bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Arabidopsis thaliana plastoglobule‐associated fibrillin 1a interacts with fibrillin 1b in vivo
Authors: Gámez-Arjona Francisco Manuel , de la Concepción Juan Carlos , Raynaud Sandy , Mérida Ángel
Published: June 2014

Plant fibrillins are a well‐conserved protein family found in the plastids of all photosynthetic organisms, where they perform a wide range of functions. A number of these proteins have been suggested to be involved in the maintenance of thylakoids and the formation of plastoglobules, preventing their coalescence and favoring their clustering via an as‐yet unidentified cross‐linking mechanism. In this work we show that two members of this group, namely fibrillin 1a and 1b, interact with each other via a head‐to‐tail mechanism, thus raising the possibility that they form homo‐ or hetero‐oligomers and providing a mechanism to understand the function of these proteins.
“RAF” neighborhood: Protein–protein interaction in the Raf/Mek/Erk pathway
Authors: Cseh Botond , Doma Eszter , Baccarini Manuela
Published: June 2014

The Raf/Mek/Erk signaling pathway, activated downstream of Ras primarily to promote proliferation, represents the best studied of the evolutionary conserved MAPK cascades. The investigation of the pathway has continued unabated since its discovery roughly 30 years ago. In the last decade, however, the identification of unexpected in vivo functions of pathway components, as well as the discovery of Raf mutations in human cancer, the ensuing quest for inhibitors, and the efforts to understand their mechanism of action, have boosted interest tremendously. From this large body of work, protein–protein interaction has emerged as a recurrent, crucial theme. This review focuses on the role of protein complexes in the regulation of the Raf/Mek/Erk pathway and in its cross‐talk with other signaling cascades. Mapping these interactions and finding a way of exploiting them for therapeutic purposes is one of the challenges of future molecule‐targeted therapy.
Surface topology assisted alignment of Min protein waves
Authors: Zieske Katja , Schweizer Jakob , Schwille Petra
Published: June 2014

Self‐organization of proteins into large‐scale structures is of pivotal importance for the organization of cells. The Min protein system of the bacterium Escherichia coli is a prime example of how pattern formation occurs via reaction–diffusion. We have previously demonstrated how Min protein patterns are influenced by compartment geometry. Here we probe the influence of membrane surface topology, as an additional regulatory element. Using microstructured membrane‐clad soft polymer substrates, Min protein patterns can be aligned. We demonstrate that Min pattern alignment starts early during pattern formation and show that macroscopic millimeter‐sized areas of protein patterns of well‐defined orientation can be generated.
Comparison between infliximab and adalimumab in the treatment of perianal fistulas in Crohn's disease
Authors: dos Santos Carlos Henrique Marques
Published: June 2014

Introduction The fistulizing form of Crohn's disease (CD) represents a great challenge regarding treatment, especially perianal fistulas, for its high prevalence.

Objective To assess factors related to the response to surgical treatment associated with anti-TNF inpatients with CD and perianal fistulas.

Method Retrospective study of patients with CD and perianal fistulas who used IFX or ADA in association with surgical treatment.

Results 30 patients with a mean age of 35 years were studied; 16 were treated with ADA (9 ADA + AZA) and 14 with IFX (10 IFX + AZA); ten of those treated with ADA responded, and of the six non-respondents, only one responded to IFX; eight responded to IFX, and among those non-respondents, no one showed response with ADA; among the respondents, there were 10 men and nine women; of those non-respondents, eight were men and 3 women; of those under 40 years, 16 responded compared with only three non-respondents; of those over 40 years, three responded versus eight non-respondents; as to the time elapsed between the onset of the disease and the beginning of anti-TNF, 14 (<2 years), one (2–5 years) and four (>5 years) responded, and five (<2 years), four (2–5 years) and two (>5 years) were non-respondents.

Conclusion There was no difference in response between the anti-TNF agents used; a better response was noted in those who used anti-TNF in combination with azathioprine, among women, in those under 40 years and in those treated within two years of the onset of the disease.
Transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) for local excision of selected rectal neoplasms: efficacy and outcomes in the first 11 patients
Authors: Sevá-Pereira Gustavo , Romagnolo Luis Gustavo Capochin , de Oliveira Filho Joaquim José , Bolzam-Nascimento Ricardo , de Moraes Sandra Pedroso , Ribeiro Gabriela Domingues Andrade
Published: June 2014

Disposable single-port surgery devices have been used for transanal minimally invasive surgery (TAMIS) with benefits, when compared to local resection and transanal endoscopic microsurgery (TEM).

Objective To show outcomes and details of the technique.

Method A series of patients with indication for local resection of rectal tumors were submitted to surgery using the TAMIS platform.

Results Eleven patients have been submitted to TAMIS. Distance from anal verge was from 1.5 to 8 cm and maximum tumor diameter was 6 cm. Initial diagnosis of adenoma was the most frequent indication for resection. One partial dehiscence was the only complication seen. Minimal setup time, low cost and the possibility of using regular laparoscopic instruments make TAMIS a good option for transanal resection. The results of this technique are encouraging, concerning the feasibility, maneuverability, upfront cost, setup time, resectability and complication rate. Because of its simplicity and similarity with conventional laparoscopic surgery, it can be learned easily. Although at the present time the appropriate use of local excision is still under debate, TAMIS is a technique that still expects a lot of growing and much remains to be learned.
Isolated talonavicular arthrodesis for Müller‐Weiss disease
Authors: Lu Chun‐Kuan , Fu Yin‐Chih , Cheng Yuh‐Min , Huang Peng‐Ju
Published: June 2014

This study aims to describe the clinical results of isolated talonavicular arthrodesis in rare Müller‐Weiss disease, spontaneous osteonecrosis of the navicular in adults. From June 2001 to April 2010, we performed isolated talonavicular arthrodesis on 13 feet of 13 patients (mean age: 55.6 years) with Müller‐Weiss disease. The feet were staged by the preoperative radiographs according to the Maceira classification. The average modified American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle‐hindfoot score improved from 48.5 points preoperatively to 87.2 points at final follow‐up (mean 51 months, range 10–114 months). Union was achieved in 10 cases (76.9%). If the subtalar and calcaneocuboid joints are relatively healthy, isolated talonavicular arthrodesis may be an effective and reliable surgical option for treatment of Müller‐Weiss disease that is resistant to conservative treatment.
ON SOME PROPERTIES OF TWO VECTOR-VALUED VAR AND CTE MULTIVARIATE RISK MEASURES FOR ARCHIMEDEAN COPULAS
Authors: Hürlimann Werner
Published: June 2014

We consider the multivariate Value-at-Risk (VaR) and Conditional-Tail-Expectation (CTE) risk measures introduced in Cousin and Di Bernardino (Cousin, A. andDi Bernardino, E. (2013)Journal of Multivariate Analysis,119, 32–46;Cousin, A. andDi Bernardino, E. (2014)Insurance: Mathematics and Economics,55(C), 272–282). For absolutely continuous Archimedean copulas, we derive integral formulas for the multivariate VaR and CTE Archimedean risk measures. We show that each component of the multivariate VaR and CTE functional vectors is an integral transform of the corresponding univariate VaR measures. For the class of Archimedean copulas, the marginal components of the CTE vector satisfy the following properties: positive homogeneity (PH), translation invariance (TI), monotonicity (MO), safety loading (SL) and VaR inequality (VIA). In case marginal risks satisfy the subadditivity (MSA) property, the marginal CTE components are also sub-additive and hitherto coherent risk measures in the usual sense. Moreover, the increasing risk (IR) or stop-loss order preserving property of the marginal CTE components holds for the class of bivariate Archimedean copulas. A counterexample to the (IR) property for the trivariate Clayton copula is included.
Application of image processing based on multiple filters in an alignment system
Authors: Zeng Peiying , Zhu Baoqiang , Liu De’an , Zhu Jianqiang
Published: June 2014

Beam alignment depends on CCD real-time image analysis and processing. In order to improve the quality of the alignment, multiple filters are used in far-field and near-field image processings. These multiple filters are constituted of an average filter and a median filter in different connection sequences, so that they can deal with different kinds of noise. To reduce the effect of the unknown nonlinear relationship between motor running steps and deviation pixels, a feasible methodology is offered to improve this phenomenon and a fuzzy algorithm is applied to the motor feedback control process. Because of the fuzzy control it is not necessary to establish an accurate mathematical model, so the impact of the nonlinear relationship will be reduced.
Steady water waves with vorticity: an analysis of the dispersion equation
Authors: Kozlov V. , Kuznetsov N. , Lokharu E.
Published: June 2014

Two-dimensional steady gravity waves with vorticity are considered on water of finite depth. The dispersion equation is analysed for general vorticity distributions, but under assumptions valid only for unidirectional shear flows. It is shown that for these flows (i) the general dispersion equation is equivalent to the Sturm–Liouville problem considered by Constantin & Strauss (Commun. Pure Appl. Math., vol. 57, 2004, pp. 481–527; Arch. Rat. Mech. Anal., vol. 202, 2011, pp. 133–175), (ii) the condition guaranteeing bifurcation of Stokes waves with constant wavelength is fulfilled. Moreover, a necessary and sufficient condition that the Sturm–Liouville problem mentioned in (i) has an eigenvalue is obtained.
Gastric emptying is involved inLactobacilluscolonisation in mouse stomach
Authors: Sahasakul Yuraporn , Takemura Naoki , Sonoyama Kei
Published: June 2014

Lactobacilli are indigenous microbes of the stomach of rodents, with much lower numbers being present in mice fed a purified diet than in those fed a non-purified diet. We postulated that gastric emptying (GE) is responsible for the different colonisation levels of lactobacilli and tested this hypothesis in the present study. BALB/cCr Slc mice were fed either a non-purified diet or a purified diet for 2 weeks. The number of gastric tissue-associated lactobacilli was lower in mice fed the purified diet than in those fed the non-purified diet. GE, estimated by measuring the food recovered from the stomach, was higher in mice fed the purified diet than in those fed the non-purified diet and correlated negatively with the number of lactobacilli. Mice fed the non-purified diet exhibited lower GE rates even when lactobacilli were eliminated by ampicillin administration through the drinking-water, suggesting that GE is the cause but not the consequence of differentLactobacilluscolonisation levels. The plasma concentrations of acylated ghrelin, a gastric hormone that promotes GE, were higher in mice fed the purified diet than in those fed the non-purified diet. There was a negative correlation between GE and the number of lactobacilli in mice fed the non-purified diet, the purified diet, and the purified diet supplemented with sugarbeet fibre (200 g/kg diet) or carboxymethyl cellulose (40 g/kg diet). We propose that a higher GE rate contributes, at least in part, to lower gastric colonisation levels of lactobacilli in mice fed a purified diet.
Pasturev.standard dairy cream in high-fat diet-fed mice: improved metabolic outcomes and stronger intestinal barrier
Authors: Benoit Bérengère , Plaisancié Pascale , Géloën Alain , Estienne Monique , Debard Cyrille , Meugnier Emmanuelle , Loizon Emmanuelle , Daira Patricia , Bodennec Jacques , Cousin Olivier , Vidal Hubert , Laugerette Fabienne , Michalski Marie-Caroline
Published: June 2014

Dairy products derived from the milk of cows fed in pastures are characterised by higher amounts of conjugated linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid (ALA), and several studies have shown their ability to reduce cardiovascular risk. However, their specific metabolic effects compared with standard dairy in a high-fat diet (HFD) context remain largely unknown; this is what we determined in the present study with a focus on the metabolic and intestinal parameters. The experimental animals were fed for 12 weeks a HFD containing 20 % fat in the form of a pasture dairy cream (PDC) or a standard dairy cream (SDC). Samples of plasma, liver, white adipose tissue, duodenum, jejunum and colon were analysed. The PDC mice, despite a higher food intake, exhibited lower fat mass, plasma and hepatic TAG concentrations, and inflammation in the adipose tissue than the SDC mice. Furthermore, they exhibited a higher expression of hepaticPPARαmRNA and adipose tissue uncoupling protein 2 mRNA, suggesting an enhanced oxidative activity of the tissues. These results might be explained, in part, by the higher amounts of ALA in the PDC diet and in the liver and adipose tissue of the PDC mice. Moreover, the PDC diet was found to increase the proportions of two strategic cell populations involved in the protective function of the intestinal epithelium, namely Paneth and goblet cells in the small intestine and colon, compared with the SDC diet. In conclusion, a PDC HFD leads to improved metabolic outcomes and to a stronger gut barrier compared with a SDC HFD. This may be due, at least in part, to the protective mechanisms induced by specific lipids.
Long-term intake of soyabean phytosterols lowers serum TAG and NEFA concentrations, increases bile acid synthesis and protects against fatty liver development in dyslipidaemic hamsters
Authors: Laos Sirle , Caimari Antoni , Crescenti Anna , Lakkis Jamileh , Puiggròs Francesc , Arola Lluís , del Bas Josep Maria
Published: June 2014

Various human trials and pre-clinical studies have suggested that dietary plant sterols possess hypotriacylglycerolaemic properties apart from their cholesterol-lowering properties. We hypothesised that phytosterols (PS) might attenuate triacylglycerolaemia by interfering with the deleterious effects of cholesterol overload in the liver. In the present study, twenty hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) with diet-induced combined hyperlipidaemia were fed a high-fat diet (HFD,n10) or a HFD supplemented with soyabean PS (n10) for 40 d. In parallel, a healthy group was fed a standard diet (n10). PS normalised fasting plasma cholesterol concentrations completely after 20 d and were also able to normalise serum TAG and NEFA concentrations after 40 d. HFD feeding caused microvesicular steatosis and impaired the expression of key genes related to fatty acid oxidation such asPPARA, carnitine palmitoyltransferase-Iα (CPT1A) and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase 1 (PCK1) in the liver. PS treatment completely protected against HFD-induced steatosis and resulted in a normalised hepatic gene expression profile. The protection of the hepatic function by PS was paralleled by increased faecal cholesterol excretion along with a 2-fold increase in the biliary bile acid (BA):cholesterol ratio. The present study supports the conclusion that long-term consumption of PS can reduce serum TAG and NEFA concentrations and can protect against the development of fatty liver via different mechanisms, including the enhancement of BA synthesis. The results of the present study place these compounds as promising hepatoprotective agents against fatty liver and its derived pathologies.
Group Entitlement, Anger and Participation in Intergroup Violence
Authors: Claassen Christopher
Published: June 2014

There is little research on the thousands of individuals who take part in intergroup violence. This article proposes that their participation is motivated by the emotion of intergroup anger, which, in turn, is triggered by a comparison between the intergroup distribution of resources and the distribution that is believed to be desirable. Thus, when another group is perceived to violate group entitlements – by taking jobs thought to belong to the ingroup, for example – anger is experienced and individuals become more willing to take part in violence against the outgroup. Support for this theory is found in a new survey dataset, collected in a slum in South Africa where anti-immigrant violence occurred in 2008.
OVERWEIGHT/OBESITY AND HUMAN CAPITAL FORMATION FROM INFANCY TO ADOLESCENCE: EVIDENCE FROM TWO LARGE US COHORTS
Authors: MURASKO JASON E.
Published: June 2014

Body mass index (BMI) levels in US children and adolescents have increased over the past several decades. The negative health effects of this trend are well-documented. Recent work has evaluated the potential effects on skills formation. Studies are mixed on whether there is an association between high BMI and skills outcomes, and those that estimate causal effects find none. This paper offers estimates on the causal effect of BMI-defined overweight and obesity on skills formation using two large cohorts of contemporary US children followed from infancy to 5 years and from kindergarten (6 years) to the eighth grade (14 years). Significant negative associations were observed in the random effects models for males in early life with respect to a mental skills assessment, for females during the pre-school years for reading and maths assessments, for both males and females during the schooling years for reading assessments and for females during the schooling years for maths assessments. Fixed effects models yielded a significant negative association only with respect to the latter. The implication of these findings is that any improvement in skills outcomes that may accompany reductions in obesity prevalence may depend on whether interventions are general to overall health productivity or whether they are specific to dietary and exercise behaviours.
Evaluation of a temporal bone prototype by experts in otology
Authors: Chenebaux M , Lescanne E , Robier A , Kim S , Bakhos D
Published: June 2014

Background:

Inexperienced otologists require training on the temporal bone drilling process, prior to any surgical activity. The shortage of cadaveric temporal bones exerts pressure to create realistic physical prototypes. This paper describes the evaluation by otology experts of a specially developed temporal bone resin model.

Methods:

Computed tomography images were transformed into digital files, and anatomically identical right temporal bone models were created using stereolithography. These hand-painted resin prototypes were sent to 25 otologists, accompanied by a 20-item questionnaire.

Results:

Satisfaction rate was 92 per cent. The overall prototype score was 48.87 out of 60. Average scores were: 12.63 out of 15 for anatomy-morphology, 6.98 out of 9 for quality of drilling, 16.74 out of 21 for identification of anatomical elements and 7.41 out of 9 for stages of drilling. Limitations of the model included an excessively vivid facial nerve colour and difficulty in identifying the posterior semicircular canal. Disadvantages related to the thickness of the resin and its residues were identified.

Conclusion:

The prototype appears to provide an attractive solution to the shortage of cadaveric temporal bones. However, interest in the model for drilling technique training for inexperienced otologists has not yet been assessed.
BACI monitoring of effects of hydraulic dredging for cockles on intertidal benthic habitats of Dundalk Bay, Ireland
Authors: Clarke Sarah , Tully Oliver
Published: June 2014

Hydraulic dredging for bivalves, such as cockles (Cerastoderma edule), has the potential to cause significant impacts on marine intertidal benthos. Although this fishing activity is common in northern European Natura 2000 sites such impacts may be incompatible with conservation objectives for designated habitats and species within these sites. In 2009–2010 a spatially nested control-impact study was undertaken before (t0), 8–9 days after (t1) and 4 months (t2) following dredging and extraction of 108 tonnes of cockles from a standing stock of 2158 tonnes in Dundalk Bay. This study failed to detect significant effects on benthic sediments, or the overall community structure. However, a fishing effect on the target species C. edule in one sampling area and a short lived effect on the bivalve Angulus tenuis were identified. Significant spatial and temporal variability in abundance of species and taxonomic groups, unrelated to fishing effects, was observed. Previous studies on the effects of fisheries on marine intertidal benthos have reported variable results, related to study design and objectives and the physical characteristics of the study site. Site specific studies, relative to the intensity and frequency of proposed fishing activity, may be required to adequately inform managers whether such activities are compatible with specific conservation objectives for Natura 2000 sites.
PERFORMING THE PATRON: BETTY FREEMAN AND THE AVANT-GARDE
Authors: Johnson Jake
Published: June 2014

Little can be said about music during the last century without encountering the men and women who supported it financially. Pierre Bourdieu's impression that the services rendered freely for the good of society reinforce a symbolic debt between giver and recipient complicates motivations behind patronage. Indeed, applying Bourdieu's theory to altruism in general – here, patronage in particular – highlights what could be thought of as a performance of futility: both giver and receiver understand the tenacious terms yet agree nonetheless to act out the process of reaching equilibrium. In the case of iconic music patron Betty Freeman (1921–2009), her support of the avant-garde seems, at times, to call into question on what side of this ‘performed futility’ she existed. This article considers ways in which Freeman's work as patron of the musical avant-garde allowed her to perform her identity as a woman and mother among a community on the fringe.
Murail, Dufourt, Grisey: BBC Symphony Orchestra, Barbican Centre, London
Authors: Cagney Liam
Published: June 2014

‘Why shouldn't we be allowed to write symphonic poems?’ Tristan Murail asked the audience gathered at the BBC's Maida Vale Studios for his interview with Jonathan Cross. Murail, now 67, was visiting the UK for the first time in many years, here for the world premiere of his new orchestral work Reflections, which took place on 2 November 2013 in a robust performance by the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Sakari Oramo. Reflections parts one and two evoke certain aspects of early modernist music, and, most of all, the music of Debussy, a composer Murail has come to cite more and more frequently. This diptych premiered by the BBC SO comprises the first two parts, said Murail, of a projected cycle for orchestra of several relatively brief pieces, each of which reflects on a certain image, memory or object of personal significance to the composer.
Howard Skempton and Matthew Harris Field Notes, BCMG, Wem Town Hall, Shropshire, 8 March 2014
Authors: Reynolds Peter
Published: June 2014

Howard Skempton's natural habitat is outside the box. Since the late 1960s he has flown in the face of the most fashionable trends in music, initially producing small, spare, almost inscrutable pieces often covering less than a page. He has never stood still, always gently subverting the listener's conception of his music. A major shift came in 1991 with his orchestral work Lento, where not only the size of forces used, but timescale as well, moved into a new area without compromising his own personal voice. More recently he has developed a relationship with Birmingham Contemporary Music Group (BCMG) resulting in Only the Sound Remains for viola and ensemble (2010), lasting more than 30 minutes. With a seemingly quite traditional surface, the piece's ability to hold a series of seemingly unconnected episodes together whilst retaining a sense of continuity disguised a highly radical structure (see Calum MacDonald's review in TEMPO 253 for more details).
Festival Présences, Paris, 2014
Authors: Cagney Liam
Published: June 2014

Thirteen concerts, eight world premieres, 15 French premieres, 36 composers and some of the top performers, ensembles and conductors in the new music world – yes, Festival Présences had swung back round, like the February hail or the latest season of Big Brother, albeit much more welcome. The theme for Présences's twenty-fourth incarnation seemed at first sight an awkward one: ‘Paris–Berlin’. As themes go, was it not uninspired to just lump two capital cities together, eliciting our suspicion that it was based on the mundane fact that most of the composers happen to live in one of these two cities?
Ultraschall Berlin, Festival für neue Musik, 2014
Authors: Noble Andrew
Published: June 2014

Ultraschall, jointly presented by Deutschlandradio Kultur and Kulturradio vom RBB (Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg), and this year officially renamed Ultraschall Berlin, has been a fixture of the city's concert life since 1999. Festival directors Rainer Pöllmann (Deutschlandradio Kultur) and Andreas Göbel (replacing Margarete Zander for Kulturradio vom RBB) chose to emphasise the two major broadcasters' partnership this year with what they called a ‘duo idea’ running through the festival's programme. Illustrating this theme, orchestral concerts (a pair) opened and closed the festival, the project New Forum Jeune Création paired each of three ensembles with two young composers, and performing duos included GranSchumacher Piano Duo, Claudia Barainsky and Axel Bauni in a concert for voice and piano, and a concert of string duos by members of Kammerensemble Neue Musik Berlin (who were however not appearing as representatives of this ensemble) with the featured composer/zither player Leopold Hurt, to name but a few. Additionally, a so-called epilogue after the festival's official ending was paired with something that one might have called a prologue, seemingly tacked on as an afterthought: an evening of Klangkunst, electro-acoustic music and performance entitled ‘Art's Birthday’ presented works by Hanna Hartman, Jana Winderen and Nicolas Bernier at the hub of Berlin's club culture, Berghain. Though internationally known in the techno scene for drugs, dancing and dark rooms, Berghain has also long been used as a venue for contemporary and experimental music concerts. The otherwise conservative choices of venue (Radialsystem V, Haus des Rundfunks, and HAU (Hebbel am Ufer) Theatres) and programme – Ultraschall sees itself more as a repertoire-establishing festival, with an emphasis not on premieres but on second and third performances alongside ‘masterpieces’ of contemporary and modern music – made this first concert appear a half-hearted jumping on the ‘new contexts’ bandwagon. And, alongside the repeated, excited announcements of the festival now having its own website (yes in 2014!), there was something of the sense of embarrassment one feels as a teenager bumping into one's parents at a night club.
Collective Protection for New Social Risks: Childcare and the Dutch Welfare State
Authors: YERKES MARA A.
Published: June 2014

Issues such as caring and family policy have received increased attention within the sociological literature on the welfare state during the past decades. At the same time, there has been much debate about the protection of social risks. In particular, scholars have questioned the ability of welfare states to respond to so-called new social risks, such as reconciling work and care. The literature on new social risks assumes welfare states will have difficulty addressing these risks due to pressures for reform and assumed individual responsibility for new social risks. In contrast, the Dutch welfare state has been successful in re-orienting existing institutions to develop a semi-collectivised yet market-driven form of childcare policy. Using qualitative interview data and document analysis, this article analyses the development of Dutch childcare policy from 1995 to 2009. The development of childcare policy is attributed to three social mechanisms: a common perception among actors viewing childcare as a solution to improve women's employment; a party politics mechanism, which creates a distinct Dutch approach to childcare; and a corporatist mechanism, referring to the interaction between the state and industrial relations, which failed in the area of childcare policy. The development of childcare policy has not been wholly unproblematic, however, and therefore a critical discussion of these developments is offered. Also, an update of policy developments through to 2013 is provided.
The Princely Republic
Authors: Stacey Peter
Published: June 2014

This article examines Seneca's theory of monarchy inDe clementia. It focuses in particular on Seneca's appropriation and redefinition of some key terms within Roman political thought in order to present his theory as an account of the restitution of liberty to theres publicaunder the government of the virtuousprinceps. By relocating the Roman body politic to a Stoic moral universe, Seneca is able to draw upon parts of his philosophical inheritance in order to substantiate his claim in some depth.
Institutions and coalitions in policy processes: a cross-sectoral comparison
Authors: Fischer Manuel
Published: June 2014

Actors with joint beliefs in a decision-making process form coalitions in order to translate their goals into policy. Yet, coalitions are not formed in an institutional void, but rather institutions confer opportunities and constraints to actors. This paper studies the institutional conditions under which either coalition structures with a dominant coalition or with competing coalitions emerge. It takes into account three conditions, i.e. the degree of federalism of a project, its degree of Europeanisation and the openness of the pre-parliamentary phase of the decision-making process. The cross-sectoral comparison includes the 11 most important decision-making processes in Switzerland between 2001 and 2006 with a fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis. Results suggest that Europeanisation or an open pre-parliamentary phase lead to a dominant coalition, whereas only a specific combination of all three conditions is able to explain a structure with competing coalitions.
Modelling disparities in health services utilisation for older Blacks: a quantile regression framework
Authors: SHARMA ANDY
Published: June 2014

With the on-going ageing of the United States population, resolving health disparities continues to be a prominent and worthwhile goal, particularly in the areas of promoting minority health and reducing racial/ethnic disparities. This analysis employs the 2004 and 2005 Household Component records from the Medical Expenditures Panel Survey, which correspond to data files H89 and H97, to examine utilisation by race across the entire distribution function; more specifically, applying the behavioural model of health services utilisation and employing a Quantile Regression (QR) framework. This is a noteworthy contribution because the conditional mean may not be the best approximation for a skewed-location distribution. In contrast, QR is robust to outliers and scale effects since the estimation minimises least absolute deviation. The sample consists of 2,525 older adults at least 65 years of age with 303 corresponding to Black and 2,222 corresponding to White. Results suggest older Blacks continue to utilise health services (i.e. office or clinic visits with a physician or medical provider) at lower levels and this is more pronounced at and below the median quantile (i.e. below the 50th cut-off). Usual source of care (USC) continues to play an important role. Beliefs surrounding the need for insurance and medical intervention are also significant and explain some of the racial disparities. Although utilisation disparities persist for older Blacks, collaborative and flexible models of care can reach this group.
Crystal structure of atomoxetine hydrochloride (Strattera), C17H22NOCl
Authors: Kaduk James A. , Crowder Cyrus E. , Zhong Kai , Fawcett Timothy G. , Suchomel Matthew R.
Published: June 2014

Commercial atomoxetine hydrochloride crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P212121 (#19), with a = 7.362 554(12), b = 13.340 168(27), c = 16.701 887(33) Å, V = 1640.421(5) Å3, and Z = 4. The structure was solved and refined using synchrotron powder diffraction data, and Rietveld and density functional techniques. The most prominent feature of the structure is zigzag chains of N–H···Cl hydrogen bonds along the a-axis. The powder pattern has been submitted to the ICDD for inclusion in future releases of the Powder Diffraction File™.
A review of the evidence to inform pneumococcal vaccine recommendations for risk groups aged 2 years and older
Authors: STEENS A. , VESTRHEIM D. F. , AABERGE I. S. , WIKLUND B. S. , STORSAETER J. , RIISE BERGSAKER M. A. , RØNNING K. , FURUSETH E.
Published: June 2014

For decades, vaccination with the 23-valent polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine (PPV23) has been available for risk groups aged ⩾2 years to prevent invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). Recently, a 13-valent pneumococcal conjugated vaccine (PCV13) has been licensed for use in all age groups. PCV13 may induce better protection than PPV23 because of different immunogenic properties. This called for a revision of vaccine recommendations for risk groups. We therefore reviewed literature on risk groups for IPD, and effectiveness and safety of pneumococcal vaccines and supplemented that with information from public health institutes, expert consultations and data on IPD epidemiology. We included 187 articles. We discuss the implications of the heterogenic vulnerability for IPD within and between risk groups, large indirect effects of childhood immunization, and limited knowledge on additional clinical benefits of PCV13 in combination with PPV23 for the Norwegian recommendations. These are now step-wise and consider the need for vaccination, choice of pneumococcal vaccines, and re-vaccination interval by risk group.
Seroepidemiology ofToxoplasma gondiiinfection in Bai and Han ethnic groups in southwestern China
Authors: LI H.-L. , DONG L. , LI Q. , ZHANG L. , CHEN J. , ZOU F.-C. , ZHU X.-Q.
Published: June 2014

Eating raw pork and/or liver is a custom of the Bai ethnic group in China. Most people living in Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, southwestern China are of Bai ethnicity. Little is known of the seroprevalence ofToxoplasma gondiiin Bai and Han ethnic populations in this region. In the present survey, a total of 555 and 595 blood samples were obtained from Bai and Han ethnic groups in Dali urban and rural areas, respectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to examineT. gondiiIgG antibodies. Total positive rate of anti-T. gondiiIgG in Bai and Han groups in this region was 21·6% (248/1150). The total seroprevalence ofT. gondiiwas significantly higher in the Bai ethnic group (32·3%, 179/555) than in the Han ethnic group (11·6%, 69/595) (P < 0·01). The results of statistical analysis indicated that there was no significant difference between cat feeding/non-cat feeding groups in the Bai ethnic group, the most important risk factor was consumption of raw pork and/or liver for the Bai group, but feeding a cat may be the main route ofT. gondiiinfection for the Han group. Therefore, it is essential to implement integrated strategies to prevent and controlT. gondiiinfection in this unique region of the world.
(r) we there yet? The change to rhoticity in New York City English
Authors: Becker Kara
Published: June 2014

Labov (1966, 1972b) described the variable production of coda /r/ in New York City English (NYCE) as a change in progress from above in the direction of rhoticity. Since then, scholars have commented on the slow rate of change toward rhoticity in NYCE and characterized (r) as a superposed feature restricted to formal speech (Fowler, 1987; Labov, 1994; Labov, Ash, & Boberg, 2006). This study's ethnically diverse sample of speakers from the Lower East Side of Manhattan (n = 65) shows a mean rate of /r/ production of 68%, with young people, women, and middle-class speakers leading in the production of /r/ in apparent time. Speakers from five ethnic backgrounds—African American, Chinese, Jewish, Puerto Rican, and white—show coherence for the internal constraints on variable nonrhoticity. However, only Chinese, Jewish, and white speakers participate in the change toward rhoticity. These findings highlight the role of ethnicity in patterns of variation and change and demonstrate that the change toward rhoticity in NYCE has accelerated and is no longer restricted to formal speech.
The diffusion of /l/-vocalization in Swiss German
Authors: Leemann Adrian , Kolly Marie-José , Werlen Iwar , Britain David , Studer-Joho Dieter
Published: June 2014

Several western Swiss German dialects roughly grouped around the nation's capital Bern show /l/ > [u] vocalization in various contexts. The spatial boundaries of /l/-vocalization in Swiss German are suspected to have been expanding since being described in theLinguistic Atlas of German-Speaking Switzerlandin the middle of the 20th century. The present study assesses the overall expansion of /l/-vocalization by means of a rapid anonymous survey in 20 urban regional centers situated just beyond the traditional boundaries of /l/-vocalization highlighted by theAtlas. Results show that the expansion of /l/-vocalization mainly progresses in southeasterly, southerly, and westerly directions, but with much less success to the north and northwest, where the equally influential dialectal areas of Basel and Zürich seem to exert opposing influences. Further analysis of the data indicates that somewhat differing constraint hierarchies are at work in the different places to which vocalization has diffused.
Childhood adversities and adolescent depression: A matter of both risk and resilience
Authors: Oldehinkel Albertine J. , Ormel Johan , Verhulst Frank C. , Nederhof Esther
Published: June 2014

Childhood adversities have been proposed to modify later stress sensitivity and risk of depressive disorder in several ways: by stress sensitization, stress amplification, and stress inoculation. Combining these models, we hypothesized that childhood adversities would increase risk of early, but not later, onsets of depression (Hypothesis 1). In those without an early onset, childhood adversities were hypothesized to predict a relatively low risk of depression in high-stress conditions (Hypothesis 2a) and a relatively high risk of depression in low-stress conditions (Hypothesis 2b), compared to no childhood adversities. These hypotheses were tested in 1,584 participants of the Tracking Adolescents' Individual Lives Survey, a prospective cohort study of adolescents. Childhood adversities were assessed retrospectively at ages 11 and 13.5, using self-reports and parent reports. Lifetime DSM-IV major depressive episodes were assessed at age 19, by means of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Stressful life events during adolescence were established using interview-based contextual ratings of personal and network events. The results provided support for all hypotheses, regardless of the informant and timeframe used to assess childhood adversities and regardless of the nature (personal vs. network, dependent vs. independent) of recent stressful events. These findings suggest that age at first onset of depression may be an effective marker to distinguish between various types of reaction patterns.
FROM SEPARABLE POLYNOMIALS TO NONEXISTENCE OF RATIONAL POINTS ON CERTAIN HYPERELLIPTIC CURVES
Authors: DONG QUAN NGUYEN NGOC
Published: June 2014

We give a separability criterion for the polynomials of the form$$\begin{equation*} ax^{2n + 2} + (bx^{2m} + c)(d x^{2k} + e). \end{equation*}$$Using this separability criterion, we prove a sufficient condition using the Brauer–Manin obstruction under which curves of the form$$\begin{equation*} z^2 = ax^{2n + 2} + (bx^{2m} + c)(d x^{2k} + e) \end{equation*}$$have no rational points. As an illustration, using the sufficient condition, we study the arithmetic of hyperelliptic curves of the above form and show that there are infinitely many curves of the above form that are counterexamples to the Hasse principle explained by the Brauer–Manin obstruction.
CAYLEY SUM GRAPHS OF IDEALS OF A COMMUTATIVE RING
Authors: AFKHAMI M. , BARATI Z. , KHASHYARMANESH K. , PAKNEJAD N.
Published: June 2014

Let $\def \xmlpi #1{}\def \mathsfbi #1{\boldsymbol {\mathsf {#1}}}\let \le =\leqslant \let \leq =\leqslant \let \ge =\geqslant \let \geq =\geqslant \def \Pr {\mathit {Pr}}\def \Fr {\mathit {Fr}}\def \Rey {\mathit {Re}}R$ be a commutative ring, $I(R)$ be the set of all ideals of $R$ and $S$ be a subset of $I^*(R)=I(R)\setminus \{0\}$. We define a Cayley sum digraph of ideals of $R$, denoted by $\overrightarrow{\mathrm{Cay}}^+ (I(R),S)$, as a directed graph whose vertex set is the set $I(R)$ and, for every two distinct vertices $I$ and $J$, there is an arc from $I$ to $J$, denoted by $I\longrightarrow J$, whenever $I+K=J$, for some ideal $K $ in $S$. Also, the Cayley sum graph $ \mathrm{Cay}^+ (I(R), S)$ is an undirected graph whose vertex set is the set $I(R)$ and two distinct vertices $I$ and $J$ are adjacent whenever $I+K=J$ or $J+K=I$, for some ideal $K $ in $ S$. In this paper, we study some basic properties of the graphs $\overrightarrow{\mathrm{Cay}}^+ (I(R),S)$ and $ \mathrm{Cay}^+ (I(R), S)$ such as connectivity, girth and clique number. Moreover, we investigate the planarity, outerplanarity and ring graph of $ \mathrm{Cay}^+ (I(R), S)$ and also we provide some characterization for rings $R$ whose Cayley sum graphs have genus one.
SOME REMARKS ON THE CURVATURE TYPE PROBLEM ON
Authors: SANTRA SANJIBAN
Published: June 2014

In this paper, we prove the existence, uniqueness and multiplicity of positive solutions of a nonlinear perturbed fourth-order problem related to the$Q$curvature.
Analysis of high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits in five amphidiploids and their parental diploid speciesAegilops umbellulataandAegilops uniaristata
Authors: Dai Shoufen , Zhao Li , Xue Xiaofei , Jia Yanni , Liu Dengcai , Pu Zongjun , Zheng Youliang , Yan Zehong
Published: June 2014

Amphidiploids serve as a bridge for transferring genes from wild species into wheat. In this study, five amphidiploids with AABBUU and AABBNN genomes were produced by spontaneous chromosome doubling of unreduced triploid F1gametes from crosses between diploidAegilops(A. umbellulataaccessions CIae 29 and PI 226500, andA. uniaristataaccession PI 554419) and tetraploidTriticum turgidum(ssp.durumcultivar Langdon and ssp.dicoccumaccessions PI 94 668 and PI 349045) species. The composition of high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) in these amphidiploids and in their parentalA. umbellulataandA. uniaristataspecies was analysed. As expected, the amphidiploids fromT. turgidumssp.dicoccumaccession PI 944668 or PI 349045 andA. umbellulataaccession CIae 29 or PI 226500 andA. uniaristataaccession PI 554419 showed the same HMW-GS patterns as those of theirAegilopsparents, because HMW-GS genes were all silenced in theT. turgidumssp.dicoccumparents. The amphidiploids from CIae 29 and Langdon inherited all of the HMW-GS genes from their parents except for the Uy type. Using 10 and 15% sodium dodecyl sulphate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS–PAGE) and 10% urea/SDS–PAGE, 11 Ux and ten Uy types in 16 combinations were observed in 48A. umbellulataaccessions, and two Nx and two Ny types in two combinations were detected in sixA. uniaristataaccessions. These novel HMW-GS variants may provide new genetic resources for improving the quality of wheat.
From the field: Empowering women to improve family food security in Afghanistan
Authors: Wilcox Clair Sophia , Grutzmacher Stephanie , Ramsing Rebecca , Rockler Amanda , Balch Christie , Safi Marghuba , Hanson James
Published: June 2014

Kitchen gardens may improve family food security and nutrition. While these gardens are the domain of women in Afghanistan, women face unique challenges accessing training and resources to maximize small-scale agricultural output. The University of Maryland's Women in Agriculture Project builds capacity among female extension educators to work with vulnerable women to implement and maintain kitchen gardens. Extension educators use experiential methods to teach vegetable gardening, apiculture, small-scale poultry production, post-harvest handling and processing, nutrition and marketing through workshops, demonstration gardens and farmer field schools. This paper explores contextual factors related to women's food security and agricultural opportunities, describes key project activities and approaches and discusses project success and challenges, sustainability and implications for future programs.
Depressive Symptoms and Career-Related Goal Appraisals: Genetic and Environmental Correlations and Interactions
Authors: Salmela-Aro Katariina , Read Sanna , Vuoksimaa Eero , Korhonen Tellervo , Dick Danielle M. , Kaprio Jaakko , Rose Richard. J.
Published: June 2014

In order to further understand why depressive symptoms are associated with negative goal appraisals, the present study examined the genetic and environmental correlations and interactions between depressive symptoms and career-related goal appraisals. A total of 1,240 Finnish twins aged 21–26 years completed a questionnaire containing items on the appraisal of their career goals along five dimensions: importance, progress, effort, strain, and self-efficacy. In the same questionnaire, the 10-item General Behavior Inventory assessed depressive symptoms. Structural equation modeling was used to evaluate the genetic and environmental correlations and gene–environment interactions between the career-goal appraisals and depressive symptoms. Associations were identified, and were attributed to environmental factors. Of the career-related goal appraisals, the shared environmental component was of a higher magnitude for the dimension of strain among the depressed compared with non-depressed subjects. The results indicate that the interplay between depressive symptoms and negative career-related goal appraisals is significantly affected by environmental factors, and thus possibly susceptible to targeted interventions.