bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Co-Occurrence of Chancroid and Gonorrhea
Authors: Nawaf Al-Mutairi , Joshi Arun , Tayeh Mohammad
Published: March 2015

Background:

Gonorrhea and chancroid are common sexually transmitted infections in many parts of the world. Still, cooccurrence of these two conditions is uncommonly reported.

Objective:

We present here a patient who presented with painful genital ulcers and urethral discharge simultaneously acquired from a single exposure, which turned out to be chancroid and gonorrhea, respectively. Both conditions responded well to a single intramuscular dose of ceftriaxone 250 mg.

Conclusion:

This report describes the uncommon occurrence of gonorrhea and chancroid in a patient. Clinical features, relevant investigations, treatment options of these two sexually transmitted infections, and possible implications in view of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) pandemic are briefly discussed.
Mycosis Fungoides with Tinea Pseudoimbricata Owing to Trichophyton Rubrum Infection
Authors: Poonawalla Tasneem , Chen Weina , Duvic Madeleine
Published: March 2015

Background:

Dermatophytes can mimic or possibly trigger mycosis fungoides (MF).

Objectives:

To present the case of a 55-year-old male referred for MF refractory to therapy who instead had extensive tinea pseudoimbricata (concentric, annular lesions secondary to Trichophyton rubrum).

Methods:

Case report with biopsy and cultures.

Results:

Oral antifungal therapy dramatically improved his lesions, and only a few MF lesions persisted after treatment.

Conclusions:

Concurrent tinea may confound the treatment and diagnosis of MF.
Open Mesh Repair for Inguinal Hernia is Safer than Laparoscopic Repair or Open Non‐mesh Repair: A Nationwide Registry Study of Complications
Authors: Kouhia Sanna , Vironen Jaana , Hakala Tapio , Paajanen Hannu
Published: March 2015

Background

Inguinal hernia repair is the most common elective procedure in general surgery. Therefore, the number of patients having complications related to inguinal hernia surgery is relatively large. The aim of this study was to compare complication profiles of inguinal open mesh (OM) hernioplasties with open non‐mesh (OS) repairs and laparoscopic (LAP) repairs using retrospective nationwide registry data.

Methods

The database of the Finnish Patient Insurance Centre (FPIC) was searched for complications of inguinal and femoral hernia repairs during 2002–2010. Complications of OM repairs were compared to complications of OS repairs and LAP repairs.

Results

Over 75 % of all inguinal hernia procedures during the study period in Finland were OM hernioplasties. FPIC received 245 complication reports after OM repairs, 40 after OS repairs, and 50 after LAP repairs. Reported complications were significantly more severe after LAP and OS repairs than OM surgery (p < 0.001). Visceral complications (p < 0.001), deep infections (p < 0.001), and deep hemorrhagic complications (p < 0.001) were overrepresented in the LAP group. In the OS group, visceral complications (p < 0.001), recurrences (p < 0.001), and severe neuropathic pain (p < 0.001) predominated.

Conclusion

LAP and OS repairs of inguinal hernia were associated with more severe complications than open surgery with mesh in this study.
Measurement of psychosine in dried blood spots — a possible improvement to newborn screening programs for Krabbe disease
Authors: Turgeon Coleman T. , Orsini Joseph J. , Sanders Karen A. , Magera Mark J. , Langan Thomas J. , Escolar Maria L. , Duffner Patricia , Oglesbee Devin , Gavrilov Dimitar , Tortorelli Silvia , Rinaldo Piero , Raymond Kimiyo , Matern Dietrich
Published: March 2015

Background

Newborn screening (NBS) for Krabbe disease (KD) in New York and Missouri is conducted by measuring galactocerebrosidase (GALC) activity using tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS). These NBS efforts have shown that the incidence of KD is unexpectedly low (1:400,000) while many individuals (ca. 1:6000) with reduced GALC activity and genotypes of uncertain significance are detected and subjected to follow up testing. Psychosine (PSY) is a putative marker of KD progression and can be measured in dried blood spots (DBS). We sought to determine the role that PSY levels play in NBS for KD, follow up, and treatment monitoring.

Methods

PSY was eluted from DBS with methanol containing N,N‐dimethyl‐D‐erythro‐sphingosine as internal standard (IS). Liquid chromatography‐MS/MS was conducted over 17 minutes in the multiple reaction monitoring positive mode to follow the precursor to product species transitions for PSY and IS. Separation of the structural isomers PSY and glucosylsphingosine was accomplished by hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography.

Results

Pre‐analytical and analytical factors were studied and revealed satisfactory results. PSY was also measured in DBS collected from controls (range: <8 nmol/L, N = 220), KD patients at various disease stages (range: 8–112, N = 26), and GALC mutation carriers (range: <15 nmol/L, N = 18).

Conclusions

PSY measurement in DBS could serve as a 2nd tier assay in NBS for KD, simplify and reduce the cost of follow up protocols, help determine disease progression, and be used to monitor KD patients following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. However, additional chronological measurements of PSY in KD patients are required to confirm these possibilities.
Metabolic response assessment with 18F-FDG PET/CT: inter-method comparison and prognostic significance for patients with non-small cell lung cancer
Authors: Wang Jingbo , Wong Ka Kit , Piert Morand , Stanton Paul , Frey Kirk A , Kong Feng-Ming
Published: March 2015

Objective

This study aimed to (1) compare the agreement of two evaluation methods of metabolic response in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and determine their prognostic value and (2) explore an optimal cutoff of metabolic reduction to distinguish a more favorable subset of responders.

Methods

This is a secondary analysis of prospective studies. Enrolled patients underwent 18F-PET/CT within 2 weeks before, during, and months after radiotherapy (post-RT). Metabolic response was assessed using both Peter MacCallum (PM) method of qualitative visual assessment and University of Michigan (UM) method of semiquantitative measurement. The agreement between two methods determined response, and their prediction of outcome was analyzed.

Results

Forty-four patients with median follow-up of 25.2 months were analyzed. A moderate agreement was observed between PM- and UM-based response assessment (Kappa coefficient = 0.434), unveiling a significant difference in CMR rate (p = 0.001). Categorical responses derived from either method were significantly predictive of overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) (p < 0.0001). Numerical percentage decrease of FDG uptake also showed significant correlations with survival, presenting a hazard ratio of 0.97 for both OS and PFS. A 75 % of SUV decrease was found to be the optimal cutoff to predict OS and 2-year progression.

Conclusions

There was a modest discrepancy in metabolic response rates between PM and UM criteria, though both could offer predictive classification for survival. The percentage decrease provides an ordinal value that correlates with prolonged survival, recommending 75 % as the optimal threshold at identifying better responders.
Quantification of Lumbar Stability During Wall Plank‐and‐Roll Activity Using Inertial Sensors
Authors: Yoon Chiyul , Lee Joonnyong , Kim Keewon , Kim Hee Chan , Chung Sun Gun
Published: March 2015

Objective

To develop a simple method of quantifying dynamic lumbar stability by evaluating postural changes of the lumbar spine during a wall plank‐and‐roll (WPR) activity while maintaining maximal trunk rigidity.

Design

A descriptive, exploratory research with a convenience sample.

Setting

A biomechanics laboratory of a tertiary university hospital.

Participants

Sixteen healthy young subjects (8 men and 8 women; 30.7 ± 6.8 years old) and 3 patients (2 men 46 and 50 years old; 1 woman 54 years old) with low back pain (LBP).

Methods

The subjects performed the WPR activity with 2 inertial sensors attached on the thoracic spine and sacrum. Relative angles between the sensors were calculated to characterize lumbar posture in 3 anatomical planes: axial twist (AT), kyphosis‐lordosis (KL), or lateral bending (LB). Isokinetic truncal flexion and extension power were measured.

Main Outcome Measures

AT, KL, and LB were compared between the initial plank and maximal roll positions. Angular excursions were compared between males and females and between rolling sides, and tested for correlation with isokinetic truncal muscle power. Patterns and consistencies of the lumbar postural changes were determined. Lumbar postural changes of each patient were examined in the aspects of pattern and excursion, considering those from the healthy subjects as reference.

Results

AT, KL, and LB were significantly changed from the initial plank to the maximal roll position (P < .01); that is, the thoracic spine rotated further, lumbar lordosis increased, and the thoracic spine was bent away from the wall by 6.9° ± 12.0°, 9.5° ± 6.5°, and 7.9° ± 4.9°, respectively. The patterns and amounts of lumbar postural changes were not significantly different between the rolling sides or between male and female participants, except that the excursion in AT was larger on the dominant rolling side. The excursions were not related to isokinetic truncal muscle power. The 3 LBP patients showed varied deviations in pattern and excursion from the average of the healthy subjects.

Conclusions

Certain amounts and patterns of lumbar postural changes were observed in healthy young subjects, with no significant variations based on gender, rolling side, or truncal muscle power. Application of the evaluation on LBP patients revealed prominent deviations from the healthy postural changes, suggesting potential clinical applicability. Therefore, with appropriate development and case stratification, we believe that the quantification of lumbar postural changes during WPR activity can be used to assess dynamic lumbar stability in clinical practice.
Imagining the Future
Authors: Bulbeck Chilla
Published: March 2015

Imagining the Future explores our contemporary complex equality narrative through the desires and dreams of 1000 young Australians and 230 of their parents from diverse backgrounds across Australia. This extraordinary data set affords analysis of the impact of gender, socio-economic disadvantage, ethnicity, Aboriginality and sexuality on young peoples imagined life stories, or essays written about their future.
Behind the Scenes
Authors: Michael Llewellyn-Smith
Published: March 2015

Behind the Scenes examines planning in the City of Adelaide from 1972 until 1993 within the historical framework of City/State relations from 1836 when the Province of South Australia was founded.
The Court Chronicle of the Kings of Manipur
Authors: Nalini Arambam Parratt Saroj
Published: March 2015

The Court Chronicle of the Kings of Manipur is a three-volume series on the court history of the Manipur state. It records events from the foundation of the ruling dynasty in 33 CE. This dynasty continued until the abolition of the monarchy and subsequent merger of the state with India in 1949. The Cheitharon Kumpapa Vol. 1 chronicles the history of Manipur from 33 to 1763 CE, and Vol. 2 from 1764 to 1843 CE. This third and final volume continues the discussion until 1891 when the legitimate kingship came to an end as a result of conflict with the British. The three volumes contain an English translation of the work along with a copy of the original Manipuri script (Meetei Mayek). Explanatory notes and a glossary of frequently-used Manipuri terms complement the text. The book will be of interest to researchers on East and South Asia in the fields of history, social anthropology and linguistics.
Scaling and design of high-energy laser plasma electron acceleration
Authors: Nakajima Kazuhisa , Kim Hyung Taek , Jeong Tae Moon , Nam Chang Hee
Published: March 2015

Recently there has been great progress in laser-driven plasma-based accelerators by exploiting high-power lasers, where electron beams can be accelerated to multi-GeV energy in a centimeter-scale plasma due to the laser wakefield acceleration mechanism. While, to date, worldwide research on laser plasma accelerators has been focused on the creation of compact particle and radiation sources for basic sciences, medical and industrial applications, there is great interest in applications for high-energy physics and astrophysics, exploring unprecedented high-energy frontier phenomena. In this context, we present an overview of experimental achievements in laser plasma acceleration from the perspective of the production of GeV-level electron beams, and deduce the scaling formulas capable of predicting experimental results self-consistently, taking into account the propagation of a relativistic laser pulse through plasma and the accelerating field reduction due to beam loading. Finally, we present design examples for 10-GeV-level laser plasma acceleration, which is expected in near-term experiments by means of petawatt-class lasers.
Psycho-Educational Assessment of Specific Learning Disabilities: Views and Practices of Australian Psychologists and Guidance Counsellors
Authors: Meteyard John D. , Gilmore Linda
Published: March 2015

This article reports an investigation of the views and practices of 203 Australian psychologists and guidance counsellors with respect to psycho-educational assessment of students with specific learning disabilities (SLDs). Results from an online survey indicated that practitioners draw upon a wide range of theoretical perspectives when conceptualising and identifying SLDs, including both response to intervention and IQ-achievement discrepancy models. Intelligence tests (particularly the Wechsler scales) are commonly employed, with the main stated reasons for their use being ‘traditional’ perspectives (including IQ-achievement discrepancy based definitions of SLDs), to exclude a diagnosis of intellectual disability, and to guide further assessment and intervention. In contrast, participants reported using measures of academic achievement and tests of specific cognitive deficits known to predict SLDs (e.g., phonological awareness) relatively infrequently.
Does open innovation apply to China? Exploring the contingent role of external knowledge sources and internal absorptive capacity in Chinese large firms and SMEs
Authors: Huang Fang , Rice John , Martin Nigel
Published: March 2015

While ‘open innovation’ is often considered to be an organisational strategy with universal application, its generalisability and applicability to organisations operating within emerging economies has yet to be fully explored. This study provides empirical evidence of its importance within a substantial sample of Chinese large firms and small and medium enterprises. Using Tobit regression analysis, our findings indicate that external knowledge sources from inter-firm networking are more important in creating the benefits of open innovation for Chinese small and medium enterprises than their larger peers. Linkages to university and research institutes generally have few direct effects on the innovation performance of both large and small firms in China. However, the role of universities and research institutes is shown to be important among our large firm sample when combined with evident internal absorptive capacity. This interaction is generally limited to our large firm sample, and is not as evident among small firms.

Our study indicates that the barriers to the adoption of open innovation by Chinese firms might be largely related to the comparatively weak domestic research expertise and limited organisational absorptive capabilities, with this most particularly evident for small and medium enterprises.

These findings suggest that, based on this evidence, there is no need for emerging economies like China to mimic the emergence path from closed to open innovation followed by developed countries. Chinese firms will be more likely to garner the benefits available from openness when they develop the capabilities required to identify, assimilate and commercialise knowledge and technologies obtained from external sources.
Canine filarial infections in Liguria, north-west Italy
Authors: Magi M. , Guardone L. , Mignone W. , Monni G. , Tozzini G. , Prati M.C. , Macchioni F.
Published: March 2015

This paper reports the findings of a study on the presence of various species of filarial nematodes in dogs in Liguria, north-west Italy, a region traditionally considered free from the disease. Between 2009 and 2012 blood samples were taken from 365 dogs in rural areas in Liguria. The blood samples were then submitted to Knott's test, histochemical staining, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for Dirofilaria immitis antigens. Overall, 35 of the 365 dogs were positive using Knott's test for microfilariae (prevalence 9.6%; 95% confidence interval (CI): 6.6–12.6%). Acanthocheilonema reconditum was the most prevalent species (8.0%), while Dirofilaria repens (1.4%) and Dirofilaria immitis (0.6%) were less common. One co-infection by D. repens and A. reconditum was observed. All morphological identifications were confirmed by histochemical staining and PCR. In addition, a retrospective analysis of data on D. immitis antigens in 11,363 samples of canine sera was carried out. Sera were collected and analysed for D. immitis antigens by the Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale (IZS) of Piedmont, Liguria and Aosta Valley (Imperia section) between 2004 and 2013 during annual tests for leishmaniasis on autochthonous dogs throughout Liguria. Serological data from IZS showed an overall seroprevalence of 0.65% (95% CI: 0.50–0.80%) for D. immitis throughout the region. The present study updates the epidemiological map of canine filarial infections in Italy and suggests the need for surveillance and prophylaxis in Liguria.
A new species of Myrianida (Polychaeta: Syllidae: Autolytinae) from Rhodes (Greece, eastern Mediterranean)
Authors: Çinar Melih Ertan
Published: March 2015

This paper deals with a new species of Myrianida collected from Rhodes Island at 1 m depth among algae in April 2014. This new species is mainly characterized by having flattened dorsal cirri; high number of falcigers in parapodia; a trepan with 16 unequal teeth; and a brownish patch (in fixed specimen) on dorsum of each segment. Individuals are at the stage of reproduction, with developing stolons.
Early human communication helps in understanding language evolution
Authors: Lenti Boero Daniela
Published: March 2015

Building a theory on extant species, as Ackermann et al. do, is a useful contribution to the field of language evolution. Here, I add another living model that might be of interest: human language ontogeny in the first year of life. A better knowledge of this phase might help in understanding two more topics among the “several building blocks of a comprehensive theory of the evolution of spoken language” indicated in their conclusion by Ackermann et al., that is, the foundation of the co-evolution of linguistic motor skills with the auditory skills underlying speech perception, and the possible phylogenetic interactions of protospeech production with referential capabilities.
Are replication studies possible in qualitative second/foreign language classroom research? A call for comparative re-production research
Authors: Markee Numa
Published: March 2015

A widely accepted orthodoxy is that it is impossible to do replication studies within qualitative research paradigms. Ontologically and epistemologically speaking, such a view is largely correct. However, in this paper, I propose that what I call comparative re-production research—that is, the empirical study of qualitative phenomena that occur in one context, which are then shown also to obtain in another—is a well-attested practice in ethnomethodological conversation analysis (CA). By extension, I further argue that researchers who do research on second and foreign language (L2) classrooms inspired by the conversation analysis-for-second-language acquisition movement should engage in comparative re-production research in order to make broad statements about the generality or prototypicality of the qualitative organization of particular practices across languages, cultures and institutional contexts.
Powder diffraction of yellow and red natural earths from Lessini Mountains in NE Italy
Authors: Cavallo Giovanni , Riccardi Maria Pia , Zorzin Roberto
Published: March 2015

A first attempt to differentiate goethite- and hematite-based natural materials, used for several purposes during the Late Palaeolithic in the Lessini Mountains (Italy), is here proposed. All raw materials were collected from known geological sites within a distance of about 20 km from archaeological excavations (Tagliente and Fumane caves) where ochre fragments were found. X-ray powder diffraction allowed the mineralogical composition of samples collected from carbonate and volcanic geological host and parent rocks to be inferred; in addition, a preliminary distinction based on the different mineral assemblages, on the presence of distinctive mineral phases and on the degree of crystallinity of some compounds such as hematite, became possible. The acquired data thus represent a sort of preliminary inventory for provenance studies on archaeological samples originating in the same region, for which ancillary micro-analytical and geochemical techniques are planned.
Face-sharing octahedra in Cs3Al2F9 and Cs2AlF5
Authors: Le Bail A. , Smrčok L'.
Published: March 2015

The structure of Cs2AlF5 obtained by thermal dehydration of Cs2AlF5•H2O is determined ab initio from powder diffraction data, space group Pmn21, a = 6.36216 (17) Å, b = 12.7523 (4) Å, c = 11.4102 (3) Å, and Z = 6. Contrarily to most A2MF5 compounds presenting MF5cis or trans-chains of corner-sharing MF6 octahedra, Cs2AlF5 is characterized by the rare occurrence of the face-sharing anion Al2F93− combined with an isolated AlF63− octahedron, the sum leading to Al3F156−. The structure of Cs3Al2F9 [space group P63/mmc, a = 6.2535 (2) Å, c = 14.7193 (6) Å, Z = 2] is confirmed to be isostructural with Cs3Fe2F9, built up from the same M2F93− dimers (M = Fe, Al). Both crystal structures are optimized by energy minimization density funtional theory (DFT) in the solid state using a hybrid PBE0 functional, and their relations with the hexagonal perovskites and elpasolites are discussed.
Potential immunohaematological effects of persistent organic pollutants on chinstrap penguin
Authors: Jara-Carrasco S. , González M. , González-Acuña D. , Chiang G. , Celis J. , Espejo W. , Mattatall P. , Barra R.
Published: March 2015

It has been demonstrated that persistent organic pollutants (POPs) can affect the immune system of mammals and birds. In this study, the concentration of different POPs and leukocytes in blood samples from three chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica) populations was analysed in order to assess the impact on haematological parameters. Using blood sample smears, basophils, eosinophils, heterophils, lymphocytes and monocytes were quantified. Mature and immature red blood cells were counted and cell alterations in both white and red blood cells were analysed. At the same time, whole blood was analysed for POPs. The results showed that contaminants, such as dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane and its metabolites (ΣDDT), as well as polychlorinated biphenyls (ΣPCB), had significant correlations to eosinophils, lymphocytes and heterophils. This indicates possible immunohaematological alterations derived from exposure to such contaminants. Cytological alterations were also observed, such as cytotoxic granules, toxic heterophils, and atypical and granulated lymphocytes, which would demonstrate that these seabirds are being exposed to stress agents that could be producing some alterations at a leukocytary cellular level.
Parents’ beliefs about the healthfulness of sugary drink options: opportunities to address misperceptions
Authors: Munsell Christina R , Harris Jennifer L , Sarda Vishnudas , Schwartz Marlene B
Published: March 2015

Objective

To assess potential misperceptions among parents regarding the healthfulness of sugary drinks for their children.

Design

Online survey of parents. Participants identified the categories and specific brands of sugary drinks they provided for their children. They also indicated their perceptions of sugary drink categories and brands as healthy options for children, perceived importance of on-package claims in purchase decisions and their concerns about common sugary drink ingredients.

Setting

Online market research panel.

Subjects

Parents (n982) of 2- to 17-year-olds, 46 % non-white or Hispanic.

Results

Ninety-six per cent of parents provided on average 2·9 different categories of sugary drinks for their children in the past month. Flavoured waters, fruit drinks and sports drinks were rated as the healthiest sugary drink categories. Across all categories and brands, parents who purchased specific products rated them as significantly healthier than those who did not (P<0·05). Over half of parents reported concern about caffeine, sugar and artificial sweeteners in sugary drinks that their children consume and approximately one-third reported that on-package ingredient claims were important in their purchase decisions.

Conclusions

Nearly all parents provide sugary drinks for their children and many believe that some sugary drinks are healthy options for children, particularly flavoured waters, fruit drinks and sports drinks. Furthermore, many parents rely upon on-package claims in their purchase decisions. Given excessive consumption of added sugar by children in the home, there is a continuing need to address parents’ misperceptions about the healthfulness of many sugary drink products.
Tit-for-tat in trade policies: nothing but a fest for vested interests?
Authors: DLUHOSCH BARBARA
Published: March 2015

Tit-for-tat (TFT) in trade policies is a common practice. It is even enshrined in Article 22.4 of the WTO's dispute settlement process within multilateral trade integration. As such, it is a well-recognized means for promoting cooperation and for enforcing compliance with a common set of rules or institutions. However, there is equally widespread concern that a strategy of TFT degenerates into a prisoner's dilemma, in particular because of special interests ill-using it as a springboard for advancing protectionist measures and beggar-thy-neighbor policies. This paper provides a novel evolutionary perspective on TFT in trade policy regimes in that it tracks the role of special interests by parameterizing their leverage on strategies. Doing so, it provides new insights on the political economy of TFT in international institutions. Accordingly, the set of parameters for which a prisoner's dilemma emerges shrinks rather than widens, even with powerful domestic interest groups sharing a stake in protection.
John Rawls
Authors: Audard Catherine
Published: March 2015

John Rawls (19212002) is one of the most influential thinkers of the twentieth century. Contemporary political philosophy has been reshaped by his seminal ideas and most current work in the discipline is a response to them. This book introduces his central ideas and examines their contribution to contemporary political thought. In the first part of the book Catherine Audard focuses on Rawls conception of political and social justice and its justification as presented in his groundbreaking A Theory of Justice. This includes sustained examination of Rawls moral philosophy and its core thesis, the primacy of justice, the complex relation between Rawls views and utilitarianism, and his most famous concept, the Original Position Device. In the second half of the book, Audard explores Rawls more practical concerns for stability and political consensus, citizenship and international justice, and shows the continuity between these concerns and his earlier work. Throughout, Audard contextualizes Rawls ideas by giving a sense of their historical development, which underlines the intellectual cohesion of his thought. The move between ethics and politics so characteristic of Rawls work, and which makes for the richness of his philosophy, is shown to also create for it significant problems. John Rawls combines clear exposition with insightful analysis and provides an interpretative and critical framework that will help shape ongoing debates surrounding Rawls work.
Philosophy of Biology
Authors: Garvey Brian
Published: March 2015

Biology raises distinct questions of its own not only for philosophy of science, but for metaphysics, epistemology and ethics. This comprehensive new introduction to a growing field of study provides readers new to the subject with an up-to-date presentation of the key philosophical issues. Care is taken throughout to keep the technicalities accessible to the non-biologist but without sacrificing the philosophical subtleties. The first part of the book explores the philosophical challenges posed by evolution and evolutionary biology, beginning with Darwins central argument in The Origin of Species. Individual chapters cover natural selection, creationism, the selfish gene, alternative units of selection, developmental systems theory, adaptionism and issues in macroevolution. The second part of the book examines philosophical questions that arise in connection with biological traits, function, nature and nurture, and biological kinds. The third part of the book examines metaphysical questions, biologys relation with the traditional concerns of philosophy of science, and how evolution has been introduced into epistemological debates. The final part considers the relevance of biology to questions about ethics, religion and human nature. Philosophy of Biology is a fresh and engaging general survey of the subject suitable for course use and for the non-specialist looking for an introduction to an increasingly popular subject area in the philosophy of science.
Sport
Authors: McGinn Colin
Published: March 2015

Whether its conkers in the schoolyard, kicking a football in the park, or playing tennis on Wimbledon Centre Court, sport impacts all of our lives. But what is sport and why do we do it? Colin McGinn, renowned philosopher (and kiteboarder), reflects on our love of sport and explores the value it has for us and the part it plays in a life lived well. Written in the form of a memoir, McGinn discusses many of the sports he has engaged in  from pole-vaulting and gymnastics to windsurfing and tennis  and describes the athletic experience from the inside, as a participant, articulating what is uniquely valuable about sport as an activity. Sport, argues McGinn, takes us to our fullest potential as human beings, its what we fling at mortality to keep it at bay, a holiday from the Unbearable Heaviness of Being. Sport expresses our nature, it bears upon our self-realization. If a happy life consists in one that expresses fully our natural faculties, then sports must play an essential role in our lives. Mindbody unity, the nature of practical knowledge and physical skill, success and failure, the ethics of competition, peak experiences, the spectacle of professional sport, aesthetics and death, McGinn discusses these and many other issues while telling of his own sporting mishaps and adventures. To use the vernacular of philosophy, Sport captures the phenomenology of sport  what its like to do it  and in doing so shows how sport is a way of expressing and understanding who and what we are, way beyond whether we are a good sportsman, a bad loser or a team-player. For anyone who has ever thought that there must be less humiliating ways to enjoy yourself than being thrashed on the tennis court, Sport will reassure you that its time not wasted.
Deception
Authors: Marar Ziyad
Published: March 2015

Most of us think we are about 15 per cent cleverer, nicer, more attractive and better drivers than others think we are. It seems deception begins at home. After all the most convincing liars convince themselves first. Sellers and buyers, parents and children, friends and lovers must conceal from each other the unutterable truth that they dont believe or want the same things. In this book, Ziyad Marar throws a revealing light on the many ways deception is woven into the texture of human life: our wiring leaves us easily suckered by persuasive illusions, while our contradictory desires (for sex and honesty, money and kindness, for cake and losing weight) force us to cook up self-serving stories. We manage flattering impressions with effortless skill, while pretending our sins and self-indulgences are beyond our control. Drawing on insights from philosophy, psychology and literature Marar explores the implications for living well in the shadow of Kants humbling thought that out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made.
Plato
Authors: Mason Andrew S.
Published: March 2015

Plato (c.428-347 BCE) stands at the beginning of many debates that have continued throughout the history of philosophy. His literary career spanned fifty years and the influence of his ideas and those of his followers pervaded philosophy throughout antiquity. Andrew Masons lucid and engaging introduction, draws on recent scholarship to offer a fresh general survey of Platos philosophy. Aware of the methodological challenges that confront any writer on Plato, Mason handles the issue of Platos intellectual development and relationship with Socrates with an assured grasp. Thematically structured, the book begins with Platos principal contribution to metaphysics, the Theory of Forms, which forms a necessary background to his thought in many areas. His theory of knowledge, which is intimately linked with the Forms is explored in detail along with Platos views of the soul, an important theme in itself and an entry point to discussion of his ethics, one of Platos major concerns. Finally, the book deals with two areas of Platos thought which have had an especially important historical impact, not confined to academic philosophy: his theory of God and nature, and his aesthetics. Throughout, Mason highlights the continuing themes in Platos work and how they develop from one dialogue to another.
Entwicklung von drei Parallelversionen des Kategorienwechsels des Regensburger Wortflüssigkeitstests
Authors: Wagner Stefanie , Maurer Jana , Pape Valeska , Mitschke Tina , Helmreich Isabella , Tadić André
Published: March 2015

Eine Vielzahl psychischer Erkrankungen ist von Defiziten der Exekutivfunktionen begleitet, die häufig durch Wortflüssigkeitsaufgaben erfasst werden. Dabei kommen überwiegend einfache Wortflüssigkeitsaufgaben zum Einsatz, obwohl Aufgaben zum Kategorienwechsel höhere Anforderungen an die Exekutivfunktionen stellen. Untertests zum Kategorienwechsel enthält bisher lediglich der Regensburger Wortflüssigkeitstest. Um den Kategorienwechsel in wiederholten Messungen der Testleistung einsetzen zu können, haben wir drei neue Versionen der Untertests zum phonematischen und semantischen Kategorienwechsel des Regensburger Wortflüssigkeitstest entwickelt und an 58 gesunden Probanden validiert. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass die Anzahl der generierten Wörter in allen fünf Versionen gleich und die Paralleltestreliabilität mit Werten zwischen 0.82 und 0.91 hoch war. Die fünf Versionen des phonematischen und semantischen Kategorienwechsels können in einer Vielzahl klinischer und wissenschaftlicher Settings eingesetzt werden.
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Exacerbates Emotional Complaints but not Cognitive Impairments in Individuals Suffering from Postconcussional Disorder after Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
Authors: Schroeder Sara C. , Ruff Ronald M. , Jäncke Lutz
Published: March 2015

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on (a) neuropsychological test performance and (b) self-reported emotional complaints within individuals suffering from postconcussional disorder (PCD) after a mild traumatic brain injury (MTBI). A two-group comparative research design was employed. Two MTBI samples with and without PTSD were assessed with a neuropsychological test battery and the Ruff Neurobehavioral Inventory (RNBI). On the neurocognitive test performances no significant between group differences were found, but the MTBI group with PTSD endorsed a significantly greater number of emotional complaints, especially in the RNBI subscales of anxiety and depression. The patients with PTSD also endorsed a significantly greater number of premorbid sequelae in the RNBI emotional composite scale as well as the RNBI premorbid subscales of pain, anxiety and abuse. In sum, PTSD has a negative impact on emotional but not cognitive functioning within individuals suffering from PCD after a mild TBI.
Primäre progressive Aphasie: kanonische und nicht-kanonische Formen? Ein Fallbericht
Authors: Bodner Thomas , Domahs Frank , Benke Thomas
Published: March 2015

Wir berichten die linguistischen und neuropsychologischen Befunde einer Patientin mit primärer progressiver Aphasie (PPA), deren Erkrankung über eine Zeit von 60 Monaten beobachtet wurde. Die Patientin litt an einer flüssigen Aphasie, aus der sich ein Jargon entwickelte. Weitere Defizite bestanden beim Benennen, Nachsprechen und Schreiben, wogegen das Sprachverständnis relativ unbeeinträchtigt blieb. Mit Bezug auf die aktuellen Kriterien ( Gorno-Tempini et al., 2011 ) kann das Sprachsyndrom als logopenische PPA klassifiziert werden. Darüber hinaus zeigten sich aber über diese Kriterien hinausgehende patholinguistische Auffälligkeiten. Neben einer detaillierten Fallbeschreibung wird in dieser Arbeit auf die diagnostischen Schwierigkeiten der PPA-Klassifikation eingegangen.
Die Interpretation der intraindividuellen Variabilität bei psychischen Störungen oder psychiatrischer Komorbidität:
Authors: Gmehlin Dennis , Aschenbrenner Steffen
Published: March 2015

Der Artikel „Standardabweichung und negative Antwortverzerrung” von Sebastian Bodenburg untersucht Möglichkeiten über die Standardabweichung von Reaktionszeiten einen eingebetteten Parameter zu bestimmen, der als objektives Maß für eine Erfassung negativer Antwortverzerrungen dienen soll. Diesen Ansatz halten wir für zukunftsträchtig, aus unserer Sicht wurden jedoch gerade in der Diskussion der Ergebnisse wesentliche frühere Befunde zu intraindividueller Variabilität nicht ausreichend gewürdigt. Insbesondere fehlt eine Einordnung der Ergebnisse mit Bezug auf psychiatrische Erkrankungen oder Komorbiditäten. Wir plädieren – auch und gerade vor dem Hintergrund der weitreichenden Implikationen der beschriebenen Befunde für die gutachterliche Einzelfallbeurteilung – für einen vorsichtigen Umgang mit den Ergebnissen im klinischen Alltag.
Ängste der Patienten vor einer Anästhesie – welche Informationen kann der Hausarzt geben?
Authors: Biro Peter , Maurer Konrad
Published: March 2015

Es obliegt dem Hausarzt, den Patienten fachlich sachgerecht aufzuklären und psychologisch einfühlsam zu betreuen, wenn dieser demnächst einer elektiven Operation unterzogen werden soll. Oft vergeht einige Zeit zwischen der Operationsdiagnose und dem Zeitpunkt des Eingriffs, während der Patient dem Hausarzt begegnen wird. Hierbei dürften Ängste und Befürchtungen des Patienten zur Sprache kommen und der Hausarzt soll durchaus in der Lage sein, korrekte Auskünfte zu geben. Damit ist nicht nur dem Informationsanspruch des Patienten Genüge getan, sondern es wird auch ein wesentlicher Beitrag zum Abbau des unvermeidlichen präoperativen Stresses geleistet. Naturgemäss kann und soll der Hausarzt keine präanästhesiologische Besprechung und Aufklärung betreiben; das obliegt dem verantwortlichen Anästhesisten, der sich des Patienten in der Klinik annehmen wird. Die hausärztliche Kompetenz und Verantwortung deckt jedoch den Themenbereich der präoperativen Ängste ab, die um die üblichen Befürchtungen von Patienten kreisen wie postoperative Übelkeit, Erbrechen, Schmerzen, physische bzw. psychische Integrität und nicht zuletzt auch die Sorge, während der Narkose aufzuwachen oder nach der Narkose nicht mehr aufzuwachen. Dieser Artikel möchte das Rüstzeug des Hausarztes für diese Gespräche auffrischen.
Improving Your Success in AGU Honors
Authors: Ball Jessica , Davidson Eric , Holloway Tracey , Holmes Mary Anne , McKenzie Judith Ann , Mukasa Sam , Paredes Beth , Pieters Carle , Sivapalan Murugesu , Vrugt Jasper
Published: March 2015

To reduce the barriers for engagement and success in this essential scientific enterprise, the American Geophysical Union is working to build a more transparent culture around the awards and nomination process.
Striatal Blood–Brain Barrier Permeability in Parkinson'S Disease
Authors: Gray Madison T , Woulfe John M
Published: March 2015

In vivo studies have shown that blood–brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction is involved in the course of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, these have lacked either anatomic definition or the ability to recognize minute changes in BBB integrity. Here, using histologic markers of serum protein, iron, and erythrocyte extravasation, we have shown significantly increased permeability of the BBB in the postcommissural putamen of PD patients. The dense innervation of the striatum by PD-affected regions allows for exploitation of this permeability for therapeutic goals. These results are also discussed in the context of the retrograde trans-synaptic hypothesis of PD spread.
Reliability of CT Perfusion-Derived CBF in Relation to Hemodynamic Compromise in Patients with Cerebrovascular Steno-Occlusive Disease: A Comparative Study with 15O PET
Authors: Ibaraki Masanobu , Ohmura Tomomi , Matsubara Keisuke , Kinoshita Toshibumi
Published: March 2015

In the bolus tracking technique with computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging, cerebral blood flow (CBF) is computed from deconvolution analysis, but its accuracy is unclear. To evaluate the reliability of CT perfusion (CTP)-derived CBF, we examined 27 patients with symptomatic or asymptomatic unilateral cerebrovascular steno-occlusive disease. Results from three deconvolution algorithms, standard singular value decomposition (sSVD), delay-corrected SVD (dSVD), and block-circulant SVD (cSVD), were compared with 15O positron emission tomography (PET) as a reference standard. To investigate CBF errors associated with the deconvolution analysis, differences in lesion-to-normal CBF ratios between PET and CTP were correlated with prolongation of arterial-tissue delay (ATD) and mean transit time (MTT) in the lesion hemisphere. Computed tomography perfusion results strongly depended on the deconvolution algorithms used. Standard singular value decomposition showed ATD-dependent underestimation of CBF ratio, whereas cSVD showed overestimation of the CBF ratio when MTT was severely prolonged in the lesions. The computer simulations reproduced the trend observed in patients. Deconvolution by dSVD can provide lesion-to-normal CBF ratios less dependent on ATD and MTT, but requires accurate ATD maps in advance. A practical and accurate method for CTP is required to assess CBF in patients with MTT-prolonged regions.
Accelerated pericyte degeneration and blood–brain barrier breakdown in apolipoprotein E4 carriers with Alzheimer’s disease
Authors: Halliday Matthew R , Rege Sanket V , Ma Qingyi , Zhao Zhen , Miller Carol A , Winkler Ethan A , Zlokovic Berislav V
Published: March 2015

The blood–brain barrier (BBB) limits the entry of neurotoxic blood-derived products and cells into the brain that is required for normal neuronal functioning and information processing. Pericytes maintain the integrity of the BBB and degenerate in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The BBB is damaged in AD, particularly in individuals carrying apolipoprotein E4 ( APOE4) gene, which is a major genetic risk factor for late-onset AD. The mechanisms underlying the BBB breakdown in AD remain, however, elusive. Here, we show accelerated pericyte degeneration in AD APOE4 carriers >AD APOE3 carriers >non-AD controls, which correlates with the magnitude of BBB breakdown to immunoglobulin G and fibrin. We also show accumulation of the proinflammatory cytokine cyclophilin A (CypA) and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) in pericytes and endothelial cells in AD ( APOE4 > APOE3), previously shown to lead to BBB breakdown in transgenic APOE4 mice. The levels of the apoE lipoprotein receptor, low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein-1 (LRP1), were similarly reduced in AD APOE4 and APOE3 carriers. Our data suggest that APOE4 leads to accelerated pericyte loss and enhanced activation of LRP1-dependent CypA–MMP-9 BBB-degrading pathway in pericytes and endothelial cells, which can mediate a greater BBB damage in AD APOE4 compared with AD APOE3 carriers.
Plastid establishment did not require a chlamydial partner
Authors: Domman Daryl , Horn Matthias , Embley T. Martin , Williams Tom A.
Published: March 2015

Primary plastids descend from the cyanobacterial endosymbiont of an ancient eukaryotic host, but the initial selective drivers that stabilized the association between these two cells are still unclear. One hypothesis that has achieved recent prominence suggests that the first role of the cyanobiont was in energy provision for a host cell whose reserves were being depleted by an intracellular chlamydial pathogen. A pivotal claim is that it was chlamydial proteins themselves that converted otherwise unusable cyanobacterial metabolites into host energy stores. We test this hypothesis by investigating the origins of the key enzymes using sophisticated phylogenetics. Here we show a mosaic origin for the relevant pathway combining genes with host, cyanobacterial or bacterial ancestry, but we detect no strong case for Chlamydiae to host transfer under the best-fitting models. Our conclusion is that there is no compelling evidence from gene trees that Chlamydiae played any role in establishing the primary plastid endosymbiosis.
Porous molybdenum carbide nano-octahedrons synthesized via confined carburization in metal-organic frameworks for efficient hydrogen production
Authors: Wu Hao Bin , Xia Bao Yu , Yu Le , Yu Xin-Yao , Lou Xiong Wen
Published: March 2015

Electrochemical water splitting has been considered as a promising approach to produce clean and sustainable hydrogen fuel. However, the lack of high-performance and low-cost electrocatalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction hinders the large-scale application. As a new class of porous materials with tunable structure and composition, metal-organic frameworks have been considered as promising candidates to synthesize various functional materials. Here we demonstrate a metal-organic frameworks-assisted strategy for synthesizing nanostructured transition metal carbides based on the confined carburization in metal-organic frameworks matrix. Starting from a compound consisting of copper-based metal-organic frameworks host and molybdenum-based polyoxometalates guest, mesoporous molybdenum carbide nano-octahedrons composed of ultrafine nanocrystallites are successfully prepared as a proof of concept, which exhibit remarkable electrocatalytic performance for hydrogen production from both acidic and basic solutions. The present study provides some guidelines for the design and synthesis of nanostructured electrocatalysts.