bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
On the Cost of Opportunistic Behavior in the Public Sector: A General‐Equilibrium Approach
Authors: VASILEV ALEKSANDAR
Published: August 2016

This paper studies the wasteful effect of bureaucracy on the economy by addressing the link between opportunistic behavior of government bureaucrats and the public sector wage bill. In particular, public officials are modeled as individuals competing for a larger share of those public funds. A simple extraction technology in the government administration is introduced in a standard real‐business‐cycle setup augmented with detailed public sector. The model is calibrated to German data for the period 1970–2007. The main findings are: (i) the model performs well vis‐à‐vis the data; (ii) due to the existence of a significant public sector wage premium and the high public sector employment, a substantial amount of working time is spent in opportunistic activities, which, in turn, leads to significant losses in terms of output; and (iii) the model‐based loss measures obtained for the EU‐12 countries are highly correlated to indices of bureaucratic inefficiency.
Sex‐based differential regulation of bacterial‐induced bone resorption
Authors: Valerio M. S. , Basilakos D. S. , Kirkpatrick J. E. , Chavez M. , Hathaway‐Schrader J. , Herbert B. A. , Kirkwood K. L.
Published: August 2016

Background and Objective

Periodontal disease pathogenesis is comprised of the complex inflammatory immune response to oral bacterial dysbiosis. Like other inflammatory diseases, there is sexual dimorphism evident in periodontal diseases. During periodontitis, inflammatory chemokines direct neutrophils to migrate to the site of infection to neutralize the pathogen. Interestingly, these same chemokines are also involved in regulating pathogen‐induced osteoclast formation. Previous reports show differences in bone turnover and lymphocyte recruitment between sexes. We hypothesize that chemokine expression is differentially regulated by sex and thus results in differential osteoclast formation.

Material and Methods

Male and female mice were utilized to isolate neutrophils based on expression of Ly6G‐specific, as well as defined osteoclast progenitors. Cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 100 ng/mL) then analyzed for neutrophil infiltration and gene expression. Defined osteoclast progenitors were primed: macrophage‐colony stimulating factor (25 ng/mL), receptor activator of NF‐κB ligand (50 ng/mL), then stimulated with LPS. Osteoclasts were enumerated via TRAP stain and mRNA isolated for gene expression analysis via quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

Results

In response to LPS, male neutrophils in vitro respond with increased chemokine expression and significantly more osteoclast formed in response to LPS compared to females.

Conclusions

Findings support observations in humans regarding a sexual dimorphism in oral bacterial infections of alveolar bone loss. Males have a strong inflammatory response to bacterial infection, resulting in increased inflammatory microenvironment, reduced pathogenic bacteria clearance and increased osteoclast‐driven bone loss in response to differential expression of key chemokines.
Microvascular hemodynamics in the chick chorioallantoic membrane
Authors: Smith Amy F. , Nitzsche Bianca , Maibier Martin , Pries Axel R. , Secomb Timothy W.
Published: August 2016

Objective

The microvasculature of the CAM in the developing chick embryo is characterized by interdigitating arteriolar and venular trees, connected at multiple points along their lengths to a mesh‐like capillary plexus. Theoretical modeling techniques were employed to investigate the resulting hemodynamic characteristics of the CAM.

Methods

Based on previously obtained anatomical data, a model was developed in which the capillary plexus was treated as a porous medium. Supply of blood from arterioles and drainage into venules were represented by distributions of flow sources and sinks. Predicted flow velocities were compared with measurements in arterioles and venules obtained via video microscopy.

Results

If it was assumed that blood flowed into and out of the capillary plexus only at the ends of terminal arterioles and venules, the predicted velocities increased with decreasing diameter in vessels below 50 μm in diameter, contrary to the observations. Distributing sources/sinks along arterioles/venules led to velocities consistent with the data.

Conclusions

These results imply that connections to the capillary plexus distributed along the arterioles and venules strongly affect the hemodynamic characteristics of the CAM. The theoretical model provides a basis for quantitative simulations of structural adaptation in CAM networks in response to hemodynamic stimuli.
Association of cardiovascular emerging risk factors with acute coronary syndrome and stroke: A case‐control study
Authors: Martínez Linares José Manuel , Guisado Barrilao Rafael , Ocaña Peinado Francisco Manuel , Salgado Parreño Francisco Javier
Published: August 2016

In this study, we estimated the risk of acute coronary syndrome and stroke associated with several emerging cardiovascular risk factors. This was a case‐control study, where an age ‐ and sex‐matched acute coronary syndrome group and stroke group were compared with controls. Demographic and clinical data were collected through patient interviews, and blood samples were taken for analysis. In the bivariate analysis, all cardiovascular risk factors analyzed showed as predictors of acute coronary syndrome and stroke, except total cholesterol and smoking. In the multivariate logistic regression model for acute coronary syndrome, hypertension and body mass index, N‐terminal section brain natriuretic peptide and pregnancy‐associated plasma protein‐A were independent predictors. For stroke, the predictors were hypertension, diabetes mellitus, body mass index, and N‐terminal section brain natriuretic peptide. Controlling for age, sex, and classical cardiovascular risk factors, N‐terminal section brain natriuretic peptide and pregnancy‐associated plasma protein‐A were independent emerging cardiovascular risk factors for acute coronary syndrome, but pregnancy‐associated plasma protein‐A was not for stroke. High levels of cardiovascular risk factors in individuals with no episodes of cardiovascular disease requires the implementation of prevention programs, given that at least half of them are modifiable.
Temporal and spectral properties of esophageal mucosal blood perfusion: a comparison between normal subjects and nutcracker esophagus patients
Authors: Zifan A. , Jiang Y. , Mittal R. K.
Published: August 2016

Background

The mechanism of esophageal pain in patients with nutcracker esophagus (NE) and other esophageal motor disorders is not known. Our recent study shows that baseline esophageal mucosal perfusion, measured by laser Doppler perfusion monitoring, is lower in NE patients compared to controls. The goal of our current study was to perform a more detailed analysis of esophageal mucosal blood perfusion (EMBP) waveform of NE patients and controls to determine the optimal EMBP biomarkers that combined with suitable statistical learning models produce robust discrimination between the two groups.

Methods

Laser Doppler recordings of 10 normal subjects (mean age 43 ± 15 years, 8 males) and 10 patients (mean age 47 ± 5.5 years., 8 males) with NE were analyzed. Time and frequency domain features were extracted from the first twenty‐minute recordings of the EMBP waveforms, statistically ranked according to four independent evaluation criterions, and analyzed using two statistical learning models, namely, logistic regression (LR) and support vector machines (SVM).

Key Results

The top three ranked predictors between the two groups were the 0.5 and 0.75 perfusion quantile values followed by the surface of the EMBP power spectrum in the frequency domain. ROC curve ranking produced a cross‐validated AUC (area under the curve) of 0.93 for SVM and 0.90 for LR.

Conclusions & Inferences

We show that as a group NE patients have lower perfusion values compared to controls, however, there is an overlap between the two groups, suggesting that not all NE patients suffer from low mucosal perfusion levels.
Seasonal variations drive short‐term dynamics and partitioning of recently assimilated carbon in the foliage of adult beech and pine
Authors: Desalme Dorine , Priault Pierrick , Gérant Dominique , Dannoura Masako , Maillard Pascale , Plain Caroline , Epron Daniel
Published: August 2016

13CO2 pulse‐labelling experiments were performed in situ on adult beeches (Fagus sylvatica) and pines (Pinus pinaster) at different phenological stages to study seasonal and interspecific short‐term dynamics and partitioning of recently assimilated carbon (C) in leaves.

Polar fraction (PF, including soluble sugars, amino acids and organic acids) and starch were purified from foliage sampled during a 10‐d chase period. C contents, isotopic compositions and 13C dynamics parameters were determined in bulk foliage, PF and starch.

Decrease in 13C amount in bulk foliage followed a two‐pool exponential model highlighting 13C partitioning between ‘mobile’ and ‘stable’ pools, the relative proportion of the latter being maximal in beech leaves in May. Early in the growing season, new foliage acted as a strong C sink in both species, but although young leaves and needles were already photosynthesizing, the latter were still supplied with previous‐year needle photosynthates 2 months after budburst. Mean 13C residence times (MRT) were minimal in summer, indicating fast photosynthate export to supply perennial organ growth in both species. In late summer, MRT differed between senescing beech leaves and overwintering pine needles.

Seasonal variations of 13C partitioning and dynamics in field‐grown tree foliage are closely linked to phenological differences between deciduous and evergreen trees.
The class III peroxidase PRX17 is a direct target of the MADS‐box transcription factor AGAMOUS‐LIKE15 (AGL15) and participates in lignified tissue formation
Authors: Cosio Claudia , Ranocha Philippe , Francoz Edith , Burlat Vincent , Zheng Yumei , Perry Sharyn E. , Ripoll Juan‐Jose , Yanofsky Martin , Dunand Christophe
Published: August 2016

Several physiological functions have been attributed to class III peroxidases (PRXs) in plants, but the in planta role of most members of this family still remains undetermined. Here, we report the first functional characterization of PRX17 (At2g22420), one of the 73 members of this family in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Localization of PRX17 was examined by transient expression in Nicotiana benthamiana. Loss‐ and gain‐of‐function mutants in A. thaliana were studied. Regulation at the gene and protein levels was analyzed using β‐glucuronidase (GUS) activity, quantitative reverse transcriptase (qRT)‐PCR, zymography, and chromatin immunoprecipitation. Phenotypes were characterized including lignin and xylan contents.

PRX17 was expressed in various tissues, including vascular tissues, and PRX17 was localized to the cell wall. In prx17, the lignin content was reduced in the stem and siliques and bolting was delayed, while the opposite phenotype was observed in 35S:PRX17 plants, together with a significant increase of lignin and xylan immunofluorescence signal. Finally, we demonstrated that the transcription factor AGAMOUS‐LIKE15 (AGL15) binds to the PRX17 promoter and regulates PRX17 expression level.

This converging set of structural, transcriptomic and physiological data suggests that PRX17, under the control of AGL15, contributes to developmental programs by playing an essential role in regulating age‐dependent lignified tissue formation, including changes in cell wall properties.
Cancer stem cells and epithelial‐mesenchymal transition: Novel therapeutic targets for cancer
Authors: Ishiwata Toshiyuki
Published: August 2016

Despite the development of various therapeutic approaches, recurrence and metastasis remain major problems for patients with advanced cancer. Recent studies have shown that cancer stem cells (CSCs) play an important role in cancer aggressiveness. In cancer tissues, a small number of CSCs are able to self‐renew and differentiate into heterogeneous cancer cells. CSCs usually remain in the resting phase of the cell cycle and possess efficient drug efflux pathways. Thus, they are resistant to chemoradiotherapy and surviving CSCs contribute to recurrence. During cancer metastasis, CSCs undergo epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT), thereby acquiring mesenchymal features, migrating to adjacent stromal tissues, and invading blood or lymph vessels. Recent studies showed that EMT‐inducible factors also enhance or induce CSC‐like features in cancer cells. These findings suggest that EMT is closely correlated with cancer recurrence and metastasis. Inhibition of nestin, a CSC marker, reduces the aggressiveness of several types of cancer. Suppression of the mesenchymal variant of fibroblast growth factor (FGFR)‐2, FGFR‐2 IIIc, and regulation of the EMT using epithelial splicing regulatory protein 1 (ESRP1) are effective in the treatment of immunodeficient mice with pancreatic cancer. The roles of CSCs and EMT in cancer and possible therapies are discussed in this review.
Effects of elevated carbon dioxide on stomatal characteristics and carbon isotope ratio of Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes originating from an altitudinal gradient
Authors: Caldera H. Iroja U. , De Costa W. A. Janendra M. , Woodward F. Ian , Lake Janice A. , Ranwala Sudheera M. W.
Published: August 2016

Stomatal functioning regulates the fluxes of CO2 and water vapor between vegetation and atmosphere and thereby influences plant adaptation to their habitats. Stomatal traits are controlled by external environmental and internal cellular signaling. The objective of this study was to quantify the effects of CO2 enrichment (CE) on stomatal density (SD)‐related properties, guard cell length (GCL) and carbon isotope ratio (δ13C) of a range of Arabidopsis thaliana ecotypes originating from a wide altitudinal range [50–1260 m above sea level (asl)], and grown at 400 and 800 ppm [CO2], and thereby elucidate the possible adaptation and acclimation responses controlling stomatal traits and water use efficiency (WUE). There was a highly significant variation among ecotypes in the magnitude and direction of response of stomatal traits namely, SD and stomatal index (SI) and GCL, and δ13C to CE, which represented a short‐term acclimation response. A majority of ecotypes showed increased SD and SI with CE with the response not depending on the altitude of origin. Significant ecotypic variation was shown in all stomatal traits and δ13C at each [CO2]. At 400 ppm, means of SD, SI and GCL for broad altitudinal ranges, i.e. low (<100 m), mid (100–400 m) and high (>400 m), increased with increasing altitude, which represented an adaptation response to decreased availability of CO2 with altitude. δ13C was negatively correlated to SD and SI at 800 ppm but not at 400 ppm. Our results highlight the diversity in the response of key stomatal characters to CE and altitude within the germplasm of A. thaliana and the need to consider this diversity when using A. thaliana as a model plant.
What Defines Us as Professionals in the Field of Risk Analysis?
Authors: Aven Terje
Published: August 2016

In a recent issue of Risk Analysis, the then‐President of the Society for Risk Analysis (SRA), Pamela Williams, has some interesting reflections about the risk analysis field. She states that the ability and desire to tackle difficult problems using a risk analytical approach is what uniquely defines us as professionals in the field of risk analysis. The point of departure for her discussion is interviews with the plenary speakers of the 2014 SRA Annual Meeting, who addressed two divisive topics: hydraulic fracking and marijuana use. She points to several themes that invite contributions from the field of risk analysis, including: Has the full spectrum of potential risks and benefits been identified and weighted, and what are the risk tradeoffs or countervailing risks? Inspired by Williams's reflections, and by analyzing the issues raised in the interviews, this article seeks to clarify what our field is really providing. A main conclusion of the article is that it is essential to acknowledge that professionals in the field of risk analysis merely support the tackling of such problems, and that their genuine competence—that which distinguishes them from other professionals—lies in the risk analytical approach itself.
Popularity: Does it magnify associations between popularity prioritization and the bullying and defending behavior of early adolescent boys and girls?
Authors: Duffy Amanda L. , Penn Sarah , Nesdale Drew , Zimmer‐Gembeck Melanie J.
Published: August 2016

We investigated the contribution of popularity, popularity prioritization, and gender to the explanation of bullying and defending behavior. Participants were 191 early adolescents (124 girls and 67 boys), aged from 10.9 to 13.6 years. Results revealed that adolescents high on popularity were more likely to bully others. Greater popularity prioritization was also associated with more bullying among boys with high levels, and girls with low levels, of popularity. In addition, popularity was positively related to defending among girls, but not boys. Lower popularity prioritization also contributed to greater defending overall. The implications of these findings for understanding bullying and defending are discussed.
The Legitimacy of Alien Rulers
Authors: Horne Christine , Ben‐Nun Bloom Pazit , Irwin Kyle , Miodownik Dan , Hechter Michael
Published: August 2016

In the modern world, alien rulers are generally perceived to lack legitimacy. Political legitimacy is important because it is thought to be the principal alternative to coercive institutions. Little empirical evidence supports these claims, however. We devise a laboratory experiment that isolates alienness from other ruler characteristics. The experiment tests whether alien rulers have less legitimacy than native rulers, and whether the ability to punish compensates for this disadvantage. Using American and Israeli college student samples, we find that alien rulers receive less compliance than native rulers, and that the ability to punish does not allow alien rulers to “catch‐up” with native rulers.
Pilot study on the correlation between skin auto‐fluorescence and serum antioxidant enzyme: skin auto‐fluorescence is negatively associated with levels of malondialdehyde
Authors: Yim J. H. , Jeong K. H. , Kim J. Y. , Cho Y. H. , Bae S. J. , Shin M. K.
Published: August 2016

Background/purpose

Various methods have been used to objectively record skin changes. However, estimating the intrinsic and extrinsic aging of skin remains a challenge. Our objective was to study intrinsic skin aging with respect to patient age and extrinsic photo‐aging of human dorsal (photo‐exposed) and volar (photo‐protected) forearm in vivo through skin auto‐fluorescence (AF). We also examined the correlations between serum antioxidant enzyme, malondialdehyde(MDA), and skin AF.

Methods

37 healthy volunteers were enrolled. We measured skin AF and its heterogeneity on the dorsal and volar forearms. We also examined serum concentration of catalase, superoxide dismutase, vitamin E, and MDA levels in every participant.

Results

In photo‐protected areas, skin AF intensity in the 40 years or older group was significantly higher compared to the group less than 40 years‐old. On the other hand, heterogeneity value was significantly higher in the less than 40 years‐old group in photo‐protected area. With respect to serum antioxidant enzyme and MDA level, only MDA level showed a negative correlation with skin AF intensity in photo‐exposed area.

Conclusion

We determined that skin AF intensity of the photo‐protected area reflects intrinsic skin aging. In addition, degree of photo‐aging could be indirectly inferred by skin AF of photo‐exposed area and serum MDA level.
The Racial Structure of Economic Inequality in the United States: Understanding Change and Continuity in an Era of “Great Divergence”*
Authors: Hero Rodney E. , Levy Morris E.
Published: August 2016

The “great divergence” of America's rich from its middle class and poor has led some observers to see a country increasingly stratified by income and wealth, more so than by race. In this article, the first in a two‐part series, we argue that this conclusion overlooks the persistent importance of the racial “structure” of inequality. A decomposition of income inequality between 1980 and 2010 using the Theil Index shows that inequality between racial groups accounts for a rising share of total income inequality over this period nationally and in most states. We also demonstrate that within‐state trends in the between‐race component of inequality are not fully accounted for by trends in income inequality and racial diversity per se. These findings lay the groundwork for a forthcoming companion piece in Social Science Quarterly that shows that between‐race inequality is strongly linked to welfare policy outcomes in the United States.
The developmental transcriptome atlas of the biofuel crop Camelina sativa
Authors: Kagale Sateesh , Nixon John , Khedikar Yogendra , Pasha Asher , Provart Nicholas J. , Clarke Wayne E. , Bollina Venkatesh , Robinson Stephen J. , Coutu Cathy , Hegedus Dwayne D. , Sharpe Andrew G. , Parkin Isobel A. P.
Published: August 2016

Camelina sativa is currently being embraced as a viable industrial bio‐platform crop due to a number of desirable agronomic attributes and the unique fatty acid profile of the seed oil that has applications for food, feed and biofuel. The recent completion of the reference genome sequence of C. sativa identified a young hexaploid genome. To complement this work, we have generated a genome‐wide developmental transcriptome map by RNA sequencing of 12 different tissues covering major developmental stages during the life cycle of C. sativa. We have generated a digital atlas of this comprehensive transcriptome resource that enables interactive visualization of expression data through a searchable database of electronic fluorescent pictographs (eFP browser). An analysis of this dataset supported expression of 88% of the annotated genes in C. sativa and provided a global overview of the complex architecture of temporal and spatial gene expression patterns active during development. Conventional differential gene expression analysis combined with weighted gene expression network analysis uncovered similarities as well as differences in gene expression patterns between different tissues and identified tissue‐specific genes and network modules. A high‐quality census of transcription factors, analysis of alternative splicing and tissue‐specific genome dominance provided insight into the transcriptional dynamics and sub‐genome interplay among the well‐preserved triplicated repertoire of homeologous loci. The comprehensive transcriptome atlas in combination with the reference genome sequence provides a powerful resource for genomics research which can be leveraged to identify functional associations between genes and understand the regulatory networks underlying developmental processes.
Indoor versus outdoor running: understanding how recreational exercise comes to inhabit environments through practitioner talk
Authors: Hitchings Russell , Latham Alan
Published: August 2016

Starting with a series of perspectives on why and where humans run, this paper considers how running comes to happen in some environments instead of others and how it is experienced thereafter. More specifically, we are interested in the processes by which contemporary recreational running has come to take place either indoors on treadmills or outside on pavements and paths. Running has been recently positioned as an obvious target for those hoping to encourage public health among increasingly time‐pressured populations and running outdoors can often lead to additional benefits. Yet how it is that runners and environments come to coalesce has yet to be examined in any great detail. This paper responds by drawing on theories of how embodied practices spread through society to further an emergent geographical interest in the speech patterns of everyday life. With reference to a project involving accompanied runs and interviews with groups of both indoor and outdoor recreational runners in London, we ask what the subtleties of their running talk tells us about how exercisers become attached to the environments they currently occupy and how they might feasibly be encouraged elsewhere.
Building transitions to post‐capitalist urban commons
Authors: Chatterton Paul
Published: August 2016

This paper opens up a novel geographical research agenda on building transitions beyond the capitalist present. It brings into conversation two previously disconnected areas of academic debate: socio‐technical transition studies and more radical work on post‐capitalism. The paper offers empirical evidence of real‐life socio‐spatial practices that build postcapitalist socio‐technical transitions through a case study of the daily experiences, motives and values of residents in a community‐led cohousing project in the UK. I begin by exploring definitions around post‐capitalism and transition thinking, and then introduce the notion of the urban commons to point towards the geographies of post‐capitalist transitions and illustrate the kinds of social and spatial relations that underpin them. The paper then provides empirical substance for a geographical agenda around post‐capitalist transitions through the case study, highlighting themes of experimentation, transformation and direct democracy. The paper concludes with some strategic future reflections and makes a claim for a geographical research agenda that elaborates the possible radical geographies and place imaginaries of post‐capitalist transitions in our teaching, research and policy work. Unless geographers forge direct and necessary links between transitioning and moving beyond capitalism, our ability to take decisive and meaningful action on the challenges that lie ahead will be limited.
Efficacy of fluralaner in 17 dogs with sarcoptic mange
Authors: Romero Camilo , Heredia Rafael , Pineda Jocelyn , Serrano Jonathan A. , Mendoza Germán D. , Trápala Porfirio , Cordero Alberto M.
Published: August 2016

Background

There are few licensed options for the treatment of canine sarcoptic mange.

Objective

To evaluate the efficacy of fluralaner in dogs with sarcoptic mange infestation.

Animals

Seventeen dogs with a diagnosis of Sarcoptes scabiei based on positive skin scrapings.

Methods

A single dose of oral fluralaner was administered according to the manufacturer's instructions. Assessments of pruritus and lesions were performed every 7 days for 1 month.

Results

By Day 14 post‐treatment, skin scrapings from all dogs were negative for mites. At the beginning of the study there was a negative correlation between body weight of the subject and pruritus [Pearson correlation coefficient (PCC) = −0.396, P = 0.007] and a positive correlation between pruritus and lesion severity (PCC 0.755, P = 0.0001). Significant decreases in lesion size and pruritus were observed within the first 14–21 days, respectively, and improvement in these parameters continued until the end of the study at Day 28.

Conclusion

Fluralaner was effective in eliminating scabies mites within 14 days and significantly resolved the clinical signs associated with sarcoptic mange within 21 days after a single dose.
RELIGIOUS HYPOTHESES AND THE APOPHATIC, RELATIONAL THEOLOGY OF CATHERINE KELLER
Authors: Wegter‐McNelly Kirk
Published: August 2016

In one of its most urgent folds, Catherine Keller's Cloud of the Impossible juxtaposes negative theology with relational theology for the sake of thinking constructively about today's global climate of religious conflict and ecological upheaval. The tension between these two theological approaches reflects her desire to unsay past harmful theological speech but also to speak into the present silences about the (perhaps im)possibility of a future that is not only to be feared. Suffusing Keller's Cloud is the related (perhaps im)possibility of living out one's life in conversation with a religious tradition having accepted the nonknowing character of its wisdom. Here, I develop the notion of “hypothetical faith” as an epistemic posture that commits itself to some particular religious tradition even as it acknowledges the unverifiability of that tradition's deepest truths. Understood as operating at the opposite end of the testability spectrum from science, religion‐as‐hypothesis provides a way of saying and unsaying one's tradition at the same time.
ENFOLDING VIOLENCE, UNFOLDING HOPE: EMERGING CLOUDS OF POSSIBILITY FOR WOMEN IN ROMAN CATHOLICISM
Authors: Carpenter Colleen Mary
Published: August 2016

In an effort to think through possible impossibilities, and enfold current problems within Catholicism into the luminous darkness of the cloud of the im/possible, this response to Catherine Keller's Cloud of the Impossible considers what might happen should Keller's cloud of mindful unknowing and nonseparable difference billow over and through one particular Catholic conundrum: how to respond to the terrifying reality of domestic violence in the context of a marriage defined as indissoluble, imperishable—inescapable.
INTO TERRA INCOGNITA: CHARTING BEYOND PETER HARRISON'S THE TERRITORIES OF SCIENCEAND RELIGION
Authors: Fuller Michael
Published: August 2016

Peter Harrison's The Territories of Science and Religion throws down a serious challenge to advocates of dialogue as the primary means of engagement between science and religion. This article accepts the validity of this challenge and looks at four possible responses to it. The first—a return to the past—is rejected. The remaining three—exploring new epistemic frameworks for the encounter of science and religion, broadening out the engagement beyond the context of the physical sciences and Western culture, and looking at ways in which scientific and theological practitioners may collaborate on practical problems—are all offered as potential ways in which science and religion may engage with one another, in ways which move beyond Harrison's critique.
WHEN MUST A PATIENT SEEK HEALTHCARE? BRINGING THE PERSPECTIVES OF ISLAMIC JURISTS AND CLINICIANS INTO DIALOGUE
Authors: Qureshi Omar , Padela Aasim I.
Published: August 2016

Muslim physicians and Islamic jurists analyze the moral dimensions of biomedicine using different tools and processes. While the deliberations of these two classes of experts involve judgments about the deliverables of the other's respective fields, Islamic jurists and Muslim physicians rarely engage in discussions about the constructs and epistemic frameworks that motivate their analyses. The lack of dialogue creates gaps in knowledge and leads to imprecise guidance. In order to address these discursive and conceptual gaps we describe the sources of knowledge and reasoning employed by Islamic jurists and clinicians to resolve the question of when a patient must seek healthcare. As we examine both the scriptural evidence and legal reasoning of jurists and the types of medical evidence used by clinicians to address the same question, we draw attention to the epistemic frameworks and constructs at play and identify how constructs from one field may sharpen the deliberative exercises of the other. Hence our work advances discourses at the intersection of Islam and medicine and offers building blocks for a comprehensive Islamic framework that fully integrates the deliverables of medical science within the deliberations of Islamic jurists.
Investigation of TiN thin film oxidation depending on the substrate temperature at vacuum break
Authors: Piallat Fabien , Gassilloud Remy , Caubet Pierre , Vallée Christophe
Published: August 2016

Due to the reduction of the thickness of the layers used in the advanced technology nodes, there is a growing importance of the surface phenomena in the definition of the general properties of the materials. One of the least controlled and understood phenomenon is the oxidation of metals after deposition, at the vacuum break. In this study, the influence of the sample temperature at vacuum break on the oxidation level of TiN deposited by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition is investigated. TiN resistivity appears to be lower for samples which underwent vacuum break at high temperature. Using X-ray photoelectron spectrometry analysis, this change is correlated to the higher oxidation of the TiN layer. Moreover, angle resolved XPS analysis reveals that higher is the temperature at the vacuum break, higher is the surface oxidation of the sample. This surface oxidation is in turn limiting the diffusion of oxygen in the volume of the layer. Additionally, evolution of TiN layers resistivity was monitored in time and it shows that resistivity increases until a plateau is reached after about 10 days, with the lowest temperature at vacuum break resulting in the highest increase, i.e., the resistivity of the sample released to atmosphere at high temperature increased by a factor 1.7 whereas the resistivity of the sample cooled down under vacuum temperature increased by a factor 2.7.
Study on bubble defects in roll-to-roll UV imprinting process for micropyramid arrays II: Numerical study
Authors: Peng Linfa , Wu Hao , Yi Peiyun , Lai Xinmin
Published: August 2016

Roll-to-roll (R2R) ultraviolet (UV) imprinting process is a very competitive technique for the large-area fabrication of micropyramid structures on polymer substrates. However, bubble defect is a serious problem that significantly deteriorates the performance of the optical films. The elimination of bubble defects in microstructures is pivotal to the successful application of optical films in various fields. Based on previous experimental results, a numerical model for the R2R UV imprinting of micropyramid structure was established to analyze the generation mechanism of the bubble defect in the micropyramid structure. The flow behavior of the resist in the microcavities was observed and discussed. The relationship between processing parameters and bubble defects in the R2R UV imprinting process was investigated, and the possible reasons for the difference in the filling of the micropyramid structures and the generation of bubble defect were presented and discussed. Also, the material inlet direction in accordance with the pyramid structure placement was considered and its influence on the filling process of the technique was analyzed. It was found that inlet direction has a significant impact on the filling condition of the pyramid structure. It could cause the difference between full and partial filling, and the difference of the shape and the location of bubble defects if they exist. These findings provide insights into the flow behavior of the resist material on microscale and shed light on what is causing the differences in the final filling condition of the micropyramid structures, which can be of good theoretical guidance to the industrial application of the technique.
Frequency shifts in distortion-product otoacoustic emissions evoked by swept tones
Authors: Shera Christopher A. , Abdala Carolina
Published: August 2016

When distortion-product otoacoustic emissions (DPOAEs) are evoked using stimuli whose instantaneous frequencies change rapidly and continuously with time (swept tones), the oscillatory interference pattern known as distortion-product fine structure shifts slightly along the frequency axis in the same direction as the sweep. By analogy with the temporal mechanisms thought to underlie the differing efficacies of up- and down-swept stimuli as perceptual maskers (e.g., Schroeder-phase complexes), fine-structure shifts have been ascribed to the phase distortion associated with dispersive wave propagation in the cochlea. This paper tests an alternative hypothesis and finds that the observed shifts arise predominantly as a methodological side effect of the analysis procedures commonly used to extract delayed emissions from the measured time waveform. Approximate expressions for the frequency shifts of DPOAE distortion and reflection components are derived, validated with computer simulations, and applied to account for DPOAE fine-structure shifts measured in human subjects. Component magnitudes are shown to shift twice as much as component phases. Procedures for compensating swept-tone measurements to obtain estimates of the total DPOAE and its components measured at other sweep rates or in the sinusoidal steady state are presented.
Response to Comment on “Mutation rate and genotype variation of Ebola virus from Mali case sequences”
Authors: Hoenen Thomas , Groseth Allison , Safronetz David , Wollenberg Kurt , Feldmann Heinz
Published: August 2016

Rambaut
et al
. show that the erratum to our report on Ebola virus Makona evolution not only corrected sample dates modified by others in GenBank but also corrected an additional transcriptional error in our original analysis. We agree with their observation that both factors contributed to our revised evolutionary rate estimate but continue to stand by our revised estimate and conclusions.
Isolation and structural and electronic characterization of salts of the decamethylferrocene dication
Authors: Malischewski M. , Adelhardt M. , Sutter J. , Meyer K. , Seppelt K.
Published: August 2016

Charging up the iron in ferrocene salts

Ferrocene is the archetype of the sandwich compounds, so called because a metal atom is inserted between two carbon rings. The elucidation of ferrocene's structure was pivotal to the development of organometallic chemistry during the mid-20th century. The ease with which the iron in the center of the molecule can toggle between the +2 and +3 oxidation states has made the compound a common electrochemical standard. Malischewski
et al.
report the synthesis and isolation of ferrocene salts with iron in the +4 state, which they characterize crystallographically and spectroscopically.

Science
, this issue p.
678
The impact of homelessness prevention programs on homelessness
Authors: Evans William N. , Sullivan James X. , Wallskog Melanie
Published: August 2016

Programs that buffer a financial shock work

For people without a safety net of social and financial resources, a shock, such as medical expenses not covered by insurance, can be the first step in a downward spiral toward homelessness and morbidity. Evans
et al.
evaluate the effectiveness and cost of a program in Chicago that provides temporary financial assistance with the aim of enabling individuals to stay in their homes and out of homeless shelters. They find that one-time payments of up to $1500 greatly reduce the likelihood of homelessness. The estimated economic benefits exceed the estimated costs, with immeasurable psychic and physical benefits.

Science
, this issue p.
694
Lectin-type oxidized LDL receptor-1 distinguishes population of human polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells in cancer patients
Authors: Condamine Thomas , Dominguez George A. , Youn Je-In , Kossenkov Andrew V. , Mony Sridevi , Alicea-Torres Kevin , Tcyganov Evgenii , Hashimoto Ayumi , Nefedova Yulia , Lin Cindy , Partlova Simona , Garfall Alfred , Vogl Dan T. , Xu Xiaowei , Knight Stella C. , Malietzis George , Lee Gui Han , Eruslanov Evgeniy , Albelda Steven M. , Wang Xianwei , Mehta Jawahar L. , Bewtra Meenakshi , Rustgi Anil , Hockstein Neil , Witt Robert , Masters Gregory , Nam Brian , Smirnov Denis , Sepulveda Manuel A. , Gabrilovich Dmitry I.
Published: August 2016

PMN-MDSC in cancer patients can be distinguished from neutrophils by a genomic signature and by expression of the LOX-1 receptor.
KlebSeq, a Diagnostic Tool for Surveillance, Detection, and Monitoring of Klebsiella pneumoniae
Authors: Bowers Jolene R. , Lemmer Darrin , Sahl Jason W. , Pearson Talima , Driebe Elizabeth M. , Wojack Bette , Saubolle Michael A. , Engelthaler David M. , Keim Paul
Published: August 2016

Health care-acquired infections (HAIs) kill tens of thousands of people each year and add significantly to health care costs. Multidrug-resistant and epidemic strains are a large proportion of HAI agents, and multidrug-resistant strains of
Klebsiella pneumoniae
, a leading HAI agent, have caused an urgent public health crisis. In the health care environment, patient colonization by
K. pneumoniae
precedes infection, and transmission via colonization leads to outbreaks. Periodic patient screening for
K. pneumoniae
colonization has the potential to curb the number of HAIs. In this report, we describe the design and validation of KlebSeq, a highly informative screening tool that detects
Klebsiella
species and identifies clinically important strains and characteristics by using highly multiplexed amplicon sequencing without a live-culturing step. We demonstrate the utility of this tool on several complex specimen types, including urine, wound swabs and tissue, and several types of respiratory and fecal specimens, showing
K. pneumoniae
species and clonal group identification and antimicrobial resistance and virulence profiling, including capsule typing. Use of this amplicon sequencing tool to screen patients for
Klebsiella
carriage could inform health care staff of the risk of infection and outbreak potential. KlebSeq also serves as a model for next-generation molecular tools for public health and health care, as expansion of this tool can be used for several other HAI agents or applications.
Assuring the Quality of Next-Generation Sequencing in Clinical Microbiology and Public Health Laboratories
Authors: Gargis Amy S. , Kalman Lisa , Lubin Ira M.
Published: August 2016

Clinical microbiology and public health laboratories are beginning to utilize next-generation sequencing (NGS) for a range of applications. This technology has the potential to transform the field by providing approaches that will complement, or even replace, many conventional laboratory tests. While the benefits of NGS are significant, the complexities of these assays require an evolving set of standards to ensure testing quality. Regulatory and accreditation requirements, professional guidelines, and best practices that help ensure the quality of NGS-based tests are emerging. This review highlights currently available standards and guidelines for the implementation of NGS in the clinical and public health laboratory setting, and it includes considerations for NGS test validation, quality control procedures, proficiency testing, and reference materials.
Commentary: Automatic Digital Plate Reading for Surveillance Cultures
Authors: Kirn Thomas J.
Published: August 2016

The automation of specimen processing and culture workup has rapidly emerged in clinical microbiology laboratories throughout the world and more recently in the United States. While many U.S. laboratories have implemented some form of automated specimen processing and some have begun performing digital plate reading, automated colony analysis is just beginning to be utilized clinically. In this issue of the
Journal of Clinical Microbiology
, M. L. Faron et al. (J Clin Microbiol 54:2470–2475, 2016,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JCM.01040-16
) report the results of their evaluation of the performance of the WASPLab Chromogenic Detection Module (CDM) for categorizing chromogenic agar plates as negative or “nonnegative” for vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE). Their major finding was 100% sensitivity for detection of “nonnegative” specimens using CDM compared to manual methods for specimens plated on two different types of VRE chromogenic agar plates. Additionally, utilization of digital plate reading in conjunction with automated colony analysis was predicted to result in significant savings based on greatly reduced labor costs.
Commentary: Next-Generation Sequencing: a Diagnostic One-Stop Shop for Hepatitis C?
Authors: Poljak Mario
Published: August 2016

Before starting chronic hepatitis C treatment, the viral genotype/subtype has to be accurately determined and potentially coupled with drug resistance testing. Due to the high genetic variability of the hepatitis C virus, this can be a demanding task that can potentially be streamlined by viral whole-genome sequencing using next-generation sequencing as demonstrated by an article in this issue of the
Journal of Clinical Microbiology
by E. Thomson, C. L. C. Ip, A. Badhan, M. T. Christiansen, W. Adamson, et al. (J Clin Microbiol. 54:2455–2469, 2016,
http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/JCM.00330-16
).
RIG-I-Mediated STING Upregulation Restricts Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Infection
Authors: Liu Yiliu , Goulet Marie-Line , Sze Alexandre , Hadj Samar Bel , Belgnaoui Sidi Mehdi , Lababidi Rassin R. , Zheng Chunfu , Fritz Jörg Hermann , Olagnier David , Lin Rongtuan
Published: August 2016

STING has emerged in recent years as a key player in orchestrating innate immune responses to cytosolic DNA and RNA derived from pathogens. However, the regulation of STING still remains poorly defined. In the present study, we investigated the mechanism of the regulation of STING expression in relation to the RIG-I pathway. Our data show that signaling through RIG-I induces STING expression at both the transcriptional and protein levels in various cell types. STING induction by the RIG-I agonist 5′triphosphorylated RNA (5′pppRNA) was recognized to be a delayed event resulting from an autocrine/paracrine mechanism. Indeed, cotreatment with tumor necrosis factor alpha and type I/II interferon was found to have a synergistic effect on the regulation of STING expression and could be potently decreased by impairing NF-κB and/or STAT1/2 signaling. STING induction significantly contributed to sustainment of the immune signaling cascade following 5′pppRNA treatment. Physiologically, this cross talk between the RNA- and DNA-sensing pathways allowed 5′pppRNA to efficiently block infection by herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) both
in vitro
and
in vivo
in a STING-dependent fashion. These observations demonstrate that STING induction by RIG-I signaling through the NF-κB and STAT1/2 cascades is essential for RIG-I agonist-mediated HSV-1 restriction.

IMPORTANCE
The innate immune system represents the first line of defense against invading pathogens. The dysregulation of this system can result in failure to combat pathogens, inflammation, and autoimmune diseases. Thus, precise regulation at each level of the innate immune system is crucial. Recently, a number of studies have established STING to be a central molecule in the innate immune response to cytosolic DNA and RNA derived from pathogens. Here, we describe the regulation of STING via RIG-I-mediated innate immune sensing. We found that STING is synergistically induced via proinflammatory and antiviral cytokine cascades. In addition, we show that
in vivo
protection against herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) by a RIG-I agonist required STING. Our study provides new insights into the cross talk between DNA and RNA pathogen-sensing systems via the control of STING.