bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The 2011 Stanley Cup Riot: police perspectives and lessons learned
Authors: Davies Garth , Dawson Stephanie E
Published: March 2015

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine crowd violence in relation to the 2011 Stanley Cup Riot from the perspective of those police officers who were involved in the event, and identify any lessons that can be learned from this incident.

Design/methodology/approach

– A total of 460 Vancouver police officers participated in this study. Police perceptions of the riot were elicited via mailed questionnaires, which focused on key themes related to crowd disorder and police response, including preparations, deployment, training, safety, causes, and future prevention. Questionnaire responses were analyzed using descriptive approaches and one-sample t-tests.

Findings

– The study findings revealed that, in general, police felt ill-prepared prior to the riot, and ill- and unsafe during the riot. Their responses also suggested that their negative perceptions of the riot were the result of a few prominent factors, namely inadequate deployment, a lack of operational planning, and the presence of a large and belligerent crowd.

Research limitations/implications

– This study represents an important first step in understanding the issues associated with preventing and containing disorderly crowds from the perspective of police officers. Although valuable, this study does have a few limitations, including post hoc data collection.

Practical implications

– This study provides important insights into the causes of riots and the particular difficulties officers face during the course of a riot. These insights may be used by departments to assist with planning and preparations related to preventing riots and effectively limiting crowd disorder.

Originality/value

– This is the first study to examine police perceptions in a Canadian context. It utilizes a comparatively large sample, and is among the very few studies that includes the views of officers who have actually experienced a riot.
The Role of Parents in Public Views of Strategies to Address Childhood Obesity in the United States
Authors: WOLFSON JULIA A. , GOLLUST SARAH E. , NIEDERDEPPE JEFF , BARRY COLLEEN L.
Published: March 2015

Policy Points:

The American public—both men and women and those with and without children in the household—holds parents highly responsible and largely to blame for childhood obesity.

High attributions of responsibility to parents for reducing childhood obesity did not universally undermine support for broader policy action. School‐based obesity prevention policies were strongly supported, even among those viewing parents as mostly to blame for childhood obesity.

Americans who viewed sectors outside the family (such as the food and beverage industry, schools, and the government) as helping address childhood obesity were more willing to support a wider range of population‐based obesity prevention policies.

Context

The public's views of parents’ behaviors and choices—and the attitudes held by parents themselves—are likely to influence the success of efforts to reverse obesity rates.

Methods

We analyzed data from 2 US national public opinion surveys fielded in 2011 and 2012 to examine attributions of blame and responsibility to parents for obesity, both among the general public and parents themselves, and we also explored the relationship between views of parents and support for obesity prevention policies.

Findings

We found that attribution of blame and responsibility to parents was consistently high, regardless of parental status or gender. Support for policies to curb childhood obesity also did not differ notably by parental status or gender. Multivariable analyses revealed consistent patterns in the association between public attitudes toward parents’ responsibility and support for policies to curb childhood obesity. High parental responsibility was linked to higher support for school‐targeted policies but generally was not associated with policies outside the school setting. Attribution of greater responsibility to entities external to children and their parents (schools, the food and beverage industry, and the government) was associated with greater support for both school‐targeted and population‐based obesity prevention policies.

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that the high attribution of responsibility to parents for reducing childhood obesity does not universally undermine support for broader policy action. But appealing to parents to rally support for preventing obesity in the same way as for other parent‐initiated social movements (eg, drunk driving) may be challenging outside the school setting.
The Enclave, The Citadel and the Ghetto: The Threefold Segregation of Upper‐Class Muslims in India
Authors: Galonnier Juliette
Published: March 2015

The urban sociology literature has identified three types of segregated spaces: the ghetto, the enclave and the citadel. While the ghetto stems from a high constraint, the enclave accounts for a more intentional form of segregation and the citadel refers to a deliberate attempt to exclude undesirable populations. While these three figures are often contrasted in the American literature, this article focuses on a specific type of neighbourhood that combines all of these: the upper‐class minority neighbourhood. By introducing the main results of an interview study I conducted in the Indian city of Aligarh, I show that Muslim upper‐class residential choices are informed by contradictory feelings: while the threat of Hindu–Muslim riots forces them to segregate in homogenous neighbourhoods (the ghetto), their segregation also stems from a genuine desire to live in an Islamic environment (the enclave). Finally, the Muslim upper classes also indulge in a sharp process of socio‐spatial differentiation from their poorer coreligionists (the citadel). These processes of compelled segregation, self‐aggregation and social distancing lead to an enduring spatial concentration along religious and class lines. The simultaneity of these three logics indicates that the categories of the ghetto, the enclave and the citadel, framed in reference to the American context, can be applied to the Indian city of Aligarh if understood as dynamic processes rather than static spatial units. Such a reformulation allows theory to travel across the North–South divide in a more productive way.
Correlation Between Average Tissue Depth Data and Quantitative Accuracy of Forensic Craniofacial Reconstructions Measured by Geometric Surface Comparison Method
Authors: Lee Won‐Joon , Wilkinson Caroline M. , Hwang Hyeon‐Shik , Lee Sang‐Mi
Published: March 2015

Accuracy is the most important factor supporting the reliability of forensic facial reconstruction (FFR) comparing to the corresponding actual face. A number of methods have been employed to evaluate objective accuracy of FFR. Recently, it has been attempted that the degree of resemblance between computer‐generated FFR and actual face is measured by geometric surface comparison method. In this study, three FFRs were produced employing live adult Korean subjects and three‐dimensional computerized modeling software. The deviations of the facial surfaces between the FFR and the head scan CT of the corresponding subject were analyzed in reverse modeling software. The results were compared with those from a previous study which applied the same methodology as this study except average facial soft tissue depth dataset. Three FFRs of this study that applied updated dataset demonstrated lesser deviation errors between the facial surfaces of the FFR and corresponding subject than those from the previous study. The results proposed that appropriate average tissue depth data are important to increase quantitative accuracy of FFR.
Using L‐Arginine‐Functionalized Gold Nanorods for Visible Detection of Mercury(II) Ions
Authors: Guan Jiehao , Wang Yi‐Cheng , Gunasekaran Sundaram
Published: March 2015

A rapid and simple approach for visible determination of mercury ions (Hg2+) in aqueous solutions was developed based on surface plasmon resonance phenomenon using L‐arginine‐functionalized gold nanorods (AuNRs). At pH greater than 9, the deprotonated amine group of L‐arginine on the AuNRs bound with Hg2+ leading to the side‐by‐side assembly of AuNRs, which was verified by transmission electron microscopy images. Thus, when Hg2+ was present in the test solution, a blue shift of the typical longitudinal plasmon band of the AuNRs was observed in the ultra violet‐visible‐near infrared (UV‐Vis‐NIR) spectra, along with a change in the color of the solution, which occurred within 5 min. After carefully optimizing the potential factors affecting the performance, the L‐arginine/AuNRs sensing system was found to be highly sensitive to Hg2+, with the limit of detection of 5 nM (S/N = 3); it is also very selective and free of interference from 10 other metal ions (Ba2+, Ca2+, Cd2+, Co2+, Cs+, Cu2+, K+, Li+, Ni2+, Pb2+). The result suggests that the L‐arginine‐functionalized AuNRs can potentially serve as a rapid, sensitive, and easy‐to‐use colorimetric biosensor useful for determining Hg2+ in food and environmental samples.
Evaluation of Protective Effect of Freeze‐Dried Strawberry, Grape, and Blueberry Powder on Acrylamide Toxicity in Mice
Authors: Zhao Mengyao , Liu Xin , Luo Yinghua , Guo Huan , Hu Xiaosong , Chen Fang
Published: March 2015

Berries are dietary plants with high antioxidant activity. The aim of this study is to investigate the protective effect of berries (strawberry, grape, and blueberry) against the acrylamide (AA)‐induced general toxicity, genotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity in mice model, respectively. Mice were treated with 50 mg/kg b.w./day AA intraperitoneal injection for 5 d after feeding control diet or diet containing freeze‐dried strawberry, grape, and blueberry powder. The results showed that AA induced a significant general toxicity, genotoxicity, and reproductive toxicity in mice. Compared with the control diet, the diets containing berries could reverse the AA‐induced alterations in liver antioxidant enzymes activities (P < 0.05). Moreover, the AA‐induced genotoxicity could be prevented by the diet containing berries. The DNA damage in the lymphocyte and liver cells and the micronucleus formation in bone marrow cell were significantly alleviated (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the mice fed with diets containing berries showed a recovery in the sperm count, the sperm activity rate, sperm motility parameters, and the abnormal sperm rate (P < 0.05). Berry powders have remarkable intervention against the AA‐induced general toxicity, genotoxicity, reproductive toxicity. Abundant phenolics, especially anthocyanins, may contribute to the intervention.
Promotion of cardiorespiratory fitness in schizophrenia: a clinical overview and meta‐analysis
Authors: Vancampfort D. , Rosenbaum S. , Probst M. , Soundy A. , Mitchell A. J. , De Hert M. , Stubbs B.
Published: March 2015

Objective

Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD). We conducted a clinical overview to highlight the reduced CRF expressed as maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) (or predicted) or peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) in people with schizophrenia compared to the general population. We also aimed to identify correlates of and clinical strategies to improve CRF.

Method

We systematically searched major electronic databases from inception until November 2014. A meta‐analysis calculating the standardised mean difference (SMD) was employed.

Results

CRF was significantly reduced in people with schizophrenia (n = 154) with a SMD of −0.96 (95% CI −1.29 to −0.64) (N = 5) compared to controls (n = 182). Negative symptoms, increased body mass index and female gender were negatively associated with CRF. Promoting physical activity may improve CRF in people with schizophrenia by up to 4–4.5 ml/kg/min following a 6–8 weeks programme (N = 4, n = 98).

Conclusion

People with schizophrenia have a large and significantly reduced CRF. Given the overwhelming evidence for physical activity as the cornerstone of preventing and managing CVD in the general population, incorporating such interventions in the treatment of people with schizophrenia is justified and urgently required. We present clear practical strategies of how this can be achieved within clinical settings.
Multiple lichen planus‐like keratoses: Lichenoid drug eruption simulant and under‐recognised cause of pruritic eruptions in the elderly
Authors: Pitney Lucy , Weedon David , Pitney Michael
Published: March 2015

We present six cases of multiple eruptive lichen planus‐like keratoses (LPLK), occurring in older individuals predominately confined to previously solar exposed areas. Diagnosis was often confounded by the frequent histological reporting of ‘lichenoid drug reaction’ (LDR), despite many of the patients being unmedicated. We review the literature regarding eruptive LPLK and reflect on their etiology, clinical aspects, management and importantly their clinicopathological differentiation from LDR.
Is seborrhoeic dermatitis associated with a diffuse, low‐grade folliculitis and progressive cicatricial alopecia?
Authors: Pitney Lucy , Weedon David , Pitney Michael
Published: March 2015

An association between adult scalp seborrhoeic dermatitis and cicatricial hair loss has not previously been convincingly established. This study seeks to demonstrate a unique relationship between a clinically identifiable chronic scalp dermatitis‐folliculitis with the characteristic histological features of low‐grade inflammatory fibrosing alopecia, resulting in a distinctive progressive cicatricial alopecia which we believe is prevalent and hitherto unrecognised, and befits the description of seborrhoeic folliculitis. The clinical, epidemiological and histopathological features of seborrhoeic folliculitis are demonstrated to establish its unique status among the disorders of adult diffuse cicatricial alopecia.
A prospective study on the use of teledermatology in psychiatric patients with chronic skin diseases
Authors: Seghers Amelie C , Seng Kok Han , Chio Martin TW , Chia Emileen , Ng See Ket , Tang Mark BY
Published: March 2015

Background

To compare the use of live interactive teledermatology versus conventional face‐to‐face consultation in long‐term, institutionalised psychiatric patients with chronic skin diseases.

Methods

All institutionalised psychiatric patients at the Institute of Mental Health with follow‐up appointments at the National Skin Centre were assessed for eligibility and invited to participate. Recruited patients were first seen by a dermatologist via videoconferencing, and then by another dermatologist in person, within 1 week. Clinical outcome measures were then assessed by a third independent dermatologist. The following outcome measures were assessed for each paired patient visit: inter‐physician clinical assessment, diagnosis, management plan, adverse events and total patient turnaround time (PTAT) for each consultation.

Results

There were a total of 13 patients (mean age, 64.6 years; range 44–80) with 27 patient visits. All were male patients with chronic schizophrenia. The predominant skin condition was chronic eczema and its variants (62%), followed by cutaneous amyloidosis (23%) and psoriasis (15%). The level of complete and partial agreement between the teledermatology and face‐to‐face consultation was 100% for history‐taking and physical examination and 96% for the investigations, diagnosis, management plan and the treatment prescribed. The PTAT for teledermatology was 23 min, compared to 240 min for face‐to‐face consultations. No adverse events were reported.

Conclusion

Teledermatology was as effective as face‐to‐face consultation and reduced the PTAT by 90%, resulting in increased patient convenience, operational efficiency and reduced manpower need. Our study supports the safe and cost‐effective use of teledermatology for the follow‐up of chronic skin conditions in psychiatric patients.
Evidence from enzymatic and meta‐analyses does not support a direct association between USP26 gene variants and male infertility
Authors: Zhang W. , Liu T. , Mi Y.‐J. , Yue L.‐D. , Wang J.‐M. , Liu D.‐W. , Yan J. , Tian Q. B.
Published: March 2015

Do men who carry mutations in USP26 have an increased risk of infertility? The association between mutations in USP26 gene and male infertility has been studied intensively. However, the results from different groups are controversial. In particular, biological function of the mutant proteins remains to be elucidated. In this study, we conducted a USP cleavage assay and a meta‐analysis of the published literature (up to 31 May 2013) to evaluate the impact of five frequent mutations (NM_031907.1: c.363_364insACA, c.494T>C, c.1423C>T, c.1090C>T, c.1737G>A) on enzymatic activity of the USP26 and to assess the strength of the association between those mutations and male infertility. The USP cleavage assay showed that those mutations do not affect USP26 enzymatic activity. Moreover, the results of meta‐analysis of ten case‐control studies (in total 1716 patients and 2597 controls) revealed no significant association (P > 0.05) between USP26 mutations and male infertility. The pooled ORs were 1.58 (95% CI: 0.81, 3.10) for cluster mutations (c.363_364insACA, c.494T>C, c.1423C>T), 1.60 (95% CI: 0.93, 2.74) for c.1090 C>T and 2.64 (95% CI: 0.97, 7.20) for c.1737 G>A. Evidence from both enzymatic and meta‐analyses does not support a direct association between USP26 variants and male infertility. Further research is necessary to study the biological function of USP26, which may provide clues as to the regulation of androgen receptor signalling.
United Kingdom immune thrombocytopenia registry: retrospective evaluation of bone marrow fibrosis in adult patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia and correlation with clinical findings
Authors: Rizvi Hasan , Butler Tom , Calaminici Mariarita , Doobaree Indraraj U. , Nandigam Raghava C. , Bennett Dimitri , Provan Drew , Newland Adrian C.
Published: March 2015

Fibrosis has been reported in some patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP) treated with thrombopoietin receptor agonists (TPO‐RA). However, fibrosis has also been reported in patients with various stages of ITP, who were TPO‐RA treatment‐naïve. In our study, we looked for fibrosis in bone marrow trephine biopsies taken at initial diagnosis from 32 adult patients with ITP. Ten of the 32 evaluated samples (31·25%) showed increased reticulin (Grade 1–2 on Bauermeister scale and Grade 0–1 on the European Consensus scale), which showed a positive correlation with ethnicity (0·3%) but did not correlate with disease severity, any clinical features or co‐morbidities.
HOW HAS THE CRISIS OF 2008–09 AFFECTED SUBJECTIVE WELL‐BEING? EVIDENCE FROM 25 OECD COUNTRIES
Authors: Welsch Heinz , Kühling Jan
Published: March 2015

This paper uses life satisfaction data of almost 140,000 individuals in 25 OECD countries to study how changes in the rates of GDP growth, unemployment, and inflation during the macroeconomic crisis of 2008–09 have affected subjective well‐being. The relative contributions of the three macroeconomic variables to individuals’ life satisfaction are used to assess how each country performed on balance during the crisis. This approach follows a recent trend of using subjective well‐being data for monitoring economic performance and for policy appraisal. We find that in the countries most strongly affected by the crisis, the effects on an average citizen's well‐being may be of a similar magnitude as the effects of the most serious personal life events. The main driver of these effects is the drop in GDP, whose impact is aggravated by the increase of unemployment. Though the inflation rate went down in several of the countries, the effect was too weak to significantly reduce the negative effect of the changes in GDP and unemployment. The results show that GDP fluctuations are important drivers of subjective well‐being.
Interactions in hazard management policies: the case of drought in Nicaragua, 1976–2010
Authors: Segnestam Lisa
Published: March 2015

The literature on adaptive and multi‐level governance calls for interactive hazard management to increase societies’ resilience. This paper maps the hazard management policies in a poor and hazard‐prone country—Nicaragua—and examines what role the government gives to interactions among different actors at different societal levels. A new analytical framework is developed that includes scope and direction to capture unidirectional or mutual interactions that are either horizontal or vertical. This enables a more complex analysis of interactions than that found in previous research. The review shows that the historical change in the role given to interactions, as a result of a focus on short‐term emergency response being complemented by long‐term risk management, mainly lies in how they are characterised—with more participants and other types of content categories—and the awareness that interactions other than mutual ones can be positive. This illustrates the complexity of the issue of interactions.
Migration as an adaptive strategy to climate variability: a study of the Tonga‐speaking people of Southern Zambia
Authors: Simatele Danny , Simatele Munacinga
Published: March 2015

There is increasing consensus that the effects of extreme weather conditions in the form of drought, flooding and extreme temperature will have increasingly devastating impacts on those who depend on climate‐sensitive resources and ecosystems for their livelihoods. The most affected will be the poor in developing countries who have a low adaptive capacity to climate change due to high poverty levels. Despite these projections, there are, to date, insufficient empirical studies linking the relationship between climate change and migration, particularly in the context of southern Africa. Using field‐based data collected from two study locations in Zambia, this paper examines the complex relationship between extreme weather events and population movement. It is envisaged that the findings presented in this paper will contribute to current discussions on the complex relationship between extreme weather conditions and population movement specifically in the context of sub‐Saharan Africa and other developing countries.
Modern secondary education and economic performance: the introduction of the Gewerbeschule and Realschule in nineteenth‐century Bavaria†
Authors: Semrad Alexandra
Published: March 2015

Do new school types focusing on practical and business‐related knowledge lead to increased economic performance? To analyse this question, this article examines the introduction of two types of modern secondary education, the Gewerbeschule and its successor, the Realschule, in nineteenth‐century Bavaria. Since the opening of these schools is arguably endogenous—as it was mainly the large, prosperous cities that opened one—the estimated treatment effect capturing the economic influence of the Gewerbeschule/Realschule will lead to biased results. To alleviate this bias, propensity score matching is adopted to compare relatively similar counties with and without these schools. Using historical county‐level data on tax revenues, business formations, employment structure, and patent holdings, ordinary least squares regression analysis shows that the opening of a modern secondary school is in general positively associated with economic performance several years later.
Embodying Sensemaking: Learning from the Extreme Case ofVannNath, Prisoner atS‐21
Authors: Cunha Miguel Pina e , Clegg Stewart , Rego Arménio , Gomes Jorge F.S.
Published: March 2015

The sensemaking literature offered important critical insights to the understanding of organizing. These have been underpinned by two foundational assumptions. First, sensemaking is predominantly a higher order cognitive process. Second, it is a process desired and desirable. Considering the account of Vann Nath as prisoner of theS‐21 extermination center during the Khmer Rouge regime, we challenge these assumptions and argue that, in some cases, sensemaking is fundamentally a bodily and emotional process, one that is undesired and blocked by the organization in which it takes place. The shift in perspective triggered by an extreme context has pertinent implications for the understanding of sensemaking in other, non‐extreme organizational circumstances.
Characterization of the major bacterial–fungal populations colonizing dandruff scalps in Shanghai, China, shows microbial disequilibrium
Authors: Wang Lili , Clavaud Cécile , Bar‐Hen Avner , Cui Meng , Gao Jun , Liu Yuanyuan , Liu Chen , Shibagaki Nakako , Guéniche Audrey , Jourdain Roland , Lan Ke , Zhang Chiyu , Altmeyer Ralf , Breton Lionel
Published: March 2015

Dandruff is a scalp disorder characterized by the formation of flaky white‐yellowish scales due to an altered proliferation and differentiation status; a disrupted barrier function; a decrease in the level of hydration and of natural moisturizing factors (NMF) in the scalp, with a persistent and relapsing inflammatory condition. It was recently reported that an imbalance between bacterial and fungal species colonizing the scalp of French volunteers was associated with dandruff condition. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the major bacterial and fungal species present on the scalp surface of Chinese volunteers and to investigate possible region‐related variation in the microbiota linked to dandruff condition. The data obtained from the Chinese populations were highly similar to those obtained in France, confirming that dandruff scalps are associated with a higher incidence of Malassezia restricta and Staphylococcal sp. The ratios of Malassezia to Propionibacterium and Propionibacterium to Staphylococcus were also significantly higher in the dandruff volunteers as compared to normal volunteers, suggesting that equilibrium between the major bacterial and fungal taxa found on the normal scalps is perturbed in the dandruff scalps. The main difference between the French and Shanghai subjects was in their Staphylococcal biota. The results obtained in China and in France suggest that targeting one particular Malassezia sp. by antifungals instead of using large spectrum antifungals and rebalancing the dandruff scalp microbiota could be common approach to improve dandruff condition in the two countries.
The cosmopolitan elite in Germany: transnationalism and postmaterialism
Authors: HELBLING MARC , TENEY CÉLINE
Published: March 2015

In this article, we investigate cosmopolitan attitudes among the people often considered the most cosmopolitan – the elite. Studying the typical class of frequent travellers provides a particularly good opportunity to study the relationship between transnational activities and cosmopolitanism. We also comprehensively investigate the link between postmaterialist values and cosmopolitan attitudes. We test our arguments using an original dataset that includes a relatively large sample of the German positional top elite in the years 2011 and 2012. A comparison between these data and data from a general population survey shows that while transnational activities affect the attitudes of ordinary citizens, increased travelling does not make elites more cosmopolitan. We discuss several reasons why this might be the case. We also observe that postmaterialist values and the ideological environment of the elite play a key role. Finally, we tentatively suggest that cosmopolitan elites do not endanger national social cohesion, as some fear they might. We show that cosmopolitanism and localism are not mutually exclusive and that members of the German elite feel even more attached to their nation than ordinary Germans.
Photo‐Thermo‐Refractive Glasses: Effects of Dopants on Their Ultraviolet Absorption Spectra
Authors: Efimov Andrei M. , Ignatiev Alexander I. , Nikonorov Nikolai V. , Postnikov Evgenii S.
Published: March 2015

Data accumulated on the UV spectra of photo‐thermo‐refractive glasses known to be a new class of photo‐sensitive materials for nanophotonics is discussed. The paper is aimed to providing specialists in the applied photonics with a complete self‐consistent block of the latest information on the UV spectral manifestations of various oxidation states of dopants and on the redox balance between these states. For all oscillators related to the oxidation states of dopants such as cerium, silver, and antimony, the spectroscopic parameters are computed and analyzed. Intercomparison of the data is conducted in terms of the redox reactions between particular oxidation states of dopants. The effects of bromine in the matrix glass composition on the parameter magnitudes for the Ag+ and Ce4+ states are demonstrated and the origin of the effects is discussed. The roles of atomary silver and antimony in the Sb3+ state as strong reducers with respect to cerium in the Ce4+ state are analyzed. Estimates for the molar fractions of Ce3+ and Ce4+ states in the glasses with various dopant combinations are discussed. A possibility to reconstruct the absorption spectrum of commercial photo‐thermo‐refractive glass using data obtained on the parameter magnitudes for the oxidation states of dopants is shown.
Peptidoglycan recognition protein–peptidoglycan complexes increase monocyte/macrophage activation and enhance the inflammatory response
Authors: De Marzi Mauricio C. , Todone Marcos , Ganem María B. , Wang Qian , Mariuzza Roy A. , Fernández Marisa M. , Malchiodi Emilio L.
Published: March 2015

Peptidoglycan recognition proteins (PGRP) are pattern recognition receptors that can bind or hydrolyse peptidoglycan (PGN). Four human PGRP have been described: PGRP‐S, PGRP‐L, PGRP‐Iα and PGRP‐Iβ. Mammalian PGRP‐S has been implicated in intracellular destruction of bacteria by polymorphonuclear cells, PGRP‐Iα and PGRP‐Iβ have been found in keratinocytes and epithelial cells, and PGRP‐L is a serum protein that hydrolyses PGN. We have expressed recombinant human PGRP and observed that PGRP‐S and PGRP‐Iα exist as monomer and disulphide dimer proteins. The PGRP dimers maintain their biological functions. We detected the PGRP‐S dimer in human serum and polymorphonuclear cells, from where it is secreted after degranulation; these cells being a possible source of serum PGRP‐S. Recombinant PGRP do not act as bactericidal or bacteriostatic agents in the assayed conditions; however, PGRP‐S and PGRP‐Iα cause slight damage in the bacterial membrane. Monocytes/macrophages increase Staphylococcus aureus phagocytosis in the presence of PGRP‐S, PGRP‐Iα and PGRP‐Iβ. All PGRP bind to monocyte/macrophage membranes and are endocytosed by them. In addition, all PGRP protect cells from PGN‐induced apoptosis. PGRP increase THP‐1 cell proliferation and enhance activation by PGN. PGRP‐S–PGN complexes increase the membrane expression of CD14, CD80 and CD86, and enhance secretion of interleukin‐8, interleukin‐12 and tumour necrosis factor‐α, but reduce interleukin‐10, clearly inducing an inflammatory profile.
Standardization of Variables and Collinearity Diagnostic in Ridge Regression
Authors: García José , Salmerón Román , García Catalina , López Martín María del Mar
Published: March 2015

Ridge estimation (RE) is an alternative method to ordinary least squares when there exists a collinearity problem in a linear regression model. The variance inflator factor (VIF) is applied to test if the problem exists in the original model and is also necessary after applying the ridge estimate to check if the chosen value for parameterkhas mitigated the collinearity problem. This paper shows that the application of the original data when working with the ridge estimate leads to non‐monotone VIF values. García et al. (2014) showed some problems with the traditional VIF used in RE. We propose an augmented VIF, VIFR(j,k), associated with RE, which is obtained by standardizing the data before augmenting the model. The VIFR(j,k) will coincide with the VIF associated with the ordinary least squares estimator whenk= 0. The augmented VIF has the very desirable properties of being continuous, monotone in the ridge parameter and higher than one.
The politics of time: Conservatives differentially reference the past and liberals differentially reference the future
Authors: Robinson Michael D. , Cassidy Deirdre M. , Boyd Ryan L. , Fetterman Adam K.
Published: March 2015

Conservatives are thought to favor certainty and value tradition (suggesting a focus on the past), whereas liberals are thought to favor change (suggesting a focus on the future), even when it is associated with some degree of uncertainty. On this basis, two studies contrasted references to the past versus the future in language usage. Study 1 analyzed 600 texts from conservative and liberal websites. After adjusting for normative differences, a cross‐over interaction was obtained: Conservative posts referenced the past to a greater extent than the future and liberal posts referenced the future more than the past. A conceptually parallel cross‐over interaction was obtained in Study 2, which analyzed 145 State of the Union addresses. The temporal orientation of conservatives and liberals, then, appears qualitatively different.
Botulinum neurotoxin type A modulates vesicular release of glutamate from satellite glial cells
Authors: Silva Larissa Bittencourt da , Poulsen Jeppe Nørgaard , Arendt‐Nielsen Lars , Gazerani Parisa
Published: March 2015

This study investigated the presence of cell membrane docking proteins synaptosomal‐associated protein, 25 and 23 kD (SNAP‐25 and SNAP‐23) in satellite glial cells (SGCs) of rat trigeminal ganglion; whether cultured SGCs would release glutamate in a time‐ and calcium‐dependent manner following calcium‐ionophore ionomycin stimulation; and if botulinum neurotoxin type A (BoNTA), in a dose‐dependent manner, could block or decrease vesicular release of glutamate. SGCs were isolated from the trigeminal ganglia (TG) of adult Wistar rats and cultured for 7 days. The presence of SNAPs in TG sections and isolated SGCs were investigated using immunohistochemistry and immunocytochemistry, respectively. SGCs were stimulated with ionomycin (5 μM for 4, 8, 12 and 30 min.) to release glutamate. SGCs were then pre‐incubated with BoNTA (24 hrs with 0.1, 1, 10 and 100 pM) to investigate if BoNTA could potentially block ionomycin‐stimulated glutamate release. Glutamate concentrations were measured by ELISA. SNAP‐25 and SNAP‐23 were present in SGCs in TG sections and in cultured SGCs. Ionomycin significantly increased glutamate release from cultured SGCs 30 min. following the treatment (P < 0.001). BoNTA (100 pM) significantly decreased glutamate release (P < 0.01). Results from this study demonstrated that SGCs, when stimulated with ionomycin, released glutamate that was inhibited by BoNTA, possibly through cleavage of SNAP‐25 and/or SNAP‐23. These novel findings demonstrate the existence of vesicular glutamate release from SGCs, which could potentially play a role in the trigeminal sensory transmission. In addition, interaction of BoNTA with non‐neuronal cells at the level of TG suggests a potential analgesic mechanism of action of BoNTA.
Optimizing the Enzymatic Elimination of Clogging of a Microfiltration Membrane by Parellada Grape Cake
Authors: Pagán Jordi , Conde Josep , Echavarría Ana Paola , Ibarz Albert
Published: March 2015

Clogging of the filtration membranes is one of the main problems in the process of obtaining grape must for white wine; therefore, clogging must be reduced to the maximum. The aim of this work was to find the optimal values of the temperature, time and enzyme solution concentration variables to know the best conditions to reduce the clogging of Parellada var. grape pulp in microfilters by enzymatic hydrolysis. Moreover, a study of the effluents produced in this process was also carried out. The unclogging experiments carried out at different temperatures and times led to the activation energy value of 60.3 kJ/mol, and the optimum conditions obtained, those that produced the best filtration, were temperature of 51.8C, time of 35 min and enzyme solution concentration of 379.4 μL/L. Finally, the kinetic equations of the variation in the contents of the effluents generated in this process under the optimal conditions were also determined.

Practical Applications

This paper shows an application of a new original funnel reactor designed by the authors to remove the clogging by enzymatic digestion where the experimental parameters of the filtration process can be varied in order to achieve the optimal values of these parameters to improve the efficiency of the process. Using the values obtained for the process variables, a significant reduction of economic costs could be obtained compared with non‐optimized cake degradation, particularly which produced a decrease in the dose of the added enzyme, whose relationship with the amount of pulp in the filter will not change in the scaling up of the process.
Stability of Bioactive Compounds and Quality Parameters of Grugru Palm Powder (Acrocomia Aculeata) in Different Drying Conditions
Authors: Oliveira Dalany Menezes , Lima Cleidiane Gomes , Clemente Edmar , Afonso Marcos Rodrigues Amorim , Costa José Maria Correia Da
Published: March 2015

The objective of this paper was to study the stability of bioactive components of grugru palm powder. Fruits were selected, sanitized and pulped; subsequently, the pulp was crushed and submitted to the following four treatments: oven drying (T1: without maltodextrin; T2: with 8% of maltodextrin) and lyophilization (T3: without maltodextrin; T4: with 8% of maltodextrin). The powders of each treatment were packed in plastic, laminate or laminate and vacuum (LV). Analyses of the physicochemical and bioactive compounds were performed every 30 days during the 120 days of storage. An increase in moisture content and water activity was observed and fluctuations occurred in color saturation and in the values of phenolics and flavonoids. The β‐carotene contents decreased during the storage and their values were influenced by the dehydration method and the type of package. Thus, the optimal condition for preserving the grugru palm powder was lyophilization T3 in packaging LV.

Practical Applications

Acrocomia aculeata is a highly productive palm tree that has great economic value. All parts of this plant can be utilized and its fruits in particular have an interesting nutritive potential. The mesocarp of the grugru palm fruit provides significant concentrations of β‐carotene, which is a natural antioxidant and pro‐vitamin A. Thus, this pulp can be included to enrich the feeding programs of the poor as a source of vitamin A. This work contributes to the study of the stability of bioactive compounds and of the quality parameters of dehydrated grugru palm pulp, with the aim of defining the best processing and conservation conditions for this raw material when used as a new ingredient in the different formulations of food products.
Outsourcing in the International Mutual Fund Industry: An Equilibrium View
Authors: CHUPRININ OLEG , MASSA MASSIMO , SCHUMACHER DAVID
Published: March 2015

We study outsourcing relationships among international asset management firms. We find that, in companies that manage both outsourced and in‐house funds, in‐house funds outperform outsourced funds by 0.85% annually (57% of the expense ratio). We attribute this result to preferential treatment of in‐house funds via the preferential allocation of IPOs, trading opportunities, and cross‐trades, especially at times when in‐house funds face steep outflows and require liquidity. We explain preferential treatment with agency problems: it increases with the subcontractor's market power and the difficulty of monitoring the subcontractor, and decreases with the subcontractor's amount of parallel in‐house activity.
Comparisons of Reproducibility and Mean Values of Diffusion Tensor Imaging‐Derived Indices between Unipolar and Bipolar Diffusion Pulse Sequences
Authors: Miao Hsiao‐Chien , Wu Ming‐Ting , Kao E‐Fong , Chiu Yu‐Hsien , Chou Ming‐Chung
Published: March 2015

Eddy current distortion is an important issue that may influence the quantitative measurements of diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). The corrections of eddy current artifacts could be performed using bipolar diffusion gradients or unipolar gradients with affine registration. Whether the diffusion pulse sequence affects the quantification of DTI indices and the technique that produces more reliable DTI indices in terms of reproducibility both remain unclear. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to compare the reproducibility and mean values of DTI‐derived indices between unipolar and bipolar diffusion pulse sequences based on actual human brain data. Five repeated datasets of unipolar and bipolar DTI were acquired from 10 healthy subjects at different echo times (TEs). The reproducibility and mean values of DTI indices were assessed by calculating the coefficient of variation and mean values of the 5 repeated measurements. The results revealed that the reproducibility and mean values of DTI indices were significantly affected by the pulse sequence. Unipolar DTI exhibited significantly higher reproducibility than bipolar DTI even at the same TE, and the mean values of DTI indices were significantly different between them. Therefore, we concluded that the reproducibility and mean values of DTI indices were significantly influenced by diffusion pulse sequences.
Assessment of the Internal Fit of Lithium Disilicate Crowns Using Micro‐CT
Authors: Alfaro David P. , Ruse N. Dorin , Carvalho Ricardo M. , Wyatt Chris C.
Published: March 2015

Purpose

The aim of this study was to compare the internal fit of lithium disilicate crowns fabricated using digital technology with those fabricated by conventional means.

Materials and Methods

Forty‐five lithium disilicate crowns were fabricated: 15 using digital impression and computer‐aided design/computer‐aided machining technique (group 1), 15 from the same digital impressions, but using a conventional die and laboratory fabrication process (group 2), and 15 using a conventional poly (vinyl siloxane) (PVS) impression and laboratory fabrication process (group 3). Tooth #15 was prepared for all‐ceramic restoration on an ivorine typodont, which was digitized and a replica milled in zirconia to serve as master model. The master zirconia model was used for the impression procedures. Duplicate dies of the master zirconia die were made in polyurethane, enabling the internal fit of each crown to be evaluated using X‐ray microcomputed tomography. The total volume of the internal space between the crown and die, the mean and maximum thickness of this space, and the percentage of the space that was at or below 120 μm thickness was calculated for each group and statistically tested for significant difference using one‐way ANOVA, with post hoc Scheffé analysis.

Results

Group 1 crowns resulted in a smaller volume of internal space (12.49 ± 1.50 mm3) compared to group 2 (15.40 ± 2.59 mm3) and to those of group 3 (18.01 ± 2.44 mm3). The mean thickness of the internal space for group 1 (0.16 ± 0.01 mm) and for group 2 (0.17 ± 0.03 mm) was significantly lower than that of group 3 (0.21 ± 0.03 mm). The average percentage of the internal space of a thickness of 120 μm and below was different between the three groups: 46.73 ± 5.66% for group 1, 37.08 ± 17.69% for group 2, and 22.89 ± 9.72% for group 3. Three‐dimensional renderings of the internal space were also created.

Conclusions

The results of this study suggested that pressed and milled IPS e. max crowns from LAVA COS digital impressions had a better internal fit to the prepared tooth than pressed IPS e.max crowns from PVS impressions in terms of total volume of internal space, average thickness of internal space, and percentage of internal space at or below 120 μm.
Protective effects of the angiotensin type 1 receptor antagonist losartan in infection‐induced and arthritis‐associated alveolar bone loss
Authors: Queiroz‐Junior C. M. , Silveira K. D. , de Oliveira C. R. , Moura A. P. , Madeira M. F. M. , Soriani F. M. , Ferreira A. J. , Fukada S. Y. , Teixeira M. M. , Souza D. G. , da Silva T. A.
Published: March 2015

Background and Objective

The angiotensin type 1 (AT1) receptor has been implicated in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bone disorders. This study aimed to investigate the effect of an AT1 receptor antagonist in infection‐induced and arthritis‐associated alveolar bone loss in mice.

Material and Methods

Mice were subjected to Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans oral infection or antigen‐induced arthritis and treated daily with 10 mg/kg of the prototype AT1 antagonist, losartan. Treatment was conducted for 30 d in the infectious condition and for 17 d and 11 d in the preventive or therapeutic regimens in the arthritic model, respectively. The mice were then killed, and the maxillae, serum and knee joints were collected for histomorphometric and immunoenzymatic assays. In vitro osteoclast assays were performed using RAW 264.7 cells stimulated with A. actinomycetemcomitans lipopolysacharide (LPS).

Results

Arthritis and A. actinomycetemcomitans infection triggered significant alveolar bone loss in mice and increased the levels of myeloperoxidase and of TRAP+ osteoclasts in periodontal tissues. Losartan abolished such a phenotype, as well as the arthritis joint inflammation. Both arthritis and A. actinomycetemcomitans conditions were associated with the release of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α), interferon‐gamma, interleukin‐17 and chemokine (C‐X‐C motif) ligand 1 and an increased RANKL/osteoprotegerin ratio in periodontal tissues, but such expression decreased after losartan treatment, except for TNF‐α. The therapeutic approach was as beneficial as the preventive one. In vitro, losartan prevented LPS‐induced osteoclast differentiation and activity.

Conclusion

The blockade of AT1 receptor exerts anti‐inflammatory and anti‐osteoclastic effects, thus protecting periodontal tissues in distinct pathophysiological conditions of alveolar bone loss.
Pregnant Women's Preferences for Men's Faces Differ Significantly from Nonpregnant Women
Authors: Limoncin Erika , Ciocca Giacomo , Gravina Giovanni Luca , Carosa Eleonora , Mollaioli Daniele , Cellerino Alessandro , Mennucci Andrea , Di Sante Stefania , Lenzi Andrea , Jannini Emmanuele A.
Published: March 2015

Introduction

There is evidence that women's preferences for facial characteristics in men's faces change according to menstrual phase and sexual hormones. Literature indicates that the pregnancy is characterized by a specific sexual hormonal pattern with respect to all other physiological conditions concerning the sexual hormone status during the reproductive age, configuring this physiological condition as an excellent surrogate to study how the sexual hormones may affect many of the aspects concerning the sexual behavior.

Aim

The aim of this study was to investigate pregnancy as a model of hormonal influence on women's facial preferences in short-term and long-term relationships and compare the choices of pregnant women with those of nonpregnant women.

Main Outcome Measures

Measurement of women's preferences for synthetic men's faces, morphed from hyper-masculine to hypomasculine shape.

Materials and Methods

Forty-six women in the third trimester of pregnancy, and 70 nonpregnant women took part in the study. All women were shown a composite male face. The sexual dimorphism of the images was enhanced or reduced in a continuous fashion using an open-source morphing program that produced a sequence of 21 pictures of the same face warped from a feminized to a masculinized shape.

Results

Pregnant women's choices differed significantly from those of nonpregnant women. In fact, in the context of both a hypothetical short- (M = −0.4 ± 0.11) and long-term relationship (M = −0.4 ± 0.07) pregnant women showed a clear preference for a less masculine man's face than the other group (short-term: M = 0.15 ± 0.13; long-term: M = −0.06 ± 0.15; P < 0.0001).

Conclusions

Women in the third trimester of pregnancy clearly prefer more feminine men's faces, distancing themselves from the choices of women in other physiological conditions concerning the sexual hormonal status during the reproductive age. However, other psychosocial variables may explain this interesting finding.