bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Individual–Level Resources and New Business Activity: The Contingent Role of Institutional Context
Authors: De Clercq Dirk , Lim Dominic S.K. , Oh Chang Hoon
Published: July 2011

This study considers the relationship between people's access to resources and their likelihood to start a new business, and particularly how this relationship might be moderated by formal and informal institutions. Individual–level resources might be more potent for new business creation in countries with financial and educational systems that are more oriented toward entrepreneurship, higher levels of trust, and cultures that are less hierarchical and conservative. The hypotheses are tested by undertaking random–effects multilevel analyses of a multi–source data set that spans a 5–year time period (2003–2007). The study's findings offer important implications for research and practice.
Framing the Entrepreneurial Experience
Authors: Morris Michael H. , Kuratko Donald F. , Schindehutte Minet , Spivack April J.
Published: July 2011

Building on affective events theory (AET), an experiential perspective for conceptualizing entrepreneurship is introduced. As a “lived experience,” entrepreneurship represents a cumulative series of interdependent events that takes on properties rooted in affect and emotion. Unique characteristics of entrepreneurial experiences are examined. The entrepreneur is presented as actor in an unscripted temporal performance who continually encounters novelty. A model and set of propositions are presented linking pre–venture experience, key events, experiential processing, learning, affective outcomes, and decision making. It is argued that the entrepreneur and venture emerge as a function of ongoing experience, with the venture creating the entrepreneur as the entrepreneur creates the venture.
Counterfactual Thinking and Entrepreneurial Self–Efficacy: The Moderating Role of Self–Esteem and Dispositional Affect
Authors: Arora Punit , Haynie J. Michael , Laurence Gregory A.
Published: July 2011

Scholars have suggested that counterfactual thinking may play an important role in entrepreneurship; however, empirical research positioned to inform the nature of this relationship has been equivocal. In this study, we draw on the tenets of social cognition theory as a basis to investigate the relationship between counterfactual thinking and the dispositional attributes of the entrepreneur, hypothesizing concomitant influences upon the entrepreneur's self–efficacy. Based on a survey of 138 entrepreneurs, our findings suggest that the implications of counterfactual thinking for entrepreneurial self–efficacy are moderated by individual differences based in the dispositional attributes of the entrepreneur.
Increasing Returns and the Domain of Entrepreneurship Research
Authors: Mitchell Ronald K.
Published: July 2011

The domain definition of entrepreneurship research is “in play” as the Academy of Management Entrepreneurship Division prepares to submit a revision to its 1995 Domain Statement; and as “inclusive” vs. “distinctive” adjectives characterize the debate. In this essay, I argue that the inclusiveness/distinctiveness question itself poses a false dilemma detrimental to the development of entrepreneurship research as a field of excellence, when seen as a domain of increasing vs. decreasing returns. To encourage balanced discussion, I analyze the current and proposed domain statements according to their implicit worldview, content, basis for boundary setting, and implications for resolving domain–boundary conflicts.
Trustworthiness: A Critical Ingredient for Entrepreneurs Seeking Investors
Authors: Maxwell Andrew L. , Lévesque Moren
Published: July 2011

We investigate how an entrepreneur's behaviors during an initial interaction with a business angel can build, damage, or violate trust, and how the investor's level of trust (prompted by the entrepreneur's behavior) can affect his/her decision to make an investment offer. Our empirical analysis shows that entrepreneurs who receive offers from business angels exhibit a larger number of trust–building behaviors during the initial interaction and a smaller number of unintentional trust–damaging behaviors than those who do not receive an offer, and display few deliberate trust–violating behaviors. We further observe that the investor's deployment of a control mechanism is a prerequisite for receiving an investment offer for all entrepreneurs who damage or violate trust.
Type 2 diabetic obese db/db mice are refractory to myocardial ischaemic post‐conditioning in vivo: potential role for Hsp20, F1‐ATPase δ and Echs1
Authors: Zhu Shu‐Guang , Xi Lei , Kukreja Rakesh C.
Published: July 2011

Ischaemic post‐conditioning (PostC) is a clinically relevant cardioprotective modality that has been confirmed in many species including human. It remains unknown if PostC can still protect heart in Type 2 diabetes, a rapidly growing disease in the world. This study investigated the efficacy of PostC in the leptin receptor–deficient db/db mice, which possess Type 2 diabetic characteristics including obesity, hyperglycaemia and hyperleptinaemia. Adult male C57BL/6J wild‐type (WT) and db/db mice were anaesthetized, mechanically ventilated and subjected to left coronary artery occlusion for 30 min. followed by 24 hrs of reperfusion. For the PostC groups, the hearts underwent six cycles of 10 sec. of reperfusion and 10 sec. of re‐occlusion at the onset of reperfusion. The mice were sacrificed at the end of 24 hrs reperfusion for infarct size measurement. PostC significantly reduced infarct size in WT mice (n = 6/group; P < 0.05), but not in the db/db mice. To identify alterations in protein expression by PostC, proteomic analyses were performed in the heart samples using two‐dimensional differential in‐gel electrophoresis with three CyDye labelling, followed by mass spectrometry. The results show that mitochondrial proteins (F1‐ATPase γ and Echs1) were down‐regulated by PostC in WT heart. Such change was absent in the db/db heart. On the other hand, PostC reduced Hsp20 in the diabetic heart. In summary, PostC fails to protect Type 2 diabetic mice against ischaemia‐reperfusion injury. The potential protein targets for the loss of PostC may include F1‐ATPase γ, Echs1 and Hsp20 that could regulate cellular ATP consumption/production and defense response to ischaemic stress.
Reamer‐mediated transalveolar sinus floor elevation without osteotome and simultaneous implant placement in the maxillary molar area: clinical outcomes of 391 implants in 380 patients
Authors: Ahn Sang‐Hoon , Park Eun‐Jin , Kim Eun‐Suk
Published: July 2011

Objectives: Minimally invasive sinus elevation and augmentation using a transalveolar approach can reduce perioperative complications and patient discomfort. A specially designed reamer accomplishes this without the use of an osteotome or a mallet. The objective of this study is to present this technique with relevant clinical cases and patient outcomes.

Material and methods: Series of reamers with one cutting and one reaming edge were used to prepare an osteotomy site for posterior maxillary areas. A total of 391 osteotomies were prepared with the reamer in 380 patients, and 373 implants were placed simultaneously. In addition to the procedure's success parameters, levels of intraoperative patient comfort were monitored using a visual analogue scale.

Results: The mean height of the residual alveolar process was 5.8 (0.9) mm, whereas mean elevation of the sinus floor was 6.2 (0.4) mm. Eighteen (4.6%) Schneiderian membrane perforations occurred, and the 2‐year survival rate was 95.4%. The success rate was 92.7% in sites with thin sinus floors (<4 mm) and 96.4% in sites with greater bone height (>4 mm). None of the patients experienced any discomfort during the procedure.

Conclusions: Within the limits of the present study, it can be concluded that reamer‐mediated transalveolar sinus floor elevation is a reliable method for implant placement in the posterior maxilla, even at sites with ≤4 mm of residual alveolar bone height. This reamer‐mediated procedure is less invasive than traditional osteotomy and can minimize patient discomfort during sinus floor elevation.

To cite this article: Ahn S‐H, Park E‐J, Kim E‐S. Reamer‐mediated transalveolar sinus floor elevation without osteotome and simultaneous implant placement in the maxillary molar area: clinical outcomes of 391 implants in 380 patients. Clin. Oral Impl. Res. 23, 2012; 866–872. doi: 10.1111/j.1600‐0501.2011.02216.x
Extra short dental implants supporting an overdenture in the edentulous maxilla: a proof of concept
Authors: Van Assche N. , Michels S. , Quirynen M. , Naert I.
Published: July 2011

Objectives: This study investigates the outcome of short implants additionally placed with longer implants to support a maxillary overdenture.

Materials and methods: Twelve patients received six implants to support a maxillary overdenture. Only one patient still had two molars in the maxilla, while the others had no remaining teeth. The status of the opposing arch was diverse. The distal implant in each quadrant was 6 mm in height (S) and the middle implants ranged between 10 and 14 mm (L). All implants were placed following a one‐stage procedure and early loaded (6 weeks). Clinical and radiological parameters were assessed 6, 12 and 24 months after loading.

Results: One short implant failed 2 weeks after surgery, probably due to early mobilization by the provisional prosthesis. The mean bone loss on the rough part of the implant was 0.7 mm (S) vs. 1.3 mm (L) during the first year and 0.3 mm (S) vs. 0.2 mm (L) during the second year after loading. The mean implant stability quotient values were 67 (S) vs. 70 (L) at placement and 75 (S) vs. 78 (L) after 1 year. At the 2‐year follow‐ up, all prostheses were still stable and comfortable.

Conclusion: An overdenture on six implants, of which two have a reduced length, might represent a successful treatment option. No significant difference could be found between both implant lengths at 2 years' follow‐up. However, bone loss with short implants may increase the likelihood of failure.
Seminal Plasma Proteins: What Role Do They Play?
Authors: Rodríguez‐Martínez Heriberto , Kvist Ulrik , Ernerudh Jan , Sanz Libia , Calvete Juan J.
Published: July 2011

Citation Rodríguez‐Martínez H, Kvist U, Ernerudh J, Sanz L, Calvete JJ. Seminal Plasma Proteins: What Role Do They Play? Am J Reprod Immunol 2011; 66 (Suppl. 1): 11–22

Problem  Semen is a heterogenous and complex cell suspension in a protein‐rich fluid with different functions, some of them well known, others still obscure.

Method of study  This paper reviews, comparatively, our current knowledge on the growing field of proteomics of the SP and its relevance in relation to the in vivo situation, for the sake of reproductive biology, diagnostics and treatment.

Results  Ejaculated spermatozoa, primarily bathing in cauda epididymal fluid, are (in vitro) bulky, exposed to most, if not all, secretions from the accessory sexual glands. In vivo, however, not all spermatozoa are necessarily exposed to all secretions from these glands, because sperm cohorts are delivered in differential order and bathe in seminal plasma (SP) with different concentrations of constituents, including peptides and proteins. Proteins are relevant for sperm function and relate to sperm interactions with the various environments along the female genital tract towards the oocyte vestments. Specific peptides and proteins act as signals for the female immune system to modulate sperm rejection or tolerance, perhaps even influencing the relative intrinsic fertility of the male and/or couple by attaining a status of maternal tolerance towards embryo and placental development.

Conclusions  Proteins of the seminal plasma have an ample panorama of action, and some appear responsible for establishing fertility.
Reduction in miR‐141 is Induced by Leukemia Inhibitory Factor and Inhibits Proliferation in Choriocarcinoma Cell Line JEG‐3
Authors: Morales‐Prieto Diana M. , Schleussner Ekkehard , Markert Udo R.
Published: July 2011

Citation Morales‐Prieto DM, Schleussner E, Markert UR. Reduction in miR‐141 is Induced by Leukemia Inhibitory Factor and Inhibits Proliferation in Choriocarcinoma Cell line JEG‐3. Am J Reprod Immunol 2011; 66 (Suppl. 1): 57–62

Problem

Starting from the peri‐implantation period, leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) is a major regulator of trophoblast functions. Micro‐RNAs (miRNA) are short non‐coding RNA sequences, which regulate expression of genes at post‐transcriptional level. The influence of LIF on miRNA expression in trophoblastic cells has not yet been analyzed and was focus of this investigation.

Method of study

JEG‐3 choriocarcinoma cells have been stimulated with LIF for 1, 2, 4, 6, and 24 hr. The expression of miR‐9, miR‐141, miR‐21, miR‐93, and let‐7g has been analyzed by real‐time PCR. Subsequently, miR‐141 has been silenced and over‐expressed to test its role in the proliferation of JEG‐3 cells after 24 and 48 hr.

Results

MiR‐141 has been significantly downregulated by more than 50% after LIF stimulation, while miR‐21 and miR‐93 expression has been significantly upregulated. Silencing of miR‐141 completely inhibited the proliferation of JEG‐3 cells, while over‐expression had no effect.

Conclusion

LIF regulates expression of miRNA in trophoblastic cells, which may be responsible for several functional effects induced by LIF.
Peri‐Conceptual Cytokines – Setting the Trajectory for Embryo Implantation, Pregnancy and Beyond
Authors: Robertson Sarah A. , Chin Peck Yin , Glynn Danielle J. , Thompson Jeremy G.
Published: July 2011

Citation Robertson SA, Chin PY, Glynn DJ, Thompson JG. Peri‐Conceptual Cytokines – Setting the Trajectory for Embryo Implantation, Pregnancy and Beyond. Am J Reprod Immunol 2011; 66 (Suppl. 1): 2–10

Problem  The peri‐conceptual environment influences the early embryo to impart long‐term consequences for the fetus and neonate; however, the underlying mechanisms are not well defined.

Method of Study  We argue that the cytokine network acting in the female reproductive tract during the pre‐ and peri‐implantation period integrates environmental information to program the embryo and fine‐tune the maternal immune response and endometrial remodelling to determine implantation success.

Results  As well as sex steroid hormones and male seminal fluid factors, female tract cytokines are influenced by agents signalling via the Toll‐like receptors including the microbiome and a plethora of metabolic, chemical and other stressors. In mouse models, an altered peri‐conceptual cytokine environment induced by cytokine deficiency, inflammatory insults or dysregulated seminal fluid signalling is associated with adverse effects on embryo development, pregnancy viability and reproductive outcome.

Conclusion  The cytokine network provides a pivotal mechanism through which environmental factors influence both embryo development and receptivity of the uterus.
Immunological Aspects of Endometriosis: An Update
Authors: Olovsson Matts
Published: July 2011

Citation Olovsson M. Immunological Aspects of Endometriosis: An Update. Am J Reprod Immunol 2011; 66 (Suppl. 1): 101–104

Problem

Endometriosis is a very complex disease that profoundly affects the quality of life of many women.

Method of study

A review of the relationships between the female immune system and the occurrence and development of endometriosis.

Results

Function and dysfunction of the female immune system plays important roles in the initiation and progression of the disease and its relation to infertility and cancer.

Conclusions

Owing to obvious associations between endometriosis and the immune system, future treatment strategies might be based on immunological concepts and methods.
Endemic systemic mycoses: coccidioidomycosis, histoplasmosis, paracoccidioidomycosis and blastomycosis
Authors: Bonifaz Alexandro , Vázquez‐González Denisse , Perusquía‐Ortiz Ana María
Published: July 2011

Endemic deep or systemic mycoses are common in specific geographical areas of the world. Coccidioidomycosis is present in semi‐desert areas, histoplasmosis and paracoccidioidomycosis in tropical regions and blastomycosis belongs to temperate climates. The two former are widely distributed in the American continent and some tropical regions of the world; the third is limited to Central and South America, and the last to North America and Central and East Africa. These mycoses all have a similar pathogenesis, as the inoculum enters the host through the respiratory tract. Cutaneous manifestations are secondary to lymphatic and hematogenous dissemination. These deep mycoses are exceptional in Europe. Most cases are observed in returning travelers from endemic areas, aid workers, archaeologists, speleologist and immigrants. However, there have been some autochthonous cases of histoplasmosis due to Histoplasma capsulatum var. capsulatum reported in European countries such as Italy and Germany. In this article, we provide up‐to‐date epidemiological, clinical, diagnostic and therapeutic data on the four most important imported systemic mycoses in Europe.
Maternal and neonatal factors associated with poor early weight gain and later retinopathy of prematurity
Authors: Wikstrand Margareta Hök , Hård Anna‐Lena , Niklasson Aimon , Smith Lois , Löfqvist Chatarina , Hellström Ann
Published: July 2011

Aim:  To identify factors associated with poor early weight gain as reflected in an alarm system, WINROP, and risk of later proliferative retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in infants with gestational age (GA) < 28 weeks.

Methods:  Infants with a WINROP alarm and proliferative ROP, the ‘alarm group’ (n = 23), were matched to GA and gender to a ‘no alarm group’ (n = 23) with no WINROP alarm and no or mild ROP. Retrospectively maternal variables, birth characteristics and neonatal factors, during the first three postnatal weeks, were compared.

Results:  The ‘alarm group’ had lower birth weight (BW) and BW standard deviation score, longer stay in ventilator, more insulin and corticosteroid treatments, and lower white blood cell count. In a logistic regression model, BW standard deviation score, insulin, low white blood cell count, absence of both elevated C‐reactive protein and premature rupture of membranes were associated with proliferative ROP and WINROP alarm (p = 0.000, r2 = 0.704).

Conclusions:  This study shows that prenatal factors resulting in low BW have persisting effects on early postnatal growth, metabolism and inflammatory response. Future prospective studies will focus on the link between these factors and pathological retinal vessel development in the early postnatal period to find possible preventive strategies.
Restoration of native vegetation following exclosure establishment on communal grazing lands in Tigray, Ethiopia
Authors: Mekuria Wolde , Veldkamp Edzo
Published: July 2011

Questions: Is plant species richness, diversity and above‐ground standing biomass enhanced after establishing exclosures on communal grazing lands? What factors influence the effectiveness of exclosures to restore degraded native vegetation in Tigray, Ethiopia?

Location: Northern Ethiopia.

Methods: We used a space‐for‐time substitution approach to detect changes in plant species richness, diversity and above‐ground standing biomass after conversion of communal grazing lands to exclosures. We selected replicated (n=3) 5‐, 10‐, 15‐ and 20‐year‐old exclosures and paired each exclosure with an adjacent communal grazing land to ensure that soil and terrain conditions were as similar as possible among each pair.

Results: All exclosures displayed higher plant species richness, diversity and biomass than the communal grazing lands. Differences in plant species richness and biomass between an exclosure age and adjacent communal grazing land were higher in oldest than in youngest exclosures. In exclosures, much of the variability in plant species composition and biomass was explained by a combination of edaphic (total nitrogen, phosphorus, texture and soil pH) and site (precipitation and altitude) variables (R2=0.72–0.82). Edaphic and site variables also explained much of the variability in plant species composition in communal grazing lands (R2=0.76–0.82). Our study shows that all exclosures are at an early stage of succession. The increase in economically important indigenous shrub and tree species with exclosure age suggests that, with time, a valuable afromontane forest may develop.

Conclusions: Establishment of exclosures on communal grazing lands is a viable option to restore degraded native vegetation. However, before expanding exclosures, the ecological consequences of additional exclosures should be investigated as further expansion of exclosures could increase grazing pressure on remaining grazing areas. Furthermore, consideration of edaphic and site variables will help optimize selection of areas for establishment of exclosures and enhance natural regeneration in exclosures in the future.
The Harbinger of the Unitary Executive? An Analysis of Presidential Signing Statements from Truman to Carter
Authors: CONLEY RICHARD S.
Published: July 2011

Contemporary scholarship has focused much attention on presidents' routine exploitation of signing statements since the 1980s to disallow provisions of bills passed by Congress. Much less is known about earlier post–World War II presidents' use of signing statements and what precedents they may have set for their successors. This study takes a sharp focus on the 934 signing statements issued from 1945 to 1980, from Presidents Harry Truman through Jimmy Carter. The analysis classifies these signing statements by policy area and by the type of comments the president made. The results accentuate how the resurgent Congress in the 1970s—including budget reform and challenges to presidential latitude in foreign policy through legislative vetoes—compelled Presidents Gerald Ford and Carter to increasingly use signing statements to nullify legislative provisos. The analysis emphasizes how cycles of congressional change affected earlier presidents' use of signing statements, laying a foundation for their successors' more broad manipulation of this rhetorical instrument to aggrandize executive prerogative.
Cannabinoid actions at TRPV channels: effects on TRPV3 and TRPV4 and their potential relevance to gastrointestinal inflammation
Authors: De Petrocellis L. , Orlando P. , Moriello A. Schiano , Aviello G. , Stott C. , Izzo A. A. , Di Marzo V.
Published: July 2011

Aim:  Plant cannabinoids, like Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD), activate/desensitize thermosensitive transient receptor potential (TRP) channels of vanilloid type‐1 or ‐2 (TRPV1 or TRPV2). We investigated whether cannabinoids also activate/desensitize two other ‘thermo‐TRP’s’, the TRP channels of vanilloid type‐3 or ‐4 (TRPV3 or TRPV4), and if the TRPV‐inactive cannabichromene (CBC) modifies the expression of TRPV1–4 channels in the gastrointestinal tract.

Methods:  TRP activity was assessed by evaluating elevation of [Ca2+]i in rat recombinant TRPV3‐ and TRPV4‐expressing HEK‐293 cells. TRP channel mRNA expression was measured by quantitative RT‐PCR in the jejunum and ileum of mice treated with vehicle or the pro‐inflammatory agent croton oil.

Results:  (i) CBD and tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV) stimulated TRPV3‐mediated [Ca2+]i with high efficacy (50–70% of the effect of ionomycin) and potency (EC50∼3.7 μm), whereas cannabigerovarin (CBGV) and cannabigerolic acid (CBGA) were significantly more efficacious at desensitizing this channel to the action of carvacrol than at activating it; (ii) cannabidivarin and THCV stimulated TRPV4‐mediated [Ca2+]i with moderate‐high efficacy (30–60% of the effect of ionomycin) and potency (EC50 0.9–6.4 μm), whereas CBGA, CBGV, cannabinol and cannabigerol were significantly more efficacious at desensitizing this channel to the action of 4‐α‐phorbol 12,13‐didecanoate (4α‐PDD) than at activating it; (iii) CBC reduced TRPV1β, TRPV3 and TRPV4 mRNA in the jejunum, and TRPV3 and TRPV4 mRNA in the ileum of croton oil‐treated mice.

Conclusions:  Cannabinoids can affect both the activity and the expression of TRPV1–4 channels, with various potential therapeutic applications, including in the gastrointestinal tract.
The parable of the poisoned pork: Network governance and the 2008 Irish pork dioxin contamination
Authors: Casey Donal K. , Lawless James S.
Published: July 2011

The 2008 contamination of Irish pork with dioxins was one of the most significant recent food safety incidents in the European Union (EU). While the contamination posed no real risk to public health, it tested the efficacy of EU food safety regulation and governance which has been considerably overhauled in the past decade. The exchange of risk information through networks of regulators is an important element of the EU food safety risk management framework. Networks are a much‐lauded form of new governance, though they are not without their problems. In this paper, we address the question of why governance networks can fail. We examine this issues using the case study of the 2008 Irish dioxin contamination and explore the reason for the failure to make more substantial use of networks in the governance of that incident. We hypothesize that the reason for such failure may be found in three inherent tensions which exist in the design and management of networks, namely flexibility/stability, inclusiveness/efficiency, and internal/external legitimacy. The paper concludes that by ensuring the external legitimacy of the EU's Rapid Alert System for Feed and Food (RASFF) through increased transparency of communications, the design of RASFF has stifled its internal legitimacy with regard to certain types of important information exchanges.
Pagan Pilgrimage: New Religious Movements Research on Sacred Travel within Pagan and New Age Communities
Authors: Zwissler Laurel
Published: July 2011

Burgeoning literature on sacred travel among contemporary Pagan and New Age communities draws on previous anthropological categories, but also offers new perspectives on important theoretical debates within pilgrimage studies. New religious movements’ adherents often travel for spiritual purposes to places traditionally held as sacred by other, more established religious traditions or to places popularly understood as secular tourist sites. This offers opportunities to think through theoretical debates in the field, including distinctions between tourists and pilgrims, and whether the pilgrimage experience is one mainly comprised of shared feelings of togetherness and community, or alternatively, one fraught with competition to define the ultimate meaning of the journey. Communitastheories, based on Victor Turner and Edith Turner’s argument that pilgrimage creates community and cooperation among fellow religious travelers, contrast with conflict theories, first offered by John Eade and Michael Sallnow, who argue that pilgrimages are grounded in competing discourses, both among pilgrims and between them and institutional religious authorities. By defining spaces in new ways and offering alternative explanations for the sacredness of particular sites, religiously motivated Pagan and New Age travelers highlight the contention, emphasized by ethnographers of more traditional sacred travel, that pilgrimages are the sites of contested meanings, in which not only different theological interpretations and values, but even different religions and cosmologies, coexist.
Guilt and Guiltlessness: An Integrative Review
Authors: Xu Hanyi , Bègue Laurent , Shankland Rébecca
Published: July 2011

This paper reviews the relationship between guilt and prosocial behaviors, and integrates multiple antisocial phenomena with the construct of guiltlessness both at the interpersonal and intergroup level. Interpersonal guilt is basically prosocial and introspective. Collective guilt is the vicarious acceptance of misdeeds of the ingroup. Yet it is sometimes so painful and detrimental for the individual and the society to tolerate guilt that people do not feel guilty, especially when the possibility of reparation is low. We argue that guilt is the acceptance of the mildly undesirable self whereas guiltlessness is the rejection of unbearable mental distress of anticipatory guilt. Guiltlessness requires great efforts for defense and justification. Multiple strategies and justifications are sought to relieve guilt. Furthermore, guiltlessness is related to various personality and ideology variables and entails moral disengagement. Guiltlessness can be destructive because, for example, during times of large‐scale conflicts ordinary people who feel guiltless are inclined to become ruthless. Reciprocity morality, ostracism, deservingness, empathy, and self‐control are proposed as means of explaining the origins of guilt and their implications for guiltlessness.
Globalization, Flexibility and New Workplace Culture in the United States and India
Authors: Arabandi Bhavani
Published: July 2011

The literature on globalization of services has tended to focus on advanced industrial nations, underestimating the important role Southern markets have played. Given the complexities of the global economy, much can be gained from exploring the ways in which flexible management practices and workplace culture in the United States and India have increasingly conjoined under an emerging set of common principles. In particular, one finds similar phenomena contributing to patterns of job insecurity in both countries: non‐standard employment contracts, long working hours, growing emphasis on individualization, and increasing control over workers. Interestingly, workers in both countries have similar strategies in staying employed as well as dealing with the growing insecurity. In neither country, however, has employment precariousness resulted in a backlash against the government. I posit the reason for this is that even as workers recognize the structural sources of job insecurity due to globalization, they individualize their failures and inability to cope with the changing market.
Varying disease‐mediated selection at different life‐history stages of Atlantic salmon in fresh water
Authors: de Eyto Elvira , McGinnity Philip , Huisman Jisca , Coughlan Jamie , Consuegra Sofia , Farrell Killian , O’Toole Ciar , Tufto Jarle , Megens Hendrik‐Jan , Jordan William , Cross Tom , Stet Rene′ J. M.
Published: July 2011

Laboratory studies on associations between disease resistance and susceptibility and major histocompatibility (MH) genes in Atlantic salmon Salmo salar have shown the importance of immunogenetics in understanding the capacity of populations to fight specific diseases. However, the occurrence and virulence of pathogens may vary spatially and temporally in the wild, making it more complicated to predict the overall effect that MH genes exert on fitness of natural populations and over several life‐history stages. Here we show that MH variability is a significant determinant of salmon survival in fresh water, by comparing observed and expected genotype frequencies at MH and control microsatellite loci at parr and migrant stages in the wild. We found that additive allelic effects at immunogenetic loci were more likely to determine survival than dominance deviation, and that selection on certain MH alleles varied with life stage, possibly owing to varying pathogen prevalence and/or virulence over time. Our results highlight the importance of preserving genetic diversity (particularly at MH loci) in wild populations, so that they have the best chance of adapting to new and increased disease challenges as a result of projected climate warming and increasing aquaculture.
Comparison of incretin immunoassays with or without plasma extraction: Incretin secretion in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes
Authors: Yabe Daisuke , Watanabe Koin , Sugawara Kenji , Kuwata Hitoshi , Kitamoto Yuka , Sugizaki Kazu , Fujiwara Shuichi , Hishizawa Masahiro , Hyo Takanori , Kuwabara Kyoko , Yokota Kayo , Iwasaki Masahiro , Kitatani Naomi , Kurose Takeshi , Inagaki Nobuya , Seino Yutaka
Published: July 2011

Aims/Introduction:  The effectiveness of incretin‐based therapies in Asian type 2 diabetes requires investigation of the secretion and metabolism of glucose‐dependent insulinotropic polypepide (GIP) and glucagon‐like peptide 1 (GLP‐1). Plasma extractions have been suggested to reduce variability in intact GLP‐1 levels among individuals by removing interference that affects immunoassays, although no direct demonstration of this method has been reported. We have evaluated the effects of ethanol and solid‐phase extractions on incretin immunoassays. We determined incretin levels during meal tolerance tests in Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes and characterized predictors for incretin secretion.

Materials and Methods:  Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes (23 anti‐diabetic drug‐naïve and 18 treated with sulfonylurea [SU] alone) were subjected to meal tolerance tests, and incretin levels were determined by immunoassays with or without extraction.

Results:  Intact GLP‐1 levels determined by an intact GLP‐1 immunoassay with ethanol and solid‐phase extractions were lower than those determined without extraction. Intact GLP‐1 levels determined by the extractions were highly correlated with each other, much more so than the levels with and without extraction. Total GLP‐1 was unaffected by extractions, showing that extractions remove interference only in the case of intact GLP‐1. Incretin secretion after meal ingestion was similar between drug‐naïve and SU‐treated patients. Fasting and postprandial GLP‐1 levels were correlated positively with fasting free fatty acids and negatively with dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 activity.

Conclusions:  Ethanol and solid‐phase extractions remove interference for intact GLP‐1 immunoassay. SU showed little effect on incretin secretion. GLP‐1 and GIP secretion were predicted by different factors. (J Diabetes Invest, doi: 10.1111/j.2040‐1124.2011.00141.x, 2012)
The dynamic interplay between negative and positive emotions in daily life predicts response to treatment in depression: A momentary assessment study
Authors: Wichers Marieke , Lothmann Claudia , Simons Claudia J. P. , Nicolson Nancy A. , Peeters Frenk
Published: July 2011

Objectives.  Although the treatment of depressive illness aims to restore the imbalance between an excess of negative affect (NA) and a shortage of positive affect (PA), no study has examined how NA and PA may influence each other in depression. This study examines how NA and PA dynamically influence each other in depression and how this may impact on treatment response.

Design.  Depressed help‐seeking individuals participated in the Experience Sampling Method (ESM), which enables visualization of subtle dynamic alterations of momentary affective states over time. Thereafter, participants received a combination of antidepressant treatment and psychotherapy, and were followed up each month.

Methods.  NA and PA were assessed during ESM at 10 random moments per day for 6 days. Depressive symptoms were assessed at baseline and at monthly intervals during treatment.

Results.  Future response to treatment was associated with altered baseline NA–PA dynamics in individuals with previous depressive episodes. Their daily life boosts of PA were followed by a stronger suppression of NA over subsequent hours than in other depressed groups or controls.

Conclusions.  Subtle individual differences in daily life emotional dynamics predict future treatment outcome in depression.
Closed-Form Solution to the Position Analysis of Watt–Baranov Trusses Using the Bilateration Method
Authors: Rojas Nicolás , Thomas Federico
Published: July 2011

The exact position analysis of a planar mechanism reduces to compute the roots of its characteristic polynomial. Obtaining this polynomial almost invariably involves, as a first step, obtaining a system of equations derived from the independent kinematic loops of the mechanism. The use of kinematic loops to this end has seldom been questioned despite deriving the characteristic polynomial from them requires complex variable eliminations and, in most cases, trigonometric substitutions. As an alternative, the bilateration method has recently been used to obtain the characteristic polynomials of the three-loop Baranov trusses without relying on variable eliminations nor trigonometric substitutions and using no other tools than elementary algebra. This paper shows how this technique can be applied to members of a family of Baranov trusses resulting from the circular concatenation of the Watt mechanism irrespective of the resulting number of kinematic loops. To our knowledge, this is the first time that the characteristic polynomial of a Baranov truss with more that five loops has been obtained, and hence, its position analysis solved in closed form.
Electrical Contact Resistance at the Carbon Nanotube/Pd and Carbon Nanotube/Al Interfaces in End-Contact by First-Principles Calculations
Authors: Gao Feng , Qu Jianmin , Yao Matthew
Published: July 2011

Reported in this paper is a quantum mechanics study on the electronic structure and contact resistance at the interfaces formed when an open-end single-walled carbon nanotube (CNT) is in end-contact with aluminum (Al) and palladium (Pd), respectively. The electronic structures are computed using a density functional theory (DFT), and the transmission coefficient is calculated using a nonequilibrium Green’s function (NEGF) in conjunction with the DFT. The current–voltage relation of the simulating cell is obtained by using the Landauer–Buttiker formula, from which the contact resistance can be determined. Our results show that the electronic structure and electron transport behavior are strongly dependent on the electrode. It is found that the CNT/Pd interface has a weaker bond than the CNT/Al interface. However, the CNT/Pd interface shows a lower electrical contact resistance.
Experimental Study of the Slot Overlapping and Tool Path Variation Effect in Abrasive Waterjet Milling
Authors: Alberdi A. , Rivero A. , López de Lacalle L. N.
Published: July 2011

In abrasive waterjet (AWJ) milling, a flat surface is obtained when the jet carries out a programmed path, which covers the desired surface. In this process, single slots are overlapped. Thus, the resulting surface, apart from depending on process parameters (pressure, stand-off distance, abrasive mass flow rate, and traverse feed rate), also depends on the lateral feed used between adjacent slots. In this work, an experimental model is obtained, which relates the total cavity depth with the depth and the width of a single slot and with the lateral feed. Alternative tool paths are also studied with the aim of finding new strategies in the future, which will allow to mill with AWJ without using a mask. The results obtained with different tool paths have been explained analyzing the slots interaction and the variation of lateral feed along the entire tool path.
Study of stress in tensile nitrogen-plasma-treated multilayer silicon nitride films
Authors: Morin Pierre , Raymond Gaetan , Benoit Daniel , Guiheux Denis , Pantel Roland , Volpi Fabien , Braccini Muriel
Published: July 2011

The authors conducted a physico-chemical analysis of tensile sequential-nitrogen-plasma-treated silicon nitride films, which function as stressor liners in complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) technologies. These films are made of stacked nanometer-thick, plasma-enhanced, chemical vapor-deposited layers which were individually treated with N2-plasma, to increase stress. This study allowed us to monitor the evolution of the films’ chemical composition and stress as a function of process parameters such as deposition and post-N2-plasma duration. Consistent with secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and other physico-chemical analysis results, it was shown that the elementary component of the films can be modeled with a bi-layer consisting of an untreated slice at the bottom that is covered by a more tensile post-treated film. In addition, we observed that longer plasma treatments increase residual stress, SiN bond concentration and layer density, while reducing hydrogen content. The stress increase induced by the plasma treatment was shown to correlate with the increase in SiN bonds following a percolation mechanism that is linked to hydrogen dissociation. Kinetics laws describing both SiN bond generation and stress increase are proposed and it is demonstrated that stress increase follows first-order kinetics.
Additional Effects of Silver Nanoparticles on Bactericidal Efficiency Depend on Calcination Temperature and Dip-Coating Speed
Authors: Le Nhung Thi Tuyet , Nagata Hirofumi , Aihara Mutsumi , Takahashi Akira , Okamoto Toshihiro , Shimohata Takaaki , Mawatari Kazuaki , Kinouchi Yhosuke , Akutagawa Masatake , Haraguchi Masanobu
Published: July 2011

There is an increasing interest in the application of photocatalytic properties for disinfection of surfaces, air, and water. Titanium dioxide is widely used as a photocatalyst, and the addition of silver reportedly enhances its bactericidal action. However, the synergy of silver nanoparticles and TiO
2
is not well understood. The photocatalytic elimination of
Bacillus atrophaeus
was examined under different calcination temperatures, dip-coating speeds, and ratios of TiO
2
, SiO
2
, and Ag to identify optimal production conditions for the production of TiO
2
- and/or TiO
2
/Ag-coated glass for surface disinfection. Photocatalytic disinfection of pure TiO
2
or TiO
2
plus Ag nanoparticles was dependent primarily on the calcination temperature. The antibacterial activity of TiO
2
films was optimal with a high dip-coating speed and high calcination temperature (600°C). Maximal bacterial inactivation using TiO
2
/Ag-coated glass was also observed following high-speed dip coating but with a low calcination temperature (250°C). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed that the Ag nanoparticles combined together at a high calcination temperature, leading to decreased antibacterial activity of TiO
2
/Ag films due to a smaller surface area of Ag nanoparticles. The presence of Ag enhanced the photocatalytic inactivation rate of TiO
2
, producing a more pronounced effect with increasing levels of catalyst loading.
Involvement of the Pleiotropic Drug Resistance Response, Protein Kinase C Signaling, and Altered Zinc Homeostasis in Resistance of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Diclofenac
Authors: van Leeuwen Jolanda S. , Vermeulen Nico P. E. , Vos J. Chris
Published: July 2011

Diclofenac is a widely used analgesic drug that can cause serious adverse drug reactions. We used
Saccharomyces cerevisiae
as a model eukaryote with which to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of diclofenac toxicity and resistance. Although most yeast cells died during the initial diclofenac treatment, some survived and started growing again. Microarray analysis of the adapted cells identified three major processes involved in diclofenac detoxification and tolerance. In particular, pleiotropic drug resistance (PDR) genes and genes under the control of Rlm1p, a transcription factor in the protein kinase C (PKC) pathway, were upregulated in diclofenac-adapted cells. We tested if these processes or pathways were directly involved in diclofenac toxicity or resistance. Of the pleiotropic drug resistance gene products, the multidrug transporter Pdr5p was crucially important for diclofenac tolerance. Furthermore, deletion of components of the cell wall stress-responsive PKC pathway increased diclofenac toxicity, whereas incubation of cells with the cell wall stressor calcofluor white before the addition of diclofenac decreased its toxicity. Also, diclofenac induced flocculation, which might trigger the cell wall alterations. Genes involved in ribosome biogenesis and rRNA processing were downregulated, as were zinc-responsive genes. Paradoxically, deletion of the zinc-responsive transcription factor Zap1p or addition of the zinc chelator 1,10-phenanthroline significantly increased diclofenac toxicity, establishing a regulatory role for zinc in diclofenac resistance. In conclusion, we have identified three new pathways involved in diclofenac tolerance in yeast, namely, Pdr5p as the main contributor to the PDR response, cell wall signaling via the PKC pathway, and zinc homeostasis, regulated by Zap1p.
Poly-3-Hydroxybutyrate Metabolism in the Type II Methanotroph Methylocystis parvus OBBP
Authors: Pieja Allison J. , Sundstrom Eric R. , Criddle Craig S.
Published: July 2011

Differences in carbon assimilation pathways and reducing power requirements among organisms are likely to affect the role of the storage polymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB). Previous researchers have demonstrated that PHB functions as a sole growth substrate in aerobic cultures enriched on acetate during periods of carbon deficiency, but it is uncertain how C
1
metabolism affects the role of PHB. In the present study, the type II methanotroph
Methylocystis parvus
OBBP did not replicate using stored PHB in the absence of methane, even when all other nutrients were provided in excess. When PHB-rich cultures of
M. parvus
OBBP were deprived of carbon and nitrogen for 48 h, they did not utilize significant amounts of stored PHB, and neither cell concentrations nor concentrations of total suspended solids changed significantly. When methane and nitrogen both were present, PHB and methane were consumed simultaneously. Cells with PHB had significantly higher specific growth rates than cells lacking PHB. The addition of formate (a source of reducing power) to PHB-rich cells delayed PHB consumption, but the addition of glyoxylate (a source of C
2
units) did not. This and results from other researchers suggest that methanotrophic PHB metabolism is linked to the supply of reducing power as opposed to the supply of C
2
units for synthesis.
Modification of Norfloxacin by a Microbacterium sp. Strain Isolated from a Wastewater Treatment Plant
Authors: Kim Dae-Wi , Heinze Thomas M. , Kim Bong-Soo , Schnackenberg Laura K. , Woodling Kellie A. , Sutherland John B.
Published: July 2011

Antimicrobial residues found in municipal wastewater may increase selective pressure on microorganisms for development of resistance, but studies with mixed microbial cultures derived from wastewater have suggested that some bacteria are able to inactivate fluoroquinolones. Medium containingN-phenylpiperazine and inoculated with wastewater was used to enrich fluoroquinolone-modifying bacteria. One bacterial strain isolated from an enrichment culture was identified by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis as aMicrobacteriumsp. similar to a plant growth-promoting bacterium,Microbacterium azadirachtae(99.70%), and a nematode pathogen, “M. nematophilum” (99.02%). During growth in medium with norfloxacin, this strain produced four metabolites, which were identified by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analyses as 8-hydroxynorfloxacin, 6-defluoro-6-hydroxynorfloxacin, desethylene norfloxacin, andN-acetylnorfloxacin. The production of the first three metabolites was enhanced by ascorbic acid and nitrate, but it was inhibited by phosphate, amino acids, mannitol, formate, and thiourea. In contrast,N-acetylnorfloxacin was most abundant in cultures supplemented with amino acids. This is the first report of defluorination and hydroxylation of a fluoroquinolone by an isolated bacterial strain. The results suggest that some bacteria may degrade fluoroquinolones in wastewater to metabolites with less antibacterial activity that could be subject to further degradation by other microorganisms.