bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
China and America in a Post‐Hegemonic Age
Authors: BRZEZINSKI ZBIGNIEW
Published: April 2013

A great historical transition is underway from American‐led Globalization 1.0 to Globalization 2.0—the interdependence of plural identities where no one power or alliance of powers dominates.

The G‐20 is floundering as the immediate global financial crisis has receded. The United Nations and the old Bretton Woods institutions—the IMF, the World Bank and the WTO—have lost their vigor and are struggling to adjust to the global powershift with the rise of the emerging economies. While Europe is paralyzed as the historic project of integration stalls, the world's two largest economies—the United States and China—are as yet unable to figure out how to share power.

The danger now is that the geopolitical vacuum will invite assertions of national self‐interest that will unravel the rules‐based order that enabled stability and prosperity over recent decades.

America's leading geopolitical strategist, China's most outspoken strategic thinker and one of Asia's leading global thinkers from Singapore offer their reflections on this state of affairs.
Handedness is more than laterality: lessons from chimpanzees
Authors: Marchant Linda F. , McGrew William C.
Published: April 2013

Is human handedness unique? That is, do our nearest living relations, chimpanzee and bonobo (Panspp.) show species‐wide handedness, as is seen in livingHomo sapiens? The answer may depend on definition: Handedness (congruence across subjects and across tasks) should be distinguished from hand preference (within subject and task), manual specialization (within subject, across tasks), and task specialization (across subjects, within task). Comparison is required at both population and species level. Several methodological issues (e.g., ecological validity) are crucial, as are major confounding variables (e.g., bimanuality). The behavioral manual laterality of chimpanzees is well‐studied in a variety of contexts. Especially important is tool use, which seems to enhance extent of lateralization, but this varies both within and across populations. There is much evidence for task specialization in chimpanzees, but no conclusive evidence of handedness in the strictest sense. Thus, human handedness seems to be unique among living hominoids.
Pain Conditions Ranked by Healthcare Costs for Members of a National Health Plan
Authors: Pasquale Margaret K. , Dufour Robert , Schaaf David , Reiners Andrew T. , Mardekian Jack , Joshi Ashish V. , Patel Nick C.
Published: April 2013

Healthcare resource utilization (HCRU) and associated costs specific to pain are a growing concern, as increasing dollar amounts are spent on pain‐related conditions. Understanding which pain conditions drive the highest utilization and cost burden to the healthcare system would enable providers and payers to better target conditions to manage pain adequately and efficiently. The current study focused on 36 noncancer chronic and 14 noncancer acute pain conditions and measured the HCRU and costs per member over 365 days. These conditions were ranked by per‐member costs and total adjusted healthcare costs to determine the most expensive conditions to a national health plan. The top 5 conditions for the commercial line of business were back pain, osteoarthritis (OA), childbirth, injuries, and non‐hip, non‐spine fractures (adjusted annual total costs for the commercial members were $119 million, $98 million, $69 million, $61 million, and $48 million, respectively). The top 5 conditions for Medicare members were OA, back pain, hip fractures, injuries, and non‐hip, non‐spine fractures (adjusted annual costs for the Medicare members were $327 million, $218 million, $117 million, $82 million, and $67 million, respectively). The conditions ranked highest for both per‐member and total healthcare costs were hip fractures, childbirth, and non‐hip, non‐spine fractures. Among these, hip fractures in the Medicare member population had the highest mean cost per member (adjusted per‐member cost was $21,058). Further examination specific to how pain is managed in these high‐cost conditions will enable providers and payers to develop strategies to improve patient outcomes through appropriate pain management.
Agglomeration and Spreading in an Asymmetric World
Authors: Sidorov Alexander V. , Zhelobodko Evgeny
Published: April 2013

We study Krugman's core–periphery (CP) model for most general cases of nonidentical regions and fully characterize instant and long‐run equilibria. Assuming immobility of labor, we describe the behavior of equilibrium wages/real wages. Moreover, the relative wages/real wages of industrial workers can both increase and decrease with the population with which they are associated. Under the assumption of industrial labor mobility, possible patterns of economic evolution, as responses to trade freeness, are fully described. We show that in the case of noticeable agricultural asymmetry, all mobile labor inevitably accumulates in countries with larger agricultural populations.
Peaks vs Components
Authors: Vollmer Sebastian , Holzmann Hajo , Schwaiger Florian
Published: April 2013

We analyze the cross‐national distribution of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita and its evolution from 1970 to 2009. We argue that peaks are not a suitable measure for distinct convergence clubs/equilibria in the cross‐country distribution ofGDPper capita, because the number of peaks is not invariant under non‐linear strictly monotonic transformations of the data such as the logarithmic transformation. Instead, we model the distribution as a finite mixture, and determine its number of components via statistical testing. We find that the number of components in the cross‐country distribution changes from three to two in the mid 1990s.
Wealth, Credit Conditions, and Consumption: Evidence from South Africa
Authors: Aron Janine , Muellbauer John
Published: April 2013

The role of housing wealth in explaining consumption remains controversial. This paper emphasizes credit liberalization and wealth in explaining consumption behavior inSouthAfrica, 1971 to 2005. Results support a collateral interpretation of housing wealth affecting consumption as against a life‐cycle interpretation. Liquid and illiquid wealth time series data previously constructed by the authors from household balance sheets are used. Credit conditions are proxied by a spline function entering jointly estimated consumption, debt and income expectations equations in a “latent interactive variable equation system” (LIVES). Empirical results corroborate the theory in the paper: consumption relative to income is driven by credit liberalization and its interactions with other drivers of consumption and debt, by uncertainty, income expectations, and by fluctuations in a range of asset values and in asset accumulation. The results illuminate the monetary policy transmission mechanism inSouthAfrica.
Social Mobility in Five African Countries
Authors: Bossuroy Thomas , Cogneau Denis
Published: April 2013

This paper conceptualizes intergenerational occupational mobility between the farm and non‐farm sectors in five African countries, measures it using nationally representative household survey data, and analyzes its determinants through a comparative method based on pooled logit regressions. We first analyze intergenerational gross mobility. Until the end of the 1980s, intergenerational flows toward the non‐farm sector are high in Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea, flows toward the farm sector are more often observed in Ghana and Uganda, and Madagascar displays less mobility in either direction. The pace of change in occupational structures and the magnitude of labor income dualism between the farm and non‐farm sectors appear to explain those differences. We then net out structural change across generations and establish the first measurement of intergenerational net mobility in those five African countries. Ghana and Uganda stand out as relatively more fluid societies. Côte d'Ivoire and Guinea come next while Madagascar shows a particularly high reproduction of occupations. Educational mobility accounts for the Madagascar exception to a large extent, but not for the differences between the other countries. Spatial dualism of employment, i.e. the geographic segregation of farm and non‐farm jobs, accounts for most of those remaining differences. We argue that the main determinants of intergenerational mobility, namely income and employment dualisms, likely reflect a historical legacy of different colonial administrations.
Identifying and Classifying Bloodstream Infections Among Hemodialysis Patients
Authors: Kallen Alexander J.
Published: April 2013

Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are a prominent clinical problem in patients undergoing hemodialysis. These infections appear to be more common among patients who have a central line as their dialysis access and can be associated with substantial morbidity and mortality. Accurately diagnosing BSIs clearly influences patient management, but is also an important part of an infection prevention program; particularly as facility BSI rates are becoming a recognized quality measure for which dialysis facilities might be held accountable. Blood cultures remain the gold standard for diagnosing BSIs and a number of practices can affect the sensitivity and specificity of this important laboratory test. Optimizing the collection of blood cultures can assist providers with interpretation of positive blood cultures and can help minimize the impact of false‐positive and false‐negative cultures. This review will describe differences between BSI definitions, examine the use of blood cultures to identify these infections including the use of recommended best practices to maximize culture yield, and highlight characteristics that can assist in the clinical interpretation of positive blood cultures.
Latino Racial Reporting in the US: To Be or Not To Be
Authors: Rodríguez Clara E. , Miyawaki Michael H. , Argeros Grigoris
Published: April 2013

This review focuses on how Latinos report their race. This is an area that has recently experienced a major surge of interest in both government and academic circles. This review of the literature examines how and why Latinos report their race on the census, in surveys and in more qualitative studies. It reviews the vibrant and growing scholarly literature relevant to the questions of the placement – by self or others – of Latinos along the US color line, what determines it and how the Census has coped and is coping with it. We begin with a brief review of the history of Latino classification in the census and then discuss the factors influencing racial reporting. These include national origin and skin color, acculturation and generational status, socioeconomic status, perceived discrimination and identification with others who have experienced actual discrimination, location, and question format. We end with a discussion of the implications of the recent 2010 Alternative Questionnaire Experiment conducted by the census, and conclude with suggestions for future research.
Re‐orientation of the extension direction and pure extensional faulting at oblique rift margins: comparison between the Main Ethiopian Rift and laboratory experiments
Authors: Corti Giacomo , Philippon Melody , Sani Federico , Keir Derek , Kidane Tesfaye
Published: April 2013

In this study, we draw on a unique combination of well‐resolved fault‐slip data and earthquake focal mechanisms to constrain spatial variations in style of faulting in the obliquely extending Main Ethiopian Rift, East Africa. These data show that both boundary and internal faults – oblique and orthogonal to the plate divergence (PD) respectively – exhibit almost pure dip‐slip motion, and indicate significant local deflection in orientation of the extension direction at rift margins. Scaled analogue models closely replicate the multidisciplinary observations from the rift and suggest that the process is controlled by the presence of a deep‐seated, pre‐existing weakness – oblique to the direction of PD – that is able to cause a local rotation in the orientation of the extension direction at rift margins. Minor counterclockwise block rotations are required to accommodate the difference in slip direction along the different fault systems, as supported by existing and new palaeomagnetic data from the rift.
Accessibility Futures
Authors: Anderson Paul , Levinson David , Parthasarathi Pavithra
Published: April 2013

This study uses accessibility as a performance measure to evaluate a matrix of future land use and network scenarios for planning purposes. The concept of accessibility dates to the 1950s, but this type of application to transportation planning is new. Previous research has established the coevolution of transportation and land use, demonstrated the dependence of accessibility on both, and made the case for the use of accessibility measures as a planning tool. This study builds off of these findings by demonstrating the use of accessibility‐based performance measures in the Twin Cities Metropolitan Area. This choice of performance measure also allows for transit and highway networks to be compared side‐by‐side. For roadway modeling, zone‐to‐zone travel time matrix was computed using stochastic user equilibrium (SUE) assignment with travel time feedback to trip distribution. A database of schedules was used on the transit networks to assign transit routes. This travel time data was joined with the land use data from each scenario to obtain the employment, population, and labor accessibility from each traffic analysis zone (TAZ) within specified time ranges. Tables of person‐weighted accessibility were computed for 20 minutes with zone population as the weight for employment accessibility and zone employment as the weight for population and labor accessibility. Maps of accessibility by zone were produced to show the spatial distribution of accessibility across the region. The results show that a scenario where population and employment growth are concentrated in the center of the metropolitan area would produce the highest accessibility no matter which transportation network changes are made. However, another scenario which concentrates population growth in the center of the metropolitan area and shifts employment growth to the periphery consistently outperforms the scenario representing the projected 2030 land use without any growth management strategy.
The use of chromosomal microarray in prenatal diagnosis
Authors: Hillman Sarah , McMullan Dominic J , Maher Eamonn R , Kilby Mark D
Published: April 2013

Key content

The results of prenatal fetal chromosomal analysis may inform long term prognosis.

Recent advances in chromosome microarray (CMA) are enabling genome‐wide evaluation of submicroscopic chromosomal changes.

Such technological advances promise increased sensitivity and specificity. They also potentially pose challenges of interpretation and clinical management.

Learning objectives

To systematically review the current literature and explain the benefit and pitfalls of CMAs and their relevance to the practising obstetrician in the NHS.

Comment on the future of CMA and its cost effectiveness.

Ethical issues

Difficulties of informed consent with genome‐wide prenatal testing.

Difficulties surround results of unknown significance.
Piloting the use of 2D barcode and patient safety‐software in an Australian tertiary hospital setting
Authors: Miller K. , Akers C. , Magrin G. , Whitehead S. , Davis A. K.
Published: April 2013

Objectives

Errors in administration of blood products can lead to poor patient outcomes including fatal ABO incompatible transfusions. This pilot study sought to establish whether the use of two‐dimensional (2D) barcode technology combined with patient identification software designed to assist in blood administration improves the bedside administration of transfusions in an Australian tertiary hospital.

Study Design and Methods

The study was conducted in a Haematology/Oncology Day Clinic of a major metropolitan hospital, to evaluate the use of 2D barcode technology and patient safety‐software and hand‐held PDAs to assist nursing staff in patient identification and blood administration. Comparative audits were conducted before and after the technology's implementation.

Results

The preimplementation transfusion practice audits demonstrated a poor understanding of the blood checking process, with focus on the product rather than patient identification. Following the implementation of 2D barcode technology and patient safety‐software, there was significant improvement in administration practice. Positive, verbal patient identification improved from 57% (51/90) to 94% (75/80). Similarly, the cross‐referencing of the patient's identification with the patient's wristband improved from 36% (32/90) to 94% (75/80), and the cross‐referencing of patient ID on the compatibility tag to wristbands improved from 48% (43/90) to 99% (79/80). Importantly, the 2D barcode technology and patient safety‐software saw 100% (80/80) of checks being conducted at the patient bedside, compared with 76% (68/90) in the preimplementation audits.

Conclusion

This pilot study demonstrates that 2D barcode technology and patient safety‐software significantly improves the bedside check of patient and blood product identification in an Australian setting.
COMPARISON BETWEEN SHOULDER COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY AND CLINICAL FINDINGS IN 89 DOGS PRESENTED FOR THORACIC LIMB LAMENESS
Authors: Maddox Thomas W. , May Chris , Keeley Benjamin J. , McConnell J. Fraser
Published: April 2013

Computed tomography (CT) is an established technique for detecting shoulder lesions in dogs, however the clinical significance of shoulderCTlesions often remains uncertain. The purposes of this retrospective study were to describe the prevalence ofCTlesions in both shoulder joints for 89 dogs presenting with thoracic limb lameness and to compareCTlesions with clinical characteristics. For all included dogs, results of a full orthopedic examination, other diagnostic tests, and signalment data were available in medical records. Multilevel, multivariable logistic regression was used to test clinical significance of the most prevalentCTlesions and determine factors associated with their presence. Computed tomographic lesions were detected in one or both shoulder joints for 51/89 dogs (57.3%). Mineralization of one or more surrounding peri‐articular soft‐tissue structures was identified in 31.5% of dogs, with supraspinatus muscle/tendon mineralization being the most frequently identified (24.7%). The prevalence of humeral head osteochondrosis was 9 and 21.3% of dogs had shoulder osteoarthritis. Border collies (odds ratio [OR] 9.3; 95%CI1.39–62.1,P= 0.02) and dogs with shoulder pain (OR4.3; 95%CI1.08–17.1,P= 0.04) had increased risk of osteochondrosis lesions. Border collies (OR8.4; 95%CI1.27–55.6;P= 0.03) and older animals (OR1.04; 95%CI1.02–1.1,P< 0.001) had increased risk of osteoarthritis lesions. Female entire dogs had an increased risk of supraspinatus mineralization lesions (OR6.8; 95%CI1.55–29.5,P= 0.01). Findings indicated that shoulderCTlesions are common in dogs with thoracic limb lameness, and that someCTlesions are not associated with shoulder pain.
Kepler-62: A Five-Planet System with Planets of 1.4 and 1.6 Earth Radii in the Habitable Zone
Authors: Borucki William J. , Agol Eric , Fressin Francois , Kaltenegger Lisa , Rowe Jason , Isaacson Howard , Fischer Debra , Batalha Natalie , Lissauer Jack J. , Marcy Geoffrey W. , Fabrycky Daniel , Désert Jean-Michel , Bryson Stephen T. , Barclay Thomas , Bastien Fabienne , Boss Alan , Brugamyer Erik , Buchhave Lars A. , Burke Chris , Caldwell Douglas A. , Carter Josh , Charbonneau David , Crepp Justin R. , Christensen-Dalsgaard Jørgen , Christiansen Jessie L. , Ciardi David , Cochran William D. , DeVore Edna , Doyle Laurance , Dupree Andrea K. , Endl Michael , Everett Mark E. , Ford Eric B. , Fortney Jonathan , Gautier Thomas N. , Geary John C. , Gould Alan , Haas Michael , Henze Christopher , Howard Andrew W. , Howell Steve B. , Huber Daniel , Jenkins Jon M. , Kjeldsen Hans , Kolbl Rea , Kolodziejczak Jeffery , Latham David W. , Lee Brian L. , Lopez Eric , Mullally Fergal , Orosz Jerome A. , Prsa Andrej , Quintana Elisa V. , Sanchis-Ojeda Roberto , Sasselov Dimitar , Seader Shawn , Shporer Avi , Steffen Jason H. , Still Martin , Tenenbaum Peter , Thompson Susan E. , Torres Guillermo , Twicken Joseph D. , Welsh William F. , Winn Joshua N.
Published: April 2013

Two Small Habitable Planets

NASA's Kepler space telescope was launched in 2009 with the goal of detecting planets the size of Earth in the habitable zone of Sun-like stars and determining the frequency of these planets. Using data from Kepler,

Borucki
et al.

(p.
587
, published online 18 April) report the detection of a five-planet system where all the planets are smaller than twice the size of Earth and where the two outermost planets orbit in the habitable zone of their star, defined as the region where a rocky planet can host liquid water on its solid surface. The star, Kepler-62, is smaller and cooler than the Sun.
The Challenge of Education and Learning in the Developing World
Authors: Kremer Michael , Brannen Conner , Glennerster Rachel
Published: April 2013

Across many different contexts, randomized evaluations find that school participation is sensitive to costs: Reducing out-of-pocket costs, merit scholarships, and conditional cash transfers all increase schooling. Addressing child health and providing information on how earnings rise with education can increase schooling even more cost-effectively. However, among those in school, test scores are remarkably low and unresponsive to more-of-the-same inputs, such as hiring additional teachers, buying more textbooks, or providing flexible grants. In contrast, pedagogical reforms that match teaching to students’ learning levels are highly cost effective at increasing learning, as are reforms that improve accountability and incentives, such as local hiring of teachers on short-term contracts. Technology could potentially improve pedagogy and accountability. Improving pre- and postprimary education are major future challenges.
Density Triggers Maternal Hormones That Increase Adaptive Offspring Growth in a Wild Mammal
Authors: Dantzer Ben , Newman Amy E. M. , Boonstra Rudy , Palme Rupert , Boutin Stan , Humphries Murray M. , McAdam Andrew G.
Published: April 2013

Thank Your Mother

Maternal effects and influence can sometimes prepare unborn offspring for some of the environmental conditions they may face.

Dantzer
et al.

(p.
1215
, published online 18 April) monitored a population of red squirrels and found that both natural and artificially induced increases in the number of conspecific calls increased the growth rate of pups because of increased glucocorticoid levels in the mother. The density stress experienced by mothers thus appears to stimulate them to produce pups that will grow faster and hopefully outcompete the many other pups expected to be produced in the dense population.
Polarization Traffic Control for Surface Plasmons
Authors: Miroshnichenko Andrey E. , Kivshar Yuri S.
Published: April 2013

Metal surfaces structured at a scale below the wavelength of light create devices that control plasmon beam direction through their polarization.

[Also see Reports by

Rodríguez-Fortuño
et al.

and

Lin
et al.

]
Archaeologists Say the ‘Anthropocene’ Is Here—But It Began Long Ago
Authors: Balter Michael
Published: April 2013

A vocal group of geologists and other scientists are pushing to define a new geological epoch, marked by environmental change caused by humans. At the Society for American Archaeology meetings in Honolulu, archaeologists argued that it's high time for their field, which studies humans and their activities over geological time, to have a greater voice in the debate.
Kepler Snags Super-Earth-Size Planet Squarely in a Habitable Zone
Authors: Kerr Richard A.
Published: April 2013

The Kepler team is reporting the discovery of
what could be the Holy Grail of exoplanetology
: a rocky planet enveloped by a nurturing, warming atmosphere and sporting streams, lakes, and seas—or maybe not.
Survey of Peers in Fieldwork Highlights an Unspoken Risk
Authors: Bohannon John
Published: April 2013

Results reveal significant risk of sexual harassment for women performing fieldwork.
The Private Lives of Ants
Authors: Pennisi Elizabeth
Published: April 2013

Six years ago as a graduate student of Laurent Keller, Danielle Mersch developed a 24/7 surveillance system that promises to revolutionize their team's study of collective behavior in fire ants. Online this week in
Science
, they describe using this
system to reveal that ants cluster into cliques
.
Advances in Protein Expression: High Throughput Tools for Improving Analysis
Authors: Hillerich Brandan S. , Payne Jason
Published: April 2013

The characterization of protein expression systems, particularly for biotherapeutics and structural biology, requires the testing of many variables to obtain the optimal clones. Assessing these variables—including expression system, cell culture, fermentation, and various media components such as growth factors—is costly and time intensive if done individually. However, high throughput analytical technologies and multi-use automation platforms can accommodate the high sample throughput necessary to provide fast, accurate, and efficient optimization of protein expression and purification conditions. This ultimately improves quality, mitigates risk, and accelerates the time to produce proteins for both research and therapeutics applications.
Alga-Produced Cholera Toxin-Pfs25 Fusion Proteins as Oral Vaccines
Authors: Gregory James A. , Topol Aaron B. , Doerner David Z. , Mayfield Stephen
Published: April 2013

Infectious diseases disproportionately affect indigent regions and are the greatest cause of childhood mortality in developing countries. Practical, low-cost vaccines for use in these countries are paramount to reducing disease burdens and concomitant poverty. Algae are a promising low-cost system for producing vaccines that can be orally delivered, thereby avoiding expensive purification and injectable delivery. We engineered the chloroplast of the eukaryotic alga
Chlamydomonas reinhardtii
to produce a chimeric protein consisting of the 25-kDa
Plasmodium falciparum
surface protein (Pfs25) fused to the β subunit of the cholera toxin (CtxB) to investigate an alga-based whole-cell oral vaccine. Pfs25 is a promising malaria transmission-blocking vaccine candidate that has been difficult to produce in traditional recombinant systems due to its structurally complex tandem repeats of epidermal growth factor-like domains. The noncatalytic CtxB domain of the cholera holotoxin assembles into a pentameric structure and acts as a mucosal adjuvant by binding GM1 ganglioside receptors on gut epithelial cells. We demonstrate that CtxB-Pfs25 accumulates as a soluble, properly folded and functional protein within algal chloroplasts, and it is stable in freeze-dried alga cells at ambient temperatures. In mice, oral vaccination using freeze-dried algae that produce CtxB-Pfs25 elicited CtxB-specific serum IgG antibodies and both CtxB- and Pfs25-specific secretory IgA antibodies. These data suggest that algae are a promising system for production and oral delivery of vaccine antigens, but as an orally delivered adjuvant, CtxB is best suited for eliciting secretory IgA antibodies for vaccine antigens against pathogens that invade mucosal surfaces using this strategy.
Genetic Variants in Toll-Like Receptor 2 (TLR2), TLR4, TLR9, and FCγ Receptor II Are Associated with Antibody Response to Quadrivalent Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine in HIV-Infected Youth
Authors: Spector Stephen A. , Qin Min , Lujan-Zilbermann Jorge , Singh Kumud K. , Warshaw Meredith G. , Williams Paige L. , Jean-Philippe Patrick , Fenton Terence , Siberry George K. ,   for the IMPAACT P1065 Protocol Team
Published: April 2013

This study examined the association of host genetic variants with the antibody response to the quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) in HIV-infected youth. Genetic variants associated with severity of meningococcal disease, including the IgG Fc receptor (FCγRII)-A484T, interleukin-10 (IL-10)-A1082G, -C819T, and -C627A, IL-4-C589T, mannose binding lectin-2 (MBL2)-A/O, -H/L, -P/Q, and -X/Y, toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2)-G2408A, TLR4-A12874G and -C13174T, and TLR9-T1237C and -T1486C were determined by real-time PCR (RT-PCR) for 271 HIV-infected subjects (median, 17 years). Response was defined as a ≥4-fold increase from entry in bactericidal antibody titers to each serogroup. Generalized estimating equation (GEE) models were used to evaluate the association of allelic variants with the immunologic response to all serogroups within each subject with and without adjusting for CD4 percentage and HIV viral load. At week 4, but not after, subjects with TLR2-2408-G/A versus -G/G genotypes and the TLR4-12874-A/A genotype were more likely to achieve a ≥4-fold increase overall in the four serogroups (unadjusted
P
of 0.006 and adjusted
P
of 0.008 and unadjusted
P
of 0.008 and adjusted
P
of 0.019, respectively). At week 28, the TLR9-1237 T allele was associated with enhanced antibody response (T allele versus C/C, unadjusted
P
of 0.014 and adjusted
P
of 0.009), which was maintained at week 72 (unadjusted and adjusted
P
of 0.008). At week 72, the FcγRII-131Arg allotype was associated with a ≥4-fold increase in antibody titer versus those with His/His (unadjusted
P
of 0.009; adjusted
P
of <0.001). These findings suggest that for HIV-infected youth, the initial antibody response to MCV4 is associated with variants in TLR2 and TLR4 while the long-term response is associated with genetic polymorphisms in TLR9 and FcγRIIa.
Draft Genome Sequence of Medium-Chain-Length Polyhydroxyalkanoate-Producing Pseudomonas putida Strain LS46
Authors: Sharma Parveen K. , Fu Jilagamazhi , Zhang Xiangli , Fristensky Brian W. , Davenport Karen , Chain Patrick S. G. , Sparling Richard , Levin David B.
Published: April 2013

We describe the draft genome sequence of
Pseudomonas putida
strain LS46, a novel isolate that synthesizes medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates. The draft genome of
P. putida
LS46 consists of approximately 5.86 million bp, with a G+C content of 61.69%. A total of 5,316 annotated genes and 5,219 coding sequences (CDS) were identified.
Draft Genome Sequences of Two Bulgarian Bacillus anthracis Strains
Authors: Birdsell Dawn N. , Antwerpen Markus , Keim Paul , Hanczaruk Matthias , Foster Jeffrey T. , Sahl Jason W. , Wagner David M. , Grass Gregor
Published: April 2013

Bacillus anthracis
strains previously isolated from Bulgaria form a unique subcluster within the A1.a cluster that is typical for isolates from southeastern Europe. Here, we report the draft genome sequences of two Bulgarian
B. anthracis
strains belonging to the A branch (A.Br.)008/009 canonical single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) group of the major A branch.
Two Cases of Kerstersia gyiorum Isolated from Sites of Chronic Infection
Authors: Pence Morgan A. , Sharon Jeffrey , McElvania Tekippe Erin , Pakalniskis Brittany L. , Ford Bradley A. , Burnham Carey-Ann D.
Published: April 2013

Kerstersia gyiorum
is infrequently associated with human infection. We report the isolation of
Kerstersia gyiorum
from two patients: the first, a patient with chronic ear infections, and the second, a patient with a chronic leg wound. Both isolates were resistant to ciprofloxacin, which has not been previously reported.
Mucosal Immunization of Lactating Female Rhesus Monkeys with a Transmitted/Founder HIV-1 Envelope Induces Strong Env-Specific IgA Antibody Responses in Breast Milk
Authors: Fouda Genevieve G. A. , Amos Joshua D. , Wilks Andrew B. , Pollara Justin , Ray Caroline A. , Chand Anjali , Kunz Erika L. , Liebl Brooke E. , Whitaker Kaylan , Carville Angela , Smith Shannon , Colvin Lisa , Pickup David J. , Staats Herman F. , Overman Glenn , Eutsey-Lloyd Krissey , Parks Robert , Chen Haiyan , LaBranche Celia , Barnett Susan , Tomaras Georgia D. , Ferrari Guido , Montefiori David C. , Liao Hua-Xin , Letvin Norman L. , Haynes Barton F. , Permar Sallie R.
Published: April 2013

We previously demonstrated that vaccination of lactating rhesus monkeys with a DNA prime/vector boost strategy induces strong T-cell responses but limited envelope (Env)-specific humoral responses in breast milk. To improve vaccine-elicited antibody responses in milk, hormone-induced lactating rhesus monkeys were vaccinated with a transmitted/founder (T/F) HIV Env immunogen in a prime-boost strategy modeled after the moderately protective RV144 HIV vaccine. Lactating rhesus monkeys were intramuscularly primed with either recombinant DNA (n= 4) or modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) poxvirus vector (n= 4) expressing the T/F HIV Env C.1086 and then boosted twice intramuscularly with C.1086 gp120 and the adjuvant MF59. The vaccines induced Env-binding IgG and IgA as well as neutralizing and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) responses in plasma and milk of most vaccinated animals. Importantly, plasma neutralization titers against clade C HIV variants MW965 (P= 0.03) and CAP45 (P= 0.04) were significantly higher in MVA-primed than in DNA-primed animals. The superior systemic prime-boost regimen was then compared to a mucosal-boost regimen, in which animals were boosted twice intranasally with C.1086 gp120 and the TLR 7/8 agonist R848 following the same systemic prime. While the systemic and mucosal vaccine regimens elicited comparable levels of Env-binding IgG antibodies, mucosal immunization induced significantly stronger Env-binding IgA responses in milk (P= 0.03). However, the mucosal regimen was not as potent at inducing functional IgG responses. This study shows that systemic MVA prime followed by either intranasal or systemic protein boosts can elicit strong humoral responses in breast milk and may be a useful strategy to interrupt postnatal HIV-1 transmission.
Potential of Herpesvirus Saimiri-Based Vectors To Reprogram a Somatic Ewing's Sarcoma Family Tumor Cell Line
Authors: Brown Hannah F. , Unger Christian , Whitehouse Adrian
Published: April 2013

Herpesvirus saimiri (HVS) infects a range of human cell types with high efficiency. Upon infection, the viral genome can persist as high-copy-number, circular, nonintegrated episomes that segregate to progeny cells upon division. This allows HVS-based vectors to stably transduce a dividing cell population and provide sustained transgene expression
in vitro
and
in vivo
. Moreover, the HVS episome is able to persist and provide prolonged transgene expression during
in vitro
differentiation of mouse and human hemopoietic progenitor cells. Together, these properties are advantageous for induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) technology, whereby stem cell-like cells are generated from adult somatic cells by exogenous expression of specific reprogramming factors. Here we assess the potential of HVS-based vectors for the generation of induced pluripotent cancer stem-like cells (iPCs). We demonstrate that HVS-based exogenous delivery of Oct4, Nanog, and Lin28 can reprogram the Ewing's sarcoma family tumor cell line A673 to produce stem cell-like colonies that can grow under feeder-free stem cell culture conditions. Further analysis of the HVS-derived putative iPCs showed some degree of reprogramming into a stem cell-like state. Specifically, the putative iPCs had a number of embryonic stem cell characteristics, staining positive for alkaline phosphatase and SSEA4, in addition to expressing elevated levels of pluripotent marker genes involved in proliferation and self-renewal. However, differentiation trials suggest that although the HVS-derived putative iPCs are capable of differentiation toward the ectodermal lineage, they do not exhibit pluripotency. Therefore, they are hereby termed induced multipotent cancer cells.
Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF): a mediator in endometrial receptivity for a patient with polycystic ovary (PCO) undergoing in vitro maturation (IVM)
Authors: Lucena Elkin , Moreno-Ortiz Harold
Published: April 2013

Proliferative and secretory changes at the endometrial lining are the result of a complex intrauterine environment where sex steroid hormones and different local factors play an important role for endometrial thickening. Optimal endometrial thickness reflects an adequate maturation which is a key factor for embryo implantation. Here, we present a case of a woman with polycystic ovary who was treated using in vitro maturation (IVM) techniques. In addition, this patient showed a dyssynchrony between the endometrial phase characterised by endometrial thinning and the embryo development which had a negative impact for embryo implantation. A protocol using uterine perfusion of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) was performed as an alternative treatment for the unresponsive endometrium. We found that uterine infusion of G-CSF quickly increased endometrial thickness resulting in a successful pregnancy and healthy born baby. These results suggest that G-CSF is a factor that participates during endometrial remodelling enhancing the synchronisation between uterine environment and embryo development.
Infected mesenteric cyst
Authors: Reddy G Ramesh , Gunadal Shankar , Banda Vanaja Reddy , Banda Naveen Reddy
Published: April 2013

Mesenteric cyst is a rare condition. Presentation with non-typhoid spontaneous infection in an unusual area makes it even more a rare situation with mesenteric cyst. Its diagnosis is mainly based on the imaging modalities. However, there are difficulties in diagnosis when it is present in an uncommon area and rare known complications. Mesenteric cyst can present with few uncommon emergency conditions which pose difficulties in diagnosis as well as treatment options as mentioned in this case.
Taurodontism
Authors: Mohan Ravi Prakash Sasankoti , Verma Sankalp , Agarwal Neha , Singh Udita
Published: April 2013

Taurodontism leads to constriction of the cementoenamel junction, which results in vertically elongated pulp chambers, apical displacement of the pulpal floor, and bifurcation or trifurcation of the root. This trait can be seen in permanent and primary teeth, in a single tooth or in several molars in the same quadrant, and can be unilateral or bilateral. We report a rare case of a 26-year-old male patient presening with taurodontism involving all the developed molars of all four quadrants, which was not associated with any other anomalies or syndromes.
Successful use of transcatheter embolisation in an emergent life-threatening situation of bleeding from uterine arteriovenous malformation
Authors: Singh Chanchal , Gupta Mohit , Tripathi Reva , Tyagi Sanjay
Published: April 2013

A 27-year-old G3P1 presented to the gynaecology emergency department with heavy vaginal bleeding for 16 days. Transvaginal ultrasound showed vascular cystic spaces in the myometrium raising a suspicion of choriocarcinoma. However, β-human chorionic gonadotrophin (β-hCG) was negative in both the urine and serum. Angiography confirmed the rarer diagnosis of uterine arteriovenous malformation (AVM). Successful abolition of the AVM was achieved by transcatheter embolisation with sequential use of polyvinyl alcohol particles, gel foam pledgets and platinum coils.
A rare late complication of laparoscopic cholecystectomy
Authors: Little Mhairi , Munipalle Phanibhushana C , Nugud Omar
Published: April 2013

An 86-year-old woman presented three years after laparoscopic cholecystectomy with right upper quadrant pain and raised inflammatory markers. Liver function tests were normal; however, a previous ultrasound scan suggested a common bile duct stone so she was treated for cholangitis secondary to choledocholithiasis. Repeat ultrasound scan again showed a common bile duct (CBD) stone and also a subdiaphragmatic abscess. CT scan confirmed the abscess, associated with a surgical clip from her previous surgery. There was no evidence of a persistent CBD stone on the CT scan. She was treated conservatively with intravenous antibiotics and her symptoms improved. Follow-up MRI did not show any choledocholithiasis. Surgical clips causing delayed abscess formation are very unusual. We discuss the presentation, investigations and treatment of this interesting case. Existing relevant literature is reviewed, and management strategies to treat such rare complications are suggested.
Heyde's syndrome: exploring the link between aortic stenosis and an acquired bleeding disorder
Authors: Ledingham David
Published: April 2013

Heyde's syndrome was first proposed in 1958. It refers to gastrointestinal haemorrhage resulting from a combination of aortic stenosis with angiodysplasia. This report explores the case of a 93-year-old lady who was admitted to hospital following a neck of femur fracture. She suffered from multiple comorbidities including renal failure and congestive heart failure secondary to critical aortic stenosis. As an inpatient she suffered an exacerbation of both her heart and renal failure postoperatively. A week later she suffered from heavy upper gastro-intestinal bleeding, which failed to respond to pharmacological and endoscopic therapies as well as angiographic embolisation. The pathophysiology of Heyde's syndrome: an acquired von Willebrand deficiency syndrome has a much wider impact than was commonly thought, both in terms of how common it is and in how the association may be extrapolated to a wide range of bleeding disorders, rather than simply angiodysplasia associated gastrointestinal haemorrhage.
Prosthetic rehabilitation of a patient with adenoid cystic carcinoma with continuous orbital-maxillary defect
Authors: Haralur Satheesh B , Shah Farhan K
Published: April 2013

Extensive head and neck surgical procedures severely affect vital functions, physical appearance and lead to huge psychological trauma in the patients. Well-constructed maxillofacial prosthesis will help them lead a normal social life for the remaining precious time. This case report explains the prosthetic rehabilitation of continuous orbital-maxillary surgical defect in a patient with adenoid cystic carcinoma with restricted mouth opening. Maxillofacial prosthesis needs individual modification to a treatment plan according to the defect and existing clinical conditions. In this case, magnetically retained three-piece prosthesis was designed because of high recurrence rate of the adenoid cystic carcinoma, lack of adequate bone for implants and limited mouth opening in the patient. The prosthesis restored the phonetics, aesthetics and deglutition of the patient by re-establishing the separation of oral–nasal–orbital cavities.
Infarction of the cervical spinal cord in a 20-year-old healthy man resulting in complete quadriplegia
Authors: Safadi Wajdi , Srour Saher , Waksman Igor
Published: April 2013

How often are we faced with a tragic diagnosis in a young patient whose life is completely changed? Often in medicine the tragedy is short-lived: the patients never stabilise, they succumb early to their injuries or complications. We present the case of a young man in whom the exact cause of a spinal cord infarct has never been confirmed. As it transpires, regardless of the sequence of events and the time elapsed between injury and the onset of paralysis, his symptoms came with no warning, were life-threatening and terrifying. He could have had no time to understand what had happened and is now faced with what must seem an eternity to come to terms with a life of quadriplegia. He gives an account of his life for the last 7 years as he has remained at home, while life for his siblings has moved on and he watches from his bed. The triumph is his adjustment to his life now, the vigilance and care of his family and the dedication of the medical staff of a local clinic in a small village in the mountains in the north of Israel.
Ti-coated BC2N nanotubes as hydrogen storage materials
Authors: Jalili Seifollah , Molani Farzad , Schofield Jeremy
Published: April 2013

Density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been performed to investigate Ti adsorption on BC2N nanotubes and the hydrogen adsorption capacity of Ti-coated structures. Different adsorption sites have been examined for the Ti adatom, and it is found that the most stable structure has a configuration with alternating columns of carbon and boron–nitrogen hexagons. The DFT calculations indicate that an adsorbed Ti atom on a carbon hexagon can bind four hydrogen molecules in molecular form, while Ti atoms on boron–nitride hexagons can adsorb three hydrogen molecules and two hydrogen atoms. Based on the calculations, the gravimetric efficiency corresponding to decoration of 67% of six carbon rings with Ti adatoms is estimated to be 8 wt %. Computation of the charge transfer reveals that the Ti atom on BC2N is in a cationic state. In addition, Ti adsorption has a significant influence on the electronic structure of the nanotubes and allows for the conversion of nanotubes from semiconductors in the pristine state to conductors upon doping. The interactions between the nanotubes, the Ti atom and hydrogen molecules have also been analyzed using Dewar coordination and Kubas interactions.
Density functional theory investigation of the effect of axial coordination and annelation on the absorption spectroscopy of nickel(II) and vanadyl porphyrins relevant to bitumen and crude oils
Authors: Stoyanov Stanislav R. , Yin Cindy-Xing , Gray Murray R. , Stryker Jeffrey M. , Gusarov Sergey , Kovalenko Andriy
Published: April 2013

The vanadium and nickel components in heavy oils and bitumen are important impurities in catalytic processing and form aggregates with other asphaltene components. Metalloporphyrins are commonly analyzed using the characteristic Soret band in the UV–vis absorption spectrum. However, the Soret band of metalloporphyrins in petroleum is broadened and weaker than expected based on the concentration of Ni and V in heavy oils and the extinction coefficients of isolated porphyrins. We hypothesize that the low intensity and broadening of the Soret band could be due to axial coordination of the metal center or fusion (annelation) of aromatic rings on the porphyrin π-system. This hypothesis is examined using the density functional theory for geometry optimization and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) for calculation of excited states of nickel(II) and vanadyl porphyrins with axially coordinated ligands and annelated polyaromatic hydrocarbons. Predictions of the excited electronic states performed using the tandem of TD-DFT and conductor-like polarizable continuum model of solvation support this hypothesis and provide insight into the extent of Soret band broadening and intensity decrease due to coordination and annelation. These computational results, validated with respect to visible absorption spectra, are important for understanding asphaltene aggregation and spectroscopic characterization and suggest methods for removal of transition metals from heavy oil.