bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Narrative and the Stability of Intention
Authors: Hinchman Edward S.
Published: September 2014

This paper addresses a problem concerning the rational stability of intention. When you form an intention to φ at some future time t, you thereby make it subjectively rational for you to follow through and φ at t, even if—hypothetically—you would abandon the intention were you to redeliberate at t. It is hard to understand how this is possible. Shouldn't the perspective of your acting self be what determines what is then subjectively rational for you? I aim to solve this problem by highlighting a role for narrative in intention. I'll argue that committing yourself to a course of action by intending to pursue it crucially involves the expectation that your acting self will be ‘swept along’ by its participation in a distinctively narrative form of self‐understanding. I'll motivate my approach by criticizing Richard Holton's and Michael Bratman's recent treatments of the stability of intention, though my account also borrows from Bratman's work. I'll likewise criticize and borrow from David Velleman's work on narrative and self‐intelligibility. When the pieces fall into place, we'll see how intending is akin to telling your future self a kind of story. My thesis is not that you address your acting self but that your acting self figures as a ‘character’ in the ‘story’ that you address to a still later self. Unlike other appeals to narrative in agency, mine will explain how as narrator you address a specifically intrapersonal audience.
Cognitive and affective functions in diabetic patients associated with diabetes‐related factors, white matter abnormality and aging
Authors: Hishikawa N. , Yamashita T. , Deguchi K. , Wada J. , Shikata K. , Makino H. , Abe K.
Published: September 2014

Background and purpose

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is associated with a decline in cognitive and affective functions.

Methods

In all, 182 outpatients with DM were investigated for associations of cognitive and affective functions with diabetes‐related factors and cerebral white matter abnormalities. In addition, the difference in cognitive decline of age‐matched late elderly normal subjects and DM patients was investigated.

Results

The present study revealed that cognitive and affective functions declined in some DM patients. Furthermore, the decline in these functions was unrelated to fasting blood sugar level but was related to glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) and insulin resistance. Poor HbA1c control was associated with a significant decline in the ‘calculation’ subscale and insulin resistance for ‘naming’, ‘read list of letters’ and ‘delayed recall’ Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) subscale scores. Magnetic resonance imaging scans showed that both periventricular hyperintensity (PVH) and deep white matter hyperintensity were associated with Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and MoCA scores, but only PVH was related to homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance scores. Compared with age‐matched late elderly normal subjects, ‘orientation to time’ and ‘registration’ MMSE subscales declined in late elderly DM patients.

Conclusions

These results suggest that cognitive and affective decline in DM patients was mostly related to glucose control and insulin resistance, whilst amongst late elderly subjects the impairment of ‘attention’ and ‘orientation’ were characteristic features of DM patients.
Effect of spontaneous seizures on GABAA receptor α4 subunit expression in an animal model of temporal lobe epilepsy
Authors: Grabenstatter Heidi L , Cogswell Meaghan , Cruz Del Angel Yasmin , Carlsen Jessica , Gonzalez Marco I. , Raol Yogendra H. , Russek Shelley J. , Brooks‐Kayal Amy R.
Published: September 2014

Objective

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is frequently medically intractable and often progressive. Compromised inhibitory neurotransmission due to altered γ‐aminobutyric acid (GABA)A receptor α4 subunit (GABAARα4) expression has been emphasized as a potential contributor to the initial development of epilepsy following a brain insult (primary epileptogenesis), but the regulation of GABAARα4 during chronic epilepsy, specifically, how expression is altered following spontaneous seizures, is less well understood.

Methods

Continuous video–electroencephalography (EEG) recordings from rats with pilocarpine‐induced TLE were used to capture epileptic animals within 3 h of a spontaneous seizure (SS), or >24 h after the last SS, to determine whether recent occurrence of a seizure was associated with altered levels of GABAARα4 expression. We further evaluated whether this GABAARα4 plasticity is regulated by signaling mechanisms active in primary epileptogenesis, specifically, increases in brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and early growth response factor 3 (Egr3).

Results

Elevated levels of GABAARα4 messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein were observed following spontaneous seizures, and were associated with higher levels of BDNF and Egr3 mRNA.

Significance

These data suggest that spontaneous, recurrent seizures that define chronic epilepsy may influence changes in GABAARα4 expression, and that signaling pathways known to regulate GABAARα4 expression after status epilepticus may also be activated after spontaneous seizures in chronically epileptic animals.
Novel assay for simultaneous measurement of pyridine mononucleotides synthesizing activities allows dissection of the NAD+ biosynthetic machinery in mammalian cells
Authors: Zamporlini Federica , Ruggieri Silverio , Mazzola Francesca , Amici Adolfo , Orsomando Giuseppe , Raffaelli Nadia
Published: September 2014

The redox coenzyme NAD+ is also a rate‐limiting co‐substrate for several enzymes that consume the molecule, thus rendering its continuous re‐synthesis indispensable. NAD+ biosynthesis has emerged as a therapeutic target due to the relevance of NAD+‐consuming reactions in complex intracellular signaling networks whose alteration leads to many neurologic and metabolic disorders. Distinct metabolic routes, starting from various precursors, are known to support NAD+ biosynthesis with tissue/cell‐specific efficiencies, probably reflecting differential expression of the corresponding rate‐limiting enzymes, i.e. nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase, quinolinate phosphoribosyltransferase, nicotinate phosphoribosyltransferase and nicotinamide riboside kinase. Understanding the contribution of these enzymes to NAD+ levels depending on the tissue/cell type and metabolic status is necessary for the rational design of therapeutic strategies aimed at modulating NAD+ availability. Here we report a simple, fast and sensitive coupled fluorometric assay that enables simultaneous determination of the four activities in whole‐cell extracts and biological fluids. Its application to extracts from various mouse tissues, human cell lines and plasma yielded for the first time an overall picture of the tissue/cell‐specific distribution of the activities of the various enzymes. The screening enabled us to gather novel findings, including (a) the presence of quinolinate phosphoribosyltransferase and nicotinamide riboside kinase in all examined tissues/cell lines, indicating that quinolinate and nicotinamide riboside are relevant NAD+ precursors, and (b) the unexpected occurrence of nicotinate phosphoribosyltransferase in human plasma.
Sirtuin‐dependent epigenetic regulation in the maintenance of genome integrity
Authors: Bosch‐Presegué Laia , Vaquero Alejandro
Published: September 2014

Sirtuins are a family of deacetylases that target histone and non‐histone proteins and require NAD+ as an enzymatic cofactor for their enzymatic activity. This requirement confers sirtuins with the ability to detect changes in metabolism and energy homeostasis and to coordinate cellular responses to maintain genome integrity. Thus, sirtuins are crucial in the crosstalk between environment and genome, and therefore in responses to stress at the cell and organism levels. Sirtuins play a major role in maintaining genome integrity, largely through regulation of epigenetic mechanisms. They target different histone marks, including H4K16Ac, H3K9Ac, H3K56Ac and H3K18Ac, and non‐histone components of the chromatin machinery, such as enzymes and structural proteins. Here we summarize our current view on the link between sirtuins and epigenetics, one that reflects the continual adaptation of the genome to stress.
Evaluation of serum calcium and serum parathyroid levels in post‐menopausal women with and without oral dryness
Authors: Singh Balwinder , Pallagatti Shambulingappa , Narang Ramandeep Singh , Kaur Kirandeep , Sheikh Soheyl , Manchanda Adesh , Arora Gagandeep
Published: September 2014

Objective

The primary objective of this study was to estimate and secondary objective was to compare the serum calcium levels and serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels in post‐menopausal women with and without oral dryness (OD).

Materials and Methods

A case–control study was carried out on 80 selected post‐menopausal women. Salivary flow was assessed by flow rate; serum calcium concentrations were assessed through Semi Autoanalyzer by Arsenazo III reaction. The serum PTH concentration was measured by the enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Severity of OD was assessed by a questionnaire through which the xerostomia inventory (XI) score could be measured. Statistical analysis of Student's t‐test, Mann–Whitney test and Pearson's correlation was used.

Results

There was a significant difference in mean values of both serum PTH concentration and XI score in post‐menopausal women with/without OD (p < 0.001). No statistically significant difference (p = 0.354) was found in salivary flow rate and serum calcium levels in post‐menopausal women in both groups. A positive correlation was found between the serum PTH and XI score in both case and control groups (p < 0.05).

Conclusion

Severity of oral dryness in post‐menopausal women is associated with the high levels of serum PTH. However, the correlation of severity of OD with serum calcium could not be established.
In vitro and in vivo removal of oral Candida from the denture base
Authors: Kawasaki Kiyotsugu , Kamikawa Yoshiaki , Sugihara Kazumasa
Published: September 2014

Objectives

To clarify the effectiveness of ultrasonic cleaning for removing Candida lodged in the denture base.

Materials and Methods

In vitro – Specimens of acrylic resin for denture plates contaminated with Candida cells were ultrasonically cleaned for 30 min. Washings were sampled every 5 min and cultured to investigate residual contamination, measured as colony forming units/ml, and the surfaces of the specimens were subjected to low‐vacuum scanning electron microscopy (LV‐SEM). In vivo – A total of 24 maxillary denture bases were brushed for 2 min under running tap water, then ultrasonically cleaned for 30 min. The washings were sampled every 5 min and cultured to investigate residual contamination.

Results

In vitro – Maximum removal was achieved during the first 5 min of cleaning, with the mean CFU/ml counts significantly declining over time. More than 85% of all Candida was removed within the first 15 min in specimens inoculated with phosphate‐buffered saline suspensions of Candida albicans and Candida glabrata. LV‐SEM revealed a decreased number of Candida on the surface of the specimens after 30 min of ultrasonic cleaning. In vivo – Maximum removal was achieved during the first 5 min of cleaning, then the mean CFU/ml count significantly declined during the first 10 min. Ultrasonic cleaning for 15 min removed 88.4% of Candida species from the denture base.

Conclusions

Ultrasonic cleaning is a reliable and simple method for removing Candida lodged in the denture base.
Manhood and Masculinity in Early Modern England
Authors: Reinke‐Williams Tim
Published: September 2014

This article provides an overview of some key developments in the historiography of manhood and masculinity in early modern England in the last decade, focusing in particular on how ideals of manhood and masculinity were shaped by ideas about the body and sexuality, as well as experiences and practices of fatherhood, sociability and politics in England between the mid‐16th and mid‐18th centuries. The article argues that the history of manhood and masculinity is a vibrant area but that some questions relating to manhood and masculinity remain underexplored, especially in relation to politics. It also questions whether enough effort has been taken to consider the 17th century as a whole, with much work on the history of manhood and masculinity continuing to focus on the periods before 1640 or after 1660, reiterating earlier calls for more attention to be paid to thinking about continuities and changes in manhood and masculinity across the early modern period in England.
Adenomyomas of the uterine cervix: report of a cohort including endocervical and novel variants
Authors: Casey Shauna , McCluggage W Glenn
Published: September 2014

Aims

To report a series of 10 cervical adenomyomas of endocervical type and the first case of a mesonephric adenomyoma.

Methods and results

The patients’ ages ranged from 30 to 55 years. Most lesions were grossly polypoid; a minority were intramural or exophytic. In six of seven endocervical adenomyomas received in consultation, adenoma malignum was considered. A variety of benign lesions, including lobular endocervical glandular hyperplasia (LEGH), adenofibroma, endocervicosis and tunnel clusters, were also considered. The endocervical adenomyomas consisted of bland mucinous glands, sometimes with focal epithelial metaplasia, within a prominent smooth muscle stroma. There was usually a focal lobular architecture and sometimes papillary infoldings. A characteristic feature was a rim of stroma surrounding glands, surrounded in turn by smooth muscle. Previously undescribed features were ‘symplastic‐like’ smooth muscle, stromal adipose tissue, gland rupture with mucin extravasation, prominent adenofibroma‐like areas and surface cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN). Diffuse oestrogen receptor (ER) immunoreactivity was useful in excluding adenoma malignum and LEGH, which are hormone receptor‐negative. The mesonephric adenomyoma consisted of a lobular arrangement of mesonephric glands [ER/progesterone receptor (PR)‐negative; vimentin and luminal CD10 immunoreactivity] within a smooth muscle stroma.

Conclusions

Endocervical and mesonephric adenomyomas are rare lesions which are often misdiagnosed, possibly because of lack of familiarity among pathologists.
Physical characterization and in vitro skin permeation of solid lipid nanoparticles for transdermal delivery of quercetin
Authors: Han S. B. , Kwon S. S. , Jeong Y. M. , Yu E. R. , Park S. N.
Published: September 2014

Synopsis

Objective

Quercetin, a phenolic compound isolated from plants, can act as an antioxidant to protect the skin from oxidative stress induced by ultraviolet rays. The aims of this work were (i) to compare the physical characterization of quercetin‐loaded solid lipid nanoparticles (QSLNs) and (ii) to investigate the enhanced skin permeation of quercetin using QSLNs.

Methods

QSLNs were prepared with a certain amount lipid (palmitic acid) and the different ratio of surfactant (Tween® 80) by homogenization and ultrasonification method.

Results

QSLNs showed mono‐dispersed particle size distribution in the ranges of 274.0–986.6 nm and zeta potential from −50.4 to −29.4 mV. Entrapment efficiency of QSLN was 15.2–46.2%, and their crystallinity index was low (0–18.2%). In vitro occlusion test showed QSLN‐2 has the highest occlusive effect due to its smallest particle size (274.0 nm), and through these result, QSLN‐2 was selected as the optimum formulation. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis further confirmed the uniform spherical shape of QSLN‐2 particles. Field emission–scanning electron microscope (FE‐SEM) analysis and histological observation of hairless rat skin showed that the lipid particles of QSLN‐2 formed a fused lipid film and, subsequently, it hydrated the surface of the rat skin. Franz diffusion cell was used to measure in vitro skin permeation of quercetin dissolved in propylene glycol (QPG), QSLN‐2 and QSLN‐3. The results showed that QSLN‐2 (33.5 μg cm−2, 21.9%) exhibited higher skin permeability than QPG (6.6 μg cm−2, 4.2%) and QSLN‐3 (14.2 μg cm−2, 9.1%), which was visually confirmed by confocal laser scanning microscope (CLSM) image analysis as well.

Conclusion

The results suggest that QSLN‐2, prepared with a surfactant content of 2%, could be used as useful skin delivery system for transdermal delivery of hydrophobic antioxidants such as quercetin.
Assessment of left ventricular dyssynchrony in patients with psoriasis
Authors: Bulbul Sen Bilge , Rifaioglu Emine Nur , Ekiz Ozlem , Buyukkaya Eyup , Kurt Mustafa , Karakas Mehmet Fatih , Buyukkaya Sule , Bilen Perihan , Akcay Adnan Burak , Sen Nihat
Published: September 2014

Background

Psoriasis is an inflammatory disorder, which has been reported to be associated with cardiovascular (CV) risks. Although increased CV risks in psoriasis are well established, there are no data about changes of contraction synchrony in psoriasis. Therefore, we aimed to study the left ventricular (LV) contraction synchrony in patients with psoriasis with narrow QRS and normal ejection fraction.

Methods

Fifty patients with psoriasis and 50 age‐ and sex‐matched control subjects were included in the study. LV dyssynchrony was investigated by color‐coded tissue Doppler imaging.

Results

In the psoriasis group, the mean high‐sensitive C‐reactive protein values were significantly higher compared with the controls. Peak A velocity, deceleration time, isovolumetric relaxation time, and E/E′ values were higher in the psoriasis group; however, E/A ratio and average Em were higher in the control group. LV systolic dyssynchrony parameters [including standard deviation of Ts of the 12 LV segments (Ts‐SD‐12), maximal difference in Ts between any two of the 12 LV segments, standard deviation of Ts of the six basal LV segments, and maximal difference in Ts between any two of the six basal LV segments] were found to be higher in the psoriasis group. The patients with ventricular dyssynchrony (a Ts‐SD‐12 >34.4 ms) were higher in the psoriasis group than the control group (34% vs. 6%, P < 0.01).

Conclusion

In patients with psoriasis with normal ejection fractions and narrow QRS, LV systolic dyssynchrony is an early manifestation of heart involvement and may coexist with diastolic dysfunction.
WT1 expression in endocrine mucin‐producing sweat gland carcinoma: a study of 13 cases
Authors: Shon Wonwoo , Salomão Diva R.
Published: September 2014

Background

Endocrine mucin‐producing sweat gland carcinoma (EMPSGC), a low‐grade sweat gland carcinoma with a predilection for the eyelids, often shows areas of benign eccrine cysts, atypical intracystic proliferation and associated mucinous carcinoma, suggesting tumor progression. Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) protein, a transcription factor, is overexpressed in many tumors and plays a role in oncogenesis.

Methods

A computer‐based search for tumors diagnosed between 1989 and 2009 was conducted. Clinical data were obtained from pathology reports and patient records. Biopsies were reviewed for histologic features. Immunostaining was performed for WT1, chromogranin, synaptophysin, estrogen receptor (ER), epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), polyclonal carcinoembryonic antigen (P‐CEA), cytokeratin 7 (CK7), cytokeratin 20 (CK20) and MIB‐1.

Results

Eight women and five men (mean age: 61.2 years; range: 40–77 years) presented with slow‐growing eyelid nodules. Cases of EMPSGC were characterized by the presence of dermal nodules with various growth patterns. Adjacent eccrine cysts were present in five patients, atypical epithelial proliferation within the cyst wall in four patients, and an associated mucinous carcinoma in one patient. All tumors were positive for WT1, CK7, ER, P‐CEA and EMA and negative for CK20. Tumors were positive for synaptophysin in 12 cases and chromogranin in nine cases. The MIB‐1 proliferation index was low in most cases. No WT1 staining was observed in the overlying epidermis, adnexal structures or areas of benign eccrine cyst. WT1 expression was observed in areas of atypical epithelial proliferation, and the neoplastic cells.

Conclusions

The present study shows WT1 expression in the neoplastic epithelial cells of EMPSGC, areas of atypical intraductal proliferations, and mucinous carcinoma. The absence of WT1 expression in areas of benign eccrine cyst and cutaneous sweat glands suggests WT1 upregulation plays a role in tumor cell proliferation and progression of EMPSGC.
Organizational Improvisation: A Consolidating Review and Framework
Authors: Hadida Allègre L. , Tarvainen William , Rose Jed
Published: September 2014

Organizational improvisation is increasingly recognized as a relevant area of management research. However, the cumulativeness of research on improvisation in organizations remains low. This paper organizes existing contributions on organizational improvisation within a new consolidating framework combining degrees (minor, bounded and structural) and levels (individual, interpersonal and organizational) of improvisation. The proposed degree/level framework allows for reviewing the existing literature on organizational improvisation in the management disciplines of strategy, organizational behaviour, organizational theory, innovation and marketing in a systematic manner. It also exposes potential areas for future research across management disciplines, research areas, organizational settings and industries, and beyond existing metaphors, most notably of jazz and improvisational theatre.
Spatial Analysis of the Causes of Fertility Decline in Prussia
Authors: Goldstein Joshua R. , Klüsener Sebastian
Published: September 2014

This article contributes to the geographic analysis of fertility decline in the demographic transition in Europe. We reanalyze Galloway, Hammel, and Lee's (1994) Prussian data with spatial analysis methods. Our multivariate analysis provides evidence of the predictive effect of both economic and cultural variables. Furthermore, even after all of the observable economic, social, and cultural variables have been controlled for, our findings show that a significant unexplained geographic clustering of fertility decline remains. We then specify spatial econometric models, which show that in addition to economic and cultural factors, socio‐geographic factors such as being adjacent to areas of sharp fertility decline are also needed to understand the pattern of fertility decline. These results provide new support for the role of social diffusion in the process, while allowing for the direct structural effects of economic change.
A Population Policy Rationale for the Twenty‐First Century
Authors: Lutz Wolfgang
Published: September 2014

I propose that the primary goal of twenty‐first‐century population policies should be to strengthen the human resource base for national and global sustainable development. I discuss the shortcomings of the three dominant twentieth‐century population policy rationales: acceptance of replacement‐level fertility as a demographic goal; realizing a “demographic dividend” from the changing age structure; and filling the “unmet need” for family planning. I demonstrate that in all three cases the explicit incorporation of education into the model changes the picture and makes female education a key population policy priority. Population policies under this new rationale could be viewed as public human resource management. I argue that 20 years after the Cairo ICPD the international community needs a new rationale for population policies in the context of sustainable development and that a focus on human capital development, in particular education and health, is the most promising approach.
China's Role in Global Climate Change Mitigation
Authors: Garnaut Ross
Published: September 2014

China contributed a majority of the growth in global greenhouse gas emissions in the first 11 years of this century. The trajectory of emissions has changed radically since then, as China has implemented its Cancun 2010 commitment to reduce the 2005 emissions intensity of economic activity by 40–45 percent by 2020. The change in trajectory has been reinforced by China's new model of economic growth, with its greater emphasis on equity in income distribution, consumption and services. The large‐scale deployment of low emissions technology in China is lowering the cost of transition to a low carbon economy all over the world. China's new emissions trajectory improves the opportunity for the international community to meet the 2°C climate target. It is essential that the changes in China are brought to account in shaping global mitigation ambition.
Reaping the Economic Benefits of Decarbonization for China
Authors: Teng Fei , Jotzo Frank
Published: September 2014

China needs to reduce its carbon emissions if global climate change mitigation is to succeed. Conventional economic analysis views cutting emissions as a cost, creating a collective action problem. However, decarbonization can improve productivity and provide co‐benefits that accord with multiple national policy objectives. We track China's progress in reducing the emissions intensity of the economy, and construct a macro scenario with China's carbon emissions peaking in the 2020s. Investment in greater energy productivity and economic restructuring away from heavy industries can bring productivity gains, and decarbonization of energy supply has important co‐benefits for air pollution and energy security. Combined with lower climate change risks and the likelihood that China's actions will influence other countries, this suggests that cutting carbon emissions is not only in China's self‐interest but also in the global interest. To properly identify the true costs and benefits of climate change action requires new thinking in economic analysis.
Choice for China: What Role for Vocational Education in Green Growth?
Authors: Jaeger Carlo
Published: September 2014

Green growth cannot succeed without significant changes in the education system and the closely related social division of labor. This paper combines historical evidence and a game‐theoretic analysis to study the relation between vocational education and green growth. It is found that a low‐vocation and a high‐vocation equilibrium can be distinguished in the interplay between education and labor markets, and that a high‐vocation equilibrium is better suited for green growth. At the present stage of development, there are tendencies in both directions in China. Therefore, China has the possibility to successfully implement a green growth strategy by developing a strong vocational education with Chinese characteristics.
Resilient and Inclusive Prosperity within Planetary Boundaries
Authors: Hepburn Cameron , Beinhocker Eric , Farmer J. Doyne , Teytelboym Alexander
Published: September 2014

The current model of economic growth generated unprecedented increases in human wealth and prosperity during the 19th and 20th centuries. The main mechanisms have been the rapid pace of technological and social innovation, human capital accumulation, and the conversion of resources and natural capital into more valuable forms of produced capital. However, there is evidence emerging that this model may be approaching environmental limits and planetary boundaries, and that the conversion of natural capital needs to slow down rapidly and then be reversed. Some commentators have asserted that in order for this to occur, we will need to stop growing altogether and, instead, seek prosperity without growth. Others argue that environmental concerns are low‐priority luxuries to be contemplated once global growth has properly returned to levels observed prior to the 2008 financial crisis. A third group argues that there is no trade‐off, and, instead, promotes green growth: the (politically appealing) idea is that we can simultaneously grow and address our environmental problems. This paper provides a critical perspective on this debate and suggests that a substantial research agenda is required to come to grips with these challenges. One place to start is with the relevant metrics: measures of per‐capita wealth, and, eventually, quantitative measures of prosperity, alongside a dashboard of other sustainability indicators. A public and political focus on wealth (a stock), and its annual changes, could realistically complement the current focus on market‐based gross output as measured by GDP (a flow). This could have important policy implications, but deeper changes to governance and business models will be required.
Climate Change and Green Growth: A Perspective of the Division of Labor
Authors: Zhang Yongsheng
Published: September 2014

This paper presents a new research agenda on climate change and green growth from the perspective of the division of labor in classical economics. The paper covers three major dimensions of green growth (i.e. carbon emissions, environmental protection and material resources use) and some related important topics, as well as the fresh policy implications of the new research agenda, Typical marginal analysis in a given structure of the division of labor suggests that “green” action is a burden to economic development. Therefore, climate negotiation has become a burden‐sharing game and has reached a stalemate. New thinking is badly needed to rescue these negotiations and to drive a shift to a new “green growth” paradigm. The proposed new research agenda represents an effort to create a new narrative on climate change and green growth. Because the new research agenda can theoretically predict the possibility that a more competitive structure of the division of labor could be triggered by “green” policy, it has promising policy implications for various important challenges facing us in the 21st century.
‘Well the Future, that is Difficult’: A Hermeneutic Phenomenological Analysis Exploring the Maternal Experience of Parenting a Young Adult with a Developmental Disability
Authors: Thackeray Lisa A. , Eatough Virginia
Published: September 2014

Background

The predominant focus of extant literature exploring maternal experience of developmental disability has been stress, adaptation, efficacy of interventions and the burden of care. Most studies involve mothers of children, with scant attention given to what life is like later. This study qualitatively explores the experience of mothers of young adults (aged 19–28).

Materials and methods

Semi‐structured interviews conducted with six women aged 48–60 were transcribed and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Results

Three themes illustrate how mothers are confronted with their adult children's continuing need for support and how a lack of trust in social care creates anxiety about the future, increasing awareness of mortality.

Conclusions

Vulnerability represents a useful concept for understanding these findings theoretically. Galvin & Todres’ (2013) conceptual framework for the humanization of care provides the opportunity to prioritize the needs of individuals by highlighting dimensions of existence which confer meaning.
Evolution of the Germline Actin Gene in Hypotrichous Ciliates: Multiple Nonscrambled IESs at Extremely Conserved Locations in Two Urostylids
Authors: Chen Tianbing , Yi Zhenzhen , Huang Jie , Lin Xiaofeng
Published: September 2014

In hypotrichous ciliates, macronuclear chromosomes are gene‐sized, and micronuclear genes contain short, noncoding internal eliminated segments (IESs) as well as macronuclear‐destined segments (MDSs). In the present study, we characterized the complete macronuclear gene and two to three types of micronuclear actin genes of two urostylid species, i.e. Pseudokeronopsis rubra and Uroleptopsis citrina. Our results show that (1) the gain/loss of IES happens frequently in the subclass Hypotrichia (formerly Stichotrichia), and high fragmentation of germline genes does not imply for gene scrambling; and (2) the micronuclear actin gene is scrambled in the order Sporadotrichida but nonscrambled in the orders Urostylida and Stichotrichida, indicating the independent evolution of MIC‐actin gene patterns in different orders of hypotrichs; (3) locations of MDS–IES junctions of micronuclear actin gene in coding regions are conserved among closely related species.
Walleye Sander vitreus (Mitchill) are relatively resistant to experimental infection with VHSV IVb and extant walleye strains vary in susceptibility
Authors: Grice J , Reid A , Peterson A , Blackburn K , Tubbs L , Lord S , Huber P , Horricks R , Dixon B , Bols N C , Lumsden J S
Published: September 2014

Compared to fathead minnow, walleye demonstrate low susceptibility to experimental infection with VHSV IVb, regardless of route of exposure or water temperature at time of infection. In triplicate and duplicate groups, walleye were intraperitoneally (i.p.) injected (102–108 pfu/fish) or waterborne‐exposed (w; 1.4 × 107 pfu mL−1) with VHSV IVb. High cumulative mortality (64–100%) and severe gross lesions associated with VHSV IVb infection were evident only in fish i.p. injected with 108 pfu at 12 °C. These fish had multifocal necrosis of several tissues including the gill and heart. There was no difference in mortality between walleye infected (w or i.p.) at 12 °C (spring stocking) compared with a declining temperature profile from 18 to 12 °C (fall stocking). There were significant differences (P < 0.05) in mortality between four extant walleye strains following i.p. infection, indicating that the choice of walleye strain for stocking might be an important consideration. Viral antigen was found in both i.p. and w‐exposed walleye using immunohistochemistry, mostly within the gill and skin of w‐exposed fish and most prominently in dermal fibrocytes. VHSV IVb was detected in multiple tissues from 6 to 21 days post‐infection using reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR).
Mechanisms of quorum sensing and strategies for quorum sensing disruption in aquaculture pathogens
Authors: Zhao J , Chen M , Quan CS , Fan SD
Published: September 2014

In many countries, infectious diseases are a considerable threat to aquaculture. The pathogenicity of micro‐organisms that infect aquaculture systems is closely related to the release of virulence factors and the formation of biofilms, both of which are regulated by quorum sensing (QS). Thus, QS disruption is a potential strategy for preventing disease in aquaculture systems. QS inhibitors (QSIs) not only inhibit the expression of virulence‐associated genes but also attenuate the virulence of aquaculture pathogens. In this review, we discuss QS systems in important aquaculture pathogens and focus on the relationship between QS mechanisms and bacterial virulence in aquaculture. We further elucidate QS disruption strategies for targeting aquaculture pathogens. Four main types of QSIs that target aquaculture pathogens are discussed based on their mechanisms of action.
Method of Rapid Remote Control of Casein Concentration in Dairy Products in Unopened Packages
Authors: Alekseev Gennady Valentinovich , Khripov Anatoly Anatolevich
Published: September 2014

We propose a new nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) method of rapid remote determination of casein concentration in dairy products in unopened packages. The method was successfully tested for whole milk products in unopened packages. The milk products had a fat concentration in a range of 0–6%, casein concentration in a range of 0–3% and were produced by different manufacturers in Leningrad Region, Russia. Because the milk packages had different sizes and shapes, we used a new receiver magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) solenoid that has a variable radius and shape for an improvement of signal‐to‐noise ratio of MR images of milk products measured in MRI system, GEMS Vectra, 0.5 T.

Practical Applications

This method may have two possible ways of practical implication.

Using this rapid remote method, the adulteration of casein concentration in dairy products particularly in sealed packages can be detected, e.g., milk, condensed milk, cottage cheese produced with the use of adulterated skim milk powder containing whey powder. According to the preliminary estimation, the minimum casein concentration recorded with the method proposed is less than 0.5%.

The method is based on measuring the water protons spin–spin relaxation time 1/T2, which is proportional to the number of hydrogen atoms bound to casein micelles due to chemical exchange and hydration. Therefore, the method may be used for research purposes of casein micelles hydration processes that influence vastly the stability of the micelles in the milk protein, the structure and mechanical properties of protein coagulum formed in the production of sour milk products, the consistency of the finished cheese. Therefore, this method that uses NMR imaging could be used for remote research of the spatial distribution of hydration parameters (hydration properties, the mobility of water in the hydration shells, etc.) in the foods that are produced and kept in sealed containers, and of storage control quality.
Effect of Preharvest Application of Chitosan and Tea Tree Essential Oil on Postharvest Evolution of Lettuce Native Microflora and Exogenous Escherichia coli O157:H7
Authors: Goñi M.G. , Tomadoni B. , Roura S.I. , Moreira M.R.
Published: September 2014

The main objective was to assess the effectiveness of preharvest application of chitosan (CH) and tea tree essential oil (TT) in butterhead lettuce in controlling native microflora growth and counteract exogenous Escherichia coli O157:H7 contamination. TT and CH were applied to lettuce plants at 14, 10, 7, 3 and 0 days before harvest. CH showed significant reductions at harvest on mesophilic (−2.0 log cfu/g), psychrotrophic (−1.0 log cfu/g) and yeast and molds (−1.8 log cfu/g), compared with control samples. CH also reduced total coliform bacteria (−2.0 log cfu/g) compared with inoculated plants. Furthermore, CH exerted a bacteriostatic effect on E. coli. TT was only able to reduce total coliforms compared with inoculated plants. Preharvest application of CH exerted an inhibitory effect on lettuce native microflora and a bacteriostatic effect on exogenous E. coli during postharvest storage. Therefore, CH appears to be a promising method for enhancing the safety of lettuce, exposed to an inadequate postharvest handling.

Practical Applications

Consumers demand products with less use of chemicals; therefore, there has been an increasing research for natural antimicrobials. Chitosan (CH) and essential oils, such as tea tree (TT), have become promising alternatives to chemical decontamination because of its natural character, antimicrobial activity and elicitation of defense responses in plant tissue. The objectives of this work were to examine the residual effectiveness of CH and TT solutions, applied during preharvest, to control E. coli O157:H7 inoculated in lettuce heads, simulating an inadequate manipulation of the vegetable at postharvest. CH solution was a good alternative for controlling not only the native microflora in lettuce during storage, but also reducing the survival of E. coli inoculated in the vegetable at harvest. Preharvest application of CH in the late stages of lettuce head development could easily be introduce in the good agricultural practice routine, without consequences on the environment because CH is a generally recognized as safe substance.
Balantidium coli and other gastrointestinal parasites in captives non‐human primates of the Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Authors: da Silva Barbosa Alynne , Pissinatti Alcides , Dib Laís Verdan , de Siqueira Mayara Perlingeiro , Cardozo Matheus Lessa , Fonseca Ana Beatriz Monteiro , de Barros Oliveira Anderson , da Silva Fábio Alves , Uchôa Claudia M. Antunes , Bastos Otilio Machado Pereira , Amendoeira Maria Regina Reis
Published: September 2014

Background

Parasites are agents of diarrhea in captive non‐human primates (NHP). To broaden information about those etiological agents in captive animals in Brazil, gastrointestinal parasites in captive NHP were researched in nurturing Centers of Rio de Janeiro State.

Methods

Fecal samples were collected from primates, of which 960 came from the Research Center (Cecal/Fiocruz) and 155 from the Primate Center (CPRJ/Inea). The study involved species of the New World (NW) primates and of the Old World (OW).

Results

The estimated prevalence was 56.7%, of which 91.3% presented protozoans and 7.4% presented helminths. Statistical difference between the nurturing centers occurred in the overall value of parasitosis and in the isolated frequency of Balantidium coli and Entamoeba sp., especially in the samples of OW primates living in Cecal.

Conclusions

These results demonstrated the need for implements of sanitation programs in the sites for captive primates nurturing.
Risk Factors for Current Smoking Among American and South Korean Adolescents, 2005–2011
Authors: Chung Sung Suk , Joung Kyoung Hwa
Published: September 2014

Purpose

Population data concerning smoking rates of adolescents and adults in the United States and Korea (South Korea) has highlighted the need for attention to this age group. This study compared the risk factors related to smoking and examined the gender differences with other risk factors in smoking among American and Korean adolescents between 2005 and 2011.

Organizing Construct and Methods

Participants were students in grades 9–11 selected from nationally representative surveys conducted in 2005 and 2011.

Findings

In 2011, similar risk factors for current smoking were identified in American and Korean adolescents. These included male gender, school grade, depression, experience of alcohol drinking, current use of alcohol, use of glue or other inhalants, and experience of sexual intercourse. Among Korean adolescents, weight perception and weight control were unique risk factors for current smoking. Interactions with gender and other risk factors in each nation were revealed.

Conclusions

These risk factors, their change from earlier years, and gender differences should be recognized in the screening of vulnerable individuals for smoking and formulating effective intervention programs.

Clinical Relevance

These results will provide information for the design and implementation of cessation programs for adolescents in these countries.
A quality improvement intervention to address provider behaviour as it relates to utilisation of CA‐MRSA guidelines
Authors: Velez Roseann P , Becker Kathleen Lent , Davidson Patricia , Sloand Elizabeth
Published: September 2014

Aims and objectives

To evaluate the impact of a provider focused quality improvement educational intervention on appropriate prescribing for community associated methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection.

Background

Patient, provider and health system factors contribute to appropriate antibiotic prescription. Achieving appropriate prescribing is critical in decreasing the burden of antibiotic resistance. Knowledge of appropriate prescribing for community associated methicillin‐resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection is the first step in shifting prescriber behaviour to evidence‐based recommendations.

Design

Quality Improvement Project.

Method

Following a review of best practice guidelines and application of the Stetler Research Utilization model, a brief educational intervention was delivered using voice over PowerPoint. Items in the educational intervention included indications for screening, particularly focusing on the role of watch and wait after culturing for simple abscesses. The intervention was delivered in a for‐profit, nonacademic, urgent care setting, and assessed prescribing providers’ knowledge and practice.

Results

Out of 48 medical doctor, physician assistant and nurse practitioner providers, 18 (37·5%) participated; 12 of the 18 (67%) participants showed an increase in knowledge. Forty three per cent of prescribers’ charts demonstrated improved practice through use of the guidelines. Out of 18 prescribers, 44% sent a total of 21 cultures for abscesses. There was no difference in practice behaviours between professional groups.

Conclusions

In spite of the increase in knowledge scores, this improvement in knowledge did not translate in dramatic change in practice, although trends in a positive direction were noted.

Relevance to clinical practice

This quality improvement project underscores the complexity of changing prescriber behaviour and the need for ongoing interventions.
High nuclear SOX2 expression is associated with radiotherapy response in small (T1/T2) oral squamous cell carcinoma
Authors: Attramadal Cecilie G. , Halstensen Trond S. , Dhakal Hari P. , Ulekleiv Camilla H. , Boysen Morten E. , Nesland Jahn M. , Bryne Magne
Published: September 2014

Objective

Expression of the stem cell transcription factor SOX2 is often used to imply stemness and poor prognosis in cancer. However, its role in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is not fully elucidated.

Material and methods

Tumour tissues from 62 patients with primary, node negative and non‐metastatic OSCCs were used to evaluate SOX2 expression by immunohistochemistry. The results were correlated to clinicopathology, treatment and disease recurrences.

Results

The majority of the OSCCs (88%) expressed SOX2. Patients with higher nuclear SOX2 staining intensity in the invasive front compared to the adjacent normal epithelium, had a remarkable longer disease‐free period if they received adjuvant post‐operative radiotherapy (P = 0.001). This was in particular evident for highly differentiated OSCCs, as none of the high SOX2‐expressing tumours reoccurred in contrast to all low SOX2‐expressing OSCCs.

Conclusions

High nuclear SOX2 expression in the invasive front was associated with dramatic longer disease‐free period than low SOX2‐expressing carcinomas after post‐operative radiotherapy in small OSCCs. The result suggested that high nuclear SOX2 expression at the invasive front may predict radiosensitivity.
Antifungal Activity of Apple Cider Vinegar on Candida Species Involved in Denture Stomatitis
Authors: Mota Ana Carolina Loureiro Gama , de Castro Ricardo Dias , de Araújo Oliveira Julyana , de Oliveira Lima Edeltrudes
Published: September 2014

Purpose

To evaluate the in vitro antifungal activity of apple cider vinegar on Candida spp. involved in denture stomatitis.

Material and Methods

The microdilution technique was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of apple cider vinegar containing 4% maleic acid, and nystatin (control). Further tests of microbial kinetics and inhibition of adherence to acrylic resin were performed testing different concentrations (MIC, MICx2, MICx4) of the products at time intervals of 0, 30, 60, 120 and 180 minutes. A roughness meter was used to measure the changes in surface roughness; color change of the acrylic resin specimens exposed to the test products in different concentrations and time intervals were also evaluated.

Results

Apple cider vinegar (4%) showed MIC of 2500 μg/ml and MFC of 2500, 5000, and 10,000 μg/ml depending on the strain tested. Nystatin showed MIC of 3.125 μg/ml and strain‐dependent MFC values ranging from 3.125 to 12.5 μg/ml. The microbial kinetic assay showed a statistical difference between apple cider vinegar and nystatin (p < 0.0001). After 30 minutes of exposure, apple cider vinegar showed fungicidal effect at MICx4, whereas nystatin maintained its fungistatic effect. Apple cider vinegar showed greater inhibition of adherence (p < 0.001) compared to control. Apple cider vinegar did not significantly alter the surface roughness of the acrylic resin specimens compared to nystatin (p > 0.05), and both had no influence on their color.

Conclusion

Apple cider vinegar showed antifungal properties against Candida spp., thus representing a possible therapeutic alternative for patients with denture stomatitis.