bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Platelet‐Derived Microparticles are Implicated in Remote Ischemia Conditioning in a Rat Model of Cerebral Infarction
Authors: Shan Li‐Yang , Li Ji‐Zhao , Zu Ling‐Yun , Niu Chen‐Guang , Ferro Albert , Zhang Ying‐Dong , Zheng Le‐min , Ji Yong
Published: November 2013

Aim

Remote ischemic preconditioning protects against ischemic organ damage by giving short periods of subcritical ischemia to a remote organ. We tested the hypothesis that remote ischemic conditioning can attenuate cerebral stroke in a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model by microparticles (MPs).

Methods and results

MPs were extracted from healthy rats that underwent hindlimb ischemia–reperfusion preconditioning (RIPC), and were transfused into rats that had undergone MCAO without RIPC. The transfusion resulted in an increase in platelet‐derived MPs in blood and reduction in infarction area, confirmed by both 2‐3‐5‐triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining and magnetic resonance imaging, albeit to a lesser degree than RIPC itself. Behavioral tests (modified Neurological Severity Score [mNSS]) were calculated to judge the behavioral change. However, no significant difference was observed after MP transfusion in 24 h or the following consecutive 9 days.

Conclusions

RIPC induces an increase in MPs, and platelet‐derived MPs may confer at least part of the remote protective effect against cerebral ischemic–reperfusion injury.
What Contribution Can China Make to Inclusive Growth in Sub‐Saharan Africa?
Authors: Kaplinsky Raphael
Published: November 2013

Despite rapid economic growth, the numbers living in absolute poverty in Africa have grown. China's rapidly expanding presence in Africa is widely considered to be a prime source of this unequalization. However, at the same time, its presence also supports countervailing and unrecognized processes of equalization, although this varies by country, class, gender and age grouping. China has the capacity to help Africa move to a more sustainable and less unequal growth path by providing low‐cost consumer and capital goods, new market opportunities which can be accessed by small‐scale producers and new, more appropriate capital goods. Taking advantage of the China‐induced commodities price boom to promote more equal patterns of growth will depend on the capacity of African actors to promote linkages effectively. The extent to which Africa is able to take advantage of opportunities opened up by China to move to a new, more inclusive growth path will largely be determined by political developments in Africa. But these political dynamics are not independent of China's increasing economic and political footprint, both globally and in its direct relations with Africa.
China and the South: Objectives, Actors and Interactions
Authors: Breslin Shaun
Published: November 2013

China has stepped up its engagement of developing countries through both bilateral interactions and the establishment of more formal multilateral fora. To achieve this, China's leaders have established a clear state policy designed to secure much needed resources and to establish an identity as a new and different type of ‘great power’. China has also become a proactive provider of development aid which, when combined with other forms of economic engagement, have raised concerns in the West that China is undermining the promotion of a liberal global order. But we need to take care in considering who, or what, is driving Chinese policy. The institutional weakness of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs means that commercial and financial agencies have dominated the agenda; major state owned enterprises and increasingly large numbers of small, often private enterprises are pursuing their own commercial agendas overseas, which are often not controlled by Beijing. The result is a patchwork of different types of relationships with developing countries, more often driven by the commercial concerns of economic actors than by a coherent diplomatic strategy.
Beyond the Enclave: Towards a Critical Political Economy of China and Africa
Authors: Mohan Giles
Published: November 2013

This article provides a political economy framework for analysing China's engagements with Africa. It situates the rise of China in the context of the changing balance of power in the world system and particularly China's re‐entry into spheres of influence in Africa that have been the purview of the former European colonial powers for two centuries or more. It begins by arguing that current approaches to China, Africa and international relations are fragmented in particular ways which prevent the development of a more critical political economy. It then examines a pervasive theme in China–Africa relations, which assumes that the Chinese work through enclaved investments to secure the resources of low‐income economies, though in this sense the Chinese are no different from other investors. Where they do differ is in their bundling of aid, trade and FDI and their use of imported labour, which has been termed ‘surgical colonialism’. The article does not dispute the existence of Chinese enclaves but argues that we need more empirical evidence on the levels of labour importation in relation to local labour market conditions. This requires a more nuanced understanding of state–capital dynamics in those countries where the Chinese operate although the model appears to be one of elite brokerage. However, the enclaved investments and inter‐elite bargaining are only part of the story and the closing sections of the article analyse the role of independent Chinese businesses in Africa's social and political development, which moves us beyond the enclave.
‘Greater Chinese’ Global Production Networks in the Middle East: The Rise of the Jordanian Garment Industry
Authors: Azmeh Shamel , Nadvi Khalid
Published: November 2013

The expansion of ‘Greater Chinese’ capital from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan into other parts of the developing world is increasingly noted. It is especially prominent in sub‐Saharan Africa where Greater Chinese investments, firms and workers are found across a wide range of activities, from the extractive commodity sectors, to infrastructure projects, agriculture and manufacturing. One region where Greater Chinese investment is less well studied is the Middle East. This article focuses on the case of Jordan. Jordan has rapidly emerged as an important supplier of apparel to the United States, a consequence of a distinct preferential trade agreement. The article charts the ways in which this preferential trade agreement has stimulated the shifts of Greater Chinese garment manufacturers to Jordan. Using a global production networks (GPN) framework, and drawing on primary and secondary evidence, it assesses the dynamics behind Greater Chinese investments into Jordan; it also explores the ways in which Greater Chinese garment producers operating in Jordan organize their supply chains and are linked into the global garments GPNs. Finally, it considers the relationship between such capital flows and the influx of Asian migrant workers into the Jordanian export garment sector.
Spastic diplegia in children with HIV encephalopathy: first description of gait and physical status
Authors: Langerak Nelleke G , du Toit Jacques , Burger Marlette , Cotton Mark F , Springer Priscilla E , Laughton Barbara
Published: November 2013

Aim

The aim of this study was to explore the physical status and gait patterns of children with spastic diplegia secondary to human immunodeficiency virus encephalopathy (HIVE).

Method

A cross‐sectional study was conducted on children diagnosed with HIVE and spastic diplegia. Sociodemographic and clinical background information was obtained, followed by three‐dimensional gait analysis (3DGA) and a physical examination including assessments of muscle tone, strength, motor control, contractures, and bony deformities of the lower extremities.

Results

Fourteen children (eight males, six females; mean age 5y 8mo [SD 9mo], range 4y 4mo–6y 10mo) were studied. The cohort was divided into two groups based on distinctive gait patterns. Nine participants in group I showed only limited abnormalities. Group II displayed a more pathological gait pattern including stiff knee and equinus ankle abnormalities. Results of 3DGA, as with the physical examination outcomes, showed increased impairments from proximal to distal (except for hip extension).

Interpretation

This study provides a first description of distinctive gait patterns and related physical characteristics of children with HIVE and spastic diplegia. Further research is necessary.
‘Beautiful Serbia’ ‐ objective and subjective outcomes of active labour market policy in a transition economy
Authors: Bonin Holger , Rinne Ulf
Published: November 2013

This paper studies the causal impact of participation in the Beautiful Serbia programme providing training and temporary work in the construction sector in Serbia on labour market outcomes as well as on measures of subjective well‐being approximating individual welfare. According to our estimates, the positive impact of this particular programme appears much stronger when judged by subjective well‐being than when judged by the immediate labour market effect.
Elevated glucose level adversely affects infarct volume growth and neurological deterioration in non‐diabetic stroke patients, but not diabetic stroke patients
Authors: Shimoyama T. , Kimura K. , Uemura J. , Saji N. , Shibazaki K.
Published: November 2013

Background and purpose

Hyperglycemia is recognized as a common occurrence associated with a high risk of poor outcome in ischaemic stroke patients. However, little is known about the association between elevated glucose level, growth of infarct volume and neurological deterioration in ischaemic stroke patients without diabetes. The present study aimed to clarify this issue in acute ischaemic stroke patients with arterial occlusion.

Methods

We studied 375 acute ischaemic stroke patients with arterial occlusion within 24 h of onset. Diabetes was diagnosed in patients with a known history of diabetes or HbA1c value ≥ 6.5%. Infarct volume was measured on admission and at follow‐up within 48 h using diffusion‐weighted imaging. Neurological deterioration was defined as an increase of ≥ 4 points in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score within 7 days of stroke onset. We examined the relationship between glucose level on admission, infarct volume growth and neurological deterioration in three categories (all patients, non‐diabetes and diabetes) using multivariate modeling.

Results

Diabetes was present in 104 patients (27.7%). Multivariate regression analysis showed that elevated glucose level was independently associated with infarct volume growth in all patients (P = 0.034) and non‐diabetes (P = 0.002), but not in diabetes (P = 0.871). Moreover, elevated glucose level was independently associated with neurological deterioration in all patients [odds ratio (OR), 1.010; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.004–1.017; P = 0.002] and non‐diabetes (OR, 1.014; 95% CI, 1.002–1.026; P = 0.022), but not diabetes (OR, 1.006; 95% CI, 0.998–1.014; P = 0.151).

Conclusions

Glucose level appears to influence infarct volume growth and neurological deterioration, particularly in non‐diabetic patients with ischaemic stroke.
NKG2C, HLA‐E and their association with psoriasis
Authors: Patel Forum , Marusina Alina I. , Duong Christopher , Adamopoulos Iannis E. , Maverakis Emanual
Published: November 2013

Natural killer (NK) cell activation is regulated by the integration of signals from inhibitory and activating cell surface receptors. Both NKG2A and NKG2C pair with CD94 to form inhibitory and activating receptors specific for the HLA‐E‐canonical peptide complex. HLA‐E is a non‐classical MHC class Ib molecule with limited polymorphism. It preferentially binds to and presents leader sequence peptides derived from classical MHC class I molecules. Wilson et al. have identified an association between NKG2C deficiency and psoriasis. They have also discovered an HLA‐C‐dependent association between HLA‐E and psoriasis. Their research highlights the importance of NK cells in the pathophysiology of psoriasis. Herein, we propose two different models to explain the association between NKG2C, HLA‐E and psoriasis. In the first model, we hypothesize that NKG2C deficiency and/or HLA‐E O1:01 can inhibit the ability of NK cells to regulate autoreactive T cells, predisposing to psoriasis. The second model proposes that HLA‐E 01:03 can disrupt the presentation of the psoriasis‐inducing self‐determinant by HLA‐C, thereby protecting against psoriasis.
Surface structural dynamics of enzymatic cellulose degradation, revealed by combined kinetic and atomic force microscopy studies
Authors: Eibinger Manuel , Bubner Patricia , Ganner Thomas , Plank Harald , Nidetzky Bernd
Published: November 2013

Highly heterogeneous and usually weakly defined substrate morphologies complicate the study of enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis. The cellulose surface has a non‐uniform shape in particular, with consequent impacts on cellulase adsorption and activity. We have therefore prepared a cellulosic model substrate which is shown by atomic force microscopy (AFM) to display a completely smooth surface, the residual squared mean roughness being 10 nm or lower, and applied it for kinetic analysis of cellulase action. The substrate consists of an amorphous cellulose matrix into which variably sized crystalline fibers are distributed in apparently irregular fashion. Its conversion into soluble sugars by Trichoderma sp. cellulase at 50 °C proceeded without apparent limitation up to 70% completion and was paralleled by a steady increase in cellulase adsorption to the cellulose. Individual cellulase components (CBH I, CBH II, EG) also showed strongly enhanced adsorption with progressing cellulose conversion, irrespective of their preference for degrading the amorphous or crystalline substrate parts as revealed by AFM. The specific activity of the adsorbed cellulases, however, decreased concomitantly. Cellulose surface morphologies evolving as a consequence of cellulase action were visualized by AFM. Three‐dimensional surface degradation by the cellulases resulted in a large increase in cellulose surface area for enzyme adsorption. However, the decline in enzyme specific activity during conversion was caused by factors other than surface ablation and disruption. Based on kinetic evidence for enzymatic hydrolyses of the smooth‐surface model substrate and microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel), we hypothesize that, due to gradual loss of productive dynamics in their interactions with the cellulose surface, individual cellulases get progressively confined to substrate parts where they are no longer optimally active. This eventually leads to an overall slow‐down of hydrolysis.
The Geographies of Heterotopia
Authors: Johnson Peter
Published: November 2013

This article explores the ongoing fascination with Foucault's brief and rather sketchy idea of heterotopia. Drawing out some key lessons from the most sustained interpretations of this curious spatio‐temporal concept, it addresses weaknesses and potential contradictions and goes on to highlight trends and emerging themes in studies that incorporate the notion. The article argues that although the uses of Foucault's accounts of heterotopia are bewilderingly diverse, heterotopias are most productively understood in the context of Foucault's insistence on ‘making difference’ and their adoption as a tool of analysis to illuminate the multifaceted features of cultural and social spaces and to invent new ones.
Channels in the Making – An Appraisal of Channel Evolution Models
Authors: Van Dyke Chris
Published: November 2013

Over the past 30 years, fluvial geomorphologists have sought to understand the historical trajectory of channel adjustments after disturbance by developing channel evolution models (CEMs). These models use a combination of quantitative data and qualitative indicators to describe the spatial progression of channel evolution. This article surveys the historical development of CEMs, how they function, and what types of CEMs are best suited for different geomorphic settings. It describes the logic underlying classic CEMs, and their subsequent application to predict channel response following dam removal. After this, it recounts the emergence of multi‐pathway CEMs, which have been used to capture the evolutionary trajectories in complex fluvial systems (e.g., anastomosing rivers). Lastly, it argues that a state‐and‐transition framework offers an appropriate modeling template to document channel evolution in a wide variety of fluvial systems, including those originally modeled using classic CEMs. A state‐and‐transition approach sees rivers as composed of interrelated process and form (morphological) states. They identify under what conditions a river channel would undergo a transition from one formal state to another (e.g., from a single‐threaded to braided planform). They can also be used to understand the form‐process dynamics underlying subtle morphological transitions that produce changes in a river's biogeomorphological structure without triggering wholesale river metamorphosis.
The effects of di(2‐ethylhexyl)phthalate on rat liver in relation to selenium status
Authors: Erkekoglu Pınar , Zeybek Naciye D. , Giray Belma K. , Rachidi Walid , Kızılgün Murat , Hininger‐Favier Isabelle , Favier Alain , Asan Esin , Hincal Filiz
Published: November 2013

This study was performed to determine the hepatotoxicity of di(2‐ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) in relation to selenium status. In 3‐week‐old Sprague‐Dawley rats, selenium deficiency was induced by a ≤0.05 selenium mg/kg. A selenium supplementation group was given 1 mg selenium/kg diet for 5 weeks. Di(2‐ethylhexyl)phthalate‐treated groups received 1000 mg/kg dose by gavage during the last 10 days of the experiment. Histopathology, peroxisome proliferation, catalase (CAT) immunoreactivity and activity and apoptosis were assessed. Activities of antioxidant selenoenzymes [glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPx4), thioredoxin reductase (TrxR1)], superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione S‐transferase (GST); aminotransferase, total glutathione (tGSH), and lipid peroxidation (LP) levels were measured. Di(2‐ethylhexyl)phthalate caused cellular disorganization while necrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration were observed in Se‐deficient DEHP group (DEHP/SeD). Catalase activity and immunoreactivity were increased in all DEHP‐treated groups. Glutathione peroxidase 1 and GPx4 activities decreased significantly in DEHP and DEHP/SeD groups, while GST activities decreased in all DEHP‐exposed groups. Thioredoxin reductase activity increased in DEHP and DEHP/SeS, while total SOD activities increased in all DEHP‐treated groups. Lipid peroxidation levels increased significantly in SeD (26%), DEHP (38%) and DEHP/SeD (71%) groups. Selenium supplementation partially ameliorated DEHP‐induced hepatotoxicity; while in DEHP/SeD group, drastic changes in hepatic histopathology and oxidative stress parameters were observed.
Hierarchical m‐ZrO2 Nanorods Template‐Free Synthesis by Hydrothermal Method
Authors: Khan Shahzad Ahmad , Fu Zhengyi , Wang Weimin , Wang Hao , Asif Muhammad
Published: November 2013

Hierarchical m‐ZrO2 nanorods synthesized by the simple hydrothermal method, and the possible formation mechanism was proposed based on a series of chemical reactions. The as‐synthesized products are composed of many 1D ZrO2·nH2O nanorods with 150–250 nm in diameter and 6–8 μm in length. The final product after annealing at the 700°C was involved into hierarchical monoclinic m‐ZrO2 nanorods, and the big nanorod was made up of many small nanorods with 10–20 nm in diameter and 400–500 nm in length. This discovery could helpful in understanding, the chemical properties of ZrB2 and ZrO2, the design of its derivatives for m‐ZrO2 nanomaterials.
The European Commission's Proposal for a Financial Transactions Tax: A Critical Assessment
Authors: Grahl John , Lysandrou Photis
Published: November 2013

A financial activities tax (FAT) and a financial transactions tax (FTT) are the main alternative ways of recouping some of the public money used to bail out the financial sector after the great crisis of 2007–08. In preparing a common proposal for the European Union, the European Commission initially appeared to favour the FAT, but then swung its weight behind the FTT in late 2011. Its rationale was that in addition to generating revenue, this tax could also help to stabilize the financial markets by curbing excessive speculative trading. This article takes a different position. Its central argument is that the FTT would amplify rather than dampen market instability by interfering with the functions of important financial institutions. Its chief conclusion is that the FAT is superior to the FTT.
Eastern Enlargement Ten Years On: Transcending the East–West Divide?
Authors: Epstein Rachel A. , Jacoby Wade
Published: November 2013

This introduction summarizes the findings of nine research articles that examine the consequences of the European Union's eastern enlargement ten years on. The volume reaches three surprising conclusions: since 2004, the EU's economic effects have been more far‐reaching than its political effects; all of the new Member States (NMS) have had problems with democratic consolidation; and, despite four years of intense crisis in the eurozone, both the EU's enlargement and neighbourhood‐shaping efforts have continued. We set these economic, political and institutional developments in the context of the long‐standing east–west divide in Europe, and ask whether EU membership for post‐communist countries upends the continent's traditionally persistent divisions. Notable achievements of EU enlargement notwithstanding, the volume points to the continuing important differences between east and west and highlights the issue areas in which the EU transcends but also reinforces the centuries‐old partition.
Fast itch relief in an experimental model for methylprednisolone aceponate topical corticosteroid activity, based on allergic contact eczema to nickel sulphate
Authors: Curto L. , Carnero Ll. , López‐Aventin D. , Traveria G. , Roura G. , Giménez‐Arnau A.M.
Published: November 2013

Background

Topical corticosteroids (TC) consistently show effectiveness against itch, a paradigmatic symptom, in various eczemas. Rapid itch relief is a therapeutic goal. The early response of itch to TC has not been adequately studied.

Objectives

To assess the effect on itch of a TC, methylprednisolone aceponate 0.1% ointment (MPA), in induced eczema in volunteers sensitized to nickel sulphate.

Methods

Sixteen volunteers with a late positive patch‐test reaction to nickel sulphate entered the study. Eczema was treated once daily with ¼ fingertip unit of MPA for 5 days. Pruritus intensity was assessed with a 10 cm visual analogue scale (VAS). Mean time to itch relief (TR) defined as the time to reach a 30% decrease in the highest VAS value recorded was assessed, as well as TR‐baseline, colorimetry and planimetric morphometry of the reaction.

Results

Mean TR was 1.0 days [standard deviation (SD) = 1.1] and mean TR‐baseline was 1.6 days (SD = 1.4). Five volunteers reached 100% decrease from itch baseline‐VAS in 2.0 ± 1.2 days, whereas a 75% decrease was obtained in 1.7 ± 1.6 days by 16 volunteers. A clinical improvement of patch‐test reaction was apparent at day 11, although erythema was still present.

Conclusion

We present a valid model to assess the efficacy and speed of action of TC treatment to alleviate pruritus and the signs of eczema. The fast effect of MPA against pruritus supports the appropriateness of treating allergic contact eczema with TC.
Mohs micrographic surgery for basal cell carcinomas: results of a Spanish retrospective study and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis of tumour recurrence
Authors: Català A. , Garces J.R. , Alegre M. , Gich I.J. , Puig L.
Published: November 2013

Background

Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) is a specialized procedure usually limited to specific indications (e.g. high‐risk basal cell carcinomas [BCCs]).

Objective

To determine the recurrence rate of MMS for BCC at a tertiary referral centre in Barcelona, Spain.

Methods

Review of medical records of patients undergoing 534 consecutive MMS interventions for confirmed BCCs. The main outcome measure was biopsy‐proven recurrence of BCC at the same anatomical location after MMS.

Results

A total of 489 patients underwent MMS for 534 BCCs from April 1999 to December 2011. The patients’ mean age was 66 years. The most frequent location was the nasal/perinasal region (38.4%, n = 205). The surgical interventions of 47.9% (n = 256) were for primary BCCs and 52.1% (n = 278) procedures were for recurrent or residual BCCs. The mean follow‐up was 30.5 months (range 1–145 months). Thirty‐two recurrences were identified in total. The raw recurrence rate following MMS for primary BCCs was 1.2% (3/256) compared to 10.4% (32/278) for recurrent BCC. On multivariate analysis (Cox proportional hazard model) only prior treatment (P = 0.018, hazard ratio [HR] 4.68 with 95% confidence intervals [CI] 1.30–16.79), multiple prior treatments (P = 0.013, HR 2.72 [95%CI 1.24–5.96]), and healing by secondary intention (P = 0.041, HR 2.88 [95%CI 1.04–7.97]) were independent prognostic factors of recurrence after MMS.

Limitations

The limitations of our study are those of a retrospective study.

Conclusion

Mohs micrographic surgery for primary high‐risk BCCs has a high success rate but the cumulative probability of recurrence increases significantly when tumours with recurrences are referred for MMS.
The risk of herpes zoster during biological therapy for psoriasis and other inflammatory conditions
Authors: Adelzadeh L. , Jourabchi N. , Wu J.J.
Published: November 2013

Recent advances in biological therapies have proved highly effective in treating psoriasis and other inflammatory conditions, including psoriatic arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and ankylosing spondylitis. However, adverse effects related to their immunosuppression have been observed, including an increased propensity to viral infections. This review evaluates the evidence of herpes zoster (HZ) risk from biologics based on clinical reports, cohort studies and randomized controlled studies. The risk of HZ associated with these agents remains controversial, especially when comparing their risk with non‐biological therapy used to treat the same inflammatory conditions. This review specifically assesses the risk of the TNF inhibitors etanercept, adalimumab and infliximab, as well as interleukin‐12/23 inhibitor ustekinumab. We found multiple cohort studies, randomized controlled trials and case reports that suggest infliximab increases risk of HZ, whereas adalimumab, etanercept and ustekinumab HZ risk remain controversial. Nevertheless, HZ vaccination should be considered prior to initiation of biological therapy, particularly infliximab.
Influence of the Vertical Position of Maxillary Central Incisors on the Perception of Smile Esthetics Among Orthodontists and Laypersons
Authors: Machado Andre Wilson , McComb Ryan W. , Moon Won , Gandini Luiz Gonzaga
Published: November 2013

Objective

The purpose of this study was to determine the perception of smile esthetics among orthodontists and laypeople with respect to different upper central incisor vertical positions in a frontal smile analysis.

Materials and Methods

A frontal close‐up smile photo of an adult Caucasian woman was selected. The patient had healthy upper anterior dentition and had no history of orthodontic treatment. Images were altered in order to create six different central incisor vertical positions in 0.5‐mm increments. All images were assessed in three different views: full smile, gingival close‐up excluding incisal edges, and incisal close‐up excluding gingival margins. Images were randomly assembled in an album, which was given to 120 judges: 60 orthodontists and 60 laypersons. Each rater was asked to evaluate the attractiveness of the images using the visual analog scale. The data collected were then statistically analyzed.

Results

The highest rated smiles showed two notable characteristics: the central‐to‐lateral incisal step was 1.5 mm; and the central incisor gingival margins matched the laterals, and both were 0.5 mm below the line of the canine gingival margins. The least attractive smile was the one with no step between the centrals and laterals, and with the central incisor gingival margins 1.0 mm above the canine gingival margins.

Conclusion

The results of this study indicate that slightly extruded upper central incisors are more esthetically preferred than intruded.

Clinical Significance

The upper central incisors are the key determinant in evaluating smile esthetics, and thus, the assessment of their ideal vertical positioning is an aspect of paramount importance.
Molecular cloning and immune responsive expression of a ribonuclease III orthologue involved in RNA interference, dicer, in grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella
Authors: Shen X. B. , Xu D. , Li J. L. , Lu L. Q.
Published: November 2013

In this study, the dicer gene (designated as cidicer) was identified and characterized from grass carp Ctenopharyngodon idella. The complementary DNA (cDNA) of cidicer contained an open reading frame (ORF) of 5646 nucleotides (nts) encoding a putative protein of 1881 amino acids (aa). The deduced Dicer protein contained all known functional domains identified in other organisms. Tissue tropism analysis indicated that cidicer is abundantly expressed in brain, gill, head kidney, liver, spleen, heart, muscle and intestine. In the C. idella kidney (CIK) cells, messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of cidicer was significantly up‐regulated at 24 h (6·36‐fold, P < 0·01) after grass carp reovirus (GCRV) infection, and its transcriptional expression level was also transiently induced to a high level (6·54‐fold, P < 0·01) at 2 h post‐stimulation of synthetic double‐stranded polyinosinic‐polycytidylic potassium salt [poly(I:C)]. In vivo analysis further showed that the expression of cidicer mRNA in the liver was induced to a significantly high level at 12 h (8·46‐fold, P < 0·01), and then dropped to normal level at 72 h post‐challenge with GCRV. The transcriptional expression pattern of cidicer in the spleen tissue was similar to that of liver tissue upon GCRV challenge. These results collectively implied that the identified cidicer was an inducible gene responding to viral infection both in vitro and in vivo, and the data would shed light on the interaction between RNA interference (RNAi) antiviral pathway and aquareovirus infection.
Reduction in antipredator response detected between first and second generations of endangered juvenile Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in a captive breeding and rearing programme
Authors: de Mestral L. G. , Herbinger C. M.
Published: November 2013

Behaviour trials determining antipredator response were conducted on first and second generation juveniles from a captive breeding and rearing programme for endangered Inner Bay of Fundy Atlantic salmon Salmo salar. Second generation captive fry displayed significantly higher levels of risk‐taking behaviour before and after exposure to a simulated avian predator. Because the first and second generation fry were reared under the same environmental conditions and differed only in the number of generations spent in captivity, these results suggest that rapid genetic changes, possibly due to domestication selection, may have occurred. Antipredator response was also assessed in fully wild and highly domesticated experimental groups: wild fry displayed the greatest antipredator response and domesticated fry displayed the highest levels of risk‐taking behaviour. These results add to the growing evidence documenting rapid genetic change in response to rearing in a captive environment.
High dietary arachidonic acid levels affect the process of eye migration and head shape in pseudoalbino Senegalese sole Solea senegalensis early juveniles
Authors: Boglino A. , Wishkerman A. , Darias M. J. , Andree K. B. , de la Iglesia P. , Estévez A. , Gisbert E.
Published: November 2013

The effect of high dietary levels of arachidonic acid (ARA) on the eye migration and cranial bone remodelling processes in Senegalese sole Solea senegalensis early juveniles (age: 50 days post hatch) was evaluated by means of geometric morphometric analysis and alizarin red staining of cranial skeletal elements. The incidence of normally pigmented fish fed the control diet was 99·1 ± 0·3% (mean ± s.e.), whereas it was only 18·7 ± 7·5% for those fed high levels of ARA (ARA‐H). The frequency of cranial deformities was significantly higher in fish fed ARA‐H (95·1 ± 1·5%) than in those fed the control diet (1·9 ± 1·9%). Cranial deformities were significantly and negatively correlated with the incidence of normally pigmented animals (r2 = −0·88, P < 0·001, n = 16). Thus, fish displaying pigmentary disorders differed in the position of their eyes with regard to the vertebral column and mouth axes, and by the interocular distance and head height, which were shorter than in fish not displaying pigmentary disorders. In addition to changes in the positioning of both eyes, pseudoalbino fish showed some ARA‐induced osteological differences for some of the skeletal elements from the splanchnocranium (e.g. right premaxillary, dentary, angular, lacrimal, ceratohyal and branchiostegal rays) and neurocranium (e.g. sphenotic, left lateral ethmoid and left frontal) by comparison to normally pigmented specimens. Pseudoalbino fish also had teeth in both lower and upper jaws. This is the first study in Pleuronectiformes that describes impaired metamorphic relocation of the ocular side eye, the right eye in the case of S. senegalensis, whereas the left eye migrated into the ocular side almost normally.
Incomplete behavioural isolation and asymmetric female preference in darter sister species (Percidae: Etheostoma)
Authors: Martin M. D. , Mendelson T. C.
Published: November 2013

In this study, female preferences and behavioural isolation were estimated in a pair of allopatric sister species, Etheostoma duryi and Etheostoma flavum. Dichotomous mate preference trials were conducted to determine whether females prefer to associate with conspecific over heterospecific males and free‐spawning assays were conducted to determine whether those preferences translated into behavioural isolation. Dichotomous mate choice trials revealed asymmetric female preference, as female E. flavum preferred conspecific males, whereas female E. duryi showed no preference. Free‐spawning assays indicated that behavioural isolation remains incomplete between E. duryi and E. flavum (IB = 0·19). In addition to female mating preferences, male behaviour also appeared to influence mating outcomes as male E. flavum consistently courted conspecific females more often in free‐spawning assays whereas male E. duryi did not. The data therefore suggest that despite marked divergence in male nuptial colour, divergence in female preferences between these species may not be sufficient to maintain species boundaries upon secondary contact. These results contrast with similar work in a sympatric darter species pair and may be explained by considering the contributions of reinforcement and differences in colour pattern as well as colour value.
Taking the Long Way Home: U.S. Tax Evasion and Offshore Investments in U.S. Equity and Debt Markets
Authors: HANLON MICHELLE , MAYDEW EDWARD L. , THORNOCK JACOB R.
Published: November 2013

We empirically investigate one form of illegal investor‐level tax evasion and its effect on foreign portfolio investment. In particular, we examine a form of round‐tripping tax evasion in which U.S. individuals hide funds in entities located in offshore tax havens and then invest those funds in U.S. securities markets. Employing Becker's () economic theory of crime, we identify the tax evasion component by examining how foreign portfolio investment varies with changes in the incentives to evade and the risks of detection. To our knowledge, this is the first empirical evidence of investor‐level tax evasion affecting cross‐border equity and debt investment.
Collaborative Prototyping: Cross‐Fertilization of Knowledge in Prototype‐Driven Problem Solving
Authors: Bogers Marcel , Horst Willem
Published: November 2013

This paper presents an inductive study that shows how collaborative prototyping across functional, hierarchical, and organizational boundaries can improve the overall prototyping process. Our combined action research and case study approach provides new insights into how collaborative prototyping can provide a platform for prototype‐driven problem solving in early new product development (NPD). Our findings have important implications for how to facilitate multistakeholder collaboration in prototyping and problem solving, and more generally for how to organize collaborative and open innovation processes.

Our analysis reveals two levels of prototyping. Besides the more formal managerial level, we identify the informal designer level, where the actual practice of prototyping takes place. On this level, collaborative prototyping transforms the act of prototyping from an activity belonging exclusively to the domain of design engineers to an activity integral to NPD, with participants from within the organization (different functions and managers) and from outside (consultants and users). In effect, this collapses the discrete steps in the prototyping process (at the managerial level) to an essentially continuous process of iterative problem solving (at the designer level) that is centered around the collaborative prototype, which allows participants to see their suggestions implemented and exposing them to the design constraints.

The study, moreover, shows how, at various stages of the prototyping process, the actual prototype was used as a tool for communication or development, thus serving as a platform for the cross‐fertilization of knowledge. In this way, collaborative prototyping leads to a better balance between functionality and usability; it translates usability problems into design changes, and it detects emerging usability problems through active engagement and experimentation. As such, the collaborative prototype acts as a boundary object to represent, understand, and transform knowledge across functional, hierarchical, and organizational boundaries.

Our study also identifies some constraints in involving the appropriate stakeholders at the right time. The paper specifically elaborates on the role of users in collaborative prototyping, which is important in order to cover all phases of the problem‐solving cycle but triggers an interesting challenge due to the “reverse empathy” that a user may develop for the design constraints—parallel to the designer empathy for the user context. Finally, our study shows that despite the continuous nature of the (designer) practice of prototyping, there are certain windows of opportunities (at the managerial level) during which the collaborative prototyping approach actually leads to changes in the product design.
Subjective Distance and Team Collaboration in Distributed Teams
Authors: Siebdrat Frank , Hoegl Martin , Ernst Holger
Published: November 2013

This paper challenges the conventional wisdom that objective distance between team members (e.g., measured in miles) translates directly and fully into subjective distance (i.e., a team's perception of distance between its members). Drawing on social information processing theory, we argue that the level of subjective distance is likely to predict important team outcomes better than the level of objective distance. Using responses from 678 team leaders and team members pertaining to 161 new product development projects in the software industry, our results show that the subjective perception of distance is affected rather by team members' national diversity than their physical distance. We also find that subjective distance has a significant impact on team collaboration, while objective distance measures, however, have no impact on team collaboration. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.
Temporal association between sleep apnea–hypopnea and sleep bruxism events
Authors: Saito Miku , Yamaguchi Taihiko , Mikami Saki , Watanabe Kazuhiko , Gotouda Akihito , Okada Kazuki , Hishikawa Ryuki , Shibuya Eiji , Lavigne Gilles
Published: November 2013

There is some evidence suggesting that obstructive sleep apnea–hypopnea syndrome is concomitant with sleep bruxism. The aim of this study was to investigate the temporal association between sleep apnea–hypopnea events and sleep bruxism events. In an open observational study, data were gathered from 10 male subjects with confirmed obstructive sleep apnea–hypopnea syndrome and concomitant sleep bruxism. Polysomnography and audio‐video recordings were performed for 1 night in a sleep laboratory. Breathing, brain, heart and masticatory muscle activity signals were analysed to quantify sleep and sleep stage duration, and number and temporal distribution of apnea–hypopnea events and sleep bruxism events. Apnea–hypopnea events were collected within a 5‐min time window before and after sleep bruxism events, with the sleep bruxism events as the pivotal reference point. Two temporal patterns were analysed: (i) the interval between apnea–hypopnea events termination and sleep bruxism events onset, called T1; and (ii) the interval between sleep bruxism events termination and apnea–hypopnea events onset, called T2. Of the intervals between sleep bruxism events and the nearest apnea–hypopnea event, 80.5% were scored within 5 min. Most intervals were distributed within a period of <30 s, with peak at 0–10 s. The T1 interval had a mean length of 33.4 s and was significantly shorter than the T2 interval (64.0 s; P < 0.05). Significantly more sleep bruxism events were scored in association with the T1 than the T2 pattern (P < 0.05). Thus, in patients with concomitant obstructive sleep apnea–hypopnea syndrome and sleep bruxism, most sleep bruxism events occurred after sleep apnea–hypopnea events, suggesting that sleep bruxism events occurring close to sleep apnea–hypopnea events is a secondary form of sleep bruxism.
Ecocriticism
Authors: Marland Pippa
Published: November 2013

In the last 20 years, ecocriticism has developed from its early incarnation as the relatively under‐theorised preserve of nature writing enthusiasts to its current vibrant state as a sophisticated array of ‘earth‐centred’ approaches to cultural criticism that mobilise and reframe theories drawn from a range of disciplines including ecology, philosophy, sociology and biology. Ecocriticism's diversity also extends to engaging with a variety of literary forms as well as, increasingly, film, TV, digital environments and music, and to an interest in representations of the urban. At its heart is the conviction both that we are living in a time of ecological crisis that requires us to reassess with some urgency our modes of being in the world and that our cultural perceptions of ‘nature’ and the ‘human’, and the relationship between the two, have to a large degree been responsible for these damaging modes of being. Its role is to interrogate and critique these perceptions, even within environmentalism itself, with some ecocritics also committed to exploring alternative ways of conceptualising our relationship with the non‐human world. This paper briefly traces the history of ecocriticism, discussing its initial development in the USA and Britain, outlining the two strands of social ecology and deep ecology that underpin its ongoing formulation, and tracing the ‘waves’ of its development. It then focuses on contemporary and emergent theorisations, in particular the global inflection of current post‐colonial ecocriticism and the environmental justice movement, which introduces the new paradigm of eco‐cosmopolitics, and the recent formulation of ecocritical post‐humanism. This emphasises the imbrication of the human in earth's matrix, drawing on the insights of ecofeminism, phenomenology and biosemiotics, and has its most recent incarnation in the currently emerging field of material ecocriticism, which, in its engagement with the complex entanglement of the human and the non‐human, the social and the scientific, hints at a more dissonant paradigm.
Association of transforming growth factor‐β1 T869C gene polymorphism with diabetic nephropathy risk
Authors: Zhou Tian‐Biao , Jiang Zong‐Pei , Qin Yuan‐Han , Drummen Gregor PC
Published: November 2013

Aim

A possible association between the transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1) T869C gene polymorphism and the risk of developing diabetic nephropathy (DN) remains unclear. This investigation was performed to assess if an association between the TGF‐β1 T869C gene polymorphism and DN risk exists by using meta‐analysis to combine comparable studies, thereby increasing sample size and statistical significance, and to identify patterns in various studies.

Methods

The association reports were identified from PubMed, Cochrane Library, and CBM‐disc (China Biological Medicine Database) on 1 May 2013, and eligible studies were recruited and synthesized.

Results

Fifty reports were recruited into this meta‐analysis for the association of the TGF‐β1 T869C gene polymorphism with DN risk. The TT genotype in the overall population was shown to be associated with DN risk (odds ratio (OR) = 0.74, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.56–0.98, P = 0.04). In the sub‐group analysis, CC genotype was associated with DN risk in Asians, Caucasians, and Africans. However, the sample size for Caucasians and Africans was relatively small. Furthermore, T allele was distinctly associated with the risk of developing DN in the Asian population (OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.62–0.92, P = 0.005).

Conclusions

The TT genotype of TGF‐β1 T869C in the overall population was associated with DN risk, whereas the CC genotype and T allele were distinctly associated with DN risk in the Asian population. Nonetheless, additional studies are required to firmly establish a correlation between the aforementioned polymorphism and DN risk.
Ten Reasons to Care About the Sleeping Beauty Problem
Authors: Titelbaum Michael G.
Published: November 2013

The Sleeping Beauty Problem attracts so much attention because it connects to a wide variety of unresolved issues in formal epistemology, decision theory, and the philosophy of science. The problem raises unanswered questions concerning relative frequencies, objective chances, the relation between self‐locating and non‐self‐locating information, the relation between self‐location and updating, Dutch Books, accuracy arguments, memory loss, indifference principles, the existence of multiple universes, and many‐worlds interpretations of quantum mechanics. After stating the problem, this article surveys its connections to all of these areas.