bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Inequality in the long run
Authors: Piketty Thomas , Saez Emmanuel
Published: May 2014

This Review presents basic facts regarding the long-run evolution of income and wealth inequality in Europe and the United States. Income and wealth inequality was very high a century ago, particularly in Europe, but dropped dramatically in the first half of the 20th century. Income inequality has surged back in the United States since the 1970s so that the United States is much more unequal than Europe today. We discuss possible interpretations and lessons for the future.
Ancient DNA reveals elephant birds and kiwi are sister taxa and clarifies ratite bird evolution
Authors: Mitchell Kieren J. , Llamas Bastien , Soubrier Julien , Rawlence Nicolas J. , Worthy Trevor H. , Wood Jamie , Lee Michael S. Y. , Cooper Alan
Published: May 2014

The evolution of the ratite birds has been widely attributed to vicariant speciation, driven by the Cretaceous breakup of the supercontinent Gondwana. The early isolation of Africa and Madagascar implies that the ostrich and extinct Madagascan elephant birds (Aepyornithidae) should be the oldest ratite lineages. We sequenced the mitochondrial genomes of two elephant birds and performed phylogenetic analyses, which revealed that these birds are the closest relatives of the New Zealand kiwi and are distant from the basal ratite lineage of ostriches. This unexpected result strongly contradicts continental vicariance and instead supports flighted dispersal in all major ratite lineages. We suggest that convergence toward gigantism and flightlessness was facilitated by early Tertiary expansion into the diurnal herbivory niche after the extinction of the dinosaurs.
FoxP influences the speed and accuracy of a perceptual decision in
Drosophila
Authors: DasGupta Shamik , Ferreira Clara Howcroft , Miesenböck Gero
Published: May 2014

Decisions take time if information gradually accumulates to a response threshold, but the neural mechanisms of integration and thresholding are unknown. We characterized a decision process in
Drosophila
that bears the behavioral signature of evidence accumulation. As stimulus contrast in trained odor discriminations decreased, reaction times increased and perceptual accuracy declined, in quantitative agreement with a drift-diffusion model.
FoxP
mutants took longer than wild-type flies to form decisions of similar or reduced accuracy, especially in difficult, low-contrast tasks. RNA interference with
FoxP
expression in αβ core Kenyon cells, or the overexpression of a potassium conductance in these neurons, recapitulated the
FoxP
mutant phenotype. A mushroom body subdomain whose development or function require the transcription factor FoxP thus supports the progression of a decision toward commitment.
Replication effort provokes praise—and ‘bullying’ charges
Authors: Bohannon John
Published: May 2014

Global network fails to confirm 10 of 27 psychology findings, but some call project an inquisition
A lonely crusade
Authors: Couzin-Frankel Jennifer
Published: May 2014

For years, bioethicist Carl Elliott has insisted that his university failed a young man who died by suicide during a clinical trial
Genome Analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Bacteriophage KPP23, Belonging to the Family
Siphoviridae
Authors: Yamaguchi Kotoe , Miyata Reina , Shigehisa Ryu , Uchiyama Jumpei , Takemura-Uchiyama Iyo , Kato Shin-Ichiro , Ujihara Takako , Sakaguchi Yoshihiko , Daibata Masanori , Matsuzaki Shigenobu
Published: May 2014

Bacteriophage (phage) therapy is expected to become an alternative therapy for
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
infections.
P. aeruginosa
phage KPP23 is a newly isolated phage belonging to the family
Siphoviridae
and may be a therapeutic phage candidate. We report its complete genome, which comprises 62,774 bp of double-stranded DNA containing 95 open reading frames.
Free Steiner triple systems and their automorphism groups
Authors: Grishkov Alexander , Rasskazova Diana , Rasskazova Marina , Stuhl Izabella
Published: May 2014

The paper is devoted to the study of free objects in the variety of Steiner loops and of the combinatorial structures behind them, focusing on their automorphism groups. We prove that all automorphisms are tame and the automorphism group is not finitely generated if the loop is more than 3-generated. For the free Steiner loop with three generators we describe the generator elements of the automorphism group and some relations between them.
Theoretical study on supramolecular chemistry of alkali-metal cations with crown ether derivatized thiophenes
Authors: Wang Qin , Li Mi , Wang Xue-Ye , Li Ling
Published: May 2014

This paper describes systemically a theoretical research on the interaction of alkali-metal cations ( Li +, Na +, K + and Rb +) with five different crown ether derivatized thiophenes using density functional theory (DFT). The fully optimized geometries have been performed with real frequencies which indicate the minima states. The optimized structures and electronic properties, such as HOMO and LUMO energies, bandgaps of the free ligands L (L1-L5), the complexes L/M+ ( Li +, Na +, K + and Rb +) have been performed at B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) and Lanl2DZ level. Natural bond orbital (NBO) and frequency analysis are discussed on the basis of the optimized geometric structures. The main driving forces of the coordination in host–guest molecules are investigated, the electron-donating O offers lone pair electrons to the contacting LP* (1-center valence antibond lone pair) of alkali-metal cations. In addition, the transition energies are calculated by the time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT).
What controls porosity in cherty fine-grained carbonate reservoir rocks? Impact of stratigraphy, unconformities, structural setting and hydrothermal fluid flow: Mississippian, SE Kansas
Authors: Ramaker Erin M. , Goldstein Robert H. , Franseen Evan K. , Watney W. Lynn
Published: May 2014

The localization and heterogeneity of carbonate oil and gas reservoirs are commonly controlled by extensive diagenetic alteration. Mississippian (Osagean–Meramecian) strata in SE Kansas are investigated to determine structural, relative sea-level, diagenetic and depositional controls on stratigraphy, lithofacies distribution and reservoir character. This project shows how karst horizons and fractured zones can provide preferred conduits for hydrothermal porosity enhancement. Thus, enhanced porosity in karst horizons may have a late origin, with chemically aggressive hydrothermal fluids following preferred pathways of fluid flow.

Lithofacies include echinoderm-rich bioclastic wacke–packstone, sponge-spicule-rich packstone, dolomitic bioclastic wackestone, argillaceous dolomite, tripolitic chert and chert breccia. Four cores are used to construct a 10 mile-long SW–NE-trending cross-section, showing three genetic units deposited on a mostly south-facing distally steepened ramp, with periods of upwelling.

Paragenesis reveals that early and late dissolution enhances porosity in chert and carbonate facies. Fluid inclusion microthermometry from megaquartz and baroque dolomite reveals variable but increasing homogenization temperatures (70–160 °C) and increasing salinity through time. The best reservoirs may be controlled by depositional setting that led to large amounts of chert, alteration associated with subaerial exposure, and a hydrological and structural setting that led to enhanced hydrothermal fluid flow for later dissolution.
Flow time through esophagogastric junction derived during high-resolution impedance-manometry studies: a novel parameter for assessing esophageal bolus transit
Authors: Lin Zhiyue , Imam Hala , Nicodème Frèdèric , Carlson Dustin A. , Lin Chen-Yuan , Yim Brandon , Kahrilas Peter J. , Pandolfino John E.
Published: May 2014

This study aimed to develop and validate a method to measure bolus flow time (BFT) through the esophagogastric junction (EGJ) using a high-resolution impedance-manometry (HRIM) sleeve. Ten healthy subjects were studied with concurrent HRIM and videofluoroscopy; another 15 controls were studied with HRIM alone. HRIM studies were performed using a 4.2-mm-outer diameter assembly with 36 pressure sensors at 1-cm intervals and 18 impedance segments at 2-cm intervals (Given Imaging, Los Angeles, CA). HRIM and fluoroscopic data from four barium swallows, two in the supine and two in the upright position, were analyzed to create a customized MATLAB program to calculate BFT using a HRIM sleeve comprising three sensors positioned at the crural diaphragm. Bolus transit through the EGJ measured during blinded review of fluoroscopy was almost identical to BFT calculated with the HRIM sleeve, with the nadir impedance deflection point used as the signature of bolus presence. Good correlation existed between videofluoroscopy for measurement of upper sphincter relaxation to beginning of flow [ R = 0.97, P < 0.001 (supine) and R = 0.77, P < 0.01 (upright)] and time to end of flow [ R = 0.95, P < 0.001 (supine) and R = 0.82, P < 0.01 (upright)]. The medians and interquartile ranges (IQR) of flow time though the EGJ in 15 healthy subjects calculated using the virtual sleeve were 3.5 s (IQR 2.3–3.9 s) in the supine position and 3.2 s (IQR 2.3–3.6 s) in the upright position. BFT is a new metric that provides important information about bolus transit through the EGJ. An assessment of BFT will determine when the EGJ is open and will also provide a useful method to accurately assess trans-EGJ pressure gradients during flow.
Edward F. Adolph Distinguished Lecture: The remarkable anti-aging effects of aerobic exercise on systemic arteries
Authors: Seals Douglas R.
Published: May 2014

Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in modern societies, and advancing age is the major risk factor for CVD. Arterial dysfunction, characterized by large elastic artery stiffening and endothelial dysfunction, is the key event leading to age-associated CVD. Our work shows that regular aerobic exercise inhibits large elastic artery stiffening with aging (optimizes arterial compliance) and preserves endothelial function. Importantly, among previously sedentary late middle-aged and older adults, aerobic exercise improves arterial stiffness and enhances endothelial function in most groups and, therefore, also can be considered a treatment for age-associated arterial dysfunction. The mechanisms by which regular aerobic exercise destiffens large elastic arteries are incompletely understood, but existing evidence suggests that reductions in oxidative stress associated with decreases in both adventitial collagen (fibrosis) and advanced glycation end-products (structural protein cross-linking molecules), play a key role. Aerobic exercise preserves endothelial function with aging by maintaining nitric oxide bioavailability via suppression of excessive superoxide-associated oxidative stress, and by inhibiting the development of chronic low-grade vascular inflammation. Recent work from our laboratory supports the novel hypothesis that aerobic exercise may exert these beneficial effects by directly inducing protection to aging arteries against multiple adverse factors to which they are chronically exposed. Regular aerobic exercise should be viewed as a “first line” strategy for prevention and treatment of arterial aging and a vital component of a contemporary public health approach for reducing the projected increase in population CVD burden.
Capillary-Wall Collagen as a Biophysical Marker of Nanotherapeutic Permeability into the Tumor Microenvironment
Authors: Yokoi Kenji , Kojic Milos , Milosevic Miljan , Tanei Tomonori , Ferrari Mauro , Ziemys Arturas
Published: May 2014

The capillary wall is the chief barrier to tissue entry of therapeutic nanoparticles, thereby dictating their efficacy. Collagen fibers are an important component of capillary walls, affecting leakiness in healthy or tumor vasculature. Using a computational model along with in vivo systems, we compared how collagen structure affects the diffusion flux of a 1-nm chemotherapeutic molecule [doxorubicin (DOX)] and an 80-nm chemotherapy-loaded pegylated liposome (DOX-PLD) in tumor vasculature. We found a direct correlation between the collagen content around a tumor vessel to the permeability of that vessel permeability to DOX-PLD, indicating that collagen content may offer a biophysical marker of extravasation potential of liposomal drug formulations. Our results also suggested that while pharmacokinetics determined the delivery of DOX and DOX-PLD to the same tumor phenotype, collagen content determined the extravasation of DOX-PLD to different tumor phenotypes. Transport physics may provide a deeper view into how nanotherapeutics cross biological barriers, possibly helping explain the balance between biological and physical aspects of drug delivery. Cancer Res; 74(16); 4239–46. ©2014 AACR.
La bibliothèque copte de Nag Hammadi a 40 ans
Authors: Painchaud Louis
Published: May 2014

L’édition critique accompagnée d’une traduction française, de commentaires, d’introductions et d’index des textes de Nag Hammadi (ci-après le Projet BCNH) a vu le jour à l’Université Laval en septembre 1973. Quarante années plus tard, cet article veut faire le point sur le travail accompli et celui qui reste à faire et proposer quelques réflexions sur l’état de la recherche dans le domaine.
Participation and Causality
Authors: Dawes Gregory W.
Published: May 2014

A recurring debate within discussions of religion, science, and magic has to do with the existence of distinct modes of thought or “orientations” to the world. The thinker who initiated this debate, Lucien Lévy-Bruhl, distinguished two such orientations, one characterized as “participatory” and the other as “causal.” The present essay attempts to clarify what a participatory orientation might involve, making use of the social-psychological category of a “schema.” It argues that while the attitude to which Lévy-Bruhl refers is to be distinguished from an explicit body of doctrine, it does have a cognitive dimension and can embody causal claims. It follows that if such a distinction is to be made, it is not helpfully characterized as a contrast between participation and causality. A better distinction might be that between a mythical and an experimental attitude to the world.
Development and Monte Carlo Study of a Procedure for Correcting the Standardized Mean Difference for Measurement Error in the Independent Variable
Authors: Nugent William Robert , Moore Matthew , Story Erin
Published: May 2014

The standardized mean difference (SMD) is perhaps the most important meta-analytic effect size. It is typically used to represent the difference between treatment and control population means in treatment efficacy research. It is also used to represent differences between populations with different characteristics, such as persons who are depressed and those who are not. Measurement error in the independent variable (IV) attenuates SMDs. In this article, we derive a formula for the SMD that explicitly represents accuracy of classification of persons into populations on the basis of scores on an IV. We suggest an alternate version of the SMD less vulnerable to measurement error in the IV. We derive a novel approach to correcting the SMD for measurement error in the IV and show how this method can also be used to reliability correct the unstandardized mean difference. We compare this reliability correction approach with one suggested by Hunter and Schmidt in a series of Monte Carlo simulations. Finally, we consider how the proposed reliability correction method can be used in meta-analysis and suggest future directions for both research and further theoretical development of the proposed reliability correction method.
The Relationship of Cognitive and Executive Functioning With Achievement in Gifted Kindergarten Children
Authors: Hernández Finch Maria E. , Speirs Neumeister Kristie L. , Burney Virginia H. , Cook Audra L.
Published: May 2014

This study provides baseline data to assist researchers in conducting future studies exploring the developmental trajectories of young gifted learners on measures of cognitive ability and achievement. The study includes common neuropsychological tests associated with preliteracy and the early-reading process as well as markers for inattention and executive functioning skills. Using a sample of kindergarteners identified as gifted, the results indicated that despite intelligence quotient scores in the very superior range and high means on traditional achievement measures, great variability was observed within the sample on several benchmarking measures of cognitive, academic, neuropsychological, and executive functioning. Additionally, only an average mean score on a visual–motor processing neuropsychological measure was obtained. Four neuropsychological measures provided important loadings in canonical correlations with achievement: Oromotor Sequences, Repetition of Nonsense Words, Beery-Buktenica Developmental Test of Visual-Motor Integration scores, and Speeded Naming. In addition to providing baseline data on these measures, the results also offer support for defining giftedness as a developmental process.
Prediction of mechanical properties of three-dimensional fabric composites reinforced by transversely isotropic carbon fibers
Authors: Hu Zhong , Karki Ranjan
Published: May 2014

Three-dimensional fabric composites have evolved as an attractive structural material for multi-directional load bearing and impact application. However, research on prediction of their behavior before being fabricated is inadequate. This article reports a two-step modeling approach for predicting the effective mechanical properties of three-dimensional fabric carbon fiber-reinforced composites. In step one, the micro-heterostructural composites were represented by microscale cylindrical, square, or hexagonal prismatic representative volume elements, containing a long carbon fiber surrounded by polymer matrix, taking into account the transversely isotropic properties of carbon fibers. The mechanical properties of each representative volume element were extracted from the modeling results of uniaxial tensile, lateral expansion, and transverse shear tests, using appropriately derived formulae, and averaged as the equivalent mechanical properties of the micro-heterostructures. In step two, a three-dimensional fabric composite unit cell was represented by a three-dimensional finite element model, taking into account the fiber orientations and fabric architecture. A three-dimensional orthogonal fabric carbon fiber-reinforced epoxy composite was selected as the case study material. The overall orthotropic mechanical properties of the composites were predicted by conducting tensile and shear tests on the unit cell. The modeling results show that the Young’s moduli in fiber oriented directions and shear moduli are significantly higher than those of the matrix. The shear moduli of shearing fiber cross-sections are even much higher than that of shearing along fiber longitudinal direction. Carbon fiber can improve structural stability by lowering the Poisson’s ratios of the composites. The modeling results were compared with and validated by the experimental tests.
Effect of MCM-41 nanoparticles on ARGET ATRP of styrene: Investigating thermal properties
Authors: Khezri Khezrollah , Roghani-Mamaqani Hossein
Published: May 2014

A newly developed initiation technique, activators regenerated by electron transfer, was successfully employed to synthesize MCM-41/ polystyrene nanocomposites by in situ atom transfer radical polymerization. Hexagonal structure, surface area, and morphological study of the synthesized MCM-41 nanoparticles were performed by using powder X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherm, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy respectively. Conversion and molecular weight evaluation was carried out using gas chromatography and size exclusion chromatography respectively. Remarkable decrease of conversion from 69% to 43% was observed by the addition of only 3 wt% MCM-41 nanoparticles. However, polydispersity index increases from 1.14 to 1.41. Increasing of thermal stabilities and also reduction of Tg by increasing MCM-41 nanoparticles loading were comprehended according to the results of thermogravimetric analysis and differential scanning calorimetry, respectively.
Theoretical Importance of Contingency in Human-Computer Interaction
Authors: Sundar S. Shyam , Bellur Saraswathi , Oh Jeeyun , Jia Haiyan , Kim Hyang-Sook
Published: May 2014

A critical determinant of message interactivity is the presence of contingency, that is, the messages we receive are contingent upon the messages we send, leading to a threaded loop of interdependent messages. While this “conversational ideal” is easily achieved in face-to-face and computer-mediated communications (CMC), imbuing contingency in human-computer interaction (HCI) is a challenge. We propose two interface features—interaction history and synchronous chat—for increasing perceptions of contingency, and therefore user engagement. We test it with a five-condition, between-participants experiment ( N = 110) on a movie search site. Data suggest that interaction history can indeed heighten perceptions of contingency and dialogue, but is perceived as less interactive than chatting. However, the chat function does not appreciably increase perceived contingency or user engagement, both of which are shown to mediate the effects of message interactivity on attitudes toward the site. Theoretical implications for interactivity research and practical implications for interaction design are discussed.
What Is Development? What Is Progress? The Social Science and Humanities of Utopia and Futurology
Authors: Lempert David
Published: May 2014

The process of “modernization” or “development” in contemporary globalization has included an assault on imagination, such that the very idea of offering alternative visions seems to be taboo. This article advocates for a constructive return to alternative models of human and social development based on realistic assumptions, human hopes, and measures of progress in both social sciences and humanities, to rejuvenate what has become a dying, impoverished, and stultifying, if not useless area of study. The article uses two relatively recent books with alternative examinations of utopia – one on early Russian science fiction and one from the literature of architecture and gender – as springboards for a discussion of what is wrong and what can be changed in the field of development studies.
National Institute for Health and Care Excellence stroke rehabilitation guidance – is it useful, usable, and based on best evidence?
Authors: Drummond Avril , Wade Derick T
Published: May 2014

In the UK, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is responsible for producing clinical guidance based on sound evidence. In 2013 they produced guidance on Stroke Rehabilitation and this editorial outlines why this is not a useful guide for clinicians or commissioners. Primarily this is because NICE used inappropriate methods; the methods used are appropriate for evaluating drugs, but are inappropriate when applied to any complex intervention. Moreover, the actual recommendations are written in clinically unhelpful language.

Future rehabilitation guidance should include ensuring that the team responsible for the guidance are all familiar with and understand the biospsychosocial model of illness and the nature of the rehabilitation process (which is not synonymous with therapy), setting a relevant and appropriate scope for a guideline, agreeing to use all evidence relevant to a particular question, and using a more appropriate way to evaluate evidence while recognising that rehabilitation is a complex intervention.
Formal and informal support of family caregivers managing medications for patients who receive end-of-life care at home: A cross-sectional survey of caregivers
Authors: Joyce Brian T , Berman Rebecca , Lau Denys T
Published: May 2014

Background:

Managing medications is a complex responsibility of family caregivers caring for end-of-life patients. This study characterizes caregivers with and without formal/informal support managing medications for patients who receive end-of-life care at home.

Aim:

To explore factors related to caregivers’ support with managing medications for end-of-life home hospice patients.

Design:

A convenience-sampled, cross-sectional telephone survey.

Setting/participants:

Computer-assisted telephone interviews were administered to 120 caregivers managing medications, who were referred by five Chicago-based home hospice services. We measured caregivers’ additional formal (paid) and informal (unpaid) support with managing medications, and caregiver/patient socio-demographic, relational, and health characteristics.

Results:

While 47 (39%) had no additional support with managing medications, 27 (22.5%) had formal support, 37 (31%) informal, and 9 (7.5%) both. Seven caregivers (19%) with formal and 13 (31%) with informal support reported disagreements concerning treatment plans. Caregivers lacking formal support tended to be racial/ethnic minorities, live with the patient in their home, or report greater emotional burden. Caregivers with formal support tended to report higher education/income, lower mutuality, or care for a patient with over 6 months’ hospice enrollment. Caregivers lacking informal support tended to be spousal caregivers, live with the patient, or have experience caring for another dying person.

Conclusion:

Our study suggests that high proportions of caregivers may not have support managing medications for patients receiving hospice care at home. More research should examine whether the observed variations in obtaining support indicate disparities or unmet needs among caregivers. Disagreement about treatment with formal/informal support also warrants further investigation.
Can we predict which hospitalised patients are in their last year of life? A prospective cross-sectional study of the Gold Standards Framework Prognostic Indicator Guidance as a screening tool in the acute hospital setting
Authors: O’Callaghan Anne , Laking George , Frey Rosemary , Robinson Jackie , Gott Merryn
Published: May 2014

Background:

Screening to identify hospital inpatients with a short life expectancy may be a way to improve care towards the end of life. The Gold Standards Framework Prognostic Indicator Guidance is a screening tool that has recently been advocated for use in the hospital setting.

Aim:

To assess the clinical utility of the Gold Standards Framework Prognostic Indicator Guidance as a screening tool in an acute hospital setting.

Main outcome measures:

Mortality at 6 and 12 months and sensitivity, specificity and predictive value of the Gold Standards Framework Prognostic Indicator Guidance at 1 year.

Design, setting and participants:

Prospective cross-sectional study of 501 adult inpatients in a tertiary New Zealand teaching hospital screened utilising the Gold Standards Framework Prognostic Indicator Guidance.

Results:

A total of 99 patients were identified as meeting at least one of the Gold Standards Framework Prognostic Indicator Guidance triggers. In this group, 6-month mortality was 56.6% and 12-month mortality was 67.7% compared with 5.2% and 10%, respectively, for those not identified as meeting the criteria. The sensitivity and specificity of the Gold Standards Framework Prognostic Indicator Guidance at 1 year were 62.6% and 91.9%, respectively, with a positive predictive value of 67.7% and a negative predictive value of 90.0%.

Conclusion:

The sensitivity, specificity and predictive values of the Gold Standards Framework Prognostic Indicator Guidance in this study are comparable to, or better than, results of studies identifying patients with a limited life expectancy in particular disease states (e.g. heart failure and renal failure). Screening utilising the Gold Standards Framework Prognostic Indicator Guidance in the acute setting could be the first step towards implementing a more systematic way of addressing patient need – both current unrecognised and future anticipated – thereby improving outcomes for this population.
Companions of Heart and Hearth
Authors: O’Brien Karen
Published: May 2014

This article presents knowledge about adversity and the changing nature of families in early modern townships. It proposes that the shape of the family changed across Nantwich (Cheshire) townships with some neighborhoods presenting very high numbers of female heads of household. While stressing variations, it presents new evidence on the subject of close family relationships. It puts forward the view that the elevated numbers of women living together demonstrates commitment, resilience, and emotional investment in female-centered families. This finding challenges heteronormative definitions of intimate relationships and indicates the need for further research to achieve a better understanding of intimacy in early modern families. This study additionally examines subjects of charity, health, hardship, credit and debt, and the accompanying struggles that were played out in the social sphere. In an important observation concerning the ever-changing composition of the family, this investigation ascertains that the family configuration changed according to fluctuating socioeconomic circumstances. What is also offered here is a contribution to knowledge about the county of Cheshire from the Hearth Tax for which there are no available Hearth Tax studies. This study investigates wills, inventories, probate records, deeds, poor accounts, and parish records and provides an insight into hardship through a close study of all of the poor in one street in 1664. It finds that poor children worked hard and when apprenticed were also compulsorily separated from the family home and that child mortality was equally high among rich and poor people in early modern Nantwich townships.
Effects of poly(amidoamine) dendrimers on the structure and function of key blood components
Authors: Fu Yeyun , Hu Rushan , Li Chenghua , Wang Qian , Liu Zonghua , Xue Wei
Published: May 2014

Poly(amidoamine) dendrimers have a variety of promising biomedical applications; however, the biological safety of the dendrimers has not been well clarified. This study focuses on the effects of poly(amidoamine) dendrimers (G3, G4, G5, G5–OH) on the structure and function of key blood components, in order to elucidate the impacts of the dendrimers on the aggregation, morphology, lysis of human red blood cells, structural and conformational change as well as polymerization of fibrinogen, and the coagulation of blood tissue. The poly(amidoamine) dendrimers caused aggregation, morphological changes, and lysis of red blood cells, depending on the dendrimer concentration, generation, and surface functional groups. All the dendrimers induced fibrinogen structural and conformational changes, but only cationic dendrimers impaired fibrinogen polymerization ability at high concentrations. In addition, the cationic dendrimers inhibited the activity of clotting factors and fibrinogen in the coagulation of whole blood. Therefore, the surface functional groups, generation, and concentration of the dendrimers play important roles in affecting the structure and function of key blood components. These results provide a critical theoretical basis for the molecular design and clinical application of the poly(amidoamine) dendrimers.
Biotin-triggered release and transfection of DNA complexes immobilized on a substrate via biotin–avidin interaction
Authors: Wang Chunfen , Li Luyan , Ma Lie , Li Bo , Gao Changyou
Published: May 2014

In this study, the highly specific biotin–avidin interaction was used to immobilize DNA complexes to a substrate. An excess of biotin was added to trigger the dissociation of DNA complexes from the substrate to mediate their release and transfection. Biotin-grafted-polyethyleneimine/DNA complexes with N/P ratio of 5 were prepared with diameter of 170.2 nm and ζ-potential of 16.1 mV. The DNA immobilized substrates were fabricated using a biotin–avidin–biotin sandwich model, which were characterized by atom force microscope and fluorescent microscope. Compared to DNA immobilization by physical adsorption, a higher DNA density of 935 ng/cm2 was observed on biotinylated substrates. Based on the in vitro release profiles, the DNA complexes immobilized on silanized substrate released faster than those on biotinylated substrate. Triggered by the addition of extra biotin, more DNA complexes were released. The transfection efficiencies of the DNA complexes immobilized on different substrates were assayed on HEK-293T cells. The highest transfection efficiency was obtained in the group of biotinylated substrate with the trigger of extra biotin. Thus, the system of demobilized DNA complexes onto a substrate by the biotin–avidin interaction and the dissociation of DNA complexes from a substrate triggered by the extra biotin provides a promising strategy for the realization of the controlled release and enhanced transgene expression of genes.
Prevention of catheter infection using a biodegradable tissue adhesive composed of human serum albumin and disuccinimidyl tartrate
Authors: Taguchi Tetsushi , Okada Masahiro , Kogai Yasumichi , Masuda Miwa , Shimomura Yumi , Inoue Motoki , Ito Temmei , Hamahata Takashi , Funatogawa Keiji , Kirikae Teruo , Furuzono Tsutomu
Published: May 2014

A new material was prepared to reduce catheter infection composed of a flocked silicone sheet (AmTiO2NP-F) with TiO2 nanoparticle–immobilized poly(ethylene terephthalate) fibers modified with surface amino groups. This system was used in conjunction with a tissue adhesive composed of disuccinimidyl tartrate and human serum albumin. At a fixed disuccinimidyl tartrate content of 0.2 mmol in human serum albumin solution, AmTiO2NP-F bonded well with collagen-based casing (a model material for skin), with bond strength increasing to a maximum of 38 w/v% human serum albumin. The adhesive bonded AmTiO2NP-F to subcutaneous tissue in mice, and infiltration of the tissue into the AmTiO2NP-F further increased the bond strength for long-term insertions. The material was degraded within 7 days of implantation, and tissue reaction was mild, while infection was completely prevented. These results indicate that the combined use of AmTiO2NP-F and disuccinimidyl tartrate-A for implanted catheters can significantly alleviate the associated risk of infection.
Flatness improving method of KDP crystal in ICF system and its implementation in machine tool design
Authors: Chen Wanqun , Lu Lihua , Liang Yingchun , Sun Yazhou , Chen Guoda , An Chenhui
Published: May 2014

The flatness of the KH2PO4 (KDP) crystal has important effect on the inertial confinement fusion system. The method to improve the flatness of KDP crystal and its implementation in the machine tool design is presented in this paper. The finite element model of the whole machine tool is built up to describe the tool tip displacement with the cutting force along the cutting path. The influence of the axial and radial bearing stiffness of the aerostatic spindle on the machined surface flatness is discussed. Furthermore, a novel adjusting mechanism which is used to adjust the squareness between the spindle and the slide is designed, and a new machining process is proposed to improve the flatness of the machined surface. The machining trials are carried out to evaluate and validate the effectiveness of the presented approach and simulation.
Increasing efficiency for estimating treatment–biomarker interactions with historical data
Authors: Boonstra Philip S , Taylor Jeremy MG , Mukherjee Bhramar
Published: May 2014

Detecting a treatment–biomarker interaction, which is a task better suited for large sample sizes, in a phase II trial, which has a small sample size, is challenging. In this paper, we investigate how two plausibly available sources of historical data may contain partial information to help estimate the treatment–biomarker interaction parameter in a randomized phase II study. The parameter is not identified in either historical dataset alone; nonetheless, both can provide some information about the parameter and, consequently, increase the precision of its estimate. To illustrate the potential for gains in efficiency and implications for the design of the study, we consider Gaussian outcomes and biomarker data and calculate the asymptotic variance using the expected Fisher information matrix. We quantify the gain in efficiency both through a numerical study and, in a simplified setting, insights derived from an algebraic development of the problem. We find that a non-negligible gain in precision is possible, even if the historical and prospective data do not arise from identical underlying models.
Relational geographies of emerging market finance: The rise of Turkey and the global financial crisis 2007
Authors: Heinemann Tim
Published: May 2014

Some European emerging markets appear to be weathering the global financial crisis better than others. Countries such as Turkey continue to enjoy robust economic growth due to ‘strong’ domestic demand, a ‘solid’ financial sector and an elevated geo-political ‘significance’. All these factors contributed to the robust performance of the Istanbul Stock Exchange in 2012. The recent crisis is in this respect ‘special’, since some emerging markets are now re-imagined as ‘safe havens’ in comparison with volatile Western economies, and consequently their financial markets are seen as attractive investment opportunities. However, how can the changing attractiveness of places such as Turkey be explained? In this paper I suggest that the appeal of Turkey and its financial markets is not simply a consequence of Turkey’s domestic dynamics. Reminiscent of recent debates about the links between territorial and relational spaces, I show that Turkey’s emergence as an attractive destination for financial capital is the consequence of the territorial as well as the relational dynamics of global capitalism and the power of financial actors to shape (as well as being shaped by) economic geographies. I explain how Turkey is currently been discursively framed as an alternative destination for portfolio investments through a reassessment of its geo-political and economic assets in the light of the recent financial crisis.
The Effect of Cannabidiol on Ischemia/Reperfusion-Induced Ventricular Arrhythmias
Authors: Gonca Ersöz , Darıcı Faruk
Published: May 2014

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a nonpsychoactive phytocannabinoid with anti-inflammatory activity mediated by enhancing adenosine signaling. As the adenosine A1 receptor activation confers protection against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced ventricular arrhythmias, we hypothesized that CBD may have antiarrhythmic effect through the activation of adenosine A1 receptor. Cannabidiol has recently been shown to suppress ischemia-induced ventricular arrhythmias. We aimed to research the effect of CBD on the incidence and the duration of I/R-induced ventricular arrhythmias and to investigate the role of adenosine A1 receptor activation in the possible antiarrhythmic effect of CBD. Myocardial ischemia and reperfusion was induced in anesthetized male rats by ligating the left anterior descending coronary artery for 6 minutes and by loosening the bond at the coronary artery, respectively. Cannabidiol alone was given in a dose of 50 µg/kg, 10 minutes prior to coronary artery occlusion and coadministrated with adenosine A1 receptor antagonist 8-cyclopentyl-1,3-dipropylxanthine (DPCPX) in a dose of 100 µg/kg, 15 minutes prior to coronary artery occlusion to investigate whether the antiarrhythmic effect of CBD is modified by the activation of adenosine A1 receptors. The experimental groups were as follows: (1) vehicle control (n = 10), (2) CBD (n = 9), (3) DPCPX (n = 7), and (4) CBD + DPCPX group (n = 7). Cannabidiol treatment significantly decreased the incidence and the duration of ventricular tachycardia, total length of arrhythmias, and the arrhythmia scores compared to control during the reperfusion period. The DPCPX treatment alone did not affect the incidence and the duration of any type of arrhythmias. However, DPCPX aborted the antiarrhythmic effect of CBD when it was combined with it. The present results demonstrated that CBD has an antiarrhythmic effect against I/R-induced arrhythmias, and the antiarrhythmic effect of CBD may be mediated through the activation of adenosine A1 receptor.
Changes in cognition, arm function and lower body function after Slow-Release Fampridine treatment
Authors: Jensen HB , Ravnborg M , Mamoei S , Dalgas U , Stenager E
Published: May 2014

Objective:

We aimed to evaluate the effect of slow-release (SR) Fampridine on multiple outcome measures reflecting different domains, and to compare the responsiveness of the Six Spot Step Test (SSST) and the Timed 25 Foot Walk (T25FW).

Methods:

For this study 108 participants were included. On day 0 they were tested with the T25FW, the SSST, the 9-Hole Peg Test (9-HPT), the 5 Times Sit-To-Stand test (5-STS) and the Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). Four weeks of treatment with SR Fampridine 10 mg BID was commenced. Participants were tested again after 26–28 days of treatment.

Results:

Mean changes observed were: SSST −3.4±6.4s ( p<0.001), T25FW −1.2±3.7s ( p<0.001), 9-HPT −1.2±6.0s ( p<0.001), 5- STS −3.4±7.2s ( p<0.001) and SDMT 1.4±4.8 a.u. ( p=0.003). Change on the SSST differed significantly from T25FW (SSST 17.0±19.6% vs. T25FW 11.2±17.1%, p=0.0013). Some 48.6% were found to have a meaningful change on the SSST compared with 25.7% on the T25FW. The response to treatment with SR Fampridine did not correlate with age, sex, Expanded Disability Status Scale and disease duration.

Conclusion:

SR Fampridine treatment has significant effects on different domains including upper and lower body and cognition. Furthermore, the SSST is more responsive to the effect of SR Fampridine than is the T25FW. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01656148
Depression in multiple sclerosis: A long-term longitudinal study
Authors: Koch Marcus W , Patten Scott , Berzins Sandy , Zhornitsky Simon , Greenfield Jamie , Wall Winona , Metz Luanne M
Published: May 2014

Background:

Depression is a common comorbidity in multiple sclerosis (MS), but little is known about its long-term prognosis. Depression in the general population is usually episodic with relatively short-lasting depressive episodes. In this study we investigate the long-term prognosis of depression in MS.

Methods:

Using data from a large longitudinal observational study and from the Calgary MS clinic database, we investigated changes in Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale (CESD) scores in MS patients over four years of follow-up. We used logistic regression to investigate the association of the factors sex, age, disease duration, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), depression at baseline, and antidepressant use with depression at each year of follow-up.

Results:

CESD scores remained largely stable, or decreased slightly over four years of follow-up, whereas EDSS scores steadily increased. Depression at baseline was the strongest predictor of depression at follow-up; the other factors were not or not consistently associated with depression at follow-up. As expected, antidepressant use was associated with a greater risk of depression at follow-up. Starting and stopping antidepressant treatment during follow-up was not associated with the risk of depression at follow-up or with significant change in CESD scores.

Conclusion:

In contrast to depression in the general population, depression in MS is largely chronic, which suggests a different pathophysiology.
Should we bother with second-hand smoke exposure if smoking is on track? A poorly explored discrepancy in Denmark
Authors: Ádám Balázs
Published: May 2014

The recognition of the serious health-damaging effects of tobacco smoke exposure has initiated several preventive programmes on the national and international levels worldwide. In the last decade, a considerable decrease in the prevalence of active smoking was observed in Denmark, changing the country from a poor to a favourable position in comparison to other EU countries. However, second-hand tobacco smoke exposure, especially in homes, still ranks Denmark among the problematic countries in Europe. This poorly recognised and studied discrepancy calls for further research and effective targeted interventions on population level.
Orchestrating literacies: Print literacy learning opportunities within multimodal intergenerational ensembles
Authors: McKee Lori L , Heydon Rachel M
Published: May 2014

This exploratory case study considered the opportunities for print literacy learning within multimodal ensembles that featured art, singing and digital media within the context of an intergenerational programme that brought together 13 kindergarten children (4 and 5 years) with seven elder companions. Study questions concerned how reading and writing were practised within multimodal ensembles and what learning opportunities were afforded to the children while the participants worked through a chain of multimodal projects. Data were collected through ethnographic tools in the Rest Home where the projects were completed and in the children’s classroom where project content and tools were introduced and extended by the classroom teacher. Themes were identified through the juxtaposition of field texts in a multimodal analysis. The results indicate that the multimodality of the projects and the reciprocal intergenerational relationships forged in and through text-making afforded children opportunities to improvise and refine their print literacy practices as part of multimodal ensembles. The study is designed to contribute to the nascent, yet growing, body of knowledge concerning print literacy practices and learning opportunities as conceptualized within multimodal literacy and intergenerational curricula.
The poverty of exceptionalism in international theory
Authors: Hjorth Ronnie
Published: May 2014

This article is about the politics of ‘the exception’ and the role of ‘exceptionalism’ in contemporary international theory. The concept of ‘the exception’ was coined by Carl Schmitt and has in recent years become an inspiration for international relations theorists and foreign policy analysts, especially when engaging with issues such as great power politics, humanitarian intervention and the war against terrorism. It is concluded that attempts to apply Schmitt’s concept of ‘the exception’ seldom are persuasive and sometimes even contradictory to Schmitt’s theory. When dealt with out of context, ‘the exception’ becomes just an expression about something else. It is shown that there are other ways of handling the kind of political problem observed by Schmitt than what he and his followers are offering.
Exploring health promotion practitioners’ experiences of moral distress in Canada and Australia
Authors: Sunderland Naomi , Harris Paul , Johnstone Kylie , Del Fabbro Letitia , Kendall Elizabeth
Published: May 2014

This article introduces moral distress – the experience of painful feelings due to institutional constraints on personal moral action – as a significant issue for the international health promotion workforce. Our exploratory study of practitioners’ experiences of health promotion in Australia and Canada during 2009–2010 indicated that practitioners who work in upstream policy- and systems-level health promotion are affected by experiences of moral distress. Health promotion practitioners at all levels of the health promotion continuum also described themselves as being engaged in a minority practice within a larger dominant system that does not always value health promotion. We argue that health promotion practitioners are vulnerable to moral distress due to the values-driven and political nature of the practice, the emphasis on systems change and the inherent complexity and diversity of the practice. This vulnerability to moral distress poses significant challenges to both workers and organisations and the communities they seek to benefit. We propose that further research should be undertaken to fully identify the causes and symptoms of moral distress in health promotion. Extensive existing research on moral distress in nursing provides ample resources to conduct such research.