bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Invention of an Investment Incentive for Pharmaceutical Innovation
Authors: Basheer Shamnad
Published: December 2012

Pharmaceutical drugs are often hailed as the poster child for the proposition that patents foster accelerated rates of innovation. This sentiment stems, in large part, from the belief that pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) entails significant costs and resources. I argue that if the role of the patent regime is one of fostering higher amounts of investment in the R&D process, it is better served by a direct investment protection regime, where the protection does not depend upon whether or not the underlying idea behind the drug is “new” and “inventive”, two central tenets of patent law. Rather, any drug that successfully makes it past the regulatory filter ought to be entitled to protection, since its discovery and development entail significant investment and risk.

Owing to the sub‐optimality of the current patent regime in protecting intensive pharmaceutical R&D investments from free riders, I propose a comprehensive investment protection regime that helps recoup all investments incurred during the drug discovery and development process. Though similar to existing data protection regimes in some respects, it differs in others. Firstly, it enables a recovery of all R&D costs, and not only costs associated with clinical trials. Secondly, unlike patents and data exclusivity, which offer uniform periods of protection, it rewards investments in a proportionate manner, wherein drug originators are entitled to protection against free riders only until such time as they recoup their specific investments and earn a rate of return on investment dependent inter alia on the health value of the drug.

I consider a pure market exclusivity based investment protection regime but note that it is likely to foster excessive pricing and subject the market to the dictates of a single firm. In the alternative, I consider a compensatory liability model based on a novel cost sharing methodology, where follow‐on entrants are free to manufacture the drug, but must pay a reasonable amount of compensation to the originator. Lastly, I consider a reimbursement model, where the costs of drug discovery and development are reimbursed through public funding and prizes.

Once it is appreciated that the function of investment protection is better addressed through a separate regime, the pressure on patents to fulfil a role for which it is not intrinsically suited, abates. This point is an important one to appreciate, as the conflation between patent protection and investment protection has caused many to argue for a dilution of the patentability threshold.
Language matters: towards an understanding of silence and humour in medical education
Authors: Lingard Lorelei
Published: December 2012

Objectives  This paper considers the state of the science regarding language matters in medical education, with particular attention to two informal language practices: silence and humour. Silence and humour pervade clinical training settings, although we rarely attend explicitly to them.

Methods  This paper considers the treatment of these topics in our field to date and introduces a selection of the scholarship on silence and humour from other fields, including philosophy, sociology, anthropology, linguistics and rhetoric. Particular attention is paid to distilling the theoretical and methodological possibilities for an elaborated research agenda around silence and humour in medical education.

Results  These two language practices assume a variety of forms and serve a range of social functions. Episodes of silence and humour are intimately tied to their relational and institutional contexts. Power often figures centrally, although not predictably.

Conclusions  A rich theoretical and methodological basis exists on which to elaborate a research agenda around silence and humour in medical education. Such research promises to reveal more fully the contributions of silence and humour to socialisation in clinical training settings.
Ultrastructural changes in LGMD1F
Authors: Cenacchi Giovanna , Peterle Enrico , Fanin Marina , Papa Valentina , Salaroli Roberta , Angelini Corrado
Published: December 2012

A large Italo‐Spanish kindred with autosomal‐dominant inheritance has been reported with proximal limb and axial muscle weakness. Clinical, histological and genetic features have been described. A limb girdle muscular dystrophy 1F (LGMD1F) disease locus at chromosome 7q32.1–32.2 has been previously identified. We report a muscle pathological study of two patients (mother and daughter) from this family. Muscle morphologic findings showed increased fiber size variability, fiber atrophy, and acid‐phosphatase‐positive vacuoles. Immunofluorescence against desmin, myotilin, p62 and LC3 showed accumulation of myofibrils, ubiquitin binding protein aggregates and autophagosomes. The ultrastructural study confirmed autophagosomal vacuoles. Many alterations of myofibrillar component were detected, such as prominent disarray, rod‐like structures with granular aspect, and occasionally, cytoplasmic bodies. Our ultrastructural data and muscle pathological features are peculiar to LGMD1F and support the hypothesis that the genetic defect leads to a myopathy phenotype associated with disarrangement of the cytoskeletal network.
Indeterminate domain 10regulates ammonium‐mediated gene expression in rice roots
Authors: Xuan Yuan Hu , Priatama Ryza A. , Huang Jin , Je Byoung Il , Liu Jing Miao , Park Soon Ju , Piao Hai Long , Son Dae Young , Lee Jeung Joo , Park Sung Han , Jung Ki Hong , Kim Tae Ho , Han Chang‐deok
Published: December 2012

Indeterminate domain(IDD) genes are a family of plant transcriptional regulators that function in the control of development and metabolism during growth. Here, the function ofOryza sativa indeterminate domain 10(OsIDD10) has been explored in rice plants. Compared with wild‐type roots,idd10mutant roots are hypersensitive to exogenous ammonium. This work aims to define the action ofIDD10on gene expression involved in ammonium uptake and nitrogen (N) metabolism.

The ammonium induction of key ammonium uptake and assimilation genes was examined in the roots ofidd10mutants andIDD10overexpressors. Molecular studies and transcriptome analysis were performed to identify target genes andIDD10bindingcis‐elements.

IDD10activates the transcription ofAMT1;2andGDH2by binding to acis‐element motif present in the promoter region ofAMT1;2and in the fifth intron ofGDH2.IDD10contributes significantly to the induction of several genes involved inN‐linked metabolic and cellular responses, including genes encoding glutamine synthetase 2, nitrite reductases and trehalose‐6‐phosphate synthase. Furthermore, the possibility thatIDD10might influence the N‐mediated feedback regulation of target genes was examined.

This study demonstrates thatIDD10is involved in regulatory circuits that determine N‐mediated gene expression in plant roots.
Sub‐ and neo‐functionalization of APETALA3 paralogs have contributed to the evolution of novel floral organ identity in Aquilegia (columbine, Ranunculaceae)
Authors: Sharma Bharti , Kramer Elena
Published: December 2012

Previous studies of the lower eudicot model Aquilegia have revealed differential expression patterns of two APETALA3 (AP3) paralogs that appear to coincide with the development of a distinct fifth floral organ type, the staminodium. The AqAP3‐1 locus quickly becomes limited to the staminodia while AqAP3‐2 becomes stamen‐specific.

We used transient RNAi‐based methods to silence each of these loci individually and in combination, followed by detailed studies of the resultant morphologies and the effects on gene expression patterns.

Silencing of AqAP3‐1 had a strong effect on the staminodia, causing transformation into carpeloid organs, while silencing of AqAP3‐2 only affected the stamens, resulting in sterility, stunting or weak transformation towards carpel identity. Much more dramatic phenotypes were obtained in the doubly silenced flowers, where all stamens and staminodia were transformed into carpels. Quantitative reverse‐transcription polymerase chain reaction analyses of B gene homolog expression in these flowers are consistent with complex patterns of regulatory feedback among the loci.

These findings suggest that the presence of ancient AP3 paralogs in the Ranunculaceae has facilitated the recent evolution of a novel organ identity program in Aquilegia. Specifically, it appears that downregulation of AqAP3‐2 in the innermost whorl of stamens was a critical step in the evolution of elaborated sterile organs in this position.
GmRIN4 protein family members function nonredundantly in soybean race‐specific resistance against Pseudomonas syringae
Authors: Selote Devarshi , Robin Guillaume P. , Kachroo Aardra
Published: December 2012

The Pseudomonas syringae effector AvrB interacts with four related soybean (Glycine max) proteins (GmRIN4a–d), three (GmRIN4b, c, d) of which also interact with the cognate resistance (R) protein, Rpg1‐b. Here, we investigated the specific requirements for the GmRIN4 proteins in R‐mediated resistance and examined the mechanism of Rpg1‐b activation.

Using virus‐induced gene silencing, we show that only GmRIN4a and b are required for Rpg1‐b‐mediated resistance. In planta binding assays show that GmRIN4a can associate with Rpg1‐b indirectly via GmRIN4b. Pathogen‐delivered AvrB induces the phosphorylation of GmRIN4b alone, and prevents interactions between GmRIN4b and Rpg1‐b or GmRIN4a.

Consistent with this result, a phosphomimic derivative of GmRIN4b (pm4b) fails to bind Rpg1‐b and GmRIN4a. Conversely, a phosphodeficient derivative of GmRIN4b (pd4b) continues to bind the R protein and GmRIN4a, in the presence of AvrB. Coexpression of Rpg1‐b with pm4b, but not GmRIN4b or pd4b, induces cell death and ion leakage in the heterologous Nicotiana benthamiana.

Our data suggest that the AvrB‐induced phosphorylation of GmRIN4b, and the subsequent inhibition of interaction among GmRIN4b, GmRIN4a and Rpg1‐b, might activate the R protein. Furthermore, even though GmRIN4c and d are not required for Rpg1‐b‐derived resistance, they do function in resistance derived from other R loci.
SlNAC1, a stress‐related transcription factor, is fine‐tuned on both the transcriptional and the post‐translational level
Authors: Huang Weizao , Miao Min , Kud Joanna , Niu Xiangli , Ouyang Bo , Zhang Junhong , Ye Zhibiao , Kuhl Joseph C. , Liu Yongsheng , Xiao Fangming
Published: December 2012

The plant‐specific NAC (NAM, ATAF1,2, CUC2) transcription factors play significant roles in diverse physiological processes. In this study, we determined the regulation of a stress‐related tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) NAC1 (SlNAC1) transcription factor at both the transcriptional and the post‐translational level.

The SlNAC1 protein was found to be stable in the presence of proteasome‐specific inhibitor MG132 or MG115 and ubiquitinated in plant cells, suggesting that the SlNAC1 is subject to the ubiquitin–proteasome system‐mediated degradation. Deletion analysis identified a short segment of 10 amino acids (aa261–270) that was required for ubiquitin–proteasome system‐mediated degradation, among which two leucine residues (L268 and L269) were critical for the protein instability of SlNAC1. Fusion of the degron (SlNAC1191–270) containing these 10 amino acids to green fluorescent protein was found to be sufficient to trigger the degradation of the fusion protein.

In addition, the SlNAC1 gene is strongly upregulated during Pseudomonas infection, while repression of the NAC1 ortholog in Nicotiana benthamiana resulted in enhanced susceptibility to Pseudomonas bacteria.

These results suggest that rapid upregulation of the NAC1 gene resulting in more protein production is likely one of the strategies plants use to defend themselves against pathogen infection.
Impact of the politics of austerity in the quality of healthcare: ethical advice
Authors: Molina‐Mula Jesús , De Pedro‐Gómez Joan E.
Published: December 2012

This article aims to provide a series of reflections before implementing a restructuring of health system management and cutbacks in health due to the possible consequences this may have on citizens' health. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that public healthcare shall be extended to the whole population in conditions of effective equality and overcoming geographical and social imbalances, based on a comprehensive approach to the healthcare system. All of this – while we are aware of the current situation of economic crisis – should be taken into account before carrying out adjustments that will harm the health of citizens and options or alternatives that will not affect equity and healthcare should be weighed up. In conclusion, management models that enable the empowerment of nursing are more justified than ever before, because it is nurses who mostly defend positions of patient advocacy towards attitudes of greater commitment and participation.
New calcium channel agonists as potential therapeutics in Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome and other neuromuscular diseases
Authors: Tarr Tyler B. , Valdomir Guillermo , Liang Mary , Wipf Peter , Meriney Stephen D.
Published: December 2012

Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome (LEMS) causes neuromuscular weakness as a result of an autoimmune attack on the calcium channels that normally regulate chemical transmitter release at the neuromuscular junction. Currently there are limited treatment options for patients with this and other forms of neuromuscular weakness. A novel, first‐in‐class calcium channel agonist that is selective for the types of voltage‐gated calcium channels that regulate transmitter release at neuromuscular synapses has recently been developed. This compound (GV‐58) slows deactivation (closing) of the channel, resulting in a large increase in total calcium entry during motor nerve action potential activity. This new calcium channel agonist is currently being evaluated for the treatment of neuromuscular weakness. Potential applications include development as single therapeutics, or for combination treatments.
PANIC in the Presence of Uncertainty about the Deterministic Trend*
Authors: Westerlund Joakim , Blomquist Johan
Published: December 2012

Most macroeconomic and financial panel variables are trending. However, because of the well‐known power problem in the presence of incidental trends, many researchers gamble that their unit root test regressions can be ran without such trends, thereby running the risk of obtaining spurious results. This article takes one of the most general and popular panel unit root tests, known as PANIC, and shows how it can be modified to account for the uncertainty regarding the deterministic trend.
Periodontal inflammation in renal transplant recipients receiving Everolimus or Tacrolimus – preliminary results
Authors: Pereira‐Lopes O , Sampaio‐Maia B , Sampaio S , Vieira‐Marques P , Monteiro‐da‐Silva F , Braga AC , Felino A , Pestana M
Published: December 2012

Objective

To compare oral health status between renal transplant recipients (RTRs) receiving tacrolimus (Tac) or everolimus (ERL) as immunosuppressive therapy.

Design

This study is a cross‐sectional study.

Methods

Thirty‐six RTRs receiving Tac and 22 RTRs receiving ERL were included in the study. Age, gender, time since transplant and pharmacological data were recorded for both groups. Oral health status was assessed through the evaluation of teeth, periodontal parameters as well as saliva flow rate and pH.

Results

RTRs receiving ERL were older than those receiving Tac. No differences were found between groups concerning oral hygiene habits, oral symptoms, smoking habits, unstimulated and stimulated saliva flow rate and pH, clinical attachment level or the number of decayed, missing and filled teeth. However, RTRs receiving ERL presented lower visible plaque index and lower values for bleeding on probing when compared to RTRs receiving Tac. In addition, RTRs receiving ERL presented a gingival index varying from normal to moderate inflammation whereas RTRs receiving Tac presented a gingival index varying from mild to severe inflammation.

Conclusions

RTRs receiving ERL have lower periodontal inflammation when compared to RTRs receiving Tac.
Managerial Networking in Nonprofit Organizations: The Impact of Networking on Organizational and Advocacy Effectiveness
Authors: Johansen Morgen , LeRoux Kelly
Published: December 2012

Public management scholars are interested in the ways that public managers can improve the performance of their organizations and, by extension, public service outcomes. However, public sector outcomes are increasingly being produced by nonprofit organizations. Nonprofits have encountered increased pressures to improve effectiveness in recent years, both from their funding entities and from the public. A growing body of public management research has shown that managerial networking can pay dividends for organizational effectiveness, yet no studies to date have considered the effects of managerial networking on nonprofit effectiveness. This is the first study to apply the basic elements of Meier and O'Toole's model to the nonprofit sector. Using survey data from a random sample of 314 nonprofit human service organizations in 16 U.S. states, the authors explore the frequency of various networking relationships on organizational and advocacy effectiveness. The findings reveal that political networking increases advocacy effectiveness and community networking increases organizational effectiveness.
Impact of dynamic sedimentation on facies heterogeneities in Lower Cretaceous peritidal deposits of central east Oman
Authors: Sena Claire M. , John Cédric M.
Published: December 2012

This study, based in the Haushi‐Huqf area of central east Oman, aims to characterize the controls on facies distribution and geometries of some of the best preserved examples of Lower Cretaceous tidal flat facies within the Tethyan epeiric platform. Field, petrographic and geochemical data were acquired from the Barremian–Aptian Jurf and Qishn formations that crop out in a 500 × 1000 m2 butte, thus allowing for pseudo three‐dimensional quantitative data acquisition of the dimensions and spatial distributions of discontinuity surfaces and sedimentary bodies. The interpretation presented here suggests that the main processes impacting sedimentation in the Lower Cretaceous peritidal environment of the Haushi‐Huqf were transport and erosion processes related to storm waves and currents. The vertical evolution of the carbonate system is organized into six types of metre‐scale depositional sequences, from subtidal dominated sequences to supratidal‐capped sequences, which are bounded by regional discontinuity surfaces. At subaerial exposure and submarine erosion surfaces associated with a base level shift, sedimentary horizons along the entire depositional profile are cut by scours possibly created by storm events. Chemostratigraphy allows correlation between the Haushi‐Huqf and the age‐equivalent sections logged in the interior of the platform in Oman. The correlation suggests that the change from subtidal to intertidal depositional sequences during the late highstand is coeval with the development of rudist dominated shoals on the shelf. This study is the first to discuss the controls on Lower Cretaceous peritidal carbonate cyclicity of the Arabian epeiric platform. The results presented here also offer a unique quantitative dataset of the distribution and dimensions of peritidal carbonate shoals and storm scours in a regional sequence stratigraphic context.
A meta‐mood model of rumination and depression: Preliminary test in a non‐clinical population
Authors: SALGUERO JOSÉ M. , EXTREMERA NATALIO , FERNÁNDEZ‐BERROCAL PABLO
Published: December 2012

Depressive rumination and trait meta‐mood (emotional attention, emotional clarity and emotional repair) have been suggested as vulnerability factors leading to depression, but less is known about the associations among them. In this study, we examined the relationships between trait meta‐mood, rumination and depressive symptomatology. Using structural equation analysis in a large sample of a non‐clinical population we found a preliminary test of the role of trait meta‐mood dimensions in rumination and depressive symptomatology. Results indicated that attention to feelings has two pathways in its relation with rumination and depressive mood. On the one hand, emotional attention was associated with emotional clarity, and emotional clarity with emotional repair, which was related to lower depressive symptomatology, in part, by reducing rumination. On the other hand, emotional attention was directly associated with ruminative thoughts which, in turn, were related to higher depressive mood. Findings are discussed in terms of the implications of beliefs about emotions in the treatment of depression.
A battle of languages: Spirit possession and changing linguistic ideologies in a Sepik society, Papua New Guinea
Authors: Hoenigman Darja
Published: December 2012

InOctober 2009, a dramatic event shook the existing sociolinguistic setting inKanjimei village inEastSepikProvince ofPapuaNewGuinea. Possessed by aChristian spirit, a woman harshly reproached the most important village leaders. The ensuing verbal fight between ‘the spirit’ and the village prayer leader became a battle of languages: theChristian spirit spoke the community's native language,Awiakay, overpowering those in authority, who are the most frequent users of the national lingua francaTokPisin. As it was believed that it was the spirit of theVirginMary who channelled herself through the possessed woman, it was legitimate for people to discuss her words. The spirit possession thus enabled the otherwise condemned social practices: gossip and public criticism, which have the power of changing existing power relations in the village. The analysis of this event shows the complexity behind the ever‐changing linguistic ideologies.
Stealing foreign words, recovering local treasures:Bible translation and vernacular literacy onRanongga (SolomonIslands)
Authors: McDougall Debra
Published: December 2012

InOceania, which is arguably both the world's most linguistically diverse region and its mostChristian,Bible translation projects are sites where ordinary people pay attention to the kind of ‘interlingual articulations’ that are the focus of this special issue. This article focuses on an ongoing vernacular revival movement that arose from the translation of the New Testament intoLuqa, anAustronesian language ofRanonggaIsland in theSolomonIslands’WesternProvince. In 2000, the head translator began running workshops that encouraged native speakers to appreciate the lexical diversity and learn the grammatical structures of their language. In the context of theBible translation and these language workshops, the vernacular is understood to be, simultaneously, an adequately transparent vehicle forGod'sWord and something of value in and of itself. In elevating the status of the vernacular, participants also hope to elevate the status of local territories and communities marginalised in an increasinglyEnglish‐speaking regional world.
The languages of preaching: Code selection inSundaneseIslamic oratory,WestJava
Authors: Millie Julian
Published: December 2012

Why doSundaneseMuslims ofWestJava in certain situations preferIslamic oratory in their regional language,Sundanese, and in others prefer the national standard,Indonesian? This article answers this question by firstly exploring different preaching outcomes that are recognised and generally accepted bySundaneseMuslims. Some preaching events are oriented pre‐eminently to the communication of affect within the temporal frame of co‐presence. In others, preacher and audience unite around a transformative ethos. These outcomes bear contrasting implications for code selection. Where the first outcome is desired, preachers display multivocal, heterogeneous preaching styles in which the regional language offers functional benefits. In the second, Indonesian preachers and audiences respond to the national language's indexing of transformation. The social value of transformation is a situational factor for which Indonesian is the appropriate code. In this way, code selection signals the diversity of ways of beingIslamic in theWestJavanese public sphere.
Formation of garnet clusters during polyphase metamorphism
Authors: Floess David , Baumgartner Lukas
Published: December 2012

Pre‐Alpine garnets of Variscan age from metapelitic basement units in Northern Italy were strongly retrogressed at near‐surface conditions prior to Alpine contact metamorphism. The replacement by sheet silicates caused a significant volume increase during retrogression, producing pervasive fracturing. Up to several hundreds of angular fragments formed from each crystal. Electron backscatter diffraction analysis documents a maximum misorientation of ~22° of some fragments as a result of local rotation during fracturing. New garnet growth is observed on the garnet fragments during contact metamorphic overprinting, resulting in garnet clusters. Fragments can be identified due to calcium‐rich domains. Fragment orientations were inherited, and only minor new nucleation occurred. These garnets develop features typically associated with multiple nucleation models, but here they reflect multiple metamorphic events. We propose that clusters can be indicative of multiple metamorphic events, which were separated by a period of intense retrograde alteration.
Acute kidney injury after myeloablative cord blood transplantation in adults: the efficacy of strict monitoring of vancomycin serum trough concentrations
Authors: Mae H. , Ooi J. , Takahashi S. , Kato S. , Kawakita T. , Ebihara Y. , Tsuji K. , Nagamura F. , Echizen H. , Tojo A.
Published: December 2012

Background

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a common medical complication after myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation (SCT). We have previously performed a retrospective analysis of AKI after cord blood transplantation (CBT) in adults, and found that the maximum of vancomycin (VCM) trough levels were significantly higher in patients with AKI. Following these results, we have monitored VCM serum trough concentrations more strictly, to not exceed 10.0 mg/L, since 2008.

Methods

In this report, we performed an analysis of AKI in a new group of 38 adult patients with hematological malignancies treated with unrelated CBT after myeloablative conditioning between January 2008 and July 2011.

Results

Cumulative incidence of AKI at day 100 after CBT was 34% (95% confidence interval 19–50). The median of the maximum value of VCM trough was 8.8 (4.5–12.2) mg/L. In multivariate analysis, no factor was associated with the incidence of AKI. No transplant‐related mortality was observed. The probability of disease‐free survival at 2 years was 83%.

Conclusion

These findings suggest that strict monitoring of VCM serum trough concentrations has a beneficial effect on outcomes of CBT.
Wage Effects of Labour Migration with International Capital Mobility
Authors: Ruist Joakim , Bigsten Arne
Published: December 2012

Wage effects of immigration are investigated in a setting with international capital mobility, which eliminates two‐thirds of the native wage effects of immigration. Without international capital mobility, overall gains from migration in the immigration region are only a small fraction of total losses to native workers, but with perfect international capital adjustment, overall gains are larger than total losses to native workers. Two alternative tax policies to eliminate the negative wage effects of immigration on low‐skilled native workers are evaluated.
Sri Lanka’s Trade Policy: Reverting to Dirigisme?
Authors: Athukorala Prema‐chandra
Published: December 2012

The paper surveys recent development in Sri Lankan trade policy, with an emphasis on emerging protectionist tendencies, using Sri Lanka’s Trade Policy Review (2010) by the World Trade Organisation as a reference point. The Sri Lankan experience for over the three decades following the liberalisation reforms stated in 1977 has clearly demonstrated that an outward‐oriented policy regime can yield a superior development outcome compared to a closed‐economy regime, even under severe strains of a protracted ethnic conflict and macroeconomic instability. Viewed against this backdrop, recent developments in the Sri Lankan policy scene do not seem to augur well for the future of the Sri Lankan economy.
Septic pericarditis in a cat with pyometra
Authors: Majoy Sean B. , Sharp Claire R. , Dickinson Amy E. , Cunningham Suzanne M.
Published: December 2012

Objective

To describe a unique cause of septic pericarditis in a cat and detail the successful case management strategy.

Case summary

A 6‐year‐old sexually intact femaleRagdoll cat was evaluated for a 7‐day history of progressive lethargy, anorexia, and vaginal discharge. Thoracic radiographs revealed a markedly globoid cardiac silhouette and pleural effusion while the initial echocardiogram showed moderate volume pericardial effusion. Following pericardiocentesis, cytologic evaluation of the pericardial effusion revealed septic suppurative inflammation with intra‐ and extracellularGram‐negative rod‐shaped bacteria. Abdominal ultrasound demonstrated a moderate amount of echogenic uterine fluid accumulation with a right‐sided uterine horn mass. After stabilization with pericardiocentesis, IV fluid therapy and IV antimicrobials, the cat underwent ovariohysterectomy and partial pericardiectomy. Histopathology confirmed a diagnosis of pyometra and septic pericarditis. Uterine and pericardial fluid bacterial culture yieldedEscherichia coliwith identical antimicrobial sensitivity spectrums.

New or unique information provided

Septic pericarditis is a rare cause of pericardial effusion in the cat. Previous reported cases have either suggested the cause to be secondary to transient bacteremia resulting from a local infection seeding the pericardium or for the cause to remain unknown. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first veterinary report of septic pericarditis resulting from hematogeneously spread bacteria originating from a urogenital infection. It is also the first report of successful surgical management of septic pericarditis in the cat.
A Plasticity Model for Metals With Dependency on All the Stress Invariants
Authors: Voyiadjis George Z. , Hoseini S. H. , Farrahi G. H.
Published: December 2012

Recent experiments on metals have shown that all of the stress invariants should be involved in the constitutive description of the material in plasticity. In this paper, a plasticity model for metals is defined for isotropic materials, which is a function of the first stress invariant in addition to the second and the third invariants of the deviatoric stress tensor. For this purpose, the Drucker–Prager yield criterion is extended by addition of a new term containing the second and the third deviatoric stress invariants. Furthermore for estimating the cyclic behavior, new terms are incorporated into the Chaboche's hardening evolution equation. These modifications are applied by adding new terms that include the effect of pervious plastic history of deformation on the current hardening evaluation equation. Also modified is the isotropic hardening rule with incorporating the effect of the first stress invariant. For calibration and evaluation of this plasticity model, a series of experimental tests are conducted on high strength steel, DIN 1.6959. In addition, finite element simulations are carried out including integration of the constitutive equations using the modified return mapping algorithm. The modeling results are in good agreement with experiments.
Governing Equations for Web Tension and Web Velocity in the Presence of Nonideal Rollers
Authors: Branca Carlo , Pagilla Prabhakar R. , Reid Karl N.
Published: December 2012

Since rotating machinery is used to transport flexible materials (commonly known as webs) on rollers, it is common to observe periodic oscillations in measured signals such as web tension and web transport velocity. These periodic oscillations are more prevalent in the presence of nonideal elements such as eccentric rollers and out-of-round material rolls. One of the critical needs in efficient transport of webs is to maintain web tension at a prescribed value. Tension regulation affects almost all key processes involved during web transport including printing, registration, lamination, winding, etc. Governing equations for web tension and transport velocity that can accurately predict measured behavior in the presence of nonideal rollers are beneficial in understanding web transport behavior under various dynamic conditions and the design of suitable web tension and speed control systems. The focus of this paper is on modeling the effect of eccentric rollers and out-of-round material rolls on web tension and web transport velocity. The new governing equations for web velocity on an eccentric roller and web tension in spans adjacent to the eccentric roller are presented and discussed; a web span is the free web between two consecutive rollers. To solve these governing equations, the location of the entry and exit point of the web on the eccentric roller as it rotates and the length of the web spans adjacent to the eccentric roller are required; a procedure for obtaining this information is described. To corroborate the models and the developed approach, data from experiments on a large experimental web platform are compared with data from model simulations, and a representative sample of the results are presented and discussed.
Experimental and Numerical Evaluation of a Scaled-Up Micromixer With Groove Enhanced Division Elements
Authors: Cook Kristina J. , Hassan Ibrahim
Published: December 2012

A novel passive enlarged micromixer has been proposed and experimentally and numerically investigated in this study over 0.5 ≤ Re ≤ 100. Flow visualization was applied to qualitatively assess flow patterns and mixing, while induced fluorescence was applied to quantify the distribution of species at six locations along the channel length. Numerical simulations were applied to assist in the description of the highly rotational flow patterns. Two individual species are supplied through a total of three lamellae, which are converged prior to entering the main mixing channel, which consists of five groove-enhanced circular division elements. Grooves along the bottom surface of the channel allow for the development of helical flow in each subchannel of the mixing element, while the circular geometry of the mixing elements promotes the formation of Dean vortices at higher Reynolds numbers. The main mixing channel is 2000 μm wide and 750 μm deep, while the total channel length is 137.5 mm. Flow rotation was observed at all investigated Reynolds numbers, though the degree of rotation increased with increasing Re. A decreasing-increasing trend in the degree of mixing was observed, with a critical value at Re = 10. Of the investigated cases, the highest degree of mixing at the outlet was achieved at Re = 0.5, where mass diffusion dominates. A standard deviation of σexp = 0.062 was reported. At Re = 100, where advection dominates and secondary flow develops, a standard deviation of σexp = 0.103 was reported, and the formation of additional lamellae was observed along the channel length due to the merging of rotated substreams. The additional lamellae contributed to the increase in interfacial area and reduction of the path of diffusion.
Multiphysics Analysis of a Linear Control Solenoid Valve
Authors: Lee Gee Soo , Sung Hyung Jin , Kim Hyun Chul
Published: December 2012

A multiphysics analysis of a linear control solenoid valve coupled with a single degree of freedom (DOF) system is performed to analyze the spool behaviors of the valve. Axially symmetrical simulations are carried out to investigate simultaneously the phenomena of the electromagnetic field and the flow field. The valve spool stroke is determined by the balance between the forces, i.e., the electromagnetic force, hydraulic force, spring force, and damping force. In turn, the spool stroke influences these forces. The arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian (ALE) method is employed to describe the dynamic behavior of the system. The simulation results are compared with experimental data to ascertain their accuracy and reliability. In static electromagnetic simulations, a constant electromagnetic force can arise in the linear control solenoid valve because of the leakage of the magnetic flux at the core pole. In the multiphysics simulations, the controllable range of the valve is found to be i = 0.2 – 1.1 A, which is twice the size of that of the electromagnetic simulations. The hydraulic force due to the feedback pressure pushes the spool forward and enables a wider controllable range. Although the supplied pressure improves the system linearity, a critical supplied pressure is required to ensure the linearity of the linear control solenoid valve. The effects of varying the rising time and the maximum external current on the behavior of the valve and its pressure sensitivities are examined.
High pressure sputtering as a viable technique for future high permittivity dielectric on III–V integration: GdOx on InP demonstration
Authors: Pampillón María Ángela , Cañadilla Carmina , Feijoo Pedro Carlos , San Andrés Enrique , del Prado Álvaro
Published: December 2012

The electrical properties of metal–oxide–semiconductor devices based on GdOx obtained by high pressure sputtering on InP substrates are studied. In order to prevent damage of the semiconductor substrate, an optimized two-step sputtering procedure has been used for the high permittivity dielectric deposition. First, a thin metallic Gd film was sputtered using a metallic Gd target and a pure Ar plasma. Then, without extracting the sample from the system, the GdOx films were obtained by plasma oxidation using an Ar/O2 mixed atmosphere and reducing plasma power to minimize damage and interfacial regrowth. The resulting devices show fully functional capacitance curves. After forming gas annealing, the capacitors do not show interface regrowth up to a temperature of 500 °C and the gate leakage stays within reasonable limits, below 2 × 10−4 Acm−2 at a gate voltage of 1.5 V. In addition, the interface trap density remains roughly constant with annealing temperature up to 400 °C, in the low 1013 eV−1cm−2 range, decreasing for higher temperatures. At 550 °C, the trap density is very low, under the detection limit of the conductance technique, but the devices show a severe capacitance reduction.
Surveillance of Macrolide-Resistant Mycoplasma pneumoniae in Beijing, China, from 2008 to 2012
Authors: Zhao Fei , Liu Gang , Wu Jiang , Cao Bin , Tao Xiaoxia , He Lihua , Meng Fanliang , Zhu Liang , Lv Min , Yin Yudong , Zhang Jianzhong
Published: December 2012

Macrolide resistance rates of
Mycoplasma pneumoniae
in the Beijing population were as high as 68.9%, 90.0%, 98.4%, 95.4%, and 97.0% in the years 2008 to 2012, respectively. Common macrolide-resistant mobile genetic elements were not detected with any isolate. These macrolide-resistant isolates came from multiple clones rather than the same clone. No massive aggregation of a particular clone was found in a specific period.
Kinetics of 1,2-Dichloroethane and 1,2-Dibromoethane Biodegradation in Anaerobic Enrichment Cultures
Authors: Yu Rong , Peethambaram Hari S. , Falta Ronald W. , Verce Matthew F. , Henderson James K. , Bagwell Christopher E. , Brigmon Robin L. , Freedman David L.
Published: December 2012

1,2-Dichloroethane (1,2-DCA) and 1,2-dibromoethane (ethylene dibromide [EDB]) contaminate groundwater at many hazardous waste sites. The objectives of this study were to measure yields, maximum specific growth rates (μ̂), and half-saturation coefficients (

K
S

) in enrichment cultures that use 1,2-DCA and EDB as terminal electron acceptors and lactate as the electron donor and to evaluate if the presence of EDB has an effect on the kinetics of 1,2-DCA dehalogenation and vice versa. Biodegradation was evaluated at the high concentrations found at some industrial sites (>10 mg/liter) and at lower concentrations found at former leaded-gasoline sites (1.9 to 3.7 mg/liter). At higher concentrations, the
Dehalococcoides
yield was 1 order of magnitude higher when bacteria were grown with 1,2-DCA than when they were grown with EDB, while μ̂'s were similar for the two compounds, ranging from 0.19 to 0.52 day
−1
with 1,2-DCA to 0.28 to 0.36 day
−1
for EDB.

K
S

was larger for 1,2-DCA (15 to 25 mg/liter) than for EDB (1.8 to 3.7 mg/liter). In treatments that received both compounds, EDB was always consumed first and adversely impacted the kinetics of 1,2-DCA utilization. Furthermore, 1,2-DCA dechlorination was interrupted by the addition of EDB at a concentration 100 times lower than that of the remaining 1,2-DCA; use of 1,2-DCA did not resume until the EDB level decreased close to its maximum contaminant level (MCL). In lower-concentration experiments, the preferential consumption of EDB over 1,2-DCA was confirmed; both compounds were eventually dehalogenated to their respective MCLs (5 μg/liter for 1,2-DCA, 0.05 μg/liter for EDB). The enrichment culture grown with 1,2-DCA has the advantage of a more rapid transition to 1,2-DCA after EDB is consumed.
Gene Expression Analysis of Copper Tolerance and Wood Decay in the Brown Rot Fungus Fibroporia radiculosa
Authors: Tang Juliet D. , Parker Leslie A. , Perkins Andy D. , Sonstegard Tad S. , Schroeder Steven G. , Nicholas Darrel D. , Diehl Susan V.
Published: December 2012

High-throughput transcriptomics was used to identifyFibroporia radiculosagenes that were differentially regulated during colonization of wood treated with a copper-based preservative. The transcriptome was profiled at two time points while the fungus was growing on wood treated with micronized copper quat (MCQ). A total of 917 transcripts were differentially expressed. Fifty-eight of these genes were more highly expressed when the MCQ was protecting the wood from strength loss and had putative functions related to oxalate production/degradation, laccase activity, quinone biosynthesis, pectin degradation, ATP production, cytochrome P450 activity, signal transduction, and transcriptional regulation. Sixty-one genes were more highly expressed when the MCQ lost its effectiveness (>50% strength loss) and had functions related to oxalate degradation; cytochrome P450 activity; H2O2production and degradation; degradation of cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin; hexose transport; membrane glycerophospholipid metabolism; and cell wall chemistry. Ten of these differentially regulated genes were quantified by reverse transcriptase PCR for a more in-depth study (4 time points on wood with or without MCQ treatment). Our results showed that MCQ induced higher than normal levels of expression for four genes (putative annotations for isocitrate lyase, glyoxylate dehydrogenase, laccase, and oxalate decarboxylase 1), while four other genes (putative annotations for oxalate decarboxylase 2, aryl alcohol oxidase, glycoside hydrolase 5, and glycoside hydrolase 10) were repressed. The significance of these results is that we have identified several genes that appear to be coregulated, with putative functions related to copper tolerance and/or wood decay.
Gene Cloning and Characterization of Two NADH-Dependent 3-Quinuclidinone Reductases from Microbacterium luteolum JCM 9174
Authors: Isotani Kentaro , Kurokawa Junji , Suzuki Fumiko , Nomoto Syunsuke , Negishi Takashi , Matsuda Michiko , Itoh Nobuya
Published: December 2012

We used the resting-cell reaction to screen approximately 200 microorganisms for biocatalysts which reduce 3-quinuclidinone to optically pure (
R
)-(−)-3-quinuclidinol.
Microbacterium luteolum
JCM 9174 was selected as the most suitable organism. The genes encoding the protein products that reduced 3-quinuclidinone were isolated from
M. luteolum
JCM 9174. The
bacC
gene, which consists of 768 nucleotides corresponding to 255 amino acid residues and is a constituent of the bacilysin synthetic gene cluster, was amplified by PCR based on homology to known genes. The
qnr
gene consisted of 759 nucleotides corresponding to 252 amino acid residues. Both enzymes belong to the short-chain alcohol dehydrogenase/reductase (SDR) family. The genes were expressed in
Escherichia coli
as proteins which were His tagged at the N terminus, and the recombinant enzymes were purified and characterized. Both enzymes showed narrow substrate specificity and high stereoselectivity for the reduction of 3-quinuclidinone to (
R
)-(−)-3-quinuclidinol.
Comparison of Filters for Concentrating Microbial Indicators and Pathogens in Lake Water Samples
Authors: Francy Donna S. , Stelzer Erin A. , Brady Amie M. G. , Huitger Carrie , Bushon Rebecca N. , Ip Hon S. , Ware Michael W. , Villegas Eric N. , Gallardo Vicente , Lindquist H. D. Alan
Published: December 2012

Bacterial indicators are used to indicate increased health risk from pathogens and to make beach closure and advisory decisions; however, beaches are seldom monitored for the pathogens themselves. Studies of sources and types of pathogens at beaches are needed to improve estimates of swimming-associated health risks. It would be advantageous and cost-effective, especially for studies conducted on a regional scale, to use a method that can simultaneously filter and concentrate all classes of pathogens from the large volumes of water needed to detect pathogens. In seven recovery experiments, stock cultures of viruses and protozoa were seeded into 10-liter lake water samples, and concentrations of naturally occurring bacterial indicators were used to determine recoveries. For the five filtration methods tested, the highest median recoveries were as follows: glass wool for adenovirus (4.7%); NanoCeram for enterovirus (14.5%) and MS2 coliphage (84%); continuous-flow centrifugation (CFC) plus Virocap (CFC+ViroCap) for
Escherichia coli
(68.3%) and
Cryptosporidium
(54%); automatic ultrafiltration (UF) for norovirus GII (2.4%); and dead-end UF for
Enterococcus faecalis
(80.5%), avian influenza virus (0.02%), and
Giardia
(57%). In evaluating filter performance in terms of both recovery and variability, the automatic UF resulted in the highest recovery while maintaining low variability for all nine microorganisms. The automatic UF was used to demonstrate that filtration can be scaled up to field deployment and the collection of 200-liter lake water samples.
Soil Microbe Active Community Composition and Capability of Responding to Litter Addition after 12 Years of No Inputs
Authors: Yarwood Stephanie , Brewer Elizabeth , Yarwood Rockie , Lajtha Kate , Myrold David
Published: December 2012

One explanation given for the high microbial diversity found in soils is that they contain a large inactive biomass that is able to persist in soils for long periods of time. This persistent microbial fraction may help to buffer the functionality of the soil community during times of low nutrients by providing a reservoir of specialized functions that can be reactivated when conditions improve. A study was designed to test the hypothesis: in soils lacking fresh root or detrital inputs, microbial community composition may persist relatively unchanged. Upon addition of new inputs, this community will be stimulated to grow and break down litter similarly to control soils. Soils from two of the Detrital Input and Removal Treatments (DIRT) at the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest, the no-input and control treatment plots, were used in a microcosm experiment where Douglas-fir needles were added to soils. After 3 and 151 days of incubation, soil microbial DNA and RNA was extracted and characterized using quantitative PCR (qPCR) and 454 pyrosequencing. The abundance of 16S and 28S gene copies and RNA copies did not vary with soil type or amendment; however, treatment differences were observed in the abundance of archaeal ammonia-oxidizingamoAgene abundance. Analysis of ∼110,000 bacterial sequences showed a significant change in the active (RNA-based) community between day 3 and day 151, but microbial composition was similar between soil types. These results show that even after 12 years of plant litter exclusion, the legacy of community composition was well buffered against a dramatic disturbance.