bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cdk5 regulates multiple cellular events in neural development, function and disease
Authors: Kawauchi Takeshi
Published: May 2014

Cyclin‐dependent kinases (CDKs) generally regulate cell proliferation in dividing cells, including neural progenitors. In contrast, an unconventional CDK, Cdk5, is predominantly activated in post‐mitotic cells, and involved in various cellular events, such as microtubule and actin cytoskeletal organization, cell–cell and cell–extracellular matrix adhesions, and membrane trafficking. Interestingly, recent studies have indicated that Cdk5 is associated with several cell cycle‐related proteins, Cyclin‐E and p27kip1. Taking advantage of multiple functionality, Cdk5 plays important roles in neuronal migration, layer formation, axon elongation and dendrite arborization in many regions of the developing brain, including cerebral cortex and cerebellum. Cdk5 is also required for neurogenesis at least in the cerebral cortex. Furthermore, Cdk5 is reported to control neurotransmitter release at presynaptic sites, endocytosis of the NMDA receptor at postsynaptic sites and dendritic spine remodeling, and thereby regulate synaptic plasticity and memory formation and extinction. In addition to these physiological roles in brain development and function, Cdk5 is associated with many neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In this review, I will introduce the physiological and pathological roles of Cdk5 in mammalian brains from the viewpoint of not only in vivo phenotypes but also its molecular and cellular functions.
Does Job Loss Make You Smoke and Gain Weight?
Authors: Marcus Jan
Published: May 2014

This paper estimates the effect of involuntary job loss on smoking behaviour and body weight using German SOEP data. Baseline non‐smokers are more likely to start smoking due to job loss, while smokers do not intensify smoking. In particular, single individuals and those with lower health or socioeconomic status prior to job loss exhibit high rates of smoking initiation. Job loss increases body weight slightly, but significantly. The applied regression‐adjusted semiparametric difference‐in‐difference matching strategy is robust against selection on observables and time‐invariant unobservables. This paper provides an indirect test that the identifying assumption is not violated.
Soft Law in the European Union—The Changing Nature of EU Law
Authors: Terpan Fabien
Published: May 2014

This article is based on the assumption that there is a continuum running from non‐legal positions to legally binding and judicially controlled commitments with, in between these two opposite types of norms, commitments that can be described as soft law. It aims at defining soft law in international relations in order to provide a mapping of EU law on the basis of the soft law/hard law divide. It helps categorise EU competences and public policies, and sees how they fit with the distinction between two kinds of processes: legalisation (transformation of non‐legal norms into soft or hard law) and delegalisation (transformation of hard law norms into soft law and evolution from hard to soft law).
Red calcite: an indicator of paleo‐karst systems associated with bauxitic unconformities
Authors: Győri O. , Orbán R. , Mindszenty A. , Fodor L. , Poros Zs. , Erőss A. , Benkó Zs. , Molnár F.
Published: May 2014

A unique red calcite generation, which fills fractures/cavities, is hosted by Mesozoic carbonates in the Transdanubian Range, Hungary. Solid inclusions are located along growth zones of calcite. Hematite, the most abundant solid inclusion, gives the red colour of it. Outcrop‐scale geometry, mineralogical features and detrital mineral assemblage (hematite, gibbsite, goethite, kaolinite, smectite, illite, Cr‐spinel, monazite, xenotime, zircon, apatite and Ti‐oxide) of calcite precipitates suggest strong correlation between the calcite and nearby karst bauxite deposits. Fluid inclusion petrography and microthermometry (T < 50°C; salinity from 0 to 0.17 NaCl eq. w%) of primary fluid inclusions, and the stable isotope trend of the calcite, following the meteoric water line, clearly indicate vadose and phreatic meteoric origin in a near‐surface karst system. The late Cretaceous to mid‐Eocene unconformity‐related cavity‐filling deposits occur close to the surface; indicating that the most recent Quaternary exhumation re‐exposed those surfaces that existed at the time of calcite mineralization. Thus, red calcite precipitates are interpreted as being speleothems, vestiges of the subterranean part of the pre‐Middle Eocene karst. The infiltrated, fine bauxite particles enclosed by the calcite are the witnesses of the once areally extensive pre‐Middle Eocene bauxitic blanket that became partially eroded by the time of the deposition of the cover beds. Red calcite when found in core samples may provide good evidence on bauxite formation associated with the overlying unconformity, even if it was later removed by erosion. Therefore, presence or absence of red calcite may be used as distinguishing criteria between karst episodes with or without bauxite formation.
Clinicopathological significance of ASC amino acid transporter‐2 expression in pancreatic ductal carcinoma
Authors: Kaira Kyoichi , Sunose Yutaka , Arakawa Kazuhisa , Sunaga Noriaki , Shimizu Kimihiro , Tominaga Hideyuki , Oriuchi Noboru , Nagamori Shushi , Kanai Yoshikatsu , Oyama Tetsunari , Takeyoshi Izumi
Published: May 2014

Aims

ASC amino acid transporter‐2 (ASCT2) is highly expressed in cancer cells. However, the clinicopathological significance of ASCT2 expression in pancreatic cancer remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical significance of ASCT2 expression in pancreatic cancer.

Methods and results

Ninety‐seven patients with surgically resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma were evaluated. Tumour sections were stained by immunohistochemistry for ASCT2, Ki67, CD34 (to determine microvessel density), phospho‐AKT (p‐AKT) and phospho‐mammalian target of rapamycin (p‐mTOR) expression. ASCT2 was expressed in 54% (52/97) of tumours. Statistically significant differences in patient age, T stage, N stage, lymphatic permeation, vascular invasion, Ki67, and CD34 and p‐mTOR expression were observed between tumours with and without ASCT2 expression. Multivariate analysis confirmed that vascular invasion, ASCT2 expression and Ki67 expression were independent predictive factors for a poorer prognosis.

Conclusions

ASCT2 expression plays an important role in tumour cell growth, and is a promising pathological marker for predicting a worse outcome in pancreatic cancer.
Insulin–transferrin–selenium as an alternative to foetal serum for epidermal equivalents
Authors: Mainzer C. , Barrichello C. , Debret R. , Remoué N. , Sigaudo‐Roussel D. , Sommer P.
Published: May 2014

Synopsis

Objective

Organotypic skin models are powerful tools for research in development, ageing and diseases. They have become more and more complex with the use of multiple cell types. This requires a culture medium adapted to optimize the development of such in vitro skin. Foetal bovine serum (FBS) is the most complete supplement in existence at the moment, providing at once growth factors, vitamins, hormones and other circulating compounds. However, this cocktail suffers from batch variability and its animal origin is ethically questionable. More importantly, its biological activities may interfere with the study of certain signalling pathways. Here, we present a strategy for constructing an epidermal equivalent using a defined culture medium without serum.

Methods

An epidermal equivalent was constructed with primary human keratinocytes cultured using an insulin–transferrin–selenium (ITS) medium. Determination of steady‐state gene expression levels and the immunohistological characterization of keratinocyte markers were performed to compare the ITS medium condition with a reference model, where keratinocytes were co‐cultured with fibroblasts in the presence of FBS.

Results

The data show that the ITS medium promoted the expression of keratinocyte proliferation and differentiation markers at the protein and transcript levels in a similar way to that of the reference model.

Conclusion

We show that culture using the ITS medium appears as a viable replacement for FBS in the construction of epidermal equivalents, opening the way to signal transduction studies.
Microstructure and Cell Performance of NiO–YSZ Composite Anode‐Supported Solid Oxide Fuel Cells Using Graphite as Anode Pore‐Former: Effects of Graphite Particle Size and HNO3 Treatment
Authors: He Rujie , Fang Daining , He Feng , Wu Yefan
Published: May 2014

The influences of graphite particle size and HNO3 treatment on microstructure and cell performance of the NiO–YSZ anode‐supported solid oxide fuel cells were investigated. The peak power density for the cells using 1, 3, and 6 μm graphite was 679, 603, and 549 mW/cm2, respectively. HNO3 treatment was an efficient approach to improve the wettability of graphite in water, to modify the microstructure and to enhance the cell performance. The peak power density for the cell using HNO3‐treated graphite (1 μm) was 766 mW/cm2, approximately 13% higher than that of the cell using pristine graphite.
Diabetes attenuates urothelial modulation of detrusor contractility and spontaneous activity
Authors: Wang Yi , Tar Moses T , Fu Shibo , Melman Arnold , Davies Kelvin P
Published: May 2014

Objectives

To investigate the effect of diabetes on urothelial modulation of bladder contractility.

Methods

Bladder strips (urothelium intact or denuded) were prepared from 8‐week‐old streptozotocin‐induced diabetic (n = 19) and non‐diabetic control rats (n = 10). The effect of modulators of MaxiK (iberiotoxin and tetraethylammonium) and Kv7 (XE991 and retigabine) potassium channel activity were investigated for their effects on both carbachol‐induced force generation and spontaneous contractile activity.

Results

In bladder strips from non‐diabetic animals, the presence of the urothelium resulted in marked sensitivity to carbachol‐induced force generation by modulators of MaxiK and Kv7 channel activity, whereas in the diabetic animal urothelial sensitivity to these agents was significantly diminished. Urothelial‐intact bladder strips from non‐diabetic animals were more sensitive to modulators of Kv7 activity in reducing the amplitude of spontaneous phasic contractions than urothelial‐denuded bladder strips, whereas in diabetic animals the presence or absence of the urothelium did not alter the sensitivity to modulators of Kv7 activity. Spontaneous activity in the presence of tetraethylammonium was not affected by the urothelium in bladder strips from either diabetic or non‐diabetic animals.

Conclusions

The presence of the urothelium in bladders from non‐diabetic animals modulates the activity of potassium blockers to affect bladder contractility, whereas in the diabetic bladder this effect is attenuated. These findings could help to explain the lack of success of pharmaceutical treatments targeting potassium channels to treat bladder pathology in patients with diseases imparing urothelial function.
Negative Acculturation and Nothing More? Cumulative Disadvantage and Mortality during the Immigrant Adaptation Process among Latinos in the United States
Authors: Riosmena Fernando , Everett Bethany G. , Rogers Richard G. , Dennis Jeff A.
Published: May 2014

Foreign- and U.S.-born Hispanic health deteriorates with increasing exposure and acculturation to mainstream U.S. society. Because these associations are robust to (static) socioeconomic controls, negative acculturation has become their primary explanation. This overemphasis, however, has neglected important alternative structural explanations. Examining Hispanic mortality using the 1998–2006 U.S. National Health Interview Survey-Linked Mortality File according to nativity, immigrant adaptation measures, and health behaviors, this study presents indirect but compelling evidence that suggests negative acculturation is not the only or main explanation for this deterioration.
Multicultural Institutions, Distributional Politics, and Postelectoral Mobilization in Indigenous Mexico
Authors: Eisenstadt Todd A. , Ríos Viridiana
Published: May 2014

Contrary to the predictions of “power sharing” to mitigate ethnic conflicts, multicultural rights recognition can actually increase the frequency of local postelectoral mobilizations. This article demonstrates that the adoption of an ethnic rights regime for electing local government representatives may actually increase conflict if these multicultural laws are not carefully circumscribed to avoid violating human rights. Focusing on the 1995 multicultural rights reforms in Oaxaca, it presents evidence that legal changes purportedly implemented to recognize indigenous rights actually increased postelectoral disputes due to conflicts between county seat communities and peripheral population hamlets over access to funding by the central government. Based on this finding, the article addresses normative implications of “power-sharing” multiculturalism, recommending that multicultural laws be implemented only together with legal mechanisms to solve postelectoral disputes.
Countering Convergence: Agency and Diversity Among Guatemalan NGOs
Authors: Beck Erin
Published: May 2014

The proliferation of nongovernmental organizations across the developing world has sparked discussions of the “NGOization” of civil society and concern that NGOs have become increasingly uniform and internally homogenous. This article explores the evolution of NGOs in Guatemala since the 1960s and finds that NGOs historically and currently respond in diverse ways to external pressures—adjusting their strategies and actively attempting to shape their environment. Comparing two microcredit NGOs, it finds in addition that old and new models combine in unique organizational contexts in distinct ways. These two findings suggest that diversity is likely to persist among NGOs.
3D reconstruction of prior β grains in friction stir–processed Ti–6Al–4V
Authors: TILEY J.S. , SHIVELEY A.R. , PILCHAK A.L. , SHADE P.A. , GROEBER M.A.
Published: May 2014

The prior β grain structure and orientations in the central stir zone of friction stir–processed Ti–6Al–4V were reconstructed from measured α phase orientations obtained by three‐dimensional serial sectioning in a dual‐beam focused ion beam scanning electron microscope. The data were processed to obtain the α colony and β grain size distributions in the volume. Several β grains were individually analysed to determine the total number of unique α variants and the respective volume fractions of each. The analysis revealed that some grains experienced overwhelming variant selection (i.e. one variant dominated) whereas other β grains contained a more evenly distributed mixture of all 12 variants.
Waterbirth: An Integrative Analysis of Peer‐Reviewed Literature
Authors: Nutter Elizabeth , Meyer Shaunette , Shaw‐Battista Jenna , Marowitz Amy
Published: May 2014

Introduction

Despite a growing body of evidence for waterbirth safety, a myriad of political and cultural issues result in limited use in US hospitals compared to other developed nations. The purpose of this article is to critically analyze the evidence on maternal and neonatal outcomes of waterbirth to help inform evidence‐based clinical practice in the United States.

Methods

A literature search was performed using electronic databases CINAHL, Ovid MEDLINE, PubMed, EMBASE, and PsycINFO. Thirty‐eight studies, including 2 randomized controlled trials and 36 observational studies, were reviewed. Studies were conducted in 11 countries, mostly outside the United States. More than 31,000 waterbirths were described.

Results

Aggregate results suggest that waterbirth is associated with high levels of maternal satisfaction with pain relief and the experience of childbirth, and may increase the likelihood of an intact perineum. Waterbirth is associated with decreased incidence of episiotomy and severe perineal lacerations, and may contribute to reduced postpartum hemorrhage. Data indicate no difference in maternal or neonatal infection rates or nursery admissions after waterbirth. Neonatal mortality rates are low and similar after waterbirth and uncomplicated conventional birth. The calculated cord avulsion rate is 2.4 per 1000 waterbirths; it is unknown how this compares to conventional birth due to a lack of data that permits direct comparison.

Discussion

The majority of waterbirth research to date is observational and descriptive; thus, reported outcomes do not demonstrate causal associations. However, existing evidence is reassuring. Case‐controlled studies have included thousands of women who gave birth underwater without an apparent increase in maternal or neonatal morbidity or mortality. Potential risks associated with waterbirth for women and neonates appear minimal, and outcomes are comparable to those expected in any healthy childbearing population.
Rapid development of brood‐parasitic cuckoo embryos cannot be explained by increased gas exchange through the eggshell
Authors: Portugal S. J. , Hauber M. E. , Maurer G. , Stokke B. G. , Grim T. , Cassey P.
Published: May 2014

Obligate avian brood parasites lay their eggs in hosts' nests and play no role in the provisioning of the progeny. Many parasites, including Cuculus cuckoos, hatch before their hosts and the altricial chick evicts hosts eggs and nestlings. A hypothesized, but so far untested parasite adaptation is that the embryos of cuckoos develop more quickly than the hosts' because the higher porosity of the parasite's eggshell allows greater gaseous exchange, potentially supporting more rapid development. We compared the water vapour conductance (GH2O) of common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) eggshells and those of several passerines, including various cuckoo host species, and non‐passerine species. Contrary to the prediction, the cuckoo eggs had lower GH2O than eggs of their hosts, and lower GH2O than predicted for their egg size and phylogeny. A potential advantage for the cuckoo egg of having a lower GH2O may be that the yolk is depleted at a slower rate, allowing more reserves to remain at the end of incubation, assisting the embryo with the energetically demanding tasks of hatching from a thicker eggshell, and evicting host eggs and nestmates.
New insights into the evolutionary history of Plasmodium falciparum from mitochondrial genome sequence analyses of Indian isolates
Authors: Tyagi Suchi , Pande Veena , Das Aparup
Published: May 2014

Estimating genetic diversity and inferring the evolutionary history of Plasmodium falciparum could be helpful in understanding origin and spread of virulent and drug‐resistant forms of the malaria pathogen and therefore contribute to malaria control programme. Genetic diversity of the whole mitochondrial (mt) genome of P. falciparum sampled across the major distribution ranges had been reported, but no Indian P. falciparum isolate had been analysed so far, even though India is highly endemic to P. falciparum malaria. We have sequenced the whole mt genome of 44 Indian field isolates and utilized published data set of 96 genome sequences to present global genetic diversity and to revisit the evolutionary history of P. falciparum. Indian P. falciparum presents high genetic diversity with several characteristics of ancestral populations and shares many of the genetic features with African and to some extent Papua New Guinean (PNG) isolates. Similar to African isolates, Indian P. falciparum populations have maintained high effective population size and undergone rapid expansion in the past with oldest time to the most recent common ancestor (TMRCA). Interestingly, one of the four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that differentiates P. falciparum from P. falciparum‐like isolates (infecting non‐human primates in Africa) was found to be segregating in five Indian P. falciparum isolates. This SNP was in tight linkage with other two novel SNPs that were found exclusively in these five Indian isolates. The results on the mt genome sequence analyses of Indian isolates on the whole add to the current understanding on the evolutionary history of P. falciparum.
Origin and early diversification of the phylum Cnidaria Verrill: major developments in the analysis of the taxon's Proterozoic–Cambrian history
Authors: Van Iten Heyo , Marques Antonio C. , Leme Juliana de Moraes , Pacheco Mirian L. A. Forancelli , Simões Marcello Guimaraes
Published: May 2014

Diploblastic eumetazoans of the phylum Cnidaria originated during the Neoproterozoic Era, possibly during the Cryogenian Period. The oldest known fossil cnidarians occur in strata of Ediacaran age and consist of polypoid forms that were either nonbiomineralizing or weakly so. The oldest possible anthozoans, including the genus Ramitubus, may be related to tabulate corals and occur in the Doushantuo Lagerstätte (upper Doushantuo Formation, South China), the age of which is poorly constrained (approximately 585 Ma?). Conulariid scyphozoans may first appear as early as 635–577 Ma (Lantian Formation, South China). A definite conulariid, most similar to Palaeozoic species assigned to the genus Paraconularia, occurs in association with the possible scyphozoan, Corumbella werneri, in the latest Ediacaran (c. 543 Ma) Tamengo Formation of Brazil. Basal Cambrian (c. 540 Ma) phosphorites in the upper Kuanchuanpu Formation (South China) yield solitary polyps of the oldest probable anthozoan (Eolympia pediculata), which appears to have been a stem hexacorallian. This same formation contains fossils interpreted by some authors as pentaradial cubozoan polyps; however, both the oldest known cubozoans and the oldest hydrozoans, all medusae, may actually occur in the Cambrian (Series 3, c. 505 Ma) Marjum Formation (Utah, USA). Although these recently published palaeontological data tend to corroborate the hypothesis that Cnidaria has a relatively deep Neoproterozoic history, the timing of major internal branching events remains poorly constrained, with, for example, the results of some molecular clock analyses indicating that the two cnidarian subphyla (Anthozoaria and Medusozoa) may have originated as many as one billion years ago. Further progress towards elucidating the evolution and early fossil record of cnidarians may accrue from: (1) an intensive search for phosphatized soft parts in possible anthozoans from the Ediacaran Doushantuo Formation; (2) an expanded search for Ediacaran conulariids; and (3) additional detailed analyses of the taphonomy and preservation of Ediacaran and Cambrian cnidarians, including possible pentaradial cubozoan polyps from the Fortunian upper Kuanchuanpu Formation.
A Patient with Trisomy 13 Mosaicism with an Unusual Skin Pigmentary Pattern and Prolonged Survival
Authors: González‐del Angel Ariadna , Estandia‐Ortega Bernardette , Gaviño‐Vergara Alejandro , Sáez‐de‐Ocariz Marimar , Velasco‐Hernández María de la Luz , Salas‐Labadía Consuelo
Published: May 2014

Trisomy 13, or Patau syndrome, is a chromosomal disorder that can occur in complete, partial, or mosaic forms. Mosaicism is observed in 6% of individuals with trisomy 13 and, in contrast to the complete form, has wide phenotypic variability, longer survival, and in some patients an unusual skin pigmentary pattern similar to phylloid hypomelanosis. We describe here a 12‐year‐old girl with trisomy 13 mosaicism (mos 47,XX,+13[9]/46,XX[16]) who had three major malformations, an unusual skin pigmentary pattern, and prolonged survival.
Bullous Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in a Child Responding to Dapsone
Authors: Liu Kwei‐Lan , Shen Jui‐Lung , Yang Chii‐Shuenn , Chen Yi‐Ju
Published: May 2014

Bullous systemic lupus erythematosus is a subepidermal blistering disorder that primarily affects young women and only rarely occurs in children. We report a case of bullous systemic lupus erythematosus refractory to corticosteroid therapy in a 12‐year‐old boy who was successfully treated with oral dapsone.
Molecular and biochemical characterization of boscalid resistance in laboratory mutants of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum
Authors: Wang Y. , Duan Y.‐B. , Zhou M.‐G.
Published: May 2014

The plant‐pathogenic fungus Sclerotinia sclerotiorum has a broad host range and a worldwide distribution. Boscalid, an inhibitor of succinate dehydrogenase in the electron transport chain of fungi, is highly effective in controlling sclerotinia stem rot caused by S. sclerotiorum. The current study characterized the S. sclerotiorum boscalid‐resistant (BR) mutants obtained by fungicide induction. Among the bioactive fungicides against S. sclerotiorum, cross‐resistance was not detected between boscalid and dimethachlon, fluazinam or carbendazim; positive cross‐resistance was detected between boscalid and carboxin; and negative cross‐resistance was detected between boscalid and kresoxim‐methyl. Compared to their parental isolates, BR mutants had slower radial growth, no ability to produce sclerotia, lower virulence and oxalic acid content but higher mycelial respiration and succinate dehydrogenase (SDH) activity. Moreover, BR mutants had decreased sensitivity to salicylhydroxamic acid (SHAM) but not to oxidative stress. All the results indicated that the risk of resistance to boscalid in S. sclerotiorum is low to moderate. DNA sequence analysis showed that all of the BR mutants had the same point mutation A11V (GCA to GTA) in the iron sulphur protein subunit (SDHB). Interestingly, expression of the cytochrome b (cytb) gene was reduced to different degrees in the BR mutants, and this might be correlated with the negative cross‐resistance between boscalid and kresoxim‐methyl. Such information is vital in the design of resistance management strategies.
Sustainable aquaculture: agro‐ecological role of periphyton in ricefish farming
Authors: Saikia Surjya K. , Das Debangshu N.
Published: May 2014

Aquaculture has a highly promising role in producing fish biomass and fulfilling nutrient requirement for the growing population on the Earth. Worldwide, there exists several substrate‐based fish production practices of which Acadja, Athkotu, Samarah, Phum, Aji gnuii assonii, Xeng fishery are popular. These substrate‐based fisheries reported higher fish productivity than conventional supplemental feed‐based aquaculture. Herbivorous fish, in general, have natural tendency to graze on periphyton ensuring maximum accessibility to resources or acquire enhanced growth in a periphyton fed environment. In waterlogged rice fields with rice stem as substrate, common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) fishery has been a great success among agro‐farmers of Apatani Plateau in north‐eastern India. The practice achieves 30% more economic return per annum rice only cultivation. The practice is a best example of sustainable utilization of natural resources for fish production and also a low‐cost aquaculture to support poor farmers with shallow, waterlogged resources. The ecology of the rice fields in Apatani Plateau disclosed high richness and diversity of plankton and periphyton in aquatic column. The physico‐chemical nature of rice fields directly or indirectly affects the growth and dynamics of periphyton during rice‐growing periods. On availability of such aquatic resources, the fish, Common carp, shifts planktivorous or detritivorous feeding habits to periphytophagous habit and attains considerable growth over the stocked period. The present review highlights the immense potentiality of fish culture to explore periphytic resources and need of extending ricefish research towards a sustainable form of aquaculture in rice fields.
Interim Response of Wading Birds (Pelecaniformes and Ciconiiformes) and Waterfowl (Anseriformes) to the Kissimmee River Restoration Project, Florida, U.S.A
Authors: Cheek Michael D. , Williams Gary E. , Bousquin Stephen G. , Colee James , Melvin Stefani L.
Published: May 2014

Success of the Kissimmee River Restoration Project will be evaluated in part by monitoring populations of wading birds (Pelecaniformes and Ciconiiformes) and waterfowl (Anseriformes). These two waterbird guilds were integral components of the pre‐channelization river–floodplain ecosystem, and both declined substantially following channelization. Restoration is expected to attract wading birds and waterfowl by reintroducing naturally fluctuating water levels, seasonal hydroperiods, and historic vegetation communities. Post‐construction aerial surveys (November 2001 to May 2008) within the Phase I restoration area indicate that the abundance and species richness of both wading birds and waterfowl have shown a positive restoration response thus far. Dry season abundance of aquatic wading birds and waterfowl has exceeded restoration expectations (≥30.6 birds/km2 and ≥3.9 birds/km2, respectively) each year since the completion of restoration Phase I in 2001. While there has been a significant positive restoration effect on waterfowl abundance, waterfowl species richness (n = 6) has not yet reached the restoration expectation of ≥13 species. Abundance of the terrestrial cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis), which increased dramatically after the majority of floodplain wetlands were converted to cattle pastures in the channelized system, has shown a significant negative response to restoration. It is anticipated that completion of the remaining phases of restoration (II/III), and implementation of the Kissimmee River Headwaters Revitalization water regulation schedule by 2019, will further increase and improve habitat for wading birds and waterfowl by reestablishing floodplain hydrology that more closely mimics historical conditions.
Geomorphic Responses to Interim Hydrology Following Phase I of the Kissimmee River Restoration Project, Florida
Authors: Anderson David H.
Published: May 2014

Channelization of the Kissimmee River eliminated flow through the river channel, which allowed the formation of a largely organic deposition layer (ODL) on the river channel bed and stopped active sand transport needed to maintain point bars on meander bends. In 2001, completion of the first phase of dechannelization for the Kissimmee River Restoration Project (KRRP) reestablished flow to the river channel in the Phase I area. This study evaluated changes in the ODL and the number of meander bends with active point bar development (MBPB) following Phase I of dechannelization. Evaluations involved comparing interim measurements made after flow was reestablished to the river channel in the Phase I area but before full completion of KRRP with (a) baseline measurements made before dechannelization and (b) predicted changes based on reference measurements representing the pre‐channelization system. ODL thickness was measured in core samples on fixed transects perpendicular to the river channel. The ODL was thinner during the Interim Period than the Baseline Period and this decrease exceeded the expected change predicted from the reference condition. MBPB was assessed with aerial photography. MBPB increased from the baseline measurement of 0 bends to interim measurements of 27 bends in 2002 and 72 bends in 2009, approximating the increase predicted from the reference condition. The decrease in ODL thickness and the increase in MBPB to levels that meet or approximate the reference condition indicate that these aspects of the river channel are recovering following reestablishment of flow.
Streptococcus mutans Wall‐Associated Protein A Promotes TLR4‐Induced Dendritic Cell Maturation
Authors: Li H. , Wang D.
Published: May 2014

Dendritic cells orchestrate innate and adaptive immune responses, which are central to establishing efficient responses to vaccination. Wall‐associated protein A (WapA) of Streptococcus mutans was previously used as a vaccine in animal studies for immunization against dental caries. However, as a cell surface protein, whether WapA activates innate immune responses and the effects of WapA on DCs remain unclear. In this study, WapA was cloned into the GST fusion vector pEBG, which can be expressed efficiently in mammalian cells. We found that when added before stimulation with LPS, purified WapA‐GST protein increased TLR4‐induced NF‐κB and MAPK signalling pathway activation. Pretreatment with WapA‐GST also increased LPS‐induced proinflammatory cytokine production by DCs, including IL‐12, IL‐6 and TNF‐α. Furthermore, expression of the DC maturation markers CD80/86, CD40 and MHC II was also increased by WapA pretreatment. These data indicate that WapA is recognized by DCs and promotes DC maturation.
The political economy and geopolitical context of India's economic crisis, 1990–91
Authors: Ahmed Waquar
Published: May 2014

The Indian economy suffered a balance of payment crisis in 1991, which provided the context for the rolling out of neoliberal policies, also referred to as the New Economic Policy in India. This paper examines the national and global causes and context of India's economic crisis and adoption of neoliberal policies. While grounding my analysis in historical‐geographical materialism, I argue that India's economic crisis was a product of certain contingent conditions. I draw attention to India's pre‐neoliberal economic regime and analyse how the earlier‐established relationship between revenue generation and expenditure ran into trouble; what changes occurred in the organization and management of revenues and capital; nature of interventions of the state in the circulation of capital; changes in the physical aspects of circulation of commodities, together with foreign trade and the formation of the ‘world market’; and the rise of the United States as the only global superpower. I conclude that India's economic crisis of 1990–91, and the neoliberal policies that followed, are products of contingent historical and geographical conditions. A teleological approach towards examining global capitalism and production of economic crisis often neglect such contingencies and provide a set of causalities that may, at best, be classified as incomplete.
The effect of high‐intensity training on mitochondrial fat oxidation in skeletal muscle and subcutaneous adipose tissue
Authors: Larsen S. , Danielsen J. H. , Søndergård S. D. , Søgaard D. , Vigelsoe A. , Dybboe R. , Skaaby S. , Dela F. , Helge J. W.
Published: May 2014

High‐intensity interval training (HIT) is known to increase mitochondrial content in a similar way as endurance training [60–90% of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2peak)]. Whether HIT increases the mitochondria's ability to oxidize lipids is currently debated. We investigated the effect of HIT on mitochondrial fat oxidation in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) capacity, mitochondrial substrate sensitivity (Kmapp), and mitochondrial content were measured in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue in healthy overweight subjects before and after 6 weeks of HIT (three times per week at 298 ± 21 W). HIT significantly increased VO2peak from 2.9 ± 0.2 to 3.1 ± 0.2 L/min. No differences were seen in maximal fat oxidation in either skeletal muscle or adipose tissue. Kmapp for octanoyl carnitine or palmitoyl carnitine were similar after training in skeletal muscle and adipose tissue. Maximal OXPHOS capacity with complex I‐ and II‐linked substrates was increased after training in skeletal muscle but not in adipose tissue. In conclusion, 6 weeks of HIT increased VO2peak. Mitochondrial content and mitochondrial OXPHOS capacity were increased in skeletal muscle, but not in adipose tissue. Furthermore, mitochondrial fat oxidation was not improved in either skeletal muscle or adipose tissue.
Red blood cell transfusion practices in two surgical intensive care units: a mixed methods assessment of barriers to evidence‐based practice
Authors: Murphy David J. , Pronovost Peter J. , Lehmann Christoph U. , Gurses Ayse P. , Whitman Glenn J.R. , Needham Dale M. , Berenholtz Sean M.
Published: May 2014

Background

Despite evidence supporting restrictive red blood cell (RBC) transfusion thresholds and the associated clinical practice guidelines, clinical practice has been slow to change in the intensive care unit (ICU). Our aim was to identify barriers to conservative transfusion practice adherence.

Study Design and Methods

A mixed‐methods study involving observation of prescriber (i.e., physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners) and bedside nurse daily bedside rounds, provider survey, and medical record abstraction was conducted in one cardiac surgical ICU (CSICU) and one surgical ICU (SICU) in an academic hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.

Results

Of 52 patient encounters observed during bedside rounds, 38 (73%) involved patients without evidence of active bleeding or cardiac ischemia. Surveys were completed by 52 (93%) of the 56 providers participating in rounds. Prescribers in the CSICU and SICU (87 and 90%, respectively) indicated the ideal pretransfusion hemoglobin (Hb) to be not more than 7 g/dL in nonbleeding and/or nonischemic patients compared to a minority of nurses (8% [p = 0.002] and 42% [p = 0.015], respectively). Prescribers and nurses in both ICUs overestimated the typical pretransfusion Hb in their units (CSICU, p < 0.001; SICU, p = 0.019). During rounds, providers infrequently explicitly discussed Hb monitoring or transfusion thresholds (33%) despite most (60%) reporting significant variation in transfusion thresholds between individual prescribers.

Conclusions

Our study identified several provider and system barriers to evidence‐based transfusion practices including knowledge differences, overly optimistic estimates of current practice, and heterogeneous transfusion practice in each ICU. Further work is necessary to develop targeted interventions to improve evidence‐based RBC transfusion practices.
ANIMAL SUFFERING, EVOLUTION, AND THE ORIGINS OF EVIL: TOWARD A “FREE CREATURES” DEFENSE
Authors: Moritz Joshua M.
Published: May 2014

Does an affirmation of theistic evolution make the task of theodicy impossible? In this article, I will review a number of ancient and contemporary responses to the problem of evil as it concerns animal suffering and suggest a possible way forward which employs the ancient Jewish insight that evil—as resistance to God's will that results in suffering and alienation from God's purposes—precedes the arrival of human beings and already has a firm foothold in the nonhuman animal world long before humans are ever tempted to go astray. This theological intuition is conferred renewed relevance in light of the empirical reality of evolutionary gradualism and continuity and in view of the recent findings of cognitive ethology. Consequently, I suggest that taking biological evolution seriously entails understanding “moral evil” as a prehuman phenomenon that emerges gradually through the actions and intentions of “free creatures” which—as evolutionary history unfolded—increasingly possessed greater levels of freedom and degrees of moral culpability.
THE EMERGENCE OF CONSCIOUSNESS IN GENESIS 1–3: JUNG'S DEPTH PSYCHOLOGY AND THEOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY
Authors: Stewart David James
Published: May 2014

The development of a robust, holistic theological anthropology will require that theology and biblical studies alike enter into genuine interdisciplinary conversations. Depth psychology in particular has the capacity to be an exceedingly fruitful conversation partner for theology because of its commitment to the totality of the human experience (both the conscious and unconscious aspects) as well as its unique ability to interpret archetypal symbols and mythological thinking. By arguing for a psycho‐theological hermeneutic that accounts for depth psychology's conviction that myths about the origin of the world are always simultaneously myths about the origin and emergence of human consciousness, I demonstrate that the presence of numerous Jungian archetypes in Genesis 1–3 suggests that the narrative can be read from a psychological perspective without diminishing or marginalizing the dominant theological themes of exile and return. Furthermore, such a reading fundamentally suggests that the narrative is not about how sin entered into creation, but rather how consciousness emerged in human community.
A SYSTEMS MODEL OF SPIRITUALITY
Authors: Rousseau David
Published: May 2014

Within the scientific study of spirituality there are substantial ambiguities and uncertainties about relevant concepts, terms, evidences, methods, and relationships. Different disciplinary approaches reveal or emphasize different aspects of spirituality, such as outcomes, behaviors, skills, ambitions, and beliefs. I argue that these aspects interdepend in a way that constitutes a “systems model of spirituality.” This model enables a more holistic understanding of the nature of spirituality, and suggests a new definition that disambiguates spirituality from related concepts such as religion, cultural sophistication, and prosocial behavior in animals. It also exposes important open questions about the nature of spirituality. To support the emerging scientific approach to the study of spirituality, I propose the development of a “philosophy of spirituality” that can clarify the conceptual terrain, identify important research directions, and facilitate a comprehensive and interdisciplinary investigation into the nature, validity, and implications of spirituality's conceptual and practical entailments.
MIRACLES AND TWO ACCOUNTS OF SCIENTIFIC LAWS
Authors: Horst Steven
Published: May 2014

Since early modernity, it has often been assumed that miracles are incompatible with the existence of the natural laws utilized in the sciences. This paper argues that this assumption is largely an artifact of empiricist accounts of laws that should be rejected for reasons internal to philosophy of science, and that no such incompatibility arises on the most important alternative interpretations, which treat laws as expressions of forces, dispositions, or causal powers.
THE MYSTICAL STANCE: THE EXPERIENCE OF SELF‐LOSS AND DANIEL DENNETT'S “CENTER OF NARRATIVE GRAVITY”
Authors: Simpson William
Published: May 2014

For centuries, mystically inclined practitioners from various religious traditions have articulated anomalous and mystical experiences. One common aspect of these experiences is the feeling of the loss of the sense of self, referred to as “self‐loss.” The occurrence of “self‐loss” can be understood as the feeling of losing the subject/object distinction in one's phenomenal experience. In this article, the author attempts to incorporate these anomalous experiences into modern understandings of the mind and “self” from philosophy and psychology. Accounts of self‐loss from religious literature along with similar accounts from recent nonreligious writers, suggest that self‐loss accounts are potentially legitimate descriptions and not simply the result of religious apologetics. Specifically, I examine self‐loss through the lens of philosopher Daniel Dennett's theory of “self as the center of narrative gravity.” I argue that Dennett's understanding of the self, if correct, allows for the relegitimation of self‐loss experiences rooted in current views from the psychological literature, rather than rooted in metaphysical religious claims.
ASTROTHEOLOGY: A CONSTRUCTIVE PROPOSAL
Authors: Peters Ted
Published: May 2014

As we envision constructive undertakings in the field of religion and science for the next decade, the emerging agenda of astrotheology is opening up a new theater for enquiry. Astrotheology provides a critical theological response to the field of astrobiology while critically assessing exciting new research on life in our solar system and the discovery of exoplanets. This article proposes four tasks for the astrotheologian: deliberate on (1) the scope of creation: is God's creation Earth‐centric or does it include the entire cosmos? (2) the question whether a single divine incarnation on Earth suffices for the cosmos or whether multiple incarnations—one for each inhabited planet—is required; (3) whether astrobiologists and other space scientists are sticking to their science or smuggling in ideology; and (4) readying terrestrial life for contact with extraterrestrial life by enumerating issues to be taken up by astroethics.
REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF THEOLOGICAL RESPONSES IN CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM
Authors: Ishak Mohd. Shuhaimi Bin , Haneef Sayed Sikandar Shah
Published: May 2014

Reproductive medical technology has revolutionized the natural order of human procreation. Accordingly, some have celebrated its advent as a new and liberating determinant of kinship at the global level and advocate it as a right to reproductive health while others have frowned upon it as a vehicle for “guiltless exchange of sexual fluid” and commodification of human gametes. Religious voices from both Christianity and Islam range from unthinking adoption to restrictive use. While utilizing this technology to enable the married couple to have children through the use of their own sexual material is welcome, the use of third party, surrogacy, and reproductive cloning are not in keeping with the sacrosanct principles of kinship, procreation through licit sexual intercourse, and social cohesiveness for building a cohesive family as uphold by both Christianity and Islam. To examine such larger issues emanating from these new ways of human procreation, beyond the question of legality, is a point which legal scholars in both Christianity and Islam, when issuing religious decrees, have not anticipated sufficiently. The article proposes to be an attempt to that end through a qualitative critical content analysis of selected literature written on the subject.
Perceived space, an essential soundscape variable
Authors: Case Alexander U.
Published: May 2014

The perceived space within a soundscape is free from the constraints of place and time. The space defined by the architecture need not define the perceived space within a soundscape. Space is a variable, determined by the combined influences of the architecture, sounds system, source signals, and signal processing applied in the creation of the soundscape. The perceived space is also free to change over time through dynamic signal processing and any other variable acoustics.
Production techniques for perceptually realistic soundscape auralization
Authors: Azevedo Matthew
Published: May 2014

It is now possible to build complex, parametrically accurate auralizations with many sound sources. However, parametric accuracy does not necessarily translate to perceptual accuracy. In order to create soundscapes that listeners will perceive as “real,” audio production techniques are required, which generally lie outside of the expertise of an acoustician. This paper provides an overview of audio recording, mixing, and postproduction techniques that are commonly employed by music producers, sound designers, and audio engineers in creating soundtracks for television, film, and video games, which provide listeners with perceptually realistic sound experiences. These techniques are presented in the context of auralization projects in which they were employed to successfully bridge the gap between parametric and experiential accuracy, with an emphasis on methods which satisfy both. Also discussed are modeling and convolution techniques which lay the groundwork on which these recording and mixing techniques can be deployed successfully.