bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein in pancreatic progenitors controls α- and β-cell fate
Authors: Cai Erica P. , Wu Xiaohong , Schroer Stephanie A. , Elia Andrew J. , Nostro M. Cristina , Zacksenhaus Eldad , Woo Minna
Published: August 2013

Pancreatic endocrine cells expand rapidly during embryogenesis by neogenesis and proliferation, but during adulthood, islet cells have a very slow turnover. Disruption of murine retinoblastoma tumor suppressor protein (Rb) in mature pancreatic β-cells has a limited effect on cell proliferation. Here we show that deletion of Rb during embryogenesis in islet progenitors leads to an increase in the neurogenin 3-expressing precursor cell population, which persists in the postnatal period and is associated with increased β-cell mass in adults. In contrast, Rb-deficient islet precursors, through repression of the cell fate factor aristaless related homeobox, result in decreased α-cell mass. The opposing effect on survival of Rb-deficient α- and β-cells was a result of opposing effects on p53 in these cell types. As a consequence, loss of Rb in islet precursors led to a reduced α- to β-cell ratio, leading to improved glucose homeostasis and protection against diabetes.
Near-unity nuclear polarization with an open-source
129
Xe hyperpolarizer for NMR and MRI
Authors: Nikolaou Panayiotis , Coffey Aaron M. , Walkup Laura L. , Gust Brogan M. , Whiting Nicholas , Newton Hayley , Barcus Scott , Muradyan Iga , Dabaghyan Mikayel , Moroz Gregory D. , Rosen Matthew S. , Patz Samuel , Barlow Michael J. , Chekmenev Eduard Y. , Goodson Boyd M.
Published: August 2013

Significance

Lung diseases comprise the third leading cause of death in the United States and could benefit from new imaging modalities. “Hyperpolarized” xenon-129 can overcome the ordinarily weak MRI signals from low-density species in lung space or dissolved in tissue; however, clinical progress has been slowed by the difficulty in preparing large amounts of hyperpolarized xenon with high magnetization, as well as the cost and limited availability of xenon hyperpolarization devices. We describe a unique low-cost “open-source” xenon “hyperpolarizer,” characterize its ability to produce xenon-129 with high magnetization, and demonstrate its utility for human lung imaging.
Salmonella typhimurium
intercepts
Escherichia coli
signaling to enhance antibiotic tolerance
Authors: Vega Nicole M. , Allison Kyle R. , Samuels Amanda N. , Klempner Mark S. , Collins James J.
Published: August 2013

Significance

Bacterial communication plays an important role in many population-based phenotypes and interspecies interactions, including those in host environments. Social interaction within bacterial communities, and particularly communication between pathogenic and commensal bacteria, is a subject of growing interest with relevance to ecology and human health. In this study, we show a case of interspecies communication where the intestinal pathogen
Salmonella typhimurium
increases its antibiotic tolerance in response to the bacterial signaling molecule indole, even though
S. typhimurium
does not natively produce indole. These results suggest that this intestinal pathogen can benefit from indole signaling produced by
E. coli
and other commensal bacteria.
Signaling through dynamic linkers as revealed by PKA
Authors: Akimoto Madoka , Selvaratnam Rajeevan , McNicholl E. Tyler , Verma Geeta , Taylor Susan S. , Melacini Giuseppe
Published: August 2013

Protein kinase A (PKA) is a prototype of multidomain signaling proteins functioning as allosteric conformational switches. Allosteric transitions have been the subject of extensive structural and dynamic investigations focusing mainly on folded domains. However, the current understanding of the allosteric role of partially unstructured linkers flanking globular domains is limited. Here, we show that a dynamic linker in the regulatory subunit (R) of PKA serves not only as a passive covalent thread, but also as an active allosteric element that controls activation of the kinase subunit (C) by tuning the inhibitory preequilibrium of a minimally populated intermediate (
apo
R).
Apo
R samples both C-binding competent (inactive) and incompetent (active) conformations within a nearly degenerate free-energy landscape and such degeneracy maximally amplifies the response to weak (∼2RT), but conformation-selective interactions elicited by the linker. Specifically, the R linker that in the R:C complex docks in the active site of C in
apo
R preferentially interacts with the C-binding incompetent state of the adjacent cAMP-binding domain (CBD). These unanticipated findings imply that the formation of the intermolecular R:C inhibitory interface occurs at the expense of destabilizing the intramolecular linker/CBD interactions in R. A direct implication of this model, which was not predictable solely based on protein structure, is that the disruption of a linker/CBD salt bridge in the R:C complex unexpectedly leads to increased affinity of R for C. The linker includes therefore sites of R:C complex frustration and frustration-relieving mutations enhance the kinase inhibitory potency of R without compromising its specificity.
Unstable predator–prey dynamics permits the coexistence of generalist and specialist predators, and the maintenance of partial preferences
Authors: Holt Robert D. , Roy Manojit , Barfield Michael
Published: August 2013

Saturating functional responses are a unifying principle in ecology, influencing processes at organizational levels from dietary specialization in individuals, to population instability, to community-level indirect interactions among alternative prey. These effects are interrelated. We explore a predator–prey model and demonstrate that unstable dynamics promote coexistence of specialist and generalist predators, when the specialist attacks only high-quality prey, and the generalist attacks high- and low-quality prey (that alone cannot maintain the predator). Coexisting specialist and generalist predators are vulnerable to invasion and replacement by predators with fixed partial preferences. The evolutionarily stable partial preference increases with increasing dynamic instability, but typically declines with increasing abundance of the low-quality prey. Coexisting specialist and generalist consumers, or partial preferences, typically reduce the potential for poor-quality prey to indirectly benefit high-quality prey. We suggest that dynamic instability may also contribute to the evolutionary maintenance of seemingly maladaptive oviposition choices by insect parasitoids.
Lophomonas blattarum and bronchopulmonary disease
Authors: Martinez-Girón Rafael , Cornelis van Woerden Hugo
Published: August 2013

The natural habitat of the multiflagellate protozoonLophomonas blattarumis as an endocommensal in the hindgut of insects such as cockroaches. However, it also causes bronchopulmonary disease in humans. The aim of this paper was to review the literature on this organism in the context of respiratory disease. The biology epidemiology, route of transmission, pathogenic mechanisms and diagnosis methods are also described. A total of 61 cases were identified in the literature. The majority of these reports were from China, with some cases from Peru and Spain. Most cases were adult males, although paediatric cases were reported in Peru. Clinical presentation was non-specific, including symptoms such as fever, cough and breathless. Antiprotozoal therapy was generally effective.
Genetic diversity of emerging Panton–Valentine leukocidine/arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME)-positive ST8 SCCmec-IVa meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains and ACME-positive CC5 (ST5/ST764) MRSA strains in northern Japan
Authors: Kawaguchiya Mitsuyo , Urushibara Noriko , Ghosh Souvik , Kuwahara Osamu , Morimoto Shigeo , Ito Masahiko , Kudo Kenji , Kobayashi Nobumichi
Published: August 2013

Panton–Valentine leukocidine (PVL) is a distinctive virulence factor of community-associated meticillin-resistantStaphylococcus aureus(CA-MRSA), and arginine catabolic mobile element (ACME) is a staphylococcal genomic island that enhances fitness and the ability of bacterial cells to colonize on skin and mucous membranes. ACME is characteristically found in USA300, which is a predominant CA-MRSA clone [sequence type (ST) 8] in the USA and is spreading globally, and has also been detected in non-ST8 MRSA at low frequency. In Japan, spread of MRSA with PVL and/or ACME and their genetic traits have not yet been well characterized. In the present study, the prevalence and genetic diversity of PVL+/ACME+MRSA were investigated for 422 MRSA clinical isolates collected from outpatients in northern Japan over a period of 1 year. All the isolates were genotyped for the staphylococcal cassette chromosomemec(SCCmec) and coagulase genes (coa), and screened for PVL and ACME genes. The PVL+/ACME+isolates were studied further by genetic analysis, including single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis based on PVL genes (lukS-PV-lukF-PV), ACME (arcandopp3clusters) and thesarUpromoter region. Among all the isolates examined, PVL genes and ACME were detected in eight (SCCmec-II,n = 1; SCCmec-IV,n = 6; SCCmec-V,n = 1) and 20 (SCCmec-II,n = 14; SCCmec-IV,n = 5; SCCmec-V,n = 1) isolates, respectively. Five isolates were found to have both PVL genes and ACME (type I), and were classified into ST8/spa-t008/agr-I/coa-IIIa, which is the same genetic traits as USA300. Fifteen PVL−/ACME+isolates had type ΔII-ACME, belonging to either ST5 or ST764 [clonal complex (CC) 5], andspa-t001, -t002 or -t3557. All the ST8 PVL+/ACME-I+MRSA had identical sequences of PVL genes (haplotype R) and ACMEarc/opp3clusters as those of USA300. In contrast, in the CC5 PVL−/ACME-ΔII+MRSA, SNPs in thearccluster were detected in 11 sites (four haplotypes), with some different profiles of virulence/resistance factors. These results indicated single clonality of ST8 PVL+/ACME-I+MRSA and heterogeneity of CC5 PVL−/ACME-ΔII+MRSA, and suggest their potential spread in northern Japan.
Impact of dose‐finding studies on administration of oxytocin during caesarean section in the UK
Authors: West R. , West S. , Simons R. , McGlennan A.
Published: August 2013

Debate continues over the dose and methods of administration of oxytocin for the prevention of haemorrhage during caesarean section. We surveyed 206 lead obstetric anaesthetists in the UK to determine standard practice in their unit as well as any differences in practice for high‐risk cases. There were 150 responses (72.9% response rate). A total of 149 units use oxytocin. The majority use an initial 5‐IU dose, whilst a small proportion (8; 5.3%) administer a dose < 5 IU for elective caesarean section. The administration of a 10‐IU dose has ceased altogether. There is a broad range of administration methods, particularly with infusions. Forty (26.8%) respondents give a different oxytocin regimen following caesarean section in patients with severe pre‐eclampsia, 72 (48.3%) in those with cardiac disease of New York Heart Association class 1‐2, and 100 (66.7%) with class 3‐4. In conclusion, there is a trend towards the use of lower doses of oxytocin in caesarean section, but there are still wide variations in detail. We suggest that there is a need for a national protocol to standardise oxytocin administration.
Do changes in vegetation quality precede urban sprawl?
Authors: Salvati Luca , Ferrara Carlotta
Published: August 2013

The present study compares trends in vegetation quality observed from 1975 to 2000 in two Mediterranean cities (Athens and Rome) with the distribution and density of urban settlements in 2010 to test if urban sprawl was preceded by changes in landscape characteristics. These cities are characterised by unregulated expansion and similar long‐term population dynamics, but possess different urban forms. The results indicate that changes in vegetation quality are correlated with the type of urban development found around the two cities. In particular, it was found that (i) dispersed settlements are more likely to be located on land of higher vegetation quality than compact settlements and (ii) land with stable vegetation quality over time was primarily associated with compact settlements, while land with both increasing and decreasing vegetation quality was associated with low‐density, dispersed settlements. In 2010, low‐density, dispersed settlements were concentrated in areas associated with decreasing vegetation quality between 1975 and 2000. Trends in vegetation quality could thus be a proxy indicator of urban sprawl in the Mediterranean region.
Multiplying spaces of subalterity in education: From ideological realms to strategizing outcomes
Authors: Basu Ranu
Published: August 2013

In recent years, the terrain of subalterity in education has multiplied in heterogeneous ways accentuated through the project of neoliberalism. Unpacking these socially, politically, or ideologically—through three contradictory imperatives—reveals intersecting spaces of marginality, hegemonic discourses, and complicated outcomes related to the governmentality of educational rights. However, despite serious efforts, the relentless task of contesting political rationalities, “normed” subjectivities, or technologies of power has not gained sufficient collective momentum to usurp such modes of governance and thought. These arguments are explored through a range of empirical cases in Ontario ranging from refugee and migrant rights, to the reproduction of racial/sexual/classed profiling and subjectivities, to territorial disputes related to northern and smaller school board challenges related to school closures. It is argued that the fundamental issue is not the dilemma related to redistribution and recognition rights, but the tensions strategically created through the manipulation of economic and moral orderings and consequential fragmentations of space and social justice.
Half a Century of Sociological Scholarship in the CRS(A)
Authors: Carroll William K.
Published: August 2013

Cet article introduit le numéro spécial consacré au 50e anniversaire de la Revue canadienne de sociologie. Nous y retraçons l'histoire de la revue au travers d'une analyse sommaire de ses éditeurs successifs et des articles et numéros spéciaux publiés au fil des ans. Depuis sa fondation, la Revue permet de suivre les plus récents développements du champ de la sociologie canadienne. L'analyse démontre que si les trente premières années de la Revue ont vu s'effectuer une transition du concept de culture à celui de relations de pouvoir en tant que thème central, les deux dernières décennies ont quant à elles été le lieu d'une diversification des perspectives théoriques et méthodologiques ainsi que d'un retour du “moment culturel”, s'insérant dorénavant dans le cadre d'une analyse plus générale des relations de pouvoir. Les articles du présent numéro illustrent et discutent ces développements.

This article introduces the fiftieth anniversary issue of the Canadian Review of Sociology (CRS). It tracks the development of the CRS through rudimentary analyses of its editors, articles, and special‐issue themes. The CRS has provided a venue both for keeping pace with developments in Canadian sociology and for leading sociological research into new fields. If the first three decades of scholarship were marked by a transition from culture to power as an organizing motif, the two most recent decades have seen a diversification that recovers the cultural moment within a broader analysis of power, and that offers a wide range of theoretical and methodological perspectives. Articles featured in this issue exemplify and reflect on these developments.
Emissaries of the Modern: The Foreign Teacher in UrbanChina
Authors: HENRY ERIC S.
Published: August 2013

Some of the most recognizable urban figures inChina today are not evenChinese, but “foreigners.” Foreigners stand out from the crowd, not simply because of their perceived racial distinctiveness, but because they are seen to possess and successfully manipulate symbols of a globalized world that manyChinese desire but feel disconnected from. Based on fieldwork in the northeastern city ofShenyang, this article will focus specifically on foreign teachers, itinerant native speakers ofEnglish who come toChina for adventure and a paycheck in return for teaching their language to others. They are encountered in foreign language classrooms, the media, and in public, acting as indexes of modernity in a rapidly changing urban landscape. WhileChinese urban residents bemoan a sense of isolation and backwardness within globalized structures of power and capital, they identify the interloping foreign teacher—stereotypically seen as white,English‐speaking, mobile, wealthy, and brand‐conscious—as an exemplar of the possibilities of modern selfhood. Foreigners are objects of desire, curiosity, envy, and resentment; each emotion is linked to their status as representatives of a world perceived to be beyond the boundaries of the local, but which in reality permeates it at every level. While foreign teachers themselves are often oblivious to this wider context, they are implicated in everyday practices ofChinese self‐fashioning, from education in global languages to marketing international brands. I argue that the image of the foreigner provokes reflections on the nature ofChinese ethnicity, culture, and national identity. Contemplating the foreign as a potential subject position, sometimes critically, is one way that urbanChinese articulate creative possibilities for their own futures.
The Effect of Family Governance on Corporate Time Horizons
Authors: Kappes Imke , Schmid Thomas
Published: August 2013

Manuscript Type

Empirical

Research Question/Issue

This paper empirically tests the effect of family governance on intertemporal choice. We contribute to the literature on corporate time horizons by formulating an innovative approach to the measurement of long‐term orientation. This approach uses an index that captures investment, employee, and financing behavior.

Research Findings/Insights

Our research makes use of a dataset consisting of 701 German firms (6,205 firm‐years) observed over the period from 1995 to 2009. We provide evidence that firms actively managed by founders and/or their families are significantly more long‐term oriented than the control group. Our findings also show that these firms persist in maintaining a long‐term approach in cases in which pressure on short‐term results is high.

Theoretical/Academic Implications

This paper supports the hypothesis that trans‐generational considerations can result in family‐managed firms having longer time horizons. As such, our findings reinforce prior claims that agency outcomes can significantly differ in the context of family governance. Furthermore, our results accentuate the validity of the claim to separately account for multiple aspects of family governance in family firm research, in particular management vs. ownership.

Practitioner/Policy Implications

Our results will be helpful for investors in selecting investment targets that match their personal time preferences. In particular, it appears difficult to exert pressure on family managers to extract short‐term profits. Policymakers may want to consider removing any barriers to the transferring of family firms between generations. Their orientation towards the long‐term can make family‐run companies sources of stability in their respective economies. This is also due to their less pronounced reaction to pressure.
Comparing brain‐derived neurotrophic factor and ciliary neurotrophic factor secretion of induced neurotrophic factor secreting cells from human adipose and bone marrow‐derived stem cells
Authors: Razavi Shahnaz , Razavi Mohamad Reza , Zarkesh Esfahani Hamid , Kazemi Mohammad , Mostafavi Fatemeh Sadat
Published: August 2013

Adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) and bone marrow stem cells (BMSCs) may be equally beneficial in treating neurodegenerative diseases. However,ADSCs have practical advantages. In this study, we aimed to induce neurotrophic factors secreting cells in humanADSCs. Then, we compared the level of brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) secretion in neurotrophic factors secreting cells from human adipose and bone marrow‐derived stem cells. Isolated humanADSCs andBMSCs were induced to neurotrophic factor (NTF)‐secreting cells. The levels of expression and secretion ofBDNFandCTNFof induced cells were assessed using immunocytochemical, Real‐Time polymerase chain reaction, and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The level ofBDNFsignificantly increased in both the induced mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) relative toADSCs and theBMSCs (P < 0.01). Moreover,ELISAanalysis showed that the release ofBDNFin the inducedBMSCs was almost twofold more than the inducedADSCs. Overall,NTF‐secreting factor cells derivedBMSCs andADSCs could secret a range of different growth factors. Therefore, the variation in neurotrophic factors of different inducedMSCpopulations suggest the possible beneficial effect of each specific kind of neurotrophic factor secreting cells for the treatment of a particular neurodegenerative disease.
Dynamics of growth factor production in monolayers of cancer cells and evolution of resistance to anticancer therapies
Authors: Archetti Marco
Published: August 2013

Tumor heterogeneity is well documented for many characters, including the production of growth factors, which improve tumor proliferation and promote resistance against apoptosis and against immune reaction. What maintains heterogeneity remains an open question that has implications for diagnosis and treatment. While it has been suggested that therapies targeting growth factors are robust against evolved resistance, current therapies against growth factors, like antiangiogenic drugs, are not effective in the long term, as resistant mutants can evolve and lead to relapse. We use evolutionary game theory to study the dynamics of the production of growth factors by monolayers of cancer cells and to understand the effect of therapies that target growth factors. The dynamics depend on the production cost of the growth factor, on its diffusion range and on the type of benefit it confers to the cells. Stable heterogeneity is a typical outcome of the dynamics, while a pure equilibrium of nonproducer cells is possible under certain conditions. Such pure equilibrium can be the goal of new anticancer therapies. We show that current therapies, instead, can be effective only if growth factors are almost completely eliminated and if the reduction is almost immediate.
Preparation and Antibacterial Activities of Porous Silver‐doped β‐Tricalcium Phosphate Bioceramics
Authors: Liu Shen , Fan Cunyi , Jin Fangchun , Zhao Li , Dai Kerong , Lu Jianxi
Published: August 2013

Infection is still a major concern in bone implants, especially in the implants with porous structures. As silver shows superior and broad‐spectrum antibacterial activity, porous silver‐doped β‐tricalcium phosphate (β‐TCP) bioceramics are prepared with 5% and 10% nanometer silver. The bioceramics show similar porous macrostructure with pure β‐TCP bioceramic, except slightly color change. They have almost identical microstructure to its pure β‐TCP counterpart under field emission scanning electron microscope. Their physical, chemical, and mechanical properties were investigated with X‐ray diffraction, Fourier transforming infrared spectrometer, and AG‐5kN, and no significant difference has been found between silver‐doped β‐TCP bioceramics and pure β‐TCP bioceramic. Bactericidal concentration of silver ions was detected in the solution soaked with the bioceramics. They can efficiently inhibit the growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis and Styphylococcus aureus, but show no cytotoxicity to L929 cells. It suggests that silver‐doped β‐TCP bioceramics can be developed into new type of bone substitutes with anti‐infection properties.
Physical and cooking characteristics of black gram (Phaseolus mungoo L.) cultivars grown in India
Authors: Wani Idrees A. , Sogi Dalbir S. , Gill Balmeet S.
Published: August 2013

Pulses are important component of diet, and information on their physical properties is needed for designing machines while cooking quality is important for consumer acceptance. Three black gram cultivars grown in India were evaluated for physical and cooking properties. Proximate composition revealed that three cultivars contained 24.5–26.7% protein, 1.1–1.3% fat, 2.8–3.7% ash and 60.4–63.3% carbohydrates. Length, breadth and thickness of seeds were in the range of 4.66–5.11 mm, 3.71–3.79 mm and 3.20–3.29 mm, respectively. True density and porosity varied from 1.25–1.29 g mL−1 to 33.43–36.09%, respectively. Hydration and swelling capacities of the seeds varied from 0.036–0.041 g per seed to 0.037–0.042 mL per seed, respectively. Cooking time of unsoaked seeds varied significantly from 35.3 to 42.7 min. Hardness and adhesiveness of the cooked seeds varied from 2.12–2.55 kg to 0.02–0.99 kg s, respectively. The black gram cultivars are rich in protein, and soaking treatment improved their cooking quality.
Retracted: Attitudes on intimate touch during nursing care in China
Authors: Lu Nan , Gao Xiaoyan , Zhang Shuang
Published: August 2013

Although intimate touch is essential to nursing practice, few studies have investigated patients' wishes and how nurses should perform in preserving patient privacy in China. A maximum‐variation sample of 18 adults was selected, and semistructured interviews were conducted in two focus groups. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, and thematic analysis was performed. Five themes emerged from the interviews. These findings suggest that nurses should pay more attention to the patient's attitudes, needs and wishes.
Evaluation of interrater reliability assessing oral health in acute care settings
Authors: Konradsen Hanne , Trosborg Ingelise , Christensen Linda , Pedersen Preben Ulrich
Published: August 2013

Oral health is increasingly important in relation to illness prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.

The aim of this study was to test interrater reliability nurses in‐between of Revised Oral Assessment Guide (ROAG) among patients acutely admitted to hospital with a medical condition. All patients were assessed twice. Percent agreement and Cohen's Kappa coefficient was calculated. Substantial differences were found between observers' ratings. If ROAG is to be implemented, it must be preceded for example by specific education, visual guidance or selection of most important elements in the screening tool.
Cigarette smoking and risk of pressure ulcer in adult intensive care unit patients
Authors: Nassaji Mohammad , Askari Zahra , Ghorbani Raheb
Published: August 2013

The objective of this study was to assess relationship between smoking, some other risk factors and ulcers development in intensive care unit. This prospective cohort study was performed in two university‐affiliated hospitals. The sample consisted of adult male patients who were admitted to medical–surgical intensive care units. All eligible patients were grouped according to their cigarette smoking status as smoker and non‐smoker. The final sample included 160 smokers and 192 non‐smokers. Pressure ulcer occurred in 62 smoker patients and 28 of non‐smoker who showed significant difference. Also number of pack‐year of cigarettes smoking showed significant association with ulcer development. Ulcer stage was significantly different between the two groups. Besides of smoking, age, length of stay, faecal incontinency, diabetes mellitus, anaemia and trauma were significantly associated with pressure ulcers. Our study showed significant association between smoking and development of pressure ulcers.
The efficacy of education programme for preventing constipation in women
Authors: Ayaz Sultan , Hisar Filiz
Published: August 2013

This study was performed to evaluate the efficiency of the education programme for prevention of constipation in women. This study was performed as a pre‐test–posttest design. Thirty‐five women were included who have constipation problem. Data were collected by questionnaire: Constipation Severity Instrument (CSI), Constipation Visual Analogue Scale (CVAS) and Bristol Stool Chart (BSC). Eight home visits were made for each of the women and they were followed up for 3 months. Participants received an individual education programme that included advice on dietary consumption such as pulpy‐fibrous nutrient consumption, fluid intake, an exercise regime and counselling about optimal position to defecate. The subscales of ‘Colonic Inertia’ and ‘Pain’, and CSI total mean scores and CVAS mean scores were decreased significantly after education programme (P < 0.05). According to the BSC, 71.5% of the women stated their stool form to be ‘sausage‐shaped, but lumpy’ before the education programme, but after the said programme the percentage had dropped to 17.1%. Education programme given to women who had constipation were determined to have been effective in alleviating constipation. Nurses should develop appropriate and effective strategies to help women prevent constipation.
Recent status of the treatment of stress urinary incontinence
Authors: Verghese Tina , Latthe Pallavi
Published: August 2013

The therapeutic options for management of stress urinary incontinence can be conservative, pharmacological or surgical. The treatment of patients with stress urinary incontinence should be tailored to the individual to optimize care. A multitude of surgical techniques have emerged to treat this condition in recent years. The objective of the present review was to present an overview of current practice in the management of stress urinary incontinence while considering the evidence supporting the clinical effectiveness of these procedures.
A multiple objective stochastic portfolio selection problem with random Beta
Authors: Abdelaziz Fouad Ben , Masmoudi Meryem
Published: August 2013

When selecting a portfolio, we need to consider, in general, the portfolio return and portfolio risk. Many risk measures have been used in portfolio selection problems as the Beta risk measure, introduced by the capital asset pricing model. Most of the existing research papers suppose that security's Beta has a deterministic value. Recently, many researchers argued that in selecting the optimal portfolio, securities’ Beta should be considered as an uncertain parameter. In this paper, we set up fundamentals to model the portfolio's Beta as a random variable and propose a multiple objective stochastic portfolio selection model with random Beta. To solve the proposed model, we apply a stochastic goal programming approach. A numerical example from the US stock exchange market is reported.
Justice by Other Means: Venue Sorting in Parole Revocation
Authors: LIN JEFFREY , GRATTET RYKEN , PETERSILIA JOAN
Published: August 2013

We consider the factors that shape venue sorting, the process by which a legal case can be handled through different organizational arrangements with distinct procedures, institutional cultures, and sanctioning constraints. The empirical area for our investigation of venue sorting is California's parole revocation system, in which parolees accused of new crimes can be returned to prison by either criminal courts or the parole board. We find that seriousness of the alleged offense partially predicts the venue through which parolees are sanctioned. However, venue sorting is further explained by decision makers' perceptions of parolee threat, as well as concerns about organizational efficiency and legitimacy. We conclude by discussing how these findings may relate to the general phenomenon of venue sorting across a range of legal situations.
Roles and Power within Federal Problem Solving Courtroom Workgroups
Authors: RUDES DANIELLE S. , PORTILLO SHANNON
Published: August 2013

Problem solving (PS) courts (e.g., drug, family, gang, prostitution, reentry) are becoming more commonplace. Today, PS courts exist or are planned in nearly all of the ninety‐four U.S. federal districts. These courts focus on integrating therapeutic jurisprudence into the courtroom environment while emphasizing group decision‐making processes among courtroom workgroup members. In this legal setting, courtroom workgroup teams, regularly consisting of judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, probation officers (POs), and treatment providers engage a collective, case management approach to decision making with shared power among team members. However, despite the court's therapeutic and collaborative design, we find that POs wield powerful influence in decision making. Informed by sixteen months of qualitative fieldwork, including semistructured interviews, observation of courtroom workgroup meetings, and court observations in five federal PS courts in three federal districts, we find that POs exert undetected informational, technical, and relational power within the PS courtroom workgroup. This role and its accompanying power transforms POs into key decision makers, regardless of PS court type, workgroup dynamics, and decision‐making style. The POs' role makes them critical contributors to the outcomes in federal PS courts with important implications for punishment decisions in the federal justice system. With an increasing number of PS courts currently in the planning stages at the federal level, our study has implications for the structure and decision outcomes in these growing courtroom workgroups.
Plasticity in reproduction and growth among 52 range‐wide populations of aMediterranean conifer: adaptive responses to environmental stress
Authors: Santos‐del‐Blanco L. , Bonser S. P. , Valladares F. , Chambel M. R. , Climent J.
Published: August 2013

A plastic response towards enhanced reproduction is expected in stressful environments, but it is assumed to trade off against vegetative growth and efficiency in the use of available resources deployed in reproduction [reproductive efficiency (RE)]. Evidence supporting this expectation is scarce for plants, particularly for long‐lived species. Forest trees such as Mediterranean pines provide ideal models to study the adaptive value of allocation to reproduction vs. vegetative growth given their among‐population differentiation for adaptive traits and their remarkable capacity to cope with dry and low‐fertility environments. We studied 52 range‐widePinus halepensispopulations planted into two environmentally contrasting sites during their initial reproductive stage. We investigated the effect of site, population and their interaction on vegetative growth, threshold size for female reproduction, reproductive–vegetative size relationships andRE. We quantified correlations among traits and environmental variables to identify allocation trade‐offs and ecotypic trends. Genetic variation for plasticity was high for vegetative growth, whereas it was nonsignificant for reproduction. Size‐corrected reproduction was enhanced in the more stressful site supporting the expectation for adverse conditions to elicit plastic responses in reproductive allometry. However,REwas unrelated with early reproductive investment. Our results followed theoretical predictions and support that phenotypic plasticity for reproduction is adaptive under stressful environments. Considering expectations of increased drought in theMediterranean, we hypothesize that phenotypic plasticity together with natural selection on reproductive traits will play a relevant role in the future adaptation of forest tree species.
The impact of reproductive investment and early‐life environmental conditions on senescence: support for the disposable soma hypothesis
Authors: Hammers M. , Richardson D. S. , Burke T. , Komdeur J.
Published: August 2013

Several hypotheses have been put forward to explain the evolution of senescence. One of the leading hypotheses, the disposable soma hypothesis, predicts a trade‐off, whereby early‐life investment in reproduction leads to late‐life declines in survival (survival senescence). Testing this hypothesis in natural populations is challenging, but important for understanding the evolution of senescence. We used the long‐term data set from a contained, predator‐free population of individually marked Seychelles warblers (Acrocephalus sechellensis) to investigate how age‐related declines in survival are affected by early‐life investment in reproduction and early‐life environmental conditions. The disposable soma hypothesis predicts that higher investment in reproduction, or experiencing harsh conditions during early life, will lead to an earlier onset, and an increased rate, of senescence. We found that both sexes showed similar age‐related declines in late‐life survival consistent with senescence. Individuals that started breeding at a later age showed a delay in survival senescence, but this later onset of breeding did not result in a less rapid decline in late‐life survival. Although survival senescence was not directly related to early‐life environmental conditions, age of first breeding increased with natal food availability. Therefore, early‐life food availability may affect senescence by influencing age of first breeding. The disposable soma hypothesis of senescence is supported by delayed senescence in individuals that started breeding at a later age and therefore invested less in reproduction.
Phenotypic integration in flowers of neotropical lianas: diversification of form with stasis of underlying patterns
Authors: Alcantara S. , de Oliveira F. B. , Lohmann L. G.
Published: August 2013

Phenotypic integration is essential to the understanding of organismal evolution as a whole. In this study, a phylogenetic framework is used to assess phenotypic integration among the floral parts of a group of Neotropical lianas. Flowers consist of plant reproductive organs (carpels and stamens), usually surrounded by attractive whorls (petals and sepals). Thus, flower parts might be involved in different functions and developmental constraints, leading to conflicting selective forces. We found that Bignonieae flowers have very similar patterns of variance/covariance among traits and that such patterns are uncorrelated with the phylogenetic relationships between species. However, in spite of pattern stasis, our results also indicate that diversification of floral morphology in this group has occurred throughout the evolution of magnitudes of correlation among traits. Thus, we suggest that stabilizing selection has played an important role in phenotypic integration, resulting in the long‐term stasis of covariance patterns underlying flower diversification during the ca. 50 Myr of evolution of Bignonieae. This is the first report of long‐term stasis in the phenotypic integration of angiosperms, suggesting that patterns of floral morphology can be recognizable as specific attributes of distinct botanical families.
An initial assessment of haptics in preclinical operative dentistry training
Authors: Koo Samuel , Kim Aram , Donoff Robert Bruce , Karimbux Nadeem Yakub
Published: August 2013

Aim

The purpose of this study was to assess novice student perception of haptic‐based manual dexterity training. The short‐term impact of haptic training in the early phase of preclinical operative dentistry education was also investigated.

Methods

Dental students performed a class II amalgam and a class III resin tooth preparation in a typodont model at baseline. The experimental group performed exercises on the manual dexterity module of the IDEA™ software using a haptic device. The exercises required removing the maximum amount of three‐dimensional geometric shapes within a predetermined width and depth. Tooth preparations were repeated 2 weeks later. A questionnaire survey was given to assess the subjective evaluation of the haptic simulation exercise.

Results

Tooth preparations were scored regarding external outline, internal form, and integrity of adjacent tooth. Improvement of overall tooth preparation scores post‐haptic use was not statistically significant compared to controls (P > 0.05). However, students found the game‐feature of the haptic device made the learning experience more fun and interesting.

Conclusion

The haptic exercises with the manual dexterity module software were not superior in improving the dexterity of students for tooth cavity preparations in short‐term. Benefits of ease of use and fun learning experience can be further investigated in future studies.
Nonuniform Staggered Prices and Output Persistence
Authors: SÖDERBERG JOHAN
Published: August 2013

Staggered prices are a fundamental building block of New Keynesian dynamic stochastic general equilibrium models. In the standard model, prices are uniformly staggered, but recent empirical evidence suggests that deviations from uniform staggering are common. This paper analyzes how synchronization of price changes affects the response to monetary policy shocks. I find that even large deviations from uniform staggering have small effects on the response of output. Aggregate dynamics in a model of uniform staggering may serve well as an approximation to a more complicated model with some degree of synchronization in price setting.
Bank Capital: Lessons from the Financial Crisis
Authors: DEMIRGUC‐KUNT ASLI , DETRAGIACHE ENRICA , MERROUCHE OUARDA
Published: August 2013

Using a multicountry panel of banks, we study whether better capitalized banks experienced higher stock returns during the financial crisis. We differentiate among various types of capital ratios: the Basel risk‐adjusted ratio, the leverage ratio, the Tier 1 and Tier 2 ratios, and the tangible equity ratio. We find several results: (i) before the crisis, differences in capital did not have much impact on stock returns; (ii) during the crisis, a stronger capital position was associated with better stock market performance, most markedly for larger banks; (iii) the relationship between stock returns and capital is stronger when capital is measured by the leverage ratio rather than the risk‐adjusted capital ratio; (iv) higher quality forms of capital, such as Tier 1 capital and tangible common equity, were more relevant.
Fiscal Data Revisions in Europe
Authors: DE CASTRO FRANCISCO , PÉREZ JAVIER J. , RODRÍGUEZ‐VIVES MARTA
Published: August 2013

Revisions of budget balances in Europe could be particularly worrisome as adherence to multilateral surveillance rules is judged upon initial data releases. We use a pool of real‐time vintages of data for 15 EU countries over the period 1995–2008. Our main findings are: (i) preliminary releases are biased and nonefficient predictors of subsequent releases, (ii) such systematic bias in revisions is a general feature of the sample, (iii) Eurostat's decisions explain a significant share of the bias and provide some evidence of window dressing practices, and (iv) expected real gross domestic product growth, political cycles, and the strength of fiscal rules also contribute to explain revision patterns.
The Return of the State: Neocollectivism, Agrarian Politics and Images of Technological Progress in the MAS Era in Bolivia
Authors: Cordoba Diana , Jansen Kees
Published: August 2013

The Movement towards Socialism (MAS) party promised to break with neoliberal politics when it rose to power in Bolivia in 2006. Using the concept of neocollectivism to characterize MAS agrarian politics, this paper examines one of its key instruments for achieving rural development: the state enterprise EMAPA. This state company, which supports small producers, envisions a new agrarian structure of production and commercialization, one that will break the power of the Santa Cruz–based agro‐industrial elite. Drawing on a discussion of the mechanisms of governance employed by this state entity, we argue that new complexities in state–civil society relations and a low state capacity have constrained its ability to shift power relationships between the state and the agro‐industrial elites. Instead of reducing the dependency of small producers on agro‐industrial capital, the Bolivian state has increased it, thereby undermining its goal of redistribution. The paper also analyses different moments of politicization and depoliticization in the intervention process arising from the demand for political change, as well as for technically efficient and profitable agricultural production.
Mandatory single embryo transfer policy dramatically decreases multiple pregnancy rates
Authors: Esinler Ibrahim , Bozdag Gurkan , Karakoc Sokmensuer Lale
Published: August 2013

Aim

The aim of this study is to determine the effect of a mandatory single embryo transfer (SET) policy on pregnancy rates and multiple pregnancy rates in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles.

Methods

One hundred and twenty‐eight patients (154 cycles) underwent ICSI before the Turkish Ministry of Health's legislation, 55 patients (69 cycles) underwent ICSI after the legislation (day‐3 embryo transfers only) and 35 patients (39 cycles) who underwent ICSI after the legislation (day‐5 embryo transfers only).

Results

Groups were comparable regarding the women's mean age and body mass index. The number of embryos transferred (2.7 ± 0.5 vs 1.0 ± 0.0 vs 1.0 ± 0.0) was significantly higher in group I, compared to group II and group III. Clinical pregnancy per embryo transfer (40.8% vs 15.1% vs 36.1%) and live birth rate (37.7% vs 13.2% vs 30.6%) were significantly lower in group II when compared to group I and group III. Multiple pregnancy rates (39.6% vs 0.0%, vs 0.0%) were significantly higher in group I when compared to group II and III. Implantation rates were significantly higher in group III when compared to group I and group II. Miscarriage rates were comparable among the groups.

Conclusion

The mandatory SET policy caused a dramatic decrease of multiple pregnancy rates. Mandatory SET with only day‐3 embryo transfers decreased the pregnancy rates but this detrimental effect was not seen in cycles with day‐5 embryo transfers.
Ribavirin suppresses erythroid differentiation and proliferation in chronic hepatitis C patients
Authors: Ronzoni L. , Aghemo A. , Rumi M. G. , Prati G. , Colancecco A. , Porretti L. , Monico S. , Colombo M. , Cappellini M. D.
Published: August 2013

Combination therapy with pegylated interferon (pegIFN) plus ribavirin (RBV) is the standard of care for chronic hepatitis C. One of the major treatment‐related side effects is anaemia, attributed to RBV‐induced haemolysis. However, haemolysis biomarkers are not present in all patients supporting the existence of other pathogenetic mechanisms. We studied the role of RBV in inducing haemolysis and its effects on erythropoiesis. In 18 hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2 patients treated with pegIFN‐alpha‐2a (180 mcg/week) plus RBV (800 mg/day) for 24 weeks and in 10 hepatitis B virus (HBV) patients treated with pegIFN‐alpha‐2a (180 mcg/week) for 48 weeks, haemolysis was assessed by serum LDH, haptoglobin and reticulocyte count. Erythropoiesis was evaluated both ex vivo, analysing the clonogenic activity of patients' erythroid progenitors, as well as in vitro adding pegIFN and RBV to liquid cultures obtained from CD34+ cells of healthy volunteers. The majority of patients developed anaemia; the week 4 mean haemoglobin decrease was greater in HCV than in HBV patients (1.7 vs 0.47 g/dL, P = 0.01). Only three HCV patients (17%) and no HBV patients showed signs of haemolysis. The 15 nonhaemolytic HCV patients and all HBV patients showed a delay in erythroid differentiation, with a reduction in colony number and a relative increase in undifferentiated colony percentage. Haemolytic HCV patients had an increase in colony number at week 4 of therapy. In vitro, erythroid cell proliferation and differentiation were inhibited by both pegIFN and RBV. Both pegIFN and RBV have an inhibitory effect on erythroid proliferation and differentiation.