolysis vapors into hydrocarbon fuel precursors
Authors: Mante Ofei D. , Rodriguez Jose A. , Senanayake Sanjaya D. , Babu Suresh P.
Published: February 2015

Ceria as a selective catalyst for the conversion of biomass pyrolysis vapors into linear and cyclic ketones as hydrocarbon fuel precursors.
Cytotoxic scalarane sesterterpenoids from the South China Sea sponge Carteriospongia foliascens
Authors: Cao Fei , Wu Ze-Hong , Shao Chang-Lun , Pang Sen , Liang Xiao-Yan , de Voogd Nicole J. , Wang Chang-Yun
Published: February 2015

Cytotoxic scalarane sesterterpenoids from the sponge Carteriospongia foliascens collected from the South China Sea.
Synthesis and structures of N-arylcyano-β-diketiminate zinc complexes and adducts and their application in ring‐opening polymerization of l-lactide
Authors: Trofymchuk Oleksandra S. , Daniliuc Constantin G. , Kehr Gerald , Erker Gerhard , Rojas Rene S.
Published: February 2015

The coordination of B(C6F5)3 molecule close to the metal center in new zinc Nacnac complexes affects the ROP of l-LA.
Graphene-supported pyrene-functionalized amino-carbon nanotube: a novel hybrid architecture of laccase immobilization as effective bioelectrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction
Authors: Navaee Aso , Salimi Abdollah
Published: February 2015

Amino-CNTs-conjugated graphene functionalized with electropolymerized pyrene film was used as a novel hydrophobic platform for immobilization of LC and improving its electrocatalytic activity toward ORR.
Enhanced rate capability and cycle stability of lithium–sulfur batteries with a bifunctional MCNT@PEG-modified separator
Authors: Wang Guanchao , Lai Yanqing , Zhang Zhian , Li Jie , Zhang Zhiyong
Published: February 2015

A MCNT@PEG composite is designed to modify the commercial separator of Li-S cells. With the MCNT@PEG-modified separator, Li-S cells possess enhanced rate capability and cycle stability.
Novel SiO2/PDA hybrid coatings to promote osteoblast-like cell expression on titanium implants
Authors: Ho Chia-Che , Ding Shinn-Jyh
Published: February 2015

A facile preparation route for depositing a SiO2/polydopamine hybrid layer on a titanium surface to enhance the adhesion, proliferation, differentiation, and mineralization of osteoblasts.
Dose–response assessment of the dermal toxicity of triclosan in B6C3F1 mice
Authors: Fang Jia-Long , M. Vanlandingham Michelle , Juliar Beth E. , R. Olson Greg , E. Patton Ralph , Beland Frederick A.
Published: February 2015

Triclosan [5-chloro-2-(2,4-dichlorophenoxy)phenol] is a widely used antimicrobial agent in personal care products, household items, medical devices, and clinical settings.
In situ Raman spectroscopic measurement of near-surface proton concentration changes during electrochemical reactions
Authors: Chen D.-J. , Tong Y. Y. J.
Published: February 2015

A ClO4−anion is a simple and robustin situRaman spectroscopic reporter of near-surface acidity changes during electrochemical reactions.
Solid state forms of 4-aminoquinaldine – from void structures with and without solvent inclusion to close packing
Authors: Braun Doris E. , Gelbrich Thomas , Kahlenberg Volker , Griesser Ulrich J.
Published: February 2015

Crystal structure prediction combined with experimental studies unveil the structural and thermodynamic features of three non-solvated forms and a carbon tetrachloride solvate of 4-aminoquinaldine and provide intriguing insights into void structures and the role of solvent inclusion.
Photocarrier recombination dynamics in ternary chalcogenide CuInS2 quantum dots
Authors: Sun Jianhui , Ikezawa Michio , Wang Xiuying , Jing Pengtao , Li Haibo , Zhao Jialong , Masumoto Yasuaki
Published: February 2015

Photocarrier recombination dynamics in ternary chalcogenide CuInS2 quantum dots (CIS QDs) was studied by means of femtosecond transient-absorption (TA) and nanosecond time-resolved photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy.