bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Decrease of nasal airway resistance and alleviations of symptoms after balloon sinuplasty in patients with isolated chronic rhinosinusitis: a prospective, randomised clinical study
Authors: Bizaki A.J. , Numminen J. , Taulu R. , Rautiainen M.
Published: November 2015

Objectives

The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the clinical outcome of balloon sinuplasty and uncinectomy for patients suffering from isolated chronic rhinosinusitis of the maxillary sinus.

Design

A prospective, randomised, non‐blinded, controlled trial was conducted.

Setting

The study was carried out at the Department of Otolaryngology, Tampere University Hospital, Finland.

Participants

Adult patients with symptomatic isolated chronic or recurrent rhinosinusitis without severe findings in the sinuses, as documented in the sinus' Computer Tomography scan and clinical examination, were randomised into two groups: uncinectomy and balloon sinuplasty.

Main outcome measures

The variables in our study are the Sinonasal Outcome Test‐22 (SNOT 22), acoustic rhinometry and rhinomanometry. These parameters were analysed preoperatively and postoperatively (after 3 and 6 months).

Results

The preliminary results of our study have been previously published. Both balloon sinuplasty and uncinectomy significantly improved almost all the parameters of SNOT22 (P < 0.05), with no significant difference being found between these two groups (P > 0.05). Based on rhinomanometry results, airway resistance decreased after treatment. Regarding adverse effects, balloon sinuplasty was significantly associated with a lesser risk of synechia.

Conclusions

Both balloon sinuplasty and uncinectomy improved the quality of life and decreased upper airway resistance of patients with mild, isolated chronic or recurrent rhinosinusitis. The smaller risk of postoperative synechiae with balloon sinuplasty combined with its promising efficiency could partially compensate for its high material cost.
The origins of word learning: Brain responses of 3‐month‐olds indicate their rapid association of objects and words
Authors: Friedrich Manuela , Friederici Angela D.
Published: November 2015

The present study explored the origins of word learning in early infancy. Using event‐related potentials (ERP) we monitored the brain activity of 3‐month‐old infants when they were repeatedly exposed to several initially novel words paired consistently with each the same initially novel objects or inconsistently with different objects. Our results provide strong evidence that these young infants extract statistic regularities in the distribution of the co‐occurrences of objects and words extremely quickly. The data suggest that this ability is based on the rapid formation of associations between the neural representations of objects and words, but that the new associations are not retained in long‐term memory until the next day. The type of brain response moreover indicates that, unlike in older infants, in 3‐month‐olds a semantic processing stage is not involved. Their ability to combine words with meaningful information is caused by a primary learning mechanism that enables the formation of proto‐words and acts as a precursor for the acquisition of genuine words.
The neurodynamics of emotion: delineating typical and atypical emotional processes during adolescence
Authors: Heller Aaron S. , Casey B.J.
Published: November 2015

The study of development is, in and of itself, the study of change over time, but emotions, particularly emotional reactivity and emotional regulation, also unfold over time, albeit over briefer time‐scales. Adolescence is a period of development characterized by marked changes in emotional processes and rewiring of the underlying neural circuitry, making this time of life formative. Yet this period is also a time of increased risk for anxiety and mood disorders. Changes in the temporal dynamics of emotional processes (e.g. magnitude, time‐to‐peak and duration) occur during this developmental period and have been associated with risk for mood and anxiety disorders. In this article, we describe how the temporal dynamics of emotions change during adolescence and how they may increase risk for these psychopathologies. We highlight studies that illustrate how formalizing temporal neurodynamics of emotion may enhance links among levels of analyses from neurobiological to real‐world, moment‐to‐moment experiences.
Termite queens have disproportionately more DNA in their fat body cells: reproductive division of labor and endoreduplication
Authors: Nozaki Tomonari , Matsuura Kenji
Published: November 2015

Increases in DNA content caused by endoreduplication are widely observed in the metabolically active tissues of plants and animals. During egg production, insect females synthesize very large amounts of vitellogenin in their fat bodies, and female fat bodies of some insects become polyploid to accelerate vitellogenin production. Social insects have developed reproductive division of labor, wherein queens lay most of the eggs while other individuals have reduced fertility and undertake tasks required for maintaining the colony. Therefore, only queens are engaged in vitellogenin synthesis for egg production in social insects. Here, we show that termite queens have disproportionately more DNA in their fat body cells. Our DNA content analysis using flow cytometry demonstrated that more cells contained 4C‐DNA than 2C‐DNA in the fat bodies of Reticulitermes speratus queens. This high level of endoreduplication was not found in the fat body cells of other castes. This caste‐dependent doubling of DNA content in fat body cells suggests that termites exploit endoreduplication to boost egg production, in conjunction with the development of reproductive division of labor. This study highlights nuclear polyploidization as an adaptive strategy in social insects.
Article Commentary: Research on the Dark Side of Personality Traits in Entrepreneurship: Observations from an Organizational Behavior Perspective
Authors: Klotz Anthony C. , Neubaum Donald O.
Published: November 2015

While the personality of entrepreneurs can be cast in positive and negative lights, it is essential that researchers understand the complex process through which personalities shape behavior and influence outcomes. Building on Miller's observations on downsides of entrepreneurs’ personalities, we present five broad lines of inquiry derived from the organizational behavior literature to guide future research on the role of personality in entrepreneurial phenomena. These streams of research have implications for how personality is conceptualized in the entrepreneurship literature, and we urge researchers to examine interactions among different personality traits, and between traits and contextual and affective variables which play a critical role in personality–outcome relationships. Finally, we encourage scholars to consider the personality of new venture team members, and how some traits may serve important resource–conservation roles.
Cross Economic Determinants of Implied Volatility Smile Dynamics: Three Major European Currency Options
Authors: Han Qian , Liang Jufang , Wu Boqiang
Published: November 2015

This paper examines the contemporaneous and lead–lag relationships between economic variables and implied volatility smiles for three major European currency options. We find that cross economic determinants are at least as important as own economic variables in explaining the dynamics of implied volatility smiles. Out‐of‐sample tests also suggest that cross economic variables are important in predicting an economy's currency option smile. These findings suggest that the price impact from cross economic determinants may help fill the gap between the theoretical and the practical implied volatility skews.
Basics of equine dermatology
Authors: Sloet van Oldruitenborgh‐Oosterbaan M. M. , Grinwis G. C. M.
Published: November 2015

This is the first article in a series of equine dermatology. The anatomy, reaction pattern of the skin, anamnesis, clinical examination and terminology of lesions are discussed.
Maximizing dietary information retrievable from carcasses of Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo using a combined morphological and molecular analytical approach
Authors: Oehm Johannes , Thalinger Bettina , Mayr Hannes , Traugott Michael
Published: November 2015

Avian carcasses can provide important information on the trophic ecology of birds. Usually, the number of carcasses available for examination is limited and therefore it is important to gain as much dietary information per specimen as possible. In piscivorous birds and raptors, the stomach has been the primary source of dietary information, whereas the gut (intestine) has so far been neglected as it usually contains only a few morphologically identifiable hard parts of prey. Molecular approaches have the potential to retrieve dietary information from the gut, although this has not yet been verified. As well as identifying the prey, it is important to estimate any secondary predation to avoid food web errors in dietary analyses. The assignment of accidentally consumed prey is notoriously difficult regardless of the prey identification approach used. In the present study, morphological and molecular analyses were, for the first time, combined to maximize the dietary information retrievable from the complete digestive tract of Great Cormorants Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis. Moreover, a novel approach based on predator–prey size ratios was applied to these piscivorous birds to minimize the number of samples that might contain secondarily predated prey. The stomach contents of the examined birds were found to provide the most dietary information when morphological and molecular analyses were used in combination. However, compared with the morphological approach, the molecular analysis increased the number of fish species detected by 39%. The molecular approach also permitted the identification of fish DNA in the Cormorant guts. Predator–prey size ratios derived from morphological analysis of fish hard parts can reduce the incidence of potential confounding influence of secondarily predated prey by 80%. Our findings demonstrate that a combination of morphological and molecular approaches maximizes the trophic information retrievable from bird carcasses.
Single‐cell technologies to study the immune system
Authors: Proserpio Valentina , Mahata Bidesh
Published: November 2015

The immune system is composed of a variety of cells that act in a coordinated fashion to protect the organism against a multitude of different pathogens. The great variability of existing pathogens corresponds to a similar high heterogeneity of the immune cells. The study of individual immune cells, the fundamental unit of immunity, has recently transformed from a qualitative microscopic imaging to a nearly complete quantitative transcriptomic analysis. This shift has been driven by the rapid development of multiple single‐cell technologies. These new advances are expected to boost the detection of less frequent cell types and transient or intermediate cell states. They will highlight the individuality of each single cell and greatly expand the resolution of current available classifications and differentiation trajectories. In this review we discuss the recent advancement and application of single‐cell technologies, their limitations and future applications to study the immune system.
Ectopic lymphoid follicles: inducible centres for generating antigen‐specific immune responses within tissues
Authors: Jones Gareth W. , Jones Simon A.
Published: November 2015

Lymphoid neogenesis is traditionally viewed as a pre‐programmed process that promotes the formation of lymphoid organs during development. Here, the spatial organization of T and B cells in lymph nodes and spleen into discrete structures regulates antigen‐specific responses and adaptive immunity following immune challenge. However, lymphoid neogenesis is also triggered by chronic or persistent inflammation. Here, ectopic (or tertiary) lymphoid organs frequently develop in inflamed tissues as a response to infection, auto‐immunity, transplantation, cancer or environmental irritants. Although these structures affect local immune responses, the contribution of these lymphoid aggregates to the underlining pathology are highly context dependent and can elicit either protective or deleterious outcomes. Here we review the cellular and molecular mechanisms responsible for ectopic lymphoid neogenesis and consider the relevance of these structures in human disease.
Effect of a third‐generation LED LCU on microhardness of tooth‐colored restorative materials
Authors: Gonulol Nihan , Ozer Sezin , Tunc Emine Sen
Published: November 2015

Objective

To assess the effects of different modes of a third‐generation light‐curing unit (LCU) (VALO) on the microhardness of restorative materials.

Design

A microhybrid composite resin (Filtek™ Z550), a giomer (Beautifil II), a compomer (Dyract eXtra) and a RMGIC (Photac™ Fil) were used in the study. Three different modes of VALO were tested and a second‐generation LCU (Elipar S10) was used as a control. The microhardness (VHN) was measured using a Vickers Hardness tester. Data were analyzed using two‐way anova and post hoc Tukey's test (P < 0.05).

Results

The Filtek Z550 group had the highest VHN values followed by Photac Fil, Beautifil II and the Dyract eXtra at both top and bottom surfaces, however the difference between Filtek Z550 and Photac Fil was not statistically significant for the bottom surfaces (P > 0.05). Of the different curing protocols tested, the VALO LCU in Mode 3 resulted in the lowest VHN values at both top and bottom surfaces (P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Based on the results of this study, it can be concluded that the high‐power mode of the VALO LCU can be recommended for clinical applications especially in pediatric patients, as it can shorten the time required to adequately polymerize resin‐based tooth‐colored restorative materials.
Judges, Conflict, and the Past
Authors: McEvoy Kieran , Schwartz Alex
Published: November 2015

Drawing upon interviews with senior judicial figures in Northern Ireland, South Africa and elsewhere, this article considers the role of the judiciary in a political conflict. Using the socio‐legal literature on judicial performance and audience as well as transitional justice scholarship, the article argues that judges in Northern Ireland ‘performed’ to a number of ‘imagined’ audiences including Parliament, ‘the public', and their judicial peers – all of which shaped their view of the judicial role. In light of ongoing efforts to deal with the past in the jurisdiction, and the experiences of other transitional societies, the article argues that the judiciary can and should engage in a mature, reflexive and, where appropriate, self‐critical examination of the good and bad of their own institutional history during the conflict. It also argues that such a review of judicial performance requires an external audience in order to encourage the judiciary to see truth beyond the limits of legalism.
Efficient Dispersants for TiO2 Nanopowder in Organic Suspensions
Authors: Kuo Ming‐Shu , Chang Shinn‐Jen , Hsieh Ping‐Hsun , Huang Yuan‐Chang , Li Chia‐Chen
Published: November 2015

This article discusses the appropriate dispersant for titania (TiO2) nanopowder in organic‐based suspensions. Four types of oleyl‐based dispersants, namely, oleyl alcohol, oleic acid, oleylamine, and oleyl phosphate, which have the functional groups hydroxyl (–OH), carboxyl (–COOH), amino (–NH2), and phosphorous [–P(=O)(OH)2], respectively, were compared for their ability to disperse TiO2. Experimental results for zeta potential, adsorption, FT‐IR spectroscopy, and rheology, as well as theoretical calculations, indicate that dispersants with –P(=O)(OH)2 and –NH2 were more efficient than those with –COOH or –OH. The primary reason for this difference is related to the different interactions of TiO2 with various dispersants and to different dispersion mechanisms. In addition to the major functional groups, –OH in the chemical structure of dispersants was important, as it might have other effects such as destabilization of the suspensions.
Enhanced Terbium Emission Due to Plasmonic Silver Nanoparticles in Bismuth Silicate
Authors: Abbass Abd Ellateef , Swart Hendrik C. , Coetsee Elizabeth , Kroon Robin E.
Published: November 2015

A simple way to select a suitable host material, when doped with any rare‐earth (RE) ion and incorporated with silver nanoparticles (NPs), to cause overlap between an excitation band of the RE ions and the localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) of the metallic NPs to study possible plasmonic enhancement is presented using Mie theory calculations. Unlike in previous studies, plasmonic enhancement was studied in a crystalline host instead of amorphous hosts. Bismuth silicate was synthesized using the sol–gel method and successfully doped with only terbium or silver, or co‐doped with terbium and silver. The formation of silver NPs was investigated using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Luminescence properties of the terbium‐doped bismuth silicate containing silver NPs were explored in detail and an enhancement of the emission from terbium ions at 545 nm when excited at 485 nm of about 2.5 times is attributed to amplification of the electric field associated with the LSPR of the silver NPs.
Severe outbreeding and inbreeding depression maintain mating system differentiation inEpipactis(Orchidaceae)
Authors: Brys R. , Jacquemyn H.
Published: November 2015

In hermaphroditic plants, theory for mating system evolution predicts that populations will evolve to either complete autonomous selfing (AS) or complete outcrossing, depending on the balance between automatic selection favouring self‐fertilization and costs resulting from inbreeding depression (ID). Theory also predicts that selection for selfing can occur rapidly and is driven by purging of genetic load and the loss ofID. Therefore, selfing species are predicted to have low levels ofIDor even to suffer from outbreeding depression (OD), whereas predominantly outcrossing species are expected to have high levels ofID. To test these predictions, we related the capacity ofASto the magnitude of early‐acting inbreeding orODin both allogamous and autogamous species of the orchid genusEpipactis. For each species, the level ofASwas assessed under controlled greenhouse conditions, whereas hand‐pollinations were performed to quantify early costs of inbreeding orODacting at the level of fruit and seed production. In the autogamous species, the capacity ofASwas high (> 0.72), whereas in the allogamous speciesASwas virtually absent (< 0.10). Consistent with our hypothesis, allogamousEpipactisspecies had significantly higher totalID(average: 0.46) than autogamous species, which showed severe costs ofOD(average: −0.45). Overall, our findings indicate that strong early‐actingIDrepresents an important mechanism that contributes to allogamy inEpipactis, whereasODmay maintain selfing in species that have evolved to complete selfing.
An automated cell viability quantification method for low‐resolution confocal images of closely packed cells based on a modified gradient flow tracking algorithm
Authors: KAVIANI R. , MERAT P. , MOLDOVAN F. , VILLEMURE I.
Published: November 2015

Fluorescent‐based live/dead labelling combined with fluorescent microscopy is one of the widely used and reliable methods for assessment of cell viability. This method is, however, not quantitative. Many image‐processing methods have been proposed for cell quantification in an image. Among all these methods, several of them are capable of quantifying the number of cells in high‐resolution images with closely packed cells. However, no method has addressed the quantification of the number of cells in low‐resolution images containing closely packed cells with variable sizes. This paper presents a novel method for automatic quantification of live/dead cells in 2D fluorescent low‐resolution images containing closely packed cells with variable sizes using a mean shift‐based gradient flow tracking. Accuracy and performance of the method was tested on growth plate confocal images. Experimental results show that our algorithm has a better performance in comparison to other methods used in similar detection conditions.
Building Bridges: Toward Alternative Theory of Sustainable Supply Chain Management
Authors: Matthews Lee , Power Damien , Touboulic Anne , Marques Leonardo
Published: November 2015

We contend that the development of sustainable supply chain management (SSCM) theory has been impaired by a lack of paradigmatic diversity in the field. The contested nature of the concept of sustainability has been repressed in SSCM theory, which has led to SSCM cutting itself off from debates that could be the source of inspiration for the development of interesting theory. We adopt the problematization approach proposed by Alvesson and Sandberg (2011) in order to unveil some of SSCM's unquestioned assumptions, propose an alternative assumption ground, and in this way move toward stronger theory in SSCM. We use paradoxical framing to make sense of the inherent tensions between the different levels of sustainability and between the different types of theory being produced in response to the challenges of sustainability. We articulate a number of foundational assumptions for an alternative theory of SSCM that emerge from the various tensions identified between the different paradigms of sustainability. Finally, we identify a number of ideas for future research that would enable researchers to empirically explore the alternative assumptions.
Occurrence and distribution of Malassezia species on skin and external ear canal of horses
Authors: Shokri Hojjatollah
Published: November 2015

The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of Malassezia species from the body skin and external ear canal of healthy horses. The samples were obtained by scraping the skin surface from the nose, groin and dorsum and swabbing from the external ear canal of 163 animals, and then incubated on sabouraud dextrose agar and modified Dixon agar. Malassezia species were isolated from 34.9% of horses. The percentages of Malassezia species were 64.3% for Arab, 35.7% for Persian, 35.4% for Thoroughbred and 27.1% for Turkmen breeds. The greatest abundance of Malassezia species was found in the external ear canal (47.7%, representing significant difference with other sites), followed by nose (26.3%), groin (15.8%) and dorsum (10.5%) (P < 0.05). A total of 57 strains from six Malassezia species were detected with a frequency rate as follows: M. pachydermatis (33.3%), M. globosa (26.3%), M. sympodialis (14.1%), M. restricta (10.5%), M. obtusa (8.8%) and M. furfur (7%). The most common age‐group affected was 1–3 years (59.4%). This study confirmed that cutaneous Malassezia microbiota in healthy horses varies by body site and age but not by breed and gender, representing M. pachydermatis as the most prevalent species on horse skin.
Two Cases of LQT Syndrome with Malignant Syncope after Switch from Propranolol to Bisoprolol
Authors: KESEK MILOS , RYDBERG ANNIKA , JENSEN STEEN M.
Published: November 2015

Propranolol in slow‐release form has been the first‐line treatment in long QT (LQT) until it was withdrawn from the market. We describe two cases where a switch to bisoprolol resulted in worsening of arrhythmia control: A man with LQT2, asymptomatic on propranolol, experienced syncope after switching to bisoprolol 5 mg daily. He switched back to propranolol and has remained asymptomatic during subsequent 12 months. A man with classical Jervell Lange‐Nielsen syndrome, previous gangliectomy, and ICD implantation, switched to bisoprolol 5 mg daily. Four months later he experienced a tachycardia storm. He switched back to propranolol and has remained free from arrhythmias during subsequent 12 months.
Solution‐focused group therapy for common mental health problems: Outcome assessment in routine clinical practice
Authors: Carrera María , Cabero Andrés , González Sonia , Rodríguez Nuria , García Carlos , Hernández Lara , Manjón Javier
Published: November 2015

Objectives

This study aimed to assess the effectiveness of solution‐focused group therapy (SFGT) for psychological distress and mild to moderate depression in a routine clinical practice setting.

Design and Methods

A naturalistic pre/post‐study involving 132 mental health service users was carried out. Clients received seven structured sessions of SFGT, and pre‐therapy self‐report scores (Spanish brief version of Beck Depression Inventory and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) were compared with post‐therapy scores. Additional data on effectiveness of intervention (discharges, clients returning for help and dropout rate) were analysed at 6, 12, and 24 months after initiating intervention and compared with a control sample (132 mental health service users, frequency‐matched by local health board, clinical diagnosis, and gender to the group intervention) receiving usual care (UC: Psychotropic medication and/or individual psychotherapy).

Results

Mean post‐SFGT levels were significantly lower than mean pre‐SFGT levels on each self‐report measure in the SFGT sample. In addition, SFGT showed a significantly higher percentage of discharges and fewer clients returning for help than with UC.

Conclusions

SFGT included in routine clinical practice may enhance the effectiveness of treatment in clients who suffer from depression and/or psychological distress.

Practitioner Points

Therapists could use SFGT as a brief and effective tool to deal with the most prevalent mental health problems at mental healthcare centres (MHCs) in Spain, without changing day‐to‐day clinical routines.

SFGT might be effectively incorporated in routine clinical practice for helping people with psychological distress and depressive episodes of mild and moderate severity.

This study should encourage systemic therapists and strategically oriented clinicians to continue delivering and offering outcome measures of solution‐focused therapy.
Cytogenomic characterization of Colletotrichum kahawae, the causal agent of coffee berry disease, reveals diversity in minichromosome profiles and genome size expansion
Authors: Pires A. S. , Azinheira H. G. , Cabral A. , Tavares S. , Tavares D. , Castro M. , Várzea V. , Silva M. C. , Abranches R. , Loureiro J. , Talhinhas P.
Published: November 2015

Colletotrichum kahawae is an emerging fungal pathogen, which has recently undergone a speciation process from a generalistic ‘C. gloeosporioides species complex' background by acquiring the unique capacity to infect green coffee berries, thus causing coffee berry disease. This is a severe and widespread disease in Africa and an imminent threat to Arabica coffee cultivation in Asia and America, if the pathogen enters those continents. Genetic diversity within C. kahawae is low but notorious differences in pathogen aggressiveness have been described. This work characterized two cytogenomic traits (genome size and minichromosome profiles) of a collection of C. kahawae isolates, representing the breadth of its genetic diversity and distinct aggressiveness classes, along with closely related taxa. The results obtained constitute the first flow cytometry‐based genome size estimation in the genus Colletotrichum and show a c. 8 Mb genome size expansion between C. kahawae (79·5 Mb on average) and its closest relatives (71·3 Mb), corroborating evidence indicating that C. kahawae (i.e. the coffee berry disease pathogens) should remain as a distinct species. Results have also shown the presence of two to five minichromosomes in C. kahawae, suggesting a positive relationship between the number of minichromosomes and the level of aggressiveness of the different isolates analysed, while no correlation could be established between aggressiveness and whole genome size. Overall, these results may be the basis for the identification of pathogenicity/aggressiveness‐related factors in such minichromosomes, and may provide clues to the characterization of specific markers for aggressiveness classes.
People Don't Talk in Institutional Statements: A Methodological Case Study of the Institutional Analysis and Development Framework
Authors: Watkins Cristy , Westphal Lynne M.
Published: November 2015

In this paper, we describe our application of Ostrom et al.'s ADICO syntax, a grammatical tool based in the Institutional Analysis and Development framework, to a study of ecological restoration decision making in the Chicago Wilderness region. As this method has only been used to look at written policy and/or extractive natural resource management systems, our application is novel in context (a value‐adding environmental management action), data type (in‐depth, qualitative interviews, and participant observation), and extent of institutional statement extraction (we extract rules, as well as norms and strategies). Through detailed description, visual aids, and case‐specific qualitative examples, we show the usefulness of the ADICO syntax in detailing the full set of institutional statements‐in‐use: rules, norms, and strategies. One of the most interesting findings is that we found norms (and not just rules) to be prevalent and particularly meaningful guides for people's actions. This reinforces the need to address norms and strategies, not only rules, when developing effective policy.
High Dimensional Ordinary Least Squares Projection for Screening Variables
Authors: Wang Xiangyu , Leng Chenlei
Published: November 2015

Variable selection is a challenging issue in statistical applications when the number of predictors p far exceeds the number of observations n. In this ultrahigh dimensional setting, the sure independence screening procedure was introduced to reduce the dimensionality significantly by preserving the true model with overwhelming probability, before a refined second-stage analysis. However, the aforementioned sure screening property strongly relies on the assumption that the important variables in the model have large marginal correlations with the response, which rarely holds in reality. To overcome this, we propose a novel and simple screening technique called high dimensional ordinary least squares projection which we refer to as ‘HOLP’. We show that HOLP has the sure screening property and gives consistent variable selection without the strong correlation assumption, and it has a low computational complexity. A ridge-type HOLP procedure is also discussed. Simulation study shows that HOLP performs competitively compared with many other marginal correlation-based methods. An application to a mammalian eye disease data set illustrates the attractiveness of HOLP.
Globally Efficient Non-Parametric Inference of Average Treatment Effects by Empirical Balancing Calibration Weighting
Authors: Chan Kwun Chuen Gary , Yam Sheung Chi Phillip , Zhang Zheng
Published: November 2015

The estimation of average treatment effects based on observational data is extremely important in practice and has been studied by generations of statisticians under different frameworks. Existing globally efficient estimators require non-parametric estimation of a propensity score function, an outcome regression function or both, but their performance can be poor in practical sample sizes. Without explicitly estimating either function, we consider a wide class of calibration weights constructed to attain an exact three-way balance of the moments of observed covariates among the treated, the control and the combined group. The wide class includes exponential tilting, empirical likelihood and generalized regression as important special cases, and extends survey calibration estimators to different statistical problems and with important distinctions. Global semiparametric efficiency for the estimation of average treatment effects is established for this general class of calibration estimators. The results show that efficiency can be achieved by solely balancing the covariate distributions without resorting to direct estimation of the propensity score or outcome regression function. We also propose a consistent estimator for the efficient asymptotic variance, which does not involve additional functional estimation of either the propensity score or the outcome regression functions. The variance estimator proposed outperforms existing estimators that require a direct approximation of the efficient influence function.
Is a Policy of Free Movement of Workers Sustainable?
Authors: Picard Pierre M. , Worrall Tim
Published: November 2015

In this paper, we study the costs and benefits of the adoption of a policy of free movement of workers. For countries to agree on uncontrolled movements of workers, short‐run costs must be outweighed by the long‐term benefits of better labor‐market flexibility and income smoothing. We show that such a policy is less likely to be adopted when workers are more impatient and less risk‐averse, when production technologies display stronger decreasing returns, and when countries trade a significant share of their products.
On the Estimation Accuracy of Causal Effects using Supplementary Variables
Authors: Kuroki Manabu , Hayashi Takahiro
Published: November 2015

This paper focuses on a situation in which a set of treatments is associated with a response through a set of supplementary variables in linear models as well as discrete models. Under the situation, we demonstrate that the causal effect can be estimated more accurately from the set of supplementary variables. In addition, we show that the set of supplementary variables can include selection variables and proxy variables as well. Furthermore, we propose selection criteria for supplementary variables based on the estimation accuracy of causal effects. From graph structures based on our results, we can judge certain situations under which the causal effect can be estimated more accurately by supplementary variables and reliably evaluate the causal effects from observed data.
Revision of the Bicyclus sciathis species group (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae) with descriptions of four new species and corrected distributional records
Authors: BRATTSTRÖM OSKAR , ADUSE‐POKU KWAKU , COLLINS STEVE C. , DI MICCO DE SANTO TERESA , BRAKEFIELD PAUL M.
Published: November 2015

In this paper we present a thorough revision of the sciathis species group of the butterfly genus Bicyclus (Kirby). Type materials are discussed and in several cases lectotypes are assigned to specimens from original type series. Four new, and morphologically distinct, species are described (B. elishiae Brattström sp.n., B. heathi Brattström sp.n., B. sigiussidorum Brattström sp.n. and B. subtilisurae Brattström sp.n.), along with a comprehensive molecular phylogeny that includes exemplar taxa of all currently recognized species. We also investigate the types of all previously synonymized taxa and in the process invalidate the name B. ewondo Libert. This was done after finding the previously missing holotype of B. makomensis (Strand), which clearly belongs to the same species and thereby gives the older name priority. The phylogeny showed that some distinctly different species were surprisingly closely related, suggesting a high rate of morphological evolution in parts of the sciathis group. The distributional records for the group are updated after investigating over 1700 specimens kept in a range of museum collections. Many species previously thought to be broadly sympatric were found to have much more restricted ranges, with the previous overestimations probably based on misidentified specimens. The higher level of allopatry now established will make identification of many morphologically similar species easier. The fact that species often have smaller ranges than previously known, meaning that the level of endemism for African butterflies is likely to be higher than current estimates, has important implications for conservation management. An identification key for males of all 13 currently recognized species in the species group is included.

This published work has been registered in ZooBank, http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:837A9D4C‐779A‐4497‐8176‐7151D409DFA5.
HYPOFRACTIONATED RADIOTHERAPY FOR MACROSCOPIC CANINE SOFT TISSUE SARCOMA: A RETROSPECTIVE STUDY OF 50 CASES TREATED WITH A 5 × 6 GY PROTOCOL WITH OR WITHOUT METRONOMIC CHEMOTHERAPY
Authors: Cancedda Simona , Marconato Laura , Meier Valeria , Laganga Paola , Roos Malgorzata , Leone Vito F. , Rossi Federica , Bley Carla Rohrer
Published: November 2015

Wide surgical resection or a marginal/incomplete resection followed by full‐course radiation therapy is the current standard of care for canine soft tissue sarcoma. The purpose of this retrospective, descriptive, bi‐institutional study was to determine the effectiveness and toxicity of a hypofractionated 5 × 6 Gy protocol on macroscopic canine soft tissue sarcoma in terms of progression‐free interval (PFI) and overall survival (OS), and to identify prognostic factors for patient outcome. Dogs with macroscopic soft tissue sarcoma irradiated with 5 × 6 Gy were eligible for the study. Progression‐free interval and OS were compared with respect to different tumor and patient characteristics by the Kaplan–Meier method and multivariable Cox regression analysis. Fifty dogs with macroscopic disease were included. All dogs received the same radiation therapy protocol; part of the group (n= 20) received postradiation metronomic chemotherapy. Median PFI for all cases was 419 days (95% confidence interval (CI): 287–551) and median OS was 513 days (95% CI: 368–658). Dogs with tumors on the limbs had significantly longer PFI and OS, compared with head or trunk. Increasing tumor burden decreased OS. The addition of metronomic chemotherapy yielded a significantly longer OS (757 days (95% CI: 570–944) compared with dogs that did not receive systemic treatment (286 days (95% CI: 0–518), (P= 0.023)), but did not influence progression‐free interval. Toxicity was low throughout all treatments. The 5 × 6 Gy radiation therapy protocol was well tolerated and provided long PFI and OS in dogs with macroscopic soft tissue sarcoma.
UNLOCKING “SILENT” GENES VIA COMBINE CULTURE–AN ALTERNATIVE GATEWAY TO NATURAL PRODUCTS DISCOVERY
Authors: Azizan Izzatul Hidayah , Latip Jalifah , Hoshino Shotaro , Abe Ikuro
Published: November 2015

Streptomyces sp. has been known to produce antibiotics and other bioactive natural products. However, the production of these secondary metabolites depends on the culture conditions, where in most cases the secondary-metabolite genes are not expressed in fermentation culture. Recently, a novel fermentation method known as combined-culture has been introduced to unlock these “silent” genes, hence induces the production of cryptic metabolites. We report herein, our preliminary work on combined-culture using two soil-borne bacterial strains; Streptomyces and Tsukamurella. From the results, it is shown that the presence of Tsukamurella, a mycolic acid-containing bacterium induces the production of new metabolites in Streptomyces. Moreover, the production of compounds associated with Streptomyces was enhanced via combination-culture as compared to culture of Streptomyces strain alone. These findings may promote the feasibility of combined-culture in unlocking the “silent” genes of microorganisms which could lead to the discovery of novel metabolites.
CISSAMPELOS PAREIRA: PROTEIN-LIGAND DOCKING TO IDENTIFY SUITABLE TARGETS FOR HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA (HCC) BY IN-SILICO TECHNIQUES AND TOOLS
Authors: Samuel Thavamani B. , Mathew Molly , S. Palaniswamy Dhanabal
Published: November 2015

Protein-ligand interaction plays a major role in identification of the possible mechanism by which a ligand can bind with the target and exerts the pharmacological action. The present study aims to identify new possible candidates for treating Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC) by docking the reported phytochemicals present in Cissampelos pareira with the well known HCC targets using in-silico techniques. Although C. pareira demonstrated in vitro and in vivo anti-heptatocellular carcinoma activities, the mechanism remains uncertain. Selected compounds from C. pareira were docked using GLIDE software with known targets of hepatocellular carcinoma viz. Aurora Kinase, c-Kit, Fibroblast Growth Factor (FGF), Nuclear Factor kappa B (NF-kB), B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-xL) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF). Among the compounds docked, pareitropone and pareirubrine B exhibited good hydrogen bonding interactions and binding energy with the targets of HCC taken in the study. Hence these compounds deserve consideration for further studies towards HCC.
INFLUENTIAL FACTORS OF PICTET-SPENGLER REACTION IN TOTAL SYNTHESIS OF CANTHIN-6-ONE
Authors: Ag Nuddin Julenah , Azib Nur Aini , Adam Aishah , Hamzah Ahmad Sazali
Published: November 2015

The family of Simaroubaceae is known to contain quassinoids and canthin-6-ones, secondary metabolites that have been reported to possess numerous biological activities such as anticancer. A biomimetic total synthesis of canthin-6-one using Pictet-Spengler condensation according to the procedure by Czerwinski et al. (2003) was explored. The aim of this study was to determine the viability of this reaction for structural modification. In this report, influential factors of carboxyl mediated Pictet-Spengler condensation reaction would be discussed.
EFFECTS OF Justicia gendarussa ETHANOLIC EXTRACT ON OSTEOBLASTIC ACTIVITY OF MC3T3-E1 CELL
Authors: Supparmaniam Kavita , Mohd Bohari Siti Pauliena
Published: November 2015

Justicia gendarussa (Acanthaceae) or commonly known as Gendarussa has traditionally been used to treat bone fractures. Bone fracture is a clinical condition that need bone repair and new bone formation. To date, the mechanism of Justicia gendarussa acting in enhancing the bone mineralization has not been proven scientifically. The present study aimed to investigate the cytotoxicity and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity on osteoblast cells when treated with Justicia gendarussa ethanolic leaves extract. MTT and ALP assays were performed on osteoblast cells after being treated with different concentrations of the extract. For cell viability, the result showed that IC50 value of the osteoblast cells was 89.1μg/ml. While, ALP assay is used as a biochemical marker for early detection of osteoblast mineralization. The highest amount of ALP activity was at the 37.5 μg/ml when compared to the control. From this study, it shows that Justicia gendarussa has potential in enhancing bone mineralization during the bone repair process.
ANTIBACTERIAL ACTIVITY OF Zingiber officinale AND Zingiber zerumbet ESSENTIAL OILS EXTRACTED BY USING TURBO EXTRACTOR DISTILLATOR (TED)
Authors: Azelan Noor Amirah , Hasham Rosnani , Awang Mohd Azrie , Abd Malek Roslinda , Musa Nur Fashya , Aziz Ramlan
Published: November 2015

Plants Zingiber officinale (ginger) and Zingiber zerumbet (lempoyang) of Zingiberaceae family have been traditionally used as treatment for stomach problems, nausea, vomiting, epilepsy, sore throat, muscular pains and several other disorders. In this study, essential oils from both plants were investigated for their efficacy on antibacterial activity against two Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus) and two Gram negative (Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli) bacteria species using the disc diffusion assay. A zone of inhibition was compared with the standard antibiotic chloramphenicol, whilst a blank disc impregnated with the methanol was used as negative control. At concentration 20 mL/disc, Z. officinale essential oil produced zone of inhibition ranging from 16 to 36 mm, while Z. zerumbet essential oil produced zone inhibition ranging from 11 to 14 mm. These findings showed Z. officinale essential oil inhibited the growth of all tested bacteria with large zone of inhibition. The most susceptible bacteria was B. cereus while the lowest was P. aeruginosa. It can be concluded that, Z. officinale and Z. zerumbet essential oils might provide potential therapeutic agents against bacterial infection.
SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF HETEROCYCLIC CHALCONES CONTAINING HALOGENATED THIOPHENES
Authors: Al-Maqtari Helmi Mohammed , Jamalis Joazaizulfazli , Mohd Sirat Hasnah
Published: November 2015

Heterocyclic chalcones containing halogenated thiophenes were synthesized. The first step was to synthesize 3-acetyl-2,5-dichlorothiophene and 2-acetyl-5-chlorothiophene as heterocyclic ketones by using Friedel-Crafts acylation. The ketones were then used to synthesize thiophene chalcones through Claisen-Schmidt reaction with the respective heterocyclic aldehydes such as 5-bromothiophene-2-carbaldehyde, 3-methyl-2-thiophene carboxaldehyde and 2-thiophene carboxaldehyde with 3-acetyl-2,5-dichlorothiophene or 2-acetyl-5-chlorothiophene in presence of basic medium, sodium hydroxide to form the corresponding chalcones. Structures of the synthetic compounds were confirmed by IR, MS, 1H and 13C NMR spectral data.
DIFFERENTIATION OF THE WHITE AND PURPLE FLOWER FORMS OF Orthosiphon aristatus (Blume) Miq. BY 1D and 2D CORRELATION IR SPECTROSCOPY
Authors: Man Salbiah , Sui Kiong Ling , Ab’lah Nor Azlianie , Abdullah Zunoliza
Published: November 2015

Orthosiphon aristatus (Blume) Mig. is also known as Misai kucing or Kumis kucing. The plant is traditionally used to treat tonsilities, fever, menstrual disorders, gonorrhea, syphilis, gallstones, rheumatism, diabetes, hypertension, epilepsy, edema, hepatitis jaundice and for diuretic activity. The objective of this work was to differentiate the white and purple flower forms of O. aristatus (Blume) by multi-steps infrared (IR) macro-fingerprinting. The analyses included Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), second derivative IR spectroscopy and two-dimensional correlation infrared (2D IR) spectroscopy with thermal perturbation. A distinctive absorption peak at 1384 cm-1 from the purple flower form clearly differentiated the two forms of O. aristatus. Further differentiation was made by the appearance of a strong auto-peak at 1580 cm-1 for the white flower form and at 1546 cm-1 for the purple flower form. Such results indicate that the multi-steps infrared macro-fingerprinting has the potential for the development of a fast and reliable analytical methodology for distinguishing the white and purple flower forms of O. aristatus (Blume) Miq. effectively.
PHYTOCHEMICAL ASSESSMENT OF MULTI-LOCATIONAL TONGKAT ALI (Eurycoma longifolia) IN PENINSULAR MALAYSIA
Authors: Jusoh Samsiah , Abd. Ghani Rosnani , Ab Kadir Wan Rasidah W , Ishak Mohamad Fakhri
Published: November 2015

Phytochemical assessments were conducted on the plant part of Tongkat ali (Eurycoma longifolia). The objective of this study was to identify agro-ecological that influence favourably the growth and eurycomanone content of planted Tongkat ali. The samples were collected at throughout Peninsular Malaysia such as from Gua Musang (Kelantan), Jengka (Pahang), Kluang (Johor) and Beseri (Perlis). Traditionally, every part of the plant especially the roots were used as an afterbirth tonic, reducing fevers, curing mouth ulcers and to treat intestinal worms. Organic solvent was used for extraction which followed by fractionation between chloroform and water. The water fraction was fractionated again with n-butanol. Eurycomanone content in n-butanol fraction was analyzed using HPLC. The highest concentration of eurycomanone content in parts of Tongkat ali (TA) were 6.0568 (leaves), 0.1415 (twigs), 0.0365 (top of stems), 0.0633 (middle of stems), 0.0673 (bottom of stems), 0.3533 (roots) and 5.1137 µg/mL (root barks).