bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Sectarianism and the Arab Spring: The Case of the Kuwaiti Shiʿa
Authors: Albloshi Hamad H.
Published: February 2016

This paper addresses the Arab Spring and Shiʿism in Kuwait. Generally, the Kuwaiti Shiʿa, who constitute 25 to 30 percent of Kuwaiti society, have been supportive of the Bahraini uprising of 2011. However, the Kuwaiti Shiʿa have opposed the Syrian revolution, and they did not support the opposition movement in Kuwait. The Shiʿa's relationship with the authorities and the opposition in the country has changed, and this paper explores this change. Sectarianism may be one reason for their double standards toward the Arab Spring, including the events in Kuwait, and this is an important issue to explore from the perspective of the Kuwaiti Shiʿa. This paper relies on many interviews with Shiʿa political and academic figureheads in Kuwait, to understand their views on the Arab revolt of 2011 and their relationship to the opposition movement in Kuwait.
The Double Movement & Post‐Arab Spring Consociationalism
Authors: Salamey Imad
Published: February 2016

This article explores the theoretical proposition that the Arab Spring is a manifestation of globalization's double movement. On one hand, the global movement of economic and cultural liberalization has fundamentally deconstructed the functional order of centralized national state‐autocracy. On the other hand, globalization's economic, cultural and security integration has been counterbalanced by a movement for autonomous and communitarian protectionism. The latter is being extrapolated by the impact of a growing multipolar regional system and declining state nationalism. The post‐Arab Spring's Middle East and North African governing dilemma manifests this dialectic antagonism. The assertion of the double movement calls for the mutation of globalism and communitarianism within new governing arrangements. This article examines the potential emergence of irredentist power sharing typologies with a special focus on Lebanese consociationalism.
Chronic vagus nerve stimulation in Crohn's disease: a 6‐month follow‐up pilot study
Authors: Bonaz B. , Sinniger V. , Hoffmann D. , Clarençon D. , Mathieu N. , Dantzer C. , Vercueil L. , Picq C. , Trocmé C. , Faure P. , Cracowski J‐L. , Pellissier S.
Published: February 2016

The vagus nerve (VN) is a link between the brain and the gut. The VN is a mixed nerve with anti‐inflammatory properties through the activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis by its afferents and by activating the cholinergic anti‐inflammatory pathway through its efferents. We have previously shown that VN stimulation (VNS) improves colitis in rats and that the vagal tone is blunted in Crohn's disease (CD) patients. We thus performed a pilot study of chronic VNS in patients with active CD. Seven patients under VNS were followed up for 6 months with a primary endpoint to induce clinical remission and a secondary endpoint to induce biological (CRP and/or fecal calprotectin) and endoscopic remission and to restore vagal tone (heart rate variability). Vagus nerve stimulation was feasible and well‐tolerated in all patients. Among the seven patients, two were removed from the study at 3 months for clinical worsening and five evolved toward clinical, biological, and endoscopic remission with a restored vagal tone. These results provide the first evidence that VNS is feasible and appears as an effective tool in the treatment of active CD.
In vivo neutralization of IL‐6 receptors ameliorates gastrointestinal dysfunction in dystrophin‐deficient mdx mice
Authors: Manning J. , Buckley M. M. , O'Halloran K. D. , O'Malley D.
Published: February 2016

Background

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a fatal disease characterized by progressive deterioration and degeneration of striated muscle. A mutation resulting in the loss of dystrophin, a structural protein which protects cells from contraction‐induced damage, underlies DMD pathophysiology. Damage to muscle fibers results in chronic inflammation and elevated levels of proinflammatory cytokines such as interleukin‐6 (IL‐6). However, loss of cellular dystrophin also affects neurons and smooth muscle in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract with complaints such as hypomotility, pseudo‐obstruction, and constipation reported in DMD patients.

Methods

Using dystrophin‐deficient mdx mice, studies were carried out to examine colonic morphology and function compared with wild‐type mice. Treatment with neutralizing IL‐6 receptor antibodies (xIL‐6R) and/or the corticotropin‐releasing factor (CRF) 2 receptor agonist, urocortin 2 (uro2) was tested to determine if they ameliorated GI dysfunction in mdx mice.

Key Results

Mdx mice exhibited thickening of colonic smooth muscle layers and delayed stress‐induced defecation. In organ bath studies, neurally mediated IL‐6‐evoked contractions were larger in mdx colons. In vivo treatment of mdx mice with xIL‐6R normalized defecation rates and colon lengths. Uro2 treatment did not affect motility or morphology. The potentiated colonic contractile response to IL‐6 was attenuated by treatment with xIL‐6R.

Conclusions & Inferences

These findings confirm the importance of dystrophin in normal GI function and implicate IL‐6 as an important regulator of GI motility in the mdx mouse. Inhibition of IL‐6 signaling may offer a potential new therapeutic strategy for treating DMD‐associated GI symptoms.
The association between systemic sclerosis disease manifestations and esophageal high‐resolution manometry parameters
Authors: Kimmel J. N. , Carlson D. A. , Hinchcliff M. , Carns M. A. , Aren K. A. , Lee J. , Pandolfino J. E.
Published: February 2016

Background

We aimed to evaluate the associations between systemic sclerosis (SSc)‐related systemic manifestations and esophageal function using high‐resolution manometry (HRM).

Methods

Patients with SSc that had undergone HRM between 1/2004 and 9/2014 were identified and HRMs were analyzed according to the Chicago Classification. Clinical characteristics were identified via retrospective chart review and compared among motility diagnoses while adjusting for age, gender, race, and SSc‐disease duration.

Key Results

Seventy‐nine patients (85% female, ages 25–77) were included. Clinical characteristics were compared between patients with absent contractility (AC, n = 40), ineffective esophageal motility (IEM; n = 15), and normal motility (n = 19); the five remaining patients met criteria for other motility diagnoses. Groups differed in severity of skin involvement measured by the modified Rodnan skin score (0–51): AC (adjusted mean 12.6), IEM (4.4), normal (4.3), p = 0.043. Pulmonary function tests [percent predicted FVC and DLCO) were lower in AC (adjusted mean, FVC: 70.3, DLCO 51.1), than IEM (FVC: 92.0; DLCO: 76.9) and normal motility (FVC: 80.0; DLCO: 67.2), p values 0.057 (FVC) and 0.007 (DLCO). Groups did not differ by SSc‐disease duration, autoantibodies, or reported symptoms of dysphagia or reflux.

Conclusions & Inferences

In patients with SSc, absent esophageal contractility on HRM was associated with increased skin disease severity and worse lung function. Obtaining HRM to identify SSc patients with more severe esophageal dysfunction could be considered to enable implementation of management strategies in patients potentially at risk for increased morbidity and mortality.
Social Capital and Economic Growth in Europe: Nonlinear Trends and Heterogeneous Regional Effects
Authors: Peiró‐Palomino Jesús
Published: February 2016

Most of the literature focused on the social capital‐growth nexus has followed the one‐size‐fits‐all approach, neglecting that regional disparities might modify this relationship. This article analyses the role of two social capital indicators on the growth of 237 European regions in the period 1995–2007 by implementing non‐parametric regression, which relaxes the linearity assumption and allows the data to give the underlying functional form. The results show that social capital effects on growth are nonlinear. Parameter heterogeneity could also be examined, showing heterogenous effects across regions and over time. In particular, social capital is mostly negative in regions from Eastern and Central Europe during the first years of transition from socialism to market economies. However, this pattern has changed in the more recent period.
A survey of UK optometry trainees’ smoking cessation training
Authors: Lorencatto Fabiana , Harper Alice M. , Francis Jill J. , Lawrenson John G.
Published: February 2016

Background

Smoking is a risk factor for a number of eye conditions, including age‐related macular degeneration, cataracts and thyroid eye disease. Smoking cessation interventions have been shown to be highly cost‐effective when delivered by a range of healthcare professionals. Optometrists are well placed to deliver smoking cessation advice to a wide population of otherwise healthy smokers. Yet optometrists remain a relatively neglected healthcare professional group in smoking cessation research and policy. Surveys of UK medical/nursing schools and of optometrists’ training internationally demonstrate significant deficits in current curricular coverage regarding smoking cessation. This study aimed to identify the extent of smoking cessation training in UK optometry trainees’ undergraduate and pre‐registration training.

Methods

All undergraduate optometry schools in the UK (n = 9) were invited to participate in a web‐based survey of their curricular coverage and assessment related to smoking cessation, and of perceived barriers to delivering smoking cessation training. A content analysis of the College of Optometrists Scheme for Registration Trainee Handbook 2014 was conducted to identify competence indicators related to smoking cessation.

Results

Nine undergraduate optometry schools (100%) responded to the survey. The majority reported dedicating limited hours (0–3) to teaching smoking cessation, and predominantly focused on teaching the harmful effects of smoking (89%). Only one school provides practical skills training for delivering evidence‐based smoking cessation interventions, including very brief advice. The majority of schools (78%) reported that they did not formally examine students on their knowledge or skills for supporting smoking cessation, and rated confidence in their graduates’ abilities to deliver smoking cessation interventions as ‘poor’ (78%). Lack of knowledge amongst staff was identified as the key barrier to teaching about smoking cessation support. The pre‐registration competency framework does not include any competence indicators related to providing support for quitting smoking.

Conclusions

There are substantial gaps in the current curricula of UK optometry training, particularly regarding practical skills for supporting smoking cessation. Increased curricular coverage of these issues is essential to ensure trainee optometrists are adequately trained and competent in supporting patients to quit smoking.
Lack of uniformity in the investigation and management of suspected β‐lactam allergy in children
Authors: Melanie Foong Ru Xin , Logan Kirsty , Perkin Michael Richard , du Toit George
Published: February 2016

Background

Beta‐lactam allergy is commonly suspected in childhood with health implications for the individual and wider public. Diagnostic modalities include skin prick tests (SPT), specific immunoglobulin‐E (sp‐IgE) tests, intradermal tests (IDT) and drug provocation challenges (DPC). The aim of this research was to establish whether variation exists around the world in the investigation and management of beta‐lactam allergy.

Methods

Anonymized electronic questionnaire surveys were distributed over 3 months through International Allergy Societies for completion by clinicians who investigate drug allergy in children.

Results

Eighty‐one clinicians, practising in 16 countries, completed the questionnaire. There is variability in the selection of diagnostic tests used by clinicians around the world and poor agreement on positive cut‐off values (sp‐IgE, SPT and IDT) and practical techniques used to measure SPT or IDT wheal diameters. DPC were considered the gold standard investigation with 94% of respondents undertaking DPC over the last 12 months; 64% of respondents considered DPC extremely useful for both exclusion and confirmation of beta‐lactam allergy. However, there is a lack of consensus on when and how DPC should be performed. Overall, DPC are safe – only 3% of our respondents had patients who required intramuscular adrenaline and none had patients requiring admission to intensive care.

Conclusions

There is lack of consistency amongst clinicians in different countries in the diagnosis and management of suspected beta‐lactam allergy. The development of a standardized approach is a priority.
Erythropoietin diminishes isoflurane‐induced apoptosis in rat frontal cortex
Authors: Ocmen Elvan , Derbent Abdurrahim , Micilli Serap C. , Cankurt Ulker , Aksu Ilkay , Dayi Ayfer , Yilmaz Osman , Gokmen Necati
Published: February 2016

Background

During the brain growth spurt, anesthetic drugs can cause cellular and behavioral changes in the developing brain. The aim of this study was to determine the neuroprotective effect of erythropoietin after isoflurane anesthesia in rat pups.

Methods

A total of 42, 7‐day‐old Wistar rats were divided into three groups. Control group (GC; n = 14): Rats breathed 100% oxygen for 6 h; Isoflurane group (GI; n = 14): Rats were exposed to 1.5% isoflurane in 100% oxygen for 6 h; Isoflurane + erythropoietin group (GIE; n = 14): 1000 IU·kg−1 (intraperitoneal; IP) Erythropoietin was administered after isoflurane anesthesia. Each group was divided into two groups for pathology and learning and memory tests. Silver, caspase‐3, and fluoro‐jade C staining were used for detecting apoptotic cells in frontal cortex, striatum, hippocampus, thalamus, and amygdala. Morris water maze was used to evaluate learning and memory.

Results

There was a significant increase in apoptotic cell count after isoflurane anesthesia in the frontal cortex when compared with control group (29.0 ± 9.27 vs 3.28 ± 0.75 [P = 0.002], 20.85 ± 10.94 vs 2.0 ± 0.81 [P = 0.002] and 24.57 ± 10.4 vs 5.14 ± 0.69 [P = 0.024] with silver, caspase‐3, and fluoro‐jade C staining, respectively). The apoptotic cell count in the frontal cortex was significantly higher in GIE than GC with caspase‐3 staining (9.14 ± 3.13 vs 2.0 ± 0.81, P = 0.002). The apoptotic cell count in GIE was significantly reduced in the frontal cortex when compared with GI (4.0 ± 0.81 vs 29.0 ± 9.27 [P = 0.002], 9.14 ± 3.13 vs 20.85 ± 10.94 [P = 0.04] and 4.0 ± 1.63 vs 24.57 ± 10.4 [P = 0.012] with silver, caspase‐3, and fluoro‐jade C staining, respectively).

Conclusions

A total of 1000 IU·kg−1 IP erythropoietin diminished isoflurane‐induced neuroapoptosis. Further experimental studies have to be planned to reveal the optimal dose and timing of erythropoietin before adaptation to clinical practice.
Lignocaine topicalization of the pediatric airway
Authors: Roberts Mari H. , Gildersleve Christopher D.
Published: February 2016

The application of topical laryngeal lignocaine is a technique used frequently in pediatric anesthesia. It is often used to facilitate open airway procedures, tracheal intubation, or to reduce the incidence of perioperative adverse respiratory events such as coughing and laryngospasm. A number of studies have shown that applying topical lignocaine to the larynx reduces perioperative respiratory adverse events, while others have shown an increased incidence of respiratory complications with lignocaine administration. There is a lack of evidence on the effect of topical lignocaine on the sensitivity of upper airway reflexes and swallowing, the duration of time that airway reflexes are obtunded, and the optimum and safe maximum dose of lignocaine when used by this route. We review the current literature relating to the use of lignocaine to topicalize the pediatric airway. This review concentrates on the indications for use, the maximum safe dose, the effect on swallowing, and risk of aspiration and the complications of the technique.
The Arabidopsis trichome is an active mechanosensory switch
Authors: Zhou Li Hong , Liu Shao Bao , Wang Peng Fei , Lu Tian Jian , Xu Feng , Genin Guy M. , Pickard Barbara G.
Published: February 2016

Trichomes (‘hair cells’) on Arabidopsis thaliana stem and leaf surfaces provide a range of benefits arising from their shape and disposition. These include tempting herbivores to sample constitutive toxins before they reach the bulk of the tissue. We asked whether, in addition, small mechanical disturbances such as an insect can make elicit signals that might help the plant respond to herbivory. We imaged, pressed and brushed trichomes in several ways, most notably with confocal microscopy of trichomes transgenically provided with apoplastic pH reporter apo‐pHusion and cytosolic Ca2+ reporter cameleon. In parallel, we modelled trichome wall mechanics with finite element analysis. The stimulated trichome focuses force on a pliant zone and the adjoining podium of the stalk. A buckling instability can further focus force on a skirt of cells surrounding the podium, eliciting oscillations of cytosolic Ca2+ and shifts in apoplastic pH. These observations represent active physiological response. Modelling establishes that the effectiveness of force focusing and buckling is due to the peculiar tapering wall structure of the trichome. Hypothetically, these active mechanosensing functions enhance toxin synthesis above constitutive levels, probably via a priming process, thus minimizing the costly accumulation of toxins in the absence of herbivore attack but assuring rapid build‐up when needed.
Development and field testing of Teen Pocket PATH®, a mobile health application to improve medication adherence in adolescent solid organ recipients
Authors: Shellmer Diana A. , Dew Mary Amanda , Mazariegos George , DeVito Dabbs Annette
Published: February 2016

Applying principles of user‐centered design, we iteratively developed and tested the prototype of TPP, an mHealth application to promote medication adherence and enhance communication about medication management between adolescents and primary caregivers. A purposive sample of seven adolescent solid organ transplant recipients who were ≥one yr post‐transplant and their primary caregivers participated. Participants completed up to three face‐to‐face laboratory usability sessions, a 6‐week field test, and a debriefing session. Primary caregivers participated in an additional usability telephone session. Participants completed usability and satisfaction measures. Sample included liver (n = 4), heart (n = 2), and lung (n = 1) recipients aged 11–18 yr (57% were female, 86% were Caucasian), and nine primary caregivers aged 42–61 yr (88.9% were parents, 88% were female, 88% were Caucasian). Ninety percent of the adolescents endorsed the graphs or logs of missed/late medication dosing as useful and 100% endorsed the remaining features (e.g., medication list, dose time reminders/warnings) as useful. All adolescents expressed interest in using TPP for monitoring medications and satisfaction with the automatic messaging between adolescent and caregiver versions of the application. Adolescents unanimously found TPP easy to use. TPP shows promise as an mHealth adherence tool.
Genetic population structure and fungicide resistance of Botrytis cinerea in pear orchards in the Western Cape of South Africa
Authors: Wessels B. A. , Linde C. C. , Fourie P. H. , Mostert L.
Published: February 2016

Botrytis cinerea isolates from pear blossoms (Pyrus communis) in South Africa were collected from four orchards in two production areas in the Western Cape. The cryptic species status based on vegetative‐incompatibility alleles of the Bc‐hch gene indicated that all the isolates belonged to B. cinerea. A microsatellite analysis of B. cinerea populations was performed to assess the genetic population structure. Total gene diversity (H) was high, with a mean of 0.69 across all populations. Some genotype flow was evident between orchards as indicated by the spread of microsatellite multilocus genotypes, in agreement with the moderate, but significant population differentiation among orchards (mean φPT = 0.118, P = 0.001). Index of association analyses (IA and r̅d) suggest that the populations reproduce mostly asexually, even though mating type distribution did not differ significantly from a 1:1 ratio, suggesting frequency‐dependent selection. Isolates resistant to benomyl were evident in one orchard only. This orchard was also significantly differentiated from all other populations, suggesting infrequent localized selection for benomyl resistance. Overall, the findings of this study highlight the dangers of a mixed reproduction system, and stress the importance of regularly monitoring fungicide resistance levels towards developing more efficient management practices.
What Exactly Have We Learned from Decades of Applying “Business Solutions” to Public Organizations?
Authors: Emmert Mark
Published: February 2016

Editor's Note: The Perspectives in this issue are from prominent higher education leaders with roots in public administration and public policy. I asked the contributors to reflect upon experiences or principles grounded in our field that they have found meaningful during the course of their careers. My thanks to Rebecca Blank, Michael Crow, Mark Emmert and Kenneth Ruscio for their thoughtful and stimulating essays.

JLP
The Terrorist Age‐Crime Curve: An Analysis of American Islamist Terrorist Offenders and Age‐Specific Propensity for Participation in Violent and Nonviolent Incidents
Authors: Klausen Jytte , Morrill Tyler , Libretti Rosanne
Published: February 2016

Objective

This study examines the age‐crime relationship among terrorist offenders.

Method

This study relies on a data set of over 600 American terrorism offenders inspired by one of three Islamist groups: Hamas, Hezbollah, or Al Qaeda.

Results

We find that the pattern of violent Islamist crime in the United States departs from the standard age‐crime curve in significant ways. Violent action among terrorist offenders peaks at a later age and occurs across a broader age range than is the case for ordinary violent crimes.
Enough with the Stereotypes: Representations of Women in Terrorist Organizations*
Authors: Cruise Rebecca S.
Published: February 2016

Objective

The ways in which women terrorists are represented by the media and studied by law enforcement and academic institutes is the subject of this essay.

Method

The author reviews academic studies, government and nonprofit agency studies, and media characterizations.

Results

This review illustrates a disconnect between women's roles and the way their actions are represented by the media and studied by academics and law enforcement agencies.
Placing Terrorism in an Academic and Personal Context: A Case Study of the Oklahoma City Bombing*
Authors: Sloan Stephen
Published: February 2016

Objective

This article reviews the academic research context for terrorism studies before and after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building on April 19, 1995, from the perspective of a long‐time specialist in the study of terrorism.

Method

The article combines a personal narrative and an analysis of the broader academic context.

Results

This first‐hand account details the ways in which research on terrorism emerged in the 1970s in Oklahoma and was shaped by the bombing and its aftermath. Recounting how early research on terrorism was conducted before the widespread use of computers as well as breakthroughs in training tactics provides an understanding of the ways in which the field has evolved.
Rebuilding Oklahoma City: The Development of Automobile Alley in the Wake of the Bombing*
Authors: Frantz Ronald H.
Published: February 2016

Objective

This essay examines the connection between Oklahoma City's current revitalization and the community work conducted after the 1995 bombing, which damaged 324 buildings and caused $652 million of damage.

Method

Team leader and architect Ron Frantz recounts his experience working on the reconstruction of North Broadway Avenue, now known as Automobile Alley. He reflects on how the process of reconstruction offered a means to commemorate those lost and those forever changed.

Results

Twenty years ago, Automobile Alley was dilapidated and desolate; today it is one of the most lively and active urban areas in Oklahoma City. The street is lined with distinctive neon signs and home to an array of early 20th‐century car dealerships that now house chic restaurants, coffee shops, and more.

Conclusion

The story of Automobile Alley is a great case study of how one community responded to unprecedented acts, extensive damage, and horrifying deaths by working together, offering their talents, and committing to the rebuilding of their damaged downtown.
Commemorating Disaster and Disobedience: National Park Service Initiatives in the 21st Century*
Authors: Doss Erika
Published: February 2016

Objective

This essay explores the ways in which memorial culture reflects contemporary attitudes about the United States and its history.

Method

An examination of the role of the U.S. National Park Service, which manages and maintains many American memorials, illustrates the evolving relationship between official memory and history. Memorials to dissent and disaster are considered as part of an emerging trend in American memorial culture in which trauma, conflict, and loss are commemorated.

Results

American memorial culture is increasingly driven by ethical imperatives to remember those believed to be forgotten or ignored in history.
On the Edge of Memory: Uneasy Legacies of Dissent, Terror, and Violence in the American Landscape
Authors: Foote Kenneth
Published: February 2016

Objective

The Oklahoma City bombing of 1995 has had a major impact on public memory and commemoration in the United States. My aim here is to set this bombing in the broader context of how other events of violence and terror have been remembered.

Method

That many of the examples I mention are now largely forgotten speaks to their equivocal meanings and their relatively faint imprint on the American landscape. Using a comparative case‐study methodology, I examine the tension that often arises between remembering and forgetting these events because honoring the victims necessarily calls attention to the killer and the killer's motives.

Results

Tensions over the meaning of violence tend to be particularly acute when the killer's motives involve unpopular or unpalatable causes or particularly brutal crimes. In these cases, communities may try to distance themselves as far as possible from the killer and the crime.

Conclusion

I argue that such efforts, successful or not, lead to a certain forgetfulness about the roles violence, terror, and political dissent play in American society.
An efficient virus‐induced gene silencing vector for maize functional genomics research
Authors: Wang Rong , Yang Xinxin , Wang Nian , Liu Xuedong , Nelson Richard S. , Li Weimin , Fan Zaifeng , Zhou Tao
Published: February 2016

Maize is a major crop whose rich genetic diversity provides an advanced resource for genetic research. However, a tool for rapid transient gene function analysis in maize that may be utilized in most maize cultivars has been lacking, resulting in reliance on time‐consuming stable transformation and mutation studies to obtain answers. We developed an efficient virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS) vector for maize based on a naturally maize‐infecting cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) strain, ZMBJ‐CMV. An infectious clone of ZMBJ‐CMV was constructed, and a vascular puncture inoculation method utilizing Agrobacterium was optimized to improve its utility for CMV infection of maize. ZMBJ‐CMV was then modified to function as a VIGS vector. The ZMBJ‐CMV vector induced mild to moderate symptoms in many maize lines, making it useful for gene function studies in critically important maize cultivars, such as the sequenced reference inbred line B73. Using this CMV VIGS system, expression of two endogenous genes, ZmPDS and ZmIspH, was found to be decreased by 75% and 78%, respectively, compared with non‐silenced tissue. Inserts with lengths of 100–300 bp produced the most complete transcriptional and visual silencing phenotypes. Moreover, genes related to autophagy, ZmATG3 and ZmATG8a, were also silenced, and it was found that they function in leaf starch degradation. These results indicate that our ZMBJ‐CMV VIGS vector provides a tool for rapid and efficient gene function studies in maize.
Mitochondrial damage‐associated molecular patterns as potential proinflammatory mediators in post–platelet transfusion adverse effects
Authors: Yasui Kazuta , Matsuyama Nobuki , Kuroishi Ayumu , Tani Yoshihiko , Furuta Rika A. , Hirayama Fumiya
Published: February 2016

BACKGROUND

Platelet concentrates (PCs) are the most common blood components eliciting nonhemolytic transfusion reactions (NHTRs), such as allergic transfusion reactions and febrile reactions. However, the precise mechanisms of NHTRs in PC transfusion remain largely unknown. Previous studies reported that mitochondria‐derived damage‐associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) could be important mediators of innate cell inflammation. Platelets (PLTs) represent a major reservoir of mitochondria in the blood circulation. The aim of this study was to determine the possible involvement of mitochondrial DAMPs in NHTRs.

STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS

The amount of mitochondrial DAMPs was determined as an index of total copy numbers of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), including mtDNA itself and free mitochondria, using quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction. To examine whether neutrophils, monocytes, and basophils were activated by mitochondrial DAMPs in vitro, an in vitro whole blood cell culture assay was performed.

RESULTS

In blood components associated with NHTRs, the mean total mtDNA concentration was highest in PCs followed in order by fresh‐frozen plasma and red blood cells. The amount of mtDNA in NHTR PCs was higher than that in control PCs without NHTRs. The mitochondrial DAMPs present in NHTR PCs was high enough to activate neutrophils, monocytes, and basophils, when costimulated with N‐formyl‐l‐methionyl‐l‐leucyl‐l‐phenylalanine or HLA antibodies.

CONCLUSION

PLT‐derived mitochondrial DAMPs are candidate risk factors for the onset of NHTRs.
Time‐related changes in equine neutrophils after experimental endotoxemia: myeloperoxidase staining, size, and numbers
Authors: Lilliehöök Inger , Tvedten Harold W. , Bröjer Johan , Edner Anna , Nostell Katarina
Published: February 2016

Background

Neutrophil myeloperoxidase content is determined by the Advia 2120 hematology system by staining characteristics. Changes in myeloperoxidase staining are shown by location of neutrophils on Advia peroxidase dot plots and as myeloperoxidase index (MPXI). Significant changes in MPXI have been reported during severe inflammation in horses, dogs, and people but conclusions were inconsistent.

Objectives

Infusion of endotoxin was used to initiate an inflammatory stimulus under controlled conditions and over a longer time period than in previous studies to document kinetics of changes in neutrophil numbers, morphology, and myeloperoxidase staining. Identification of consistent time‐related changes may allow better interpretation of changes in neutrophil characteristics during inflammation.

Materials

Five Standardbred trotting horses received an intravenous infusion over a 6‐hour period with Escherichia coli endotoxin. Neutrophil count, MPXI, neutrophil characteristics in Advia 2120 Perox dot plots and neutrophil morphology in blood smears were monitored with repeated sampling for up to 10 days.

Results

Endotoxin infusion immediately caused severe neutropenia which converted to neutrophilia 14 hours after start of endotoxin infusion. Neutrophilia was still present 78 hours after start of infusion. Large “giant” neutrophils first appeared in blood smears and Advia Perox dot plots after 36–48 hours. A marked and consistent decrease in MPXI was seen in all horses 6 days (150 hours) after endotoxin exposure.

Conclusions

Endotoxemia caused prominent, time‐related changes in equine neutrophil characteristics including emergence of giant neutrophils and markedly decreased MPXI several days after endotoxin infusion.
Alterations due to dilution and anticoagulant effects in hematologic analysis of rodent blood samples on the Sysmex XT‐2000iV
Authors: Moorhead Kaitlin A. , Discipulo Marielle L. , Hu Jing , Moorhead Roberta C. , Johns Jennifer L.
Published: February 2016

Background

Clinical pathology of rodents is hindered by sample volume limitations. A single whole heparinized blood sample is often submitted for hematologic and clinical chemistry analysis in exploratory research settings, and sample dilution may be required. Published information on the potential impact of sample dilution and heparin use on hematology variables in rodents is sparse.

Objectives

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of sample dilution and of anticoagulant on hematologic analysis of mouse and rat blood samples on the Sysmex XT‐2000iV.

Methods

Mice and rats were obtained from various ends of study research projects, and whole blood was collected via terminal cardiocentesis in lithium heparin, and additionally in EDTA when paired samples were obtained from rats. Hematology analytes were measured on the Sysmex XT‐2000iV straight and diluted from ×2 to ×5.

Results

Significant differences between heparinized samples analyzed straight vs diluted were found for MCV and MCHC, with a bias for several additional variables. Significant differences between paired heparinized and EDTA‐anticoagulated samples at each dilution point were found for most variables, with the largest differences found in platelet count. Evidence of platelet clumping presumably due to heparin exposure was noted in numerous samples.

Conclusions

Dilution‐induced changes occur in some hematologic variables and may render dilution unacceptable in the exploratory research environment. Many variables, most notably platelet count, differ based on the anticoagulant used, and values from heparinized vs EDTA‐anticoagulated samples should not be directly compared.
Re–Establishing Britishness/Englishness: Representation Through Music in a non–Parliamentary Nation
Authors: Burns Robert George Henry
Published: February 2016

Folk singers were once principal media sources by which news of national events was disseminated in what became the United Kingdom in 1707. Folk song has since been imbued with significance as a record of political events and socio/cultural change. This folk tradition still exists in the present with folk performers either singing critical narratives of historical events or criticising current politics. This paper discusses the question of national identity in the United Kingdom, particularly from the perspective of English identity. Interviews carried out with leading folk–orientated performers indicate that the question of Englishness is of lesser importance to politicians than the UK being a component of Europe. Moreover, Englishness does not enjoy the political representation experienced by other UK nations, yet it is key to English cultural arts and traditions, particularly in a number of  new folk styles that have lead to a third phase of revivalism.
Marc Bolan, David Bowie, and the Counter-Hegemonic Persona: ‘Authenticity’, Ephemeral Identities, and the ‘Fantastical Other’
Authors: Blair Alison May
Published: February 2016

In the 1970s, Marc Bolan and David Bowie, as the first glam rock stars, were among the first pop music artists to challenge conventional norms of identity, authenticity, gender and sexuality. They presented audiences with a range of counter-hegemonic personae that enacted a departure from the everyday – the alien, the warlock, the ‘bopping elf’, occult magician, hybrid being. These ‘fantastical Others’ represented a carnivalesque escape from the increasingly unpalatable social and economic conditions of everyday life in 1970s Britain – and, furthermore, they challenged the very ideas of identity and authenticity, by presenting personae that were deliberately artificial, ephemeral, and of a fantastical, alternative reality .
The Edge of Ladyspace: Ladi6 and the Political Limits of Self-Branding
Authors: Friend Annalise
Published: February 2016

Musicians connected through online and offline networks make use of a personal brand to represent themselves and their work.  This self-branding must be recognisable, repetitive, and ‘fresh’ if it is to cut through the deluge of contemporary media content. The brands of politically engaged performers’ – referred to as ‘conscious’ – often revolve around themes of political critique, ‘oneness’, and personal and spiritual uplift. The circulation and consumption of personal brands may not necessarily however, preclude the impact of apparent political critique. This article will explore how the Samoan Aotearoa-New Zealander vocalist Ladi6 plays with the role of ‘lady’ in her brand. Ladi6 draws on genre resources from conscious hip hop, soul, reggae, and electronic music.  Her assertion of female presence, or creation of a ‘ladyspace’, is both ambiguous and reflexive.  However, I argue that her personal brand, found in videos, lyrics, photos, online presence, merchandise, and live performance, operates according to the logic of global capitalism, where consumption restricts alternative ways of engaging with others.
Editorial, Special Issue: music/media/politics
Authors: Overell Rosemary , Wilson Oli
Published: February 2016

Editorial Introduction
Boots Riley on music/media/politics for the 21st Century
Authors: Overell Rosemary
Published: February 2016

Boots Riley on music/media/politics for the 21st Century
Technical Note: Preferred dosimeter size and associated correction factors in commissioning high dose per pulse, flattening filter free x‐ray beams
Authors: Sudhyadhom A. , Kirby N. , Faddegon B. , Chuang C. F.
Published: February 2016

Purpose:

High dose rate flattening filter free (FFF) beams pose new challenges and considerations for accurate reference and relative dosimetry. The authors report errors associated with commonly used ion chambers and introduce simple methods to mitigate them.

Methods:

Dosimetric errors due to (1) ion recombination effects of high dose per pulse (DPP) FFF beams and (2) volume‐averaging effects of the radial profile were examined on a TrueBeam STx. Four commonly used cylindrical ion chambers spanning a range of lengths (0.29–2.3 cm) and volumes (0.016–0.6 cm3) were used to determine the magnitude of these effects for 6 and 10 MV unflattened x‐ray beams (6XFFF and 10XFFF, respectively). Two methods were used to determine the magnitude of ion collection efficiency: (1) direct measurement of the percent depth dose (PDD) for the clinical, high DPP beam in comparison to that obtained after reducing the DPP and (2) measurement of Pion as a function of depth. Two methods were used to quantify the magnitude of volume‐averaging: (1) direct measurement of volume‐averaging via cross‐calibration and (2) calculation of volume‐averaging from radial profiles of the beam. Finally, a simple analytical expression for the radial profile volume‐averaging correction factor, Prp = [OAR(0.29L)]−1, or the inverse of the off‐axis ratio of dose at 0.29L, where L is the length of the chamber's sensitive volume, is introduced to mitigate the volume‐averaging effect in Farmer‐type chambers.

Results:

Errors in measured PDD for the clinical beams were 1.3% ± 0.07% and 1.6% ± 0.07% at 35 cm depth for the 6XFFF and 10XFFF beam, respectively, using an IBA CC13 ion chamber, due to charge recombination with a high DPP. Volume‐averaging effects were 0.4% and 0.7% for the 6XFFF and 10XFFF beam, respectively, when measured with a Farmer‐type chamber. For the application of TG‐51, these errors combine when using a CC13 to measure the PDD and a Farmer for absolute output dosimetry for a total error of up to 2% at dmax for the 10XFFF beam.

Conclusions:

Relative and absolute dosimetry in high DPP, unflattened x‐ray beams of 10 MV or higher requires corrections for charge recombination and/or volume‐averaging when dosimeters with certain geometries are used. Chambers used for PDD measurement are available that do not require a correction for charge recombination. A simple analytical expression of the correction factor Prp was introduced in this work to account for volume‐averaging effects in Farmer chambers. Choice of an appropriate dosimeter coupled with application of the established correction factors Pion and Prp reduces the uncertainty in the PDD measurement and the reference dose measurement.
Ultra-broadband light trapping using nanotextured decoupled graphene multilayers
Authors: Anguita José V. , Ahmad Muhammad , Haq Sajad , Allam Jeremy , Silva S. Ravi P.
Published: February 2016

A study of graphene on metal nanotextured surfaces for ultra-broadband light trapping, blackbody absorbers, and thermal imaging.
Long-range coupling of electron-hole pairs in spatially separated organic donor-acceptor layers
Authors: Nakanotani Hajime , Furukawa Taro , Morimoto Kei , Adachi Chihaya
Published: February 2016

The long-range coupling of e-h pairs on spatially separated donor and acceptor molecules is observed for the first time.
Regional Similarities and Consistent Patterns of Local Variation in Beach Sand Bacterial Communities throughout the Northern Hemisphere
Authors: Staley Christopher , Sadowsky Michael J.
Published: February 2016

Recent characterization of the bacterial community structure in beach sands has revealed patterns of biogeography similar to those observed in aquatic environments. Studies to date, however, have mainly focused on subtidal sediments from marine beaches. Here, we investigate the bacterial diversity, using Illumina-based sequencing of the V5-V6 region of the 16S rRNA gene, at 11 beaches representing those next to the Great Lakes, Florida, and the Pacific Ocean. The alpha diversity differed significantly among regions (
P
< 0.0001), while the within-region diversity was more similar. The beta diversity also differed by region (
P
< 0.001), where freshwater sands had significantly higher abundances of taxa within the
Actinobacteria
,
Betaproteobacteria
, and
Verrucomicrobia
than marine environments. In contrast, marine sands harbored greater abundances of
Gammaproteobacteria
and
Planctomycetes
, and those from Florida had more
Deltaproteobacteria
and
Firmicutes
. Marine beaches had significantly different phylogenetic community structures (
P
≤ 0.018), but freshwater and Florida beaches showed fewer within-region phylogenetic differences. Furthermore, regionally distinct patterns in taxonomic variation were observed in backshore sands, which had communities distinct from those in nearshore sands (
P
< 0.001). Sample depth minimally influenced the community composition. The results of this study reveal distinct bacterial community structures in sand on a broad geographic scale but moderate regional similarity and suggest that local variation is primarily related to the distance from the shoreline. This study offers a novel comparison of the bacterial communities in freshwater and marine beach sands and provides an important basis for future comparisons and analyses to elucidate factors affecting microbial ecology in this underexplored environment.

IMPORTANCE
This study presents a large-scale geographic characterization of the bacterial communities present in beach sands. While previous studies have evaluated how environmental factors influence bacterial community composition, few have evaluated bacterial communities in freshwater sands. Furthermore, the use of a consistent methodology to characterize bacterial communities here allowed a novel comparison of communities across geographic regions. We reveal that while the community composition in sands at individual beaches is distinct, beach sands within the same region harbor similar assemblages of bacteria and these assemblages differ greatly between regions. In addition, moisture, associated with distance from the shoreline, strongly influences the bacteria present in sands and more strongly influences the bacteria present than sample depth does. Thus, the data presented here offer an important basis for a broader characterization of the ecology of bacteria in sands, which may also be relevant to public health and resource management initiatives.
Isolation and Structural Elucidation of Brevibacillin, an Antimicrobial Lipopeptide from Brevibacillus laterosporus That Combats Drug-Resistant Gram-Positive Bacteria
Authors: Yang Xu , Huang En , Yuan Chunhua , Zhang Liwen , Yousef Ahmed E.
Published: February 2016

A new environmental bacterial strain exhibited strong antimicrobial characteristics against methicillin-resistant
Staphylococcus aureus
, vancomycin-resistant strains of
Enterococcus faecalis
and
Lactobacillus plantarum
, and other Gram-positive bacteria. The producer strain, designated OSY-I
1
, was determined to be
Brevibacillus laterosporus
via morphological, biochemical, and genetic analyses. The antimicrobial agent was extracted from cells of OSY-I
1
with isopropanol, purified by high-performance liquid chromatography, and structurally analyzed using mass spectrometry (MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The MS and NMR results, taken together, uncovered a linear lipopeptide consisting of 13 amino acids and an N-terminal C
6
fatty acid (FA) chain, 2-hydroxy-3-methylpentanoic acid. The lipopeptide (FA-Dhb-Leu-Orn-Ile-Ile-Val-Lys-Val-Val-Lys-Tyr-Leu-valinol, where Dhb is α,β-didehydrobutyric acid and valinol is 2-amino-3-methyl-1-butanol) has a molecular mass of 1,583.0794 Da and contains three modified amino acid residues: α,β-didehydrobutyric acid, ornithine, and valinol. The compound, designated brevibacillin, was determined to be a member of a cationic lipopeptide antibiotic family. In addition to its potency against drug-resistant bacteria, brevibacillin also exhibited low MICs (1 to 8 μg/ml) against selected foodborne pathogenic and spoilage bacteria, such as
Listeria monocytogenes
,
Bacillus cereus
, and
Alicyclobacillus acidoterrestris
. Purified brevibacillin showed no sign of degradation when it was held at 80°C for 60 min, and it retained at least 50% of its antimicrobial activity when it was held for 22 h under acidic or alkaline conditions. On the basis of these findings, brevibacillin is a potent antimicrobial lipopeptide which is potentially useful to combat drug-resistant bacterial pathogens and foodborne pathogenic and spoilage bacteria.
Carbon Isotope Fractionation during Catabolism and Anabolism in Acetogenic Bacteria Growing on Different Substrates
Authors: Freude Christoph , Blaser Martin
Published: February 2016

Homoacetogenic bacteria are versatile microbes that use the acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA) pathway to synthesize acetate from CO
2
and hydrogen. Likewise, the acetyl-CoA pathway may be used to incorporate other 1-carbon substrates (e.g., methanol or formate) into acetate or to homoferment monosaccharides completely to acetate. In this study, we analyzed the fractionation of pure acetogenic cultures grown on different carbon substrates. While the fractionation of
Sporomusa sphaeroides
grown on C
1
compounds was strong (ε
C1
, −49‰ to −64‰), the fractionation of
Moorella thermoacetica
and
Thermoanaerobacter kivui
using glucose (ε
Glu
= −14.1‰) was roughly one-third as strong, suggesting a contribution of less-depleted acetate from fermentative processes. For
M. thermoacetica
, this could indeed be validated by the addition of nitrate, which inhibited the acetyl-CoA pathway, resulting in fractionation during fermentation (ε
ferm
= −0.4‰). In addition, we determined the fractionation into microbial biomass of
T. kivui
grown on H
2
/CO
2
(ε
anabol.
= −28.6‰) as well as on glucose (ε
anabol.
= +2.9‰).