bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Unsupported inferences of high‐severity fire in historical dry forests of the western United States: response to Williams and Baker
Authors: Fulé Peter Z. , Swetnam Thomas W. , Brown Peter M. , Falk Donald A. , Peterson David L. , Allen Craig D. , Aplet Gregory H. , Battaglia Mike A. , Binkley Dan , Farris Calvin , Keane Robert E. , Margolis Ellis Q. , Grissino‐Mayer Henri , Miller Carol , Sieg Carolyn Hull , Skinner Carl , Stephens Scott L. , Taylor Alan
Published: December 2013

Reconstructions of dry western US forests in the late 19th century in Arizona, Colorado and Oregon based on General Land Office records were used by Williams & Baker (2012; Global Ecology and Biogeography, 21, 1042–1052; hereafter W&B) to infer past fire regimes with substantial moderate and high‐severity burning. The authors concluded that present‐day large, high‐severity fires are not distinguishable from historical patterns. We present evidence of important errors in their study. First, the use of tree size distributions to reconstruct past fire severity and extent is not supported by empirical age–size relationships nor by studies that directly quantified disturbance history in these forests. Second, the fire severity classification of W&B is qualitatively different from most modern classification schemes, and is based on different types of data, leading to an inappropriate comparison. Third, we note that while W&B asserted ‘surprising’ heterogeneity in their reconstructions of stand density and species composition, their data are not substantially different from many previous studies which reached very different conclusions about subsequent forest and fire behaviour changes. Contrary to the conclusions of W&B, the preponderance of scientific evidence indicates that conservation of dry forest ecosystems in the western United States and their ecological, social and economic value is not consistent with a present‐day disturbance regime of large, high‐severity fires, especially under changing climate.
Human parainfluenza virus in patients with influenza‐like illness from Central and South America during 2006–2010
Authors: Villaran Manuel V. , García Josefina , Gomez Jorge , Arango Ana E. , Gonzales Marina , Chicaiza Wilson , Alemán Washington , Lorenzana de Rivera Ivette , Sanchez Felix , Aguayo Nicolas , Kochel Tadeusz J. , Halsey Eric S.
Published: November 2013

Background

Human parainfluenza viruses (HPIVs) are common viral causes of community‐acquired pneumonia, particularly in children. The four types of HPIV have world‐wide distribution; however, limited information exists about the epidemiological profile of HPIV in Latin‐America.

Objective

Provide epidemiologic and phylogenetic information about HPIVs that circulated in Latin America between 2006 and 2010 to better characterize the extent and variability of this respiratory virus in the region.

Methods

Oropharyngeal swabs, demographic data and clinical characteristics were obtained from individuals with influenza‐like illness in 10 Latin‐American countries between 2006–2010. Specimens were analyzed with culture and molecular methods.

Results

A total of 30 561 individuals were enrolled; 991 (3·2%) were HPIV positive. Most infected participants were male (53·7%) and under 5 years of age (68·7%). The HPIV type most frequently isolated was HPIV‐3 (403, 40·7%). In 66/2007 (3·3%) hospitalized individuals, HPIV was identified. The most frequent symptoms at enrollment were cough and rhinorrhea. We identified certain patterns for HPIV‐1, ‐2 and ‐3 in specific cities. Phylogenetic analysis revealed a homogeneous distribution in the region.

Conclusions

In the current scenario, no vaccine or treatment is available for this pathogen. Our results contribute to the scarce epidemiologic and phylogenetic information of HPIV in the region that could support the development of specific management.
MALE SLAVE SEXUALITY AND THE ABSENCE OF MORAL PANIC IN CLASSICAL ATHENS
Authors: TODD S. C.
Published: December 2013

A puzzling feature of slavery in Classical Athenian literature is the lack of attention paid to the sexuality of male slaves or ex-slaves. It is not that they are never depicted as sexual beings, but Athenian writers display much more interest in the sexuality of female than of male slaves, and even where the latter are presented in sexual terms, there is little sense that this might pose a threat to free-born women. To reduce the danger of using sources as proof-texts and ignoring the significance of literary genre, this paper is structured around an analysis of male slave sexuality in Old Comedy, more briefly New Comedy, and Oratory, with comparisons from other texts where appropriate. An extended conclusion explores possible explanations, focusing on differences between classical Athenian and modern US slavery.
Male fertility and varicocoele: role of immune factors
Authors: Bozhedomov V. A. , Lipatova N. A. , Rokhlikov I. M. , Alexeev R. A. , Ushakova I. V. , Sukhikh G. T.
Published: November 2013

The role of antisperm antibodies (ASA) in the aetiopathogenesis of varicocoele‐related male infertility remains unclear. The objective of this study was to determine whether varicocoele is associated with antisperm immune response and whether this factor provides additional affect on male fertility. We performed a multicentral, prospective study that included the clinical examination of 1639 male subjects from infertile couples and 90 fertile men, the evaluation of the absolute and relative risks of immune infertility associated with varicocoele and the impact of the autoimmune response on the semen quality. The methods used were as follows: standard examination of seminal fluid according to WHO criteria; ASA detection in seminal fluid using mixed antiglobulin reaction (MAR) and direct flow cytometry; measurement of spontaneous and ionophore‐induced acrosome reactions; oxidative stress evaluation with luminal‐dependent chemiluminescence method and evaluation of DNA fragmentation by sperm chromatin dispersion. The prevalence of varicocoele‐related immune infertility is about 15% and does not depend on the grade of vein dilatation both in primary and secondary fertility disorders. Varicocoele is not an immediate cause of autoimmune reactions against spermatozoa, but is a cofactor increasing ASA risk; the OR of immune infertility after a testicular trauma in varicocoele patients increases twofold. In varicocoele patients, the autoimmune antisperm reaction is accompanied by a more significant decrease in the semen quality (concentration and number of progressively motile and morphologically normal spermatozoa in the ejaculate), acrosome reaction disorders (presence of pre‐term spontaneous and lack of induced reactions) and an increase in the proportion of spermatozoa with DNA fragmentation. These disorders correlate with the level of sperm oxidative stress; reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in ASA‐positive varicocoele patients is 2.8 and 3.5 times higher than in ASA‐negative varicocoele patients and fertile men respectively. We did not find correlation between the grade of spermatic cord vein dilatation and ROS production.
Tetravalent Doping of CeO2: The Impact of Valence Electron Character on Group IV Dopant Influence
Authors: Vanpoucke D. E. P. , Cottenier S. , Van Speybroeck V. , Van Driessche I. , Bultinck P.
Published: November 2013

Fluorite CeO2 doped with group IV elements is studied within the density functional theory (DFT) and DFT + U framework. Concentration‐dependent formation energies are calculated for Ce1−xZxO2 (Z = C, Si, Ge, Sn, Pb, Ti, Zr, Hf) with 0 ≤ x ≤ 0.25 and a roughly decreasing trend with ionic radius is observed. The influence of the valence and near valence electronic configuration is discussed, indicating the importance of filled d and f shells near the Fermi level for all properties investigated. A clearly different behavior of group IVa and IVb dopants is observed: the former are more suitable for surface modifications and the latter are more suitable for bulk modifications. For the entire set of group IV dopants, there exists an inverse relation between the change, due to doping, of the bulk modulus, and the thermal expansion coefficients. Hirshfeld‐I atomic charges show that charge‐transfer effects due to doping are limited to the nearest‐neighbor oxygen atoms.
Sol–Gel Synthesis and Formation Mechanism of Ultrahigh Temperature Ceramic: HfB2
Authors: Venugopal Saranya , Boakye Emmanuel E. , Paul Anish , Keller Kristin , Mogilevsky Pavel , Vaidhyanathan Bala , Binner Jon G. P. , Katz Allan , Brown Peter M.
Published: November 2013

Hafnium diboride (HfB2) powder has been synthesized via a sol–gel‐based route using phenolic resin, hafnium chloride, and boric acid as the source of carbon, hafnium, and boron, respectively, though a small number of comparative experiments involved amorphous boron as boron source. The effects of heat‐treatment dwell time and hafnium:carbon (Hf:C) and hafnium:boron (Hf:B) molar ratio on the purity and morphology of the final powder have been studied and the mechanism of HfB2 formation investigated using several techniques. The results showed that while temperatures as low as 1300°C could be used to produce HfB2 particles, the heat treatment needed to last for about 25 h. This in turn resulted in anisotropic particle growth along the c‐axis of the HfB2 crystals yielding tube‐like structures of about 10 μm long. Equiaxed particles 1–2 μm in size were obtained when the precursor was heat treated at 1600°C for 2 h. The reaction mechanism involved boro/carbothermal reduction and the indications were that the formation of HfB2 at 1300°C is through the intermediate formation of an amorphous B or boron suboxides, although at higher temperatures more than one reaction mechanism may be active.
Heidegger, lived experience and method
Authors: Paley John
Published: November 2013

Aim

A discussion of the assumption that Heidegger's philosophy in Being And Time provides a warrant for the study of lived experience.

Background

It is generally assumed, in nursing as in other disciplines, that Heidegger's philosophy points, uncontroversially, to the study of lived experience. It is also assumed that studies of this type will take the form of qualitative interviews which seek to explore the respondent's experience of a particular phenomenon and to elicit the meanings which the individual concerned attaches to that experience.

Data sources

Being And Time; the philosophical literature on Heidegger since 1999; the literature of experimental social psychology, 1970–2012.

Conclusions

According to Heidegger, there is no such thing as ‘lived experience’. The concept is embedded in the subject–object dualism that he is attempting to dismantle. In Heideggerian terms, interviews intended to explore ‘lived experience’ can only reproduce the voice of das Man, the ‘They’, not the voice of unique individuals. Methods more in keeping with Heidegger's philosophy include observation, naturalistic experiments, some forms of discourse analysis and conceptually associated lines of enquiry involving vocabularies of motive, scripts and the performative aspects of language use.

Implications for Nursing

Nursing researchers who wish to embrace Heidegger's philosophy as a basis for their work should abandon ‘lived experience’ interviews and adopt one of the alternative methods suggested above. Nursing researchers who wish to continue with ‘lived experience’ interviews should seek an alternative philosophical or theoretical basis for their work.
One‐minute mental status examination for category fluency is more useful than mini‐mental state examination to evaluate the reliability of insulin self‐injection in elderly diabetic patients
Authors: Yajima Ken , Matsushita Takaya , Sumitomo Hidetaka , Sakurai Hirofumi , Katayama Takashi , Kanno Kazuo , Sakai Masashi , Shigeta Masayuki , Shirabe Shinichiro , Nakano Tadasumi , Nishimura Kazuhiro , Ueki Akio , Kitaoka Masafumi
Published: December 2013

Aims/Introduction

We investigated the factors associated with the reliability of insulin self‐injection in elderly diabetic patients receiving insulin therapy.

Materials and Methods

We enrolled diabetic patients aged ≥65 years and receiving insulin therapy, and assessed their cognitive function by the mini‐mental state examination and 1‐min mental status examination for category fluency. We also observed their technique of insulin self‐injection, and evaluated whether or not patients were able to inject insulin by themselves according to nine defined details in terms of insulin self‐injection. The predictive factors for the reliability of insulin self‐injection were determined by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis. There were 278 participants (135 males, 143 females) enrolled in the present study.

Results

According to multivariate logistic regression analysis, only the 1‐min mental status examination score was found to be a significant independent predictor of the reliability of insulin self‐injection (odds ratio 0.75; 95% confidence interval 0.62–0.90; P = 0.002).

Conclusions

The 1‐min mental status examination for category fluency can be considered more useful than mini‐mental state examination to evaluate the reliability of insulin self‐injection in elderly diabetic patients receiving insulin therapy.
Association of hypertension status and cardiovascular risks with sympathovagal imbalance in first degree relatives of type 2 diabetics
Authors: Pal Gopal Krushna , Adithan Chandrasekaran , Dutta Tarun Kumar , Pal Pravati , Nanda Nivedita , Lalitha Venugopal , Syamsunder Avupati Naga
Published: December 2013

Aims/Introduction

As reports show cardiovascular (CV) risks in first‐degree relatives (FDR) of type 2 diabetics, and autonomic imbalance predisposing to CV risks, in the present study we have assessed the contribution of sympathovagal imbalance (SVI) to CV risks in these subjects.

Materials and Methods

Body mass index (BMI), waist‐to‐hip ratio (WHR), basal heart rate (BHR), blood pressure (BP), rate pressure product (RPP), and spectral indices of heart rate variability (HRV) were reordered and analyzed in FDR of type 2 diabetics (study group, n = 293) and in subjects with no family history of diabetes (control group, n = 405).

Results

The ratio of low‐frequency (LF) to high‐frequency (HF) power of HRV (LF–HF), a sensitive marker of SVI, was significantly increased (P < 0.001) in the study group compared with the control group. The SVI in the study group was due to concomitant sympathetic activation (increased LF) and vagal inhibition (decreased HF). In the study group, the LF–HF ratio was significantly correlated with BMI, WHR, BHR, BP and RPP. Multiple regression analysis showed an independent contribution of LF–HF to hypertension status (P = 0.000), and bivariate logistic regression showed significant prediction (odds ratio 2.16, confidence interval 1.130–5.115) of LF–HF to increased RPP, the marker of CV risk, in the study group.

Conclusions

Sympathovagal imbalance in the form of increased sympathetic and decreased parasympathetic activity is present in FDR of type 2 diabetics. Increased resting heart rate, elevated hypertension status, decreased HRV and increased RPP in these subjects make them vulnerable to CV risks. SVI in these subjects contributes to CV risks independent of the degree of adiposity.
Low high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol level is a significant risk factor for development of type 2 diabetes: Data from the Hawaii–Los Angeles–Hiroshima study
Authors: Hirano Masatoshi , Nakanishi Shuhei , Kubota Mitsunobu , Maeda Shusaku , Yoneda Masayasu , Yamane Kiminori , Kira Sakurako , Sasaki Hideo , Kohno Nobuoki
Published: December 2013

Aims/Introduction

A low level of high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) is a common feature of metabolic syndrome. We have reported that Japanese–Americans who share a virtually identical genetic makeup with native Japanese, but who have lived Westernized lifestyles for decades, have lower HDLC levels and a high prevalence of type 2 diabetes compared with native Japanese. However, the impact of low HDLC level on type 2 diabetes is unclear. The aims of the present study were to evaluate whether serum HDLC level was associated with development of type 2 diabetes and if the effect might be modified by lifestyle.

Materials and Methods

We examined 1,133 non‐diabetic Japanese–Americans and 1,072 non‐diabetic Japanese, who underwent the 75‐g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and were followed for an average of 8.8 and 7.0 years, respectively. We analyzed whether serum HDLC level is a risk factor for development of type 2 diabetes based on the Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

After adjustment for age and sex, hazard ratios for development of type 2 diabetes per unit of serum HDLC level (mmol/L) were 0.292 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.186–0.458, P < 0.0001) among Japanese–Americans and 0.551 (95% CI 0.375–0.88, P = 0.0023) among native Japanese. Comparable hazard ratios after further adjustment for category of OGTT and body mass index were 0.981 (95% CI 0.970–0.993, P = 0.0018) and 0.991 (95% CI 0.980–1.002, P = 0.112), respectively.

Conclusions

HDLC level was associated with development of type 2 diabetes in both Japanese–Americans and native Japanese. However, these results suggest that the impact of high‐density lipoprotein on glucose metabolism might be affected by lifestyle.
Mating disruption of Lasioderma serricorne (Coleoptera: Anobiidae) in stored product habitats using the synthetic pheromone serricornin
Authors: Mahroof R. M. , Phillips T. W.
Published: November 2013

Cigarette beetles, Lasioderma serricorne (F.) (Coleoptera: Anobiidae), cause significant damage to the multibillion dollar food and tobacco industries worldwide each year. A non‐insecticidal alternative to manage L. serricorne is the application of mating disruption, in which high levels of synthetic sex pheromone are released to create an atmosphere that results in males failing to mate females, thereby causing population suppression or extinction. The reported work used synthetic serricornin, the predominant sex pheromone of L. serricorne, in mating disruption trials conducted in selected food‐ and feed‐processing facilities in South Carolina during 2010 and 2011. Mills subjected to mating disruption trials were monitored using oviposition cups filled with larval food and pheromone traps for males that contained monitoring lures. Immediately after deployment of mating disruption dispensers, trap captures declined significantly and indicated a reduction in population levels, that is, there was ‘trap shutdown’. A significant reduction was observed in numbers of adult beetles caught in the traps 8 weeks before and 8 weeks after treatment in both years. Beetle numbers from pheromone traps in untreated buildings remained at similar levels or increased after the time of mating disruption deployment in treated buildings. The numbers of adults that emerged from oviposition food cups were generally low and varied irregularly in treated and untreated buildings and were determined to be of little value for assessing treatment effects on reproduction. These initial field studies in the USA suggest that release of the synthetic sex pheromone of L. serricorne for mating disruption can significantly inhibit proper orientation behaviour of male L. serricorne to females and may lead to pest population decline from mating disruption.
Evaluation of the fibromyalgia diagnostic screen in clinical practice
Authors: Martin Susan A. , Coon Cheryl D. , McLeod Lori D. , Chandran Arthi , Arnold Lesley M.
Published: November 2013

Rationale, aims and objectives

Fibromyalgia (FM) is challenging to diagnose, especially in primary care settings. The Fibromyalgia Diagnostic Screen was developed to facilitate the diagnosis of FM in clinical practice. The objectives of this study were to assess the performance of the Fibromyalgia Diagnostic Screen in primary care and specialty clinics, using the 1990 American College of Rheumatology (ACR) diagnostic criteria as the gold standard, and comparing the Fibromyalgia Diagnostic Screen with the London Fibromyalgia Epidemiology Study Screening Questionnaire (LFESSQ) and the modified 2010 ACR Fibromyalgia Diagnostic Criteria (ACR‐FDC).

Methods

This multicenter, cross‐sectional study included 150 adult chronic pain patients who underwent a physician‐administered structured history and physical exam and completed the Fibromyalgia Diagnostic Screen, the LFESSQ and the modified ACR‐FDC. The analyses determined the predictive ability of the Fibromyalgia Diagnostic Screen for FM.

Results

Item‐level analyses provided support for the response categories and predictive ability of most of the Fibromyalgia Diagnostic Screen items. Additionally, the evaluation of the Fibromyalgia Diagnostic Screen scoring models demonstrated the greatest accuracy in predicting an FM diagnosis with a combination of patient items and clinician items that included an abbreviated tender point exam (sensitivity 0.68, specificity, 0.82). Sensitivity of the modified ACR‐FDC and the LFESSQ was 0.87 and 0.86, respectively, with specificity 0.62 and 0.49, respectively.

Conclusions

The Fibromyalgia Diagnostic Screen is a useful new clinical tool to aid in the evaluation of FM in clinical practice.
Motor excitability during movement preparation in Tourette syndrome
Authors: Draper Amelia , Jude Lucinda , Jackson Georgina M. , Jackson Stephen R.
Published: November 2013

Tourette syndrome (TS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by the occurrence of motor and vocal tics. TS has been linked to the impaired operation of cortical‐striatal‐thalamic‐cortical circuits that give rise to hyper‐excitability of cortical motor areas, which may be exacerbated by dysfunctional intra‐cortical inhibitory mechanisms. That said, many individuals gain control over their tics during adolescence and it has been suggested that this increased control arises as a result of the development of mechanisms that operate to suppress corticospinal excitability (CSE) ahead of volitional movements. Here we used single‐pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in conjunction with a manual Go/NoGo task to investigate alterations in CSE ahead of volitional movements in a group of adolescents with TS (N = 10). Our study demonstrated that CSE, as measured by TMS‐induced motor‐evoked potentials (MEPs), was significantly reduced in the TS group in the period immediately preceding a finger movement. More specifically, we show that individuals with TS, unlike their age‐matched controls, do not exhibit the predicted increase in mean MEP amplitude and decrease in MEP variability that immediately precede the execution of volitional movements in typically developing young adults. Finally, we report that the magnitude of the rise in MEP amplitude across the movement preparation period in TS is significantly negatively correlated with clinical measures of motor tic severity, suggesting that individuals with severe motor tics are least able to modulate motor cortical excitability.
ECONOMIC ANALYSIS OF KNOWLEDGE: THE HISTORY OF THOUGHT AND THE CENTRAL THEMES
Authors: Leppälä Samuli
Published: December 2013

Following the development of knowledge economies, there has been a rapid expansion of economic analysis of knowledge, both in the context of technological knowledge in particular and decision theory in general. This paper surveys this literature by identifying the main themes and contributions, and outlines the future prospects of the discipline. The wide scope of knowledge‐related questions in terms of applicability and alternative approaches has led to the fragmentation of research. Nonetheless, one can identify an enduring quest for analyzing various aspects of the generation, dissemination and use of knowledge in the economy.
How to Overcome Pro‐Change Bias: Incorporating Passive and Active Innovation Resistance in Innovation Decision Models
Authors: Talke Katrin , Heidenreich Sven
Published: November 2013

Adoption literature is largely subject to a pro‐change bias; researchers mainly assume that consumers are open to change and thus interested in evaluating new products. However, consumers often reject innovations without considering their potential, such that the adoption process ends before it really has begun. The present study instead argues that innovation resistance, prior to product evaluation, is a regular consumer response that must be recognized and managed to facilitate new product adoption. The authors suggest differentiating passive from active innovation resistance. While passive innovation resistance results from a consumer's generic predisposition to resist innovations prior to new product evaluation, active innovation resistance is an attitudinal outcome that follows an unfavorable new product evaluation. This study also extends extant innovation decision models by describing how passive and active innovation resistance emerge and how they affect decision‐making in later stages of the process.
Reduced Gray Matter Volume and Increased White Matter Fractional Anisotropy in Women with Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder
Authors: Bloemers Jos , Scholte H. Steven , van Rooij Kim , Goldstein Irwin , Gerritsen Jeroen , Olivier Berend , Tuiten Adriaan
Published: December 2013

Introduction

Models of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) imply altered central processing of sexual stimuli. Imaging studies have identified areas which show altered processing as compared with controls, but to date, structural neuroanatomical differences have not been described.

Aim

The aim of this study is to investigate differences in brain structure between women with HSDD and women with no history of sexual dysfunction, and to determine sexual behavioral correlates of identified structural deviations.

Methods

Sexual functioning and gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) were assessed in 29 women with HSDD and 16 healthy control subjects of comparable age and socioeconomic status with no history of sexual dysfunction.

Main Outcome Measures

WM properties were measured using diffusion-weighted imaging and analyzed using fractional anisotropy (FA). GM volume was measured using three-dimensional T1-weighted recordings and analyzed using voxel-based morphometry. Sexual functioning was measured using the Sexual Function Questionnaire.

Results

Women with HSDD, as compared with controls, had reduced GM volume in the right insula, bilateral anterior temporal cortices, left occipitotemporal cortex, anterior cingulate gyrus, and right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Also, increased WM FA was observed within, amongst others, the bilateral amygdalae. Sexual interest and arousal correlated mostly with GM volume in these regions, whereas orgasm function correlated mostly with WM FA.

Conclusion

HSDD coincides with anatomical differences in the central nervous system, in both GM and WM. The findings suggest that decreased salience attribution to sexual stimuli, decreased perception of bodily responses and sexual emotional stimulus perception, and concomitant altered attentional mechanisms associated with sexual response induction.
Female odours promote the activation of sheltered kissing bug Rhodnius prolixus males and modulate their orientation
Authors: PONTES G. , ZACHARIAS C. A. , MANRIQUE G. , LORENZO M. G.
Published: December 2013

The existence of a pheromone emitted during copulation has been reported for Rhodnius prolixus (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) Stål. Adults possess one pair of metasternal glands (MGs) from which female R. prolixus release volatiles mainly at night. We investigated whether these volatiles emitted by adult R. prolixus can modulate sexual‐related behaviours of opposite and/or same sex individuals. We first used a shelter bioassay to test if adult activity patterns can be affected by chemical signals emitted by opposite sex conspecifics. We observed that males left the shelter more frequently in the presence of females, showing higher activity and an increase of intrasexual copulation attempts. Females showed no shelter‐related activation in the presence of male odours. Second, we used a locomotion compensator device to investigate whether females or males show oriented responses to odours emitted by adults. We found that males oriented towards air currents carrying female odours but females did not orient towards odours emitted by adults. Finally, we observed that males oriented towards the female MG compounds. Thus, a volatile chemical signal emitted by females from their MGs promoted the activation of sheltered males and modulated orientation to air currents.
Porphyromonas gingivalis C‐terminal signal peptidase PG0026 and HagA interact with outer membrane protein PG27/LptO
Authors: Saiki K. , Konishi K.
Published: December 2013

Outer membrane protein PG27 is essential for secretion/maturation of conserved C‐terminal domain (CTD) proteins such as gingipains, HagA, and PG0026. To determine the binding partner(s) of PG27, we used a Porphyromonas gingivalis mutant strain, 83K48, which expressed functional histidine‐tagged PG27. Purification of histidine‐tagged PG27 from 83K48 found that 136‐kDa and 264‐kDa proteins accompanied histidine‐tagged PG27. Mass spectrometry revealed the 136‐kDa protein and 264‐kDa protein to be PG0026 and PG1837 (HagA), respectively. PG0026 is a C‐terminal signal peptidase which cleaves the CTDs of other CTD proteins. A cross‐linking and a native electrophoresis studies suggested the interaction between histidine‐tagged PG27 and HagA and the interaction between histidine‐tagged PG27 and PG0026. We constructed Porphyromonas gingivalis gene disrupting mutants, and characterized them. PG0026 was required for the full activities of gingipains, whereas HagA was not. A mutation disrupting PG0026 affected localization of PG27, but a mutation disrupting PG1837 showed little effect on the expression and localizations of PG27 and PG0026. To determine the functional role of HagA, we used PG1837‐disruptant 83K54 which expressed functional histidine‐tagged PG27. Histidine‐tagged PG27 in 83K54 was co‐purified with not only PG0026 but also several contaminated proteins. These results suggest that PG0026 interacts with PG27 in the absence of HagA, and that the binding state of a PG27‐PG0026 complex was affected and stabilized by HagA. Taken together, these data suggest that secreted PG0026 anchors to the cell by interacting with PG27, is stabilized by HagA, and functions in processing of other CTD proteins such as gingipains.
Oil prices, US inflation, US money supply and the US dollar
Authors: Azar Samih Antoine
Published: December 2013

A central proposition in many macroeconomic models is price stickiness, while it is agreed that commodity prices are determined in auction markets, and are necessarily fully flexible. The overall price level is a weighted average of commodity prices and consumer prices. An exogenous increase in the money supply, keeping everything else constant, increases the overall price level proportionately. Because of stickiness of consumer prices, commodity prices overshoot the increase in the money supply. The purpose of this paper is to re‐examine the relations between the price of one specific commodity which is oil with US inflation, US money supply and the US dollar. One empirical fact is that during the sample period, global and US demand shocks have raised oil prices immediately while their effect on consumer prices was delayed. This overshooting of oil prices is expected to occur in the short run and to wane in the long run as consumer prices fully adjust. The overshooting of oil prices is the mirror image of the overshooting of the US dollar. This is true for two main reasons. One, both oil and the US dollar react in the same manner to money supply changes. Two, oil prices are quoted in US dollars and a depreciation of the US dollar is instantly compensated by a rise in the US price of oil. Additionally, the paper analyses and discusses the evidence on an apparent long run overshooting of oil prices and explains why it is just a statistical artefact that stems from the salient features of oil.
Exploring the impact of oil revenues on OPEC members' macroeconomy
Authors: Almulali Usama , Sab Che Normee Binti Che
Published: December 2013

This study investigated the impact of oil revenues on the macroeconomy in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). The panel model was used taking the period 2000–2011 when oil prices increased to high levels causing an increase in the oil revenues of the investigated countries. The results showed that oil exports revenues have a long‐run and a short‐run positive relationship with the gross domestic product, domestic investment, government consumption expenditure and the consumer price index. However, the results also showed that oil exports revenues have a long‐run and a short‐run negative relationship with the real exchange rate, gross domestic savings and the current account balance. Therefore, it was recommended that these countries should reduce their level of domestic consumption and increase their domestic savings. It was also recommended that these countries should reduce their real exchange rate appreciation and use more flexible exchange rate regimes.
Industrial energy demand, a forecasting model based on an index decomposition of structural and efficiency effects
Authors: Lescaroux François
Published: December 2013

This paper proposes an approach for explaining and forecasting global industrial energy demand, at the country level, that could be seen as a trade‐off between the two main options in use: ‘top‐down’ and ‘bottom‐up’ models. It relies on a two‐term decomposition of industrial energy intensity, one evaluating the contribution of changes in the industrial structure, the other one reflecting the contribution of changes in sectoral efficiency. The former can be projected ‘bottom‐up’ using microeconomic forecasts. The latter is modelled ‘top‐down’ as a function of real per capita gross domestic product and electricity's market share. Hence, this approach enables both to project future demand and to disentangle the effects of structural mutations and efficiency gains for explaining past or future changes. The latter driver might further be decomposed into two factors: efficiency gains resulting from fuel substitutions and ‘other’ sectoral efficiency gains.
The potential role of patient stress in rates of dental post‐extraction complication
Authors: McDowall C. , Lydall E.S. , Moore S.C.
Published: November 2013

Aim

Stress, alcohol and tobacco use can detrimentally influence wound healing outcomes; however, there is uncertainty as to whether these observations generalise to dental practice. This study explored whether stress, alcohol and tobacco use influenced the complication rate experienced by patients following tooth extraction.

Material and methods

Patients attending an oral surgery clinic for a tooth extraction were recruited while they waited for their appointment. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire containing instruments that measure perceived stress, experienced pain, and alcohol and tobacco use. Demographic information was collected. Participants were telephoned 2 weeks following their initial appointment and asked if they had experienced any complications relating to their treatment.

Results

Data were available from 68 patients, of whom 52 could be contacted by telephone. A Cox proportional‐hazards regression yielded a significant positive effect of stress on the likelihood of a complication (P < 0.05). Participants with higher levels of alcohol consumption were less likely to develop a post‐extraction complication (P < 0.001), as were younger participants (P < 0.01). Participants who experienced a complication also reported significantly higher post‐extraction pain scores (P < 0.001).

Conclusions

These data suggest that stress and pain are positively associated, and alcohol consumption is negatively associated, with post‐extraction complication rates. These results are discussed in relation to opportunities for novel behavioural interventions to reduce stress.
R‐Wave Sensing in an Implantable Cardiac Monitor without ECG‐Based Preimplant Mapping: Results from a Multicenter Clinical Trial
Authors: KRAHN ANDREW D. , PICKETT ROBERT A. , SAKAGUCHI SCOTT , SHAIK NAUSHAD , CAO JIAN , NORMAN HOLLY S. , GUERRERO PATRICIA
Published: December 2013

Introduction

Reducing the form factor of an implantable cardiac monitor (ICM) may simplify device implant. This study evaluated R‐wave sensing at a range of electrode distances and a preferred device implant location without mapping.

Methods

Patients scheduled for a Medtronic Reveal® ICM implant (Medtronic Inc., Minneapolis, MN, USA) underwent a preimplant pocket recording using a diagnostic recording catheter. The ICM implant location was left to the discretion of the implanting physician, but a “recommended” position spanned the V2–V3 electrocardiogram electrode location in an oblique 45° angle. R‐wave amplitudes were analyzed from ICM follow‐up.

Results

Seventeen of 41 subjects (15 male, age 57 ± 16 years) had the maximum surface‐filtered R‐wave at the recommended location. Fourteen patients underwent diagnostic recording across the range of electrode spacing. There was a strong correlation between the R‐wave amplitude and electrode distance (r2 = 0.97, P < 0.001) with an increase of 29 μV per 2.5 mm. Comparing normalized R‐wave distributions between the recommended ICM implant group (Group 1, n = 19) and the remaining patients (Group 2, n = 7), the proportion of ICM R‐wave counts of amplitude 0.25–1.2 mV was higher (79% vs 46%, P < 0.05). Of 17 patients in Group 1 who had ≥1‐month ICM follow‐up (79 ± 45 days), no sensing‐related false arrhythmia detection was found in 16 (93%) patients.

Conclusions

The subcutaneous R‐wave amplitude correlates with electrode spacing in the implant zone of ICM patients. Implant locations at the V2–V3 position at a 45° angle offer an adequate R wave for sensing. Preimplant mapping to achieve acceptable R‐wave amplitude may not be necessary.
Generalized Trust Through Civic Engagement? Evidence from Five National Panel Studies
Authors: van Ingen Erik , Bekkers René
Published: December 2013

According to a popular version of social capital theory, civic engagement should produce generalized trust among citizens. We put this theory to the test by examining the causal connection between civic engagement and generalized trust using multiple methods and multiple (prospective) panel datasets. We found participants to be more trusting. This was mostly likely caused by selection effects: the causal effects of civic engagement on trust were very small or nonsignificant. In the cases where small causal effects were found, they turned out not to last. We found no differences across types of organizations and only minor variations across countries.
Auxin perception: in the IAA of the beholder
Authors: Bargmann Bastiaan O. R. , Estelle Mark
Published: November 2013

Auxin signaling through the SCFTIR1‐Aux/IAA‐ARF pathway is one of the best‐studied plant hormone response pathways. Components of this pathway, from receptors through to transcription factors, have been identified and analyzed in detail. Although we understand elementary aspects of how the auxin signal is perceived and leads to a transcriptional response, many questions remain about the in vivo function of the pathway. Two crucial issues are the tissue specificity of the response, i.e. how distinct cell types can interpret the same auxin signal differently, and the response to a signaling gradient, i.e. how a graded distribution of auxin can elicit distinct expression patterns along its range. Here, we speculate on how signaling through the canonical SCFTIR1‐Aux/IAA‐ARF pathway may achieve divergent responses.
Senile onset frontotemporal lobar degeneration with TAR‐DNA binding protein 43 proteinopathy primarily presenting with wasteful habits
Authors: Iwasaki Yasushi , Mori Keiko , Ito Masumi , Tatsumi Shinsui , Mimuro Maya , Yoshida Mari
Published: December 2013

We present an autopsied case of a senile Japanese woman with sporadic frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) presenting as frontotemporal dementia. Disease onset was at the age of 70 and presented as a behaviour disorder, particularly involving wasteful habits. The patient had repeated incidents of making expensive purchases and then had difficulty making payments. Following these symptoms, she showed other changes of character such as lethargy and apathy. She gradually showed signs of parkinsonism including rigidity and bradykinesia, and in the terminal stage, an akinetic mutism state with quadriplegia in flexion was observed. Head magnetic resonance imaging revealed severe frontotemporal lobe atrophy with severe lateral ventricular dilatation and frontal white matter degeneration. At autopsy, the brain weighed 930 g and the frontotemporal cerebral cortex showed neuron loss with gliosis, tissue rarefaction and spongiform change, particularly in the superficial layers. Pathologic degeneration was more severe in the anterior portion of the frontal lobe with extensive white matter degeneration. Immunostaining for phosphorylated TAR‐DNA binding protein 43 (TDP‐43) revealed numerous neuronal cytoplasmic inclusions and extensive short dystrophic neuritis, particularly in the frontotemporal cortex. Many TDP‐43‐positive cytoplasmic inclusions were also observed in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. The patient was pathologically diagnosed with FTLD with TDP‐43‐positive inclusions (FTLD‐TDP) without motor neuron disease. The immunohistochemical findings corresponded to type A of the FTLD‐TDP pathology classification system.
Location for Foreign Direct Investment in Vertically Related Markets
Authors: Milliou Chrysovalantou
Published: December 2013

This paper studies a multinational enterprise's (MNE's) location decision in a vertically related market with endogenous vertical technology transfer (VTT). We show that, even though VTT is more costly in a less developed country, an MNE can transfer more technology there than in a developed country (DC). When the opposite occurs, the MNE sometimes locates in a DC where, although it faces stronger competition, it obtains the input at better terms. Therefore, by arguing that the MNE's decision can be crucially affected by the upstream market's outcomes, an alternative explanation is provided for the commonly observed foreign direct investment (FDI) in DCs.
Deep‐burial alteration of early‐diagenetic carbonate concretions formed in Palaeozoic deep‐marine greywackes and mudstones (Bardo Unit, Sudetes Mountains, Poland)
Authors: Bojanowski Maciej J. , Barczuk Andrzej , Wetzel Andreas
Published: December 2013

Carbonate concretions formed in bathyal and deeper settings have been studied less frequently than those formed in shallow‐marine deposits. Similarly, concretions affected by catagenetic conditions have rarely been reported. Calcite concretions in deep‐marine mudstones and greywackes of the Bardo Unit (Sudetes Mountains, Poland) formed during early diagenesis and were buried to significant depths. Petrographic and geochemical (elemental and stable C and O isotopic) analyses document their formation close to the sediment–water interface, prior to mechanical compaction within the sulphate reduction zone and their later burial below the oil window. Although the concretions were fully formed during early diagenesis, the effects of increased temperature and interaction with late‐diagenetic interstitial fluids can be discerned. During maximum burial, the concretions underwent thorough recrystallization that caused alteration of fabric and elemental and O isotope composition. The initial finely crystalline cement was replaced by more coarsely crystalline, sheaf‐like, poikilotopic calcite in the concretions. These large calcite crystals engulf and partially replace unstable detrital constituents. The extremely low δ18O values (down to −21·2‰ Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite) in the concretions are the result of the increased temperature in combination with alteration of volcanic glass, both causing a significant18O‐depletion of bicarbonate dissolved in the interstitial fluids. Recrystallization led to uniform O isotope ratios in the concretions, but did not affect the C isotope signature. The δ13C values of the late‐diagenetic cements precipitated in the greywacke and in cracks cutting through concretions imply crystallization in the catagenetic zone and decarboxylation as a source of the bicarbonate. These late‐diagenetic processes took place in a supposedly overpressured setting, as suggested by clastic dykes and hydrofractures that cut through both concretions and host rock. All of these features show how the effects of early and late diagenesis can be distinguished in such rocks.
Misreporting signs of child abuse: The role of decision‐making and outcome information
Authors: Lindholm Torun , Sjöberg Rickard L. , Memon Amina
Published: November 2013

Two studies provided evidence that a decision to report an ambiguous case of child abuse affected subsequent memory of the case information, such that participants falsely recognized details that were not presented in the original information, but that are schematically associated with child abuse. Moreover, post‐decision information that the child had later died from abuse influenced the memory reports of participants who had chosen not to report the case, increasing their reports of false schema‐consistent details. This suggests that false decision‐consistent memories are primarily due to sense‐making, schematic processing rather than the motivation to justify the decision. The present findings points to an important mechanism by which decision information can become distorted in retrospect, and emphasize the difficulties of improving future decision‐making by contemplating past decisions. The results also indicate that decisions may generate false memories in the apparent absence of external suggestion or misleading information. Implications for decision‐making theory, and applied practices are discussed.
HLA‐A*11:119:02, a variant of HLA‐A*11, found in a Taiwanese unrelated bone marrow stem cell donor
Authors: Yang K. L. , Lee S. K. , Lin P. Y.
Published: November 2013

Two nucleotide replacements in codons 127 and 139 of the human leukocyte antigen HLA‐A*11:01:01 results in a novel allele, HLA‐A*11:119:02.
Developing Consistency in the Terminology and Display of Bar Graphs and Histograms
Authors: Humphrey Patricia B. , Taylor Sharon , Mittag Kathleen Cage
Published: December 2013

Students often are confused about the differences between bar graphs and histograms. The authors discuss some reasons behind this confusion and offer suggestions that help clarify thinking.
Information Rich GIS Dissemination in Disconnected Environments
Authors: Johnston William , Banerjee Nilanjan , Cothren Jackson , Parkerson James P.
Published: December 2013

Information‐rich maps are today rendered from powerful back‐end servers. Unfortunately, there may be circumstances in which access to such Internet‐resident web services is infeasible or unreliable. These disconnected environments can theoretically occur during major power outages, malicious attacks on communications infrastructure, natural disasters, or in remote operating environments. One might also envision applications in which a disconnected service is preferred over Internet‐resident services, such as when the local internet service is overloaded with traffic, making communication though it difficult. To this end, this article presents a software stack (a map stack) that can serve GIS information from low power embedded nodes. The system combines a spatially enabled SQL database, location‐based routing, and multi‐scale map rendering to serve information‐rich GIS data on common hand‐held devices at minimal energy consumption. The maps are rendered on browsers on off‐the‐shelf mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets. The system also provides a crowd sourced capability where end users can annotate maps with up‐to‐date information on the scene of the natural disaster. We have prototyped a fully functional map stack on a battery powered Gumstix Overo air platform. We show that the map stack is a highly extensible platform that provides low latency, and low energy dissemination of maps during a natural disaster.