bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genome-wide analysis of histone modifiers in tomato: gaining an insight into their developmental roles
Authors: Aiese Cigliano Riccardo , Sanseverino Walter , Cremona Gaetana , Ercolano Maria R , Conicella Clara , Consiglio Federica M
Published: January 2013

Background

Histone post-translational modifications (HPTMs) including acetylation and methylation have been recognized as playing a crucial role in epigenetic regulation of plant growth and development. Although Solanum lycopersicum is a dicot model plant as well as an important crop, systematic analysis and expression profiling of histone modifier genes (HMs) in tomato are sketchy.

Results

Based on recently released tomato whole-genome sequences, we identified in silico 32 histone acetyltransferases (HATs), 15 histone deacetylases (HDACs), 52 histone methytransferases (HMTs) and 26 histone demethylases (HDMs), and compared them with those detected in Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana), maize (Zea mays) and rice (Oryza sativa) orthologs. Comprehensive analysis of the protein domain architecture and phylogeny revealed the presence of non-canonical motifs and new domain combinations, thereby suggesting for HATs the existence of a new family in plants. Due to species-specific diversification during evolutionary history tomato has fewer HMs than Arabidopsis. The transcription profiles of HMs within tomato organs revealed a broad functional role for some HMs and a more specific activity for others, suggesting key HM regulators in tomato development. Finally, we explored S. pennellii introgression lines (ILs) and integrated the map position of HMs, their expression profiles and the phenotype of ILs. We thereby proved that the strategy was useful to identify HM candidates involved in carotenoid biosynthesis in tomato fruits.

Conclusions

In this study, we reveal the structure, phylogeny and spatial expression of members belonging to the classical families of HMs in tomato. We provide a framework for gene discovery and functional investigation of HMs in other Solanaceae species.
Making Sense of Nonbinding Retail-Price Recommendations
Authors: Buehler Stefan , Gärtner Dennis L
Published: January 2013

We model retail-price recommendations (RPRs) as a communication device in vertical supply relations with private manufacturer information on production costs and consumer demand. With static trade, RPRs are irrelevant, and the equilibrium outcome is inefficient. With repeated trade, RPRs can become part of a relational contract, communicating private information from manufacturer to retailer that is indispensable for maximizing joint surplus. We show that this contract is self-enforcing if the retailer's profit is independent of production costs and punishment strategies are chosen appropriately. The predictions of our analysis are consistent with the available empirical evidence. (JEL D21, D24, L11, L14, L22, L60, L81)
Fairness and Redistribution: Comment
Authors: Di Tella Rafael , Dubra Juan
Published: January 2013

We provide an example that shows that in the Alesina and Angeletos (2005) model one can obtain multiplicity even if luck plays no role in the economy. Thus, it is not critical that the noise to signal ratio be increasing in taxes, or that desired taxes are increasing in the noise to signal ratio.
Modeling of Self-Interstitial Diffusion in Implanted Molecular Beam Epitaxy Silicon
Authors: Salvador D. De , Mattoni A. , Napolitani E. , Drigo A. V. , Mirabella S. , Priolo F.
Published: January 2013

In this work a rate equations model describing the interstitials (I) diffusion in a trap containing medium is presented. The model takes into account the interstitial injection by implantation and annealing and the surface evaporation. We found an analytical approximated solution of the model which allows clarifying the interplay between the parameters involved and a simple comparison with experimental data obtained by the analysis of boron delta doping arrays broadening. The calculations allow to demonstrate that the I injected into the bulk and toward the surface at the end of the I clusters dissolution does not depend on the detailed time evolution of the I clusters, but only on the total amount of I produced by the implantation. The fitting of the experimental data allows to easily quantifying important physical parameters such as the I evaporation rate at the surface and the density of intrinsic interstitial traps. Applications of the model are shown in the case of MBE materials intentionally doped with substitutional C. The model successfully predicts the TED reduction by MBE intrinsic I-traps and allows to estimate the average composition of Interstitial-Carbon clusters.
A trajetória do Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar no período de 2003-2010: relato do gestor nacional
Authors: Peixinho Albaneide Maria Lima
Published: January 2013

O objetivo deste estudo é realizar um relato do gestor nacional do Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar (PNAE), com ênfase no período de 2003 a 2010. Trata-se de ensaio crítico baseado em revisão da literatura e em dados oficiais. Em relação ao volume de recursos financeiros e ao número de alunos atendidos, observou-se que, em 2003, o Programa executou um total de 954,2 milhões de reais para atender 37,3 milhões de alunos, ao passo que em 2010, o total de recursos passou a ser de 3 bilhões de reais para um total de 45,6 milhões de alunos atendidos. Outros avanços importantes foram os estímulos para a ampliação e o fortalecimento do papel dos Conselhos de Alimentação Escolar e as estratégias normativas para as ações do nutricionista como Responsável Técnico. A Lei nº 11.947/2009 fez o PNAE avançar ainda mais, estendendo o programa para toda a rede pública de educação básica e de jovens e adultos, e recomendando que 30% dos repasses do FNDE sejam investidos na aquisição de produtos da agricultura familiar. São evidentes os avanços nos critérios técnicos e operacionais visando maior flexibilidade, eficiência e eficácia na gestão do PNAE. Espera-se que tais avanços possam se traduzir em melhoria das condições de alimentação e nutrição dos escolares.
Perfil socioeconômico, epidemiológico e farmacoterapêutico de idosos institucionalizados de Brasília, Brasil
Authors: Oliveira Mirna Poliana Furtado de , Novaes Maria Rita Carvalho Garbi
Published: January 2013

O objetivo deste estudo é descrever o perfil socioeconômico, epidemiológico e farmacoterapêutico de 154 idosos de cinco Instituições de Longa Permanência de Brasília por meio de questionário adaptado do Método Dáder e complementado com informações dos prontuários. A amostra é caracterizada por indivíduos solteiros e viúvos, em sua maioria homens, com idade média de 74,6 anos, sedentários, com estado cognitivo preservado, baixa renda mensal e baixo nível de escolaridade. O grupo consome de quatro a cinco medicamentos e é acometido, principalmente, por distúrbios psiquiátricos e cardiovasculares. Os medicamentos mais utilizados são os cardiovasculares e os psicofármacos. A adesão à farmacoterapia é comprometida pela falta de conhecimento sobre a prescrição médica atual, dificuldade de acesso e recusa em tomar os medicamentos prescritos. Resultados sugerem que tal perfil influencia a qualidade e a eficácia da terapêutica medicamentosa indicando a necessidade de implementação de um acompanhamento farmacoterapeutico a esses idosos bem como de políticas públicas de saúde mais focadas nas particularidades dessa população a fim de proporcionar melhoria da qualidade de vida e redução dos custos com assistência à saúde.
Saúde e relações de gênero: uma reflexão sobre os desafios para a implantação de políticas públicas de atenção à saúde da mulher indígena
Authors: Ferreira Luciane Ouriques
Published: January 2013

O presente artigo apresenta alguns contrastes existentes entre os discursos das políticas públicas de atenção à saúde da mulher, particularmente da indígena, e o discurso etnológico que enfatiza a especificidade das relações de gênero em sociedades indígenas. Partimos do pressuposto que o desenvolvimento dessas políticas públicas e a organização dos serviços de atenção à saúde, se bem que necessários, têm um efeito transformador sobre as relações de gênero vigentes nas sociedades ameríndias. Por um lado, as relações de gênero entre os povos indígenas estão associadas aos domínios do parentesco e da corporalidade. Por outro, o processo de construção de políticas públicas, por meio da intervenção biomédica e da medicalização do corpo feminino, se constitui em uma ferramenta poderosa de modelamento de corpos e construção de subjetividades contribuindo para forjar mulheres como sujeitos de cidadania. A categoria mulher está em pauta e o seu conteúdo está sendo negociado.
Gas Condensate Flow Behaviour Within Tight Reservoirs
Authors: Al-Harrasi Mahmood , Grattoni Carlos , Fisher Quentin , Lane Mauricio
Published: January 2013

Tight gas-condensate reservoirs contain large reserves, but can be extremely costly to develop. Understanding the fundamental controls on the fluid flow behaviour of tight gas and gas-condensate reservoirs has the potential to result in more cost-effective reservoir development and help increase the world’s producible reserves. The principal objective of the paper is to improve understanding of multiphase flow within tight gas-condensate reservoirs. In order to achieve this objective a series of pore-to-core scale experiments under controlled conditions were performed, followed by numerical simulation.

Three methodologies were used in this study: First, pore-scale experiments in glass micromodels with liquid-liquid systems were performed to improve understanding of the phase separation and flow mechanisms at pore level. Second, coreflood experiments were performed while in-situ saturation was monitored using an X-ray CT-scanner. A newly developed liquid-liquid system was used in these experiments. Flow through tight gas sandstones allowed the determination of relative permeabilities as well as determining their dependence on absolute permeability and capillary number. Third, production simulation modelling has been conducted to investigate the implications of the results.

The micromodel experiments have proved extremely useful for characterizing the flow behaviour of condensate systems. The results showed that the flow mechanisms and phases’ distributions were affected largely by interfacial tension, pore structure and wettability. The experimental results showed the dependence of gas-condensate relative permeabilities of tight rocks on absolute permeability and capillary number. The incorporation of the results into production simulation modelling has shown an increase of gas production up to 70% for tight gas-condensate reservoirs when capillary number effects were included.

The modelling has shown that the high velocity phenomena near the production well must be taken into account for tight gas-condensate reservoirs. Therefore, the current practice of modelling these reservoirs using immiscible relative permeabilities should be immediately reviewed to avoid costly and ineffective reservoir development plans.
Development of New Well Index Equation for Fracture Wells
Authors: Ibrahim M..
Published: January 2013

In recent years, interest has grown in developing and producing shale gas reservoirs. These reservoirs are increasingly becoming more important as gas sources in many countries. All shale gas reservoirs must be hydraulic fractured to be able to produce gas. Because these wells are characterized by long periods of transient flow it is common to supplement rate and recovery predictions done by decline curve analysis with numerical simulation. Furthermore, nano-Darcy permeability requires that hydraulic fractures be explicitly represented by small, highly permeable grid blocks to accurately capture flow characteristics. For the most part, shale gas wells are modeled using proven algorithms in conventional simulators.

The well index formulation normally used by reservoir simulators for vertical wells was developed by Peaceman. The Peaceman approach has been shown to suffer from some artifacts when simulating transient linear flow behavior because the method is based on an assumption of radial geometry. Because the Peaceman equation uses fracture permeability to calculate the wellblock radius (ro), in some cases the value of ro will be less than the actual wellbore radius. This error can generally be overcome by assigning an arbitrarily large well index for the fractured well. Perhaps more importantly the Peaceman formulation does not allow the fracture face skin to be assigned directly.

This paper presents a new well equation for accurately computing well index and modeling fracture face skin based on the fracture half-length and matrix permeability. The simulation result shows good match with the analytical solution for different values of fracture face skin. The new equation will be useful in modeling well test design by reservoir simulation with and without the effect of fracture damage.
A Sobolev gradient method for treating the steady-state incompressible Navier-Stokes equations
Authors: Renka Robert
Published: January 2013

The velocity-vorticity-pressure formulation of the steady-state incompressible Navier-Stokes equations in two dimensions is cast as a nonlinear least squares problem in which the functional is a weighted sum of squared residuals. A finite element discretization of the functional is minimized by a trust-region method in which the trustregion radius is defined by a Sobolev norm and the trust-region subproblems are solved by a dogleg method. Numerical test results show the method to be effective.
An Old Idea Tackling a New Problem: Targeted Toxins Specific for Cancer Stem Cells
Authors: Waldron Nate , Vallera Daniel
Published: January 2013

Targeting and killing specific cells discriminately has been the goal of targeted therapy dating back to the era of Paul Ehrlich. The discovery of cancer stem cells has caused a paradigm shift within the cancer field and provided an opportunity to use targeted therapies such as targeted toxins to bind and kill these cells selectively. A number of targeted toxins have been developed against recently identified cancer stem cell markers. In this review we discuss the development and current status of these exciting novel drugs and their potential use to combat drug-refractory relapse.
Wiretap Channel with Action-Dependent Channel State Information
Authors: Dai Bin , Vinck A. , Luo Yuan , Tang Xiaohu
Published: January 2013

In this paper, we investigate the model of wiretap channel with action-dependent channel state information. Given the message to be communicated, the transmitter chooses an action sequence that affects the formation of the channel states, and then generates the channel input sequence based on the state sequence and the message. The main channel and the wiretap channel are two discrete memoryless channels (DMCs), and they are connected with the legitimate receiver and the wiretapper, respectively. Moreover, the transition probability distribution of the main channel depends on the channel state. Measuring wiretapper’s uncertainty about the message by equivocation, inner and outer bounds on the capacity-equivocation region are provided both for the case where the channel inputs are allowed to depend non-causally on the state sequence and the case where they are restricted to causal dependence. Furthermore, the secrecy capacities for both cases are bounded, which provide the best transmission rate with perfect secrecy. The result is further explained via a binary example.
Partial Peptide of α-Synuclein Modified with Small-Molecule Inhibitors Specifically Inhibits Amyloid Fibrillation of α-Synuclein
Authors: Yoshida Wataru , Kobayashi Natsuki , Sasaki Yasuhiko , Ikebukuro Kazunori , Sode Koji
Published: January 2013

We have previously reported that pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) prevents the amyloid formation of α-synuclein, amyloid β1–42 (Aβ1–42), and mouse prion protein. Moreover, PQQ-modified α-synuclein and a proteolytic fragment of the PQQ-modified α-synuclein are able to inhibit the amyloid formation of α-synuclein. Here, we identified the peptide sequences that play an important role as PQQ-modified specific peptide inhibitors of α-synuclein. We demonstrate that the PQQ-modified α-Syn36–46 peptide, which is a partial sequence of α-synuclein, prevented α-synuclein amyloid fibril formation but did not inhibit Aβ1–42 fibril formation. In addition, the α-synuclein partial peptide modified with other small-molecule inhibitors, Baicalein and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), prevented α-synuclein fibril formation. Currently reported quinone amyloid inhibitors do not have selectivity toward protein molecules. Therefore, our achievements provide a novel strategy for the development of targeted specific amyloid formation inhibitors: the combination of quinone compounds with specific peptide sequence from target proteins involved in amyloid formation.
The Passiflora tripartita (Banana Passion) Fruit: A Source of Bioactive Flavonoid C-Glycosides Isolated by HSCCC and Characterized by HPLC–DAD–ESI/MS/MS
Authors: Simirgiotis Mario , Schmeda-Hirschmann Guillermo , Bórquez Jorge , Kennelly Edward
Published: January 2013

The banana passion fruit (Passiflora tripartita Breiter, Passifloraceae) known as “tumbo” is very appreciated in tropical and subtropical countries of South America. Methanolic extracts from peel and the fruit juice of P. tripartita growing in Chile were analyzed for antioxidant capacity as well as for flavonoid and phenolic content. A chromatographic method was developed for the rapid identification of the main phenolics in the samples by HPLC-DAD and HPLC-MS. The fast fingerprint analysis allowed the detection of eighteen flavonoid C-glycosides and four flavonoid O-glycoside derivatives which were characterized by UV spectra and ESI-MS-MS analysis. Several of the C-glycosides detected are structurally related to the orientin derivative 4′-methoxy-luteolin-8-C-(6″acetyl)-b-D-glucopyranoside (31), fully elucidated by spectroscopic methods. The antioxidant derivative 31 along with schaftoside, vicenin II, orientin and vitexin were isolated from the fruit extract by high-speed countercurrent chromatography (HSCCC). A suitable method for the preparative isolation of flavonol C-glycosides from “tumbo” extracts by HSCCC is reported. The pulp of the fruits showed good antioxidant capacity (12.89 ± 0.02 mg/mL in the DPPH assay). The peel presented the highest content of flavonoids (56.03 ± 4.34 mg quercetin/100 g dry weight) which is related to the highest antioxidant power (10.41 ± 0.01 mg/mL in the DPPH assay).
Les défis de l'agriculture paysanne : le cas du Burkina Faso
Authors: Herrera Rémy , Ilboudo Laurent
Published: January 2013

Résumé Cet article analyse les problèmes actuellement rencontrés par l’agriculture paysanne, dans un premier temps de façon générale (partie 1), puis dans le cas précis d’un pays d’Afrique subsaharienne, le Burkina Faso (partie 2), avant de proposer une série de pistes de réflexion pour entrevoir un avenir meilleur des sociétés paysannes (partie 3).
L'exploitation familiale à la française : une institution dépassée ?
Authors: Mundler Patrick , Rémy Jacques
Published: January 2013

Résumé L’exploitation familiale, comme institution, est bousculée par l’évolution de l’agriculture. Ce modèle est-il réellement en décomposition ? Comment ont évolué les relations entre famille et exploitation agricole ? Nous nous proposons ici d’analyser les relations « famille - exploitation agricole » en cheminant entre quatre figures : la ferme paysanne, l’exploitation familiale modernisée, l’entreprise agricole, forme d’exploitation post-familiale , et l’exploitation rurale fortement diversifiée. Chacune correspond à un modèle type que nous décrirons au travers des liens entre espace professionnel et espace domestique. Si ces quatre figures n’épuisent évidemment pas la diversité des formes d’exercice de l’agriculture, leur examen pose ici à nouveau la question de la frontière entre les métiers et les statuts professionnels et celle de la détermination du périmètre de l’exploitation agricole et avec elle de la famille dite « agricole ».
Régulation versus dérégulation des marchés agricoles : la construction sociale d'un clivage économique
Authors: Kroll Jean-Christophe , Pouch Thierry
Published: January 2013

Résumé Le retour de la volatilité des prix, la crise structurelle que traverse le secteur laitier, les répercussions de la crise économique et financière ont pris à rebrousse-poil les économistes qui avaient œuvré dans le passé à une déréglementation graduelle mais généralisée des économies. Les politiques agricoles, à l’exception de celle pratiquée aux États-Unis, ont été la cible des réformateurs se réclamant du libéralisme. On assiste pourtant à une réhabilitation de la notion de régulation dans le champ de l’économie agricole. Pour mieux comprendre ce retour de la régulation, il était nécessaire de mettre en perspective historique les conditions sociales qui ont été à l’origine de la dérégulation des marchés agricoles, Mais par contraste avec l’exemple américain de préservation de la politique agricole, les inerties propres à la pensée économique contemporaine restent fortes dans le domaine de l’agriculture.
Passeurs de mémoire
Authors: Sidoit Véronique
Published: January 2013

En quoi l’art peut-il faire mémoire et permettre la réappropriation du passé ? Comment art et mémoire peuvent-ils s’articuler pour faire oeuvre de réhumanisation ? Pour traiter ces questions, nous nous appuierons sur l’histoire du Cambodge sous le régime des Khmers rouges. Attaques contre la langue, désubjectivation et démétaphorisation des signifiants, du discours, aliénation à de nouveaux mots sont des leviers utilisés dans le processus de déshumanisation. L’art, la création participent du traitement de l’indicible, de l’irreprésentable, permettant l’expression d’un espace subjectif à même de lutter contre l’effacement et de faire nouage entre mémoire individuelle et mémoire collective.
Le père et la censure dans un rêve absurde de Freud
Authors: Papatheodorou Panos
Published: January 2013

Dans toute la Traumdeutung, Freud traite la déformation du rêve en termes d’un Wunsch censuré. L’analyse de ce rêve particulier a le mérite de nous enseigner sur une autre dimension de la censure qui de plus excède sa fonction habituelle. L’apparition du père mort dans le contenu manifeste de ce rêve de Freud est un faux semblant qui a partie lié au défaut du père et à sa jouissance. Il s’agit d’un interdit qui porte sur le savoir et le sexuel.
L'époque et le sujet
Authors: Pirard Régnier
Published: January 2013

Nous cherchons à préciser les conditions requises pour pouvoir penser, et non seulement décrire, les changements observables dans la clinique contemporaine. Nous tentons de surmonter la dichotomie de la structure et du phénomène, où le débat entre certains lacaniens semble s’être enlisé. Une conception dialectique du processus de subjectivation est ici mise en oeuvre, selon laquelle le sujet est une contradiction productive, qui révèle sa profonde historicité. Nous terminons en esquissant dans cette perspective une lecture des discours selon Lacan.
Une psychanalyse est une rencontre d'amour
Authors: Callegari Sabine
Published: January 2013

Qu’est-ce qui, du côté de l’analyste, répond à l’amour de transfert qu’engage un analysant dans la cure ? On peut parler de l’amour de l’analyste, mais pas en tant que « contre-transfert », qui serait duel et symétrique au transfert : en tant que lien d’abnégation dont l’écart avec un lien d’ordre amoureux est maintenu par le désir de l’analyste.
Brain Tuberculoma in a Non-endemic Area
Authors: Lober Robert M. , Veeravagu Anand , Singh Harminder
Published: January 2013

Brain tuberculoma has previously accounted for up to a third of new intracranial lesions in areas endemic with tuberculosis, but is unexpected in the United States and other Western countries with improved disease control. Here we show the importance of considering this diagnosis in at-risk patients, even with no definitive pulmonary involvement. We describe a young man who presented with partial seizures and underwent craniotomy for resection of a frontoparietal tuberculoma. He subsequently completed six months of antituberculosis therapy and was doing well without neurological sequelae or evidence of recurrence five months after completion of therapy. With resurgence of tuberculosis cases in the United States and other Western countries, intracerebral tuberculoma should remain a diagnostic consideration in at-risk patients with new space occupying lesions. Mass lesions causing neurological sequelae can be safely addressed surgically and followed with antituberculosis therapy.
Characterization of physically based hydrologic model behaviour with temporal sensitivity analysis for flash floods in Mediterranean catchments
Authors: Garambois P. A. , Roux H. , Larnier K. , Castaings W. , Dartus D.
Published: January 2013

Abstract. This paper presents a detailed analysis of 10 flash flood events in the Mediterranean region using the distributed hydrological model MARINE. Characterizing catchment's response during flash flood events may provide a new and valuable insight into the processes involved for extreme flood response and their dependency on catchment properties and flood severity. The main objective of this study is to analyze hydrologic model sensitivity in the case of flash floods with a new approach in hydrology, allowing model outputs variance decomposition for temporal patterns of parameter sensitivity analysis. Such approaches enable ranking of uncertainty sources for non-linear and non-monotonic mappings with a low computational cost. This study uses hydrologic model and sensitivity analysis as learning tools to derive temporal sensitivity analysis with a variance based method in the case of 10 flash floods that occurred in the French Pyrenees and Cévennes foothills. This constitutes a huge dataset given the scarcity of data about flash flood events. With Nash performances above 0.73 on average for this extended set of validation events, the five sensitive parameters of MARINE distributed physically based model are analyzed. This contribution shows that soil depth explains more than 80% of model output variance when most hydrographs are peaking. Moreover the lateral subsurface transfer is responsible for 80% of model variance for some catchment-flood events' hydrographs during slow declining limbs. The unexplained variance of model output representing interactions between parameters reveals to be very low during modeled flood peaks and informs that model parsimonious parameterization is appropriate to tackle the problem of flash floods. Interactions observed after model initialization or rainfall intensity peaks incite to improve water partition representation between flow components and initialization itself. This paper gives a practical framework for application of this method to other models, landscapes and climatic conditions, potentially helping to improve processes understanding and representation.
B-Cyclodextrin Polyurethanes Copolymerised with Beetroot Fibers (Bio-Polymer), for the Removal of Organic and Inorganic Contaminants from Water
Authors: Rima Jamil , Assaker Karine
Published: January 2013

In this study, B-Cyclodextrinn polymerized with beetroot fibers (Bio-polymer), was prepared and applied to the removal of organic and inorganic contaminants from wastewater. An investigation into the use of cross-linked cyclodextrin polyurethanes copolymerised with beetroot fibers as adsorbents for organic pollutants and heavy metals has yielded very useful results which may have an impact in future water treatment applications.
 The Biopolymer was tested in water contaminated by dyes, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and heavy metals. The effectiveness to eliminate dyes such as methylene blue and Rhodamine B with concentrations around 100 ppm was more than 99%, while the pyrene,which was chosen as an example among PAHs, showed a potential of elimination exceeding the 97% for solutions of 10 ppm. Also, heavy metals, such as Lead, Zn, and Cu, were tested and showed an efficacy exceeding the 99.8%. The results indicated that the biopolymer developed in this study has the potential to be a promising material for the removal of mixed pollutants from industrial wastewater or from contaminated groundwater.
Therapeutic Effectiveness of Nutrition Therapy in Pediatric Patients with Chronic Liver Diseases Awaiting Liver Transplantation
Authors: Giammanco Marco , Bavetta Silvana , Greco Rossella , Majo Danila Di , Guardia Maurizio La
Published: January 2013

It is important to prevent protein/calorie malnutrition in children with end stage liver diseases prior to transplantation. This study involved 34 patients between the ages of 10 and 156 months (mean value 25.69 months ± 32.2) (13 females and 21 males) on the liver transplant waiting list. Data collected as of three months before transplant and up to ten months after the procedure concerned gender, age, weight, height, Pediatric End Stage Liver Disease Score, baseline pathology, type of nutrition, type of transplant, immunosuppression, pulse steroid therapy, length of stay, and post transplant complications. Linear regression analysis showed that the length of hospital stay was 24.5 days more for females than for males, but also that intensive nutrition therapy shortens this stay for both female patients (P = 0.085) and younger patients (P = 0.023). The study population was divided into two groups according to the different nutritional therapies adopted. The Student’s t-test and Mann-Whitney test evidenced that the group receiving intensive nutrition therapy grew taller compared with the group following an oral diet (mean -1.37 and Prob = 0.043); that females grew taller compared to males (mean -1.65 +/- 0.56); and that there was an increase in height among the children in the group receiving intensive nutrition therapy despite the presence (-1.37 +/- 0.56) or absence (-14.8 +/- 5.44 and Prob = 0.035) of complications, and despite the administration (-1.03 +/- 0.33) or non administration (-1.48 +/- 0.55 and Prob = 0.019) of steroids. Intensive nutrition therapy enhances the velocity of growth in height and shortens the length of hospital stay, thus optimizing the final prognosis of the baseline pathology.
White‐Collar Crime
Authors: Green Stuart P.
Published: January 2013

The term “white‐collar crime” is one with strong resonances in both academic and popular discourse. It was first used by American sociologists in the mid‐twentieth century to refer to criminal activity engaged in by high‐status offenders. More recently, it has been used within the legal community to refer to a supposedly distinctive group of criminal offenses (
see
Criminal Law). But even within these general camps, there is tremendous variation in how the term has been used. It is fair to say that white‐collar crime is now a general umbrella term invoked not only by social scientists and lawyers but also by politicians, the media, and the general public, and that it is used as much for polemical and marketing purposes as for scholarly and analytical ones.
Global Distributive Justice
Authors: Tan Kok‐Chor
Published: January 2013

On one common interpretation, the ideal of global distributive justice refers to something very specific: that, as a matter of global justice, distributive inequalities globally (between states or among persons across states) ought to be of concern. For convenience, I will sometimes refer to this ideal as global egalitarianism (seeJustice; Equality). The problem of global distributive justice is thus a conceptually distinct one from the problem of global poverty (seeGlobal Poverty; World Hunger). The duty to counter poverty is a duty with a threshold – it is a duty that ceases when the minimum subsistence level that defines poverty is crossed. A distributive duty, on the other hand, given its objective of regulating inequalities, is continuous and remains in play so long as inequalities are present among the relevant parties. A distributive principle, of course, does not necessarily demand that there be no inequalities in outcome at all – indeed this kind of strict egalitarian principle is rather implausible. More defensible principles of distributive equality do not seek absolute equality of outcome, but aim to regulate or limit the kinds and degrees of inequalities that are admissible. They are, nonetheless, egalitarian, even though they take the paradoxical form of “permitting” inequalities because they hold that an equal distribution is the default and that the burden of proof falls on any departure from this benchmark of equality. Thus John Rawls' difference principle (1971, 2001) – which, roughly, states that inequalities between parties are acceptable only under a social arrangement that is most beneficial for the worst off – is a quintessential example of an egalitarian distributive principle (seeRawls, John; Difference Principle).
Reasons
Authors: Gert Joshua
Published: January 2013

The notion of a reason for action – apracticalreason – is not a specifically moral notion. We can sensibly talk about the reasons that favor and disfavor a choice of career or, less momentously, a choice of vacation options, even when morality is simply not an issue. Indeed, we can talk about the reasons that someone stranded on a desert island might have – for building a shelter in a certain way, or for storing food – even if we think that morality is exclusively concerned with behavior toward other people. Although individual practical reasons need not, therefore, have any particular moral significance, it is no surprise that the notion of a reason plays a central role in much of ethical theory. There have been many attempts to ground morality in such reasons. And it is quite common to encounter the thesis – whether it is being affirmed or denied – that moral behavior is always favored by thebalanceof reasons (seeOverridingness, Moral). This thesis is consistent with the plausible idea that there can be particular reasons thatopposemoral action. Such reasons would be present, for example, in any case in which morality requires a sacrifice of some sort.
Strawson, P. F.
Authors: Barry Peter Brian
Published: January 2013

Sir Peter Francis Strawson (1919–2006) is a seminal figure in twentieth‐century analytic philosophy. By his own account, Strawson authored two papers that effectively embody all that he had to say about moral philosophy (2008: xxvii). One of those papers (1961) is rarely read and little discussed. The other (1962) is a widely read agenda‐setting work that continues to shape debates about free will (
see
Free Will) and responsibility (
see
Responsibility).
Profit Motive
Authors: Sandberg Joakim
Published: January 2013

The profit motive refers to what is generally taken to be the underlying motivation of business and commercial activity: to collect revenues in excess of costs or, more simply, to make money. While both “profit” and “profit motive” may be given more technical definitions in economics, the latter's meaning is typically broader in philosophical discussions and so, for example, even managers of nonprofit organizations may be accused of sometimes acting from a profit motive. The profit motive is typically the object of ambivalent moral attitudes in present‐day society: on the one hand, the plethora of commodities and services made possible by the modern market economy, fuelled to a large extent by the profit motive, are easily recognizable. On the other hand, it is generally regarded as a serious moral criticism to say of a certain commercial agent that he or she is motivated by profit alone, and pecuniary motives are often associated with selfishness and greed (
see
Egoism). (Compare comments like: “While it perhaps was a good thing that company X supported this social venture, they are not to be trusted – they only did it for the money!”)
Semantics, Moral
Authors: Schroeder Mark
Published: January 2013

Semantics is the investigation of meaning, and semantic theories, including semantic theories about moral language, come in two very different kinds.Descriptivesemantic theories are theories aboutwhatwords mean. So descriptivemoralsemantic theories are theories about whatmoralwords mean: words like “good,” “better,” “right,” “must,” “ought,” “reason,” and “rational.” In contrast,foundationalsemantic theories are theories aboutwhywords mean what they do, or, more specifically, about whatmakes it the casethat words mean what they do. So foundationalmoralsemantic theories are theories about what makes it the case that moral words mean what they do: words like “good,” “better,” and so on. Since both kinds of theory are sometimes referred to as varieties of “moral semantics,” this essay will cover both.
Propaganda
Authors: Walton Douglas
Published: January 2013

The word “propaganda” arose from the name for a committee of cardinals called the
Congregatio de Propaganda Fide
(Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith) formed in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV, but can be traced even earlier to a smaller propaganda commission of 1568 (Cunningham 2002: 15) The term originally did not have the negative meaning it has now, and in the two world wars it appeared to have less negative meaning in Germany and Russia than in England and North America. According to Marlin (2002: 47), the use of the word “propaganda” by the Allies characterized only the enemy opinion‐forming activities as propaganda, and treated them as composed mostly of lies. These practices have now left the word with strongly negative connotations. From a point of view of ethics, the problem is to judge whether propaganda should be seen as an inherently bad thing that is deceptive, unethical, and against norms of reasoned discourse (
see
Discourse Ethics), or as sometimes a useful or necessary way of carrying out a good objective, like winning a just war, or a war we think to be just.
Wrongful Life
Authors: Bayne Tim
Published: January 2013

The notion of a wrongful life figures in both legal and moral theory. Legally, a wrongful life suit is brought by, or on behalf of, someone who claims that they were wrongfully brought into existence, typically on the grounds that it could reasonably be foreseen that their quality of life would be so bad as to ensure that their life would not be worth living. Morally, a wrongful life claim is that the person's creation flouts some moral norm. The notion of wrongful life raises deep and difficult questions concerning the relationship between harm and wrong‐doing, the scope and grounds of our obligations to those who do not exist, and the nature of parental rights and responsibilities (seeParents' Rights and Responsibilities; Nonidentity Problem).
Refugees
Authors: Seglow Jonathan
Published: January 2013

The 1951 UN Convention defines a refugee as a person who “owing to well‐founded fear of being persecuted … is outside the country of his nationality” (UNHCR 1951: Art. 1), and due to such fear is unable or unwilling to return to it. This definition, crafted in the aftermath of World War II, has been criticized on a number of grounds. First, it excludes internally displaced persons who flee persecution but who remain in their own country (perhaps during a civil war). Second, as Andrew Shacknove argues in a much‐cited article, the focus on persecution seems unfounded, since persecution is but one instance of a broader phenomenon: the absence of state protection of a citizen's basic needs (1985: 277). Refugees, in his view, are individuals who have no option but to seek international restitution of their needs. Along these lines, courts in Western states have adopted a broad notion of persecution, entertaining claims for asylum from people fleeing ethnic conflict, criminal gangs, family abuse, or seeking urgent medical care. On Shacknove's view, desperate people from the world's poorest regions (
see
Global Poverty) and victims of natural disasters also count as refugees or something very similar to them. So too would victims of human‐made catastrophes, such as those induced by climate change (Bell 2004; Nine 2010;
see
Climate Change). Shacknove's definition, however, drops one requirement that may seem distinctive of refugees (and is suggested by the wording of the UN Convention): that they flee whatever disruption to their basic needs is visited on them. By including victims of purely natural events and also, perhaps, the global poor, Shacknove also fails to draw the morally relevant distinction between cases in which a state is willing but unable to meet its citizens’ needs, and cases in which the state actively harms its citizens or fails to prevent harm being inflicted on them where it could do so. These distinctions may affect where we think responsibility to address the injustice should fall. More recently, Matthew Price (2009) has reasserted the orthodox view of refugees, arguing that what is distinctive about them is their state's denial of their claim to political membership (
see
Citizenship). In contrast to other groups whose basic needs are insecure, refugees are exiles, targeted for persecution by their own state in a way. Such persecution communicates that, politically speaking, they no longer count.
Liberty
Authors: Pettit Philip
Published: January 2013

It is a platitude that I enjoy liberty just to the extent that I as an agent am in control of my choices. A good way into understanding the notion of liberty or freedom – I shall use these words interchangeably – is to ask what this platitude rules out (MacCallum 1967). How do we best interpret the three requirements it imposes, namely that I am the agent of the exercise, that the exercise is one of control, and that the target of control is my choices?
Bribery and Extortion
Authors: Frederick Robert
Published: January 2013

Bribery and extortion are distinct yet related corrupt activities that can pose a significant risk to social welfare, legitimate business practices, and political stability (Wrage 2007;seeCorruption). In all or almost all jurisdictions both are illegal, and it seems likely that there is near universal agreement that both are immoral (Noonan 1984; Hess and Dunfee 2000). However, an analysis of the morality of bribery and extortion is complicated by two factors. First, it is often difficult to tell them apart in practice, and second, the moral blameworthiness of the participants in bribery and extortion can differ significantly in different circumstances (seeBlame). This essay will begin with a brief explanation of bribery and the main types of extortion, followed by a discussion of some of the ways they can overlap. It will conclude with an analysis of their moral status.
Groups, Moral Status of
Authors: Shockley Kenneth
Published: January 2013

Groups are relevant for morality. By being a member of one group rather than another, I can have different roles and different responsibilities. For instance, if I am a police officer, I have the authority to direct traffic and the responsibility to enforce the law – authorities and responsibilities that ordinary citizens lack. However, this is not to say that the group consisting of police officers has any inherent moral status (seemoral status). Groups may describe features of individuals that are morally significant without those groups having moral status themselves. Yet some groups may have inherent status. In this essay I will examine some of the reasons for holding groups to have inherent moral status. The operative distinction for matters of moral status is between those groups that have moral standing and those that do not. In what follows I will take “moral standing” to apply only to those things that count morally, in their own right, rather than instrumentally, for the sake of some other thing. A group is commonly thought to have moral standing either because of properties it has or because of the way we treat it. We will see these two options reflected in various ways in the positions outlined below.
Rape
Authors: McGregor Joan
Published: January 2013

Although rape is universally deemed a grievous sexual wrong, there are disagreements about its meaning, occasional uncertainly about determining if a rape has occurred, confusions about why it is so wrong, and debates about its relation with broader issues of social justice.
Prostitution
Authors: Marino Patricia
Published: January 2013

Prostitution is the practice of engaging in sexual activities in exchange for money or other goods. A prostitute is thus a kind of sex worker. Several aspects of prostitution make it ethically complex. For example, because the provision of sexual services is an inherently bodily activity, the customer may seem to treat the prostitute as an object or a commodity, someone less than fully human. Moreover, since much actual prostitution is provided by poor women living in sexist societies, the mere fact that these women are not forced into prostitution may appear insufficient to legitimate it.
Juvenile Justice
Authors: Ramsay Marc
Published: January 2013

Juvenile justice concerns how society should deal with pre‐adults who are alleged to have violated penal laws. The juvenile justice debate is dominated by two moral ideals. First, there is the broad idea of just deserts or retribution – all persons who commit an offense should receive a punishment that is proportionate to the severity of that offense (seeJustice; Punishment; Retribution). Second, just punishment also requires genuine responsibility – blame for a wrongful act may be diminished or eliminated if a person lacks appropriate responsibility (seeResponsibility). To be responsible for an act, one must have an appropriate level of understanding, rationality, and self‐control. Children's diminished responsibility has often been used to justify some form of “welfarism,” the idea that the law should protect, rehabilitate, and educate juvenile offenders. Traditionally, welfarism has been implemented through a separate penal system designed around juveniles' needs and capacities. However, while they prioritize welfarist goals over punishment, many welfarists endorse some level of retributive punishment for juvenile offenders.
Online Journalism
Authors: Singer Jane B.
Published: January 2013

Virtually all journalism produced today is available online. In fact, a growing volume is available only online or in some other digital format such as a mobile platform. As the Internet has become an increasingly dominant news medium around the world, journalists have wrestled with the applicability and adaptability of practitioner ethics (seeJournalistic Ethics) in this open and perpetually changing networked space.
Weber, Max
Authors: Bird Frederick
Published: January 2013

The German scholar Max Weber (1864–1920), educated in history, law, and economics, was one of the founders of modern sociology. He also wrote extensively about ethics, both with regard to explicit codes and principles and with regard to the character of cultural milieu. His most famous work,
The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism
, analyzed the relations between a religious ethic, what he referred to as the “practical ethic of ascetic Protestantism,” and a modern economic ethic, which he characterized using the phrase “spirit of capitalism.” He undertook studies as well of Confucian, Daoist, Hindu, Buddhist, and ancient Jewish ethics. In addition, he discussed ethics in several of his methodological essays. Finally, he ended his essay on “Politics as Vocation” by contrasting an ethics of conviction with an ethics of responsibility. Overall, his writings about ethics assumed three major forms.
Ortega y Gasset, José
Authors: Ilundáin‐Agurruza Jesús
Published: January 2013

José Ortega y Gasset (1883–1955) is Spain's foremost philosopher of the twentieth century (Ortega hereafter). His presence went well beyond the walls of academy: besides his academic work as metaphysics chair, he presented his work in newspapers, founded cultural magazines, published books and innumerable essays, gave conferences, and established distinctively intellectual political organizations. Under his editorship, works by many of his finest contemporaries – Einstein, Freud, Husserl, Heidegger – were first translated into Spanish.