bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Impact of HIV infection and smoking on lung immunity and related disorders
Authors: Rossouw Theresa M. , Anderson Ronald , Feldman Charles
Published: August 2015

HIV-infected persons not only have higher rates of smoking than the general population, but are also unusually vulnerable to the associated adverse health effects, both infective and noninfective in origin. Indeed, in the setting of well-organised care and availability of highly active antiretroviral therapy, HIV-infected smokers lose more life-years to smoking than to HIV infectionper se, presenting a major challenge to healthcare providers. Not surprisingly, the respiratory system is particularly susceptible to the damaging interactive chronic inflammatory and immunosuppressive effects of HIV and smoking, intensifying the risk of the development of opportunistic infections, as well as lung cancer and obstructive lung disorders. The impact of smoking on the immunopathogenesis and frequencies of these respiratory conditions in the setting of HIV infection, as well as on the efficacy of antiretroviral therapy, represent the primary focus of this review.
Allergen-induced airway responses
Authors: Gauvreau Gail M. , El-Gammal Amani I. , O'Byrne Paul M.
Published: August 2015

Environmental allergens are an important cause of asthma and can contribute to loss of asthma control and exacerbations. Allergen inhalation challenge has been a useful clinical model to examine the mechanisms of allergen-induced airway responses and inflammation. Allergen bronchoconstrictor responses are the early response, which reaches a maximum within 30 min and resolves by 1–3 h, and late responses, when bronchoconstriction recurs after 3–4 h and reaches a maximum over 6–12 h. Late responses are followed by an increase in airway hyperresponsiveness. These responses occur when IgE on mast cells is cross-linked by an allergen, causing degranulation and the release of histamine, neutral proteases and chemotactic factors, and the production of newly formed mediators, such as cysteinyl leukotrienes and prostaglandin D2. Allergen-induced airway inflammation consists of an increase in airway eosinophils, basophils and, less consistently, neutrophils. These responses are mediated by the trafficking and activation of myeloid dendritic cells into the airways, probably as a result of the release of epithelial cell-derived thymic stromal lymphopoietin, and the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines from type 2 helper T-cells. Allergen inhalation challenge has also been a widely used model to study potential new therapies for asthma and has an excellent negative predictive value for this purpose.
A summary of the new GINA strategy: a roadmap to asthma control
Authors: Reddel Helen K. , Bateman Eric D. , Becker Allan , Boulet Louis-Philippe , Cruz Alvaro A. , Drazen Jeffrey M. , Haahtela Tari , Hurd Suzanne S. , Inoue Hiromasa , de Jongste Johan C. , Lemanske Robert F. , Levy Mark L. , O'Byrne Paul M. , Paggiaro Pierluigi , Pedersen Soren E. , Pizzichini Emilio , Soto-Quiroz Manuel , Szefler Stanley J. , Wong Gary W.K. , FitzGerald J. Mark
Published: August 2015

Over the past 20 years, the Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) has regularly published and annually updated a global strategy for asthma management and prevention that has formed the basis for many national guidelines. However, uptake of existing guidelines is poor. A major revision of the GINA report was published in 2014, and updated in 2015, reflecting an evolving understanding of heterogeneous airways disease, a broader evidence base, increasing interest in targeted treatment, and evidence about effective implementation approaches. During development of the report, the clinical utility of recommendations and strategies for their practical implementation were considered in parallel with the scientific evidence.

This article provides a summary of key changes in the GINA report, and their rationale. The changes include a revised asthma definition; tools for assessing symptom control and risk factors for adverse outcomes; expanded indications for inhaled corticosteroid therapy; a framework for targeted treatment based on phenotype, modifiable risk factors, patient preference, and practical issues; optimisation of medication effectiveness by addressing inhaler technique and adherence; revised recommendations about written asthma action plans; diagnosis and initial treatment of the asthma−chronic obstructive pulmonary disease overlap syndrome; diagnosis in wheezing pre-school children; and updated strategies for adaptation and implementation of GINA recommendations.
Pulmonary hypertension in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis with mild-to-moderate restriction
Authors: Raghu Ganesh , Nathan Steven D. , Behr Juergen , Brown Kevin K. , Egan James J. , Kawut Steven M. , Flaherty Kevin R. , Martinez Fernando J. , Wells Athol U. , Shao Lixin , Zhou Huafeng , Henig Noreen , Szwarcberg Javier , Gillies Hunter , Montgomery Alan B. , O'Riordan Thomas G.
Published: August 2015

The clinical course of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is not known except in advanced disease.

488 subjects in a placebo-controlled study of ambrisentan in IPF with mild–moderate restriction in lung volume, underwent right heart catheterisation (RHC) at baseline and 117 subjects (24%) had repeated haemodynamic measurements at 48 weeks.

The subjects were categorised into a) World Health Organization (WHO) Group 3 PH (PH associated with pulmonary disease), n=68 (14%); b) WHO Group 2 PH (PH associated with left-sided cardiac disease), n=25 (5%); c) no PH but elevated pulmonary artery wedge pressure (PAWP), n=21 (4%); and d) no PH but without elevation of PAWP, n=374 (77%). The WHO Group 3 PH subjects had a lower diffusion capacity, 6MWD and oxygen saturation compared to the subjects with no PH. There was no significant change in mean pulmonary arterial pressure with ambrisenten or placebo after 12 months.

Subjects with IPF associated with WHO Group 3 PH had impaired gas exchange and exercise capacity compared to patients without PH. An additional 9% of the subjects had haemodynamic evidence of subclinical left-ventricular dysfunction. Pulmonary artery pressures remained stable over 1 year in the majority of the cohort.
Unravelling the complexity of COPD by microRNAs: it's a small world after all
Authors: Osei Emmanuel T. , Florez-Sampedro Laura , Timens Wim , Postma Dirkje S. , Heijink Irene H. , Brandsma Corry-Anke
Published: August 2015

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a progressive lung disease and is currently the fourth leading cause of death worldwide. Chronic inflammation and repair processes in the small airways are characteristic of COPD. Despite extensive efforts from researchers and industry, there is still no cure for COPD, hence an urgent need for new therapeutic alternatives. MicroRNAs are such an option; they are small noncoding RNAs involved in gene regulation. Their importance has been shown with respect to maintaining the balance between health and disease. Although previous reviews have discussed the expression of microRNAs related to lung disease, a detailed discussion regarding the function of differential miRNA expression in the pathogenesis of COPD is lacking.

In this review we link the expression of microRNAs to different features of COPD and explain their importance in the pathogenesis of this disease. We further discuss their potential to contribute to the development of future therapeutic strategies.
Simulator training for endobronchial ultrasound: a randomised controlled trial
Authors: Konge Lars , Clementsen Paul Frost , Ringsted Charlotte , Minddal Valentina , Larsen Klaus Richter , Annema Jouke T.
Published: August 2015

Endobronchial ultrasound-guided transbronchial needle aspiration (EBUS-TBNA) is very operator dependent and has a long learning curve. Simulation-based training might shorten the learning curve, and an assessment tool with solid validity evidence could ensure basic competency before unsupervised performance.

A total of 16 respiratory physicians, without EBUS experience, were randomised to either virtual-reality simulator training or traditional apprenticeship training on patients, and then each physician performed EBUS-TBNA procedures on three patients. Three blinded, independent assessor assessed the video recordings of the procedures using a newly developed EBUS assessment tool (EBUSAT).

The internal consistency was high (Cronbach's α=0.95); the generalisability coefficient was good (0.86), and the tool had discriminatory ability (p<0.001). Procedures performed by simulator-trained novices were rated higher than procedures performed by apprenticeship-trained novices: mean±sdare 24.2±7.9 points and 20.2±9.4 points, respectively; p=0.006. A pass/fail standard of 28.9 points was established using the contrasting groups method, resulting in 16 (67%) and 20 (83%) procedures performed by simulator-trained novices and apprenticeship-trained novices failing the test, respectively; p<0.001.

The endobronchial ultrasound assessment tool could be used to provide reliable and valid assessment of competence in EBUS-TBNA, and act as an aid in certification. Virtual-reality simulator training was shown to be more effective than traditional apprenticeship training.
Knowledge-based analysis of genetic associations of rheumatoid arthritis to inform studies searching for pleiotropic genes: a literature review and network analysis
Authors: Zheng Weiying , Rao Shaoqi
Published: August 2015

Introduction

Pleiotropy describes the genetic effect of a single gene on multiple phenotypic traits. Gene variants directly affect the normal processes of a series of physiological and biochemical reactions, and therefore cause a variety of diseases traits to be changed accordingly. Moreover, a shared genetic susceptibility mechanism may exist between different diseases. Therefore, shared genes, with pleiotropic effects, are important to understand the sharing pathogenesis and hence the mechanisms underlying comorbidity.

Methods

In this study, we proposed combining genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and public knowledge databases to search for potential pleiotropic genes associated with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and eight other related diseases. Here, a GWAS-based network analysis is used to recognize risk genes significantly associated with RA. These RA risk genes are re-extracted as potential pleiotropic genes if they have been proved to be susceptible genes for at least one of eight other diseases in the OMIM or PubMed databases.

Results

In total, we extracted 116 potential functional pleiotropic genes for RA and eight other diseases, including five hub pleiotropic genes, BTNL2, HLA-DRA, NOTCH4, TNXB, and C6orf10, where BTNL2, NOTCH4, and C6orf10 are novel pleiotropic genes identified by our analysis.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that pleiotropy is a common property of genes associated with disease traits. Our results ascertained the shared genetic risk profiles that predisposed individuals to RA and other diseases, which could have implications for identification of molecular targets for drug development, and classification of diseases.
Immunological events in chronic spontaneous urticaria
Authors: Ferrer Marta
Published: August 2015

Chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU) is a highly debilitating skin disease associated with systemic features. We have made significant progress in several aspects relating to this condition. However, the exact physiopathology remains unknown. There is mounting evidence for an autoimmune basis, demonstrated by the CSU serum ability to activate healthy donors skin mast cells and blood basophils. However, it is only seen among 35–40% of patients. Mast cells and basophils play an important role in this skin condition. Both cells in CSU patients have unique features that differentiate them from basophils and mast cells from healthy donors. In the case of basophils, basopenia is typically found in CSU patients. Basophils from CSU patients also tend to be hyporesponsive to stimuli that act through the IgE receptor, responsive to other stimuli as MCP‐1 or C5a, and hyperesponsive when incubated with sera. Eosinophils are also present in CSU skin biopsies, yet their exact role has not yet been defined. Likewise, endothelial cells also play a function, as indirectly demonstrated by an increase of vasoactive peptides in skin and plasma of CSU patients’ samples. All these facts orchestrate a systemic inflammation response producing a significant increase of several inflammatory markers. Unfortunately, we lack a unitary model that could explain the exact role of each of these players. In this review, we will describe the history and discover the pathway to the present knowledge on the immunological facts of this disease.
Lipid raft-mediated Fas/CD95 apoptotic signaling in leukemic cells and normal leukocytes and therapeutic implications
Authors: Gajate Consuelo , Mollinedo Faustino
Published: August 2015

Plasma membrane is now recognized to contain tightly packed cholesterol/sphingolipid-rich domains, known as lipid or membrane rafts, which are more ordered than the surrounding lipid bilayer. Lipid rafts are crucial for the compartmentalization of signaling processes in the membrane, mostly involved in cell survival and immune response. However, in the last 15 years, a large body of evidence has also identified raft platforms as scaffolds for the recruitment and clustering of death receptor Fas/CD95 and downstream signaling molecules, leading to the concept of death-promoting lipid rafts. This raft-Fas/CD95 coclustering was first described at the early 2000s as the underlying mechanism for the proapoptotic action of the alkylphospholipid analog edelfosine in leukemic cells, hence facilitating protein–protein interactions and conveying apoptotic signals independently of Fas/CD95 ligand. Edelfosine induces apoptosis in hematologic cancer cells and activated T-lymphocytes. Fas/CD95 raft coclustering is also promoted by Fas/CD95 ligand, agonistic Fas/CD95 antibodies, and additional antitumor drugs. Thus, death receptor recruitment in rafts is a physiologic process leading to cell demise that can be pharmacologically modulated. This redistribution and local accumulation of apoptotic molecules in membrane rafts, which are usually accompanied by displacement of survival signaling molecules, highlight how alterations in the apoptosis/survival signaling balance in specialized membrane regions modulate cell fate. Membrane rafts might also modulate apoptotic and nonapoptotic death receptor signaling. Here, we discuss the role of lipid rafts in Fas/CD95-mediated apoptotic cell signaling in hematologic cancer cells and normal leukocytes, with a special emphasis on their involvement as putative therapeutic targets in cancer and autoimmune diseases.
Impaired APP activity and altered tau splicing in embryonic stem cell-derived astrocytes derived from the APPsw transgenic minipig
Authors: Hall Vanessa J. , Lindblad Maiken M. , Jakobsen Jannik E. , Gunnarsson Anders , Schmidt Mette , Rasmussen Mikkel A. , Volke Daniela , Zuchner Thole , Hyttel Poul
Published: August 2015

Animal models of familial juvenile onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD) often fail to produce diverse pathological features of the disease by modification of single gene mutations that are responsible for the disease and hence can be poor models for testing and development of novel drugs. Here we analyze in vitro produced stem cells and their derivatives from a large mammalian model of the disease created by overexpression of a single mutant human gene (APPsw). We produced hemizygous and homozygous radial glial-like cells following culture and differentiation of embryonic stem cells (ESCs) isolated from embryos obtained from mated hemizygous minipigs. These cells were confirmed to co-express varying neural markers including Nestin, GFAP and BLBP, typical of type one radial glial cells (RG) from the subgranular zone. These cells had altered expression of Cyclin D1 and NOTCH and decreased expression of several ribosomal RNA genes. We found these cells were able to differentiate into astrocytes upon directed differentiation. The astrocytes produced had decreased α–secretase and β–secretase activity, increased γ–secretase activity and altered splicing of tau. This points to novel aspects of early onset mechanisms related to cell renewal and function in familial AD astrocytes. These outcomes also point out that radial glia could be a potentially useful population of cells for drug discovery and that altered APP expression and altered tau phosphorylation can be detected in an in vitro model of the disease. Finally it may be possible to use large mammal models to model familial AD by insertion of only a single mutation.
Country Solidarity in Sovereign Crises
Authors: Tirole Jean
Published: August 2015

When will solidarity, which emerges spontaneously from the fear of spillovers, be reinforced through contracting? The optimal pact between countries that differ substantially in their probability of distress is a simple debt contract with market financing, a borrowing cap, but no joint liability. While joint liability augments total surplus, the borrowing country cannot compensate the deep-pocket guarantor. By contrast, the optimal pact between two countries symmetrically exposed to shocks with an arbitrary correlation is a simple debt contract with joint liability, provided that shocks are sufficiently independent, spillovers sufficiently large, liquidity needs moderate, and available sanctions sufficiently tough. (JEL D86, F34, H63)
No Taxation without Information: Deterrence and Self-Enforcement in the Value Added Tax
Authors: Pomeranz Dina
Published: August 2015

Claims that the VAT facilitates tax enforcement by generating paper trails on transactions between firms contributed to widespread VAT adoption worldwide, but there is surprisingly little evidence. This paper analyzes the role of third-party information for VAT enforcement through two randomized experiments among over 400,000 Chilean firms. Announcing additional monitoring has less impact on transactions that are subject to a paper trail, indicating the paper trail's preventive deterrence effect. This leads to strong enforcement spillovers up the VAT chain. These findings confirm that when taking evasion into account, significant differences emerge between otherwise equivalent forms of taxation. (JEL D83, H25, H26, K34, O17)
Crossing Party Lines: The Effects of Information on Redistributive Politics
Authors: Casey Katherine
Published: August 2015

Many lament that weak accountability and poor governance impede economic development in Africa. Politicians rely on ethnic allegiances that deliver the vote irrespective of performance, dampening electoral incentives. Giving voters information about candidate competence counters ethnic loyalty and strengthens accountability. I extend a canonical electoral model to show how information provision flows through voter behavior and ultimately impacts the distribution of political spending. I test the theory on data from Sierra Leone using decentralization and differential radio coverage to identify information's effects. Estimates suggest that information increases voting across ethnic-party lines and induces a more equitable allocation of campaign spending. (JEL D72, D83, J15, O17, Z13)
Health Insurance for “Humans”: Information Frictions, Plan Choice, and Consumer Welfare
Authors: Handel Benjamin R. , Kolstad Jonathan T.
Published: August 2015

Traditional models of insurance choice are predicated on fully informed and rational consumers protecting themselves from exposure to financial risk. In practice, choosing an insurance plan is a complicated decision often made without full information. In this paper we combine new administrative data on health plan choices and claims with unique survey data on consumer information to identify risk preferences, information frictions, and hassle costs. Our additional friction measures are important predictors of choices and meaningfully impact risk preference estimates. We study the implications of counterfactual insurance allocations to illustrate the importance of distinguishing between these micro-foundations for welfare analysis. (JEL D81, D8 3, G22, I13)
State Capacity and Economic Development: A Network Approach
Authors: Acemoglu Daron , García-Jimeno Camilo , Robinson James A.
Published: August 2015

We study the direct and spillover effects of local state capacity in Colombia. We model the determination of state capacity as a network game between municipalities and the national government. We estimate this model exploiting the municipality network and the roots of local state capacity related to the presence of the colonial state and royal roads. Our estimates indicate that local state capacity decisions are strategic complements. Spillover effects are sizable, accounting for about 50 percent of the quantitative impact of an expansion in local state capacity, but network effects driven by equilibrium responses of other municipalities are much larger. (JEL D85, H41, H77, O17, O18)
Back to Fundamentals: Equilibrium in Abstract Economies
Authors: Richter Michael , Rubinstein Ariel
Published: August 2015

We propose a new abstract definition of equilibrium in the spirit of competitive equilibrium: a profile of alternatives and a public ordering (expressing prestige, price, or a social norm) such that each agent prefers his assigned alternative to all lower-ranked ones. The equilibrium operates in an abstract setting built upon a concept of convexity borrowed from convex geometry. We apply the concept to a variety of convex economies and relate it to Pareto optimality. The “magic” of linear equilibrium prices is put into perspective by establishing an analogy between linear functions in the standard convexity and “primitive orderings” in the abstract convexity. (JEL I11, I18, J44, K13)
Understanding the direct and indirect costs of patients with schizophrenia
Authors: Tajima-Pozo Kazuhiro , de Castro Oller María Jesús , Lewczuk Adrian , Montañes-Rada Francisco
Published: August 2015

Background: Schizophrenia is a disabling mental disorder with high prevalence and that usually  requires long-term follow-up and expensive lifelong treatment. The cost of schizophrenia treatment consumes a significant amount of the health services' budget in western countries.

Objective: The aim of the study was to find out about the costs related to schizophrenia across different european countries and compare them.

Results: Schizophrenia treatment costs an estimated 18 billion euros annually worldwide. The direct costs associated with medical help are only part of the total expenditure. The indirect costs are an equally (or even more)important part of the total cost. These expenses are related to the lack of productivity of schizophrenic patients and the cost that relatives have to bear as a result of taking care of their affected relatives.

Conclusions: Although data on the cost of schizophrenia may vary slightly between different european countries, the general conclusion that can be drawn is that schizophrenia is a very costly disorder. Not only because of direct costs related to medical procedures, but also due to the non-medical (indirect) costs. Together this suggests the need to investigate cost-efficient strategies that could provide a better outcome for schizophrenic patients, as well as the people who care for them.
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY OF ORGANIZATIONAL AND MANAGERIAL RISKS IN SOCIAL NETWORK OF THE CITY
Authors: Федорова  , Fedorova Anna
Published: August 2015

The new approach to the modern city research by means of the soft systems methodology based on the phenomenological tradition is offered in the article. In this approach the main emphasis is made on organizations and organizational and managerial activity. In our opinion, the increase of efficiency of organizational activity is capable to improve social network of the city (to make it "well arranged"). In many respects it is promoted by the integrative approach in management of organizational risks.
CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL ASPECT OF THE RIGHT FOR INFORMATION
Authors: Щеголева  , Shchegoleva Natalya , Силаев  , Silaev Pavel
Published: August 2015

In the article the author considers constitutional and legal aspects affirming the right for information. Using a comparative method of research of this perspective, the author comes to a conclusion that the content of the concept «right for information» shouldn´t be identified with «the right for access to information» as standard loading of the specified concepts isn´t identical.
CUSTOMS DUTIES IN THE CUSTOMS UNION OF EURASIAN ECONOMIC UNION
Authors: Орлов  , Orlov Igor
Published: August 2015

This article presents a comparative analysis of customs duties as a form of customs fees levied in the states - members of the Customs Union Eurasian economic union. Based on the analysis, the suppositions about the reasons for the differences in the bases and the number of customs duties in the states - members of the Customs Union EAEU are made. The author states his position on the need for an unambiguous interpretation of the definition of «customs duties», which will eventually allow to set common types of customs duties in the national legislation of each Member State of the Customs Union EAEU.
About Key Strategic Directions of Effectively Balanced Macroeconomic Systems’ Development
Authors: Владимиров  , Vladimirov S.
Published: August 2015

The purpose of this article is theoretical substantiation of the possibility of reaching the maximum potential public efficiencies of government spending, investments and taxes in ideal state of open economic system. Ideally (“zero- loss” social return on government expenditure and investments) the proposed model can always lead to the maximum possible rate of economic growth, thus allowing to substantiate the main directions of the relevant macroeconomic (financial, fiscal and budget) policy.
Peculiarities of Economics Recovery After Worldwide Economic Crisis in 2008–2009
Authors: Juozapaviciene Aldona , Montvidaite Agne
Published: August 2015

Variation analysis of several main procyclic indicators (leading and coincident) was carried out in this article. The results of the analysis showed that the economies of Lithuania and the European Union are slowly recovering. The attempts of European countries to struggle against deep recession caused by the world economic crisis have led to a new - sovereign debt crisis. It manifested in increasing differences between government bond yields and premiums of Credit Default Swap (CDS) between PIIGS countries and other EU members, notably Germany. Accordingly to this, CDS was examined as the leading indicator of the economic cycle. During the period of the economic crisis, the government of Lithuania borrowed in international markets very expensively and the accumulated debt can become a heavy burden on the country's future economy. The situation of public finance in Lithuania was analyzed by adopting the mathematical model of Zamkov. The performed simulation showed that the debt of Lithuanian public sector will press the country for a long period of time.
Achieving Rapid Recovery in an Overload Control for Large-Scale Service Systems
Authors: Perry Ohad , Whitt Ward
Published: August 2015

We consider an automatic overload control for two large service systems modeled as multiserver queues such as call centers. We assume that the two systems are designed to operate independently, but want to help each other respond to unexpected overloads. The proposed overload control automatically activates sharing (sending some customers from one system to the other) once a ratio of the queue lengths in the two systems crosses an activation threshold (with ratio and activation threshold parameters for each direction). In this paper, we are primarily concerned with ensuring that the system recovers rapidly after the overload is over, either because (i) the two systems return to normal loading or (ii) the direction of the overload suddenly shifts in the opposite direction. To achieve rapid recovery, we introduce lower thresholds for the queue ratios, below which one-way sharing is released. As a basis for studying the complex dynamics, we develop a new six-dimensional fluid approximation for a system with time-varying arrival rates, extending a previous fluid approximation involving a stochastic averaging principle. We conduct simulations to confirm that the new algorithm is effective for predicting the system performance and choosing effective control parameters. The simulation and the algorithm show that the system can experience an inefficient nearly periodic behavior, corresponding to an oscillating equilibrium (congestion collapse) if the sharing is strongly inefficient and the control parameters are set inappropriately.
Issues of infection prevention and control in phlebotomy
Authors: Vincent Emma
Published: August 2015

This article examines the infection prevention and control (IPC) practice of phlebotomy for blood grouping samples for up to 60 personnel in one session; a regular occurrence within the setting of a military training establishment, with the potential for infection transmission. The chain of infection has been utilized to explore the risks associated with the transmission of blood-borne viruses (BBV). Existing practice has been analyzed through audit and then compared to evidence-based practice; recommendations required to improve practice have also been identified. It emphasizes the difficulties that may be encountered with the implementation of a new practice and how the Lewin's framework for change (1951) can be utilized to implement the required changes to clinical practice.
Rugby World Cup 2015 – start running with it!
Authors: Davis John
Published: August 2015

It is a competition which provides an opportunity to explore the history of the game, study the geography of its participating countries and understand scores.
Heterogeneity of Forest Harvest Residue from Eastern Ontario Biomass Harvests
Authors: Acquah Gifty Ewurama , Krigstin Sally , Wetzel Suzanne , Cooper Paul , Cormier Denis
Published: August 2015

The environmental and economic problems associated with the use of fossil-based fuels have encouraged a shift to abundant renewable resources, such as forest residues. However, before forest residues can be used as an industrial resource, their properties must be known. This study determined the physical (moisture content, bulk density, and wood/bark ratio) and thermal (elemental composition, thermal reactivity, and energy value) properties of heterogeneous residues generated during commercial harvesting on two forest sites within the Great Lakes St. Lawrence forest of southeastern Ontario. Other factors that can affect these properties, such as duration of storage and location in a storgae pile, were also evaluated. A physical fractionation treatment was also investigated as a means of value addition to forest residues. Long-term storage in an uncovered pile resulted in the forest biomass on the surface losing moisture (19.3%) and the biomass on the inside gaining moisture (73.1%). In addition, storage caused an increase in bulk density and a reduction in chloride content. The higher heating value of the forest harvest residues averaged 19.0 MJ/kg (standard deviation [SD] = 0.3 MJ/kg), with an average energy density of 1,991 MJ/m3 (SD = 628 MJ/m3 ). This study also found that size fractionation resulted in fractions with more uniform properties.
Influence of Wood Surface Color on the Performance of Luminescent Pigments
Authors: Kaestner Dominik , Petutschnigg Alexander , Schnabel Thomas , Illy Andreas , Taylor Adam
Published: August 2015

Luminescent pigments can be incorporated into coatings for various applications, including safety signage, that provide illuminated directions when lighting systems fail. The influence of the brightness of a solid wood substrate on the persistence performance of luminescent pigments was analyzed. Three species were tested: maple (Acer pseudoplatanus; a brightly colored wood), steamed beech (Fagus sylvatica; a medium-colored wood), and walnut heartwood (Juglans regia; a dark-colored wood). The results show that the surface color has a major influence on the performance of the pigments, when applied in a clear coating. Other significant factors for the afterglowing effect are the amount of pigment and the time and intensity of light during the charging process.
(Dys)functional art
Authors: Priglinger Sabine , Sever Hande , Schmechel Ben
Published: August 2015

This article aims to explore the binary of art as a functional cultural tool and as a dysfunctional sociopolitical catalyst. The authors, Hande Sever, Sabine Priglinger and Ben Schmechel, will propose dysfunctional art as a generator of an emancipatory, intentional space of enquiry, a valuable alternative to the more functional notions of art. They will stress that dysfunctional works of art span a range of artistic production and reception as they occur in both commercial gallery and community or public space. Instances that embody elements of the functional and the dysfunctional approach will be marked out through an interrogation of artworks, arranged in an atemporal, ahistorical constellation.
From awww to awe factor: UK audience meaning-making of the 2012 Paralympics as mediated spectacle
Authors: Hodges Caroline E. M. , Scullion Richard , Jackson Daniel
Published: August 2015

This article considers UK audiences’ meaning-making of television coverage of the London 2012 Paralympic Games. As an elite sporting event, the Paralympics has been categorized alongside other high-profile media spectacles. Yet, an analysis of the ‘spectacle’ has further significance here in relation to what Mitchell and Snyder conceptualize as ‘fascination with spectacles of difference’, which encourages audiences to view the disabled person through their impairment, rather than as a human being. Inspirational ‘supercrip’ stories that glorify ‘special achievement’ fuel perceptions that disabled athletes have extraordinary, heroic qualities, and coverage of the 2012 Paralympics was no different. The spectacle is created through everyday talk. Therefore, we utilize in-depth interviews supported by netnography-inspired methods to consider to what extent media representations appropriated disability into ‘spectacle’, consequently perpetuating ablest discourses, whilst also addressing the intended social agenda by facilitating greater understanding. Our findings suggest an unexpected emotional engagement with the (mostly) sporting spectacle, with audience narratives moving from ‘awww’ to ‘awe’ as sporting achievement was celebrated. The disabled sporting ‘hero’ as ‘superhero’ is, we argue, further evidence of the influence of discourses that attempt to transform a stigmatized identity, i.e. disability, into a revered one – athleticism, thus reinforcing existing hierarchies of ability/disability.
Is New Zealand ready for more diversity on-screen?
Authors: Patston Philip , Pike Barbara
Published: August 2015

The aim of the ‘More Diversity on-Screen’ campaign and survey was to raise public awareness of the under-representation of disability on-screen in New Zealand, as well as to explore New Zealanders’ views about the inclusion of disabled actors and characters in media. The study took an ‘action research’ approach, producing and broadcasting a 30-second TV commercial that encouraged viewers to participate in an online survey aiming to capture attitudes and opinions around the inclusion of more diversity on-screen. Results of the survey showed clear support for the idea of more diversity on-screen, but it also became clear that the task of getting more representation of disability in media is a complex task, requiring a much longer time frame than originally anticipated. We conclude that the onus for change may fall on the disability community, not the media industry, if disability is ever to be portrayed in a truly authentic way on-screen.
The redox switch that regulates molecular chaperones
Authors: Conway Myra E. , Lee Christopher
Published: August 2015

Modification of reactive cysteine residues plays an integral role in redox-regulated reactions. Oxidation of thiolate anions to sulphenic acid can result in disulphide bond formation, or overoxidation to sulphonic acid, representing reversible and irreversible endpoints of cysteine oxidation, respectively. The antioxidant systems of the cell, including the thioredoxin and glutaredoxin systems, aim to prevent these higher and irreversible oxidation states. This is important as these redox transitions have numerous roles in regulating the structure/function relationship of proteins. Proteins with redox-active switches as described for peroxiredoxin (Prx) and protein disulphide isomerase (PDI) can undergo dynamic structural rearrangement resulting in a gain of function. For Prx, transition from cysteine sulphenic acid to sulphinic acid is described as an adaptive response during increased cellular stress causing Prx to form higher molecular weight aggregates, switching its role from antioxidant to molecular chaperone. Evidence in support of PDI as a redox-regulated chaperone is also gaining impetus, where oxidation of the redox-active CXXC regions causes a structural change, exposing its hydrophobic region, facilitating polypeptide folding. In this review, we will focus on these two chaperones that are directly regulated through thiol-disulphide exchange and detail how these redox-induced switches allow for dual activity. Moreover, we will introduce a new role for a metabolic protein, the branched-chain aminotransferase, and discuss how it shares common mechanistic features with these well-documented chaperones. Together, the physiological importance of the redox regulation of these proteins under pathological conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis will be discussed to illustrate the impact and importance of correct folding and chaperone-mediated activity.
Immunomodulatory activity of methanol leaf extracts of Cameroonian medicinal plants
Authors: Djafoua Yves Marcel , Mouokeu Raymond Simplice , Tume Christopher , Kamtchueng Monique Odette , Kuiate Jules-Roger
Published: August 2015

Background: Medicinal plants have been used for centuries and have become part of complementary medicine worldwide because of their health benefits. Some have been successfully used directly in the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases or indirectly by stimulating the immune system. In the present study, the immunomodulatory activity of the methanol extracts of Adenocarpus mannii, Caucalis melanantha, Ocimum gratissimum, Asystasia intrusa and Clematis chinensis leaves was investigated.

Methods: The extracts were prepared by maceration of dry leaves’ powder in methanol. Phytochemical analysis was carried out by chemical reaction methods. The activity of plant extracts was evaluated in in vitro cell cultures by measuring their effect on nitric oxide production by peritoneal macrophages, the proliferation of lymphocytes and the cytotoxic effect on macrophages. The A. mannii extract was further evaluated at 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight in mice for the stimulation of delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reactions and the ability to reverse the myelosuppression induced by cyclophosphamide.

Results: All the extract inhibited nitric oxide production by peritoneal macrophages, the highest activity was achieved with C. chinensis extract. However, these extracts did not significantly affect the viability of macrophages. A. mannii, A. intrusa and C. chinensis extracts exhibited stimulatory activity on peripheral blood lymphocytes, whereas C. melanantha and O. gratissimum extracts displayed inhibitory activity. In vivo, the A. mannii extract significantly increased the DTH reaction in mice from 50 mg/kg. This extract also showed a significant increase in the white blood cells and relative weight of the spleen and liver.

Conclusions: These results suggest that the A. mannii, C. melanantha, O. gratissimum, A. intrusa and C. chinensis methanol extracts possess immunomodulatory activity. This constitutes additional data on the well-known biological properties of these plants.
The Political Culture; Politicial Socialization and Acculturation
Authors: Iovan Martian
Published: August 2015

In this article, the author, after having comparatively analyzed senses and significations of the concept of politic culture, as stated by several renowned authors in the world of science, proceeds to a differentiation of general political culture from those political cultures that are integrated into the lives of contemporary political agents (subcultures, political countercultures, marginal cultures, political cultures of public policy makers etc.) which coexist on the territory of a state.

Using praxeological and systemic approaches, the author discusses the place and role of contemporary ideologies in their quality as a directional and dynamogenic factor in political practices, as well as political socialization and acculturation as methods of reproducing and developing political culture in accordance with the necessities imposed by the global development of society and by its subsystems. The formation of a solid political culture, through education and communication in general, both at individual and at social level, conditions the maturation of democracy, and the launching of public policies likely to solve individual and community issues.
Analysis of the Nonlinear Elastic Response of Rubber Membrane with Embedded Circular Rigid Inclusion
Authors: Jianbing Sang , Sufang Xing , Ling Wang , Jingyuan Wang , Jing Zhou
Published: August 2015

Rubber membranes exhibit a particular nonlinear elastic behaviour known as hyper elasticity. Analysis has been proposed by utilizing the modified strain energy function from Gao’s constitutive model, in order to reveal the mechanical property of rubber membrane containing circular rigid inclusion. Rubber membrane is taken into incompressible materials under axisymmetric stretch, based on finite deformations theory. Stress distribution of different constitutive parameters has been analyzed by deducing the basic governing equation. The effects on membrane deformation by different parameters and the failure reasons of rubber membrane have been discussed, which provides reasonable reference for the design of rubber membrane.
Interrogating History: Promoting Student Activism using Children’s Literature and the Full Circling Process
Authors: Long Trisha Wies
Published: August 2015

Adolescents are often disengaged in the learning process, being more focused on social media and self-interest than classroom content. Full circling is a process that can be used to help students collaboratively engage in learning and actively reflect on historical events – especially those that are under reported in history books. In the present article, the author uses her full circling process within a fifth grade urban classroom using the topic of segregation during the Civil Rights Movement as the central focus. The article outlines the steps of the full circling process and gives a narrative account of how the process was used in this classroom.
Colloidal Plasmonic Titanium Nitride Nanoparticles: Properties and Applications
Authors: Guler Urcan , Suslov Sergey , Kildishev Alexander V. , Boltasseva Alexandra , Shalaev Vladimir M.
Published: August 2015

Optical properties of colloidal plasmonic titanium nitride nanoparticles are examined with an eye on their photothermal and photocatalytic applications via transmission electron microscopy and optical transmittance measurements. Single crystal titanium nitride cubic nanoparticles with an average size of 50 nm, which was found to be the optimum size for cellular uptake with gold nanoparticles [1], exhibit plasmon resonance in the biological transparency window and demonstrate a high absorption efficiency. A self-passivating native oxide at the surface of the nanoparticles provides an additional degree of freedom for surface functionalization. The titanium oxide shell surrounding the plasmonic core can create new opportunities for photocatalytic applications.
Unravelling the Body/Mind Reverberations of Secrets Woven into Charlotte Brontë’s Villette
Authors: Cortés Vieco Francisco José
Published: August 2015

The pervasive psychological realism of Charlotte Brontë’s Villette (1853) challenges scholarly assumptions based on her biography or her indoctrination to Victorian medical discourses, as it explores dysfunctional body/mind interrelations, particularly those evidencing patriarchal pressures and prejudices against women. Under the guise of her heroine Lucy, the author becomes both the physician and the patient suffering from a female malady of unnamed origin. This article intends to prove that, instead of narratively unravelling her creature’s past trauma with healing purposes, the author conceals its nature to protect her intimacy and she focuses on the periphery of her crisis aftermath to demonstrate its severity by means of the psychosomatic disorders that persistently haunt her life: depression, anorexia nervosa and suicidal behavior. Brontë’s literary guerrilla of secrecy aims, simultaneously, to veil and unveil the core of Lucy’s clinical case with an unequivocal diagnosis: a harmful, mysterious event from her childhood/adolescence, whose reverberations repeatedly erupt during her adulthood and endanger her survival. Unreliable but “lucid”, this heroine becomes the daguerreotype of her creator to portray life as a sad, exhausting journey, where professional self-realisation - not love or marriage - turns into the ultimate recovery therapy from past ordeals, never successfully confirmed in the case of Lucy, who epitomises a paradigm of femininity in Victorian England: the impoverished, solitary, middle-class woman
From One Master of Horror to Another: Tracing Poe’s Influence in Stephen King’s The Shining
Authors: Buday Maroš
Published: August 2015

This article deals with the work of two of the most prominent horror fiction writers in American history, namely Edgar Allan Poe and Stephen King. The focus of this study is put on the comparative approach while tracing the influence of Poe’s several chosen narratives in King’s novel called The Shining (1977). The chosen approach has uncovered that King’s novel embodies numerous characteristics, tendencies, and other signs of inspiration by Poe’s narratives. The Shining encompasses Poe’s tales such as “The Masque of the Red Death”, “The Fall of the House of Usher”, and “The Black Cat” which are shown to be pivotal aspects of King’s novel. The analysis has shown that the aforementioned King’s novel exhibits Shakespearean elements intertwined with Poe’s “Masque of the Red Death”, the Overlook Hotel to be a composite consisting of various Poesque references, and that The Shining’s protagonist is a reflection of autobiographical references to specific aspects of the lives of Poe and King themselves.
Landscapes of History in the Novels of Lawrence Norfolk
Authors: Nagy Ladislav
Published: August 2015

This article deals with novels by Lawrence Norfolk which are read with a focus on their visual quality and the way they depict history. It is argued that Norfolk’s historical novels are unique in their portrayal of “landscapes of history”, large canvases in which individual characters play marginal, or a rather insignificant role. This approach distinguishes Norfolk from much of contemporary historical fiction, albeit at times this strategy might not be wholly satisfactory from a critical perspective. However, the article claims that Norfolk’s novels are intellectually inspiring since, similar to landscape, they invite a certain gaze, yet deny us the possibility of naming, of conceptualising. They provide readers with impressive vistas on history, which is seen as something too large to understand and penetrate. In this the novels are anti-humanistic. Individual characters (and their actions) are insignificant, or significant only to such an extent that they subscribe to some mythical framework, as Norfolk shows in, arguably, his best novel, In the Shape of a Boar (2000).