bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Application of synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy with multivariate data analysis for determination of butter adulteration
Authors: Dankowska Anna , Małecka Maria , Kowalewski Wojciech
Published: July 2014

The potential of fluorescence spectroscopy for detection of butter adulteration with palm and coconut oils was investigated. Synchronous fluorescence spectra were collected in the range of 240–700 nm with wavelength intervals (∆λ) of 10, 30, 60 and 80 nm. The applied technique was used to detect the addition of palm and coconut oils to butter, and the lowest limit of detection for adulteration (LOD – 5.5%) was observed after applying the wavelength interval of 60 nm. The multiple linear regression (MLR) models were used to calculate the level of adulteration with the lowest root mean square error of calibration (RMSEC) and root mean square error of validation (RMSEV) of 3.8 and 3.9%, respectively, for the measurements acquired at the wavelength interval of 60 nm.
Editorial: The Future of Writing and Reviewing for IJMR
Authors: Jones Oswald , Gatrell Caroline
Published: July 2014

In this editorial, the co‐editors‐in‐chief undertake a number of tasks related to International Journal of Management Reviews (IJMR). They begin by reviewing the objectives set out by Macpherson and Jones in their 2010 editorial (IJMR, 12, pp. 107–113). The benefits of publishing in IJMR for scholars at various stages of their careers are then discussed. The section outlining the progress of IJMR over the last four years sets out the main reasons why so many papers are desk rejected by the co‐editors. The main criteria for writing an analytical literature review of the type that the editors aspire to publish in the Journal are then discussed. The objectives are not simply to reduce the number of desk rejects, but also to encourage authors to be more ambitious and innovative in their approaches to reviews of the literature.
Predictors of erythropoietin use in patients with cardiorenal anaemia syndrome
Authors: Jackevicius Cynthia A , Co Mary Joana , Warner Alberta L
Published: July 2014

Objectives

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and anemia are common in patients with heart failure (HF) – these 3 conditions have been coined the Cardiorenal Anemia Sydrome (CRAS). The National Kidney Foundation Kidney Disease Outcomes Quality Initiative (NKF-K/DOQI) guidelines do not specifically address patients with CRAS, creating uncertainty in erythropoietin (EPO) prescribing. We sought to determine predictors of EPO use in patients with CRAS.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study at the Veteran’s Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System (VAGLAHS), a 300+ bed facility that provides primary and tertiary inpatient, and ambulatory care services, between January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2006. A multiple logistic regression model was constructed to identify predictors of EPO use among CRAS patients.

Key findings

Of 2058 patients with CRAS, 213 (10.3%) were prescribed EPO. There were significant differences in baseline characteristics between the EPO and non-EPO groups. The following predictors were found to be associated with EPO prescription: iron supplementation (odds ratio [OR] 52.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] 11.70–237.46), renal clinic appointment (OR 2.60, 95% CI 1.79–3.76), malignancy (OR 1.52, 95% CI 1.07–2.16) and use of hydralazine/nitrates (OR 1.41, 95% CI 1.03–1.92). There was an inverse association found between EPO prescription and baseline hemoglobin (OR 0.61, 95% CI 0.53–0.70) and eGFR (OR 0.96, 95% CI 0.94–0.97).

Conclusion

A small proportion of patients eligible for EPO therapy according to guidelines at the time of the study were prescribed the indicated therapy. Markers of declining renal function or those suggesting need for anemia therapy were identified as EPO predictors.
Conditions Governing the Pressor Response to Ventilation Hypoxia in Isolated Perfused Rat Lungs
Authors: Hauge Anton
Published: July 2014

An isolated perfused and ventilated lung preparation from the rat is described. After perfusion for 16–30 min the preparation responded with a reversible increase in pulmonary vascular resistence to short (3–4 min) periods of ventilation hypoxia (gas mixtures containing 2–7% O2). This pressor response to hypoxia reached a maximum 45 to 140 min after start of the perfusion. The response then declined and disappeared, whereas the preparation did still respond well to vasoactive drugs. This vulnerability of the pressor response to hypoxia is in agreement with the findings in isolated lung preparations from other species. In this preparation the disappearance of the response could be shown to be due to changes within the lungs themselves, and not to changes in the perfusate blood. None, or very slight, pressor responses to ventilation hypoxia could be elicited in preparations where platelet‐poor plasma was used as a perfusate. If, however, the formed elements of the blood were added to the plasma perfusate, good responses to ventilation hypoxia appeared, provided that the addition was done during the first hour of perfusion.
Glucose Tolerance in the Period Preceding the Appearance of the Manifest Obese‐Hyperglycemic Syndrome in Mice
Authors: Danielsson ÅKe , Hellman Bo , TÄLJEDAL Inge‐Bert
Published: July 2014

After intraperitoneal glucose injections in suckling mice there was a higher frequency of glucosuria in those animals which later developed the obese‐hyperglycemic syndrome. The experimental design had a particular advantage in screening for the early identification of mice which are homozygous for the obese‐hyperglycemic gene. The observations also suggested that impairment of glucose metabolism represents a primary lesion in the obese‐hyperglycemic syndrome. The hypothesis that the accumulation of fat later in life only reflects an adaptation of the adipose tissue to the high circulating levels of insulin in the obese‐hyperglycemic mice deserves further attention.
Comparison of Dipeptidase Activity in Different Tissues of the Pig
Authors: Josefsson Lars , Norén Ove , Sjöström Hans
Published: July 2014

A comparative investigation of three dipeptidase activities (L‐alanyl‐L‐glutamic acid, L‐alanyl‐L‐proline and glycyl‐L‐leucine dipeptidase activity) of the trachea, the tuba uterina, the uterus and the small intestine of the pig has been made to study if the intestinal dipeptidases differ in their characteristics from the dipeptidases of other tissues. No indication was obtained supporting the idea that the intestinal dipeptidases would be different and constitute a group of enzymes, particularly adapted for intestinal digestion.
Mechanism of Escape of Skeletal Muscle Resistance Vessels from the Influence of Sympathetic Cholinergic Vasodilator Fibre Activity
Authors: Djojosugito A. M. , Folkow B. , Lisander B. , Sparks H.
Published: July 2014

Experiments on the calf muscle circulation of cats and dogs indicate that the return of muscle blood flow to control level during sympathetic vasodilator fibre stimulation (the “escape” phenomenon) occurs only when autoregulation of flow in response to pressure changes is well developed, i.e. when vascular smooth muscle “reactivity” is pronounced. When this is not the case, sustained vasodilatation is induced by prolonged activation of these fibres. The “escape” is therefore dependent on a counterregulation of the vascular effectors themselves. Precapillary sphincter activity is increased by, but does not significantly affect, the neurogenically reduced flow resistance. Further, sphincter activity returns to control when the “escape” develops, showing that this phenomenon is a property of smooth muscle located upstream of the sphincters, in the precapillary resistance vessels proper. The combined evidence suggests a very restricted site of action of the sympathetic cholinergic vasodilator fibres, directly suppressing only “pacemaker” smooth muscle cells and/or key sites of the upstream myogenic propagation of excitation from such pacemakers. Since pacemaker activity seems to be best developed in the smallest precapillary resistance vessels, neurogenic inhibitory action at this site would lead to dilatation of proximally situated resistance sections, which for their basal tone are dependent on propagated excitation. “Escape” would then occur if latent pacemarkers in this resistance section gradually became dominant and reestablished myogenic tone. This is a mechanism very similar to the “vagus escape” phenomenon of the heart.
Nervous Control of Urinary Bladder in Cats
Authors: Edvardsen Per
Published: July 2014

Intravesical pressure under isometric conditions was studied in anesthetized cats after operative canalization of the bladder. Records were obtained after selective transection at the peripheral and at the intraspinal level of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves supplying the bladder, after rhizotomy of the thoraco‐lumbar and sacral nerves to the bladder, and after transection of the spinal cord at various levels. With small bladder volumes no change in pressure was observed after the various lesions, but as the volume increased, the concomitant rise in bladder pressure was progressively inhibited by sympathetic nervous impulses. In particular was this inhibition marked during the last one‐third of the cystometrogram. The sympathetic influence is maintained by a spinal reflex with the afferent path through the posterior sacral roots, its stimulus being stretching of the bladder wall. The effect of this spinal adaptation reflex is thus to permit increasing bladder volumes with only moderate increases in bladder pressure. ‘Nonspecific’ bladder responses consisted in an increase in motility caused by the laparotomy, and an inhibition of motility caused by any intraspinal procedure. This inhibitory effect was found to be due to discharge through the sympathetic nerves on manipulation of spinal structures, regardless of their relation to the segments supplying the bladder.
Tonic Supraspinal Mechanisms Influencing the Intestino — — Intestinal Inhibitory Reflex
Authors: Johansson BÖRJE , Jonsson Olof , Ljung Bengt
Published: July 2014

Supraspinal control mechanisms acting on the spinal intestino‐intestinal inhibitory reflex have been studied with regard to their possible tonic influence. The experiments which were done on chloralose or chloralose‐urethane anesthetized, vagotomized cats involved acute experimental lesions at the mesencephalic and cervical spinal levels of the CNS. The results indicate that the autonomic reflex is subjected to facilitation from suprabulbar areas and to strong tonic suppression from bulbar structures.
The Mechanical Parameters of Myocardial Contraction Studied at a Constant Length of the Contractile Element
Authors: Edman K. A. P. , Nilsson E.
Published: July 2014

The time course of the active state, the force‐velocity relation and the series compliance were investigated in isolated papillary muscles of the rabbit.—The force‐velocity curve defined at a precise length state of the contractile element and at a given time after the stimulus could be fitted by Hill's equation. The shape of the curve remained constant during the activity period, indicating that the ability to produce motion and the ability to produce tension undergo parallel changes during a myocardial contraction cycle.—The active state, at a given length of the contractile unit, had a slow onset (1/3–1/2 of the entire activity period being needed for attainment of the maximum) and did not form a distinct plateau. The time course of the active state was critically dependent on the degree of extension of the contractile unit. Evidence is presented that the duration of the active state is not definitely programmed at the start of the contraction; its final outcome is determined by the amount of shortening of the contractile element during the activity period.—The stiffness of the series elastic element, at a given tension, was independent of the intensity of the active state. This fact supports the view that the active, force‐producing structures in the cell do not contribute substantially to the series compliance of the cardiac muscle.
Spontaneous Afferent Discharges and Spontaneous Intrafusal Contractions in Isolated Muscle Spindles of the Frog
Authors: Jahn Samia Al Azharia
Published: July 2014

Intrafusal recordings from isolated muscle spindles of the frog showed spontaneous afferent discharges and action potentials from intrafusal muscle fibres accompanied by contractions. Spontaneous discharges were also recorded from a spindle in situ on the surface of an extensor muscle with intact nerve and vascular supply. The afferent discharge were probably recorded from intrafusal myelinated nerve branches. Spontaneous intrafusal contractions (0.2–0.4/sec) evoked single and repetitive afferent discharges. Most of the spontaneous afferent discharges (minimum rate: 5–6/sec) occurred independently of preceding action potentials from intrafusal muscle fibres and did not disappear when intrafusal contractions were abolished by d‐Tubocurarine or injury. The rate of afferent discharges increased with the initial elongation and with the temperature, whereas the rate of spontaneous intrafusal contractions remained unchanged. The transequatorial conduction rate of the spontaneous discharges from single intrafusal muscle fibres was 0.24–0.38 m/sec (18–20° C) increasing with the fibre diameter. Conduction failed when the amplitude of the action potential was below a critical size. In the pre‐paralytical state high concentrations of d‐Tubocurarine prolonged the time course of the spontaneous intrafusal contractions and initiated bursts of afferent discharges.
The contribution of early language development to children's emotional and behavioural functioning at 6 years: an analysis of data from the Children in Focus sample from the ALSPAC birth cohort
Authors: Clegg Judy , Law James , Rush Robert , Peters Tim J. , Roulstone Susan
Published: July 2014

Background

An association between children's early language development and their emotional and behavioural functioning is reported in the literature. The nature of the association remains unclear and it has not been established if such an association is found in a population‐based cohort in addition to clinical populations.

Methods

This study examines the reported association between language development and emotional and behavioural functioning in a population‐based cohort. Data from 1,314 children in the Children in Focus (CiF) sample from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) were analysed. Regression models identified the extent to which early language ability at 2 years of age and later language ability at 4 years of age is associated with emotional and behavioural functioning at 6 years while accounting for biological and social risk and adjusting for age and performance intelligence (PIQ).

Results

A series of univariable and multivariable analyses identified a strong influence of biological risk, social risk and early and later language ability to emotional and behavioural functioning. Interestingly, social risk dropped out of the multivariate analyses when age and PIQ were controlled for. Early expressive vocabulary at 2 years and receptive language at 4 years made a strong contribution to emotional and behavioural functioning at 6 years in addition to biological risk. The final model accounted for 11.6% of the variance in emotional and behavioural functioning at 6 years.

Conclusions

The study identified that early language ability at 2 years, specifically expressive vocabulary and later receptive language at 4 years both made a moderate, but important contribution to emotional and behavioural functioning at 6 years of age. Although children's language development is important in understanding children's emotional and behavioural functioning, the study shows that it is one of many developmental factors involved.
Interactive effects of early and recent exposure to stressful contexts on cortisol reactivity in middle childhood
Authors: Jaffee Sara R. , McFarquhar Tara , Stevens Suzanne , Ouellet‐Morin Isabelle , Melhuish Edward , Belsky Jay
Published: July 2014

Background

Given mixed findings as to whether stressful experiences and relationships are associated with increases or decreases in children's cortisol reactivity, we tested whether a child's developmental history of risk exposure explained variation in cortisol reactivity to an experimentally induced task. We also tested whether the relationship between cortisol reactivity and children's internalizing and externalizing problems varied as a function of their developmental history of stressful experiences and relationships.

Method

Participants included 400 children (M = 9.99 years, SD = 0.74 years) from the Children's Experiences and Development Study. Early risk exposure was measured by children's experiences of harsh, nonresponsive parenting at 3 years. Recent risk exposure was measured by children's exposure to traumatic events in the past year. Children's cortisol reactivity was measured in response to a social provocation task and parents and teachers described children's internalizing and externalizing problems.

Results

The effect of recent exposure to traumatic events was partially dependent upon a child's early experiences of harsh, nonresponsive parenting: the more traumatic events children had recently experienced, the greater their cortisol reactivity if they had experienced lower (but not higher) levels of harsh, nonresponsive parenting at age 3. The lowest levels of cortisol reactivity were observed among children who had experienced the most traumatic events in the past year and higher (vs. lower) levels of harsh, nonresponsive parenting in early childhood. Among youth who experienced harsh, nonresponsive parent–child relationships in early childhood and later traumatic events, lower levels of cortisol reactivity were associated with higher levels of internalizing and externalizing problems.

Conclusions

Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis reactivity to psychological stressors and the relationship between HPA axis reactivity and children's internalizing and externalizing problems vary as a function of a child's developmental history of exposure to stressful relationships and experiences.
Comparison of the impairment of family quality of life assessed by disease‐specific and dermatology‐specific instruments in children with atopic dermatitis
Authors: Chernyshov P.V. , Kaliuzhna L.D. , Reznikova A.A. , Basra M.K.A.
Published: July 2014

Background

Quality of life (QoL) of family members of patients with chronic skin diseases is often impaired. Disease‐specific family QoL instruments for most of the skin conditions are not available. Family Dermatology Life Quality Index (FDLQI) is a dermatology‐specific family QoL instrument that has been used in few studies to assess the impact of skin diseases on family members of mixed adult and children patient population. However, its use in families of exclusively paediatric patients with skin conditions needs further investigation.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to compare the results of two family QoL instruments; the disease‐specific Dermatitis Family Impact (DFI) questionnaire and the dermatology‐specific FDLQI.

Method

The original UK English version of the FDLQI was translated into Ukrainian using the standard translation guidelines. Parents of 30 children with AD were asked to complete the Ukrainian versions of the FDLQI and the DFI questionnaires. Disease severity was estimated using the Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD).

Results

Mean FDLQI score was 11.8 (±5.8; range = 0–30) and the mean DFI score was 10.7 (±5.6; range = 0–30). Mean SCORAD was 40.6 (±11.3; range = 0–103). Both questionnaires showed good internal consistency with a Cronbach's alpha value of 0.83 for both. The FDLQI showed high correlation with the DFI (r = 0.68, P < 0.0001). Items of each questionnaire having similar themes also demonstrated high correlation.

Conclusion

Family Dermatology Life Quality Index may be effectively used by parents of children as it can be used by family members of adult dermatology patients. Although, in some clinical and research situations, disease‐specific measures could be replaced by the dermatology‐specific measures, in most situations combining the disease‐specific and dermatology‐specific measures would be the most suitable approach to gain comprehensive insight into the impact of a dermatological condition on family members.
Evidence, regulation and ‘rational’ prescribing: the case of gabapentin for neuropathic pain
Authors: Ghinea Narcyz , Lipworth Wendy , Kerridge Ian
Published: July 2014

Rationale, aims and objectives

In 2004, the pharmaceutical company Warner–Lambert paid US $430 million to resolve criminal and civil legal liability for aggressive off‐label marketing of gabapentin. Perhaps surprisingly, however, regulatory and legal concerns regarding the marketing of gabapentin has not significantly impacted upon the attitude of doctors towards using gabapentin for neuropathic pain. In this paper, we attempt to understand the reasons for this discrepancy between clinical practice and regulatory/legal concerns through an analysis of published discussions about gabapentin prescribing.

Methods

We performed a qualitative empirical analysis of the published clinical debate surrounding the use of gabapentin for the management of neuropathic pain.

Results

The ongoing use of gabapentin for neuropathic pain was primarily driven by the perception that it was a safe, non‐addictive drug with few drug interactions, by possible similarities between the physiology of chronic pain and other neurological conditions, by the well‐established clinical precedent of using antiepileptic drugs in pain management, and by the lack of alternative options available in the market. Emerging evidence of lack of effectiveness and controversies about the integrity of the scientific record appeared to be of relatively little importance to practising clinicians.

Conclusions

Those who want to promote ‘rational’ prescribing need to recognize that prescribing is driven by many factors other than epidemiological data and regulatory indications and that even intensely negative publicity about medicines may not penetrate clinical reasoning. This suggests that a range of measures may be needed to ‘incentivize’ rational prescribing and to promote research integrity. Regulators must be more sensitive to the contextual issues that are relevant to clinical practice when evaluating drugs for approval and developing guidelines.
Enhancing Esthetics with a Fixed Prosthesis Utilizing an Innovative Pontic Design and Periodontal Plastic Surgery
Authors: Korman Robert P.
Published: July 2014

During the past two decades, significant advancements with the integration of periodontal plastic surgery into esthetic restorative dental procedures have received increased attention. While ovate pontics have traditionally been used as a restorative design following augmentation procedures to enhance esthetics, an alternate E‐pontic design aims to predictably support and maintain the gingival architecture between a single missing anterior tooth adjacent to a natural tooth or an implant that is in harmony with the lip line and face. In addition, the E‐pontic design promotes the gingival facial tissue to coronally migrate over the pontic, creating a gingival sulcus. This article describes an innovative new technique and a pontic design that predictably will develop, support, and maintain the gingival architecture to provide a long‐term esthetic and functional outcome.

Clinical Significance

Over the past 14 years, it has been the author's observation that the E‐pontic design and conservative surgical technique, when properly performed, will develop, support, and maintain the gingival architecture more predictably than any other pontic design observed. When the goal of tooth replacement is to achieve the optimal esthetic and functional outcome, the utilization of the E‐pontic design for a fixed partial denture involving either natural teeth or implants is recommended.
Color Stability and Polymerization Behavior of Direct Esthetic Restorations
Authors: Oliveira Dayane Carvalho Ramos Salles de , Souza‐Júnior Eduardo José , Prieto Lúcia Trazzi , Coppini Erick Kamiya , Maia Rodrigo Rocha , Paulillo Luís Alexandre Maffei Sartini
Published: July 2014

Objectives

The current study evaluated the effect of accelerated artificial aging (AAA) on the color stability (CS) and degree of conversion (DC) of nanofilled and nanohybrid resin composites associated to different adhesive systems in direct esthetic restorations.

Material and Methods

Eighty bovine incisors were used to obtained dentin blocks (4 × 4 × 1 mm). The restorative systems were bonded to the blocks and photoactivated according to the manufacturer's instructions. Three adhesive systems were used: Adper Scotchbond Multi‐Purpose (conventional of three steps), Tetric N‐Bond (conventional of two steps) and ClearFill SE Bond (self‐etching). Also, two composites were used: Filtek Z350 XT (nanofilled) and IPS Empress Direct (nanohybrid). The restorations were made using a silicone mold placed on top of the prepared dentin blocks (N = 10). CS was measured after 300 hours of AAA by means of ultraviolet light using a spectrophotometer and CIE L*a*b* parameters on the top surface of the composite and at the bonded interface. The DC was performed using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (N = 10). Data were analyzed using two‐way analysis of variance and Tukey's test (α = 0.05).

Results

The adhesive systems had no significant influence on the color stability (ΔE) of either the restoration surface (α = 0.90) or the bonded interface (α = 0.78). However, composite influenced the color as measured by ΔE and isolated coordinates (α < 0.001). The nanohybrid composite showed increased DC values (67%) compared with the nanofilled (61%) with statistically significant differences (α < 0.001).

Conclusions

The adhesive system did not affect the final color of direct esthetic restorations. The nanohybrid composite demonstrated a higher DC and increased color stability after AAA compared to the nanofilled composite.

Clinical Significance

The long‐term color stability of composite restorations is a critical aspect of esthetic restorative procedures. Optimal Polymerization behavior of resin composite as indicated by the degree of conversion also influence on the color stability after artificial aging of composite restorations.
Weekend Work and Leisure Time With Family and Friends: Who Misses Out?
Authors: Craig Lyn , Brown Judith E.
Published: July 2014

The authors explored links between weekend work and leisure time shared with partners, children, other resident/nonresident family, and friends, using the Australian Bureau of Statistics Time Use Survey 2006. Drawing a sample of employed persons (n = 3,903), they tested associations between weekend work and shared leisure time on the day of work and to see whether shared leisure time is made up on other days over the following week. Analyses were stratified by three family types: (a) couples without children, (b) couples with children, and (c) singles without children. For all groups, weekend work was associated with significantly less shared leisure time on days worked. Some weekend workers (e.g., part‐time employees, men) recouped some shared leisure time (notably with friends) over the following week, but most did not. Indeed, for some forms of shared leisure—most importantly, with partners and children—there were further negative associations on weekdays.
First Report of Myrothecium roridum Causing Leaf Spot on Anthurium andraeanum in China
Authors: Ben Hai‐Yan , Zhao Yan‐Jie , Chai A‐Li , Shi Yan‐Xia , Xie Xue‐Wen , Li Bao‐Ju
Published: July 2014

A new severe disease on Anthurium andraeanum Lind. was observed in the summer of 2011 in Beijing, China. The fungus was isolated from symptomatic leaves, and its pathogenicity was confirmed. Based on the morphological characteristics and molecular analysis, the pathogen was identified as Myrothecium roridum Tode ex Fr. This is the first report of M. roridum causing leaf spot on A. andraeanum in China.
Self‐reported racism and experience of toothache among pregnant Aboriginal Australians: the role of perceived stress, sense of control, and social support
Authors: Ben Jehonathan , Paradies Yin , Priest Naomi , Parker Eleanor Jane , Roberts‐Thomson Kaye F. , Lawrence Herenia P. , Broughton John , Jamieson Lisa M.
Published: July 2014

Objectives

We hypothesized that the psychosocial factors perceived stress and sense of personal control mediated the relationship between self‐reported racism and experience of toothache. We hypothesized that social support moderated this relationship.

Methods

Data from 365 pregnant Aboriginal Australian women were used to evaluate experience of toothache, socio‐demographic factors, psychosocial factors, general health, risk behaviors, and self‐reported racism exposure. Hierarchical logistic regression models estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95 percent confidence intervals (CIs) for experience of toothache. Perceived stress and sense of personal control were examined as mediators of the association between self‐reported racism and experience of toothache. Social support was examined as a moderator.

Results

Self‐reported racism persisted as a risk indicator for experience of toothache (OR 1.99, 95 percent CI 1.07‐3.72) after controlling for age, level of education, and difficulty paying a $100 dental bill. The relationship between self‐reported racism and experience of toothache was mediated by sense of control. The direct effect of self‐reported racism on experience of toothache became only marginally significant, and the indirect effect was significant (β coefficient = 0.04, bias‐corrected 95 percent CI 0.004‐0.105, 21.2 percent of effect mediated). Stress was insignificant as a mediator. Social support was insignificant as a moderator.

Conclusions

The findings indicate that high levels of self‐reported racism were associated with experience of toothache and that sense of control, but not perceived stress, mediated the association between self‐reported racism and experience of toothache among this sample of pregnant Aboriginal Australian women. Social support did not moderate the association between self‐reported racism and experience of toothache.
CUFA algorithm: assessment of liver fibrosis using routine laboratory data
Authors: Shehab H. , Elattar I. , Elbaz T. , Mohey M. , Esmat G.
Published: July 2014

Staging of liver fibrosis is an integral part of the management of HCV. Liver biopsy is hampered by its invasiveness and possibility of sampling error. Current noninvasive methods are disadvantaged by their cost and complexity. In this study, we aimed at developing a noninvasive method for the staging of liver fibrosis based only on routine laboratory tests and clinical data. Basic clinical and laboratory data and liver biopsies were collected from 994 patients presenting for the evaluation of HCV. Logistic regression was used to create a model predictive of fibrosis stages. A sequential test was then developed by combining our new model with APRI. In the training set (497) a model was created by logistic regression for the prediction of significant fibrosis (≥F2), it included platelets, AST and age (PLASA). The areas under the curve (AUC), sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were 0.753, 66.8, 71.4, 69.8, 68.4, respectively, while in the validation set (497), they were 0.777, 66.7, 72.8, 68.6 and 71, respectively. These were the best performance indicators when compared to APRI, FIB‐4, King's score, platelets, fibrosis index, age–platelet index and Lok index in the same set of patients. A sequential test was then developed including APRI followed by PLASA [Cairo University Fibrosis Assessment (CUFA) algorithm], this allowed saving 20% and 34% of liver biopsies for patients being tested for significant fibrosis and cirrhosis, respectively. In conclusion, the CUFA algorithms at no cost allow saving a significant proportion of patients from performing a liver biopsy or a more complex costly test. These algorithms could be used as the first step in the assessment of liver fibrosis before embarking on the more costly advanced serum markers, Fibroscan or liver biopsy.
ISO‐Based Assessment of Accuracy and Precision of Glucose Meters in Dogs
Authors: Brito‐Casillas Y. , Figueirinhas P. , Wiebe J.C. , López‐Ríos L. , Pérez‐Barreto D. , Melián C. , Wägner A.M.
Published: July 2014

Background

Portable blood glucose meters (PBGMs) allow easy glucose measurements. As animal‐specific PBGMs are not available everywhere, those for humans are widely used.

Objectives

To assess the accuracy and precision of 9 PBGMs in canine whole blood (WB) and plasma, based on the ISO 15197:2013.

Animals

Fifty‐nine client‐owned dogs attending the Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Methods

Analytical evaluation of 100 blood samples was performed for accuracy and 23 for precision (glucose 29–579 mg/dL) following ISO recommendations. A PBGM was considered accurate if 95% of the measurements were within ±15 mg/dL from the reference when glucose was <100 mg/dL and within ±15% when it was ≥100 mg/dL, and if 99% of them were within zones A and B in error grid analysis (EG). A hexokinase‐based analyzer was used as reference. Ninety samples were assessed for hematocrit interferences.

Results

Accuracy requirements were not fulfilled by any PBGM in WB (74% of measurements within the limits for the most accurate) and by 1 only in plasma. However, the EG analysis in WB was passed by 6 PBGM and by all in plasma. The most accurate were also the most precise, with coefficients of variation <5% in WB and <3% in plasma. Hematocrit correlated with bias against the reference method in 4 PBGM (r = −0.243 − [−0.371]; P < .021).

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

This disparity among PBGM suggests that meters approved for humans need to be evaluated before use in other species.
Fire and simulated herbivory have antagonistic effects on resistance of savanna grasslands to alien shrub invasion
Authors: te Beest Mariska , Mpandza Nokukhanya J. , Olff Han
Published: July 2014

Question

Resistance of the native community has been identified as an important factor limiting invasion success and invader impact. However, to what extent resistance interacts with disturbance to control invasion success remains unclear. We studied the interaction between biotic resistance, fire and small‐scale disturbances mimicking those of large mammalian herbivores (hoof action and grazing) on invasion success of the alien shrub Chromolaena odorata.

Location

Hluhluwe‐iMfolozi Park, South Africa.

Methods

We performed a seedling transplant experiment in a savanna grassland. We manipulated the grass layer by clipping (grazing), created small‐scale soil disturbances (hoof action) and transplanted seedlings under native tree canopies to assess potential nursing effects. Subsequently, we burned half of our plots. We assessed the effect of fire and small‐scale disturbances on seedling growth, survival and biomass allocation.

Results

Seedling survival of C. odorata was 26% in undisturbed savanna grassland, reducing to 5% post‐fire. Small‐scale disturbances increased seedling biomass and survival and modified biomass allocation, whereas fire greatly reduced seedling survival. Root allocation increased in response to grass clipping, while stem allocation decreased. Tree shading increased seedling survival in the absence of fire, but greatly reduced post‐fire survival.

Conclusions

Grass communities in savannas exert a high level of biotic resistance to C. odorata invasion. However, small‐scale disturbances, mimicking those of large mammalian herbivores, can facilitate the invasion of C. odorata in savanna grassland both directly, by creating micro‐sites for establishment, and indirectly, by reducing the negative effect of fire. Thus, small‐scale disturbances may aid the long‐term persistence of woody species invading grass‐dominated systems.
Entrenched Autocracy or New Democracy: Which Is Better for Business?
Authors: Nur‐tegin Kanybek
Published: July 2014

The recent downfall of autocracies worldwide, most notably in the Middle East, raises the question: Do the new, more democratic regimes hold a promise of creating a better economic and business environment? To answer this question, I analyze a new large‐scale firm‐level dataset for the post‐regime‐change time horizon of up to 20 years. The main finding is that during the post‐revolution time period the business environment is likely to worsen under the new politically unstable regimes that replace stable autocracies.
Absence from Work of the Self‐Employed: A Comparison with Paid Employees
Authors: Lechmann Daniel S. J. , Schnabel Claus
Published: July 2014

Using a large representative data set for Germany, this study contrasts absenteeism of self‐employed individuals and paid employees by estimating hurdle models. We find that absence from work is clearly less prevalent among the self‐employed than among paid employees. Only to a small extent, this difference can be traced back to differences in health status and job satisfaction. Furthermore, the gap in absenteeism does not seem to be driven by different behaviour in case of sickness as we find no clear difference in the prevalence of presenteeism between the two groups. We suspect that different behaviour in case of healthiness plays a role, highlighting potential shirking and moral hazard problems in paid employment.
Entertainment and Crime
Authors: Munyo Ignacio
Published: July 2014

In this paper I explore the effects of entertainment on aggregate crime rates. I track hourly crime data to analyze the behavior of offenses in a time window around football games played by the national team, in a country were football is the most popular entertainment. I find that total offenses decrease 13 percent during highly relevant games, an effect that comes exclusively from property crime. The decrease in property crime during the game is partially compensated by an increase in non‐property crime in the aftermath of these games.
Global Circulation as Christian Enclosure: Legend, Empire, and the Nomadic Prester John
Authors: Taylor Christopher
Published: July 2014

In a global Middle Ages, there are few individuals, fictional or historical, who have exercised a stronger cosmopolitan pull than Prester John. A product of anxious cultural imaginings mixed with hope for historical change, Prester John has commanded consistent interest since 1145. Over the course of six centuries, Prester John figured centrally in Christendom's understanding of what the distant world was like: crusading aspirations depended on his materialization; missionary undertakings in the East leveraged their chances of converting the heathen against a presumption of his existence, and, mercantile‐minded men from Marco Polo through Christopher Columbus dreamt of the putative riches of his kingdom. From its inception in the twelfth century, the Prester John legend linked the impulse to explore a global landscape with the desire for this landscape to be revealed as a continuation of, rather than a departure from, the known: as already Christian. Nowhere is this better expressed than in the original Latin Letter, the primary source for the legend of John. Produced in the mid‐twelfth century at the zenith of the Crusading impulse, the legend situates John as a Christian sovereign ruling authoritatively over an East that is beyond Dar al‐Islam and, despite its exotic and strange landscape, remains decidedly Christian.
Global Souvenirs: Bridging East and West in the Malay Alexander Romance
Authors: Ng Su Fang
Published: July 2014

Attention to Arabic translations that went eastward can uncover neglected connections and exchanges of stories. One such instance is the Malay Alexander Romance, Hikayat Iskandar Zulkarnain, translated from the Arabic version of Pseudo‐Callisthenes' Greek Alexander Romance. This Islamicization of the Alexander Romance also incorporates elements of Greek culture found elsewhere, such as Homer, suggesting a cultural bridging of east and west through traveling textual elements and stories that could be seen as accretionary globalism. These elements are global souvenirs, with varied origins, incorporated into a different Islamic and Southeast Asian mosaic. Such global souvenirs also come in the form of references to global religions, including, aside from Islam, Zoroastrianism, Judaism, and Buddhism. The wide‐ranging travels of the hero Iskandar bridges east and west, as he travels to the edges of the world, the Maghrib and Andalusia in the west and China in the east. In these travels, foreign elements are akin to global souvenirs collected and then assimilated into a larger frame that also is adapted to its new Southeast Asian context. The accretionary globalism of Hikayat Iskandar Zulkarnain, which assimilates narrative elements cross‐culturally, takes as its perspective the world itself, promiscuously crossing boundaries of nation, language, and faith.
New Arguments that Philosophers don't Treat Intuitions as Evidence
Authors: Molyneux Bernard
Published: July 2014

According to orthodox views of philosophical methodology, when philosophers appeal to intuitions, they treat them as evidence for their contents. Call this “descriptive evidentialism.” Descriptive evidentialism is assumed both by those who defend the epistemic status of intuitions and by those, including many experimental philosophers, who criticize it. This article shows, however, that the idea that philosophers treat intuitions as evidence struggles to account for the way philosophers treat intuitions in a variety of philosophical contexts. In particular, it cannot account for philosophers' treatment of a priori intuitions, for nonpropositional uses of intuition, and for philosophers' failure to use intuition to exclude the counterintuitive. The article concludes that alternatives to descriptive evidentialism (some of which are sketched) must be developed, and that much of the recent debate between traditionalists and skeptics from, for example, experimental philosophy is probably based on a false presupposition.
What Would It Take to Change Your Mind?
Authors: Thielke Peter
Published: July 2014

Most of us have settled views about various intellectual debates, and much of the activity of philosophers is devoted to giving arguments that are designed to convince one's opponents to change their minds about a certain issue. But, what might this process require? More pointedly, can you clearly imagine what it would take to make you change your mind about a position you currently hold? This article argues that the surprising answer to this question is no—you cannot imagine what would convince you to change your mind, since in doing so you would actually have to find those reasons compelling. The article then briefly looks at some implications of this conclusion.
The γ‐aminobutyric acid shunt contributes to closing the tricarboxylic acid cycle in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803
Authors: Xiong Wei , Brune Daniel , Vermaas Wim F. J.
Published: July 2014

A traditional 2‐oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex is missing in the cyanobacterial tricarboxylic acid cycle. To determine pathways that convert 2‐oxoglutarate into succinate in the cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803, a series of mutant strains, Δsll1981, Δslr0370, Δslr1022 and combinations thereof, deficient in 2‐oxoglutarate decarboxylase (Sll1981), succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase (Slr0370), and/or in γ‐aminobutyrate metabolism (Slr1022) were constructed. Like in Pseudomonas aeruginosa, N‐acetylornithine aminotransferase, encoded by slr1022, was shown to also function as γ‐aminobutyrate aminotransferase, catalysing γ‐aminobutyrate conversion to succinic semialdehyde. As succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase converts succinic semialdehyde to succinate, an intact γ‐aminobutyrate shunt is present in Synechocystis. The Δsll1981 strain, lacking 2‐oxoglutarate decarboxylase, exhibited a succinate level that was 60% of that in wild type. However, the succinate level in the Δslr1022 and Δslr0370 strains and the Δsll1981/Δslr1022 and Δsll1981/Δslr0370 double mutants was reduced to 20–40% of that in wild type, suggesting that the γ‐aminobutyrate shunt has a larger impact on metabolite flux to succinate than the pathway via 2‐oxoglutarate decarboxylase. 13C‐stable isotope analysis indicated that the γ‐aminobutyrate shunt catalysed conversion of glutamate to succinate. Independent of the 2‐oxoglutarate decarboxylase bypass, the γ‐aminobutyrate shunt is a major contributor to flux from 2‐oxoglutarate and glutamate to succinate in Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803.
Elevated expression of fatty acid synthase and nuclear localization of carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1C are common among human gliomas
Authors: Wakamiya Tomihiro , Suzuki Satoshi O. , Hamasaki Hideomi , Honda Hiroyuki , Mizoguchi Masahiro , Yoshimoto Koji , Iwaki Toru
Published: July 2014

Fatty acid synthase (FASN) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1C (CPT1C), a brain‐specific isoform of the CPT1 family, are upregulated in certain types of cancers, including gliomas. Acetyl‐CoA carboxylase (ACC) catalyzes the carboxylation of acetyl‐CoA to malonyl‐CoA, the rate‐limiting step in fatty acid synthesis, and its phosphorylated form inhibits lipid synthesis. We examined the expression and subcellular localization of these fatty acid metabolism‐related molecules in human gliomas. We performed immunostaining of two glioma cell lines (U373MG and U87MG) and 41 surgical specimens of diffuse gliomas with various histological grades (21 with the isocitrate dehydrogenase 1(IDH1) R132H mutation and 20 without the mutation). In the cultured glioma cells, CPT1C and phosphorylated ACC (p‐ACC) were mainly localized to the nuclei, whereas FASN localized to the cytoplasm. In the surgical specimens, most glioma tissues showed nuclear staining for CPT1C and p‐ACC, and cytoplasmic staining for FASN, regardless of the genetic status of IDH1 and the histological grade. Therefore, elevated cytoplasmic expression of FASN and nuclear localization of CPT1C are common among human diffuse gliomas, which may be regulated by the differential phosphorylation status of ACC in the cellular compartment.
System analysis of microRNAs in the development and aluminium stress responses of the maize root system
Authors: Kong Xiangpei , Zhang Maolin , Xu Xiangbo , Li Xiaoming , Li Cuiling , Ding Zhaojun
Published: July 2014

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of regulatory small RNAs (sRNAs) that down‐regulate target genes through mRNA cleavage or translational inhibition. miRNA is known to play an important role in the root development and environmental responses in both the Arabidopsis and rice. However, little information is available to form a complete view of miRNAs in the development of the maize root system and Al stress responses in maize. Four sRNA libraries were generated and sequenced from the early developmental stage of primary roots (PRY), the later developmental stage of maize primary roots (PRO), seminal roots (SR) and crown roots (CR). Through integrative analysis, we identified 278 miRNAs (246 conserved and 32 novel ones) and found that the expression patterns of miRNAs differed dramatically in different maize roots. The potential targets of the identified conserved and novel miRNAs were also predicted. In addition, our data showed that CR is more resistant to Al stress compared with PR and SR, and the differentially expressed miRNAs are likely to play significant roles in different roots in response to environmental stress such as Al stress. Here, we demonstrate that the expression patterns of miRNAs are highly diversified in different maize roots. The differentially expressed miRNAs are correlated with both the development and environmental responses in the maize root. This study not only improves our knowledge about the roles of miRNAs in maize root development but also reveals the potential role of miRNAs in the environmental responses of different maize roots.