bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Introduction to Part II: Piety in Practice
Authors: Medina Lara
Published: February 2014

‭An introduction to four distinct essays that examine diverse art forms and artists ranging from the early twentieth-century Mexican artist, Alfredo Ramos Martinez, and his revolutionary Mexican artistic sensibility; to Guadalupe devotees’ contemporary Mexican Catholic pilgrimage practices; to Southwest Hispano graveside spirituality; and a Latin American commitment to creating art as a tool for social healing and transformation. The essays intersect through their engaging analysis of very diverse forms of visual art and the deeply spiritual and socially conscious motivations of the respective artists, whether professionally trained or simply creators of their personal devotional art. Weaving in their own personal relationships to the art they are exploring, the authors offer diverse methodologies by which scholars and lay readers can better appreciate the human intent in the creation of art, and can witness the powerful role that art plays in the process of creating national identity and healing personal and social wounds.‬
God-Bearers on Pilgrimage to Tepeyac: A Scholar of Religion Encounters the Material Dimension of Marian Devotion in Mexico
Authors: Scheper Hughes Jennifer
Published: February 2014

‭Contemporary ritual practice at the Virgin of Guadalupe’s shrine at Tepeyac emphasizes the material dimension of the sacred in Mexico: every day, ritual actions at the shrine confer power, prestige, and potency to images, effigies, and other replicas of the Virgin. One particularly pronounced devotional practice involves the carrying of replicas of the Virgin as sacred burdens: pilgrims carry these sometimes quite cumbersome objects tied to their backs as they make their way to Tepeyac hill. Drawing on the photographic series The Road to Tepeyac (2010) by Mexican-British photographer Alinka Echeverría, among other sources, this article explores the ritual processes by which material is infused with spirit and the body of the devotee becomes fused with the body of the Virgin. The analysis is contextualized within the history of devotional practice in Mexico.‬
Introduction to Part III: The Intersection of Contemporary Latin American Art and Religion
Authors: Villaseñor Black Charlene
Published: February 2014

‭This introduction examines the usefulness of Habermas’s “post-secularity” for discussions of religion in contemporary Latin American art, as well as the Náhuatl concept of “nepantla,” or in-betweeness, and Néstor García Canclini’s “multi-temporal heterogeneity.” These terms are examined in relation to the work of artists Delilah Montoya and Francis Alÿs.‬
La Conquistadora: A Conquering Virgin Meets Her Match
Authors: Leimer Ann Marie
Published: February 2014

‭The Mexican Museum in San Francisco commissioned Delilah Montoya to produce a contemporary codex for the 1992 exhibition “The Chicano Codices: Encountering Art of the Americas,” which sought to critique Quincentennial observances erasing indigenous presence. The artist created a seven-page book, Codex Delilah, Six-Deer: Journey from Mexicatl to Chicana, that depicted the consequences of the initial American-European encounter, and she used the heroine Six-Deer to visually record women’s contributions to this 500-year history. In the codex’s fourth panel, Six-Deer comes across Adora-la-Conquistadora, the artist’s revisioning of the New Mexican Catholic icon of Our Lady of the Rosary, La Conquistadora, the oldest figure of Marian devotion in the United States. Six-Deer contests the designs of the Virgin, who intends to forcefully convert the native peoples of New Mexico. Rather than capitulate, Six-Deer refuses to participate in New Mexico’s Reconquista of 1692. Although Montoya appropriated La Conquistadora’s traditional sartorial splendor, she proposed an alternate reading of this Conquering Virgin. This article reads Montoya’s depiction within the dimensions of La Conquistadora’s historical, religious, cultural, and iconographic contexts.‬
The Trouble with Insect Cyborgs
Authors: Dodd Adam
Published: February 2014

Abstract

This paper examines recent developments in the construction of insect cyborgs by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (darpa), a branch of the u.s. Department of Defense, as part of its Hybrid Insect Microelectromechanical Systems (hi-mems ) project. It takes a sociological approach in order to account for the processes involved in the creation of insect cyborgs, arguing that such creatures should be seen as the outcome of social, as well as technological, conditions. The paper critically reflects on the ethical implications of the hi-mems project and discusses the philosophical repercussions of treating insects as if they are machines.
Non-Human Animal Abuse and Wildlife Trade: Harm in the Fur and Falcon Trades
Authors: Wyatt Tanya
Published: February 2014

Abstract

Until recently, the field of criminology has largely ignored the suffering and abuse of non-human animals in the variety of forms in which it occurs. In order to address one aspect of this suffering, this article explores the non-human animal abuse inherent in the trade of wildlife. To demonstrate both the individual harm to non-human animals and the institutionalized abuse in this market, the fur and falcon trades will be detailed. First, since non-human animal abuse and harm have been largely invisible to the criminological community, this article sets out one justification for the adoption of a harm-based discourse. The result is examination of the these two forms of wildlife trade from an animal rights and species justice perspective of harm that is now one of the three broad conceptions of justice in the rapidly growing field of green criminology.
Theories of Practice: Marxist History-Writing and Complexity
Authors: Haldon John
Published: February 2014

Abstract

Jairus Banaji’s collection of essays is a stimulating and provocative assessment of recent Marxist history-writing on issues of social theory and historical development in both ancient as well as modern societies. It challenges the overly simplistic application of Marx’s categories of analysis, arguing for both complexity and a clearer theorisation of fundamental terminology and analytical tropes, including labour-process and mode of production. This review article suggests that, while the basic arguments represent a welcome corrective to some Marxist historical work, and at the same time address in an accessible way non-Marxist historians, there remain some problematic issues, in particular in respect of the criteria for differentiating between different types of mode of production, the level at which this concept has heuristic application, and the distinction between the political/institutional and the modal instances of theorisations of social-economic relations. Some of these issues are exemplified by reference to particular historical cases.
Lineages of Capital
Authors: Bhattacharya Neeladri
Published: February 2014

Abstract

Banaji’s essays offer a powerful plea for a renewal of Marxism, a passionate argument to emancipate Marxism from the dead weight of vulgar traditions – with their simplifications, forced abstractions, mechanical reductions, generalised a-historical theorising, and familiar teleologies. To reinvigorate Marxism, argues Banaji, it is essential to use theory creatively, and recognise the need for complexity in thinking about categories. We cannot generalise about modes of production simply by referring to the forms of labour exploitation in the abstract: associate serfdom or coerced labour with feudalism, and free wage-labour with capitalism. Without historical research into the specific ways in which each economy works – its history and logic of operation – we cannot in the abstract characterise a mode of production: we only end up producing a formal evolutionary sequence of modes. Agreeing with the general thrust of the critique mounted in the book, this essay suggests that Banaji’s own arguments often reproduce the binaries and linearities he opposes, and remain framed within certain forms of reductionism.
The Absent Body of Labour Power: Uno Kōzō’s Logic of Capital
Authors: Walker Gavin
Published: February 2014

Abstract

The debate around labour power, and particularly regarding its status as the ‘most peculiar’ of commodities, has been widely revisited in contemporary Marxist thought and critical theory. This concept, which has often resurfaced in works by Negri, Spivak, Virno and numerous other contemporary thinkers, has a long prehistory in the work of Marx and subsequent Marxist theorists, perhaps most importantly in the work of Uno Kōzō, arguably the most influential and widely known Marxist thinker in modern Japan. Uno’s work, and particularly his major theoretical works of the 1950s, developed an entirelogicalanalysis of the peculiar position of the labour-power commodity within capital’s drive, noting that this site marks the place wherein capital’slogical interiorand itshistorical exteriorinterpenetrate each other, generating a volatile force of excess at the core of capital’s supposedly smooth and pure circuit-process. By developing around this point an extensive theoretical discussion of its dynamics ofimpossibilityorirrationality, centred on a term –muri– that he raises to the level of a concept, Uno formulates a series of original theses in methodology, on the concept of population, and particularly around the figures of thelogicaland thehistoricalin the critical analysis of capitalism. Focusing in particular on this ‘impossibility’ ormurithat is nevertheless constantly ‘passing through’ the capital-relation, this essay investigates the entire range of Uno’s analysis, revealing not only a crucial thread of theoretical inquiry that remains contemporary for us today, but also another set of possibilities linking the critique of political economy to the renewal of revolutionary politics.
Paysans et seigneurs en Europe: une histoire comparée, XVIe–XIXe siècle, Guy Lemarchand, Rennes: Presses Universitaires de Rennes, 2011
Authors: Heller Henry
Published: February 2014

Abstract

In this panoramic survey Guy Lemarchand undertakes to outline the history of the feudal system which persisted across the European continent from the sixteenth until the second half of the nineteenth century. In the crisis of the seventeenth century, seigneurial reaction backed by the absolutist state enabled this feudal mode to reconsolidate and extend itself eastward. The eighteenth century represented the system’s apogee based on high food prices, increased rents and state support. Feudalism’s dissolution beginning with the French Revolution and continuing until the emancipation of the Russian serfs came about as a result of revolution from below and from above under the increasing influence of capitalism and liberalism. Offering an enormous comparative perspective on this long-lived mode of production, Lemarchand’s work fails to articulate theoretically the relationship between this enduring mode and the concurrent rise of capitalism.
Reinstatement of Persicaria sinica Migo (Polygonaceae, Persicarieae)
Authors: Li Bo
Published: February 2014

Persicaria sinica (≡ Polygonum sinicum) was considered as a synonym of Polygonum thunbergii (≡ Persicaria thunbergii), and its specimens were frequently identified as the latter, or occasionally as Polygonum dissitiflorum (≡ Persicaria dissitiflora). However, a detailed analysis of the type materials and additional specimens clearly indicates that P. sinica is a distinct species, which can be easily distinguished from P. thunbergii and P. dissitiflora, as well as other species of Persicaria section Echinocaulon (≡ Polygonum section Echinocaulon) by habit, the shape of the leaf blade, the apex of the ocreae, the structure of the inflorescences, the indumentum and color of the peduncles, and the shape and surface of the achenes. The specific status of P. sinica is thus reinstated. Additionally, complete taxonomic description, geographic distribution, ecological observations, and a key to distinguish the related species are also provided.
Rhynchosia bolusii (Phaseoleae, Fabaceae), a new species from the Western Cape Province of South Africa
Authors: Boatwright James Stephen , Moteetee Annah Ntsamaeeng
Published: February 2014

A new species, Rhynchosia bolusii, is described. It is closely similar to R. capensis in the details of its leaves and long, slender peduncles, but differs mainly in its shrubby, non-twining habit and few-flowered inflorescences. It is known only from the summit of the Great Swartberg Mountains in the Western Cape Province.
Carotid Artery Stenting Improves Cerebral Hemodynamics Regardless of the Flow Direction of Ophthalmic Artery
Authors: Liu Chi-Hung , Chang Chien-Hung , Chang Ting-Yu , Huang Kuo-Lun , Lin Jr-Rung , Chen Yu-Wei , Yip Bak-Sau , Ryu Shan-Jin , Chang Yeu-Jhy , Lee Tsong-Hai
Published: February 2014

We enrolled 221 patients with elective carotid artery stenting (CAS). Patients with contralateral carotid stenosis exceeding 50%, insufficient vertebral artery (VA) flows, or angioplasty at subclavian artery were excluded. All patients underwent serial cerebral ultrasound studies. Of the 116 included patients, the direction of ophthalmic artery (OA) flow was forward in 74 patients while reversed in 42. The reversed flow group had worse ipsilateral stenosis, higher hemoglobin, and cardiac output. After CAS, the reversed flow group had an immediate recovery of ipsilateral internal carotid artery flow volume (FV; P < .0001), time average velocity (TAV) of middle cerebral artery ( P = .02), and normalization of OA flow. The forward flow group had gradual decrement in TAV of contralateral anterior cerebral artery ( P = .01) and total FV of VA ( P = .001). Our results suggest CAS improves cerebral hemodynamics through different ways regardless of the direction of OA flow.
Sphygmomanometer Cuffs
Authors: Zargaran David , Hardwick Sarah , Adel Reeja , Hill George , Stubbins Daniel , Salmasi Abdul Majeed
Published: February 2014

We evaluated the potential pathogenic hazard of sphygmomanometer blood pressure cuffs (BPCs) in a hospital setting. Prospectively, the presence of bacterial organisms on 120 BPCs in 14 medical wards and outpatient clinics in a district general hospital in London was assessed. Swabs taken from the inner aspect of the cuffs were cultured using standard microbiological techniques. Bacterial organisms were found in 85% (102) of the 120 BPCs assessed. The highest rates of contamination were found in the outpatients department (90%). There were differences in the most common bacterial species isolated between the samples obtained from the outpatient clinics and the wards, with coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and diphtheroids being the most prevalent species in the wards and outpatient clinics, respectively. These findings highlight the necessity to eliminate this potential risk of infection.
Using Jackson’s Return Potential Model to Explore the Normativeness of Recycling
Authors: Nolan Jessica M.
Published: February 2014

In this article, a novel theoretical model, Jackson’s Return Potential Model (RPM), is applied to examine social norms for recycling. Unlike other theoretical models that emphasize the causal relationship between norms and behavior, Jackson’s RPM provides a conceptual model for thinking about the “normativeness” of recycling and other pro-environmental behaviors. Convenience samples of recycling experts and university students were surveyed about their approval and disapproval for different levels of recycling. The results showed that both students and experts approved of high levels of recycling and disapproved of low levels of recycling. However, for partial-recycling (the descriptively normative level of recycling among students and most Americans), the social climate was one of indifference. It is argued that the lack of disapproval for partial-recycling may partly explain the gap between real and ideal recycling rates. The practical utility of Jackson’s RPM and the implications of the results for recycling outreach and education are discussed.
If I Say It’s Complex, It Bloody Well Will Be
Authors: Fredberg Tobias
Published: February 2014

This empirical article focuses on practices by CEOs of global organizations to manage paradox. Earlier research has pointed to how difficult it is to solve paradoxes and has suggested overarching approaches for their resolution. The purpose with this article is to further the understanding of how paradox handling works in practice. The article builds on interviews with CEOs of 20 global organizations selected out of their ability to create both economic and social value. The article aims to contribute to the literature by (a) showing how CEOs relate to paradoxes and (b) strategies for solving the paradoxes. Suggestions are made for how this develops the current literature in the area, and what further research may look into. The article informs industrial practice by showing examples of managerial solutions to paradoxes and by highlighting paradox resolution as a source of competitive advantage.
Adapting to the Internet
Authors: Xiang Zheng , Wang Dan , O’Leary Joseph T. , Fesenmaier Daniel R.
Published: February 2014

The influence of the Internet on our social and economic life is well documented. However, few studies have been conducted to assess how travelers have adapted to the Internet over time. Using a series of national surveys conducted over the past 6 years (2007–2012), this study describes important changes taking place in the use of the Internet by American travelers. The results point to a number of key trends in travelers’ use of the Internet and suggest that there is a growing “bifurcation” between traditional online travelers, that is, those who use the Internet for standard travel products and those who are beginning to adopt alternative channels and products in search of deeper and more authentic experiences. This article discusses several important implications of these trends for both research and practice.
Evaluation of the activated clotting time and activated partial thromboplastin time for the monitoring of heparin in adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation patients
Authors: Atallah S , Liebl M , Fitousis K , Bostan F , Masud F
Published: February 2014

Introduction:

Historically, the activated clotting time (ACT) has been the preferred monitoring test of the heparin effect in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) patients. However, few adult studies have evaluated its correlation to the heparin dose or other monitoring tests, such as the activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT). This retrospective study sought to evaluate the correlation between the heparin dose and these monitoring tests.

Methods:

Patients administered a heparin drip during ECMO were included in this study. The primary endpoints were the correlation between heparin dose and ACT or aPTT and the relationship between paired ACT and aPTT samples.

Results:

Forty-six patients met the criteria for study inclusion. A better correlation was observed for heparin dose and aPTT (Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient ( r) = 0.43 – 0.54) versus ACT ( r = 0.11 – 0.14). Among the paired sample data, ACT values did not differ significantly between Groups two (aPTT 60 – 75 seconds) and three (aPTT >75 seconds).

Conclusion:

The heparin dose correlated better with aPTT relative to ACT and, thus, may be considered a more effective tool for the dosing of heparin in adult ECMO patients. Paired ACT and aPTT sample data suggested a poor relationship between these two anticoagulant monitoring tests.
Establishment of an agamid cell line and isolation of adenoviruses from central bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps)
Authors: Ball Inna , Hoferer Marc , Marschang Rachel E.
Published: February 2014

A cell line was established from whole 6–8-week-old central bearded dragon ( Pogona vitticeps) embryos. Cells were mid-sized and showed an elongated and polymorphic form. The cell line grew in a monolayer and has been serially passaged for 17 passages at time of publication. This cell line has been used with samples from adenovirus polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-positive bearded dragons, and 2 virus isolates have been obtained so far. The isolates show a clear cytopathic effect in inoculated cells. Both virus isolates have been serially passaged on this cell line, and have been identified by PCR amplification and sequencing of a portion of the DNA-dependent DNA polymerase gene and show 100% nucleotide identity to the corresponding region of an agamid adenovirus. Electron microscopic examination of supernatant from infected cells demonstrated the presence of nonenveloped particles, with a diameter of approximately 80 nm in both virus isolates.
Relationship of the Functional Movement Screen In-Line Lunge to Power, Speed, and Balance Measures
Authors: Hartigan Erin H. , Lawrence Michael , Bisson Brian M. , Torgerson Erik , Knight Ryan C.
Published: February 2014

Background:

The in-line lunge of the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) evaluates lateral stability, balance, and movement asymmetries. Athletes who score poorly on the in-line lunge should avoid activities requiring power or speed until scores are improved, yet relationships between the in-line lunge scores and other measures of balance, power, and speed are unknown.

Hypothesis:

(1) Lunge scores will correlate with center of pressure (COP), maximum jump height (MJH), and 36.6-meter sprint time and (2) there will be no differences between limbs on lunge scores, MJH, or COP.

Study Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Level of Evidence:

Level 3.

Methods:

Thirty-seven healthy, active participants completed the first 3 tasks of the FMS (eg, deep squat, hurdle step, in-line lunge), unilateral drop jumps, and 36.6-meter sprints. A 3-dimensional motion analysis system captured MJH. Force platforms measured COP excursion. A laser timing system measured 36.6-m sprint time. Statistical analyses were used to determine whether a relationship existed between lunge scores and COP, MJH, and 36.6-m speed (Spearman rho tests) and whether differences existed between limbs in lunge scores (Wilcoxon signed-rank test), MJH, and COP (paired t tests).

Results:

Lunge scores were not significantly correlated with COP, MJH, or 36.6-m sprint time. Lunge scores, COP excursion, and MJH were not statistically different between limbs.

Conclusion:

Performance on the FMS in-line lunge was not related to balance, power, or speed. Healthy participants were symmetrical in lunging measures and MJH.

Clinical Relevance:

Scores on the FMS in-line lunge should not be attributed to power, speed, or balance performance without further examination. However, assessing limb symmetry appears to be clinically relevant.
Prevalence of Abnormal Vitamin D Levels Among Division I NCAA Athletes
Authors: Villacis Diego , Yi Anthony , Jahn Ryan , Kephart Curtis J. , Charlton Timothy , Gamradt Seth C. , Romano Russ , Tibone James E. , Hatch George F. Rick
Published: February 2014

Background:

Up to 1 billion people have insufficient or deficient vitamin D levels. Despite the well-documented, widespread prevalence of low vitamin D levels and the importance of vitamin D for athletes, there is a paucity of research investigating the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in athletes.

Hypothesis:

We investigated the prevalence of abnormal vitamin D levels in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I college athletes at a single institution. We hypothesized that vitamin D insufficiency is prevalent among our cohort.

Study Design:

Cohort study.

Level of Evidence:

Level 1.

Methods:

We measured serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) levels of 223 NCAA Division I athletes between June 2012 and August 2012. The prevalence of normal (≥32 ng/mL), insufficient (20 to <32 ng/mL), and deficient (<20 ng/mL) vitamin D levels was determined. Logistic regression was utilized to analyze risk factors for abnormal vitamin D levels.

Results:

The mean serum 25(OH)D level for the 223 members of this study was 40.1 ± 14.9 ng/mL. Overall, 148 (66.4%) participants had sufficient 25(OH)D levels, and 75 (33.6%) had abnormal levels. Univariate analysis revealed the following significant predictors of abnormal vitamin D levels: male sex (odds ratio [OR] = 2.83; P = 0.0006), Hispanic race (OR = 6.07; P = 0.0063), black race (OR = 19.1; P < 0.0001), and dark skin tone (OR = 15.2; P < 0.0001). Only dark skin tone remained a significant predictor of abnormal vitamin D levels after multivariate analysis (adjusted OR = 15.2; P < 0.0001).

Conclusion:

In a large cohort of NCAA athletes, more than one third had abnormal vitamin D levels. Races with dark skin tones are at much higher risk than white athletes. Male athletes are more likely than female athletes to be vitamin D deficient. Our study demonstrates a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency among healthy NCAA athletes.

Clinical Relevance:

Many studies indicate a significant prevalence of vitamin-D insufficiency across various populations. Recent studies have demonstrated a direct relationship between serum 25(OH)D levels and muscle power, force, velocity, and optimal bone mass. In fact, studies examining muscle biopsies from patients with low vitamin D levels have demonstrated atrophic changes in type II muscle fibers, which are crucial to most athletes. Furthermore, insufficient 25(OH)D levels can result in secondary hyperparathyroidism, increased bone turnover, bone loss, and increased risk of low trauma fractures and muscle injuries. Despite this well-documented relationship between vitamin D and athletic performance, the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in NCAA athletes has not been well studied.
Retroperitoneal fibromatosis presenting as a presacral mass
Authors: Kim Yong-Woo , Choi Seok Jin , Jeon Ung Bae , Choo Kie Seok
Published: February 2014

Aggressive fibromatosis arising from the retroperitoneum is extremely rare. It may occur in association with previous trauma, abdominal surgery, drugs, Gardner’s syndrome, or familial adenomatous polyposis. We report a case of retroperitoneal fibromatosis presenting as a presacral mass with an infiltrating nature, relatively intense enhancement on enhanced computed tomography scanning, and low-signal intensity on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in a patient with no significant medical or surgical history.
Clinical significance of hepatitis B virion and SVP productivity: relationships between intrahepatic and serum markers in chronic hepatitis B patients
Authors: Lesmana Cosmas Rinaldi Adithya , Jackson Kathy , Lim Seng Gee , Sulaiman Ali , Pakasi Levina S , Gani Rino A , Hasan Irsan , Sulaiman Andri Sanityoso , Lesmana Laurentius A , Hammond Rachel , Revill Peter , Locarnini Stephen , Bowden Scott David
Published: February 2014

Background

Clinical use of hepatitis B viral (HBV) quantitative seromarker\s remains questionable since it is not precisely known whether they represent intrahepatic viral replication. Covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA), relaxed circular DNA (rcDNA), and pregenomic RNA (pgRNA) are more likely to represent active HBV replication and their measurement can be used to derive virion productivity (VP; rcDNA/cccDNA), subviral particle (SVP) productivity (quantitative HBsAg/cccDNA), and replicative activity (RA; pgRNA/cccDNA). These can be used to compare relative HBV replication between HBeAg‐negative and ‐positive patients.

Objective

To study the clinical significance of intrahepatic HBV replication phenomenon between HBeAg‐negative and ‐positive patients and its correlation with quantitative HBV seromarkers.

Method

This was a prospective study between January 2010 and December 2011. Study subjects were naive chronic hepatitis B patients from Cipto Mangunkusumo and Medistra Hospitals. All patient samples underwent liver biochemistry and HBV seromarkers testing (HBeAg, quantitative HBsAg and HBV DNA levels), and patients underwent liver biopsy. Stored liver specimens were analysed for intrahepatic rcDNA, cccDNA, and pgRNA with quantification performed by real‐time PCR. Comparison of HBV markers between HBsAg‐positive and ‐negative patients was carried out using the Mann–Whitney U‐test. Pearson's correlation test was performed among HBV intrahepatic and seromarkers using their log‐transformed values.

Results

A total of 104 patients were enrolled in this study; 54 (51.9%) were male. Patients’ mean age was 41.9 ± 11.63 years (range 19–70 years). Sixty‐one patients (58.7%) were HBeAg‐negative. All HBV markers were significantly higher in HBeAg‐positive than HBeAg‐negative patients, except for SVP productivity and RA. Serum HBV DNA was strongly correlated with intrahepatic total HBV DNA (r  = 0.771), cccDNA (r  = 0.774), and rcDNA (r  = 0.780) while serum quantitative HBsAg showed only moderate correlation with intrahepatic total DNA (r  = 0.671), cccDNA (r  = 0.632), rcDNA (r  = 0.675), and SVP productivity (r  = 0.557).

Conclusions

Serum HBV DNA concentration and quantitative HBsAg might not accurately predict intrahepatic viral activity. Virion and SVP production do not occur in parallel with replicative activity.
Simulation study on uneven expansion behaviour of biodegradable magnesium alloy stents by finite element analysis
Authors: Li J. , Mao Z. , Zheng F. , Tan L. , Yang K.
Published: February 2014

Biodegradable magnesium alloy stents (MAS) provide a temporary opening to a diseased coronary vessel until the vessel finishes the remodelling, and then the stents disappear progressively to avoid the long term incompatible interaction between the vessel and the stents. Biodegradability makes the magnesium alloys to be an ideal candidate as a generation stent material. However, the inferior mechanical properties of the magnesium alloys limit the design of MAS. In the present study, the uneven expansion behaviour of MAS was investigated through the finite element analysis method. The results showed that the uneven expansion behaviours of MAS originated from the relationship between the balloon flaps and the stent meshes. This study provides a theoretical reference for stent design and selection of the expansion method.
Increased IR-A/IR-B ratio in non-small cell lung cancers associates with lower epithelial-mesenchymal transition signature and longer survival in squamous cell lung carcinoma
Authors: Jiang Liyan , Zhu Wei , Streicher Katie , Morehouse Chris , Brohawn Philip , Ge Xiaoxiao , Dong Zhengwei , Yin Xiaolu , Zhu Guanshan , Gu Yi , Ranade Koustubh , Higgs Brandon W , Yao Yihong , Huang Jiaqi
Published: February 2014

Background

To evaluate the insulin receptor isoform mRNA expression status in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients.

Methods

RNA-seq data from 614 NSCLC [355 adenocarcinomas (LUAD) and 259 squamous cell carcinomas (LUSC)] and 92 normal lung specimens were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) to evaluate the mRNA expression of insulin receptor isoform A (IR-A) and insulin receptor isoform B (IR-B). The differential expression status of the insulin receptor isoforms in NSCLC patients was confirmed using qRT-PCR assays with lung cancer cDNA arrays and primary tumor samples.

Results

The mRNA expression levels of IR-B were significantly lower in some NSCLC samples compared to normal lung specimens, including both LUAD and LUSC. Notably, no IR-B transcripts were detected - only the IR-A isoform was expressed in 11% of NSCLC patients. This decrease in IR-B expression contributed to an elevated IR-A/IR-B ratio, which was also associated with lower epithelial-mesenchymal transition gene signatures in NSCLC and longer patient survival under standard of care in LUSC. In addition to NSCLC, RNA-seq data from TCGA revealed a similar increase in IR-A/IR-B ratio in many other cancer types, with high prevalence in acute myeloid leukemia, glioblastoma multiforme, and brain lower grade glioma.

Conclusions

Our results indicate a common reduction of the mRNA expression level of IR-B and an increased IR-A/IR-B mRNA ratio in NSCLC and other tumor types. The relationship of altered IR-A/IR-B ratios with cancer progression and patient survival should be prospectively explored in future studies.
Reduced temperature-dependent thermal conductivity of magnetite thin films by controlling film thickness
Authors: Park No-Won , Lee Won-Yong , Kim Jin-A , Song Kyungjun , Lim Hyuneui , Kim Wan-Doo , Yoon Soon-Gil , Lee Sang-Kwon
Published: February 2014

We report on the out-of-plane thermal conductivities of epitaxial Fe3O4 thin films with thicknesses of 100, 300, and 400 nm, prepared using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on SiO2/Si substrates. The four-point probe three-omega (3-ω) method was used for thermal conductivity measurements of the Fe3O4 thin films in the temperature range of 20 to 300 K. By measuring the temperature-dependent thermal characteristics of the Fe3O4 thin films, we realized that their thermal conductivities significantly decreased with decreasing grain size and thickness of the films. The out-of-plane thermal conductivities of the Fe3O4 films were found to be in the range of 0.52 to 3.51 W/m · K at 300 K. For 100-nm film, we found that the thermal conductivity was as low as approximately 0.52 W/m · K, which was 1.7 to 11.5 order of magnitude lower than the thermal conductivity of bulk material at 300 K. Furthermore, we calculated the temperature dependence of the thermal conductivity of these Fe3O4 films using a simple theoretical Callaway model for comparison with the experimental data. We found that the Callaway model predictions agree reasonably with the experimental data. We then noticed that the thin film-based oxide materials could be efficient thermoelectric materials to achieve high performance in thermoelectric devices.
Efficient use of a hybrid decoding technique for LDPC codes
Authors: de Souza Guimarães Walter Prado , Lemos-Neto José S , da Rocha Valdemar C
Published: February 2014

A word error rate (WER) reducing approach for a hybrid iterative error and erasure decoding algorithm for low-density parity-check codes is described. A lower WER is achieved when the maximum number of iterations of the min-sum belief propagation decoder stage is set to certain specific values which are code dependent. By proper choice of decoder parameters, this approach reduces WER by about 2 orders of magnitude for an equivalent decoding complexity. Computer simulation results are given for the efficient use of this hybrid decoding technique in the presence of additive white Gaussian noise.
Magnetic heterogeneous catalytic ozonation: a new removal method for phenol in industrial wastewater
Authors: Shahamat Yousef Dadban , Farzadkia Mahdi , Nasseri Simin , Mahvi Amir Hossein , Gholami Mitra , Esrafili Ali
Published: February 2014

In this study, a new strategy in catalytic ozonation removal method for degradation of phenol from industrial wastewater was investigated. Magnetic carbon nano composite as a novel catalyst was synthesized, characterized and then used in the catalytic ozonation process (COP) and compared with the single ozonation process (SOP). The influential parameters were all investigated. The results showed that the removal efficiency of phenol and COD (chemical oxygen demand) in COP (98.5%, 69.8%) was higher than those of SOP (78.7%, 50.5%) and the highest catalytic potential was achieved at optimal neutral pH. First order modeling demonstrated that the reactions were dependent on the concentration of catalyst, with kinetic constants varying from 0.023 1/min (catalyst = 0 g/L) to 0.071 1/min (catalyst = 4 g/L), whereby the optimum dosage of catalyst was found to be 2 g/L. Furthermore, the catalytic properties of the catalyst remained almost unchanged after 5-time reuse. The results regarding the biodegradability of the effluent showed that a 5-min reaction time in COP reduced the concentrations of phenol and COD to the acceptable levels for the efficient post-treatment in the SBR in a 4-h cycle period. Finally, this combined system is proven to be a technically effective method for treating phenolic contaminants.
Study versus television
Authors: Browning Martin , Heinesen Eskil
Published: February 2014

The great majority of studies on the effect of school quality on academicoutcomes do not take account of changes in student choices concerning effortif school quality, e.g. class size, changes. We show that empiricalestimates of the ‘total’ effect of changes in school qualitycould be quite different from the ‘partial’ effect holding otherinputs (including student effort) constant. The main parameters governingthis difference are the extent to which inputs in the education productionfunction are substitutes or complements and how kinked is the benefit from ahigher mark. The difference depends also on student ability, thestudent’s distaste for effort and the curvature of the educationproduction with respect to effort.

JEL classification

I21; I28
Time-lapse seismic modeling for CO2 sequestration at the Dickman Oilfield, Kansas
Authors: Li Jintan , Liner Christopher , Stewart Robert
Published: February 2014

Carbon dioxide capture and injection into the subsurface has aroused great interest in the past few years as a method to enhance oil recovery and mitigate [Formula: see text] emissions. The Dickman Oilfield located in Kansas provides two possible [Formula: see text] sequestration targets: a regional deep saline reservoir (the primary objective) and a shallower mature depleted oil reservoir (secondary). We focused on the shallower depleted oil reservoir through a 250-year flow-simulation scenario and a fault leakage test. Seismic responses at various time intervals were simulated to help monitor [Formula: see text] flow paths and injection stability. A complex and realistic geologic model with unconformity was embedded in the flow-simulation model. A regridding technique was used that assigned geologic values to a regular seismic grid that allowed 2D acoustic and elastic finite-difference simulation. Gassmann fluid substitution theory was used to obtain the reservoir properties with different [Formula: see text] saturations, and the vertical seismic profile was used to assist in identifying geologic layers. A [Formula: see text] plume and flow path from the leakage test can be detected from the differences in seismic data (5 to 10 ms time shift) from the first year of injection and the last year of monitoring. This was supported by comparison with the prestack field data available in the Dickman Oilfield. [Formula: see text]-induced reflectivity changes are relatively larger for PS events than for PP events, implying that multicomponent data acquisition and processing may give added value to characterization and monitoring of carbon capture and storage projects. We assessed 4D seismic monitoring in the evaluation of long-term [Formula: see text] containment stability for the Dickman Oilfield and suggested that time-lapse surveys will be useful.
Numerical modeling of 3D zero-offset laboratory data by a discretized Kirchhoff integral method
Authors: Tantsereva Anastasiya , Ursin Bjørn , Favretto-Cristini Nathalie , Cristini Paul , Aizenberg Arkady M.
Published: February 2014

Accurate simulation of seismic wave propagation in complex geologic structures is of particular interest nowadays. However, difficulties arise for complex geologic structures with great and rapid structural changes, due, for instance, to the presence of shadow zones, head waves, diffractions and/or edge effects. Different methods have thus been developed and are typically tested on synthetic configurations against analytical solutions for simple canonical problems, reference methods, or via direct comparison with real data acquired in situ. Such approaches have limitations, especially if the propagation occurs in a complex environment with strong-contrast reflectors and surface irregularities because it can be difficult to determine the method that gives the best approximation of the “real” solution or to interpret the results obtained without an a priori knowledge of the geologic environment. An alternative approach for seismics consists in comparing the synthetic data with data obtained in laboratory experiments. In contrast to in situ experiments, high-quality data are collected under controlled conditions for a known configuration. In contrast with numerical experiments, laboratory data possess many of the characteristics of field data because real waves propagate through models with no numerical approximations. Our main purpose was to test the approach of using laboratory data as reference data for benchmarking 3D numerical methods and techniques using the setup that we have designed for this study. We performed laboratory-scaled measurements of zero-offset reflection of broadband pulses from a strong topographic environment immersed in a water tank. We compared these measurements with numerical data simulated by means of a discretized Kirchhoff integral method. The comparisons of synthetic and laboratory data indicated a good quantitative fit in terms of time arrivals and acceptable fit in amplitudes. Thus, the first step of the approach was successfully applied.
Frequency-domain simulation of logging-while-drilling borehole sonic waveforms
Authors: Matuszyk Paweł J. , Torres-Verdín Carlos
Published: February 2014

Numerical simulation of sonic logging-while-drilling (LWD) borehole measurements is challenging because of significant wave propagation effects due to the massive drilling collar occupying a large portion of the borehole. In addition, the internal structure of the LWD tool can have a significant impact on the measured dispersions of Stoneley and quadrupole modes. The collar is typically constructed with a set of inner periodic grooves, which act as a mechanical filter to attenuate undesirable collar modes. Reliable numerical simulation and interpretation of LWD sonic waveforms requires that all features and dimensions of the drilling collar be included in the simulation model. Furthermore, the presence of the drilling collar can prompt numerical instabilities due to backward propagating modes in the perfectly matched layer (PML) commonly used to truncate the computational domain. This problem can be circumvented with the implementation of artificial viscoelastic attenuation in the collar whenever the simulations are intended to reproduce only wave propagation within the surrounding rock formations. In addition, reliable modeling of borehole wave propagation in the presence of high contrasts in material properties and the internal structure of the LWD collar requires a numerical method capable of accurately and stably resolving all spectral scales present in the model. We implemented an automatic [Formula: see text]-adaptive finite-element method in the frequency domain combined with a PML technique to simulate LWD sonic logging measurements. Examples of the application verified the accuracy and reliability of the simulated borehole and formation propagation modes in the presence of casing and internal structures in the LWD collar. The presence of steel casing and quality of casing/formation bond significantly influence the propagation modes excited in a borehole. However, it is still possible to estimate the formation shear slowness using monopole and quadrupole sources regardless of the quality of cement bond in fast formations. Assessment of the formation compressional slowness was significantly impeded by the strong pipe mode. Estimation of formation shear slowness in slow formations is practically impossible due to the presence of casing and a strong annulus mode when the quality of casing bond is poor.
p75 neurotrophin receptor evades the endolysosomal route, favouring multivesicular bodies specialised for exosomal release in neuronal cells
Authors: Escudero CA , Lazo OM , Galleguillos C , Parraguez JI , Lopez-Verrilli MA , Cabeza C , Leon L , Saeed U , Retamal C , Gonzalez A , Marzolo MP , Carter BD , Court FA , Bronfman FC
Published: February 2014

The p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75) is a multifaceted signalling receptor that regulates neuronal physiology, including neurite outgrowth and survival and death decisions.

A key cellular aspect regulating neurotrophin signalling is the intracellular trafficking of their receptors; however, the post-endocytic trafficking of p75 is poorly defined. We used sympathetic neurons and PC12 cells to study the internalization mechanism and post-endocytic trafficking of p75. We found that p75 internalization depended on the clathrin adaptor protein AP2 and dynamin. More surprising, p75 evaded the lysosomal route at the level of the early endosome, accumulating in two different endosomes, Rab11-positive endosomes and multivesicular bodies (MVBs) positive for CD63, a marker of the exosomal pathway. Consistently, depolarization by KCl induced liberation of previously endocytosed full-length p75 into the extracellular medium in exosomes. Thus, p75 defines a subpopulation of MVBs that does not mature to lysosomes and is available for exosomal release by neuronal cells.
The phylogeny and ontogeny of autonomic control of the heart and cardiorespiratory interactions in vertebrates
Authors: Taylor Edwin W. , Leite Cleo A. C. , Sartori Marina R. , Wang Tobias , Abe Augusto S. , Crossley Dane A.
Published: February 2014

Heart rate in vertebrates is controlled by activity in the autonomic nervous system. In spontaneously active or experimentally prepared animals, inhibitory parasympathetic control is predominant and is responsible for instantaneous changes in heart rate, such as occur at the first air breath following a period of apnoea in discontinuous breathers like inactive reptiles or species that surface to air breathe after a period of submersion. Parasympathetic control, exerted via fast-conducting, myelinated efferent fibres in the vagus nerve, is also responsible for beat-to-beat changes in heart rate such as the high frequency components observed in spectral analysis of heart rate variability. These include respiratory modulation of the heartbeat that can generate cardiorespiratory synchrony in fish and respiratory sinus arrhythmia in mammals. Both may increase the effectiveness of respiratory gas exchange. Although the central interactions generating respiratory modulation of the heartbeat seem to be highly conserved through vertebrate phylogeny, they are different in kind and location, and in most species are as yet little understood. The heart in vertebrate embryos possesses both muscarinic cholinergic and β-adrenergic receptors very early in development. Adrenergic control by circulating catecholamines seems important throughout development. However, innervation of the cardiac receptors is delayed and first evidence of a functional cholinergic tonus on the heart, exerted via the vagus nerve, is often seen shortly before or immediately after hatching or birth, suggesting that it may be coordinated with the onset of central respiratory rhythmicity and subsequent breathing.