bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Delayed consequences of extremely low‐frequency magnetic fields and the influence of adverse environmental conditions on roach Rutilus rutilus embryos
Authors: Krylov V. V. , Chebotareva Yu. V. , Izyumov Yu. G.
Published: February 2016

This study presents data collected over a 6 year period on the effects of extremely low‐frequency magnetic fields (MFs) (1·4–1·6 µT, 500 Hz and 1·4–1·6 µT, 72·5 Hz) and MFs in combination with other environmental stressors (elevated temperature, 0·01 mg l−1 trichlorfon, 0·01 mg l−1 copper sulphate pentahydrate) on roach Rutilus rutilus embryos. Effects were studied during different stages of early development. Rutilus rutilus were raised in ponds for 4 months after exposure to MFs. The mass, standard length (LS) and morphological characteristics of underyearlings which were exposed as embryos were recorded. An increase in embryo mortality and a decrease in LS and mass indices in underyearlings were noted after they had been exposed to a combination of MFs and different adverse environmental factors. In addition, exposure to MFs led to changes in the total number of vertebrae and the number of seismosensory system openings in the mandibular bones of underyearlings. MFs of different frequency caused both increases (500 Hz) and decreases (72·5 Hz) in morphological diversity. The stressors used in this study, however, did not increase the fluctuating asymmetry of bilateral morphological characteristics. The possible microevolutionary effects of exposure to MFs alone and in combination with other adverse environmental factors upon natural fish populations are discussed.
Early life history of three pelagic‐spawning minnows Macrhybopsis spp. in the lower Missouri River
Authors: Starks T. A. , Miller M. L. , Long J. M.
Published: February 2016

Life‐history characteristics of age‐0 sturgeon chub Macrhybopsis gelida, shoal chub Macrhybopsis hyostoma and sicklefin chub Macrhybopsis meeki were compared using several methods. All Macrhybopsis species consumed mostly midge pupae, but M. meeki had the most general diet (Levins' index, B = 0·22) compared with M. hyostoma (B = 0·02) and M. gelida (B = 0·09). Morisita's diet overlap index among species pairs ranged from 0·62 to 0·97 and was highest between M. hyostoma and M. gelida. Daily ages estimated from lapilli otoliths for each species ranged from 15 to 43 days for M. gelida, 19 to 44 for M. hyostoma and from 16 to 64 days for M. meeki. Mean growth rates ranged from 0·79 mm day−1 for M. meeki to 1·39 mm day−1 for M. gelida. Mortality estimates indicated high daily survivorship rates for M. meeki (0·985), but could not be estimated for the other two species. Hatch date histograms were congruent with the belief that M. hyostoma and M. gelida spawn periodically from June to September. Macrhybopsis meeki, however, appeared to respond to a specific spawning cue as hatch dates were unimodal with a peak in July. These results fill a gap in current knowledge of these imperilled species that can be used to guide management decisions.
Release Properties and Stability of Double W1/O/W2 Emulsions Containing Pumpkin Seed Oil
Authors: Ilić Jelena D. , Nikolovski Branislava G. , Lončarević Ivana S. , Petrović Jovana S. , Bajac Branimir M. , Vučinić‐Vasić Milica
Published: February 2016

The double Water‐in‐Oil‐in‐Water emulsions containing a mixture of pumpkin seed and sunflower oil were prepared with polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) as a hydrophobic emulsifier and different hydrophilic emulsifiers, whereby Tween 20 showed the best stabilization effects. Two different stabilization methodologies of the Water‐in‐Oil emulsions, (1) stabilization against molecular diffusion degradation (Oswald ripening) by electrolyte (NaCl) addition and (2) gelling of internal water droplets using alginate to form gel phase were employed. Emulsion with co‐stabilizer was more stable during storage and heating/freezing treatment than Gel‐in‐Oil emulsions.

Glucose was introduced as a thickening agent in the external water phase. The regulation of the osmotic pressures between the water compartments by glucose addition to the external water phase can be employed to modulate the release behavior of encapsulated material and improve the droplet stability. Also, simple correlation was proposed to predict the release fraction of the salt toward the external water phase.

Practical Applications

Due to their low stability the double emulsions are rarely able to overcome the research phase and to this day have not been converted into commercial products. However, as carriers for the preservation of sensitive components from the environmental exposure destruction, emulsions can provide long term retention of encapsulated material and allow the production of low calorie food products. The incorporation of pumpkin seed oil in the double emulsions due to a multitude of valuable components in its composition contributes to nutritional value of products, making in this way designed emulsions a good base for the preparation of the functional food. Second, encapsulation of salt in double emulsions, except the practical application for the preparation of salted creams, enhances the stability of the emulsions and gives the possibility of tracking the release of hydrophilic material from internal water phase.
Radiotherapy for persistent malignant transformation from mature cystic teratoma of the ovary
Authors: Yoshida Kosuke , Kajiyama Hiroaki , Utsumi Fumi , Mitsui Hiroko , Shibata Kiyosumi , Kikkawa Fumitaka
Published: February 2016

Malignant transformations of mature cystic teratomas (MCT) are extremely rare and most of them are squamous cell carcinomas (SCC). Therefore no effective postoperative treatment has been established. In this article, we report two cases in which radiotherapy was effective for SCC arising from MCT. Case 1 was a 64‐year‐old woman with stage IIA of this tumor. After primary surgery, chemotherapy and interval debulking surgery were performed. She received radiotherapy for relapsed tumors, and has been well for 36 months since the initial diagnosis. Case 2 was a 37‐year‐old woman with stage IIB of this tumor. After primary debulking surgery, she received chemoradiotherapy for a residual tumor and has been well for 27 months since the surgery. Although there is no established therapy, radiotherapy or concurrent chemoradiotherapy might have beneficial effects on this tumor, similarly to those on SCC from other tissue.
Prevalence of very low birthweight, malformation, and low Apgar score among newborns inBrazilaccording to maternal urban or rural residence at birth
Authors: Rezende Chrisman Juliana , Mattos Inês Eschenique , Koifman Rosalina Jorge , Koifman Sergio , Moraes Mello Boccolini Patricia , Meyer Armando
Published: February 2016

Aim

Adverse birth outcomes are a major public health issue in rural areas, where several environmental risk factors, including pesticides, may endanger the health of women of reproductive age. We investigated the prevalence of selected birth outcomes among newborns from mothers living in urban and rural areas of aBrazilianmunicipality.

Methods

Information about all live births that occurred between 2004 and 2006 in the Municipality of Nova Friburgo,Brazil, was retrieved from the Live Birth Information System. Newborns were classified as rural or urban, according to the mother's residence address.

Results

Newborns from rural areas had a higher prevalence of very low‐birthweight, low Apgar score, and malformation. On Poisson regression with adjustment for several confounders, rural offspring were more likely to have the aforementioned outcomes.

Conclusions

Women in rural areas are at higher risk of giving birth to an infant with very low‐birthweight, low 5‐min Apgar score and malformations detectable at birth, regardless of socioeconomic and gestational conditions.
Survey of prenatal testing for genetic disorders in Japan: Recent report
Authors: Nobuzane Takahiro , Yamada Takahiro , Miura Kiyonori , Sawai Hideaki , Masuzaki Hideaki , Kudo Yoshiki
Published: February 2016

Aim

In order to investigate the current status of prenatal testing for genetic disorders, we conducted a multicenter retrospective questionnaire survey.

Methods

The questionnaire was sent to 105 facilities with genetic counseling systems. The questionnaire consisted of two parts: (i) the number of prenatal tests conducted for genetic disorders from January 2010 to December 2012, whether the laboratory was combined with the counseling facility or separate, the sampling procedure method, the testing results, and the outcomes of the affected fetus in addition to treatment; and (ii) a survey of personal comments regarding prenatal testing for genetic disorders.

Results

We received responses from 69 of the 105 facilities (65.7%), and genetic testing was performed at 26 of these facilities. Nucleic acid sequential testing was performed on 45 disorders and 252 cases during a three‐year period. There were 67 cases of affected fetuses. Six cases continued pregnancy and were treated. The comment survey highlighted difficulties in locating a laboratory to assess prenatal samples, as well as inadequate counseling and preparation for genetic disorders.

Conclusions

Our study revealed that a number of prenatal testing for genetic disorders are conducted in Japan; however, it is difficult for counselors to locate a laboratory capable of testing for specific genetic disorders. Inadequate counseling and healthcare providers' lack of knowledge is a current problem. A well‐established system of prenatal testing for genetic disorders and the further education of general physicians is required.
Painting Ethics: Death, Love, and Moral Vision in theMahāparinibbāna
Authors: Ruth Hansen Anne
Published: February 2016

This essay draws on Kenneth George's ethnographic study of the Indonesian painter Abdul Djalil Pirous and his art, as well as Pirous's own characterizations of his paintings as “spiritual notes,” to theorize and examine how paintings serve as ethical media. The essay offers a provisional definition of and methodology for “visual ethics” and considers how pictures and language (such as scriptural texts) can function quite differently as sites for ethical reflection. The particular painting analyzed here is a large temple mural of the death of the Buddha (mahāparinibbāna) located at Wat Unnalom, a prominent Buddhist monastery in Phnom Penh, painted in the 1980s by Cambodian artist Sum Pon. After discussing the lifeworld of Pon'sMahāparinibbānaand varied Khmer Buddhist interpretations of the painting, I suggest that the painting's rendering of “moral vision” helps us understand Buddhist ways of seeing more generally. I conclude by returning to George's question about how our understanding of ethics would change if we took pictures as the “fulcrum of moral relationships,” arguing that pictures can embody certain kinds of tensions or paradoxes that are difficult to explain and grasp discursively, such as paradoxes that arise from the inevitability and yet inexplicability of death as well as the tensions between Buddhist aims of cultivating “boundless” love and the particularities of our own individual experiences of love.
Something New Under the Sun
Authors: Farley Margaret A.
Published: February 2016

This brief response aims to contextualize and reflect further on James Gustafson's new essay regarding “participation” in relation to God, nature, and human beings. In it I attempt to address Gustafson's innovative method and the difference it makes for interpreting some of his previous work. For the first time Gustafson's direct mode of access to the meaning and implications of human participation is through his own experience. I argue that he breaks new ground with what might be called descriptive experiential analysis, moving forward yet harking back to longtime central themes regarding knowledge of God, moral discernment, theocentrism and anthropocentrism, relationalism and unity.
THE DAY AFTER THE DISASTER: FORCED MIGRATION AND INCOME LOSS AFTER HURRICANES KATRINA AND RITA
Authors: Do Yun Seong , Waldorf Brigitte S.
Published: February 2016

A model of post‐disaster migration responses and income consequences poses that damage severity and individual resilience affect moving decisions. Forced moves are linked to little resilience relative to damage incurred and post‐move income reductions. The empirical analysis analyzes households affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Using American Community Survey data, unobserved heterogeneous income damages are framed as treatment, with the moving decision being the treatment decision. An endogenous switching regression addresses self‐selection issues. The results suggest that movers encountered double victimization: (1) they were forced to move and their income declined; (2) low‐income households were more severely affected than the average.
THE IMPACT OF RELATIVE DEPRIVATION ON RETURN INTENTIONS AMONG POTENTIAL MIGRANTS AND COMMUTERS
Authors: Huber Peter , Nowotny Klaus
Published: February 2016

We empirically analyze the impact of relative deprivation on the intended duration of stay of potential cross‐border commuters and migrants. A theoretical model lends support to the hypothesis that deprivation affects the intended duration of stay of migrants in a U‐shaped fashion, but does not affect potential commuters. Empirical evidence from one of the most densely populated border regions of the EU confirms both these hypotheses. These results are robust over different estimation methods and apply both when measuring deprivation relative to friends and acquaintances as well as relative to the population residing in a region.
Cross‐Cultural Comparison of Consumer Acceptability of Kimchi with Different Degree of Fermentation
Authors: Jang Seong‐Ho , Kim Min‐Ji , Lim Juyun , Hong Jae‐Hee
Published: February 2016

Strong flavor developed during fermentation can affect foreign consumer's liking of kimchi (fermented vegetables with seasonings). This study was conducted to compare the cross‐cultural preference of American versus Korean consumers for kimchi fermented to different degrees. Kimchi samples fermented to different degrees (pH 5.9, LFK; pH 4.2, MFK; and pH 3.9, HFK) were presented to American (n = 111) and Korean consumers (n = 101). The degree of liking and attribute intensities were assessed using the 9‐point hedonic scale and Just‐about‐Right scale. Consumer demographics and kimchi consumption habits were also collected. American consumers significantly preferred MFK and HFK to LFK, whereas Korean consumers did not show any significant preference among the samples. American consumers reported that the sourness and spiciness of LFK were not intense enough. The frequency of kimchi consumption by American consumers was positively associated with their preference for more fermented kimchi, while the level of fermentation of the daily consumed kimchi was well associated with Korean consumers’ preference for kimchi.

Practical Applications

It is challenging for food industries to launch fermented ethnic food products, such as fermented soy products and vegetables, in foreign markets because acceptability for products with different degree of fermentation may differ across culture and also based on previous experience. The present study investigated how foreign consumers accept one such food, kimchi, at different fermentation levels, particularly in relation to their previous experiences. Results of the present study can help researchers and marketers to establish more effective strategies for developing ethnic foods targeting foreign markets by providing the optimal level of fermentation accepted by foreign consumers and consumer profile. In addition, our findings on the relationship between previous exposures and liking aid in understanding potential mechanisms underlying acquisition of liking for ethnic food by foreign consumers.
A review on ethnobotany, pharmacology and phytochemistry of Tabernaemontana corymbosa
Authors: Abubakar Ibrahim Babangida , Loh Hwei-San
Published: February 2016

Objectives

Tabernaemontana is a genus from the plant family, Apocynaceae with vast medicinal application and widespread distribution in the tropics and subtropics of Africa, Americas and Asia. The objective of this study is to critically evaluate the ethnobotany, medicinal uses, pharmacology and phytochemistry of the species, Tabernaemontana corymbosa (Roxb. ex Wall.) and provide information on the potential future application of alkaloids isolated from different parts of the plant.

Key findings

T. corymbosa (Roxb. ex Wall.) parts are used as poultice, boiled juice, decoctions and infusions for treatment against ulceration, fracture, post-natal recovery, syphilis, fever, tumours and orchitis in Malaysia, China, Thailand and Bangladesh. Studies recorded alkaloids as the predominant phytochemicals in addition to phenols, saponins and sterols with vast bioactivities such as antimicrobial, analgesic, anthelmintic, vasorelaxation, antiviral and cytotoxicity.

An evaluation of scientific data and traditional medicine revealed the medicinal uses of different parts of T. corymbosa (Roxb. ex Wall.) across Asia. Future studies exploring the structure-bioactivity relationship of alkaloids such as jerantinine and vincamajicine among others could potentially improve the future application towards reversing anticancer drug resistance.
Evaluation of the potential synergism of imatinib-related poly kinase inhibitors using growth factor stimulated proteoglycan synthesis as a model response
Authors: Bernard Rebekah , Getachew Robel , Kamato Danielle , Thach Lyna , Osman Narin , Chan Vincent , Zheng Wenhua , Little Peter J
Published: February 2016

Introduction

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors were the first class of smart drugs being specifically designed to inhibit a disease causing target. There is a very important but unresolved question as whether or not the overall therapeutic role of an individual tinib results from an action at its primary target, a single most likely, tyrosine kinase, or from the combined or aggregate action at the multiple targets which each tinib addresses.

Methods

We selected a series of ten tinibs (gefitinib, sunitinib, lapatinib, erlotinib, imatinib, sorafenib, axitinib, vanitinib, bosutinib, dasatinib) with various known targets and investigated their activities in the inhibition of proteoglycan synthesis and GAG hyperelongation stimulated by a tyrosine kinase receptor agonist, platelet derived growth factor (PDGF) and for contrast, a serine/threonine kinase receptor agonist, TGF β and some downstream signalling pathways.

Results

The inhibitory activity varied from little to total inhibition. The actions of the tinibs were directed more towards inhibition of the tyrosine kinase, PDGF receptor signalling pathway compared to the TGF β.

Conclusion

There was no suggestion of any synergistic effect arising from inhibition of multiple kinases as the most potent compound, dasatinib, is known to inhibit the broadest spectrum of kinases.
Melatonin mediates the stabilization of DELLA proteins to repress the floral transition in Arabidopsis
Authors: Shi Haitao , Wei Yunxie , Wang Qiannan , Reiter Russel J. , He Chaozu
Published: February 2016

Precise floral transition from vegetative growth phase to reproductive growth phase is very important in plant life cycle. In flowering genetic pathways, DELLA proteins are master transcriptional regulators of gibberelic acid (GA) pathway, and FLOWERING LOCUS C (FLC) is a core repressor of vernalization pathway as well as downstream of DELLAs. As a crucial messenger in plants, the possible involvement of melatonin (N‐acetyl‐5‐methoxytryptamine) in flowering and underlying molecular mechanism are unknown in Arabidopsis. In this study, we found that exogenous melatonin treatment delayed floral transition in Arabidopsis. Exogenous melatonin treatment conferred protein stabilizations of DELLAs [REPRESSOR of ga1‐3 (RGA) and RGA‐LIKE3 (RGL3)], without regulating the transcripts of DELLAs and endogenous GA level. Notably, exogenous melatonin delayed plant flowering and DELLA‐activated transcripts of FLC were alleviated in della mutants, and those were exacerbated in DELLA overexpressing plants. Taken together, this study provides direct link between melatonin and floral transition, and indicates the novel involvement of DELLAs‐activated FLC in melatonin‐mediated flowering in Arabidopsis.
What is Behaviour? And (when) is Language Behaviour? A Metatheoretical Definition
Authors: Uher Jana
Published: February 2016

Behaviour is central to many fields, but metatheoretical definitions specifying the most basic assumptions about what is considered behaviour and what is not are largely lacking. This transdisciplinary research explores the challenges in defining behaviour, highlighting anthropocentric biases and a frequent lack of differentiation from physiological and psychical phenomena. To meet these challenges, the article elaborates a metatheoretical definition of behaviour that is applicable across disciplines and that allows behaviours to be differentiated from other kinds of phenomena. This definition is used to explore the phenomena of language and to scrutinise whether and under what conditions language can be considered behaviour and why. The metatheoretical concept of two different levels of meaning conveyed in human language is introduced, highlighting that language inherently relies on behaviours and that the content of what‐is‐being‐said, in and of itself, can constitute (interpersonal) behaviour under particular conditions. The analyses reveal the ways in which language meaningfully extends human's behavioural possibilities, pushing them far beyond anything enabled by non‐language behaviours. These novel metatheoretical concepts can complement and expand on existing theories about behaviour and language and contribute a novel piece of theoretical explanation regarding the crucial role that language has played in human evolution.
Effects of Different Types of Corrective Feedback on Receptive Skills in a Second Language: A Speech Perception Training Study
Authors: Lee Andrew H. , Lyster Roy
Published: February 2016

This study investigated the effects of different types of corrective feedback (CF) provided during second language (L2) speech perception training. One hundred Korean learners of L2 English, randomly assigned to five groups (n = 20 per group), participated in eight computer‐assisted perception training sessions targeting two minimal pairs of English vowels. Four treatment groups each received a different type of CF; three groups received one of three types of auditory CF and a fourth group received a visual type of CF; the control group did not receive CF. Results of pretests, immediate posttests, and delayed posttests showed that, in comparison to the control group, the groups that received auditory CF improved significantly in trained over untrained words, whereas the group that received visual CF fared less well. These results are discussed in terms of the benefits of auditory CF types, especially CF combining target and nontarget forms.

Open Practices

This article has been awarded an Open Materials badge. All materials are publicly accessible in the IRIS digital repository at http://www.iris‐database.org. Learn more about the Open Practices badges from the Center for Open Science: https://osf.io/tvyxz/wiki.
PbsP, a cell wall‐anchored protein that binds plasminogen to promote hematogenous dissemination of group B Streptococcus
Authors: Buscetta Marco , Firon Arnaud , Pietrocola Giampiero , Biondo Carmelo , Mancuso Giuseppe , Midiri Angelina , Romeo Letizia , Galbo Roberta , Venza Mario , Venza Isabella , Kaminski Pierre‐Alexandre , Gominet Myriam , Teti Giuseppe , Speziale Pietro , Trieu‐Cuot Patrick , Beninati Concetta
Published: February 2016

Streptococcus agalactiae (Group B Streptococcus or GBS) is a leading cause of invasive infections in neonates whose virulence is dependent on its ability to interact with cells and host components. We here characterized a surface protein with a critical function in GBS pathophysiology. This adhesin, designated PbsP, possesses two Streptococcal Surface Repeat domains, a methionine and lysine‐rich region, and a LPXTG cell wall‐anchoring motif. PbsP mediates plasminogen (Plg) binding both in vitro and in vivo and we showed that cell surface‐bound Plg can be activated into plasmin by tissue plasminogen activator to increase the bacterial extracellular proteolytic activity. Absence of PbsP results in a decreased bacterial transmigration across brain endothelial cells and impaired virulence in a murine model of infection. PbsP is conserved among the main GBS lineages and is a major plasminogen adhesin in non‐CC17 GBS strains. Importantly, immunization of mice with recombinant PbsP confers protective immunity. Our results indicate that GBS have evolved different strategies to recruit Plg which indicates that the ability to acquire cell surface proteolytic activity is essential for the invasiveness of this bacterium.
Nationalism, religion, and abortion policy in four Catholic societies
Authors: Kozlowska Iga , Béland Daniel , Lecours André
Published: February 2016

Over the last decade, a growing number of scholars have tackled the changing relationship between national identity and social policy. In this article, we explore the relationship between abortion policy and the historical and political construction of national identity as it relates to religious norms and symbols. Focusing on two main cases, Ireland and Poland, Catholic societies in which abortion rights are severely restricted, we argue that, in political discourse and institutions, a strong relationship between the Catholic Church and national identity helps opponents of abortion enact and maintain such restrictions in the name of religious norms embedded in strong claims about national identity. After exploring these two main cases, we briefly turn to Spain and Québec, Catholic societies that, in recent decades, have witnessed a secularisation of their national identity correlated to a liberalisation of abortion rights. This suggests that, at least in Catholic societies, the decline of a religious national identity is likely to favour a liberalisation of abortion rights.
Didymodon liae sp. nov. (Pottiaceae) from Tibet, China
Authors: Kou Jin , Feng Chao , Yu Cheng‐Qun , Shao Xiao‐Ming
Published: February 2016

Didymodon liae J. Kou, X.‐M. Shao & C. Feng sp. nov., is described and illustrated from Dagzê County in south central Tibet, China. The new species is most similar to Didymodon australasiae (Hook. & Grev.) R. H. Zander, but differs in plants growing loosely in a thin turf, stems without hyalodermis and sclerodermis, margins recurved from just above the base nearly to the apex, laminal cells strongly bulging, mammillose, covered with simple or forked papillae, and costa with a layer of ventral substereids. The new species is contrasted with other similar species of the genus. Information on its distribution and ecology is also provided.
SAME THREAT, DIFFERENT RESPONSES: EXPERTS STEERING POLITICIANS AND STAKEHOLDERS IN 2009 H1N1 VACCINATION POLICY‐MAKING
Authors: BAEKKESKOV ERIK
Published: February 2016

Why do similar countries facing the same threat respond differently? To throw light on this question, this article analyses Dutch and Danish vaccinations against the 2009H1N1‘swine’ influenza pandemic (most‐similar cases with different outcomes). Policy‐making in the cases intersected the politics of crisis management (including risk management and disaster management), pharmaceuticals and epidemic response. Uncertainty and urgency were basic conditions and reduced the potential for evidence‐based policy. Public health specialists, elected leaders, and organizations in the economy and society contributed to each national response. Related literatures show that such decision‐making can turn on politicians' blame avoidance (A1) or demonstrations of value to swing voters (A2), stakeholders seeking gains (B), or experts following national standards (i.e. norms) for appropriate response (C). While each of these four logics is in evidence to some degree, differences in norms used by national experts advising their governments on pandemic responses best answer the question in the extant cases.
School personnel's self‐efficacy in managing food allergy and anaphylaxis
Authors: Polloni Laura , Baldi Ileana , Lazzarotto Francesca , Bonaguro Roberta , Toniolo Alice , Celegato Nicolò , Gregori Dario , Muraro Antonella
Published: February 2016

Background

Food allergy affects up to 4–7% European schoolchildren. Studies identified important shortcomings on food allergy and anaphylaxis management in schools. In social cognitive theory, personal beliefs in own capabilities influence choices, effort levels, perseverance and performance accomplishments. This study aimed to investigate school personnel's self‐efficacy in managing food allergy and anaphylaxis, providing a valid instrument to deeply understand how to support schools to effectively manage students at risk of food reactions.

Methods

A total of 440 schoolteachers and caretakers from north‐east Italy completed a questionnaire assessing self‐efficacy in managing food allergy and anaphylaxis at school. Exploratory factor analysis was performed. Factors' internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha. Factors' scores were estimated using Bartlett approach, and kernel density estimate of distributions was provided. Descriptive statistics explored school personnel's self‐efficacy. A regression model assessed the influence of gender, school, job and previous experience.

Results

Two factors emerged from exploratory factor analysis related to anaphylaxis management (AM) and food allergy management (FAM). The two subscales both showed good internal consistency. School personnel showed lower self‐efficacy in recognizing symptoms, administering drugs and guaranteeing full participation to extra‐curricular activities to food‐allergic students. Participants who previously had food‐allergic students showed a significantly increased self‐efficacy in AM and a significantly decreased self‐efficacy in FAM.

Conclusions

The study supports the use of self‐efficacy scale to identify specific areas where teachers' confidence in their ability to care for food‐allergic students is especially weak. This would empower the development of training programs specifically tailored to the needs of teachers and caregivers.
Randomized controlled trial on preemptive analgesia for acute postoperative pain management in children
Authors: Song In‐Kyung , Park Yong‐Hee , Lee Ji‐Hyun , Kim Jin‐Tae , Choi In Ho , Kim Hee‐Soo
Published: February 2016

Background

Preemptive analgesia is an anti‐nociceptive treatment that starts before surgery and prevents the establishment of central sensitization. Whether preemptive analgesia is more effective than conventional regimens for managing postoperative pain remains controversial. This study evaluated the efficacy of intravenous preemptive analgesia for acute postoperative pain control in pediatric patients.

Methods

In this prospective randomized controlled trial, 51 children aged 3–7 years, scheduled for corrective osteotomy were randomized into control (group C) or preemptive (group P) group. Both groups received standardized general anesthesia, including intravenous patient‐controlled analgesia (IV‐PCA) with fentanyl, which was started before skin incision in group P or 5 min thereafter in group C. IV‐PCA data, pain scores using verbal rating scale (VRS) and Wong‐Baker FACES® pain rating scale (WBFS), emergence agitation score (EAS) using the Pediatric Anesthesia Emergence Delirium (PAED) scale, analgesic requirements, and complications were recorded.

Results

The primary outcome, pain score at postoperative 1 h, showed no difference between the groups. Both groups did not demonstrate emergence agitation (PAED cutoff value ≥12), although the EAS at admission to the postanesthetic care unit (PACU) was lower in group P than in group C (P = 0.002; mean difference 4.85, 95% CI 1.97–7.73). There were no differences in the delivered volume of IV‐PCA, frequency of pushing the IV‐PCA button, effective push attempts, VRS, WBFS, EAS at discharge from the PACU, additional analgesic requirements, and complications.

Conclusion

Preemptive analgesia using IV‐PCA with fentanyl showed no significant advantages for postoperative analgesia after corrective osteotomy in pediatric patients.
Serum myeloid‐related protein 8/14 in minimal change‐ and glomerulonephritis‐related nephrotic syndrome
Authors: Ohara Shinichiro , Kawasaki Yukihiko , Maeda Ryo , Kanno Syuto , Suzuki Yuichi , Suyama Kazuhide , Hosoya Mitsuaki
Published: February 2016

Background

Myeloid‐related protein 8/14 (MRP8/14) forms stable heterodimers and is the major calcium‐binding protein secreted by activated granulocytes and monocytes. We evaluated whether serum MRP8/14 level is a useful indicator for a differential diagnosis of glomerulonephritis (GN)‐ and minimal change disease (MC)‐ related nephrotic syndrome (NS).

Methods

Serum MRP8/14 complex was evaluated in 37 NS patients with MC or GN. These patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 consisted of 13 NS patients with MC, and group 2 consisted of 24 NS patients with GN. Group 2 was further divided into four subgroups: IgA nephropathy (IgAN; n = 5), Henoch–Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN; n = 6), focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS; n = 12), and acute GN Poststreptococcal acute glomeruloNephritis (PSAGN; n = 1).

Results

The clinical manifestations, laboratory findings, serum MRP8/14 level, and renal accumulation of MRP8 were investigated for each group. No significant inter‐group differences were observed for serum total protein, serum albumin, or blood urea nitrogen and urinary protein excretions. Mean serum MRP8/14 in the IgAN, HSPN, FSGS, and PSAGN groups was higher than in group 1. Further, the mean glomerular and interstitial MRP8 staining scores in the IgAN, HSPN, and PSAGN groups were higher than in group 1.

Conclusions

Serum MRP8/14 level may be a useful indicator for differential diagnosis between GN‐ and MC‐ related NS.
The Lack of Lutein Accelerates the Extent of Light‐induced Bleaching of Photosynthetic Pigments in Thylakoid Membranes of Arabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Dobrev Konstantin , Stanoeva Daniela , Velitchkova Maya , Popova Antoaneta V.
Published: February 2016

The high light‐induced bleaching of photosynthetic pigments and the degradation of proteins of light‐harvesting complexes of PSI and PSII were investigated in isolated thylakoid membranes of Arabidopsis thaliana, wt and lutein‐deficient mutant lut2, with the aim of unraveling the role of lutein for the degree of bleaching and degradation. By the means of absorption spectroscopy and western blot analysis, we show that the lack of lutein leads to a higher extent of pigment photobleaching and protein degradation in mutant thylakoid membranes in comparison with wt. The highest extent of bleaching is suffered by chlorophyll a and carotenoids, while chlorophyll b is bleached in lut2 thylakoids during long periods at high illumination. The high light‐induced degradation of Lhca1, Lhcb2 proteins and PsbS was followed and it is shown that Lhca1 is more damaged than Lhcb2. The degradation of analyzed proteins is more pronounced in lut2 mutant thylakoid membranes. The lack of lutein influences the high light‐induced alterations in organization of pigment–protein complexes as revealed by 77 K fluorescence.
In vitro Developmental Competence of Adult Sheep Oocytes Treated with Roscovitine
Authors: Crocomo LF , Ariu F , Bogliolo L , Bebbere D , Ledda S , Bicudo SD
Published: February 2016

Contents

The efficiency of in vitro sheep embryo production is still low compared to that observed in vivo and in other species. In this context, meiotic inhibition strategies emerged as a promising alternative to improve this biotechnology. So, this study aimed to evaluate, for the first time, the effects of roscovitine on in vitro maturation of sheep oocytes and their subsequent embryo development. For this, cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) were cultured for 6 h in the presence (Rosco) or absence (Control) of 75 μm roscovitine and, subsequently, in vitro matured (IVM) for 18 h with gonadotropins. At 0 (Immature), 6 and 24 h of culture, the nuclear status of oocytes was evaluated by Hoechst staining. Embryo cleavage and blastocyst formation were recorded 30 h after in vitro fertilization and on day 7 of culture, respectively. Blastocyst quality was evaluated by differential staining. At 6 h, the GV rate in the Rosco treatment (93.8%) was similar to that observed in the Immature oocytes (94.9%) and significantly higher compared to Control (41.3%). After IVM for 18 h, a high and similar proportion of oocytes from Rosco (93.6%) and Control (88.4%) reached the MII stage. In both treatments, approximately 70% of oocytes cleaved and 50% of them developed up to blastocyst. The mean percentage of blastocyst cells, embryoblast, trophoblast and pyknosis did also not differ between Control and Rosco. In conclusion, roscovitine, at the studied experimental conditions, was efficient to reversibly inhibit the meiosis of adult sheep oocytes without detrimental effect on development and quality of the in vitro produced embryos.
Assessment of the H‐reflex at two contraction levels before and after fatigue
Authors: Stutzig N. , Siebert T.
Published: February 2016

The aim of the present study was to compare the H‐reflex evoked at rest and at 20% maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) prior to and after fatiguing the lateral gastrocnemius (LG). The maximal H‐reflex and M‐wave were recorded in the LG, and soleus (SOL). Electrical evoked potentials were delivered to the posterior tibial nerve when muscles were inactivated and at 20% MVC. After fatigue, the Hmax/Mmax ratio of the fatigued LG was increased for both contraction levels (rest and 20% MVC) and remained unaltered for non‐fatigued SOL. Before fatigue, the Hmax/Mmax ratio of SOL was enhanced at rest compared with the Hmax/Mmax ratio at 20% MVC. No differences were observed for LG. Fatigue of a single muscle leads to increased spinal reflex activity of the homonymous muscle. Contrary to previous recommendations in the literature, there appears to be no benefit with regard to the H‐reflex amplitude in evoking electrical potentials during constant voluntary contractions at 20% MVC compared with inactivated muscles. The observed difference in SOL prior to fatigue was most likely due to hyperpolarization of the muscle fiber membrane.
Do UK crops and grassland require greater inputs of sulphur fertilizer in response to recent and forecast reductions in sulphur emissions and deposition?
Authors: Webb J. , Jephcote C. , Fraser A. , Wiltshire J. , Aston S. , Rose R. , Vincent K. , Roth B.
Published: February 2016

UK emissions of sulphur dioxide decreased by 94% between 1970 and 2010 and are projected to decrease by another 50% by 2020 as coal fired power stations are decommissioned. We used the Community Multiscale Air Quality model to create maps of sulphur (S) deposition to assess the impact of these forecast decreases in S emissions on net S deposition to crops in England and Wales. Currently, average S deposition, net of S leaching, varies little between the UK regions, being greatest in Yorkshire and Humberside (Y&H), at ca. 5–6 kg/ha S, and least in Wales, at ca. 3–4 kg/ha S. However, even in Y&H S deposition is no more than 25% of S uptake by cereals and only ca. 10% of S uptake by oilseed rape (OSR). By 2020, net S deposition is predicted to decrease by between 30 and 60% and will be no more than 15% of S uptake by cereal crops and <10% of S uptake by OSR. We conclude that, with the exception of a few localities, net S deposition is currently making only a minor contribution to crop S requirements and this small contribution will continue to decline. We recommend S be applied at the rates currently advised, as either mineral fertilizer or livestock manures (or a combination of both), to all crops and grass grown on sandy soils or in areas of >375‐mm overwinter rainfall. The need for S fertilizer appears to be greatest for grass swards cut more than once.
Determining the longer term decline in plant‐available soil phosphorus from short‐term measured values
Authors: Johnston A. E. , Poulton P. R. , White R. P. , Macdonald A. J.
Published: February 2016

Once phosphorus (P) applications stop, it is important to know how long it will take for plant‐available P in soil to decline to a particular level for soils with a history of intensive management. The rate of decline in the absence of applied P can be expressed as a half‐life, that is the time in years for it to halve relative to the lowest level measured in the soil. This knowledge is essential when planning long‐term policies for managing the P status of soils. It is important to farmers who wish to optimize applications of P fertilizers and make better use of accumulated P residues to ensure that plant‐available P does not fall below the critical level for the soil and crop because of the risk of losing yield and the inefficient use of other inputs, especially N fertilizer. Lower levels of plant‐available P are also desirable for environmental and ecological reasons. Allowing plant‐available P to decline to the critical level from unnecessarily high concentrations will reduce the risk from P on eroded soil causing adverse effects of eutrophication in surface water. Low levels of plant‐available P are usually considered necessary for establishing species‐rich grassland. A method for determining the longer term decline in plant‐available soil P from short‐term measured values is presented.
Factors controlling the vegetation distribution and coal‐forming environments in a strike‐slip basin. The Pennsylvanian Peñarroya‐Belmez‐Espiel Basin, southern Spain
Authors: González Felipe , Moreno Carmen , Lorenzo Erica , Márquez Gonzalo
Published: February 2016

Coal‐forming environments require humid to perhumid conditions. Tectonics governs the size, location and availability of coal seams developed in such environments. While large Pennsylvanian paralic basins generated thick and continuous coal seams, many other small coeval basins, which were tectonically active, developed a puzzling succession, with carbonaceous deposits that varied in size, thickness and the nature of the coal‐forming flora. This study, conducted in the Peñarroya‐Belmez‐Espiel coalfield, a Variscan strike‐slip basin in the south of Spain, provides insights into this subject. The coal seams analysed, generated in different depositional environments, have quantitatively different palynological assemblages. Lacustrine coals are dominated by lycopsids; distal alluvial plain/marginal lacustrine coals are dominated by sphenophytes and tree ferns, and middle alluvial fan coals are dominated by sphenophytes, tree ferns and lycopsids. This means that when conditions were favourable for peat accumulation, peat accumulated regardless of the nature of the available flora.
RELIGION AND SCIENCE IN DIALOGUE: AN ASIAN CHRISTIAN VIEW
Authors: Seung Chul Kim
Published: February 2016

We may understand natural science as part of the attempt by human beings to understand themselves and their place in the world in which they find themselves. In this sense, as Karl Rahner has suggested, natural science flows naturally into anthropology. Consciously or unconsciously, science is always part of the drive to self‐understanding. In an age of religious pluralism like ours, Christian faith in Asia is also brought face to face with the living reality of other religions, and that, too, cannot but affect how we understand our shared humanity.
WHY IS CONFUCIANISM NOT A RELIGION? THE IMPACT OF ORIENTALISM
Authors: Na Chen
Published: February 2016

This study attempts to answer the question why Confucianism, the dominant “teaching” among the Three Teachings, is not a religion in contemporary China, unlike the other two “teachings,” Buddhism and Daoism. By examining this phenomenon in the social‐historical context, this study finds its origin in Orientalism. The Orientalist conceptualization of religion became part of the New Culture discourse at the turn of the twentieth century. While China has undergone tremendous social changes over the past century, the old discourse remains.
SCIENCE AND CONFUCIANISM IN RETROSPECT AND PROSPECT
Authors: Kuang‐Tai Hsu
Published: February 2016

In contrast to Western science and religion, a topic which has been studied very much since the twentieth century, less research has been done on science and Confucianism. By way of a comparative viewpoint within the history of science, this article will deal with some aspects of science and Confucianism in retrospect, for instance, the Confucian origin of the idea of tian yuan di fang 天圓地方, the natural philosophy of qi, and the wu xing li tian zhi qi 五行沴天之氣 bringing abnormal astrological phenomena and reflecting a negative Confucian relation between politics, ethics, and nature. In the late Ming, Xiong Mingyu found that abnormal astrological phenomena, as atmospheric events, happened in the sublunar region rather than in the stars, and in the present time we can reinterpret the crisis of air pollution or global climate change as reflecting a negative Confucian relation between politics, ethics, and nature and as a warning of collective misbehavior in our use of modern scientific technologies.
Intermittent drivers anchoring to structural heterogeneities as a major pathophysiological mechanism of human persistent atrial fibrillation
Authors: Haissaguerre Michel , Shah Ashok J. , Cochet Hubert , Hocini Meleze , Dubois Remi , Efimov Igor , Vigmond Edward , Bernus Olivier , Trayanova Natalia
Published: February 2016

The mechanisms responsible for perpetuation of human persistent atrial fibrillation (AF) are controversial and probably vary between individuals. A wide spectrum of mechanisms have been described in experimental studies, ranging from a single localized stable (focal/reentrant) source, to multiple sources, up to diffuse bi‐atrial wavelets. We characterized AF drivers in patients with persistent AF (lasting less than 1 year) using novel high resolution mapping, imaging and modelling approaches with the objective of evaluating their relationship to atrial structural heterogeneities. Using panoramic non‐invasive mapping in humans, focal or reentrant sources driving AF waves were identified, originating from multiple distinct regions and exhibiting short lifespans and periodic recurrences in the same locations. The reentrant driver regions harboured long, fractionated electrograms covering most of the fibrillatory cycle lengths with varying beat‐to‐beat sequences suggestive of unstable trajectories attached to slow conducting heterogeneous tissue. MRI atrial imaging demonstrated that such drivers preferentially clustered at the borders of fibrotic atrial regions. In patient‐specific computer simulations, sustained AF was shown to be driven by meandering transitory reentries attached to fibrosis borders expressing specific metrics in density and extent. Finally, random microstructural alterations devoid of cellular electrical changes were modelled, showing that a percolation mechanism could also explain atrial reentries and complex fractionated electrograms. These data from clinical, imaging and computational studies strongly suggest that intermittent and spatially unstable drivers anchoring to structural heterogeneities are a major pathophysiological mechanism in human persistent atrial fibrillation.

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