bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of oral midazolam with intranasal dexmedetomidine premedication for children undergoing CT imaging: a randomized, double‐blind, and controlled study
Authors: Ghai Babita , Jain Kajal , Saxena Akshay Kumar , Bhatia Nidhi , Sodhi Kushaljit Singh
Published: October 2016

Background

Children undergoing computerized tomography (CT) frequently require sedation to allay their anxiety, and prevent motion artifacts and stress of intravenous (IV) cannulation.

Aims

The aim of this trial was to compare the effectiveness of oral midazolam and intranasal dexmedetomidine as sole premedicants in children for carrying out both IV cannulation as well as CT scanning, without the need for additional IV sedatives.

Methods

Fifty‐nine children, aged 1–6 years, scheduled to undergo CT imaging under sedation were randomized to receive either 0.5 mg·kg−1 oral midazolam (group M) or 2.5 mcg·kg−1 intranasal dexmedetomidine (group D). After 20–30 min, intravenous cannulation was performed and response to its placement was graded using the Groningen Distress Rating Scale (GDRS). After cannulation, children were transferred on the CT table, and assessed using the Ramsay sedation score (RSS). CT imaging was performed without any further sedative if the RSS was ≥4. If there was movement or decrease in sedation depth (RSS ≤ 3), ketamine 1 mg·kg−1 IV was given as an initial dose, followed by subsequent doses of 0.5 mg·kg−1 IV if required.

Results

A Significantly higher proportion of children in group D (67%) achieved RSS ≥ 4 as compared to group M (24%) (P‐0.002). The risk ratio (95% CI) was 2.76 (1.38–5.52). Significantly lower GDRS scores were noted in group D (1(1–2)) as compared to group M (2(1–2)) at the time of venipuncture (P = 0.04).

Conclusion

In the doses and time intervals used in our study, intranasal dexmedetomidine (2.5 μg·kg−1) was found to be superior to oral midazolam (0.5 mg·kg−1) for producing satisfactory sedation for CT imaging.
Fundamental Legal Concepts: The Hohfeldian Framework
Authors: Duarte d'Almeida Luís
Published: October 2016

Wesley Newcomb Hohfeld's account of legal rights is now 100 years old. It has been much discussed, and remains very influential with philosophers and lawyers alike. Yet it is still sometimes misunderstood in crucial respects. This article offers a rigorous exposition (with some revisions) of Hohfeld's framework; discusses its claims to comprehensiveness and fundamentality, reviewing recent work on the topic; and highlights the argumentative uses of Hohfeld's most important distinction.
Justice and International Trade
Authors: de Bres Helena
Published: October 2016

This article identifies the main issues of justice that arise in international trade and critically evaluates contemporary philosophical debates over how to understand them. I focus on three central questions of distributive justice, as applied to trade. What is it about trade that makes it a subject of justice? Which aspects of the international trading system should our principles of justice regulate? What do duties of justice or fairness in trade demand? I show how debates over these questions turn not only on empirical disagreements specific to trade but also on deeper and more general disputes in moral and political philosophy. I argue that trade is a domain in which diverse moral concerns complexly intersect and that a satisfying account of it must do justice to this complexity by itself exhibiting substantial pluralism.
Some Varieties of Metaethical Relativism
Authors: Francén Olinder Ragnar
Published: October 2016

This opinionated survey article discusses a relativist view in metaethics that we can call Appraiser‐standard Relativism. According to this view, the truth value of moral judgments varies depending on the moral standard (the norms or values, etc.) of the appraiser – that is, someone who makes or assesses the judgments. On this view, when two persons judge that, say, lying is always morally wrong; one of the judgments might be true and the other false. The paper presents various forms of this view, contrasts it against other forms of moral relativism, and shortly describes the main arguments for it. It considers the two most pressing objections – from disagreement and from counterintuitivity – and discusses how different forms of Appraiser‐standard Relativism are affected by, or can be seen as responses to, these objections. Lastly, it discusses whether Appraiser‐standard Relativism rules out moral realism, the view that there are objective moral truths.
Linguistic Evidence against Predicativism
Authors: Hinzen Wolfram
Published: October 2016

The view that proper names are uniformly predicates (‘predicativism’) has recently gained prominence. I review linguistic evidence against it. Overall, the (cross‐) linguistic evidence suggests that proper names function as predicates when they appear in a grammatically predicative position and as referential expressions when they are grammatically in a referential position. Conceptual grounds on which the predicativist view might nonetheless be upheld include ‘uniformity’, i.e., that a single semantic value be lexically specified for names in all of their occurrences irrespective of differences in their grammar. However, ‘being a predicate’ or ‘being referential’ are not lexical properties of words but indications for how these grammatically function on an occasion of their use. Moreover, the intuitively referential and intuitively predicative uses of proper names precisely covary with grammatical differences. A proper name is therefore a predicate when it is predicatively used, not when its grammar and meaning are different. Given this grammar‐meaning alignment there is no motivation to posit a novel ‘covert syntax’ for names in their referential uses, which breaks this alignment. Cross‐linguistic evidence from languages such as Catalan, which features overt determiners in referential uses of proper names, moreover turns out to strongly support the view that the grammar of human language is systematically sensitive to differences in the referential and predicative uses of names.
Influence of altitude on local adaptation in upland tree species from central Argentina
Authors: Marcora P. I. , Tecco P. A. , Zeballos S. R. , Hensen I.
Published: October 2016

Steep climatic gradients boost morphological and physiological adjustments in plants, with consequences on performance. The three principal woody species of the Sierras Grandes Mountains of central Argentina have marked differences in sapling performance along their altitudinal distribution. We hypothesize that the steep gradient of climatic conditions across the species’ altitudinal distribution promotes trait differences between populations of different altitudes that are inherited by the following generation.

Seeds from different altitudes were exposed to three temperature regimes to assess differential germination responses. Saplings were then transplanted to a greenhouse to assess possible variations in attributes and performance after 18 months.

The three species showed differences in germination responses to temperature among altitudes and/or in sapling attributes and performance. In Maytenus boaria and Escallonia cordobensis, germination success was higher under high temperatures for the highest‐altitude, whereas lower temperatures boosted germination of the lowest altitudes. Polylepis australis showed no differences in germination among temperature treatments. In the greenhouse, saplings of the three species from intermediate altitudes showed high performance, whereas the upper and lower populations seemed to be adjusted to tolerating more stressful conditions (i.e., lower temperatures at the upper end and water stress at the lower end), showing lower performance toward both altitudinal limits.

These patterns agree with those described for saplings growing under field conditions, suggesting adjustments in response to environmental changes undergone by populations along the altitudinal range. The marked adjustments of populations to the local environment suggest a potentially high impact of climatic change on species distribution.
A rice jacalin‐related mannose‐binding lectin gene, OsJRL, enhances Escherichia coli viability under high salinity stress and improves salinity tolerance of rice
Authors: He X. , Li L. , Xu H. , Xi J. , Cao X. , Xu H. , Rong S. , Dong Y. , Wang C. , Chen R. , Xu J. , Gao X. , Xu Z.
Published: October 2016

Salinity, which is one of the most common abiotic stresses, may severely affect plant productivity and quality. Although plant lectins are thought to play important roles in plant defense signaling during pathogen attack, little is known about the contribution of plant lectins to stress resistance.

We cloned and functionally characterized a rice jacalin‐related mannose‐binding lectin gene, OsJRL, from rice ‘Nipponbare’. We analyzed the expression patterns of OsJRL under various stress conditions in rice. Furthermore, we overexpressed OsJRL in Escherichia coli and rice.

The cDNA of OsJRL contained a 438 bp open reading frame, which encodes a polypeptide of 145 amino acids. OsJRL was localized in the nucleus and cytoplasm. Real time PCR analyses revealed that OsJRL expression showed tissue specificity in rice and was upregulated under diverse stresses, namely salt, drought, cold, heat and abscisic acid treatments. Overexpression of OsJRL in E. coli enhanced cell viability and dramatically improved tolerance of high salinity. Overexpression of OsJRL in rice also enhanced salinity tolerance and increased the expression levels of a number of stress‐related genes, including three LEA (late embryogenesis abundant proteins) genes (OsLEA19a, OsLEA23 and OsLEA24), three Na+ transporter genes (OsHKT1;3, OsHKT1;4 and OsHKT1;5) and two DREB genes (OsDREB1A and OsDREB2B).

Based on these results, we suggest that OsJRL plays an important role in cell protection and stress signal transduction.
Virulence of the invasive ash pathogen Hymenoscyphus fraxineus in old and recently established populations
Authors: Lygis V. , Prospero S. , Burokiene D. , Schoebel C. N. , Marciulyniene D. , Norkute G. , Rigling D.
Published: October 2016

Following its introduction from Asia in the 1990s, the ascomycete Hymenoscyphus fraxineus has caused a severe dieback of Fraxinus excelsior in Europe. In this study, the virulence of 200 H. fraxineus isolates were assessed and compared. These isolates equally represented (i) two geographically distant populations with a different disease history (Switzerland, recently established populations at the epidemic front versus Lithuania, old established populations), and (ii) isolates from two different types of host tissue (necrotic bark lesions as dead‐end tissue versus fallen leaf petioles as primary host tissue). Inoculations conducted on 3‐year‐old F. excelsior seedlings showed that the vast majority of the isolates (98%) were able to induce necrotic bark lesions after 10 months. Although a high variation in virulence was observed among isolates, no significant differences were detected between the older and the epidemic‐front populations. Decline in virulence of populations of invasive organisms is generally assumed with increasing age of epidemics. However, this does not appear to hold true for H. fraxineus. Either the Lithuanian population is still too young (15 to 20 years old) to show a decline in virulence, or the size of the host population may still not be critical for pathogen survival. Given that bark lesions represent an epidemiological dead end and do not benefit the survival of H. fraxineus, a trend towards reduced ‘bark virulence’ of isolates originating from leaf petioles compared to isolates from the bark lesions was expected. However, such a trend was observed neither in old, nor in recently established populations.
Solanum tuberosum StCDPK1 is regulated by miR390 at the posttranscriptional level and phosphorylates the auxin efflux carrier StPIN4 in vitro, a potential downstream target in potato development
Authors: Santin Franco , Bhogale Sneha , Fantino Elisa , Grandellis Carolina , Banerjee Anjan K. , Ulloa Rita M.
Published: October 2016

Among many factors that regulate potato tuberization, calcium and calcium‐dependent protein kinases (CDPKs) play an important role. CDPK activity increases at the onset of tuber formation with StCDPK1 expression being strongly induced in swollen stolons. However, not much is known about the transcriptional and posttranscriptional regulation of StCDPK1 or its downstream targets in potato development. To elucidate further, we analyzed its expression in different tissues and stages of the life cycle. Histochemical analysis of StCDPK1::GUS (β‐glucuronidase) plants demonstrated that StCDPK1 is strongly associated with the vascular system in stems, roots, during stolon to tuber transition, and in tuber sprouts. In agreement with the observed GUS profile, we found specific cis‐acting elements in StCDPK1 promoter. In silico analysis predicted miR390 to be a putative posttranscriptional regulator of StCDPK1. Quantitative real time‐polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) analysis showed ubiquitous expression of StCDPK1 in different tissues which correlated well with Western blot data except in leaves. On the contrary, miR390 expression exhibited an inverse pattern in leaves and tuber eyes suggesting a possible regulation of StCDPK1 by miR390. This was further confirmed by Agrobacterium co‐infiltration assays. In addition, in vitro assays showed that recombinant StCDPK1‐6xHis was able to phosphorylate the hydrophilic loop of the auxin efflux carrier StPIN4. Altogether, these results indicate that StCDPK1 expression is varied in a tissue‐specific manner having significant expression in vasculature and in tuber eyes; is regulated by miR390 at posttranscriptional level and suggest that StPIN4 could be one of its downstream targets revealing the overall role of this kinase in potato development.
Alpha‐power modulation reflects the balancing of task requirements in a selective attention task
Authors: Limbach Katharina , Corballis Paul M.
Published: October 2016

Recent research has related the orienting of selective attention to the lateralization of posterior EEG alpha power (∼8 to 12 Hz). Typically, alpha power decreases over the side of the head contralateral to the cued side of space. However, it is not clear how this lateralization affects behavior. We recorded EEG from 20 participants while they performed a cued visual discrimination task under three different response‐deadline conditions to investigate the effect of alpha‐power modulation on behavioral performance in more detail. Although all participants benefited from the cue behaviorally and adjusted their performance according to the response deadlines, we found the cue‐related alpha‐power modulation to depend on the general alpha‐power level at baseline: Only participants with high baseline alpha power showed significant cue‐related alpha‐power lateralization that was, however, strikingly similar across response‐deadline conditions. On the other hand, participants with low alpha power at baseline did not show any lateralization, but adjusted their alpha levels according to the response‐deadline instructions and, more importantly, showed a stronger influence of the task instructions on behavioral performance and adapted their response accuracies to the task requirements more flexibly. These findings challenge the often‐assumed role of alpha‐power lateralization for attentional deployment. While alpha power seems to be related to behavioral performance and the orienting of attention, this relationship is rather complex and, at least under the current task requirements, the general alpha‐power state seems to be more strongly related to behavioral performance (in our case, the flexible adjustment to task requirements) than the cue‐related lateralization.
Animal models of COPD: What do they tell us?
Authors: Jones Bernadette , Donovan Chantal , Liu Gang , Gomez Henry M. , Chimankar Vrushali , Harrison Celeste L. , Wiegman Cornelis H. , Adcock Ian M. , Knight Darryl A. , Hirota Jeremy A. , Hansbro Philip M.
Published: October 2016

ABSTRACT

COPD is a major cause of global mortality and morbidity but current treatments are poorly effective. This is because the underlying mechanisms that drive the development and progression of COPD are incompletely understood. Animal models of disease provide a valuable, ethically and economically viable experimental platform to examine these mechanisms and identify biomarkers that may be therapeutic targets that would facilitate the development of improved standard of care. Here, we review the different established animal models of COPD and the various aspects of disease pathophysiology that have been successfully recapitulated in these models including chronic lung inflammation, airway remodelling, emphysema and impaired lung function. Furthermore, some of the mechanistic features, and thus biomarkers and therapeutic targets of COPD identified in animal models are outlined. Some of the existing therapies that suppress some disease symptoms that were identified in animal models and are progressing towards therapeutic development have been outlined. Further studies of representative animal models of human COPD have the strong potential to identify new and effective therapeutic approaches for COPD.
Elizabeth I as Judith: reassessing the apocryphal widow's appearance in Elizabethan royal iconography
Authors: Norrie Aidan
Published: October 2016

Throughout her reign, Queen Elizabeth I of England was paralleled with many figures from the Bible. While the analogies between Elizabeth and biblical figures such as Deborah the Judge, King Solomon, Queen Esther, King David, and Daniel the Prophet have received detailed attention in the existing scholarship, the analogy between Elizabeth and the Apocryphal widow Judith still remains on the fringes. Not only did Elizabeth compare herself to Judith, the analogy also appeared throughout the course of the queen's reign as a biblical precedent for dealing with the Roman Catholic threat. This article re‐assesses the place of the Judith analogy within Elizabethan royal iconography by chronologically analysing of many of the surviving, primary source, comparisons between Judith and Elizabeth, and demonstrates that Judith was invoked consistently, and in varying media, as a model of a providentially blessed leader.
Managing Capital Inflows Indirectly? On the Determinants of Monetary Sterilization with Reference to East Asia
Authors: Cavoli Tony
Published: October 2016

This paper derives a time‐varying sterilization coefficient to examine those factors that determine the extent to which central banks might engage in monetary sterilization. There appear to be good reasons to do so: Sterilization neutralizes the monetary impact of reserve accumulation, which is an endogenous consequence of sustained capital inflows under some degree of management of exchange rates. A pooled sample of Asian economies incorporating Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, for 1994–2012 is employed. We find that this method does help to directly uncover the determinants of sterilization, and while capital inflows do not appear to influence the sterilization directly, there is substantial evidence to suggest it does so indirectly—particularly through domestic interest rates.
A wave‐dominated, tide‐modulated model for the Lower Ordovician of the Anti‐Atlas, Morocco
Authors: Vaucher Romain , Pittet Bernard , Hormière Hélène , Martin Emmanuel L. O. , Lefebvre Bertrand
Published: October 2016

Hybrid depositional systems are created by the interaction of two or more hydrodynamic processes that control facies distribution and their characteristics in terms of sedimentary structures and depositional geometry. The interaction of wave and tide both in the geological sedimentary record and modern environments has been rarely described in the literature. Mixed coastal environments are identified by the evidence of wave and tidal structures and are well identified in nearshore environments, while their recognition in lower shoreface–offshore environments lacks direct information from modern settings. Detailed field analyses of 10 stratigraphic sections of the Lower Ordovician succession (Fezouata and Zini formations; Anti‐Atlas, Morocco) have allowed the definition of 14 facies, all grouped in four facies zones belonging to a storm‐dominated, wave‐dominated sedimentary siliciclastic system characterized by symmetrical ripples of various scales. Peculiar sedimentary organization and sedimentary structures are observed: (i) cyclical changes in size of sedimentary structures under fair‐weather or storm‐weather conditions; (ii) decimetre‐deep erosional surfaces in swaley cross‐stratifications; (iii) deep internal erosion within storm deposits; (iv) discontinuous sandstone layers in most depositional environments, and common deposition of sandstones with a limited lateral extension, interpreted to indicate that deposition at all scales (metric to kilometric) is discontinuous; (v) combined flow–oscillation ripples showing aggrading–prograding internal structures alternating with purely aggrading wave ripples; and (vi) foreshore environments characterized by alternating phases of deposition of parallel stratifications, small‐scale and large‐scale ripples and tens of metres‐wide reactivation surfaces. These characteristics of deposition suggest that wave intensity during storm‐weather or fair‐weather conditions was continuously modulated by another controlling factor of the sedimentation: the tide. However, tidal structures are not recognized, because they were probably not preserved due to dominant action of storms and waves. A model of deposition is provided for this wave‐dominated, tide‐modulated sedimentary system recording proximal offshore to intertidal–foreshore environments, but lacking diagnostic tidal structures.
Consumer confusion, obfuscation and price regulation
Authors: Gu Yiquan , Wenzel Tobias
Published: October 2016

This paper studies firms’ obfuscation choices in a duopoly setting where two firms differ in their marginal costs of production. We show that the high‐cost firm chooses maximum obfuscation while the low‐cost firm chooses minimal (maximal) obfuscation if the cost advantage is large (small). We argue that in this setting there is a new role for price regulation as it leads to more transparent pricing. Moreover, a price cap benefits social welfare as it shifts production to the more efficient low‐cost firm.
Restricting dietary sodium reduces plasma sodium response to exercise in the heat
Authors: Koenders E. E. , Franken C. P. G. , Cotter J. D. , Thornton S. N. , Rehrer N. J.
Published: October 2016

Exercise‐associated hyponatremia can be life‐threatening. Excessive hypotonic fluid ingestion is the primary etiological factor but does not explain all variability. Possible effects of chronic sodium intake are unknown. The aim of this study was to determine whether dietary sodium affects plasma sodium concentration [Na+] during exercise in the heat, when water intake nearly matches mass loss. Endurance‐trained men (n = 9) participated in this crossover experiment. Each followed a low‐sodium (lowNa) or high‐sodium (highNa) diet for 9 days with 24‐h fluid intakes and urine outputs measured before experimental trials (day 10). The trials were ≥2 week apart. Trials comprised 3 h (or if not possible to complete, to exhaustion) cycling (55% VO2max; 34 °C, 65% RH) with water intake approximating mass loss. Plasma [Na+], hematocrit, sweat and urine [Na+], heart rate, core temperature, and subjective perceptions were monitored. Urine [Na+] was lower on lowNa 24 h prior to (31 ± 24, 76 ± 30 mmol/L, P = 0.027) and during trials (10 ± 10, 52 ± 32 mmol/L, P = 0.004). Body mass was lower on lowNa (79.6 ± 8.5, 80.5 ± 8.9, P = 0.03). Plasma [Na+] was lower on lowNa before (137 ± 2, 140 ± 3, P = 0.007) and throughout exercise (P = 0.001). Sweat [Na+] was unaffected by diet (54.5 ± 40, 54.5 ± 23 mmol/L, P = 0.99). Heart rate and core temperature were higher on lowNa (P ≤ 0.001). Despite decreased urinary sodium losses, plasma sodium was lower on lowNa, with decreased mass indicating (extracellular) water may have been less, explaining greater heart rate and core temperature. General population health recommendations to lower salt intake may not be appropriate for endurance athletes, particularly those training in the heat.
Effects of group sports on health‐related physical fitness of overweight youth: A systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Oliveira Ana , Monteiro Ângela , Jácome Cristina , Afreixo Vera , Marques Alda
Published: October 2016

Group sports interventions have been developed to improve health‐related physical fitness of overweight/obese youth. However, its benefits are not systematically documented. This study synthesizes the evidence about the effects of group sports on health‐related physical fitness of overweight/obese youth. Pubmed, Web of Knowledge, Scopus, Medline, CINAHL, SportDiscus, and Academic Search Complete were searched in February 2016. Studies assessing the effects of group sports on body composition, cardiorespiratory endurance, muscle strength, flexibility, and neuromotor fitness of overweight/obese youth (aged <18 years) were included. Effect sizes (ES) were calculated with Cohen's d and its 95% confidence intervals (CI). Improvements were found in (i) body composition – percentage of fat body mass (pooled ES = 0.67; 95% CI = 0.24–1.10) and waist circumference (ES = 0.69; P = 0.004); (ii) cardiorespiratory endurance – peak oxygen consumption (pooled ES = 0.53; 95% CI = 0.13–0.92) and (iii) muscle strength – hand grip strength (ES = 0.72; P = 0.003). No significant effects were found for body mass index (pooled ES = 0.27; 95% CI = −0.14 to 0.69), percentage of lean body mass (ES = 0.01; P > 0.05), maximal power output (ES from 0 to 0.06; P > 0.05), sit‐and‐reach test (pooled ES = 0.26; 95% CI = −0.16 to 0.68) and agility test (ES = 0; P = 0.48). Group sports improve body composition, cardiorespiratory endurance, and hand grip strength of overweight/obese youth. Flexibility and neuromotor fitness do not seem to change following group sports.
Narratives of Promise, Narratives of Caution: A Review of the Literature on Social Impact Bonds
Authors: Fraser Alec , Tan Stefanie , Lagarde Mylene , Mays Nicholas
Published: October 2016

Social Impact Bonds (SIBs) are a new mechanism for delivering public services. This article reviews the emerging SIB literature in high‐income settings. It identifies three distinct narratives: a public sector reform narrative; a financial sector reform narrative; and a cautionary narrative. These are analyzed relative to three themes: public versus private values; outcomes contracting; and risk allocation. The first two narratives are complementary and offer a ‘win‐win’ portrayal of SIBs. The third narrative challenges this dominant commentary by highlighting potential risks. There is limited empirical evidence on active SIBs to support these narratives. SIBs may have the potential to align public and private interests while improving outcomes for people affected by entrenched social problems, but this is yet to be established and appears less probable than the third more cautionary narrative. More empirical research is needed to consider the potential risks, drawbacks, benefits and alternatives of SIBs in different settings.
A Skew‐normal copula‐driven GLMM
Authors: Das Kalyan , Elmasri Mohamad , Sen Arusharka
Published: October 2016

This paper presents a method for fitting a copula‐driven generalized linear mixed models. For added flexibility, the skew‐normal copula is adopted for fitting. The correlation matrix of the skew‐normal copula is used to capture the dependence structure within units, while the fixed and random effects coefficients are estimated through the mean of the copula. For estimation, a Monte Carlo expectation–maximization algorithm is developed. Simulations are shown alongside a real data example from the Framingham Heart Study.
Performance assessment and benchmarking of autologous peripheral blood stem cell collection with two different apheresis devices
Authors: Wuchter P. , Hundemer M. , Schmitt A. , Witzens‐Harig M. , Pavel P. , Hillengass J. , Goldschmidt H. , Ho A. D. , Lisenko K.
Published: October 2016

Background

Collection of peripheral blood stem cells (PBSCs) for autologous transplantation is a well‐established process. As a new generation of leukapheresis (LP) machines has been launched, measures of benchmarking and quality control need to be defined in order to ensure consistent collection performance.

Objectives

The goal of this project was to establish and evaluate a benchmarking system for autologous PBSC collection.

Methods

This retrospective study evaluated PBSC collection data of 198 patients with symptomatic multiple myeloma in first‐line therapy who underwent LP in 2013 and 2014 at our institution. Half the patients in 2014 were assigned randomly to undergo LP with the new Terumo BCT Spectra Optia (Terumo BCT, Garching, Germany), while the COBE Spectra (Terumo BCT) was used in all other cases. In 2014, we implemented a previously described formula for predicting daily CD34+ cell collection. As a benchmark, we developed the performance ratio: collected/predicted CD34+ cells.

Results

There was no significant difference in the number of collected CD34+ cells, the collection efficiency (collected/processed CD34+ cells) and performance ratio between the two collection devices and between LP procedures in 2013 and 2014.

Conclusions

We present a comprehensive benchmarking tool that is easy to implement, requires minimal expense and allows specific adjustment of LP parameters for optimisation of LP performance. With this approach, we could confirm the equal efficiency of the two compared apheresis systems.
Mobilising affinity ties: Kachin internal displacement and the geographies of humanitarianism at the China–Myanmar border
Authors: Ho Elaine Lynn‐Ee
Published: October 2016

This paper considers how webs of connection bridge people from different social worlds and engender affinity ties that can be mobilised to nurture caring relationships, despite the physical and cognitive borders that exist within and between societies. Territorial contestation between the Myanmar military and the Kachin Independence Army has precipitated internal displacement in Kachin state (Myanmar). The situation of Kachin internally displaced people in camps at the China–Myanmar border directs attention to how geographical and geopolitical constraints deter international humanitarian assistance yet provide opportunities to engage a different set of humanitarian actors. The paper first argues that Kachin internally displaced people are treated as surplus populations by the sovereign states in both Myanmar and China. Surplus populations come into existence when nation‐states impose punitive measures that compromise the survivability of populations that are considered threatening to national sovereignty. Second, the paper examines how mobilising affinity ties enables Kachin humanitarian workers to leverage the citizenship resources of empathetic Chinese nationals to negotiate humanitarianism constraints at the China–Myanmar border. Affinity ties refer to connections emanating from a dynamic constellation of cultural attributes to do with history, ethnicity, religion and place among other malleable identity constructs. Interlocking constellations form webs of connections that transverse essentialising categories of social difference and contribute to shared biographies that allow for cultivating emotional attachments to a place and its people. Affinity ties may congeal into durable ties of solidarity and activism, but no less significant are vernacular expressions of affinity that prompt empathy for proximate or distant strangers and a predilection to act on behalf of those experiencing oppression. The paper proposes that conceptualising affinity ties draws out transversal webs of connections that bridge people of differential social positionings. This approach provides a potential ethical stance and productive analytical lens for advancing wider migration and citizenship debates.
China and Global Macroeconomic Interdependence
Authors: Tyers Rod
Published: October 2016

China is transitioning towards more inward‐focussed growth, causing adverse changes in the product and financial terms of trade in the advanced economies. At the same time, international financial markets tussle between tightening forces associated with the US recovery on the one hand and unconventional monetary expansion in Europe and Japan on the other. The way these shocks interact is examined in this paper using a global macromodel with national portfolio rebalancing and asset differentiation and a representation of unconventional monetary policy. Results are found to be sensitive to the contributions of productivity and capital accumulation to China's growth. When these are offered in realistic combination, the effects are deflationary in the United States and China, militating against contractionary US monetary policy. Monetary responses in the United States and China then combine with price targeting regimes in the EU and Japan to expand liquidity globally, amplifying impacts on financial markets and the global distribution of real investment.
Age Structure and Trade Openness: An Empirical Investigation
Authors: Fukumoto Yukio , Kinugasa Tomoko
Published: October 2016

This study focuses on the relationship between age structure and trade openness. We hypothesise that a higher share of the working‐age population in the total population increases trade openness, because the dependent population tends to spend more than the working‐age population on non‐tradable goods such as education and medical services. We estimate the effects of age structure on trade openness using panel data for 85 countries from 1991 to 2010. The empirical results show that the share of the working‐age population has a positive effect on trade openness. An increase in the share of the working‐age population is considered to be one factor that contributed to an increase in trade openness in the sample period.
Imported Intermediates, Absorptive Capacity and Productivity: Evidence from Ghanaian Manufacturing Firms
Authors: Okafor Luke Emeka , Bhattacharya Mita , Bloch Harry
Published: October 2016

This paper analyses whether the use of imported intermediates improves productivity using firm‐level panel data of manufacturing firms in Ghana covering the period between 1991 and 2002. This includes examining the importance of absorptive capacity (ABC) in enhancing the productivity gains from imported intermediates. We propose lagged relative productivity as a new measure of ABC. For any given period, ABC is defined as the natural logarithm of a firm's total factor productivity (TFP) in the previous period relative to the firm's initial TFP. An alternative measure of ABC considers real value added per worker in lieu of TFP. Overall, we find that firms with high levels of ABC derive productivity gains from the contemporaneous and prior use of imported intermediates, particularly for firms operating in the input‐intensive industries. Our findings are robust to different specifications of the base model and different estimation techniques.
Sequence analysis ofRASandRAFmutation hot spots in canine carcinoma
Authors: Mochizuki H. , Breen M.
Published: October 2016

Recent discovery of theBRAFV595Emutation in a variety of canine cancers indicates that mutantBRAFmay represent a novel therapeutic target. Presence ofRASmutations is associated with poor tumour response toBRAFinhibition but has not been investigated inBRAF‐mutated canine cancers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mutational status of threeRASgenes (HRAS,KRASandNRAS) in four types of canine carcinoma with and without theBRAFV595Emutation. NovelHRASmutations were identified in 18% (3/17) of oral squamous cell carcinoma, whereas 17% (3/18) of pulmonary carcinoma carriedKRASorNRASmutations. TheseRASmutations andBRAFV595Ewere mutually exclusive, indicating similar functional consequence of these mutations (e.g.MAPKpathway activation). In contrast,RASmutations were absent in 39 urothelial carcinoma and 19 prostatic carcinoma, adding another rational forBRAF‐targeted therapy for these canine cancers.
Canine panuveitis: a retrospective evaluation of 55 cases (2000–2015)
Authors: Bergstrom Benjamin E. , Stiles Jean , Townsend Wendy M.
Published: October 2016

Objective

To determine the most common etiologies of panuveitis in a group of dogs, patient response to therapy, and visual outcome.

Design

Retrospective study.

Materials and methods

Medical records of 55 dogs diagnosed with panuveitis at the Purdue University Veterinary Teaching Hospital between December 2000 and December 2015 were reviewed. Data collected included signalment, season of diagnosis, descriptions of ocular lesions, diagnostic testing, treatment protocols, etiologic diagnoses (when determined), and visual outcome.

Results

The most common clinical sign in the anterior segment was aqueous flare and in the posterior segment was serous retinal detachment. The most common diagnosis was idiopathic/immune‐mediated disease followed by systemic blastomycosis, lymphoma, and other causes (leptospirosis, aspergillosis, and histoplasmosis). Of the 43 dogs for which follow‐up was available, 40% of dogs had resolution of visible inflammation and retinal reattachment, 32% of dogs had slight to moderate improvement, and 28% of dogs had no improvement or deterioration of lesions. Mean follow‐up time was 11 months, and mean time to resolution of visible inflammation and retinal reattachment was 32 days. Sixty‐five percent of dogs either retained or regained vision in one or both diseased eyes with initial medical therapy.

Conclusions

Idiopathic/immune‐mediated panuveitis was the most common diagnosis. Dogs with idiopathic/immune‐mediated panuveitis tended to respond more favorably to medical therapy than dogs with infectious panuveitis. Visual outcome was favorable in those dogs that responded to initial medical therapy, but long‐term therapy was required in many dogs to maintain vision and prevent recurrence of disease.
Augmented Repair of an Achilles Tendon Rupture Using the Flexor Digitorum Lateralis Tendon in a Toy Poodle
Authors: Katayama Masaaki
Published: October 2016

Objective

To report appositional augmentation of Achilles tendon rupture in a toy breed dog with an intact flexor digitorum lateralis (FDL) muscle tendon.

Study Design

Clinical case report.

Animals

Two‐year‐old spayed female Toy Poodle with Achilles tendon rupture.

Methods

The Achilles tendon was accidentally ruptured by hair clippers during grooming. The dog demonstrated a plantigrade stance without digital flexion of the right hind limb. The ruptured gastrocnemius and superficial digital flexor tendons were sutured to their respective cut ends using a simple locking loop pattern under a surgical microscope. The repair site was appositionally augmented by the caudally retracted intact FDL. An aluminum splint was applied on the plantar aspect to immobilize the tarsal joint for the first 2 weeks, after which a soft bandage was applied for another 2 weeks.

Results

At the 7 month follow‐up no lameness was detected during walking and no complications associated with decreased FDL function such as digital contracture were observed. The range of motion of the tarsal joint had improved and could be flexed to ∼60° and extended fully.

Conclusion

Use of the FDL is feasible for augmenting Achilles tendon repair in toy breed dogs.
Combining magnesium ammonium phosphate precipitation with membrane processes for ammonia removal from methanogenic leachates
Authors: Ramaswami Sreenivasan , Behrendt Joachim , Wang Ge , Eggers Susanne , Otterpohl Ralf
Published: October 2016

Chemical precipitation of ammonia as magnesium ammonium phosphate (MAP) from methanogenic leachates can be a competitive alternative to biological ammonia removal. Potential for trading of the precipitate as a fertiliser defines the economics of the process. The precipitate from a landfill leachate often containing organics and heavy metals as impurities with unknown risks limits its possibility for agricultural use. This study combines MAP precipitation with membrane processes and investigates the influence of wastewater matrix, solution pH and dosage ratio of chemicals (Mg2+ :
) on the precipitate purity through lab scale semibatch experiments. Under similar experimental conditions (pH 8.5 and 1 : 1 Mg2+ :
molar dosage), the precipitates from raw leachate and nanofiltration (NF) permeate showed MAP contents of 65 and 90%, respectively, correspondingly with about 8300 and 1600 mg TOC/kgprecipitate. For precipitation from NF permeate, precipitation at pH 8.0 with 1 : 1 dosage ratio and pH 8.5 with 1 : 0.9 dosage ratio gave precipitates each with about 97% purity.
New insights into the elucidation of angiotensin‐(1–7) in vivo antiarrhythmic effects and its related cellular mechanisms
Authors: Joviano‐Santos Julliane Vasconcelos , Santos‐Miranda Artur , Joca Humberto Cavalcante , Cruz Jader Santos , Ferreira Anderson José
Published: October 2016

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?

Recently, there have been many studies exploring the biological effects of angiotensin‐(1–7), which has been proved to have cardioprotective actions. However, the effects of this peptide on cardiac arrhythmias in vivo and details regarding its mechanism of action are still undetermined.

What is the main finding and its importance?

We investigated protective effects of angiotensin‐(1–7) on cardiac arrhythmias in vivo, which were not properly explored in terms of cellular mechanisms. To verify effects of angiotensin‐(1–7), we used different but complementary experimental approaches. Our data provide new evidence on the cellular mechanism and an in vivo demonstration of the acute antiarrhythmic effect of angiotensin‐(1–7).

Angiotensin‐(1–7) [Ang‐(1–7)] has been proved to have cardioprotective effects. However, the effects of this peptide on cardiac arrhythmias in vivo and details regarding its mechanism of action are still undetermined. The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effects of Ang‐(1–7) against cardiac arrhythmias, its in vivo effects and cellular mechanism of action. We analysed the ECG upon inducement of arrhythmias in vivo in rats using a combination of halothane and adrenaline. To analyse the effects of Ang‐(1–7) on cells, fresh mouse ventricular cardiomyocytes were isolated. The cardiomyocytes were superfused with a solution containing halothane and isoprenaline as a model to induce arrhythmias and used in three different approaches, namely a contractility assay, patch‐clamp technique and confocal microscopy. The in vivo ECG showed that the injection of Ang‐(1–7) (4 nm i.v.) significantly reduced cardiac arrhythmias [before, 49 ± 43 arrhythmic events versus after Ang‐(1–7), 16 ± 14 arrhythmic events]. This effect was blocked by injection of A‐779 and l‐NAME, without changes in haemodynamic parameters. In addition, contractility experiments showed that Ang‐(1–7) significantly decreased the number of arrhythmic events without changing the fractional shortening. This protection was associated with a reduction of the action potential repolarization and membrane hyperpolarization. Moreover, Ang‐(1–7) decreased the number of calcium waves without any changes in the amplitude of the calcium transient, despite a significant reduction in the decay rate. Our data provide new evidence on the cellular mechanism together with an in vivo demonstration of the antiarrhythmic effects of Ang‐(1–7).
Synaptic vesicle pool‐specific modification of neurotransmitter release by intravesicular free radical generation
Authors: Afuwape Olusoji A. T. , Wasser Catherine R. , Schikorski Thomas , Kavalali Ege T.
Published: October 2016

Key points

Synaptic transmission is mediated by the release of neurotransmitters from synaptic vesicles in response to stimulation or through the spontaneous fusion of a synaptic vesicle with the presynaptic plasma membrane.

There is growing evidence that synaptic vesicles undergoing spontaneous fusion versus those fusing in response to stimuli are functionally distinct.

In this study, we acutely probe the effects of intravesicular free radical generation on synaptic vesicles that fuse spontaneously or in response to stimuli.

By targeting vesicles that preferentially release spontaneously, we can dissociate the effects of intravesicular free radical generation on spontaneous neurotransmission from evoked neurotransmission and vice versa.

Taken together, these results further advance our knowledge of the synapse and the nature of the different synaptic vesicle pools mediating neurotransmission.

Earlier studies suggest that spontaneous and evoked neurotransmitter release processes are maintained by synaptic vesicles which are segregated into functionally distinct pools. However, direct interrogation of the link between this putative synaptic vesicle pool heterogeneity and neurotransmission has been difficult. To examine this link, we tagged vesicles with horseradish peroxidase (HRP) – a haem‐containing plant enzyme – or antibodies against synaptotagmin‐1 (syt1). Filling recycling vesicles in hippocampal neurons with HRP and subsequent treatment with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) modified the properties of neurotransmitter release depending on the route of HRP uptake. While strong depolarization‐induced uptake of HRP suppressed evoked release and augmented spontaneous release, HRP uptake during mild activity selectively impaired evoked release, whereas HRP uptake at rest solely potentiated spontaneous release. Expression of a luminal HRP‐tagged syt1 construct and subsequent H2O2 application resulted in a similar increase in spontaneous release and suppression as well as desynchronization of evoked release, recapitulating the canonical syt1 loss‐of‐function phenotype. An antibody targeting the luminal domain of syt1, on the other hand, showed that augmentation of spontaneous release and suppression of evoked release phenotypes are dissociable depending on whether the antibody uptake occurred at rest or during depolarization. Taken together, these findings indicate that vesicles that maintain spontaneous and evoked neurotransmitter release preserve their identity during recycling and syt1 function in suppression of spontaneous neurotransmission can be acutely dissociated from syt1 function to synchronize synaptic vesicle exocytosis upon stimulation.