bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Functionalism, Moral
Authors: Jackson Frank
Published: January 2013

Sometimes we infer the moral status of an action – its status as captured by using terms like “ought,” “morally good,” “wrong” and the like – from its nonmoral properties. Perhaps we discover that an action would lead to many deaths and conclude that it would be wrong; or, on discovering that Gordon had inside information when he bought shares, we conclude that he ought not to have bought them. Similarly, we make inferences from nonmoral information about motivation to moral conclusions about character. We learn, say, that Mary often puts the interests of others ahead of her own, and we conclude that she is a morally virtuous person.
Moral Point of View
Authors: Bloomfield Paul
Published: January 2013

A general sense of “the moral point of view” is difficult to discern, given how at its essence the very phrase engenders the question of exactly which or whose point of view counts. The phrase is clearly ambiguous and there is no “correct” account of it to be had just by examining its meaning or use; favoring one disambiguation over others is a ramification of theoretical choices which must be justified on a much broader basis than merely stipulative claims to some sort of semantic or lexical priority of one possible meaning over others. Arguably, however, the phrase can do the most work at a level closer to conceptual analysis in discerning what is required for engaging in peculiarly moral thought. There is little agreement on this among those who work on issues in normative moral theory, though the assumptions which generate the disagreement are often so deep as to go undetected.
Practical Conditionals
Authors: Bedke Matthew S.
Published: January 2013

A conditional has the form “if p [antecedent], then q [consequent].” A practical conditional is a conditional that has a practical prescription in its consequent. For example, all of the following are practical conditionals: “If Jim wants to get good seats, he should camp out in the ticket line,” “Jill has some reason to help Jim move, if she promised him she would,” and “If it morally ought to be the case that you bring about the best consequences, then it morally ought to be the case that you donate more money to charity.” Here, “prescription” is interpreted widely, and any differences between “ought to be” and “ought to do” are ignored.
Prima Facie and Pro Tanto Oughts
Authors: Reisner Andrew E.
Published: January 2013

There are many uses in English of the word “ought” (seeOught). This essay concerns the normative uses and the concepts or properties denoted thereby. In particular, it concerns two nonfinal oughts commonly used in the philosophical literature:prima facieoughts andpro tantooughts.
Green, T. H.
Authors: Dimova‐Cookson Maria
Published: January 2013

T. H. Green (1836–82) was a leading figure among the British idealists. His work was particularly influential in Oxford in the period between 1880 and 1914. His most significant legacy was in moral and political philosophy where he developed distinctive theories of moral agency, common good, political obligation, liberty, and rights (seeCommon Good; Liberty; Moral Agency; Rights). He was also an active member of the Liberal Party and campaigned, in a manner fully consistent with his moral and political philosophy, for legal protection of workers' and land tenants' rights, for extending education and the franchise, and for temperance reform. He is acclaimed for having succeeded in utilizing the resources of German idealism, typically associated with conservative politics, in the service of a left‐wing Liberal Party program. Nowadays Green's ideas are used in various political theory projects including reconciling liberalism (seeLiberalism) and communitarianism (Simhony 2003), justifying “recognition” theories of rights (Martin 2001; Darby 2009), and substantiating the feminist discourse on ethics of care (Decoste and Boyd 2009).
Discrimination
Authors: Lippert‐Rasmussen Kasper
Published: January 2013

Many real‐life complaints about unjust treatment and unjust inequalities are articulated as complaints about discrimination. Philosophically, discrimination raises a number of questions: What is discrimination? What makes it wrongful? What should be done about it? The first question, which I address in the first section, is the most basic one: we cannot answer the last question, if we do not know what makes discrimination wrongful, and to know that, we need to know what discrimination is. The second to fifth sections address the second question. The second section surveys various general theories of the morality of discrimination, while three to five explore the moral features of three specific kinds of discrimination: indirect and statistical discrimination, and differential treatment on the basis of reaction‐qualification. The sixth and seventh sections cover two issues in relation to the last question: What should be done about discrimination in the private sphere and does proportional representation of groups neutralize the effects of discrimination?
Comparable Worth
Authors: Manis Eleni
Published: January 2013

Men earn more, on average, than women. Moreover, male‐dominated jobs typically pay higher wages than female‐dominated jobs, and many jobs are segregated by sex: as of 2003, 52 percent of working women would have to change jobs to end this segregation (Charles and Grusky 2004: 4). Social scientists have not reached a consensus on the relative importance of the different factors that contribute to the male–female earnings gap. Much can be explained in terms of non‐discriminatory factors, particularly differences in men's and women's work experience, education, and occupational choices, but it seems clear that discrimination also plays some role in producing the gap. Comparable worth is a policy proposal for bridging the gap that postulates and addresses a particular discriminatory pathway: that prevailing methods of wage‐setting undervalue women's labor, imposing a wage penalty on the incumbents of female‐dominated jobs. Advocates of comparable worth propose that a job's value to an employer can be gauged relative to that of other jobs offered by the same employer: even dissimilar work, such as that of a truck driver and an administrative assistant for a truck company, can be compared. These comparisons yield guidelines for achieving more equitable pay across the jobs, and as a consequence, contribute to bridging the male–female earnings gap.
Desire
Authors: Schapiro Tamar
Published: January 2013

The notion of desire features prominently in debates in philosophy of mind, philosophy of action, and ethics. Philosophers of mind usually start from the thought that desire is a mental state, and their aim is to explain how desire is similar to and distinct from other mental states, such as belief. Philosophers of action focus on desire as a motive to action, and their aim is to show how desires play a role in the explanation of action, in particular rational or intentional action. Moral philosophers are also generally concerned with desires as motives, but their focus is typically on the idea that motivation by desire can conflict with another kind of motivation, motivation by duty or principle. In reading through these literatures, it is important to keep in mind that they may not always share a common concept of desire or a common understanding of what a theory of desire must do.
Shame and Honor
Authors: Sussman David
Published: January 2013

Shame and the love of honor are emotions that reside uneasily in the ethical life of modern liberal societies. Both sentiments are fundamentally concerned with maintaining a public appearance of power or importance. A person has honor to the extent that he occupies a socially recognized status by which he can expect to be taken seriously by others, either as a potential compatriot or as a competitor. To feel shame is, in its most basic forms, to be painfully aware that this status has been threatened or compromised, if not altogether lost. Such shame involves a sense of the diminishment of our self‐worth through the thought that we have been exposed to others as appropriate objects of derision, contempt, or pity (seeSelf‐Respect And Self‐Esteem; Worth/Dignity). A disgraced person is no longer someone who can be admired, loved, or feared, but only something to be turned away from and forgotten.
Journalistic Objectivity
Authors: Meyers Christopher
Published: January 2013

The traditional conception of journalistic objectivity holds that the reporter's task is to be seemingly invisible in the process of acquiring and disseminating news; if she does her job well, she is supposed to be like a “mirror,” merely reflecting – absent distortion – the world to readers and viewers.
Punishment
Authors: Holtman Sarah
Published: January 2013

What is punishment? What (if anything) justifies its use? Whom may we justly punish? What criteria limit the methods and severity of just punishment? These are the fundamental questions that theoretical analyses of punishment typically address. Somewhat less usual in such literature are discussions of moral constraints on the tools we employ in arrest and prosecution, the place of moral emotions, e.g., pity or resentment, in sentencing and related decisions, and the prison conditions to which we subject inmates. Both the more and the less usual questions are considered below.
International Relations
Authors: Fabre Cécile
Published: January 2013

Consider the following claims: “Germany invades Belgium,” “The United States imposes economic sanctions on Iraq,” “Russia threatens to cut off Ukraine's gas supplies,” “The United Kingdom and Argentina are locked into a territorial dispute over the status of the Falkland Islands,” “Germany develops assistance programs aimed at Malawi and Rwanda,” etc. Those claims describe the stuff of international relations. They imply, on the face of it, that states are actors in the same way as individuals are: they reflect, make decisions, change course when required, and so on.
Emerson, Ralph Waldo
Authors: Bates Stanley
Published: January 2013

Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) was a major figure in nineteenth‐century American culture. He was born in Boston and lived in Boston and Concord all of his life. He originally trained for the Unitarian ministry at Harvard Divinity School, and after some years as a schoolteacher, was ordained as the minister of the Second Church of Boston. After the death of his young first wife, and after a dispute in the church about the serving of the Lord's Supper, he resigned from that position. He then visited Europe for an extended period, and on his return invented a new career for himself as a public lecturer, an essayist, and a somewhat reluctant cultural celebrity. He was at the center of a group of young people who were becoming aware of recent German philosophy – especially the philosophy of Kant – originally through Coleridge's
Aids to Reflection
. They formed the Transcendental Club, and Emerson became known as the central figure of transcendentalism, though he was uneasy with that label. In 1836 he published
Nature
, more of an extended essay than a book, though still the most systematic of his writings. It had an immense influence on the transcendentalists and on a younger generation of American thinkers and writers. Almost all of his subsequent writing began as journal entries which were developed for lectures and which reached final form in essays, a form of writing of which he was the greatest master since Montaigne.
Lying and Deceit
Authors: Faulkner Paul
Published: January 2013

A round tower can look square from a distance. A white wall can look red if illuminated by a red light. And if one took these appearances at face value and believed the tower to be square and the wall to be red, one would be deceived. Thus, in the passive mode, where one is deceived, there need be no intentionality in deception. This might be marked by use of the termmisleading; in these cases appearances are misleading. Similarly, when the Viceroy butterfly mimics the appearance of the Monarch, it signals to the Blue‐Jay that it is bad to eat and its appearance is, for this reason, misleading.
Slippery Slope Arguments
Authors: Volokh Eugene
Published: January 2013

Slippery slope arguments in ethics generally take the following form: “Adopting proposed decision A will increase the likelihood that decision B will be adopted later. Decision B would be ethically wrong. Therefore you should oppose A, even if otherwise you might have supported it, or been indifferent to it.”
Why Be Moral
Authors: Black Sam , Tiffany Evan
Published: January 2013

Consider a person who is responsible for hiring employees in a public institution, and who must choose between two applicants for an advertised position. The first applicant is an old friend now fallen on hard times. The second is better qualified and a member of an underrepresented minority the institution has been actively recruiting. The administrator very much wants to give his old friend a badly needed break, but also believes without any doubt whatsoever that in this particular circumstance it is wrong to favor his friend by giving him the job. The question relating to what morality requires in this circumstance is closed for the administrator; there is no doubt regarding what he morally ought to do. Nonetheless, he may ask what he ought, all things considered, to do; he may wonder “Why be moral?”
Burke, Edmund
Authors: Kochin Michael S.
Published: January 2013

Edmund Burke (1730–97), Irish‐born and educated British politician, publicist, and man of letters, was a Whig reformer, the great ideological opponent of the French Revolution, and the spiritual father of Anglo‐American conservatism. Four aspects of Burke's career are crucial for the study of ethics: his defense of party and party loyalty, his defense of the elected representative as a trustee of his constituents' interests rather than a delegate instructed by their opinions, his war on every incarnation of arbitrary power (even in the guise of the enlightened despotism of a monarch or newly enfranchised People), and finally the pan‐European crusade he preached against the French Revolution and the desire to rationalize politics.
Patents
Authors: Ashcroft Richard E.
Published: January 2013

A patent is a legal instrument conferring a temporary limited monopoly on the use of an invention upon the inventor. Inventions have been defined as “technological improvements, great and small, which contain at least some scintilla of inventiveness over what is previously known” (Cornish et al. 2010: 7). Patents are a form of intellectual property right (
see
Intellectual Property).
Benevolence
Authors: Blum Lawrence
Published: January 2013

Benevolence has played an important role in the history of both Western and Chinese moral philosophy. Historically, it has often been used as the most general and encompassing term to refer to a sentiment aimed at the good of others. Since many, though not all, traditions in Western and Chinese moral philosophy identify morality with seeking the good of others, it is understandable that benevolence so understood should be regarded as so central to morality. This usage is important because of the challenge of psychological egoism (seeEgoism), the view that the only ultimate goal in action is the agent's own good. Unearthing any example of someone aiming at the good of another for her own sake, no matter how minimal, is sufficient to refute psychological egoism. Once the threat of egoism is dispensed with, however, it becomes evident that the category “aiming at the good of others for its own sake” covers an extremely disparate range of actions and motives. Contemporary usages of “benevolence” are more sensitive to that variety.
Tabalumab in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients With an Inadequate Response to Methotrexate and Naive to Biologic Therapy: A Phase II, Randomized, Placebo‐Controlled Trial
Authors: Genovese M. C. , Bojin S. , Biagini I. M. , Mociran E. , Cristei D. , Mirea G. , Georgescu L. , Sloan‐Lancaster J.
Published: January 2013

Objective

Tabalumab, a fully human IgG4 monoclonal antibody, neutralizes soluble and membrane‐bound BAFF. The aim of this study was to examine the tolerability and efficacy of tabalumab in patients with active rheumatoid arthritis receiving methotrexate.

Methods

In this randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled, parallel, multiple‐dose study, patients who were naive to biologic therapy received infusions of tabalumab (30, 60, or 160 mg) or placebo at weeks 0, 3, and 6 in combination with methotrexate and were evaluated for 24 weeks. The primary efficacy end point was the percentage of patients meeting American College of Rheumatology 20% improvement criteria (achieving an ACR20 response) at week 16.

Results

At week 16, the percentages of patients achieving an ACR20 response in the 30‐mg (57.6%), 60‐mg (67.6%), and 160‐mg (51.5%) groups were significantly greater than the percentage of patients achieving an ACR20 response in the placebo group (29.4%; P < 0.05). There were initial transient increases from baseline in the frequency of CD20+ and IgD+/CD27− B cells, followed by reductions, although B cells were not completely depleted. Also, the frequency of IgD−/CD27+ B cells increased in all tabalumab groups compared with the placebo group and returned toward baseline levels by the end of the study. The incidence of adverse events was similar across all treatment groups; no deaths occurred. Serum IgM levels decreased significantly in all tabalumab groups combined compared with the placebo group. There were no significant decreases in serum IgG or IgA levels in the tabalumab groups compared with the placebo group.

Conclusion

Tabalumab treatment significantly reduces the signs and symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis and has a safety profile similar to that seen with placebo treatment.
Uncertainties and ambiguities in percentiles and how to avoid them
Authors: Schreiber Michael
Published: January 2013

The recently proposed fractional scoring scheme is used to attribute publications to percentile rank classes. It is shown that in this way uncertainties and ambiguities in the evaluation of specific quantile values and percentile ranks do not occur. Using the fractional scoring the total score of all papers exactly reproduces the theoretical value.
Effects of short elastin‐like peptides on filamentous particles and their transition behavior
Authors: Hathorne Adam P. , Bermudez Harry
Published: January 2013

While elastin‐like polypeptides and peptides (ELPs) have been used for various stimulus‐responsive applications, details of their switching remain unclear. We therefore constructed a novel series of filamentous phage particles displaying a high surface density of short ELPs. The surface display of ELPs did not disrupt either particle shape or dimensions, and the resulting ELP‐phage particles were colloidally stable over several weeks. However, in spite of a saturating surface density, macroscopic aggregation of ELP‐phages cannot be triggered in water. To investigate the underlying mechanisms we examined conformational changes in the secondary structure of the phage proteins by circular dichroism and tryptophan fluorescence, which indicate partial protein unfolding in ELP‐phage particles. To gain further insight into the ELP itself, analogous “free” ELP peptides were synthesized and characterized. Circular dichroism of these peptides shows the onset of β‐type conformations with increasing temperature, consistent with the accepted view of the microscopic transition that underlies the inverse phase behavior of ELPs. Increased guest residue hydrophobicity was found to depress the microscopic transition temperature of the peptides, also consistent with a previously proposed intramolecular hydrogen‐bonding mechanism. Importantly, our results indicate that although the nanoscale presentation state can suppress macroscopic aggregation of ELPs, microscopic transitions of the ELP can still occur. Given the growing use of ELPs within supra‐molecular scaffolds, such effects are important design considerations for future applications. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 1822–1830. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Cyclometalated Ruthenium Complexes of 1,2,3‐Triazole‐containing Ligands: Synthesis, Structural Studies, and Electronic Properties
Authors: Yang Wenwen , Zhong Yuwu
Published: January 2013

Six bis‐tridentate and two tris‐bidentate cyclometalated ruthenium complexes with a 1,2,3‐triazole‐containing ligand have been prepared and characterized. Single‐crystal X‐ray analyses of complexes [(MeOptpy)Ru(Budtab)](PF6) and [(Mebip)Ru(Budtab)](PF6) are presented, where MeOptpy is 4′‐p‐methoxyphenyl‐2,2′:6′,2′′‐terpyridine, Budtab is the 2‐deprotonated form of 1,3‐di(N‐n‐butyl‐1,2,3‐triazol‐4‐yl)benzene, and Mebip is bis(N‐methyl‐benzimidazolyl)pyridine. The electronic properties of these complexes are probed by spectroscopic and electrochemical analyses. Time‐dependent density functional theory calculations have been performed to assist the assignment of the absorption spectra.
Catalyst‐free thermally‐evaporated growth and optical properties of ZnO nanowires on Si, GaN and sapphire substrates
Authors: Khai Tran Van , Sub Kwak Dong , Jung Kwon Yong , Bo Shim Kwang , Woo Kim Hyoun
Published: January 2013

Vertically well‐aligned zinc oxide nanowires (NWs) with high density were successfully synthesized on Si, sapphire and GaN/sapphire substrates by thermal evaporation of zinc powders without catalysts or additives. The growth behavior of ZnO NWs was strongly dependent on the substrate materials. The effects of the substrate position on the structures and properties of ZnO NWs were primarily discussed. The morphology and crystallinity of the resultant NWs were studied by scanning electron microscope, transmission electronic microscope and X‐ray diffraction. The photoluminescence (PL) characteristics of the ZnO NWs on the different substrates were studied. The results showed that the as‐grown ZnO NWs exhibit a sharp and strong ultraviolet emission at 3.27 eV and a very weak green emission at around 2.48 eV, indicating that the a‐synthesized NWs have excellent PL properties with good crystalline quality and can be an ideal candidate for making luminescent devices. By comparison of PL spectra, we revealed that the green‐to‐UV emission intensity ratios were considerably dependent on the substrate materials, which was explained by the difference in the structural morphology of the produced nanowires.
Pre‐osteoblastic cell response on three‐dimensional, organic‐inorganic hybrid material scaffolds for bone tissue engineering
Authors: Terzaki Konstantina , Kissamitaki Maria , Skarmoutsou Amalia , Fotakis Costas , Charitidis Costas A. , Farsari Maria , Vamvakaki Maria , Chatzinikolaidou Maria
Published: January 2013

Engineering artificial scaffolds that enhance cell adhesion and growth in three dimensions is essential to successful bone tissue engineering. However, the fabrication of three‐dimensional (3D) tissue scaffolds exhibiting complex micro‐ and nano‐features still remains a challenge. Few materials can be structured in three dimensions, and even those have not been characterized for their mechanical and biological properties. In this study, we investigate the suitability of three novel materials of different chemical compositions in bone tissue regeneration: a hybrid material consisting of methacryloxypropyl trimethoxysilane and zirconium propoxide, a hybrid organic–inorganic material of the above containing 50 mole% 2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl methacrylate (DMAEMA) and a pure organic material based on polyDMAEMA. More specifically, we study the mechanical properties of the aforementioned materials and evaluate the biological response of pre‐osteoblastic cells on them. We also highlight the use of a 3D scaffolding technology, Direct femtosecond Laser Writing (DLW), to fabricate complex structures. Our results show that, while all three investigated materials could potentially be used as biomaterials in tissue engineering, the 50% DMAEMA composite exhibits the best mechanical properties for structure fabrication with DLW and strong biological response. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A, 2013.
First evidence of prothymosin alpha localization in the acrosome of mammalian male gametes
Authors: Ferrara Diana , Pariante Paolo , Di Matteo Loredana , Serino Ismene , Oko Richard , Minucci Sergio
Published: January 2013

Prothymosin α (PTMA) is a highly acidic intrinsically unstructured protein. Its expression in male gonads is evolutionary conserved; in rat testis it is specifically localized in the cytoplasm of post‐meiotic germ cells, in association with the developing acrosome system. In the present paper we investigated on PTMA localization inside the head of mammalian spermatozoa (SPZ). We chose a confocal approach to ascertain whether PTMA is expressed in the acrosome or in the perinuclear theca, two regions that are tightly linked and partially overlapped in the mature haploid cells. The obtained results showed that PTMA is specifically localized in the acrosome of rat epididymal SPZ; the same experimental approach evidenced, for the first time, PTMA presence in human ejaculated SPZ. A Western blot analysis on protein extracts from human sperm head fractions confirmed the confocal data and demonstrated that the peptide is specifically associated with the inner acrosomal membrane fraction. Finally, when the acrosome reaction was induced in vitro by progesterone treatment on both rat and human sperm, PTMA signal was retained in the apical region of reacted SPZ. In conclusion, this study confirms the conservation of PTMA distribution in vertebrate male gametes and strongly supports a role for this polypeptide in their physiology. J. Cell. Physiol. 228: 1629–1637, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Postnatal fate of the ultimobranchial remnants in the rat thyroid gland
Authors: Vázquez‐Román Victoria , Utrilla José C. , Fernández‐Santos José M. , Conde Esperanza , Bernabé Reyes , Sampedro Consuelo , Martín‐Lacave Inés
Published: January 2013

The ultimobranchial follicles (UBFs) are considered embryonic remnants from the ultimobranchial body (UBB). They are follicular structures that vary in size and appearance depending on the age of the rat. The main objective of this article was to study the progressive changes in shape, size, and frequency of the UBFs in the postnatal rat, from birth to old‐age. To accomplish that objective, a systematic morphometric and incidental study of the UBF has been carried out in 110 Wistar rats of different ages and both sexes, divided into three groups: 1) young rats (5–90‐day‐old); 2) adult rats (6–15‐month‐old), and 3) old rats (18–24‐month‐old). The glands were serially sectioned and immunostained for calcitonin at five equidistant levels. According to our results, UBFs were observed in all thyroid glands but a more exhaustive sampling was occasionally necessary in male rats. In young rats, immature UBFs predominantly appeared whereas in adult rats, mature UBFs with cystic appearance and variable luminal content prevailed. We frequently found spontaneous anomalous UBFs in old rats, which we have termed as “ultimobranchial cystadenomata.” Additionally, in young rats, UBF areas significantly increased with age and they were larger when compared to that of normal thyroid follicles. Likewise, in adult rats, UBFs were significantly larger than normal thyroid follicles but only in female rats. In general, UBFs in females were also significantly larger than those found in male rats. Finally, all these differences related to UBFs together with a higher incidence in females of UB cystadenomata suggest a sexual dimorphism in regard to the destiny of these embryonic remnants during postnatal thyroid development. J. Morphol., 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Mutational and expressional analyses of PTEN gene in colorectal cancer from Northern India
Authors: Ali Asgar , Saluja Sundeep S. , Hajela Krishnan , Mishra Pramod K. , Rizvi Moshahid A.
Published: January 2013

The PTEN is a tumor‐suppressor gene located on chromosome 10q23.3 and established to play key role in the varied types of cancer. To elucidate the possible effect of mutations and inactivation of PTEN gene on the occurrence and development of colorectal cancer (CRC), 223 cancer specimens were selected to probe PTEN gene mutations through the micro dissection of the genome. Polymerase chain reaction single‐strand conformation polymorphism and DNA sequencing methods were applied for mutations while protein expression was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Mutations in exons 7 and 8 of PTEN were observed in 12.5% and PTEN loss of expression was identified in 48% in CRC. In exon 7, we found the insertion of “G” resulted into the change at codon 218 from TGC to GTC leading to change in the reading frame starting downward from Cystein to Valine. In addition, the insertion of “A” in the same exon at codon 213 resulted into the change of codon CCT to CCA, which cause silent mutation. In exon 8, however, “A” is replaced by C at codon 282, but both encodes for Glycine. Statistically significant loss of PTEN expression was observed in cancerous tissue when compared with the adjacent control (P < 0.05). Furthermore, weak PTEN expression in CRC tissues were significantly associated with tumor size, depth of invasion, lymphatic invasion, lymph node metastasis, grade of differentiation, and TNM stage (P < 0.05). Our results suggested that PTEN gene mutation and loss of PTEN expression may provide valuable prognostic information to aid treatment strategies for CRC patients. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Noninvasive functional imaging of cerebral blood volume with vascular‐space‐occupancy (VASO) MRI
Authors: Lu Hanzhang , Hua Jun , van Zijl Peter C. M.
Published: January 2013

Functional MRI (fMRI) based on changes in cerebral blood volume (CBV) can probe directly vasodilatation and vasoconstriction during brain activation or physiologic challenges, and can provide important insights into the mechanism of blood oxygenation level‐dependent (BOLD) signal changes. At present, the most widely used CBV fMRI technique in humans is called vascular‐space‐occupancy (VASO) MRI, and this article provides a technical review of this method. VASO MRI utilizes T1 differences between blood and tissue to distinguish between these two compartments within a voxel, and employs a blood‐nulling inversion recovery sequence to yield an MR signal proportional to 1 – CBV. As such, vasodilatation will result in a VASO signal decrease and vasoconstriction will have the reverse effect. The VASO technique can be performed dynamically with a temporal resolution comparable with several other fMRI methods, such as BOLD or arterial spin labeling (ASL), and is particularly powerful when conducted in conjunction with these complementary techniques. The pulse sequence and imaging parameters of VASO can be optimized such that the signal change is predominantly of CBV origin, but careful considerations should be taken to minimize other contributions, such as those from the BOLD effect, cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The sensitivity of the VASO technique is the primary disadvantage when compared with BOLD, but this technique is increasingly demonstrating its utility in neuroscientific and clinical applications. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
High performance self‐healing bismaleimide/diallylbisphenol a/poly(phenylene oxide) microcapsules composites with low temperature processability
Authors: Lin Chao , Yuan Li , Gu Aijuan , Liang Guozheng , Wu Jianyuan
Published: January 2013

Novel high performance self‐healing 4,4′‐bismaleimidodiphenylmethane (BDM)/diallylbisphenol A(BA)/poly(phenylene oxide) microcapsules filled with epoxy resin (PPOMCs) systems with low temperature processability were developed. The effects of PPOMCs on the reactivity of BDM/BA resin system were investigated; the properties of cured BDM/BA/PPOMCs systems such as fracture toughness, dynamic mechanical property, dielectric property, and self‐healing ability were discussed. The morphologies of the cured resin systems were characterized using scanning electronic microscope and light microscopy. Results reveal that the addition of PPOMCs can catalyze the polymerization reaction of BDM/BA resins. BDM/BA systems with appropriate PPOMCs content cured at low temperature possess excellent fracture toughness, high glass transition temperature (Tg), and low dielectric property. The self‐healing ability of BDM/BA can be realized by the introduction of PPOMCs owing to the polymerization of the released core materials from PPOMCs. The self‐healing efficiency of healed BDM/BA/PPOMCs systems can be influenced by the size and content of PPOMCs and the contact areas between the crack surfaces. © 2013 Society of Plastics Engineers
Protein encapsulated in electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds for tissue engineering applications
Authors: Norouzi Mohammad , Soleimani Masoud , Shabani Iman , Atyabi Fatemeh , Ahvaz Hana H. , Rashidi Abusaeed
Published: January 2013

The main purpose of tissue engineering is the preparation of fibrous scaffolds with similar structural and biochemical cues to the extracellular matrix in order to provide a substrate to support the cells. Controlled release of bioactive agents such as growth factors from the fibrous scaffolds improves cell behavior on the scaffolds and accelerates tissue regeneration. In this study, nanofibrous scaffolds were fabricated from biocompatible and biodegradable poly(lactic‐co‐glycolic acid) through the electrospinning technique. Nanofibers with a core–sheath structure encapsulating bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a model protein for hydrophilic bioactive agents were prepared through emulsion electrospinning. The morphology of the nanofibers was evaluated by field‐emission scanning electron microscopy and the core–sheath structure of the emulsion electrospun nanofibers was observed by transmission electron microscopy. The results of the mechanical properties and X‐ray diffraction are reported. The scaffolds demonstrated a sustained release profile of BSA. Biocompatibility of the scaffolds was evaluated using the MTT (3(4,5‐ dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay for NIH‐3T3 fibroblast cells. The results indicated desirable biocompatibility of the scaffolds with the capability of encapsulation and controlled release of the protein, which can serve as tissue engineering scaffolds. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry
Poly(phenylene oxide) copolymer anion exchange membranes
Authors: Rebeck Nathaniel T. , Li Yifan , Knauss Daniel M.
Published: January 2013

Poly(phenylene oxide) block and random copolymers are synthesized by oxidative polymerization of 2,6‐dimethylphenol and 2,6‐diphenylphenol for potential alkaline exchange membrane application. The copolymers are functionalized on the methyl substituted repeat units through a two‐step process to produce pendent quaternary ammonium cationic groups. The amount of quaternary ammonium cations and the ion exchange capacity are quantified through titration measurements. Ionic conductivity of the copolymer membranes is measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Block copolymers show increased bromide conductivity at higher ion exchange capacities compared with the random copolymer analogs. The bromide conductivity for a block copolymer film with an ion exchange capacity of 1.27 mequiv/g reaches 26 mS/cm at 90 °C and 95% relative humidity. The hydroxide conductivity for the same film was measured to be 84 mS/cm at 80 °C and 95% relative humidity. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2013, 51, 1770–1778, 2013
Predicting outcomes of vocational rehabilitation in patients with brain tumours
Authors: Rusbridge S. L. , Walmsley N. C. , Griffiths S. B. , Wilford P. A. , Rees J. H.
Published: January 2013

Objective

The aim of this study was to examine the outcome of a vocational rehabilitation programme for patients with brain tumours and to determine whether the outcome could be predicted at point of referral to the service.

Methods

Data was collected for 34 patients with brain tumours referred to the Macmillan vocational rehabilitation service. Work status at baseline (time of referral) and at discharge was compared. Logistic regression analyses were computed to identify which variables (demographic, tumour and treatment, functional and vocational) predicted work status at discharge from the service.

Results

Significantly, more patients were working at discharge from the service than at baseline. Having at least some physical disability decreased the likelihood of being in work at discharge from the service.

Conclusions

The vocational rehabilitation programme for brain tumour survivors showed significant improvement over time. Functional ability affected the likelihood of working to some extent. Vocational rehabilitation services should be available to patients with brain tumours and should focus on supporting patients wishing to return to or maintain their current work. However, more support for brain tumour patients with physical impairments is needed. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Refractory otitis media: An unusual presentation of childhood granulomatosis with polyangiitis
Authors: Uppal Preena , Taitz Jonny , Wainstein Brynn , Soma Marlene , Belessis Yvonne , Gray Paul
Published: January 2013

Childhood granulomatosis with polyangiitis (cGPA), previously known as Wegener's granulomatosis, is a rare, potentially fatal necrotizing vasculitis, the symptoms of which overlap with infection. We present a 16‐year‐old girl who, following 6 months of treatment for persistent middle ear effusion with progressive sensorineural hearing loss, developed rapidly progressing pneumonia, with pleural effusion, and multiple cavitatory lung lesions. Investigations demonstrated high titer c‐ANCA and nasal septal biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of cGPA. This case highlights the difficulty in diagnosing cGPA and the potentially life‐threatening consequences of failing to do so. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2014; 49:E21–E24. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Predicting enzymatic function from global binding site descriptors
Authors: Volkamer Andrea , Kuhn Daniel , Rippmann Friedrich , Rarey Matthias
Published: January 2013

Due to the rising number of solved protein structures, computer‐based techniques for automatic protein functional annotation and classification into families are of high scientific interest. DoGSiteScorer automatically calculates global descriptors for self‐predicted pockets based on the 3D structure of a protein. Protein function predictors on three levels with increasing granularity are built by use of a support vector machine (SVM), based on descriptors of 26632 pockets from enzymes with known structure and enzyme classification. The SVM models represent a generalization of the available descriptor space for each enzyme class, subclass, and substrate‐specific sub‐subclass. Cross‐validation studies show accuracies of 68.2% for predicting the correct main class and accuracies between 62.8% and 80.9% for the six subclasses. Substrate‐specific recall rates for a kinase subset are 53.8%. Furthermore, application studies show the ability of the method for predicting the function of unknown proteins and gaining valuable information for the function prediction field. Proteins 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Crystal structure of decaprenylphosphoryl‐β‐ D‐ribose 2'‐epimerase from Mycobacterium smegmatis
Authors: Li Hua , Jogl Gerwald
Published: January 2013

Decaprenylphosphoryl‐β‐D‐ribose 2'‐epimerase (DprE1) is an essential enzyme in the biosynthesis of cell wall components and a target for development of anti‐tuberculosis drugs. We determined the crystal structure of a truncated form of DprE1 from Mycobacterium smegmatis in two crystal forms to up to 2.35 Å resolution. The structure extends from residue 75 to the C‐terminus and shares homology with FAD‐dependent oxidoreductases of the vanillyl‐alcohol oxidase family including the DprE1 homologue from M. tuberculosis. The M. smegmatis DprE1 structure reported here provides further insights into the active site geometry of this tuberculosis drug target. Proteins 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Analysis of a mixed finite‐element pair proposed for an atmospheric dynamical core
Authors: Staniforth Andrew , Melvin Thomas , Cotter Colin
Published: January 2013

We present a numerical dispersion analysis for the P2 − P1DG finite‐element pair applied to the linear shallow‐water equations in one dimension. The aim is to provide insight into the numerical dispersion properties of the RT1 and BDFM1 finite‐element pairs in two dimensions, which have recently been proposed for horizontal discretisations of atmospheric dynamical cores with quasi‐uniform grids. This is achieved via analysis of a one‐dimensional RT1 element. Whilst these finite‐element pairs have been shown to have many desirable properties that extend properties of the C grid to non‐orthogonal quadrilateral and triangular grids, including stationary geostrophic modes on the f plane, and a 2:1 ratio of velocity to pressure degrees of freedom (a necessary condition for the absence of spurious mode branches), it is also important to have appropriately physical numerical wave propagation. In the absence of Coriolis force, we compute the group velocity for P2 − P1DG. We find that, as well as dropping to zero at the grid‐scale, which also occurs for the C‐grid finite‐difference method, the group velocity also drops to zero in a narrow band around kh = π which corresponds to eigenmodes with a wavelength close to two element widths. This is a potential problem because it increases the amount of wavenumber space that needs to be filtered. In this one‐dimensional case, we find that this particular issue can be removed by a small modification of the equations, namely partially lumping the mass matrix, in such a way that the other favourable properties of the scheme are not affected. We discuss various symmetric and asymmetric modifications of the mass matrix, and show that both such modifications preserve energy conservation (having modified the definition of discrete kinetic energy). Finally we illustrate our findings with numerical experiments, and discuss the potential to extend this modification to two‐dimensional schemes.
The assignment of call option rights between partners in international joint ventures
Authors: Tong Tony W. , Li Sali
Published: January 2013

We examine call option rights as a contractual clause in international joint ventures (IJVs) and propose that the assignment of the call option right in an IJV is determined by certain ex ante asymmetries between the partners. Results show that between the two partners in an IJV, the firm with greater complementarity with the venture and greater prior IJV experience is more likely to hold the call option right; in addition, the firm's contractual choice on the call option right and its ownership choice on a greater initial equity stake are substitutive. Our focus on explicit call options advances the real options theory of collaborative agreements, and our results also highlight that option rights be considered an important part of alliance design. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The Feudal Revolution and Europe's Rise: Political Divergence of the Christian West and the Muslim World before 1500 CE
Authors: BLAYDES LISA , CHANEY ERIC
Published: January 2013

We document a divergence in the duration of rule for monarchs in Western Europe and the Islamic world beginning in the medieval period. While leadership tenures in the two regions were similar in the 8th century, Christian kings became increasingly long lived compared to Muslim sultans. We argue that forms of executive constraint that emerged under feudal institutions in Western Europe were associated with increased political stability and find empirical support for this argument. While feudal institutions served as the basis for military recruitment by European monarchs, Muslim sultans relied on mamlukism—or the use of military slaves imported from non-Muslim lands. Dependence on mamluk armies limited the bargaining strength of local notablesvis-à-visthe sultan, hindering the development of a productively adversarial relationship between ruler and local elites. We argue that Muslim societies’ reliance on mamluks, rather than local elites, as the basis for military leadership, may explain why the Glorious Revolution occurred in England, not Egypt.
Glutamine modifies immune responses of mice infected with porcine circovirus type 2
Authors: Ren Wenkai , Li Yinghui , Yu Xinglong , Luo Wei , Liu Gang , Shao Hua , Yin Yulong
Published: January 2013

The present study was conducted to evaluate the immune-enhancing effects of dietaryl-glutamine supplementation in porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2)-infected mice, and to examine the clearance effects of glutamine against PCV2 in experimentally infected mice. A total of sixty Kunming female mice were infected with PCV2 at a dose of 100 TCID50(50 % tissue culture infection dose) by intraperitoneal injection after 2 weeks of dietaryl-glutamine supplementation orl-alanine supplementation (as the control (isonitrogenous) group). The measured variables on 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 11th d post-infection (dpi) included: (1) PCV2 virus loaded in the liver, spleen, heart, lung, kidney, ovary and serum was determined by real-time PCR; (2) IL-2, IL-6, IL-10, interferon (IFN)-α, IFN-γ and C-reactive protein levels in serum were measured by ELISA; (3) serum total superoxide dismutase activity was measured spectrophotometrically at 550 nm absorbance. Dietaryl-glutamine supplementation significantly increased serum IL-2 levels on the 3rd (P< 0·01), 5th (P< 0·01), 7th (P< 0·05) and 9th dpi, significantly (P< 0·05) increased serum IL-6 levels on 3rd dpi, significantly (P< 0·05) increased serum IFN-γ levels on the 9th and 11th dpi and significantly decreased (P< 0·01) serum IL-10 levels on the 9th and 11th dpi, compared with those in the control group. Meanwhile, the PCV2 virus genome was detected sporadically throughout the experimental period in both groups. Taken together, the present results suggest that dietaryl-glutamine supplementation enhances immune function in PCV2-infected mice.
Predictors of Discrepancies in Parkinson's Disease Patient and Caregiver Ratings of Apathy, Disinhibition, and Executive Dysfunction before and after Diagnosis
Authors: Schiehser Dawn M. , Liu Lin , Lessig Stephanie L. , Song David D. , Obtera Kristalyn M. , Burke III Mathes M. , Earl Shannon R. , Vincent Filoteo J.
Published: January 2013

Parkinson's disease (PD) patient and caregiver reports of patient functioning are often used interchangeably in clinical and research settings; however, the consistency of these reports is largely unknown. This study aimed to investigate the consistency and predictors of discrepancy between self- and caregiver reports of patient apathy, disinhibition, and executive dysfunction. Fifty-one pairs of nondemented PD patients and their caregivers completed the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale (FrSBe). Patients were administered a neuropsychological battery, and mood and burden were assessed in a subset of caregivers. Patients and caregivers significantly differed in their ratings of all retrospective prediagnosis behaviors and current levels of disinhibition. Current levodopa equivalent dosages predicted patient-caregiver rating differences in prediagnosis and current apathy and current executive dysfunction, while patient motor function, cognition, and mood failed to predict any disparities in ratings. Caregiver burden and depression were associated with apathy rating discrepancies, while burden was associated with discrepancies in ratings of disinhibition. These results suggest that consistency of patient and caregiver behavioral ratings may vary depending on the behavior assessed; and underscore the importance of considering the reporter when using subjective measures, as discrepancies in behavioral reports may be influenced by specific patient and/or caregiver symptoms or factors. (JINS, 2013, 19, 1–10)