bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Factor IX‐deficient plasma spiked with N9‐GP behaves similarly to N9‐GP post‐administration clinical samples in N9‐GP ELISA and FIX activity assays
Authors: Sørensen M. H. , Andersen S. , Ezban M.
Published: April 2015

Introduction:

Evaluation of assay performance with new modified coagulation factors, such as N9‐GP, may require testing of different assays and assay conditions. Validation of assays used for clinical monitoring of haemophilia B patients is challenging due to limited availability of blood samples from patients exposed to these new agents.

Aim:

The aim of the study is to investigate correlations between assays measuring N9‐GP concentration and factor IX (FIX) activity, and to evaluate whether in vitro FIX‐deficient plasma samples spiked with N9‐GP and in vivo post‐administration samples from patients exposed to N9‐GP perform similarly in these assays.

Methods:

In vitro samples, prepared by adding N9‐GP to FIX‐deficient plasma, were compared to samples from haemophilia B patients participating in the phase 3 paradigm 2™ clinical trial (in vivo samples), in assays measuring N9‐GP concentration (ELISA) and FIX activity (one‐stage clotting assay and chromogenic assay). The results of the FIX activity assays and ELISAs were compared and analysed to determine the similarity between the in vitro and in vivo sample analyses.

Results:

Regression analysis demonstrated a linear relationship between N9‐GP concentration and FIX activity. Furthermore, there was no significant difference between the regression lines for the in vitro and in vivo sample analyses.

Conclusion:

The one‐stage clot assay using SynthAFax and the chromogenic assay show promise for use in measuring FIX activity in haemophilia B patients treated with N9‐GP. Since in vitro and in vivo samples performed similarly in these assays, N9‐GP‐spiked FIX‐deficient plasma could be used as controls in routine measurements of N9‐GP activity in haemophilia B patients.
Funding and planning: What you need to know for starting or expanding a home hemodialysis program
Authors: Howard Kirsten , McFarlane Phil A. , Marshall Mark R. , Eastwood Deborah O. , Morton Rachael L.
Published: April 2015

Planning and funding a home hemodialysis (HD) program requires a well‐organized effort and close collaboration between clinicians and administrators. This resource provides guidance on the processes that are involved, including a thorough situational analysis of the dialysis landscape, emphasizing the opportunity for a home HD program; careful consideration of the clinical and operational characteristics of a proposed home HD program at your institution; the development of a compelling business case, highlighting the clinical and organizational benefits of a home HD program; and careful construction and evaluation of a request for proposal.
Decreased expression of gastric gland mucin‐specific glycan α1,4‐linked N‐acetylglucosamine on its scaffold mucin 6 is associated with malignant potential of pyloric gland adenoma of the stomach
Authors: Yamanoi Kazuhiro , Sekine Shigeki , Higuchi Kayoko , Kushima Ryoji , Nakayama Jun
Published: April 2015

Aims

Pyloric gland adenoma (PGA) is a unique gastric neoplasm expressing mucin 6 (MUC6), and is often associated with high‐grade dysplasia and/or adenocarcinoma. MUC6 secreted from the gastric gland mucous cells, such as pyloric gland cells, carries unique O‐glycans with terminal α1,4‐linked N‐acetylglucosamine (αGlcNAc) residues on its molecule. As we recently demonstrated that αGlcNAc serves as a tumour suppressor for gastric adenocarcinoma, this study aimed to investigate the significance of αGlcNAc expression in PGA.

Methods and results

Eighteen patients with PGA were examined with immunohistochemistry for αGlcNAc and MUC6. αGlcNAc and MUC6 were coexpressed in 12 of 18 PGAs. However, reduced αGlcNAc expression relative to MUC6 expression was observed in six cases. When the MIB‐1 labelling index (LI) of tumour cells was examined with respect to reduced αGlcNAc expression, the MIB‐1 LI was significantly higher in PGAs showing decreased αGlcNAc expression relative to MUC6 expression than in PGAs with unchanged αGlcNAc expression (P = 0.023).

Conclusions

The present study indicates that coexpression of αGlcNAc and MUC6 in PGA suggests the presence of fully glycosylated MUC6 on tumour cells, consistent with pyloric gland differentiation. However, the decreased glycosylation of αGlcNAc on MUC6 is associated with high mitotic activity of tumour cells, indicative of malignant potential of PGA.
LABOR MARKET SEARCH AND SCHOOLING INVESTMENT
Authors: Flinn Christopher , Mullins Joseph
Published: April 2015

We generalize a search, matching, and bargaining model to allow individuals to acquire productivity‐enhancing schooling prior to labor market entry. In general, search frictions and weakness in bargaining position contribute to underinvestment in schooling from an efficiency perspective. Using estimates of a general equilibrium version of the model in which firm vacancy creation decisions are included, we find that minimum wages and schooling subsidies improve aggregate welfare, but have very different welfare impacts across the ability distribution. In particular, policies that maximize the average welfare of workers have strongly negative effects on the welfare of the least able.
DIVORCE AND THE COGNITIVE ACHIEVEMENT OF CHILDREN
Authors: Tartari Melissa
Published: April 2015

Children of divorced parents exhibit lower test scores and educational attainment. Have these correlations a causal interpretation? Parents who divorce may be less likely to invest in their children while together or they may divorce to shield their children from the effects of marital conflict. I study the relationship between children's achievement and the marital status of their parents within a dynamic framework in which partners decide on whether to remain married, how to interact (with or without conflict), and child investments. I then assess whether a child whose parents divorced would have been better off had divorce not occurred.
Measurement and Predictive Invariance of a Work–Life Boundary Measure Across Gender
Authors: Wright Natalie A. , Kutschenko Konstantin , Bush Bryant A. , Hannum Kelly M. , Braddy Phillip W.
Published: April 2015

Pervasive gender norms influence the way in which men and women create and experience work–life boundaries and work–life conflict, which may lead to differing conceptions of work–life boundary management. Measurement equivalence/invariance (ME/I) and predictive invariance analyses were conducted on the WorkLife IndicatorTM (WLI), a measure of work–life boundary management, to determine if men and women maintain similar conceptualizations of work–life boundary constructs and if work–life outcomes are predicted equally well by WLI scales across gender. Three of the five WLI scales exhibited ME/I; however, half of the WLI scale–criterion pairings failed to demonstrate predictive invariance. These results indicate that measurement and/or predictive invariance cannot be assumed when using work–life boundary assessments across gender.
Cues to Deception in the Employment Interview
Authors: Schneider Leann , Powell Deborah M. , Roulin Nicolas
Published: April 2015

Candidates' use of deceptive impression management (IM) during the employment interview has been found to influence employment outcomes. Unfortunately, interviewers are often unable to detect when deceptive IM is used. The current study applied research on cues to deception to the employment interview context to examine which micro‐ and macro‐level behavioral cues are indicators of deceptive IM. One hundred nine individuals completed mock employment interviews. We found that interviewees who used deceptive IM exhibited restrained facial behavior (i.e., less smiling), unrestrained verbal behavior (i.e., more speaking errors, less silences), and, unexpectedly, gave off the impression of being less anxious. The results suggest that behavioral cues have promise for future efforts to increase interviewers' ability to detect deception.
CLINICAL MANAGEMENT OF HYPERTENSION IN THE OLDER PATIENT*
Authors: HALPERN MORTON M.
Published: April 2015

Because of our aging population more people are living longer; therefore it is reasonable to expect an increase in the incidence of multiple degenerative diseases in these older people, with the resultant creation of additional complicated therapeutic problems. During the last decade, progress in the management of hypertensive vascular disease has played a small, but definite, role in prolonging the life span of many patients with high blood pressure.
Physiologic Changes in Old Age: Relation to Altered Drug Disposition
Authors: Greenblatt David J. , Divoll Marcia , Abernethy Darrell R. , Shader Richard I.
Published: April 2015

Current knowledge of the effects of aging on drug disposition is reviewed. Although definitive studies are not always available, based on present evidence it appears that: 1) drug absorption is not impaired in the elderly; 2) drug distribution in the elderly may be altered by significant changes in the lipid/lean body mass ratio; 3) Phase I (non‐synthetic) biotransformation reactions of the liver appear to be much more profoundly affected by aging than are Phase II (synthetic) reactions; 4) age‐related effects of biotransformation can be different even for compounds that are very similar and undergo the same types of reactions. Important parameters of drug metabolism are also discussed, such as the need to use total clearance, rather than half‐life, in assessing pharmacokinetics.
Geriatric Evaluation and Management: Current Status and Future Research Directions
Authors: Applegate William , Deyo Richard , Kramer Andrew , Meehan Shirley
Published: April 2015

In the last decade the concept of geriatric evaluation and management (GEM) has been widely discussed in the literature. Studies of GEM have occurred primarily in three settings: inpatient units, outpatient clinics, and specialized types of home care. We have reviewed the literature, focusing on randomized trials, to determine the strength of the evidence for the efficacy of these interventions. Two single‐site randomized controlled trials of inpatient GEM units have been conducted and indicate that such units that provide care to targeted disabled older patients probably have a favorable impact on subsequent physical function, rates of institutionalization, and mortality. Two randomized trials of inpatient GEM consultation teams have been conducted. The trial that did not target high‐risk individuals showed no benefit while the trial that did target an at‐risk group showed that those receiving the service had improvements in mental status and short‐term mortality. The results of randomized trials of outpatient GEM clinics to date have been unimpressive. Two trials of in‐home GEM by a trained observer tended to show that the service resulted in a reduction in mortality

To date randomized trials of GEM have been very heterogeneous in terms of the type of assessment and subsequent care, the site in which services are delivered, and the manner in which patients are selected for the studies. This limits the ability to compare and extrapolate across studies. In the future there is a need to better clarify the selection of study participants, the exact structure of the assessment intervention provided, and the elements of successful interventions that may be most critical to insuring a good outcome.
Working Group Recommendations: Methods for Geriatric Evaluation and Management Research
Authors: Feussner John R. , Wieland Darryl , Kayser‐Jones Jeanie , Kramer Andrew , Saunders William , Fretwell Marsha
Published: April 2015

Methodological issues relating to multi‐site studies of inpatient geriatric evaluation and management units were the focus of this working group's deliberations. The group favored a randomized clinical trial in which the inpatient geriatric evaluation and management unit was coupled with outpatient geriatric care. Inclusion of a broad spectrum of patients stratified according to risk for poor hospital outcomes was proposed in order to obtain information on the types of patients that would be most likely to benefit. The need for a detailed definition and description of care in the unit and of “usual care” was emphasized. Serious concerns were raised about including both VA medical centers and private hospitals in the same trial due to differences in the implementation of such a program. Furthermore, fears of contamination of the control group suggested that hospitals could be randomized either to provide usual care or have a GEM unit. However, this strategy would necessitate that hospitals that have already developed inpatient GEM units would be excluded from the trial and could be costly because of the number of hospitals that would be required.
Lack of association between anemia and renal disease progression in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Gu Liubao , Lou Qinglin , Wu Haidi , Ouyang Xiaojun , Bian Rongwen
Published: April 2015

Aims/Introduction

Anemia has a close interaction with renal dysfunction in diabetes patients. More proof is still awaited on the relationship between anemia and the progression of renal disease in this population.

Materials and Methods

In the present longitudinal study, 1,645 Chinese type 2 diabetes patients without end‐stage renal disease were included in the analysis in Nanjing, China, during January 2006 and December 2012. All patients were managed by staged diabetes management protocol, and clinical parameters were collected at each visit. The end‐point of progression of renal disease was evaluated during the follow up. Cox regression analysis was used to estimate the risk of anemia on renal disease progression.

Results

On recruitment, 350 (21.3%) patients had anemia, which was more common among those with older ages, longer diabetes duration, lower estimated glomerular filtration rate or more albuminura. On median follow up of 49 months (range 28–62 months), 37 patients (2.2%) developed the defined renal end‐point. Compared with those without anemia, patients with anemia had a higher risk of renal disease progression. However, multivariate analysis showed that anemia lost its statistical significance once estimated glomerular filtration rate was added into the model. Although the incidence of renal disease progression markedly increased by anemia status in patients of estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2, anemia was still not an independent risk factor for renal disease progression in this subgroup.

Conclusions

Anemia was a common finding in Chinese type 2 diabetes patients. Anemia was a risk factor for renal disease progression, but lost its significance once baseline renal function was adjusted.
Sentence Reductions for a Guilty Plea in England and Wales: Exploring New Empirical Trends
Authors: Roberts Julian V. , Bradford Ben
Published: April 2015

Although most jurisdictions award sentence discounts to defendants who plead guilty, the exact magnitude of reductions awarded, and the factors determining the levels of reduction, remain underresearched. In addition, the limited research conducted to date in England and Wales has drawn on data sources that prevent the researcher from excluding the effect of factors correlated with the plea. This article reports original findings from a new sentencing database that draws its data directly from the sentencing judge. This jurisdiction is interesting also because courts must follow a sentencing guideline that contains specific recommendations regarding the appropriate discount. Analyses reveal that the plea‐based discounts are more modest than reported by previous researchers. In addition, the data reveal a significant degree of judicial compliance with the guideline, although some departures from the guideline are identified and discussed.
Social Networks and Personal Bankruptcy
Authors: Miller Michelle M.
Published: April 2015

This article examines the role of social networks in a household's bankruptcy decision. Social networks may affect a household's bankruptcy decision in many ways: they could provide information about the required paperwork, recommend an attorney, reduce the stigma associated with bankruptcy, or increase awareness of its benefits. Using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), I exploit county and racial variation to identify network effects. My empirical strategy asks whether being surrounded by others of the same race increases bankruptcy use more for those in racial groups with high filing rates. This methodology allows me to include both county‐year and racial‐group fixed effects in my regressions. The results strongly confirm the importance of networks in a household's bankruptcy decision.
Invariance of demographic parameters using total or viable eggs
Authors: Hernandez‐Suarez C. , Medone P. , Rabinovich J. E.
Published: April 2015

Recently Mou et al. (J. Appl. Entomol., 139, 2015 and 00) recommended that in population studies in which hatch rates vary with maternal age, demographic parameters should be calculated excluding unhatched eggs. A mathematical proof was provided to support this. In this note, we expose a flaw in their proof and show that the demographic parameters do not differ by considering either all eggs or only viable ones, as long as the beginning and end of a generation are defined accordingly.
Uncovering the dynamic evolution of nucleotide‐binding site‐leucine‐rich repeat (NBS‐LRR) genes in Brassicaceae
Authors: Zhang Yan‐Mei , Shao Zhu‐Qing , Wang Qiang , Hang Yue‐Yu , Xue Jia‐Yu , Wang Bin , Chen Jian‐Qun
Published: April 2015

Plant genomes harbor dozens to hundreds of nucleotide‐binding site‐leucine‐rich repeat (NBS‐LRR) genes; however, the long‐term evolutionary history of these resistance genes has not been fully understood. This study focuses on five Brassicaceae genomes and the Carica papaya genome to explore changes in NBS‐LRR genes that have taken place in this Rosid II lineage during the past 72 million years. Various numbers of NBS‐LRR genes were identified from Arabidopsis lyrata (198), A. thaliana (165), Brassica rapa (204), Capsella rubella (127), Thellungiella salsuginea (88), and C. papaya (51). In each genome, the identified NBS‐LRR genes were found to be unevenly distributed among chromosomes and most of them were clustered together. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that, before and after Brassicaceae speciation events, both toll/interleukin‐1 receptor‐NBS‐LRR (TNL) genes and non‐toll/interleukin‐1 receptor‐NBS‐LRR (nTNL) genes exhibited a pattern of first expansion and then contraction, suggesting that both subclasses of NBS‐LRR genes were responding to pathogen pressures synchronically. Further, by examining the gain/loss of TNL and nTNL genes at different evolutionary nodes, this study revealed that both events often occurred more drastically in TNL genes. Finally, the phylogeny of nTNL genes suggested that this NBS‐LRR subclass is composed of two separate ancient gene types: RPW8‐NBS‐LRR and Coiled‐coil‐NBS‐LRR.
A qualitative evaluation of capnography use in paediatric sedation: perceptions, practice and barriers
Authors: Iyer Neel S , Koziel Jeannette R , Langhan Melissa L
Published: April 2015

Aims and Objectives

We explored perceptions about capnography for procedural sedation and barriers to use in a paediatric emergency department.

Background

Capnography is a sensitive monitor of ventilation and is increasingly being studied in procedural sedation. While benefits have been found, it has not gained wide acceptance for monitoring of children during sedation.

Design

A qualitative exploratory study was performed.

Methods

Using a grounded theory approach, physicians and nurses from the paediatric emergency department participated in one‐on‐one interviews about their experiences with and opinions of capnography. An iterative process of data collection and analysis was used to inductively generate theories and themes until theoretical saturation was achieved.

Results

Five physicians and 12 nurses were interviewed. Themes included: Experiences: Participants felt that procedural sedation is safe and adverse events are rare. Normal capnography readings reassured providers about the adequacy of ventilation. Knowledge: Despite experience with capnography, knowledge and comfort varied. Most participants requested additional education and training. Diffusion of Use: While participants expressed positive opinions about capnography, use for sedation was infrequent. Many participants felt that capnography use increased in other paediatric populations, such as patients with altered mental status, ingestions or head trauma. Barriers: Identified barriers to use included a lack of comfort with or knowledge about equipment, lack of availability of the monitor and cannulas, lack of inclusion of these supplies on a checklist for procedural sedation preparedness, and lack of a policy for use of capnography during sedation.

Conclusion

Capnography use during sedation in the paediatric emergency department is limited despite positive experiences and opinions about this device. Addressing modifiable barriers such as instrument availability, continuing education, and inclusion on a checklist may increase use of capnography during sedation.

Relevance to clinical practice

Despite the perceived benefits, a broad implementation plan is required to introduce capnography successfully to the paediatric emergency department.
Genital Image, Sexual Anxiety, and Erectile Dysfunction Among Young Male Military Personnel
Authors: Wilcox Sherrie L. , Redmond Sarah , Davis Teaniese L.
Published: April 2015

Introduction

More than a third of young military personnel report experiencing some level of erectile dysfunction (ED). Preoccupation with body image, particularly genitals, is a distraction that can influence sexual anxiety (SA) and sexual functioning problems (SFPs), particularly ED.

Aims

This study assessed the relationships between male genital self-image (MGSI), SA, and ED in a sample of male military personnel age 40 or younger.

Methods

Data were from a larger study on SFPs in military populations. This sample consisted of 367 male military personnel age 40 or younger. Hierarchical regression analyses and process modeling using mediation analysis were performed to examine the effects of MGSI on ED with SA as an intermediate variable. We predicted that SA would mediate the relationship between MGSI and ED.

Main Outcome Measures

ED severity was assessed with the International Index of Erectile Function. MGSI was assessed using the MGSI Scale. SA was assessed with the SA subscale of the Sexual Needs Scale.

Results

As hypothesized, greater satisfaction with MGSI was predictive of significantly lower SA (F[8, 352] = 4.07, P = 0.001) and lower ED (F[8, 352] = 13.20, P = 0.001). Lower levels of SA were predictive of lower levels of ED (F[8, 354] = 21.35, P < 0.001). Additionally, results also revealed a significant indirect effect of MGSI on ED through SA (b = −0.07, standard error = 0.03, confidence interval = [−0.14,−0.02], P < 0.05), indicating mediation of MGSI on ED via SA.

Conclusions

This study underscores the complex etiologic basis of SFPs, particularly ED, and highlights the importance of considering psychologic contributors to ED, such as SA and MGSI. Strategies aimed at reducing SA may be useful in improving ED in young military populations and are worth considering as complements to strategies that improve SFPs.
Structured Literature Review of Responses of Cattle to Viral and Bacterial Pathogens Causing Bovine Respiratory Disease Complex
Authors: Grissett G.P. , White B.J. , Larson R.L.
Published: April 2015

Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is an economically important disease of cattle and continues to be an intensely studied topic. However, literature summarizing the time between pathogen exposure and clinical signs, shedding, and seroconversion is minimal. A structured literature review of the published literature was performed to determine cattle responses (time from pathogen exposure to clinical signs, shedding, and seroconversion) in challenge models using commonBRDviral and bacterial pathogens. After review a descriptive analysis of published studies using commonBRDpathogen challenge studies was performed. Inclusion criteria were single pathogen challenge studies with no treatment or vaccination evaluating outcomes of interest: clinical signs, shedding, and seroconversion. Pathogens of interest included: bovine viral diarrhea virus (BVDV), bovine herpesvirus type 1 (BHV‐1), parainfluenza‐3 virus, bovine respiratory syncytial virus,Mannheimia haemolytica, Mycoplasma bovis, Pastuerella multocida,andHistophilus somni. Thirty‐five studies and 64 trials were included for analysis. The median days to the resolution of clinical signs afterBVDVchallenge was 15 and shedding was not detected on day 12 postchallenge. Resolution ofBHV‐1 shedding resolved on day 12 and clinical signs on day 12 postchallenge. Bovine respiratory syncytial virus ceased shedding on day 9 and median time to resolution of clinical signs was on day 12 postchallenge.M. haemolyticaresolved clinical signs 8 days postchallenge. This literature review and descriptive analysis can serve as a resource to assist in designing challenge model studies and potentially aid in estimation of duration of clinical disease and shedding after natural pathogen exposure.
Idiopathic Epilepsy in the Italian Spinone in the United Kingdom: Prevalence, Clinical Characteristics, and Predictors of Survival and Seizure Remission
Authors: De Risio L. , Newton R. , Freeman J. , Shea A.
Published: April 2015

Background

There is lack of data on idiopathic epilepsy (IE) in the Italian Spinone (IS).

Objectives

To estimate the prevalence ofIEin theISin the United Kingdom (UK) and to investigate predictors of survival and seizure remission.

Animals

The target population consisted of 3331ISborn between 2000 and 2011 and registered with the UK Kennel Club (KC). The owners of 1192 dogs returned phase I questionnaire. Sixty‐threeIShadIE.

Methods

Population survey. The owners of allUK KC‐registeredISwere invited to complete the phase I questionnaire. Information from the phase I questionnaire and veterinary medical records was used to identifyISwithIEand obtain data on treatment and survival. Additional information was obtained from owners of epilepticISwho completed the phaseIIquestionnaire.

Results

The prevalence ofIEin theISin theUKwas estimated as 5.3% (95%CI, 4.03–6.57%). Survival time was significantly shorter inISeuthanized because of poorly controlledIEcompared with epilepticISthat died of unrelated disorders (P = 0.001). Survival was significantly longer inISwith no cluster seizures (CS) (P = 0.040) and inISin which antiepileptic medication was initiated after the second seizure rather than after ≥3 seizures (P = 0.044). Seizure remission occurred only in 3IS.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

The prevalence ofIEinIS(5.3%) is higher than in dogs (0.6%) in theUK. Idiopathic epilepsy inIShas a severe phenotype. Antiepileptic medication initiation after the second seizure and aggressive treatment ofCSmay improve survival.
Medullary Position at the Craniocervical Junction in Mature Cavalier King Charles Spaniels: Relationship with Neurologic Signs and Syringomyelia
Authors: Cerda‐Gonzalez S. , Olby N.J. , Griffith E.H.
Published: April 2015

Background

Medullary elevation (ie, medullary kinking) at the craniocervical junction (CCJ) is reported in dogs with Chiari‐like malformations (CM), but its diagnostic criteria and clinical relevance are unclear.

Objective

To describe the position of the medulla at the CCJ in mature cavalier King Charles spaniels (CKCS), and evaluate its relationship with clinical status and the presence of syringomyelia.

Animals

Thirty‐six CKCS, 5–12 years of age, including 16 asymptomatic dogs.

Methods

Dogs were assigned a neurologic grade; magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the CCJ then was performed. The presence of a CM and syringomyelia was recorded and syringomyelia severity was quantified. Medullary position was quantified using the medullary kinking index, the elevation angle and obex position relative to the foramen magnum. The relationship between medullary position measures and presence and severity of neurologic signs and syringomyelia was investigated.

Results

Chiari‐like malformation was found in 33 dogs; 26 of them had syringomyelia. Mean medullary kinking index was 46.4% (SD, 10.3), elevation angle was 132° (SD, 12) and obex position was 3.5 mm (SD, 0.8). A higher medullary kinking index was associated with the presence of neurologic signs (P = .0368). Obex position was associated with the presence (P = .0018) and severity of syringomyelia (P = .0164).

Conclusions and clinical importance

There is a significant association between medullary elevation and clinical signs, whereas more caudal brainstem positions appear related to the presence of syringomyelia.
To Know or Not To Know? Realist and Liberal Theories on Foreign Affairs and Public Opinion in Latin America
Authors: Morales Castillo Rodrigo , Maldonado Gerardo , Schiavon Jorge A.
Published: April 2015

We contrast the central theoretical claims of the realist and liberal traditions of international relations concerning the importance of public opinion in foreign affairs, providing sufficient empirical evidence to uphold the liberal view and refute the realist hypothesis. Using data collected over the last decade by The Americas and The World Project in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru, we show that, even if Latin Americans have important limitations in terms of knowledge of international affairs, a strong system of political beliefs endows them with the conceptual tools to face the complexity of global issues, permitting them to hold coherent and consistent preferences on international issues.
State Power and Political‐Power Balance inBolivia: An Analysis through Laws and Finances
Authors: Radhuber Isabella M.
Published: April 2015

LatinAmerican movements have been on the forefront of proposing alternatives to neoliberalism throughout the past decades.Bolivia and Ecuador stand out, because both countries have passed constitutional reforms that established plurinational states. InBolivia, the historically marginalized indigenous and peasant populations have demanded nothing less than a refoundation of the country. Beginning in the 1990s and intensifying since 2000, they have set a new political agenda for that purpose, focusing fundamentally on resource appropriation and the plurinational state project, but the extent of politico–economic transformations is not clear. Some highlight them as part of the only important counter‐hegemonic processes at the state level, and others stress the existence of “path‐dependencies,” point to the continuities between the politics of the Movement for Socialism and that of its neoliberal predecessors, or even classify these as autocratic attempts at power grabbing. In this article, I choose a new approach. Based on a strategic–relational understanding of the state, I will examine state power by two means of the state, law and money. First, I analyze negotiations over the constitutional process, and then I examine budgetary politics from 2001 to 2011. This period includes the height of social mobilizations, and it was during this time that the state transformation project began. I use this approach to argue that renewed state power, and specifically a new political power correlation, became visible during the constitutional process and subsequently through state finances. This material analysis will reveal the new political power correlation and emerging state power, and also provide more clarity about ongoing political and economic transformations.
Does a Speaking Task Affect Second Language Comprehensibility?
Authors: Crowther Dustin , Trofimovich Pavel , Isaacs Talia , Saito Kazuya
Published: April 2015

The current study investigated task effects on listener perception of second language (L2) comprehensibility (ease of understanding). Sixty university‐level adult speakers of English from 4 first language (L1) backgrounds (Chinese, Romance, Hindi, Farsi), with 15 speakers per group, were recorded performing 2 tasks (IELTS long‐turn speaking task and TOEFL iBT integrated listening/reading and speaking task). The speakers' audio recordings were evaluated using continuous sliding scales by 10 native English listeners for comprehensibility as well as for 10 linguistic variables drawn from the domains of pronunciation, fluency, lexis, grammar, and discourse. In the IELTS task, comprehensibility was associated solely with pronunciation and fluency categories (specifically, segmentals, word stress, rhythm, and speech rate), with the Farsi group being the only exception. However, in the cognitively more demanding TOEFL iBT integrated task, in addition to pronunciation and fluency variables, comprehensibility was also linked to several categories at the level of grammar, lexicon, and discourse for all groups. In both tasks, the relative strength of obtained associations also varied as a function of the speakers' L1. Results overall suggest that both task and speakers' L1 play important roles in determining ease of understanding for the listener, with implications for pronunciation teaching in mixed L1 classrooms and for operationalizing the construct of comprehensibility in assessments.
Textual Input Enhancement for Vowel Blindness: A Study with Arabic ESL Learners
Authors: Alsadoon Reem , Heift Trude
Published: April 2015

This study explores the impact of textual input enhancement on the noticing and intake of English vowels by Arabic L2 learners of English. Arabic L1 speakers are known to experience vowel blindness, commonly defined as a difficulty in the textual decoding and encoding of English vowels due to an insufficient decoding of the word form. Thirty beginner ESL learners participated in a training study during which the experimental group received textual input enhancement on English vowels. Students completed a pretest and an immediate and delayed posttest. An eye‐tracker recorded students' eye fixations during the treatment phase. Results indicate that vowel blindness was significantly reduced for the experimental group who received vowel training in the form of textual input enhancement. This might be due to a longer focus on the target words as suggested by our eye‐tracking data.
Guard cell SLAC1‐type anion channels mediate flagellin‐induced stomatal closure
Authors: Guzel Deger Aysin , Scherzer Sönke , Nuhkat Maris , Kedzierska Justyna , Kollist Hannes , Brosché Mikael , Unyayar Serpil , Boudsocq Marie , Hedrich Rainer , Roelfsema M. Rob G.
Published: April 2015

During infection plants recognize microbe‐associated molecular patterns (MAMPs), and this leads to stomatal closure. This study analyzes the molecular mechanisms underlying this MAMP response and its interrelation with ABA signaling.

Stomata in intact Arabidopsis thaliana plants were stimulated with the bacterial MAMP flg22, or the stress hormone ABA, by using the noninvasive nanoinfusion technique. Intracellular double‐barreled microelectrodes were applied to measure the activity of plasma membrane ion channels.

Flg22 induced rapid stomatal closure and stimulated the SLAC1 and SLAH3 anion channels in guard cells. Loss of both channels resulted in cells that lacked flg22‐induced anion channel activity and stomata that did not close in response to flg22 or ABA. Rapid flg22‐dependent stomatal closure was impaired in plants that were flagellin receptor (FLS2)‐deficient, as well as in the ost1‐2 (Open Stomata 1) mutant, which lacks a key ABA‐signaling protein kinase. By contrast, stomata of the ABA protein phosphatase mutant abi1‐1 (ABscisic acid Insensitive 1) remained flg22‐responsive.

These data suggest that the initial steps in flg22 and ABA signaling are different, but that the pathways merge at the level of OST1 and lead to activation of SLAC1 and SLAH3 anion channels.
B‐1 lymphocytes in mice and nonhuman primates
Authors: Haas Karen M.
Published: April 2015

B‐1 cells comprise subpopulations of B lymphocytes in mice that display developmental, phenotypic, and functional characteristics that are distinct from those of conventional B cell populations (B‐2 cells). Despite the known importance of murine B‐1a (CD5+) and B‐1b (CD5–) cells in the production of natural antibodies and rapid antigen‐specific humoral responses to infection, evidence for B‐1 cells in primates, including humans, is very limited. Identifying these cells in humans proves challenging given the limited number of cells that can be obtained from sites expected to harbor increased frequencies of these cells (i.e., peritoneal and pleural cavities) and the need to perform functional analyses on these cells, which, in the case of B‐1b cells, must be carried out in vivo. My laboratory has used cynomolgus macaques and African green monkeys to bypass these limitations and to identify and extensively analyze primate B cell populations with the phenotypic and functional characteristics of mouse B‐1a and B‐1b cells. Our results reveal striking similarities between primate and murine B‐1 cells, including a conserved functional role for primate B‐1b–like cells in immunity to T cell–independent type 2 antigens.
Customizations of Law: Courts of Elders (AksakalCourts) in Rural and Urban Kyrgyzstan
Authors: Beyer Judith
Published: April 2015

This article deals with a neotraditional institution: the aksakal courts (courts of elders, or “whitebeards”) in Central Asian Kyrgyzstan. Founded in 1993 by the first president of the country, and based on an elaborate law enacted in 2002, the newly appointed aksakal judges were supposed to judge according to what were considered to be the customs and traditions of the Kyrgyz. In this article I show in what ways the judges’ way of “being aksakals” often accords neither with the letter nor intent of the law, but reflects a more fundamental way of ordering the world, here referred to as customization. I argue that the ways in which the court members in rural and urban Kyrgyzstan link themselves to traditionalist imagery and state trappings reveal a more general point about how people in contemporary Central Asia engage with their being‐in‐the‐world. This is particularly relevant in times of social change such as those initiated after the dissolution of the Soviet Union.
Dislocating Custom
Authors: Demian Melissa
Published: April 2015

This article approaches the relationship between the categories of custom and law by means of an experiment with cartographic metaphors of scale and location. In Papua New Guinea, the relationship of custom to law is configured by the canonization of custom (the concept as it is known in studies of legal pluralism) in the Constitution of the Independent State of Papua New Guinea and in the Underlying Law Act 2000. However, the status of this universalizing category is complicated by its relationship to the putatively local category of kastom, as it is known throughout Papua New Guinea. I argue that the two categories, custom and kastom, do not share an equivalent relationship to law because they occupy different levels of scale. In the discourses of legal elites, custom encompasses kastom. Whereas for many “smaller‐scale” ethnic and language groups within the country, kastom and law are simply two potential categories of efficacious action, among many others, in highly specific and localized “mixes.” These mixes lose their intelligibility when elites attempt to replicate them at the level of the state.
Reuse and reception in the life of a sixteenth‐century chimneypiece
Authors: Eggleton Lara
Published: April 2015

This article examines three stages in the material life of a sixteenth‐century Italian chimneypiece in Granada, Spain, which signal historical shifts in attitude toward stylistic origins and categories, particularly with regard to the period known as the Spanish Renaissance. Thought to have been commissioned from Genoa in 1546 for the new royal palace of Charles V, the fireplace was abandoned along with the unfinished building in the early decades of the seventeenth century. In 1630 it was stripped of its white figurative ornament and appropriated as an altar frame within the eclectic programme of the Alhambra's ‘Mexuar Chapel’, formerly a Muslim council chamber. Three centuries later, in 1929, modern restorer Leopoldo Torres Balbás recovered the ornaments and ordered the reassembly of the chimneypiece in an upper room of the emperor's newly completed palace, where it continues to sit as an unlabelled piece of Cinquecento furniture. This article focuses on the biography of this object, considering each stage of its commission, adaptation and restoration as indexical of historical meaning and the valuation of styles across time.
Optimization of Cascade‐Resilient Electrical Infrastructures and its Validation by Power Flow Modeling
Authors: Fang Yiping , Pedroni Nicola , Zio Enrico
Published: April 2015

Large‐scale outages on real‐world critical infrastructures, although infrequent, are increasingly disastrous to our society. In this article, we are primarily concerned with power transmission networks and we consider the problem of allocation of generation to distributors by rewiring links under the objectives of maximizing network resilience to cascading failure and minimizing investment costs. The combinatorial multiobjective optimization is carried out by a nondominated sorting binary differential evolution (NSBDE) algorithm. For each generators–distributors connection pattern considered in the NSBDE search, a computationally cheap, topological model of failure cascading in a complex network (named the Motter‐Lai [ML] model) is used to simulate and quantify network resilience to cascading failures initiated by targeted attacks. The results on the 400 kV French power transmission network case study show that the proposed method allows us to identify optimal patterns of generators–distributors connection that improve cascading resilience at an acceptable cost. To verify the realistic character of the results obtained by the NSBDE with the embedded ML topological model, a more realistic but also more computationally expensive model of cascading failures is adopted, based on optimal power flow (namely, the ORNL‐Pserc‐Alaska) model). The consistent results between the two models provide impetus for the use of topological, complex network theory models for analysis and optimization of large infrastructures against cascading failure with the advantages of simplicity, scalability, and low computational cost.
Intraocular localization ofOnchocerca lupiadult worm in a dog with anterior uveitis: A case report
Authors: Komnenou Anastasia Th. , Thomas Angelos L. N. , Papadopoulos Elias , Koutinas Alex F.
Published: April 2015

Objective

Canine ocular onchocercosis may represent an important ocular disease with zoonotic potential and widespread geographical distribution. An uncommon localization ofOnchocerca lupiadult worm in the anterior chamber of the eye is described for the first time.

Animal studied

A 4‐year‐old, intact, male, mixed‐breed dog was admitted with profuse lacrimation and severe squinting. On the right eye, there were mucopurulent discharge, chemosis, and all typical signs of anterior uveitis which were attributed to the presence of a moving filarial worm within the anterior chamber.

Procedure

Removal of the parasite from the anterior chamber by a limbal incision revealed a mature adult male, 7.65‐cm‐longO. lupiworm. Periocular skin scrapings for the corresponding microfilariae were negative. Postoperatively, apart from systemic prednisolone and doxycycline hyclate and a topical antibiotic/steroid solution, parenteral melarsomine, followed by ivermectin, was given until the complete disappearance of the ocular lesions.

Conclusions

Intraocular onchocercosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of canine anterior uveitis in endemic areas. This case highlights the atypical localization ofO. lupiin the canine eye emphasizing on the possibility for a complete cure after the surgical removal of the parasite and the filaricidal medication subsequently applied.
Ventral transpalpebral anterior orbitotomy: surgical description and report of 3 cases
Authors: McDonald Jessica E. , Knollinger Amy M. , Dees Darryl D.
Published: April 2015

Purpose

To describe a surgical approach to allow access to the ventral anterior canine orbit and report outcomes of three cases.

Surgical technique

After induction of general anesthesia and aseptic preparation of the surgical site, a 2.5‐ to 3‐cm curvilinear skin incision was created through the inferior eyelid at the level of the ventral orbital rim. A combination of sharp and blunt dissection facilitated entrance into the ventral anterior orbital space for the removal of diseased tissues or allows for drainage of purulent debris. Two‐layer closure was performed, and postoperative lateral temporary tarsorrhaphy sutures were retained to provide globe protection.

Results

Three dogs underwent unilateral ventral transpalpebral anterior orbitotomy. Prior to surgery, apart from a complete ophthalmic examination, ocular ultrasound was used to diagnose orbital disease in two cases, and MRI was utilized in the third case. Exploratory orbitotomy revealed a large mucocele in case 1, orbital bacterial abscessation in case 2, and necrotizing zygomatic sialoadenitis in case 3. Clinical exophthalmos resolved immediately after surgery. The surgical site in all cases healed within 2 weeks. One patient had a superficial corneal ulceration 2 weeks after surgery which healed uneventfully. Recurrence of orbital disease was not noted in any case.

Conclusions

Ventral transpalpebral anterior orbitotomy is a simple procedure that allows easy access to the ventral anterior orbit to allow for removal of diseased tissues or to facilitate drainage of abscessation. Recurrence of orbital disease was not seen in any patient, with one patient experiencing blindness as a long‐term complication following the procedure.
Active Control of a Stalled Airfoil Through Steady or Unsteady Actuation Jets
Authors: Chapin V. G. , Benard E.
Published: April 2015

The active control of the leading-edge (LE) separation on the suction surface of a stalled airfoil (NACA 0012) at a Reynolds number of 106 based on the chord length is investigated through a computational study. The actuator is a steady or unsteady jet located on the suction surface of the airfoil. Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) equations are solved on hybrid meshes with the Spalart–Allmaras turbulence model. Simulations are used to characterize the effects of the steady and unsteady actuation on the separated flows for a large range of angle of attack (0 < α < 28 deg). Parametric studies are carried out in the actuator design-space to investigate the control effectiveness and robustness. An optimal actuator position, angle, and frequency for the stalled angle of attack α = 19 deg are found. A significant increase of the lift coefficient is obtained (+ 84% with respect to the uncontrolled reference flow), and the stall is delayed from angle of attack of 18 deg to more than 25 deg. The physical nonlinear coupling between the actuator position, velocity angle, and frequency is investigated. The critical influence of the actuator location relative to the separation location is emphasized.
Oscillatory Flow Between Two Hemispheres for Shearing Protein Solution
Authors: Kong Dejuan , Penkova Anita , Sadhal Satwindar Singh
Published: April 2015

Protein aggregation, one of the common molecular mechanisms for neurodegenerative diseases, is affected by variety of physical factors, one of which is shear rate of protein solution. This paper provides theoretical background on the shear rate in the experimental system we have proposed to effectively apply and control shear. We carried out the mathematical analysis of the flow field resulted from torsional or transverse oscillation on the outer boundary between two concentric hemispheres by perturbation method. We have obtained analytical solutions for the velocity field, the shear rate, and the flow pattern of steady streaming created by the nonlinear interaction of the oscillatory flow.