bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Systemic bevacizumab for simultaneous treatment of cancer and choroidal neovascularisation
Authors: Saffra Norman , Reinherz Benjamin
Published: May 2014

A 47-year-old woman with a medical history of pseudoxanthoma elasticum and associated choroidal neovascularisation that was successfully managed with intravitreal bevacizumab injections developed non-squamous non-small cell lung carcinoma. The patient's oncological medication regimen included systemic bevacizumab. During the 22 months that the patient received systemic bevacizumab for management of her malignancy, intravitreal bevacizumab injections were held and the patient's visual acuity remained stable and the subretinal space was free of fluid leakage.
M2 occlusions as targets for endovascular therapy: comprehensive analysis of diffusion/perfusion MRI, angiography, and clinical outcomes
Authors: Sheth Sunil A , Yoo Bryan , Saver Jeffrey L , Starkman Sidney , Ali Latisha K , Kim Doojin , Gonzalez Nestor R , Jahan Reza , Tateshima Satoshi , Duckwiler Gary , Vinuela Fernando , Liebeskind David S
Published: May 2014

Background

The ideal population of patients for endovascular therapy (ET) in acute ischemic stroke remains undefined. Recent ET trials have moved towards selecting patients with proximal middle cerebral artery (MCA) or internal carotid artery occlusions, which will likely leave a gap in our understanding of the treatment outcomes of M2 occlusions.

Objective and methods

To examine the presentation, treatment, and outcomes of M2 compared with M1 MCA occlusions in patients undergoing ET by assessing comprehensive MRI, angiography, and clinical data.

Results

We found that M2 occlusions can lead to massive strokes defined by hypoperfused and infarcted volumes as well as death or moderate to severe disability in nearly 50% of patients at discharge. Compared with M1 occlusions, M2 occlusions achieved similar Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction (TICI) 2b/3 recanalization rates, with significantly less hemorrhage. M2 occlusions presented with smaller infarct and hypoperfused volumes and had smaller final infarct volumes regardless of recanalization. TICI 2b/3 recanalization of M2 occlusions was associated with smaller infarct volumes compared with TICI 0–2a recanalization, as well as less infarct expansion, in patients who received IV tissue plasminogen activator as well as those that did not. Successful reperfusion of M2 occlusions was associated with improved discharge modified Rankin scale.

Conclusions

If suitable as targets of ET, M2 occlusions should be given the same consideration as M1 occlusions.
Stakeholder consultation on tracking in UK veterinary degrees: part 2
Authors: Crowther E. , Hughes K. , Handel I. , Whittington R. , Pryce M. , Warman S. , Rhind S. , Baillie S.
Published: May 2014

There is ongoing debate in the profession as to whether veterinary students should focus on one (or a small number of) species during their undergraduate training (ie, track). This paper presents the qualitative data from surveys evaluating UK stakeholder opinion on introducing partial tracking (whereby students continue to qualify able to practise in all species) and full tracking (students qualify in a limited number of species with restricted registration). Surveys were distributed to practitioners, students and university staff; 1061 responses were completed. Thematic framework analysis was conducted on the free‐text responses; responses were coded to a hierarchical framework developed inductively from the data. Six major themes were identified: choice, flexibility, competency and knowledge, stakeholder implications, specialisation and ‘what is a vet?’. The majority of the themes related to both full and partial tracking, usually being more pronounced in full tracking. The theme ‘choice’ is particularly important in light of the study's quantitative findings on students' awareness of the profession and their career aspirations (presented in a previous paper); should tracking be implemented, veterinary schools will need to take a proactive role in educating and assisting students while making career choices.
Numerical study of pull-out capacities of dynamically embedded plate anchors
Authors: Wang D. , O’Loughlin C.D.
Published: May 2014

Dynamically embedded plate anchors (DEPLAs) are a type of offshore anchor that combine the capacity advantages of vertically loaded plate anchors with the installation benefits of dynamically installed anchors. DEPLA capacity under monotonic loading conditions in clay has been investigated through centrifuge and field tests. In this paper, the monotonic capacity of DEPLAs in normally consolidated clay was studied using a three-dimensional large deformation finite element approach based on frequent mesh regeneration. Results from the numerical simulations were validated by comparison with centrifuge test data and existing numerical and analytical solutions for circular and rectangular plates. The effect of anchor embedment depth, anchor roughness, fluke (or plate) thickness, plate inclination, and DEPLA geometry were investigated in a parametric study where soil was prescribed to remain attached to the DEPLA base. The findings indicate that for a horizontal anchor subjected to vertical loading, most DEPLA geometries exhibit deep behaviour at an embedment ratio of 2.5, but that this embedment ratio is dependent upon the plate inclination, with vertical plates requiring the highest embedment depth for a deep localized failure mechanism. At a shallow embedment depth equal to one plate diameter, the reduction in capacity factor as the plate inclination changes from horizontal to vertical is 23.4%, compared with 1.3% at an embedment depth equal to four plate diameters. Plate roughness and fluke thickness are shown to have a minimal effect on the anchor capacity factor for vertical loading. Analyses that considered the breakaway (no tension) at the DEPLA base demonstrated that the anchor capacity factor approaches the no breakaway value as the embedment depth increases and as the soil strength (relative to the effective unit weight of the soil) decreases. The paper proposes a simple means of approximating the anchor capacity factor for breakaway conditions, by summing the capacity factor in weightless soil (which is unique for a given DEPLA geometry) and the normalized overburden pressure.
Electrocatalysis and photoelectrochemistry based on functional nanomaterials
Authors: Chen Aicheng
Published: May 2014

Catalysis plays a key role in chemical production, energy processing, air purification, water treatment, food processing, and the life sciences. Nanostructured materials with high surface areas and some unique properties have received widespread interest in electrocatalysis and photocatalysis. Recently, the author’s research team has designed and studied a variety of novel functional nanomaterials. This review article is derived from the author’s 2013 Canadian Catalysis Lectureship Award Lecture and focuses primarily on the electrocatalytic activities of platinum- and palladium-based nanomaterials and the development of TiO2-based nanostructured photocatalysts. Palladium possesses several exceptional properties that may enable promising applications in hydrogen detection, purification, and storage. The significant roles of palladium-based nanomaterials in facilitating the growth of a hydrogen economy are addressed. As platinum-based catalysts are vital to the development of fuel cells and sensors, the design of high-performance platinum-based electrocatalysts is highlighted. Additionally, TiO2is considered to be one of the most promising photocatalysts due to its nontoxicity, high stability, and cost effectiveness. The modification of TiO2nanomaterials to achieve visible light response is discussed as well. It is anticipated that the development of advanced functional nanostructured catalysts will further improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of electrochemical and photochemical processes, making them more attractive in addressing the pressing global energy and environmental issues.
Unconventional redox properties of hydroquinones with intramolecular OH−N hydrogen bonds
Authors: Trefz Tyler , Kabir Md. Khayrul , Jain Rajsapan , Patrick Brian O. , Hicks Robin G.
Published: May 2014

The redox (chemical and electrochemical) properties of several hydroquinones are reported in which the OH protons are engaged in intramolecular hydrogen bonds to a nitrogen-based acceptor (pyridine or amine). The 1,4-hydroquinones generally undergo reversible oxidation to quinones in which both OH protons have transferred to the pendant bases; the oxidation processes are generally chemically and electrochemically reversible, in stark contrast with normal hydroquinones, which are oxidized irreversibly (via proton loss) to quinones. The oxidation processes, believed to occur in concerted proton/electron transfer steps, are at much lower potentials for the hydrogen-bonded derivatives relative to unsubstituted derivatives. In contrast, isomeric 1,3-hydroquinones (resorcinols) are oxidized irreversibly at relatively high potentials. The stability of some of the 1,4-hydroquinone oxidized species permits their isolation and characterization both spectroscopically and structurally. Somewhat surprisingly, in the oxidized species in which the proton is now located on the nitrogen base, the characterization data indicate that there is no NH−O hydrogen bond. Relationships between the particulars of the redox properties of the hydroquinones (potentials, reversibility/stability) and molecular structure are discussed.
Tree architecture as a predictor of growth and mortality after an episode of red oak decline in the Ozark Highlands of Missouri, U.S.A.
Authors: Lee Christopher A. , Voelker Steven , Holdo Ricardo M. , Muzika Rose-Marie
Published: May 2014

Mixed oak stands in the Ozark Highlands of southern Missouri were revisited eight years after a severe episode of red oak decline to determine which predictor variables, collected in 2003, best predicted subsequent tree growth and mortality patterns. Between 2002 and 2009, the mortality rate was 5% (0.625% annual mortality rate), generally below previously reported background rates. Generalized linear mixed models indicated that dieback (an estimate of branch mortality), age, relative height, and the interaction between the last two were most effective at predicting tree mortality. By contrast, tree vigor index (TVI), a composite variable derived from basic measurements of crown and stem architecture, was unequivocally the best predictor of basal area growth trend from one long-term period to the next. Basal area growth increases linearly with TVI, reinforcing the notion that even in ring-porous oaks (which must build new earlywood vessels each year), sustained growth is a low priority for carbon allocation in chronically stressed trees. The findings validate TVI as a useful metric for predicting growth rates of scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea Münchh.) and black oak (Quercus velutina Lam.).
Determination of paternal and maternal parentage in lodgepole pine seed: full versus partial pedigree reconstruction
Authors: Funda Tomas , Liewlaksaneeyanawin Cherdsak , El-Kassaby Yousry A.
Published: May 2014

Estimating seed orchards’ maternal and paternal gametic contributions is of importance in assessing the genetic quality of seed crops. The advantage of full over partial pedigree reconstruction in investigating the mating dynamics in a lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex. Loud. ssp. latifolia Engelm.) seed orchard population (N = 74) was demonstrated using nuclear and chloroplast microsatellite markers. We analyzed offspring of equivalent sample sizes representing full (bulk seed with unknown maternal and paternal parentage (n = 635)) and partial (11 maternal family arrays (n = 619)) pedigree reconstruction methods. Small differences in selfing rate, gene flow, and male reproductive success were observed between the two methods; however, the full pedigree reconstruction enabled simultaneous estimation of female-related fertility parameters (female reproductive success and effective number of maternal parents) that partial pedigree reconstruction could not provide. The use of bulk random sample of seed from orchards’ crops is recommended when male and female fertility parameters, as well as selfing and contamination rates, are needed for seed orchards’ seed crops genetic rating.
Iterative interpretation of tail-recursive LISP procedures
Authors: Greussay Patrick
Published: May 2014

The design of a LISP interpreter that allows tail-recursive procedures to be interpreted iteratively is presented at the machine-language level. Iterative interpretation means that, without any program transformations, no environments and continuations will be stacked unless necessary.

We apply a specific modification within a traditional stack-oriented version of LISP interpreter, without any non-recursive control structure. The design is compatible with value-cells as well as a-lists LISP processors.

We present a complete modified interpreter written itself in LISP and an informal proof that it meets its requirements.
The VLISP KIT
Authors: Chailloux Jérôme
Published: May 2014

This study presents the realization of

three systems

VLISP (a dialect of LISP) developped at the University of Paris 8 - Vincennes, on the following machines:

- a 8 bit words micro-processor (Intel8080/Zilog80)

- a 16 bit words PDP-11

- a 36 bit words PDP-10

From these realizations is extracted an

implementation model.

Our study proposes a solution to the problems of construction and evaluation of such a system. These problems are :

1) The exhaustive description of the implementation. We propose a description based on the

virtual, referential and prototype machine VCMC2.

2) The adequate representations of the VLISP objects and functions. We have associated some

natural properties

and we have established a

functionnal typology.

3) The efficiency of the interpreter (in words of core, execution time and

power

). Our iterpreter does, for his own need, a optimal core allocation (in term of CONS module calls). The direct acces (which needs only one memory access) to the values of objects variable and function, and a type classification of functions allow a

direct invocation

of all typed functions.

4) The

power

of control structures. Our implementation's KIT generalizes the VLISP control structures SELF an ESCAPE, extends them with the new constructions

EXIT, WHERE and LETF

and unifies completly their description and implementation.

An incarnation of our model is given by the realization of a

complete

VLISP system in the referential machine VCMC2. The

full

code is given in appendix.
A new fast and safe marking algorithm
Authors: Kurokawa Toshiaki
Published: May 2014

A new marking algorithm for garbage collection is presented. The method is a variation of the usual simple stacking algorithm. In practice, the new algorithm requires both less stack space and less time. One modification is to stack a node only when both the sublists are unmarked. The other innovation is a "stacked-node-checking" method invoked after each stack-overflow. With this method, a number of unnecessary nodes are eliminated, the stack is compacted, and the marking process can resume using the generated space in the stack.
Does LISP differ from ALGOL essentially?
Authors: Simon Friedemann
Published: May 2014

A fare spread opinion is that LISP and ALGOL belong to different "families" of programming languages. In our current activities concerning LISP, we are trying to characterise pure LISP as an ALGOL-like programming language in the sense of ALGOL 60 resp. ALGOL 68 /1/, /2/. LISP is considered as a sublanguage of ALGOL 60, where the datatype "s-expression" with its 5 standard functions is introduced and where procedure identifiers are allowed as values of function-procedures (ALGOL 68) in order to have upward FUNARGs /3/. In contrast to the operational semantic definitions via interpreters, this approach gives a precise, mathematical definition of the LISP-semantic. Within this framework we are able to prove properties of LISP-programs much easier than using inductive proofs based on an interpreter. Our method for modelling variable bindings follows the well known ALGOL 60 definitions, which are very close to the FUNARG-feature of LISP 1.5, while other authors prefer the "shallow access binding" method; e. g. M.J. Gordon gives a formal definition of pure LISP by algebraic methods /4/.
LISP history
Authors: Stoyan Herbert
Published: May 2014

For the SIGPLAN conference on history of programming languages held in Los Angeles in this June, J. McCarthy had to write a paper about LISP-history (1). He was very able to do this because he has given a talk on LISP history in summer 1974 at M.I.T. (2) and has contributed since then a lot of remarks and comments to my work on compiling a complete history of our language. His paper corresponds to the state of our knowledge in May of this year (1978) before D. Park found the original LISP 1 manual (3).
Constructing Schedules for Time-Critical Data Delivery in Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Pöttner Wolf-Bastian , Seidel Hans , Brown James , Roedig Utz , Wolf Lars
Published: May 2014

Wireless sensor networks for industrial process monitoring and control require highly reliable and timely data delivery. To match performance requirements, specialised schedule based medium access control (MAC) protocols are employed. In order to construct an efficient system, it is necessary to find a schedule that can support the given application requirements in terms of data delivery latency and reliability. Furthermore, additional requirements such as transmission power may have to be taken into account when constructing the schedule. In this article, we show how such schedule can be constructed. We describe methods and tools to collect the data necessary as input for schedule calculation. Moreover, due to the high complexity of schedule calculation, we also introduce a heuristic. We evaluate the proposed methods in a real-world process automation and control application deployed in an oil refinery and further present a long-term experiment in an office environment. Additionally, we discuss a framework for schedule life-cycle management.
Topology-Related Metrics and Applications for the Design and Operation of Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Ramos Heitor S. , Frery Alejandro C. , Boukerche Azzedine , Oliveira Eduardo M. R. , Loureiro Antonio A. F.
Published: May 2014

The use of topological features, more specifically, the importance of an element related to its structural position, is a subject widely studied in the literature. For instance, the theory of complex networks provides centrality measures that have been applied to a large variety of fields (e.g., social sciences and biology). In this work, we propose a new topological measure, the Sink Betweenness (SBet), which stems from the theory of complex networks but is adapted to Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) to capture relevant information for this kind of network. We also provide a distributed algorithm to calculate it, and show its applicability to two different scenarios. The first one is focused on data fusion applications for event-driven WSNs, where we devise a tree-based data collection algorithm that takes advantage of node centrality to improve the data fusion efficiency. The second scenario is focused on energy balancing problems, more specifically in a problem called
energy hole
, where nodes closer to the sink are more likely to relay a larger number of packets than those that are further. This phenomenon is strongly related to the topology induced by the deployment of nodes along the sensor field, and it can be effectively captured by the SBet metric. Thus, we devise a data collection algorithm that is able to distribute the relay task more evenly. Simulation results show that the SBet metric can be satisfactorily used in both scenarios. We compare the proposed approach with some of the most efficient available data fusion algorithms, and show that the proposed algorithm generates consistently good-quality data collection infrastructures which require significantly smaller overhead. The use of SBet allows to alleviate the energy-hole effects by evenly balancing the relay load, and thus increasing the network lifetime. These two applications illustrate how the topology awareness can be used to improve different network functions in a WSN.
Surface-Reflection-Based Communication and Localization in Underwater Sensor Networks
Authors: Emokpae Lloyd , Younis Mohamed
Published: May 2014

Most communication and localization algorithms in underwater environments have been constrained by dependencies on the Line Of Sight (LOS), which is hard to guarantee due to the inherent node mobility. This constraint hinders node discovery and ad hoc formation in underwater networks and limits the performance of routing protocols. This article introduces a novel Surface-Based Reflection (SBR) model that uses a homomorphic deconvolution technique to establish water-surface-reflected communication links. We then propose a Surface-Based Reflection Anchor-free Localization (SBR-AL) algorithm that can be employed by the individual nodes to establish a relative coordinate system. Our approach also employs a switch-beamed directional antenna model that allows each node to use the LOS estimated from SBR-AL to enable directional communication which is beneficial for higher Signal-to-Noise Ratios (SNR). The relative locations can facilitate the various network operation functions such as geo-routing and collision-free medium access. The simulation results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed approach.
Dynamic Networked Coverage of Time-Varying Environments in the Presence of Fading Communication Channels
Authors: Ghaffarkhah Alireza , Mostofi Yasamin
Published: May 2014

In this article, we study the problem of dynamic coverage of a set of points of interest (POIs) in a time-varying environment. We consider the scenario where a physical quantity is constantly growing at certain rates at the POIs. A number of mobile agents are then deployed to periodically cover (sense or service) the POIs and keep the physical quantity under control bounded at all the POIs. We assume a communication-constrained operation, where the mobile agents need to communicate to a fixed remote station over realistic wireless links to complete their coverage task. We then propose novel mixed-integer linear programs (MILPs) to design periodic trajectories and TX power policies for the mobile agents that minimize the total energy (the summation of motion and communication energy) consumption of the mobile agents in each period, while (1) guaranteeing the boundedness of the quantity of interest at all the POIs, and (2) meeting the constraints on the connectivity of the mobile agents, the frequency of covering the POIs, and the total energy budget of the mobile agents. We furthermore provide a probabilistic analysis of the problem. Our results show the superior performance of the proposed framework for dynamic coverage in realistic fading environments.
Detecting Faulty Nodes with Data Errors for Wireless Sensor Networks
Authors: Guo Shuo , Zhang Heng , Zhong Ziguo , Chen Jiming , Cao Qing , He Tian
Published: May 2014

Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN) promise researchers a powerful instrument for observing sizable phenomena with fine granularity over long periods. Since the accuracy of data is important to the whole system's performance, detecting nodes with faulty readings is an essential issue in network management. As a complementary solution to detecting nodes with functional faults, this article, proposes FIND, a novel method to detect nodes with data faults that neither assumes a particular sensing model nor requires costly event injections. After the nodes in a network detect a natural event, FIND ranks the nodes based on their sensing readings as well as their physical distances from the event. FIND works for systems where the measured signal attenuates with distance. A node is considered faulty if there is a significant mismatch between the sensor data rank and the distance rank. Theoretically, we show that average ranking difference is a provable indicator of possible data faults. FIND is extensively evaluated in simulations and two test bed experiments with up to 25 MicaZ nodes. Evaluation shows that FIND has a less than 5% miss detection rate and false alarm rate in most noisy environments.
Rethinking Reciprocity
Authors: Malmendier Ulrike , te Velde Vera L. , Weber Roberto A.
Published: May 2014

Reciprocal behavioral has been found to play a significant role in many economic domains, including labor supply, tax compliance, voting behavior, and fund-raising. What explains individuals’ tendency to respond to the kindness of others? Existing theories posit internal preferences for the welfare of others, inequality aversion, or utility from repaying others’ kindness. However, recent evidence on the determinants of (unilateral) sharing decisions suggests that external factors such as social pressure are equally important. So far, this second wave of social preference theories has had little spillover to two-sided reciprocity environments, in which one individual responds to the actions of another. We present a novel laboratory reciprocity experiment (the double-dictator game with sorting) and show that failure to account for external motives leads to a significant overestimation of internal motives such as fairness and altruism. The experimental data illustrate the importance of combining reduced-form and structural analyses to disentangle internal and external determinants of prosocial behavior.
Deep Sequencing of HIV: Clinical and Research Applications
Authors: Chabria Shiven B. , Gupta Shaili , Kozal Michael J.
Published: May 2014

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) exhibits remarkable diversity in its genomic makeup and exists in any given individual as a complex distribution of closely related but nonidentical genomes called a viral quasispecies, which is subject to genetic variation, competition, and selection. This viral diversity clinically manifests as a selection of mutant variants based on viral fitness in treatment-naive individuals and based on drug-selective pressure in those on antiretroviral therapy (ART). The current standard-of-care ART consists of a combination of antiretroviral agents, which ensures maximal viral suppression while preventing the emergence of drug-resistant HIV variants. Unfortunately, transmission of drug-resistant HIV does occur, affecting 5% to >20% of newly infected individuals. To optimize therapy, clinicians rely on viral genotypic information obtained from conventional population sequencing–based assays, which cannot reliably detect viral variants that constitute <20% of the circulating viral quasispecies. These low-frequency variants can be detected by highly sensitive genotyping methods collectively grouped under the moniker of deep sequencing. Low-frequency variants have been correlated to treatment failures and HIV transmission, and detection of these variants is helping to inform strategies for vaccine development. Here, we discuss the molecular virology of HIV, viral heterogeneity, drug-resistance mutations, and the application of deep sequencing technologies in research and the clinical care of HIV-infected individuals.
Growth Twins and Deformation Twins in Metals
Authors: Beyerlein Irene J. , Zhang Xinghang , Misra Amit
Published: May 2014

This article reviews recent basic research on two classes of twins: growth twins and deformation twins. We focus primarily on studies that aim to understand, via experiments, modeling, or both, the causes and effects of twinning at a fundamental level. We anticipate that, by providing a broad perspective on the latest advances in twinning, this review will help set the stage for designing new metallic materials with unprecedented combinations of mechanical and physical properties.
Temperature Sensing by Membranes
Authors: Mendoza Diego de
Published: May 2014

Bacteria remodel the fluidity of their membrane bilayer precisely via the incorporation of proportionally more unsaturated fatty acids (or fatty acids with analogous properties) as growth temperature decreases. This process, termed homoviscous adaptation, is suited to disrupt the order of the lipid bilayer and optimizes the performance of a large array of cellular physiological processes at the new temperature. As such, microbes have developed molecular strategies to sense changes in membrane fluidity, provoked by a decrease in environmental temperature, and initiate cellular responses that upregulate the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids. This review focuses on the architecture of a membrane fluidity communication network; how thermal information is integrated, processed, and transduced to control gene expression; how membrane-mediated structural changes of a cold sensor are accomplished; and the intriguing possibility that temperature-induced deformations of the cell membrane act as allosteric regulators of protein function.
A Mitocentric View of Parkinson's Disease
Authors: Haelterman Nele A. , Yoon Wan Hee , Sandoval Hector , Jaiswal Manish , Shulman Joshua M. , Bellen Hugo J.
Published: May 2014

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disease, yet the underlying causative molecular mechanisms are ill defined. Numerous observations based on drug studies and mutations in genes that cause PD point to a complex set of rather subtle mitochondrial defects that may be causative. Indeed, intensive investigation of these genes in model organisms has revealed roles in the electron transport chain, mitochondrial protein homeostasis, mitophagy, and the fusion and fission of mitochondria. Here, we attempt to synthesize results from experimental studies in diverse systems to define the precise function of these PD genes, as well as their interplay with other genes that affect mitochondrial function. We propose that subtle mitochondrial defects in combination with other insults trigger the onset and progression of disease, in both familial and idiopathic PD.
Altering the Cell Wall and Its Impact on Plant Disease: From Forage to Bioenergy
Authors: Zhao Qiao , Dixon Richard A.
Published: May 2014

The individual sugars found within the major classes of plant cell wall polymers are dietary components of herbivores and are targeted for release in industrial processes for fermentation to liquid biofuels. With a growing understanding of the biosynthesis of the complex cell wall polymers, genetic modification strategies are being developed to target the cell wall to improve the digestibility of forage crops and to render lignocellulose less recalcitrant for bioprocessing. This raises concerns as to whether altering cell wall properties to improve biomass processing traits may inadvertently make plants more susceptible to diseases and pests. Here, we review the impacts of cell wall modification on plant defense, as assessed from studies in model plants utilizing mutants or transgenic modification and in crop plants specifically engineered for improved biomass or bioenergy traits. Such studies reveal that cell wall modifications can indeed have unintended impacts on plant defense, but these are not always negative.
Political Effects of International Migration
Authors: Kapur Devesh
Published: May 2014

What are the political consequences of international migration on the migrant's country of origin? To help understand this question, this review article first examines data and measurement issues that have hampered empirical analysis. It then lays out an analytical framework outlining four channels through which migration's political consequences play out: the prospective, absence, diaspora, and return channels. The article next delineates the variables that attenuate or amplify these effects and argues that unobservable characteristics, in particular who leaves and why, have an important influence on the type and intensity of political effects. Subsequently, the article examines some key political consequences of international migration: its political economy consequences; its impact on conflict; and its institutional effects, focusing on political institutions as well as nationalism and citizenship. The penultimate section points out the importance of temporality in understanding the political effects of international migration. The article concludes with some questions for future research.
Reading, Writing, and the Regrettable Status of Education Research in Comparative Politics
Authors: Gift Thomas , Wibbels Erik
Published: May 2014

Apart from some notable exceptions, education is regrettably understudied in comparative politics. This paucity stems from both a dearth of reliable data on schooling and the fact that education raises analytical issues that fall outside the typical domain of political scientists. In light of education's crucial role in everything from citizen attitudes to earnings to economic growth, we recommend that political scientists pay more attention to education. In particular, comparative researchers should shift from an almost exclusive focus on average levels of schooling to explaining the causes and consequences of educational inequality. To that end, we provide a broad comparative framework for analyzing the politics of education. In our formulation, skill-biased technological change and factor endowments condition the extent to which firms demand human capital. The supply of skills is a function of the interests and institutions that link voters and politicians. We conclude by positing theoretical and empirical puzzles for future research.
Making Sense of Culture
Authors: Patterson Orlando
Published: May 2014

I present a brief review of problems in the sociological study of culture, followed by an integrated, interdisciplinary view of culture that eschews extreme contextualism and other orthodoxies. Culture is defined as the conjugate product of two reciprocal, componential processes. The first is a dynamically stable process of collectively made, reproduced, and unevenly shared knowledge structures that are informational and meaningful, internally embodied, and externally represented and that provide predictability, coordination equilibria, continuity, and meaning in human actions and interactions. The second is a pragmatic component of culture that grounds the first, and it has its own rules of usage and a pragmatically derived structure of practical knowledge. I also offer an account of change and draw on knowledge activation theory in exploring the microdynamics of cultural practice and propose the concept of cultural configuration as a better way of studying cultural practice in highly heterogeneous modern societies where people shift between multiple, overlapping configurations.

Power, power everywhere, And how the signs do shrink, Power, power everywhere, And nothing else to think. —Marshall Sahlins (2002) , Waiting for Foucault, Still O how they cling and wrangle, some who claim For preacher and monk the honored name! For, quarreling, each to his view they cling. Such folk see only one side of a thing. —Parable of the Blind Men and the Elephant Udanam vi.4 (transl. F.L. Woodward, 1948 , p. 83)
Where, When, Why, and For Whom Do Residential Contexts Matter? Moving Away from the Dichotomous Understanding of Neighborhood Effects
Authors: Sharkey Patrick , Faber Jacob W.
Published: May 2014

The literature on neighborhood effects frequently is evaluated or interpreted in relation to the question, “Do neighborhoods matter?” We argue that this question has had a disproportionate influence on the field and does not align with the complexity of theoretical models of neighborhood effects or empirical findings that have arisen from the literature. In this article, we focus on empirical work that considers how different dimensions of individuals' residential contexts become salient in their lives, how contexts influence individuals' lives over different timeframes, how individuals are affected by social processes operating at different scales, and how residential contexts influence the lives of individuals in heterogeneous ways. In other words, we review research that examines where, when, why, and for whom do residential contexts matter. Using the large literature on neighborhoods and educational and cognitive outcomes as an example, the research we review suggests that any attempt to reduce the literature to a single answer about whether neighborhoods matter is misguided. We call for a more flexible study of context effects in which theory, measurement, and methods are more closely aligned with the specific mechanisms and social processes under study.
Gender and Urban Space
Authors: Spain Daphne
Published: May 2014

Applying a gender perspective to cities reveals how spatial structure and social structure are mutually constitutive. This article reviews the ways cities have reflected and reinforced gender relations in the United States from the turn of the twentieth century to the present. First, I discuss ways in which women in industrial cities challenged the ideology of separate spheres. Next, I suggest that the post–World War II city was shaped by an era of high patriarchy similar to the architectural high modernism of the same era, and in the third section, I explore how that urban structure limited women's opportunities outside the home. In the fourth part, I examine changes in the concept of gender as it expanded beyond masculine and feminine categories to include lesbians, gays, and transgender individuals. The article ends with a review of how women's and gay rights movements, gentrification, and planning practices have shaped a more gender-neutral contemporary metropolis.
A Rare and Unusual Case of Burkitt’s Lymphoma Presenting with a Prostate Mass in a 12-Year-Old Boy
Authors: Sinclair N. , Babyn P. , Kinloch M. , Sinha R.
Published: May 2014

Burkitt’s lymphoma is the most frequent subtype of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in childhood. Radiographic findings are protean and can often overlap with other neoplastic and nonneoplastic processes. We present an unusual case of Burkitt’s lymphoma in a 12-year-old boy presenting with a one-week history of urinary retention, dysuria, and “tailbone pain,” as well as a 4-week history of jaw pain, initially treated as a dental abscess. On dental radiography, the patient was found to have resorption of alveolar bone adjacent to the lower first molars bilaterally, in keeping with “floating teeth,” classically associated with Langerhans cell histiocytosis. Additionally, a large, eccentric, prostatic mass was noted, prompting the inclusion of rhabdomyosarcoma on the differential diagnosis, with subsequent definitive diagnosis of Burkitt’s lymphoma on tissue and bone marrow biopsy. This case highlights the imaging overlap of these childhood neoplasms with an unusual lymphomatous prostate mass. It is important that the radiologists and pediatricians be aware of this potential overlap and the unusual presentation of Burkitt’s lymphoma.
Prevalence and Correlation with Clinical Diseases ofHelicobacter pylori cagAandvacAGenotype among Gastric Patients from Northeast China
Authors: Aziz Faisal , Chen Xin , Yang Xuesong , Yan Qiu
Published: May 2014

Helicobacter pylori vacAandcagAgenes have significant genetic heterogenicity, resulting in different clinical outcomes. Northeast part of China has reported high prevalence ofH. pyloriinfections and gastric cancer. Hence, we investigated theH. pylori cagAandvacAgenotypes with clinical outcomes in Northeast China. Gastric tissue samples (n=169), chronic gastritis (GIs), gastric ulcer (GU), and gastric cancer (GC) were analysed for 16S rRNAureA,cagA, andcagAgenotypes by PCR. A total of 141 (84%) cases were found positive forH. pyloriby 16S rRNA andureA. GC showed highH. pyloriinfection (93%) compared with GIs (72%) and GU (84%). ThevacAs1am1 was highly found in GC (40%) and GU (36%),vacAs1am2 in GIs (33%),vacAs1bm1 (14%) andvacAs1bm2 (8%) in GU cases, and s2m1 in normal cases (33%), whilevacAs1cm1 showed low frequency in GIs (2%) and GU (3%) and GC showed negative result. The East-AsiancagAstrain was highly observed in GC (43%), as compared to GIs (41%) and GU (20%). The East-AsiancagA/vacAs1am1 was significantly higher in GC (23%) than in GU (22%) and GIs (145) patients. The East-Asian typecagAwithvacAs1a andvacAm1 is the most predominant genotype inH. pyloristrains of Northeast China.
Chronic Inflammation and Cytokines in the Tumor Microenvironment
Authors: Landskron Glauben , De la Fuente Marjorie , Thuwajit Peti , Thuwajit Chanitra , Hermoso Marcela A.
Published: May 2014

Acute inflammation is a response to an alteration induced by a pathogen or a physical or chemical insult, which functions to eliminate the source of the damage and restore homeostasis to the affected tissue. However, chronic inflammation triggers cellular events that can promote malignant transformation of cells and carcinogenesis. Several inflammatory mediators, such as TNF-α, IL-6, TGF-β, and IL-10, have been shown to participate in both the initiation and progression of cancer. In this review, we explore the role of these cytokines in important events of carcinogenesis, such as their capacity to generate reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, their potential mutagenic effect, and their involvement in mechanisms for epithelial mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis, and metastasis. Finally, we will provide an in-depth analysis of the participation of these cytokines in two types of cancer attributable to chronic inflammatory disease: colitis-associated colorectal cancer and cholangiocarcinoma.
Autoimmunity and the Gut
Authors: Campbell Andrew W.
Published: May 2014

Autoimmune diseases have increased dramatically worldwide since World War II. This is coincidental with the increased production and use of chemicals both in industrial countries and agriculture, as well as the ease of travel from region to region and continent to continent, making the transfer of a pathogen or pathogens from one part of the world to another much easier than ever before. In this review, triggers of autoimmunity are examined, principally environmental. The number of possible environmental triggers is vast and includes chemicals, bacteria, viruses, and molds. Examples of these triggers are given and include the mechanism of action and method by which they bring about autoimmunity.
Numerical Simulation of Pipeline Deformation Caused by Rockfall Impact
Authors: Zhang Jie , Liang Zheng , Han Chuanjun
Published: May 2014

Rockfall impact is one of the fatal hazards in pipeline transportation of oil and gas. The deformation of oil and gas pipeline caused by rockfall impact was investigated using the finite element method in this paper. Pipeline deformations under radial impact, longitudinal inclined impact, transverse inclined impact, and lateral eccentric impact of spherical and cube rockfalls were discussed, respectively. The effects of impact angle and eccentricity on the plastic strain of pipeline were analyzed. The results show that the crater depth on pipeline caused by spherical rockfall impact is deeper than by cube rockfall impact with the same volume. In the inclined impact condition, the maximum plastic strain of crater caused by spherical rockfall impact appears when incidence angleαis45°. The pipeline is prone to rupture under the cube rockfall impact whenαis small. The plastic strain distribution of impact crater is more uneven with the increasing of impact angle. In the eccentric impact condition, plastic strain zone of pipeline decreases with the increasing of eccentricityk.
Long Term Follow-Up in Inferior Alveolar Nerve Transposition: Our Experience
Authors: Gasparini Giulio , Boniello Roberto , Saponaro Gianmarco , Marianetti Tito Matteo , Foresta Enrico , Torroni Andrea , Longo Giuliana , Azzuni Camillo , Cervelli Daniele , Pelo Sandro
Published: May 2014

Introduction. Inferior alveolar nerve transposition (IANT) is a surgical technique used in implantoprosthetic rehabilitation of the atrophic lower jaw which has not been well embraced because of the high risk of damage to the inferior alveolar nerve (IAN). There are cases in which this method is essential to obtain good morphologic and functional rebalancing of the jaw. In this paper, the authors present their experience with IANT, analyzing the various situations in which IANT is the only surgical preprosthetic option.Methods. Between 2003 and 2011, 35 patients underwent surgical IANT at our center. Thermal and physical sensitivity were evaluated in each patient during follow-up. The follow-up ranged from 14 to 101 months.Results and Conclusion. Based on our experience, absolute indications of IANT are as follows: (1) class IV, V, or VI of Cawood and Howell with extrusion of the antagonist tooth and reduced prosthetic free space; (2) class V or VI of Cawood and Howell with presence of interforaminal teeth; (3) class V or VI of Cawood and Howell if patient desires fast implantoprosthetic rehabilitation with predictable outcomes; (4) class VI of Cawood and Howell when mandibular height increase with inlay grafts is advisable.
Antibacterial Attributes of Apigenin, Isolated from Portulaca oleracea L.
Authors: Nayaka Hanumantappa B. , Londonkar Ramesh L. , Umesh Madire K. , Tukappa Asha
Published: May 2014

The flavonoid apigenin was isolated from aerial part of P. oleracea L. The dried sample of plant was powdered and subjected to soxhlet extractor by adding 80 mL of ethanol : water (70 : 30). The extract was centrifuged at 11000 rpm for 30 min; supernatant was taken for further use. The fraction was concentrated and subjected to PTLC. The Rf value of isolated apigenin was calculated (0.82). Purified material was also subjected to its IR spectra, LC-MS, NMR, and HPLC for structural elucidation. The apigenin so-obtained was subjected to antibacterial activity on five pathogenic bacterial strains like Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Proteus mirabilis, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Enterobacter aerogenes; among all the bacterial strains, Salmonella typhimurium (17.36 ± 0.18) and Proteus mirabilis (19.12 ±  0.01) have shown maximum diameter of inhibition zone for flavonoid and remaining bacterial strains have shown moderate diameter of inhibition zone when compared with control values 14.56 ±  0.21 and 11.68 ± 0.13, respectively. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the flavonoid isolated from P. oleracea L. was tested at the concentration ranging from undiluted sample to 10 mg per mL of concentration. The minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) for the flavonoid for all tested bacterial strains was found to be >4 mg per mL. Hence, the apigenin has antibacterial property and can be used to develop antibacterial drugs.
Progesterone Attenuates Experimental Subarachnoid Hemorrhage-Induced Vasospasm by Upregulation of Endothelial Nitric Oxide Synthase via Akt Signaling Pathway
Authors: Chang Chia-Mao , Su Yu-Feng , Chang Chih-Zen , Chung Chia-Li , Tsai Yee-Jean , Loh Joon-Khim , Lin Chih-Lung
Published: May 2014

Cerebral vasospasm is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in patients after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). However, the mechanism and adequate treatment of vasospasm are still elusive. In the present study, we evaluate the effect and possible mechanism of progesterone on SAH-induced vasospasm in a two-hemorrhage rodent model of SAH. Progesterone (8 mg/kg) was subcutaneously injected in ovariectomized female Sprague-Dawley rats one hour after SAH induction. The degree of vasospasm was determined by averaging the cross-sectional areas of basilar artery 7 days after first SAH. Expressions of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and phosphorylated Akt (phospho-Akt) in basilar arteries were evaluated. Prior to perfusion fixation, there were no significant differences among the control and treated groups in physiological parameters recorded. Progesterone treatment significantly(P<0.01)attenuated SAH-induced vasospasm. The SAH-induced suppression of eNOS protein and phospho-Akt were relieved by progesterone treatment. This result further confirmed that progesterone is effective in preventing SAH-induced vasospasm. The beneficial effect of progesterone might be in part related to upregulation of expression of eNOS via Akt signaling pathway after SAH. Progesterone holds therapeutic promise in the treatment of cerebral vasospasm following SAH.