bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Organization@21 The journal of disconcerting organization theory and action
Authors: Calás Marta B. , Smircich Linda
Published: December 2012

Organization after 20 will not be for all academics concerned with organizations; only for those who are both interested in doing critical organizational work and who believe in the emancipatory potential of that work for themselves and for others. Academics who not only talk about defying ‘playing the game’ but who do so in text and action; at a minimum actions to refuse ‘playing the game’ and, concurrently writing/calling ‘the game’ by its proper name: concerted actions that squash critique. Organization@21’s key role, thus, would be calling others to actions against ‘the game’, conceiving interventions and facilitating them.
The colony writes back: Organization as an early champion of non-Western organizational theory
Authors: Mir Raza , Mir Ali
Published: December 2012

It is perhaps a truism that modern organizational theory has tended to objectify the colonized nations, and the subjects of imperialism. Even the critical traditions in OT tend to be mired in Eurocentric assumptions, and many of the issues that affected the ‘victims of globalization’ simply did not figure in OT debates till the 1980s. In the 1990s, when organizational theorists focusing on workers and subjects from the poorer South began expressly to ‘write back’, i.e. theorize eloquently on how they could restore their own agency in organizational life, they found a contingent ally in Organization. Not that the Journal did not have its blind spots in this regard, but since its inception in 1994, it has published a number of articles that sought to give voice to those who decentred OT’s Eurocentric assumptions. In this brief essay, we attempt to chart that partnership, and speak about a possible role for Organization in furthering this quest.
Pan-histone deacetylase inhibitors regulate signaling pathways involved in proliferative and pro-inflammatory mechanisms in H9c2 cells
Authors: Majumdar Gipsy , Adris Piyatilake , Bhargava Neha , Chen Hao , Raghow Rajendra
Published: December 2012

Background

We have shown previously that pan-HDAC inhibitors (HDACIs) m-carboxycinnamic acid bis-hydroxamide (CBHA) and trichostatin A (TSA) attenuated cardiac hypertrophy in BALB/c mice by inducing hyper-acetylation of cardiac chromatin that was accompanied by suppression of pro-inflammatory gene networks. However, it was not feasible to determine the precise contribution of the myocytes- and non-myocytes to HDACI-induced gene expression in the intact heart. Therefore, the current study was undertaken with a primary goal of elucidating temporal changes in the transcriptomes of cardiac myocytes exposed to CBHA and TSA.

Results

We incubated H9c2 cardiac myocytes in growth medium containing either of the two HDACIs for 6h and 24h and analyzed changes in gene expression using Illumina microarrays. H9c2 cells exposed to TSA for 6h and 24h led to differential expression of 468 and 231 genes, respectively. In contrast, cardiac myocytes incubated with CBHA for 6h and 24h elicited differential expression of 768 and 999 genes, respectively. We analyzed CBHA- and TSA-induced differentially expressed genes by Ingenuity Pathway (IPA), Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) and Core_TF programs and discovered that CBHA and TSA impinged on several common gene networks. Thus, both HDACIs induced a repertoire of signaling kinases (PTEN-PI3K-AKT and MAPK) and transcription factors (Myc, p53, NFkB and HNF4A) representing canonical TGFβ, TNF-α, IFNγ and IL-6 specific networks. An overrepresentation of E2F, AP2, EGR1 and SP1 specific motifs was also found in the promoters of the differentially expressed genes. Apparently, TSA elicited predominantly TGFβ- and TNF-α-intensive gene networks regardless of the duration of treatment. In contrast, CBHA elicited TNF-α and IFNγ specific networks at 6 h, followed by elicitation of IL-6 and IFNγ-centered gene networks at 24h.

Conclusions

Our data show that both CBHA and TSA induced similar, but not identical, time-dependent, gene networks in H9c2 cardiac myocytes. Initially, both HDACIs impinged on numerous genes associated with adipokine signaling, intracellular metabolism and energetics, and cell cycle. A continued exposure to either CBHA or TSA led to the emergence of a number of apoptosis- and inflammation-specific gene networks that were apparently suppressed by both HDACIs. Based on these data we posit that the anti-inflammatory and anti-proliferative actions of HDACIs are myocyte-intrinsic. These findings advance our understanding of the mechanisms of actions of HDACIs on cardiac myocytes and reveal potential signaling pathways that may be targeted therapeutically.
Characteristics of a broad lytic spectrum endolysin from phage BtCS33 of Bacillus thuringiensis
Authors: Yuan Yihui , Peng Qin , Gao Meiying
Published: December 2012

Background

Endolysins produced by bacteriophages lyse bacteria, and are thus considered a novel type of antimicrobial agent. Several endolysins from Bacillus phages or prophages have previously been characterized and used to target Bacillus strains that cause disease in animals and humans. B. thuringiensis phage BtCS33 is a Siphoviridae family phage and its genome has been sequenced and analyzed. In the BtCS33 genome, orf18 was found to encode an endolysin protein (PlyBt33).

Results

Bioinformatic analyses showed that endolysin PlyBt33 was composed of two functional domains, the N-terminal catalytic domain and the C-terminal cell wall binding domain. In this study, the entire endolysin PlyBt33, and both the N- and C-termini,were expressed in Escherichia coli and then purified. The lytic activities of PlyBt33 and its N-terminus were tested on bacteria. Both regions exhibited lytic activity, although PlyBt33 showed a higher lytic activity than the N-terminus. PlyBt33 exhibited activity against all Bacillus strains tested from five different species, but was not active against Gram-negative bacteria. Optimal conditions for PlyBt33 reactivity were pH 9.0 and 50°C. PlyBt33 showed high thermostability, with 40% of initial activity remaining following 1 h of treatment at 60°C. The C-terminus of PlyBt33 bound to B. thuringiensis strain HD-73 and Bacillus subtilis strain 168. This cell wall binding domain might be novel, as its amino acid sequence showed little similarity to previously reported endolysins.

Conclusions

PlyBt33 showed potential as a novel antimicrobial agent at a relatively high temperature and had a broad lytic spectrum within the Bacillus genus. The C-terminus of PlyBt33 might be a novel kind of cell wall binding domain.
The role of brevican in glioma: promoting tumor cell motility in vitro and in vivo
Authors: Lu Renquan , Wu Chengsheng , Guo Lin , Liu Yingchao , Mo Wei , Wang Huijie , Ding Jianbo , Wong Eric T , Yu Min
Published: December 2012

Background

Malignant glioma is a common primary tumor of the central nervous system. Brevican, an abundant extracellular matrix component in the adult brain, plays a critical role in the process of glioma. The mechanisms for the highly invasive behavior of gliomas are still poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine whether brevican is a predictor of glioma and its roles in glioma cell motility.

Methods

In this study, immunohistochemistry staining for brevican expression was performed in malignant gliomas and benign controls. We also explored the effects of brevican on cell adhesion and migration in brevican-overexpressed cells. Knockdown of brevican expression was achieved by stable transfection of U251 cells transduced with a construct encoding a short hairpin DNA directed against the brevican gene, which correspondingly, down-regulated the proliferation, invasion and spread of brevican-expressing cells. Moreover, the role of brevican in the growth and progression of glioma was demonstrated by in vivo studies.

Results

Our results provide evidence for the molecular and cellular mechanisms that may underlie the motility-promoting role of brevican in the progression of glioma. The role of brevican as a target for immunotherapy might be taken into consideration in future studies.

Conclusions

This study suggests that expression of brevican is associated with glioma cell adhesion, motility and tumor growth, and also is related to glioma cell differentiation, therefore it may be a marker for malignance degree of glioma
Molecular pathways undergoing dramatic transcriptomic changes during tumor development in the human colon
Authors: Maglietta Rosalia , Liuzzi Vania Cosma , Cattaneo Elisa , Laczko Endre , Piepoli Ada , Panza Anna , Carella Massimo , Palumbo Orazio , Staiano Teresa , Buffoli Federico , Andriulli Angelo , Marra Giancarlo , Ancona Nicola
Published: December 2012

Background

The malignant transformation of precancerous colorectal lesions involves progressive alterations at both the molecular and morphologic levels, the latter consisting of increases in size and in the degree of cellular atypia. Analyzing preinvasive tumors of different sizes can therefore shed light on the sequence of these alterations.

Methods

We used a molecular pathway-based approach to analyze transcriptomic profiles of 59 colorectal tumors representing early and late preinvasive stages and the invasive stage of tumorigenesis. Random set analysis was used to identify biological pathways enriched for genes differentially regulated in tumors (compared with 59 samples of normal mucosa).

Results

Of the 880 canonical pathways we investigated, 112 displayed significant tumor-related upregulation or downregulation at one or more stages of tumorigenesis. This allowed us to distinguish between pathways whose dysregulation is probably necessary throughout tumorigenesis and those whose involvement specifically drives progression from one stage to the next. We were also able to pinpoint specific changes within each gene set that seem to play key roles at each transition. The early preinvasive stage was characterized by cell-cycle checkpoint activation triggered by DNA replication stress and dramatic downregulation of basic transmembrane signaling processes that maintain epithelial/stromal homeostasis in the normal mucosa. In late preinvasive lesions, there was also downregulation of signal transduction pathways (e.g., those mediated by G proteins and nuclear hormone receptors) involved in cell differentiation and upregulation of pathways governing nuclear envelope dynamics and the G2>M transition in the cell cycle. The main features of the invasive stage were activation of the G1>S transition in the cell cycle, upregulated expression of tumor-promoting microenvironmental factors, and profound dysregulation of metabolic pathways (e.g., increased aerobic glycolysis, downregulation of pathways that metabolize drugs and xenobiotics).

Conclusions

Our analysis revealed specific pathways whose dysregulation might play a role in each transition of the transformation process. This is the first study in which such an approach has been used to gain further insights into colorectal tumorigenesis. Therefore, these data provide a launchpad for further exploration of the molecular characterization of colorectal tumorigenesis using systems biology approaches.
Early infections are associated with increased risk for celiac disease: an incident case-referent study
Authors: Myléus Anna , Hernell Olle , Gothefors Leif , Hammarström Marie-Louise , Persson Lars-Åke , Stenlund Hans , Ivarsson Anneli
Published: December 2012

Background

Celiac disease is defined as a ‘chronic small intestinal immune-mediated enteropathy precipitated by exposure to dietary gluten in genetically predisposed individuals’. Sweden has experienced an “epidemic” of celiac disease in children below two years of age. Celiac disease etiology is considered multifactorial; however, little is known regarding potential risk- or protecting factors. We present data on the possible association between early infectious episodes and celiac disease, including their possible contribution to the Swedish celiac disease epidemic.

Methods

A population-based incident case-referent study (475 cases, 950 referents) with exposure information obtained via a questionnaire (including family characteristics, infant feeding, and the child’s general health) was performed. Celiac disease cases were diagnosed before two years of age, fulfilling the diagnostic criteria of the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition. Referents were randomly selected from the national population register after fulfilling matching criteria. The final analyses included 954 children, 373 (79%) cases and 581 (61%) referents, with complete information on main variables of interest in a matched set of one case with one or two referents.

Results

Having three or more parental-reported infectious episodes, regardless of type of infection, during the first six months of life was associated with a significantly increased risk for later celiac disease, and this remained after adjusting for infant feeding and socioeconomic status (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.1-2.0; P=0.014). The celiac disease risk increased synergistically if, in addition to having several infectious episodes, infants were introduced to dietary gluten in large amounts, compared to small or medium amounts, after breastfeeding was discontinued (OR 5.6; 95% CI, 3.1-10; P<0.001).

Conclusion

This study suggests that having repeated infectious episodes early in life increases the risk for later celiac disease. In addition, we found a synergistic effect between early infections and daily amount of gluten intake, more pronounced among infants for whom breastfeeding had been discontinued prior to gluten introduction. Regarding contribution to the Swedish celiac disease epidemic, which partly was attributed to concurrent changes in infant feeding, early infections probably made a minor contribution via the synergistic effect with gluten amount.
Does IFN-γ play a role on the pathogenesis of non-atopic asthma in Latin America children?
Authors: Figueiredo Camila Alexandrina , Rodrigues Laura Cunha , Alcantara-Neves Neuza Maria , Cooper Philip J , Amorim Leila Denise , Silva Nivea Bispo , Cruz Alvaro A , Barreto Mauricio Lima
Published: December 2012

In this work we explore differences in blood cells and cytokine profiles in children according to atopic status and asthma (atopic or non-atopic). The study involved measurement of Th1(IFN-γ) and Th2 (IL-5 and IL-13) cytokines in Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus stimulated peripheral blood leukocytes, blood cell count, skin prick test and specific IgE against common aeroallergens. Atopic status was associated with eosinophilia and production of Th2 type cytokines. Atopic asthma was associated with eosinophilia and non-atopic asthma was associated with IFN-γ and elevated monocytes in blood. IFN-γ and monocytes might play a role in immunopathology of non-atopic asthma in Latin American children.
Upregulation of Cystathionine Beta-Synthetase Expression by Nuclear Factor-Kappa B Activation Contributes to Visceral Hypersensitivity in Adult Rats with Neonatal Maternal Deprivation
Authors: Li Lin , Xie Ruihua , Hu Shufen , Wang Yongmeng , Yu Tianzhu , Xiao Ying , Jiang Xinghong , Gu Jianguo , Hu Chuang-Ying , Xu Guang-Yin
Published: December 2012

Background:

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is characterized by chronic visceral hyperalgesia (CVH) that manifested with persistent or recurrent abdominal pain and altered bowel movement. However, the pathogenesis of the CVH remains unknown. The aim of this study was to investigate roles of endogenous hydrogen sulfide (H2S) producing enzyme cystathionine beta-synthetase (CBS) and p65 nuclear factor-kappa B subunits in CVH.

Results:

CVH was induced by neonatal maternal deprivation (NMD) in male rats on postnatal days 2–15 and behavioral experiments were conducted at the age of 7–15 weeks. NMD significantly increased expression of CBS in colon-innervating DRGs from the 7th to 12th week. This change in CBS express is well correlated with the time course of enhanced visceromoter responses to colorectal distention (CRD), an indicator of visceral pain. Administration of AOAA, an inhibitor of CBS, produced a dose-dependent antinociceptive effect on NMD rats while it had no effect on age-matched healthy control rats. AOAA also reversed the enhanced neuronal excitability seen in colon-innervating DRGs. Application of NaHS, a donor of H2S, increased excitability of colon-innervating DRG neurons acutely dissociated from healthy control rats. Intrathecal injection of NaHS produced an acute visceral hyperalgesia. In addition, the content of p65 in nucleus was remarkably higher in NMD rats than that in age-matched controls. Intrathecal administration of PDTC, an inhibitor of p65, markedly reduced expression of CBS and attenuated nociceptive responses to CRD.

Conclusion:

The present results suggested that upregulation of CBS expression, which is mediated by activation of p65, contributes to NMD-induced CVH. This pathway might be a potential target for relieving CVH in patients with IBS.
The participation of Wajãpi women from the State of Amapá (Brazil) in the traditional use of medicinal plants – a case study
Authors: da Mata Nely Dayse Santos , de Sousa Rosinaldo Silva , Perazzo Fábio F , Carvalho José Carlos Tavares
Published: December 2012

Background

The purpose of this study was to analyze the importance of traditional medicinal plants use to Wajãpi women in the State of Amapá, Brazil, as well as their practices in the local common illnesses of treatment considering the prevailing practice by non-Indians.

Methods

This study was conducted in the Community of the Wajãpi Indigenous People, a Brazilian territory located in the central western State of Amapá. Wajãpi women were selected for the interview since they have the responsibility to harvest, collect and prepare the preparations. The studied women were residents of four villages. The number of women within these four villages is 24.

Results and conclusions

The findings fell into the following three categories: 1) The daily use of medicinal plants by women and main methods of application. In this category, the botanical families found included Leguminosae-Caesalpinoideae, Anacardiaceae, Meliaceae, and Rubiaceae. The main forms of use found were teas, baths, maceration, in natura, and juices; 2) Through analysis of illness and treatment records, a lack of knowledge integration in the health system was shown to be due to a variety of gaps and the need of health professionals to be more aware about the local culture which they intend to work with, what could decrease the prevailing barriers between the social groups involved; 3) Traditional knowledge and possible sustainability can be fostered by stimulating the transmission of traditional knowledge from generation to generation, therefore reducing the dependence on industrialized medicines and also by maintaining an appreciation of those practices among youngsters, who tend to question them.
The combination of stem cell factor and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor for chronic stroke treatment in aged animals
Authors: Piao Chun-Shu , Gonzalez-Toledo Maria E , Gu Xi , Zhao Li-Ru
Published: December 2012

Background

Stroke occurs more frequently in the elderly population and presents the number one leading cause of persistent disability worldwide. Lack of effective treatment to enhance brain repair and improve functional restoration in chronic stroke, the recovery phase of stroke, is a challenging medical problem to be solved in stroke research. Our early study has revealed the therapeutic effects of stem cell factor (SCF) in combination with granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) (SCF+G-CSF) on chronic stroke in young animals. However, whether this treatment is effective and safe to the aged population remains to be determined.

Methods

Cortical brain ischemia was produced in aged C57BL mice or aged spontaneously hypertensive rats. SCF+G-CSF or equal volume of vehicle solution was subcutaneously injected for 7 days beginning at 3–4 months after induction of cortical brain ischemia. Using the approaches of biochemistry assays, flow cytometry, pathology, and evaluation of functional outcome, several doses of SCF+G-CSF have been examined for their safety and efficiency on chronic stroke in aged animals.

Results

All tested doses did not show acute or chronic toxicity in the aged animals. Additionally, SCF+G-CSF treatment in chronic stroke of aged animals mobilized bone marrow stem cells and improved functional outcome in a dose-dependent manner.

Conclusions

SCF+G-CSF treatment is a safe and effective approach to chronic stroke in the aged condition. This study provides important information needed for developing a new therapeutic strategy to improve the health of older adults with chronic stroke.
Comparative Literature in Nigeria
Authors: Adebayo Aduke Grace
Published: December 2012

Adebayo’s article examines the diffcult road that African literature had to take toward becoming acceptable in its own right between the 1930s and the 1950s. In the 1960s, after political independence in most African states, African literature found a central place in world literature. In Nigeria specifically, notable writers like Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, Flora Nwapa, J. P. Clark, Christopher Okigbo, and Buchi Emecheta gave Nigerian literature worldwide acclaim. However, because the criticism of African literary criticism developed to a large extent as a reaction against negative Eurocentric appraisal of the creative works of Africans, it was not compared favorably to other foreign literatures. There was acute protectionism of African literature from perceived foreign incursion and supplanting, which led to a call for an Afrocentric criticism. The 1980s and 1990s witnessed a surge of universalism in creation and criticism. It saw the rise of well-known professors of comparative literature who encouraged opening up African literature to other literature and also founded the first Nigerian journal of comparative literature. However, it was not until the beginning of the twenty-first century that comparative literature reappeared as a serious area of discourse in Nigerian universities. The discipline has entered a new era of fertile international academic exchange.
The Complicating Sea: The Indian Ocean as Method
Authors: Hofmeyr Isabel
Published: December 2012

Within the academy, as transnational and oceanic forms of analysis become more prominent, the Indian Ocean attracts attention, especially as a domain that offers rich possibilities for working beyond the templates of the nation-state and area studies. The Indian Ocean makes visible a range of lateral networks that fall within the Third World or Global South. It is hence of particular relevance to those pursuing post–area studies scholarship and has much to say to the themes of this special issue on comparative literature across Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. Hofmeyr’s article seeks to demonstrate the ways in which the idea of the Indian Ocean might be deployed in pursuing such objectives. It surveys current trends within Indian Ocean scholarship and suggests how these might be used to illuminate questions of comparative literary history across Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia. The article examines themes of print culture across these three regions as well as aspects of anglophone literatures between South Asia and Africa.
Interliterariness “Still,” And “Methodized,” Too: Literary Contactuality in India
Authors: Singh Avadhesh Kumar
Published: December 2012

The interrelatedness of various elements in the universe is an acknowledged phenomenon. It operates in literary discourse in equal measure as a consequence of the basic human urge for sharing one’s experience with others and thereby facilitating contactuality and interliterariness. Singh’s essay considers the issues of contactuality and interliterariness between European and Indian literary discourses with special reference to Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore (Bengali) and Suryakanta Tripath Nirala (Hindi).
The Rise of New Cultural Identitarian Movements in Africa and Asia in the Emerging Multipolar System
Authors: Elsenhans Hartmut
Published: December 2012

The rise of new cultural identitarian movements is explained by changing politico-economic conditions at the global and the local level, which led to the decline of the secular elites. These movements are the result of the collapse of the state classes, which had been formed by the secular wings of the national liberation movements and had engaged in import-substituting industrialization on the basis of enhanced claims for better terms of trade. Cultural nationalists were marginalized by the retreating colonial powers but subsequently reemerged where import-substituting industrialization and state-led development were reasonably able to create new middle classes. The property-owning middle classes and a large stratum of the newly educated, often from hitherto uneducated, rural, middle strata, form the basis of the new cultural identitarian movements together with the marginal poor. Because of the diversity of possible coalitions bases, different orientations prevail in these cultural identitarian movements, from violent extremism to moral economy and moderate conservatism. The construction of large class alliances is facilitated as these movements reject any overall economic doctrine and engage in the market-oriented pragmatism they call moral economy or integral humanism. Taking examples from different cultural settings, Elsenhans’s article shows that we are heading for a world of diverse cultural identities incorporated by powers that defend their sovereignty but will not clash, as they are both saturated and interested in maintaining the emerging multipolar system.
Potent microRNA suppression by RNA Pol II-transcribed ‘Tough Decoy’ inhibitors
Authors: Bak Rasmus O. , Hollensen Anne Kruse , Primo Maria Nascimento , Sørensen Camilla Darum , Mikkelsen Jacob Giehm
Published: December 2012

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of gene expression and modulators of diverse biological pathways. Analyses of miRNA function as well as therapeutic managing of miRNAs rely on cellular administration of miRNA inhibitors which may be achieved by the use of viral vehicles. This study explores the miRNA-suppressive capacity of inhibitors expressed intracellularly from lentivirus-derived gene vectors. Superior activity of two decoy-type inhibitors, a “Bulged Sponge” with eight miRNA recognition sites and a hairpin-shaped “Tough Decoy” containing two miRNA recognition sites, is demonstrated in a side-by-side comparison of seven types of miRNA inhibitors transcribed as short RNAs from an RNA Pol III promoter. We find that lentiviral vectors expressing Tough Decoy inhibitors are less vulnerable than Bulged Sponge-encoding vectors to targeting by the cognate miRNA and less prone, therefore, to reductions in transfer efficiency. Importantly, it is demonstrated that Tough Decoy inhibitors retain their miRNA suppression capacity in the context of longer RNA transcripts expressed from an RNA Pol II promoter. Such RNA Pol II-transcribed Tough Decoy inhibitors are new tools in managing of miRNAs and may have potential for temporal and spatial regulation of miRNA activity as well as for therapeutic targeting of miRNAs that are aberrantly expressed in human disease.
Attitudes Toward Economic Globalization: Does Knowledge Matter?
Authors: Cook Nathaniel P.S. , Underwood Robert L.
Published: December 2012

Previous research has found that higher educational attainment is consistently associated with more positive attitudes toward globalization. This result has been interpreted as evidence of a skill-endowment effect, consistent with the predictions of the Stolper-Samuelson theorem. However, these studies largely ignore the possible informational component of education (Do individuals with higher educational attainment know more about globalization?). This paper addresses three fundamental questions about economic globalization. First, what is the distribution of knowledge of economic globalization (How much do people know)? Second, what factors help explain this distribution (Who knows what)? And finally, does knowledge of economic globalization help explain attitudes toward economic globalization (Does knowledge affect attitudes)? We find that individuals with greater knowledge of economic globalization tend to have more positive attitudes toward economic globalization. We also find that the relationship between education and attitudes is complex. Education increases knowledge, which in turn affects attitudes, but controlling for knowledge, higher educational attainment is still associated with more positive attitudes toward economic globalization.
Economic Development and Non-Communicable Chronic Diseases
Authors: Mayer-Foulkes David A. , Pescetto-Villouta Claudia
Published: December 2012

This article outlines the economics of non communicable chronic diseases (NCDs), necessary for designing evidence-based health policies to reduce the prevalence of NCDs. The main risk factors of NCDs are manmade: abuse of alcohol, tobacco, junk food, and lack of exercise. Hence we define an economic category of analysis, unwholesome goods. The analysis tackles the two dimensions of NCDs: individual and collective. The first one linked to how much NCDs are a result of consumer’s choice and the second one, the recognition that NCDs are result of a complex interrelated environment at the society level, evidencing the need for a multisectoral approach. An economic analysis includes the study of 1) NCD in the context of intergenerational life cycle dynamics; 2) demand, supply, externalities, and political economy of NCD factors; 3) the incidence of lifestyle risks according to socioeconomic status, and changes under the impact of economic growth and the demographic transition. Where do the different countries lie on the development pathway? How much of the burden lies on the individual and on the collective dimensions of NCDs? What are the most effective policies for immediate application tackling both, the individual and collective dimensions? To what extent are households affected by financial catastrophe and impoverishment due to NCDs? What are the essential requirements for the health systems to respond with efficiency and efficacy to the NCDs phenomenon? Policy and research initiatives include health sector capability for NCDs, prevention of NCD factors, promotion of multisectoral approaches, and a comprehensive data initiative. Conclusions point to the need to simultaneously implement health policy and construct the necessary evidence bases. A comprehensive data initiative is proposed as needed in addition to expanding data availability in tandem with policy implementation. Finally an initiative is proposed to formulate sufficiently effective multisectoral policies and to establish the necessary links between the health sector and other sectors involved.
Regeneration of Caramel Saturated Activated Carbon jointly by Microwave and Extractive Method
Authors: Lv Guocheng , Wu Limei , Wang Xiaoyu , Liao Libing , Li Zhaohui , He Wenhui
Published: December 2012

In this study, the spent activated carbon (AC) saturated with caramel was regenerated using solvent assisted with microwave radiation. The efficiency of regeneration was evaluated under parameters such as power and time of microwave radiation, and concentrations and pH of an activator. The quality of regenerated AC (RAC) was assessed by methylene blue (MB) and iodine adsorption. The optimum condition for AC regeneration was under a microwave power of 680 W and 10 min radiation, with 20% ethyl alcohol in the activator and pH of 9–10. Under this condition, the adsorption of iodine and MB on RAC was 878 and 218 mg/g, respectively. The micro structure of RAC was characterized by SEM observation. The surface area of RAC was determined under N2 sorption. The pore size distributions of virgin and RAC determined by Horvath–Kawazoe (HK) and DFT methods resulted in a mean pore diameter of 1.2 nm and a pore volume of 1 cm3/g. A regeneration efficiency of more than 85% could be achieved by microwave assisted solvent regeneration.
On the Relationship between Tariff Levels and the Nature of Mergers
Authors: Ulus Aysegul , Yildiz Halis M.
Published: December 2012

This paper employs an endogenous merger formation approach in a two-country oligopoly model of trade to examine the international linkages between the nature of mergers and tariff levels. Firms sell differentiated products and compete in a Bertrand fashion in product markets. Two effects play key roles in determining equilibrium market structure: the tariff saving effect and the protection gain effect. The balance between these two effects implies that, when foreign country practices free trade, low home tariffs yield international mergers irrespective of the substitutability levels. By contrast, when foreign tariffs are sufficiently high and products are close substitutes, national mergers obtain in the equilibrium. Unlike this asymmetric result of unilateral trade liberalization, we find that when bilateral tariffs are sufficiently low, international mergers arise. These results fit well with the fact that global trade liberalization has been accompanied by an increase in international merger activities. From a welfare perspective, we show that international mergers are preferable to national mergers and thus social and private merger incentives become aligned together as trade gets bilaterally liberalized. Finally, if countries can commit to a trade policy, they would optimally commit to a low tariff to induce international mergers when products are close substitutes while any tariff commitment is optimal when products are sufficiently differentiated.
News and Social Cost: The Case of Oil Spills and Distant Viewers
Authors: Farrow Scott , Larson Douglas M.
Published: December 2012

Although contingent valuation methods are now frequently used to assess the total value of even distant events, benefit-cost analysis could also be informed by observed behavior that links distant events and consumers. It is typically the news media which connect passive consumers to distant events about which they may or may not take action. The information and adaptation costs incurred by the news consumer are privately beneficial, but additionally are shown to be a lower bound to social welfare losses from a socially defined “bad” event under plausible circumstances. The recent Deepwater Horizon well blow-out in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico is a current example which we seek to inform by study of the oil spill from the Valdez, Alaska spill in 1989. We identify an incremental willingness to pay for news about the Exxon Valdez spill above a standard news broadcast and an increased probability of viewing a broadcast related to the spill. We develop and explain how this private value associated with media consumption can be interpreted as a partial measure of social costs for passive viewers who take no further action beyond news viewing and likely represent the majority of affected citizens (though not necessarily the majority of social costs). Though the per-person values of passive users may be modest in magnitude in the present application, some passive use values appear to be measurable, and that it may well be worth pursuing further the search for the faint but observable links between behavior and distant events through the news media.
Sonographic presentations of uterine rupture following vaginal birth after cesarean – report of two cases 12 h apart
Authors: Weissmann-Brenner Alina , Gilboa Yinon , Yerushalmi Gil M. , Achiron Reuven , Schiff Eyal
Published: December 2012

We present two patients who delivered vaginally following a prior cesarean section in whom uterine rupture was detected a few minutes after delivery. Both deliveries occurred within 12 h. The sonographic findings were different in each case and consistent with the clinical and operative findings. Ultrasound may assist in the diagnosis of uterine rupture following delivery.
Prenatal diagnosis of thrombocytopenia-absent radius syndrome
Authors: Köken Gülengül , Akbaş Pınar , Coşar Emine
Published: December 2012

The prenatal diagnosis of thrombocytopenia-absent radius (TAR) syndrome by ultrasound is established. The sonographic findings showed bilateral absence of the radii and club hands with normal thumbs and metacarpals. Thrombocytopenia was identified from the postabortal cord blood. Three-dimensional computerized tomography images confirmed the sonographic diagnosis. This report, to our knowledge, is one of the few cases published in the literature about the prenatal diagnosis of TAR syndrome.
Vein of Galen aneurysm that was diagnosed prenatally and supracardiac obstructed total anomalous pulmonary venous return with pulmonary hypertension: case report
Authors: Tanrıverdi Sema , Baytur Yeşim , Tansuğ Nermin , Çetin Mecnun , Coşkun Şenol
Published: December 2012

The vein of Galen aneurysm is the most common form of symptomatic cerebrovascular malformation in neonates and infants. This anomaly may be diagnosed prenatally by several imaging modalities and causes high cardiac output, which may lead to cardiac failure, in newborns. Total anomalous pulmonary venous return is a rare entity that makes up approximately 0.4%–2% of all congenital heart diseases. The most common type of total anomalous pulmonary venous return is the supracardiac type. The pulmonary veins drain to a confluence posterior to the heart and then to a vertical vein, most commonly on the left, which enters the innominate vein and the drains to the right atrium. Obstructed pulmonary veins with supracardiac-type total anomalous pulmonary venous return can cause severe cardiac and respiratory failure. In this article, a case of a neonate with a vein of Galen aneurysm diagnosed prenatally by magnetic resonance imaging, and a supracardiac obstructed type of total anomalous pulmonary venous return with pulmonary hypertension is presented.
A case of a four-vessel umbilical cord: don’t stop counting at three!
Authors: Koolhaas Geneviève Donata , Hollander Martine Helene , Molendijk Harry
Published: December 2012

There are various numerical abnormalities of umbilical cord vessels known in the literature, the single umbilical artery being the most prevalent. A four-vessel umbilical cord is found less frequently, and moreover, is less well-known in daily practice. A persistent right umbilical vein, however, can be associated with potentially serious congenital defects. A case of a four-vessel umbilical cord containing two arteries and two veins is presented. The literature on this subject reports both a differentiation between the two variants, intrahepatic and extrahepatic, which can be distinguished during antenatal ultrasound screening, and a possible association with congenital abnormalities, some of which can carry substantial morbidity and mortality. Although the incidence of a four-vessel umbilical cord is low, its presence should be considered both during routine antenatal ultrasound screening and on physical examination of any neonate.
Population dynamics of Akodon montensis and Oligoryzomys nigripes in an Araucaria forest of Southern Brazil
Authors: Galiano Daniel , Kubiak Bruno Busnelo , Marinho Jorge Reppold , de Freitas Thales Renato Ochotorena
Published: December 2012

We investigated the demographic parameters and the relationships between population density and extrinsic factors (temperature, rainfall, humidity and insolation) of two sigmodontine rodents (
A non-linear elastic-plastic stress analysis in a ductile double-lap joint
Authors: Sayman Onur , Ozen Mustafa , Ozel Adnan , Demir Teyfik , Korkmaz Behiye
Published: December 2012

In this study, an elastic-plastic stress analysis was proposed in order to obtain shear stress distribution in a double-lap joint, analytically. The solution was carried out using incremental theory. The obtained shear stress was then used for determining the peel stress in the adhesive. The elastic peel stress distribution in the adhesive was determined using Newton-Raphson method. In this study, FM73 (Cytec Industries Inc., New Jersey, USA) ductile adhesive was selected as it represents plastic hardening. The analytical results were compared with the finite element solution. For that, ANSYS 10 Software (Figes Engineering A.S., Turkey) was used so as to compare with the analytical results. A good agreement was obtained between the two methods.
Depression als Handlungsstörung
Authors: Slaby Jan , Stephan Achim
Published: December 2012

We develop a philosophical interpretation of altered experience in conditions of severe unipolar depression. Drawing on phenomenological analysis, on published depression memoires and on a recent questionnaire study with patients in Britain, we hold that depression is a profound impairment of agency. Its experiential core consists in a paralyzing loss of drive and energy, a suspension of initiative, an inability to adopt a stance and act in accordance with it. Moreover, we show that experiences such as a loss of self and world, altered interpersonal relatedness, modified corporeal experience as well as marked changes in the experience of time go along with the loss of agency. In order to assess their broader philosophical significance, we relate our analyses to an almost forgotten philosophical discussion: that of the term Selbstgefühl (“self feeling”) in 19th century German philosophy and early psychiatry. We also briefly discuss recent debates about the alleged historical and cultural specificity of depression.
Die Funktion von Grenzbegriffen. Symposium zu: Eckart Förster: Die 25 Jahre der Philosophie
Authors: Haag Johannes
Published: December 2012

The discussion of the hermetical §§ 76/77 of Kant’s Critique of the Power of Judgment is the centerpiece of Eckart Förster’s groundbreaking Die 25 Jahre der Philosophie. The decisive methodological tool employed by Kant in those sections is the use of limiting concepts such as intellectual intuition and intuitive intellect. Förster’s discussion of the use of limiting concepts in those paragraphs is outlined and ultimately – despite some criticism in exegetical detail – assessed as the right way to reconstruct the intricate argument of those important sections.
Intuitionen, intuitiver Verstand und Intuition. Symposium zu: Eckart Förster: Die 25 Jahre der Philosophie
Authors: Wild Markus
Published: December 2012

Against Kant, Eckart Förster claims that Goethe’s methodology of intuitive understanding is a real possibility for us. Firstly, this essay shows that this methodology has to be strictly distinguished from the questionable use of intuitions in contemporary analytic philosophy; secondly, strong parallels between Goethe’s intuitive understanding and Bergson’s intuition are put forward. Both use intuitions as a tool to find essence concepts for natural kinds. Moreover, the parallels help naturalists (like me) to detach Förster’s important insight from the idealistic context.
Scaffolded Instruction Improves Student Understanding of the Scientific Method & Experimental Design
Authors: D’Costa Allison R. , Schlueter Mark A.
Published: December 2012

Implementation of a guided-inquiry lab in introductory biology classes, along with scaffolded instruction, improved students’ understanding of the scientific method, their ability to design an experiment, and their identification of experimental variables. Pre- and postassessments from experimental versus control sections over three semesters showed that most students improved in their understanding of the scientific method and experimental design skills. Students exhibited improvement in their ability to create hypotheses and correctly identify controls and dependent variables. However, students in both groups struggled with the identification of independent variable and controlled variables.
Analysis of species-rich flowery grassland associations according to their ecological needs
Authors: Harcsa M. , Szemán L.
Published: December 2012

Botanical changes were examined on a ten-year-old semi-natural grassland established using mixtures with high species diversity. The mixtures contained seventeen wild flowers of natural origin together with two leguminous and seven grass species or varieties. Three different mixtures were arranged in three replications. The grassland management system was non-intensive (without nutrient supply or irrigation). A survey involving cover assessment revealed nine residual species from among the twenty-six originally sown. The main question addressed in the study was whether there was any connection between the ecological properties of the habitat and the ecological needs of the residual species and it was concluded that all the residual species had similar temperature, water balance and soil requirements. It could be seen that the present plant association gave a good reflection of the results of soil analysis. This suggests that soil analysis should be carried out before sowing new species-rich grasslands in order to compile a mixture suited to the nature of the habitat.
Changes in the yield components of durum wheat (Triticum durum Desf.) during irrigation controlled by soil sensors
Authors: Bányai J. , Láng É. , Bognár Z. , Kuti C. , SpitkÓ T. , Láng L. , Bedő Z.
Published: December 2012

The effect of irrigation water on the yield and on individual yield components was examined for 19 durum wheat varieties by continually recording weather data and carrying out measurements on the moisture content, temperature, electrical conductivity and tension of the soil. Dry (rain-fed) and irrigated treatments were included in the experiment, which was carried out in the framework of the EU FP7-244374 DROPS project.During the rainless spring of 2011 the soil moisture content of the non-irrigated area dropped to 21–22 vol% and the effect of drought stress was still felt at harvest. The quantity of irrigation water applied during the growing season ensured normal conditions for generative development and a significant difference could be detected between the yield components in the two treatments. The thousand-kernel weight of the varieties was identical in the dry and irrigated plots, but in response to irrigation there was an increase in the number of grains per ear and the grain weight, and an improvement in fertilisation, resulting in higher yields.
Adaptability of maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes to intercropping in tropical Asian seasons
Authors: Sangakkara U. , Wijesinghe D. , Weerasekera D. , Stamp P.
Published: December 2012

Maize (Zea mays L.) is the most popular highland cereal in South Asia, and hybrids are being promoted to enhance yields. Thus, a field study evaluated the growth and yields of two hybrid and two open-pollinated varieties in two major (wet) and minor (dry) seasons of Sri Lanka, when grown as a mono crop and when intercropped with mungbean [Vigna radiata (L.) Wilczek]. The growth and yields of the hybrids were greater under both mono and mixed crop conditions in the major seasons, while the performance of open-pollinated varieties was significantly superior in the minor seasons, when the crops are subjected to moisture stress due to lower rainfall. The potential of using different types of maize for smallholder cropping in South Asia in the two seasons is presented.
A complexidade e a religação de saberes interdisciplinares: contribuição do pensamento de Edgar Morin
Authors: Santos Silvana Sidney Costa , Hammerschmidt Karina Silveira de Almeida
Published: December 2012

Trata-se de reflexão teórica que teve por objetivo aproximar o conceito de complexidade de Edgar Morin com a religação de saberes interdisciplinares na Enfermagem/Saúde. Essa reflexão surgiu por meio de escritos do próprio Edgar Morin e/ou de outros autores, direcionando-se para a necessidade de se repensar a Enfermagem/Saúde, na perspectiva complexa e tendo o cuidado sistêmico como foco central. Foi organizada em três atos: primeiro, apresenta-se o pensador Edgar Morin; segundo, traz-se a complexidade; terceiro, faz-se a inter-relação entre a complexidade e a religação de saberes interdisciplinares na Enfermagem/Saúde.