bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mitigating supply chain disruptions – a normal accident perspective
Authors: A. Marley Kathryn , T. Ward Peter , A. Hill James
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– Existing supply chain literature provides examples of countermeasures that firms can adopt to mitigate abnormal or catastrophic supply chain disruptions. However, none address reducing interactive complexity prior to adopting countermeasures to mitigate everyday or normal supply chain disruptions. Most mitigation strategies focus on adding capabilities or resources to protect an organization. Here, the authors aim to consider an alternative strategy of examining current processes to determine whether processes can be simplified by using the normal accident theory and its constructs of interactive complexity and coupling as a theoretical basis.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors develop a model based on the normal accident theory and use logistic regression to test their propositions in the context of a steel processing plant and its customers.

Findings

– The findings show the importance of reducing interactive complexity to mitigate supply chain disruptions. However, high inventory is not considered a significant countermeasure, and high inventory levels may increase the likelihood of causing a disruption downstream. These findings support the lean management approach of operating under low inventory levels while eliminating complexity to make problems more visible, causing fewer disruptions.

Originality/value

– While others have examined the impact of mitigation strategies conceptually, no study has captured information from actual supply chain disruptions to assess how interactive complexity and inventory levels affect disruption potential at downstream customers' facilities. Capturing information from supply chain disruptions enables managers to assess the situation as the disruption is occurring. The authors suggest a strategy in which countermeasures that increase slack in the system should be considered only after the system is sufficiently simplified to mitigate disruptions.
Mitigation processes – antecedents for building supply chain resilience
Authors: Scholten Kirstin , Sharkey Scott Pamela , Fynes Brian
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– This study aims to combine theory and practice to develop an integrated supply chain resilience framework by investigating the inter-dependencies between the strategic literature based concept of supply chain resilience and operational practitioner based disaster management processes.

Design/methodology/approach

– Utilising an in-depth qualitative case of a collaborative agency, this study identifies best practices within disaster management for insights on the operationalisation of supply chain resilience.

Findings

– The empirical data leads to the development of an integrated supply chain resilience framework capturing the interplay of disaster management processes and capabilities required to build supply chain resilience. The critical importance of mitigation processes in building supply chain resilience is highlighted.

Practical implications

– The generic supply chain resilience framework represents a valuable guide for managers when directing resources and planning for building the capabilities required in each phase of disaster management, while remaining strategically focused. The value of the framework is demonstrated by a retrospective analysis of aid operations in response to Hurricane Katrina.

Originality/value

– The study's results are the first to bridge theory and practice on supply chain resilience. By utilising the unique humanitarian aid disaster supply chain management context, a two-way knowledge and learning flow between humanitarian and commercial organisations is established.
Corrosion of Sn-3.0Ag-0.5Cu thin films on Cu substrates in alkaline solution
Authors: Mei Lee Liu , Firdaus Mohd Nazeri Muhammad , Haliman Habsah , Azmin Mohamad Ahmad
Published: March 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the corrosion behaviors of SAC305 thin film solder alloy in 6 M KOH solution.

Design/methodology/approach

– The corrosion behavior of bare Cu, as-deposited SAC305/Cu and as-reflowed SAC305/Cu thin films at varying temperatures, was investigated by means of potentiodynamic polarization in a 6 M KOH solution. The microstructure, phase and thickness of the intermetallic compounds formed were determined before and after polarization.

Findings

– Bare Cu was found to possess the best corrosion resistance, whereas the as-deposited SAC305/Cu had the lowest corrosion resistance. As-reflowed SAC305/Cu with an exposed Cu3Sn layer exhibited better corrosion resistance than did Cu6Sn5. The Ag3Sn phase has the noblest characteristic because it was retained and did not dissolve in the KOH solution. All of the samples contained the corrosion products of oxide. Bare Cu obeys the well-known duplex structure of a Cu2O/CuO, Cu(OH)2layer. For as-reflowed SAC305/Cu, the corroded surface was also mainly composed of SnO and SnO2.

Originality/value

– New analysis on the polarization of thin film characteristics of SAC305 lead-free solder in alkaline solution.
Hydrology, shore morphology and species traits affect seed dispersal, germination and community assembly in shoreline plant communities
Authors: van Leeuwen Casper H. A. , Sarneel Judith M. , van Paassen José , Rip Winnie J. , Bakker Elisabeth S.
Published: March 2014

Seed dispersal and germination are two primary processes influencing plant community assembly. On freshwater shores, water levels regulate both processes. However, it is still unclear how water levels, shore morphology and species traits interactively affect seed dispersal and germination, and how these interactions determine plant community assembly. We hypothesize that a drawdown water regime enhances seed establishment compared to a year‐round stable water level, that this increases species richness and diversity, and that this is modulated by species traits and shore morphology.

Germination of 20 wetland plant species with different dispersal capacities (floating capacity expressed as seed floatation half‐time) and soil moisture preferences for germination (Ellenberg F) was tested on artificial shores in 24 outdoor ponds in two complementary experiments over 8 weeks. The ‘dispersal experiment’ tested the effect of water regime on recruitment of hydrochorously dispersing seeds. The ‘seed bank experiment’ tested the effect of water regime on germination from a sown seed bank, on steep and gradual shores.

In the dispersal experiment, the drawdown regime increased recruitment and species richness. Longer floating species colonized a larger shoreline section. Soil moisture preference for germination did not determine colonization patterns.

In the seed bank experiment, the drawdown regime increased the number of seedlings on gradual sloping shores, but not on steep shores. The number of germinating seedlings corresponded to the area subjected to the drawdown regime in both shore types. Species richness was not affected by water regime or shore morphology, and species traits did not determine shoreline colonization. Most seeds germinated in moist soil conditions for all species.

Synthesis. A spring drawdown instead of stable water regime stimulates establishment of hydrochorously dispersing seeds in temperate wetlands, leading to higher species richness and diversity. Germination from the seed bank is more affected by water regime and shore surface than by the tested species traits. Species traits, water levels and shore morphology together determine wetland plant community assembly, with dispersal as the main driver of seedling community diversity. Water‐level regulations and shore morphology can be used to influence plant communities in wetland restoration.
Government Expenditures, Health Outcomes and Marginal Productivity of Agricultural Inputs: The Case of Tanzania
Authors: Allen Summer , Badiane Ousmane , Sene Ligane , Ulimwengu John
Published: March 2014

This paper examines the impact of health expenditures on agricultural labour productivity in order to inform the necessary policy decisions about targeting scarce public resources towards their most effective uses. We link health sector expenditures in rural Tanzania to health outcomes and agricultural labour productivity using data from the 2008 Household Budget Survey (10,975 households) and the 2007/08 Agricultural Census (52,594 households) across 113 districts in Tanzania. The results indicate that the marginal productivity of labour as well as land and fertilisers respond significantly to health expenditures. However, the magnitude of the response varies across types of disease, categories of expenditures and agricultural inputs. These findings suggest both the need and scope for targeting public expenditures in the health sector to achieve better agricultural growth outcomes.
The Use of an Alternate Light Source for Detecting Bones Underwater
Authors: Christensen Angi M. , Horn Kevin J. , Smith Victoria A.
Published: March 2014

When searching underwater crime scenes or disaster scenes for fragmentary human remains, it may be advantageous for forensic divers to be able to detect the presence of bones and teeth among other marine materials (such as shells and rocks). In terrestrial environments, this can typically be accomplished by visual and instrumental methods, but underwater conditions make it difficult to employ detection and sorting techniques in these environments. This study investigates fluorescence of bones and teeth and other marine materials using a submersible alternate light source (ALS) and concludes that an ALS can be a useful tool for detecting bones and teeth in underwater searches as well in terrestrial searches and laboratory environments. The results could impact the methods and equipment used by forensic divers and forensic anthropologists when searching for skeletal remains, potentially increasing the quantity and efficiency of forensic evidence recovered.
Carotenoids, but Not Vitamin A, Improve Iron Uptake and Ferritin Synthesis by Caco‐2 Cells from Ferrous Fumarate and NaFe‐EDTA
Authors: García‐Casal María N. , Leets Irene
Published: March 2014

Due to the high prevalence of iron and vitamin A deficiencies and to the controversy about the role of vitamin A and carotenoids in iron absorption, the objectives of this study were to evaluate the following: (1) the effect of a molar excess of vitamin A as well as the role of tannic acid on iron uptake by Caco‐2 cells; (2) iron uptake and ferritin synthesis in presence of carotenoids without pro‐vitamin A activity: lycopene, lutein, and zeaxantin; and (3) iron uptake and ferritin synthesis from ferrous fumarate and NaFe‐EDTA. Cells were incubated 1 h at 37 °C in PBS pH 5.5, containing 59Fe and different iron compounds. Vitamin A, ferrous fumarate, β‐carotene, lycopene, lutein, zeaxantin, and tannic acid were added to evaluate uptake. Ferritin synthesis was measured 24 h after uptake experiments. Vitamin A had no effect on iron uptake by Caco‐2 cells, and was significantly lower from NaFe‐EDTA than from ferrous fumarate (15.2 ± 2.5 compared with 52.5 ± 8.3 pmol Fe/mg cell protein, respectively). Carotenoids increase uptake up to 50% from fumarate and up to 300% from NaFe‐EDTA, since absorption from this compound is low when administered alone. We conclude the following: (1) There was no effect of vitamin A on iron uptake and ferritin synthesis by Caco‐2cells. (2) Carotenoids significantly increased iron uptake from ferrous fumarate and NaFe‐EDTA, and were capable of partially overcoming the inhibition produced by tannic acid. (3) Iron uptake by Caco‐2 cell from NaFe‐EDTA was significantly lower compared to other iron compounds, although carotenoids increased and tannic acid inhibited iron uptake comparably to ferrous fumarate.
Phytochemical Profiles and Antimicrobial Activity of Aromatic Malaysian Herb Extracts against Food‐Borne Pathogenic and Food Spoilage Microorganisms
Authors: Aziman Nurain , Abdullah Noriham , Noor Zainon Mohd , Kamarudin Wan Saidatul Syida Wan , Zulkifli Khairusy Syakirah
Published: March 2014

Preliminary phytochemical and flavonoid compounds of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of 6 aromatic Malaysian herbs were screened and quantified using Reverse‐Phase High Performance Liquid Chromatography (RP‐HPLC). The herbal extracts were tested for their antimicrobial activity against 10 food‐borne pathogenic and food spoilage microorganisms using disk diffusion assay. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC)/minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) of herbal extracts were determined. In the phytochemical screening process, both aqueous and ethanolic extracts of P. hydropiper exhibited presence of all 7 tested phytochemical compounds. Among all herbal extracts, the aqueous P. hydropiper and E. elatior extracts demonstrated the highest antibacterial activity against 7 tested Gram‐positive and Gram‐negative bacteria with diameter ranging from 7.0 to 18.5 mm and 6.5 to 19 mm, respectively. The MIC values for aqueous and ethanolic extracts ranged from 18.75 to 175 mg/mL and 0.391 to 200 mg/mL, respectively while the MBC/MFC values for aqueous and ethanolic extracts ranged from 25 to 200 mg/mL and 3.125 to 50 mg/mL, respectively. Major types of bioactive compounds in aqueous P. hydropiper and E. elatior extracts were identified using RP‐HPLC instrument. Flavonoids found in these plants were epi‐catechin, quercetin, and kaempferol. The ability of aqueous Persicaria hydropiper (L.) H. Gross and Etlingera elatior (Jack) R.M. Sm. extracts to inhibit the growth of bacteria is an indication of its broad spectrum antimicrobial potential. Hence these herbal extracts may be used as natural preservative to improve the safety and shelf‐life of food and pharmaceutical products.
Automated DNA‐based plant identification for large‐scale biodiversity assessment
Authors: Papadopoulou Anna , Chesters Douglas , Coronado Indiana , De la Cadena Gissela , Cardoso Anabela , Reyes Jazmina C. , Maes Jean‐Michel , Rueda Ricardo M. , Gómez‐Zurita Jesús
Published: March 2014

Rapid degradation of tropical forests urges to improve our efficiency in large‐scale biodiversity assessment. DNA barcoding can assist greatly in this task, but commonly used phenetic approaches for DNA‐based identifications rely on the existence of comprehensive reference databases, which are infeasible for hyperdiverse tropical ecosystems. Alternatively, phylogenetic methods are more robust to sparse taxon sampling but time‐consuming, while multiple alignment of species‐diagnostic, typically length‐variable, markers can be problematic across divergent taxa. We advocate the combination of phylogenetic and phenetic methods for taxonomic assignment of DNA‐barcode sequences against incomplete reference databases such as GenBank, and we developed a pipeline to implement this approach on large‐scale plant diversity projects. The pipeline workflow includes several steps: database construction and curation, query sequence clustering, sequence retrieval, distance calculation, multiple alignment and phylogenetic inference. We describe the strategies used to establish these steps and the optimization of parameters to fit the selected psbA‐trnH marker. We tested the pipeline using infertile plant samples and herbivore diet sequences from the highly threatened Nicaraguan seasonally dry forest and exploiting a valuable purpose‐built resource: a partial local reference database of plant psbA‐trnH. The selected methodology proved efficient and reliable for high‐throughput taxonomic assignment, and our results corroborate the advantage of applying ‘strict’ tree‐based criteria to avoid false positives. The pipeline tools are distributed as the scripts suite ‘BAGpipe’ (pipeline for Biodiversity Assessment using GenBank data), which can be readily adjusted to the purposes of other projects and applied to sequence‐based identification for any marker or taxon.
The Structure of the Human Vaginal Stratum Corneum and its Role in Immune Defense
Authors: Anderson Deborah J. , Marathe Jai , Pudney Jeffrey
Published: March 2014

The superficial layers of the human vaginal epithelium, which form an interface between host and environment, are comprised of dead flattened cells that have undergone a terminal cell differentiation program called cornification. This entails extrusion of nuclei and intercellular organelles, and the depletion of functional DNA and RNA precluding the synthesis of new proteins. As a consequence, the terminally differentiated cells do not maintain robust intercellular junctions and have a diminished capacity to actively respond to microbial exposure, yet the vaginal stratum corneum (SC) mounts an effective defense against invasive microbial infections. The vaginal SC in reproductive‐aged women is comprised of loosely connected glycogen‐filled cells, which are permeable to bacterial and viral microbes as well as molecular and cellular mediators of immune defense. We propose here that the vaginal SC provides a unique microenvironment that maintains vaginal health by fostering endogenous lactobacilli and retaining critical mediators of acquired and innate immunity. A better understanding of the molecular and physicochemical properties of the vaginal SC could promote the design of more effective topical drugs and microbicides.
Regulatory T Cells: Regulators of Life
Authors: Schumacher Anne , Zenclussen Ana Claudia
Published: March 2014

Pregnancy still represents one of the most fascinating paradoxical phenomena in science. Immediately after conception, the maternal immune system is challenged by the presence of foreign paternal antigens in the semen. This triggers mechanisms of recognition and tolerance that all together allow the embryo to implant and later the fetus to develop. Tolerance mechanisms to maintain pregnancy are of special interest as they defy the classical immunology rules. Several cell types, soluble factors, and immune regulatory molecules have been proposed to contribute to fetal tolerance. Within these, regulatory T cells (Treg) are one of the most studied immune cell populations lately. They are reportedly involved in fetal acceptance. Here, we summarize several aspects of Treg biology in normal and pathologic pregnancies focusing on Treg frequencies, subtypes, antigen specificity, and activity as well as on factors influencing Treg generation, recruitment, and function. This review also highlights the contribution of fetal Treg in tolerance induction and addresses the role of Treg in autoimmune diseases and infections during gestation. Finally, the potential of Treg as a predictive marker for the success of assisted reproductive techniques and for therapeutic interventions is discussed.
Does God Exist in Methodological Atheism? On Tanya Lurhmann's When God Talks Back and Bruno Latour
Authors: Bialecki Jon
Published: March 2014

In the anthropology of Christianity, and more broadly in the anthropology of religion, methodological atheism has foreclosed ethnographic description of God as a social actor. This prohibition is the product of certain ontological presumptions regarding agency, an absence of autonomy of human creations, and a truncated conception of what can be said to exist. Reading Tanya Luhrmann's recent ethnography, When God Talks Back: Understanding the American Evangelical Relationship with God (2012), in light of both the ontological postulates of Object Orientated Ontology and the work of Bruno Latour, this article proposes an ontological framework that makes it is possible to ethnographically describe God as a social actor without adopting methodological theism. This article also notes, however, that the ethnographic description of religious practice, found in studies of the Vineyard denomination such as Luhrmann's, challenge Latour's own account of the difference between science and religions as distinguishable enterprises.
On Knowing and Not Knowing “Life” in Molecular Biology and Xhosa Healing: Ontologies in the Preclinical Trial of a South African Indigenous Medicine (Muthi)
Authors: Laplante Julie
Published: March 2014

Seemingly distant practices of molecular biology and indigenous Xhosa healing have commonalities that I would like to bring into conversation in this article. The preclinical trial of an indigenous medicine brings them together in a research consortium. In this instance, both sets of experts are meant to collaborate in preparing a wild bush for it to pass the tests of the randomized clinical trial (RCT) and to potentially become a biopharmaceutical to counter the tuberculosis pandemic. I aim to tease out how the two sets of actors and their respective practices converge and diverge in their healing hopes and ways of managing uncertainty. Ultimately, I am interested in understanding how the preferred process of making medicine “work” by each set of actors relies upon particular ways of knowing and not knowing life, bringing some ontologies into being, letting others wither away. The shared ways of knowing life as a movement of opening at the edges of the RCT are proposed as paths of recognition between one and the other practice.
From the Alien to the Other: Steps toward a Phenomenological Theory of Spirit Possession
Authors: Leistle Bernhard
Published: March 2014

In this article, I apply a structural‐phenomenological conception of experience and self to the anthropological theorizing of spirit possession. In particular, I argue that a phenomenology of the alien, as elaborated by the philosopher Bernhard Waldenfels, allows for a more differentiated understanding of possession phenomena. Following a characterization of alienness—in conceptual distinction from the more common term “otherness”—as a dimension that necessarily eludes experience, I describe spirit possession as a cultural technology to appropriate the experiential alien by transforming it into the symbolic other. I discuss this relation to the alien in thematic areas central to the anthropology of possession: illness and therapy, symbolism and naming, embodiment and self.
Bearing the Decline of Animal Sacrifice: Enhanced State of Consciousness, Illness, Taboos, and the Government in Southwest China
Authors: Zhang Wenyi
Published: March 2014

In this study, I analyze how economic development projects and the ethnic tourism project in Southwest China have contributed to the failure of the ethnic Kachin villagers to observe taboos involved in shamanic healing rituals. Such a failure, initially as a local response to politico‐economic processes in Southwest China, exacerbates the increasingly poor health status of Kachin shamans in the local community. Taboos thus become an active site where the local decline of animal sacrifice intersects with regional processes of economic development. In examining this site, I propose a framework for understanding transformation of rituals in Southwest China, not simply as a response, or an appendix, to wider transformation in China at large, but as an integral part of China and its transformation. I also extend the relation between shamans' enhanced state of consciousness and the patients' recovery to that between the shamans' enhanced state of consciousness and their own health.
Medical students call for national standards in anatomical education
Authors: Farey John E. , Sandeford Jonathan C. , Evans‐McKendry Greg D.
Published: March 2014

The diminishing number of hours dedicated to formal instruction in anatomy has led to a debate within medical education as to the level required for safe clinical practice. We provide a review of the current state of anatomical education in Australian medical schools and state the case for national standards. In light of the review presented, council members of the Australian Medical Students' Association voted to affirm that consideration should be given to developing undergraduate learning goals for anatomy, providing a codified medical student position on the teaching of anatomy in Australian medical schools. Crucially, the position states that time‐intensive methods of instruction such as dissection should be a rite of passage for medical students in the absence of evidence demonstrating the superiority of modern teaching methods. We believe the bodies with a vested interest in the quality of medical graduates, namely the Australian Medical Council, Medical Deans Australia & New Zealand, and the postgraduate colleges should collaborate and develop clear guidelines that make explicit the core knowledge of anatomy expected of medical graduates at each stage of their career with a view to safe clinical practice. In addition, Australian universities have a role to play in conducting further research into contemporary learning styles and the most efficacious methods of delivering anatomical education.
Inhibition of Polyamine Formation Antagonizes Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Proliferation and Preserves the Contractile Phenotype
Authors: Grossi Mario , Persson Lo , Swärd Karl , Turczyńska Karolina M. , Forte Amalia , Hellstrand Per , Nilsson Bengt‐Olof
Published: March 2014

The polyamines putrescine, spermidine and spermine play essential roles in cell proliferation and migration, two processes involved in the development of vascular disease. Thus, intervention with polyamine formation may represent a way to inhibit unwanted vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) proliferation. The aim of the present study was to assess the importance of polyamines for VSMC proliferation and vascular contractility. The rate‐limiting step in polyamine biosynthesis is catalysed by ornithine decarboxylase (ODC). Treatment with α‐difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), an irreversible inhibitor of ODC, reduced DNA synthesis in primary rat VSMCs in a concentration‐dependent manner with an IC50 value of 100 μM. Moreover, DFMO reduced VSMC migration assessed in a scratch assay. The DFMO‐induced attenuation of VSMC proliferation was associated with lowered cellular amount of polyamines. The antiproliferative effect of DFMO was specific because supplementation with polyamines reversed the effect of DFMO on proliferation and normalized cellular polyamine levels. Isometric force recordings in cultured rat tail artery rings showed that DFMO counteracts the decrease in contractility caused by culture with foetal bovine serum as growth stimulant. We conclude that inhibition of polyamine synthesis by DFMO may limit the first wave of cell proliferation and migration, which occurs in the acute phase after vascular injury. Besides its antiproliferative effect, DFMO may prevent loss of the smooth muscle contractile phenotype in vascular injury.
The rhetoric of reform and teachers' use of ICT
Authors: Vrasidas Charalambos
Published: March 2014

During the last two decades, the Cyprus Education System has been undergoing systematic reform efforts. Within the spirit of change, efforts have been made to equip all public schools with computers and provide them with access to the internet. Compared with other European Union countries, Cyprus infrastructure is one of the most developed. However, as our research shows, the adoption of technology does not match the rhetoric of reform that dominates education discourse. In order to examine the challenges and opportunities primary school teachers face in efforts to integrate technology in the classroom, four in‐depth case studies of schools were developed and a large scale survey was conducted across public schools. This paper discusses the method, the design and the results from our research, drawing on both survey findings and rich qualitative data. Theoretical discussions provide further empirical grounding of technology adoption models and illustrate barriers to effective adoption of ICT.
The regulatory T cells induction by epicutaneous immunotherapy is sustained and mediates long‐term protection from eosinophilic disorders in peanut‐sensitized mice
Authors: Dioszeghy V. , Mondoulet L. , Dhelft V. , Ligouis M. , Puteaux E. , Dupont C. , Benhamou P.‐H.
Published: March 2014

Background

Allergen‐specific immunotherapy favours immune deviation from a Th2 to a Th1 response and increases the number of regulatory T cells (Tregs). Epicutaneous immunotherapy (EPIT) of sensitized mice decreases the clinical and the allergen‐specific Th2 responses and increases local and peripheral Foxp3+ Tregs.

Objective

To investigate the role of Tregs in EPIT and characterize their phenotype and maintenance following EPIT.

Methods

Tregs were investigated using in vivo depletion or adoptive transfer into BALB/c mice. Tregs were depleted using anti‐CD25 antibody injection during EPIT, and allergen‐specific responses were compared with Sham, EPIT alone and naïve mice. To demonstrate that Tregs can mediate protection by their own, and to study their maintenance following the end of EPIT, CD25+CD4+ Tregs isolated from mice just after or 8 weeks after EPIT were transferred into peanut‐sensitized mice. Foxp3‐IRES‐mRFP mice were transferred with EPIT‐induced Tregs to analyse the induction of host Tregs.

Results

The anti‐CD25 antibody injection to EPIT mice abrogated the induction of Tregs in spleen and the expression of Foxp3 in oesophagus. This resulted in levels of peanut‐induced eosinophilic infiltration in oesophagus similar to Sham and significantly higher than EPIT. Whereas the transfer of Tregs from Sham‐treated mice demonstrated no effect, the transfer of Tregs isolated just after EPIT prevented peanut‐induced eosinophil infiltration and eotaxin expression and induced Foxp3 in oesophagus. The transfer of Tregs isolated 8 weeks after EPIT suppressed allergen‐specific responses as efficiently as did Tregs isolated just after EPIT and increased spleen Foxp3+ CD25+ CD4+ cells similarly. The use of reporter mice demonstrated an increase in host Tregs.

Conclusions

These results confirm the Tregs‐mediated mechanism of EPIT and demonstrate the persistence of efficient Tregs during a long period of time after treatment cessation. This suggests that EPIT induces long‐term tolerance in peanut‐sensitized mice.
Personalized ophthalmology
Authors: Porter L.F. , Black G.C.M.
Published: March 2014

Ophthalmology has been an early adopter of personalized medicine. Drawing on genomic advances to improve molecular diagnosis, such as next‐generation sequencing, and basic and translational research to develop novel therapies, application of genetic technologies in ophthalmology now heralds development of gene replacement therapies for some inherited monogenic eye diseases. It also promises to alter prediction, diagnosis and management of the complex disease age‐related macular degeneration. Personalized ophthalmology is underpinned by an understanding of the molecular basis of eye disease. Two important areas of focus are required for adoption of personalized approaches: disease stratification and individualization. Disease stratification relies on phenotypic and genetic assessment leading to molecular diagnosis; individualization encompasses all aspects of patient management from optimized genetic counseling and conventional therapies to trials of novel DNA‐based therapies. This review discusses the clinical implications of these twin strategies. Advantages and implications of genetic testing for patients with inherited eye diseases, choice of molecular diagnostic modality, drivers for adoption of personalized ophthalmology, service planning implications, ethical considerations and future challenges are considered. Indeed, whilst many difficulties remain, personalized ophthalmology truly has the potential to revolutionize the specialty.
Meta‐Analysis of Attitudes toward Damage‐Causing Mammalian Wildlife
Authors: KANSKY RUTH , KIDD MARTIN , KNIGHT ANDREW T.
Published: March 2014

Many populations of threatened mammals persist outside formally protected areas, and their survival depends on the willingness of communities to coexist with them. An understanding of the attitudes, and specifically the tolerance, of individuals and communities and the factors that determine these is therefore fundamental to designing strategies to alleviate human‐wildlife conflict. We conducted a meta‐analysis to identify factors that affected attitudes toward 4 groups of terrestrial mammals. Elephants (65%) elicited the most positive attitudes, followed by primates (55%), ungulates (53%), and carnivores (44%). Urban residents presented the most positive attitudes (80%), followed by commercial farmers (51%) and communal farmers (26%). A tolerance to damage index showed that human tolerance of ungulates and primates was proportional to the probability of experiencing damage while elephants elicited tolerance levels higher than anticipated and carnivores elicited tolerance levels lower than anticipated. Contrary to conventional wisdom, experiencing damage was not always the dominant factor determining attitudes. Communal farmers had a lower probability of being positive toward carnivores irrespective of probability of experiencing damage, while commercial farmers and urban residents were more likely to be positive toward carnivores irrespective of damage. Urban residents were more likely to be positive toward ungulates, elephants, and primates when probability of damage was low, but not when it was high. Commercial and communal farmers had a higher probability of being positive toward ungulates, primates, and elephants irrespective of probability of experiencing damage. Taxonomic bias may therefore be important. Identifying the distinct factors explaining these attitudes and the specific contexts in which they operate, inclusive of the species causing damage, will be essential for prioritizing conservation investments.

Meta‐Análisis de las Posturas hacia la Mamíferos Silvestres Causantes de Daños
Combining Auctions and Performance‐Based Payments in a Forest Enrichment Field Trial in Western Kenya
Authors: KHALUMBA MERCELYNE , WüNSCHER TOBIAS , WUNDER SVEN , BüDENBENDER MIRJAM , HOLM‐MüLLER KARIN
Published: March 2014

Cost‐effectiveness is an important aspect in the assessment of payments for environmental services (PES) initiatives. In participatory field trials with communities in Western Kenya, we combined procurement auctions for forest enrichment contracts with performance‐based payments and compared the outcomes with a baseline scenario currently used by the Kenyan Forest Service. Procurement auctions were the most cost‐effective. The competitive nature of the auction reduced contracting expenses (provision costs), and the result‐oriented payments provided additional incentives to care for the planted seedlings, resulting in their improved survival rates (service quantity). These gains clearly exceeded increases in transaction costs associated with conducting an auction. The number of income‐poor auction participants and winners was disproportionately high and local institutional buy‐in was remarkably strong. Our participatory approach may, however, require adaptations when conducted at a larger scale. Although the number of contracts we monitored was limited and prohibited the use of statistical tests, our study is one of the first to reveal the benefits of using auctions for PES in developing countries.

Combinando Subastas y Pagos Basados en Desempeño en un Ensayo de Campo de Enriquecimiento de Bosques en el Oeste de Kenia
Atypical fibrous histiocytoma of the skin with CD30 and p80/ALK1 positivity and ALK gene rearrangement
Authors: Szablewski Vanessa , Laurent‐Roussel Sara , Rethers Luc , Rommel Antoine , Vaneechout Pascal , Camboni Alessandra , Willocz Pascal , Copie‐Bergman Christiane , Ortonne Nicolas
Published: March 2014

We report the case of a two patients who presented with a solitary, asymptomatic, angiomatoid nodule on the right thigh. Histopathological finding showed a poorly circumscribed lesion, located in the dermis. The morphological aspect strongly suggested the diagnosis of atypical fibrous histiocytoma (AFH), but surprisingly, the neoplastic cells were diffusely CD30+, with a membrane staining devoid of paranuclear dot. The lesions were tested for p80/ALK1 expression. Surprisingly, we found a diffuse cytoplasmic positivity. Interestingly, using break‐apart fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH), we evidenced an ALK rearrangement in nearly 50% of the neoplastic cells. The expression of CD30 and ALK1 with ALK gene rearrangement raised the possibility of three diagnoses: a primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), a cutaneous inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT), an AFH of the skin associated with ALK gene rearrangement and CD30 positivity. The three hypotheses were discussed and finally, although p80/ALK1 expression and cytogenetic abnormalities in fibrous histiocytoma (FH) are not yet reported to the best of our knowledge, we favored the diagnosis of AFH.
An improved high‐output cell microarray technology
Authors: Hu Q. , Shi Y. , Li X. , Hou Y. , Jiang D. , Huang J. , Su J. , Zeng H. , Tan Y.
Published: March 2014

Aims

Cell microarray (CMA) is a high‐throughput scientific research tool, which has greatly accelerated many analyses based at the cellular level. However, there are few described methods for constructing CMAs. Here, we introduce a new, simple, high‐output CMA method that is applicable to a broad range of cellular samples.

Methods

In this method, a recipient block (length, 3.6 cm; width, 2.7 cm; depth, 2 cm) with 40 dot markers was moulded using a transparent plastic box. Adenocarcinoma cells were collected from malignant pleural effusions, cell cylinders were moulded with plastic piping and the cylinders were manually arrayed one by one into the corresponding location of the 60 °C pre‐softened recipient block using the guide holes drilled with a steel needle. We constructed a 40‐cylinder CMA to prove this method. The expression of cytokeratin 7 (CK7) in the CMA was examined to confirm antigen preservation and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutation was screened for in five samples.

Results

The CMA prepared by this method had well‐defined array configurations, good cellular morphology and well‐preserved proteins and DNA. A total of 1000 sections could be easily gained from this CMA block.

Conclusions

This simple and low‐cost method provides a novel way of preparing a high‐output CMA.
False belief in infancy: a fresh look
Authors: Heyes Cecilia
Published: March 2014

Can infants appreciate that others have false beliefs? Do they have a theory of mind? In this article I provide a detailed review of more than 20 experiments that have addressed these questions, and offered an affirmative answer, using nonverbal ‘violation of expectation’ and ‘anticipatory looking’ procedures. Although many of these experiments are both elegant and ingenious, I argue that their results can be explained by the operation of domain‐general processes and in terms of ‘low‐level novelty’. This hypothesis suggests that the infants' looking behaviour is a function of the degree to which the observed (perceptual novelty) and remembered or expected (imaginal novelty) low‐level properties of the test stimuli – their colours, shapes and movements – are novel with respect to events encoded by the infants earlier in the experiment. If the low‐level novelty hypothesis is correct, research on false belief in infancy currently falls short of demonstrating that infants have even an implicit theory of mind. However, I suggest that the use of two experimental strategies – inanimate control procedures, and self‐informed belief induction – could be used in combination with existing methods to bring us much closer to understanding the evolutionary and developmental origins of theory of mind.
Isolated Tricuspid Valve Repair for Libman‐Sacks Endocarditis
Authors: Gur Ali Kemal , Odabasi Dolunay , Kunt Ayse Gul , Kunt Alper Sami
Published: March 2014

Cardiac involvement is a well‐known complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), which can involve most cardiac components, including pericardium, conduction system, myocardium, heart valves, and coronary arteries. Libman‐Sacks (verrucous) endocarditis is the characteristic cardiac valvular manifestation. Although isolated tricuspid valve involvement is quite rare, we report a patient with SLE who had tricuspid stenosis caused by Libman‐Sacks endocarditis. The patient underwent successful commisurotomy and Kay annuloplasty on the tricuspid valve under cardiopulmonary bypass.
Evaluation of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection‐Related Left Ventricular Systolic Dysfunction by Tissue Doppler Strain Echocardiography
Authors: Onur Imran , Ikitimur Baris , Oz Fahrettin , Ekmekci Ahmet , Elitok Ali , Cagatay Arif Atahan , Adalet Kamil , Bilge Ahmet Kaya , Kaya Mehmet Gungor
Published: March 2014

Objective

Cardiovascular involvement causes significant morbidity and mortality among patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART), subtle changes in left ventricular (LV) function, which may be clinically silent, have become more pronounced in HIV patients. Echocardiographic strain imaging (SI) may detect subclinical myocardial dysfunction at an earlier stage compared with conventional echocardiography. The aim of this study was to evaluate tissue Doppler–derived LV strain and strain rate (SR) along with conventional measures of LV function in asymptomatic, stable adult HIV patients on HAART.

Methods

Twenty‐one patients with HIV infection (mean age: 37.8 ± 11.9 years, 11 males) who had no cardiovascular complaints and 27 healthy volunteers (mean age: 40.9 ± 5.8 years, 14 males) were enrolled. Traditional parameters including LV ejection fraction (EF) were measured along with tissue velocity imaging (TVI) and tissue Doppler SI parameters using transthoracic echocardiography.

Results

The mean duration of HIV infection was 30.8 ± 25.1 (3–120) months. The mean LVEF in HIV group was within normal limits but lower than controls (64.5% ± 10.2% vs. 72.2% ± 6.4%, P = 0.003). There were no differences in other major traditional measures, as well as TVI parameters between groups. LV systolic strain and SR parameters were impaired indicating subtle LV systolic dysfunction in HIV group. No difference in diastolic function was observed between groups.

Conclusion

Left ventricular systolic strain parameters may be utilized to demonstrate subtle LV systolic dysfunction in asymptomatic HIV patients.
Strain Analysis during Exercise in Patients with Asymptomatic Atrial Septal Defect
Authors: Baydar Onur , Oktay Veysel , Sinan Umit Yasar , Cakal Sinem , Cakal Beytullah , Coskun Ugur , Yildiz Ahmet
Published: March 2014

Background

Right ventricular (RV) deformational mechanics have been demonstrated in patients with atrial septal defect (ASD) at rest, but there is lack of information on their adaptation to exercise. The aim of this study was to assess the adaptability of RV strains and strain rates (SRs) during exercise in patients with clinically asymptomatic ASD.

Methods

Twenty patients with asymptomatic ASD and 11 age‐matched controls were included. All the subjects performed incremental ergometry and underwent standard echocardiography and two‐dimensional strain (S) and SR imaging by speckle tracking at rest and during submaximal exercise.

Results

There was no significant difference in RV strains and SRs at rest between the controls and the ASD patients. There was a significant elevation in the strains and SRs of both groups with exercise. However, the lateral and septal strains increased significantly higher than the controls in patients with ASD. But there was no significant difference in SRs during exercise in both of the groups.

Conclusions

Asymptomatic ASD patients without RV overload, have same strain and SR results at rest with the controls, however, these findings worsen during submaximal exercise, when compared to the controls.
A Case of Right Atrial Appendage Aneurysm in a 62‐Year‐Old Man
Authors: Xu You‐Feng , Yu Fei , Mao Feng , Ye Xian‐wang , Ruan Xin‐Zhong , Zhang Shengmin
Published: March 2014

Mini‐Abstract

Right atrial appendage aneurysm (RAAA) is a rare malformation of the heart. Here, we present a case of RAAA in an elderly man, who has remained asymptomatic for over 10 months of follow‐up. The aneurysm was initially discovered by echocardiography, and confirmed by further investigations using cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging and 320‐row detector computed tomography (320R‐CT).
Impaired Right and Left Ventricular Function in Asymptomatic Children with Repaired Tetralogy of Fallot by Two‐Dimensional Speckle Tracking Echocardiography Study
Authors: Li Yuman , Xie Mingxing , Wang Xinfang , Lu Qing , Zhang Li , Ren Pingping
Published: March 2014

Background

Early detection of right ventricular (RV) and left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in patients with repaired tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) is essential because dysfunction is correlated with a poor clinical outcome. The aim of this study was to assess RV and LV function in asymptomatic children with repaired TOF by two‐dimensional ultrasound speckle tracking echocardiography (STE).

Methods

Fifty‐six asymptomatic children with a preserved biventricular ejection fraction (EF) after repair of TOF and 35 healthy control subjects were studied. RV and LV strain and strain rate were measured by STE. RVEF and pulmonary regurgitation (PR) were assessed using cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Results

Compared with the control subjects, RV regional longitudinal strain and strain rate and global longitudinal strain (GLS) and strain rate (GLSR) were impaired in children with repaired TOF. Likewise, LV circumferential and radial strain and strain rate were reduced in patients with TOF. In contrast, longitudinal strain and strain rate did not differ between the groups. RV and LV GLSR were correlated with postoperative follow‐up period (r1 = −0.44; r2 = −0.48). RV GLS and GLSR were associated with RVEF (r1 = 0.64; r2 = 0.60) and PR (r1 = −0.48; r2 = −0.49). LV circumferential strain rate was related to PR (r = −0.45).

Conclusions

STE can identify abnormalities that may represent early impairment of RV and LV systolic function in postoperative TOF patients with a preserved EF. PR is associated with decreased biventricular performance in repaired patients. STE‐derived strain and strain rate may be useful indices for detecting the early deterioration of biventricular performance in patients with TOF.
Left Ventricular Vortices as Observed by Vector Flow Mapping: Main Determinants and their Relation to Left Ventricular Filling
Authors: Rodríguez Muñoz Daniel , Moya Mur José Luis , Fernández‐Golfín Covadonga , Becker Filho Derly Carlos , González Gómez Ariana , Fernández Santos Sara , Lázaro Rivera Carla , Rincón Díaz Luis Miguel , Casas Rojo Eduardo , Zamorano Gómez José Luis
Published: March 2014

Background

Swirling flow, organized in vortices, contributes to adequate left ventricular function. In this study, we apply a novel echocardiographic flow‐mapping technique, vector flow mapping (VFM), to evaluate the main characteristics of left ventricular vortices and its relation to filling parameters.

Methods

Forty‐eight subjects underwent conventional transthoracic echocardiographic examination with additional intracardiac flow assessment with VFM using a Aloka Alpha‐10 system and experimental VFM analysis software. To analyze vortex behavior, its rotation direction, duration, location inside the left ventricle, size, and intensity were assessed in apical long‐axis view. Its relation to conventional left ventricular filling parameters was then analyzed.

Results

Two vortex components were consistently identified following each transmitral filling wave. The anterior component of these visualized vortices was analyzed, due to its higher significance in the cardiac cycle, following early filling (V1) and atrial contraction (V2). Differences were observed in several aspects of vortex behavior between V1 and V2, particularly in patients with normal left ventricular filling parameters. These differences may be related to varying roles of vortices in different periods of the cardiac cycle.

Conclusions

Vector flow mapping allowed visualization and measurement of several parameters defining vortex behavior inside the cardiac cycle. The differences observed in these parameters between vortices in different phases of the cardiac cycle may be related to their role in optimizing cardiac function.