bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The visual tracking system using a stereo vision robot
Authors: Yeh Long-Jyi , Han Lee Tsung , Hsu Kuei-Shu
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to use vision stereo to simultaneously acquire image pairs under a normal environment. Then the methods of moving edges detection and moving target shifting are applied to reduce noise error in order to position a target efficiently. The target is then double confirmed via image merge and alignment. After positioning, the visual difference between the target and the image created by the stereo vision system is measured for alignment. Finally, the image depth of the target is calculated followed by real-time target tracking.

Design/methodology/approach

– This study mainly applies Sobel image principle. In addition, moving edges detection and moving target shifting are also used to work with system multi-threading for improving image identification efficiency.

Findings

– The results of the experiment suggest that real-time image tracking and positioning under a pre-set environment can be effectively improved. On the other hand, tracking and positioning are slightly affected under a normal environment. Errors of distance measurements occur because there is more noise existing.

Research limitations/implications

– This study mainly determines the movements and positioning of an object or a target via image. However, the stability of moving edges detection executed by the stereo vision system can be affected if the light sources in an environment are too strong or extreme.

Practical implications

– So far the method of tracking and positioning a moving object has been applied to surveillance systems or the application which requires measuring and positioning under a normal environment. The method proposed by this study can also be used to construct a 3D environment.

Originality/value

– The method proposed by this study can also be used to construct a 3D environment or tracking moving object to measure the distance.
Assessing the change process of Lean Six Sigma: a case analysis
Authors: Lertwattanapongchai Suriya , William Swierczek Fredric
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to present an integrative conceptual framework of Lean Six Sigma (LSS) as a project and an organizational change process. To assess the process, the LSS success factors are identified. Their impact on both project outcomes and people is determined.

Design/methodology/approach

– An in-depth review of success factors resulted in a set of indicators related both to the LSS factors and to the change process. A comparative case analysis of three multinational companies (MNCs) implementing LSS in Thailand is presented. The indicators were used to identify patterns in the cases related to effective implementation through content analysis.

Findings

– The case analysis showed that an effective combination of a strong LSS project design and a comprehensive change management process achieved positive impacts in business results, employee learning and job satisfaction.

Practical implications

– To be successful LSS cannot only focus on a good project design. Champions and key practitioners must also apply best practices in change management.

Originality/value

– There are few examples of the integration of LSS project design and the change management process in Asia. Additionally, the case analysis focuses on examples of MNC operations in Thailand. The research supported the importance of integrating change management and project management for success.
The interplay of the unemployment compensation system, fixed-term contracts and rehirings
Authors: María Arranz José , García-Serrano Carlos
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– Using a Spanish administrative data set, the authors document the importance of recalls in labour market transitions. The authors focus on two issues: the interplay between the unemployment compensation system, the widespread use of fixed-term contracts and the layoff-rehire process; and the use of implicit contracts and, hence, the existence of cross-subsidisation between industries and firms within unemployment insurance. The purpose of this paper is to estimate a duration model with competing risks of exits in order to investigate the individual, job and firm attributes that influence the probabilities of leaving unemployment to return to the same employer or to find a new job. The findings indicate that recalls are very common and that, although they are widespread among the labour market, there are certain types of contract, firms and sectors which are more prone to use them.

Design/methodology/approach

– The authors estimate a duration model with competing risks of exits in order to investigate the individual, job and firm attributes that influence the probabilities of leaving unemployment to return to the same employer or to find a new job with a different employer.

Findings

– The findings indicate that recalls are very common and that, although they are widespread along the Spanish labour market, there are certain types of contract, firms and sectors which are more prone to use them.

Practical implications

– Overall, the results suggest that there is room for the reform of the way the UCS is financed, in combination with changes in other labour market institutions.

Originality/value

– The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, it documents the importance of rehirings in labour market transitions, in general, and in compensated unemployment, in particular, highlighting the use of different types of contract (in particular, temporary ones) and using a large data set for Spain. Second, it examines the interplay between the unemployment compensation system, the use of temporary contracts and the layoff-rehire process, focusing its attention on the likely cross-subsidisation of firms and sectors with respect to unemployment benefits . This constitutes a relevant research and policy issue since it has to do with the design of the unemployment compensation system.
Understanding the indigenous Chinese concept of suzhi (素质) from an HRM perspective
Authors: G. Wang Greg , Lamond David , Worm Verner , Gao Wenshu , Yang Shengbin
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the indigenous Chinese concept ofsuzhi(素质) with the aim of furthering the development of Chinese human resource management (HRM) research and practice.

Design/methodology/approach

– An extensive review of the literature onsuzhi, published in the West, as well as in China, is the basis for proffering an organizational-level conceptualization ofsuzhiin the Chinese context.

Findings

– Instead of understanding it as a free-floating signifier, we argue thatsuzhican be considered as a criterion-based framework for HRM research and practice.Suzhiresearch is classified into two major sources – indigenous Chinese and indigenized Western constructs. We further make a distinction between intrinsic and extrinsicsuzhi, and analyze a popular set ofsuzhicriteria, considering de (morality) and cai (talent), while focusing on de in HRM selection (德才兼备, 以德为先). As multilevel and multidimensional framework,suzhicriteria may form different gestalts in different organizations and industries.

Research limitations/implications

– From a social cultural and historical perspective, HRM research that incorporates a combination of indigenous and indigenizedsuzhicharacteristics may receive better acceptance by individuals, organizations and the society in the Chinese context. Accordingly, the reconstruction ofsuzhiinto manageable and measurable dimensions can be undertaken for more effective HRM practice in the Chinese context.

Originality/value

– The HRM literature is advanced by linking the indigenoussuzhidiscourse to Chinese indigenous HRM research and practice.
Director of SEC’s Division of Investment Management discusses alternative mutual funds
Authors: F. Kerr Richard
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– To alert participants in the mutual fund industry to regulatory developments in the alternative mutual fund space as articulated by the SEC’s Director of the Division of Investment Management.

Design/methodology/approach

– Reviews the Director’s discussion of the SEC’s concerns related to Valuation, Liquidity, Leverage and Disclosure resulting from the proliferation of alternative mutual funds. Additionally, summarizes the Director’s comments regarding Board oversight of alternative mutual funds.

Findings

– While the Director’s speech does not establish any new law or regulation, it is a practical summary of the SEC’s expectations for mutual fund complexes when implementing and operating mutual funds with alternative investment strategies that have historically been the province of private funds.

Originality/value

– Practical explanation from experienced financial institutions lawyers.
Benefits of management disclosure precision on analysts’ forecasts
Authors: Chi Yu-Ho , A. Ziebart David
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of management’s choice of forecast precision on the subsequent dispersion and accuracy of analysts’ earnings forecasts.

Design/methodology/approach

– Using a sample of 3,584 yearly management earnings per share (EPS) forecasts and 10,287 quarterly management EPS forecasts made during the period of 2002-2007 and collected from the First Call database, the authors controlled for factors previously found to impact analysts’ forecast accuracy and dispersion and investigate the link between management forecast precision and attributes of the analysts’ forecasts.

Findings

– Results provide empirical evidence that managements’ disclosure precision has a statistically significant impact on both the dispersion and the accuracy of subsequent analysts’ forecasts. It was found that the dispersion in analysts’ forecasts is negatively related to the management forecast precision. In other words, a precise management forecast is associated with a smaller dispersion in the subsequent analysts’ forecasts. Evidence consistent with accuracy in subsequent analysts’ forecasts being positively associated with the precision in the management forecast was also found. When the present analysis focuses on range forecasts provided by management, it was found that lower precision (a larger range) is associated with a larger dispersion among analysts and larger forecast errors.

Practical implications

– Evidence suggests a consistency in inferences across both annual and quarterly earnings forecasts by management. Accordingly, recent calls to eliminate earnings guidance through short-term quarterly management forecasts may have failed to consider the linkage between the attributes (precision) of those forecasts and the dispersion and accuracy in subsequent analysts’ forecasts.

Originality/value

– This study contributes to the literature on both management earnings forecasts and analysts’ earnings forecasts. The results assist in policy deliberations related to calls to eliminate short-term management earnings guidance.
Auditor industry specialization and audit fees surrounding Section 404 implementation
Authors: Fleming Damon , Hee Kevin , N. Romanus Robin
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the association between auditor industry specialization and audit fees surrounding Section 404 implementation.

Design/methodology/approach

– With a sample of 1,006 industrial firms over the 2003-2005 reporting periods, an ordinary least square regression model was used to regress change in audit fees on auditor specialization measure and other control variables.

Findings

– It was found that auditor industry specialization is negatively related to the change in audit fees during the first year of Sarbanes–Oxley Act (SOX) compliance (2003-2004). It was also found that there were no significant cost savings associated with auditor industry specialization in the second year of SOX compliance (2004-2005).

Practical implications

– These results suggest that industry-specific expertise may enable auditors to adapt more efficiently to new significant audit standards and regulations, but that such efficiencies are likely to be most pronounced during the initial implementation year.

Originality/value

– Auditor competition and auditor specialization are at the forefront of today’s ever-changing accounting industry. Analysis of a contemporary auditing issue (auditor specialization) in the context of major legislation (SOX) provides a research setting that gives both academics and practitioners valuable insight toward how future legislation can impact current accounting industry issues such as the increasing need to have more expertise.
The explicit dimension: what we could not learn from Polanyi
Authors: Grandinetti Roberto
Published: November 2014

Purpose

– This paper aims to clarify that the link between Michael Polanyi’s tacit knowledge theory and the field of knowledge management research does not withstand in-depth analysis. Second, the paper suggests a way to emerge from the ambiguity that unavoidably results from using the tacit knowledge concept in knowledge management studies.

Design/methodology/approach

– The paper begins with an analysis of the tacit knowledge theories developed by Polanyi, by cognitive psychologists and by knowledge management scholars. It goes on to formulate a new conceptual framework of tacit knowledge.

Findings

– This proposal consists in assuming that the terms “unconscious” and “tacit” are not interchangeable and, consequently, redefining the epistemological profile of knowledge management theory so as to acknowledge the existence of two planes of analysis. One is occupied by the process through which individuals gain knowledge, or the knowing process, which may be unconscious or conscious. The other contains the dichotomy between tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge, where the two terms indicate two alternative states that only consciously developed knowledge can adopt.

Research limitations/implications

– The paper provides support for the two-planes idea by referring to contributions from various disciplines, and particularly from cognitive psychology studies concerned with unconscious knowledge; a more thorough and extensive review would be needed, however, to fully demonstrate the proposal.

Originality/value

– Distinguishing between two planes of analysis makes it possible to unveil the mystery of tacit knowledge.
Association Between the Seat Belt Sign and Intra‐abdominal Injuries in Children With Blunt Torso Trauma in Motor Vehicle Collisions
Authors: Borgialli Dominic A. , Ellison Angela M. , Ehrlich Peter , Bonsu Bema , Menaker Jay , Wisner David H. , Atabaki Shireen , Olsen Cody S. , Sokolove Peter E. , Lillis Kathy , Kuppermann Nathan , Holmes James F. ,   for the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN)
Published: November 2014

Objectives

The objective was to determine the association between the abdominal seat belt sign and intra‐abdominal injuries (IAIs) in children presenting to emergency departments with blunt torso trauma after motor vehicle collisions (MVCs).

Methods

This was a planned subgroup analysis of prospective data from a multicenter cohort study of children with blunt torso trauma after MVCs. Patient history and physical examination findings were documented before abdominal computed tomography (CT) or laparotomy. Seat belt sign was defined as a continuous area of erythema, ecchymosis, or abrasion across the abdomen secondary to a seat belt restraint. The relative risk (RR) of IAI with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) was calculated for children with seat belt signs compared to those without. The risk of IAI in those patients with seat belt sign who were without abdominal pain or tenderness, and with Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) scores of 14 or 15, was also calculated.

Results

A total of 3,740 children with seat belt sign documentation after blunt torso trauma in MVCs were enrolled; 585 (16%) had seat belt signs. Among the 1,864 children undergoing definitive abdominal testing (CT, laparotomy/laparoscopy, or autopsy), IAIs were more common in patients with seat belt signs than those without (19% vs. 12%; RR = 1.6, 95% CI = 1.3 to 2.1). This difference was primarily due to a greater risk of gastrointestinal injuries (hollow viscous or associated mesentery) in those with seat belt signs (11% vs. 1%; RR = 9.4, 95% CI = 5.4 to 16.4). IAI was diagnosed in 11 of 194 patients (5.7%; 95% CI = 2.9% to 9.9%) with seat belt signs who did not have initial complaints of abdominal pain or tenderness and had GCS scores of 14 or 15.

Conclusions

Patients with seat belt signs after MVCs are at greater risk of IAI than those without seat belt signs, predominately due to gastrointestinal injuries. Although IAIs are less common in alert patients with seat belt signs who do not have initial complaints of abdominal pain or tenderness, the risk of IAI is sufficient that additional evaluation such as observation, laboratory studies, and potentially abdominal CT scanning is generally necessary.
Left Ventricular Hypertrophy: The Relationship between the Electrocardiogram and Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Authors: Bacharova Ljuba , Ugander Martin
Published: November 2014

Conventional assessment of left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) using the electrocardiogram (ECG), for example, by the Sokolow–Lyon, Romhilt–Estes or Cornell criteria, have relied on assessing changes in the amplitude and/or duration of the QRS complex of the ECG to quantify LV mass. ECG measures of LV mass have typically been validated by imaging with echocardiography or cardiovascular magnetic resonance imaging (CMR). However, LVH can be the result of diverse etiologies, and LVH is also characterized by pathological changes in myocardial tissue characteristics on the genetic, molecular, cellular, and tissue level beyond a pure increase in the number of otherwise normal cardiomyocytes. For example, slowed conduction velocity through the myocardium, which can be due to diffuse myocardial fibrosis, has been shown to be an important determinant of conventional ECG LVH criteria regardless of LV mass. Myocardial tissue characterization by CMR has emerged to not only quantify LV mass, but also detect and quantify the extent and severity of focal or diffuse myocardial fibrosis, edema, inflammation, myocarditis, fatty replacement, myocardial disarray, and myocardial deposition of amyloid proteins (amyloidosis), glycolipids (Fabry disease), or iron (siderosis). This can be undertaken using CMR techniques including late gadolinium enhancement (LGE), T1 mapping, T2 mapping, T2* mapping, extracellular volume fraction (ECV) mapping, fat/water‐weighted imaging, and diffusion tensor CMR. This review presents an overview of current and emerging concepts regarding the diagnostic possibilities of both ECG and CMR for LVH in an attempt to narrow gaps in our knowledge regarding the ECG diagnosis of LVH.
A Simple Method for the Investigation of Cell Separation Effects of Blood With Physiological Hematocrit Values
Authors: Gester Kathrin , Jansen Sebastian V. , Stahl Marion , Steinseifer Ulrich
Published: November 2014

Even though the separation of blood into erythrocyte‐rich and erythrocyte‐poor areas is well known in physiological setups such as small vessels, it has recently come into focus in small gaps in cardiovascular applications. Studies show that separation effects occur, for example, in gaps in hydrodynamic bearings, where they can have a positive effect on hemolysis. Separation effects depend on the hematocrit value, but due to visualization issues, studies in small gaps used very low hematocrit values. In this study, a test setup and an evaluation method for the investigation of separation effects of blood with hematocrit values of 30, 45, and 60% were developed. The erythrocyte distribution was evaluated by means of gray scale value distribution. This principle is based on the fact that an erythrocyte‐rich region is more opaque than an erythrocyte‐poor region. The experimental setup is designed in a way that no further processes (e.g., fluorescence labeling) need to be carried out which might change the properties of the membrane of the erythrocytes, and therefore their flow properties. Additionally, the method is executable with basic laboratory equipment, which makes it applicable for many laboratories. To validate the feasibility of the method, the influence of the diameter and the flow rate on the migration of erythrocytes were studied in micro channels for three different physiological hematocrit values. Even though no individual cells were traced, plasma layer and areas of high erythrocyte concentration could be identified. Dependencies of the erythrocyte distribution on flow rate and channel diameter were validated. The influence of the hematocrit value was demonstrated as well and showed the hematocrit value to be a crucial factor when investigating cell separation. The experimental results were consistent with findings in the literature. As the developed method is suitable for physiological hematocrit values and easy to handle, it provides an optimal basis for cell separation studies in gap models with whole blood, for example, hydrodynamic bearings, where it can be used to optimize these devices.
The Origin of Representational Drawing: A Comparison of Human Children and Chimpanzees
Authors: Saito Aya , Hayashi Misato , Takeshita Hideko , Matsuzawa Tetsuro
Published: November 2014

To examine the evolutional origin of representational drawing, two experiments directly compared the drawing behavior of human children and chimpanzees. The first experiment observed free drawing after model presentation, using imitation task. From longitudinal observation of humans (N = 32, 11–31 months), the developmental process of drawing until the emergence of shape imitation was clarified. Adult chimpanzees showed the ability to trace a model, which was difficult for humans who had just started imitation. The second experiment, free drawing on incomplete facial stimuli, revealed the remarkable difference between two species. Humans (N = 57, 6–38 months) tend to complete the missing parts even with immature motor control, whereas chimpanzees never completed the missing parts and instead marked the existing parts or traced the outlines. Cognitive characteristics may affect the emergence of representational drawings.
Can exhaled nitric oxide be a surrogate marker of bronchial hyperresponsiveness to adenosine 5′‐monophosphate in steroid‐naive asthmatic children?
Authors: Arga M. , Bakirtas A. , Topal E. , Turktas I.
Published: November 2014

Background

The interrelation between airway inflammation, bronchial hyperresponsiveness (BHR) and atopy remains controversial.

Objective

The aim of this study was to document whether exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) may be used as a surrogate marker that predicts BHR to adenosine 5′‐monophosphate (AMP) in steroid‐naive school children with asthma.

Methods

This study was a retrospective analysis of steroid‐naive school age children with atopic and non‐atopic asthma. All patients whose eNO levels had been measured and who had been challenged with both methacholine (MCH) and AMP were included. Receiver operation characteristic analysis was performed, in both the atopic and the non‐atopic groups, to evaluate the ability of eNO to detect the BHR to AMP.

Results

One hundred and sixteen patients, sixty‐nine (59.5%) of whom had been atopic, were included in the analysis. In the atopic group, eNO values were significantly higher in patients with BHR to AMP compared to those without BHR to AMP (51.9 ± 16.9 p.p.b. vs. 33.7 ± 16.4 p.p.b.; P < 0.001), whereas in the non‐atopic group, the differences were not statistically significant (29.7 ± 16.9 p.p.b. vs. 22.6 ± 8.1 p.p.b.; P = 0.152). In the atopic group, eNO levels (R2: 0.401; β: 0.092; 95% CI: 1.19–14.42; OR: 7.12; P = 0.008) were found to be the only independent factor for BHR to AMP, whereas none of the parameters predicted BHR to AMP in the non‐atopic group. The best cut‐off value of eNO that significantly predicts BHR to AMP was 33.3 p.p.b. in the atopic group (P < 0.001), whereas a significant cut‐off value for eNO that predicts BHR to AMP was not determined in the non‐atopic group (P = 0.142). An eNO ≤ 17.4 p.p.b. has 100% negative predictive values and 100% sensitivity and 60.47% PPV for prediction of BHR to AMP in the atopic group.

Conclusions

Exhaled NO may be used to predict BHR to AMP in atopic but not in non‐atopic steroid‐naïve asthmatic children.
Not Ethnic Enough: The Cultural Identity Imperative in International Adoptions fromChina toCanada
Authors: Chen Xiaobei
Published: November 2014

Based on a qualitative research of adoptions fromChina toCanada, this article analyses changing attitudes and approaches to racial and ethnic differences in adoptive kinship in the last few decades. I argue that culture celebration labour over children adopted fromChina is shaped by the contemporaryCanadian culturalist ethos, theOrientalist imagination, and theAsian model minority stereotype. The cultural identity imperative, a core component of multicultural governmentality, perceives culture as an object, demands non‐whiteCanadian subjects with rooted belongings, and operates in ways that sanctions and incorporates, as it depoliticises and subordinates.
Clinical evaluation of two dental implant macrostructures on peri‐implant bone loss: a comparative, retrospective study
Authors: Dagorne Cécile , Malet Jacques , Bizouard Geoffray , Mora Francis , Rangé Hélène , Bouchard Philippe
Published: November 2014

Objectives

To compare the effect of two implant macrostructures on peri‐implant bone level.

Material and methods

This retrospective cohort study was conducted in a private practice. Patients received test (Nobel Speedy Groovy implants) or control implants (Mk III implants) or both. Baseline and corresponding follow‐up radiographs, taken with a long‐cone technique, were analyzed to evaluate mean bone level changes around implants during a mean follow‐up of 69 ± 19 months. A chi‐squared test was performed to compare the bone level changes between the two types of implants. A multivariate analysis was used to explain the difference between the two groups.

Results

After controlling for inclusion and exclusion criteria, 144 dental implants corresponding to 68 implants in the test group and 76 implants in the control group were placed in 59 patients. Nine dental implants (6.25%) were lost during the observation period: five implants in the test group and four implants in the control group. Consequently, a total of 135 implants placed in 58 patients were available for analysis. Our study shows a significant difference of peri‐implant bone level overtime between the test and control groups (P < 0.01). At the end of the observation period, a bone growth was observed in the control group (0.02 ± 0.80 mm), whereas a bone loss was found in the test group (−0.43 ± 1.11 mm). The mean bone level at baseline and the type of periodontal therapy and the maintenance care program were involved in this difference (P < 0.001, P = 0.035, P < 0.001, respectively).

Conclusion

Our study demonstrates a significant difference in peri‐implant bone level between test and control groups. The mean bone level at baseline, the type of periodontal therapy, and the maintenance program may explain peri‐implant bone level changes overtime.
Three cases of bullous morphea: histopathologic findings with implications regarding pathogenesis
Authors: Fernandez‐Flores Angel , Gatica‐Torres Michelle , Tinoco‐Fragoso Fátima , García‐Hidalgo Linda , Monroy Elena , Saeb‐Lima Marcela
Published: November 2014

Bullous morphea is a rare variant and is not frequently reported. We present three cases of bullous morphea. Although lymphangiectases have been suggested as the most likely mechanism for the development of the bullae in cases of morphea, none of the cases presented with lymphangiectases. To the contrary, all of our cases showed hemorrhagic content in the bullae, which suggests local trauma as a mechanism involved in bulla formation.
The clinical features and histopathologic patterns of folliculotropic mycosis fungoides in a series of 38 cases
Authors: Demirkesen Cuyan , Esirgen Galip , Engin Burhan , Songur Abdullah , Oğuz Oya
Published: November 2014

Background

The recognition of folliculotropic mycosis fungoides (FMF) may pose diagnostic challenges, owing to the variety of histopathological findings.

Objective

In this study, our aim is to describe the broad spectrum of the histopathological patterns in a total of 86 biopsies from 38 patients with FMF, together with the clinical features.

Results

The most frequent histopathologic pattern was the folliculocentric/folliculotropic pattern, with or without follicular mucinosis. Keratin‐filled cysts and comedones were the second most common pattern in the biopsies. Other less common findings included widening of the hair follicle orifis with keratotic plugging, reminiscent of keratosis pilaris, granuloma formation, eosinophilic or suppurative folliculitis and basaloid folliculolymphoid hyperplasia. Coexisting syringotropism was present in some biopsies. The CD4 : CD8 ratio was at least 4 : 1 or more in most biopsies. Grouped follicular papules and patch/plaque lesions with follicular prominence were the most frequent clinical findings. Folliculocentric lesions such as milia, cysts and acneiform lesions, alopecia, loss of hair or eyebrows were also seen. In 6 out of 38 (15.8%) patients, transformation to large‐cell lymphoma was observed during the follow‐up.

Conclusion

The awareness and the identification of the various histopathological presentations of FMF by pathologists, as well as by clinicians, are imperative to prevent diagnostic errors.
Expression of WT‐1 by the vascular component of acral pseudolymphomatous angiokeratoma of children
Authors: Fernandez‐Flores Angel , Fierro Socorro , Larralde Margarita
Published: November 2014

Acral pseudolymphomatous angiokeratoma of children (APACHE) is a disease comprised by a dense dermal infiltrate of B‐lymphocytes and T‐lymphocytes in which prominent blood vessels with plump endothelium are found. In the past, the lesion was interpreted as a variant of angiokeratoma, a vascular malformation, or a nevus. Currently, most authors consider it to be a type of pseudolymphoma with prominent blood vessels. The latter express CD34 and D2‐40, while they lack the expression of Glut‐1. The expression of Wilms tumor‐1 (WT‐1) by APACHE has not yet been studied. In this report, we present a case of APACHE on the right foot of a 4‐year‐old boy and demonstrate immunoexpression of WT‐1 by the blood vessels of the lesion. We also performed serial sections and demonstrated that the WT‐1+ vessels with prominent endothelium were D2‐40−.
Differential regulation of AChR clustering in the polar and equatorial region of murine muscle spindles
Authors: Zhang Yina , Lin Shuo , Karakatsani Andromachi , Rüegg Markus A. , Kröger Stephan
Published: November 2014

Intrafusal fibers of muscle spindles are innervated in the central region by afferent sensory axons and at both polar regions by efferent γ‐motoneurons. We previously demonstrated that both neuron–muscle contact sites contain cholinergic synapse‐like specialisation, including aggregates of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (AChR). In this study we tested the hypothesis that agrin and its receptor complex (consisting of LRP4 and the tyrosine kinase MuSK) are involved in the aggregation of AChRs in muscle spindles, similar to their role at the neuromuscular junction. We show that agrin, MuSK and LRP4 are concentrated at the contact site between the intrafusal fibers and the sensory‐ and γ‐motoneuron, respectively, and that they are expressed in the cell bodies of proprioceptive neurons in dorsal root ganglia. Moreover, agrin and LRP4, but not MuSK, are expressed in γ‐motoneuron cell bodies in the ventral horn of the spinal cord. In agrin‐ and in MuSK‐deficient mice, AChR aggregates are absent from the polar regions. In contrast, the subcellular concentration of AChRs in the central region where the sensory neuron contacts the intrafusal muscle fiber is apparently unaffected. Skeletal muscle‐specific expression of miniagrin in agrin−/− mice in vivo is sufficient to restore the formation of γ‐motoneuron endplates. These results show that agrin and MuSK are major determinants during the formation of γ‐motoneuron endplates but appear dispensable for the aggregation of AChRs at the central region. Our results therefore suggest different molecular mechanisms for AChR clustering within two domains of intrafusal fibers.
Characterization of cerebral microbleeds in idiopathic Parkinson's disease
Authors: Kim J.‐H. , Park J. , Kim Y.‐H. , Ma H.‐I. , Kim Y. J.
Published: November 2014

Background and purpose

Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) have been extensively studied in healthy controls and patients with cerebrovascular disease and Alzheimer's disease. Our aim was to characterize the clinical and radiological features of CMBs in idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD).

Methods

This cross‐sectional study included consecutive parkinsonian patients who attended the authors' movement disorders clinic from March 2010 to February 2012 and underwent a standard magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol with gradient recalled echo taken with a 3 T MRI machine.

Results

Amongst parkinsonian disorders, CMBs were most common in vascular parkinsonism (VP) (56%) and least common in IPD (17.7%). In IPD, CMBs were significantly associated with white matter hyperintensities and concurrent lacunar infarctions. The presence of CMBs had no effect on various cognitive domains in IPD. IPD with CMBs was discriminated from VP by clinical and neuroimaging findings: frequencies of motor subtypes were similar between IPD with and without CMBs, whereas all VP patients were the postural‐instability gait difficulty type. In 90.9% of the IPD cases with CMBs, the numbers of CMBs were three or less, whereas the numbers of CMBs exceeded three in 50% of the cases of VP and exceeded 10 in 31.3% of the cases (P < 0.001). The topography of the CMBs in IPD was also different from that in VP (P < 0.01).

Conclusions

Cerebral microbleeds are not rare in IPD, and IPD with CMBs does not appear to be a form of VP. Further studies in larger populations are needed to elucidate the clinical implications of CMBs in terms of prognoses and cognitive changes in IPD.
Heterodynamic processes in Coccinella septempunctata L. (Coccinellidae: Coleoptera): a mini review
Authors: Suleman Nazia
Published: November 2014

Among ladybirds, diapause has evidently been most studied in Coccinella septempunctata L. adults. Coccinella septempunctata (C‐7), the seven spot, has attracted attention both in Europe and the USA for being heterogeneous as to the induction of diapause. A polyphenic character of diapause is a prominent feature in C. septempunctata and this phenomenon generally and often generates voltinism heterogeneity within populations. A greater part of the C‐7 population shows an obligatory univoltine cycle, whereas a smaller proportion is facultatively polyvoltine. Coccinella s. bruckii in Japan is bivoltine, in which the first generation of adults aestivate while the second generation hibernates. This paper reviews this heterodynamic cycle and its importance in the life history of C‐7, as reported from different regions of the world. Heterogeneous voltinism and diapause smooth the progress of a portion of C‐7 populations to take benefit of aphids well into late summer and autumn. Understanding such variation and plasticity in the life history of this species can help in organizing proper biological control attempts using it as a biocontrol agent.
The Kv1.1 null mouse, a model of sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP)
Authors: Moore Brian M. , Jerry Jou Chuanchau , Tatalovic Milos , Kaufman Elizabeth S. , Kline David D. , Kunze Diana L.
Published: November 2014

Objective

Kv1.1 potassium channel null mouse (NULL) exhibits spontaneous seizure‐related bradycardia, dies following seizure, and has been proposed as a model for vagus‐mediated SUDEP. We characterized the cardiac events surrounding sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) in NULL during terminal asystole for comparison to patients with epilepsy who exhibit bradycardia and terminal or nonterminal asystole during/following seizure and explored the contribution of vagal‐mediated bradycardia to SUDEP.

Methods

Electrocardiography (ECG) studies of 27 freely moving telemetered NULL mice was evaluated surrounding seizure‐associated death. Chronic unilateral vagal section and, in a separate set of experiments, electrical stimulation of the cervical vagi in NULL and wild‐type (WT) littermates assessed the role of the vagus nerve in seizure‐related death. Seizure activity indicated by intense myogenic activity on the ECG recording correlated with visual and video recording.

Results

All NULL died following seizures, which were preceded by normal rhythm. Bradycardia followed seizure and led to slow ventricular escape rhythm (70–150 bpm) and asystole. The sequence from seizure to asystole was complete within approximately 3 min and was similar to that reported in individuals exhibiting ictal and postictal bradycardia/asystole. To address the singular role of vagus nerves in seizure‐related asystole, cervical vagus nerves were stimulated in the absence of seizure. Heart rate was reduced 3 min to values similar to that following seizure but never produced asystole, suggesting activation of the vagi alone is insufficient for SUDEP. Nevertheless, unilateral chronic section of the vagus nerve increased survival time compared to nonsectioned NULL animals, supporting a role for the vagus nerve in seizure‐associated death.

Significance

The Kv1.1 null mouse is a potential model for SUDEP in patients who experience ictal and postictal bradycardia. It offers the opportunity for evaluation of the combination of factors, in addition to vagal activation, necessary to produce a terminal asystole following seizure. It is notable that long‐term studies that evaluate electroencephalography (EEG) and cardiorespiratory events surrounding nonfatal seizures may provide indices predictive of terminal seizure.
Pyrogenic organic matter production from wildfires: a missing sink in the global carbon cycle
Authors: Santín Cristina , Doerr Stefan H. , Preston Caroline M. , González‐Rodríguez Gil
Published: November 2014

Wildfires release substantial quantities of carbon (C) into the atmosphere but they also convert part of the burnt biomass into pyrogenic organic matter (PyOM). This is richer in C and, overall, more resistant to environmental degradation than the original biomass, and, therefore, PyOM production is an efficient mechanism for C sequestration. The magnitude of this C sink, however, remains poorly quantified, and current production estimates, which suggest that ~1‐5% of the C affected by fire is converted to PyOM, are based on incomplete inventories. Here, we quantify, for the first time, the complete range of PyOM components found in‐situ immediately after a typical boreal forest fire. We utilized an experimental high‐intensity crown fire in a jack pine forest (Pinus banksiana) and carried out a detailed pre‐ and postfire inventory and quantification of all fuel components, and the PyOM (i.e., all visually charred, blackened materials) produced in each of them. Our results show that, overall, 27.6% of the C affected by fire was retained in PyOM (4.8 ± 0.8 t C ha−1), rather than emitted to the atmosphere (12.6 ± 4.5 t C ha−1). The conversion rates varied substantially between fuel components. For down wood and bark, over half of the C affected was converted to PyOM, whereas for forest floor it was only one quarter, and less than a tenth for needles. If the overall conversion rate found here were applicable to boreal wildfire in general, it would translate into a PyOM production of ~100 Tg C yr−1 by wildfire in the global boreal regions, more than five times the amount estimated previously. Our findings suggest that PyOM production from boreal wildfires, and potentially also from other fire‐prone ecosystems, may have been underestimated and that its quantitative importance as a C sink warrants its inclusion in the global C budget estimates.
The abundant centre syndrome and species distributions: insights from closely related species pairs in southernAfrica
Authors: Péron Guillaume , Altwegg Res
Published: November 2014

Aim

Under the abundant centre syndrome, species progressively decline in abundance from the centre to the boundaries of their range, due to abiotic conditions, competition or interaction between the two, eventually leading to replacement by a functional equivalent. After a schematic overview of different scenarios of interactions between competitive and abiotic effects, we analysed spatial variation in abundance in four sets of closely related (sister) species with extensive range overlap.

Location

SouthernAfrica.

Methods

We used occupancy models that separate species presence from species detection and account for sampling biases and uncertainties, applied to citizen science data from theSouthernAfrican Bird Atlas Project aggregated at the quarter‐degree resolution.

Results

The abundant centre syndrome was present in all species, but its explanatory power was stronger in species with a concave, central range than in species with a convex, elongated and coastal range, and it could be locally undetectable. The decline in abundance towards the range boundary was partly or entirely mirrored by the variation in abundance of sister species. One species replaced another geographically without local decrease in abundances near the contact zone, and in two species pairs a dominant species negatively affected a subordinate species, which we interpret as evidence for interspecific competition shaping range limits.

Conclusion

We introduce a typology of competitive interactions based on spatial correlations of species' abundances and on ancillary information such as phenology. This typology can facilitate general inference about the differences between fundamental and realized climatic niches, and associated predictions.
Alpha‐fetoprotein: A biomarker for the recruitment of progenitor cells in the liver in patients with acute liver injury or failure
Authors: Kakisaka Keisuke , Kataoka Kojiro , Onodera Mio , Suzuki Akiko , Endo Kei , Tatemichi Yoshinori , Kuroda Hidekatsu , Ishida Kazuyuki , Takikawa Yasuhiro
Published: November 2014

Aim

The optimal conditions for hepatocyte proliferation should be clarified in an attempt to improve the impaired liver regeneration observed in patients with acute liver failure (ALF). In order to evaluate the significance of the serum α‐fetoprotein (AFP). level and prothrombin time international normalized ratio (PT‐INR) as possible biomarkers of the proliferation of liver stem/progenitor cells (LPC) and mature hepatocytes (MH), respectively, we focused on donors of living donor liver transplantation (LDLT) and patients with acute liver injury (ALI), including ALF.

Methods

Seventy‐three patients with ALI/ALF and 11 donors for LDLT were evaluated. LPC induction was histologically evaluated using cytokeratin (CK)‐7 staining in 45 ALI/ALF patients.

Results

The AFP level was not apparently elevated during the observation period in any of the LDLT donors, whereas the serum AFP levels were substantially increased in the patients with ALI/ALF and significantly correlated with the number of CK‐7 positive LPC in the liver, except for very severe damaged liver. All patients exhibiting an early peak in the AFP level prior to PT‐INR elevation died.

Conclusion

The serum AFP level may reflect the induction of LPC in ALI/ALF patients. The substantial and persistent induction of LPC until sufficient regeneration of MH may be needed for a recovery from ALF. We herein demonstrate that the serum AFP level may be a serum marker of LPC in patients with ALI/ALF. A comparison of the serial changes in the AFP levels and PT‐INR in our study patients showed impaired proliferation of LPC and delayed recovery of MH in the patients who died.
Efficacy of dental floss impregnated with chlorhexidine on reduction of supragingival biofilm: a randomized controlled trial
Authors: Muniz FWMG , Sena KS , de Oliveira CC , Veríssimo DM , Carvalho RS , Martins RS
Published: November 2014

Background

The use of a toothbrush has a limited ability to control the dental biofilm in interproximal areas. Therefore, specialized devices, such as dental floss, may be useful for these specific areas.

Objective

This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of dental floss impregnated with 5% chlorhexidine gluconate on the reduction of the supragingival biofilm.

Methods

This research was parallel, single‐blind, controlled and randomized, and contained a sample of thirty dental students from the Faculty of Pharmacy, Dentistry and Nursing of the Federal University of Ceará, Brazil, who were divided equally into three groups. The negative control group (NC) did not utilize any kind of interproximal cleaning; the positive control group (PC) used waxed floss without impregnation twice a day; and the test group (T) used the same dental floss, which was impregnated with 5% chlorhexidine gluconate, twice a day. For all groups, this study lasted for 15 days. The presence of a biofilm was evaluated on four surfaces (mesiobuccal, distobuccal, mesiolingual and distolingual) by the Quigley–Hein Index, resulting in four scores for each tooth.

Results

Group T had the lowest plaque scores, showing a significant difference compared to group NC (P < 0.001) and group PC (P < 0.001). Group PC also displayed a significant difference compared to NC (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

It was concluded that the use of dental floss impregnated with 5% chlorhexidine gluconate resulted in additional reductions in the supragingival biofilm relative to the results achieved with conventional waxed floss on the anterior teeth of a well‐motivated and well‐instructed population.
Discipleship with the Marginalized at the Centre
Authors: Roberts Judith E. B.
Published: November 2014

Evangelization increasingly references marginalization. But how are we to think about it? This article draws on a theological understanding of marginality in relation to discipleship and then on interviews with Christian leaders who have worked with the marginalized to underscore the crucial yet elusive character of marginality for personal and ecclesial discipleship.