bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Community-based human rights advocacy practice and peace education
Authors: Moshe Grodofsky Merav
Published: August 2012

The is article discusses the relationship between community-based human rights advocacy practice and peace education to understand how their intersections can promote social work practice that addresses domestic conditions significant to the advancement of sustainable peace between societies in regions of acute political conflict. A training program for social workers engaged in community-based human rights advocacy practice in the Middle East is described.
Environmental Factors Associated With Active Living in Retirement Village Residents
Authors: Nathan Andrea , Wood Lisa , Giles-Corti Billie
Published: August 2012

This exploratory enquiry employs qualitative methods to advance knowledge and understanding of physical environmental attributes related to active living among residents of Australian retirement villages. Six focus groups ( n = 51 residents) were held and participants described how their current, and subsequently ideal, retirement village and neighborhood supported active lifestyles. Thematic analysis revealed three key environmental factors associated with active living: a positive social environment within the village; services and facilities provided in the village and wider neighborhood; and the presence of suitable pedestrian infrastructure. The unique discovery that environmental factors of both the retirement village and the surrounding neighborhood were associated with residents’ active living raises many questions for study. Findings informed the development of a survey instrument, and further understanding in this area has the potential to contribute to the design and siting practices of senior housing complexes within neighborhoods.
Prediction of Health Preference Values from CD4 Counts in Individuals with HIV
Authors: Isogai Pierre K. , Rueda Sergio , Rachlis Anita R. , Rourke Sean B. , Mittmann Nicole
Published: August 2012

Background. A common measure of health benefit in technology assessments is the quality-adjusted life year, which incorporates health preference or utility scores. Objective. To build and test a predictive model using CD4 counts to derive health preference scores. Design. Predictive modeling. Setting. Ontario HIV Treatment Network Cohort Study. Measurement. The relationship between HUI3-derived health preference score and HIV health status measured by CD4 count was examined by a regression model. Additional independent variables considered included age, time since HIV diagnosis, AIDS-defining condition, sex, and education level. A polynomial regression model was fit to predict health preference scores. The final model was established using automated backwards stepwise variable elimination using the Akaike information criterion. Tenfold cross-validation was used to assess the model. Results. Data from 841 participants were available. Mean age and time since diagnosis were 46.78 and 11.03 years, respectively. CD4 counts ranged from 2 to 995 cells per mm3 with 267 (31.75%) individuals having less than 350 cells per mm3. Mean HUI3 utility score was 0.72 and ranged from −0.25 to 1. The final model retained squared terms for CD4 counts, age, and time since HIV diagnosis and eliminated history of AIDS-defining condition and the nonsquared time since HIV diagnosis. Prediction error was assessed in 14 subgroups using the validation set. Two subgroups had mean prediction errors greater than 0.02. Limitations. All statistical models are limited by the data used to develop and test the model. The model estimates health utility scores primarily through CD4 counts. Therefore, the model may be inappropriate if noninfectious diseases are a significant factor. Conclusions. Results provide a model for predicting health preference values from CD4 counts.
From resilience to resourcefulness
Authors: MacKinnon Danny , Derickson Kate Driscoll
Published: August 2012

This paper provides a theoretical and political critique of how the concept of resilience has been applied to places. It is based upon three main points. First, the ecological concept of resilience is conservative when applied to social relations. Second, resilience is externally defined by state agencies and expert knowledge. Third, a concern with the resilience of places is misplaced in terms of spatial scale, since the processes which shape resilience operate primary at the scale of capitalist social relations. In place of resilience, we offer the concept of resourcefulness as an alternative approach for community groups to foster.
The impact of structural composite materials. Part 2: hypervelocity impact and shock
Authors: Appleby-Thomas Gareth J , Hazell Paul J
Published: August 2012

The combination of high strength and low density has resulted in increasing use of composite materials in structures such as aerospace systems that may be subjected to high-velocity impact during their in-service lives. In this review we focus on recent work surrounding the response of composites, primarily carbon fibre reinforced plastic and glass fibre reinforced plastic-based laminates to very high (hyper)-velocity impacts. To this end, the review is divided into two halves. In the first, hypervelocity impacts (e.g. impacts with velocities greater than ca. 2 km/s) that are likely to be encountered by aerospace systems are considered; while in the second, resultant material behaviour – in the form of shock response – is discussed. This review is designed to (1) build on previous studies which have typically largely focused on high-velocity impacts from the perspective of spacecraft protection against on-orbit impact, and; (2) complement an earlier part which focused on the lower impact velocity regime associated with ballistic-loading (Part 1).
Electromyography and Nerve Conduction Velocity for the Evaluation of the Infraspinatus Muscle and the Suprascapular Nerve in Professional Beach Volleyball Players
Authors: Lajtai Georg , Wieser Karl , Ofner Michael , Raimann Gustav , Aitzetmüller Gernot , Jost Bernhard
Published: August 2012

Background:

Beach volleyball is an overhead sport with a high prevalence of infraspinatus muscle atrophy of the hitting shoulder.

Hypothesis:

Infraspinatus muscle atrophy seems to be caused by a repetitive traction injury of the suprascapular nerve. Early pathological findings might be assessed with surface electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) measurements.

Study Design:

Cross-sectional study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods:

Fully competitive professional beach volleyball players were assessed with a structured interview, shoulder examination, strength measurements (external rotation and elevation), and neurophysiological examination (surface EMG and NCV of the infraspinatus and supraspinatus muscles and the suprascapular nerve, respectively) during the Beach Volleyball Grand Slam tournament 2010 in Klagenfurt, Austria.

Results:

Thirty-five men with an average age of 28 years were examined. Visible infraspinatus atrophy was found in 12 players (34%), of which 8 (23%) had slight atrophy and 4 (11%) had severe atrophy. External rotation (90%; P < .006) and elevation strength (93%; P = .03) were significantly lower in the hitting shoulder. Electromyography revealed a higher activation pattern in the infraspinatus muscle of the hitting arm in players with no or slight atrophy ( P = .001) but a significantly lower activation pattern in players with severe atrophy ( P = .013). Nerve conduction velocity measurements showed a significant higher latency and lower amplitude in the hitting shoulder of the total study group and the subgroup with infraspinatus atrophy.

Conclusion:

Professional beach volleyball players have a high frequency of infraspinatus atrophy (34%) and significantly reduced shoulder strength of the hitting shoulder. These findings are not associated with demographic factors. Electromyography and NCV measurements suggest a suprascapular nerve involvement caused by repetitive strain injuries of the nerve. External rotation strength measurements and NCV measurements can detect a side-to-side difference early, while EMG may show compensation mechanisms for progressive damaging of the suprascapular nerve and, as a result, loss of infraspinatus muscle strength.
Offenders’ Perceptions of Reentry Needs in Trinidad and Tobago
Authors: Sumter Melvina , Monk-Turner Elizabeth , Rougier John
Published: August 2012

Little work explores reentry needs in Trinidad and Tobago. Currently, the Trinidad and Tobago Prison System (TTPS) is designing a parole system which would allow the early release of incarcerated individuals. This work aims to inform the development of such policy by examining what offenders perceive as key needs for successful reentry. Utilizing a sample of 50 offenders who volunteered to participate and who are currently incarcerated in the TTPS, the authors assess how offenders perceive current services and perceived reentry needs. Content analysis reveals that offenders see the need for counseling, help with employment, and locating housing on release from prison. Further, acceptance by the community and a desire to be treated fairly while incarcerated are reported as critical for successfully reentering communities. Notably, a significant number of those incarcerated are dealing with related drug issues. Thus, our data suggest, like O’Connell, that drug counseling and building prosocial ties are essential for successful transition out of incarceration.
Editors’ Introduction to the Special Issue on Exploring Cognitive Readiness in Complex Operational Environments
Authors: Schmorrow Dylan D. , Bolstad Cheryl A. , May Katrina A. , Cuevas Haydee M.
Published: August 2012

Given the ever-increasing complexity of the tasks performed by individuals and teams to meet organizational goals, it is imperative to ensure that operators are cognitively ready to meet the demands of the operational environment. Cognitive readiness refers to the mental preparation (including knowledge, skills, abilities, and attitudes) an individual needs to establish and sustain competent performance in complex and unpredictable operational environments. In the past decade, the scientific research community has endeavored to optimize human performance in complex domains through a better understanding of the cognitive, behavioral, and attitudinal aspects of cognitive readiness at both the individual and the team level. The goal of this three-part special issue is to add to this growing body of work by presenting the latest advances in cognitive readiness research in terms of both theory development and practical applications across domains.
Entrepreneurialism for Canadian Principals
Authors: Scott Shelleyann , Webber Charles F.
Published: August 2012

This article explores the various elements of Canadian educational entrepreneurialism as manifested yesterday, today, and tomorrow and in relation to the social and political influences of the time. This discussion is informed by the findings of the International Study of the Preparation of Principals (ISPP) and represents an expansion of the dimension of boundary-breaking entrepreneurialism contained in the Life Long Learning Leader (4L) leadership development framework. The showcasing of entrepreneurialism in Canada is offered in an attempt to advocate for and to demystify the dimensions of principled and socially responsible educational entrepreneurship needed by tomorrow’s leaders. The article closes with conclusions intended to inform leadership development in other cultural contexts.
Defining new criteria for selection of cell-based intestinal models using publicly available databases
Authors: Christensen Jon , El-Gebali Sara , Natoli Manuela , Sengstag Thierry , Delorenzi Mauro , Bentz Susanne , Bouzourene Hanifa , Rumbo Martin , Felsani Armando , Siissalo Sanna , Hirvonen Jouni , Vila Maya R , Saletti Piercarlo , Aguet Michel , Anderle Pascale
Published: August 2012

Background

The criteria for choosing relevant cell lines among a vast panel of available intestinal-derived lines exhibiting a wide range of functional properties are still ill-defined. The objective of this study was, therefore, to establish objective criteria for choosing relevant cell lines to assess their appropriateness as tumor models as well as for drug absorption studies.

Results

We made use of publicly available expression signatures and cell based functional assays to delineate differences between various intestinal colon carcinoma cell lines and normal intestinal epithelium. We have compared a panel of intestinal cell lines with patient-derived normal and tumor epithelium and classified them according to traits relating to oncogenic pathway activity, epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stemness, migratory properties, proliferative activity, transporter expression profiles and chemosensitivity. For example, SW480 represent an EMT-high, migratory phenotype and scored highest in terms of signatures associated to worse overall survival and higher risk of recurrence based on patient derived databases. On the other hand, differentiated HT29 and T84 cells showed gene expression patterns closest to tumor bulk derived cells. Regarding drug absorption, we confirmed that differentiated Caco-2 cells are the model of choice for active uptake studies in the small intestine. Regarding chemosensitivity we were unable to confirm a recently proposed association of chemo-resistance with EMT traits. However, a novel signature was identified through mining of NCI60 GI50 values that allowed to rank the panel of intestinal cell lines according to their drug responsiveness to commonly used chemotherapeutics.

Conclusions

This study presents a straightforward strategy to exploit publicly available gene expression data to guide the choice of cell-based models. While this approach does not overcome the major limitations of such models, introducing a rank order of selected features may allow selecting model cell lines that are more adapted and pertinent to the addressed biological question.
Transcriptome profiling of resistant and susceptible Cavendish banana roots following inoculation with Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4
Authors: Li Chun-yu , Deng Gui-ming , Yang Jing , Viljoen Altus , Jin Yan , Kuang Rui-bin , Zuo Cun-wu , Lv Zhi-cheng , Yang Qiao-song , Sheng Ou , Wei Yue-rong , Hu Chun-hua , Dong Tao , Yi Gan-jun
Published: August 2012

Background

Fusarium wilt, caused by the fungal pathogenFusarium oxysporumf. sp.cubensetropical race 4 (Foc TR4), is considered the most lethal disease of Cavendish bananas in the world. The disease can be managed in the field by planting resistant Cavendish plants generated by somaclonal variation. However, little information is available on the genetic basis of plant resistance to Foc TR4. To a better understand the defense response of resistant banana plants to the Fusarium wilt pathogen, the transcriptome profiles in roots of resistant and susceptible Cavendish banana challenged with Foc TR4 were compared.

Results

RNA-seq analysis generated more than 103 million 90-bp clean pair end (PE) reads, which were assembled into 88,161 unigenes (mean size = 554 bp). Based on sequence similarity searches, 61,706 (69.99%) genes were identified, among which 21,273 and 50,410 unigenes were assigned to gene ontology (GO) categories and clusters of orthologous groups (COG), respectively. Searches in the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes Pathway database (KEGG) mapped 33,243 (37.71%) unigenes to 119 KEGG pathways. A total of 5,008 genes were assigned to plant-pathogen interactions, including disease defense and signal transduction. Digital gene expression (DGE) analysis revealed large differences in the transcriptome profiles of the Foc TR4-resistant somaclonal variant and its susceptible wild-type. Expression patterns of genes involved in pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) recognition, activation of effector-triggered immunity (ETI), ion influx, and biosynthesis of hormones as well as pathogenesis-related (PR) genes, transcription factors, signaling/regulatory genes, cell wall modification genes and genes with other functions were analyzed and compared. The results indicated that basal defense mechanisms are involved in the recognition of PAMPs, and that high levels of defense-related transcripts may contribute to Foc TR4 resistance in banana.

Conclusions

This study generated a substantial amount of banana transcript sequences and compared the defense responses against Foc TR4 between resistant and susceptible Cavendish bananas. The results contribute to the identification of candidate genes related to plant resistance in a non-model organism, banana, and help to improve the current understanding of host-pathogen interactions.
Association of HLA-DR1 with the allergic response to the major mugwort pollen allergen: molecular background
Authors: Knapp Bernhard , Fischer Gottfried , Van Hemelen Dries , Fae Ingrid , Maillere Bernard , Ebner Christof , Schreiner Wolfgang , Bohle Barbara , Jahn-Schmid Beatrice
Published: August 2012

Background

Mugwort pollen allergens represent the main cause of pollinosis in late summer. The major allergen, Art v 1, contains only one single immunodominant, solely HLA-DR-restricted T cell epitope (Art v 125-36). The frequency of HLA-DRB1*01 is highly increased in mugwort-allergic individuals and HLA-DR1 serves as restriction element for Art v 125-36. However, Art v 125-36also binds to HLA-DR4 with high affinity and DR1-restricted Art v 125-36-specific T cell receptors can be activated by HLA-DR4 molecules. To understand the predominance of HLA-DR1 in mugwort allergy in spite of the degeneracy in HLA/peptide-binding and TCR-recognition, we investigated the molecular background of Art v 125-36/MHC/TCR interactions in the context of HLA-DR1 compared to -DR4.

Results

The majority of Art v 125-36-specific T cell lines and clones from HLA-DR1 carrying, mugwort pollen-allergic donors reacted to synthetic and naturally processed Art v 1–peptides when presented by HLA-DR1 or HLA-DR4 expressing antigen presenting cells. However, at limiting peptide concentrations DR1 was more effective in T cell stimulation. In addition, the minimal epitope for 50% of Art v 125-36-specific T cells was shorter for DR1 than for DR4.In vitrobinding assays of Art v 125-36mutant peptides to isolated DR1- and DR4-molecules indicated similar binding capacities and use of the same register.In silicosimulation of Art v 125-36binding to HLA-DR1 and -DR4 suggested similar binding of the central part of the peptide to either molecule, but a higher flexibility of the N- and C-terminal amino acids and detachment at the C-terminus in HLA-DR1.

Conclusions

The predominance of HLA-DR1 in the response to Art v 125-36may be explained by subtle conformation changes of the peptide bound to DR1 compared to DR4. Computer simulation supported our experimental data by demonstrating differences in peptide mobility within the HLA-DR complex that may influence TCR-binding. We suggest that the minor differences observedin vitromay be more relevant in the microenvironmentin vivo, so that only presentation by HLA-DR1, but not -DR4 permits successful T cell activation.
Waist circumference a good indicator of future risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease
Authors: Siren Reijo , Eriksson Johan G , Vanhanen Hannu
Published: August 2012

Background

Abdominal obesity is a more important risk factor than overall obesity in predicting the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. From a preventive and public health point of view it is crucial that risk factors are identified at an early stage, in order to change and modify behaviour and lifestyle in high risk individuals.

Methods

Data from a community based study was used to assess the risk for type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and prevalence of metabolic syndrome in middle-aged men. In order to identify those with increased risk for type 2 diabetes and/or cardiovascular disease sensitivity and specificity analysis were performed, including calculation of positive and negative predictive values, and corresponding 95% CI for eleven different cut-off points, with 1 cm intervals (92 to 102 cm), for waist circumference.

Results

A waist circumference ≥94 cm in middle-aged men, identified those with increased risk for type 2 diabetes and/or for cardiovascular disease with a sensitivity of 84.4% (95% CI 76.4% to 90.0%), and a specificity of 78.2% (95% CI 68.4% to 85.5%). The positive predictive value was 82.9% (95% CI 74.8% to 88.8%), and negative predictive value 80.0%, respectively (95% CI 70.3% to 87.1%).

Conclusions

Measurement of waist circumference in middle-aged men is a reliable test to identify individuals at increased risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. This measurement should be used more frequently in daily practice in primary care in order to identify individuals at risk and when planning health counselling and interventions.
Peptide binding to HLA-DP proteins at pH 5.0 and pH 7.0: a quantitative molecular docking study
Authors: Patronov Atanas , Dimitrov Ivan , Flower Darren R , Doytchinova Irini
Published: August 2012

Background

HLA-DPs are class II MHC proteins mediating immune responses to many diseases. Peptides bind MHC class II proteins in the acidic environment within endosomes. Acidic pH markedly elevates association rate constants but dissociation rates are almost unchanged in the pH range 5.0 – 7.0. This pH-driven effect can be explained by the protonation/deprotonation states of Histidine, whose imidazole has a pKa of 6.0. At pH 5.0, imidazole ring is protonated, making Histidine positively charged and very hydrophilic, while at pH 7.0 imidazole is unprotonated, making Histidine less hydrophilic. We develop here a method to predict peptide binding to the four most frequent HLA-DP proteins: DP1, DP41, DP42 and DP5, using a molecular docking protocol. Dockings to virtual combinatorial peptide libraries were performed at pH 5.0 and pH 7.0.

Results

The X-ray structure of the peptide – HLA-DP2 protein complex was used as a starting template to model by homology the structure of the four DP proteins. The resulting models were used to produce virtual combinatorial peptide libraries constructed using the single amino acid substitution (SAAS) principle. Peptides were docked into the DP binding site using AutoDock at pH 5.0 and pH 7.0. The resulting scores were normalized and used to generate Docking Score-based Quantitative Matrices (DS-QMs). The predictive ability of these QMs was tested using an external test set of 484 known DP binders. They were also compared to existing servers for DP binding prediction. The models derived at pH 5.0 predict better than those derived at pH 7.0 and showed significantly improved predictions for three of the four DP proteins, when compared to the existing servers. They are able to recognize 50% of the known binders in the top 5% of predicted peptides.

Conclusions

The higher predictive ability of DS-QMs derived at pH 5.0 may be rationalised by the additional hydrogen bond formed between the backbone carbonyl oxygen belonging to the peptide position before p1 (p-1) and the protonated ε-nitrogen of His79β. Additionally, protonated His residues are well accepted at most of the peptide binding core positions which is in a good agreement with the overall negatively charged peptide binding site of most MHC proteins.
Arachidonic acid metabolites in pathogenic yeasts
Authors: Ells Ruan , Kock Johan LF , Albertyn Jacobus , Pohl Carolina H
Published: August 2012

Although most of what is known about the biology and function of arachidonic acid metabolites comes from the study of mammalian biology, these compounds can also be produced by lower eukaryotes, including yeasts and other fungi. It is also in this group of organisms that the least is known about the metabolic pathways leading to the production of these compounds as well as the functions of these compounds in the biology of fungi and yeasts. This review will deal with the discovery of oxylipins from polyunsaturated fatty acids, and more specifically the arachidonic acid derived eicosanoids, such as 3-hydroxy eicosatetraenoic acid, prostaglandin F2αand prostaglandin E2, in yeasts starting in the early 1990s. This review will also focus on what is known about the metabolic pathways and/or proteins involved in the production of these compounds in pathogenic yeasts. The possible roles of these compounds in the biology, including the pathology, of these organisms will be discussed.
Serological diagnosis of autoimmune bullous skin diseases: Prospective comparison of the BIOCHIP mosaic-based indirect immunofluorescence technique with the conventional multi-step single test strategy
Authors: van Beek Nina , Rentzsch Kristin , Probst Christian , Komorowski Lars , Kasperkiewicz Michael , Fechner Kai , Bloecker Inga M , Zillikens Detlef , Stöcker Winfried , Schmidt Enno
Published: August 2012

Background

Various antigen-specific immunoassays are available for the serological diagnosis of autoimmune bullous diseases. However, a spectrum of different tissue-based and monovalent antigen-specific assays is required to establish the diagnosis. BIOCHIP mosaics consisting of different antigen substrates allow polyvalent immunofluorescence (IF) tests and provide antibody profiles in a single incubation.

Methods

Slides for indirect IF were prepared, containing BIOCHIPS with the following test substrates in each reaction field: monkey esophagus, primate salt-split skin, antigen dots of tetrameric BP180-NC16A as well as desmoglein 1-, desmoglein 3-, and BP230gC-expressing human HEK293 cells. This BIOCHIP mosaic was probed using a large panel of sera from patients with pemphigus vulgaris (PV, n = 65), pemphigus foliaceus (PF, n = 50), bullous pemphigoid (BP, n = 42), and non-inflammatory skin diseases (n = 97) as well as from healthy blood donors (n = 100). Furthermore, to evaluate the usability in routine diagnostics, 454 consecutive sera from patients with suspected immunobullous disorders were prospectively analyzed in parallel using a) the IF BIOCHIP mosaic and b) a panel of single antibody assays as commonly used by specialized centers.

Results

Using the BIOCHIP mosaic, sensitivities of the desmoglein 1-, desmoglein 3-, and NC16A-specific substrates were 90%, 98.5% and 100%, respectively. BP230 was recognized by 54% of the BP sera. Specificities ranged from 98.2% to 100% for all substrates. In the prospective study, a high agreement was found between the results obtained by the BIOCHIP mosaic and the single test panel for the diagnosis of BP, PV, PF, and sera without serum autoantibodies (Cohen’s κ between 0.88 and 0.97).

Conclusions

The BIOCHIP mosaic contains sensitive and specific substrates for the indirect IF diagnosis of BP, PF, and PV. Its diagnostic accuracy is comparable with the conventional multi-step approach. The highly standardized and practical BIOCHIP mosaic will facilitate the serological diagnosis of autoimmune blistering diseases.
Bayesian model selection validates a biokinetic model for zirconium processing in humans
Authors: Schmidl Daniel , Hug Sabine , Li Wei Bo , Greiter Matthias B , Theis Fabian J
Published: August 2012

Background

In radiation protection, biokinetic models for zirconium processing are of crucial importance in dose estimation and further risk analysis for humans exposed to this radioactive substance. They provide limiting values of detrimental effects and build the basis for applications in internal dosimetry, the prediction for radioactive zirconium retention in various organs as well as retrospective dosimetry. Multi-compartmental models are the tool of choice for simulating the processing of zirconium. Although easily interpretable, determining the exact compartment structure and interaction mechanisms is generally daunting. In the context of observing the dynamics of multiple compartments, Bayesian methods provide efficient tools for model inference and selection.

Results

We are the first to apply a Markov chain Monte Carlo approach to compute Bayes factors for the evaluation of two competing models for zirconium processing in the human body after ingestion. Based on in vivo measurements of human plasma and urine levels we were able to show that a recently published model is superior to the standard model of the International Commission on Radiological Protection. The Bayes factors were estimated by means of the numerically stable thermodynamic integration in combination with a recently developed copula-based Metropolis-Hastings sampler.

Conclusions

In contrast to the standard model the novel model predicts lower accretion of zirconium in bones. This results in lower levels of noxious doses for exposed individuals. Moreover, the Bayesian approach allows for retrospective dose assessment, including credible intervals for the initially ingested zirconium, in a significantly more reliable fashion than previously possible. All methods presented here are readily applicable to many modeling tasks in systems biology.
Mixed trichuroid infestation in a dog from Italy
Authors: Di Cesare Angela , Castagna Giuseppe , Meloni Silvana , Otranto Domenico , Traversa Donato
Published: August 2012

Background

Capillaria aerophila, Capillaria boehmi and Trichuris vulpis are trichuroid nematodes affecting wild and companion animals all over the World. The canine intestinal whipworm, T. vulpis, is the most common and well- known in veterinary practice, whereas the respiratory C. aerophila and C. boehmi have been rarely reported in pets as a likely consequence of overlapping morphometric and morphological features of the eggs, which impair a correct etiological diagnosis.

Findings

In December 2011, a mixed infestation by T. vulpis, C. aerophila and C. boehmi was diagnosed in an asymptomatic dog living in central Italy. Morphometric and morphological findings and pictures of the eggs found at the copromicroscopic analysis are herein reported.

Conclusions

The present work demonstrates that when trichuroid eggs are found in a faecal sample from a dog, a careful morphological and morphometric analysis of individual parasite elements is mandatory. Key diagnostic features (i.e., size, wall surface pattern and aspects of plugs) should be carefully examined when eggs with overlapping shape and appearance are detected. In conclusion, given the importance in clinical practice of canine trichuroids and the zoonotic potential of C. aerophila, these nematodes should be included into the differential diagnosis of intestinal and respiratory parasitoses of dogs by a thorough microscopic analysis of all trichuroid ova present in microscopic fields.
Effect of sex and rearing system on the quality and mineral content of fiber from raeini cashmere goats
Authors: Shamsaddini-Bafti Mehrdad , Salehi Mahnaz , Maghsoudi Ali , Tehrani Ali Mostafa , Mirzaei Farhad , Momen Syed Mojtaba Syed
Published: August 2012

The aim of this study was to compare the quality characteristics and mineral content of the fiber from male and female cashmere goats raised under different management systems. Male and female Raeini cashmere goats (<1.5 years of age, n = 48) were selected from flocks raised at a government breeding station or raised commercially under either rural or nomadic conditions. The staple length, cashmere fiber diameter, coefficient of variation for fiber diameter, percentage of cashmere in a fleece, percentage of guard hair in a fleece and cashmere tenacity averaged 4.6 ±0.1 cm, 18.0 ±0.1 μm, 20.9 ± 0.4%, 66.1 ± 1.5%, 33.8 ± 1.5% and 1.8 ± 0.2 gf/tex, respectively. The sulfur, copper and zinc content of the cashmere averaged 2.8 ± 0.1%, 0.00065 ± 0.00002% and 0.01276 ± 0.00025%, respectively. Rearing method significantly affected staple length, coefficient of variation of fiber diameter, cashmere tenacity and copper content. Males had a higher coefficient of variation of fiber diameter and cashmere tenacity than females (P < 0.05).
Determining rates of epithelial solute transport by optical measurement of fluorochrome concentration gradients in the unstirred layer
Authors: Seabrooke Sara , O'Donnell Michael J.
Published: August 2012

We describe a method for calculating rates of fluorochrome transport from unstirred layer (USL) concentration gradients measured using confocal microscopy. Isolated Malpighian tubules or guts of Drosophila melanogaster were secured to depression slides and bathed in saline containing a fluorescent compound. By measuring the concentration gradient of fluorescent organic anions (fluorescein, Texas Red) or the P-glycoprotein substrate daunorubicin in the USL adjacent to the epithelium we were able to calculate the transepithelial flux of the fluorochrome using Fick's equation. Dose–response curves for fluorescein and Texas Red based on USL concentration gradients near the surface of the Malpighian tubule were comparable to those based on collection and analysis of secreted fluid droplets. Rates of Texas Red and daunorubicin secretion were also calculated for the gut of second instar D. melanogaster larvae, a tissue that is too small for measurement of transport rates by other in vitro techniques such as cannulation and perfusion. Our results suggest that measurement of USL concentration gradients by confocal microscopy may be applicable to any fluorescent indicator of rapidly transported compounds.
Hepatic confinement of newly produced erythrocytes caused by low-temperature exposure inXenopus laevis
Authors: Maekawa Shun , Iemura Hitomi , Kuramochi Yuko , Nogawa-Kosaka Nami , Nishikawa Hironori , Okui Takehito , Aizawa Youichi , Kato Takashi
Published: August 2012

Diminished erythrocyte count and erythropoiesis have been reported during hypothermia in some ectothermic animals. In this study, the African clawed frog, Xenopus laevis, was used to investigate the cause of hypothermia-induced anemia. We developed a new model of hypothermia at 5°C and monitored blood cell count and erythropoiesis on several days. Erythrocyte count declined by 30% on the first day following cold exposure (5°C) and mRNA expression of hemeoxygenase-1 was enhanced 10-fold; accumulation of iron as a result of heme degradation was observed in the liver. One day after low-temperature exposure, erythropoietin mRNA expression was elevated in the liver and lung compared with that at normal temperature (22°C) by qRT-PCR analysis. Examination of liver sections (i.e. the erythropoietic organ) showed an increase in o-dianisidine-positive erythrocytes in the hepatic sinusoid 5 days after the onset of low-temperature exposure compared with normal liver. Peripheral erythrocyte count remained low, indicating that newly produced erythrocytes did not migrate from the liver to the circulation during hypothermia. In conclusion, this study reveals hypothermic anemia as being associated with hepatic erythrocyte destruction; prolonged anemia during low-temperature exposure is concomitant with newly produced erythrocytes being confined to the liver and may lead to new insights into vertebrate hematopoiesis.
Why refer to poverty as a proportion of median income?
Authors: Spicker Paul
Published: August 2012

The most widely used indicator of poverty refers to a threshold set at 60% of median income. This paper reviews the implications of this approach and the conceptual problems it raises. The threshold relates to inequality and ‘economic distance’ rather than need. Though it was initially intended to be simple and comprehensible, the indicator causes considerable confusion, and successive refinements, including adjustments for disposable income, housing costs and equivalence, have limited the accessibility and use of the figures. Referring to median earnings would be a simpler, more practical approach.
Metatheater in El mágico prodigioso : Defending the Auto de fe ?
Authors: Grefer Victoria
Published: August 2012

This essay explores the political resonances of the performativity within El mágico prodigioso by comparing Calderon's use of metatheater with the theatricality of the auto de fe . A strong link exists in El mágico prodigioso between the dramatic and the theological, specifically as this latter theme is developed in the cycle of Cipriano's temptation, sin, repentance, and salvation through martyrdom. It is this link between the theological and the theater that establishes an extratextual connection with the auto de fe . Departing from Roger Moore's assertions that God, the Devil, and Cipriano are all metatheatrical playwrights in Calderon's work and that Cipriano adopts the role of martyr in God's drama, Cipriano's martyrdom may be considered a theatrical piece, an eternal life-giving drama above all dramas penned by God. This concept may be extended to the auto de fe , which becomes, using Calderon's criteria established in El mágico prodigioso , a parallel divine production. Thus, an examination of the theatricality of Cipriano's martyrdom and its causes, accounting for the response of the graciosos and of nature to his execution, enables a reading of El mágico prodigioso as a defense of the auto de fe as a means to save the souls of repentant victims and to warn of the spiritual danger of ignoring God's identity as master playwright and director of human affairs.
Albrecht von Wallenstein según Calderón y Coello: verdad y poesía en El prodigio de Alemania (1634)
Authors: Rueda Antonio M.
Published: August 2012

El descubrimiento, en 2001, en forma de suelta de El prodigio de Alemania (1634), de Calderón en colaboración con Antonio de Coello, aporta nuevos datos acerca del uso de la propaganda en la escena española durante la Guerra de los Treinta Años. La obra da comienzo justo después de la batalla de Lützen en 1632 y termina con la muerte de Wallenstein, el Generalísimo de los ejércitos del Sacro Imperio Romano Germánico. La trama de El prodigio de Alemania es una representación de la situación del conflicto europeo y se convierte en una herramienta dirigida a entender las fuentes históricas. La obra nos proporciona un ejemplo de la propaganda llevada a cabo por Olivares para justificar la necesidad de asesinar a Wallenstein, el cual es presentado aquí como conspirador y traidor, para proteger la integridad de España y su ambiciosa estrategia de expansión europea. La relación histórica entre Olivares y Wallenstein fluctúa desde la admiración mutua hacia el completo desacuerdo cuando, después de Lützen, el general checo decide no participar en la invasión española de Flandes. La dramatización del asesinato de Wallenstein tiene como objetivo la reivindicación de la política imperial de España, y el estudio de la justificación literaria que El prodigio de Alemania ofrece a esta política es el propósito principal de este ensayo. El ensayo explora el papel de esta obra y su función como espejo en el que el progreso de las relaciones entre España y Wallenstein sigue el mismo camino que el desarrollo de Wallenstein como personaje dramático construido en conformidad con el curso de los acontecimientos sucedidos durante la Guerra de los Treinta Años y las necesidades de la política extranjera de Olivares.
Lope's Imperial Geography: Cosmography, Gender, and Dietetics in Los guanches de Tenerife y conquista de Canaria
Authors: Lorenzo Javier
Published: August 2012

This essay examines the legitimizing role that the interaction between cosmography, gender, and dietetics plays in the troping of conquest and land acquisition in Lope de Vega's Comedia famosa de los guanches de Tenerife y conquista de Canaria . In Lope's play, the political desire for control and possession of Tenerife as a colonial space is articulated through images of penetration and ingestion that find their ultimate source of legitimacy in the cosmographic, sexual, and dietary discourses of early modern Europe and the Spanish crónicas de Indias . The discourses intersect at various points in the play to shape the contours of an "imperial geography" whose purpose is to validate and supplement the ethnographic and cultural strategies of dispossession that Lope employs throughout the comedia : his depiction of the guanches or native Canarians as primitive and unaware of the economic potential of their land, their technological backwardness, and their ignorance of the "true faith." While these strategies have been sufficiently analyzed and contextualized in previous studies of the play, the complex geography that codifies and justifies the appropriation of the guanches ' land has received almost no attention from the critics. By focusing on this particular aspect of the play, my essay fills a substantial gap in the existing critical literature on the play and offers new insights into the colonial complicities of early modern Spanish drama as revealed through its peculiar reading of space.
El cuerpo sin marca en El Tuzaní de la Alpujarra
Authors: García Soormally Mina
Published: August 2012

La obra El Tuzaní de la Alpujarra , de Calderón, despliega ante nuestros ojos el drama vivido en esta comarca granadina a raíz del conflicto que acabaría precipitando la definitiva expulsión de los moriscos de la Península. No obstante, esta obra nos plantea la posibilidad de acercarnos a este asunto desde otra perspectiva. A pesar de que el contexto de la rebelíon de las Alpujarras haga suponer el establecimiento de una diferencia radical entre los dos bandos, la trama de la obra revela la ocurrencia de un fenómeno singular: la ambigüedad mutua entre personajes moriscos y cristianos, la pertenencia cambiable y las posibilidades que de ello se derivan. Este artículo estudia la maleabilidad de identidades, la tenue barrera que divide a unos y a otros, la permeabilidad de la misma y las repercusiones que esta transferencia tiene en el contexto de la última Reconquista. Tomando como punto de partida la sofocante regulación del cuerpo a que Felipe II había sometido a los moriscos (a través de la Pragmática de 1567), Calderón explora un conflicto más cultural que religioso en que la lealtad a la Iglesia y a la Corona se constituye en el principio constitutivo de la convivencia entre cristianos de diferentes bagajes.
In Praise of Folly: Reconsidering the Functions of Lope de Vega's Saints' Play Graciosos
Authors: Norton Roy
Published: August 2012

The gracioso roles Lope de Vega wrote into his comedias de santos are products of his imagination, unlike the roles of the saintly protagonists, whose biographies were well established by the flores sanctorum . Traditionally, the graciosos' principal function in these religious dramas has been considered to be the provision of comic relief. Indeed, Golden Age moralistas targeted their attacks on the saints' plays at the graciosos , whom they considered the chief culprits of the profane elements that "polluted" religious drama, robbing it of any evangelizing efficacy it might otherwise have. In this essay, I challenge the assumption that the graciosos represented an obstacle to the improvement of public morality that the saints' plays were designed, in part, to promote. After a brief summary of existing scholarship concerning the functions of the figura del donaire in the comedia de santos , I argue that the inclusion of certain saints' play graciosos can, in fact, be justified for the purposes of edification. In a number of his saints' plays, Lope de Vega blurs the conventional distinction of the roles of gracioso and santo, deleitar and enseñar , respectively. I argue that, because the saintly heroes can, potentially, alienate the corral spectator, Lope places some of his graciosos centre stage, inviting the audience to find religious inspiration, not just in the saints, but also in the unaffected goodness of the humble graciosos . Through these comic characters, Lope provides an alternative model for the successful resolution of very ordinary inner tensions between the worldly and the spiritual self. By tracing the comedia careers of Cosme, in La devoción del rosario and Ruperto, in San Nicolás de Tolentino , I set out internal, textual evidence of the graciosos' trajectory, carefully plotted by Lope, from irreverence to moving piety. The paper also adduces external evidence—an analysis of Lope's adaptation of certain dramatic sources—that supports the proposition that it was our playwright's deliberate strategy to put the gracioso 's conversion at the heart of those plays' edificatory intent. Lope might have sympathized with these rather flawed characters, Cosme and Ruperto, created around the time that he himself took the decision to be ordained priest.
La vida es sueño, Autos and Comedia : God, Segismundo, and Calderón
Authors: Dietz Donald T.
Published: August 2012

Although much has been written concerning Calderón's comedia, La vida es sueño , little scholarship exists on his full-length play in relation to the two autos sacramentales of the same title. Those who have undertaken such a study customarily find some slight affinity in the plots and themes of the three plays or a correspondence among the human and allegorical dramatis personae . A few have dismissed the effort to compare by concluding that there is very little, if any, connection. The present study illustrates that there is a close affinity among the comedia and the sacramental plays. Central to the comprehension of Calderón's two autos is the author's focus on God as the main protagonist, and not man, as traditionally held. This is particularly true of the second rendition of the auto in 1673, in which the playwright portrays the full complement of the Trinity with the introduction of three God figures, Poder, Sabiduría, and Amor. These three allegorical figures, which represent one God, always interact onstage in unison, in every phase of the salvation-history story of the Creation, Fall, and Redemption. The role that Poder, Sabiduría, and Amor play in the second version is consistent with another Catholic doctrine, which reflects God's nature: Intelligible Emanation. In accepting Segismundo as the comedia 's main protagonist, critics have focused much of their attention precisely around the themes of power, knowledge, and love. Finally, this essay offers a suggestion as to why Calderón chose to return to the theme of "life is a dream" a third time, in the latter part of his career. Calderón viewed dreams as vehicles for poetic inspiration and divine revelation. Furthermore, he perceived himself as being divinely inspired by the Creator to help in bringing about man's salvation by accepting his role as priest and dramatist to instruct and enlighten the vulgo through his dramatic art.
King Alfonso XI in Lope's Amor, pleito y desafío : A Practical and Just Model of Kingship in a Time of Moral Ambiguity
Authors: Carney Terri
Published: August 2012

In his little—studied play Amor, pleito y desafío , Lope de Vega returns to the Spain of Alfonso XI, "El Justiciero," and presents his audiences with a king who eschews absolutist paradigms and embraces a casuistic stance on justice and truth. He and the other characters are set loose in a world that showcases their agency, yet they experience a lingering nostalgia for a more structured existence. Indeed, nostalgia accompanies them on the Renaissance journey from determinism to responsibility and agency. Even as characters choose, negotiate, and judge throughout the play, there is a palpable longing for the external validation of secure ontologies and epistemologies, for an objective source of "truth."