bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comparison of lacosamide concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid and serum in patients with epilepsy
Authors: May Theodor W. , Brandt Christian , Helmer Renate , Bien Christian G. , Cawello Willi
Published: May 2015

Objective

This study was carried out to estimate the exposure of the central nervous system (CNS) to the antiepileptic drug (AED) lacosamide, under steady state conditions, in patients with epilepsy who take oral lacosamide alongside up to three other AEDs.

Methods

Twenty‐seven serum and cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) samples were collected from 21 patients receiving lacosamide for the treatment of epilepsy (50–600 mg/day over two or three doses). This included 23 time‐matched pairs of serum and CSF samples from 19 patients. The concentration of lacosamide in each sample was determined using high‐performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC‐MS/MS). Linear regression was used to characterize the relationship between the CSF‐to‐serum ratio of lacosamide concentration and the time since dosing, the daily lacosamide dose, or the daily dose normalized by volume of distribution (Vd, approximated to total body water), and between the drug concentrations in each compartment (CSF vs. serum).

Results

Concentrations of lacosamide in CSF (mean ± standard deviation [SD] 7.37 ± 3.73 μg/ml, range 1.24–14.95, n = 27) and serum (mean ± SD 8.16 ± 3.82 μg/ml, range 2.29–15.45, n = 27) samples showed a good correlation over the dose range investigated. The mean CSF‐to‐serum ratio of lacosamide concentrations was 0.897 ± 0.193 (range 0.492–1.254, n = 23 time‐matched pairs) and was independent of lacosamide dose.

Significance

Drug concentrations in the CSF are often used to indicate those in the brain interstitial fluid. In patients with epilepsy who follow a stable oral AED dosing regimen, lacosamide concentration in CSF is approximately 85% of that found in serum, suggesting that serum may be a valuable indicator of lacosamide concentration in the CNS.
Integrating plant litter quality, soil organic matter stabilization, and the carbon saturation concept
Authors: Castellano Michael J. , Mueller Kevin E. , Olk Daniel C. , Sawyer John E. , Six Johan
Published: May 2015

Labile, ‘high‐quality’, plant litters are hypothesized to promote soil organic matter (SOM) stabilization in mineral soil fractions that are physicochemically protected from rapid mineralization. However, the effect of litter quality on SOM stabilization is inconsistent. High‐quality litters, characterized by high N concentrations, low C/N ratios, and low phenol/lignin concentrations, are not consistently stabilized in SOM with greater efficiency than ‘low‐quality’ litters characterized by low N concentrations, high C/N ratios, and high phenol/lignin concentrations. Here, we attempt to resolve these inconsistent results by developing a new conceptual model that links litter quality to the soil C saturation concept. Our model builds on the Microbial Efficiency‐Matrix Stabilization framework (Cotrufo et al., 2013) by suggesting the effect of litter quality on SOM stabilization is modulated by the extent of soil C saturation such that high‐quality litters are not always stabilized in SOM with greater efficiency than low‐quality litters.
Emancipation as Moral Regulation: Latin American Feminisms and Neoliberalism
Authors: Schild Verónica
Published: May 2015

The article argues that feminist emancipation, understood as practices and discourses of self‐development and of solidarity as empowerment, has become entangled with the neoliberal project. Indeed, emancipation as self‐improvement has become synonymous with moral regulation projects that seek to adapt women to global capitalism. The article explores the relation between emancipation and neoliberal regulation from a situated approach by addressing the experience of Latin American feminisms, with a particular focus on Chile. This approach recognizes by implication that Latin American feminisms are co‐extensive, or coeval, with North American and European ones, and are not merely derivative forms.
Effects of Ion Exchange on the Mechanical Properties of Basaltic Glass Fibers
Authors: Kuzmin Konstantin L. , Zhukovskaya Evgeniya S. , Gutnikov Sergey I. , Pavlov Yuriy V. , Lazoryak Bogdan I.
Published: May 2015

Basaltic glass fibers with different lithium oxide (6–14 mol%) and sodium oxide (2–14 mol%) contents were prepared. The influence of Li2O and Na2O content on the process of fiber manufacturing was investigated. Addition of alkali oxides reduced the forming temperature and substantially expanded the fiber‐forming temperature ranges. The obtained thermal data from differential thermal analysis revealed a decline in glass transition temperature (Tg) of fibers against the compositional changes. The inclusion of Li2O and Na2O in the glass network led to a reduction in its thermal stability. The obtained X‐ray diffraction patterns and IR spectra of Li‐rich and Na‐rich basaltic glass fibers confirmed the formation of highly polymerized structures such as LiAl(Si2O6) and (Na,K)(AlSiO4), respectively, and relatively depolymerized silicate anions. The effects of potassium–lithium and potassium–sodium ion exchange on the mechanical properties of basaltic glass fibers were investigated. As‐received Li‐rich and Na‐rich basaltic glass fibers were ion‐exchanged in potassium nitrate for different exchange times, and their mechanical properties were measured before and after chemical tempering. The measured tensile strength and Young's modulus values of the fibers showed an increase after treatment in molten salt.
Laparoscopic off‐clamp partial nephrectomy using soft coagulation
Authors: Hongo Fumiya , Kawauchi Akihiro , Ueda Takashi , Fujihara‐Iwata Atsuko , Nakamura Terukazu , Naya Yoshio , Kamoi Kazumi , Okihara Koji , Miki Tsuneharu
Published: May 2015

Objectives

To assess the effectiveness of soft coagulation in off‐clamp laparoscopic partial nephrectomy.

Methods

A total of 32 patients with renal tumors underwent laparoscopic partial nephrectomy with off‐clamp using soft coagulation between May 2012 and September 2013. Tumor resection was carried out using a combination of bipolar forceps and a ball electrode using the soft coagulation system without hilar clamping. The outcomes of these patients were compared with those of 30 patients treated with hilar clamping.

Results

This off‐clamp procedure was successfully completed in 31 cases. No significant differences were observed in the mean age (60 vs 61 years), sex (male/female; 25/7 vs 20/10), mean RENAL nephrometry score (5.7 vs 5.8), mean body mass index (24.4 vs 23) or tumor size (15 mm vs 16 mm) between the two groups. No significant differences were noted in positive surgical margins (0 vs 0) or blood loss (104 vs 115 cc) as well. In contrast, a significant difference was noted in the total operative time (278 vs 238 min). Serum creatinine percentage changes at 3 months were 6.4 versus 7.3% in the off‐clamp and hilum‐clamp groups, respectively, which were not significantly different.

Conclusions

Off‐clamp laparoscopic partial nephrectomy can be safely carried out by using a soft coagulation technique.
Differential dependence on nuclear factor‐κB‐inducing kinase among natural killer T‐cell subsets in their development
Authors: Noma Haruka , Eshima Koji , Satoh Masashi , Iwabuchi Kazuya
Published: May 2015

Natural killer T cells (NKT cells) are comprised of several subsets. However, the possible differences in their developmental mechanisms have not been fully investigated. To evaluate the dependence of some NKT subpopulations on nuclear factor‐κB‐inducing kinase (NIK) for their generation, we analysed the differentiation of NKT cells, dividing them into subsets in various tissues of alymphoplasia (aly/aly), a mutant mouse strain that lacks functional NIK. The results indicated that the efficient differentiation of both invariant NKT (iNKT) and non‐iNKT cells relied on NIK expression in non‐haematopoietic cells; however, the dependence of non‐iNKT cells was lower than that of iNKT cells. Especially, the differentiation of CD8+ non‐iNKT cells was markedly resistant to the aly mutation. The proportion of two other NKT cell subsets, NK1.1+ γδ T cells and NK1.1− iNKT cells, was also significantly reduced in aly/aly mice, and this defect in their development was reversed in wild‐type host mice given aly/aly bone marrow cells. In exerting effector functions, NIK in NKT‐αβ cells appeared dispensable, as NIK‐deficient NKT‐αβ cells could secrete interleukin‐4 or interferon‐γ and exhibit cytolytic activity at a level comparable to that of aly/+ NKT‐αβ cells. Collectively, these results imply that the NIK in thymic stroma may be critically involved in the differentiation of most NKT cell subsets (although the level of NIK dependence may vary among the subsets), and also that NIK in NKT‐αβ cells may be dispensable for their effector function.
Changes in drug metabolism with increasing age: 1. warfarin binding and plasma proteins.
Authors: Hayes MJ , Langman MJS , Short AH
Published: May 2015

1 A decrease was found in the binding capacity of elderly people for warfarin. 2 The decrease in binding correlated with a fall in plasma albumin concentrations. 3 No changes in the association constant were observed.
Effects of guanethidine on the blood pressure response to splanchnic nerve stimulation in the rat: role of the adrenal medulla
Authors: CARPI A. , CARTONI CARLA
Published: May 2015

Splanchnic nerve stimulation provokes a larger increase in blood pressure in intact rats than in rats previously demedullated by means of expression of the adrenals in situ and adrenalectomy followed by adrenocortical grafting.

Rats pretreated with guanethidine showed an attenuated albeit prolonged hypertensive response to splanchnic stimulation. Similar effects were exerted by guanethidine in rats demedullated by expression. In rats demedullated by grafting, smaller doses of guanethidine induced a more substantial depression of the blood pressure response without increasing its duration.

It is concluded that inhibition of the peripheral sympathetic endings induced by guanethidine was partially compensated by the enhancement of the cardiovascular effects of the mediators released by the adrenal medulla and that demedullation by expression did not completely eliminate chromaffin tissue.
Depressor responses to spinal stimulation in the pithed rat
Authors: DUSTING G. J. , RAND M. J.
Published: May 2015

Electrical stimulation of the spinal nerves in the pithed rat preparation produces a pressor response due to sympathetic vasoconstriction.

When the vasoconstrictor effect of sympathetic stimulation is abolished by guanethidine or hexamethonium and the blood pressure is raised by noradrenaline infusion, spinal stimulation produces depressor responses or complex responses containing depressor components.

Contractions of skeletal muscle caused by stimulation of motor nerves result in complex changes in blood pressure consisting of a pressor component due to clamping of muscle blood vessels and a secondary depressor phase due to functional hyperaemia.

The depressor response is partly due to stimulation of cholinergic post‐ganglionic fibres. The acetylcholine released, which causes vasodilatation, may be the overflow from neuromuscular junctions or ganglionic synapses.

Stimulation of the nerves to the adrenal medulla causes release of adrenaline which has a vasodilator effect during noradrenaline infusion.
THE EFFECTS OF CYCLIC ADENOSINE 3′,5′‐MONOPHOSPHATE AND GUANOSINE 3′,5′‐MONOPHOSPHATE AND THEOPHYLLINE ON RENIN SECRETION IN THE ISOLATED PERFUSED KIDNEY OF THE RAT
Authors: PEART W.S. , QUESADA T. , TENYI I.
Published: May 2015

The influence of cyclic adenosine 3′,5′‐monophosphate (cyclic AMP), cyclic guanosine 3′,5′‐monophosphate (cyclic GMP) and theophylline on renin secretion was examined in the isolated kidney of the rat perfused with Krebs dextran solution.

Neither cyclic AMP (10−6 to 10−4 M) nor dibutyryl cyclic AMP (10−5 M) produced an increase in renin secretion.

Cyclic GMP and 8 Br‐cyclic GMP caused a small rise in renin secretion in some experiments but this effect was independent of the dose and its physiological significance is uncertain.

Theophylline (10−6 to 10−4 M) caused a significant elevation in renin secretion which was not blocked by (+)‐propranolol. Theophylline with cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP did not produce an amplified effect.

Despite previous suggestions that cyclic AMP stimulated renin secretion, this could not be confirmed in the present preparation. Since there is no evidence that cyclic AMP or cyclic GMP (or their derivatives, dibutyryl cyclic AMP and 8 Br‐cyclic GMP) enter the cells, it will be necessary to study their activity in isolated juxtaglomerular cells to define a possible rǒle.
EFFECTS OF ACUTE COCAINE TREATMENT ON THE TURNOVER OF 5‐HYDROXYTRYPTAMINE IN THE RAT BRAIN
Authors: FRIEDMAN E. , GERSHON S. , ROTROSEN J.
Published: May 2015

The effects of cocaine (20 mg/kg s.c.) on 5‐hydroxytryptamine (5‐HT) turnover were examined in rats.

In vivo cocaine administration resulted in decreased turnover of 5‐HT, as indicated by the decreased accumulation of 5‐HT after pargyline administration and the decreased accumulation of 5‐hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5‐HIAA) following probenecid injection.

A time‐related decrease in 5‐HIAA concentrations and a small fall in 5‐HT concentrations in the whole brain were observed following the acute administration of cocaine hydrochloride (20 mg/kg). Tryptophan levels were found to be slightly decreased in the brain.

Enhanced reactivity, but neither stereotypy nor hyperthermia, was observed following cocaine injection (20 mg/kg).

It is concluded that cocaine inhibits the turnover of brain 5‐HT and that this action of cocaine may be responsible for the differences in a number of pharmacological effects between cocaine and amphetamine.
ANTIDIURETIC EFFECT OF β‐ENDORPHIN AND MORPHINE IN BRATTLEBORO RATS: DEVELOPMENT OF TOLERANCE AND PHYSICAL DEPENDENCE AFTER CHRONIC MORPHINE TREATMENT
Authors: HUIDOBRO‐TORO J. PABLO
Published: May 2015

β‐Endorphin (2 μg injected into the lateral ventricles) produced a significant decrease in the urine outflow and in the excretion of Na+ and K+ in Brattleboro rats, animals suffering from severe diabetes insipidus. Morphine intracerebrally also produced antidiuresis, as compared to saline‐treated controls.

Morphine injected intraperitoneally caused a dose‐dependent decrease in the urine outflow, and in the excretion of Na+ and K+.

Rats chronically treated with morphine (72 h of morphine pellet implantation) were less sensitive to the antidiuretic effect of a challenge dose of morphine than control Brattleboro rats implanted with placebo pellets, but otherwise treated similarly.

After chronic morphine administration, Brattleboro rats became dependent on morphine. Challenge with 1 mg/kg naloxone (s.c.) precipitated an abrupt opiate withdrawal syndrome characterized, among other symptoms, by increased urination in contrast to the antidiuresis observed before naloxone.
RESPONSE OF HUMAN ISOLATED BRONCHIAL AND LUNG PARENCHYMAL STRIPS TO SRS‐A AND OTHER MEDIATORS OF ASTHMATIC BRONCHOSPASM
Authors: GHELANI A.M. , HOLROYDE M.C. , SHEARD P.
Published: May 2015

The responses of human isolated bronchial and lung parenchymal strips to cumulative doses of slow reacting substance of anaphylaxis (SRS‐A), histamine, prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) and acetylcholine have been examined, after storing the tissues overnight in Krebs solution at 4°C.

Both tissues contracted to all four agonists. The order of potency (as determined by height of maximal contraction) was: bronchial strip: acetylcholine > histamine = PGF2α > SRS‐A, and parenchymal strip: PGF2α > histamine = SRS‐A > acetylcholine.

Maximal contractions to SRS‐A of both the human bronchial and parenchymal strips were approx. 30% of the maximal contractions produced by the most potent agonist on each tissue (PGF2α on the parenchymal strip and acetylcholine on the bronchial strip). SRS‐A, therefore, does not have a powerful direct contractile effect on either parenchymal or bronchial strip of human lung, and is approximately equipotent on both tissues. A part of the broncho‐constrictor activity of SRS‐A in vivo may be mediated via indirect pathways.

The selective SRS‐A antagonist, FPL 55712, was approximately equipotent in antagonizing contractions induced by SRS‐A on both human bronchial and parenchymal strips.
Phase Identification and Dopant Site Occupancy of Yellow‐Emitting Phosphor BaSrMg(PO4)2:Eu2+
Authors: Pan Zaifa , Hu Qingsong , Xu Yu , Wang Lili
Published: May 2015

Substitution is widely employed to design single‐host phosphor with multiple sites for one activator, which could emit more than one band. BaSrMg(PO4)2:Eu2+ was reported as a potential single‐host white light‐emitting phosphor for white LEDs, possessing multiple sites for Eu2+ doping. However, different emission spectra were observed in this paper for the sample with same nominal formula. Therefore, XRD and Rietveld refinements were employed to investigate the crystal structure in detail and the results indicated that the sample contains Sr2P2O7 coexisting with the main phase BaSrMg(PO4)2. Meanwhile, BaSrMg(PO4)2 phase was identified to be isostructural with Ba2Mg(PO4)2 and was confirmed by TEM. Photoluminescence of the phosphor sintered at 900°C shows two emission bands peaking at 424 and 585 nm. Hence, different from the literature, the blue band was assigned to the 4f65d1→4f7 transition of Eu2+ occupying the Sr2+ sites in Sr2P2O7 and the yellow band to the Eu2+ occupying Sr2+ and Ba2+ sites in BaSrMg(PO4)2. The relative intensity ratio of yellow/blue bands is consistent with the content ratio of two phases in the samples with different synthesis temperatures, which is further proof for the original of the blue band. The results of the thermal quenching data demonstrated that the Sr2+‐substituted phosphor was better than Ba2Mg(PO4)2.
Spatial distribution patterns of plague hosts: point pattern analysis of the burrows of great gerbils in Kazakhstan
Authors: Wilschut Liesbeth I. , Laudisoit Anne , Hughes Nelika K. , Addink Elisabeth A. , de Jong Steven M. , Heesterbeek Hans A.P. , Reijniers Jonas , Eagle Sally , Dubyanskiy Vladimir M. , Begon Mike
Published: May 2015

Aim

The spatial structure of a population can strongly influence the dynamics of infectious diseases, yet rarely is the underlying structure quantified. A case in point is plague, an infectious zoonotic disease caused by the bacteriumYersinia pestis. Plague dynamics within the Central Asian desert plague focus have been extensively modelled in recent years, but always with strong uniformity assumptions about the distribution of its primary reservoir host, the great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus). Yet, while clustering of this species’ burrows due to social or ecological processes could have potentially significant effects on model outcomes, there is currently nothing known about the spatial distribution of inhabited burrows. Here, we address this knowledge gap by describing key aspects of the spatial patterns of great gerbil burrows in Kazakhstan.

Location

Kazakhstan.

Methods

Burrows were classified as either occupied or empty in 98 squares of four different sizes: 200 m (side length), 250 m, 500 m and 590–1020 m. We used Ripley'sKstatistic to determine whether and at what scale there was clustering of occupied burrows, and semi‐variograms to quantify spatial patterns in occupied burrows at scales of 250 m to 9 km.

Results

Significant spatial clustering of occupied burrows occurred in 25% and 75% of squares of 500 m and 590–1020 m, respectively, but not in smaller squares. In clustered squares, the clustering criterion peaked around 250 m. Semi‐variograms showed that burrow density was auto‐correlated up to a distance of 7 km and occupied density up to 2.5 km.

Main conclusions

These results demonstrate that there is statistically significant spatial clustering of occupied burrows and that the uniformity assumptions of previous plague models should be reconsidered to assess its significance for plague transmission. This field evidence will allow for more realistic approaches to disease ecology models for both this system and for other structured host populations.
Flooding and inundation collaborative mapping – use of the Crowdmap/Ushahidi platform in the city of Sao Paulo, Brazil
Authors: Hirata E. , Giannotti M.A. , Larocca A.P.C. , Quintanilha J.A.
Published: May 2015

The trend of using volunteered and collaborative data in the context of natural disasters has been increasing. This fact, together with floods and inundations, which occur in the city of Sao Paulo, makes it possible to explore the volunteered and collaborative way of generating and transmitting geographic data dynamically. This can be done by using technologies affordable to the population, such as the Internet, the global positioning system and other monitoring systems embedded in mobiles. This article aims to present the proposal of a conceptual scheme for a dynamic and collaborative mapping system of flooding points, whose data source comes from people equipped with mobile devices that allow identify their locations. The results correspond to the conceptual scheme of the system as well as the prototype ‘Flooding Points’ – a map available on the web showing the flooding points in the city, which were provided at the time of the event by ordinary people. The prototype was developed by using the free and open source Crowdmap/Ushahidi platform. The system was assessed by a questionnaire answered by the users, who gave their opinion about its feasibility, as well as the adjustments which must be made for the population's effective use. It was found that the application of system for subjects of inundation and flooding is complex in relation for other types of events due to its temporal dynamics characteristics. The results of the questionnaire, applied to evaluate the system, demonstrated the public utility of the application and the interest of the population for a dynamic system that enables the exchange of information on the problem of inundation and flooding in near real time in the city of Sao Paulo.
Geriatric Care Boot Camp: An Interprofessional Education Program for Healthcare Professionals
Authors: Solberg Lauren B. , Solberg Laurence M. , Carter Christy S.
Published: May 2015

In response to the need for interprofessional geriatrics education, a half‐day geriatric care boot camp for healthcare professionals was held that covered core concepts in geriatric medicine: delirium and dementia, medication management, palliative care, ethics, and a general overview of older adults. Aspects of the curriculum focused on interprofessional education, and the attendees and presenters were healthcare professionals from a wide variety of fields. Primary objectives were to determine changes in knowledge of core concepts in geriatrics and level of comfort in caring for older adults. Secondary objectives assessed whether participants found the interprofessional approach beneficial and whether they used or shared this information with others in their professional activities. Participants completed pre‐ and postassessment surveys. Changes in participant understanding of each core concept were statistically significant, as was the change in comfort level of participants in caring for older adults. Furthermore, attendees found the multidisciplinary perspective of the boot camp beneficial. A 3‐month follow‐up survey assessed whether attendees applied and shared information learned in their own professional activities. Half of the respondents who reported sharing universally shared core concepts. Delirium and dementia information was most frequently shared. Information was most frequently shared with students, nurses, and patients’ families. Attendees less frequently shared, or did not share, with physicians, physician assistants, social workers, physical and occupational therapists, nutritionists, and dentists. The healthcare professionals who may benefit greatly from future education programs are those with whom the boot camp information was least frequently shared; thus, they are appropriate targets for advertisements for future programs.
Picky eating and child weight status development: a longitudinal study
Authors: Antoniou E. E. , Roefs A. , Kremers S. P. J. , Jansen A. , Gubbels J. S. , Sleddens E. F. C. , Thijs C.
Published: May 2015

Background

Children's picky eating behaviour has been linked both to being overweight and underweight. However, the role of parenting practices in this relationship has rarely been investigated. The present study aimed to clarify the direction of the association between picky eating and weight status and to examine the moderating role of food parenting practices.

Methods

The present study comprised a longitudinal study on the effects of picky eating on child weight status within the KOALA Birth Cohort Study, the Netherlands. Mothers and their children were included in the analyses. Children's picky eating behaviour and food parenting practices were assessed at baseline (child age 5 years). Their weight status was assessed repeatedly until age 9 years. Mixed effects linear and logistic regressions were used to compare picky eaters (n = 403) and non‐picky eaters (n = 621) on changes in weight status over the years.

Results

At baseline of age 5 years, picky eaters were slightly shorter, more often underweight and less often overweight than non‐picky eaters, whereas energy intake in relation to body weight (kJ kg−1) was similar. Picky eaters with a normal weight at baseline had no increased risk of becoming underweight during follow‐up until age 9 years, and were less likely to become overweight compared to non‐picky eaters. There were no interactions with food parenting practices. The parents of picky eaters more often reported pressuring their child to eat and restrict unhealthy food intake compared to parents of non‐picky eaters.

Conclusions

The association between picky eating and child weight status was not influenced by parenting practices.
Can Schools Dispense with Standard Language? Some Unintended Consequences of Introducing Scots in a Scottish Primary School
Authors: Costa James
Published: May 2015

This article analyzes some unintended consequences of the introduction of Scots, Scotland's nonstandardized vernacular, in a primary school. I show that the lack of established definition of the language or standardization entails three different processes: first, indexical links are established between Scots and a number of social properties (amusement, lack of seriousness); second, the pupils are othered in a process that constructs them as speakers of Scots; third, that process is completed by the reversal of this latter proposition: what the children speak is Scots (and not English) because of their geographic (and covertly social) origin, locking them in an identity as speakers of nonstandard/substandard language. This analysis allows me to discuss this case in terms of circulation of linguistic authority within the classroom in view of the indeterminacy of a legitimate or generally accepted version of Scots. I conclude by reflecting upon the nature of standard languages, whose status positions them not as just another linguistic variety on a par with others, but as forms of speech whose legitimacy lies not (only) within speakers' identity but within representative institutions, hence their claim to neutrality and inclusiveness, however subverted this may be in reality.
Surface Politics: Scaling Multiscriptality in anIndian Village Market
Authors: Choksi Nishaant
Published: May 2015

Linguistic anthropologists have used the concept of “scale” to describe how everyday interactions are linked to global flows and movements, particularly in the urban centers ofEurope andNorthAmerica. This article reconceptualizes the notion of “scale” by examining how residents in a small market village in easternIndia order, in both hierarchical and nonhierarchical configurations, multiple graphic repertoires in dialogic engagement with the built environment. In the article, I suggest that script is an important semiotic modality through which indigenous and nonindigenous residents align notions of community, language, and territory according to different evaluative metrics, often in conflicting and antagonistic ways. These differential scalings of multiple scripts on the village's surfaces, and the disjunctures that exist between these scalings illuminate how dominant language hegemonies are perpetuated and, at the same time, contested by indigenous and minority language communities.
Asymmetric Information in the Home Insurance Market
Authors: Aarbu Karl Ove
Published: May 2015

Abstract

We test for the presence of asymmetric information in the home insurance market on a data set containing about half a million home insurance contracts, applying several different specifications of the conditional correlation test. Unlike earlier studies, we control for private information about risk aversion by having access to detailed administrative register information at the policyholder level. We find robust evidence of asymmetric information. Asymmetric information may stem from adverse selection or moral hazard. To disentangle moral hazard and adverse selection, we utilize an exogenous law reform that had an effect on the insurance price. Our test shows no indication of moral hazard.
Quality and fatty acid profile of the milk of indigenous goats subjected to different local diets in Tunisian arid lands
Authors: Ayeb N. , Addis M. , Fiori M. , Khorchani S. , Atigui M. , Khorchani T.
Published: May 2015

The study tested the hypothesis that certain pastoral forages and olive by‐products, available in arid areas, may positively influence fatty acid composition and physicochemical properties of goat's milk. Thirty indigenous goats (body weight = 25.2 kg; age = 4.1 years) were allocated to three groups. During 60 days, the goats received ad libitum either dried olive leaves + Stipa tenacissima (group OL), khortane grass hay (group Ko) or oat hay (control diet, group OH). Milk samples were collected and analysed for total solids, fat, protein, lactose and ash content and fatty acid profile. Average milk yield did not statistically differ among groups. Milk total solids from OL group were higher in comparison with Ko and C groups (15.3, 14.7 and 14.5%, respectively; p < 0.05). Fat content was also higher for the OL group as compared to the other groups (5.44 vs. 5.01 and 4.66%, respectively, for Ko and OH). No significant differences were observed for the milk content of lactose, protein and ash. The percentage of saturated fatty acids of total milk fat was higher in OL and Ko groups compared to the C group (p < 0.001); the milk whereof was characterized by the highest percentage of monounsaturated (p < 0.01) and total unsaturated fatty acids. Milk fat of Ko and C groups showed significantly higher proportions of rumenic (CLA cis‐9 trans‐11) and vaccenic acids (C18:1 trans‐11) compared to OL milk. The feeding system based on Stipa tenacissima and dried olive leaves resulted in the milk lowest proportion of trans‐fatty acids and the highest proportion of polyunsaturated ω3‐fatty acids (p < 0.05).
The association between the RAGE G82S polymorphism, sRAGE and chronic periodontitis in Taiwanese individuals with and without diabetes
Authors: Wu T.‐L. , Tsai C.‐C. , Wang Y.‐Y. , Ho K.‐Y. , Wu Y.‐M. , Hung H.‐C. , Lin Y.‐C.
Published: May 2015

Background and Objective

The present study investigated the association between the RAGE G82S polymorphism, the plasma levels of sRAGE and chronic periodontitis in subjects with and without diabetes mellitus (DM).

Material and Methods

A total of 230 patients with DM and 264 non‐DM participants were recruited for this study. Genotyping of the RAGE G82S polymorphism was accomplished using polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism, and associations were analyzed with the chi‐squared test and logistic regression analysis.

Results

In the non‐DM group, the chi‐squared test showed that the frequency distributions of the G82S polymorphism were significantly different between chronic periodontitis and non‐chronic periodontitis subjects (χ2 = 8.39, p = 0.02). A multivariate logistic regression model showed that the (G82S + S82S) genotypes were associated with a significantly increased risk of chronic periodontitis development compared to the G82G genotype (adjusted odds ratio = 2.06, 95% confidence interval: 1.08–4.07). In the DM group, there was no association between the G82S polymorphism and chronic periodontitis development when a multivariate logistic regression was performed. Plasma levels of sRAGE were significantly higher in subjects with the G82G genotype compared to those with the (G82S + S82S) genotypes in both the non‐DM (856.6 ± 332.0 vs. 720.4 ± 311.4 pg/mL, p = 0.003) and DM groups (915.3 ± 497.1 vs. 603.5 ± 298.3 pg/mL, p < 0.0001). However, there was no difference in plasma sRAGE levels between chronic periodontitis and non‐chronic periodontitis subjects in both the DM and non‐DM groups. Moreover, when the subjects were further sub‐divided by the G82S polymorphism, the difference in plasma levels of sRAGE between chronic periodontitis and non‐chronic periodontitis subjects in the DM and non‐DM groups remained statistically insignificant.

Conclusions

The present study revealed that the RAGE G82S polymorphism was associated with chronic periodontitis in the non‐DM group but not in the DM group. Our results also showed that the plasma levels of sRAGE were significantly higher in subjects with the RAGE G82G genotype, and this correlation was not affected by the presence of chronic periodontitis in the DM and non‐DM groups.
Polymorphisms in the canine glucocorticoid receptor alpha gene (NR3C1α)
Authors: Costa A. , Sellon R. K. , Court M. , Burke N. S. , Mealey K. L.
Published: May 2015

Corticosteroids are one of the most extensively used class of therapeutic agents in dogs. In human patients, response to corticosteroid therapy has been correlated with the presence of certain polymorphisms of the glucocorticoid receptor gene (NR3C1). Depending on the polymorphism present, patients may show either increased sensitivity to glucocorticoid‐induced adverse effects or resistance to their therapeutic effects. Because response to corticosteroid therapy in dogs can also be variable and unpredictable, we hypothesized that genetic variability exists in the canine NR3C1 gene. The aim of this study was to sequence the coding regions of the canine NR3C1 gene in a representative sample of dogs. Samples from 97 dogs from four previously identified genetic groupings of domestic breeds (Asian/Ancient, Herding, Hunting, and Mastiff) were sequenced and evaluated. Four exons contained polymorphisms and four exons showed no variation from the reference sequence. A total of six single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified including four synonymous SNPs and two nonsynonymous SNPs (c.811A>T and c.2111T>C). No dogs were homozygous for either variant allele, while 23 dogs were heterozygous for the c.811A>T allele and 2 were heterozygous for c.2111T>C allele. The amino acid changes caused by c.811A>T (serine to cysteine) and c.2111T>C (isoleucine to threonine) were both predicted by in silico analysis to be ‘probably damaging’ to structure and function of the resulting protein. We conclude that NR3C1 polymorphisms occur in dogs and may cause individual variation in response to corticosteroid therapy.
How Do Public Goods Providers Play Public Goods Games?
Authors: Butler Daniel M. , Kousser Thad
Published: May 2015

We study how policymakers play public goods games, and how their behavior compares to the typical subjects we study, by conducting parallel experiments on college undergraduates and American state legislators. We find that the legislators play public goods games more cooperatively and more consistently than the undergraduates. Legislators are also less responsive to treatments that involve social elements but are more likely to respond to additional information that they receive. Further, legislators' fixed characteristics explain much of the variation in how legislators play the game. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding how institutions affect the provision of public goods.
How Policy and Procedure Shape Citizens' Evaluations of Senators
Authors: Doherty David
Published: May 2015

I report findings from survey experiments that improve our understanding of how people want individual Senators to approach their role as representatives. The findings show that people are committed to the idea that Senators should prioritize their states' preferences over those of the national public. This preference persists in situations where a Senator's advocacy for her state plays a key role in defeating nationally supported legislation. This finding contradicts popular claims that voters are hungry for Senators who prioritize national preferences over those of their constituents. I also find that people who support a piece of legislation—but not those who oppose it—evaluate a Senator who helps to defeat the legislation by filibustering substantially less favorably than one who accomplishes the same ends through majoritarian means. This suggests that how people respond to some procedural characteristics of politicians' behavior depends on how they feel about the outcomes it yields.
The Politics of Obstruction: Republican Holds in the U.S. Senate
Authors: Howard Nicholas O. , Roberts Jason M.
Published: May 2015

A defining feature of the modern US Senate is obstruction. Almost all pieces of legislation considered in the Senate are affected either directly or indirectly by obstruction. Obstruction takes many forms in the modern Senate, but one of the most prevalent, yet least studied, is the hold. Using a newly created dataset on Republican Senate holds, we cast light on this important practice. Our results suggest that a variety of factors including timing, party status, and a senator's voting record are related to both the prevalence of holds and the success of legislation subject to holds in the Senate.
Deletion of Smgpi1 encoding a GPI‐anchored protein suppresses sterility of the STRIPAK mutant ΔSmmob3 in the filamentous ascomycete Sordaria macrospora
Authors: Frey Stefan , Lahmann Yasmine , Hartmann Thomas , Seiler Stephan , Pöggeler Stefanie
Published: May 2015

The striatin interacting phosphatase and kinase (STRIPAK) complex, which is composed of striatin, protein phosphatase PP2A and kinases, is required for fruiting‐body development and cell fusion in the filamentous ascomycete Sordaria macrospora. Here, we report on the interplay of the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)‐anchored protein SmGPI1 with the kinase activator SmMOB3, a core component of human and fungal STRIPAK complexes. SmGPI1 is conserved among filamentous ascomycetes and was first identified in a yeast two‐hybrid screen using SmMOB3 as bait. The physical interaction of SmMOB3 and SmGPI1 was verified by co‐immunoprecipitation. In vivo localization and differential centrifugation revealed that SmGPI1 is predominantly secreted and attached to the cell wall but is also associated with mitochondria and appears to be a dual‐targeted protein. Deletion of Smgpi1 led to an increased number of fruiting bodies that were normally shaped but reduced in size. In addition, Smmob3 and Smgpi1 genetically interact. In the sterile ΔSmmob3 background deletion of Smgpi1 restores fertility, vegetative growth as well as hyphal‐fusion defects. The suppression effect was specific for the ΔSmmob3 mutant as deletion of Smgpi1 in other STRIPAK mutants does not restore fertility.
The nutritional value of food: A retailer's view on McCance and Widdowson's The Composition of Foods Data
Authors: Howie M.
Published: May 2015

Clear, concise, up‐to‐date food composition data are essential to the food retail sector. Legislation requires nutrition information on food labels to be accurate and provided in a format that consumers can read and understand. A product's nutrition panel enables consumers to make informed decisions at point of sale or purchase and choose products best suited to their dietary needs. This is particularly important in light of current public health concerns regarding energy (kcal), fat, saturated fat, sugar and salt intakes within the UK diet and also for increasing intake of nutrients conducive to health. In this regard, the Seventh Summary Edition of McCance and Widdowson's The Composition of Foods is an invaluable set of reference tables for the food industry. Its data, particularly on vitamins and minerals, allow consistent labels to be produced even when small seasonal variations occur. In such circumstances, changing the information on the label would be unnecessary and incur cost. Nutritional data are particularly useful for single‐ingredient foods such as eggs, cheese, bread and fruit, but the tables do lack some accuracy for composite recipe dishes because of the pace of reformulation. Overall, the validated data provided by McCance and Widdowson's The Composition of Foods are critical to the integrity of nutritional information provided on food labels and facilitates food retailer compliance with legislation, though there is a need for better management of new/revised ‘real‐time’ data.
Pelvic drainage during removal of dialysis catheter decreases the risk of subsequent intra‐abdominal complications in refractory peritoneal dialysis‐related peritonitis
Authors: Hsu Chih‐Yang , Huang Wei‐Chieh , Huang Chun‐Kai , Huang Chien‐Wei , Chou Nan‐Hua , Lee Po‐Tsang , Fang Hua‐Chang , Chou Kang‐Ju , Chen Chien‐Liang
Published: May 2015

Aim

Some patients with refractory peritoneal dialysis‐related peritonitis continue to develop intra‐abdominal complications despite removal of the peritoneal catheter. Repeated percutaneous drainage or open laparotomy is often required, and mortality is not uncommon. The benefits of pelvic drainage placement during catheter removal in decreasing these complications and interventions remain unproven.

Methods

Forty‐six patients with refractory peritonitis who underwent removal of a Tenckhoff catheter between 1991 and 2013 were reviewed retrospectively. Twelve patients had pelvic drainage using closed active suction devices during catheter removal (drainage group). The remaining 34 patients underwent catheter removal without drainage (non‐drainage group). The outcomes measured were the development of intra‐abdominal complications and the requirement for repeated percutaneous drainage or open laparotomy within 90 days after the catheter removal.

Results

Baseline characteristics were similar with the exception of a higher median number of previous peritonitis episodes in the drainage group compared with the non‐drainage group (2 vs 0, P = 0.02). During the follow‐up period, intra‐abdominal complications occurred in 15 (44%) of 34 patients in the non‐drainage group, compared with one (8%) of 12 patients in the drainage group (P = 0.03). Twelve (35%) patients in the non‐drainage group required repeated percutaneous drainage or open laparotomy for management, compared with zero (0%) patients in the drainage group (P = 0.02). Drain tubes were removed at a median of 6 days (inter‐quartile range: 5–10) without complications.

Conclusions

In the management of refractory peritonitis, pelvic drainage during removal of dialysis catheter decreases the risk of subsequent intra‐abdominal complications and invasive interventions.
Transition from two to one integument in Prunus species: expression pattern of INNER NO OUTER (INO), ABERRANT TESTA SHAPE (ATS) and ETTIN (ETT)
Authors: Lora Jorge , Hormaza José I. , Herrero Maria
Published: May 2015

While gymnosperm ovules have one integument, in most angiosperms two integuments surround the ovules. Unitegmic ovules have arisen independently several times during the evolution of angiosperms, but the ultimate genetic cause of the presence of a single integument remains elusive.

We compared species of the genus Prunus that have different numbers of integuments: bitegmic species, such as Prunus armeniaca (apricot) and Prunus persica (peach), and unitegmic species, such as Prunus incisa, analyzing the expression pattern of genes that are involved in integument development in Arabidopsis thaliana: INNER NO OUTER (INO), ABERRANT TESTA SHAPE (ATS) and ETTIN (ETT).

Bitegmic and unitegmic species showed similar INO expression patterns, indicative of the conservation of an outer integument. However, expression of ETT, which occurs in the boundary of the outer and inner integuments, was altered in unitegmic ovules, which showed lack of ETT expression.

These results strongly suggest that the presence of a single integument could be attributable to the amalgamation of two integuments and support the role of ETT in the fusion of the outer and inner integuments in unitegmic ovules, a situation that could be widespread in other unitegmic species of angiosperms.
Diagnostic properties of ultrasound of major salivary glands in Sjögren's syndrome: a meta‐analysis
Authors: Delli K , Dijkstra PU , Stel AJ , Bootsma H , Vissink A , Spijkervet FKL
Published: May 2015

Objective

To perform a systematic review and meta‐analysis on studies examining the properties of ultrasonography of major salivary glands for diagnosing Sjögren's syndrome.

Materials and Methods

We searched for the literature on eight databases. The quality of included articles was assessed with the QUADAS‐2 tool. Publication bias, pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio, and 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) were calculated. Meta‐regression analysis was performed.

Results

We identified 37 studies and 33 ultrasonographic scoring systems. High risk of bias was observed in ‘patient selection’, ‘conduct and interpretation of ultrasound’, and ‘flow of patients and timing of tests’ in 78%, 70%, and 51% of the studies. We included 29 studies in the meta‐analysis. Publication bias was highly probable. Pooled sensitivity was 0.69 (95%CI: 0.67–0.71), specificity 0.92 (95%CI: 0.91–0.93), and diagnostic odds ratio 33.89 (95%CI: 20.75–55.35). Significant heterogeneity was detected between studies. Meta‐regression analysis showed that studies with high risk of bias in ‘conduct and interpretation of ultrasound’ and studies evaluating only parenchymal homogeneity had higher log diagnostic odds ratio (1.09 and 2.49, respectively, p < 0.05).

Conclusions

The quality of current studies is low, thus not allowing to judge the likelihood of salivary gland ultrasonography as a reliable and practical tool in diagnosing Sjögren's syndrome.
Systematic review of vision‐related quality of life questionnaires for older institutionalised seniors with dementia
Authors: Bédard Emmanuelle , Kergoat Hélène , Kergoat Marie‐Jeanne , Leclerc Bernard‐Simon
Published: May 2015

Purpose

In view of our interest in helping older institutionalised adults with co‐existing visual and cognitive deficits, our objective was to review vision‐related quality of life (VRQoL) questionnaires developed for people with dementia.

Methods

A systematic literature search was performed in seven relevant databases, limited to peer‐reviewed journals published in English, French, Spanish, Italian or German languages, between 1982 and 2012. The retained VRQoL questionnaires were described. Only relevant articles that fully meet our target population and interest criteria were eligible for psychometric properties rating.

Results

The literature search identified 461 potentially relevant articles, from which 69 were isolated and reviewed. Eight articles presented questionnaires that were administered to older institutionalised individuals with dementia. Three VRQoL questionnaires were identified, from which only one was designed and validated for those with mild to moderate dementia and none for individuals with more advanced dementia.

Conclusions

There is a pressing need to build and validate a questionnaire for assessing VRQoL in older institutionalised individuals with dementia, to provide a research tool capable of evaluating how changes in vision impact their QoL.