bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The plant defensin RsAFP2 induces cell wall stress, septin mislocalization and accumulation of ceramides in Candida albicans
Authors: Thevissen Karin , de Mello Tavares Patricia , Xu Deming , Blankenship Jill , Vandenbosch Davy , Idkowiak‐Baldys Jolanta , Govaert Gilmer , Bink Anna , Rozental Sonia , de Groot Piet W. J. , Davis Talya R. , Kumamoto Carol A. , Vargas Gabriele , Nimrichter Leonardo , Coenye Tom , Mitchell Aaron , Roemer Terry , Hannun Yusuf A. , Cammue Bruno P. A.
Published: March 2012

The antifungal plant defensin RsAFP2 isolated from radish interacts with fungal glucosylceramides and induces apoptosis in Candida albicans. To further unravel the mechanism of RsAFP2 antifungal action and tolerance mechanisms, we screened a library of 2868 heterozygous C. albicans deletion mutants and identified 30 RsAFP2‐hypersensitive mutants. The most prominent group of RsAFP2 tolerance genes was involved in cell wall integrity and hyphal growth/septin ring formation. Consistent with these genetic data, we demonstrated that RsAFP2 interacts with the cell wall of C. albicans, which also contains glucosylceramides, and activates the cell wall integrity pathway. Moreover, we found that RsAFP2 induces mislocalization of septins and blocks the yeast‐to‐hypha transition in C. albicans. Increased ceramide levels have previously been shown to result in apoptosis and septin mislocalization. Therefore, ceramide levels in C. albicans membranes were analysed following RsAFP2 treatment and, as expected, increased accumulation of phytoC24‐ceramides in membranes of RsAFP2‐treated C. albicans cells was detected. This is the first report on the interaction of a plant defensin with glucosylceramides in the fungal cell wall, causing cell wall stress, and on the effects of a defensin on septin localization and ceramide accumulation.
Prevalence and associated psychosocial factors of increased hand hygiene practice during the influenza A/H1N1 pandemic: findings and prevention implications from a national survey in Taiwan
Authors: Miao Yen‐Yu , Huang Jiun‐Hau
Published: March 2012

Objective  To investigate increased hand hygiene practice in response to the pandemic influenza A/H1N1 (pH1N1) and its associated psychosocial factors in the Taiwanese general population.

Methods  A national telephone survey using random digit dialing was conducted on October 28–30, 2009 in Taiwan, resulting in a final sample of 1079 participants aged 15 or older.

Results  Seventy‐seven per cent reported that they increased hand hygiene practice during the pH1N1 epidemic. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that increased hand hygiene practice was associated with health beliefs that pH1N1 was more transmissible than avian influenza (OR = 1.42); that pH1N1 was slightly more severe in Taiwan compared with other countries (OR = 1.59); that handwashing was very effective in preventing pH1N1 (OR = 3.12), and that handwashing after contact with possibly pH1N1‐contaminated objects/surfaces was not very difficult (OR = 2.14) or not difficult at all (OR = 2.49).

Conclusions  These findings suggest that future campaigns to promote preventive health behaviour in the public should consider communicating evidence‐based information concerning the effectiveness of the recommended preventive behaviour, comparing the emerging epidemic with prior local outbreaks, and not overplaying the seriousness of the disease with fear tactics.
Altered expression of melanocortin‐1 receptor (MC1R) in a yellow‐coloured wild raccoon dog (Nyctereutes procyonoides)
Authors: Han Jae‐Ik , Yang Hyun , Jeung Eui‐Bae , Na Ki‐Jeong
Published: March 2012

Background –  The melanocortin 1 receptor (MC1R) gene plays a key role in determining coat colour in mammals by controlling the proportion of eumelanin and pheomelanin granules. Wild raccoon dogs have a mixed coat colour, with black to brown and grey hairs.

Hypothesis/Objectives –  The study was performed to identify the cause of the variant yellow coat colour in a wild raccoon dog.

Animals –  A wild raccoon dog that showed coat colour change to yellow and four wild‐type raccoon dogs that showed normal coat colour were included.

Methods –  To identify the cause of the variant yellow coat colour, we examined the sequence of the MC1R gene and its expression at the mRNA and protein levels.

Results –  The coding region of the MC1R gene of this raccoon dog comprised 954 bp, the same as for wild‐type raccoon dogs and domestic dogs. By comparing the gene with that in the wild‐type raccoon dog, a 2 bp deletion was detected in the 5′‐untranslated region, positioned 152 bp upstream of the start codon. However, there was no significant difference in the mRNA expression level. The yellow raccoon dog revealed a significantly decreased MC1R protein level compared with the wild‐type raccoon dogs, indicating an increase in pheomelanin synthesis.

Conclusions and clinical importance –  These results suggest that the variant coat colour in the yellow raccoon dog was associated with decreased MC1R function.
Desflurane‐induced and ischaemic postconditioning against myocardial infarction are mediated by Pim‐1 kinase
Authors: STUMPNER J. , SMUL T. M. , REDEL A. , HILZ T. , TISCHER‐ZEITZ T. , EISENBARTH H. , SCHICK M. A. , KEHL F. , ROEWER N. , LANGE M.
Published: March 2012

Background

Anaesthetic‐induced (APOST) and ischaemic postconditioning (IPOST) against myocardial infarction are mediated via phosphatidylinositol‐3‐kinase/Akt. Pim‐1 kinase is acting downstream of Akt and has recently been demonstrated to enhance cardiomyocyte survival. We tested the hypothesis that both APOST and IPOST are mediated by Pim‐1 kinase.

Methods

Pentobarbital‐anaesthetized male C57BL/6 mice were subjected to 45‐min coronary artery occlusion (CAO) and 3‐h reperfusion. Animals received either no intervention, the Pim‐1 kinase inhibitor II (10 μg/g intraperitoneally) or its vehicle dimethy sulfoxide (10 μl/g intraperitoneally). Three minutes prior to the end of CAO, 1.0 minimum alveolar concentration desflurane was administered for 18 min alone or in combination with Pim‐1 kinase inhibitor II. IPOST was induced by three cycles of each 10‐s ischaemia/reperfusion, and animals received either IPOST alone or in combination with Pim‐1 kinase inhibitor II. Infarct size was determined with triphenyltetrazolium chloride and area at risk with Evans blue. Protein expression of Pim‐1 kinase, Bad, phospho‐BadSer112 and B‐cell lymphoma 2 was determined using Western immunoblotting analysis.

Results

Infarct size in control animals (CON) was 46 ± 3%. Dimethylsulfoxide (47 ± 3%) and Pim‐1 kinase inhibitor II (44 ± 5%) did not significantly reduce infarct size. Desflurane (16 ± 2%*; *P < 0.05 vs. CON) and IPOST (21 ± 2%*) significantly reduced infarct size compared with CON. Inhibition of Pim‐1 kinase abolished desflurane‐induced postconditioning (46 ± 4%) and IPOST (44 ± 5%). Western blot analysis revealed that only desflurane enhances phosphorylation of Bad at serine 112 that was abrogated by Pim‐1 kinase inhibitor II.

Conclusion

These data suggest that Pim‐1 kinase mediates both desflurane‐induced postconditioning and IPOST in mice.
Post‐Natal Growth in the Rat Pineal Gland: A Stereological Study
Authors: Erbagci H. , Kizilkan N. , Ozbag D. , Erkilic S. , Kervancioglu P. , Canan S. , Gumusburun E.
Published: March 2012

The purpose was to observe the changes in a rat pineal gland using stereological techniques during lactation and post‐weaning periods. Thirty Wistar albino rats were studied during different post‐natal periods using light microscopy. Pineal gland volume was estimated using the Cavalieri Method. Additionally, the total number of pinealocytes was estimated using the optical fractionator technique. Pineal gland volume displayed statistically significant changes between lactation and after weaning periods. A significant increase in pineal gland volume was observed from post‐natal day 10 to post‐natal day 90. The numerical density of pinealocytes became stabilized during lactation and decreased rapidly after weaning. However, the total number of pinealocytes continuously increased during post‐natal life of all rats in the study. However, this increment was not statistically significant when comparing the lactation and after weaning periods. The increase in post‐natal pineal gland volume may depend on increment of immunoreactive fibres, capsule thickness or new synaptic bodies.
Meta‐analysis of the relationship between ACE I/D gene polymorphism and end‐stage renal disease in patients with diabetic nephropathy
Authors: YU ZE‐YAN , CHEN LI‐SHENG , ZHANG LEI‐CHANG , ZHOU TIAN‐BIAO
Published: March 2012

Aims:  Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is the major cause for end‐stage renal disease (ESRD) and the pathogenesis for DN developing into ESRD is not clear at present. Results from published studies on the relationship between angiotensin‐converting enzyme (ACE) insertion/deletion (I/D) gene polymorphism and ESRD risk in DN patients are still conflicting. This meta‐analysis was performed to evaluate the association between ACE I/D gene polymorphism and ESRD risk in DN patients.

Methods:  Association studies were identified from the databases of PubMed, Embase and Cochrane Library on 1 October 2011, and eligible investigations were identified and synthesized using the meta‐analysis method. Results were expressed using odds ratios (OR) for dichotomous data and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were also calculated.

Results:  Twelve studies reporting the relation between ACE I/D gene polymorphism and ESRD risk in DN patients were identified. In overall populations, there was a notable association between D allele or DD genotype and ESRD susceptibility (D: OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.11–1.56, P = 0.002; DD: OR = 1.67, 95% CI: 1.25–2.21, P = 0.0004). In the sub‐group analysis according to ethnicity, D allele or DD genotype was associated with ESRD risk in Asians. In Caucasians, the association of DD genotype with ESRD risk was observed, but the D allele was not. Furthermore, ACE I/D gene polymorphism was associated with ESRD risk in patients with DN due to diabetes mellitus type 2, but the association was not found for patients with DN due to diabetes mellitus type‐1.

Conclusions:  Our results indicate that D allele or DD homozygous is associated with the ESRD susceptibility in DN patients. However, more investigations are required to further this association.
Timing of gazes in child dialogues: a time‐course analysis of requests and back channelling in referential communication
Authors: Sandgren Olof , Andersson Richard , Weijer Joost van de , Hansson Kristina , Sahlén Birgitta
Published: March 2012

Abstract  Background: This study investigates gaze behaviour in child dialogues. In earlier studies the authors have investigated the use of requests for clarification and responses in order to study the co‐creation of understanding in a referential communication task. By adding eye tracking, this line of research is now expanded to include non‐verbal contributions in conversation.

Aims: To investigate the timing of gazes in face‐to‐face interaction and to relate the gaze behaviour to the use of requests for clarification.

Methods & Procedures: Eight conversational pairs of typically developing 10–15 year olds participated. The pairs (director and executor) performed a referential communication task requiring the description of faces. During the dialogues both participants wore head‐mounted eye trackers. All gazes were recorded and categorized according to the area fixated (Task, Face, Off). The verbal context for all instances of gaze at the partner's face was identified and categorized using time‐course analysis.

Outcomes & Results: The results showed that the executor spends almost 90% of the time fixating the gaze on the task, 10% on the director's face and less than 0.5% elsewhere. Turn shift, primarily requests for clarification, and back channelling significantly predicted the executors’ gaze to the face of the task director. The distribution of types of requests showed that requests for previously unmentioned information were significantly more likely to be associated with gaze at the director.

Conclusions & Implications: The study shows that the executors’ gaze at the director accompanies important dynamic shifts in the dialogue. The association with requests for clarification indicates that gaze at the director can be used to monitor the response with two modalities. Furthermore, the significantly higher association with requests for previously unmentioned information indicates that gaze may be used to emphasize the verbal content. The results will be used as a reference for studies of gaze behaviour in clinical populations with hearing and language impairments.
The cost of policy simplification in conservation incentive programs
Authors: Armsworth Paul R. , Acs Szvetlana , Dallimer Martin , Gaston Kevin J. , Hanley Nick , Wilson Paul
Published: March 2012

Ecology Letters (2012) 15: 406–414

Incentive payments to private landowners provide a common strategy to conserve biodiversity and enhance the supply of goods and services from ecosystems. To deliver cost‐effective improvements in biodiversity, payment schemes must trade‐off inefficiencies that result from over‐simplified policies with the administrative burden of implementing more complex incentive designs. We examine the effectiveness of different payment schemes using field parameterized, ecological economic models of extensive grazing farms. We focus on profit maximising farm management plans and use bird species as a policy‐relevant indicator of biodiversity. Common policy simplifications result in a 49–100% loss in biodiversity benefits depending on the conservation target chosen. Failure to differentiate prices for conservation improvements in space is particularly problematic. Additional implementation costs that accompany more complicated policies are worth bearing even when these constitute a substantial proportion (70% or more) of the payments that would otherwise have been given to farmers.
Diaspora and Development? London‐based Nigerian Organisations and the Transnational Politics of Socio‐economic Status and Gender
Authors: Lampert Ben
Published: March 2012

Diaspora organisations are increasingly being lauded as important actors in the development of their communities and countries of origin. Focusing on London‐based Nigerian organisations and their interventions in Nigeria, this article assesses the particular claims that diaspora organisations reach, benefit and ‘empower’ women and ‘the poor’ at ‘home’. It argues that, while many London‐based Nigerian organisations do connect with and support these groups, they often do so in ways that reinforce rather than transform established gender relations and socio‐economic inequalities. If international agencies are to support the progressive potential of the organised diaspora, it will be necessary to acknowledge the alternative and socially mediated ways in which development might be imagined and enacted both in diaspora and at ‘home’.
From Boom to Bust: How Different Has Microfinance Been from Traditional Banking?
Authors: Wagner Charlotte
Published: March 2012

This article presents in‐depth analysis of developments in the microfinance sector before and after the collapse of Lehman Brothers in 2008, by comparing them with developments in the traditional banking sectors of emerging markets and developing countries. Its findings indicate that microfinance has been part of the same credit boom observed in the traditional banking sector, and that the boom was also fostered by substantial inflows of foreign capital. Further, that risks associated with credit booms in the traditional sector also evolved in the microfinance sector. The article comes to the conclusion that, by becoming part of the global financial system, microfinance has lost one of the characteristics distinguishing it from traditional banking, namely, its greater resilience to crises in domestic and global financial markets.
Is Life Annuity an Effective Tool for Managing Longevity Risk in Korea?*
Authors: Yuh Yoonkyung , Yang Jaehwan
Published: March 2012

We examine optimal life annuity planning for Korean pre‐retirees with a focus on the optimal timing of annuitization. The objective is to maximize the expected total utility from consumption during the retirement period. Benchmark cases with various values for net wealth, proportion of net wealth that is annuitized at the time of retirement and level of risk aversion are applied. We confirm that life annuity is an effective tool for managing longevity risk in Korea and it is important to select the timing of annuitization carefully to maximize the expected total utility and to avoid unnecessary financial ruin during retirement. In addition, we find that the optimal annuity strategy is more beneficial for those with lower levels of wealth than others.
Productivity Growth in Different Plant‐size Groups in the Malaysian Manufacturing Sector*
Authors: Kim Sangho , Park Donghyun , Park Jong‐Ho
Published: March 2012

In the present study, we develop a stochastic frontier production model that allows for different groups of firms to have different patterns of technical efficiency over time. We apply our model to the Malaysian manufacturing sector to decompose total factor productivity growth into technical efficiency change and technical progress for different plant size groups (e.g. large and small) in seven industries during 2000–2004. Our empirical results indicate that technical efficiency has worsened across all industries and plant‐size groups. In contrast, we find evidence of substantial technical progress in all industries. In fact, technical progress has been larger than technical efficiency deterioration in most industries and plant‐size groups, leading to total factor productivity growth. Our analysis identifies the industries and plant‐size groups that lag the most in terms of productivity, and thus have the greatest scope for policies that facilitate productivity growth.
Creating the socially marginalised youth smoker: the role of tobacco control
Authors: Frohlich Katherine L. , Mykhalovskiy Eric , Poland Blake D. , Haines‐Saah Rebecca , Johnson Joy
Published: March 2012

We discuss how the tobacco control discourse on youth smoking in Canada appears to be producing and constituting socially marginalised smokers. We analyse material from a study on social inequalities in Canadian youth smoking. Individual interviews were conducted in 2007 and 2008 with tobacco control practitioners specialising in youth smoking prevention in British Columbia and Quebec. We found that the discourse on youth smoking is creating a set of divisive practices, separating youths who have a capacity for self‐control from those who do not, youths who are able to make responsible decisions from those who are not – with these distinctions often framed as a function of social class. Youths who smoke were not described simply as persons who smoke cigarettes but as individuals who, through their economic and social marginalisation, are biologically fated and behaviourally inclined to be smokers. This ‘smokers’ risk’ discourse obscures the social structural conditions under which people smoke and reproduces the biological and behavioural reductionism of biomedicine. The collision of risk and class in the discourse on poor youth who smoke may not only be doubly burdening but may intensify social inequalities in youth smoking by forming subcultures of resistance and risk‐taking.
Consent to Neoliberal Hegemony through Coercive Urban Environmental Governance
Authors: PERKINS HAROLD A.
Published: March 2012

Milwaukee County, Wisconsin was renowned for its investment in 6,000 hectares of public parks. However, park system budgets were slashed, its unionized work force diminished and its infrastructure required hundreds of millions of dollars in repairs. How did this transition occur? This article uses Antonio Gramsci's work on the integral state to argue capital interests and middle‐class property owners are ideologically opposed to raising taxes to pay for government services. This coalition elected a County Executive who had their consent to carry out a fiscally austere agenda. The County parks employee union resisted this action; therefore the County Executive used layoffs to publicly coerce the remaining parks employees to capitulate to wage and benefit reductions. The Parks Director, acting as the ethical state's intellectual, in turn built civil sector capacity for market‐based environmental governance to justify fewer paid employees. Residents who value their neighborhood parks consent to volunteer in them for fear they may be lost entirely. Volunteering, however, plays into coercive market‐based logic that further reduces the need for unionized employees. These strategies result in the maintenance of a few spectacular parks while many others deteriorate.

Le comté de Milwaukee dans le Wisconsin, connu pour avoir investi dans 6000 hectares de parcs publics, a vu les budgets de son maillage vert (Park System) amputés, sa main‐d'œuvre syndiquée réduite, et son infrastructure réclamer des centaines de millions de dollars de réparations. Comment décrire cette évolution? À partir du travail d'Antonio Gramsci sur ‘l'État intégral’, on peut avancer que les intérêts du capital et les propriétaires des classes moyennes sont idéologiquement opposés à toute augmentation de taxes pour financer des services publics. Cette coalition a élu un chef de l'exécutif du comté sur la promesse d'un plan d'austérité fiscale. Face à la résistance du syndicat des employés des parcs, il a eu recours à des licenciements pour contraindre les autres employés des parcs à accepter un recul de leurs salaires et avantages. Le directeur des Parcs, en intellectuel de l'État de droit, a alors bâti une capacité civique en matière de gouvernance environnementale axée sur le marché pour justifier les réductions de personnel rémunéré. Les habitants, attachés aux parcs de leur quartier, ont consenti à y travailler gratuitement par crainte de les voir disparaître. Ce bénévolat entre dans une logique de marché coercitive qui réduit encore le besoin en employés syndiqués. En fin de compte, quelques parcs impressionnants sont préservés, mais beaucoup d'autres dégénèrent.
Atlantic Gardens in Mediterranean Climates: Understanding the Production of Suburban Natures in Barcelona
Authors: PARÉS MARC , MARCH HUG , SAURÍ DAVID
Published: March 2012

While the city of Barcelona is being held up worldwide as an example of a compact and sustainable urban settlement, its metropolitan region has been suburbanized with low‐density housing that, among other impacts, threatens the water supply system of the area. In this process of urbanization new landscapes of consumption — greening the city with non‐native natures — have been produced, requiring a higher use of water and other inputs. Starting with the drought events of 2008 in Metropolitan Barcelona, this article aims to develop an understanding of the production of the green city in a Mediterranean environment. Using urban political ecology, and extending our scope to cultural theories, we investigate the proliferation of Atlantic gardens in the Barcelona Metropolitan Region. By broadening existing debates on suburban natures from a predominantly North American focus to other contexts, the article aims to offer a different view of the political, economic and cultural constructions of urban natures in order to facilitate the design of more equitable cities.

La ville de Barcelone est citée partout comme exemple d'implantation urbaine compacte et durable. En revanche, dans sa région métropolitaine, les banlieues se caractérisent par un habitat peu dense et, entre autres impacts, elles mettent en danger l'approvisionnement local en eau. Au cours de cette urbanisation, de nouveaux paysages de consommation ont été créés (avec des espaces verts composés de natures non locales), nécessitant davantage d'eau et d'autres apports. Partant des épisodes de sécheresse de 2008 dans la métropole de Barcelone, ce travail développe un concept de production de la ‘ville verte’ dans un environnement méditerranéen. En s'appuyant sur l'écologie politique urbaine et en étendant le champ d'investigation aux théories culturelles, il étudie la prolifération des jardins d'inspiration atlantique dans la région métropolitaine de Barcelone. Les débats existants sur les ‘natures suburbaines’ sont élargis pour passer d'un cadre nord‐américain prédominant à d'autres contextes, ce qui permet d'offrir une vision différente des interprétations politiques, économiques et culturelles des ‘natures urbaines’ afin de faciliter la conception de villes plus équitables.
When Do Papers Matter? An Institutional Analysis of Undocumented Life in the United States
Authors: Gleeson Shannon , Gonzales Roberto G.
Published: March 2012

This article assesses how two key institutions differentially shape immigrants’ relationship to their rights in American society. We draw on over 200 in‐depth interviews to argue that there is a stark difference between how schools encourage undocumented youth to view themselves as equal members of US society and how undocumented workers are marginalized in the workplace. We find that even as schools track and stratify students, they also foster a culture of meritocracy between documented and undocumented youth. Schools ultimately render immigration status irrelevant as undocumented youth learn to navigate the primary institution of this stage of their lives. Conversely, immigration status is central to the experience of undocumented workers, who develop a particular set of survival skills that help them live and work successfully in the United States without being detected while also erecting a barrier between themselves and any additional rights they may be afforded.
Wealth Effects of Credit Risk Securitization in European Banking
Authors: Uhde Andr , Farruggio Christian , Michalak Tobias C.
Published: March 2012

Abstract:  Using a unique cross‐sectional dataset of 381 cash and synthetic securitizations issued by 53 banks from the EU‐15 plus Switzerland between 1997 and 2007, this paper provides empirical evidence for time‐dependent negative wealth effects of credit risk securitization announcements in European banking. Baseline results hold when comparing estimated wealth effects with a control group of similar but non‐securitizing banks for the relevant time period. Moreover, building several sub samples we find that the nexus between credit risk securitization, the issuing banks’ overall risk exposure and wealth effects is associated with a variety of transaction‐ and bank‐specific factors.
Evaluating the accuracy and calibration of expert predictions under uncertainty: predicting the outcomes of ecological research
Authors: McBride Marissa F. , Fidler Fiona , Burgman Mark A.
Published: March 2012

Aim Expert knowledge routinely informs ecological research and decision‐making. Its reliability is often questioned, but is rarely subject to empirical testing and validation. We investigate the ability of experts to make quantitative predictions of variables for which the answers are known.

Location Global.

Methods Experts in four ecological subfields were asked to make predictions about the outcomes of scientific studies, in the form of unpublished (in press) journal articles, based on information in the article introduction and methods sections. Estimates from students were elicited for one case study for comparison. For each variable, participants assessed a lower and upper bound, best guess and level of confidence that the observed value will lie within their ascribed interval. Responses were assessed for (1) accuracy: the degree to which predictions corresponded with observed experimental results, (2) informativeness: precision of the uncertainty bounds, and (3) calibration: degree to which the uncertainty bounds contained the truth as often as specified.

Results Expert responses were found to be overconfident, specifying 80% confidence intervals that captured the truth only 49–65% of the time. In contrast, student 80% intervals captured the truth 76% of the time, displaying close to perfect calibration. Best estimates from experts were on average more accurate than those from students. The best students outperformed the worst experts. No consistent relationships were observed between performance and years of experience, publication record or self‐assessment of expertise.

Main conclusions Experts possess valuable knowledge but may require training to communicate this knowledge accurately. Expert status is a poor guide to good performance. In the absence of training and information on past performance, simple averages of expert responses provide a robust counter to individual variation in performance.
Large‐scale assessment of regeneration and diversity in Mediterranean planted pine forests along ecological gradients
Authors: Ruiz‐Benito Paloma , Gómez‐Aparicio Lorena , Zavala Miguel A.
Published: March 2012

Aim There is increasing concern regarding sustainable management and restoration of planted forests, particularly in the Mediterranean Basin where pine species have been widely used. The aim of this study was to analyse the environmental and structural characteristics of Mediterranean planted pine forests in relation to natural pine forests. Specifically, we assessed recruitment and woody species richness along climatic, structural and perturbation gradients to aid in developing restoration guidelines.

Location Continental Spain.

Methods We conducted a multivariate comparison of ecological characteristics in planted and natural stands of main Iberian native pine species (Pinus halepensis,Pinus pinea,Pinus pinaster,Pinus nigraandPinus sylvestris). We fitted species‐specific statistical models of recruitment and woody species richness and analysed the response of natural and planted stands along ecological gradients.

Results Planted pine forests occurred on average on poorer soils and experienced higher anthropic disturbance rates (fire frequency and anthropic mortality) than natural pine forests. Planted pine forests had lower regeneration and diversity levels than natural pine forests, and these differences were more pronounced in mountain pine stands. The largest differences in recruitment – chiefly oak seedling abundance – and species richness between planted and natural stands occurred at low‐medium values of annual precipitation, stand tree density, distance toQuercusforests and fire frequency, whereas differences usually disappeared in the upper part of the gradients.

Main conclusions Structural characteristics and patterns of recruitment and species richness differ in pine planted forests compared to natural pine ecosystems in the Mediterranean, especially for mountain pines. However, management options exist that would reduce differences between these forest types, where restoration towards more natural conditions is feasible. To increase recruitment and diversity, vertical and horizontal heterogeneity could be promoted by thinning in high‐density and homogeneous stands, while enrichment planting would be desirable in mesic and medium‐density planted forests.
Positioning of antihistamines in the Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) guidelines
Authors: Mullol Joaquim
Published: March 2012

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a major health problem with high and ever‐increasing prevalence worldwide. At least one‐fifth of adults in industrialized countries are estimated to have AR, defined as nasal and eye symptoms that are sufficiently severe to have a substantial negative impact on the quality of life (QoL). The former classification of AR comprised seasonal AR (SAR) and perennial AR (PAR), which did not adequately reflect the presentation and clinical course of the disease. The Allergic Rhinitis and its Impact on Asthma (ARIA) classification is based on the duration of symptoms and the disease severity. Both intermittent AR (IAR: symptoms ≤ 4 days/week or ≤ 4 consecutive weeks) and persistent AR (PER: symptoms > 4 days/week and > 4 consecutive weeks) may be mild, moderate, or severe based on the QOL impairment (sleep, daily activities/leisure, work productivity/school performance) and bothersome symptoms. Despite its disabling effects, AR remains a condition where affected individuals do not seek appropriate treatment, are undertreated and do not adhere well to treatment, which all lead to low disease control and high societal costs. The four pillars of AR treatment are allergen and pollutant avoidance, patient education, pharmacotherapy and allergen‐specific immunotherapy. Oral antihistamines, together with intranasal corticosteroids and leucotriene antagonists, constitute important pharmacological options for the treatment of AR at all levels of severity. New second‐generation antihistamines are H1‐receptor antagonists with high efficacy (rapid onset of action for AR symptoms, sometimes even on nasal congestion, improvement of QoL and additional anti‐allergic effects) and safety (low sedation rates). Although new antihistamines have been studied and approved for SAR and PAR, only some of them have been reported to show efficacy and safety for treatment of AR under the ARIA classification: levocetirizine (high efficacy) and rupatadine (dual antihistamine and anti‐PAF effects) for PER, and desloratadine (high safety) for both IAR and PER.
Happiness is drinking beer: a cross‐cultural analysis of multimodal metaphors in American and Ukrainian commercials
Authors: Lantolf James P. , Bobrova Larysa
Published: March 2012

This paper examines multimodal conceptual metaphors in a corpus of 32 American and Ukrainian beer commercials. The dominant metaphor in both cultures is HAPPINESS IS DRINKING BEER, with a secondary metaphor BEER IS A PERSON. The Ukrainian commercials exhibit a third metaphor that appears in a very subtle way in the American commercials: LOVE FOR THE MOTHERLAND IS DRINKING BEER. The analysis reveals cross‐cultural variation in the mappings and entailments of the metaphors. We argue that this variation is not just a matter of divergent advertising strategies but is a manifestation of differences in the conceptual understandings of happiness, beer drinking, friendship, and patriotism in both cultures.

Este estudio investiga las metáforas conceptuales multimodales en un corpus de treinta y dos anuncios publicitarios de cerveza estadounidenses y ucranianas. La metáfora principal en ambas culturas es LA FELICIDAD ES TOMAR CERVEZA, y una metáfora secundaria es LA CERVEZA ES UNA PERSONA. Los comerciales ucranianos manifiestan una tercera metáfora que aparece de una manera sutil en los comerciales estadounidenses: EL AMOR A LA PATRIA ES TOMAR CERVEZA. El análisis revela una variación transcultural en las proyecciones e inferencias de las metáforas. Proponemos que esta variación no sólo se debe a estrategias de publicidad divergentes, sino que revela diferencias en la comprensión conceptual de la felicidad, tomar cerveza, la amistad y el patriotismo entre las dos culturas.
Change of the state representation of words in viewing instantaneous speech texts
Authors: Yekta Razieh Rabbani , Ketabi Saeed , Tavakoli Mansoor
Published: March 2012

This study focused on one aspect of vocabulary knowledge, namely, change of the state representation of words in the lexicon, by providing a type of multi‐sensory input in the form of instantaneous speech text of subtitled DVD. The purpose was to see whether this type of input could fulfill the needs of advanced learners for the immediate cognitive regulation of their knowledge. To this end, two types of subtitles were used in a counterbalanced design, when after each exposure, the state rating task was used to show the patterns of change in the learners' cognitive states. Results showed that subtitle viewing contributes to a change in learners' state representation of the words, but this contribution varies with the types of subtitling.
Mandatory IFRS Adoption and the Contractual Usefulness of Accounting Information in Executive Compensation
Authors: OZKAN NESLIHAN , SINGER ZVI , YOU HAIFENG
Published: March 2012

We examine how the mandatory adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) in continental Europe affects the contractual usefulness of accounting information in executive compensation, as reflected in pay‐performance sensitivity (PPS) and relative performance evaluation (RPE). The empirical evidence indicates a weak increase in accounting‐based PPS in the post‐adoption period, primarily driven by countries with large differences between IFRS and their previously adopted local accounting standards. We also document a significant increase in accounting‐based RPE using foreign peers after the adoption. Additional analysis shows that the increase in RPE is greater for firms with more foreign sales, and for those with lower availability of domestic peers of comparable size. The overall results are consistent with the compensation committees in those countries perceiving earnings after IFRS adoption to be of higher quality and comparability. Our paper highlights an important benefit of IFRS largely ignored by the literature, that is, the higher earnings quality and comparability brought by the adoption of IFRS facilitate executive compensation contracting.
Monotonic Bayesian Semiparametric Benchmark  Dose Analysis
Authors: Wheeler Matthew , Bailer A. John
Published: March 2012

Quantitative risk assessment proceeds by first estimating a dose‐response model and then inverting this model to estimate the dose that corresponds to some prespecified level of response. The parametric form of the dose‐response model often plays a large role in determining this dose. Consequently, the choice of the proper model is a major source of uncertainty when estimating such endpoints. While methods exist that attempt to incorporate the uncertainty by forming an estimate based upon all models considered, such methods may fail when the true model is on the edge of the space of models considered and cannot be formed from a weighted sum of constituent models. We propose a semiparametric model for dose‐response data as well as deriving a dose estimate associated with a particular response. In this model formulation, the only restriction on the model form is that it is monotonic. We use this model to estimate the dose‐response curve from a long‐term cancer bioassay, as well as compare this to methods currently used to account for model uncertainty. A small simulation study is conducted showing that the method is superior to model averaging when estimating exposure that arises from a quantal‐linear dose‐response mechanism, and is similar to these methods when investigating nonlinear dose‐response patterns.
On “Black Swans” and “Perfect Storms”: Risk Analysis and Management When Statistics Are Not Enough
Authors: Paté‐Cornell Elisabeth
Published: March 2012

Two images, “black swans” and “perfect storms,” have struck the public's imagination and are used—at times indiscriminately—to describe the unthinkable or the extremely unlikely. These metaphors have been used as excuses to wait for an accident to happen before taking risk management measures, both in industry and government. These two images represent two distinct types of uncertainties (epistemic and aleatory). Existing statistics are often insufficient to support risk management because the sample may be too small and the system may have changed. Rationality as defined by the von Neumann axioms leads to a combination of both types of uncertainties into a single probability measure—Bayesian probability—and accounts only for risk aversion. Yet, the decisionmaker may also want to be ambiguity averse. This article presents an engineering risk analysis perspective on the problem, using all available information in support of proactive risk management decisions and considering both types of uncertainty. These measures involve monitoring of signals, precursors, and near‐misses, as well as reinforcement of the system and a thoughtful response strategy. It also involves careful examination of organizational factors such as the incentive system, which shape human performance and affect the risk of errors. In all cases, including rare events, risk quantification does not allow “prediction” of accidents and catastrophes. Instead, it is meant to support effective risk management rather than simply reacting to the latest events and headlines.
Modeling the Coverage of Splat Areas Arising from Thermal Spray Processes
Authors: Ang Andrew Siao Ming , Berndt Christopher C. , Dunn Michelle , Sesso Mitchell L. , Kim Sun Yung
Published: March 2012

The coverage of a deposited material that arises from the integration of discrete splat areas is an essential parameter that needs to be understood during thermal spray processes. However, there is absence of a theoretical method to predict and estimate the area coverage per pass by a thermal spray torch; for example by the plasma spray process. In this study, a model is presented that calculates the splat area coverage for a thermal spray process of ceramic materials. A focused survey of the published literature takes into consideration experimental observations that are related to this work. The model accounts for physical events in thermal spray processes, such as the use of a mono‐modal feedstock and size of spray stream. The model predictions for the area coverage of plasma sprayed yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ) ranged between 12% and 18% depending on the value assumed for the maximum flattening ratio. 

The results for the model were demonstrated via wipe studies where microscope glass slides were spray coated with YSZ and image analysis conducted. The average coverage calculated was approximately 13% for the sprayed images. The experiment verifies that the simulation results from the model predict adequately the splat area coverage of a thermal spray process.
Synthesis of a Homogeneously Porous Solid Oxide Matrix with Tunable Porosity and Pore Size
Authors: Zhang Lingling , Mao Zhengping , Thomason James D. , Wang Siwei , Huang Kevin
Published: March 2012

Porous ceramics are a technologically important branch of functional materials for a variety of physical and chemical systems. The properties of porous ceramics depend critically on porosity, pore morphology, pore size, and distribution. In this study, we demonstrate the synthesis of a homogeneously porous samarium‐doped cerium (Ce0.8Sm0.2O1.9, SDC) matrix with tunable porosity and pore size via sacrificial template method. The study explicitly shows that the porosity and pore size of the resultant porous matrix can be controlled by the volume fraction of sacrificial material NiO and sintering temperature, along with the mono‐mode pore distribution produced by molecular‐level mixing of co‐precipitating SDC and NiO. The demonstrated sacrificial template methodology provides an alternative means of tailoring properties of a porous ceramic for particular applications in catalysis, fuel cells, and gas separation membranes.
The Preparation and the Third‐Order Optical Nonlinearities of Sodium Borosilicate Glass Doped with CuInS2 Quantum Dots
Authors: Xiang Weidong , Zhao Haijun , Zhong Jiasong , Yang Xinyu , Guo Yuqing , Luo Hongyan , Liang Xiaojuan
Published: March 2012

The sodium borosilicate glass doped with CuInS2 quantum dots was prepared by using both sol–gel and atmosphere control methods. The formation mechanism and the microstructure of the glass were examined using differential thermal analysis and thermal gravimeter, X‐ray powder diffraction, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, scanning transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X‐ray spectra, high‐resolution transmission electron microscopy, and selected area electron diffraction. The results revealed that CuInS2 quantum dots in a tetragonal crystal system had formed uniformly in the glass, and the size distribution of these quantum dots generally ranged from 5 to 15 nm. In addition, Z‐scan technique was used to measure the third‐order optical nonlinearities of the glass. The results indicated that the glass has excellent third‐order optical nonlinearities, and thus will have potential applications in the field of nonlinear optics.
Bi‐Tunable Dielectric Constant of Antiferroelectric PZT Ceramics Under DC Electric Field
Authors: Wang Jinfei , Yang Tongqing , Wei Kun , Li Gang , Chen Shengchen
Published: March 2012

The dielectric properties of (Pb0.85Ba0.11La0.03)(Zr0.76Sn0.20Ti0.04) (PLZST–B11) composite ceramics have been investigated systematically. The characteristic of PLZST–B11 was that it demonstrated antiferroelectricity. The dielectric constant increased, then decreased sharply with increasing DC electric field, and a low loss also was obtained under DC electric fields (≤40 kV/cm). The low loss (tan δ ~0.003) and the highest tunability (~65%) were obtained for the PLZST–B11 ceramics around 50°C, indicating that it is a promising candidate for bi‐tunable materials nearby room temperature. The dielectric properties of PLZST–B11 composites under a DC bias field can be useful for the design of devices and practical applications.
Strong biofilm production but not adhesion virulence factors can discriminate between invasive and commensal Staphylococcus epidermidis strains
Authors: Mekni Mohamed A. , Bouchami Ons , Achour Wafa , Ben Hassen Assia
Published: March 2012

Staphylococcus epidermidis is a leading cause of hospital‐acquired infections, mostly associated with the use of medical devices in immunocompromised patients. It originates from the patient's own skin flora, which is subject to severe changes as a result of selective pressure exerted by the hospital environment. This notion led us to compare S. epidermidis isolates from catheter related infections (CRI), non‐catheter related bacteremia (NCRB) and catheter hub cultures (commensal isolates). The collection comprised 47 CRI strains from the Bone Marrow Transplant Centre of Tunis, 25 NCRB strains and 25 commensal isolates from patients hospitalized in the same center. Antimicrobial resistance and virulence‐associated genes (icaABC, aap, atlE, bhp, fbe, embp, and IS256), polysaccharide intercellular adhesin synthesis, and biofilm formation were investigated. The clonal relationship of strains was investigated by pulsed field gel electrophoresis. Whereas bhp, atlE, fbe, embp, and aap were almost ubiquitously amplified, resistance to oxacillin, kanamycin, tobramycin, gentamicin, cotrimoxazole, and fosfomycin, biofilm production, ica genes, and IS256 were significantly more frequent in invasive (CRI and NCRB strains) than in commensal strains. Moreover, strong biofilm production was significantly more frequent among CRI strains than in NCRB strains. In conclusion, when S. epidermidis is isolated from blood cultures, the detection of strong biofilm production may be significant with regard to judging whether the detected strain is an etiologic agent of CRI.