bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE OF THE STATE: ACADEMIC PUBLISHING IN SOVIET‐OCCUPIED GERMANY 1945–1949. A CASE STUDY*
Authors: Eckardt Michael
Published: March 2014

The following contribution, taking the example of the Friedrich‐Schiller‐Universität Jena, addresses the difficult process of re‐activating academic publishing in Soviet‐occupied Germany after 1945. As one of the few universities which were not closed during the war, Jena did not experience a ‘zero hour’ after the Allied occupation. Since the administration had remained relatively intact, the university re‐opened on 15 October 1945. At the same time the university endeavoured to establish a functioning academic publishing scheme for internal and external communication. However it became apparent that, despite the Soviets’ insistence on the contrary, an independent university press was not envisaged and that licensing as practised by the Soviets impeded cooperation with private publishers. This practice did not change until influential communist functionaries had been installed at the university and the ‘bourgeois elites’ repressed. The present contribution elucidates the extent of the difficulties that resulted from the one‐sided political orientation of the Soviets and explains how these impinged on the main actors and their room for manoeuvre.
B. AS IN BALKAN: TERÉZIA MORA'S POST‐YUGOSLAV BERLIN REPUBLIC*
Authors: Mayr Maria
Published: March 2014

In this article, I argue that Terézia Mora's 2004 novel Alle Tage foregrounds the Yugoslav wars, and the Kosovo intervention in particular, as significant events for processes of the Berlin Republic's political self‐fashioning in the late 1990s. I therefore contend that despite the text's more widely acknowledged global and delocalised aspects, Alle Tage is in fact a very local and ‘German’ text, directly engaging with the socio‐political contexts of the Berlin Republic. I start by addressing the ways in which the 1990s Balkan wars have been used to reposition questions of German identity in relation to its World War II past. I then examine and offer an alternative to the notion that Térezia Mora's novel Alle Tage is predominantly a global text by highlighting the text's inextricable embeddedness in discourses surrounding German identity in the 1990s. I do so by tracing the novel's simultaneous critiques of both the notion of a global, nomadic way of being as well as of essentialist conceptions of community such as a nation or ethnic belonging. As the fate of the novel's main character Abel illustrates, for Mora belonging is instead a matter of an embodied, experiential access to both one's past and present. I conclude by arguing that Mora's novel suggests that just like Abel, Germany cannot move beyond post‐war themes such as nationalism, war, and genocide without thereby committing violent acts of forgetting.
HERMANN NITSCH – AUSTRIA IN THE AGE OF POST‐SCANDALOUS CULTURE
Authors: Daub Adrian
Published: March 2014

This article uses the Austrian reception history of the Viennese Actionist Hermann Nitsch to investigate the changing function and structure of cultural scandal in Austria. Like many fellow artists, Nitsch became famous for his rejection of the Austrian state and its institutions, and was rejected by them in turn. Press, police and the federal government waged a series of pitched battles against the so‐called Actionists. Today these same institutions have come to embrace Nitsch's art, but it attracts an entirely different kind of scandal. It is today used to turn the state apparatus itself into a scandal, and ultimately provides a way for the Austrian far right (FPÖ and BZÖ) to articulate their complicated and contradictory relationship to state power.
THE END OF THE FAIRY TALE? CHRISTIAN PETZOLD'S BARBARA AND THE DIFFICULTIES OF INTERPRETATION*
Authors: Pinfold Debbie
Published: March 2014

When Christian Petzold's Barbara appeared in 2012 it was received as a new departure in both Petzold's work and in representations of the former GDR. The film was understood first and foremost as a love story, and this, together with the provincial setting and bright colour palette, lent an unaccustomed warmth to the image of the GDR. This article presents a close reading of the film to demonstrate that Petzold's plot deconstructs the victim / perpetrator binary that underlies paradigmatic representations of the GDR, notably Das Leben der Anderen (2006). This creates a more nuanced image of the former socialist state which challenges the dominant discourse. It further argues that Petzold underpins this surface with a dense matrix of cultural allusions designed to draw the audience into the characters’ coded language. This enables the audience to empathise with the characters’ difficulties in communicating with one another and to experience viscerally what it was to live in an atmosphere characterised by such mistrust. However, these same cultural allusions say more than the characters intend; they also allow Petzold to communicate directly with the audience, posing deeper questions about our own interpretative strategies and the possibility of fully understanding the GDR.
Expression studies of mutant factor VIII alleles with premature termination codons with regard to inhibitor formation
Authors: Zimmermann M. A. , Oldenburg J. , Müller C. R. , Rost S.
Published: March 2014

About 10% of mutations in haemophilia A cases generate a premature termination codon in the factor VIII gene (F8). Upon therapeutic FVIII substitution, it was noted that the risk of developing inhibitors is higher when the nonsense mutation is located in the light chain (LC) of the factor VIII (FVIII) protein than in the heavy chain (HC). We analysed the impact of six different nonsense mutations distributed over the six FVIII domains on recombinant FVIII expression to elucidate the process of inhibitor formation in haemophilic patients. Full‐length F8 mRNA was transcribed from all constructs despite the presence of nonsense mutations. Polyclonal antigen assays revealed high antigen levels in transfection experiments with constructs truncated in LC whereas low antigen was detected from constructs truncated in HC. Those results were supported by FVIII localization experiments. These findings suggest that F8 transcription occurs in a usual way despite nonsense mutations, whereas translation appears to be interrupted by the premature stop codon. We hypothesize that the inclusion of the B domain enables proteins truncated in LC to accumulate in the ER. Proteins truncated in HC are mainly degraded or may pass through the ER and be secreted into the blood circulation, thus presumably preventing inhibitor formation after therapeutic FVIII substitution. The LC is known to have higher immunogenicity than the HC. Moreover, translation of the F8B gene comprising F8 exons 23–26 may be dependent on the position of the premature stop codon and thus contributes to the immune response of truncated FVIII proteins.
The Big Society in an age of austerity: threats and opportunities for Health Consumer and Patients' Organizations in England
Authors: Baggott Rob , Jones Kathryn
Published: March 2014

Background and Objective

Health consumer and patients' organizations (HCPOs) seek to influence policy. But how are they affected by developments in the policy context and political environment?

Design

The article draws on original research into HCPOs in the UK by the authors, including a major survey undertaken in 1999 and interviews with HCPOs and policymakers between 2000 and 2003 as well as a further survey in 2010. It also draws on a review of key government policies on health and the voluntary sector since 1997.

Results

Developments in the political environment and policy context have created both opportunities and threats for HCPOs as they seek to influence policy. These include policies to promote choice and competition in public services; support for a greater role for the voluntary sector and civil society in health and welfare (including the current government's ‘Big Society’ idea); NHS reorganization; changes to the system of patient and public involvement; and austerity measures. Devolution of powers within the UK with regard to health policy and the rising profile of the EU in health matters have also had implications for HCPOs.

Discussion and Conclusion

This analysis raises key issues for future research in the UK and elsewhere, such as how will HCPOs be able to maintain independence in an increasingly competitive environment? And how will they fare in an era of retrenchment? There are also challenges for HCPOs in relation to maintaining relationships in a new institutional setting characterized by multilevel governance.
Atheroprotective remodelling of vascular dermatan sulphate proteoglycans in response to hypercholesterolaemia in a rat model
Authors: Oberkersch Roxana , Maccari Francesca , Bravo Alicia I. , Volpi Nicola , Gazzaniga Silvina , Calabrese Graciela C.
Published: March 2014

Proteoglycan accumulation within the arterial intima has been implicated in atherosclerosis progression in humans. Nevertheless, hypercholesterolaemia is unable to induce intimal thickening and atheroma plaque development in rats. The study was performed to analyse proteoglycans modifications in rats fed with a high‐cholesterol diet to understand whether vascular wall remodelling protects against lesions. Sections obtained from rat aortas showed normal features, in intimal‐to‐media ratio and lipid accumulation. However, focal endothelial hyperplasia and neo‐intima rearrangement were observed in high‐cholesterol animals. Besides, hypercholesterolaemia induced an inflammatory microenviroment. We determined the expression of different proteoglycans from aortic cells by Western blot and observed a diminished production of decorin and biglycan in high‐cholesterol animals compared with control (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). Versican was increased in high‐cholesterol animals (P < 0.05), whereas perlecan production showed no differences. No modification of the total content of glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) was found between the two experimental groups. In contrast, the chondroitin sulphate/dermatan sulphate ratio was increased in the high‐cholesterol group as compared to the control (0.56 and 0.34, respectively). Structural alterations in the disaccharide composition of galactosaminoglycans were also detected by HPLC, as the ratio of 6‐sulphate to 4‐sulphate disaccharides was increased in high‐cholesterol animals (P < 0.05). Our results suggest that attenuation of decorin and biglycan expression might be an effective strategy to inhibit the first step in atherogenesis, although specific GAG structural modification associated with the development of vascular disease took place. Results emphasize the potential application of therapies based on vascular matrix remodelling to treat atherosclerosis.
Synthesis of TiO2−xNy/Ag‐PbMoO4 Composite and Their Photocatalytic Activity Under Simulated Solar Light Irradiation
Authors: Kim Tae‐Ho , Lee Soo‐Wohn , Gyawali Gobinda , Jo Yong‐Hyun , Sekino Tohru
Published: March 2014

TiO2−xNy/Ag‐PbMoO4 composite were synthesized by sonochemical method. The results revealed that the band‐gap energy absorption edge of TiO2−xNy/Ag‐PbMoO4 composite was shifted to a longer wavelength as compared to TiO2, TiO2−xNy, PbMoO4, and Ag‐PbMoO4. The TiO2−xNy/Ag‐PbMoO4 composite showed the enhanced photocatalytic activity for degradation of indigo carmine dye (ICD) under simulated solar light irradiation. The TiO2−xNy/Ag‐PbMoO4 composite exhibited the highest percentage (95.4%) of degradation of ICD and the highest reaction rate constant (0.0244 min−1) in 2 h. The results suggested that a good combination of Ag and TiO2−xNy nanoparticles has great influence on the photocatalytic behavior of PbMoO4.
Acitretin in psoriasis: an evolving scenario
Authors: Dogra Sunil , Yadav Savita
Published: March 2014

Acitretin, an active metabolite of etretinate, is the most widely used systemic retinoid in the treatment of psoriasis. There are several unique characteristics of this drug, which set it apart from other options in the therapeutic armamentarium of psoriasis. It is highly efficacious as monotherapy in some specific clinical subtypes of psoriasis. It has dose‐sparing effects when used as combination therapy with conventional systemic drugs as well as the biologics. It is a good option for long‐term maintenance therapy. Side effects are common but usually mild and can be managed by its proper dosing and monitoring. With appropriate patient selection, gradual dose escalation, and patient counseling, we can deliver good results in psoriasis with this useful drug. This review gives a comprehensive recount of acitretin use in the present era of biologics in psoriasis.
Nd:YAG laser for “fractional” treatment of angiofibromas
Authors: Ma Gang , Wu Pinru , Lin Xiaoxi , Chen Hui , Li Wei , Hu Xiaojie , Jin Yunbo
Published: March 2014

Background

Tuberous sclerosis is an autosomal dominant disorder with hamartomas in multiple organ systems. Facial angiofibromas (AF) are a common cutaneous manifestation of tuberous sclerosis. They may lead to significant cosmetic and psychological problems. Many treatment modalities have been used with variable satisfaction. Fractional photothermolysis (FP) is a novel concept of laser therapy, which induces non‐contiguous microscopic thermal injury.

Objective

This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and side effects of Nd:YAG laser treatment for facial AF by using spot‐like irradiation technique similar to FP.

Materials and methods

Twelve patients (skin types III–IV, aged 17–45 years) with facial AF received monthly treatment with Nd:YAG laser in a pinpoint coagulation fashion. Clinical improvements were evaluated in five categories. Side effects were monitored at each follow‐up visit.

Results

Excellent improvement was seen in 10 patients and good improvement in two at one month after the final treatment session. After 12 months of follow‐up, no patient had significant recurrence of AF. Five patients were followed up for three years with few pinpoint‐sized regrowth occurring; none of these patients received additional treatments. Side effects included transient erythema and edema in each patient but no bleeding, infection, dyspigmentation, or scarring.

Conclusions

The present study indicates that Nd:YAG laser is an effective and safe management for the fractional treatment of facial AF.
Treatment patterns and outcomes among patients with metastatic melanoma treated in community practice
Authors: Walker Mark S. , Reyes Carolina , Kerr Jiandong , Satram‐Hoang Sacha , Stepanski Edward J.
Published: March 2014

Background

The primary systemic treatments for advanced melanoma have been chemotherapy and immunotherapy. New agents are currently in development.

Objectives

This study aimed to characterize treatment patterns and outcomes across several lines of therapy and to illustrate the treatment landscape prior to the approval of new therapies. The study endpoints were progression‐free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS), and best overall response within line of therapy.

Methods

A retrospective chart analysis was conducted at 11 community oncology practices in the USA. Data for patients aged ≥18 years and diagnosed with stage IV and/or metastatic melanoma during 2006–2010 were analyzed. Primary endpoints were PFS within line of therapy and OS from the diagnosis of metastasis.

Results

Data on a total of 202 patients were collected. The sample was mostly male (60%) and Caucasian (88%), with a mean age of 61.3 years. Of the 202 patients, 56 (28%) never received any systemic therapy. In the remaining 146 patients, systemic therapies included temozolomide‐based regimens (n = 68), platinum‐based regimens without temozolomide (n = 16), other regimens (n = 23), and research regimens (n = 39). Of the 146 patients who received systemic therapy, not all did so immediately after the diagnosis of metastasis: 102 (51%) patients did so shortly after diagnosis and before first disease progression, and 44 (22%) did so after first disease progression. Response rates were very low (≤5%) and did not differ across treatment groups. Progressive disease was the most frequent best overall response category identified, with rates of 83, 78, and 89% in the first to third lines of treatment, respectively. In 146 patients receiving first‐line systemic therapy, median PFS was 3.25 months. Median OS in the entire sample was 7.66 months.

Conclusions

Findings provided little evidence for any beneficial effects of the treatments available in the timeframe referred to in this study. Few patients (≤5%) responded to treatment, PFS among treated patients was short (3.25 months in first‐line treatments, less in later lines), and there was no evidence of a differential effect of treatment regimens on PFS. There was no evidence of shorter survival in patients who never received systemic therapy. The high proportion of patients who did not receive any systemic therapy highlights the lack of effective therapies and underscores the unmet medical need in this patient population.
English Language Proficiency among the Foreign Born in the United States, 1980–2007: Duration, Age, Cohort Effects
Authors: Kulkarni Veena S. , Hu Xiaohan
Published: March 2014

This study employs pooled data from the 1980 through 2000 censuses and 2001 through 2007 American Community Survey data to study English language proficiency among foreign-born in a dynamic framework. Our findings show continuing significance of duration of stay and age at migration and declining English language proficiency across successive cohorts. Additionally, analysis enabled by availability of single-year data from 2000 to 2007 indicates acquisition of language proficiency as steepest during first 9 years upon arrival and for migrating age group 6–17. Further, we find significant differences by education, regions of origin, racial groups, and by regions of residence.
Impact of 2009 pandemic influenza among Vietnamese children based on a population‐based prospective surveillance from 2007 to 2011
Authors: Le Minh Nhat , Yoshida Lay Myint , Suzuki Motoi , Nguyen Hien Anh , Le Huu Tho , Moriuchi Hiroyuki , Dang Duc Anh , Ariyoshi Koya
Published: March 2014

Background

Influenza virus is one of the major viral pathogens causing pediatric acute respiratory infection (ARI). The spread of pandemic influenza A (A(H1N1)pdm09) in 2009 around the globe had a huge impact on global health.

Objective

To investigate the impact of A(H1N1)pdm09 on pediatric ARI in Vietnam.

Study design

An ongoing population‐based prospective surveillance in central Vietnam was used. All children aged <15 years residing in Nha Trang city, enrolled to the ARI surveillance in Khanh Hoa General Hospital, from February 2007 through March 2011 were studied. Clinical data and nasopharyngeal swab samples were collected. Influenza A was detected and genotyped by multiplex polymerase chain reaction assays and sequencing.

Results

Among enrolled 2736 hospitalized ARI cases, 354 (13%) were positive for influenza A. Genotyping results revealed that seasonal H3N2 and H1N1 (sea‐H1N1) viruses were cocirculating before A(H1N1)pdm09 appeared in July 2009. The A(H1N1)pdm09 replaced the sea‐H1N1 after the pandemic. The majority of influenza A cases (90%) were aged <5 years with incidence rate of 537 (387–775) per 100 000 population. Annual incidence rates of hospitalized influenza cases for pre‐, initial and post‐pandemic periods among children aged <5 year were 474, 452, and 387 per 100 000, respectively. Children with A(H1N1)pdm09 were elder, visited the hospital earlier, less frequently had severe signs, and were less frequently associated with viral coinfection compared with seasonal influenza cases.

Conclusions

The A(H1N1)pdm09 did not increase the influenza annual hospitalization incidence or disease severity compared with seasonal influenza among pediatric ARI cases in central Vietnam.
How do industry‐wide information infrastructures emerge? A life cycle approach
Authors: Reimers Kai , Li Mingzhi , Xie Bin , Guo Xunhua
Published: March 2014

Industry‐wide information infrastructures (IIIS) have recently gained increased attention by policy makers, especially in the healthcare sector where it is believed that IIIS can substantially contribute to the taming of exploding healthcare costs and dramatically improve service quality, e.g., by avoiding widespread medication errors. However, the emergence and evolution of IIIS is as yet poorly understood, partly because the information systems (IS) literature traditionally uses much smaller units of analysis such as projects, organizations or small networks of organization. In this paper, we propose a combined company‐level and industry‐level framework to shed light on the process of IIIS emergence. We demonstrate, for the first time, that IIIS emergence is intricately linked to the industry life cycle for the case of fragmented industries. We also explore the relationship between the industry‐level and company‐level life cycles in the process of IIIS emergence, and develop a novel proposition regarding this relationship. Our findings suggest that current policy initiatives to promote the development of IIIS have not adequately taken industry‐level conditions into consideration.
Measuring the technical efficiency of football legends: who were Real Madrid's all‐time most efficient players?
Authors: Santín Daniel
Published: March 2014

Many football players contribute to aggregate results throughout a football club's history. However, no scientific research has pinpointed the most technically efficient players in a football club's history considering their position on the field. The aim of this paper is to propose an output‐oriented nonincreasing returns to scale super‐efficiency data envelopment analysis (DEA) model in order to measure football players’ performance. The model is applied empirically to Real Madrid's best players (white legends) from the signing of Luis Molowny to Raúl González's departure. Results are also calculated and compared with the standard DEA in order to form the most efficient and super‐efficient historical squad of Real Madrid footballers.
Climate change and marine molluscs of the western North Atlantic: future prospects and perils
Authors: Saupe Erin E. , Hendricks Jonathan R. , Townsend Peterson A. , Lieberman Bruce S.
Published: March 2014

Aim

Numerous studies have examined potential responses of terrestrial biotas to future climate change, but fewer have considered marine realms. We forecast how marine molluscan faunas might respond to environmental change over the remainder of this century. We test the hypotheses that suitable areas will shift northwards for studied species, and that species will show varied responses to future climate change.

Location

North and South America and the Caribbean.

Methods

We generated ecological niche models (in GARP and Maxent) for 14 ecologically, economically and potentially medically important mollusc species, using present‐day summaries and future forecasts of climate from the Hadley Centre and known species occurrence data from natural history collections. Niche models were used to forecast potential distributions according to three scenarios of future change for three time slices.

Results

Northern extremes of suitability are predicted to shift northwards for only three (GARP) or four (Maxent) of the 14 species, whereas the southern edge of suitability is predicted to shift southwards for seven (GARP) and one (Maxent) of the 14 species. When changes in the geographical centroids of suitability are considered, no significant poleward shifts are anticipated for individual species. Instead, half of the study species (many economically important) experience substantial (> 20%) loss of suitable environmental area, even under the lowest‐emission future climate scenario. Furthermore, the direction and magnitude of the response to predicted climate change is species‐specific.

Main conclusions

We do not find a coherent pattern of areas with suitable environments expanding at high‐latitude range boundaries, with simultaneous contraction at their low‐latitude boundaries. Tropical marine molluscs may thus show varied responses as average temperatures warm. These results contrast with trends among terrestrial and other marine species, which are rapidly shifting their ranges to higher latitudes. Conversely, the differing responses of these species to future warming are consistent with responses of species to past episodes of change, as observed in the fossil record.
Hopping out of Mindanao: Miocene‐Pliocene geological processes and cross‐island dispersal as major drivers of diversity for Philippine treehoppers
Authors: Su Yong‐Chao , Wang Jo‐Fan , Villanueva Reagan Joseph T. , Nuñeza Olga M. , Lin Chung‐Ping
Published: March 2014

Aim

We investigated the biogeographical history of an endemic Philippine treehopper, Pyrgonota bifoliata (Membracidae), to test the effect of Neogene geological events and Pleistocene climate change in generating speciation within the Philippines.

Location

The Philippine archipelago.

Methods

Phylogenies were reconstructed based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase I subunit (cox1) and nuclear wingless (wg) genes using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian criteria. Divergence times were estimated in beast based on a range of mutation rates. Ancestral ranges were reconstructed using rasp (Reconstruct Ancestral State in Phylogenies) and Bayesian stochastic search variable selection (BSSVS). Species boundaries were tested using the Bayesian general mixed Yule coalescent (bGMYC) and Bayesian phylogenetic and phylogeography (BPP) methods.

Results

Pyrgonota bifoliata showed one of the lowest levels of between‐Pleistocene island genetic variation among all the taxa examined. Most Pleistocene aggregate island complex (PAIC) lineages and extant P. bifoliata originated before the onset of the first extensive Pleistocene glacial cycle. Ancestral P. bifoliata originated in the late Miocene from Mindanao, followed by a sequential northwards colonization of the Visayan Islands and Luzon in the Pliocene–early Pleistocene, which coincided with the spatial reorganization of the Philippines. The statistically delimited nine provisional species of what we now view as the P. bifoliata species complex correspond to current island boundaries and specialized host plants.

Main conclusions

The temporally calibrated phylogeny of P. bifoliata represents the first invertebrate study to support the hypothesis that Miocene–Pliocene geological events and consequent cross‐island dispersal were pivotal promoters of species diversity in the Philippines. We hypothesize that ecological adaptation to specialized host plants, together with either local selection or genetic drift through within‐island allopatric isolation, present a plausible in situ speciation mechanism for the origin of these herbivorous insects.
The prospective study of autotransplanted severely impacted developing premolars: periodontal status and the long‐term outcome
Authors: Plakwicz Paweł , Czochrowska Ewa Monika
Published: March 2014

Aims

To determine the periodontal status and long‐term outcomes of the surgical treatment of severely impacted developing premolars.

Materials and Methods

Nine impacted and adversely angulated second premolars (four maxillary and five mandibular) were autotransplanted from their initial position to the ideal position within the arches (trans‐alveolar autotransplantation). The mean age of patients at the time of the surgery was 13 years and 9 months (from 11 years and 5 months to 17 years) and the mean observation period was 5 years (from 2 to 8 years and 6 months). Naturally erupted, contralateral premolars in the same patients were used for comparison.

Results

The survival and success were 100%. Autotransplanted premolars did not differ statistically from their controls, except for having a wider zone of keratinized gingiva (mean difference 0.625 mm), increased probing depths (from 0.04 to 0.49 mm depending on the probing location), pulp canal obliteration and a slightly higher crown‐to‐root ratio (C/R = 0.71 for transplanted teeth and C/R = 0.6 for control teeth respectively).

Conclusions

Trans‐alveolar transplantation of severely impacted and adversely angulated developing premolars is a viable treatment option and an attractive alternative to other treatment modalities.
Effective oral health in infective endocarditis: efficacy of high‐street mouthwashes against the viridans group streptococci
Authors: Elshibly Ahmed , Coulter Wilson A. , Millar Beverley Cherie , Prendergast Bernard D. , Thornhill Martin , Irwin Christopher , Goldsmith Colin E. , Moore John E.
Published: March 2014

Aim

Recent UK National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines state that there is no longer a need for oral antibiotic prophylaxis in patients undergoing dental procedures who are at risk of infective endocarditis (IE), and advocate the importance of maintaining good oral health. As viridans group streptococci (VGS) are common etiological agents of IE and inhabitants of the mouth, the purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of common high‐street mouthwashes against four classes of VGS organisms (salivarius, mitis, anginosus, and mutans groupings).

Methods

The survival of VGS, Streptococcus gordonii (National Collection of Type Cultures [NCTC] 7865), Streptococcus intermedius (NCTC 11324), Streptococcus mutans (NCTC 10449), Streptococcus oralis (NCTC 11427), Streptococcus pneumoniae (NCTC 7465, NCTC 7978, & American Type Culture Collection 49619) and Streptococcus salivarius (NCTC 8618) was assessed in vitro following treatment of approximately 107 c.f.u. in planktonic state with four mouthwashes.

Results

No organisms were culturable following 1‐min exposure, and were not recovered following non‐selective enrichment following incubation in Brain Heart Infusion broth supplemented with 0.8% (w/v) yeast extract.

Conclusions

These data indicate that such mouthwashes are able to completely kill VGS organisms tested in planktonic solution, where their use would promote good oral hygiene in patients at risk of IE.
Periodontal ligament stem cells: an update and perspectives
Authors: Chamila Prageeth Pandula P.K. , Samaranayake L.P. , Jin L.J. , Zhang Chengfei
Published: March 2014

Chronic periodontitis is a serious infectious and inflammatory oral disease of humans worldwide. Conventional treatment modalities are effective for controlling periodontal disease. However, the regeneration of damaged periodontal tissues remains a major challenge in clinical practice due to the complex structure of the periodontium. Stem cell‐based regenerative approaches combined with the usage of emerging biomaterials are entering a new era in periodontal regeneration. The present review updates the current knowledge of periodontal ligament stem cell‐based approaches for periodontal regeneration, and elaborates on the potentials for clinical application.
Stable over‐expression of the 2‐oxoglutarate carrier enhances neuronal cell resistance to oxidative stress via Bcl‐2‐dependent mitochondrial GSH transport
Authors: Wilkins Heather M. , Brock Samantha , Gray Josie J. , Linseman Daniel A.
Published: March 2014

Mitochondrial glutathione (GSH) is a key endogenous antioxidant and its maintenance is critical for cell survival. Here, we generated stable NSC34 motor neuron‐like cell lines over‐expressing the mitochondrial GSH transporter, the 2‐oxoglutarate carrier (OGC), to further elucidate the importance of mitochondrial GSH transport in determining neuronal resistance to oxidative stress. Two stable OGC cell lines displayed specific increases in mitochondrial GSH content and resistance to oxidative and nitrosative stressors, but not staurosporine. Inhibition of transport through OGC reduced levels of mitochondrial GSH and resensitized the stable cell lines to oxidative stress. The stable OGC cell lines displayed significant up‐regulation of the anti‐apoptotic protein, B cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl‐2). This result was reproduced in parental NSC34 cells by chronic treatment with GSH monoethylester, which specifically increased mitochondrial GSH levels. Knockdown of Bcl‐2 expression decreased mitochondrial GSH and resensitized the stable OGC cells to oxidative stress. Finally, endogenous OGC was co‐immunoprecipitated with Bcl‐2 from rat brain lysates in a GSH‐dependent manner. These data are the first to show that increased mitochondrial GSH transport is sufficient to enhance neuronal resistance to oxidative stress. Moreover, sustained and specific enhancement of mitochondrial GSH leads to increased Bcl‐2 expression, a required mechanism for the maintenance of increased mitochondrial GSH levels.

image

Stable over‐expression of the 2‐oxoglutarate carrier (OGC) in a motor neuronal cell line induced a specific increase in mitochondrial GSH and markedly enhanced resistance to oxidative stress. Over‐expression of OGC also induced Bcl‐2 expression which was owing to the specific increase in mitochondrial GSH. Intriguingly, enhanced expression of Bcl‐2 was required to sustain OGC‐dependent GSH transport into the mitochondria. Thus, OGC and Bcl‐2 work in a concerted manner to maintain the mitochondrial GSH pool which is crucial for neuronal survival.
Unilateral shunt formation with thoracic aortic dissection in a whippet
Authors: Cornelis I. , Bosmans T. , Doom M. , Binst D. , Van der Vekens E. , Kromhout K. , Cornillie P. , Van Ham L.
Published: March 2014

A three‐year‐old neutered male whippet was presented with intermittent, exercise‐induced paraparesis. Femoral pulses were bilaterally absent. Neurologic examination was suggestive of a thoracolumbar myelopathy. Blood pressure measurements revealed hypotension in both pelvic limbs, hypertension in the right thoracic limb and it was immeasurable in the left thoracic limb. Echocardiography was within reference limits. A clear vascular pulsation was palpable on the right ventral abdominal wall. Computed tomographic angiography revealed a dissection of the aortic wall between the left subclavian artery and the brachiocephalic trunk with subsequent thrombus formation. A shunt between the right internal thoracic, cranial and caudal epigastric arteries to preserve blood flow to the pelvic limbs was visualized. Necropsy was declined by the owner. This is the first case report describing the formation of a unilateral vascular shunt following a thoracic aortic occlusion, which presented as exercise‐induced paraparesis.
Inhibition of P‐glycoprotein by psychotherapeutic drugs in a canine cell model
Authors: Schrickx J. A. , Fink‐Gremmels J.
Published: March 2014

Drug–drug interactions related to long‐term therapies are of increasing concern. Psychotherapeutic drugs, licensed for the use in dogs for the management of separation anxiety and other behavioural disorders, are examples of drugs used in long‐term therapies. In an in vitro system with canine P‐glycoprotein (P‐gp) expressing cell lines, three psychotherapeutic drugs with a different mode of action were tested for their ability to inhibit the canine multidrug transporter P‐gp. At 10 μm, the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine and the tricyclic antidepressant clomipramine inhibited P‐gp for 41% and 59%, respectively. In contrast, selegeline did not inhibit the function of the canine P‐gp.
Optimizing the Alignment of Inspection Data from Track Geometry Cars
Authors: Xu Peng , Sun Quanxin , Liu Rengkui , Souleyrette Reginald R. , Wang Futian
Published: March 2014

Track geometry car inspections play a vital role in assessing railroad track quality and scheduling track maintenance. Effective use of inspection data depends on accurate location measurement. Field surveys reveal that measured milepoint positions can be off by up to 200 m. Previous efforts to correct milepoint errors resulted in the development of the Key Equipment Identification model, which reduces errors to below 5 m and in most cases to below 1 m for new inspections. However, analysis of track segment deterioration requires the alignment of historical inspection data. This article presents an improved method for aligning these historical inspections. The core of the approach is an optimization model termed Dynamic Sampling Position Matching (DSPM). DSPM overcomes limitations of existing methods and their assumptions that milepoint shifts between inspections are constant and that no track maintenance is carried out between inspections. A case study is presented using inspection data from the Jinan Bureau of China Railways demonstrating improved performance over two widely used inspection alignment models. Results indicate that DSPM better tolerates noisy measurements and that inspections processed by DSPM align precisely. And it takes the developed model 2.82 seconds on average to align inspection data for a track segment of 1 km.
Reversible non‐genetic phenotypic heterogeneity in bacterial quorum sensing
Authors: Pradhan Binod B. , Chatterjee Subhadeep
Published: March 2014

Bacteria co‐ordinate their social behaviour in a density‐dependent manner by production of diffusible signal molecules by a process known as quorum sensing (QS). It is generally assumed that in homogenous environments and at high cell density, QS synchronizes cells in the population to perform collective social tasks in unison which maximize the benefit at the inclusive fitness of individuals. However, evolutionary theory predicts that maintaining phenotypic heterogeneity in performing social tasks is advantageous as it can serve as a bet‐hedging survival strategy. Using Pseudomonas syringae and Xanthomonas campestris as model organisms, which use two diverse classes of QS signals, we show that two distinct subpopulations of QS‐responsive and non‐responsive cells exist in the QS‐activated population. Addition of excess exogenous QS signal does not significantly alter the distribution of QS‐responsive and non‐responsive cells in the population. We further show that progeny of cells derived from these subpopulations also exhibited heterogeneous distribution patterns similar to their respective parental strains. Overall, these results support the model that bacteria maintain QS‐responsive and non‐responsive subpopulations at high cell densities in a bet‐hedging strategy to simultaneously perform functions that are both positively and negatively regulated by QS to improve their fitness in fluctuating environments.
Molecular characterization and phylogenetic inferences of Dermanyssus gallinae isolates in Italy within an European framework
Authors: MARANGI M. , CANTACESSI C. , SPARAGANO O. A. E. , CAMARDA A. , GIANGASPERO A.
Published: March 2014

In order to investigate the genetic relationships between Dermanyssus gallinae (Metastigmata: Dermanyssidae) (de Geer) isolates from poultry farms in Italy and other European countries, phylogenetic analysis was performed using a portion of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene of the mitochondrial DNA and the internal transcribed spacers (ITS1+5.8S+ITS2) of the ribosomal DNA. A total of 360 cox1 sequences and 360 ITS+ sequences were obtained from mites collected on 24 different poultry farms in 10 different regions of Northern and Southern Italy. Phylogenetic analysis of the cox1 sequences resulted in the clustering of two groups (A and B), whereas phylogenetic analysis of the ITS+ resulted in largely unresolved clusters. Knowledge of the genetic make‐up of mite populations within countries, together with comparative analyses of D. gallinae isolates from different countries, will provide better understanding of the population dynamics of D. gallinae. This will also allow the identification of genetic markers of emerging acaricide resistance and the development of alternative strategies for the prevention and treatment of infestations.
Seasonal transfer of oxygen isotopes from precipitation and soil to the tree ring: source water versus needle water enrichment
Authors: Treydte Kerstin , Boda Sonja , Graf Pannatier Elisabeth , Fonti Patrick , Frank David , Ullrich Bastian , Saurer Matthias , Siegwolf Rolf , Battipaglia Giovanna , Werner Willy , Gessler Arthur
Published: March 2014

For accurate interpretation of oxygen isotopes in tree rings (δ18O), it is necessary to disentangle the mechanisms underlying the variations in the tree's internal water cycle and to understand the transfer of source versus leaf water δ18O to phloem sugars and stem wood.

We studied the seasonal transfer of oxygen isotopes from precipitation and soil water through the xylem, needles and phloem to the tree rings of Larix decidua at two alpine sites in the Lötschental (Switzerland). Weekly resolved δ18O records of precipitation, soil water, xylem and needle water, phloem organic matter and tree rings were developed.

Week‐to‐week variations in needle‐water 18O enrichment were strongly controlled by weather conditions during the growing season. These short‐term variations were, however, not significantly fingerprinted in tree‐ring δ18O. Instead, seasonal trends in tree‐ring δ18O predominantly mirrored trends in the source water, including recent precipitation and soil water pools. Modelling results support these findings: seasonal tree‐ring δ18O variations are captured best when the week‐to‐week variations of the leaf water signal are suppressed.

Our results suggest that climate signals in tree‐ring δ18O variations should be strongest at temperate sites with humid conditions and precipitation maxima during the growing season.
‘Meer nomenclature’ and the description of order in The Garden of Cyrus
Authors: Preston Claire
Published: March 2014

The developing scientific culture of the seventeenth century demanded an augmented lexical range in English that was supplied by natural philosophers and savants like Thomas Browne, Robert Boyle, and John Evelyn, whose humanist linguistic training qualified them to introduce learned neologisms. At the same time, they were engaged in ongoing debates about the propriety of semantic and rhetorical embellishment in the writing of science. This essay considers the nature of neologism and lexical extension more generally in a range of work by a number of natural philosophers, natural historians, and georgic writers, with special attention to Browne himself – perhaps the most fluent scientific neologizer of the early modern period – and to The Garden of Cyrus (1658), a work inflected by his natural history and exemplifying some solutions to the terminological needs of early modern science.
A time‐efficient reduction of fat mass in 4 days with exercise and caloric restriction
Authors: Calbet J. A. L. , Ponce‐González J. G. , Pérez‐Suárez I. , de la Calle Herrero J. , Holmberg H.‐C.
Published: March 2014

To determine whether a fast reduction in fat mass can be achieved in 4 days by combining caloric restriction (CR: 3.2 kcal/kg body weight per day) with exercise (8‐h walking + 45‐min arm cranking per day) to induce an energy deficit of ∼5000 kcal/day, 15 overweight men underwent five experimental phases: pretest, exercise + CR for 4 days (WCR), control diet + reduced exercise for 3 days (DIET), and follow‐up 4 weeks (POST1) and 1 year later (POST2). During WCR, the diet consisted solely of whey protein (n = 8) or sucrose (n = 7) (0.8 g/kg body weight per day). After WCR, DIET, POST1, and POST2, fat mass was reduced by a mean of 2.1, 2.8, 3.8, and 1.9 kg (P < 0.05), with two thirds of this loss from the trunk; and lean mass by 2.8, 1.0, 0.5, and 0.4 kg, respectively. After WCR, serum glucose, insulin, homeostatic model assessment, total and low‐density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglycerides were reduced, and free fatty acid and cortisol increased. Serum leptin was reduced by 64%, 50%, and 33% following WCR, DIET, and POST1, respectively (P < 0.05). The effects were similar in both groups. In conclusion, a clinically relevant reduction in fat mass can be achieved in overweight men in just 4 days by combining prolonged exercise with CR.
Varieties of Market Competition in Public Employment Services – A Comparison of the Emergence and Evolution of the New System in Australia, the Netherlands and Belgium
Authors: Struyven Ludo
Published: March 2014

This article deals with the evolution of a quasi‐market system in the employment services in three countries: Australia, the Netherlands and Belgium. Based on an in‐depth analysis of the reform process over the past two decades, we arrive at the observation that Australia and the Netherlands, unlike Belgium, make comparable choices when restructuring this policy domain, although their context of a welfare state is different. Second, the new structures in those countries which have made the same choices are seen to evolve differently after only a short period of time. This article argues that no convergence towards the same competitive market model is to be found. It provides an institutional explanation by tracing elements of a new system logic which entered the existing structure, and identifying change mechanisms which generate a cumulative process of smaller changes.
Support for All in the UK Work Programme? Differential Payments, Same Old Problem
Authors: Rees James , Whitworth Adam , Carter Elle
Published: March 2014

The UK has been a high profile policy innovator in welfare‐to‐work provision which has led in the Coalition government's Work Programme to a fully outsourced, ‘black box’ model with payments based overwhelmingly on job outcome results. A perennial fear in such programmes is providers' incentives to ‘cream’ and ‘park’ claimants, and the Department for Work and Pensions has sought to mitigate such provider behaviours through Work Programme design, particularly via the use of claimant groups and differential pricing. In this article, we draw on a qualitative study of providers in the programme alongside quantitative analysis of published performance data to explore evidence around creaming and parking. The combination of the quantitative and qualitative evidence suggest that creaming and parking are widespread, seem systematically embedded within the Work Programme, and are driven by a combination of intense cost‐pressures and extremely ambitious performance targets alongside overly diverse claimant groups and inadequately calibrated differentiated payment levels.
Broken Hierarchies, Quasi‐markets and Supported Networks – A Governance Experiment in the Second Tier of Germany's Public Employment Service
Authors: Knuth Matthias
Published: March 2014

From 2005 to 2015, the German government implemented a special programme for jobseekers aged 50 plus and receiving minimum income benefits. Descriptive comparisons and econometric evaluation indicate that this programme was more effective and cost‐efficient than the German jobcentres' standard operations. However, our evaluation did not ascertain any particular instrument or technique which would explain this accomplishment. Rather, the formula for success appears to be hidden in the governance and design of the programme which differed markedly from routine support. Network‐type governance mechanisms as applied in this programme appear to have served as an expedient in circumstances where hierarchical steering is no longer feasible. This article explains how the governance dilemma of the German Public Employment Service's ‘second tier’ (serving recipients of minimum income benefits) probably triggered the innovative approach so successfully pursued in the programme under consideration. The analysis is concluded by proposing some conceptual clarifications for the long‐standing debate about hierarchies/bureaucracies, markets and networks in the governance of welfare programmes.