bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Essential Oils and Trichoderma Harzianum as an Integrated Control Measure Against Faba Bean Root Rot Pathogens
Authors: Abdel-Kader Mokhtar , El-Mougy Nehal , Lashin Sirag
Published: June 2011

Essential Oils andTrichoderma Harzianumas an Integrated Control Measure Against Faba Bean Root Rot Pathogens

Carnation, caraway, thyme, peppermint and geranium essential oils have been found to have inhibitory effects against the mycelial growth ofFusarium solani,Rhizoctonia solani,Sclerotium rolfsiiandMacrophomina phaseolinaunderin vitroconditions. Complete inhibition of fungal growth was observed with the use of 4% carnation and geranium oils. Mycelial growth of the tested fungi showed more sensitivity to high concentrations of thyme than to caraway and peppermint oils. Moreover, essential oils used to coat seeds resulted in a significant reduction of root rot incidence of bean, at both pre- and post-emergence stages under greenhouse conditions. Under field conditions seeds coated with essential oils at a concentration of 4% sown in soil treated with the bio-agentTrihoderma harzianum, gave pronounced protection to emerged bean seeds against the invasion of root rot pathogenic fungi. Compared to the control, the above treatment resulted in a reduction of disease incidence at the pre-emergence stage. This reduction was calculated to be between 47.3 and 55.4% compared with a 16.1% reduction with the use of the Rizolex-T treatment. At the post-emergence stage, all applied treatments were able to reduce the percentage of root-rot incidence. Reduction ranged between 41.4 and 47.1% over the untreated control. Reduction in disease incidence was reflected in a yield increase of 15.1-28.8% and 40.1-50%, in seeds coated with one of the different essential oils, or combined withT. harzianumsoil treatments, in the respective order. Seeds coated with the fungicide Rhizolex-T caused a yield increase estimated as 11.3% over the check treatment. These results show that application of essential oils in integration with the bio-agentT. harzianummay be considered as an applicable, safe and cost-effective method for controlling such soilborne diseases.
First Report of Cylindrocladium Scoparium on Cuphea Hyssopifolia in Poland
Authors: Orlikowski Leszek , Ptaszek Magdalena
Published: June 2011

First Report ofCylindrocladium ScopariumonCuphea Hyssopifoliain Poland

Cylindrocladium scopariumMorgan was isolated from diseased stem parts ofCuphea hyssopifoliacuttings, which were rooting on greenhouse benches. In the laboratory trial, the species colonized leaf blades as well as stem parts and roots with a significantly quicker spread of necroses on cv. Violet than on cvs. White and Rose. In the greenhouse trial, yellowing and dying of cuphea leaves was observed already after 7 days of rooting the cuttings in substratum infested byC. scoparium. After 2 weeks, all cuttings that were rooting in noninfested substratum produced roots, and no symptoms were observed on leaves. On plants growing in substratum infested with the tested species, yellowing, dying of leaf blades and only rooting of 1/5 of the cuttings was observed on cv. Violet, whereas cvs. White and Rose were less susceptible.
Law, Social Norms and Welfare as Means of Public Administration: Case Study of Mahalla Institutions in Uzbekistan
Authors: Urinboyev Rustamjon
Published: June 2011

Law, Social Norms and Welfare as Means of Public Administration: Case Study of Mahalla Institutions in Uzbekistan

Despite numerous challenges, since its independence, Uzbekistan, with the exception of the May 2005 Andijan events, has enjoyed extraordinary political stability and not recorded any considerable cases of interethnic or interfaith conflict, regime change or civil war, whereas neighboring Kyrgyzstan, labeled an "island of democracy" by the Western world, has experienced numerous conflicts and chaos, ranging from "color revolutions" to ethnic conflict. However, for understanding Uzbekistan's ability to cope with internal and external challenges, little recourse is made to the post-independence discourse on public administration known as "mahalla reforms". In spite of the significant existing body of literature on the mahalla, there has been little systematic scholarly investigation of the role of mahalla in maintaining political stability and security in Uzbekistan. Previous studies did not provide an account of how the law, social norms and welfare come to interplay in the mahalla system and how this influences the public administration developments in Uzbekistan. This paper begins to redress this lacuna by analyzing public-administration reforms in post-independence Uzbekistan, namely mahalla reforms, with an effort to show how political and social stability is established through mahalla, and to what extent those reforms have affected the position of individuals vis-à-vis the public-administration system. In undertaking this task, the paper employs three theoretical concepts: the theory of norms, the welfare-pentagon model and the theory of social control. In this paper, I argue that public-administration reforms since 1991 have transformed mahalla into a comprehensive system of social control; and therefore, mahalla can be places of democratic involvement or sites of authoritarianism in Uzbekistan.
Current State and Development Prospects of the Russian Economy
Authors: Rodionova Irina , Kokuytseva Tatiana
Published: June 2011

Current State and Development Prospects of the Russian Economy

The article characterises changes that have occurred in the economy of Russia and its foreign trade over the recent years. It estimates the country's position in the world ranking. The process of Russia's involvement in integrated world economic development after the collapse of the socialist system has been far from simple, because it was simultaneous with the country's system transformation and economic restructuring. The economy of modern Russia operates in difficult conditions. In the 20th century the burden of the socialist period of the country's development combined with the mistakes of the structural economic transformation of the 1990s already generated new systemic disproportions which have greatly modified the entire economic complex of the country.

An analysis of the Russian share in the production of principal types of industrial products over the last three decades as well as a comparison of particular development indicators of the largest world economies and the share of countries and country groups in the world's high technology production reveals a weakening of the Russian position in the world economy.

The article also presents changes in Russia's foreign trade and the decrease in its main economic indicators in the conditions of the current world financial crisis. The article underlines the necessity of change in the current model of Russian participation in the globalising world towards a search for a new place in the world economy and the world market, and, first of all, in knowledge-intensive industries and the sphere of high technology.
Radiotherapy for atypical meningiomas
Authors: Mair Richard , Morris Kevin , Scott Ian , Carroll Thomas A.
Published: June 2011

Object

The role of postoperative radiotherapy in patients undergoing first-time resection of WHO Grade II meningioma remains unclear as reflected by varied practices in published clinical studies and national professional surveys. Much of the relevant literature is based on pre-2000 WHO grading criteria for atypical meningiomas. Authors in this study set out to explore the role of postoperative radiotherapy in patients undergoing first-time surgery for WHO Grade II meningiomas diagnosed using revised WHO 2000 criteria, against a background of otherwise limited published literature on this issue.

Methods

The authors retrospectively collected data on 114 consecutive patients who underwent first-time resection of WHO Grade II atypical meningiomas diagnosed using 2000 WHO criteria, and who variably underwent postoperative radiotherapy according to individual surgeon practices. Outcomes, including radiological recurrence, were submitted to Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses.

Results

Postoperative radiotherapy demonstrated a significant benefit only when patients who had undergone gross-total tumor resection and those who had undergone subtotal resection along with postoperative radiosurgery to the tumor remnant were excluded from analysis.

Conclusions

The authors have performed the largest study in the literature to examine the use of radiotherapy for WHO Grade II, atypical, meningiomas following a first-time resection. They suggest that radiotherapy is not appropriate after first-time resection of those lesions in which a gross-total resection (Simpson Grade 1 or 2) has been achieved. They also advise that any tumor remnant radiologically demonstrated on postoperative imaging should be treated with radiosurgery and that postoperative radiotherapy after a first-time resection should be reserved for tumor remnants too large for radiosurgery and for which a second staged operation is not planned.
Anthropometric Characteristics of Hospitalised Elderly Women: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Belbraouet Slimane , Chau Nearkasen , Tebi Ambroise , Debry Gérard
Published: June 2011

This study assessed the anthropometric status of 451 hospitalised female patients aged 70 or over, at their admission to hospital, in reference to 77 healthy women of the same age. The most frequent diseases were circulatory diseases (40.8%), mental disorders (29.9%), respiratory diseases (12.4%), endocrine and metabolic diseases (11.5%), osteomuscular diseases (8.4%), and traumatisms (6.9%). The differences were significantly high for mid-arm circumference (MAC), triceps skinfold thickness (TSF), weight, weight/height, and body mass index (BMI). The patients with cancers, blood diseases, mental disorders, respiratory disease, digestive diseases, or traumatisms had the lowest values. All the indicators correlated in a similarly negative way with age. The decreased TSF was more pronounced among subjects with respiratory diseases. Measurement of anthropometric indicators, TSF in particular, should be part of preventive measures aimed at reducing malnutrition and its consequences in a hospital setting.
Population Genetic Baseline of the First Plataspid Stink Bug Symbiosis (Hemiptera: Heteroptera: Plataspidae) Reported in North America
Authors: Jenkins Tracie M. Jenkins , Eaton Tyler D.
Published: June 2011

The stink bug, Megacopta cribraria, has an obligate relationship with a bacterial endosymbiont which allows it to feed on legumes. The insect is a pest of soybeans in Asia and was first reported in the Western Hemisphere in October 2009 on kudzu vine, Pueraria montana, in North Georgia, USA. By October 2010 M. cribraria had been confirmed in 80 counties in Georgia actively feeding on kudzu vine and soybean plants. Since the symbiosis may support the bug’s ecological expansions, a population genetic baseline for the symbiosis was developed from mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and nuclear DNA (nuDNA) gene sequence collected from each insect and its primary g- proteobacterium and secondary a -proteobacterium endosymbionts. A single mitochondrial DNA haplotype was found in all insects sampled in Georgia and South Carolina identified as GA1. The GAI haplotype appears to be rapidly dispersing across Georgia and into contiguous states. Primary and secondary endosymbiont gene sequences from M. cribraria in Georgia were the same as those found in recently collected Megacopta samples from Japan. The implications of these data are discussed.
Micro- and Nanoengineering Approaches to Control Stem Cell-Biomaterial Interactions
Authors: Dolatshahi-Pirouz Alireza , Nikkhah Mehdi , Kolind Kristian , Dokmeci Mehmet R. , Khademhosseini Ali
Published: June 2011

As our population ages, there is a greater need for a suitable supply of engineered tissues to address a range of debilitating ailments. Stem cell based therapies are envisioned to meet this emerging need. Despite significant progress in controlling stem cell differentiation, it is still difficult to engineer human tissue constructs for transplantation. Recent advances in micro- and nanofabrication techniques have enabled the design of more biomimetic biomaterials that may be used to direct the fate of stem cells. These biomaterials could have a significant impact on the next generation of stem cell based therapies. Here, we highlight the recent progress made by micro- and nanoengineering techniques in the biomaterials field in the context of directing stem cell differentiation. Particular attention is given to the effect of surface topography, chemistry, mechanics and micro- and nanopatterns on the differentiation of embryonic, mesenchymal and neural stem cells.
Un siècle de détournements
Authors: Boof-Vermesse Isabelle
Published: June 2011

Ecrit trois ans après son pamphlet A Century of Dishonor (1881),  Ramona devait être l’équivalent pour la question indienne de Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852). Mais la stratégie de Jackson n’a pas fonctionné comme prévu et la réception de ce roman sentimental fut et reste basée sur une « mélecture » (« misreading ») : attirés par le monde merveilleux du rancho, lui-même pâle reflet du glorieux passé des missions, les lecteurs yankees n’ont jamais été plus loin que cette fascination pour la culture espagnole-mexicaine, catholique, rurale et aristocratique suscitée par le texte, qui emprunte aux conventions de la romance et du carnet de voyage. Si Ramona avait initialement pour projet de dénoncer le comportement des envahisseurs nord-américains pour inspirer de la compassion envers leurs victimes et exiger un changement de politique, la position commune des Anglos et des Mexicains vis-à-vis des Indiens a encouragé une identification fonctionnant à l’encontre de celle voulue par l’auteur (qui n’est pas forcément celle du texte). Les éléments gothiques à la fois thématiques (la belle captive, le couvent, l’enlèvement…), narratifs (le pittoresque et le « word-painting ») et idéologiques sont bel et bien activés dans Ramona, mais en quelque sorte à l’envers. De plus, la formule est compliquée par la triangulation : entre bourreau anglo et victime indienne s’interpose la figure intermédiaire du noble mexicain. La présente étude se concentre sur cette figure et  son traitement métonymique, l’Arcadie du rancho, pour montrer comment la mélecture de Ramona déborde dans la culture californienne et devient de la récupération. Ainsi dès le 19ème siècle l’exploitation du roman contribue à la  construction de l’identité régionale en inventant de toutes pièces  des manifestations de type « culte »  (tourisme culturel et pèlerinage sur les lieux du roman, Ramona Pageants …) qui ont encore cours aujourd’hui.
L’invention de la façade caraïbe centraméricaine : indios, negros, y piratas
Authors: Le Masne Camille
Published: June 2011

La façade caraïbe de l'Amérique centrale naît au 16è siècle avec la conquête espagnole et la mise en pratique des théories sanitaires héritées d’Hippocrate dans le processus de colonisation. Auparavant, aucune spécificité ne semble distinguer cet espace des autres grands ensembles centraméricains : terres tempérées de la cordillère centrale, voire minces plaines littorales bordant le Pacifique. Le procès d’implantation des Espagnols rend bien compte d’une pensée prégnante, hippocratique, qui justifie les difficultés rencontrées pour contrôler les littoraux, notamment caraïbes, des emblématiques tierras calientes centraméricaines. Le littoral, au-delà de la lluvia qui continue à le caractériser de nos jours, est alors l’infierno par excellence, celui des indios, des negros, et des piratas. L’analyse historique montre ainsi que l’invention de cet espace tient autant aux données bioclimatiques et à leurs implications écologiques qu’aux tensions géopolitiques engendrées par la crise que traverse un Empire espagnol précocement confronté au harcèlement de groupes plus ou moins liés aux autres puissances européennes… La concordance entre espace de marges et plaines caraïbes pourrait suggérer un déterminisme géographique fondé sur des prédispositions qui font de l'homme un objet du milieu environnant. Ce serait cependant négliger l’impact des représentations, des clichés, et de leurs implications territoriales.
Les points d’articulation entre homéopathie et oncologie conventionnelle
Authors: Schmitz Olivier
Published: June 2011

De nombreuses études ont montré que la prévalence du recours à des médecines non conventionnelles était plus importante chez les malades atteints de cancers que dans toute autre catégorie de malades. Les caractéristiques de la maladie, les incertitudes de son évolution, de même que les effets de ses traitements sont autant de facteurs qui poussent les malades à emprunter des voies non conventionnelles. Parmi celles-ci, l’homéopathie est couramment utilisée, et jouit d’une bonne réputation pour répondre à certains besoins des malades que l’oncologie conventionnelle laisse de côté. Cet article vise à éclairer ce que les traitements homéopathiques ont à offrir à cette catégorie de malades, et sous quelle forme ces traitements s’articulent avec les traitements oncologiques. Le matériau analysé porte sur une vingtaine d’entretiens ethnographiques réalisés auprès de malades du cancer ayant recours à l’homéopathie. Certains éléments de l’organisation de ses traitements, de même que les observances et les représentations qui leur sont associées font de l’homéopathie un système thérapeutique pouvant apporter un certain soutien aux malades dans la lutte contre l’angoisse et l’incertitude que suscitent invariablement la maladie cancéreuse et ses traitements.
Soigner par la nature à la Réunion : l’usage des plantes médicinales comme recours thérapeutique dans la prise en charge du cancer
Authors: Desprès Caroline
Published: June 2011

Cet article analyse les logiques profanes qui président à la consommation de plantes médicinales à l’île de la Réunion, dans le cadre de la prise en charge du cancer. Le contexte réunionnais est caractérisé par la pluralité des recours (médecine traditionnelle, biomédecine, médecines alternatives). Celle-ci est en particulier observée dans la prise en charge du cancer. Pour cette maladie dans l’immense majorité des cas, les recours se conjuguent à une prise en charge médicale. Les plantes médicinales occupent une place prépondérante au sein de la constellation de recours. Ces consommations de plantes habituellement sous forme de tisanes s’appuient sur des savoirs hérités et un habitus. Une fois le cancer diagnostiqué, certains malades vont abandonner l’usage de plantes dans la mesure où les médecins les contre-indiquent. D’autres au contraire vont consommer ces plantes afin d’accompagner la maladie ou aider à la guérison. Le rapport aux plantes apparait alors en lien avec la manière dont les malades s’inscrivent dans la prise en charge de leur maladie. Elle révèle une rupture de dépendance à l’égard de la médecine occidentale qui reste cependant partielle. L’usage des plantes peut prendre la signification d’une affirmation d’une identité culturelle dans un contexte de bouleversement de l’être provoqué par la maladie. Dans l’univers profane réunionnais, cet usage affranchi des prescriptions des tradipraticiens (tout en restant en continuité avec leurs savoirs) renvoie à une démarche plus autonome dans la gestion individuelle des soins. Mais dans les deux cas, elle est un révélateur de stratégies de réappropriation de la maladie.
RGS10 Restricts Upregulation by Chemokines of T Cell Adhesion Mediated by α4β1 and αLβ2 Integrins
Authors: García-Bernal David , Dios-Esponera Ana , Sotillo-Mallo Elena , García-Verdugo Rosa , Arellano-Sánchez Nohemí , Teixidó Joaquin
Published: June 2011

Chemokines rapidly and transiently upregulate α4β1 and αLβ2 integrin-mediated adhesion during T lymphocyte extravasation by activating Gα-dependent inside-out signaling. To limit and terminate Gα-mediated signaling, cells can use several mechanisms, including the action of regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins, which accelerate the GTPase activity of Gα subunits. Using human T cells silenced for or overexpressing RGS10, we show in this article that RGS10 functions as an inhibitor of Gαi-dependent, chemokine-upregulated T cell adhesion mediated by α4β1 and αLβ2. Shear stress-dependent detachment and cell spreading analyses revealed that RGS10 action mainly targets the adhesion strengthening and spreading phases of α4β1-mediated cell attachment. Associated with these observations, chemokine-stimulated Vav1–Rac1 activation was longer sustained and of higher intensity in RGS10-silenced T cells, or inhibited in cells overexpressing RGS10. Of importance, expression of constitutively activated Rac1 forms in cells overexpressing RGS10 led to the rescue of CXCL12-stimulated adhesion to VCAM-1 to levels similar to those in control transfectants. Instead, adhesion under flow conditions, soluble binding experiment, flow cytometry, and biochemical analyses revealed that the earlier chemokine-triggered integrin activation step was mostly independent of RGS10 actions. The data strongly suggest that RGS10 opposes activation by chemokines of the Vav1–Rac1 pathway in T cells, leading to repression of adhesion strengthening mediated by α4β1. In addition to control chemokine-upregulated T cell attachment, RGS10 also limited adhesion-independent cell chemotaxis and activation of cdc42. These results identify RGS10 as a key molecule that contributes to the termination of Gα-dependent signaling during chemokine-activated α4β1- and αLβ2-dependent T cell adhesion.
Th2 Responses to Helminth Parasites Can Be Therapeutically Enhanced by, but Are Not Dependent upon, GITR–GITR Ligand Costimulation In Vivo
Authors: van der Werf Nienke , Redpath Stephen A. , Phythian-Adams Alexander T. , Azuma Miyuki , Allen Judith E. , Maizels Rick M. , MacDonald Andrew S. , Taylor Matthew D.
Published: June 2011

The immune suppression that characterizes human helminth infections can hinder the development of protective immunity or help to reduce pathogenic inflammation. Signaling through the T cell costimulator glucocorticoid-induced TNFR-related protein (GITR) counteracts immune downregulation by augmenting effector T cell responses and abrogating suppression by Foxp3+ regulatory T cells. Thus, superphysiological Ab-mediated GITR costimulation represents a novel therapy for promoting protective immunity toward parasitic helminths, whereas blocking physiological GITR–GITR ligand (GITRL) interactions may provide a mechanism for dampening pathogenic Th2 inflammation. We investigated the superphysiological and physiological roles of the GITR–GITRL pathway in the development of protective and pathogenic Th2 responses in murine infection models of filariasis (Litomosoides sigmodontis) and schistosomiasis (Schistosoma mansoni). Providing superphysiological GITR costimulation using an agonistic anti-GITR mAb over the first 12 d of L. sigmodontis infection initially increased the quantity of Th2 cells, as well as their ability to produce Th2 cytokines. However, as infection progressed, the Th2 responses reverted to normal infection levels, and parasite killing remained unaffected. Despite the Th2-promoting role of superphysiological GITR costimulation, Ab-mediated blockade of the GITR–GITRL pathway did not affect Th2 cell priming or maintenance during L. sigmodontis infection. Blockade of GITR–GITRL interactions during the acute egg phase of S. mansoni infection resulted in reduced Th2 responses, but this effect was confined to the spleen and did not lead to changes in liver pathology. Thus, although superphysiological GITR costimulation can therapeutically enhance Th2 responses, physiological GITR–GITRL interactions are not required for the development of Th2-mediated resistance or pathology in murine models of filariasis and schistosomiasis.
Autoimmune Disease Risk Variant of IFIH1 Is Associated with Increased Sensitivity to IFN-α and Serologic Autoimmunity in Lupus Patients
Authors: Robinson Talin , Kariuki Silvia N. , Franek Beverly S. , Kumabe Marissa , Kumar Akaash A. , Badaracco Maria , Mikolaitis Rachel A. , Guerrero Galen , Utset Tammy O. , Drevlow Barbara E. , Zaacks Laura S. , Grober James S. , Cohen Lewis M. , Kirou Kyriakos A. , Crow Mary K. , Jolly Meenakshi , Niewold Timothy B.
Published: June 2011

Increased IFN-α signaling is a heritable risk factor for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). IFN induced with helicase C domain 1 (IFIH1) is a cytoplasmic dsRNA sensor that activates IFN-α pathway signaling. We studied the impact of the autoimmune-disease–associated IFIH1 rs1990760 (A946T) single nucleotide polymorphism upon IFN-α signaling in SLE patients in vivo. We studied 563 SLE patients (278 African-American, 179 European-American, and 106 Hispanic-American). Logistic regression models were used to detect genetic associations with autoantibody traits, and multiple linear regression was used to analyze IFN-α–induced gene expression in PBMCs in the context of serum IFN-α in the same blood sample. We found that the rs1990760 T allele was associated with anti-dsDNA Abs across all of the studied ancestral backgrounds (meta-analysis odds ratio = 1.34, p = 0.026). This allele also was associated with lower serum IFN-α levels in subjects who had anti-dsDNA Abs (p = 0.0026). When we studied simultaneous serum and PBMC samples from SLE patients, we found that the IFIH1 rs1990760 T allele was associated with increased IFN-induced gene expression in PBMCs in response to a given amount of serum IFN-α in anti-dsDNA–positive patients. This effect was independent of the STAT4 genotype, which modulates sensitivity to IFN-α in a similar way. Thus, the IFIH1 rs1990760 T allele was associated with dsDNA Abs, and in patients with anti-dsDNA Abs this risk allele increased sensitivity to IFN-α signaling. These studies suggest a role for the IFIH1 risk allele in SLE in vivo.
ML1419c Peptide Immunization InducesMycobacterium leprae-Specific HLA-A*0201–Restricted CTL In Vivo with Potential To Kill Live Mycobacteria
Authors: Geluk Annemieke , van den Eeden Susan J. F. , Dijkman Karin , Wilson Louis , Kim Hee Jin , Franken Kees L. M. C. , Spencer John S. , Pessolani Maria C. V. , Pereira Geraldo M. B. , Ottenhoff Tom H. M.
Published: June 2011

MHC class I-restricted CD8+ T cells play an important role in protective immunity against mycobacteria. Previously, we showed that p113-121, derived from Mycobacterium leprae protein ML1419c, induced significant IFN-γ production by CD8+ T cells in 90% of paucibacillary leprosy patients and in 80% of multibacillary patients’ contacts, demonstrating induction of M. leprae-specific CD8+ T cell immunity. In this work, we studied the in vivo role and functional profile of ML1419c p113-121–induced T cells in HLA-A*0201 transgenic mice. Immunization with 9mer or 30mer covering the p113-121 sequence combined with TLR9 agonist CpG induced HLA-A*0201–restricted, M. leprae-specific CD8+ T cells as visualized by p113-121/HLA-A*0201 tetramers. Most CD8+ T cells produced IFN-γ, but distinct IFN-γ+/TNF-α+ populations were detected simultaneously with significant secretion of CXCL10/IFN-γ—induced protein 10, CXCL9/MIG, and VEGF. Strikingly, peptide immunization also induced high ML1419c-specific IgG levels, strongly suggesting that peptide-specific CD8+ T cells provide help to B cells in vivo, as CD4+ T cells were undetectable. An additional important characteristic of p113-121–specific CD8+ T cells was their capacity for in vivo killing of p113-121–labeled, HLA-A*0201+ splenocytes. The cytotoxic function of p113-121/HLA-A*0201–specific CD8+ T cells extended into direct killing of splenocytes infected with live Mycobacterium smegmatis expressing ML1419c: both 9mer and 30mer induced CD8+ T cells that reduced the number of ML1419c-expressing mycobacteria by 95%, whereas no reduction occurred using wild-type M. smegmatis. These data, combined with previous observations in Brazilian cohorts, show that ML1419c p113-121 induces potent CD8+ T cells that provide protective immunity against M. leprae and B cell help for induction of specific IgG, suggesting its potential use in diagnostics and as a subunit (vaccine) for M. leprae infection.
Influence of textural layering on field capacity of coarse soils
Authors: Zettl Julie , Lee Barbour S. , Huang Mingbin , Si Bing , Leskiw L. A.
Published: June 2011

Zettl, J. D., Barbour, S. L., Huang, M., Si, B. C. and Leskiw, L. A. 2011. Influence of textural layering on field capacity of coarse soils. Can. J. Soil Sci. 91: 133–147. The current method of designing reclamation covers for land disturbed by oil sands mining in northern Alberta, Canada, relies on an estimate of the field capacity (FC) of both natural soils and reclamation soil prescriptions. The objective of this research was to examine the influence of layered, textural heterogeneity on FC. Field testing was performed on seven natural sites with coarse-textured soils that support a range of ecosite classes. Double-ring infiltration and drainage tests with real time monitoring of water content were undertaken along with test pit excavation and detailed profile sampling. The measured water storage at FC following drainage demonstrated that higher water storage at FC values are associated with increased textural heterogeneity, and these sites reflected more productive ecosite class. Rigorous, physically based modeling illustrated that a texturally heterogeneous site can have water storage at FC within 1 m profile that is between 110 to 330 mm higher than a homogeneous profile with the same average texture. These higher values of water storage at FC in texturally heterogeneous sites could account for the differences in observed ecosite productivity. This work highlights the importance of textural layering in designing reclamation covers in coarse-textured soils to maximize FC.
System dynamics modeling of infiltration and drainage in layered coarse soil
Authors: Huang Mingbin , Elshorbagy Amin , Lee Barbour S. , Zettl Julie , Cheng Si Bing
Published: June 2011

Huang, M., Elshorbagy, A., Barbour, S. L., Zettl, J. D. and Si, B. C. 2011. System dynamics modeling of infiltration and drainage in layered coarse soil. Can. J. Soil Sci. 91: 185–197. A system dynamics (SD) model was developed to simulate transient infiltration and drainage processes in multilayered soils. STELLA Software was used as a stock-flow icon-based simulation environment. The developed SD model combined both physically based formulations and empirical assumptions to describe one-dimensional saturated–unsaturated water flow in the vadose zone. The model was successfully calibrated and validated using measured water contents during the infiltration and drainage phases, respectively, of a double-ring infiltration test. The simulation results were also compared with a finite element model of saturated/unsaturated flow (HYDRUS). The results showed that the SD model was capable of accurately simulating the various hydrological processes in multilayered soils, and could be a useful tool for designing reclamation covers. The simulated and measured results show that the presence of a finer sand layer overlying a coarse sand layer will increase the soil water storage at field capacity.
Influence of the shape of inter-horizon boundary and size of soil tongues on preferential flow under shallow groundwater conditions: A simulation study
Authors: Kulasekera Priyantha B. , Parkin Gary W.
Published: June 2011

Kulasekera, P. B. and Parkin, G. W. 2011. Influence of the shape of inter-horizon boundary and size of soil tongues on preferential flow under shallow groundwater conditions: A simulation study. Can. J. Soil Sci. 91: 211–221. Detailed studies of the impact of soil tongues at soil horizon interfaces are very important in understanding preferential flow processes through layered soils and in improving the accuracy of models predicting water and solute transport through the vadose zone. The implication of having soil tongues of different shapes and sizes created at the soil horizon interface on solute transport through a layered soil horizon was studied by simulating water and solute transport using the VS2DI model. This 2-D simulation study reconfirmed that soil tongues facilitate preferential flow, and the level of activeness of tongues may depend on the number of soil tongues, their spacing and distribution. Also, the size of the soil tongues (length and diameter at the interface between the soil horizons) and their shape influence the rate of preferential flow. Increasing tongue length consistently resulted in an increase in solute velocity across the entire soil profile regardless of the tongue shape; for example, a soil tongue of 0.25 m length increased solute velocity by about 1.5 times over a soil profile without tongues, but this increase might be different for soil types and groundwater conditions other than those considered in this study. Narrowing of tongues increased solute velocity, whereas increasing the number of tongues in a wider soil profile decreased the solute-front's velocity. As tongue length increased, the area containing solutes at prescribed elapsed times decreased. An implication of this study is that soil horizon tongue shape and spacing reduce pollutant residence times, hence inter-horizon boundary morphology should be considered when modelling transport through the vadose zone. As well, since the solute velocity behaviours of a triangular- and a wider rectangular-shaped tongue were nearly identical, simply measuring solute velocity in the field will reveal little information on the shape of a soil tongue.
Report from the Global Gaming Expo, Las Vegas, November 17-19, 2009
Authors: Turner Nigel E.
Published: June 2011

This paper is a review of the Global Gaming Expo, November 17 to 19, 2009. A number of new innovations in gambling equipment are described, including multi-game slots, multi-player electronic games (e.g., competitive bonus rounds), advances in card-based bonusing systems, and the explosive growth of new electronic table games. In addition, the conference included 3 panel sessions hosted by the National Center for Responsible Gaming.
Effectiveness of Cognitive–Functional (Cog–Fun) Intervention With Children With Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: A Pilot Study
Authors: Hahn-Markowitz Jeri , Manor Iris , Maeir Adina
Published: June 2011

The executive function (EF) deficits of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) hinder their performance of complex daily functions. Despite the existing evidence-based pharmacological interventions for ADHD symptoms, no intervention has yet been found that deals directly with EFs in daily tasks. Fourteen children and their parents participated in the Cognitive–Functional (Cog–Fun) program in occupational therapy, which is tailored to the executive dysfunction of ADHD and focuses on enabling cognitive strategies for occupational performance. The study included initial assessment of EFs (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions; Tower of LondonDX), occupational performance (Canadian Occupational Performance Measure), 10 sessions of Cog–Fun intervention with each child–parent dyad, and postintervention and 3-month follow-up assessments. We found significant improvements with medium to large effects on outcome measures after intervention, and most effects were maintained at follow-up. The findings warrant controlled studies examining the effectiveness of this intervention for children with ADHD.
Use of Job-Specific Functional Capacity Evaluation to Predict the Return to Work of Patients With a Distal Radius Fracture
Authors: Cheng Andy S. K. , Cheng Stella W. C.
Published: June 2011

OBJECTIVE. We examined the predictive validity of a job-specific functional capacity evaluation (FCE) in relation to the return to work of patients with a distal radius fracture.

METHOD. Return-to-work recommendations for 194 participants with a distal radius fracture were based on FCE performance. Three months after the evaluation, participants were contacted to ascertain their employment status to examine the predictive validity of each FCE-based rating.

RESULTS. The recommendation return to previous job (94.83%) was correct more often than the recommendations do not work at the moment (60.47%), change job (52.63%), and return to previous job with modifications (9.38%). A longer period from injury to FCE and compensable injury reduces the predictive ability of job-specific FCE.

CONCLUSION. Job-specific FCE shows a better predictive validity in relation to the return to work of patients with a specific injury, such as a distal radius fracture, than of patients with a nonspecific injury.
Participation in Occupation and Diabetes Self-Management in Emerging Adulthood
Authors: Pyatak Elizabeth
Published: June 2011

I present the findings of a study aimed at developing an in-depth understanding of how engagement in occupation influences young adults’ ability to effectively manage diabetes and, conversely, how their diabetes self-management strategies shape their occupational participation. The qualitative interview-based study of 8 people ages 19–25 with Type 1 diabetes revealed that study participants often experienced tension between diabetes self-management and participation in valued occupations, which required them to make calculated decisions about how to balance these competing priorities in their everyday lives. Seven themes are discussed in detail that characterized the relationship between participating in valued occupations and attending to the complex factors that dictate successful diabetes self-management. This research offers a preliminary framework for occupational therapists to assist young adults with diabetes and other chronic illnesses in reconciling these competing demands.
Electroencephalography in Children With and Without Sensory Processing Disorders During Auditory Perception
Authors: Gavin William J. , Dotseth Alycia , Roush Kaylea K. , Smith Courtney A. , Spain Hayley D. , Davies Patricia L.
Published: June 2011

OBJECTIVE. We sought to determine whether children with sensory processing disorder (SPD) differ from typically developing children on a neurophysiological measure, the P300 component of event-related potentials produced in response to brief auditory stimulation.

METHOD. We used electroencephalographic measures (i.e., N200 and P300 components) to examine auditory processing in 20 children with SPD and 71 typically developing children, ages 5–10 yr.

RESULTS. Children with SPD demonstrated significantly smaller P300 amplitudes and shorter N200 latencies than typically developing children. Brain activity correctly distinguished children with SPD from typically developing children with 77% accuracy. We also found a significant relationship between the neurophysiological measures and functional performance on sensory and motor tasks.

CONCLUSION. This study presents empirical evidence that children with SPD display unique brain processing mechanisms compared with typical children and, therefore, provide further evidence for the neural deviations associated with SPD.
Occupational Therapy Interventions for Chronic Diseases: A Scoping Review
Authors: Hand Carri , Law Mary , McColl Mary Ann
Published: June 2011

OBJECTIVE. We reviewed the evidence regarding the effectiveness of community occupational therapy interventions, delivered alone or within a multidisciplinary team, in improving occupational outcomes for adults with selected chronic diseases.

METHOD. We completed a scoping review of randomized controlled trials published from 1988 through 2008. Studies included participants with heart disease, depression, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, or diabetes.

RESULTS. Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria. Ten studies found significant differences between intervention and control groups for at least one outcome of function in activities of daily living, functional self-efficacy, social or work function, psychological health, general health, or quality of life. Conflicting evidence exists regarding the impact of intervention on physical function and health.

CONCLUSION. Occupational therapy can improve occupational outcomes in adults with chronic diseases. Using and building on this evidence, occupational therapists can continue to promote their role in helping to meet this population's needs.
The role of the bow shock in solar wind-magnetosphere coupling
Authors: Lopez R. E. , Merkin V. G. , Lyon J. G.
Published: June 2011

Abstract. In this paper we examine the role of the bow shock in coupling solar wind energy to the magnetosphere using global magnetohydrodynamic simulations of the solar wind-magnetosphere interaction with southward IMF. During typical solar wind conditions, there are two significant dynamo currents in the magnetospheric system, one in the high-latitude mantle region tailward of the cusp and the other in the bow shock. As the magnitude of the (southward) IMF increases and the solar wind becomes a low Mach number flow, there is a significant change in solar wind-magnetosphere coupling. The high-latitude magnetopause dynamo becomes insignificant compared to the bow shock and a large load appears right outside the magnetopause. This leaves the bow shock current as the only substantial dynamo current in the system, and the only place where a significant amount of mechanical energy is extracted from the solar wind. That energy appears primarily as electromagnetic energy, and the Poynting flux generated at the bow shock feeds energy back into the plasma, reaccelerating it to solar wind speeds. Some small fraction of that Poynting flux is directed into the magnetosphere, supplying the energy needed for magnetospheric dynamics. Thus during periods when the solar wind flow has a low Mach number, the main dynamo in the solar wind-magnetosphere system is the bow shock.
Multilevel text mining for bone biology
Authors: Tilak Omkar , Hoblitzell Andrew , Mukhopadhyay Snehasis , You Qian , Fang Shiaofen , Xia Yuni , Bidwell Joseph
Published: June 2011

Osteoporosis is characterized by reduced bone mass and debilitating fractures and is likely to reach epidemic proportions. Because of the vigorous research taking place in fields related to osteoporosis, bone biologists are overwhelmed by the amount of literature being generated on a regular basis. This problem can be alleviated by inferring and extracting novel relationships among biological entities appearing in the biological literature. With the development of large online publicly available databases of biological literature, such an approach becomes even more appealing. The novel relationships between biological terms thus discovered constitute new hypotheses that can be verified using experiments. This paper presents a novel method called multilevel text mining for the extraction of potentially meaningful biological relationships. Multilevel mining uses transitive maximum flow graph analysis coupled with set combination operations of union and intersection. Set operators are applied along and across the paths of a transitive flow graph to combine the data. In the first level of the multilevel mining process, protein domain names are used. Novel relationships between domains are extracted by the transitive text mining analysis. In the second level, these newly discovered relationships are used to extract relevant protein names. Set operators are used in various combinations to obtain different sets of results. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Irreducibility and emergence in complex systems and the quest for alternative insights
Authors: Hosseinie Radmarz , Mahzoon Mojtaba
Published: June 2011

The scientist does not study nature because it is useful; he studies it because he delights in it, and he delights in it because it is beautiful.

Henri Poincaré

In this essay, we briefly survey the contemporary scientific and philosophical debates on emergence and conclude that this notion has become a dilemma. We argue that the reason for this dilemma is metaphysical. Subsequently, we investigate some fundamental philosophical methods in science, such as Cartesian reduction and objectivism, as the main sources of scientific drawbacks. Eventually, we suggest some refinements in philosophical methods for improvement of scientific insight and propose the method of transcendentionism as a metaphysical panacea to encounter the dilemma of emergence. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Complexity, 17,10–18, 2011
New numerical techniques for bifurcation analysis of power systems with application to grid‐connected voltage source converter
Authors: Cole Stijn , Srivastava Kailash , Reza Muhamad , Belmans Ronnie
Published: June 2011

In many papers, in dealing with bifurcation analysis of power systems, the power system is modelled as an ordinary differential equation system, in order to conveniently use the theory and numerical tools developed for bifurcation analysis of ordinary differential equation systems. We explain in this work how state‐of‐the‐art numerical techniques for bifurcation analysis, not well known in the power system community, can be extended to the more conventional power system model, that is a differential algebraic equation system, including power system specifics such as limits. Bordered matrices are extensively used, notably for the detection and exact localisation of singular points, as well as their continuation in two‐parameter continuation. The methods are tested on a simple power system with grid‐connected voltage source converter. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Spectroscopic detection of β ‐sheet structure in nascent Aβ oligomers
Authors: Wang Mingjuan , JiJi Renee D.
Published: June 2011

Deep‐UV resonance Raman (UVRR) spectroscopy and circular dichroism (CD) were employed to study the secondary structure of Aβ(1–42) in fresh samples with increasing fractions of oligomeric peptide. A feature with a minimum at ∼217 nm appeared in CD spectra of samples containing oligomeric Aβ(1–42). UVRR spectra more closely resembled those of disordered proteins. The primary difference between UVRR spectra was the ratio of the 1236 cm–1 to 1260 cm–1 amide III peak intensities, which shifted in favor of the 1236 cm–1 band as the fraction of oligomeric peptide increased. (© 2011 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Nonlinear registration of diffusion‐weighted images improves clinical sensitivity of functional diffusion maps in recurrent glioblastoma treated with bevacizumab
Authors: Ellingson Benjamin M. , Cloughesy Timothy F. , Lai Albert , Nghiemphu Phioanh L. , Pope Whitney B.
Published: June 2011

Diffusion‐weighted imaging estimates of apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) have shown sensitivity to brain tumor cellularity as well as response to therapy. Functional diffusion maps (fDMs) exploit these principles by examining voxelwise changes in ADC within the same patient over time. Currently, the fDM technique involves linear image registration of ADC maps from subsequent follow‐up times to pretreatment ADC maps; however, misregistration of ADC maps due to geometric distortions as well as mass effect from growing tumor can confound fDM measurements. In this study, we compare the use of a nonlinear registration scheme to the current linear fDM technique in 70 patients with recurrent glioblastoma multiforme treated with bevacizumab. Results suggest that nonlinear registration of pretreatment ADC maps to post‐treatment ADC maps improves the clinical predictability, sensitivity, and specificity of fDMs for both progression‐free and overall survival. Magn Reson Med, 2011. © 2011 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.