bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Chilling prior to low intensity pulsed electric field processing improved vitamin C stability of carrot purée (Daucus carota cv. Nantes)
Authors: Leong Sze‐Ying , Oey Indrawati , Clapperton Danielle , Aganovic Kemal , Toepfl Stefan
Published: May 2015

Effects of chilling (5 °C) prior to low intensity pulsed electric fields (PEF) (0.1–1.1 kV cm−1) on vitamin C and activity of peroxidase (POD) and ascorbic acid oxidase (AAO) in carrot purée were studied. The effect of PEF on carotenoids extractability was evaluated and compared to that of purée pre‐conditioned at 20 °C (control). PEF enhanced carotenoids extractability for purée with and without pre‐chilling, up to 25% and 66%, respectively. Vitamin C content decreased after PEF but combined pre‐chilling and PEF maintained vitamin C stability and reduced AAO and POD activities. AAO and the heat‐stable POD fraction were found to be more thermolabile (i.e. higher kref value) after PEF, particularly at 0.6 kV cm−1, which implies elimination of their enzymatic action towards oxidation of bioactive compounds. It was suggested that chilling prior to low intensity PEF modified enzyme properties and secured the stability of vitamin C and carotenoids.
Dengue virus requires the CC‐chemokine receptor CCR5 for replication and infection development
Authors: Marques Rafael E. , Guabiraba Rodrigo , Del Sarto Juliana L. , Rocha Rebeca F. , Queiroz Ana Luiza , Cisalpino Daniel , Marques Pedro E. , Pacca Carolina C. , Fagundes Caio T. , Menezes Gustavo B. , Nogueira Maurício L. , Souza Danielle G. , Teixeira Mauro M.
Published: May 2015

Dengue is a mosquito‐borne disease that affects millions of people worldwide yearly. Currently, there is no vaccine or specific treatment available. Further investigation on dengue pathogenesis is required to better understand the disease and to identify potential therapeutic targets. The chemokine system has been implicated in dengue pathogenesis, although the specific role of chemokines and their receptors remains elusive. Here we describe the role of the CC‐chemokine receptor CCR5 in Dengue virus (DENV‐2) infection. In vitro experiments showed that CCR5 is a host factor required for DENV‐2 replication in human and mouse macrophages. DENV‐2 infection induces the expression of CCR5 ligands. Incubation with an antagonist prevents CCR5 activation and reduces DENV‐2 positive‐stranded (+) RNA inside macrophages. Using an immunocompetent mouse model of DENV‐2 infection we found that CCR5−/− mice were resistant to lethal infection, presenting at least 100‐fold reduction of viral load in target organs and significant reduction in disease severity. This phenotype was reproduced in wild‐type mice treated with CCR5‐blocking compounds. Therefore, CCR5 is a host factor required for DENV‐2 replication and disease development. Targeting CCR5 might represent a therapeutic strategy for dengue fever. These data bring new insights on the association between viral infections and the chemokine receptor CCR5.
Unionization and Income Growth of Racial Minority Immigrants in Canada: A Longitudinal Study
Authors: Verma Anil , Reitz Jeffrey G. , Banerjee Rupa
Published: May 2015

This study examines the effect of unionization on the labor market integration of newly arrived immigrants in Canada. We find that non-white recent immigrants gain access to unionized jobs at a slower rate than do white recent immigrants. The effect of unionization on earnings is somewhat lower for non-white recent immigrants than for white recent immigrants. These findings are based on growth curve modeling of longitudinal data from the Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics (SLID). Therefore, unionization does not contribute to reducing the earnings gap of non-white recent immigrants relative to white immigrants and the native-born.
Party Discourse and Prejudiced Attitudes toward Migrants in Western Europe at the Beginning of the 2000s
Authors: Careja Romana
Published: May 2015

Building on framing research and on cognitive dissonance theory, the paper examines the differentiated moderating effect of party discourse on prejudiced attitudes against immigrants. Using ESS 2002 data, the study finds that individuals who are positively oriented toward immigrants become more so when confronted with party discourses with anti-immigrant tones. This effect is, however, visible only when it comes to acceptance in one's private sphere, that is, acceptance of inter-ethnic marriage. The study also found some evidence that friendship with immigrants is not strong enough to impede natives to accept the idea of deporting unemployed immigrants.
Periodic review fuzzy inventory model with variable lead time and fuzzy demand
Authors: Sarkar Biswajit , Mahapatra Amalendu Singha
Published: May 2015

This paper investigates a periodic review fuzzy inventory model with lead time, reorder point, and cycle length as decision variables. The main goal of this study is to minimize the expected total annual cost by simultaneously optimizing cycle length, reorder point, and lead time for the whole system based on fuzzy demand. Two models are considered in this paper: one with normal demand distribution and another with a distribution‐free approach. The model assumes a logarithmic investment function for lost‐sale rate reduction. Furthermore, two separate efficient computational algorithms are explained to obtain the optimal solution. Some numerical examples are given to illustrate the model.
Similar patterns of frequency‐dependent selection on animal personalities emerge in three species of social spiders
Authors: Lichtenstein J. L. L. , Pruitt J. N.
Published: May 2015

Frequency‐dependent selection is thought to be a major contributor to the maintenance of phenotypic variation. We tested for frequency‐dependent selection on contrasting behavioural strategies, termed here ‘personalities’, in three species of social spiders, each thought to represent an independent evolutionary origin of sociality. The evolution of sociality in the spider genus Anelosimus is consistently met with the emergence of two temporally stable discrete personality types: an ‘aggressive’ or ‘docile’ form. We assessed how the foraging success of each phenotype changes as a function of its representation within a colony. We did this by creating experimental colonies of various compositions (six aggressives, three aggressives and three dociles, one aggressive and five dociles, six dociles), maintaining them in a common garden for 3 weeks, and tracking the mass gained by individuals of either phenotype. We found that both the docile and aggressive phenotypes experienced their greatest mass gain in mixed colonies of mostly docile individuals. However, the performance of both phenotypes decreased as the frequency of the aggressive phenotype increased. Nearly identical patterns of phenotype‐specific frequency dependence were recovered in all three species. Naturally occurring colonies of these spiders exhibit mixtures dominated by the docile phenotype, suggesting that these spiders may have evolved mechanisms to maintain the compositions that maximize the success of the colony without compromising the expected reproductive output of either phenotype.
Investment Incentives in Open‐Source and Proprietary Two‐Sided Platforms
Authors: Casadesus‐Masanell Ramon , Llanes Gastón
Published: May 2015

We study incentives to invest in platform quality in open‐source and proprietary two‐sided platforms. Open platforms have open access, and developers invest to improve the platform. Proprietary platforms have closed access, and investment is done by the platform owner. We present five main results. First, open platforms may benefit from limited developer access. Second, an open platform may lead to higher investment than a proprietary platform. Third, opening one side of a proprietary platform may lower incentives to invest in platform quality. Fourth, the structure of access prices of the proprietary platform depends on (i) how changes in the number of developers affect the incentives to invest in the open platform, and (ii) how investment in the open platform affects the revenues of the proprietary platform. Finally, a proprietary platform may benefit from higher investment in the open platform. This result helps to explain why the owner of a proprietary platform such as Microsoft has chosen to contribute to the development of Linux.
The 2011 America Invents Act: Does it Undermine Innovation?
Authors: Miyagiwa Kaz
Published: May 2015

With the 2011 America Invents Act, the United States discarded its century‐old first‐to‐invent patent‐awarding system in favor of a first‐to‐file rule. Critics have argued that the first‐to‐file rule rewards speed in patent applications rather than creativity, thereby undermining innovation. We evaluate this concern within a dynamic model of a patent race, and find first‐to‐invent (weakly) more conducive to innovation than first‐to‐file. Defending prior users’ rights can promote both pro‐ and anti‐R&D effect of a switch to first‐to‐file.
Information Acquisition and Innovation under Competitive Pressure
Authors: Barbos Andrei
Published: May 2015

This paper studies information acquisition under competitive pressure and proposes a model to examine the relationship between product market competition and the level of innovative activity in an industry. Our paper offers theoretical support for recent empirical results that point to an inverted‐U shape relationship between competition and innovation. The model presents an optimal timing decision problem where a firm endowed with an idea trades the benefits of waiting for additional information on whether this idea can be converted into a successful project against the cost of delaying innovation: a given firm's profit following innovation is decreasing in the number of firms that invested at earlier dates. By recognizing that a firm can intensify its innovative activity on two dimensions, a risk dimension and a quantitative dimension, we show that firms solve this trade‐off precisely so as to generate the inverted‐U shape relationship. The dynamic setup of our model offers insights not just in the cross‐section on the relationship between competition and innovation, but also intertemporally on the optimal timing of innovation at firm level.
Investment, Duration, and Exit Strategies for Corporate and Independent Venture Capital‐Backed Start‐Ups
Authors: Guo Bing , Lou Yun , Pérez‐Castrillo David
Published: May 2015

We propose a model of investment, duration, and exit strategies for start‐ups backed by venture capital (VC) funds that accounts for the high level of uncertainty, the asymmetry of information between insiders and outsiders, and the discount rate. Our analysis predicts that start‐ups backed by corporate VC funds remain for a longer period of time before exiting and receive larger investment amounts than those financed by independent VC funds. Although a longer duration leads to a higher likelihood of an exit through an acquisition, a larger investment increases the probability of an IPO exit. These predictions find strong empirical support.
Optimal Production Channel for Private Labels: Too Much or Too Little Innovation?
Authors: Chambolle Claire , Christin Clémence , Meunier Guy
Published: May 2015

We analyze the impact of the private label production channel on innovation. A retailer may either choose to integrate backward with a small firm (insourcing) or rely on a national brand manufacturer (outsourcing) to produce its private label. The trade‐off between insourcing and outsourcing strategies is a choice between too much or too little innovation (i.e., quality investment) on the private label. When insourcing, an outside‐option effect leads the retailer to overinvest to increase its buyer power. When outsourcing, a hold‐up effect leads to underinvestment. In addition, selecting the national brand manufacturer may create economies of scale that spur innovation.
Correlation Between Pneumocystis jirovecii Mitochondrial Genotypes and High and Low Fungal Loads Assessed by Single Nucleotide Primer Extension Assay and Quantitative Real‐Time PCR
Authors: Alanio Alexandre , Olivi Martine , Cabaret Odile , Foulet Françoise , Bellanger Anne‐Pauline , Millon Laurence , Berceanu Ana , Cordonnier Catherine , Costa Jean‐Marc , Bretagne Stéphane
Published: May 2015

We designed a single nucleotide primer extension (SNaPshot) assay for Pneumocystis jirovecii genotyping, targeting mt85 SNP of the mitochondrial large subunit ribosomal RNA locus, to improve minority allele detection. We then analyzed 133 consecutive bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluids tested positive for P. jirovecii DNA by quantitative real‐time PCR, obtained from two hospitals in different locations (Hospital 1 [n = 95] and Hospital 2 [n = 38]). We detected three different alleles, either singly (mt85C: 39.1%; mt85T: 24.1%; mt85A: 9.8%) or together (27%), and an association between P. jirovecii mt85 genotype and the patient's place of hospitalization (p = 0.011). The lowest fungal loads (median = 0.82 × 103 copies/μl; range: 15–11 × 103) were associated with mt85A and the highest (median = 1.4 × 106 copies/μl; range: 17 × 103–1.3 × 107) with mt85CTA (p = 0.010). The ratios of the various alleles differed between the 36 mixed‐genotype samples. In tests of serial BALs (median: 20 d; range 4–525) from six patients with mixed genotypes, allele ratio changes were observed five times and genotype replacement once. Therefore, allele ratio changes seem more frequent than genotype replacement when using a SNaPshot assay more sensitive for detecting minority alleles than Sanger sequencing. Moreover, because microscopy detects only high fungal loads, the selection of microscopy‐positive samples may miss genotypes associated with low loads.
Goods Movement Life Cycle Assessment for Greenhouse Gas Reduction Goals
Authors: Nahlik Matthew J. , Kaehr Andrew T. , Chester Mikhail V. , Horvath Arpad , Taptich Michael N.
Published: May 2015

The formation of effective policies to reduce emissions from goods movement should consider local and remote life cycle effects as well as barriers for mode shifting. Using uni‐ and multimodal freight movements by truck, rail, and ocean‐going vessel (OGV) associated with California, a life cycle assessment (LCA) is developed to estimate the local and remote emissions that occur from freight activity inside and associated with the state. Long‐run average per tonne‐kilometer results show that OGVs emit the fewest emissions, followed by rail, then trucks, and that the inclusion of life cycle processes can increase impacts by up to 32% for energy and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and 4,200% for conventional air pollutants. Efforts to reduce emissions through mode shifting should recognize that infrastructure and market configurations may be inimical to mode substitution. A uni‐ and multimodal shipping emissions assessment is developed for intrastate and California‐associated freight movements to illustrate the life cycle impacts of typical trips for certain types of goods. When targeting GHG reductions in California, it should be recognized that heavy‐duty trucks are responsible for 99% of intrastate goods movement emissions. An assessment of future freight truck technology improvements is performed to estimate the effectiveness of strategies to meet 2050 GHG reduction goals. Whereas aggressive improvements in fuel economy coupled with alternative vehicles and fuels can significantly reduce GHG emissions, to meet 2050 goals will likely require zero carbon emission vehicle technology. The value of using LCA in GHG reduction policy for transportation systems is explored.
Tyrosine hydroxylase positive perisomatic rings are formed around various amacrine cell types in the mammalian retina
Authors: Debertin Gábor , Kántor Orsolya , Kovács‐Öller Tamás , Balogh Lajos , Szabó‐Meleg Edina , Orbán József , Nyitrai Miklós , Völgyi Béla
Published: May 2015

Dopaminergic neurons of the central nervous system are mainly found in nuclei of the midbrain and the hypothalamus that provide subcortical and cortical targets with a rich and divergent innervation. Disturbance of signaling through this system underlies a variety of deteriorating conditions such as Parkinson's disease and schizophrenia. Although retinal dopaminergic signaling is largely independent of the above circuitry, malfunction of the retinal dopaminergic system has been associated with anomalies in visual adaptation and a number of retinal disorders. Dopamine (DA) is released mainly in a paracrine manner by a population of tyrosine hydroxylase expressing (TH+) amacrine cells (AC) of the mammalian retina; thus DA reaches virtually all retinal cell types by diffusion. Despite this paracrine release, however, the so called AII ACs have been considered as the main targets of DA signaling owing to a characteristic and robust ring‐like TH+ innervation to the soma/dendritic‐stalk area of AII cells. This apparent selectivity of TH+ innervation seems to contradict the divergent DAergic signaling scheme of other brain loci. In this study, however, we show evidence for intimate proximity between TH+ rings and somata of neurochemically identified non‐AII cells. We also show that this phenomenon is not species specific, as we observe it in popular mammalian animal models including the rabbit, the rat, and the mouse. Finally, our dataset suggests the existence of further, yet unidentified post‐synaptic targets of TH+ dendritic rings. Therefore, we hypothesize that TH+ ring‐like structures target the majority of ACs non‐selectively and that such contacts are wide‐spread among mammals. Therefore, this new view of inner retinal TH+ innervation resembles the divergent DAergic innervation of other brain areas through the mesolimbic, mesocortical, and mesostriatal signaling streams.

image

AII amacrine cells have been considered as the main targets of dopamine signaling in the mammalian retina owing to a characteristic ring‐like innervation from dopaminergic (TH+) amacrine cells (green) to somata of AII cells (red). In this study, we show the intimate proximity of TH+ rings and somata of non‐AII cells, including starburst‐a amacrine cells (blue) and other unidentified amacrine cells (magenta). We find that this phenomenon is not species specific and it occurs in a number of popular mammalian animal models. We hypothesize that TH+ ring‐inputs target most amacrine cells non‐selectively and thus it resembles the divergent dopaminergic innervation of other brain areas.
Failures in communication through documents and documentation across the perioperative pathway
Authors: Braaf Sandra , Riley Robin , Manias Elizabeth
Published: May 2015

Aims and objectives

To explore how communication failures occur in documents and documentations across the perioperative pathway in nurses' interactions with other nurses, surgeons and anaesthetists.

Background

Documents and documentation are used to communicate vital patient and procedural information among nurses, and in nurses' interactions with surgeons and anaesthetists, across the perioperative pathway. Previous research indicates that communication failure regularly occurs in the perioperative setting.

Design

A qualitative study was undertaken.

Methods

The study was conducted over three hospitals in Melbourne, Australia. One hundred and twenty‐five healthcare professionals from the disciplines of surgery, anaesthesia and nursing participated in the study. Data collection commenced in January 2010 and concluded in October 2010. Data were generated through 350 hours of observation, two focus groups and 20 semi‐structured interviews. A detailed thematic analysis was undertaken.

Results

Communication failure occurred owing to a reliance on documents and documentation to transfer information at patient transition points, poor quality documents and documentation, and problematic access to information. Institutional ruling practices of professional practice, efficiency and productivity, and fiscal constraint dominated the coordination of nurses', surgeons' and anaesthetists' communication through documents and documentation. These governing practices configured communication to be incongruous with reliably meeting safety and quality objectives.

Conclusions

Communication failure occurred because important information was sometimes buried in documents, insufficient, inaccurate, out‐of‐date or not verbally reinforced. Furthermore, busy nurses were not always able to access information they required in a timely manner. Patient safety was affected, which led to delays in treatment and at times inadequate care.

Relevance to clinical practice

Organisational support needs to be provided to nurses, surgeons and anaesthetists so they have sufficient time to complete, locate, and read documents and documentation. Infrastructure supporting communication technologies should be implemented to enable the rapid retrieval, entry, and dispersion of information.
Asymmetric Information about Collateral Values
Authors: STROEBEL JOHANNES
Published: May 2015

I empirically analyze credit market outcomes when competing lenders are differentially informed about the expected return from making a loan. I study the residential mortgage market, where property developers often cooperate with vertically integrated mortgage lenders to offer financing to buyers of new homes. I show that these integrated lenders have superior information about the construction quality of individual homes and exploit this information to lend against higher quality collateral, decreasing foreclosures by up to 40%. To compensate for this adverse selection on collateral quality, nonintegrated lenders charge higher interest rates when competing against a better‐informed integrated lender.
Reticulated lesions in a ‘train‐track‐like’ pattern
Authors: Rosmaninho Aristóteles , Machado Susana , Lobo Inês , Selores Manuela
Published: May 2015

See Answer
Soft‐tissue calcinosis in an infant
Authors: Kapoor Kanika , Saha Abhijeet , Dubey Nand K , Batra Vinita
Published: May 2015

See Answer
Does fetal growth restriction lead to increased brain injury as detected by neonatal cranial ultrasound in premature infants?
Authors: Malhotra Atul , Yahya Zamir , Sasi Arun , Jenkin Graham , Ditchfield Michael , Polglase Graeme R , Miller Suzanne L
Published: May 2015

Aim

Intra‐uterine growth restriction (IUGR) is an important cause for prematurity as well as a significant risk factor for neurodevelopmental deficits. In this study, we aimed to examine the association between IUGR and early brain injury on neonatal cranial ultrasound in preterm infants.

Methods

This retrospective cohort study examined the relationship between IUGR and neonatal cranial ultrasound findings in preterm infants <32 weeks gestation with IUGR, compared with gestation and year of birth‐matched appropriately grown infants, in a tertiary level neonatal unit. Primary outcome was incidence and severity of intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH), periventricular leucomalacia (PVL) and hydrocephalus detected by cranial ultrasound in the neonatal period.

Results

A total of 153 IUGR and 306 non‐IUGR preterm infants <32 weeks were included. The rates of IVH (21.6% vs. 23.9%), severe IVH (3.9% vs. 4.6%), PVL (8.4% vs. 9.4%), cystic PVL (2.6% vs. 0%) and hydrocephalus (0.7% vs. 0.3%) were similar in the two groups. Composite outcome of death and severe brain injury (severe IVH, cystic PVL and hydrocephalus) was greater (20.2% vs. 9.1%, P = 0.001) in IUGR infants.

Conclusion

IUGR did not lead to increased neonatal brain injury on cranial ultrasound but was associated with increased mortality. Advanced neonatal neuroimaging techniques may be necessary to estimate risk and to provide prognostic information of adverse neurological outcomes in this vulnerable population.
What keeps nurses busy in the mental health setting?
Authors: Goulter N. , Kavanagh D. J. , Gardner G.
Published: May 2015

Accessible Summary

Recent evidence suggests that the interactional work of mental health nursing has been eroded and redirected to the task‐based roles of medicine.

This study utilized work sampling methodology to observe the proportion of time nurses working in a mental health setting spend in direct care, indirect care and service‐related activities.

Nurses spent 32% of their time in direct care, 52% in indirect care and 17% in service‐related activities.

Mental health nurses need to re‐establish their therapeutic availability to maximize consumer experiences and outcomes.

The foundation of mental health nursing has historically been grounded in an interpersonal, person‐centred process of health care, yet recent evidence suggests that the interactional work of mental health nursing is being eroded. Literature emphasizes the importance of person‐centred care on consumer outcomes, a model reliant upon the intimate engagement of nurses and consumers. Yet, the arrival of medical interventions in psychiatry has diverted nursing work from the therapeutic nursing role to task‐based roles delegated by medicine, distancing nurses from consumers. This study used work sampling methodology to observe the proportion of time nurses working in an inpatient mental health setting spend in the activities of direct care, indirect care and service‐related activities. Nurses spent 32 of their time in direct care, 52% in indirect care and 17% in service‐related activities. Mental health nurses need to re‐establish their therapeutic availability to maximize consumer experiences and outcomes.
Yeast cell wall and live yeast products and their combination in broiler diets formulated with weekly ingredient variations
Authors: Fowler J. , Hashim M. , Haq A. , Bailey C. A.
Published: May 2015

A 6‐week broiler study was conducted to evaluate whether subjecting the intestinal microflora of broilers to the effect of weekly variations in feed ingredients could be ameliorated by the inclusion of yeast‐derived feed additives: a yeast cell wall extract (YCW), live yeast culture (LY) or their combination (YCW + LY). Recent changes in ingredient prices have motivated producers to formulate diets not necessarily based primarily on corn and soya bean meal. Intestinal microflora in birds can vary significantly based on the ingredient composition of their diet, and the make‐up of the flora can influence overall bird performance. Within the three nutrient phases of this study, birds were fed either a traditional corn–soya ingredient profile or a variable‐ingredient regimen, which had weekly changes in the ingredient composition. There were consistent ameliorative effects of the yeast treatments in both the corn–soya and the variable‐ingredient groups throughout all 6 weeks, with the YCW + LY combination showing a reduced effect when compared to either product fed alone. The effectiveness of YCW and LY on ameliorating the effects of weekly ingredient variations appeared most effective during the starter and grower phases, but was less significant during the sixth week.
Novel insights into post‐glacial vegetation change: functional and phylogenetic diversity in pollen records
Authors: Reitalu Triin , Gerhold Pille , Poska Anneli , Pärtel Meelis , Väli Vivika , Veski Siim
Published: May 2015

Question

How do pollen‐based functional and phylogenetic diversity help to explain post‐glacial vegetation change in relation to climate and human influence?

Location

Estonia and Latvia, NE Europe.

Methods

We used a data set of 1062 pollen samples from 20 sites covering the last 14 500 yrs to estimate plant richness, evenness, functional and phylogenetic diversity (community‐weighted mean and mean pair‐wise distance). We adjusted existing functional and phylogenetic diversity measures for the pollen data and tested the methods with a simulation study. The simulations showed that species‐based and pollen‐based diversity estimates were all significantly positively correlated.

Results

The Late Glacial (14 500–11 650 cal. yr BP) and the mid‐Holocene (8000–4000 cal. yr BP) periods showed contrasting values for most of the diversity components, and several diversity estimates were strongly associated with climate. The cold climate during the Late Glacial led to high phylogenetic diversity, and relatively low functional diversity. Climate warming during the transition from the Late Glacial to the Holocene was followed by a decrease in phylogenetic diversity but an increase in functional diversity based on plant height and seed weight. Increasing human impact in the late Holocene was associated with an increase in plant richness and decreases in functional diversity based on plant height and seed weight and in phylogenetic diversity of herbs.

Conclusions

Pollen‐based functional and phylogenetic diversity provide novel insights into post‐glacial vegetation change and its drivers. Both functional and phylogenetic diversity were closely related to climatic conditions, suggesting that trait differences play an important role in long‐term community response to climate change. Our results indicate that human impact during the last two millennia has influenced functional and phylogenetic diversity negatively by suppressing plants with certain traits (functional convergence) and giving advantage to plants from certain phylogenetic lineages. We see great potential in the further development of functional and phylogenetic diversity methods for pollen data.
A relA‐dependent regulatory cascade for auto‐induction of microbisporicin production in Microbispora corallina
Authors: Fernández‐Martínez Lorena T. , Gomez‐Escribano Juan P. , Bibb Mervyn J.
Published: May 2015

Microbisporicin is a potent type I lantibiotic produced by the rare actinomycete Microbispora corallina that is in preclinical trials for the treatment of infections caused by methicillin‐resistant isolates of Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Analysis of the gene cluster for the biosynthesis of microbisporicin, which contains two unique post‐translationally modified residues (5‐chlorotryptophan and 3, 4‐dihydroxyproline), has revealed an unusual regulatory mechanism that involves a pathway‐specific extracytoplasmic function sigma factor (MibX)/anti‐sigma factor (MibW) complex and an additional transcriptional regulator MibR. A model for the regulation of microbisporicin biosynthesis derived from transcriptional, mutational and quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction analyses suggests that MibR, which contains a C‐terminal DNA‐binding domain found in the LuxR family of transcriptional activators, functions as an essential master regulator to trigger microbisporicin production while MibX and MibW induce feed‐forward biosynthesis and producer immunity. Moreover, we demonstrate that initial expression of mibR, and thus microbisporicin production, is dependent on the ppGpp synthetase gene (relA) of M. corallina. In addition, we show that constitutive expression of either of the two positively acting regulatory genes, mibR or mibX, leads to precocious and enhanced microbisporicin production.
Transhumanization, Personal Identity, and the Afterlife: Thomistic Reflections on a Dantean Theme
Authors: Ward Thomas M.
Published: May 2015

Taking Aquinas's metaphysics of human nature as my point of departure and taking inspiration from Dante's concept of transhumanization, I sketch a metaphysics of the afterlife according to which a human person in the interim phase between death and resurrection is not a mere disembodied soul. I offer some theological reasons for thinking that our bodily human nature is essential to what we are and for thinking that we can survive the destruction of our bodies at death. I argue that these claims are consistent, provided we hold that our bodily human nature, while essential to what we are, is not necessary to what we are. I argue for this distinction between essence and necessity. I then raise a mereological puzzle about the relation between a disembodied soul and the person whose soul it is, and argue that, if we are to avoid the Cartesian conclusion that this relation is identity, we must hold that a human person, even in the interim phase, is composed of a soul and something else. Drawing on Dante's concept of transhumanization, I argue that this something else is God himself or some specially created divine grace or energy.
Asthma control in children is associated with nasal symptoms, obesity, and health insurance: a nationwide survey
Authors: Ferreira‐Magalhães Manuel , Pereira Ana Margarida , Sa‐Sousa Ana , Morais‐Almeida Mário , Azevedo Inês , Azevedo Luís Filipe , Fonseca João Almeida
Published: May 2015

Background

This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of asthma control and determinants of poor control in the Portuguese pediatric population (<18 years); secondarily, we described asthma‐related healthcare services and medication use.

Methods

Data of 98 children with current asthma, from the second phase of a nationwide population‐based telephone survey (INAsma study), were analyzed. Asthma control definition was based on GINA criteria, grouping partially controlled and uncontrolled asthma as ‘not‐controlled asthma’ (NCA). We used multivariate logistic regression to study factors associated with NCA and with unscheduled medical visits for asthma.

Results

About half of the children had NCA (49%, 95% CI 39–59%). In the multivariate model, risk factors for NCA were as follows: substantial nasal symptoms (aOR 6.80), overweight/obesity (aOR 3.44), and not having health insurance (aOR 3.78). All the children with NCA had nasal symptoms, and the lack of asthma control was also associated with the increasing number of nasal symptoms (p < 0.001). In the previous year, 90% (95% CI 84–96%) of children with current asthma had healthcare visits and 67% (95% CI 58–77%) used medication for asthma. The risk of unscheduled medical visits was higher in children with nasal symptoms (aOR 3.63) and in those without health insurance (aOR 2.79), and lower in adolescents (aOR 0.19).

Conclusions

Half of the children with asthma were poorly controlled. Nasal symptoms and obesity are important determinants of asthma control. Children without health insurance are at greater risk of poor asthma outcomes; this association is reported for the first time in a European country.
Oral Cyclosporine Weekend Therapy: A New Maintenance Therapeutic Option in Patients with Severe Atopic Dermatitis
Authors: Garrido Colmenero Cristina , Blasco Morente Gonzalo , Tercedor Sánchez Jesús
Published: May 2015

Cyclosporine A (CyA) is a systemic therapy used to control severe atopic dermatitis (AD) in children, but its use may be associated with serious side effects. Intermittent short‐course therapy has been used to minimize these risks without the loss of clinical benefits. We conducted a 20‐week study using intermittent short‐course CyA therapy in five patients with severe AD and a Scoring Atopic Dermatitis (SCORAD) score >40. The result was a reduction in the cumulative dose of CyA and serum CyA level, which allows for a longer duration of CyA treatment and decreases the risk of relapse in patients with severe AD.
The Second to Fourth Digit Ratio in Acne Vulgaris
Authors: Unal Mehmet , Urun Unal Gulbahar , Balevi Sukru , Tol Hüseyin , Uyar Mehmet
Published: May 2015

Background

Androgen hormones are thought to play a leading role in acne vulgaris (AV). The 2D:4D digit ratio refers to the ratio of the length of the second finger (index finger) to that of the fourth finger (ring finger). It is thought that the balance between fetal testosterone and fetal estrogen during the prenatal period largely determines this ratio, which does not change with age in the postnatal period.

Methods

Patients with no other disease except AV and a control group of healthy patients were included in the study. Sex, age, family history, age of onset, and duration of disease in patients diagnosed with AV were recorded. The lengths of the patients' second and fourth fingers were measured using a digital caliper with a resolution of 0.01 mm. Hormone levels were also measured.

Results

When the 2D:4D ratio for the right hand and the left hand (separately) as well as the average (mean) 2D:4D ratio of both hands in male and female patients were compared with those of the control group, no statistically significant difference was observed. The right 2D:4D ratio of female patients was positively correlated with free androgen index percentage and prolactin values and negatively correlated with sex hormone–binding globulin. The left 2D:4D ratio of female patients was found to be positively correlated with disease duration and follicle‐stimulating hormone values.

Conclusion

The 2D:4D ratio was not significantly different between the group with AV and the control group independent of sex. Also, we did not observe a significant association with age of onset, severity of disease, or family history.
Frey's Syndrome After Herpes Zoster Virus Infection in a 2‐Year‐Old Girl
Authors: Bourgeois Pieter , Morren Marie‐Anne
Published: May 2015

Frey's syndrome is characterized by sweating and flushing in the temporal and preauricular areas after a salivary stimulus. It is caused by damage to the auriculotemporal nerve, hence the alternative name of auriculotemporal syndrome. We report the case of a 2‐year‐old girl presenting with postprandial unilateral flushing that developed after a herpes zoster infection.
Epistemic Value Monism and the Swamping Problem
Authors: Stapleford Scott
Published: May 2015

Many deontologists explain the epistemic value of justification in terms of its instrumental role in promoting truth – the original source of value in the epistemic domain. The swamping problem for truth monism appears to make this position indefensible, at least for those monists who maintain the superiority of knowledge to merely true belief. I propose a new solution to the swamping problem that allows monists to maintain the greater epistemic value of knowledge over merely true belief. My trick is to deny the swamping premise itself.
Post‐infectious bronchiolitis obliterans and mannose‐binding lectin insufficiency in Argentinean children
Authors: Giubergia Verónica , Salim Maximiliano , Fraga Jesica , Castiglioni Nicolás , Sen Luisa , Castaños Claudio , Mangano Andrea
Published: May 2015

Background and objective

Post‐infectious bronchiolitis obliterans (PIBO) is a severe disorder following acute lower pulmonary infection in young children, especially caused by adenovirus. Mannose‐binding lectin (MBL) deficiency arising from polymorphisms in the coding and non‐coding region on the MBL2 gene has been associated with more frequent and severe respiratory infections. Our aim was to evaluate the influence of MBL variants in the susceptibility and evolution of children with PIBO.

Methods

One hundred eleven children with PIBO diagnosis were studied. The coding A, B, D and X promoter variants of MBL2 gene were assessed by PCR‐RFLP. B and D alleles were pooled as O. The combined genotypes A/A and YA/O were grouped as sufficient MBL (sMBL), and O/O and XA/O as insufficient MBL (iMBL) groups. To evaluate the frequency of MBL2 polymorphisms in the general population, we studied DNA samples from 127 healthy donors from the blood bank of the hospital (control group).

Results

iMBL variants were significantly more frequent in PIBO children compared with controls (21.6% vs 10.2%, P = 0.01). PIBO patients with iMBL required intensive care unit (P = 0.001) and mechanical assistance at the moment of viral injury (P = 0.001) more frequently than those with sMBL.

Conclusions

Insufficiency of MBL was more common in PIBO children than in healthy controls. This genetic condition was significantly associated with more severe initial disease, illustrating the relevance of innate immune defence factors prior to the maturation of the adaptative immune system.
Same but Different: Muslims and Foreigners in Public Media Discourse
Authors: Feddersen Alexandra
Published: May 2015

This contribution analyzes the public discourse on foreigners and Muslims in Switzerland between 2000 and 2009. In Switzerland, as elsewhere in Europe, the Muslim minority has emerged as the main concern for integration in public discourse. What makes Muslims special in the debate on immigration and integration? How does the public discourse on Muslims differ from the portrayal of foreigners in general? A quantitative content analysis of four Swiss newspapers was conducted covering three direct democratic campaigns. While the demographic composition of the Muslim minority has not changed substantially, the way Muslims are perceived in public discourse did. Certain ethnic groups, which are still categorized as foreigners in 2000, are mainly assigned to the Muslim minority in 2009. The latter is seen as a relatively homogeneous group raising other issues than foreigners. These results should lead to question the current academic and political debate on integration in Switzerland.
Sequence‐based typing of HLA‐A gene in 930 patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma in Hunan province, southern China
Authors: Tian W. , Zhu F.‐M. , Wang W.‐Y. , Cai J.‐H. , Zhang W. , Li L.‐X. , Liu K.‐L. , Jin H.‐K. , Wang F.
Published: May 2015

In this study, we typed 930 cases of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) and 1134 normal controls recruited from Hunan province, southern China for human leukocyte antigen‐A (HLA‐A) locus by sequencing exons 2–4. Very significant associations between HLA‐A*02:07, HLA‐A*11:01 and NPC were established [25.7% vs 16.18%; odds ratio, OR (95% confidence interval, CI) = 1.79 (1.54–2.09), P < 0.0001 and 21.1% vs 30.42%, OR (95% CI) = 0.61 (0.53–0.70), P<0.0001, respectively]. Further analysis of the molecular basis underlying these associations suggests that cysteine (C) at codon 99 of α2‐helix of HLA‐A protein is probably deleterious and confers risk to NPC. Convincing evidence was uncovered for negative association of a rare allele in southern Chinese populations, HLA‐A*31:01, with NPC [0.22% vs 2.12%, OR (95% CI) = 0.1 (0.04–0.28), P < 0.0001]. rs1059449‐A, which encodes arginine (R) at codon 56 of α1‐helix of HLA‐A protein, was postulated to be crucial for such a pattern of negative association with NPC. A subset of NPC cases (N = 632) and normal controls (N=712) were tested for anti‐virus capsid antigen (anti‐VCA) immunoglobulin A (IgA), very significant difference in seropositivity for anti‐VCA IgA was observed between the two groups [67.56% vs 6.46%, OR (95% CI) = 30.16 (21.42–42.46), P < 0.0001]. However, seropositivity for anti‐VCA IgA did not correlate with HLA‐A allelic typing in both groups.
A Bird's‐Eye View of Leviathan
Authors: Thain Alanna
Published: May 2015

How can we understand the ecosophical approach of a film like Leviathan, which refuses conventions of representational filmmaking? Drawing on Raymond Ruyer's notion of survoler, or self‐survey, to describe a mode of witnessing without distance, this article explores two aspects of self‐survey in Lucien Castaing‐Taylor and Véréna Paravel's groundbreaking work of sensory ethnography. Both the ubiquitous seagulls and the innovative use of GoPro cameras here propose witnessing as an ethico‐aesthetical act in a way that challenges documentary norms.
Threads of Life and Death: A Photo Essay on Hunting and Fishing in Northwest Amazonia
Authors: Ruiz‐Serna Daniel
Published: May 2015

This essay describes the enchanted, sylvan world of a peasant community from La Macarena, a protected area located in Colombia. Often depicted as invaders or destroyers of natural resources, these peasant societies have had little place in popular and academic representations of Amazonia. Through the use of images that depict some of the tools and practices associated with hunting and fishing, this essay aims to describe some of the elements involved in human–animal relationships. Concretely, images are used as a means to illustrate (1) the role played by rivers and fishing economies in the historical settlement process of this region, and (2) the symbolic practices involved in hunting.
A Novel Application of the Thermal Probe: Nonlinear and Phase Change Problems
Authors: Adjali M. H.
Published: May 2015

This paper reports on a new application of the thermal probe in nonlinear systems. Whereas the thermal probe has been originally developed to determine the thermal conductivity in linear cases (where the thermophysical properties are considered independent of the temperature), the method used here exploits a direct nonlinear numerical model associated with a parameter estimation technique to determine temperature dependent thermal conductivities. It has been applied to a water-agar gel during phase change and the thermal conductivities within the corresponding temperature interval could be determined.
Numerical Investigations on Heat Transfer of Self-Sustained Oscillation of a Turbulent Jet Flow Inside a Cavity
Authors: Iachachene Farida , Mataoui Amina , Halouane Yacine
Published: May 2015

Computations of heat transfer and fluid flow of a plane isothermal fully developed turbulent plane jet flowing into a rectangular hot cavity are reported in this paper. Both velocity and temperature distributions are computed by solving the two-dimensional unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) equations. This approach is based on one-point statistical modeling using the energy-specific dissipation (k-ω) turbulence model. The numerical predictions are achieved by finite volume method. This problem is relevant to a wide range of practical applications including forced convection and the ventilation of mines, enclosure, or corridors. The structural properties of the flow and heat transfer are described for several conditions. An oscillatory regime is evidenced for particular jet location, inducing for each variable a periodic behavior versus time. The jet flapping phenomena are detailed numerically by the instantaneous streamlines contours and the vorticity magnitude contours within one period of oscillation. The heat transfer along the cavity walls is also periodic. Time average of mean Nusselt number is correlated according with some problem parameters.
Theoretical Investigations on Laser-Assisted Depletion of Gd152 Isotope From Natural Gadolinium
Authors: Sankari M. , Suryanarayana M. V.
Published: May 2015

We have proposed laser-assisted depletion of Gd152 isotope from a natural isotopic mixture of Gd to enhance its functional efficiency as a burnable poison. Theoretical investigations on laser-assisted depletion of Gd152 isotope from natural gadolinium have been carried out for two-color resonant three-color photoionization pathways using density matrix formalism. Calculations have been carried out using a density matrix formalism to optimize conditions for high ionization efficiency without much sacrifice in the isotopic selectivity. Optimum conditions for good isotopic selectivity of Gd152 without significant sacrifice in the ion yield have been identified. Under appropriate conditions, all the 17 photoionization schemes are found to be useful for the laser-assisted separation of Gd152 isotopes which can be used for reactor applications. The effect of source, laser, and atom parameters on isotopic selectivity and ionization efficiency has been investigated. Among the photoionization schemes investigated, one of the photoionization scheme has been investigated in detail. Under optimized conditions, this photoionization scheme has resulted in high ionization efficiency (>50%) and high isotopic selectivity (1.2×104).