bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The effect of consumer pressure and abiotic stress on positive plant interactions are mediated by extreme climatic events
Authors: Filazzola Alessandro , Liczner Amanda Rae , Westphal Michael , Lortie Christopher J.
Published: September 2017

Environmental extremes resulting from a changing climate can have profound implications for plant interactions in desert communities. Positive interactions can buffer plant communities from abiotic stress and consumer pressure caused by climatic extremes, but limited research has explored this empirically.

We tested the hypothesis that the mechanism of shrub facilitation on an annual plant community can change with precipitation extremes in deserts. During years of extreme drought and above‐average rainfall in a desert, we measured plant interactions and biomass while manipulating a soil moisture gradient and reducing consumer pressure.

Shrubs facilitated the annual plant community at all levels of soil moisture through reductions in microclimatic stress in both years and herbivore protection in the wet year only. Shrub facilitation and the high rainfall year contributed to the dominance of a competitive annual species in the plant community.

Precipitation patterns in deserts determine the magnitude and type of facilitation mechanisms. Moreover, shrub facilitation mediates the interspecific competition within the associated annual community between years with different rainfall amounts. Examining multiple drivers during extreme climate events is a challenging area of research, but it is a necessary consideration given forecasts predicting that these events will increase in frequency and magnitude.
Overexpression of SbMyb60 in Sorghum bicolor impacts both primary and secondary metabolism
Authors: Scully Erin D. , Gries Tammy , Palmer Nathan A. , Sarath Gautam , Funnell‐Harris Deanna L. , Baird Lisa , Twigg Paul , Seravalli Javier , Clemente Thomas E. , Sattler Scott E.
Published: September 2017

Few transcription factors have been identified in C4 grasses that either positively or negatively regulate monolignol biosynthesis.

Previously, the overexpression of SbMyb60 in sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) has been shown to induce monolignol biosynthesis, which leads to elevated lignin deposition and altered cell wall composition. To determine how SbMyb60 overexpression impacts other metabolic pathways, RNA‐Seq and metabolite profiling were performed on stalks and leaves.

35S::SbMyb60 was associated with the transcriptional activation of genes involved in aromatic amino acid, S‐adenosyl methionine (SAM) and folate biosynthetic pathways. The high coexpression values between SbMyb60 and genes assigned to these pathways indicate that SbMyb60 may directly induce their expression. In addition, 35S::SbMyb60 altered the expression of genes involved in nitrogen (N) assimilation and carbon (C) metabolism, which may redirect C and N towards monolignol biosynthesis. Genes linked to UDP‐sugar biosynthesis and cellulose synthesis were also induced, which is consistent with the observed increase in cellulose deposition in the internodes of 35S::SbMyb60 plants. However, SbMyb60 showed low coexpression values with these genes and is not likely to be a direct regulator of cell wall polysaccharide biosynthesis.

These findings indicate that SbMyb60 can activate pathways beyond monolignol biosynthesis, including those that synthesize the substrates and cofactors required for lignin biosynthesis.
Checkerboard score–area relationships reveal spatial scales of plant community structure
Authors: McNickle Gordon G. , Lamb Eric G. , Lavender Mike , Cahill James F , Schamp Brandon S. , Siciliano Steven D. , Condit Richard , Hubbell Stephen P. , Baltzer Jennifer L.
Published: September 2017

Identifying the spatial scale at which particular mechanisms influence plant community assembly is crucial to understanding the mechanisms structuring communities. It has long been recognized that many elements of community structure are sensitive to area; however the majority of studies examining patterns of community structure use a single relatively small sampling area. As different assembly mechanisms likely cause patterns at different scales we investigate how plant species co‐occurrence patterns change with sampling unit scale. We use the checkerboard score as an index of species segregation, and examine species C‐score1–sampling area patterns in two ways. First, we show via numerical simulation that the C‐score–area relationship is necessarily hump shaped with respect to sample plot area. Second we examine empirical C‐score–area relationships in arctic tundra, grassland, boreal forest and tropical forest communities. The minimum sampling scale where species co‐occurrence patterns were significantly different from the null model expectation was at 0.1 m2 in the tundra, 0.2 m2 in grassland, and 0.2 ha in both the boreal and tropical forests. Species were most segregated in their co‐occurrence (maximum C‐score) at 0.3 m2 in the tundra (0.54 3 0.54 m quadrats), 1.5 m2 in the grassland (1.2 3 1.2 m quadrats), 0.26 ha in the tropical forest (71 3 71 m quadrats), and a maximum was not reached at the largest sampling scale of 1.4 ha in the boreal forest. The most important finding is that the dominant scales of community structure in these systems are large relative to plant body size, and hence we infer that the dominant mechanisms structuring these communities must be at similarly large scales. This provides a method for identifying the spatial scales at which communities are maximally structured; ecologists can use this information to develop hypotheses and experiments to test scale‐specific mechanisms that structure communities.
Quality‐of‐life outcomes in patients with advanced melanoma: A review of the literature
Authors: Malkhasyan Karen A. , Zakharia Yousef , Milhem Mohammed
Published: September 2017

For patients with metastatic melanoma, the emergence of immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted BRAF and MEK inhibitors has markedly enhanced clinical outcomes compared with chemotherapy. However, these novel agents are also associated with unique sets of adverse events, and increased overall survival can lead to prolonged exposure to some novel agents. Therefore, clinical evaluation of these therapies has now included the analysis of health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) in addition to more traditional efficacy and safety outcomes as a measure of patient perception of benefit. The current review focuses on HRQoL outcomes in clinical trials of immune checkpoint inhibitors and targeted therapies in patients with advanced and metastatic melanoma to inform healthcare providers about patient perception of HRQoL as a new perspective in treatment decision making.
Inpatient management of children with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa: A review
Authors: Li Alvin W. , Prindaville Brea , Bateman Scot T. , Gibson Timothy E. , Wiss Karen
Published: September 2017

Recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa is a disorder marked by skin and mucosal blistering after minimal trauma. Even the most routine procedures in the hospital, if done incorrectly, can precipitate extensive skin loss, pain, and scarring. Most providers have little experience working with patients with this degree of skin fragility. When a person with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa is admitted to the hospital, there are multiple considerations to keep in mind while strategizing an effective care plan: avoidance of new blisters with a “hands‐off” approach; careful consideration of all indwelling devices; symptomatic management of pain, itch, and anxiety; coordination of dressing changes; aggressive treatment of skin infections; environmental and staffing considerations; and awareness of other chronic complications that affect care, such as anemia, malnutrition, and chronic pain. To minimize discomfort for patients with recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa during the hospital stay, inpatient care teams should understand these considerations and modify the care plan accordingly. Prior preparation by the hospital facility and inpatient care team will facilitate the delivery of safe and effective care and greatly improve the overall patient experience.
How Leadership and Public Service Motivation Enhance Innovative Behavior
Authors: Miao Qing , Newman Alexander , Schwarz Gary , Cooper Brian
Published: September 2017

Prior research has linked the innovative behavior of public sector employees to desirable outcomes such as improved efficiency and higher public service quality. However, questions regarding the drivers of innovative behavior among employees have received limited attention. This article employs psychological empowerment theory to examine the underlying processes by which entrepreneurial leadership and public service motivation (PSM) shape innovative behavior among civil servants. Based on three‐wave data from 281 Chinese civil servants and their 59 department heads, entrepreneurial leadership is found to positively influence subordinates' innovative behavior by enhancing two dimensions of psychological empowerment: meaning and impact. Additionally, PSM was found to influence subordinates' innovative behavior by enhancing the dimensions of meaning and competence. These findings suggest that to facilitate innovative behavior among employees, public organizations should consider introducing training that encourages leaders to serve as entrepreneurial role models and recruit employees with high levels of PSM.
Predictors of quality of life for chronic stroke survivors in relation to cultural differences: a literature review
Authors: Wang Rongrong , Langhammer Birgitta
Published: September 2017

Background

Stroke survivors might perceive their quality of life (QoL) as being affected even years after onset. The purpose of this review was to go through the literature to identify factors related to QoL for persons with stroke in China and Western countries for possible similarities and differences in their respective cultural views.

Method

A narrative literature review was conducted on the papers identified by searching PubMed, EBSCO/CINAHL, EMBASE, PsycINFO, China National Knowledge Infrastructure and Wanfang Data that published up to November 2016. Factors predicting QoL after stroke were extracted, and comparisons were made between Chinese and Western studies respecting cultural aspects.

Results

A total of 43 articles were included in this review, with 31 conducted in Western countries and 12 in China. Predictors of QoL included Demographic factors: age, gender, marital status, education level, socioeconomic status; Clinically related factors: severity of stroke, physical function, depression/anxiety, cognitive impairment, incontinence and other comorbidities; Environmental factors: residential status, social support, social participation; and Individual factors: coping strategies and self‐perception. Being married and resident at home might be associated with the perception of QoL differently between Chinese and Western survivors.

Conclusions

Most predictors of QoL in stroke survivors were the same in China and the Western countries. However, their QoL might be predicted differently regarding to the individualistic and collectivistic cultural differences.
Morphological criteria of feminine upper eyelashes, quantified by a new semi‐automatized image analysis: Application to the objective assessment of mascaras.
Authors: Shaiek A. , Flament F. , François G. , Vicic M. , Cointereau‐ Chardron S. , Curval E. , Canevet‐Zaida S. , Coubard O. , Idelcaid Y.
Published: September 2017

Background

The wide diversity of feminine eyelashes in shape, length, and curvature makes it a complex domain that remains to be quantified in vivo, together with their changes brought by application of mascaras that are visually assessed by women themselves or make‐up experts.

Methods

A dedicated software was developed to semi‐automatically extract and quantify, from digital images (frontal and lateral pictures), the major parameters of feminine eyelashes of Mexican and Caucasian women and to record the changes brought by the applications of various mascaras and their brushes, being self or professionally applied.

Results

The diversity of feminine eyelashes appears as a major influencing factor in the application of mascaras and their related results. Eight marketed mascaras and their respective brushes were tested and their quantitative profiles, in terms of coverage, morphology, or curvature were assessed. Standard applications by trained aestheticians led to higher and more homogeneous deposits of mascara, as compared to those resulting from self‐applications.

Conclusion

The developed software appears a precious tool for both quantifying the major characteristics of eyelashes and assessing the making‐up results brought by mascaras and their associated brushes.
Arabidopsis phosphatidylinositol 4‐phosphate 5‐kinase 2 contains a functional nuclear localization sequence and interacts with alpha‐importins
Authors: Gerth Katharina , Lin Feng , Daamen Franziska , Menzel Wilhelm , Heinrich Franziska , Heilmann Mareike
Published: September 2017

The Arabidopsis phosphoinositide kinase PIP5K2 has been implicated in the control of membrane trafficking and is important for development and growth. In addition to cytosolic functions of phosphoinositides, a nuclear phosphoinositide system has been proposed, but evidence for nuclear phosphoinositides in plants is limited. Fluorescence‐tagged variants of PIP5K2 reside in the nucleus of Arabidopsis root meristem cells, in addition to reported plasma membrane localization. Here we report on the interaction of PIP5K2 with alpha‐importins and characterize its nuclear localization sequences (NLSs). The PIP5K2 sequence contains four putative NLSs (NLSa–NLSd) and only a PIP5K2 fragment containing NLSs is imported into nuclei of onion epidermis cells upon transient expression. PIP5K2 interacts physically with alpha‐importin isoforms in cytosolic split‐ubiquitin‐based yeast two‐hybrid tests, in dot‐blot experiments and in immuno‐pull‐downs. A 27‐amino‐acid fragment of PIP5K2 containing NLSc is necessary and sufficient to mediate the nuclear import of a large cargo fusion consisting of two mCherry markers fused to RubisCO large subunit. Substitution of basic residues in NLSc results in reduced import of PIP5K2 or other cargoes into plant nuclei. The data suggest that PIP5K2 is subject to active, alpha‐importin‐mediated nuclear import, consistent with a nuclear role for PIP5K2 in addition to its reported cytosolic functions. The detection of both substrate and product of PIP5K2 in plant nuclei according to reporter fluorescence and immunofluorescence further supports the notion of a nuclear phosphoinositide system in plants. Variants of PIP5K2 with reduced nuclear residence might serve as tools for the future functional study of plant nuclear phosphoinositides.
Transfusion‐related acute lung injury risk mitigation: an update
Authors: Otrock Z. K. , Liu C. , Grossman B. J.
Published: September 2017

Transfusion‐related acute lung injury (TRALI) is a life‐threatening complication of transfusion. Greater understanding of the pathophysiology of this syndrome has much improved during the last two decades. Plasma‐containing components from female donors with leucocyte antibodies were responsible for the majority of TRALI fatalities before mitigation strategies were implemented. Over the past 15 years, measures to mitigate risk for TRALI have been implemented worldwide and they continued to evolve with time. The AABB requires that all plasma containing components and whole blood for transfusion must be collected from men, women who have not been pregnant, or women who have tested negative for human leucocyte antigen antibodies. Although the incidence of TRALI has decreased following the institution of TRALI mitigation strategies, TRALI is still the most common cause of transfusion‐associated death in the United States. In this review, we focus on TRALI risk mitigation strategies. We describe the measures taken by blood collection facilities to reduce the risk of TRALI in the United States, Canada and European countries. We also review the literature for the effectiveness of these measures.
Conceptual framework for decentralized green water‐infrastructure systems
Authors: Lee Juneseok , Bae Ki‐Hwan , Younos Tamim
Published: September 2017

We present a model for a decentralized green water‐infrastructure system (DGWIS) based on a new conceptual framework that optimises the use of captured rainwater, recycled wastewater and renewable energy resources. DGWIS is designed for building‐scale localised water supply systems that utilise rainwater and greywater and incorporate advanced small‐scale water treatment systems and renewable local energy sources such as solar and wind. Several constraints are considered: (i) available renewable energy; (ii) greywater production rate; (iii) potential captured rainwater; (iv) water demand; (v) water storage volumes required to accommodate greywater, harvested rainwater and separate water/energy supplies from the city and (vi) water treatment capacities. The proposed DGWIS optimisation framework demonstrates proof‐of‐concept and provides a solid foundation for an innovative paradigm shift towards water and energy sustainability.
Biomechanical comparison of xenogeneic bone material treated with different methods
Authors: Feng Wei , Li Dongsong , Zang Junting , Fu Li
Published: September 2017

Bone xenografting is considered one of the most effective ways to address the shortage of bone autografts and allografts. Various methods have been employed to minimize the immune rejection issues associated with bone xenografts. However, the side effects of such methods on bone biomechanical properties remain unclear. As such, the objective of this study was to compare the influence of different treatments on the biomechanical properties of porcine bones. Fresh pig ribs were cut into 1.5 × 0.5 × 0.4 cm specimens, which were randomly divided into four groups and subjected to different modification regimes: group A by degreasing and partial deproteinization, group B by cryopreservation, group C by cryopreservation and enzyme digestion, and group D was a control group using fresh bone. Biomechanical tests and α‐Gal antigen detection were performed for all groups. In the axial compression test, the values for maximum load were as follows: group D > group C > group B > group A. The maximum load in group A was significantly less than in the other groups (P < .05). There were no differences between groups D, C, and B in terms of the maximum stress and elastic modulus (P > .05). The maximum stress and elastic modulus values recorded for group A were significantly less than for the other groups (P < .05). There were no significant differences in the maximum load or elastic modulus among groups B, C, and D, in the three‐point bending test (P > .05). However, the maximum load and elastic modulus values recorded for group A were significantly lower than the other groups (P < .05). In groups A and C, no α‐Gal antigen‐positive expression was detected. In group B, there was low level α‐Gal antigen‐positive expression, while a high level of α‐Gal antigen‐positive expression was observed in fresh bone samples. The results indicated that xenogeneic bone subjected to degreasing and partial deproteinization had the worst biomechanical properties. Cryopreservation and cryopreservation with enzyme digestion had little effect on the bone biomechanical properties, although enzyme digestion resulted in the complete elimination of the α‐Gal antigen. Cryopreservation with enzyme digestion treatment presented the best results in terms of removing the immune‐response triggering α‐Gal antigen, while preserving the good biomechanical properties of bone xenografts.
Genetic diversity, anti‐microbial resistance, plasmid profile and frequency of the Vi antigen in Salmonella Dublin strains isolated in Brazil
Authors: Vilela F. P. , Frazão M. R. , Rodrigues D. P. , Costa R. G. , Casas M. R. T. , Fernandes S. A. , Falcão J. P. , Campioni F.
Published: September 2017

Salmonella Dublin is strongly adapted to cattle causing enteritis and/or systemic disease with high rates of mortality. However, it can be sporadically isolated from humans, usually causing serious disease, especially in patients with underlying chronic diseases. The aim of this study was to molecularly type S. Dublin strains isolated from humans and animals in Brazil to verify the diversity of these strains as well as to ascertain possible differences between strains isolated from humans and animals. Moreover, the presence of the capsular antigen Vi and the plasmid profile was characterized in addition to the anti‐microbial resistance against 15 drugs. For this reason, 113 S. Dublin strains isolated between 1983 and 2016 from humans (83) and animals (30) in Brazil were typed by PFGE and MLVA. The presence of the capsular antigen Vi was verified by PCR, and the phenotypic expression of the capsular antigen was determined serologically. Also, a plasmid analysis for each strain was carried out. The strains studied were divided into 35 different PFGE types and 89 MLVA‐types with a similarity of ≥80% and ≥17.5%, respectively. The plasmid sizes found ranged from 2 to >150 kb and none of the strains studied presented the capsular antigen Vi. Resistance or intermediate resistance was found in 23 strains (20.3%) that were resistant to ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, chloramphenicol, imipenem, nalidixic acid, piperacillin, streptomycin and/or tetracycline. The majority of the S. Dublin strains studied and isolated over a 33‐year period may descend from a common subtype that has been contaminating humans and animals in Brazil and able to cause invasive disease even in the absence of the capsular antigen. The higher diversity of resistance phenotypes in human isolates, as compared with animal strains, may be a reflection of the different anti‐microbial treatments used to control S. Dublin infections in humans in Brazil.
Reliability and Validity Study for the Coloured Progressive Matrices Test between the Ages of 3-9 for Determining Gifted Children in the Pre-School Period
Authors: Bildiren Ahmet
Published: September 2017

The objective of the study was to test the Coloured Progressive Matrices Test with regard to reliability and validity for the 3-9 age sample group because of the lack of diagnostic tools for the pre-school period. The sample group of the study was comprised of a total of 925 children with 433 girls (46.8%) and 492 boys (53.2%). Coloured Progressive Matrices Test reliability was analyzed by way of two split-half reliability and test-re-test reliability using Kuder Richardson-20 (KR-20) and Spearman-Brown Formula. The level of relationship between Coloured Progressive Matrices Test and Bender-Gestalt Visual Motor Perception Test and TONI-3 tests was determined via Pearson Product Moment formula for validity analyses. Afterwards, the age norms were determined as percentile values in accordance with the ages. The results obtained from the study provided psychometric data indicating that the Coloured Progressive Matrices Test is suited for the use by researchers.
Courting the Court
Authors: Wu Yulian
Published: September 2017

This chapter sets the scene for this study, examining the historical and political reasons for the Huizhou salt merchants’ rise and their connection with the court during the High Qing period. It explains how the Manchu court reformed existing salt monopoly policies by appointing the emperors’ bondservants as salt bureau officials and by establishing the new position of head merchant. These two policies injected the Manchu emperors’ own networks into the salt monopoly institution and allowed the court to effectively exert influence on the wealthiest commercial centers of the Lower Yangzi area. The Huizhou salt merchants, on the other hand, created new and direct ties with the court by obtaining head merchant positions. These merchants thus achieved unprecedented economic and political privileges that took advantage of the Manchu court’s own ethnic strategies.
Luxury and Lineage
Authors: Wu Yulian
Published: September 2017

This chapter takes the case of the Bao family from Tangyue village to explore the ways in which salt merchants patronized lineage construction projects as a means to expand the influences of their families in the countryside of Huizhou and to strengthen a connection with urban scholarly elites. By tracing the construction process of three lineage projects sponsored by the Bao household—the publishing of a new genealogy, the construction of a shrine, and the donation of charitable lands—the author shows how the Bao merchants patronized specific lineage construction projects, which functioned as luxury items sanctioned by Confucian moral example. Through these cultural objects, the Bao family expanded their influence in their rural homeland in Huizhou, and displayed their moral values for the benefit of scholarly elites in the court and Jiangnan urban centers, creating connections between the countryside and the city, and the central and local.
Reinventing Hierarchy
Authors: Chen Shuang
Published: September 2017

By tracing the development of a single metropolitan banner family from the time of initial settlement to the end of the Qing, this chapter asks how the strategies used by individual families to survive and to expand their wealth shaped the social structure of Shuangcheng. It shows that, over time, some capable metropolitan banner households accumulated large amounts of land through private land cultivation and land sales. Moreover, because they lacked the support of a powerful kinship organization, metropolitan banner families acted collectively to negotiate with the state authority for their benefits. By the end of 1870s, wealth accumulation has transformed metropolitan bannermen from a state-defined population category to a powerful and wealthy social group in Shuangcheng society.
Sustaining Hierarchy
Authors: Chen Shuang
Published: September 2017

By examining changes in land distribution between 1870 and 1906, this chapter explains at the macro-level why the state-mandated social hierarchy endured in Shuangcheng. It shows that, despite the upward and downward wealth mobility at individual household level, the state land allocation policies still effectively maintained a relatively equal land distribution within each of the metropolitan and rural bannermen population category. Thus, land distribution among these entitled bannermen exhibited a pattern of stratification without concentration. This pattern of land distribution sustained a stable landowner class. By presenting one of the first empirical studies of land distribution in early modern China, this chapter shows the resilient nature of the social hierarchy created by state land allocation. It challenges the view that, when the Qing government privatized the state land in Manchuria, the majority of bannermen lost their land ownership to civilian commoners.
Epilogue
Authors: Chen Shuang
Published: September 2017

This chapter provides an overview of the structural inequality created by the People’s Republic of China in the 1950s, especially that produced by the hukou household registration system. It shows that the processes of inequality under the hukou system has many parallels with that in the Qing-dynasty Shuangcheng. In order to develop heavy industry, the state used hukou registration to classify people into urban and rural categories, with urban hukou holders enjoying better economic and political entitlements than rural houkou holders do. This structural inequality not only defined the socioeconomic statuses of people in the socialist period but also produced profound consequences in social inequality in the post-socialist era. These parallels reveal that the stratification system in PRC, which people tend to consider as a socialist extension, has existed in the past. Thus, the Shuangcheng case offers a distinct perspective on how people typically conceive ‘modern’ phenomena.
Photography and Foreclosure
Authors: McClanahan Annie
Published: September 2017

Chapter 3 brings together a wide range of photographs—photojournalism, art photography, and satellite images—that document the economic crisis with images of abandoned homes. These photographs reveal the effects of the boom and bust of the mortgage market on our view of the home. They also raise questions about the politics of representation, especially when the photographer’s ability to enter the home depends on the power of the police to process an eviction. Photographs of empty houses, it suggests, draw on the aesthetics of what Freud termed the Unheimlich—unhomely, uncanny—to register the uncanny power of property. Turning from photographs of single houses to images of abandoned industrial landscapes and empty housing developments, this chapter argues that such images foreshadow a financial crisis to come.
Little White Sister
Authors: Bryson Megan
Published: September 2017

This chapter examines Baijie’s next form, Baijie Amei, which developed in the fifteenth century after the Dali kingdom had become part of the Ming dynasty. Baijie Amei’s legend shows how Dali elites drew on Chinese historiographical conventions in formulating a local Bai ethnic identity. According to her legend, Baijie Amei was born from a giant plum and conceived Duan Siping, founder of the Dali kingdom, after touching a dragon. This story mirrors Chinese tales about great rulers that claim dragon paternity, but diverges from Chinese conventions by giving Baijie Amei her own miraculous birth. Chinese officials accepted that male rulers could have miraculous births, but not that their mothers could, too. Baijie Amei remained a powerful symbol for Bai elites in Dali who claimed direct descent from her and worshiped her as a goddess that linked them to the illustrious Bai lineage of Dali’s independent history.
A Taste for Home
Authors: Abou-Hodeib Toufoul
Published: September 2017

A Taste for Home is a cultural history of the middle-class home in late Ottoman Beirut that is at once global and local. Focusing on the period from the second half of the nineteenth century until World War I, the book shows how middle-class domesticity took form amid changing urbanity, politicizations of domesticity in public debates, and changing consumption patterns. Engaging with postcolonial theory, works on material culture, and consumption and gender studies, the book uses the notion of taste in both its aesthetic and political sense to critique the idea of “Westernization,” showing instead how “Europe” and the “West” are actively produced as places of difference. The privileged place the home occupied in discussions over the nature of the private and public spheres turned it into a model for members of the middle class in Beirut attempting to create a cultural niche and seeking greater influence in society. They strove to distinguish themselves not only from the class above, but also from a putative Western or European culture. The idealized home was forwarded as a model where modernity could be localized and an “Oriental” identity could be cultivated. The book argues that this model was in no way hegemonic, and that even as the home served to discursively localize difference, taste tied its most intimate spaces to modern forms of urbanity and to globalized modes of production.
The Political Economy of North Korea
Authors: Haggard Stephan , Noland Marcus
Published: September 2017

This chapter considers characteristics of authoritarian regimes in general, and North Korea in particular, that affect their vulnerability to sanctions. These include the core constituents of the regime, its capacity to repress, and its organizational structure. The chapter also includes a discussion of the path of reform and opening in North Korea, which is shown to be hesitant at best.
Humanitarian Dilemmas
Authors: Haggard Stephan , Noland Marcus
Published: September 2017

This chapter considers humanitarian dilemmas surrounding aid to North Korea. It provides an overview of the food economy and the recurrence of shortages before turning to the political economy of food aid, which oscillated sharply between periods when aid was extended on both political and humanitarian grounds and periods when it was held in abeyance. The chapter considers the political economy of multilateral assistance and the politics of food aid in the United States, South Korea, and China. The regime’s nuclear priorities and/or acute bargaining problems around the monitoring of assistance resulted in delays in reaching needed agreements, shortfalls in the delivery of assistance, and acute humanitarian distress.
Denmark
Authors: Christensen Johan
Published: September 2017

Denmark stood out in international perspective by maintaining very high top tax rates on labor and high and progressive taxation of capital. This chapter discusses how the organization of economic expertise in Denmark contributed to the limited extent of market–conforming tax reform. Unlike the strong and concentrated position of economists in Norway in the postwar period, economic knowledge in the Danish state was scattered across a number of bodies. A consequence of the institutional fragmentation of economic expertise was that neoclassical economic thinking failed to break through within the Danish finance bureaucracy. This weakened the agenda for efficiency–oriented tax reform and allowed political parties to define the direction for tax policy in the 1990s and 2000s.
The Off-Screen
Authors: Peretz Eyal
Published: September 2017

The Off-Screen offers a comprehensive theory of film, a concise history of American cinema from Griffith to Tarantino, and a reflection on the place and significance of film within the general context of the arts of modernity. It does this by focusing on an element at the very heart not only of film but of modern art in general (meaning here the various artistic media of modernity as they have been developed from the Renaissance onward). This element is a new kind of frame, with which the modern work of art is fascinated, and around the investigation of which it organizes itself. Two main things characterize this frame. First, it decontextualizes, meaning a frame is achieved by creating a zone that cuts itself off from the continuity of the world, a zone constituting the realm of fiction. The modern theatrical stage, the framed painting, the cinematic screen, the work of narrative fiction--all are modern framed-out zones. Second, the modern artistic frame, like any frame, creates a separation between “inside” and “outside,” yet the “outside” of the artistic frame is particularly mysterious and constitutes the main enigma of the work of art of the modern age. It is this “outside” of the artistic frame, a new kind of “outside,” that the book calls the “off” (as in off-stage, or off-screen). It is to the exploration of the historical and conceptual significance of this “off” that this book is dedicated.
The α2A‐adrenoceptor suppresses excitatory synaptic transmission to both excitatory and inhibitory neurons in layer 4 barrel cortex
Authors: Ohshima Minoru , Itami Chiaki , Kimura Fumitaka
Published: September 2017

Key points

The effects of noradrenaline on excitatory synaptic transmission to regular spiking (excitatory) cells as well as regular spiking non‐pyramidal and fast spiking (both inhibitory) cells in cortical layer 4 were studied in thalamocortical slice preparations, focusing on vertical input from thalamus and layer 2/3 in the mouse barrel cortex.

Excitatory synaptic responses were suppressed by noradrenaline. However, currents induced by iontophoretically applied glutamate were not suppressed. Further, paired pulse ratio and coefficient of variation analysis indicated the site of action was presynaptic.

Pharmacological studies indicated that the suppression was mediated by the α2‐adrenoceptor.

Consistent with this, involvement of α2A‐adrenoceptor activation in the synaptic suppression in excitatory and inhibitory cells was confirmed by the use of α2A‐adrenoceptor knockout mice.

The mammalian neocortex is widely innervated by noradrenergic (NA) fibres from the locus coeruleus. To determine the effects of NA on vertical synaptic inputs to layer 4 (L4) cells from the ventrobasal thalamus and layer 2/3 (L2/3), thalamocortical slices were prepared and whole‐cell recordings were made from L4 cells. Excitatory synaptic responses were evoked by electrical stimulation of the thalamus or L2/3 immediately above. Recorded cells were identified as regular spiking, regular spiking non‐pyramidal or fast spiking cells through their firing patterns in response to current injections. NA suppressed (∼50% of control) excitatory vertical inputs to all cell types in a dose‐dependent manner. The presynaptic site of action of NA was suggested by three independent studies. First, responses caused by iontophoretically applied glutamate were not suppressed by NA. Second, the paired pulse ratio was increased during NA suppression. Finally, a coefficient of variation (CV) analysis was performed and the resultant diagonal alignment of the ratio of CV−2 plotted against the ratio of the amplitude of postsynaptic responses suggests a presynaptic mechanism for the suppression. Experiments with phenylephrine (an α1‐agonist), prazosin (an α1‐antagonist), yohimbine (an α2‐antagonist) and propranolol (a β‐antagonist) indicated that suppression was mediated by the α2‐adrenoceptor. To determine whether the α2A‐adrenoceptor subtype was involved, α2A‐adrenoceptor knockout mice were used. NA failed to suppress EPSCs in all cell types, suggesting an involvement of the α2A‐adrenoceptor. Altogether, we concluded that NA suppresses vertical excitatory synaptic connections in L4 excitatory and inhibitory cells through the presynaptic α2A‐adrenoceptor.
DC sputtering of highly c-axis AlN films on top of 3C-SiC (111)-on-Si (111) substrates under various N2 concentrations
Authors: Iqbal Abid , Walker Glenn , Hold Leonie , Fernandes Alanna , Iacopi Alan , Mohd-Yasin Faisal
Published: September 2017

This article reports on the direct current sputtering of AlN thin films on top of a cubic-silicon carbide (111) on silicon (111) substrates. The authors varied the nitrogen (N2) concentrations, while keeping other process parameters fixed at the power of 1200 W, the substrate temperature of 350 °C, the target to substrate distance of 20 cm, and the sputtering pressure of 2 mT. The total N2/Ar gas flow is 50  sccm, and the poison mode starts at 40%. The x-ray diffraction results show that the AlN films are highly oriented along the (002) orientation at various N2 concentrations. The values of the three parameters support this observation, namely, (1) the extracted full width at half maximum (FWHM) of (002) diffraction peaks with the median of 0.28° and the standard deviation of 0.012°, (2) the area of AlN (002) under the curve is between 92% and 97%, and (3) the grain sizes are between 30.11 and 32.3 nm. The omega scan rocking curve of two samples at 40% and 80% N2 concentrations depicts good quality AlN (002) films with the FWHM values of 1.5° and 2°, respectively. The relationship between the N2 concentrations and the film's properties is elucidated. Finally, the authors discuss the effect of the lattice mismatch of 1% between AlN (002) and 3C-SiC (111).
Nitride etching with hydrofluorocarbons. I. Selective etching of nitride over silicon and oxide materials by gas discharge optimization and selective deposition of fluorocarbon polymer
Authors: Engelmann Sebastian U. , Bruce Robert L. , Joseph Eric A. , Fuller Nicholas C. M. , Graham William S. , Sikorski Edmund M. , Kohjasteh Mahmoud , Zhu Yu , Nakamura Masahiro , Ito Azumi , Matsumoto Hirokazu , Matsuura Goh , Suzuki Takefumi
Published: September 2017

Selective etching of silicon nitride over silicon and silicon oxide is one of the most critical processes in the fabrication of complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor devices. In a typical spacer process, the gate is electrically isolated from the source and drain region by the deposition of thin nitride. A plasma etch is employed to remove the nitride from the source/drain regions without or with minimal damage to the exposed surfaces. The authors show that the typical plasma process that enables this process is based on the oxidation rate of silicon and has many limitations when applying this process to devices of 30 nm critical dimension (CD) or lower. The authors show novel gas discharges with which nitride can be etched differently, in particular, because the etch rates are controlled by selective polymer deposition. The novel etch mechanism is explained in detail and advantages and challenges are discussed, in particular. Selected studies of the feedgas chemistry lead to optimized dissociation as evidenced by the respective etch selectivities. The authors demonstrate that the novel etch mechanism is able to reduce nitride thinning and substrate damage significantly, enabling further pitch and CD scaling of spacer etch when employing this novel chemistry C4H9F. The authors also show that because of these advantages, the novel chemistry is a very promising candidate to enlarge the process window for spacer processes of nonplanar devices.
Pharmacokinetics-Pharmacodynamics of CB-618 in Combination with Cefepime, Ceftazidime, Ceftolozane, or Meropenem: the Pharmacological Basis for a Stand-Alone β-Lactamase Inhibitor
Authors: Ambrose Paul G. , VanScoy Brian D. , Trang Michael , McCauley-Miller Jennifer , Conde Haley , Bhavnani Sujata M. , Alexander Dylan C. , Friedrich Lawrence V.
Published: September 2017

A major challenge in treating patients is the selection of the “right” antibiotic regimen. Given that the optimal β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitor pair is dependent upon the spectrum of β-lactamase enzymes produced and the frequency of resistance to the β-lactamase inhibitor, it might be useful if a stand-alone were available for the clinician to pair with the “right” β-lactam rather than only in a fixed combination. We describe herein a one-compartment
in vitro
infection model studies conducted to identify the magnitudes of the pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) index for a β-lactamase inhibitor, CB-618, that would restore the activity of four β-lactam partner agents (cefepime, ceftazidime, ceftolozane, and meropenem) with various doses (1 or 2 g) and dosing intervals (8 or 12 h). The challenge panel included
Klebsiella pneumoniae
(
n
= 5),
Escherichia coli
(
n
= 2), and
Enterobacter cloacae
(
n
= 1) strains, which produced a wide variety of β-lactamase enzymes (AmpC, CTXM-15, KPC-2, KPC-3, FOX-5, OXA-1/30, OXA-48, SHV-1, SHV-11, SHV-27, and TEM-1). Free-drug human concentration-time profiles were simulated for each agent, and specimens were collected for drug concentration and bacterial density determinations. CB-618 restored the activity of each β-lactam partner. The magnitudes of the CB-618 ratio of the area under the concentration-time curve from 0 to 24 h to the MIC (i.e., the AUC/MIC ratio) associated with net bacterial stasis and 1- and 2-log
10
CFU/ml reductions from baseline at 24 h were 11.2, 32.9, and 136.3, respectively. These data may provide a PK-PD basis for the development of a stand-alone β-lactamase inhibitor.
Phasevarion-Regulated Virulence in the Emerging Pediatric Pathogen Kingella kingae
Authors: Srikhanta Yogitha N. , Fung Ka Yee , Pollock Georgina L. , Bennett-Wood Vicki , Howden Benjamin P. , Hartland Elizabeth L.
Published: September 2017

Kingella kingae
is a common etiological agent of pediatric osteoarticular infections. While current research has expanded our understanding of
K. kingae
pathogenesis, there is a paucity of knowledge about host-pathogen interactions and virulence gene regulation. Many host-adapted bacterial pathogens contain phase variable DNA methyltransferases (
mod
genes), which can control expression of a regulon of genes (phasevarion) through differential methylation of the genome. Here, we identify a phase variable type III
mod
gene in
K. kingae
, suggesting that phasevarions operate in this pathogen. Phylogenetic studies revealed that there are two active
modK
alleles in
K. kingae
. Proteomic analysis of secreted and surface-associated proteins, quantitative PCR, and a heat shock assay comparing the wild-type
modK1
ON (i.e., in frame for expression) strain to a
modK1
OFF (i.e., out of frame) strain revealed three virulence-associated genes under ModK1 control. These include the
K. kingae
toxin
rtxA
and the heat shock genes
groEL
and
dnaK
. Cytokine expression analysis showed that the interleukin-8 (IL-8), IL-1β, and tumor necrosis factor responses of THP-1 macrophages were lower in the
modK1
ON strain than in the
modK1
::
kan
mutant. This suggests that the ModK1 phasevarion influences the host inflammatory response and provides the first evidence of this phase variable epigenetic mechanism of gene regulation in
K. kingae
.
Contribution of Streptococcus mutans Strains with Collagen-Binding Proteins in the Presence of Serum to the Pathogenesis of Infective Endocarditis
Authors: Otsugu Masatoshi , Nomura Ryota , Matayoshi Saaya , Teramoto Noboru , Nakano Kazuhiko
Published: September 2017

Streptococcus mutans
, a major pathogen of dental caries, is considered one of the causative agents of infective endocarditis (IE). Recently, bacterial DNA encoding 120-kDa cell surface collagen-binding proteins (CBPs) has frequently been detected from
S. mutans
-positive IE patients. In addition, some of the CBP-positive
S. mutans
strains lacked a 190-kDa protein antigen (PA), whose absence strengthened the adhesion to and invasion of endothelial cells. The interaction between pathogenic bacteria and serum or plasma is considered an important virulence factor in developing systemic diseases; thus, we decided to analyze the pathogenesis of IE induced by
S. mutans
strains with different patterns of CBP and PA expression by focusing on the interaction with serum or plasma. CBP-positive (CBP
+
)/PA-negative (PA
−
) strains showed prominent aggregation in the presence of human serum or plasma, which was significantly greater than that with CBP
+
/PA-positive (PA
+
) and CBP-negative (CBP
−
)/PA+ strains. Aggregation of CBP
+
/PA
−
strains was also observed in the presence of a high concentration of type IV collagen, a major extracellular matrix protein in serum. In addition, aggregation of CBP
+
/PA
−
strains was drastically reduced when serum complement was inactivated. Furthermore, an
ex vivo
adherence model and an
in vivo
rat model of IE showed that extirpated heart valves infected with CBP
+
/PA
−
strains displayed prominent bacterial mass formation, which was not observed following infection with CBP
+
/PA
+
and CBP
−
/PA
+
strains. These results suggest that CBP
+
/PA
−
S. mutans
strains utilize serum to contribute to their pathogenicity in IE.