bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Fractional ablative and nonablative radiofrequency for skin resurfacing and rejuvenation of Thai patients
Authors: Thanasarnaksorn Wilai , Siramangkhalanon Vorapot , Duncan Diane Irvine , Belenky Inna
Published: August 2017

Background

Fractional radiofrequency (RF) technology is often the preferable skin resurfacing treatment, especially among Asian patients. Second generation fractional RF technology has exclusive capability to produce separate biological responses (ablation, coagulation, or a combination of both) with 3 distinguished penetration depth programs.

Aims

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a fractional RF handpiece such as this, on the Thai population.

Methods

Fifty‐five Thai patients were treated with a fractional RF handpiece. The clinical assessment included a pain score, satisfaction survey, physician assessment, a combined patient and physician's assessment of skin condition, and clinical photographic assessments. The wound healing response was evaluated according to 5‐time points: immediately after applying a pulse, post 24 hours, post 7 days, post 1 month and post 8 weeks.

Results

The obtained patient satisfaction score was “very satisfied” among 74% of the patients, post 3 sessions. Positive correlation was found between patient satisfaction and the physician's assessment. The skin condition assessment showed an increase from an average of 4.2 to 7.9. All treated symptoms improved after each treatment and the clinical outcome lasted at least up to 3–5 months. No significant adverse events were recorded. The in vivo prospective study showed a dose‐related response in the deepness of the coagulation injury. In addition, there was evidence for a progressive healing process beginning shortly after exposure and completed within a week.

Conclusions

This study clinically and histologically supports the efficacy of fractional RF handpiece in question with a high safety profile.
Hip fracture risk and safety with alendronate treatment in the oldest‐old
Authors: Axelsson K. F. , Wallander M. , Johansson H. , Lundh D. , Lorentzon M.
Published: August 2017

Background

There is high evidence for secondary prevention of fractures, including hip fracture, with alendronate treatment, but alendronate's efficacy to prevent hip fractures in the oldest‐old (≥80 years old), the population with the highest fracture risk, has not been studied.

Objective

To investigate whether alendronate treatment amongst the oldest‐old with prior fracture was related to decreased hip fracture rate and sustained safety.

Methods

Using a national database of men and women undergoing a fall risk assessment at a Swedish healthcare facility, we identified 90 795 patients who were 80 years or older and had a prior fracture. Propensity score matching (four to one) was then used to identify 7844 controls to 1961 alendronate‐treated patients. The risk of incident hip fracture was investigated with Cox models and the interaction between age and treatment was investigated using an interaction term.

Results

The case and control groups were well balanced in regard to age, sex, anthropometrics and comorbidity. Alendronate treatment was associated with a decreased risk of hip fracture in crude (hazard ratio (HR) 0.62 (0.49–0.79), P < 0.001) and multivariable models (HR 0.66 (0.51–0.86), P < 0.01). Alendronate was related to reduced mortality risk (HR 0.88 (0.82–0.95) but increased risk of mild upper gastrointestinal symptoms (UGI) (HR 1.58 (1.12–2.24). The alendronate association did not change with age for hip fractures or mild UGI.

Conclusion

In old patients with prior fracture, alendronate treatment reduces the risk of hip fracture with sustained safety, indicating that this treatment should be considered in these high‐risk patients.
Isolation and identification of pathogenic fungi causing postharvest fruit rot of kiwifruit (Actinidia chinensis) in China
Authors: Li Li , Pan Hui , Chen Meiyan , Zhang Shengju , Zhong Caihong
Published: August 2017

Kiwifruit is a very important commercial crop in China, which is the largest producer of the fruit in the world. The rapid expansion of areas of kiwifruit cultivation has resulted in the spread of postharvest rot diseases. To clarify the pathogens causing kiwifruit postharvest rots in China, 76 pure strains were isolated from 138 rotten fruits during the shelf‐life period, with fruit collected from the 11 main regions of kiwifruit cultivation (Shaanxi, Sichuan, Henan, Guizhou, Hubei, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan, Fujian, Zhejiang and Jiangsu provinces) during 2014–2015. By examining the morphological and microscopic characteristics together with the results of pathogenicity testing and ITS (internal transcribed spacer) sequencing, four species were identified as the main pathogens causing kiwifruit postharvest rots in China. They were Phomopsis sp., Botryosphaeria dothidea, Alternaria alternata and Pestalotiopsis microspora, with identification rates of 52.6%, 23.7%, 13.2% and 10.5%, respectively. All isolates inoculated on wounded fruit were pathogenic but non‐pathogenic when peels were unwounded except B. dothidea. These findings have important implications for resistance breeding and control of kiwifruit postharvest rots in China.
Trends and racial/ethnic disparities in antibiotic prescribing practices of dentists in the United States
Authors: Okunseri Christopher , Zheng Cheng , Steinmetz Cory Neil , Okunseri Elaye , Szabo Aniko
Published: August 2017

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine trends and racial/ethnic disparities in antibiotic prescribing practices of dentists in the United States.

Methods

The US Medical Expenditure Panel Survey data for 1996‐2013 was analyzed. Information on patient sociodemographic characteristics, dental visits, receipt of dental procedures, and type of antibiotics prescribed following visits was obtained. Descriptive statistics were calculated separately for each year. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to identify associations during the period with and without adjustment for dental procedures and sociodemographic characteristics. Survey weights were incorporated to handle the sampling design.

Results

Nationally, the number of antibiotic prescribed at dental visits was estimated to be higher by 842,749 (0.4 percent) at year 2013 compared to the prescription level at 2003 were the population sociodemographic distribution kept at 2013 level. On average, the odds of prescribing antibiotics following dental care increased with each decade of study (OR: 1.10; 95% CI: [1.04, 1.17]) after adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics and receipt of dental procedures. Compared to Whites, Blacks had 21 percent (95% CI: 11%, 31%) higher odds of receiving a prescription for antibiotics from a dentist after adjusting for dental procedure and other sociodemographic characteristics.

Conclusions

The prescription of antibiotics following dental visits increased over time after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics and dental procedure. The probability of being prescribed antibiotics by dentists was higher for Blacks compared to Whites.
Trajectories of serum hepatitis B surface antigen kinetics in patients with chronic hepatitis B receiving long‐term nucleos(t)ide analogue therapy
Authors: Hsu Wei‐Fan , Chen Chuen‐Fei , Lai Hsueh‐Chou , Su Wen‐Pang , Lin Chia‐Hsin , Chuang Po‐Heng , Chen Sheng‐Hung , Chen Ching‐Hsiang , Wang Hung‐Wei , Huang Guan‐Tarn , Peng Cheng‐Yuan
Published: August 2017

Background & Aims

The kinetics of serum hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) levels during long‐term nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA) therapy in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients remains unclear. We investigated the patterns of serum HBsAg kinetics and their association with therapeutic outcomes in genotype B‐ or C‐infected CHB patients receiving long‐term NA therapy.

Methods

We enrolled 329 treatment‐naive CHB patients receiving NA therapy for >5 years to analyse the kinetic patterns by using group‐based trajectory models (GBTMs).

Results

Most patients (82.4%) received entecavir therapy. The median treatment duration was 83.6 (68.5‐89.7) months. The GBTMs revealed three groups for both the hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐positive and ‐negative patients. The median annual decline in serum HBsAg levels during the first 5 years was significantly higher in Group 1 than in Groups 2 and 3 in HBeAg‐positive (0.78 vs 0.10 vs 0.10 log10IU/mL) and HBeAg‐negative (0.71 vs 0.08 vs 0.09 log10IU/mL) patients. HBsAg levels at the baseline and 12 months combined with an HBsAg decline from the baseline to 12 months of treatment predicted trajectory pattern 1 in HBeAg‐positive (sensitivity, 77.8%; specificity, 99.1%; positive predictive value [PPV], 87.5%; and negative predictive value [NPV], 98.2%) and HBeAg‐negative (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 99.5%; PPV, 88.9%; and NPV, 100%) patients. The trajectory patterns were significantly associated with HBeAg loss in the HBeAg‐positive patients and the achievement of HBsAg <100 IU/mL or HBsAg loss in HBeAg‐positive and HBeAg‐negative patients.

Conclusions

The trajectory of serum HBsAg levels predicts HBsAg loss in CHB patients receiving long‐term NA therapy.
Self‐consciousness/awareness and bladder sensations: Comparative study of overactive bladder patients and healthy volunteers
Authors: Vrijens Desiree , Marcelissen Tom , Drossaerts Jamie , Heeringa Rhea , Degaillier Sam , Leue Carsten , van Koeveringe Gommert
Published: August 2017

Objectives

To explore differences in bladder sensations between patients with overactive bladder (OAB) and healthy volunteers by evaluating self‐consciousness, self‐awareness and affective complaints.

Methods

A prospective, observational study was performed comparing patients with OAB symptoms and healthy volunteers. During 3 days subjects filled out sensation‐related bladder diaries (SR‐BD), Self‐Consciousness Questionnaires (SCS), Self‐Awareness Questionnaire (SSAS) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The SSAS was filled out at the second void of the first day.

Results

In total, 134 participants were included (66 volunteers and 68 patients). Patients had lower voided volumes (193 vs 270 mL, P < 0.05), higher urinary frequency (10.6 vs 6.6, P < 0.05) and higher urgency scores (2.0 vs 1.2, P < 0.05) than volunteers, while perceived bladder fullness was similar. The SCS scores were similar, but the SSAS score was significantly higher for OAB patients (53.6 vs 44.6, P < 0.05). OAB Patients had significantly higher scores for anxiety and depression according to the HADS.

Conclusions

There were significant differences in SR‐BD between volunteers and OAB patients. OAB patients had significantly higher self‐awareness than volunteers, indicating that OAB patients may attribute different values to body signals. Future research is required to elaborate our knowledge on the perceived sensations and labeling of emotions in OAB.
Language Learning Motivation in the United States: An Examination of Language Choice and Multilingualism
Authors: THOMPSON AMY S.
Published: August 2017

With the L2 Motivational Self System (L2MSS) as a framework, this study is an investigation of the relationships among motivation, language choice, and multilingualism using data from 195 undergraduate learners of languages other than English (LOTEs) in the context of the United States. Motivation is operationalized by the three aspects of self (ideal, ought‐to, and anti‐ought‐to). Multilingualism is operationalized in two ways: previous language experience and Perceived Positive Language Interaction (PPLI), the latter being an emic perspective of multilingualism for which learners can only be considered to be multilingual if they can articulate positive interactions between foreign languages studied. A variety of analyses were used to answer questions relating to motivational group differences and language choice, the potential predictive nature of motivation in terms of language choice, group differences of motivational profiles between bi‐ and multilingual students for both operationalizations of multilingualism, and the person‐specific versus language‐specific nature of the three aspects of self. As most of the work on language learning motivation has been done with English language learners (ELLs), the results of this study with these LOTE learners are contextualized in terms of previous results with ELLs.
Frequency of MYD88 and CD79B mutations, and MGMT methylation in primary central nervous system diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma
Authors: Zheng Mei , Perry Anamarija M. , Bierman Philip , Loberiza Fausto , Nasr Michel R. , Szwajcer David , Del Bigio Marc R. , Smith Lynette M. , Zhang Weiwei , Greiner Timothy C.
Published: August 2017

Primary CNS diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (PCNS‐DLBCL) and systemic DLBCL harbor mutations in MYD88 and CD79B. DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) is methylated in some DLBCL. Our goal was to investigate the frequencies of these events, which have not been previously reported within the same series of patients with PCNS‐DLBCL. Fifty‐four cases of PCNS‐DLBCL from two institutions were analyzed by Sanger sequencing for MYD88 and CD79B, and pyrosequencing for MGMT. MYD88 mutations were identified in 68.8% (35 of 51 cases), with L265P being the most frequent mutation. Mutations other than L265P were identified in 21.6% of cases, of which eight novel MYD88 mutations were identified. Of mutated cases, 17.6% had homozygous/hemizygous MYD88 mutations, which has not been previously reported in PCNS‐DLBCL. CD79B mutations were found in six of 19 cases (31.6%), all in the Y196 mutation hotspot. MGMT methylation was observed in 37% (20 of 54 cases). There was no significant difference in median overall survival (OS) between the wild type and mutated MYD88 cases, or between methylated and unmethylated MGMT cases. However, a significant difference (P = 0.028) was noted in median OS between the wild type and mutated CD79B cases.
Plant size: a key determinant of diversification?
Authors: Boucher Florian C. , Verboom G. Anthony , Musker Seth , Ellis Allan G.
Published: August 2017

Explaining the variation in diversification rate across groups of plants has long been an important goal of botanists. In plants, complex scenarios involving a combination of extrinsic opportunities and intrinsic traits have been used to explain rapid diversification in certain groups. However, we feel that a very simple trait has been neglected from theories of plant diversification, namely plant height. Here, we argue that decreasing plant size should generally lead to an increase in speciation rate and a decrease in extinction rate. Theory suggests that all population genetic processes involved in speciation are influenced by plant size and its correlates, including seed dispersal distance, population size, generation time and the spatial scale at which plants perceive environmental heterogeneity. In addition, several of these variables, notably population size, also influence rates of extinction. We support our arguments with an empirical analysis showing that plant height is indeed negatively correlated with net diversification rate across families of angiosperms. Finally, we outline how the finer aspects of our hypothesis could be tested, at both micro‐ and macroevolutionary scales. In addition to strengthening our understanding of the effect of plant size on evolutionary processes, such a research agenda should contribute novel insights to speciation theory in general.
Learning from the experts: drought resistance in desert plants
Authors: Hõrak Hanna
Published: August 2017

This article is a Commentary on Müller et al., 216: 150–162.
The Kok effect in Vicia faba cannot be explained solely by changes in chloroplastic CO2 concentration
Authors: Buckley Thomas N. , Vice Heather , Adams Mark A.
Published: August 2017

The Kok effect – an abrupt decline in quantum yield (QY) of net CO2 assimilation at low photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) – is widely used to estimate respiration in the light (R), which assumes the effect is caused by light suppression of R. A recent report suggested much of the Kok effect can be explained by declining chloroplastic CO2 concentration (cc) at low PPFD. Several predictions arise from the hypothesis that the Kok effect is caused by declining cc, and we tested these predictions in Vicia faba.

We measured CO2 exchange at low PPFD, in 2% and 21% oxygen, in developing and mature leaves, which differed greatly in R in darkness.

Our results contradicted each of the predictions based on the cc effect: QY exceeded the theoretical maximum value for photosynthetic CO2 uptake; QY was larger in 21% than 2% oxygen; and the change in QY at the Kok effect breakpoint was unaffected by oxygen.

Our results strongly suggest the Kok effect arises largely from a progressive decline in R with PPFD that includes both oxygen‐sensitive and ‐insensitive components. We suggest an improved Kok method that accounts for high cc at low PPFD.
Talking with caregivers of children living in the community with ventricular assist devices
Authors: Petruik Courtney , Mack Cheryl , Conway Jennifer , Buchholz Holger , van Manen Michael
Published: August 2017

AVADis a mechanical pump used to support the functioning of a failing heart. As a pediatric therapy, aVADis used as a temporary solution for poor heart function, a bridge to transplantation or recovery, or a destination therapy. The goal of this qualitative study was to explore the perspectives of family and professional caregivers of children who are supported byVADs in outpatient settings. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 22 caregivers of school‐aged children discharged home onVADsupport. Interviews were transcribed, and data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Caregivers identified issues facing children onVADsupport in the contexts of home, school, and other childhood places including being physically connected to a device; experiencing changes; living a medical life; negotiating restrictions; cost of care; family, kinship, and community; and, present and future living. While a child with aVADmay have much in common with other medically complex children, the technological complications and risks of living with aVADare uniquely identified by caregivers as an issue, especially when considering the way that children with aVADare connected to their device—implanted yet exterior, mobile yet restricted, and autonomous yet dependent.
Networks and Governments
Authors: Agranoff Robert
Published: August 2017

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Comments on Colin Koopman, “Conceptual Analysis for Genealogical Philosophy: How to Study the History of Practices after Foucault and Wittgenstein”
Authors: Zubko James E.
Published: August 2017

This commentary raises a number of questions in connection with Colin Koopman's paper “Conceptual Analysis for Genealogical Philosophy: How to Study the History of Practices after Foucault and Wittgenstein.” Specifically, this commentary asks about the precise relationship between concepts and practices in Koopman's account and the possibility of resisting certain practices of subjectivation.
When is the Time of Revolution? Critical Reflections on Political Insurgency
Authors: Olson Kevin
Published: August 2017

We tend to imagine revolution as a vivid tableau of uprisings and armed conflicts. Much less notice is taken of the complex layers of meaning that shape our understanding of these events: why some are seen as just expressions of a popular will, while others are condemned as wild disruptions of political order. A critical understanding of politics must grapple with these subtle, often unnoticed normative issues. This essay tries to understand some of the processes that create political normativity, investigating the way revolutionary movements use time to endow themselves with normative value. I sketch a genealogy of revolution across three centuries, noting changes in its meaning, observing the rise of discourse as an important mode of revolutionary activity, and tracing a shifting mosaic of temporalities that are politicized in important ways. Time is instrumentalized to justify political insurgency in this history. Time, in short, becomes a tool of revolution.
Foucault and Shakespeare: Ceremony, Theatre, Politics
Authors: Elden Stuart
Published: August 2017

Foucault only refers to Shakespeare in a few places in his work. He is intrigued by the figures of madness that appear in King Lear, Hamlet, and Macbeth. He occasionally notes the overthrow of one monarch by another, such as in Richard II or Richard III, arguing that “a part of Shakespeare's historical drama really is the drama of the coup d’État.” For Foucault, the first are illustrations of the conflict between the individual and the mechanisms of discipline. The second are, however, less interesting than moments when the sovereign is replaced, not with another sovereign, but with a different, more anonymous, form of power. Yet, in his 1976 Collège de France course, Society Must Be Defended, where he treats the theme at most length, he intriguingly suggests that Shakespearean historical tragedy is “at least in terms of one of its axes, a sort of ceremony, or a rememorialization of the problems of public right.” Foucault was long fascinated by the theatre, and especially its relation to political ceremony. Drawing especially on his 1972 lectures in Paris and a related presentation in Minnesota, this paper asks how we might understand the relation between ceremony, theatre, and politics in Foucault and Shakespeare. Many of Shakespeare's plays, both histories and tragedies, thus demonstrate the importance of ritual and ceremony, a political theatre. Examining the disrupted ceremony of King Lear, the repeated ceremony of King John, the denial of ritual in Coriolanus, and the parody of the ceremonial in Henry IV, Part One opens up a range of historical, theoretical, and political questions.
Commentary on Amy Allen's “‘Psychoanalysis and Ethnology Revisited’: Foucault's Historicization of History”
Authors: Wallace Jasmine
Published: August 2017

Responding to the long‐standing debate concerning whether Michel Foucault is a philosopher or a historian, Amy Allen questions the incompatibility that this opposition suggests. Foucault can be considered neither a historian nor a philosopher in isolation. Rather, given his own account of history and critique in his early text, The Order of Things, we should understand Foucault as a philosopher whose critical interventions are historically contingent. This commentary asks about the role of linguistics in critical theory, as it is the third counterscience listed alongside ethnology and psychoanalysis. Does a Foucault‐inspired critical theory privilege the linguistic turn, even above and beyond the critical potential of either psychoanalysis or ethnology? Secondly, this commentary questions the truly critical power of Foucauldian critique in light of a defanged postcolonial theory, which is partially rooted in Foucauldian thought. Specifically, this commentary asks whether Edward Said, a postcolonial theorist explicitly influenced by Foucault, should be considered emblematic of this Foucauldian critique despite Said's complete assimilation into the status quo.
The Genealogy of Abstractive Practices
Authors: Mader Mary Beth
Published: August 2017

Nietzsche and Foucault have given us the idea of conducting a philosophical genealogy of a practice that varies across history. Foucault's work also implies that we can view some abstraction as a practice. These points jointly imply that we can conduct a genealogy of “abstractive practices.” Indeed, a good deal of Foucault's work can be understood as exactly this sort of investigation. But a genealogy of abstractive practice raises a difficult methodological problem. This is the problem of how to determine which definitions of abstraction to use, from amongst the various theoretical accounts of abstraction that we find in the history of thought, to craft our genealogy of abstractive practices. In other words, what will count as an abstractive practice for the purpose of conducting such a genealogy will depend on what we identify as abstraction. This article seeks to expose this problem to demonstrate the methodological difficulties that must be confronted in order to steer a path between ignoring the historical‐epistemological limits to the kinds of abstraction we can employ at any given present, on the one hand, and having our sensitivity to these limits halt our historical‐philosophical reflections on abstraction as a historical practice, on the other.
Abstraction and the Method of Genealogy
Authors: Liz Jordan
Published: August 2017

In “The Genealogy of Abstractive Practices,” Mary Beth Mader addresses a peculiar problem seemingly inherent to Foucauldian genealogy—namely, all genealogies require the use of abstractive practices in order to be conducted; however, abstraction itself, just like the object of genealogy, is historically contingent. How, then, would one conduct a genealogy of abstraction itself? How to conduct, in other words, a genealogy whose object of inquiry is, at the same time, one of its operative tools? This commentary seeks to expand on Mader's analysis by examining its implication for understanding Foucault's methodology in general. That is, if Mader is correct, then it seems that Foucault does not in fact provide a rigid methodology, but rather aims to orient our attention to the contingent and discontinuous nature of history. In doing so, he aims to develop certain sensitivities and attitudes by virtue of which one is able to recognize epistemic ruptures that mark the transition between distinct epistemes.
Response to Ladelle McWhorter, “The Morality of Corporate Persons”
Authors: Brown Shouta
Published: August 2017

In her paper, Ladelle McWhorter offers a genealogical account of the historical entanglement between the concepts of moral and legal personhood, which introduces a new level of complexity to contemporary debates concerning corporate personhood. In this commentary, I discuss the insights of McWhorter's genealogical analysis and pose two sets of questions concerning the ontological status of corporate personhood and the potential practical difficulties surrounding the creation of non‐forensic, corporate entities. Particularly, I emphasize the intimate, historical relationship between legality and corporation, and consider its effects on the ontological and practical possibilities of corporations.
Social Representations, News Exposure, and Knowledge Gaps
Authors: Nir Lilach
Published: August 2017

Objective

Studies show that public service broadcasters narrow knowledge gaps between politically interested and disinterested because such contexts encourage incidental learning. This reasoning, however, fails to explain why gendered knowledge differences persist in environments that equalize learning. Using stereotype threat theory, I argue that news content emits symbolic gender cues that encourage or discourage women to become politically informed.

Methods

Employing European Election Study 2009 voter data (N = 27,000), and multilingual news content analyses from 27 E.U. member states, I test whether more egalitarian representation of women as newsmakers correlates with narrower gaps between men and women.

Results

Aggregate and multilevel models show that greater representation of women as newsmakers correlates with smaller gaps in news exposure and political knowledge. Analyses also consider competing explanations such as women's electoral representation, education, labor force participation, and knowledge item guessing rates.

Conclusion

Findings support the theoretical expectations regarding symbolic cues and knowledge gaps.
The Many Layers of Local: Proximity and Market Influence on News Coverage of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill*
Authors: Turcotte Jason , Kirzinger Ashley , Dunaway Johanna , Goidel Kirby
Published: August 2017

Objective

On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil‐drilling rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in the death of 11 oil rig workers and a sea floor oil gusher releasing over 4.9 million barrels of oil into the Gulf. The objective in this article is to shed light on the local media environment surrounding the spill, comparing local television news coverage among the five states most directly affected by the disaster.

Method

In our method, we conduct a content analysis of news coverage in various Gulf media markets.

Result

In line with previous research, our results indicate that proximity matters in terms of story volume, prominence, and tone; our results also contribute to the literature by demonstrating significant variation across Gulf markets depending on local economic considerations.

Conclusion

We contend this finding is important given how frames in coverage of disasters influence public opinion, political behavior, and the degree to which citizens are able to hold governments accountable.
Are Media at Work in Your Neighborhood? The Effects of Media Freedom, Internet Access, and Information Spillover on Workers’ Rights
Authors: McKallagat Christopher , Souza Flávio D. S. , Whitten‐Woodring Jenifer , Wimpy Cameron
Published: August 2017

Objectives

In this study, we focus on how access to information empowers workers and pressures government and firms to improve labor conditions.

Methods

We consider the effects of two critical mechanisms supporting both information access and flow across borders (i.e., media freedom and Internet usage) on workers’ rights across countries and over time using spatial models.

Results

The findings overall indicate that there is a spatial component associated with the degree of workers’ rights in a given country. Further analysis reveals that this is due—at least in part—to the level of media freedom and information flow across borders.

Conclusion

We find support for the theorized notion that the ability of workers to secure and exercise their rights to collective bargaining and freedom of association in the workplace depends on workers’ awareness of labor conditions and the potential for improvement.
Friendship, Value and Interpretation
Authors: Löschke Jörg
Published: August 2017

A widely held view concerning the justification of associative duties is the so‐called relationships view, according to which associative duties within personal relationships arise because of the value of those relationships. Against this view, it has been argued that there can be cases of undemanding friendships, that is, genuine friendships with no associative duties. In this article, I argue that undemanding friendships do not show that associative duties are not grounded in the value of the relationship that gives rise to them by providing an interpretivist account of the normativity of friendships. I argue that friendships are complex values that need to be interpreted in order to determine which response to them would be appropriate, and that understanding one's friendship as undemanding is one valid interpretation of the value of friendship. Subsequently, I demonstrate that this solution is not ad hoc, because friendship is not the only complex value that needs to be interpreted.
MAPK kinase 10.2 promotes disease resistance and drought tolerance by activating different MAPKs in rice
Authors: Ma Haigang , Chen Jie , Zhang Zhenzhen , Ma Ling , Yang Zeyu , Zhang Qinglu , Li Xianghua , Xiao Jinghua , Wang Shiping
Published: August 2017

Mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) cascades, with each cascade consisting of a MAPK kinase kinase (MAPKKK), a MAPK kinase (MAPKK) and a MAPK, have important roles in different biological processes. However, the signal transduction in rice MAPK cascades remains to be elucidated. We show that the structural non‐canonical MAPKK, MPKK10.2, enhances rice resistance to Xanthomonas oryzae pv. oryzicola (Xoc), which causes bacterial streak disease, and increases rice tolerance to drought stress by phosphorylating and activating two MAPKs, MPK6 and MPK3, respectively. MPKK10.2‐overexpressing (oe) plants showed enhanced resistance to both Xoc and drought, whereas MPKK10.2‐RNA interference (RNAi) plants had increased sensitivity to both Xoc and drought. MPKK10.2 physically interacted with MPK6 and MPK3, and phosphorylated the two MAPKs in vivo. Transcriptionally modulating MPKK10.2 influenced MPK6 phosphorylation during rice‐Xoc interaction, and MPKK10.2‐oe/MPK6‐RNAi double mutants showed increased sensitivity to Xoc. MPKK10.2‐oe/MPK3‐RNAi double mutants showed survival rates similar to those of control plants, although the survival rates of MPKK10.2 transgenic plants changed after drought stress. These results suggest that MPKK10.2 is a node involved in rice response to biotic and abiotic responses by functioning in the cross‐point of two MAPK cascades leading to Xoc resistance and drought tolerance.
Evolutionary modes of emergence of short interspersed nuclear element (SINE) families in grasses
Authors: Kögler Anja , Schmidt Thomas , Wenke Torsten
Published: August 2017

Short interspersed nuclear elements (SINEs) are non‐autonomous transposable elements which are propagated by retrotransposition and constitute an inherent part of the genome of most eukaryotic species. Knowledge of heterogeneous and highly abundant SINEs is crucial for de novo (or improvement of) annotation of whole genome sequences. We scanned Poaceae genome sequences of six important cereals (Oryza sativa, Triticum aestivum, Hordeum vulgare, Panicum virgatum, Sorghum bicolor, Zea mays) and Brachypodium distachyon to examine the diversity and evolution of SINE populations. We comparatively analyzed the structural features, distribution, evolutionary relation and abundance of 32 SINE families and subfamilies within grasses, comprising 11 052 individual copies. The investigation of activity profiles within the Poaceae provides insights into their species‐specific diversification and amplification. We found that Poaceae SINEs (PoaS) fall into two length categories: simple SINEs of up to 180 bp and dimeric SINEs larger than 240 bp. Detailed analysis at the nucleotide level revealed that multimerization of related and unrelated SINE copies is an important evolutionary mechanism of SINE formation. We conclude that PoaS families diversify by massive reshuffling between SINE families, likely caused by insertion of truncated copies, and provide a model for this evolutionary scenario. Twenty‐eight of 32 PoaS families and subfamilies show significant conservation, in particular either in the 5′ or 3′ regions, across Poaceae species and share large sequence stretches with one or more other PoaS families.
Monetary Approach to the Balance of Payments: A Moroccan Case Study
Authors: Elhaddadi Mariam , Karim Mohamed
Published: August 2017

The IMF has always promoted the theories of external adjustment. These theories were inspired by the work of J.Polak who first came up with the Monetary Approach to the Balance of Payments in 1957. In this approach, the balance of payments imbalances are related to excess: the model allows calculating a compatible amount of credit with a fixed target of external reserves. It is based on two assumptions: the constant money demand related to the income and the exogenous nature of the money supply resulting to an autonomous decision of the monetary authorities which fixes the internal component of currency level. An external imbalance is therefore only the symptom of a deeper evil, of monetary origin.In this paper, the Polak model will be applied on the variables of the Moroccan economy and study the results generated from the adjustment through the monetary balance of payments approach on its deficit.
Kalman Filter and Its Modern Extensions for the Continuous-Time Nonlinear Filtering Problem
Authors: Taghvaei Amirhossein , de Wiljes Jana , Mehta Prashant G. , Reich Sebastian
Published: August 2017

This paper is concerned with the filtering problem in continuous time. Three algorithmic solution approaches for this problem are reviewed: (i) the classical Kalman–Bucy filter, which provides an exact solution for the linear Gaussian problem; (ii) the ensemble Kalman–Bucy filter (EnKBF), which is an approximate filter and represents an extension of the Kalman–Bucy filter to nonlinear problems; and (iii) the feedback particle filter (FPF), which represents an extension of the EnKBF and furthermore provides for a consistent solution in the general nonlinear, non-Gaussian case. The common feature of the three algorithms is the gain times error formula to implement the update step (to account for conditioning due to the observations) in the filter. In contrast to the commonly used sequential Monte Carlo methods, the EnKBF and FPF avoid the resampling of the particles in the importance sampling update step. Moreover, the feedback control structure provides for error correction potentially leading to smaller simulation variance and improved stability properties. The paper also discusses the issue of nonuniqueness of the filter update formula and formulates a novel approximation algorithm based on ideas from optimal transport and coupling of measures. Performance of this and other algorithms is illustrated for a numerical example.
Imitation of Demonstrations Using Bayesian Filtering With Nonparametric Data-Driven Models
Authors: Virani Nurali , Jha Devesh K. , Yuan Zhenyuan , Shekhawat Ishana , Ray Asok
Published: August 2017

This paper addresses the problem of learning dynamic models of hybrid systems from demonstrations and then the problem of imitation of those demonstrations by using Bayesian filtering. A linear programming-based approach is used to develop nonparametric kernel-based conditional density estimation technique to infer accurate and concise dynamic models of system evolution from data. The training data for these models have been acquired from demonstrations by teleoperation. The trained data-driven models for mode-dependent state evolution and state-dependent mode evolution are then used online for imitation of demonstrated tasks via particle filtering. The results of simulation and experimental validation with a hexapod robot are reported to establish generalization of the proposed learning and control algorithms.
Functional and numerical responses of Amblydromalus limonicus and Neoseiulus cucumeris to eggs and first instar nymph of tomato/potato psyllid (Bactericera cockerelli)
Authors: Patel Kajal , Zhang Zhi-Qiang
Published: August 2017

The tomato/potato psyllid (TPP), Bactericera cockerelli, is a serious pest of some agricultural and ornamental plants, especially of the Solanaceae family. It has been an invasive species in New Zealand since 2006, heavily impacting the potato and tomato industry. The functional and numerical responses of the phytoseiid predators Amblydromalus limonicus and Neoseiulus cucumeris were examined by offering a range of prey densities (two, four, eight, 12, 16, 20, 24 and 28 TPP eggs or 1st instar nymphs) and compared on a capsicum leaf disc under 25 ± 1ºC, 85% ± 5% RH and a 14:10 h light: dark (L:D) photoperiod. Both species displayed a type 2 functional response when fed on eggs or 1st instar nymphs of TPP, indicating an increase in the number of prey killed with an increase in prey population density. The results were analysed by using a logistic regression and Holling disc equation. A. limonicus had a higher attack rate for both eggs (0.05 ± 0.01) and 1st instar nymphs (0.06 ± 0.01) than N. cucumeris, which had an attack rate of (0.03 ± 0.01) for eggs and (0.02 ± 0.01) for 1st instar nymphs of TPP. N. cucumeris had a longer handling time for both eggs (3.68 ± 0.67 hrs) and 1st instar nymphs (2.50 ± 0.79 hrs) compared with A. limonicus, with a handling time of (1.74 ± 0.23 hrs) for eggs and (1.15 ± 0.15 hrs) for 1st instar nymphs. A. limonicus consistently produced significantly more eggs than N. cucumeris across all densities when fed on either eggs or 1st instar nymphs of TPP. However, the results showed the lack of numerical response of both predator species to prey density. The stronger functional response of A. limonicus to TPP eggs and 1st instar nymphs indicates that this species can potentially be a more effective biocontrol agent of TPP than N. cucumeris.
A new species of Iphiseiodes De Leon (Acari: Phytoseiidae) from Brazil
Authors: Da-Costa Tairis , Da Silva Guilherme Liberato , Ferla Noeli Juarez
Published: August 2017

The new phytoseiid species Iphiseiodes noronhensis n. sp (Acari: Mesostigmata) is described and illustrated based on specimens collected from Byrsonima crassifolia L. (Malpighiaceae) in Belém and Tomé-Açu, Pará State, Brazil. A key to world species of this genus is provided.
Ontogenetic development and redescription of Oligonychus metasequoiae (Acari: Tetranychidae)
Authors: Li Juan , Jin Dao-Chao , Yi Tian-Ci
Published: August 2017

Oligonychus metasequoiae Kuang, 1992 is redescribed based on the larva, protonymph, deutonymph and adult male and female specimens from China. The ontogenetic development of chaetotaxy in O. metasequoiae and the number and position of solenidia on tibia I are discussed. Patterns of setal addition on legs I–IV from larvae to adults in this species are different from the basic pattern of the Tetranychinae outlined by Lindquist.
The biodiversity cost of carbon sequestration in tropical savanna
Authors: Abreu Rodolfo C. R. , Hoffmann William A. , Vasconcelos Heraldo L. , Pilon Natashi A. , Rossatto Davi R. , Durigan Giselda
Published: August 2017

Forest expansion into Brazilian savanna due to fire suppression causes precipitous species loss.
Anti-inflammatory prevents heart attacks
Authors: Couzin-Frankel Jennifer
Published: August 2017

By vindicating theory, antibody result points to new approaches to protecting the heart.
Zbtb7a induction in alveolar macrophages is implicated in anti-HLA–mediated lung allograft rejection
Authors: Nayak Deepak K. , Zhou Fangyu , Xu Min , Huang Jing , Tsuji Moriya , Yu Jinsheng , Hachem Ramsey , Gelman Andrew E. , Bremner Ross M. , Smith Michael A. , Mohanakumar Thalachallour
Published: August 2017

Zbtb7a in alveolar macrophages influences early inflammation and autoimmunity in antibody-mediated rejection of transplanted lungs.
Shining new light on migraine
Authors: Lehtinen Maria K.
Published: August 2017

Migraine-related photophobia is multifaceted and may be mediated by numerous pathways.
Field Evaluation of Performance of Alere and Cepheid Qualitative HIV Assays for Pediatric Point-of-Care Testing in an Academic Hospital in Soweto, South Africa
Authors: Murray Tanya Y. , Sherman Gayle G. , Nakwa Firdose , MacLeod William B. , Sipambo Nosisa , Velaphi Sithembiso , Carmona Sergio
Published: August 2017

Point-of-care (POC) technologies for HIV diagnosis in infants have the potential to overcome logistical challenges that delay treatment initiation and prevent improvements in morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to evaluate the performance of two POC technologies against the current standard-of-care (SOC) laboratory-based assay in South Africa, when operated by nurses in a hospital environment. Children <18 months of age who were treatment naive (excluding prophylaxis) and in whom an HIV PCR test was indicated were eligible for the study. To increase the rate of enrollment of HIV PCR-positive children, HIV-exposed neonates at high risk of mother-to-child transmission and children requiring confirmatory HIV testing were preferentially enrolled. The two POC technologies demonstrated excellent concordance, with 315 (97.8%) results consistent with the SOC result. The POC technologies yielded 102 positive and 220 negative tests each. The SOC assay had 101 positive, 214 negative, 4 indeterminate, 1 invalid, and 2 specimen-rejected results. To include the indeterminate results in sensitivity/specificity calculations, a sensitivity analysis was performed, which yielded a simulated sensitivity of 0.9904 (interquartile range [IQR], 0.9808 to 0.9904) and a specificity of 0.9954 (IQR, 0.9954 to 1.0). This study confirmed that both POC technologies can be successfully used outside the laboratory environment to yield precise sensitivity/specificity values for pediatric, including neonatal, HIV testing.
Acute necrotising gingivitis in young children from villages with and without noma in Niger and its association with sociodemographic factors, nutritional status and oral hygiene practices: results of a population-based survey
Authors: Baratti-Mayer Denise , Gayet-Ageron Angèle , Cionca Norbert , Mossi Mahamadou Abdoulaye , Pittet Didier , Mombelli Andrea
Published: August 2017

Background

Previous studies have suggested that acute necrotising gingivitis precedes noma disease and that noma clusters in some villages in certain regions of low- and middle-income countries. We sought to assess the prevalence of gingivitis with bleeding in young children from villages with or without a history of noma and to analyse epidemiological differences related to sociodemographic characteristics, nutritional status and oral hygiene practices.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional study in 440 children aged between 2 and 6 years from four villages in the Zinder region of southeast Niger in Africa. In two villages, cases of noma have repeatedly been detected; in the other two, noma has never been identified. We randomly selected 110 participants from each village.

Results

The prevalence of acute necrotising gingivitis was significantly higher in the noma villages compared with the non-noma villages (6.8% vs 0.9%; p=0.001). We found differences between the four villages regarding socioeconomic factors, stunting, undernourishment and oral hygiene practices. The type of oral hygiene procedures influenced the amount of dental plaque and gingival inflammation. Children using sand, coal or other abrasive products instead of a toothbrush had a significantly increased likelihood to be diagnosed with acute necrotising gingivitis (p=0.041).

Conclusions

Our data suggest that efforts to prevent noma should focus on populations with a high prevalence of acute necrotising gingivitis and include nutritional support and attempts to introduce safe and efficient oral hygiene practices to improve gingival health.
Prevalence and associated factors of diabetic retinopathy in Beijing, China: a cross-sectional study
Authors: Cui Jing , Ren Ji-Ping , Chen Dong-Ning , Xin Zhong , Yuan Ming-Xia , Xu Jie , You Qi-Sheng , Yang Jin-Kui
Published: August 2017

Objectives

The study aimed to determine the exact risk factors for diabetic retinopathy (DR) in the Chinese population using a cohort of 17  985 individuals from Beijing, China.

Design

Cross-sectional study.

Setting

A hospital.

Participants

17  985 individuals from Beijing, China.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

This was a cross-sectional study of permanent residents from the Changping area (Beijing, China) recruited from July 2010 to March 2011 and from March 2014 to February 2015 during a routine health examination at the Tongren Hospital of Beijing. Eye examinations were conducted by experienced ophthalmologists. Medical history, height, weight, body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure were recorded. Routine laboratory examinations were performed.

Results

The prevalence of DR was 1.5% in the general study population and 8.1% among individuals with diabetes. Compared with the non-DR group, individuals in the DR group in the diabetes population had longer disease duration, higher systolic blood pressure (SBP), fasting plasma glucose (FPG) and uric acid (UA) (in men) and lower UA (in women) (all p<0.05). The multivariate analysis showed that disease duration (p<0.001), BMI (p=0.046), SBP (p=0.012), creatinine clearance rate (CCR) (p=0.014), UA (p=0.018) and FPG (p<0.001) were independently associated with DR in patients with diabetes.

Conclusion

The prevalence of DR was 8.1% among patients with diabetes. Disease duration, BMI, SBP, CCR, UA and FPG were independently associated with DR.