bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Emerging roles of non‐coding RNAs in pancreatic β‐cell function and dysfunction
Authors: Guay C. , Jacovetti C. , Nesca V. , Motterle A. , Tugay K. , Regazzi R.
Published: August 2012

Pancreatic β‐cells play a central role in glucose homeostasis by tightly regulating insulin release according to the organism's demand. Impairment of β‐cell function due to hostile environment, such as hyperglycaemia and hyperlipidaemia, or due to autoimmune destruction of β‐cells, results in diabetes onset. Both environmental factors and genetic predisposition are known to be involved in the development of the disease, but the exact mechanisms leading to β‐cell dysfunction and death remain to be characterized. Non‐coding RNA molecules, such as microRNAs (miRNAs), have been suggested to be necessary for proper β‐cell development and function. The present review aims at summarizing the most recent findings about the role of non‐coding RNAs in the control of β‐cell functions and their involvement in diabetes. We will also provide a perspective view of the future research directions in the field of non‐coding RNAs. In particular, we will discuss the implications for diabetes research of the discovery of a new communication mechanism based on cell‐to‐cell miRNA transfer. Moreover, we will highlight the emerging interconnections between miRNAs and epigenetics and the possible role of long non‐coding RNAs in the control of β‐cell activities.
Conflicting mitochondrial and nuclear paraphyly in small‐sized West African house bats (Vespertilionidae)
Authors: VALLO PETER , BENDA PETR , ČERVENÝ JAROSLAV , KOUBEK PETR
Published: August 2012

Vallo, P., Benda, P., Červený, J. & Koubek, P. (2012). Conflicting mitochondrial and nuclear paraphyly in small‐sized West African house bats (Vespertilionidae). —Zoologica Scripta, 42, 1–12.

Hybridization between species may result in introgression of mitochondrial DNA from one species to another. Phylogenetic inference, therefore, may not recover true evolutionary relationships. In bats, there are only a few reported cases of introgressive hybridization. House bats are a genus with obscure phylogeny and taxonomy, caused mainly by morphological similarity. We undertook a detailed analysis of small‐sized West African house bats (Scotophilus), tentatively identified as S. nigritellus, to clarify relationships between two sympatric colour forms. These forms were recovered in paraphyletic position to each other in both mitochondrial and nuclear phylogenies, signifying that they are two distinct species. While the yellow‐bellied form could be assigned beyond doubt to S. nigritellus s. str., the white‐bellied form may be an as yet undescribed species. Moreover, the white‐bellied form clustered as a sister mitochondrial lineage to another species, Scotophilus leucogaster. These sister lineages differed by only 2.6–2.8% sequence divergence, which lies within the intraspecific range for this genus. Two nuclear markers, however, contradicted the sister relationship, showing them instead to be distantly related. The apparent conflict between the mitochondrial and nuclear signals suggests that past hybridization may have occurred between these morphologically distinct species.
Quantitative measures of operational risk: an application to funds management
Authors: Brown Stephen J.
Published: August 2012

Basel II defines operational risk as the risk of direct or indirect loss resulting from inadequate or failed internal processes, people or systems or from external events. In the past decade, there have appeared a number of quantitative approaches to measuring this risk, approaches that abstract from market risk and reputational risk. The challenge is to develop operational risk measures in an asset management context where there is only limited information available about the incidence and severity of operational loss events. We survey different approaches to this problem and argue that managing this risk through operational due diligence is a source of alpha in this funds management context.
DUAL‐OBJECTIVE OPTIMAL MIXTURE DESIGNS
Authors: Zhang Chongqi , Wong Wengkee , Peng Heng
Published: August 2012

Mixture experiments are widely used in many industries and particularly in the manufacture of consumer products. Almost all work to date assumes a single study objective, which is unrealistic. Researchers may want to estimate model parameters and make predictions or extrapolations at the same time. We discuss design issues for determining the optimal proportions of the mixture components when there are two or more objectives in the study and there is a large sample size. We present a general methodology for constructing two types of dual‐objective optimal design for mixture experiments and discuss the general applicability of the design strategy to more complicated types of mixture design problems, including mixture experiments.
From Blue to Green and Everything in Between: Ideational Change and Left Political Economy after New Labour
Authors: Finlayson Alan
Published: August 2012

This article argues that ideational and institutionalist approaches to the study of policy continuity and change should be complemented by research into political ideologies, and with exploration of an ‘intermediate’ public sphere in which there is extensive intra-ideological dispute. Exploring contemporary left-wing debate about political economy in Britain it is shown that ideational change takes place in the context of disputes rooted in ideological tradition, involving the rearrangement of concepts, the emphasising of some and the marginalisation of others. In the present moment that debate is marked by what may be thought of, heuristically, as ‘Keynesian’, ‘Polanyian’, ‘Schumpeterian’ and ‘Schumacherian’ points of reference. Assessing the likelihood of this debate developing into a coherent ‘crisis narrative’ it is shown that the development of the relationship between these poles will be decisive but that at present they stumble over the conceptualisation of ‘equality’ and ‘the state’.
Treating the Symptom Not the Condition: Crisis Definition, Deficit Reduction and the Search for a New British Growth Model
Authors: Hay Colin
Published: August 2012

It has taken quite a while for a consolidated crisis discourse to emerge in Britain in response to the seismic events of 2007–09. But one is now clearly evident, widely accepted and deeply implicated in government economic policy. It is a ‘crisis of debt’ discourse to which the response is austerity and deficit reduction; it is paradigm-reinforcing rather than paradigm-threatening. In this article I consider the appropriateness of such a crisis discourse, arguing that an alternative ‘crisis of growth’ discourse is rather more compelling and would point in very different policy directions while generating very different expectations about the effects of deficit reduction. Such a discourse can just about be detected in the growing criticism of the government's austerity programme, but it is yet to lead to the positing of a new growth model. I explore the implications of both crisis discourses for responses to the crisis, concluding with an assessment of the prospects for the return to growth under a new growth model in the years ahead.
Balancing Employee Religious Freedom in the Workplace with Customer Rights to a Religion‐free Retail Environment
Authors: Adams Ronald J.
Published: August 2012

In October of 2009, Trevor Keezer was terminated by Home Depot for refusing to remove a pin from his uniform declaring “One Nation under God, Indivisible.” Mr. Keezer, a cashier with Home Depot, contended that the button he had worn for over one year before any action was taken by his employer expressed his support for American troops and his Christian faith. Were the actions taken by his employer warranted or was Mr. Keezer the victim of arbitrary religious discrimination unrelated to job performance? Religion is becoming an increasingly polarizing issue in the workplace, forcing retail managers to balance the respective interests of employees, coworkers, and patrons of retail establishments. And from all indications, if legislation pending in Congress is enacted, maintaining the balance will become more problematic.
Discerning Possibilities for Action: A Typology of Approaches to Moral Imagination
Authors: Hargrave Timothy J.
Published: August 2012

The existing literature on moral imagination proposes that actors can best respond to ethical dilemmas by tailoring their actions to the practical demands of the situation. It has done little to develop this insight, however. To address this gap, I used institutional theory to identify six ideal type approaches to moral imagination. I proposed that in addressing ethical dilemmas, the morally imaginative actor takes account of two situational factors: first, the social construction of the unmet ethical claim or obligation which constitutes the ethical dilemma, and in particular whether or not it is broadly perceived to be legitimate; and second, its own degree of power. The framework presented represents the first attempt to systematically enumerate approaches to moral imagination and identify their boundary conditions.
Beyond Empiricism: Realizing the Ethical Mission of Management
Authors: Friedland Julian
Published: August 2012

Research into the proper mission of business falls within the context of theoretical and applied ethics. And ethics is fast becoming a part of required business school curricula. However, while business ethics research occasionally appears in high‐profile venues, it does not yet enjoy a regular place within any top management journal. I offer a partial explanation of this paradox and suggestions for resolving it. I begin by discussing the standard conception of human nature given by neoclassical economics as disseminated in business schools; showing it is a significant obstacle to an accurate conception of ethics and how this limits consideration of sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR). I then examine the scope of the top management journals, showing how their empirical and descriptive focus leaves little room for ethics, which is an essentially conceptual and prescriptive discipline. Finally, I suggest avenues for research into the ethical mission of business, generally—and sustainability and CSR, in particular—by appeal to the precepts of Harvard Business School’s Master’s in Business Administration ethics oath modeled on the medical and legal professions.
Globalization and Its Challenges for Business and Business Ethics in the Twenty‐first Century
Authors: Werhane Patricia H.
Published: August 2012

The global expansion of free enterprise has been underway for some time, and the challenges for global companies are well‐known. Companies often operate in economically blighted communities and in corrupt environments without a rule of law. At the same time Western‐based global corporations are under increasing public pressure to take on responsibilities to these communities that are often beyond their expertise or economic purview. For example, at the 2008 Davos meetings Bill Gates proposed the idea of “creative capitalism, challenging business to ‘meet the needs of the poor in ways that generate profits’...” In what follows I shall argue that while there have been many successful global ventures, the Gates’ challenge requires academics and managerial leaders to rethink their mind sets and expand their thinking about what we mean by globalization, poverty, and the multiple dimensions of free enterprise.
Is ‘Candidacy’ a Useful Concept for Understanding Journeys through Public Services? A Critical Interpretive Literature Synthesis
Authors: Mackenzie Mhairi , Conway Ellie , Hastings Annette , Munro Moira , O'Donnell Catherine
Published: August 2012

Across the public sector there is concern that service uptake is inequitably distributed by socio‐economic circumstances and that public provision exacerbates the existence of inequalities either because services are not allocated by need or because of differential patterns of uptake between the most and least affluent groups.

A concept that offers potential to understand access and utilization is ‘candidacy’ which has been used to explain access to, and utilization of, healthcare. The concept suggests that an individual's identification of his or her ‘candidacy’ for health services is structurally, culturally, organizationally and professionally constructed, and helps to explain why those in deprived circumstances make less use of services than the more affluent.

In this article we assess the fit of candidacy to other public services using a Critical Interpretive Synthesis of three case studies literatures relating to: domestic abuse, higher education and environmental services.

We find high levels of congruence between ‘candidacy’ and the sampled literatures on access/utilization of services. We find, however, that the concept needs to be refined. In particular, we distinguish between micro, meso and macro factors that play into the identification, sustaining and resolution of candidacy, and demonstrate the plural nature of candidacies. We argue that this refined model of candidacy should be tested empirically beyond and within health. More specifically, in the current economic context, we suggest that it becomes imperative to better understand how access to public services is influenced by multiple factors including changing discourses of deservedness and fairness, and by stringent reductions in the public purse.
Trust as a Means of Bridging the Management of Risk and the Meeting of Need: A Case Study in Mental Health Service Provision
Authors: Brown Patrick , Calnan Michael
Published: August 2012

Shifts in public policy towards an increasing focus on risk have been deemed problematic at a number of levels, particularly the tendency for concerns over reputational risk to institutions to trump the interests and needs of service‐users. This article explores the tension between these two dimensions, of risk and need, in a case study of local mental health services – a setting where conflicting objectives to manage risk and meet need are apparent. Media‐driven pressure to ward against the ‘risk’ represented by service‐users tends towards more coercive policy which may obstruct the meeting of need, which in turn may undermine service‐user engagement and hinder risk management. Drawing on qualitative data from interviews with service‐users, professionals and managers, the article explores the process of trust and its facilitative role in meeting need and managing risk. Findings suggest that while existing foci on risk are at times counter‐productive, trust plays a significant role in service‐users' initial and ongoing engagement, communication and co‐operation with professionals. Yet inherent obstacles to trust within mental healthcare contexts remain, due to cultural pressures on professionals, the nature of the illness experience and negative past experiences of in‐patient care.
Middle‐Class Political Activism and Middle‐Class Advantage in Relation to Public Services: A Realist Synthesis of the Evidence Base
Authors: Matthews Peter , Hastings Annette
Published: August 2012

Since the late 1960s social policy scholarship has been concerned with the distribution of the resources or benefits across social gradients. This article presents a review of the literature on one mechanism by which inequity might be produced – activism by middle‐class service‐users enabling them to capture a disproportionate share of resources. The review used the methodology of realist synthesis to bring together evidence from the UK, the USA and Scandinavian countries over the past 30 years. The aim was to construct a ‘middle‐theory’ to understand how and in which contexts collective and individual activity by middle‐class service‐users might produce inequitable resource allocation or rationing decisions that disproportionately benefit middle‐class service‐users. The article identifies four causal theories which nuance the view that it is the ‘sharp elbows’ of the middle‐classes which confer advantage on this group. It shows how advantage accrues via the interplay between service‐users, providers and the broader policy and social context.
Opposite but analogous effects of road density on songbirds with contrasting habitat preferences
Authors: Butler L. K. , Ries L. , Bisson I.‐A. , Hayden T. J. , Wikelski M. M. , Romero L. M.
Published: August 2012

Roads are a widespread and growing form of habitat alteration, making their effects on wildlife a major conservation concern. We investigated effects of roads on occupancy patterns and stress physiology of the golden‐cheeked warbler Setophaga chrysoparia, an endangered songbird that depends on large tracts of old‐growth forest for breeding. We compared those effects in the white‐eyed vireo Vireo griseus, a common songbird that prefers to breed in scrubby habitat that is common along forest roads. In warblers, older, socially dominant males were more likely to occupy territories, but had higher baseline plasma concentrations of corticosterone, in less‐roaded habitats. In vireos, older males were equally likely to occupy territories, but, opposite to warblers, had lower baseline corticosterone concentrations, in less‐roaded habitats. In both species, the corticosterone response to acute stress was unrelated to road density, and body condition and fat stores either increased or were sustained across road density groups during the breeding season, suggesting that breeding near roads did not cause chronic stress. Our results suggest that roads can cause increased male–male competition for territories in nearby roadless habitat, and may result in higher corticosterone concentrations in dominant individuals defending preferred sites near or far from edge, depending on species habitat preferences. Increased competition and chronically elevated corticosterone levels may be of concern if they alter parental care or immunity of individuals breeding in the best habitat.
Managing a food web: impacts on small mammals of managing grasslands for breeding waders
Authors: Laidlaw R. A. , Smart J. , Smart M. A. , Gill J. A.
Published: August 2012

Conservation management of landscapes often targets species of conservation concern, but this can have repercussions for other components of the food web which may, in turn, indirectly influence the target species. In Western Europe, many lowland wet grasslands are managed to encourage declining breeding wader populations but the benefits of creating habitat conditions that attract waders are often limited by increased predation rates. As predator activity may be influenced by the relative availability of different prey sources, we investigate the influence of habitat management for waders on the distribution and activity of the small mammal prey of mammalian predators. Livestock grazing to create the short sward structure that attracts breeding waders on wet grasslands results in areas of tall, dense vegetation being largely restricted to verge areas outwith fields. Through both ink tracking tunnels and field‐sign searches, we found small mammal activity to be almost entirely restricted to swards of > 20 cm height and > 80% ground‐level cover which, in this landscape, is only found in verges and field edges. The creation of extensive areas of short grass to attract breeding waders may therefore be substantially reducing the abundance of mammal prey for the predators that are limiting wader productivity on many sites. Using this information to plan small mammal habitats within these landscapes may be a means of reducing the predation pressure on breeding waders, and there is an urgent need to establish whether predation rates on wader nests and chicks are lower when small mammals are abundant.
Annual Research Review: Resilient functioning in maltreated children – past, present, and future perspectives
Authors: Cicchetti Dante
Published: August 2012

Background:  Through a process of probabilistic epigenesis, child maltreatment progressively contributes to compromised adaptation on a variety of developmental domains central to successful adjustment. These developmental failures pose significant risk for the emergence of psychopathology across the life course. In addition to the psychological consequences of maltreatment, a growing body of research has documented the deleterious effects of abuse and neglect on biological processes. Nonetheless, not all maltreated children develop maladaptively. Indeed, some percentage of maltreated children develops in a resilient fashion despite the significant adversity and stress they experience.

Methods:  The literature on the determinants of resilience in maltreated children is selectively reviewed and criteria for the inclusion of the studies are delineated.

Results:  The majority of the research on the contributors to resilient functioning has focused on a single level of analysis and on psychosocial processes. Multilevel investigations have begun to appear, resulting in several studies on the processes to resilient functioning that integrate biological/genetic and psychological domains.

Conclusions:  Much additional research on the determinants of resilient functioning must be completed before we possess adequate knowledge based on a multiple levels of analysis approach that is commensurate with the complexity inherent in this dynamic developmental process. Suggestions for future research on the development of resilient functioning in maltreated children are proffered and intervention implications are discussed.
The mirror mechanism and its potential role in autism spectrum disorder
Authors: GALLESE VITTORIO , ROCHAT MAGALI J , BERCHIO CRISTINA
Published: August 2012

The mirror mechanism allows the direct translation of a perceived (seen, felt, heard) action into the same motor representation of its related goal. This mechanism allows a direct comprehension of others’ goals and motor intentions, enabling an embodied link between individuals. Because the mirror mechanism is a functional expression of the motor system, these findings suggest the relevance of the motor system to social cognition. It has been hypothesized that the impaired understanding of others’ intentions, sensations, and emotions reported in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) could be linked to an alteration of the mirror mechanism in all of these domains. In this review, we address the theoretical issues underlying the social impairments in ASD and discuss them in relation to the cognitive role of the mirror mechanism.
Anxiety in adolescents born preterm or with very low birthweight: a meta‐analysis of case–control studies
Authors: SØMHOVD MIKAEL J , HANSEN BO M , BROK JESPER , ESBJØRN BARBARA H , GREISEN GORM
Published: August 2012

Aim  To determine if adolescents who are born very preterm (<32wks; of gestation) and/or with very low birthweight (VLBW; <1500g) have a higher risk of experiencing clinically significant anxiety problems.

Method  We used a systematic review and meta‐analysis. We searched the databases ISI Web of Knowledge, PubMed, PsycNET, Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), Latin American and Caribbean Literature on the Health Sciences (LILACS), and Virtual Health Library (VHL) with equivalent search expressions (from the databases’ inception to June 2011). Also, we screened reference lists of identified articles. We selected case–control studies of adolescents 11 to 20 years old who were very preterm/VLBW and had a matched reference group born at term with normal birthweight that reported a validated anxiety outcome measure. For data extraction, two authors independently reviewed titles, abstracts, and full articles identified through the searches. Subsequently two authors independently extracted data.

Results  We included six studies with 1519 adolescents (787 very preterm/VLBW, 732 comparisons). The general risk of developing clinically significant anxiety problems was nearly doubled (p<0.05) in the very preterm/VLBW population (OR 2.27, 95% confidence interval 1.15–4.47). The overall prevalences were 9.9% in the very preterm/VLBW group and 5.5% in the comparison group.

Interpretation  Those born very preterm/VLBW have an increased risk of developing clinically significant anxiety problems in adolescence.
Acetate reduces microglia inflammatory signaling in vitro
Authors: Soliman Mahmoud L. , Puig Kendra L. , Combs Colin K. , Rosenberger Thad A.
Published: August 2012

Acetate supplementation increases brain acetyl‐CoA and histone acetylation and reduces lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐induced neuroglial activation and interleukin (IL)‐1β expression in vivo. To determine how acetate imparts these properties, we tested the hypothesis that acetate metabolism reduces inflammatory signaling in microglia. To test this, we measured the effect acetate treatment had on cytokine expression, mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling, histone H3 at lysine 9 acetylation, and alterations of nuclear factor‐kappa B (NF‐κB) in primary and BV‐2 cultured microglia. We found that treatment induced H3K9 hyperacetylation and reversed LPS‐induced H3K9 hypoacetylation similar to that found in vivo. LPS also increased IL‐1β, IL‐6, and tumor necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) mRNA and protein, whereas treatment returned the protein to control levels and only partially attenuated IL‐6 mRNA. In contrast, treatment increased mRNA levels of transforming growth factor‐β1 (TGF‐β1) and both IL‐4 mRNA and protein. LPS increased p38 MAPK and JNK phosphorylation at 4 and 2–4 h, respectively, whereas treatment reduced p38 MAPK and JNK phosphorylation only at 2 h. In addition, treatment reversed the LPS‐induced elevation of NF‐κB p65 protein and phosphorylation at serine 468 and induced acetylation at lysine 310. These data suggest that acetate metabolism reduces inflammatory signaling and alters histone and non‐histone protein acetylation.
Inside the alkalinity engine: the role of electron donors in the organomineralization potential of sulfate‐reducing bacteria
Authors: Gallagher K. L. , Kading T. J. , Braissant O. , Dupraz C. , Visscher P. T.
Published: August 2012

Mineral precipitation in microbial mats may have been the key to their preservation as fossil stromatolites, potentially documenting evidence of the earliest life on Earth. Two factors that contribute to carbonate mineral precipitation are the saturation index (SI) and the presence of nucleation sites. Both of these can be influenced by micro‐organisms, which can either alter SI through their metabolisms, or produce and consume organic substances such as extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) that can affect nucleation. It is the balance of individual metabolisms within the mat community that determines the pH and the dissolved inorganic carbon concentration, thereby potentially increasing the alkalinity and consequently the SI. Sulfate‐reducing bacteria (SRB) are an important component of this ‘alkalinity engine.’ The activity of SRB often peaks in layers where CaCO3 precipitates, and mineral precipitation has been demonstrated in SRB cultures; however, the effect of their metabolism on the alkalinity engine and actual contribution to mineral precipitation is the subject of controversy. Here, we show through culture experiments, theoretical calculations, and geochemical modeling studies that the pH, alkalinity, and organomineralization potential will vary depending on the type of electron donor. Specifically, hydrogen and formate can increase the pH, but electron donors like lactate and ethanol, and to a lesser extent glycolate, decrease the pH. The implication of this for the lithification of mats is that the combination of processes supplying electron donors and the utilization of these compounds by SRB may be critical to promoting mineral precipitation.
MINERO‐PETROGRAPHIC STUDY OF COOKING WARE AND POMPEIAN RED WARE (ROSSO POMPEIANO) FROM CUMA (SOUTHERN ITALY)
Authors: MORRA V. , DE BONIS A. , GRIFA C. , LANGELLA A. , CAVASSA L. , PIOVESAN R.
Published: August 2012

Excavations carried out in Cuma by the Centre Jean Bérard archaeologists have uncovered a large quantity of pottery. This study is focused on cooking ware and on internal red‐slip cookware, also known as Pompeian Red Ware (Rosso Pompeiano), dated from the first century bc to the first century ad. A comparison with the minero‐petrographic composition of beach sands collected along the Bay of Naples coastline highlights the provenance of the temper from the Somma‐Vesuvius area, marked by leucite‐bearing scoriae and garnet. Petrochemical analyses allow us to distinguish two main groups of pottery characterized by different technological options based on the amount of temper and on the type of clay. X‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope data demonstrate improved accuracy in the production of Rosso Pompeiano, especially with regard to firing control, which was in a prevailing oxidizing atmosphere and in a narrow thermal range, between about 800 and 900°C.
CHARACTERIZATION OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL AND IN SITU SCOTTISH WINDOW GLASS
Authors: KENNEDY C. J. , MURDOCH K. R. , Kirk S.
Published: August 2012

Scottish window glass from both archaeological sites and historic buildings was examined using portable X‐ray fluorescence (pXRF) and scanning electron microscopy – energy‐dispersive X‐ray micro‐analysis (SEM–EDX). The elemental composition of the glass provides information regarding the materials used and, subsequently, an approximate range of dates of manufacture. pXRF is shown to be more vulnerable than SEM–EDX to the effects of surface corrosion and matrix effects in archaeological samples. The study showed that the production of window glass in Scotland from the 17th century onwards appears to closely parallel that in England. It also demonstrated the potential of pXRF for in situ studies of window glass in historic buildings. pXRF was used to assess two Scottish buildings; one in state care and one in private ownership. The building in state care, the Abbot's House at Arbroath Abbey, showed a uniform glass type, suggesting that the building was re‐glazed completely at some point during the late 19th or early 20th century. The building in private ownership, Traquair House, had a range of glass types and ages, demonstrating a different maintenance and repair regime. This type of data can be useful in understanding historic buildings in the future, particularly if re‐glazing is being considered.
Towards an organisational perspective on party funding: Explaining financial transfers fromMEPsto their national parties
Authors: Bolleyer Nicole , Trumm Siim , Banducci Susan A.
Published: August 2012

Which parties represented in theEuropeanParliament (EP) are able to extract regular donations from theirMEPs' salaries and, if they extract donations, how great are they? In the literature on party finances, there has been a lack of attention paid to the use of salaries of elected representatives as a source of funding. This is surprising given that the national headquarters of many parties inEurope regularly collect ‘party taxes’: a fixed (and often significant) share of their elected representatives' salaries. In filling this gap, this article theoretically specifies two sets of party characteristics that account for the presence of a taxing rule and the level of the tax, respectively. The presence of a tax depends on the basic ‘acceptability’ of such an internal obligation that rests on a mutually beneficial financial exchange between parties' campaign finance contributions to theirMEPsandMEPs' salary donations to their parties. The level of the tax, in contrast, depends on the level of intra‐organisational compliance costs and parties' capacity to cope with these costs. Three factors are relevant to this second stage:MEPs' ideological position, the size of the parliamentary group and party control over candidate nomination. The framework is tested through a selection model applied to a unique dataset covering the taxing practices in parties across theEuropeanUnionMemberStates.
Small molecule glucokinase activators disturb lipid homeostasis and induce fatty liver in rodents: a warning for therapeutic applications in humans
Authors: De Ceuninck Frédéric , Kargar Catherine , Ilic Catherine , Caliez Audrey , Rolin Jean‐Olivier , Umbdenstock Thierry , Vinson Cédric , Combettes Murielle , de Fanti Brant , Harley Elizabeth , Sadlo Marjorie , Lefèvre Anne‐Laure , Broux Olivier , Wierzbicki Michel , Fourquez Jean‐Marie , Perron‐Sierra Françoise , Kotschy András , Ktorza Alain
Published: August 2012

Background and Purpose

Small‐molecule glucokinase activators (GKAs) are currently being investigated as therapeutic options for the treatment of type 2 diabetes (T2D). Because liver overexpression of glucokinase is thought to be associated with altered lipid profiles, this study aimed at assessing the potential lipogenic risks linked to oral GKA administration.

Experimental Approach

Nine GKA candidates were qualified for their ability to activate recombinant glucokinase and to stimulate glycogen synthesis in rat hepatocytes and insulin secretion in rat INS‐1E cells. In vivo activity was monitored by plasma glucose and HbA1c measurements after oral administration in rodents. Risk‐associated effects were assessed by measuring hepatic and plasma triglycerides and free fatty acids, as well as plasma aminotransferases, and alkaline phosphatase.

Key Results

GKAs, while efficiently decreasing glycaemia in acute conditions and HbA1c levels after chronic administration in hyperglycemic db/db mice, were potent inducers of hepatic steatosis. This adverse outcome appeared as soon as 4 days after daily oral administration at pharmacological doses and was not transient. GKA treatment similarly increased hepatic triglycerides in diabetic and normoglycaemic rats, together with a pattern of metabolic phenotypes including different combinations of increased plasma triglycerides, free fatty acids, alanine and aspartyl aminotransferases, and alkaline phosphatase. GKAs belonging to three distinct structural families induced hepatic steatosis in db/db mice, arguing in favour of a target‐mediated, rather than a chemical class‐mediated, effect.

Conclusion and Implications

Given the risks associated with fatty liver disease in the general population and furthermore in patients with T2D, these findings represent a serious warning for the use of GKAs in humans.

Linked Article

This article is commented on by Rees and Gloyn, pp. 335–338 of this issue. To view this commentary visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1476‐5381.2012.02201.x
Intentional Intrathecal Opioid Detoxification in 3 Patients: Characterization of the Intrathecal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome
Authors: Jackson Tracy P. , Lonergan Daniel F. , Todd R. David , Martin Peter R.
Published: August 2012

Objective:  Intrathecal (IT) drug delivery systems for patients with chronic non‐malignant pain are intended to improve pain and quality of life and reduce side effects of systemic use. A subset of patients may have escalating pain, functional decline, and/or intolerable side effects even as IT opioid doses are increased. Discontinuation of IT medications may represent a viable treatment option but strategies to accomplish this are needed.

Subjects and Interventions:  Three patients with intrathecal drug delivery systems (IDDS), inadequate pain control, and declining functionality underwent abrupt IT opioid cessation. This was accomplished through a standardized protocol with symptom‐triggered administration of clonidine and buprenorphine, monitored using the clinical opiate withdrawal scale.

Results:  Symptoms of IT withdrawal were similar in all patients and included diuresis, agitation, hyperalgesia, mild diarrhea, yawning, and taste and smell aversion. Hypertension and tachycardia were effectively controlled by clonidine administration. Classic symptoms of withdrawal, such as piloerection, chills, severe diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, diaphoresis, myoclonus, and mydriasis, were not noted. At 2 to 3 months follow‐up, patients reported decreased, but ongoing pain, with improvements in functional capacity and quality of life.

Conclusions:  This preliminary work demonstrates the safety of abrupt IT opioid cessation utilizing standardized inpatient withdrawal protocols. To our knowledge, these are among the first reported cases of intentional, controlled IT opioid cessation without initiation of an opioid bridge: self‐reported pain scores, functional capacity, and quality of life improved. The IT opioid withdrawal syndrome is characterized based upon our observations and a review of the literature.
The Efficacy of a Program Promoting Rice Self‐Sufficiency in Ghana during a Period of Neoliberalism*
Authors: Glenna Leland , Ader David , Bauchspies Wenda , Traoré Abou , Agboh‐Noameshi Rita Afiavi
Published: August 2012

Abstract

The number of the world's food insecure rose at the end of the first decade of the twenty‐first century. Despite these negative developments, however, a 2010 United Nations report argues that food security could be improved if development efforts are supported by government programs that target smallholder farmers. This report is significant because it challenges the neoliberal perspective, which tends to promote a private‐enterprise market system and favor large‐scale producers. These competing visions for agricultural development frame our evaluation of the impact of the Africa Rice Center's (AfricaRice) efforts to promote new rice varieties among smallholder farmers to narrow the rice consumption‐production gap in Ghana. We begin by distinguishing the outreach efforts to help farmers increase production and the political‐economic conditions that limit the longevity of that outreach effort. We reviewed program documents revealing expenditures and yields among the smallholder farmers, and we conducted intensive interviews with the farmers. Although we find that the program succeeded in mobilizing farmers to increase rice production, we question the sustainability of the program's impact because state funding for the program has ended.
Brain MRI and Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Findings in Patients with Hyperargininemia
Authors: Carvalho Daniel R , Farage Luciano , Martins Bernardo JAF , Brum Jaime M , Speck‐Martins Carlos E , Pratesi Riccardo
Published: August 2012

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Hyperargininemia (HA) is a rare autosomal recessive metabolic disorder and the neuroimaging features of this disease have seldom been reported. Hyperammonemic encephalopathy is uncommon in HA, and the clinical presentation of HA is distinct from other urea cycle disorders. This paper describes the brain MRI findings and a magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) study of a series of Brazilian HA patients.

METHODS

Brain MR images were obtained in eight male and two female patients with the classic HA phenotype. Six patients were evaluated twice. Single‐voxel 1H‐MRS was also performed in six of the patients.

RESULTS

Only 1 patient, with less severe neurological symptoms, had normal MRI images. A variable degree of cerebral atrophy was noted in the other patients, and 3 patients also presented mild symptoms of cerebellar atrophy. MRS indicated no metabolic abnormalities in any patient.

CONCLUSIONS

We present the MRI and MRS findings of a large series of HA patients. Variable degrees of brain atrophy and mild cerebellar atrophy were observed, and these findings were not specific. No metabolic abnormality was observed using MRS in this series of patients.
Validation of FDG Uptake in the Arterial Wall as an Imaging Biomarker of Atherosclerotic Plaques with 18F‐Fluorodeoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography‐Computed Tomography (FDG‐PET/CT)
Authors: Bucci Monica , Aparici Carina Mari , Hawkins Randy , Bacharach Steve , Schrek Carole , Cheng SuChun , Tong Elizabeth , Arora Sandeep , Parati Eugenio , Wintermark Max
Published: August 2012

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

From the literature, the prevalence of fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) uptake in large artery atherosclerotic plaques shows great heterogeneity. We retrospectively reviewed 100 consecutive patients who underwent FDG‐positron emission tomography‐computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging of their whole body, to evaluate FDG uptake in the arterial wall.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated 100 whole‐body PET‐CT scans. The PET images coregistered with CT were reviewed for abnormal 18F‐FDG uptake. The mean standard uptake value (SUV) was measured in regions of interest (ROIs). The prevalence of PET+ plaques was determined based on the qualitative PET review, used as the gold standard in a receiver‐operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to determine an optimal threshold for the quantitative PET analysis.

RESULTS

The qualitative, visual assessment demonstrated FDG uptake in the arterial walls of 26 patients. A total of 85 slices exhibited FDG uptake within the arterial wall of 37 artery locations. 11, 17, and 2 patients exhibited FDG uptake within the wall of carotid arteries, of the aorta, and of the iliac arteries, respectively. Only 4 of the 26 patients had positive FDG uptake in more than one artery location.

In terms of quantitative analysis, a threshold of 2.8 SUV was associated with a negative predictive value of 99.4% and a positive predictive value of 100% to predict qualitative PET+ plaques. A threshold of 1.8 SUV was associated with a negative predictive value of 100% and a positive predictive value of 99.4%. Area under the ROC curve was .839.

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of PET uptake in arterial walls in a consecutive population of asymptomatic patients is low and usually confined to one type of artery, and its clinical relevance in terms of vulnerability to ischemic events remains to be determined.
Impact of temperature on the breeding performance and selection patterns in lesser kestrels Falco naumanni
Authors: Mihoub J. B. , Mouawad N. G. , Pilard P. , Jiguet F. , Low M. , Teplitsky C.
Published: August 2012

Adjusting breeding phenology to climate fluctuations can be problematic for migratory birds as they have to account for local environmental conditions on the breeding grounds while migrating from remote wintering areas. Predicting general responses to climate change is not straightforward, because these responses vary between migrant species due to the species‐specific ecological drivers of breeding behaviour. Therefore more information is needed on species with different ecological requirements, including data on heritability of migration, factors driving phenological changes and how climate affects selection pressures.

Here, we measure heritability in settlement dates and the effect of local climate at the breeding grounds on settlement dates, reproductive success and selection patterns in a French population of a trans‐Saharan migratory insectivorous raptor, the lesser kestrel Falco naumanni, monitored and ringed since 1996.

Heritability of settlement dates was low (0.07 ± 0.03), indicating a weak evolutionary potential. Nevertheless, plasticity in settlement dates in response to temperatures allowed earlier settlement when early spring was warmer than average. Reproductive success and selection patterns were strongly affected by temperature during settlement and chick rearing respectively. Warmer spring decreased selection for earlier settling and warmer early summer increased reproductive success. Interestingly, selection for earlier settling was more intense in cooler springs, contrasting with patterns from passerines lagging behind food peaks.

Altogether, these results suggest a positive effect of warmer temperatures on breeding performances of lesser kestrels most likely because the French population is at the coolest boundary of the species European breeding range.
Osteotome sinus floor elevation with and without grafting material in the severely atrophic maxilla. A 1‐year prospective randomized controlled study
Authors: Nedir Rabah , Nurdin Nathalie , Khoury Paul , Perneger Thomas , Hage Marc El , Bernard Jean‐Pierre , Bischof Mark
Published: August 2012

Objectives

(1) To measure and compare endo‐sinus bone levels around implants randomly placed with an osteotome sinus floor elevation (OSFE) procedure in grafted (control) and non‐grafted (test) sinuses, (2) to evaluate the OSFE efficacy with short, tapered, and chemically modified hydrophilic surfaced implants in extremely atrophic maxillae, (3) to show that fused corticals may constitute a complication risk.

Material and methods

The TE® SLActive 8 mm‐long implants (Straumann AG) were placed using an OSFE procedure in 4 mm or less of bone height. Healing time before prosthetic rehabilitation was 10 weeks. One year after implant placement, bone levels were measured on standardized periapical radiographs.

Results

Thirty‐seven (17 tests, 20 controls) implants were placed in 12 patients with a mean maxillary residual bone height (RBH) of 2.4 ± 0.9 mm. Before loading, two control implants failed (RBH 1.4 and 1.2 mm); two others rotated at loading (one test, RBH 0.9 mm; one control, RBH 1.5 mm) but were uneventfully loaded after three additional months of healing. These adverse events and complications occurred when implants were placed in merged corticals. Endo‐sinus bone gain was 3.9 ± 1.0 and 5.0 ± 1.3 mm for the test and control groups (P = 0.003). The 1‐year success rate was 100% and 90%, respectively (P = 0.49).

Conclusion

Although more bone is gained when grafting material is used, this may not be required to promote endo‐sinus bone gain. The OSFE procedure with or without grafting material could be efficient when the RBH is ≤4 mm. However, when both corticals merged, the risk of complication could increase.
Bacterial adhesion affinities of various implant abutment materials
Authors: Yamane Koichi , Ayukawa Yasunori , Takeshita Toru , Furuhashi Akihiro , Yamashita Yoshihisa , Koyano Kiyoshi
Published: August 2012

Objectives

To investigate bacterial adhesion to various abutment materials.

Material and methods

Thirty volunteers participated in this study. Resin splints were fabricated, and five types of disks were fabricated from pure titanium, gold‐platinum alloy, zirconia, alumina, and hydroxyapatite with uniform surface roughness and attached to the buccal surface of each splint. After 4 days of use by the subjects, the plaque accumulated on the disk surfaces was analyzed. The bacterial community structure was evaluated using 16S rRNA gene profiling with terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. The total bacterial count on each disk was estimated using quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Results

Terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism profiles were more similar between tested materials than between subjects, suggesting that the bacterial community structures on the abutment material were influenced more by the individuals than by the type of material. However, the total number of bacteria attached to a disk was significantly different among five materials (P < 0.001, Brunner–Langer test for longitudinal data). Fewer bacteria were attached to the gold‐platinum alloy than to the other materials.

Conclusions

Gold‐platinum alloy appears to be useful material for abutments when considering the accumulation of plaque. However, alternative properties of the abutment material, such as effects on soft tissue healing, should also be taken into consideration when choosing an abutment material.
The changes of glucose and lipid metabolism in overweight middle‐aged cynomolgus monkeys
Authors: Wu Di , Yue Feng , Zhang Yu A.
Published: August 2012

Background

Excessive weight gain has been observed in middle‐aged cynomolgus monkeys. This study was designed to investigate the metabolic characteristics in overweight monkeys.

Methods

A total of 26 cynomolgus monkeys were grouped based on gender and body weight. Overweight was operationally defined as body weight heavier than 9.6 kg in males and 7.5 kg in females. They were monitored for glucose and insulin in fasting state, serum parameters, and somatometric measurements.

Results

Higher measurements of weight, body mass index (BMI), waist, hip, and waist/hip ratio (WHR) were the somatometric characteristics of overweight monkeys. Abdominal fat deposition was more prominent in females. Elevated total cholesterol, HDL‐C, LDL‐C, and fasting glucose were observed in female overweight monkeys. Impaired insulin sensitivity occurred in overweight monkeys.

Conclusions

Overweight could result in impaired insulin sensitivity. The metabolic changes were more prominent in female overweight monkeys.