bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Regeneration of corneal epithelium utilizing a collagen vitrigel membrane in rabbit models for corneal stromal wound and limbal stem cell deficiency
Authors: Chae J. Jeremy , McIntosh Ambrose Winnette , Espinoza Freddy A. , Mulreany Daniel G. , Ng Shengyong , Takezawa Toshiaki , Trexler Morgana M. , Schein Oliver D. , Chuck Roy S. , Elisseeff Jennifer H.
Published: December 2014

Purpose

This study was performed to evaluate the potential of a collagen‐based membrane, collagen vitrigel (CV), for reconstructing corneal epithelium in the stromal wound and limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD) models.

Methods

Three groups of rabbits were used in the stromal wound model: CV affixed using fibrin glue (CV + FG group, n = 9), fibrin glue only (FG group, n = 3) and an untreated control group (n = 3). In the LSCD model, one group received CV containing human limbal epithelial cells (CV + hLEC group, n = 2) and the other was an untreated control (n = 1). Gross observation, including fluorescent staining, pathological examination, immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy, was used to evaluate the effect of CV on the corneal epithelium.

Results

In the stromal wound model, fluorescent staining showed that epithelial reconstruction occurred as rapidly in the CV + FG group as it did in the control group. The pathological examination proved that the CV supported a healthy corneal epithelium in the CV + FG group, whereas FG led to hypertrophy and inappropriate differentiation of corneal epithelium in the FG group. In the LSCD model, the corneas in the CV + hLEC group showed sustained tissue transparency with good epithelialization, low inflammatory response and reduced neovascularization. However, the control cornea was translucent and showed high amounts of inflammation and neovascularization.

Conclusion

We have demonstrated that CV supports corneal epithelial differentiation and prevents epithelial hypertrophy, in addition to serving as a scaffold for hLEC transplantation, without complications.
Clinical, biochemical and histological differences between HIV‐associated NAFLD and primary NAFLD: a case–control study
Authors: Vodkin I. , Valasek M. A. , Bettencourt R. , Cachay E. , Loomba R.
Published: December 2014

Background

There are limited data regarding the clinical, biochemical and liver histological characteristics of patients with HIV‐associated nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and whether this entity differs in presentation and severity from primary NAFLD

Aim

To examine the clinical and histological differences between HIV‐associated NAFLD and primary NAFLD.

Methods

This is a cross‐sectional, case–control study comparing patients with HIV‐associated NAFLD vs. patients with primary NAFLD. HIV‐infected patients were identified from a database of consecutive liver biopsies performed at the University of California at San Diego, over a 13‐year period. HIV‐infected patients with biopsy‐proven NAFLD were selected as cases, after exclusion of other causes of liver disease and hepatic steatosis. Age–sex‐matched controls with biopsy‐proven primary NAFLD were randomly identified from the same pathology database. All biopsies underwent a standardised, detailed, histological research evaluation by a liver pathologist who was blinded to clinical and case–control status.

Results

Compared to age–sex‐matched patients with primary NAFLD (n = 33), patients with HIV‐associated NAFLD (n = 33) had significantly higher mean aspartate aminotransferase (P < 0.001), alanine aminotransferase (P < 0.001), alkaline phosphatase (P = 0.003) and serum triglycerides (P = 0.024). Similarly, compared to age–sex‐matched primary NAFLD, patients with HIV‐associated NAFLD had significantly higher rates of definite steatohepatitis (37% vs. 63%, P = 0.04), and more features of liver injury, including lobular inflammation (<0.001) and acidophil bodies (<0.001).

Conclusion

Compared to age–sex‐matched primary NAFLD, HIV‐associated NAFLD has increased severity of liver disease and a higher prevalence of NASH.
Circling the economy: resource‐making and marketization in EU electronic waste policy
Authors: Kama Kärg
Published: December 2014

This article investigates the reinvention of electrical and electronic waste as a resource in the context of the EU market economy. It argues that the European regulatory framework is underpinned by a particular vision of ‘circular economy’ that both internalises e‐waste within formal economic circuits and confines its exchange to the territory of the single market. Yet the boundaries of this economic regime continue to be highly permeable, as the terminus of two thirds of the products placed on the market remains unaccounted for, said to dissipate via various loopholes in waste collection and treatment. Based on analysis of the policy rationale and praxis, the article relates this failure to the fact that e‐waste is identified in ambiguous terms as comprising both socio‐ecological risk and economic value, or what is termed here the ‘logic of hazard’ and the ‘logic of resource’. The making of resources from potentially hazardous materials hinges on the extent to which incremental quantities of end‐of‐life equipment can be translated into a uniform tradable good, the movements of which are documented, calculated and monitored through standard methods. The two logics are complementary insofar as they legitimise the spatial enclosure of e‐waste trade, but they can also come into conflict, since the double identity of e‐waste complicates the reframing of market boundaries and generates different objects of regulation. The case study advances geographical research on materials and ‘marketization’, enabling the materiality of e‐waste to be conceptualised as both a product of and obstacle to the territorial b/ordering of the market.
Commercial cuts and chemical and sensory attributes of meat from crossbred Boer goats fed sunflower cake‐based diets
Authors: Oliveira Ronaldo Lopes , Palmieri Adriana Dantas , Carvalho Silvana Teixeira , Leão André Gustavo , de Abreu Claudilene Lima , Ribeiro Claudio Vaz Di Mambro , Pereira Elzania Sales , de Carvalho Gleidson Giordano Pinto , Bezerra Leilson Rocha
Published: December 2014

This study aimed to evaluate sunflower cake feed in commercial cut yields and chemical and sensory attributes of goat meat. Thirty‐two castrated male goats were distributed in four levels (0, 8, 16 and 24%) of sunflower cake supplementation. The animals were slaughtered and the carcasses were placed in a cold chamber and sectioned into five anatomical regions corresponding to commercial cuts. Samples of the Longissimus lumborum muscle were analyzed for chemical composition and sensory quality. The chemical composition and pH were not affected by the treatments. The smell, taste and ‘goatiness’ of the aroma and flavor of the meat were also unaffected by the treatments. The appearance, tenderness and juiciness of the meat differed by treatment. The highest level (24%) of sunflower cake increased meat tenderness; however, according to the tasters there was reduced softness, although none of the samples were rejected by the tasters. Sunflower cake can be added to the diet at a level of up to 16% without altering the quantitative and qualitative attributes of the meat.
Perceived conflict avoidance by managers and its consequences on subordinates' attitudes
Authors: Yang Inju
Published: December 2014

Conflict handling by managers gives rise to significant emotional and cognitive experiences for affected employees and has far‐reaching effects on the effectiveness of a group and an organization. In this conceptual paper, we argue that despite many claims made by managers in their self‐reports that they engage in either dominant or compromising conflict‐handling strategies when managing conflict within a group, they may be perceived by employees as adopting neglect or avoidance behaviors. We examine how such perceived managers' avoidance styles could influence employees' perceptions with regard to justice, trust, and politics within an organization.
Incidence of food anaphylaxis in people with food allergy: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Umasunthar T. , Leonardi‐Bee J. , Turner P. J. , Hodes M. , Gore C. , Warner J. O. , Boyle R. J.
Published: December 2014

Background

Food allergy is a common cause of anaphylaxis, but the incidence of anaphylaxis in food allergic people is unknown.

Methods

We undertook a systematic review and meta‐analysis, using the inverse variance method. Two authors selected studies by consensus, independently extracted data and assessed study quality using the Newcastle–Ottawa assessment scale. We searched Medline, Embase, PsychInfo, CINAHL, Web of Science, LILACS and AMED between January 1946 and September 2012 and recent conference abstracts. We included registries, databases or cohort studies which described the number of food anaphylaxis cases in a defined population and time period and applied an assumed population prevalence of food allergy.

Results

We included data from 34 studies. There was high heterogeneity between study results, possibly due to variation in study populations, anaphylaxis definition and data collection methods. In food allergic people, medically coded food anaphylaxis had an incidence rate of 0.14 per 100 person‐years (95% CI 0.05, 0.35; range 0.01, 1.28). In sensitivity analysis using different estimated food allergy prevalence, the incidence varied from 0.11 to 0.21 per 100 person‐years. At age 0–19, the incidence rate for anaphylaxis in food allergic people was 0.20 (95% CI 0.09, 0.43; range 0.01, 2.55; sensitivity analysis 0.08, 0.39). At age 0–4, an incidence rate of up to 7.00 per 100 person‐years has been reported. In food allergic people, hospital admission due to food anaphylaxis had an incidence rate of 0.09 (95% CI 0.01, 0.67; range 0.02, 0.81) per 1000 person‐years; 0.20 (95% CI 0.10, 0.43; range 0.04, 2.25) at age 0–19 and 0.50 (0.26, 0.93; range 0.08, 2.82) at age 0–4.

Conclusion

In food allergic people, the incidence of food allergic reactions which are coded as anaphylaxis by healthcare systems is low at all ages, but appears to be highest in young children.
Biofilm removal from implants supported restoration using different instruments: a 6‐month comparative multicenter clinical study
Authors: Blasi Andrea , Iorio‐Siciliano Vincenzo , Pacenza Carina , Pomingi Francesca , Matarasso Sergio , Rasperini Giulio
Published: December 2014

Objectives

The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of different instruments on biofilm removal from implant supported restorations.

Materials and methods

The study was designed as comparative multicenter clinical study including patients proceeding from the Milan, Naples, and Buenos Aires, with a peri‐implant mucositis.

Implants enrolled for the study were allocated in 4 groups and treated with ultrasonic scalers with plastic tips, with titanium curettes, with airflow with glycine powder, and with rubber cup and polishing paste, respectively.

mPI was assessed at baseline, immediately after therapy, at 1, 3, and 6 months. mBI, PD, and REC were assessed at baseline, 1, 3, and 6 months. All parameters were recorded on six sites per implant.

Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney tests were used to compare groups and centers. A generalized linear model for repeated measures was chosen for inter‐group comparison. An intra‐group comparison was performed with repeated measure ANOVA test to assess differences between baseline and recalls.

Results

A total of 89 patients (39 males, 50 females) were enrolled in the study, and 141 implants were available for the analysis. 55 implants were enrolled in University of Buenos Aires, 32 in University of Milan, and 54 in University of Naples. There were no significant differences between the four groups in inflammatory status reduction of peri‐implant mucosa.

Conclusions

Non‐surgical therapy is effective in reducing peri‐implant mucositis. Sonic scaler with plastic tip and rubber cup with polishing paste showed higher efficacy when compared with titanium curettes or airflow with glycine powder.
Inhibition of G Protein‐Coupled Receptor 81 (GPR81) Protects Against Ischemic Brain Injury
Authors: Shen Zhe , Jiang Lei , Yuan Yang , Deng Tian , Zheng Yan‐Rong , Zhao Yan‐Yan , Li Wen‐Lu , Wu Jia‐Ying , Gao Jian‐Qing , Hu Wei‐Wei , Zhang Xiang‐Nan , Chen Zhong
Published: December 2014

Aim

Lactates accumulate in ischemic brains. G protein‐coupled receptor 81 (GPR81) is an endogenous receptor for lactate. We aimed to explore whether lactate is involved in ischemic injury via activating GPR81.

Methods

N2A cells were transfected with GFP‐GPR81 plasmids 24 h previously, and then treated with GPR81 antagonist 3‐hydroxy‐butyrate (3‐OBA) alone or cotreated with agonists lactate or 3, 5‐dihydroxybenzoic acid (3, 5‐DHBA) during 3 h of oxygen–glucose deprivation (OGD). Adult male C57BL/6J mice and primary cultured cortical neurons were treated with 3‐OBA at the onset of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) or OGD, respectively.

Results

The GPR81 overexpression increased the cell vulnerability to ischemic injury. And GPR81 antagonism by 3‐OBA significantly prevented cell death and brain injury after OGD and MCAO, respectively. Furthermore, inhibition of GPR81 reversed ischemia‐induced apoptosis and extracellular signal‐regulated kinase (ERK) signaling may be involved in the neuroprotection.

Conclusions

G protein‐coupled receptor 81 (GPR81) inhibition attenuated ischemic neuronal death. Lactate may aggravate ischemic brain injury by activating GPR81. GPR81 antagonism might be a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of cerebral ischemia.
Comparison of osteogenic differentiation potential of human adult stem cells loaded on bioceramic‐coated electrospun poly (L‐lactide) nanofibres
Authors: Ardeshirylajimi A. , Mossahebi‐Mohammadi M. , Vakilian S. , Langroudi L. , Seyedjafari E. , Atashi A. , Soleimani M.
Published: December 2014

Objectives

To compare potential of four types of stem cell in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine applications, osteogenic capacity of newly introduced mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) derived from buccal fat pads (BFP) (an adipose‐encapsulated mass of the oral cavity), was compared to those isolated from bone marrow (BM‐MSCs), adipose tissue (AT‐MSCs) and unrestricted somatic stem cells (USSCs). Cells were cultured on poly (l‐lactide) (PLLA) nanofibres, Bio‐Oss®‐coated PLLA (PLLA‐Bio), and culture plates (TCPS) as control.

Materials and methods

Capacity of proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of the stem cells was investigated by MTT assay and common osteogenic markers, alkaline phosphatase activity, calcium mineral deposition and bone‐related genes.

Results

Highest proliferation level was observed in cells cultured on PLLA‐Bio, but with no significant difference between proliferation levels of the four types of stem cell. Over the period of study, BM‐MSCs cultured on PLLA‐Bio scaffolds exhibited greatest alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity and mineralization with BFP‐MSCs having the next closest results. However, AT‐MSC had the lowest capacity for ALP activity and mineralization during osteogenic differentiation. Gene expression evaluation revealed that highest expression of three important bone‐related genes was observed in stem cells cultured on bioceramic‐coated nanofibrous scaffolds.

Conclusions

Results indicated Bio‐Oss‐coated PLLA to compose most appropriate substrates to support proliferation and osteogenic differentiation of stem cells in vitro. BFP‐MSCs demonstrated the same osteogenic differentiation capacity as other stem cells tested and thus hold very promising potential for applications in bone tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.
Axillary fine needle aspiration cytology is a sensitive and highly specific technique for the detection of axillary lymph node metastasis: a meta‐analysis and systematic review
Authors: Yu Y.‐H. , Mo Q.‐G. , Zhu X. , Gao L.‐Q. , Liang C. , Huang Z. , Qin Q.‐H. , Wei W. , Jiang Y. , Bu K.‐P. , Wei C.‐Y.
Published: December 2014

Background

Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) of axillary lymphadenopathy is a helpful tool in the pre‐operative diagnosis of breast cancer patients with axillary lymphadenopathy. To date, no published meta‐analysis or systematic review has been performed to assess its overall value. We therefore conducted a meta‐analysis to establish the overall diagnostic value of FNAC for axillary lymph node metastasis.

Methods

After a review and quality assessment of 31 studies, published either in Chinese or English, the sensitivity, specificity and other measurements of accuracy of FNAC of axillary lymphadenopathy were pooled using random‐effects models. A summary of the receiver‐operating characteristic curves was used to summarize overall accuracy.

Results

We provided the following estimated values for FNAC in the diagnosis of axillary lymph node metastasis: sensitivity, 0.63 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.61–0.65]; specificity, 0.99 (95% CI, 0.99–0.99); positive likelihood ratio, 26.52 (95% CI, 18.42–38.18); negative likelihood ratio, 0.34 (95% CI, 0.29–0.40); diagnostic odds ratio, 76.73 (95% CI, 51.98–113.28).

Conclusions

FNAC has adequate sensitivity and high specificity in the diagnosis of axillary lymph node metastasis. A positive axillary FNA result could potentially alter disease management.
Predator identification methods in diet studies: uncertain assignment produces biased results?
Authors: Martínez‐Gutiérrez Patricia G. , Palomares Francisco , Fernández Néstor
Published: December 2014

Diet analyses are critical for understanding the ecology of animal species and designing management and conservation strategies. Nonetheless, diet studies of many mammalian carnivores are based on indirect analyses (mostly through their faeces) rather than on direct observations of their feeding behavior, introducing varying degrees of uncertainty into predator species identification. Here, we tested the hypothesis that trophic similarity between diet studies are associated with the predator identification method used by comparing results obtained in studies that used either high confidence identification (HCI; i.e. genetic or chemical analyses of faeces, or stomach or colon content) or low confidence identification methods (LCI; i.e. faeces appearance) for jaguars and cougars. We reviewed the literature on diet of these species and 1) assessed if similarity of the diet was related to the method used to identify the species, and 2) assessed the possible consequences that potential misidentification of faeces could have on diet descriptions (i.e. prey potentially included or omitted). For both aims we took into account the influence of geographical distance between study sites. Furthermore, we briefly summarized the most reliable knowledge currently available about the diets of both species. Our analyses indicated that the method used for predator identification significantly influences diet similarity, with HCI studies being more similar among them than LCI studies or HCI–LCI studies. Studies based on LCI methods apparently overemphasized the importance of reptiles, rodents, and some mesocarnivores in the diet of both predators, whereas other prey items were not detected. Although approaches for a reliable identification of predators are expensive and require specialized technicians and equipment, we highlight the need to invest in them in order to accomplish a better ecological understanding of the feeding ecology of carnivore species, which is a key factor to consider in conservation and management plans.
Human pressures predict species’ geographic range size better than biological traits
Authors: Di Marco Moreno , Santini Luca
Published: December 2014

Geographic range size is the manifestation of complex interactions between intrinsic species traits and extrinsic environmental conditions. It is also a fundamental ecological attribute of species and a key extinction risk correlate. Past research has primarily focused on the role of biological and environmental predictors of range size, but macroecological patterns can also be distorted by human activities. Here, we analyse the role of extrinsic (biogeography, habitat state, climate, human pressure) and intrinsic (biology) variables in predicting range size of the world's terrestrial mammals. In particular, our aim is to compare the predictive ability of human pressure vs. species biology. We evaluated the ability of 19 intrinsic and extrinsic variables in predicting range size for 4867 terrestrial mammals. We repeated the analyses after excluding restricted‐range species and performed separate analyses for species in different biogeographic realms and taxonomic groups. Our model had high predictive ability and showed that climatic variables and human pressures are the most influential predictors of range size. Interestingly, human pressures predict current geographic range size better than biological traits. These findings were confirmed when repeating the analyses on large‐ranged species, individual biogeographic regions and individual taxonomic groups. Climatic and human impacts have determined the extinction of mammal species in the past and are the main factors shaping the present distribution of mammals. These factors also affect other vertebrate groups globally, and their influence on range size may be similar as well. Measuring climatic and human variables can allow to obtain approximate range size estimations for data‐deficient and newly discovered species (e.g. hundreds of mammal species worldwide). Our results support the need for a more careful consideration of the role of climate change and human impact – as opposed to species biological characteristics – in shaping species distribution ranges.
Ethical consumption, meaningful substitution and the challenges of vegetarianism advocacy
Authors: Neo Harvey
Published: December 2014

Vegetarianism is viewed by its advocates as ethical food consumption par excellence. Yet the steady, albeit modest, growth in vegetarians worldwide is paradoxically set against an increase in global meat consumption. This study draws on the literature of ethical consumption to illuminate the practical challenges in vegetarianism advocacy. Research on ethical food consumption focuses on three main lines of inquiry, namely how is ethical food defined; under what socio‐spatial conditions do consumers choose to consume (or not consume) ethical food and what ends do consumers hope to achieve by consuming ethically. This article details the discursive framings of anti‐meat advocacy and shows how such framings fall short of presenting vegetarianism as a form of ethical food consumption. The challenges in persuading consumers to stop meat consumption (as opposed to merely reducing consumption) are well known. In this paper, I highlight a less discussed challenge, relating to the lack of ‘real’ substitutes for meat, in anti‐meat advocacy. Through a discussion of what I will call the problem of ‘meaningful substitution’, I address a comparatively under‐explored question in ethical food consumption research: what is the relative (ethical) relationship between two products? Addressing this question sheds light on our very definition of ethical product and consumption, as well as the challenges of ethical consumption advocacy. Through a series of in‐depth interviews with vegetarians (both advocates and non‐advocates) in Taipei, Taiwan, I conclude that the various moral and nature‐based framings of vegetarianism, as a form of ethical food consumption, are weakened by the lack of a meaningful substitute. More broadly, the study speaks to the practical politics and policies in the effective promotion of ethical consumption.
Association between family functioning and cognitive impairment among Chinese nonagenarians/centenarians
Authors: Wang Binyou , He Ping , Dong Birong
Published: December 2014

Aim

We explored the association between family functioning and cognitive impairment in the very elderly aged 90–108 years.

Methods

The present study comprised data from subjects included in the 2005 Project of Longevity and Aging in Dujiangyan, China. Sociodemographic and family functioning data were collected, and cognitive function was assessed in all subjects using the Mini‐Mental State Examination.

Results

Data from 699 Chinese nonagenarians and centenarians were included. The prevalence of cognitive impairment was 62.8%. The prevalence of family dysfunction was 52.2%, including 8.6% severe and 43.6% moderate dysfunction. There were significant differences among individuals with different family functioning level with regard to cognitive function scores (P = 0.005) or cognitive impairment prevalence (P = 0.012). Subjects with cognitive impairment had lower family functioning scores than those without cognitive impairment (P = 0.004). Pearson's correlation analysis showed that family functioning scores were correlated with Mini‐Mental State Examination scores (r = 0.13, P = 0.001). Multiple logistic regressions showed that severe family dysfunction was a risk factor for cognitive impairment. The effect remained after adjusting for sociodemographic status, life habits and metabolic indicators.

Conclusions

Family functioning was related to cognitive impairment among Chinese nonagenarians and centenarians. We found that the higher the family functioning scores, the higher the Mini‐Mental State Examination scores. Severe family dysfunction was associated with increased risk of cognitive impairment. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015; 15: 1135–1142.
Buddhist social networks and health in old age: A study in central Thailand
Authors: Sasiwongsaroj Kwanchit , Wada Taizo , Okumiya Kiyohito , Imai Hissei , Ishimoto Yasuko , Sakamoto Ryota , Fujisawa Michiko , Kimura Yumi , Chen Wen‐ling , Fukutomi Eriko , Matsubayashi Kozo
Published: December 2014

Aim

Religious social networks are well known for their capacity to improve individual health, yet the effects of friendship networks within the Buddhist context remain largely unknown. The present study aimed to compare health status and social support in community‐dwelling older adults according to their level of Buddhist social network (BSN) involvement, and to examine the association between BSN involvement and functional health among older adults.

Methods

A cross‐sectional survey was carried out among 427 Buddhist community‐dwelling older adults aged ≥60 years in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand. Data were collected from home‐based personal interviews using a structured questionnaire. Health status was defined according to the measures of basic and advanced activities of daily living (ADL), the 15‐item Geriatric Depression Scale and subjective quality of life. Perceived social support was assessed across the four dimensions of tangible, belonging, emotional and information support. Multiple logistic regression was used for analysis.

Results

Older adults with BSN involvement reported better functional, mental and social health status, and perceived greater social support than those without BSN involvement. In addition, BSN involvement was positively associated with independence in basic and advanced ADL. After adjusting for age, sex, education, income, morbidity and depressive symptoms, BSN showed a strong association with advanced ADL and a weak association with basic ADL.

Conclusion

The results show that involvement in BSN could contribute positively to functional health, particularly with regard to advanced ADL. Addressing the need for involvement in these networks by older adults might help delay functional decline and save on healthcare costs. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2015; 15: 1210–1218.
1. INTRODUCTION: MULTIPLE TIMES AND THE WORK OF SYNCHRONIZATION
Authors: JORDHEIM HELGE
Published: December 2014

In this essay, which introduces the History and Theory forum on Multiple Temporalities, I want to discuss how the existence of a plurality or a multiplicity of times has been conceptualized in the historiographical tradition, partly by entering into a dialogue with recent writers, historians, philosophers, sociologists, anthropologists, and literary scholars, partly by returning to the eighteenth century, to the origin of “the modern regime of historicity” (Hartog). In these theoretical and historical investigations I aim to do two things: on the one hand, to explore and discuss different ways of conceptualizing multiple times, in terms of nonsynchronicities, layers of time, or natural and historical times; on the other hand, to trace how these multiple times have been compared, unified, and adapted by means of elaborate conceptual and material practices that I here call “practices of synchronization.” From the eighteenth century onward, these synchronizing practices, inspired by, but by no means reducible to, chronology have given rise to homogeneous, linear, and teleological time, often identified as modern time per se, or simply referred to as “progress.” In focusing on the practices of synchronization, however, I want to show how this regime of temporality during its entire existence, but especially at the moment of its emergence in the eighteenth century and at the present moment of its possible collapse, has been challenged by other times, other temporalities, slower, faster, with other rhythms, other successions of events, other narratives, and so on.
3. RADICALIZING TEMPORAL DIFFERENCE: ANTHROPOLOGY, POSTCOLONIAL THEORY, AND LITERARY TIME
Authors: HELGESSON STEFAN
Published: December 2014

This article is an attempt to address on a theoretical level an antinomy in postcolonial approaches to the question of temporal difference. Current scholarship tends both to denounce the way in which the others of the Western self are placed notionally in another time than the West and not only analytically affirm but indeed valorize multiple temporalities. I elaborate on the two problematic temporal frameworks—linear developmentalism and cultural relativism—that belong to a colonial legacy and generate the antinomy in question, and then proceed to discuss possible alternatives provided by a Koselleck‐inspired approach to historical time as inherently plural. I thereby make two central claims: (1) postcolonial conceptions of multiple temporalities typically, if tacitly, associate time with culture, and hence risk reproducing the aporias of cultural relativism; (2) postcolonial metahistorical critique is commonly premised on a simplified and even monolithic understanding of Western modernity as an ideology of “linear progress.” Ultimately, I suggest that the solution lies in radicalizing, not discarding, the notion of multiple temporalities. Drawing on the Brazilian classic Os sertões as my key example, I also maintain that literary writing exhibits a unique “heterochronic” (in analogy with “heteroglossic”) potential, enabling a more refined understanding of temporal difference.
5. TIME GARDENS: HISTORICAL CONCEPTS IN MODERN HISTORIOGRAPHY
Authors: HÖLSCHER LUCIAN
Published: December 2014

This article argues for the analysis of temporal concepts such as “age,” “century,” and “epoch,” “past,” “present,” and “future,” formed during the Enlightenment, as an approach to the study of the history of modern historiography. Starting from the basic distinction of “empty” and “embodied” time in Leibniz's and Newton's dispute of 1715 about the philosophical nature of time, it traces the episteme of the eighteenth century using the metaphor of a “time garden” for describing some basic features of enlightened historiography. Finally, the paper discusses the consequences of the increasing employment of concepts of embodied time for the future development of the historical sciences.
Chemical Strengthening of Soda Lime Silicate Float Glass: Effect of Small Differences in the KNO3 Bath
Authors: Sglavo Vincenzo M.
Published: December 2014

Six slightly different KNO3 baths were considered in this work, for the chemical strengthening of soda lime silicate glass. Five of these were commercially available pure KNO3 salts for industrial or laboratory use and one was a salt from an unknown source that had been already used for at least 1000 h in Na–K ion exchange. Various amounts of sodium — the main impurity — calcium, and magnesium were measured in the six salts together with other more limited contaminants. Different strengthening effects associated with clearly dissimilar ion exchange efficiency were measured on glass treated in the different melts. The presence of Na — major impurity — in the salt was revealed to be not a critical aspect, at least up to concentration of about 0.5 wt%. Instead, the “blocking” effect caused by the presence of Ca and Mg in the KNO3 bath (also in amounts of few tens of ppm) is shown to be a major issue.
The TeO2‐Na2O System: Thermal Behavior, Structural Properties, and Phase Equilibria
Authors: Kavaklıoğlu Kutlu B. , Aydin Süheyla , Çelikbilek Miray , Ersundu A. Erçin
Published: December 2014

Thermal behavior, structural properties, and phase equilibria of the (100−x)TeO2‐xNa2O system were studied in the 5 ≤ x ≤ 50 mol% composition range. Investigation of glass formation behavior in the binary system was realized, and the glass formation range was determined as 7.5 ≤ x ≤ 40 mol%. Differential thermal analysis (DTA) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy techniques were used for thermal and structural characterization of the glasses. Influence of Na2O content on glass transition temperature (Tg), glass stability (∆T), density (ρ), molar volume (VM), oxygen molar volume (VO), and oxygen packing density (OPD) values of sodium tellurite glasses was evaluated considering the structural transformations in the glass network. For the phase equilibria studies, DTA, X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X‐ray (SEM/EDS) techniques were utilized to characterize the heat‐treated samples. According to the phase equilibria studies, three eutectic regions were detected in the 0 < x < 50 mol% composition range of the (100−x)TeO2‐xNa2O system. A new invariant endothermic reaction was detected for the compositions between 40 ≤ x ≤ 45 mol%. Na2O.8TeO2 (11.11 mol% Na2O) compound that was claimed to exist in the binary system in the literature was found to be the metastable δ‐TeO2 phase.
Exercise gas transport determinants in elderly normotensive and hypertensive humans
Authors: Petrella R. J. , Cunningham D. A. , Paterson D. H.
Published: December 2014

This study examined the effect of the phenylalkylamine calcium channel blocker verapamil, on resting left ventricular (LV) function and O2 uptake rate (V̇O2) during exercise at maximal and submaximal work rates. Nine older hypertensive (71 years; OH), 10 older sedentary normotensive (69 years; OS), 10 older active (71 years; OA) and 10 young (24 years; Y) individuals volunteered. Studies were completed in the control condition and 4–6 h following 240 mg verapamil SR per os. Resting LV systolic (fractional shortening; FS) and diastolic (early: late (E/A) flow velocity ratio and isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT)) were measured by Doppler echocardiography. Maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2,max) and, on subsequent test days, four transitions to and from a 6 min square wave exercise perturbation at a sub‐anaerobic threshold intensity of 40 W (OH, OS, OA) or 100 W (Y) for determination of V̇O2 kinetics were performed on a cycle ergometer. Breath‐by‐breath V̇O2 transients were fitted with a monoexponential equation, starting at phase 2 of the response, while heart rate (HR) was fitted from phase 1, for the determination of the time constant of V̇O2 (V̇O2) and HR (τHR). Baseline left ventricular FS was significantly greater in the OS (32 %), OA (34 %) and Y (34 %) than in the OH (23 %) groups, while E/A was significantly greater in the OA (1.16) and Y (2.34) than in the OH (0.9) and OS (082) groups (P < 0.05). Baseline V̇O2,max was higher and V̇O2 faster in the young (41.4 ml kg−1 min−1; 25.2 s) than in the older groups and in the OA (28.8 ml kg−1 min−1; 44.3 s) than in both OH (20.8 ml kg−1 min−1; 71.3 s) and OS (22.0 ml kg−1 min−1; 59.5 s) groups (P < 0.05). Heart rate kinetics showed similar differences to V̇O2 kinetics among the groups. After verapamil, no significant changes in FS, E/A or IVRT were observed in the OA and Y groups. In the OH group, FS (32%) and E/A (1.15) increased while IVRT decreased significantly (from 0.103 to 0.07; P < 0.05). In the OS group, only E/A increased significantly (0.82 to 1.0; P < 0.05). None of the exercise variables (V̇O2,max, V̇O2 or τHR) were altered for the OA or Y groups. V̇O2max increased (from 20.8 to 22.8 ml kg−1 min−1) in the OH and (from 220 to 24.1 ml kg−1 min−1) in the OS (P < 0.05). V̇O2 was accelerated from 71.3 to 49.2 s in the OH group and from 59.5 to 48.2 s in the OS group (p < 0.05). These results suggest that V̇O2 responses at maximal and submaximal work rates may be dependent upon the initial cardiac pump function of the study population.
Evolution of contractile and elastic properties of rat soleus muscle fibres under unloading conditions
Authors: Toursel T. , Stevens L. , Mounier Y.
Published: December 2014

Rats were submitted to 14 days of hindlimb suspension in order to examine the contractile and elastic properties of the soleus muscles under disuse conditions. The calcium/strontium activation properties, the maximal shortening velocity (V0), as well as the time behaviour of force transients following quick releases and the T1 curves characterizing the active part of the series elastic elements, were determined on single chemically skinned fibres. After the functional measurements, the fibres were subjected to sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in order to analyse both the myosin heavy (MHC) and light (MLC) chain isoforms. According to the MHC and MLC composition, two groups of fibres were defined after hindlimb suspension: a group of slow fibres expressing the slow set of both MHC and MLC isoforms, and a group of fast fibres co‐expressing the slow and fast MHC and MLC isoforms with a predominant expression of the fast ones. For the first group, the contractile as well as the elastic properties were found to be close to those of control slow soleus fibres. For the second group, both contractile and elastic properties were modified insofar as they became close to those found in a fast muscle such as the extensor digitorum longus. We suggested that between the two populations found in the soleus muscle after hindlimb suspension the modifications in the contractile properties, as well as the alterations in the elastic characteristics, were concomitant to the changes in both MHC and MLC compositions.
Breathing patterns during slow and fast ramp exercise in man
Authors: Scheuermann Barry W. , Kowalchuk John M.
Published: December 2014

Breathing frequency (fb), tidal volume (VT), and respiratory timing during slow (SR, 8 W min−1) and fast (FR, 65 W min−1) ramp exercise to exhaustion on a cycle ergometer was examined in seven healthy male subjects. Expiratory ventilation (V̇E), pulmonary gas exchange (V̇O2 and V̇CO2) and end‐tidal gas tensions (PET,O2 and PET,CO2) were determined using breath‐by‐breath techniques. Arterialized venous blood was sampled from a dorsal hand vein at 2 min intervals during SR and 30 s intervals during FR and analysed for arterial plasma PCO2 (Pa,CO2). PET,CO2 increased with increasing work rates (WRs) below the ventilatory threshold (VT); at WRs ≥ 90 % V̇O2,max, PET,CO2 was reduced (P < 0.05) below 0 W values in SR but not in FR. fb and VT were similar for SR and FR at all submaximal WRs, resulting in a similar V̇E. At exhaustion V̇E was similar but fb was higher (P < 0.05) and VT was lower (P < 0.05) in SR (fb, 51 ± 10 breaths min−1; VT, 2590 ± 590 ml) than in FR (fb, 42 ± 8 breaths min−1; VT, 3050 ± 470 ml). The time of expiration (TE) decreased with increasing WR, but there was no difference between SR and FR. The time of inspiration (TI) decreased at exercise intensities ≥ VT; at exhaustion, TI was shorter (P < 0.05) during SR (0.512 ± 0.097 s) than during FR (0.753 ± 0.100 s). The TI to total breath duration (TI/TTot) and the inspiratory flow (VT/TI) were similar during SR and FR at all submaximal exercise intensities; at V̇O2 max, TI/TTot was lower (P < 0.05) and VT/TI was higher (P < 0.05) during SR (TI/TTot, 0.473 ± 0.030; VT/TI, 5.092 ± 0.377 1 s−1) than during FR (TI/TTot, 0.567 ± 0.050; VT/TI, 4.117 ± 0.635 1 s−1). These results suggest that during progressive exercise, breathing pattern and respiratory timing may be determined, at least at submaximal work rates, independently of alveolar and arterial PCO2.
Methoxsalen stimulates electrogenic C1− secretion in the mouse jejunum
Authors: Hamilton Kirk L. , Butt A. Grant , Cheng Samantha , Carter Derek J.
Published: December 2014

We used the short‐circuit current (Isc) and patch‐clamp techniques to investigate the effects of methoxsalen (MTX) on the electrogenic Cl− secretion of the mouse jejunum. MTX stimulated a sustained increase in Isc that was dose dependent. Bumetanide inhibited MTX‐stimulated Isc in a dose‐dependent manner consistent with activation of Cl− secretion. MTX failed to stimulate Isc following maximal activation of the cAMP pathway by forskolin, but did increase Isc after a submaximal dose of forskolin. Glibenclamide, a blocker of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), reduced the MTX‐stimulated increase of Isc by 59 ± 6%. The cAMP‐dependent K+ channel blocker 293B did not alter the MTX‐activated Isc; however, clotrimazole, an intermediate Ca2+‐activated K+ channel (IKca) blocker, reduced the MTX‐stimulated Isc. MTX did not alter Na+‐glucose cotransport across the mouse jejunum. In cell‐attached membrane patches, MTX increased the open probability of the basolateral IKca channel of isolated crypts. These data suggest that the CFTR and IKca channels participate in the MTX‐activated, sustained Cl− secretory response of the mouse jejunum.
Muscle ischaemia in rats may be relieved by overload‐induced angiogenesis
Authors: Deveci D. , Egginton S.
Published: December 2014

Alleviation of muscle ischaemia by improving capillary supply has proved difficult, possibly reflecting the inability to substantially increase blood flow. We reasoned that muscle overload, which induces angiogenesis in the absence of altered blood flow, may be an alternative to drug therapy. Male Wistar rats underwent unilateral ligation of the common iliac artery, with or without ipsilateral extirpation of the tibialis anterior muscle. Six weeks later ischaemic (I) extensor digitorum longus (EDL) had a 10% (P <0.05) decrease in relative muscle mass, while overloaded muscles (O) had undergone hypertrophy of 39% and 52% relative to contralateral (CL) and control (C) muscle masses, respectively (P < 0.01). Muscle atrophy was prevented by the combination of overload and ischaemia (O/I), with hypertrophy of 24% (vs. CL) and 35% (vs. C), respectively (P < 0.01). Changes in muscle fibre cross‐sectional area paralleled the changes in muscle mass, with means of 1898 ± 59, 1531 ± 90, 2253 ± 155 and 2292 ± 80 mm2 for C, I, O and O/I, respectively (P < 0.01 vs. C and I). Capillary to fibre ratio (C:F) was significantly increased in overloaded (2.58 ± 0.09) compared to contralateral (1.78 ± 0.04), control (1.61 ± 0.05) and ischaemic (1.73 ± 0.06) muscles (P < 0.001). A similar increase in C:F was seen in overloaded plus ischaemic muscle (2.59 ± 0.07) compared to contralateral (1.40 ± 0.01) and control or ischaemic values (P < 0.01). In both O and O/I muscle groups, C:F and capillary density (CD) increased most in the region of EDL where fibre size was largest, while hypertrophy of fibres was least in the same region for both groups. These data suggest that the microvascular deficit evident in chronic muscle ischaemia may be alleviated by angiogenesis that is induced by mechanical stimuli via chronic muscle overload.
Domain Structure of Potassium‐Sodium Niobate Ceramics Before and After Poling
Authors: Qin Yalin , Zhang Jialiang , Yao Weizeng , Wang Chunlei , Zhang Shujun
Published: December 2014

Domain structure and domain wall motion play important roles on the piezoelectric properties of ferroelectric ceramics. In this work, the domain structure of hot‐pressed (K0.50Na0.50)NbO3 (KNN) ceramics before and after poling were studied by observing the domain patterns with an acid‐etching technique, and the extrinsic contribution to the piezoelectric properties were evaluated. It was found that the domain structure of the unpoled KNN ceramic was relatively complicated with many watermark, herringbone and zigzag patterns, while only a single set or few sets of parallel domain stripes were observed in the poled KNN ceramic, due to the domain reorientation and domain wall motion during the poling process. The average domain width changes from 200 (±10) nm before poling to 250 (±10) nm after poling. Domain configurations of “Herringbone‐Zigzag‐Watermark” and “Herringbone‐ Herringbone‐Zigzag” types observed in the unpoled KNN ceramic were then further analyzed. The extrinsic contribution to the piezoelectric properties from the domain reorientation and irreversible domain wall motion in the hot‐pressed KNN ceramic was found to be 71%, slightly higher than that of conventional sintered KNN ceramics ~68%.
Photoluminescence Mechanism and Thermal Stability of Tb3+‐Doped Y4Si2O7N2 Green‐Emitting Phosphors
Authors: Lu Fa–Chun , Bai Li–Jing , Lu Yue , Dang Wei , Yang Zhi–Ping , Lin Peng
Published: December 2014

With solid‐state reaction method, series of Y4Si2O7N2:Tb3+ phosphors were prepared under the high‐temperature and high‐pressure conditions. The photoluminescence properties at room and high temperature were investigated. Two groups of emission lines have been observed, which are corresponding to Tb3+ 5D3 → 7FJ (J = 6, 5, 4, 3, 2) and 5D4 → 7FJ (J = 6, 5, 4, 3) transitions. The physical mechanisms for excitation, emission, concentration quenching, and thermal quenching were investigated. The cross‐relaxation mechanism between the 5D3 and 5D4 emission was investigated and discussed. The Tb–Tb critical distance for cross‐relaxation was calculated to be ~13 Å. The optimum Tb3+ concentration in this phosphor is 15 mol%. The quadrupole–quadrupole interaction dominates the non‐radiative energy transfer between the Tb3+ luminescence centers and causes the concentration quenching. This phosphor shows high thermal stabilities that at 150°C the intensity remains 92% compared with that measured at room temperature. The present work suggests that this Tb3+‐doped Y4Si2O7N2 material is a kind of potential green‐emitting phosphor.
Efficacy of patient‐administered mechanical and/or chemical plaque control protocols in the management of peri‐implant mucositis. A systematic review
Authors: Salvi Giovanni E. , Ramseier Christoph A.
Published: December 2014

Aim

To systematically assess the efficacy of patient‐administered mechanical and/or chemical plaque control protocols in the management of peri‐implant mucositis (PM).

Material and Methods

Randomized (RCTs) and Controlled Clinical Trials (CCTs) were identified through an electronic search of three databases complemented by manual search. Identification, screening, eligibility and inclusion of studies was performed independently by two reviewers. Studies without professional intervention or with only mechanical debridement professionally administered were included. Quality assessment was performed by means of the Cochrane Collaboration's tool for assessing risk of bias.

Results

Eleven RCTs with a follow‐up from 3 to 24 months were included. Definition of PM was lacking or heterogeneously reported. Complete resolution of PM was not achieved in any study. One study reported 38% of patients with complete resolution of PM. Surrogate end‐point outcomes of PM therapy were often reported. The choice of control interventions showed great variability. The efficacy of powered toothbrushes, a triclosan‐containing toothpaste and adjunctive antiseptics remains to be established. High quality of methods and reporting was found in four studies.

Conclusions

Professionally‐ and patient‐administered mechanical plaque control alone should be considered the standard of care in the management of PM. Therapy of PM is a prerequisite for the prevention of peri‐implantitis.