bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Variation of Seed Dormancy and Germination Ecology of Cowcockle (Vaccaria hispanica)
Authors: Duddu Hema S. N. , Shirtliffe Steven J.
Published: August 2014

Cowcockle, an introduced summer annual weed of the Northern Great Plains, is being considered for domestication because of its high quality starch, cyclopeptides, and saponins. Loss of seed dormancy is one of the key desirable traits for domestication. To determine the potential for domestication of this species, an understanding of the seed dormancy and germination patterns is required. The objectives of this study were to evaluate seed dormancy in cowcockle ecotypes and determine how temperature and light affect seed dormancy. We evaluated 15 populations of cowcockle for primary dormancy by exposing them to five temperatures (5, 7.5, 10, 15, and 20 C) under two temperature regimes (constant and alternating) in both dark and light conditions. Freshly matured seeds of all the populations showed high levels of primary dormancy except ‘Mongolia’. Lower levels of dormancy at medium temperatures (10 and 15 C) and greater dormancy at low and high temperatures suggest conditional dormancy, a state at which seeds germinate over a narrower range of conditions compared to nondormant seeds. The effects of temperature regime, light, and their interaction was significant only at suboptimal (5 and 7.5 C) and supraoptimal (20 C) temperatures. Under these conditions, alternating temperatures were more effective in breaking the conditional dormancy, followed by light. The variation in optimum temperature, light, and their interactions among the cowcockle populations may be due to the plants evolving to adapt to their local environments. From a domestication perspective, the conditional dormancy in cowcockle can be observed as an evolutionary mechanism that prevents untimely germination following maturity and may not be a major obstacle for its domestication.
Biokinetics and Efficacy of Aminocyclopyrachlor-Methyl Ester as Influenced by Diflufenzopyr
Authors: Vargas Jose J. , Brosnan James T. , Mueller Thomas C. , Kopsell Dean A. , Klingeman William E. , Armel Gregory R.
Published: August 2014

Research studies evaluated effects of the auxin transport inhibitor, diflufenzopyr, on the biokinetics and efficacy of aminocyclopyrachlor-methyl ester (AMCP-ME) applications to black nightshade and large crabgrass. Absorption, translocation, and metabolism of 14C-AMCP-ME was quantified with and without diflufenzopyr (35 g ai ha−1). Diflufenzopyr had minimal effects on translocation of radioactivity in either species. Accumulation of radioactivity in aboveground plant sections of black nightshade was greater than or equal to that in large crabgrass by 72 h after treatment (HAT). In both species, metabolism of 14C-AMCP-ME was rapid, as 60 to 78% of the extracted radioactivity was the free acid metabolite 8 HAT. In the greenhouse, black nightshade and large crabgrass were treated with AMCP-ME (9, 18, and 35 g ai ha−1) alone and in combination with diflufenzopyr (35 g ha−1). Mixtures of AMCP-ME plus diflufenzopyr did not increase large crabgrass control compared with AMCP-ME alone at any time. Diflufenzopyr (35 g ha−1) increased black nightshade control with AMCP-ME (18 and 35 g ha−1) 7 d after treatment (DAT). However, this increase in control was not observed 14 or 28 DAT. All treatments containing AMCP-ME controlled large crabgrass 70 to 79% 28 DAT compared with > 93% for black nightshade at the same time point.
Antibiotic Susceptibility of Periodontal Streptococcus constellatus and Streptococcus intermedius Clinical Isolates
Authors: Rams Thomas E. , Feik Diane , Mortensen Joel E. , Degener John E. , van Winkelhoff Arie J.
Published: August 2014

Background: Streptococcus constellatus and Streptococcus intermedius in subgingival dental plaque biofilms may contribute to forms of periodontitis that resist treatment with conventional mechanical root debridement/surgical procedures and may additionally participate in some extraoral infections. Because systemic antibiotics are often used in these clinical situations, and little is known of the antibiotic susceptibility of subgingival isolates of these two bacterial species, this study determined the in vitro susceptibility to six antibiotics of fresh S. constellatus and S. intermedius clinical isolates from human periodontitis lesions.

Methods: A total of 33 S. constellatus and 17 S. intermedius subgingival strains, each recovered from separate patients with severe chronic periodontitis (n = 50) before treatment, were subjected to antibiotic gradient strip susceptibility testing with amoxicillin, azithromycin, clindamycin, ciprofloxacin, and doxycycline on blood‐supplemented Mueller‐Hinton agar and to the inhibitory effects of metronidazole at 16 mg/L in an enriched Brucella blood agar dilution assay. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute and European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing interpretative standards were used to assess the results.

Results: Clindamycin was the most active antibiotic against S. constellatus (minimum inhibitory concentration at 90% [MIC90] 0.25 mg/L), and amoxicillin was most active against S. intermedius (MIC90 0.125 mg/L). A total of 30% of the S. constellatus and S. intermedius clinical isolates were resistant in vitro to doxycycline, 98% were only intermediate in susceptibility to ciprofloxacin, and 90% were resistant to metronidazole at 16 mg/L.

Conclusion: Subgingival S. constellatus and S. intermedius exhibited variable antibiotic susceptibility profiles, potentially complicating empirical selection of periodontitis antibiotic therapy in patients who are species positive.
Platelet‐Rich Plasma Derived From Bone Marrow Aspirate Promotes New Cementum Formation
Authors: Nagata Maria J.H. , de Campos Natália , Messora Michel R. , Santinoni Carolina S. , Bomfim Suely R.M. , Fucini Stephen E. , Pola Natália M. , Neves Adrieli P. , de Almeida Juliano M. , Theodoro Letícia H. , Ervolino Edilson
Published: August 2014

Background: This study evaluates the influence of platelet‐rich plasma derived from bone marrow aspirate (PRP‐BMA) on the healing of periodontal fenestration defects in rats.

Methods: Periodontal fenestration defects were surgically created in the mandibles of 40 rats. The animals were randomly divided into two groups, control and PRP‐BMA, in which defects were filled with blood clot or PRP‐bma, respectively. Animals were euthanized at either 10 or 30 days post‐surgery. Histologic, histometric, and immunohistochemical analyses were performed. Percentage of new bone area (NBA), area of bone trabeculae (ABT), new cementum (NC), and extension of remaining defect were histometrically evaluated. Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), bone sialoprotein (BSP), osteocalcin (OCN), and tartrate‐resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) immunohistochemical staining were performed. Immunolabeled cells were quantified. Data were statistically analyzed (analysis of variance; Tukey, P <0.05).

Results: At 10 days, control and PRP‐BMA groups presented similar amounts of NBA and ABT; NC formation was not observed. At 30 days, control and PRP‐BMA groups presented similar amounts of NBA and ABT; the PRP‐BMA group showed NC formation with collagen fibers inserted obliquely or perpendicularly to the root surface. NC formation was not observed in any control group specimen. PRP‐ BMA presented higher numbers of PCNA‐positive and BSP‐positive cells than control at 10 and 30 days post‐surgery. No significant differences in the number of either OCN‐positive or TRAP‐positive cells were observed between groups at 10 or 30 days.

Conclusion: PRP‐BMA promoted NC formation with a functional periodontal ligament when applied at experimental periodontal fenestration defects.
Circulating Endothelial Progenitor Cells in Periodontitis
Authors: Jönsson Daniel , Spinell Thomas , Vrettos Anastasios , Stoecklin‐Wasmer Christin , Celenti Romanita , Demmer Ryan T. , Kebschull Moritz , Papapanou Panos N.
Published: August 2014

Background: Several biologically plausible mechanisms have been proposed to mediate the association between periodontitis and atherosclerotic vascular disease (AVD), including adverse effects on vascular endothelial function. Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (cEPCs) are known to contribute to vascular repair, but limited data are available regarding the relationship between cEPC levels and periodontitis. The aims of this cross‐sectional study are to investigate the levels of hemangioblastic and monocytic cEPCs in patients with periodontitis and periodontally healthy controls and to associate cEPC levels with the extent and severity of periodontitis.

Methods: A total of 112 individuals (56 patients with periodontitis and 56 periodontally healthy controls, aged 26 to 65 years; mean age: 43 years) were enrolled. All participants underwent a full‐mouth periodontal examination and provided a blood sample. Hemangioblastic cEPCs were assessed using flow cytometry, and monocytic cEPCs were identified using immunohistochemistry in cultured peripheral blood mononuclear cells. cEPC levels were analyzed in the entire sample, as well as in a subset of 50 pairs of patients with periodontitis/periodontally healthy controls, matched with respect to age, sex, and menstrual cycle.

Results: Levels of hemangioblastic cEPCs were approximately 2.3‐fold higher in patients with periodontitis than periodontally healthy controls, after adjustments for age, sex, physical activity, systolic blood pressure, and body mass index (P = 0.001). A non‐significant trend for higher levels of monocytic cEPCs in periodontitis was also observed. The levels of hemangioblastic cEPCs were positively associated with the extent of bleeding on probing, probing depth, and clinical attachment loss. Hemangioblastic and monocytic cEPC levels were not correlated (Spearman correlation coefficient 0.03, P = 0.77), suggesting that they represent independent populations of progenitor cells.

Conclusion: These findings further support the notion that oral infections have extraoral effects and document that periodontitis is associated with a mobilization of EPCs from the bone marrow, apparently in response to systemic inflammation and endothelial injury.
Periodontitis in Rats Induces Systemic Oxidative Stress That Is Controlled by Bone‐Targeted Antiresorptives
Authors: Oktay Sehkar , Chukkapalli Sasanka S. , Rivera‐Kweh Mercedes F. , Velsko Irina M. , Holliday L. Shannon , Kesavalu Lakshmyya
Published: August 2014

Background: Periodontitis is a chronic, polymicrobial inflammatory disease that degrades connective tissue and alveolar bone and results in tooth loss. Oxidative stress has been linked to the onset of periodontal tissue breakdown and systemic inflammation, and the success of antiresorptive treatments will rely on how effectively they can ameliorate periodontal disease–induced oxidative stress during oral infection.

Methods: Rats were infected with polybacterial inoculum consisting of Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola, and Tannerella forsythia, as an oral lavage every other week for 12 weeks. Daily subcutaneous injections of enoxacin, bis‐enoxacin, alendronate, or doxycycline were administered for 6 weeks after 6 weeks of polybacterial infection in rats. The serum levels of oxidative stress parameters and antioxidant enzymes, including glutathione peroxidase, superoxide dismutase, and catalase, were evaluated in each of the infected, treated, and sham‐infected rats.

Results: Rats infected with the periodontal pathogens displayed a five‐fold increase in the oxidative stress index compared with controls as a result of increased levels of serum oxidants and decreases in total antioxidant activity. The overall decrease in antioxidant activity occurred despite increases in three important antioxidant enzymes, suggesting an imbalance between antioxidant macromolecules/small molecules production and antioxidant enzyme levels. Surprisingly, the bone‐targeted antiresorptives bis‐enoxacin and alendronate inhibited increases in oxidative stress caused by periodontitis. Bis‐enoxacin, which has both antiresorptive and antibiotic activities, was more effective than alendronate, which acts only as an antiresorptive.

Conclusion: To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to demonstrate that the increased oxidative stress induced by periodontal infection in rats can be ameliorated by bone‐targeted antiresorptives.
Decreased alveolar bone turnover is related to the occurrence of root resorption during experimental tooth movement in dogs
Authors: Deguchi Toru , Seiryu Masahiro , Daimaruya Takayoshi , Garetto Lawrence P. , Takano-Yamamoto Teruko , Roberts W. Eugene
Published: August 2014

Objective: 

To investigate the relationship between root resorption (RR) and bone turnover in two different types of tooth movement in dogs.

Materials and Methods: 

A total of 16 dogs in two different groups were used. Tooth movement of dog premolars resulted from approximately 200 g of force. Histomorphometric analysis of premolar roots was assessed after 4 and 12 weeks of tooth movement by comparing nonresorptive to resorptive surfaces.

Results: 

Histomorphometric analysis indicated a significant decrease in the bone formation rate in the root resorptive areas, which resulted in decreased bone volume after 12 weeks. The threshold to detect RR in periapical radiographs was about 1.0 mm2.

Conclusions: 

A sustained mechanical load, due to the prolonged stress and strain of continuous mechanics, induces elevated bone metabolic activity, such as the bone turnover (remodeling) and change in bone volume (modeling). Therefore, our data support the hypothesis that increased RR is related to decreased bone formation (turnover) in high stress areas exposed to prolonged orthodontic tooth movement.
Tibial Cyst Formation Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction
Authors: Zabala Ibon López , Solsona Sergi Sastre
Published: August 2014

The patient was a 31-year-old man who had undergone anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction of the right knee 2 years prior using a hamstring autograft, with tibial fixation achieved using a bioabsorbable interference screw. Evaluation of the region by radiography revealed widening of the tibial tunnel, and magnetic resonance imaging revealed cystic formation in the tibial tunnel and the fragmentation of the bioabsorbable interference screw. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2014;44(10):839. doi:10.2519/jospt.2014.0411
The Use of Manual Therapy Post–Hip Arthroscopy When an Exercise-Based Therapy Approach Has Failed: A Case Report
Authors: LeBeau Robert T. , Nho Shane J.
Published: August 2014

Study Design

Case report.

Background

Although there is a growing body of literature on both surgical intervention and postsurgical rehabilitation of acetabular labral repairs and femoroacetabular impingement, there is a paucity of information on how to manage individuals who show a lack of progress postsurgery.

Case Description

A 30-year-old woman underwent surgical labral repair with femoroacetabular impingement osteochondroplasty. Postsurgery, she was initially treated with an exercise-based approach, but experienced an increase in hip pain and further decline in function. Her primary functional deficits were difficulty standing and pain (6/10) with ambulation. A combination of soft tissue mobilization and trigger point dry needling was used to address perceived muscle dysfunction, and nonthrust manipulation was used to address perceived hip joint hypomobility.

Outcomes

Following 12 therapy sessions over 120 days, the patient returned to her demanding occupation with minimal residual symptoms. By the end of the period of care, the patient's Harris hip score had improved from 56 to 96 and her Lower Extremity Functional Scale score had improved from 26 to 70.

Discussion

This case describes a multimodal manual therapy approach and the health outcomes of a patient following labral repair with femoroacetabular impingement decompression who did not respond to an initial exercise-based postsurgical rehabilitation approach.

Level of Evidence

Therapy, level 4. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2014;44(9):712–721. Epub 6 August 2014. doi:10.2519/jospt.2014.5047
The STarT Back Screening Tool for Prediction of 6-Month Clinical Outcomes: Relevance of Change Patterns in Outpatient Physical Therapy Settings
Authors: Beneciuk Jason M. , Fritz Julie M. , George Steven Z.
Published: August 2014

Study Design

Observational cohort.

Objectives

To describe changes in STarT Back Tool (SBT) categorization following 4 weeks of outpatient physical therapy and to evaluate predictive capabilities of SBT categorization when administered at multiple time points.

Background

Initial assessment information is commonly used to predict long-term outcomes but does not account for changes that occur following initiation of treatment. Changes in SBT categorization during the course of treatment have potential to provide additional prognostic information that could positively impact management of low back pain.

Methods

Patients (n = 123) receiving nonstandardized physical therapy care for low back pain were administered the SBT at intake and 4 weeks later to evaluate SBT changes, which were described as improved (SBT categorization changed from medium to low, high to low, or high to medium risk), stable (SBT categorization remained low or medium risk), or worsened (SBT categorization changed from low to medium, low to high, medium to high, or remained high risk). Clinical outcomes consisted of pain intensity and self-reported disability. Relative contributions of SBT categorization (at intake and 4 weeks) and SBT change patterns as predictors of 6-month clinical outcomes were assessed using separate multiple-regression models, while controlling for other prognostic variables.

Results

Most patients (81.8%) initially categorized as SBT high risk were categorized differently by the SBT at 4 weeks. Eleven percent of patients were described as worsened, based on SBT-category change patterns at 4 weeks. Prediction of 6-month disability scores was improved when considering intake, 4-week, or 4-week change for SBT categorization, with SBT high risk consistently providing unique contributions.

Conclusion

Repeated SBT assessment during the episode of physical therapy has potential to provide additional information for prediction of disability at 6 months. Future studies should investigate optimal management strategies for patients who have worsened SBT risk following physical therapy intervention.

Level of Evidence

Prognosis, level 2b. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2014;44(9):656–664. Epub 6 August 2014. doi:10.2519/jospt.2014.5178
Early Ankle Movement Versus Immobilization in the Postoperative Management of Ankle Fracture in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis
Authors: Keene David J. , Williamson Esther , Bruce Julie , Willett Keith , Lamb Sarah E.
Published: August 2014

Study Design

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objectives

To compare early ankle movement versus ankle immobilization after surgery for ankle fracture on clinical and patient-reported outcomes.

Background

A significant proportion of patients undergoing surgery for ankle fracture experience postoperative complications and delayed return to function. The risks and benefits of movement of the ankle in the first 6 weeks after surgery are not known, and clinical practice varies widely.

Methods

We searched bibliographic databases and reference lists to identify eligible trials. Two independent reviewers conducted data extraction and risk-of-bias assessments.

Results

Fourteen trials (705 participants) were included in the review, 11 of which were included in the meta-analysis. The quality of the trials was universally poor. The pooled effect of early ankle movement on function at 9 to 12 weeks after surgery compared to immobilization was inconclusive (standardized mean difference, 0.46; 95% confidence interval: −0.02, 0.93; P = .06; I2 = 72%), and no differences were observed between groups at 1 year. The odds of venous thromboembolism were significantly lower with early ankle movement compared to immobilization (Peto odds ratio = 0.12; 95% confidence interval: 0.02, 0.71; P = .02; I2 = 0%). Deep surgical site infection (Peto odds ratio = 7.08; 95% confidence interval: 1.39, 35.99; P = .02; I2 = 0%), superficial surgical site infection, fixation failure, and reoperation to remove metalwork were more common after early ankle movement compared to immobilization.

Conclusion

The quality of evidence is poor. The effects of early movement after ankle surgery on short-term functional outcomes are unclear, but there is no observable difference in the longer term. There is a small reduction in risk of postoperative thromboembolism with early ankle movement. Current evidence suggests that deep and superficial surgical site infections, fixation failure, and the need to remove metalwork are more common after early ankle movement.

Level of Evidence

Therapy, level 1a-. J Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2014;44(9):690–701. Epub 6 August 2014. doi:10.2519/jospt.2014.5294
The Inward Turn: American Opera Revisits America’s Past
Authors: Hutcheon Linda , Hutcheon Michael
Published: August 2014

Abstract:

Many modern American operas revisit canonical American literature (e.g., The Great Gatsby, A Streetcar Named Desire, Of Mice and Men, An American Tragedy, A View from a Bridge, Moby-Dick, McTeague, Margaret Garner) or base themselves on historical events, especially recent ones (e.g., X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, Nixon in China, Dr. Atomic). However, what is striking is that the focus of the latter is most often on the remarkable or heroic individual—as, indeed, it is in what could be called recent “celebrity opera” as well (as in Marilyn or Jackie O)—thus revealing the enduring power of American exceptionalism to this day.
Doing the Lady Gaga Dance: Postmodern Transaesthetics and the Art of Spectacle in Don DeLillo’s The Body Artist
Authors: Radia Pavlina
Published: August 2014

Abstract:

Performances by Lady Gaga, particularly her music video “Bad Romance,” exemplify postmodern America’s preoccupation with spectacle. They expose how the gaze, as a public-driven or self-imposed zone of terror and destruction, inscribes potentialities of renewal, wherein the subject’s authenticity is reasserted through the very process of commodification, or a kind of singeing of the image. Such a notion also lies at the heart of Don DeLillo’s novel, The Body Artist. Through the lens of the grieving body artist, Lauren Hartke, DeLillo interrogates body art as a productive, yet potentially commodifying means of renewal whereby corporeal suffering is reduced to a plethora of aestheticized crossings. Examining DeLillo’s novel in combination with Gaga’s performance art, I argue that such crossings constitute what Jean Baudrillard calls, in his essay “Transaesthetics,” “a [postmodern] materialization of aesthetics where … art mime[s] its own disappearance,” but also expose the complex dystopias underpinning America’s bad romance with its own renewal.
How Tonto Became Mr. T: The A-Team and the Transformation of the Western in Post-Vietnam America
Authors: Peppard Anna F.
Published: August 2014

The plot of The A-Team is straightforward and repetitive: fugitives from the government for a crime they did not commit, members of a former Vietnam War special-forces unit roam America as mercenaries, using over-the-top, cartoonish violence to protect small business owners from exploitation. The team’s positioning as roving gunslingers using interventionist violence to regenerate ideal communities directly references the Western. However, while the self-reflexive artificiality of the team’s violence ridicules the Western, the righteousness of the team’s perpetual success paradoxically embraces it. This paper argues that The A-Team challenges the Western only as a means to reaffirm it, negotiating post-Vietnam American society’s conflicting desires to reject and recuperate the past—in this case, the myth of “regeneration through violence” that Richard Slotkin argues underpins both the Western and America’s national identity.
“I Love Working for Uncle Sam, Lets Me Know Just Who I Am”: Culture, the Human Terrain System, and the Inquiry of World War I
Authors: Foster Brian
Published: August 2014

Abstract:

In 2006, twenty-five teams of cultural anthropologists were deployed by the US military as part of the Human Terrain System (HTS). The backlash against the use of academics and the “militarization of culture” was immediate. The American Anthropology Association published a series of works admonishing HTS participants and, in a related move, lifted an almost century-old censure of Franz Boas’s 1919 work, “Scientists as Spies.” Boas’s once-marginalized argument—that the “scientist who uses his research as a cover for political spying forfeits the right to be classified as a scientist”—was now recast as an accepted professional principle. This paper explores these two interrelated instances of the contestation of culture in geopolitical military strategies. Placing Boas within a larger history of the use of and conflict over the definition of culture during World War I, I argue that anthropologist-spies were only the tip of the iceberg in his time, just as HTS is in ours. The Paris Peace Talks (1917–9), for example, saw social scientists working with the state on a massive scale to literally redraw the world map. This article focuses on one secretive American organization, the Inquiry, which worked closely with military and state apparatuses, gathering ethnographic/cultural data that helped carve out official state positions and war aims. By situating the HTS as part of this larger historical narrative, we see how the “ethnographic” culture concept came to occupy such a dominant (albeit contested) place in thought.
On the Application of Stark Broadening Data Determined with a Semiclassical Perturbation Approach
Authors: Dimitrijević Milan , Sahal-Bréchot Sylvie
Published: August 2014

The significance of Stark broadening data for problems in astrophysics, physics, as well as for technological plasmas is discussed and applications of Stark broadening parameters calculated using a semiclassical perturbation method are analyzed.
Genetic Diversity in Jatropha curcas L. Assessed with SSR and SNP Markers
Authors: Montes Juan , Technow Frank , Martin Matthias , Becker Klaus
Published: August 2014

Jatropha curcas L. (jatropha) is an undomesticated plant that has recently received great attention for its utilization in biofuel production, rehabilitation of wasteland, and rural development. Knowledge of genetic diversity and marker-trait associations is urgently needed for the design of breeding strategies. The main goal of this study was to assess the genetic structure and diversity in jatropha germplasm with co-dominant markers (Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR) and Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) in a diverse, worldwide, germplasm panel of 70 accessions. We found a high level of homozygosis in the germplasm that does not correspond to the purely outcrossing mating system assumed to be present in jatropha. We hypothesize that the prevalent mating system of jatropha comprise a high level of self-fertilization and that the outcrossing rate is low. Genetic diversity in accessions from Central America and Mexico was higher than in accession from Africa, Asia, and South America. We identified makers associated with the presence of phorbol esters. We think that the utilization of molecular markers in breeding of jatropha will significantly accelerate the development of improved cultivars.
Structure of a Global Network of Financial Companies Based on Transfer Entropy
Authors: Sandoval Leonidas
Published: August 2014

This work uses the stocks of the 197 largest companies in the world, in terms of market capitalization, in the financial area, from 2003 to 2012. We study the causal relationships between them using Transfer Entropy, which is calculated using the stocks of those companies and their counterparts lagged by one day. With this, we can assess which companies influence others according to sub-areas of the financial sector, which are banks, diversified financial services, savings and loans, insurance, private equity funds, real estate investment companies, and real estate trust funds. We also analyze the exchange of information between those stocks as seen by Transfer Entropy and the network formed by them based on this measure, verifying that they cluster mainly according to countries of origin, and then by industry and sub-industry. Then we use data on the stocks of companies in the financial sector of some countries that are suffering the most with the current credit crisis, namely Greece, Cyprus, Ireland, Spain, Portugal, and Italy, and assess, also using Transfer Entropy, which companies from the largest 197 are most affected by the stocks of these countries in crisis. The aim is to map a network of influences that may be used in the study of possible contagions originating in those countries in financial crisis.
An Investigation of the Complexity of Maillard Reaction Product Profiles from the Thermal Reaction of Amino Acids with Sucrose Using High Resolution Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Golon Agnieszka , Kropf Christian , Vockenroth Inga , Kuhnert Nikolai
Published: August 2014

Thermal treatment of food changes its chemical composition drastically with the formation of “so-called” Maillard reaction products, being responsible for the sensory properties of food, along with detrimental and beneficial health effects. In this contribution, we will describe the reactivity of several amino acids, including arginine, lysine, aspartic acid, tyrosine, serine and cysteine, with carbohydrates. The analytical strategy employed involves high and ultra-high resolution mass spectrometry followed by chemometric-type data analysis. The different reactivity of amino acids towards carbohydrates has been observed with cysteine and serine, resulting in complex MS spectra with thousands of detectable reaction products. Several compounds have been tentatively identified, including caramelization reaction products, adducts of amino acids with carbohydrates, their dehydration and hydration products, disproportionation products and aromatic compounds based on molecular formula considerations.
Molecular Detection of Leptospiral DNA in Environmental Water on St. Kitts
Authors: Rawlins Julienne , Portanova Alexandra , Zuckerman Ilana , Loftis Amanda , Ceccato Pietro , Willingham Arve , Verma Ashutosh
Published: August 2014

Leptospirosis is an important waterborne zoonotic disease caused by pathogenic Leptospira. The pathogen is maintained in a population due to chronic colonization and shedding from renal tubules of domestic and wild animals. Humans and other animals become infected when they come in contact with urine from infected animals, either directly or through urine-contaminated surface water. In this study, we screened environmental water on the island of St. Kitts by using a TaqMan based real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) targeting a pathogen specific leptospiral gene, lipl32. Our results indicate that around one-fifth of tested water sources have detectable leptospiral DNA.
Antibiotic Use and Misuse during Pregnancy and Delivery: Benefits and Risks
Authors: De Tejada Begoña
Published: August 2014

Although pregnancy is considered as a physiological state, most pregnant women in developed countries receive multiple medications to prevent maternal or neonatal complications, with antibiotics among the most frequently prescribed. During pregnancy, antibiotics are often prescribed in the context of preterm labor, intrapartum fever, prevention of neonatal Group B Streptococcus fever, and cesarean section. Outside this period, they are commonly prescribed in the community setting for respiratory, urinary, and ear, nose and throat infection symptoms. Whereas some of the current indications have insightful reasons to justify their use, potential risks related to overuse and misuse may surpass the benefits. Of note, the recent 2014 World Health Assembly expressed serious concern regarding antibiotic resistance due to antibiotic overuse and misuse and urged immediate action to combat antibiotic resistance on a global scale. Most studies in the obstetrics field have focused on the benefits of antibiotics for short-term maternal and neonatal complications, but with very little (if any) interest in long-term consequences.
A Health Impact Assessment of Proposed Public Transportation Service Cuts and Fare Increases in Boston, Massachusetts (U.S.A.)
Authors: James Peter , Ito Kate , Buonocore Jonathan , Levy Jonathan , Arcaya Mariana
Published: August 2014

Transportation decisions have health consequences that are often not incorporated into policy-making processes. Health Impact Assessment (HIA) is a process that can be used to evaluate health effects of transportation policy. We present a rapid HIA, conducted over eight weeks, evaluating health and economic effects of proposed fare increases and service cuts to Boston, Massachusetts’ public transportation system. We used transportation modeling in concert with tools allowing for quantification and monetization of multiple pathways. We estimated health and economic costs of proposed public transportation system changes to be hundreds of millions of dollars per year, exceeding the budget gap the public transportation authority was required to close. Significant health pathways included crashes, air pollution, and physical activity. The HIA enabled stakeholders to advocate for more modest fare increases and service cuts, which were eventually adopted by decision makers. This HIA was among the first to quantify and monetize multiple pathways linking transportation decisions with health and economic outcomes, using approaches that could be applied in different settings. Including health costs in transportation decisions can lead to policy choices with both economic and public health benefits.
Optical Spectra Tuning of All-Glass Photonic Bandgap Fiber Infiltrated with Silver Fast-Ion-Conducting Glasses
Authors: Konidakis Ioannis , Pissadakis Stavros
Published: August 2014

Silver iodide metaphosphate glasses of the xAgI + (1−x)AgPO3 family are embedded inside the air capillaries of a commercial silica photonic crystal fiber (PCF) by means of vacuum-assisted infiltration technique. In this paper, we report on tuning the photonic bandgap (PBG) guidance characteristics of the fabricated all-glass photonic bandgap fibers, by varying the composition of the fast-ion-conducting phosphate glass infiltration medium. Doping AgPO3 metaphosphate glass with AgI significantly alters the PBG guidance patterns in the examined range between 350 and 1750 nm, as it leads to the introduction of numerous additional transmission stop-bands, while affecting scattering dependant losses. The effect of phosphate glass cooling method during sample fabrication on the transmission behavior of the xAgI + (1−x)AgPO3/PCFs is also considered.
Potent Effects of Flavonoid-Rich Extract from Rosa laevigata Michx Fruit against Hydrogen Peroxide-Induced Damage in PC12 Cells via Attenuation of Oxidative Stress, Inflammation and Apoptosis
Authors: Liu Min , Xu Youwei , Han Xu , Liang Chen , Yin Lianhong , Xu Lina , Qi Yan , Zhao Yanyan , Peng Jinyong , Sun Changkai
Published: August 2014

Oxidative stress-induced neuronal death has an important role in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders. The effects and mechanisms of action of the total flavonoids (TFs) from Rosa laevigata Michx fruit against hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced oxidative injury in PC12 cells were investigated in this study. The results demonstrated that the TFs protected against cell apoptosis, DNA and mitochondrial damage caused by H2O2 based on single cell gel electrophoresis, in situ terminal deoxynucleotidyltransferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL), flow cytometry and transmission electron microscope (TEM) assays. In addition, the TFs notably decreased cytochrome C release from mitochondria into the cytosol and intracellular Ca2+ levels, and diminished intracellular generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Furthermore, the TFs inhibited the phosphorylation levels of JNK, ERK and p38 MAPK as well as down-regulated the expressions of IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α, Fas, FasL, CYP2E1, Bak, caspase-3, caspase-9, p53, COX-2, NF-κB, AP-1, and up-regulated the expressions of Bcl-2 and Bcl-xl. In conclusion, these results suggest that the TFs from R. laevigata Michx fruit show good effects against H2O2-induced oxidative injury in PC12 cells by adjusting oxidative stress, and suppression of apoptosis and inflammation, and could be developed as a potential candidate to prevent oxidative stress in the future.
A Study on N2O Measurement Characteristics Using Photoacoustic Spectroscopy (PAS)
Authors: Kang Soyoung , Kim Seoungjin , Kang Seongmin , Lee Jeongwoo , Cho Chang-Sang , Sa Jea-Hwan , Jeon Eui-Chan
Published: August 2014

N2O, which is emitted mainly from nitrogen decomposition via bacteria, livestock manure, agricultural fertilizer use, fossil fuel combustion and waste incineration, is classified as a substance that causes significant destruction of the ozone layer. The N2O measurement methods for these emission sources may be divided into chromatography, optical, and electrical current measurements. Chromatography has been widely utilized for analyzing N2O. However, up until now, few studies have been conducted on N2O using photoacoustic spectroscopy. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate performance of photoacoustic spectroscopy in this regard based on laboratory and field test results. The repeatability of photoacoustic spectroscopy was measured at 1.12%, which is lower than the repeatability of 3.0% suggested by the ISO 1564 standard, so, it has shown an excellent repeatability. The detection limit was determined to be 0.025 ppm, and the response time was confirmed to be 3 min and 26 s. The results of comparison between these measurements and GC show that the latter has superior accuracy, but mobility and convenience are superior for PAS. On the contrary, GC has a continuous measurement limitation, but PAS makes it possible to conduct continuous measurements. Therefore, PAS can be extremely useful to confirm the characteristics of N2O emissions and to quantify their amount.
A Unitary ESPRIT Scheme of Joint Angle Estimation for MOTS MIMO Radar
Authors: Wen Chao , Shi Guangming
Published: August 2014

The transmit array of multi-overlapped-transmit-subarray configured bistatic multiple-input multiple-output (MOTS MIMO) radar is partitioned into a number of overlapped subarrays, which is different from the traditional bistatic MIMO radar. In this paper, a new unitary ESPRIT scheme for joint estimation of the direction of departure (DOD) and the direction of arrival (DOA) for MOTS MIMO radar is proposed. In our method, each overlapped-transmit-subarray (OTS) with the identical effective aperture is regarded as a transmit element and the characteristics that the phase delays between the two OTSs is utilized. First, the measurements corresponding to all the OTSs are partitioned into two groups which have a rotational invariance relationship with each other. Then, the properties of centro-Hermitian matrices and real-valued rotational invariance factors are exploited to double the measurement samples and reduce computational complexity. Finally, the close-formed solution of automatically paired DOAs and DODs of targets is derived in a new manner. The proposed scheme provides increased estimation accuracy with the combination of inherent advantages of MOTS MIMO radar with unitary ESPRIT. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate the effectiveness and advantage of the proposed scheme.
The Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Is a Multifunctional Protein
Authors: McBride Ruth , Van Zyl Marjorie , Fielding Burtram
Published: August 2014

The coronavirus nucleocapsid (N) is a structural protein that forms complexes with genomic RNA, interacts with the viral membrane protein during virion assembly and plays a critical role in enhancing the efficiency of virus transcription and assembly. Recent studies have confirmed that N is a multifunctional protein. The aim of this review is to highlight the properties and functions of the N protein, with specific reference to (i) the topology; (ii) the intracellular localization and (iii) the functions of the protein.
Managed Aquifer Recharge (MAR) Economics for Wastewater Reuse in Low Population Wadi Communities, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Authors: Missimer Thomas , Maliva Robert , Ghaffour Noreddine , Leiknes TorOve , Amy Gary
Published: August 2014

Depletion of water supplies for potable and irrigation use is a major problem in the rural wadi valleys of Saudi Arabia and other areas of the Middle East and North Africa. An economic analysis of supplying these villages with either desalinated seawater or treated wastewater conveyed via a managed aquifer recharge (MAR) system was conducted. In many cases, there are no local sources of water supply of any quality in the wadi valleys. The cost per cubic meter for supplying desalinated water is $2–5/m3 plus conveyance cost, and treated wastewater via an MAR system is $0–0.50/m3 plus conveyance cost. The wastewater reuse, indirect for potable use and direct use for irrigation, can have a zero treatment cost because it is discharged to waste in many locations. In fact, the economic loss caused by the wastewater discharge to the marine environment can be greater than the overall amortized cost to construct an MAR system, including conveyance pipelines and the operational costs of reuse in the rural environment. The MAR and associated reuse system can solve the rural water supply problem in the wadi valleys and reduce the economic losses caused by marine pollution, particularly coral reef destruction.
Generation of Human Alloantigen-Specific Regulatory T Cells under Good Manufacturing Practice-Compliant Conditions for Cell Therapy
Authors: Chera Mustapha , Hamel Yamina , Baillou Claude , Touil Soumia , Guillot-Delost Maude , Charlotte Frédéric , Kossir Laila , Simonin Ghislaine , Maury Sébastien , Cohen José L. , Lemoine François M.
Published: August 2014

Natural regulatory T cells (Tregs) may have a great therapeutic potential to induce tolerance in allogeneic cells and organ transplantations. In mice, we showed that alloantigen-specific Tregs (spe-Tregs) were more efficient than polyclonal Tregs (poly-Tregs) in controlling graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Here we describe a clinical-grade compliant method for generating human spe-Tregs. Tregs were enriched from leukapheresis products with anti-CD25 immunomagnetic beads, primed twice by allogeneic mature monocyte-derived dendritic cells (mDCs), and cultured during 3 weeks in medium containing interleukin 2 (IL-2), IL-15, and rapamycin. After 3 weeks of culture, final cell products were expanded 8.3-fold from the initial CD25+purifications. Immunophenotypic analyses of final cells indicate that they were composed of 88 ± 2.6% of CD4+T cells, all expressing Treg-specific markers (FOXP3, Helios, GARP, LAP, and CD152). Spe-Tregs were highly suppressive in vitro and also in vivo using a xeno-GVHD model established in immunodeficient mice. The specificity of their suppressive activity was demonstrated on their ability to significantly suppress the proliferation of autologous effector T cells stimulated by the same mDCs compared to third-party mDCs. Our data provide evidence that functional alloantigen Tregs can be generated under clinical-grade compliant conditions. Taking into account that 130 × 106CD25+cells can be obtained at large scale from standard leukapheresis, our cell process may give rise to a theoretical final number of 1 × 109spe-Tregs. Thus, using our strategy, we can propose to prepare spe-Tregs for clinical trials designed to control HLA-mismatched GVHD or organ transplantation rejection.
One-pot stereoselective synthesis of α,β-differentiated diamino esters via the sequence of aminochlorination, aziridination and intermolecular SN2 reaction
Authors: Xiong Yiwen , Qian Ping , Cao Chenhui , Mei Haibo , Han Jianlin , Li Guigen , Pan Yi
Published: August 2014

We report here an efficient one-pot method for the synthesis of α,β-differentiated diamino esters directly from cinnamate esters using N,N-dichloro-p-toluenesulfonamide and benzylamine as nitrogen sources. The key transformations include a Cu-catalyzed aminohalogenation and aziridination, followed by an intermolecular SN2 nucleophilic ring opening by benzylamine. The reactions feature a wide scope of substrates and proceed with excellent stereo- and regioselectivity (anti:syn >99:1) .
Les libéraux et les problèmes bruxellois 1945-1962
Authors: Brassinne Jacques
Published: August 2014

La synthèse de ce Courrier hebdomadaire a été présentée lors du colloque Het probleem Brussel sinds Hertoginnedal (1963) qui s’est tenu à la Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) les 20 et 21 octobre 1988 et qui était organisé par le professeur Els Witte (VUB) et le CRISP.
Measuring the Vital Signs of the Health Care System With the First Clinical Experience: Sophomore Nursing Students Rise to the Challenge
Authors: Karagory Pamela M. , McComb Sara
Published: August 2014

This article focuses on the process and learning outcomes of developing and integrating system and quality improvement knowledge and skills into a sophomore-level undergraduate nursing program. The process and framework used by the students, the learning outcomes achieved, and lessons learned by the students, faculty, and program leadership are described. Systems and quality improvement thinking can be successfully integrated early in an undergraduate curriculum, as evidenced by the students’ readiness to learn and their ability to embrace systems and quality improvement concepts, processes, and outcomes measurement. [
J Nurs Educ
. 2014;53(9, Suppl.):S97–S100.]
Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Genomic Nursing Concept Inventory
Authors: Ward Linda D. , Haberman Mel , Barbosa-Leiker Celestina
Published: August 2014

Translation of genome science to improve health outcomes requires nurses to develop genomic competency and literacy, and a robust measure of genomic literacy is needed to advance evidence-based nursing education. This study aimed to develop and evaluate the Genomic Nursing Concept Inventory (GNCI), which is a scale to measure understanding of the genetic/genomic concepts most critical to nursing practice. Applying a multistep process, key concepts were drawn from essential nursing genetic/genomic competencies and validated by expert opinion. Surveys and cognitive interviews of baccalaureate nursing (BSN) students informed item development. A 52-item draft inventory was administered to 238 BSN students. Item analysis informed inventory reduction, and the resulting 31-item inventory was tested with 705 BSN students. Scale difficulty was 47%, item difficulty 13% to 84%, and Cronbach’s alpha 0.77. As scale refinement proceeds, the GNCI provides a useful measure of genomic literacy to inform curriculum design and evaluate outcomes in genomic nursing education. [
J Nurs Educ.
2014;53(9):511–518.]
Workplace Bullying in Nursing
Authors: Ovayolu Özlem , Ovayolu Nimet , Karadag Gülendam
Published: August 2014

This research was designed to determine whether nurses are bullied by other staff members and the effects of such behaviors on the nurse victims. This study reports on nurses' interpersonal workplace relationships in a culturally unique environment. The study was conducted with 260 nurses working in three public hospitals. Data were collected using a questionnaire. The majority of nurses were female with bachelor's degrees and reported being assigned duties outside their usual responsibilities, held responsible for coworkers' mistakes, and criticized for job performance although they thought they had done their work properly. Most of the nurses who were bullied experienced health and sleep problems, did not want to go to work, and had communication problems with other staff members. Nearly all of the study nurses received psychological support to solve their problems and believed that the best way to prevent bullying was education.