bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Estimating the Causal Effect of Conduct Disorder on the Time from First Substance Use to Substance Use Disorders Using G-Estimation
Authors: Sung Minje , Erkanli Al , Jane Costello E.
Published: July 2013

Background

The effect of conduct disorder (CD) as a major risk factor of substance use disorder (SUD), controlling for other psychiatric problems, has been well established in the literature. However, other psychiatric problems are associated as confounders with an increased risk of SUD. When confounding exists, the use of the standard survival analysis approach would lead to a biased estimate of the effect of a time-varying exposure on the time to event.

Methods

The authors used a G-estimation approach to estimate the causal effect of CD while controlling for time-varying confounders.

Results

The present study ( N = 1420) found a substantial difference in the estimated hazard ratio of CD (4.49 vs. 1.93) when the results from G-estimation and Cox regression were compared.

Conclusions

G-estimation fixed the problem of underestimating the hazard ratio of conduct disorder (CD) while controlling for all measured covariates.
Social Movements and the Bolivian State: Anarchistic Trends in Practice and Theory
Authors: Carrière April
Published: July 2013

Latin America’s remarkable history of contentious politics has long been theorized through liberal, Marxist and post-Marxist paradigms of state-based social change. These paradigms follow a logic of hegemony by either pursuing a strategy of demand and integration within the current hegemonic system, or by seeking state power to reverse the relationship between the oppressed and their oppressors. Focusing on the Bolivian context, the paper explores how the dominance of these paradigms has had the effect of obscuring many non-hegemonic indigenous movements, tactics and practices which seek to escape the logic of hegemony – of reform/revolution – altogether. The paper then explores the affinity between major concepts of postanarchist philosophy and the way that these non-hegemonic movements, tactics and practices have been posited as the source of Bolivian collective capacity for mobilization and resistance by Bolivian politicians and activists, as well as students of Bolivia.
New lives for old: modernity, biomedicine, traditional culture and HIV prevention in Lesotho
Authors: Bulled Nicola L.
Published: July 2013

Traditional male circumcision practices have been strongly discouraged by HIV prevention campaigns in Lesotho. Traditional circumcision rituals are perceived as a possible transmission route for HIV because of the reuse of unsterilized cutting instruments. While individuals living in urban areas and the lowlands have increasingly considered traditional circumcision a practice of the past, foregoing the procedure all together, those dwelling in rural areas continue to consider the practice vital in the construction of male national identity. Initially, the national government voiced strong concern over the publicizing of medical male circumcision (MMC) – conducted by surgeons in sterile clinics. There have been claims that male circumcision (either traditional or MMC) does not have the same level of protective benefit against HIV in Lesotho that research suggests it has in other countries in the region. This article critically examines the development of government responses to international expectations on MMC scale-up. It also explores the impact of government responses on the attitudes of youth who serve to benefit most from such biomedical HIV prevention measures. Given the existing distinction between traditional practices and MMC, recent international calls for male circumcision in the region are positioned at the divides of modern/traditional, urban/rural, educated/ignorant, uninfected/infected.
From post-imperial Britain to post-British imperialism
Authors: McCormick Callum
Published: July 2013

The article explores the potential implications for the United Kingdom of Scottish independence. I attempt to situate the possibility of the break-up of the British state in 2014 within a broader understanding of the decline and erosion of the main institutions of British society. In particular, I focus on the malaise created by the end of the British Empire and on the political and institutional effects of the neoliberal restructuring of the British economy. I relate these processes to the current austerity agenda of the Coalition government and the attempt to outline the likely effects of the current government’s policy on the debate over Scottish independence. I then focus more particularly on the question of Britain’s nuclear weapons, analysing the ways in which discussion of the replacement or renewal of the Trident weapon system has interacted with debates over the future of the British state. I suggest some possible outcomes of Scottish independence on the United Kingdom, including the likelihood that it will increase the speed of British decline and further increase dependency on the United States. I also offer some criticisms of those on the left of Scottish politics who have seen independence as a means of pursuing a post-neoliberal and anti-militaristic alternative to the regime of war and austerity on offer from Westminster.
The Falkland/Malvinas dispute: a contemporary battle between history and memory
Authors: Hewer Christopher J.
Published: July 2013

In a state of culturally induced amnesia for empire in the post-war period, British public or lay collective memory of the Falkland Islands arguably began in April 1982 when Argentine forces landed on the islands. Since then, a memory of the islands has emerged from the conflict that is in contrast to the detailed and very complex history of the territory and the catalogue of associated legal interventions, UN resolutions and bi (tri)-partite negotiations that have taken place over decades. Although among political elites in Britain there is a sense that there is no further case to answer, the Falkland/ Malvinas dispute, nonetheless, continues as a battle between history and memory. This paper discusses the nature of collective memory and explains the Britain’s collective response in 1982 in terms of a set of deeply embedded cultural psychodynamics that led to specific re-enactments of the past.
Consolidate! Britain, the Falkland Islands and wider the South Atlantic/Antarctic
Authors: Dodds Klaus
Published: July 2013

On the Falklands question, David Cameron has been the most robust British Prime Minister since the late Margaret Thatcher. He has accused the Argentine government led by President Christina Kirchner of being ‘colonial like’ in its campaign to ‘recover’ the Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas). This article teases out two aspects of the current UK policy towards the Falklands and wider region: first, the Falklands are increasingly imagined as a strategic ‘gateway’ to the wider region including Antarctica. Resource interests do play a major role in this geographical imagination and in a post- Afghanistan era, there might be additional UK military capacity to support the UK presence. Second, the Coalition government is, more than ever, determined to promote and protect the ‘wishes’ of the Falkland Islands community to self-determine their own future. This has, in turn, given added confidence to the Falkland Islands Government (FIG) to organize a referendum in March 2013. There is going to be no return to a more co-operative period in the late 1990s; consolidate is the new watch word.
Relinquishing and governing the volatile: the many Afghanistans and critical research agendas of NATO’s governance
Authors: Savić Bojan
Published: July 2013

This article invites academics and policy analysts to examine the mechanisms and legacy ofNATO’s security and development governance of Afghan social spaces by using critical theory concepts. It argues that such scholarly endeavors are growing in importance as the United States and NATO gradually pull their troops out of Afghanistan. Thus, the article suggests a broad twofold research agenda. First, it points out that researching social spaces such as towns, villages, marketplaces, and neighborhoods beyond the realm of intergovernmental politics can lead to thick descriptions of how such places have been governed from within by agents external to them. Second, the study argues for a multifaceted examination of instruments, strategies, and institutions of security governance, its conduct and social effects by deploying critical and Foucauldian concepts such as the rationality and apparatuses of power relations. Thereby, it proposes an inquiry into Provincial Reconstruction Teams and Afghan National Security Forces as spatially and temporally specific apparatuses of surveillance and security.
Building an empire or not? Athenian imperialism and the United States in the twenty-first century
Authors: Koutsoukis Alexandros
Published: July 2013

In order to assess whether the United States is an empire and what we could learn from such an analysis, we embark on a dual task. We evaluate American imperial tendencies based on Michael Doyle's criteria and then compare them to the Athenian informal empire of the fifth-century BC. In our comparison, we focus on how the Athenian empire was created and what are its commonalities with the US world order. We also explore their various differences at the level of international and domestic politics and their plausible consequences. The criteria we use are economic inequalities and military interventions and motives and national style. We suggest that the United States is a republic with imperial tendencies but not yet a Machiavellian imperial republic. Were this to happen, it would endanger the future of globalisation and the stability of the world.
Regulation of the Mitotic Exit Protein Kinases Cdc15 and Dbf2
Authors: Visintin Rosella , Amon Angelika
Published: July 2013

In budding yeast, the release of the protein phosphatase Cdc14 from its inhibitor Cfi1/Net1 in the nucleolus during anaphase triggers the inactivation of Clb CDKs that leads to exit from mitosis. The mitotic exit pathway controls the association between Cdc14 and Cfi1/Net1. It is comprised of the RAS-like GTP binding protein Tem1, the exchange factor Lte1, the GTPase activating protein complex Bub2-Bfa1/Byr4, and several protein kinases including Cdc15 and Dbf2. Here we investigate the regulation of the protein kinases Dbf2 and Cdc15. We find that Cdc15 is recruited to both spindle pole bodies (SPBs) during anaphase. This recruitment depends on TEM1 but notDBF2 or CDC14 and is inhibited byBUB2. Dbf2 also localizes to SPBs during anaphase, which coincides with activation of Dbf2 kinase activity. Both events depend on the mitotic exit pathway components TEM1 andCDC15. In cells lacking BUB2, Dbf2 localized to SPBs in cell cycle stages other than anaphase and telophase and Dbf2 kinase was prematurely active during metaphase. Our results suggest an order of function of mitotic exit pathway components with respect to SPB localization of Cdc15 and Dbf2 and activation of Dbf2 kinase. BUB2 negatively regulates all 3 events. Loading of Cdc15 on SPBs depends on TEM1, whereas loading of Dbf2 on SPBs and activation of Dbf2 kinase depend onTEM1 and CDC15.
The Conserved Npl4 Protein Complex Mediates Proteasome-dependent Membrane-bound Transcription Factor Activation
Authors: Hitchcock Amy L. , Krebber Heike , Frietze Seth , Lin Andrew , Latterich Martin , Silver Pamela A.
Published: July 2013

Proteolytic activation of membrane-bound transcription factors has emerged as an important mechanism for the regulation of gene expression. Two membrane-bound transcription factors regulated in this manner are the Saccharomyces cerevisiae proteins Mga2p and Spt23p, which direct transcription of the Δ9-fatty acid desaturase gene OLE1. We now show that a membrane-associated complex containing the highly conserved Npl4p, Ufd1p, and Cdc48p proteins mediates the proteasome-regulated cleavage of Mga2p and Spt23p. Mutations in NPL4,UFD1, and CDC48 cause a block in Mga2p and Spt23p processing, with concomitant loss of OLE1expression. Taken together, our data indicate that the Npl4 complex may serve to target the proteasome to the ubiquitinated endoplasmic reticulum membrane-bound proteins Mga2p and Spt23p. Given the recent finding that NPL4 is allelic to the ERAD geneHRD4, we further propose that this NPL4function extends to all endoplasmic reticulum-membrane–associated targets of the proteasome.
Perturbation of the Nucleus: A Novel Hog1p-independent, Pkc1p-dependent Consequence of Hypertonic Shock in Yeast
Authors: Nanduri Jayasri , Tartakoff Alan M.
Published: July 2013

Hypertonic shock of Saccharomyces cerevisiaeactivates the Hog1p MAP kinase cascade. In contrast, protein kinase C (Pkc1p) and the “cell integrity” MAP kinase cascade are critical for the response to hypotonic shock. We observed that hypertonic shock transiently relocated many, but not all, nuclear and nucleolar proteins to the cytoplasm. We hypothesized that the relocation of nuclear proteins was due to activation of the Hog1p kinase cascade, yet, surprisingly, Hog1p was not required for these effects. In contrast, Pkc1p kinase activity was required, although the Pkc1p MAP kinase cascade and several factors known to lie upstream and downstream of Pkc1p were not. Moreover, sudden induction of a hyperactive form of Pkc1p was sufficient to relocate nuclear proteins. Taken together, these observations show that the scope of involvement of Pkc1p in the organization of the nucleus considerably exceeds what has been characterized previously. The relocation of nuclear proteins is likely to account for the profound inhibition of RNA synthesis that was observed during hypertonic shock.
Microtubule-dependent Changes in Assembly of Microtubule Motor Proteins and Mitotic Spindle Checkpoint Proteins at PtK1 Kinetochores
Authors: Hoffman David B. , Pearson Chad G. , Yen Tim J. , Howell Bonnie J. , Salmon E.D.
Published: July 2013

The ability of kinetochores to recruit microtubules, generate force, and activate the mitotic spindle checkpoint may all depend on microtubule- and/or tension-dependent changes in kinetochore assembly. With the use of quantitative digital imaging and immunofluorescence microscopy of PtK1 tissue cells, we find that the outer domain of the kinetochore, but not the CREST-stained inner core, exhibits three microtubule-dependent assembly states, not directly dependent on tension. First, prometaphase kinetochores with few or no kinetochore microtubules have abundant punctate or oblate fluorescence morphology when stained for outer domain motor proteins CENP-E and cytoplasmic dynein and checkpoint proteins BubR1 and Mad2. Second, microtubule depolymerization induces expansion of the kinetochore outer domain into crescent and ring morphologies around the centromere. This expansion may enhance recruitment of kinetochore microtubules, and occurs with more than a 20- to 100-fold increase in dynein and relatively little change in CENP-E, BubR1, and Mad2 in comparison to prometaphase kinetochores. Crescents disappear and dynein decreases substantially upon microtubule reassembly. Third, when kinetochores acquire their full metaphase complement of kinetochore microtubules, levels of CENP-E, dynein, and BubR1 decrease by three- to sixfold in comparison to unattached prometaphase kinetochores, but remain detectable. In contrast, Mad2 decreases by 100-fold and becomes undetectable, consistent with Mad2 being a key factor for the “wait-anaphase” signal produced by unattached kinetochores. Like previously found for Mad2, the average amounts of CENP-E, dynein, or BubR1 at metaphase kinetochores did not change with the loss of tension induced by taxol stabilization of microtubules.
Calreticulin, a Calcium-binding Molecular Chaperone, Is Required for Stress Response and Fertility inCaenorhabditis elegans
Authors: Park Byung-Jae , Lee Duk-Gyu , Yu Jae-Ran , Jung Sun-ki , Choi Kyuyeong , Lee Jungsoo , Lee Jiyeon , Kim Yun Sik , Lee Jin Il , Kwon Jae Young , Lee Junho , Singson Andrew , Song Woo Keun , Eom Soo Hyun , Park Chul-Seung , Kim Do Han , Bandyopadhyay Jaya , Ahnn Joohong
Published: July 2013

Calreticulin (CRT), a Ca2+-binding protein known to have many cellular functions, including regulation of Ca2+homoeostasis and chaperone activity, is essential for heart and brain development during embryogenesis in mice. Here, we report the functional characterization of Caenorhabditis elegans calreticulin (crt-1). Acrt-1 null mutant does not result in embryonic lethality but shows temperature-dependent reproduction defects. In C. elegans CRT-1 is expressed in the intestine, pharynx, body-wall muscles, head neurons, coelomocytes, and in sperm. crt-1males exhibit reduced mating efficiency and defects late in sperm development in addition to defects in oocyte development and/or somatic gonad function in hermaphrodites. Furthermore, crt-1 anditr-1 (inositol triphosphate receptor) together are required for normal behavioral rhythms. crt-1transcript level is elevated under stress conditions, suggesting that CRT-1 may be important for stress-induced chaperoning function inC. elegans.
The Welfare Impacts of Commodity Price Volatility: Evidence from Rural Ethiopia
Authors: Bellemare Marc F. , Barrett Christopher B. , Just David R.
Published: July 2013

How does commodity price volatility affect the welfare of rural households in developing countries, for whom hedging and consumption smoothing are often difficult? When governments choose to intervene in order to stabilize commodity prices, as they often do, who gains the most? This article develops an analytical framework and an empirical strategy to answer those questions, along with illustrative empirical results based on panel data from rural Ethiopian households. Contrary to conventional wisdom, we find that the welfare gains from eliminating price volatility are increasing in household income, making food price stabilization a distributionally regressive policy in this context.
Flux balance impact degree: a new definition of impact degree to properly treat reversible reactions in metabolic networks
Authors: Zhao Yang , Tamura Takeyuki , Akutsu Tatsuya , Vert Jean-Philippe
Published: July 2013

Motivation: Metabolic pathways are complex systems of chemical reactions taking place in every living cell to degrade substrates and synthesize molecules needed for life. Modeling the robustness of these networks with respect to the dysfunction of one or several reactions is important to understand the basic principles of biological network organization, and to identify new drug targets. While several approaches have been proposed for that purpose, they are computationally too intensive to analyze large networks, and do not properly handle reversible reactions.

Results: We propose a new model—the flux balance impact degree—to model the robustness of large metabolic networks with respect to gene knock-out. We formulate the computation of the impact of one or several reaction blocking as linear programs, and propose efficient strategies to solve them. We show that the proposed method better predicts the phenotypic impact of single gene deletions on Escherichia coli than existing methods.

Availability:  https://sunflower.kuicr.kyoto-u.ac.jp/∼tyoyo/fbid/index.html

Contact:  takutsu@kuicr.kyoto-u.ac.jp or Jean-Philippe.Vert@mines.org

Supplementary information:  Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Amos Henry Chilver FREng, Baron Chilver of Cranfield. 30 October 1926 — 8 July 2012
Authors: Thompson J. Michael T.
Published: July 2013

Henry Chilver was a structural engineer and educationalist. During his early career at Cambridge and University College London, he and his team of researchers made significant contributions, both theoretically and experimentally, to the understanding of imperfection sensitivity in the elastic post-buckling of thin-walled structural components. Awareness of this sensitivity was essential for the safe design of load-carrying shells that were increasingly being used in nuclear reactors and aerospace structures. As Vice-Chancellor of Cranfield Institute of Technology he focused on the application of knowledge rather than merely on its acquisition and led the way in harnessing research relevant to the demands of industry. With his incisive intellect, innovative thinking and farsighted vision he was also in great demand as an adviser to the government, overseeing advisory committees, and holding chairmanships and directorships of numerous companies.
The bending of an elastic beam by a liquid drop: a variational approach
Authors: Neukirch Sébastien , Antkowiak Arnaud , Marigo Jean-Jacques
Published: July 2013

We study the interaction of a liquid drop with an elastic beam in the case where bending effects dominate. We use a variational approach to derive equilibrium equations for the system in the presence of gravity and in the presence or absence of contact line pinning. We show that the derived equilibrium equations for the beam subsystem reveal the external forces applied on the beam by the liquid and vapour phases. Among these, the force applied at the triple line (the curve where the three phases meet) is found to lie along the liquid–vapour interface.
Distinct neural circuits underlie assessment of a diversity of natural dangers by American crows
Authors: Cross Donna J. , Marzluff John M. , Palmquist Ila , Minoshima Satoshi , Shimizu Toru , Miyaoka Robert
Published: July 2013

Social animals encountering natural dangers face decisions such as whether to freeze, flee or harass the threat. The American crow,Corvus brachyrhynchos, conspicuously mobs dangers. We used positron emission tomography to test the hypothesis that distinct neuronal substrates underlie the crow's consistent behavioural response to different dangers. We found that crows activated brain regions associated with attention and arousal (nucleus isthmo-opticus/locus coeruleus), and with motor response (arcopallium), as they fixed their gaze on a threat. However, despite this consistent behavioural and neural response, the sight of a person who previously captured the crow, a person holding a dead crow and a taxidermy-mounted hawk activated distinct forebrain regions (amygdala, hippocampus and portion of the caudal nidopallium, respectively). We suggest that aspects of mobbing behaviour are guided by unique neural circuits that respond to differences in mental processing—learning, memory formation and multisensory discrimination—required to appropriately nuance a risky behaviour to specific dangers.
Temporal reduction of LATS kinases in the early preimplantation embryo prevents ICM lineage differentiation
Authors: Lorthongpanich Chanchao , Messerschmidt Daniel M. , Chan Siew Wee , Hong Wanjin , Knowles Barbara B. , Solter Davor
Published: July 2013

Cellular localization of the Yes-associated protein (YAP) is dependent on large tumor suppressor (LATS) kinase activity and initiates lineage specification in the preimplantation embryo. We temporally reduced LATS activity to disrupt this early event, allowing its reactivation at later stages. This interference resulted in an irreversible lineage misspecification and aberrant polarization of the inner cell mass (ICM). Complementation experiments revealed that neither epiblast nor primitive endoderm can be established from these ICMs. We therefore conclude that precisely timed YAP localization in early morulae is essential to prevent trophectoderm marker expression in, and lineage specification of, the ICM.
Regulation of aldosterone biosynthesis by the Kir3.4 (KCNJ5) potassium channel
Authors: Velarde‐Miranda Carolina , Gomez‐Sanchez Elise P , Gomez‐Sanchez Celso E
Published: July 2013

The G‐protein‐activated inwardly rectifying potassium channel Kir3.4 is expressed in the zona glomerulosa cell membrane and transports potassium out of the cell.

 Angiotensin II stimulation of aldosterone secretion is mediated, in part, by suppression of the transcription of KCNJ5, the gene coding for Kir3.4, and blocking channel activity. This results in membrane depolarization, mobilization of intracellular calcium, activation of the calcium–calmodulin pathway and increasing gene transcription of steroidogenic enzymes required for aldosterone secretion.

 In 40–60% of aldosterone‐producing adenomas there is a somatic mutation in the region of the KCNJ5 gene that codes for the selectivity filter that decreases potassium selectivity, allowing sodium to leak into the cells, thus depolarizing the membrane and initiating events that result in increased aldosterone synthesis.

 The mechanism by which mutated KCNJ5 induces cell proliferation and adenoma formation remains unclear.
Trends in PCI Volume after Negative Results from the COURAGE Trial
Authors: Howard David H. , Shen Yu‐Chu
Published: July 2013

Objective

To describe trends in the use of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) following the COURAGE trial, which found that medical therapy is as effective as PCI for patients with stable angina.

Data Sources

We used the National Hospital Discharge Survey; inpatient and outpatient discharge data from Florida, Maryland, and New Jersey; and the English Hospital Episode Statistics database.

Study Design

We report trends in PCI volume by diagnosis (stable angina vs. unstable angina or AMI) before and after publication of the COURAGE trial.

Principal Findings

The number of PCIs in patients without a diagnosis of AMI or unstable angina in Florida, Maryland, and New Jersey declined from 48,000 in 2006 to 40,000 in 2008 (−17 percent). There was no change in the number of PCIs in patients with a diagnosis of AMI. We observed similar patterns in U.S. community hospitals. PCI volume did not decline in England.

Conclusions

PCI volume declined after publication of the COURAGE trial. The experience of the COURAGE trial suggests that comparative effectiveness research can lead to cost‐saving changes in medical practice patterns. However, there are many patients with stable coronary disease who continue to receive PCI post‐COURAGE.
Blending Group and Practice Site Scores to Increase the Reliability of Physician Quality Information
Authors: Rogers William H. , Thornton Kristy , von Glahn Ted
Published: July 2013

Objective

To use an empirical Bayesian approach, blending practice, and group quality data with physician results to increase the accuracy of quality of care measures.

Data Sources

Performance data on diabetes glycemic screening for 8,357 physicians collected from multiple payers as part of a statewide physician performance reporting initiative.

Study Design

A variance components analysis assessed the strength of group, practice, and physician effects compared with random error. We derived formulas to describe reliability and measurement error variances and calculated the optimal blend of physician, practice, and group data. We constructed a simulation to show what various methods can achieve. The value of blending strategies was assessed by simulating a common pay‐for‐performance criterion—performance in the top 25 percent. We estimated the proportion of physicians whose true percentage would place them in the top 20 percent but who would not receive payment based on the observed success rate.

Principal Findings

Blending reduced the error rate from 29.7 to 22.7 percent. Simpler empirical Bayes estimates using shrinkage alone produced no gains over simple doctor percentages.

Conclusions

When good structural data about physician groups and practices exist, gains from blending can be substantial.
Serum Cystatin‐C as a Marker of Acute Kidney Injury in the Newborn After Perinatal Hypoxia/Asphyxia
Authors: Treiber Milena , Gorenjak Maksimiljan , Pecovnik Balon Breda
Published: July 2013

We evaluated cystatin‐C (cysC) in the umbilical blood as a predictor of acute kidney injury (AKI) after perinatal hypoxia/asphyxia compared with creatinine (Cr). One hundred full‐term newborns were enrolled in the study (50 in a group affected by perinatal hypoxia/asphyxia [AS] and 50 controls). CysC and Cr were measured in blood samples from the umbilical cord at birth (cysC‐umb and Cr‐umb) and from a peripheral vein 3 days later (cysC‐3 and Cr‐3). At birth, the mean level of cysC in healthy term babies was found to be 1.39 ± 0.19 mg/L and 1.34 ± 0.21 mg/L after 3 days of life, not significantly decreased (P = 0.137). The mean of cysC in the AS group was 2.12 ± 0.53 mg/L in cord blood and 1.56 ± 0.32 g/L in day 3 blood samples, also decreased (P < 0.001) and different from the control (P < 0.001). Cr levels, determined simultaneously at birth were different (P = 0.001) between the control (62.74 ± 12.84 μmol/L) and AS (72.60 ± 15.55 μmol/L) group, significantly decreased after 3 days in both groups (P < 0.001). The receiver‐operating characteristic curve analysis, comparing AS and the control group, showed area under the curve for cysC‐umb, cysC‐3, Cr‐umb and Cr‐3 (0.918; 0.698; 0.692; 0.660). The highest diagnostic accuracy was achieved with a chosen cut‐off for cysC‐umb of 1.67 mg/L (sensitivity of 84.0%, specificity of 90.0%) or 1.69 mg/L (sensitivity of 82.0%, specificity of 94.0%). Our results indicate serum CysC is a more sensitive marker of glomerular filtration rate than Cr in the newborns.
Ovarian follicular dynamics and hormones throughout the estrous cycle in Thai native (Bos indicus) heifers
Authors: Chasombat Jakkhaphan , Nagai Takashi , Parnpai Rangsun , Vongpralub Thevin
Published: July 2013

Relatively few studies have been reported regarding the reproductive physiology of female Thai native cattle. Therefore, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the follicular dynamics and concentrations of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) during the estrous cycle in Thai native heifers (TNH) and to compare obtained results with those of European and Indian cattle breeds previously reported. For the detection of estrus, ovaries of all 20 heifers were examined twice daily (12 h intervals) by ultrasonography for three consecutive estrous cycles. From data of 60 estrous cycles (n = 60 estrous cycles from 20 heifers), it was found that 14 (70%) and 6 heifers (30%) had two (42 estrous cycles collected from 14 heifers) and three follicular waves (18 estrous cycles collected from 6 heifers), respectively. The days when estrus was detected, interovulatory intervals, life‐spans of corpus lutea (CL), and days for growing and regression of CLs were shorter in the two follicular waves than those in the three follicular waves (P < 0.05). In both two and thre follicular waves, larger maximum diameters and higher growth rates of the dominant follicle (DF) in an ovulatory wave were observed than those of the preceding waves without ovulation (P < 0.05). There was a progressive increase in follicular size and FSH and E2 production during follicular growth in each follicular wave. In addition, the FSH and E2 peak concentrations during the ovulatory wave were higher than those of the anovulation waves (P < 0.05). Moreover, although the ovarian follicular dynamic patterns in Thai native heifers were similar to those previously reported for European and Indian cattle breeds, the diameter of the largest preovulatory follicle (OF), subordinate follicles (SF) and CLs were smaller than those in European and Indian cattle breeds. In conclusion, when compared with European and some breeds of Indian cattle, the length of interovulatory intervals was shorter, and the sizes of dominant SF and CLs were smaller in Thai native heifers.
Brefeldin A Induces Apoptosis by Activating the Mitochondrial and Death Receptor Pathways and Inhibits Focal Adhesion Kinase‐Mediated Cell Invasion
Authors: Lee Seon A. , Kim Yun J. , Lee Chung S.
Published: July 2013

Brefeldin A induces apoptosis in various cancer cells; however, the apoptotic process in cancer cells exposed to brefeldin A remains unclear. In addition, it is unclear whether brefeldin A‐induced apoptosis is mediated by the formation of reactive oxygen species. Furthermore, the effect of brefeldin A on the invasion and migration of human epithelial ovarian cancer cells has not been studied. Therefore, we investigated the effect of brefeldin A on apoptosis, cell adhesion and migration using the human epithelial ovarian carcinoma cell lines OVCAR‐3 and SK‐OV‐3. The results suggest that brefeldin A may induce apoptotic cell death in ovarian carcinoma cell lines by activating the mitochondrial pathway and the caspase‐8‐ and Bid‐dependent pathways. The apoptotic effect of brefeldin A seems to be mediated by formation of reactive oxygen species and depletion of GSH, which results in the activation of apoptotic caspases. Brefeldin A inhibited foetal bovine serum‐induced adhesion and migration of OVCAR‐3 cells. Brefeldin A may prevent the foetal bovine serum‐induced cell adhesion and migration by limiting the focal adhesion kinase‐dependent activation of cytoskeletal‐associated components.
Suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in children and adolescents with bipolar disorder: a systematic review of prevalence and incidence rates, correlates, and targeted interventions
Authors: Hauser Marta , Galling Britta , Correll Christoph U
Published: July 2013

Objective

Pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) is associated with poor outcomes, including suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempt (SA). However, frequencies and risk factors of SI/SA and targeted intervention trials for SI/SA in PBD have not been reviewed systematically.

Methods

We conducted a systematic PubMed review, searching for articles reporting on prevalences/incidences, correlates and intervention studies targeting SI/SA in PBD. Weighted means were calculated, followed by an exploratory meta‐regression of SI and SA correlates.

Results

Fourteen studies (n = 1595), in which 52.1% of patients were male and the mean age was 14.4 years, reported data on SI/SA prevalence (N = 13, n = 1508) and/or correlates (N = 10, n = 1348) in PBD. Weighted mean prevalences were: past SI = 57.4%, past SA = 21.3%, current SI = 50.4%, and current SA = 25.5%; incidences (mean 42 months of follow‐up) were: SI = 14.6% and SA = 14.7%. Regarding significant correlates, SI (N = 3) was associated with a higher percentage of Caucasian race, narrow (as opposed to broad) PBD phenotype, younger age, and higher quality of life than SA. Significant correlates of SA (N = 10) included female sex, older age, earlier illness onset, more severe/episodic PBD, mixed episodes, comorbid disorders, past self‐injurious behavior/SI/SA, physical/sexual abuse, parental depression, family history of suicidality, and poor family functioning. Race, socioeconomic status, living situation, and life events were not clearly associated with SA. In a meta‐regression analysis, bipolar I disorder and comorbid attention‐deficit hyperactivity disorder were significantly associated with SA. Only one open label study targeting the reduction of SI/SA in PBD was identified.

Conclusions

SI and SA are very common but under‐investigated in PBD. Exploration of predictors and protective factors is imperative for the establishment of effective preventive and intervention strategies, which are urgently needed.
TAXES, INCOME, AND RETIREMENT SAVINGS: DIFFERENCES BY PERMANENT AND TRANSITORY INCOME
Authors: HEIM BRADLEY T. , LURIE ITHAI Z.
Published: July 2013

This article examines the determinants of and benefits from saving for retirement in tax‐preferred accounts by permanent and transitory income levels. We find that higher incomes (both permanent and transitory) are associated with a greater probability to contribute and larger contributions. We also find that tax benefits for retirement savings increase strongly with income, although the increase is slightly smaller when taxpayers are ranked by their permanent (rather than current) income. In addition, we find that a large portion of the benefits from the Saver's Credit go to taxpayers who would not be eligible based on their permanent income. Finally, we find that recent tax changes (including the introduction of the Saver's Credit) significantly increased contributions among low‐income households, although the effect was centered among those with only transitorily low income. (JEL H24, H31, E21)
U.S. CREDIT UNIONS: SURVIVAL, CONSOLIDATION, AND GROWTH
Authors: GODDARD JOHN , MCKILLOP DONAL , WILSON JOHN O. S.
Published: July 2013

This study uses hazard function estimations and time‐series and cross‐sectional growth regressions to examine the impact of exit through merger and acquisition (M&A) or failure, and internally generated growth, on the firm‐size distribution within the U.S. credit union sector. Consolidation through M&A was the principal cause of a reduction in the number of credit unions, but impact on concentration was small. Divergence between the average internally generated growth of smaller and larger credit unions was the principal driver of the rise in concentration. (JELG21)
DETERRENCE, PREEMPTION, AND PANIC: A COMMON‐ENEMY PROBLEM OF TERRORISM
Authors: DAS SATYA P. , ROY CHOWDHURY PRABAL
Published: July 2013

A game‐theoretic analysis of terrorism examines interactions between a terrorist organization and multiple target countries. It considers both preemption and deterrence as counter‐terrorist policies. Damage from terror includes material costs and resultant fear. Fear effects lead to different equilibria and implications for counter‐terrorism policies. The model identifies conditions under which greater preemption may be the rational response to an increase in terrorism, that is, it analyzes the merit of the dictum “offense is the best defense.” It also examines the characteristics of cooperative behavior among target countries in dealing with the threat of terrorism. (JEL C72, D74, F52, F53, H41)
Cardiac involvements in myasthenia gravis associated with anti‐Kv1.4 antibodies
Authors: Suzuki S. , Baba A. , Kaida K. , Utsugisawa K. , Kita Y. , Tsugawa J. , Ogawa G. , Nagane Y. , Kuwana M. , Suzuki N.
Published: July 2013

Background and purpose

There is no general consensus as to whether autoimmune myasthenia gravis (MG) is associated with heart diseases, despite the fact that myocarditis, a serious cardiac involvement treatable by immunotherapy, is a complication of MG. It has been observed previously that MG patients with clinically suspected myocarditis had anti‐Kv1.4 antibodies. The purpose of this study was to disclose the association between anti‐Kv1.4 antibodies and cardiac involvements in MG patients.

Methods

Anti‐Kv1.4 antibody was detected by an immunoprecipitation assay using 35S‐labeled rhabdomyosarcome cellular extract as the antigen source. Cardiac findings including electrocardiography (ECG) and clinical features of clinically suspected myocarditis in MG patients with anti‐Kv1.4 antibodies were investigated. Ultrasound echocardiography (UCG) of ex vivo chick embryos was performed to determine the suppressive effects of sera with or without anti‐Kv1.4 antibodies on heart muscle functions.

Results

Seventy (10.8%) of 650 MG patients had anti‐Kv1.4 antibodies and 60% of them had abnormal ECG findings with high frequencies of T‐wave abnormality and QT prolongation. Clinically suspected myocarditis was found in eight MG patients with anti‐Kv1.4 antibodies but in none of the MG patients without anti‐Kv1.4 antibodies. Most patients showed rapid deterioration with lethal arrhythmias such as ventricular tachycardia, sick sinus syndrome, or complete atrial ventricular block and severe heart failure. It was concluded using UCG of ex vivo chick embryos that MG serum with anti‐Kv1.4 antibodies suppressed heart muscle functions.

Conclusion

It has been demonstrated that anti‐Kv1.4 antibodies are possible markers for cardiac involvements in MG patients.
Phospholipids in sera of horses with summer eczema: Lipid analysis of the autoserum preparation used in therapy
Authors: Hallamaa R. E. , Batchu K. C. , Tallberg T.
Published: July 2013

Reasons for performing study

Equine summer eczema, also known as insect bite hypersensitivity, affects horses recurrently during summer months. The treatment of this allergic pruritus is difficult and therefore there is a need for efficacious treatments. Autoserum therapy, based on the use of autogenous serum that is specifically prepared for oral administration and given when the animal shows clinical signs has been introduced recently. Lipids are thought to be responsible for the effect of this therapy.

Objectives

The main aim of this study was to analyse the phospholipid content of autogenous serum preparations and to further assess whether these preparations have different lipid profiles depending on the clinical status of the horse. The hypothesis is that the major serum phospholipids typical of the horse are present in the autoserum preparation.

Study design

Descriptive controlled clinical study.

Methods

Sera were collected from 10 affected and 6 healthy horses, prepared in a similar fashion and the lipids contained in the resulting autoserum preparations were analysed by electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry.

Results

The major phospholipid classes detected were phosphatidylcholine, sphingomyelin, phosphatidic acid and traces of lysophosphatidylcholine. Horses with summer eczema had significantly abundant concentrations of phosphatidylcholine (P = 0.042) and sphingomyelin (P = 0.0017) in comparison with healthy horses, while the concentration of phosphatidic acid was significantly higher in healthy horses (P = 0.0075).

Conclusions

The autoserum preparation contains minute amounts of the main serum phospholipids in differing concentrations in healthy horses and horses with an allergic skin disease.
Institutional Ownership, Diversification, and Riskiness of Bank Holding Companies
Authors: Deng Saiying , Elyasiani Elyas , Jia Jingyi
Published: July 2013

We examine the relationship among the level and stability of institutional ownership, diversification, and riskiness of publicly traded bank holding companies. We find that large and stable institutional ownership is associated with a higher (lower) level of geographic, revenue, and nontraditional banking (asset) diversification and lower risk, suggesting that institutional investors are prudent and favor risk‐reducing diversification strategies. The association between institutional ownership level and diversification is more pronounced under deregulation and during the crisis, suggesting a substitution effect between regulation and market discipline, and a greater level of monitoring and/or advising by institutional investors during the crisis, respectively.
Systemic Risk, Financial Crisis, and Credit Risk Insurance
Authors: Chen Fang , Chen Xuanjuan , Sun Zhenzhen , Yu Tong , Zhong Ming
Published: July 2013

Differing from conventional insurance firms whose underwriting business does not contribute to systemic risk, credit risk insurance companies providing credit protections for debt obligations are exposed to systemic risk. We show that credit risk insurers (CRIs) underperformed conventional insurance companies during the 2007–2009 financial crisis, and such underperformance is attributed to the greater systemic risk of CRIs. We also find that the credit spreads of insured bonds increase significantly after their insurers are downgraded or put in the negative watch list. We control for alternative factors affecting bond credit spreads and the result is robust.
Where Are They Now? An Analysis of the Life Cycle of Convertible Bonds
Authors: Korkeamaki Timo , Michael Timothy B.
Published: July 2013

We study the determinants of the life convertible bonds' life span issued between 1980 and 1998. About 60% of the bonds survive either to a call or to their maturity. The issuers of the remaining bonds are delisted during the life of their bonds. Calls and delistings shorten the average life span of convertibles from the original 17 years to an effective life span of only seven years. Issuer's post‐issuance performance and investment behavior affect the effective life of convertibles. Our results support the sequential financing hypothesis, as bonds issued by firms with speedier investment schedules have shorter life spans.
Comparing two fish sampling standards over time: largely congruent results but with caveats
Authors: Yule Daniel L. , Evrard Lori M. , Cachera Sébastien , Colon Michel , Guillard Jean
Published: July 2013

We sampled Lake Bourget (surface area = 44 km2) using CEN standard gillnet and provisional standard acoustic survey methods over 3 years (2005, 2010 and 2011) as the fish community responded to re‐oligotrophication. A total of 16 species were caught in benthic gillnets and three species in pelagic gillnets.

Lake Bourget results were consistent with a recent study (Emmrich et al., Freshwater Biology, 57, 2012, 2436) showing strong correspondence between average biomass‐per‐unit‐effort (BPUE) in standard benthic gillnets and average acoustic volume backscattering when smaller lakes (0.25–5.45 km2) were treated as sample units.

The BPUE of whitefish (Coregonus lavaretus), perch (Perca fluviatilis) and roach (Rutilus rutilus) measured by benthic gillnets all declined significantly with increasing bathymetric depth; 93% of nets set at depths >50 m caught zero fish.

Pelagic gillnetting indicated that small (<10 cm) perch and small (<12.5 cm) roach occupied the upper pelagic habitat (0–20 m depths) and that whitefish were predominant in deeper pelagic habitat. The acoustic sampling showed fish biomass in the upper pelagic habitat varied significantly by year. Biomass there was highest in 2010 when a strong perch year‐class recruited and lowest in 2011 when recruitment levels of perch and roach were both weak. Whitefish biomass in deep pelagic habitat (>20 m) increased significantly after 2005.

Both surveys showed whitefish biomass increased significantly during the study, but whitefish ≥25 cm were poorly represented in benthic gillnet catches. Contrary to the acoustic findings, the BPUE of perch and roach in benthic gillnets did not vary significantly over time. This metric is insensitive to changes in size structure in that a high catch of small fish and a low catch of large fish in different years can provide similar average BPUE estimates.

We examined correlations between BPUE in benthic gillnets and acoustic methods at fine spatial scales by averaging acoustic backscattering measurements encompassed by buffers of varying size (250–2000 m) around individual gillnets and by averaging samples collected from lake quadrants. Correlations at fines scales were generally poor, and only in 1 year was the quadrant correlation significant. The lack of correlation can be explained, in part, by the two gears sampling different components of the fish community. Conversely, in pelagic habitat, where the fish community was simpler, we found BPUE in pelagic nets to be strongly correlated with acoustic backscattering.

With respect to large lakes like Lake Bourget, we hypothesise that the congruence in average biomass measurements provided by these two survey methods occurs because these different community components are responding similarly to a common driver like lake trophic status (or possibly multiple drivers operating in synergy).