bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Interaction of acid exudates in chickpea with biological activity of Bacillus thuringiensis towards Helicoverpa armigera
Authors: Devi V. Surekha , Rao P. A. , Sharma S. P. , Sharma H. C.
Published: May 2013

The gram pod borer, Helicoverpa armigera, is one of the most important constraints to chickpea production. High acidity of chickpea exudates is associated with resistance to pod borer, H. armigera; however, acidic exudates in chickpea might influence the biological activity of the bacterium, Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), applied as a foliar spray or deployed in transgenic plants for controlling H. armigera. Therefore, studies were undertaken to evaluate the biological activity of Bt towards H. armigera on chickpea genotypes with different amounts of organic acids. Significantly lower leaf feeding, larval survival and larval weights were observed on ICC 506EB, followed by C 235, and ICCV 10 across Bt concentrations. Leaf feeding by the larvae and larval survival and weights decreased with an increase in Bt concentration. However, rate of decrease in leaf feeding and larval survival and weights with an increase in Bt concentration was greater on L 550 and ICCV 10 than on the resistant check, ICC 506EB, suggesting that factors in the resistant genotypes, particularly the acid exudates, resulted in lower levels of biological activity of Bt possibly because of antifeedant effects of the acid exudates. Antifeedant effects of acid exudates reduced food consumption and hence might reduce the efficacy of Bt sprays on insect‐resistant chickpea genotypes or Bt‐transgenic chickpeas, although the combined effect of plant resistance based on organic acids, and Bt had a greater effect on survival and development of H. armigera than Bt alone.
Origins of yttrium and rare earth element distributions in metamorphic garnet
Authors: Moore S. J. , Carlson W. D. , Hesse M. A.
Published: May 2013

Highly variable distributions of yttrium and rare earth elements (Y+REEs) are documented in pelitic garnet from the Picuris Mountains, New Mexico, and from Passo del Sole, Switzerland, and in mafic garnet from the Franciscan Complex, California. The wide variety of these Y+REE zoning patterns, and those described previously in other occurrences, imply diverse origins linked to differing degrees of mobility of these elements through the intergranular medium during garnet growth. In the Picuris Mountains, large, early‐nucleating crystals have radial profiles of Y+REE dominated by central peaks and annular maxima, in patterns that vary systematically with atomic number. Superimposed on these features are narrow spikes in HREEs and MREEs, located progressively rimward with decreasing atomic number. In contrast, profiles in small, late‐nucleating crystals contain only broad central maxima for all Y+REEs. In garnet from Passo del Sole, Y+REE zoning varies radically from sample to sample: in some rocks, crystals of all sizes display only central peaks for all Y+REEs; in others, profiles exhibit irregular fluctuations in Y+REE contents that match up with small‐scale patchy zoning in Y and Ca X‐ray maps. In the Franciscan Complex, Y+REE in garnet cores fluctuate unsystematically, but mantles and rims display concentric oscillatory zoning for both major elements and Y+REEs. Our interpretation of the complexity of Y+REE distributions in metamorphic garnet centres on the concept that these distributions vary primarily in response to the length scales over which these elements can equilibrate during garnet growth. Very short length scales of equilibration, due to low intergranular mobility, produce overprint zoning characterized by small‐scale irregularities. Higher but still restricted mobility yields diffusion‐controlled uptake, characterized by patterns of central peaks and annular maxima that vary with atomic number and are strongly influenced by T–t paths during garnet growth. Still greater mobility permits progressively greater, potentially rock‐wide, equilibration with major‐ and accessory‐phase assemblages, leading to mineralogical controls: an unchanging mineral assemblage during garnet growth produces bell‐shaped profiles resembling those produced by Rayleigh fractionation, whereas changes in major‐ and/or accessory‐phase assemblages produce profiles with distinct annuli and sharp discontinuities in concentration. The very high mobility associated with influxes of Y+REE‐bearing fluids can cause these element distributions to be dominated by factors external to the rock, yielding profiles characterized by abrupt shifts or oscillations that are not correlated to changes in mineral assemblages.
Exclusivity Contracts, Insurance and Financial Market Foreclosure
Authors: Argenton Cédric , Willems Bert
Published: May 2013

We study the trade‐off between the positive effects (risk‐sharing) and negative effects (exclusion) of exclusivity contracts. We revisit the seminal model of Aghion and Bolton [] under risk‐aversion and show that although exclusivity contracts induce optimal risk‐sharing, they can be used not only to deter the entry of a more efficient rival into the product market but also to crowd out financial investors willing to insure the buyer at competitive rates. We further show that in a world without financial investors, purely financial bilateral instruments, such as forward contracts, achieve optimal risk‐sharing without distorting product market outcomes. Thus, risk‐sharing alone cannot be invoked to defend exclusivity contracts.
Schools and Location: Tiebout, Alonso, and Governmental Finance Policy
Authors: HANUSHEK ERIC A. , YILMAZ KUZEY
Published: May 2013

Many discussions of school finance policy fail to consider how households respond to policies that change the attractiveness of different residential locations. We develop a general equilibrium model that incorporates workplace choice, residential choice, and political choice of tax and expenditure levels. Importantly, we consider multiple workplaces, a fundamental feature of today's metropolitan landscape. This basic model permits investigating how accessibility and public goods interact in a metropolitan area. The model is used to analyze two conventional policy initiatives: school district consolidation and district power equalization. The surprising conclusion is that school quality and welfare can fall for all families when these restrictions on choice are introduced.
Feeding a diet contaminated with ochratoxin A for chickens at the maximum level recommended by the EU for poultry feeds (0.1 mg/kg). 1. Effects on growth and slaughter performance, haematological and serum traits
Authors: Pozzo L. , Salamano G. , Mellia E. , Gennero M.S. , Doglione L. , Cavallarin L. , Tarantola M. , Forneris G. , Schiavone A.
Published: May 2013

The European Commission Recommendation 2006/576/EC, suggests that the maximum level of Ochratoxin A (OTA) in poultry feeds should be set at 0.1 mg OTA/kg. Thirty‐six one‐day‐old male Hubburd broiler chickens were divided into two groups, a Control (basal diet) and an Ochratoxin A (basal diet + 0.1 mg OTA/kg) group. The growth and slaughter performance traits were recorded. The liver, spleen, bursa of Fabricius and thymus weights were measured. The erythrocyte and leukocyte numbers were assayed in blood samples, and the heterophils to lymphocytes (H/L) ratio was determined. Alpha‐1‐acid glycoprotein (AGP), lysozyme, the total protein and the electrophoretic pattern were evaluated in serum samples. Liver enzymes (alanino aminotransferase, ALT and aspartate aminotransferase, AST) and kidney function parameters (uric acid and creatinine) were quantified. The results revealed that feeding a 0.1 mg OTA/kg contaminated diet to chicks caused a decrease in the absolute thymus weight (p < 0.05) and a lower total protein (p < 0.01), albumin (p < 0.01), alpha (p < 0.05), beta (p = 0.001) and gamma (p = 0.001) globulins serum concentration in the Ochratoxin A group. Moreover, the albumin‐to‐globulin (A/G) ratio of the OTA‐treated animals resulted to be higher (p < 0.05). Feeding broiler chickens, a diet contaminated with the maximum level admitted by the European Commission Recommendation (0.1 mg OTA/kg), did not affect the animal performance, slaughter traits, organ weights, haematological parameters, liver enzyme or renal function parameters concentrations but had an overall immunosuppressant effect, with reduction in the thymus weight and of the total serum protein, albumin, alpha, beta and gamma globulins concentration.
Feeding a diet contaminated with ochratoxin A for broiler chickens at the maximum level recommended by the EU for poultry feeds (0.1 mg/kg). 2. Effects on meat quality, oxidative stress, residues and histological traits
Authors: Pozzo L. , Cavallarin L. , Antoniazzi S. , Guerre P. , Biasibetti E. , Capucchio M. T. , Schiavone A.
Published: May 2013

The European Commission Recommendation 2006/576/EC indicates that the maximum tolerable level of ochratoxin A (OTA) in poultry feeds is 0.1 mg OTA/kg. Thirty‐six 1‐day‐old male broiler chicks were divided into two groups, a control (basal diet) and an OTA (basal diet + 0.1 mg OTA/kg) group. The OTA concentration was quantified in serum, liver, kidney, breast and thigh samples. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) content were evaluated in the liver, kidney, breast and thigh samples. The glutathione (GSH) content, and catalase (CAT) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were measured in the liver and kidney samples. Histopathological traits were evaluated for the spleen, bursa of Fabricius and liver samples. Moreover, the chemical composition of the meat was analysed in breast and thigh samples. In the OTA diet‐fed animals, a serum OTA concentration of 1.15 ± 0.35 ng/ml was found, and OTA was also detected in kidney and liver at 3.58 ± 0.85 ng OTA/g f.w. and 1.92 ± 0.21 ng OTA/g f.w., respectively. The TBARS content was higher in the kidney of the ochratoxin A group (1.53 ± 0.18 nmol/mg protein vs. 0.91 ± 0.25 nmol/mg protein). Feeding OTA at 0.1 mg OTA/kg also resulted in degenerative lesions in the spleen, bursa of Fabricius and liver. The maximum tolerable level of 0.1 mg OTA/kg, established for poultry feeds by the EU, represents a safe limit for the final consumer, because no OTA residues were found in breast and thigh meat. Even though no clinical signs were noticed in the birds fed the OTA‐contaminated diet, moderate histological lesions were observed in the liver, spleen and bursa of Fabricius.
Early Maladaptive Cognitive Schemas in Child Sexual Offenders Compared with Sexual Offenders against Adults and Nonsexual Violent Offenders: An Exploratory Study
Authors: Chakhssi Farid , de Ruiter Corine , Bernstein David P.
Published: May 2013

Introduction

Although there is a growing body of research on the role of offense supporting cognitive distortions in child sexual offending, little is known about the origins of these distortions. According to cognitive theory, maladaptive cognitive schemas originating in adverse childhood experiences with caregivers have been hypothesized to underlie these cognitive distortions.

Aim

This exploratory study investigates early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) in child sexual offenders compared with sexual offenders against adults and nonsexual offenders.

Main Outcome Measures

EMSs were measured with the Young Schema Questionnaire, and psychopathy was measured with the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised.

Methods

Three groups of forensic inpatients—23 child sexual offenders, 19 sexual offenders against adults, and 24 nonsexual violent offenders—were assessed. Multivariate analyses of covariance were used to examine the hypothesized group differences in EMSs.

Results

Results showed that, after controlling for level of psychopathy, EMSs related to Abandonment (M =2.61 vs. M =1.73, P <0.01), Social Isolation (M =2.50 vs. M =1.62, P <0.01), Defectiveness/Shame (M =2.05 vs. M =1.42, P <0.05), Subjugation (M =2.28 vs. M =1.57, P <0.05), and Self-Sacrifice (M =3.29 vs. M =2.41, P <0.05) were more prevalent in child sexual offenders compared with nonsexual violent offenders. Compared with sexual offenders against adults, child sexual offenders showed a trend to have higher scores on EMSs related to Social Isolation (M =2.50 vs. M =1.88, P =0.066).

Conclusions

Our findings suggest that EMSs may play a role in offending behavior in child sexual offenders and offer the possibility of informing treatment strategies.
Adulteration of Purported Herbal and Natural Sexual Performance Enhancement Dietary Supplements with Synthetic Phosphodiesterase Type 5 Inhibitors
Authors: Campbell Neil , Clark John P. , Stecher Vera J. , Thomas John W. , Callanan Amy C. , Donnelly Brian F. , Goldstein Irwin , Kaminetsky Jed C.
Published: May 2013

Introduction

Many products labeled “herbal” or “all natural” (herbal/natural) that claim to enhance sexual performance and imply use for the treatment of erectile dysfunction (ED) are marketed as over-the-counter (OTC) dietary supplements. However, adulteration with undeclared phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors appears widespread.

Aim

To assess the availability, cost, origin, categorical content, and adulteration with PDE5 inhibitors of purported herbal/natural OTC dietary supplements claiming to naturally enhance sexual performance.

Methods

Pfizer Global Security coordinated sample collection (all from convenience stores and filling stations in two U.S. metropolitan areas except for seven from U.S. Customs seizures) and liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry examination.

Main Outcome Measure

Adulteration with synthetic PDE5 inhibitors.

Results

Ninety-one samples labeled as 58 distinct products and priced from $2.99 to $17.99 were evaluated. Origin/manufacture was claimed as United States (n=62), apparently Asian (n=15), and not clearly identified (n=14). Although no sample claimed to include synthetic substances, 74 (81%) contained PDE5-inhibitor pharmaceutical ingredients, including tadalafil and/or sildenafil (n=40, of which 18 contained >110% of the highest approved drug product strength) or PDE5-inhibitor analogs (n=34). Pronounced heterogeneity of contents between samples within individual products indicated minimal quality control during manufacture. Labeling was inadequate (e.g., lacking lot number and/or expiry date) for 17 products (23 samples) and inconsistent between samples within a given product (e.g., in manufacturer, lot number, and/or expiry date) for seven of 17 products having multiple samples. Only 14 samples warned against concomitant nitrate use.

Conclusions

Ethical pharmaceutical companies are concerned for an unsuspecting public when their products are counterfeited, mislabeled, and illegally offered for sale in an unsafe manner. Because of the dangers of adulteration with synthetic PDE5 inhibitors, absent safety warnings, and lack of quality or consistent manufacture, men with ED unknowingly risk their health by using OTC herbal/natural products that claim to enhance sexual performance.
Regulation of male prolactin levels in an opportunistically breeding species, the African striped mouse
Authors: Raynaud J. , Schradin C.
Published: May 2013

The timing of reproduction of many species depends on seasonal changes in prolactin secretion. Photoperiod coincides with annual seasonal changes and typically regulates prolactin secretion. However, when environmental conditions are unpredictable, other ecological factors may contribute to prolactin regulation. In African striped mice (Rhabdomys pumilio), males show seasonal changes in reproduction and in prolactin levels, but unexpected increases of food availability out of the regular breeding season can also induce reproduction. We measured prolactin levels in free‐ranging male African striped mice during three periods: (1) the natural breeding in spring with increasing photoperiod; (2) the natural non‐breeding season in summer (dry season) with decreasing photoperiod; and (3) during two summers with unexpected rainfall inducing breeding in the population. Here, we report that breeding males showed increased prolactin levels when they were breeding independently of increases and decreases in day length. Also, we found a positive correlation (P = 0.05) between the availability of food plants and prolactin levels. Changes in prolactin levels in opportunistically breeding species like the African striped mouse are not strictly regulated by photoperiod, but seem to respond to cues from food availability.
China and Latin America: Economy and Society
Authors: Hearn Adrian
Published: May 2013

The expansion of China's economic and political alliances in the Western Hemisphere in the early 21st century signals its emerging international influence. Latin America has become a crucial source of oil, copper, coal, steel, grain, and other resources for China, stimulating economic growth in supplier countries but also a range of new dilemmas for the region's development. This article explores China's integrated pursuit of social, political, and economic goals in the region and the local reactions this has provoked. Drawing on case studies, interviews, and observations gathered in China, Cuba, and Mexico, the article argues that China's approach to Latin America is characterized by a blend of state and market strategies for building long‐term cooperation, social capital, and understanding.
Argentina–China: New Courses for an Old Dependency
Authors: Laufer Rubén
Published: May 2013

Economic and political relations between Argentina and China have been rapidly expanding for a decade and a half, especially since 2004, when the government of Argentine President Néstor Kirchner defined the course of “strategic partnership” with China. Important Argentine landowner and business groups formed that were associated with Chinese state public or private interests. Chinese corporations also advanced in the acquisition or control of some of the major national or foreign oil and mining companies in Argentina. Historically, the Argentine ruling classes have been strongly associated with or had a direct presence in the state apparatus. Their financial dependence on capital from great powers has been at the base of Argentine dependency. Today, commercial ties and direct investment or association of Chinese capital within local economies are described as an opportunity that would allow Latin American countries to develop their production, diversify their international relations, and reduce their external debts. In Argentina, government and business sectors—some of them directly related to Chinese interests—promote the adaptation of strategic areas of the local economy to complementarity with the Chinese economy. The growing importance of bilateral trade and of Chinese capital in Argentina and its competition with U.S. and European interests with historic roots in the country require us to rethink the “classic” debate about Argentina's dependency on great powers.
Public Policy Proposals for Regulating Drugs and Reducing Risk and Harm: Options and Strategies
Authors: González‐Aréchiga Bernardo , Caballero José Antonio , Lajous Alejandro Madrazo , Esparza David Pérez , Sánchez Santana Ana Gabriela
Published: May 2013

One century after the first international drug convention, and 50 years after the first UN Convention on drug control, the international community is questioning the currently dominant approach of drug control. It has not averted drug use or reduced production and illegal trafficking of drugs. If anything, emerging evidence tells us that prohibition seems to have caused more harm than good. An example of the undeniable negative result, in terms of costs and benefits, is the case of Mexico. Mexico's drug policy faces problems and criticisms similar to those of the international model. There seems to be a serious problem in the diagnosis of the health issues that drugs represent in Mexican society as well as a failure to meet the government's explicit goals. Alternatives need to be sought, and, in particular, the problems of fueling organized crime and violence and the disparate distribution of costs between producer, transit, and consumer countries need to be addressed. This text looks beyond a system that focuses only on the supply side of the drug market and on the persecution and criminal sanctions for all involved in the production to consumption chain in order to propose a more efficient and feasible set of policies. The core of the solution proposed is the gradual construction of market regulation, moving away from prohibition to a much wider spectrum of possible government actions.
Institutional Paths to Policy Change: Judicial Versus Nonjudicial Repeal of Sodomy Laws
Authors: Sommer Udi , Asal Victor , Zuber Katie , Parent Jonathan
Published: May 2013

What variables lead judicial and nonjudicial decision-making bodies to introduce policy change? In the theoretical framework proposed, the path-dependent nature of law has a differential impact on courts and legislatures. Likewise, certain political institutions including elections and political accountability lead those bodies to introduce policy change under dissimilar circumstances. Global trends, however, affect both institutional paths equally. We test this theory with data for the repeal of sodomy laws in all countries from 1972–2002. Results from two disparate multivariate models overwhelmingly confirm our predictions. The unique institutional position of courts of last resort allows them to be less constrained than legislatures by either legal status quo or political accountability. Globalization, on the other hand, has a comparable effect on both. This work is path breaking in offering a theoretical framework explaining policy change via different institutional paths, systematically testing the framework comparatively and with respect to a policy issue still on the agenda in many countries.
Mass-mediated ‘open justice’: court and judicial reports in the Press in England and Wales
Authors: Moran Leslie J
Published: May 2013

The need for courts and the judiciary to operate in public and for their activities to be open to public scrutiny is a well-established goal of liberal democracies. One of its recent policy manifestations is in debates about confidence in the justice system and initiatives designed to improve confidence. In the majority of cases, public scrutiny of court and judicial activity relies upon the media. Reports in regional and national newspapers have long been – and research suggests continue to be – an important source of information, shaping public knowledge and facilitating public scrutiny of the justice system. Unlike in some other common law jurisdictions, in the UK there is almost no scholarship on these representations, past or present. The result is that little is known about the representation of courts and the judiciary in Press reports. The aim of this paper is to take a first step towards changing that state of affairs. It uses a data set made up of 205 contemporary newspaper reports of court and judicial activity. These come from a sample of 24 daily newspapers: 10 national newspapers and 14 from the regions. All were published on Thursday 16 February 2012, an unexceptional day in the life of the justice system and the Press. The modest goal of this paper is to offer an analysis of this snapshot of the courts and the judiciary in the Press in England and Wales.
MicroRNA‐491 is involved in metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma by inhibitions of matrix metalloproteinase and epithelial to mesenchymal transition
Authors: Zhou Yun , Li Yuan , Ye Jing , Jiang Rongrong , Yan Han , Yang Xiaojun , Liu Qizhan , Zhang Jianping
Published: May 2013

Background & Aims

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third leading cause of cancer‐related mortality worldwide; the prognosis of HCC patient remains poor owing to intrahepatic and extrahepatic metastasis and postsurgical recurrence. The aim of the present study is to determine the molecular mechanisms underlying the metastasis of HCC.

Methods

HCC patients and treated HCC cells were molecularly characterized by miRNA microarray analysis, qRT‐PCR, Western blots, transwell assay, and immunohistochemistry.

Results

Here, by employing a miRNAs microarray analysis, we found that miR‐491 level was the most significant down‐regulation in poorly differentiated HCC tissue compared with well‐differentiated HCC tissue. We then selected HepG2 (very low migratory capacity), MHCC97L (low migratory capacity) and MHCC97H (high migratory capacity), as well as HCC tissues with different status to further investigate the effects of miR‐491 on the metastasis of HCC. Our data showed that miR‐491 levels were inversely correlated with different status of differentiation in HCC tissues and with migratory potential in HCC cell lines. In HepG2 cells, inhibition of miR‐491 increased the expression of matrix metalloproteinase 2/9 (MMP‐2/9) and the migratory potential; however, in MHCC97H cells, overexpression of miR‐491 level decreased the expression of MMP‐2/9 and the migratory capacity. Moreover, miR‐491 had a positive relationship with E‐cadherin level; however, it had a negative relationship with vimentin level both in cell lines and tissue samples of HCC. MiR‐491 levels of non‐metastasis HCC tissue are higher than that of metastasis HCC tissue.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that miR‐491 is involved in metastasis of HCC by blocking EMT and decreasing MMP‐9 levels, which may provide a new clue for preventing tumour metastasis of HCC.
Randomized controlled trial assessing the effect of simvastatin in primary biliary cirrhosis
Authors: Cash William J. , O'Neill Stephen , O'Donnell Mark E. , McCance David R. , Young Ian S. , McEneny Jane , McDougall Neil I. , Callender Michael E.
Published: May 2013

Background

This study evaluated the effect of statins in Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) on endothelial function, anti‐oxidant status and vascular compliance.

Methods

Primary biliary cirrhosis patients with hypercholesterolaemia were randomized to receive 20 mg simvastatin or placebo in a single blind, randomized controlled trial. Body mass index, blood pressure, glucose, liver function, lipid profile, immunoglobulin levels, serological markers of endothelial function and anti‐oxidant status were measured as well as vascular compliance, calculated from pulse wave analysis and velocity, at recruitment and again at 3, 6, 9 and 12 months.

Results

Twenty‐one PBC patients (F = 20, mean age = 55) were randomized to simvastatin 20 mg (n = 11) or matched placebo (n = 10). At completion of the trial, serum cholesterol levels in the simvastatin group were significantly lower compared with the placebo group (4.91 mmol/L vs. 6.15 mmol/L, P = 0.01). Low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) levels after 12 months were also significantly lower in the simvastatin group (2.33 mmol/L vs. 3.53 mmol/L, P = 0.01). After 12 months of treatment, lipid hydroperoxides were lower (0.49 μmol/L vs. 0.59 μmol/L, P = 0.10) while vitamin C levels were higher (80.54 μmol/L vs. 77.40 μmol/L, P = 0.95) in the simvastatin group. Pulse wave velocity remained similar between treatment groups at 12 months (8.45 m/s vs. 8.80 m/s, P = 0.66). Only one patient discontinued medication owing to side effects. No deterioration in liver transaminases was noted in the simvastatin group.

Conclusions

Statin therapy in patients with PBC appears safe and effective towards overall reductions in total cholesterol and LDL levels. Our initial study suggests that simvastatin may also confer advantageous effects on endothelial function and antioxidant status.
HGF and SDF‐1‐mediated mobilization of CD133+BMSC for hepatic regeneration following extensive liver resection
Authors: Lehwald Nadja , Duhme Constanze , Wildner Marina , Kuhn Stephanie , Fürst Günter , Forbes Stuart J. , Jonas Sven , Robson Simon C. , Knoefel Wolfram T. , Schmelzle Moritz , Schulte am Esch Jan
Published: May 2013

Background

The molecular mechanisms of haematopoietic stem cells (HSC) mobilization and homing to the liver after partial hepatectomy (PH) remain largely unexplored.

Methods

Functional liver volume loss and regain was determined by computerized tomography (CT) volumetry in 30 patients following PH. Peripheral HSC mobilization was investigated by fluorescence‐activated cell sorting (FACS) analyses and cytokine enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay assays. Migration of purified HSC towards hepatic growth factor (HGF) and stroma‐derived factor‐1 (SDF‐1) gradients was tested in vitro. Mice after 70% PH were examined for HSC mobilization by FACS and cytokine mRNA expression in the liver. FACS‐sorted HSC were administered after PH and hepatocyte proliferation was evaluated by immunohistochemical staining for Ki67.

Results

Impaired liver function was noted after extended hepatic resection when compared to smaller resections. Patients with large liver resections were characterized by significantly higher levels of peripheral HSC which were positively correlated with the extent of resected liver volume and its regain after 3 weeks. Increased plasma levels of HGF, SDF‐1 and insulin like growth factor (IGF‐1) were evident within the first 6 hours post resection. Migration assays of human HSC in vitro showed a specific target‐demonstrated migration towards recombinant HGF and SDF‐1 gradients in a concentration and specific receptor (c‐Met and CXCR4) dependent manner. The evaluation of peripheral human alpha foetoprotein expression demonstrated pronounced stemness following increased CD133+HSC in the course of liver regeneration following PH. Our human data were further validated in a murine model of PH and furthermore demonstrated increased hepatocyte proliferation subsequent to CD133+HSC treatment.

Conclusion

HGF and SDF‐1 are required for effective HSC mobilization and homing to the liver after hepatic resection. These findings have significant implications for potential therapeutic strategies targeting chemotactant modulation and stem cell mobilization for liver protection and regeneration.
Bacillus subtilis serine/threonine protein kinase YabT is involved in spore development via phosphorylation of a bacterial recombinase
Authors: Bidnenko Vladimir , Shi Lei , Kobir Ahasanul , Ventroux Magali , Pigeonneau Nathalie , Henry Céline , Trubuil Alain , Noirot‐Gros Marie‐Françoise , Mijakovic Ivan
Published: May 2013

We characterized YabT, a serine/threonine kinase of the Hanks family, from Bacillus subtilis. YabT is a putative transmembrane kinase that lacks the canonical extracellular signal receptor domain. We demonstrate that YabT possesses a DNA‐binding motif essential for its activation. In vivo YabT is expressed during sporulation and localizes to the asymmetric septum. Cells devoid of YabT sporulate more slowly and exhibit reduced resistance to DNA damage during sporulation. We established that YabT phosphorylates DNA‐recombinase RecA at the residue serine 2. A non‐phosphorylatable mutant of RecA exhibits the same phenotype as the ΔyabT mutant, and a phosphomimetic mutant of RecA complements ΔyabT, suggesting that YabT acts via RecA phosphorylation in vivo. During spore development, phosphorylation facilitates the formation of transient and mobile RecA foci that exhibit a scanning‐like movement associated to the nucleoid in the mother cell. In some cells these foci persist at the end of spore development. We show that persistent RecA foci, which presumably coincide with irreparable lesions, are mutually exclusive with the completion of spore morphogenesis. Our results highlight similarities between the bacterial serine/threonine kinase YabT and eukaryal kinases C‐Abl and Mec1, which are also activated by DNA, and phosphorylate proteins involved in DNA damage repair.
ON THE SUSTAINABLE GROWTH IN AN ECONOMY WITH PERFECTLY SUBSTITUTABLE EXHAUSTIBLE RESOURCES
Authors: HALICKÁ MARGARÉTA , JURČA PAVOL
Published: May 2013

Abstract A model of sustainable economic growth in an economy with two types of exhaustible resources is analyzed. The resources are assumed to be perfect substitutes with marginal rate of substitution varying over time. The optimal control framework is used to characterize the optimal paths under the maximin criterion. It is shown that the resource with increasing productivity is not used before the constant productivity resource is depleted. Afterwards the resource with an increasing productivity is asymptotically depleted as well. The results are based on an assumption that transversality conditions hold. A new sufficient condition for the transversality conditions is derived. Finally, an analogue of Hartwick’s rule for this non‐autonomous case is established.
AN INDIVIDUAL‐BASED MODEL TO ESTIMATE THE DAILY ENERGETIC COST OF GREATER RHEAS AND ITS CONTRIBUTION ON POPULATION RECRUITMENT
Authors: SIMOY MARÍA VERÓNICA , FERNÁNDEZ GUSTAVO JAVIER , CANZIANI GRACIELA ANA
Published: May 2013

Abstract An individual‐based model for estimating the energetic costs in Rhea americana was developed considering their sexual and seasonal differences in the behavioral activities. The model includes as variables the individual's characteristics, as well as corporal weight, the time spent on different activities, and the cost associated with each activity. We estimated the daily energetic demand of an adult rhea based on the activities individuals normally develop during postreproductive, nonreproductive, and reproductive seasons, differentiating between sexes. The time spent in each activity for one given animal was calculated from field observations of individuals and the estimations of energetic costs for each activity were obtained from specialized literature. The model built varied between sexes because males and females have different reproductive costs. Both models have the same general formulation but they differ in the cost associated with reproduction. In Greater Rheas, while males assume all of the incubation, the females only lay eggs communally in a single nest. Also the possibility that the individual reproduces or not was considered. The model does not allow to determine whether the energetic costs associated with the breeding are the reason why few individuals try to reproduce but it indicates that there is a clear difference in the daily energetic costs of individuals which reproduce and those which do not reproduce. Other activities associated with parental care posthatching, not taken into account here, would increase these differences, and would explain the low number of breeding attempts observed at wild.
Assessment of optic disc photographs for glaucoma by UK optometrists: the Moorfields Optic Disc Assessment Study (MODAS)
Authors: Hadwin Shona E , Redmond Tony , Garway‐Heath David F , Lemij Hans G , Reus Nicolaas J , Ward Gavin , Anderson Roger S
Published: May 2013

Purpose

To assess the ability of UK optometrists to accurately discriminate between stereoscopic photographs of healthy and glaucomatous optic discs.

Methods

An online survey, including questions relating to qualification, practice environment, and diagnostic methods was completed by 1256 optometrists. Based on their responses, 208 (17%) were selected to undertake an online disc assessment exercise. Optometrists evaluated the same disc images previously assessed by European ophthalmologists as part of the European Optic Disc Assessment Trial (EODAT); the task was to state if the disc appeared healthy or glaucomatous. There were 110 stereoscopic disc images, of which 40 were healthy, 48 glaucomatous, and six ocular hypertensive, with 16 duplicates images. Sensitivity, specificity and overall accuracy were calculated and compared between optometrist groups and with the EODAT ophthalmologists using permutation analysis.

Results

Median sensitivity was 0.92 (95% CI: 0.70, 1.00) and median specificity was 0.74 (95% CI: 0.62, 0.88). Median overall accuracy was 80% (95% CI: 67%, 88%). Agreement between optometrists was moderate (Fleiss' κ: 0.57). Optometrists with higher qualifications did not have overall higher sensitivity than those without (p = 0.23), but had higher specificity (p = 0.001) and higher overall accuracy (p < 0.001). Optometrists displayed higher sensitivity but lower specificity than the EODAT ophthalmologists.

Conclusion

UK optometrists displayed a high sensitivity and moderate specificity when assessing optic discs for the presence of glaucoma, in the context of this study.
The Effects of Beneficiary Targeting on Public Support for Social Policies
Authors: Lawrence Eric , Stoker Robert , Wolman Harold
Published: May 2013

We assess the tendency for the public to use group‐centric policy evaluations with evidence from a survey experiment concerning two issues within the social policy domain, health care and aid to cities. By randomly varying target group identity within each issue and using both negatively and positively regarded groups our evidence shows that differences exist in the tendency for members of the public to use group‐centric heuristics. Group‐centric evaluations are related to party identification and political ideology. Across both issues conservatives and Republicans are more likely than liberals or Democrats to adopt a group‐centric heuristic. Partisan and ideological differences suggest that established theories miss the mark by emphasizing how universal policy designs are preferred to designs that target unpopular groups.
The American Presidency and the Power of the Purchaser
Authors: Gitterman Daniel P.
Published: May 2013

As the CEO of the administrative state, the president has the procurement power to dictate the terms and conditions on which the federal government will do business with the private sector. By way of delegated statutory authority, executive order, and agency procurement and acquisition rules, the president can call the shots. Anyone wishing to do business with the federal government must meet the president's contract terms and conditions. Presidents use this “power of the purchaser” to exercise political control over procurement rulemaking and to influence public policy in areas unrelated to the federal government's “efficient” purchase of goods and services. Procurement—and the power of the purchaser—must be viewed as a powerful weapon of coercion and redistribution in the president's political and policy‐making arsenal.
Assessing the Rhetorical Side of Presidential Signing Statements
Authors: Kelley Christopher S. , Marshall Bryan W. , Watts Deanna J.
Published: May 2013

Recent work on the constitutional signing statement suggests such tools can be designed to defend constitutional and institutional powers or help presidents shape policy. Much less is known about rhetorical signing statements and their significance for presidential power. Our analysis from 1981‐2008 demonstrates that rhetorical signing statements are calculated messages that vary in purpose from heaping praise on Congress to credit claiming and building political capital. The findings highlight the role of political conditions like divided government and presidential approval levels as well as salience of legislative opportunities in explaining the type of rhetorical message aimed at Congress.
The Contemporary Presidency: How the 2012 Presidential Election Has Strengthened the Movement for the National Popular Vote Plan
Authors: Richie Robert , Levien Andrea
Published: May 2013

The United States has reached an unprecedented level of inequality in presidential elections. In 2012, only 10 states drew the major party presidential candidates for postconvention campaign events, and those same 10 states attracted 99.6% of all general election television advertising spending by the campaigns and their allies. The remaining 41 spectator states (counting the District of Columbia) included all 38 states that had been similarly overlooked in 2008. This article details these inequalities and their roots in state statutes allocating electoral votes on a winner‐take‐all basis. It argues that states should end this inequality by enacting the National Popular Vote interstate compact, which would ensure that it is the popular vote in all 50 states and the District of Columbia that determines who becomes the president.
The Rise and Fall of Radical Civil Service Reform in the U.S. States
Authors: McGrath Robert J.
Published: May 2013

Initiated by a 1996 Georgia statute, “radical” civil service reform quickly swept the United States. This article explains the wax and eventual wane of state efforts to increase the number of at‐will employees at the expense of the population of fully protected merit system employees. Using an event history approach to explain this policy diffusion with state‐level variables, the author shows that electoral competition and gubernatorial powers are the most significant determinants of this kind of policy diffusion. Whereas previous literature concluded that these reforms ceased spreading because the new programs were failing to create the promised governmental efficiency, this article argues that the institutional conditions for these human resource management policies have been less propitious in recent years. The article signifies an important contribution in that it brings civil service reform back into the scope of policy diffusion literature and identifies political insights into a perpetually important question.
Atomic-scale movement induced in nanoridges by scanning tunneling microscopy on epitaxial graphene grown on 4H-SiC(0001)
Authors: Xu Peng , Barber Steven D. , Kevin Schoelz J. , Ackerman Matthew L. , Qi Dejun , Thibado Paul M. , Wheeler Virginia D. , Nyakiti Luke O. , Myers-Ward Rachael L. , Eddy Charles R. , Kurt Gaskill D.
Published: May 2013

Nanoscale ridges in epitaxial multilayer graphene grown on the silicon face of 4° off-cut 4H-SiC (0001) were found using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). These nanoridges are only 0.1 nm high and 25–50 nm wide, making them much smaller than previously reported ridges. Atomic-resolution STM was performed near and on top of the nanoridges using a dual scanning technique in which forward and reverse images are simultaneously recorded. An apparent 100% enlarged graphene lattice constant is observed along the leading edge of the image for both directions. Horizontal movement of the graphene, due to both an electrostatic attraction to the STM tip and weak bonding to the substrate, is thought to contribute to the results.
First demonstration of intrafractional tumor‐tracked irradiation using 2D phantom MR images on a prototype linac‐MR
Authors: Yun Jihyun , Wachowicz Keith , Mackenzie Marc , Rathee Satyapal , Robinson Don , Fallone B. G.
Published: May 2013

Purpose:

To demonstrate intrafractional MR tumor tracking using a prototype linac‐MR by delivering radiation to a moving target undergoing simulated tumor motions.

Methods:

A prototype linac‐MR at the Cross Cancer Institute was used for intrafractional MR imaging and simultaneous beam delivery. A Varian 52‐leaf MK‐II multileaf collimator (MLC) was used for beam collimation. The authors used an inhouse built MR compatible motion phantom to simulate tumor motions during tracking with two different motion patterns (sine and modified cosine). Gafchromic film was inserted in the phantom to measure radiation exposure, and this film measurement was converted to dose (cGy) for further analysis. The authors demonstrated intrafractional tracking in various scenarios: [Scenario 0 (S0)] no phantom motion + no beam margin, (S1) no phantom motion + maximum beam margin, (S2) phantom motion + no beam margin, (S3) S2 + MLC tracking, and (S4) S3 + motion prediction. S0 emulates a perfect tumor tracking scenario, and its result was used as a “gold‐standard” to evaluate tracking accuracy from other scenarios. The authors compared (1) time difference in phantom and MLC motion curves in S3 and S4, and (2) dose profiles (50% beam width, 80%–20% penumbra width) from scenarios S1–S4 to S0.

Results:

In S4, no observable time difference exists between the phantom and MLC motion curves, indicating that MLC tracks phantom motion accurately. Comparing S4 to S0, 50% beam width reveals minimal differences of < 0.5 mm, while the increase in 80%–20% penumbra width is limited to 0.4 and 1.7 mm in the sine and modified cosine patterns, respectively.

Conclusions:

The authors report the first demonstration of intrafractional tumor tracking using 2D MR images. During 2 min of tracking, the authors delivered highly conformal dose to a moving target that simulates tumor motions. Compared to static target irradiation, the 50% beam width remains essentially the same (within 0.5 mm), with an increase in 80%–20% penumbra width of less than 1.7 mm in moving target irradiation. These results illustrate potential dosimetric advantages of intrafractional MR tumor tracking in treating mobile tumors as shown for the phantom case.
Lumen segmentation and stenosis quantification of atherosclerotic carotid arteries in CTA utilizing a centerline intensity prior
Authors: Tang Hui , van Walsum Theo , Hameeteman Reinhard , Shahzad Rahil , van Vliet Lucas J , Niessen Wiro J
Published: May 2013

Purpose:

The degree of stenosis is an important biomarker in assessing the severity of cardiovascular disease. The purpose of our work is to develop and evaluate a semiautomatic method for carotid lumen segmentation and subsequent carotid artery stenosis quantification in CTA images.

Methods:

The authors present a semiautomatic stenosis detection and quantification method following lumen segmentation. The lumen of the carotid arteries is segmented in three steps. First, centerlines of the internal and external carotid arteries are extracted with an iterative minimum cost path approach in which the costs are based on a measure of medialness and intensity similarity to lumen. Second, the lumen boundary is delineated using a level set procedure which is steered by gradient information, regional intensity information, and spatial information. Special effort is made in adding terms based on local centerline intensity prior so as to exclude all possible plaque tissues from the segmentation. Third, side branches in the segmented lumen are removed by applying a shape constraint to the envelope of the maximum inscribed spheres of the segmentation. From the segmented lumen, the authors detect and quantify the cross‐sectional area‐based and cross‐sectional diameter‐based stenosis degrees according to the North American Symptomatic Carotid En‐darterectomy Trial criterion.

Results:

The method is trained and tested on a publicly available database from the cls2009 challenge. For the segmentation, the authors obtain a Dice similarity coefficient of 90.2% and a mean absolute surface distance of 0.34 mm. For the stenosis quantification, the authors obtain an average error of 15.7% for cross‐sectional diameter‐based stenosis and 19.2% for cross‐sectional area‐based stenosis quantification.

Conclusions:

With these results, the method ranks second in terms of carotid lumen segmentation accuracy, and first in terms of carotid artery stenosis quantification.