bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Tcf12, A Member of Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors, Mediates Bone Marrow Mesenchymal Stem Cell Osteogenic Differentiation In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Yi Siqi , Yu Miao , Yang Shuang , Miron Richard J. , Zhang Yufeng
Published: August 2016

Several basic Helix-Loop-Helix transcription factors have recently been identified to regulate mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) differentiation. In the present study, Tcf12 was investigated for its involvement in the osteoblastic cell commitment of MSCs. Tcf12 was found highly expressed in undifferentiated MSCs whereas its expression decreased following osteogenic culture differentiation. Interestingly, Tcf12 endogenous silencing using shRNA lentivirus significantly promoted the differentiation ability of MSCs evaluated by alkaline phosphatase staining, alizarin red staining and expression of osteoblast-specific markers by real-time PCR. Conversely, overexpression of Tcf12 in MSCs suppressed osteoblast differentiation. It was further found that silencing of Tcf12 activated bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) signaling and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk)1/2 signaling pathway activity and upregulated the expression of phospho-SMAD1 and phospho-Erk1/2. A BMP inhibitor (LDN-193189) and Erk1/2 signaling pathway inhibitor (U0126) reduced these findings in the Tcf12 silencing group. Following these in vitro results, a poly-L-lactic acid/Hydroxyappatite scaffold carrying Tcf12 silencing lentivirus was utilized to investigate the repair of bone defects in vivo. The use of Tcf12 silencing lentivirus significantly promoted new bone formation in 3-mm mouse calvarial defects as assessed by micro-CT and histological examination whereas overexpression of Tcf12 inhibited new bone formation. Collectively, these data indicate that Tcf12 is a transcription factor highly expressed in the nuclei of stem cells and its downregulation plays an essential role in osteoblast differentiation partially via BMP and Erk1/2 signaling pathways.
Teaching Philosophy Statements: In‐Service ESL Teachers’ Practices and Beliefs
Authors: Payant Caroline
Published: August 2016

In North American higher education settings, faculty are increasingly required to write teaching philosophy statements. In the field of English language teaching, there is a very narrow understanding of language teachers’ practices of writing teaching philosophy statements and their potential benefits to individuals and to the professionalization of the field. The present study examined the practices and beliefs of in‐service English as a second language (ESL) teachers toward the genre of teaching philosophy statements. A total of 197 ESL teachers, primarily from intensive English programs (52%) and college/university ESL‐based program (35%), completed a 42‐item questionnaire. The questionnaire included questions to elicit general information about their own teaching philosophy statements (i.e., format and contents) and their beliefs about the benefits of this practice. The findings led to the identification of preferred formats as well as core topics to include, such as personal beliefs about language learning and teaching, teaching approaches, and teachers’ roles in education. Furthermore, there was strong evidence that these in‐service ESL teachers value the ongoing practice of drafting their teaching philosophy statements for bureaucratic and reflective purposes. The article concludes with suggested guidelines for ESL teachers working worldwide who want to write their teaching philosophy for reflective and professional reasons.
“Prison Is for Young People!” Youth, Violence, and the State in Praia and Mindelo, Cape Verde
Authors: Zoettl Peter Anton
Published: August 2016

In the past decade Cape Verde has seen an unexpected outburst of gang-related urban violence. The state has reacted mainly by means of a repressive securitization policy, which has not been able to offer more than temporary solutions. In public discourses, “broken” families, youth drug consumption, and a supposed lack of education and sufficiently severe punishment are often referred to as the main causes for the rise in crime. The article discusses such discourses, contrasting them with the experiences and narratives of inmates from the country’s two central prisons. It suggests that extrajudicial punishment of suspects and offenders by police officers, as reported by many juvenile convicts, is part of the dynamics of violence manifest in different spheres of Cape Verdean society and may be a possible factor influencing the decision of young citizens to “opt” for, or stick to, careers of marginality and delinquency.
Tightly Packed: Disciplinary Power, the UNODC, and the Container Control Programme in Dakar
Authors: Sandor Adam
Published: August 2016

This article uses the lens of disciplinary power to analyze the North–South relationships in efforts to govern drug trafficking in Senegal. Disciplinary surveillance shapes the activities of anti-trafficking units through repetitive examination, correction, and persuasion. These practices produce forms of resistance to the ways in which interdiction occurs, which implicate elites in the country. The result of constant international correction, and subsidiary actor resistance, is a frustrated law enforcement team. The argument deepens the literature on police reform in Africa, acknowledging the effects of international discipline on policing agents, while maintaining that immediate political settings heavily constrain disciplinary techniques and their internalizing effects.
“Money Is Your Government”: Refugees, Mobility, and Unstable Documents in Kenya’s Operation Usalama Watch
Authors: Balakian Sophia
Published: August 2016

During a 2014 security operation in Kenya known as Operation Usalama Watch, Somali refugees spoke of money as their only valid ID, knowing that only cash, in contrast to identity documents, would be accepted by police and military. The article argues that such extortion should not be interpreted uncategorically as an example of refugees’ exclusion from state-derived citizenship rights. Rather, by paying bribes to resist forced removal from Nairobi, Somali refugees constructed a global diasporan identity tied to free flows of capital. By using money as a substitute for identity documents, refugees appealed to a notion of rights untethered to the state. At the same time, by speaking of money as their government, they articulated a critique against a political system that excluded them.
The Private and Social Benefits of Double Majors
Authors: Del Rossi Alison F. , Hersch Joni
Published: August 2016

With increased emphasis on encouraging students to pursue degrees in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), there is a general concern that society is losing the benefits associated with liberal arts education. One possible approach to achieving the benefits of higher paying STEM degrees along with the social benefits of liberal arts training is to encourage double majoring among college students. Double majoring is common at about 20% of college graduates, yet most double majors are in related areas that provide limited educational diversity. We examine private and social benefits of double majoring using data from the 2010 National Survey of College Graduates. The strongest positive relations associated with combining a liberal arts major with a business or STEM major are on research and development activities and on job match. In addition, we find that students who double major in business and STEM earn a premium over those single majors. However, combining a liberal arts major with STEM or business fields does not increase earnings, indicating little private earnings incentive for students to combine STEM or business majors with liberal arts.
Orthostatic Symptoms of Transient Ischemic Attack – Revised
Authors: Hendin Ariel , Fischer Lisa M , Perry Jeffrey J
Published: August 2016

Transient ischemic attacks (TIA) are a common presentation to the emergency department (ED) and are associated with an estimated 9% risk of stroke within 90 days.1 We report the case of a 72-year-old female who presented with orthostatic symptoms of facial weakness and dysarthria; that is, the patient’s symptoms were present when she was standing and resolved when supine. Neurological deficits present only when standing should alert the clinician to the importance of advanced neuroimaging to evaluate for acute arterial occlusion.
Asteroid Hyalosis: A Mimic of Vitreous Hemorrhage on Point of Care Ultrasound
Authors: Stringer Charles E.A. , Ahn Justin S. , Kim Daniel J.
Published: August 2016

Point of care ultrasound in the emergency department (ED) is increasingly being used to diagnose time-sensitive, vision-threatening conditions. We present a case of a 64-year-old female who presented to the ED with a three-day history of worsening left eye floaters. Point of care ocular ultrasound demonstrated a posterior chamber containing many echogenic opacities of varying size without acoustic shadowing. Movement of the eye resulted in significant after-movement of these opacities, giving the classic “washing machine” appearance seen with vitreous hemorrhage (VH). Based on these ultrasound findings, the patient was diagnosed with a VH and was referred to ophthalmology. The consulting ophthalmologist ultimately diagnosed the patient with asteroid hyalosis without VH. Asteroid hyalosis is a benign condition of the vitreous resulting in calcium phosphate and lipid deposits that can mimic more serious VH on point of care ultrasound. Knowledge of this mimic is helpful for communication with specialists and for awareness of the potential for misdiagnosis with ocular ultrasound.
EXISTENCE OF -ANALOGS OF STEINER SYSTEMS
Authors: BRAUN MICHAEL , ETZION TUVI , ÖSTERGÅRD PATRIC R. J. , VARDY ALEXANDER , WASSERMANN ALFRED
Published: August 2016

Let $\mathbb{F}_{q}^{n}$ be a vector space of dimension $n$ over the finite field $\mathbb{F}_{q}$. A $q$-analog of a Steiner system (also known as a $q$-Steiner system), denoted ${\mathcal{S}}_{q}(t,\!k,\!n)$, is a set ${\mathcal{S}}$ of $k$-dimensional subspaces of $\mathbb{F}_{q}^{n}$ such that each $t$-dimensional subspace of $\mathbb{F}_{q}^{n}$ is contained in exactly one element of ${\mathcal{S}}$. Presently, $q$-Steiner systems are known only for $t\,=\,1\!$, and in the trivial cases $t\,=\,k$ and $k\,=\,n$. In this paper, the first nontrivial $q$-Steiner systems with $t\,\geqslant \,2$ are constructed. Specifically, several nonisomorphic $q$-Steiner systems ${\mathcal{S}}_{2}(2,3,13)$ are found by requiring that their automorphism groups contain the normalizer of a Singer subgroup of $\text{GL}(13,2)$. This approach leads to an instance of the exact cover problem, which turns out to have many solutions.
Study and design of cladding power stripper for high power fiber laser systems
Authors: An Haixia , Liu Xiaogang , Bi Zhiyue
Published: August 2016

Heat handling has been a significant problem of the high power fiber laser systems as the output power increases rapidly. Cladding power stripper (CPS) which is used to deal with the unwanted optical power and light is required for higher cooling ability. So the methods of stripping the unwanted light attracted much attention recently, and the thermal effect is given. However, few investigations focus on the dissipation of the heat converted from the unwanted light. In this paper, an approach of active cooling for CPS is demonstrated. This is achieved by using microchannel cooling technology in heat sinking in CPS to improve the efficiency of heat exchange. In order to explain the mechanism of CPS the function of it and consistence of categories of the unwanted light are detailed firstly. Then microchannel heat sinking is proposed and verified by the heat exchange theory. At last, the design of the CPS with microchannel heat sinking is shown and following experiment is conducted. The final temperature of the device with 1000 W cladding power was demonstrated at last to verify the ability of heat distribution of the CPS component. This suggests that these CPSs can be used to stripe a thousand of watts of light in high power double cladding fiber lasers.
Improving the Understanding of Publicly Reported Healthcare-Associated Infection (HAI) Data
Authors: Masnick Max , Morgan Daniel J. , Macek Mark D. , Sorkin John D. , Brown Jessica P. , Rheingans Penny , Harris Anthony D.
Published: August 2016

OBJECTIVE

Hospital-acquired infection (HAI) data are reported to the public on the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Hospital Compare website. We previously found that public understanding of these data is poor. Our objective was to develop an improved method for presenting HAI data that could be used on the CMS website.

DESIGN

Randomized controlled trial comparing understanding of data presented using the current CMS presentation strategy versus a new strategy.

SETTING

A 760-bed tertiary referral hospital.

PARTICIPANTS

A total of 61 patients were randomly selected within 24 hours of admission.

INTERVENTION

Participants were shown HAI data as presented on the CMS Hospital Compare website (control arm) or data formatted using a new method (experimental arm).

RESULTS

No statistically significant demographic differences were identified between study arms. Although 47% percent of participants said a website for comparing hospitals would have been helpful, only 10% had ever used such a website. Participants viewing data using the new presentation strategy compared hospitals correctly 56% of the time, compared with 32% in the control arm (P=.0002).

CONCLUSIONS

Understanding of HAI data increased significantly with the new data presentation method compared to the method currently used on the CMS Hospital Compare website. Many participants expressed interest in a website for comparing hospitals. Improved methods for presenting CMS HAI data, such as the one assessed here, should be adopted to increase public understanding.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;1–6
Role of Coinfecting Strains in Recurrent Clostridium difficile Infection
Authors: Sun Janet , Mc Millen Tracy , Babady N. Esther , Kamboj Mini
Published: August 2016

The contribution of mixed infection in recurrent Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) episodes is not known. Among paired isolates from 52 patients, mixed infection due to >1 toxigenic strain of C. difficile was identified in 8% of first episodes. Among recurrences, relapse from 1 or both co-infecting strains was uncommon; it was detected in a single case each.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;1481–1484
Mortality and Costs in Clostridium difficile Infection Among the Elderly in the United States
Authors: Shorr Andrew F. , Zilberberg Marya D. , Wang Li , Baser Onur , Yu Holly
Published: August 2016

OBJECTIVE

To examine attributable mortality and costs of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) in the Medicare population.

DESIGN

A population-based cohort study among US adults aged at least 65 years in the 2008–2010 Medicare 5% sample, with follow-up of 12 months.

PATIENTS

Incident CDI episode was defined by the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification code of 008.45 and no other occurrences within the preceding 12 months. To quantify the adjusted mortality and costs we developed a 1:1 propensity-matched sample of CDI and non-CDI patients.

RESULTS

Among 1,165,165 patients included, 6,838 (0.6%) had a CDI episode in 2009 (82.5% healthcare-associated). Patients with CDI were older (mean [SD] age, 81.0±8.0 vs 77.0±7.7 years, P<.001), were more likely to come from the Northeast (27.4% vs 18.6%, P<.001), and had a higher comorbidity burden (Charlson score, 4.6±3.3 vs 1.7±2.1, P<.001). Hospitalizations (63.2% vs 6.0%, P<.001) and antibiotics (33.9% vs 12.5%, P<.001) within the prior 90 days were more common in the group with CDI. In the propensity-adjusted analysis, CDI was associated with near doubling of both mortality (42.6% vs 23.4%, P<.001) and total healthcare costs ($64,807±$66,480 vs $38,128±$46,485, P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Among elderly patients, CDI is associated with an increase in adjusted mortality and healthcare costs following a CDI episode. Nationwide annually this equals 240,000 patients with CDI, 46,000 potential deaths, and more than $6 billion in costs.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2016;1–6
General practitioners tackle complex addictions: how complex interventions can assist in dealing with addiction
Authors: Klimas J.
Published: August 2016

Objectives

Substance use disorder treatment is a complex problem. Complex problems require complex interventions, ideally tested via randomised controlled trials.

Methods

Complex interventions are best developed in stages, using established implementation frameworks.

Results and Conclusions

Starting with a historical patient case study, we explore how treatment of this challenging population group has been approached, how an evidence-based framework has informed formulation of a complex health intervention and how this has been progressed via the UK’s Medical Research Council (MRC) approach.
Elliptical instability of the Moore–Saffman model for a trailing wingtip vortex
Authors: Feys J. , Maslowe S. A.
Published: August 2016

In this paper, we investigate the elliptical instability exhibited by two counter-rotating trailing vortices. This type of instability can be viewed as a resonance between two normal modes of a vortex and an external strain field. Recent numerical investigations have extended earlier results that ignored axial flow to include models with a simple wake-like axial flow such as the similarity solution found by Batchelor (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 20, 1964, pp. 645–658). We present herein growth rates of elliptical instability for a family of velocity profiles found by Moore & Saffman (Proc. R. Soc. Lond. A, vol. 333, 1973, pp. 491–508). These profiles have a parameter $n$ that depends on the wing loading. As a result, unlike the Batchelor vortex, they are capable of modelling both the jet-like and the wake-like axial flow present in a trailing vortex at short and intermediate distances behind a wingtip. Direct numerical simulations of the linearized Navier–Stokes equations are performed using an efficient spectral method in cylindrical coordinates developed by Matsushima & Marcus (J. Comput. Phys., vol. 53, 1997, pp. 321–345). We compare our results with those for the Batchelor vortex, whose velocity profiles are closely approximated as the wing loading parameter $n$ approaches 1. An important conclusion of our investigation is that the stability characteristics vary considerably with $n$ and $W_{0}$, a parameter measuring the strength of the mean axial velocity component. In the case of an elliptically loaded wing ($n=0.50$), we find that the instability growth rates are up to 50 % greater than those for the Batchelor vortex. Our results demonstrate the significant effect of the distribution and intensity of the axial flow on the elliptical instability of a trailing vortex.
A TORSION-FREE ABELIAN GROUP EXISTS WHOSE QUOTIENT GROUP MODULO THE SQUARE SUBGROUP IS NOT A NIL-GROUP
Authors: ANDRUSZKIEWICZ R. R. , WORONOWICZ M.
Published: August 2016

The first example of a torsion-free abelian group$(A,+,0)$such that the quotient group of$A$modulo the square subgroup is not a nil-group is indicated (for both associative and general rings). In particular, the answer to the question posed by Stratton and Webb [‘Abelian groups, nil modulo a subgroup, need not have nil quotient group’,Publ. Math. Debrecen27(1980), 127–130] is given for torsion-free groups. A new method of constructing indecomposable nil-groups of any rank from$2$to$2^{\aleph _{0}}$is presented. Ring multiplications on$p$-pure subgroups of the additive group of the ring of$p$-adic integers are investigated using only elementary methods.
Molecular species delimitation in the genusEumerus(Diptera: Syrphidae)
Authors: Chroni A. , Djan M. , Vidaković D. Obreht , Petanidou T. , Vujić A.
Published: August 2016

Eumerusis one of the most diverse genera of hoverfly worldwide. Species delimitation within genus is considered to be difficult due to: (a) lack of an efficient key; (b) non-defined taxonomical status of a large number of species; and (c) blurred nomenclature. Here, we present the first molecular study to delimit species of the genus by using a fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome-c oxidase subunit I gene (COI) gene. We assessed 75 specimens assigned to 28 taxa originating from two biogeographic zones: 22 from the western Palaearctic and six from the Afrotropical region. Two datasets were generated based on different sequence lengths to explore the significance of availability of more polymorphic sites for species delimitation; dataset A with a total length of 647 bp and dataset B with 746 bp. Various tree inference approaches and Poisson tree processes models were applied to evaluate the putative ‘taxonomical’ vs. ‘molecular’ taxa clusters. All analyses resulted in high taxonomic resolution and clear species delimitation for both the dataset lengths. Furthermore, we revealed a high number of mitochondrial haplotypes and high intraspecific variability. We report two major monophyletic clades, and seven ‘molecular’ groups of taxa formed, which are congruent with morphology-based taxonomy. Our results support the use of the mitochondrial COI gene in species diagnosis ofEumerus.
Evidence of plastic probing behavior in a ‘superclone’ of the grain aphidSitobion avenae
Authors: Barrios-SanMartín J. , Figueroa C.C. , Ramírez C.C.
Published: August 2016

Asexual reproduction is very common in invasive insect pest. In the recent years, increasing evidences have shown that some invasive asexual lineages display an outstanding capacity to predominate in space and persist on time (superclones). However, little is known about the host-use behavior of these superclones. The English grain aphidSitobion avenae(Fabricius) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) is one of the major pests of cereals worldwide. Chilean populations of the grain aphid are characterized by a high degree of heterozygosity and low genotypic variability across regions and years, with only four predominant superclone genotypes representing nearly 90% of populations. In this study, (1) the reproductive performance and (2) the probing behavior followed a host shift of one superclone and one non-superclone ofS. avenae, were compared. The host plant in the superclone did not affect the reproductive performance, while in the non-superclone was lower on highly defended wheat seedling. The experimental switching of the host plants from barley (without chemical defenses) to two wheat species with low and high levels of chemical defenses, revealed that superclone exhibited a flexible probing activities related to access of sieve elements, while the non-superclone exhibited rigid responses. These findings are consistent with the pattern of occurrence of these genotypes in the field on cereals with different plant defenses (e.g. benzoxazinoids). These responses are discussed on the view of developing new strategies for the management in invasive populations of aphid pest species.
La tentation moderne de Jean-Luc Marion : le scandale de la saturation
Authors: VINOLO STÉPHANE
Published: August 2016

La phénoménologie de Jean-Luc Marion présente deux attitudes quant à la classification des phénomènes. D’un côté, elle les classe en types. De l’autre, la «banalité de la saturation» réduit ces types à de simples lectures possibles : la saturation n’est plus alors une rupture qualitative, mais une attitude herméneutique envisageable pour tout phénomène. Il y aurait donc, chez Marion, une tension entre une attitude métaphysique maintenant des discontinuités catégorielles et une tentation herméneutique portée par le rétablissement de continuités quantitatives. Pourtant, Marion n’assume pas jusqu’au bout cette tentation quantitative : il recule devant la saturation que nous impose l’icône.
Human Capital and Knowledge-Intensive Industries Location: Evidence from Soviet Legacy in Russia
Authors: Ivanov Denis
Published: August 2016

Do human capital endowments trump location for knowledge-intensive industries? This article takes advantage of a natural experiment created by the end of the Soviet planned economy in 1991, which had geographically distributed R&D manpower according to planned needs as opposed to a distribution determined by a market economy. It examines the extent to which the planned economy created a path-dependence in the location of post-Soviet human-capital intensive production. The study finds that regions with more R&D personnel in 1991 did better in the development of modern market-oriented knowledge-intensive business services, like engineering and IT. Several explanations are offered for this path-dependence, with an emphasis on human capital externalities being the most plausible.
People, Plagues, and Prices in the Roman World: The Evidence from Egypt
Authors: Harper Kyle
Published: August 2016

The papyri of Roman Egypt provide some of the most important quantifiable data from a first-millennium economy. This paper builds a new dataset of wheat prices, land prices, rents, and wages over the entire period of Roman control in Egypt. Movements in both nominal and real prices over these centuries suggest periods of intensive and extensive economic growth as well as contraction. Across a timeframe that covers several severe mortality shocks, demographic changes appear to be an important, but by no means the only, force behind changes in factor prices.
The occurrence of Toxocara species in naturally infected broiler chickens revealed by molecular approaches
Authors: Zibaei M. , Sadjjadi S.M. , Maraghi S.
Published: August 2016

Consuming raw and undercooked meat is known to enhance the risk of human toxocariasis because Toxocara species have a wide range of paratenic hosts, including chickens. The aim of this study was to identify species of Toxocara in naturally infected broiler chickens using molecular approaches. A polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method was used for the differentiation of Toxocara canis and Toxocara cati larvae recovered from tissues and organs, and identified by microscopic observations. Thirty-three 35- to 47-day-old broiler chickens were used for examination of Toxocara larvae. The duodenum, liver, lungs, heart, kidneys, skeletal muscles and brain of each chicken were examined using the pepsin method, and DNA from each tissue was extracted as the template for PCR assay. The findings revealed that 5 of 33 (15.2%) broiler chickens were infected with Toxocara larvae. Larvae were recovered from the liver (n = 19), duodenum (n = 8), skeletal muscles (n = 8) and brain (n = 2) of broiler chickens naturally infected with Toxocara spp. The results showed that the frequencies of the species in the chickens were T. canis larvae (n = 5, 83.3%) and T. cati larvae (n = 1, 16.7%). Our data from the present study demonstrated the importance of broiler chickens as a paratenic host for the parasite's life cycle in the environment. The implementation of DNA amplification as a routine diagnostic technique is a specific and alternative method for identification of Toxocara larvae, and allowed the observation of specific species under field conditions within the locations where broiler chickens are typically raised and exposed to Toxocara spp. eggs or larvae.
Clashing over Cuba: The United States, Spain and Britain, 1853–55
Authors: GLEIJESES PIERO
Published: August 2016

Before 1898, the most sustained attempt by the United States to acquire Cuba occurred during the presidency of Franklin Pierce when the debate about slavery was roiling US domestic politics. Spain responded to the threat with a dramatic change of policy: in order to gain the favour and protection of Britain, it ordered that the slave trade to Cuba be ended. This article analyses Pierce's strategy and examines the complex jockeying it precipitated among Washington, London and Madrid. Mining US, British and Spanish archives, it is the first international history of the crisis that Washington's avarice provoked.
Making the Indigenous Desert from the European Oasis: The Ethnopolitics of Water in Mendoza, Argentina
Authors: ESCOLAR DIEGO , SALDI LETICIA
Published: August 2016

This article analyses the ethno-politics of water in Argentina at the high point of European immigration, the first three decades of the twentieth century. Focusing on the drying of the Guanacache wetlands, located in the wine-producing region of Cuyo, we show how national and provincial ideologies based on ‘whitening’ and ‘civilisation’ shaped policies that favoured European immigrants at the expense of autochthonous populations in the geographic and social struggle for irrigation water. A large-scale redistribution of water resources drove the indigenisation of indigenous and criollo populations and the desertification of their land.
Governance and Territorial Development in Ecuador: The Plan Nacional del Buen Vivir in Zaruma, Piñas and Portovelo
Authors: PRADA-TRIGO JOSÉ
Published: August 2016

This article analyses the impact at a local level of the changes that have been introduced within the framework of the Plan Nacional del Buen Vivir (National Plan for Good Living, PNBV) in Ecuador since 2007. It assesses the extent to which there has been real change in local administration and governance and, if so, the impact in areas such as economic development, innovation and quality of life. Fieldwork was carried out across three towns and cantons – Zaruma, Piñas and Portovelo – in the province of El Oro. Historically, these have been characterised by their dependence on the primary export model that the government of Rafael Correa has sought to move beyond. The progress and limitations of this process are assessed within the context of the National Plan for Good Living.
Seasonal and spatial trends of Mayan octopus, Octopus maya, population dynamics from Campeche, Mexico
Authors: Markaida Unai , Méndez-Loeza Iván , Rosales-Raya Martha Laura
Published: August 2016

High plasticity in cephalopod populations shows dramatic changes in their biological traits. Commercial catches of Mayan octopus (Octopus maya) in six localities of the state of Campeche, Mexico, were sampled monthly for five consecutive fishing seasons (2005–2009) in order to describe variations in population structure and maturation. Octopus maya grows and matures during the fishing season, from August to December. Spent individuals predominate in January and February, revealing a year-long life cycle. However, the presence of a few spent females in all months sampled suggests that a small part of the population shows an extended spawning period. Overall sex ratios did not significantly shift from the expected 1:1 in most samples. Males are mostly mature while the majority of females are immature during the season. Use of illegal fishing gears (spear diving or pots) in central localities accounts for a larger share in mature females. Octopus size showed large interannual and geographic differences. Females mature at a larger size (1024 g body weight, BW; 124 mm mantle length, ML) than males (484 g BW; 91 mm ML). Size at maturity in both sexes varies more between seasons than between localities. Female ML at maturity is larger than the current minimum legal size and implications for current octopus fishing regulations are discussed.
Hybridizations within the GenusSchistosoma: implications for evolution, epidemiology and control
Authors: LEGER ELSA , WEBSTER JOANNE P.
Published: August 2016

Hybridization of parasites is an emerging public health concern in our changing world. Hybridization and introgression in parasites and pathogens can have major impacts on the host and the epidemiology and evolution of disease. Schistosomiasis is a Neglected Tropical Disease of profound medical and veterinary importance across many parts of the world, with the greatest human burden within sub-Saharan Africa. Here we review how early phenotypic identification and recent confirmation through molecular studies on naturally occurring infections, combined with experimental manipulations, have revealed evidence of viable hybridization and introgressions within and between human and animal schistosome species. Environmental and anthropogenic changes in selective pressures following, for instance, new dam constructions, altered agricultural practices, together with mass drug administration programmes, may all be predicted to further impact the availability of suitable definitive and intermediate hosts for schistosomes. It is therefore imperative to understand the distribution and role of such novel zoonotic hybrid schistosomes on host range, drug efficacy, and hence ultimately transmission potential, if we are to achieve and maintain sustainable control.
Concentration and retention of Toxoplasma gondii surrogates from seawater by red abalone (Haliotis rufescens)
Authors: SCHOTT KRISTEN C. , KRUSOR COLIN , TINKER M. TIM , MOORE JAMES , CONRAD PATRICIA A. , SHAPIRO KAREN
Published: August 2016

Small marine snails and abalone have been identified as high- and low-risk prey items, respectively, for exposure of threatened southern sea otters to Toxoplasma gondii, a zoonotic parasite that can cause fatal encephalitis in animals and humans. While recent work has characterized snails as paratenic hosts for T. gondii, the ability of abalone to vector the parasite has not been evaluated. To further elucidate why abalone predation may be protective against T. gondii exposure, this study aimed to determine whether: (1) abalone are physiologically capable of acquiring T. gondii; and (2) abalone and snails differ in their ability to concentrate and retain the parasite. Abalone were exposed to T. gondii surrogate microspheres for 24 h, and fecal samples were examined for 2 weeks following exposure. Concentration of surrogates was 2–3 orders of magnitude greater in abalone feces than in the spiked seawater, and excretion of surrogates continued for 14 days post-exposure. These results indicate that, physiologically, abalone and snails can equally vector T. gondii as paratenic hosts. Reduced risk of T. gondii infection in abalone-specializing otters may therefore result from abalone's high nutritional value, which implies otters must consume fewer animals to meet their caloric needs.
Larvicidal activity ofBacillus thuringiensisvar.israelensisCry11Aa toxin againstHaemonchus contortus
Authors: DE LARA ANA PAULA DE SOUZA STORI , LORENZON LUCAS BIGOLIN , VIANNA ANA MUÑOZ , SANTOS FRANCISCO DENIS SOUZA , PINTO LUCIANO SILVA , AIRES BERNE MARIA ELISABETH , LEITE FÁBIO PEREIRA LEIVAS
Published: August 2016

Effective control of gastrointestinal parasites is necessary in sheep production. The development of anthelmintics resistance is causing the available chemically based anthelmintics to become less effective. Biological control strategies present an alternative to this problem. In the current study, we tested the larvicidal effects ofBacillus thuringiensisvar.israelensisCry11Aa toxin againstHaemonchus contortuslarvae. Bacterial suspensions [2 × 108colony-forming units (CFU) g−1of the feces] ofB. thuringiensisvar.israelensisand recombinantEscherichia coliexpressing Cry11Aa toxin were added to naturallyH. contortusegg-contaminated feces. The larvae were quantified, and significant reductions of 62 and 81% (P< 0·001) were, respectively observed, compared with the control group. A 30 mL bacterial suspension (1 × 108CFU mL−1) ofB. thuringiensisvar.israelensisand recombinantE. coliexpressing Cry11Aa toxin were then orally administered to lambs naturally infected withH. contortus. Twelve hours after administration, feces were collected and submitted to coprocultures. Significant larvae reductions (P< 0·001) of 79 and 90% were observed respectively compared with the control group. The results suggest that the Cry11Aa toxin ofB. thuringiensisvar.israelensisis a promising new class of biological anthelmintics for treating sheep againstH. contortus.
Evolutionary characterization ofTy3/gypsy-like LTR retrotransposons in the parasitic cestodeEchinococcus granulosus
Authors: BAE YOUNG-AN
Published: August 2016

Cyclophyllidean cestodes includingEchinococcus granulosushave a smaller genome and show characteristics such as loss of the gut, a segmented body plan, and accelerated growth rate in hosts compared with other tissue-invading helminths. In an effort to address the molecular mechanism relevant to genome shrinkage, the evolutionary status of long-terminal-repeat (LTR) retrotransposons, which are known as the most potent genomic modulators, was investigated in theE. granulosusdraft genome. A majority of theE. granulosusLTR retrotransposons were classified into a novel characteristic clade, namedSaci-2, of theTy3/gypsyfamily, while the remaining elements belonged to theCsRn1clade of identical family. Their nucleotide sequences were heavily corrupted by frequent base substitutions and segmental losses. The ceased mobile activity of the major retrotransposons and the following intrinsic DNA loss in their inactive progenies might have contributed to decrease in genome size. Apart from the degenerate copies, agaggene originating from aCsRn1-like element exhibited substantial evidences suggesting its domestication including a preserved coding profile and transcriptional activity, the presence of syntenic orthologues in cestodes, and selective pressure acting on the gene. To my knowledge, the endogenizedgaggene is reported for the first time in invertebrates, though its biological function remains elusive.
High-resolution phylogeography of zoonotic tapewormEchinococcus granulosussensu stricto genotype G1 with an emphasis on its distribution in Turkey, Italy and Spain
Authors: KINKAR LIINA , LAURIMÄE TEIVI , SIMSEK SAMI , BALKAYA IBRAHIM , CASULLI ADRIANO , MANFREDI MARIA TERESA , PONCE-GORDO FRANCISCO , VARCASIA ANTONIO , LAVIKAINEN ANTTI , GONZÁLEZ LUIS MIGUEL , REHBEIN STEFFEN , VAN DER GIESSEN JOKE , SPRONG HEIN , SAARMA URMAS
Published: August 2016

Echinococcus granulosusis the causative agent of cystic echinococcosis. The disease is a significant global public health concern and human infections are most commonly associated withE. granulosussensu stricto (s. s.) genotype G1. The objectives of this study were to: (i) analyse the genetic variation and phylogeography ofE. granulosuss. s. G1 in part of its main distribution range in Europe using 8274 bp of mtDNA; (ii) compare the results with those derived from previously used shorter mtDNA sequences and highlight the major differences. We sequenced a total of 91E. granulosuss. s. G1 isolates from six different intermediate host species, including humans. The isolates originated from seven countries representing primarily Turkey, Italy and Spain. Few samples were also from Albania, Greece, Romania and from a patient originating from Algeria, but diagnosed in Finland. The analysed 91 sequences were divided into 83 haplotypes, revealing complex phylogeography and high genetic variation ofE. granulosuss. s. G1 in Europe, particularly in the high-diversity domestication centre of western Asia. Comparisons with shorter mtDNA datasets revealed that 8274 bp sequences provided significantly higher phylogenetic resolution and thus more power to reveal the genetic relations between different haplotypes.
Neural alterations of fronto-striatal circuitry during reward anticipation in euthymic bipolar disorder
Authors: Schreiter S. , Spengler S. , Willert A. , Mohnke S. , Herold D. , Erk S. , Romanczuk-Seiferth N. , Quinlivan E. , Hindi-Attar C. , Banzhaf C. , Wackerhagen C. , Romund L. , Garbusow M. , Stamm T. , Heinz A. , Walter H. , Bermpohl F.
Published: August 2016

Background

Bipolar disorder (BD), with the hallmark symptoms of elevated and depressed mood, is thought to be characterized by underlying alterations in reward-processing networks. However, to date the neural circuitry underlying abnormal responses during reward processing in BD remains largely unexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate whether euthymic BD is characterized by aberrant ventral striatal (VS) activation patterns and altered connectivity with the prefrontal cortex in response to monetary gains and losses.

Method

During functional magnetic resonance imaging 20 euthymic BD patients and 20 age-, gender- and intelligence quotient-matched healthy controls completed a monetary incentive delay paradigm, to examine neural processing of reward and loss anticipation. A priori defined regions of interest (ROIs) included the VS and the anterior prefrontal cortex (aPFC). Psychophysiological interactions (PPIs) between these ROIs were estimated and tested for group differences for reward and loss anticipation separately.

Results

BD participants, relative to healthy controls, displayed decreased activation selectively in the left and right VS during anticipation of reward, but not during loss anticipation. PPI analyses showed decreased functional connectivity between the left VS and aPFC in BD patients compared with healthy controls during reward anticipation.

Conclusions

This is the first study showing decreased VS activity and aberrant connectivity in the reward-processing circuitry in euthymic, medicated BD patients during reward anticipation. Our findings contrast with research supporting a reward hypersensitivity model of BD, and add to the body of literature suggesting that blunted activation of reward processing circuits may be a vulnerability factor for mood disorders.
The interplay of fa (law) and ren (benevolence) in the construction and application of the institution of liu yang (remaining at home to support parents)
Authors: MacCormack Geoffrey
Published: August 2016

This article seeks to show that the frequent invocation by the Qing Board of Punishments of the adage that liu yang represents an exercise of imperial benevolence outside the law is not a mere formality without substantive meaning, but rather reflects the role played by the adage in the reasoning by which permission to remain at home to support an elderly or sick parent was granted or withheld. The Board may argue either that “benevolence” supplies a reason for a grant of liu yang in a given case or, on the contrary, that “benevolence” should not be extended to permit such a result. In addition, the article examines the role of the concepts of “pity” and “filial piety” in relation to the operation of “benevolence”.
Do International Rulings have Spillover Effects?
Authors: Kucik Jeffrey , Pelc Krzysztof J.
Published: August 2016

How influential are international courts? Can their rulings reach beyond a given case and affect the behavior of countries not party to the dispute? International law is clear on the matter: rulings have no formal authority beyond the case at hand. This tenet is consistent with the incentives of sovereign states wary of delegating too much authority to courts. By contrast, the authors claim that even in the absence of formal authority, the rulings of international courts can affect behavior by mobilizing pro-compliance groups in countries not party to a dispute. They test these beliefs in the context of the World Trade Organization (WTO) through a novel approach. Because WTO rulings have implications for the fortunes of publicly traded firms, they examine whether financial markets bet on there being spillover effects beyond the case at hand. They rely on two quantitative case studies to test for a cross-border and a cross-industry spillover effect: can rulings have effects in countries and on industries other than those at issue in the initial dispute? The results suggest that the answer is a tentative yes. The spillover effects of international rulings may be a matter of scholarly contention, but their existence is something that financial markets appear willing to bet on.
Predictors of loneliness and different types of social isolation of rural-living older adults in the United Kingdom
Authors: DE KONING JOLANTHE LOUISE , STATHI AFRODITI , RICHARDS SUZANNE
Published: August 2016

Loneliness and social isolation are recognised, conceptually distinct threats to health and wellbeing in older age but limited evidence is available on their predictors in rural populations. This study performed logistical regression modelling to explore the predictors of loneliness, isolation from one's family and isolation from one's community in 884 British rural-living older adults (57.9% female; mean age = 71.5, standard deviation = 8.1 years) within the Grey and Pleasant Land data-set. While 13 per cent of participants reported feeling lonely, 49 per cent reported isolation from their family and 9 per cent reported isolation from their community. Minimal cross-over between groups was observed. Widowhood, financial difficulties, area deprivation, and self-reported impairments in physical and mental health predicted loneliness. Greater financial difficulty gave lower odds of isolation from one's family, and higher levels of community engagement gave lower odds of isolation from the community. Ageing in place (longer residency) was the only common predictor for all three dependent variables. Initiatives aimed at tackling loneliness and social isolation in rural-living older people must recognise that the two concepts are distinct, affecting different population sub-groups with mostly different risk factor profiles. Future interventions and policies should clearly identify whether their target is loneliness or social isolation and tailor their interventions appropriately.
‘I'm happy in my life now, I'm a positive person’: approaches to successful ageing in older adults living with HIV in Ontario, Canada
Authors: EMLET CHARLES A. , HARRIS LESLEY , FURLOTTE CHARLES , BRENNAN DAVID J. , PIERPAOLI CHRISTINA M.
Published: August 2016

Worldwide approximately 3.6 million people aged 50 and older are living and ageing with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Few studies have explored successful ageing from the insider perspective of those living well and ageing with HIV. This study draws upon the lived experience and wisdom of older, HIV-positive adults living in Ontario, Canada in order to understand their views and strategies for successful ageing. This qualitative study involved semi-structured interviews with 30 individuals age 50 years and older who are HIV-positive. Purposive sampling techniques were used to recruit individuals who shared their experiences of successful ageing. Constructivist grounded theory coding techniques were used for analysis. Themes related to successful ageing included resilience strategies and challenges, social support and environmental context. Stigma and struggles to maintain health were identified as impediments to successful ageing. Models of successful ageing must take into account the potential for a subjective appraisal of success in populations suffering from chronic and life-threatening illnesses including HIV. Practitioners can draw upon organically existent strengths in this population in order to provide intervention development for older adults around the world who are struggling to manage their HIV.