bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Dysfunctional mitochondrial bioenergetics and oxidative stress in Akita+/Ins2-derived β-cells
Authors: Mitchell Tanecia , Johnson Michelle S. , Ouyang Xiaosen , Chacko Balu K. , Mitra Kasturi , Lei Xiaoyong , Gai Ying , Moore D. Ray , Barnes Stephen , Zhang Jianhua , Koizumi Akio , Ramanadham Sasanka , Darley-Usmar Victor M.
Published: July 2013

Insulin release from pancreatic β-cells plays a critical role in blood glucose homeostasis, and β-cell dysfunction leads to the development of diabetes mellitus. In cases of monogenic type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) that involve mutations in the insulin gene, we hypothesized that misfolding of insulin could result in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, oxidant production, and mitochondrial damage. To address this, we used the Akita+/Ins2T1DM model in which misfolding of the insulin 2 gene leads to ER stress-mediated β-cell death and thapsigargin to induce ER stress in two different β-cell lines and in intact mouse islets. Using transformed pancreatic β-cell lines generated from wild-type Ins2+/+(WT) and Akita+/Ins2mice, we evaluated cellular bioenergetics, oxidative stress, mitochondrial protein levels, and autophagic flux to determine whether changes in these processes contribute to β-cell dysfunction. In addition, we induced ER stress pharmacologically using thapsigargin in WT β-cells, INS-1 cells, and intact mouse islets to examine the effects of ER stress on mitochondrial function. Our data reveal that Akita+/Ins2-derived β-cells have increased mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidant production, mtDNA damage, and alterations in mitochondrial protein levels that are not corrected by autophagy. Together, these findings suggest that deterioration in mitochondrial function due to an oxidative environment and ER stress contributes to β-cell dysfunction and could contribute to T1DM in which mutations in insulin occur.
Hyperinsulinemia and skeletal muscle fatty acid trafficking
Authors: Kanaley Jill A. , Shadid Samyah , Sheehan Michael T. , Guo ZengKui , Jensen Michael D.
Published: July 2013

We hypothesized that insulin alters plasma free fatty acid (FFA) trafficking into intramyocellular (im) long-chain acylcarnitines (imLCAC) and triglycerides (imTG). Overnight-fasted adults ( n = 41) received intravenous infusions of [U-13C]palmitate (0400–0900 h) and [U-13C]oleate (0800–1400 h) to label imTG and imLCAC. A euglycemic-hyperinsulinemic (1.0 mU·kg fat-free mass−1·min−1) clamp (0800–1400 h) and two muscle biopsies (0900 h, 1400 h) were performed. The patterns of [U-13C]palmitate incorporation into imTG-palmitate and palmitoylcarnitine were similar to those we reported in overnight postabsorptive adults (saline control); the intramyocellular palmitoylcarnitine enrichment was not different from and correlated with imTG-palmitate enrichment for both the morning ( r = 0.38, P = 0.02) and afternoon ( r = 0.44, P = 0.006) biopsy samples. Plasma FFA concentrations, flux, and the incorporation of plasma oleate into imTG-oleate during hyperinsulinemia were ∼1/10th of that observed in the previous saline control studies ( P < 0.001). At the time of the second biopsy, the enrichment in oleoylcarnitine was <25% of that in imTG-oleate and was not correlated with imTG-oleate enrichment. The intramyocellular nonesterified fatty acid-palmitate-to-imTG-palmitate enrichment ratio was greater ( P < 0.05) in women than men, suggesting that sex differences in intramyocellular palmitate trafficking may occur under hyperinsulinemic conditions. We conclude that plasma FFA trafficking into imTG during hyperinsulinemia is markedly suppressed, and these newly incorporated FFA fatty acids do not readily enter the LCAC preoxidative pools. Hyperinsulinemia does not seem to inhibit the entry of fatty acids from imTG pools that were labeled under fasting conditions, possibly reflecting the presence of two distinct imTG pools that are differentially regulated by insulin.
Functional Retinal Impairment in Type 1 Diabetic Patients without any Signs of Retinopathy
Authors: Parravano Mariacristina , Oddone Francesco , Boccassini Barbara , Centofanti Marco , Tanga Lucia , Cacciamani Andrea , Borboni Patrizia , Varano Monica
Published: July 2013

Purpose: To investigate functional and morphological retinal changes in the long-term follow-up in subjects with type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM1) without any signs of retinal vasculopathy. Methods: Functional testing included Humphrey Matrix perimetry (30-2 threshold program) and white-on-white Humphrey perimetry (HFA, 30-2 SITA standard), while retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) thickness was measured by scanning laser polarimetry with variable corneal birefringence compensator. Results: Data from 20 eyes of 20 subjects with DM1 were analysed. No changes of HFA mean deviation (MD: -2.20 ± 3.44 vs. -1.63 ± 2.47; p = 0.14) and pattern standard deviation (PSD: 2.50 ± 1.71 vs. 2.28 ± 1.36; p = 0.31), and Matrix MD (-1.06 ± 3.62 vs. -1.24 ± 2.99; p = 0.65) were found after 5 years. A significant change was found for Matrix PSD between baseline and the end of follow-up (2.76 ± 0.59 vs. 3.1 ± 0.68; p = 0.0078). RNFL parameters were not changed. A significant relationship was found between HbA1c levels and changes from baseline of Matrix PSD (R2 0.29, p = 0.02). Conclusions: Progressive retinal functional impairment could be detected in DM1 subjects by frequency doubling perimetry before the onset of any overt retinal vasculopathy and functional impairment seems to be significantly related to glycaemic control.
Staphylococcal Proteases Aid in Evasion of the Human Complement System
Authors: Jusko Monika , Potempa Jan , Kantyka Tomasz , Bielecka Ewa , Miller Halie K. , Kalinska Magdalena , Dubin Grzegorz , Garred Peter , Shaw Lindsey N. , Blom Anna M.
Published: July 2013

Staphylococcus aureus is an opportunistic pathogen that presents severe health care concerns due to the prevalence of multiple antibiotic-resistant strains. New treatment strategies are urgently needed, which requires an understanding of disease causation mechanisms. Complement is one of the first lines of defense against bacterial pathogens, and S. aureus expresses several specific complement inhibitors. The effect of extracellular proteases from this bacterium on complement, however, has been the subject of limited investigation, except for a recent report regarding cleavage of the C3 component by aureolysin (Aur). We demonstrate here that four major extracellular proteases of S. aureus are potent complement inhibitors. Incubation of human serum with the cysteine proteases staphopain A and staphopain B, the serine protease V8 and the metalloproteinase Aur resulted in a drastic decrease in the hemolytic activity of serum, whereas two staphylococcal serine proteases D and E, had no effect. These four proteases were found to inhibit all pathways of complement due to the efficient degradation of several crucial components. Furthermore, S. aureus mutants lacking proteolytic enzymes were found to be more efficiently killed in human blood. Taken together, the major proteases of S. aureus appear to be important for pathogen-mediated evasion of the human complement system.
Management of Multicentric Myopericytoma in the Maxillofacial Region: A Case Report
Authors: Wu Fanglong , Sun Jun , Dong Jiazeng , Wang Xiaoyi , Gao Qinghong
Published: July 2013

Myopericytoma (MPC) is a rare kind of benign neoplasm, showing derivation from perivascular myoid cells. About 115 cases have been reported in the English literature; however, most of the literature focuses on the description and classification of pathology. The case presented here is that of a 42-year-old woman with a surgical management experience of multicentric MPC in the maxillofacial region. Although small MPC can be completely and easily excised, large MPC, especially in certain anatomic sites, necessitates careful preoperative preparation.
The Mamluk Sultanate as a Military Patronage State: Household Politics and the Case of the Qalāwūnid bayt (1279-1382)
Authors: Van Steenbergen Jo
Published: June 2013

Abstract

This article focuses on the conceptualisation of Mamluk socio-political organisation in late thirteenth and early to mid-fourteenth-century Egypt and Syria. Breaking free of the heuristic constraints imposed on Mamluk studies by the paradigm of the political elite as defined by the normative exclusivism of elite military slavery—the so-called Mamluk system—it demonstrates that apparent dynastic attitudes were no mere façade for that system but rather powerful representations of the Mamluk version of a long-standing regional tradition of socio-political organisation: the military patronage state. It is argued here that this tradition, with its focus on military leadership, patronage ties, household bonds, and unstable devolved authorities, coalesced between 1279 and 1382 in Qalāwūnid leadership over and monopolisation of Syro-Egyptian societies.
A Partnership Gone Bad: Business Relationships and the Evolving Law of the Cairo Geniza Period
Authors: Cohen Mark R.
Published: June 2013

Abstract

Economic historians, beginning with Avner Greif, have looked to business letters from the Cairo Geniza to understand how medieval merchants in the Islamic Mediterranean organized business collaboration. They have noticed the prevalence of agency relations, which followed “informal” arrangements, unlike formal partnerships, which employed written contracts. This “method” was called ṣuḥba (“companionship”) in Arabic, and it entailed reciprocal exchange of favors between business “friends.” Much attention has been given to what Greif calls “private order” enforcement of agency contracts, whereby merchants belonging to a “closed” consortium reported instances of cheating or opportunism by a fellow merchant, in place of enforcement by religious courts. However, economic historians relying on the Geniza documents have paid inadequate attention to evolving Jewish law in the Islamic milieu. The present article, focusing on a mercantile dispute, brings evidence to show that Jewish legal scholars adopted a feature of Islamic judicial practice to strengthen their role in enforcement of informal agency contracts. In his Code, the Mishneh Torah, Maimonides put the final touches on this accommodation by incorporating agency into the law pertaining to contract enforcement among partners.
Silver Flow and Horse Supply to Sultanate Bengal with Special Reference to Trans-Himalayan Trade (13th-16th Centuries)
Authors: Hussain Syed Ejaz
Published: June 2013

Abstract

The establishment of the Sultanate rule in Bengal marked the beginning of a standard monetized economy as well as emergence of new urban centres. These two most decisive factors transformed not only the economic life of the region but brought about a new era of political economy. Sustained minting of high-quality silver coinage and regular supply of war-horses for maintaining a strong cavalry formed two fundamental tasks for the Sultanate regime particularly in view of the fact that both the items i.e. raw silver and horses were not indigenous and the rulers were wholly depended on import. The primary goal of the paper is to reflect on the silver inflow and outflow into and from Bengal region through 13th to 16th centuries and correlate this with the expenditure faced by the Bengal Sultans on the maintenance of cavalry. *
Essay Review: Contemporary Kabbalah: New Scholarship, New Insights, New Contexts and Issues
Authors: Kwantes Gemma
Published: June 2013

Le présent article recense cinq publications traitant de la kabbale contemporaine ou y faisant référence, toutes apparues autour de 2011. Il entend à la fois rendre compte de chaque ouvrage pris individuellement, et de l’ensemble en tant que contribution collective à l’étude d’un nouveau domaine de recherches. Avant tout, on défend l’idée que ces ouvrages marquent l’émergence d’une nouvelle phase dans l’étude académique contemporaine de la kabbale—une phase qui ne se limite plus au simple constat d’existence de cette dernière mais aborde l’exploration de ses manifestations concrètes, au demeurant très diversifiées. A eux cinq, ces travaux posent en tant que tels la question des modalités du rapport à la kabbale contemporaine, en montrant les bénéfices que l’on retire en particulier d’une approche multidisciplinaire et non-orthonormée du phénomène. Ajoutés à des publications antérieures, et bien que représentant encore un état préliminaire des études dans ce domaine, ces cinq ouvrages permettent de surcroît d’ouvrir un panorama déjà assez vaste sur le champ de recherches en question. C’est une telle vue d’ensemble que l’auteur voudrait fournir dans la seconde moitié de cet article, en associant ses propres découvertes à celles de la recherche actuelle.
The Beginnings of Kabbalah in America: The Unpublished Manuscripts of R. Levi Isaac Krakovsky
Authors: Meir Jonatan
Published: June 2013

L’article a pour sujet la personnalité extraordinaire du kabbaliste le Rabbin Levi Isaac Krakovsky (1891–1966), un des étudiants oubliés du Rabbin Yehuda Leib Ashlag (1885–1955). Krakovsky diffusait l’enseignement de son maître en Amérique en anglais, écrivait des douzaines de livres et essayait d’établir des yeshivot de Kabbalistes. Contrairement à son maître, il présentait un enseignement exotérique et une vision de diffusion de la Kabbale dans le monde entier. Son influence était minime, mais un de ses élèves était Shraga Philip Berg qui continuait son chemin et le complétait de plusieurs points de vue. L’article se base sur de riches matières archivales, parmi lesquelles de longues essays de l’auteur en manuscrit qui sont décrits ici pour la premiere fois. D’une telle façon, nous décrivons le dévelopment de la Kabbale en Amérique du début du vingtième siècle jusqu’ aujourd’hui.
Changnienia malipoensis, a new species from China (Orchidaceae; Epidendroideae; Calypsoeae)
Authors: PENG DONG-HUI , LIU ZHONG-JIAN , ZHAI JUN-WEN
Published: July 2013

Changnienia Chien (1935: 89) is a monotypic genus of tribe Calypsoeae endemic to eastern and central China (Chen et al. 1999, 2009, Freudenstein 2005), previously with only the species C. amoena Chien (1935: 90), which was listed in the Chinese Redbook in 1992 (Fu 1992). Yang & Zhu (1984) reported a chromosome number for it of 2n=46. Sun et al. (2006) observed pollination and found that Bombus trifasciatus was its pollinator. Zhai et al. (2013) confirmed the phylogenetic placement of this species as a member of tribe Calypsoeae (sensu Pridgeon et al. 2005). A new species of Changnienia is described and illustrated here based on molecular and morphological evidence. It is discovered in Malipo, Yunnan Province, China.
Toward Global Drought Early Warning Capability: Expanding International Cooperation for the Development of a Framework for Monitoring and Forecasting
Authors: Pozzi Will , Sheffield Justin , Stefanski Robert , Cripe Douglas , Pulwarty Roger , Vogt Jürgen V. , Heim Richard R. , Brewer Michael J. , Svoboda Mark , Westerhoff Rogier , van Dijk Albert I. J. M. , Lloyd-Hughes Benjamin , Pappenberger Florian , Werner Micha , Dutra Emanuel , Wetterhall Fredrik , Wagner Wolfgang , Schubert Siegfried , Mo Kingtse , Nicholson Margaret , Bettio Lynette , Nunez Liliana , van Beek Rens , Bierkens Marc , de Goncalves Luis Gustavo Goncalves , de Mattos João Gerd Zell , Lawford Richard
Published: July 2013

Drought is a global problem that has far-reaching impacts, especially on vulnerable populations in developing regions. This paper highlights the need for a Global Drought Early Warning System (GDEWS), the elements that constitute its underlying framework (GDEWF), and the recent progress made toward its development. Many countries lack drought monitoring systems, as well as the capacity to respond via appropriate political, institutional, and technological frameworks, and these have inhibited the development of integrated drought management plans or early warning systems. The GDEWS will provide a source of drought tools and products via the GDEWF for countries and regions to develop tailored drought early warning systems for their own users. A key goal of a GDEWS is to maximize the lead time for early warning, allowing drought managers and disaster coordinators more time to put mitigation measures in place to reduce the vulnerability to drought. To address this, the GDEWF will take both a top-down approach to provide global realtime drought monitoring and seasonal forecasting, and a bottom-up approach that builds upon existing national and regional systems to provide continental-to-global coverage. A number of challenges must be overcome, however, before a GDEWS can become a reality, including the lack of in situ measurement networks and modest seasonal forecast skill in many regions, and the lack of infrastructure to translate data into useable information. A set of international partners, through a series of recent workshops and evolving collaborations, has made progress toward meeting these challenges and developing a global system.
Aerosols for Concentrating Solar Electricity Production Forecasts: Requirement Quantification and ECMWF/MACC Aerosol Forecast Assessment
Authors: Schroedter-Homscheidt Marion , Oumbe Armel , Benedetti Angela , Morcrette Jean-Jacques
Published: July 2013

The potential for transferring a larger share of our energy supply toward renewable energy is a widely discussed goal in society, economics, environment, and climate-related programs. For a larger share of electricity to come from fluctuating solar and wind energy-based electricity, production forecasts are required to ensure successful grid integration. Concentrating solar power holds the potential to make the fluctuating solar electricity a dispatchable resource by using both heat storage systems and solar production forecasts based on a reliable weather prediction. These solar technologies exploit the direct irradiance at the surface, which is a quantity very dependent on the aerosol extinction with values up to 100%. Results from present-day numerical weather forecasts are inadequate, as they generally use climatologies for dealing with aerosol extinction. Therefore, meteorological forecasts have to be extended by chemical weather forecasts. The paper aims at quantifying on a global scale the question of whether and where daily mean or hourly forecasts are required, or if persistence is sufficient in some regions. It assesses the performance of recently introduced NWP aerosol schemes by using the ECMWF/Monitoring Atmospheric Composition and Climate (MACC) forecast, which is a preparatory activity for the upcoming European Global Monitoring for Environment and Security (GMES) Atmosphere Service.
Cold-Season Thunderstorms in Finland and Their Effect on Aviation Safety
Authors: Mäkelä A. , Saltikoff E. , Julkunen J. , Juga I. , Gregow E. , Niemelä S.
Published: July 2013

A total of 13 commercial airplanes were struck by lightning in October (10 in 1 day) and December (3 on 3 separate days) 2011 in the main Finnish Helsinki–Vantaa airport. The number of lightning-struck airplanes is extremely large, considering the time of year and the small number of flashes by the storms. This paper indicates the characteristics of these cases regarding the synoptic situation as well as their forecasting. There were remarkable differences in the operational models; the high-resolution nonhydrostatic model was superior in predicting the convective nature of the event compared to the coarser-resolution hydrostatic model. The interview of the pilots of the struck airplanes shows that the pilots did not receive detailed information to avoid the situation; also, the lightning strike affected the pilots, even causing temporary loss of sight and hearing. Luckily, no fatalities or severe damage to the airplanes occurred. The most interesting case is 19 October 2011; during this single day, a total of 10 airplanes were struck. The analysis suggests that a major cause for the large number of struck airplanes is that the planes took off directly into the convective core of the storm and the planes initialized the flashes themselves. However, the time of the year, the near position of the storm area relative to the takeoff path, and the necessity to use only a certain takeoff path because of the direction of wind makes the convective scenario difficult to predict and avoid. The pilots have expressed interest in receiving training for these cold-season thunderstorms.
School socioeconomic status and student outcomes in reading and mathematics: A comparison of Australia and Canada
Authors: Perry Laura B , McConney Andrew
Published: July 2013

Previous research has established that student outcomes are strongly associated with the socioeconomic composition of a school, also known as school socioeconomic status. Less is known, however, about the ways in which the relationship varies for different students, schools and national education systems. Here, we conduct a secondary analysis of an international dataset to examine the strength of the relationship between school socioeconomic status and achievement in math and reading for Canada and Australia. The history, economy and culture of these two countries are similar, as are many aspects of their education systems. One important difference, however, is the degree to which their education systems are marketised. Our findings show that in both countries, school socioeconomic status is strongly associated with academic achievement for all students, regardless of their individual socioeconomic status. Nevertheless, the relationship between school socioeconomic status and academic achievement is substantially stronger in Australia than in Canada. We conclude that student outcomes are more equitable in Canada than in Australia, and suggest that this may be due to differences in the ways in which the two education systems are funded and structured.
The Dynamics of Positivism in the Study of Public Administration
Authors: Whetsell Travis A. , Shields Patricia M.
Published: July 2013

This article explores the development of three features of positivism from the 1800s to the present: the unity of science, the verification criterion of meaning, and the empiricist observation language. The development of these features is demonstrated in the mid-20th century public administration (PA) literature and in the self-reflective literature of the last three decades. Contemporary positivism has been substantially moderated: The verification criterion of meaning has been abandoned, but the unity of science remains a presupposition, and the empiricist observation language remains an important tool. By presenting this intellectual history, some clarity may be added to the philosophical discourse in PA.
“It Shouldn’t Stick Out from Your Bikini at the Beach”
Authors: Braun Virginia , Tricklebank Gemma , Clarke Victoria
Published: July 2013

Women’s and men’s bodies and sexuality can be understood as socially situated and socially produced. This means they are affected by, and developed in relation to, patterned sociocultural meanings and representations. We aim here to understand a recently emergent, and potentially gendered, body practice—pubic hair removal—by examining the meanings people ascribe to pubic hair and its removal. Extending the widespread hairless bodily norm for Anglo/Western women, pubic hair removal is an apparently rapidly growing phenomenon. Men, too, are seemingly practicing pubic hair removal in significant numbers, raising the question of to what extent pubic hair removal should be understood as a gendered phenomenon. What we do not yet know is what people’s understandings and perceptions of pubic hair are, and how they make sense of its removal. Using a qualitative survey, the current study asked a series of questions about pubic hair and its removal, both in general and related to men’s and women’s bodies. In total, 67 participants (100% response rate; 50 female; mean age 29, diverse ethnically, predominantly heterosexual) completed the survey. Thematic analysis identified five key themes in the way people made sense of pubic hair and pubic hair removal that related to choice, privacy, physical attractiveness, sexual impacts, and cleanliness. Meanings around pubic hair and its removal were not consistently gendered, but it was still situated as more of an issue for women. With potential impacts on sexual and psychological well-being, sexuality education provides an important venue for discussing, and questioning, normative ideas about pubic hair.
Attracting, Motivating and Retaining Executives
Authors: Ellig Bruce R.
Published: July 2013

The impact of the five pay elements (salary, employee benefits, perquisites, short-term incentives and long-term incentives) on attracting, motivating and retaining executives is described along with the interest in stakeholders (especially shareholders) in each of the pay elements by time period (beginning with 1900). The level of pay is also analyzed in relation to level of effort and achievement, along with the personal qualities that define effective executives.
Powering Incentive Compensation
Authors: Hall Steven , McCord Nora
Published: July 2013

Steven Hall & Partners recently completed a study of incentive compensation programs at 73 of the largest utility companies in the United States. Utility companies face unique challenges when designing incentive compensation programs, due to the greater number of stakeholders to whom they must be responsive, intense media scrutiny, stringent regulatory constraints and the need for regular public approval of rate cases. Although fixed compensation in the form of base salaries does represent a greater percentage of total compensation among utilities, this is not to say that utilities have ignored incentive-based compensation. In fact, utility companies pay for a broader range of performance than many other public companies. In addition to common performance metrics like earnings and shareholder returns, utilities also consider nonfinancial performance metrics such as safety and customer service, which serve as strong public demonstrations of a commitment to performance objectives shared by customers and shareholders alike.
Incorporating climate change adaptation into planning for a liveable city in Rosario, Argentina
Authors: Hardoy Jorgelina , Ruete Regina
Published: July 2013

As climate change impacts are felt within growing numbers of cities in low- and middle-income countries, there is growing interest in the adaptation plans and programmes put forward by city authorities. Yet cities face considerable constraints on this front. This paper aims to provide a better understanding of these constraints by analyzing the case of Rosario, in Argentina. The city has a strong coherent governance system, with a commitment to decentralization, transparency, accountability and participation. Its long tradition of urban planning has evolved to include a broad vision of urban challenges and responses, a commitment to environmental sustainability and a strategic plan that has involved multiple stakeholders. This paper describes the many measures implemented in Rosario over the last 18 years, which provide a solid foundation for more systematically addressing adaptation. It also describes the significant challenges faced by the city’s administration, especially around funding, data and the challenge of responding to pressing and competing interests.
Does Nature of Training, Informal Activities and Psychological Contract Impact Fairness Perception? Examining Diverse Group Employees
Authors: Sia Surendra Kumar , Bhardwaj Gopa , Sahoo Bharat Chandra
Published: July 2013

Perception of organizational fairness is an important indicator of effectiveness of diversity climate of any organization. In the present study, a sincere attempt has been made to examine the perception of organizational fairness among diverse group employees. The study was conducted upon 207 lower and middle managerial level employees of two reputed public sector units situated at Orissa, India. The total sample was spread over five different social groups, namely—Oriya Hindu male, Oriya Hindu female, Oriya reserved category, non-Oriya Hindu male and Oriya non-Hindu male. First, we tried to examine the difference, if any, among the employees belonging to these different groups upon their perception of fairness in the organization. Also, multiple stepwise regression analyses were carried out to explicate the contributions from different dimensions of nature of training, informal activities and psychological contract towards perception of organizational fairness. The results indicate that, Oriya reserved category and Oriya Hindu female employees differ significantly from Oriya Hindu male employees and other groups upon perception of fairness. Regression analyses reveal that perceived relevance of interpersonal training and accommodativity of technical training are stronger predictors of perceived fairness in case of all the groups, whereas level of participation in informal activities and psychological contract on power emerge strong contributors towards fairness perception of reserved category as well as Oriya Hindu female employees. The findings have been discussed in light with relevant literature along with future implications.
Book Review: Marketing Management
Authors: Bansal Ajay
Published: July 2013

Jack Trout and Steve Rivkin, Repositioning: Marketing in an Era of Competition, Change and Crisis, New Delhi: Tata McGraw-Hill, 2010, 217 pp., ₹ 295 [Paperback]. ISBN: 978-0-07-070048-2
High performance hybrid fuzzy PID controller for permanent magnet synchronous motor drive with minimum rule base
Authors: NP Ananthamoorthy , K Baskaran
Published: July 2013

This paper investigates the performance of an improved fuzzy logic controller (FLC) with a reduced rule base vector controlled permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) drive. The FLC is developed with minimum rules to provide high performance operations due to less computational burden. Hybrid control has the advantage of integrating a superiority of two control techniques for better control performance. To enhance the performance of the PMSM drive system, a new control method, hybrid fuzzy logic controller, using minimum rule base is proposed. The proposed hybrid fuzzy logic controller based on accelerated fuzzy proportional plus integral and fuzzy proportional-integral-derivative is suitable for constant speed applications of a PMSM drive.
Global dynamics of an axially moving buckled beam
Authors: Ghayesh Mergen H , Amabili Marco , Farokhi Hamed
Published: July 2013

A parametric study for post-buckling analysis of an axially moving beam is conducted considering four different axial speeds in the supercritical regime. At critical speed, the trivial equilibrium configuration of this conservative system becomes unstable and the system diverges to a new non-trivial equilibrium configuration via a pitchfork bifurcation. Post-buckling analysis is conducted considering the system undergoing a transverse harmonic excitation. In order to obtain the equations of motion about the buckled state, first the equation of motion about the trivial equilibrium position is obtained and then transformed to the new coordinate, i.e. post-buckling configuration. The equations are then discretized using the Galerkin scheme, resulting in a set of nonlinear ordinary differential equations. Using direct time integration, the global dynamics of the system is obtained and shown by means of bifurcation diagrams of Poincaré maps. Other plots such as time traces, phase-plane diagrams, and Poincaré sections are also presented to analyze the dynamics more precisely.
Random and Systematic Error Effects of Insomnia on Survey Behavior
Authors: Barber Larissa K. , Barnes Christopher M. , Carlson Kevin D.
Published: July 2013

Insomnia is a prevalent experience among employees and survey respondents. Drawing from research on sleep and self-regulation, we examine both random (survey errors) and systematic (social desirability) effects of research participant insomnia on survey responses. With respect to random effects, we find that insomnia leads to increased survey errors, and that this effect is mediated by a lack of self-control and a lack of effort. However, insomnia also has a positive systematic effect, leading to lower levels of social desirability. This effect is also mediated by self-control depletion and a lack of effort. In supplemental analyses, we find that psychometric side effects of random and systematic error introduced by individuals high in insomnia negatively affect internal consistency estimates and measurement invariance on various organizational measures. Results were replicated across two studies, with alternative operationalizations of survey errors and social desirability and some alternative explanations examined. These findings suggest sleep may be a key methodological issue for conducting survey research. Recommendations from the sleep and self-regulation literature regarding potential strategies for counteracting the effect of insomnia on survey responses are discussed.
Journalism as the new knowledge profession and consequences for journalism education
Authors: Donsbach Wolfgang
Published: July 2013

The article starts with observations about an increasing marginalization of professional journalism in public communication. This development is mainly driven by two factors, decreasing interest in the public sphere and increasing selective exposure. Based on these observations, the author develops a definition of the core societal functions of journalism, that is, validation and shared reality. Assigning to professional journalism the role of the ‘new knowledge profession’ he looks for areas of competence that would need to be taught in academic programs to furnish the profession with the necessary skills and make journalism a ‘de facto profession’. Finally, he discusses constraints on such a strategy in educational philosophies, the trade, and the changing demand of professional news.
A Control-Based Multidimensional Approach to the Role of Optimism in the Use of Dementia Day Care Services
Authors: Contador Israel , Fernández-Calvo Bernardino , Palenzuela David L. , Campos Francisco Ramos , Rivera-Navarro Jesús , de Lucena Virginia Menezes
Published: June 2013

We examined whether grounded optimism and external locus of control are associated with admission to dementia day care centers (DCCs). A total of 130 informal caregivers were recruited from the Alzheimer’s Association in Salamanca (northwest Spain). All caregivers completed an assessment protocol that included the Battery of Generalized Expectancies of Control Scales (BEEGC-20, acronym in Spanish) as well as depression and burden measures. The decision of the care setting at baseline assessment (own home vs DCC) was considered the main outcome measure in the logistic regression analyses. Grounded optimism was a preventive factor for admission (odds ratio [OR]: 0.34 and confidence interval [CI]: 0.15-0.75), whereas external locus of control (OR: 2.75, CI: 1.25-6.03) increased the probabilities of using DCCs. Depression mediated the relationship between optimism and DCCs, but this effect was not consistent for burden. Grounded optimism promotes the extension of care at home for patients with dementia.
Clinical Subtypes of Frontotemporal Dementia
Authors: Ghosh Sayantani , Lippa Carol F.
Published: June 2013

Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) was one of the lesser known dementias until the recent advancements revealing its genetic and pathological foundation. This common neurodegenerative disorder has three clinical subtypes- behavioral, semantic and progressive non fluent aphasia. The behavioral variant mostly exhibits personality changes, while the other two encompass various language deficits. This review discusses the basic pathology, genetics, clinical and histological presentation and the diagnosis of the 3 subtypes. It also deliberates the different therapeutic modalities currently available for frontotemporal dementia and the challenges faced by the caregivers. Lastly it explores the scope of further research into the diagnosis and management of FTD.
Coping Strategy and Caregiver Burden Among Caregivers of Patients With Dementia
Authors: Huang Mei-Feng , Huang Wen-Hui , Su Yi-Ching , Hou Shu-Ying , Chen Hui-Mei , Yeh Yi-Chun , Chen Cheng-Sheng
Published: June 2013

Background:

This study aims to examine whether coping strategies employed by caregivers are related to distinct symptoms of patients with dementia and to investigate the associations between burden and coping among caregivers of patients with dementia.

Methods:

A cross-sectional study design was used. A total of 57 caregivers of patients with dementia were enrolled. Coping strategies were assessed using the Ways of Coping Checklist, and burden was assessed using the Chinese version of Caregiver Burden Inventory. Correlations between coping and patients’ behavior or memory problems were examined. Severities of behavior and memory problems were adjusted to examine the correlations between caregiver burden and coping strategies.

Results:

The patients’ disruptive behavior problems were associated with avoidance, and depression problems were associated with avoidance and wishful thinking. After adjusting for severity of behavior problems, coping strategies using avoidance were positively correlated with caregiver burden.

Conclusions:

Emotion-focused coping strategies are a marker of caregiver burden.
Suicidal Behavior in Dementia
Authors: Sabodash Valeriy , Mendez Mario F. , Fong Sylvia , Hsiao Julia J.
Published: July 2013

Background:

Some studies report a low suicide risk in general dementia and in Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Objective:

To evaluate suicidal behavior among patients with semantic dementia (SD), a disorder that impairs semantic knowledge.

Methods:

We reviewed the presence of active suicidal behavior and related factors among 25 patients with SD compared to 111 age-matched patients with early-onset AD.

Results:

In all, 5 (20%) patients with SD had suicidal behavior (2 successfully killed themselves) compared to 1 (0.9%) with AD ( P < .001). There was significantly more depression and greater premorbid history of suicidal behavior among the patients with SD compared to those with AD. Among the patients with SD, those with suicidal behavior, compared to those without, had more depression and greater insight into their deficits.

Conclusions:

Patients with SD are at special risk of committing suicide, particularly if they have depression and preserved insight. Possible mechanisms include an impaired sense of semantic competence with increased impulsivity.
Discriminative Analysis of Mild Alzheimer’s Disease and Normal Aging Using Volume of Hippocampal Subfields and Hippocampal Mean Diffusivity
Authors: Li Ya-Di , Dong Hai-Bo , Xie Guo-Ming , Zhang Ling-jun
Published: June 2013

Background:

Studies discovered that the hippocampal subfields are differentially affected by pathological damage, and magnetic resonance (MR) diffusion tensor imaging parameters might be more sensitive measures of early degeneration in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) than conventional MR imaging techniques. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the significance of the volume of hippocampal subfields and the mean diffusivity (MD) value of hippocampus in discrimination between mild AD and normal aging.

Methods:

A total of 29 patients with mild AD and 30 normal aging were scanned. Binary logistic regression analysis was applied to assess the diagnostic significance of the volumes of hippocampal subfields and the MD value of hippocampus.

Results:

All hippocampal subfields except right tail atrophied significantly in the mild AD group ( P < .05). The relative volumes of right CA1 and subiculum subfields entered the binary logistic regression model. The accuracy was 91.8%, which was improved to 93.9% as the MD value of right hippocampus entered the model.

Conclusion:

Atrophy was present in almost all hippocampal subfields at mild AD stage. The volumes of CA1 and subiculum were of the most diagnostic significance in discrimination of mild AD, which can be improved by the combination of volume and diffusivity analysis.
Coracohumeral Distances and Correlation to Arm Rotation
Authors: Brunkhorst John P. , Giphart J. Erik , LaPrade Robert F. , Millett Peter J.
Published: July 2013

Background:

Reduced coracohumeral distances have been reported to be associated with anterior shoulder disorders such as subscapularis tears, biceps tendon injuries, and leading edge supraspinatus tears.

Purpose:

To determine the variability in coracohumeral distance as a function of arm rotation in healthy male subjects. The null hypothesis was that no differences in coracohumeral distance would exist with respect to arm rotation.

Study Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods:

A total of 9 male participants who had full range of motion, strength, and no prior surgery or symptoms in their tested shoulders were enrolled in this institutional review board–approved study. Computed tomography scans of the shoulder were obtained for each subject. A dynamic biplane fluoroscopy system recorded internal and external shoulder rotation with the arm held in the neutral position. Three-dimensional reconstructions of each motion were generated, and the coracohumeral distance and coracoid index (lateral extension of the coracoid) were measured.

Results:

The mean coracohumeral distance in neutral rotation was 12.7 ± 2.1 mm. A significantly shorter minimum coracohumeral distance of 10.6 ± 1.8 mm was achieved ( P = .001) at a mean glenohumeral joint internal rotation angle of 36.6° ± 19.2°. This corresponded to a reduction in coracohumeral distance of 16.4% (range, 6.6%-29.8%). The mean coracoid index was 14.2 ± 6.8 mm. A moderate correlation ( R = −0.75) existed between the coracohumeral distance and coracoid index.

Conclusion:

Coracohumeral distance was reduced during internal rotation. Decreased coracohumeral distance was correlated with larger coracoid indices.

Clinical Relevance:

This study provides a reference value for coracohumeral distance in the healthy male population. Knowledge of how coracohumeral distance varies over the range of arm internal-external rotation may improve the clinical diagnosis and treatment plan for patients with anterior shoulder pathology, specifically subcoracoid impingement. Imaging of the coracohumeral distance during internal rotation with the hand at approximately midline should be considered to assess patients with anterior shoulder pain.
Some criteria for boundedness and compactness of the Hardy operator with some special kernels
Authors: Kufner Alois , Kuliev Komil , Oinarov Ryskul
Published: July 2013

We present necessary and sufficient conditions for boundedness and compactness of Hardy operator (1.4) with kernel (1.3) for

1
<
p
≤
q
<
∞

.

MSC:26D10, 26D15, 47B07, 47B34, 47B38.
Transgenically mediated shRNAs targeting conserved regions of foot-and-mouth disease virus provide heritable resistance in porcine cell lines and suckling mice
Authors: Jiao Ye , Gong Xiuli , Du Junzheng , Liu Mingqiu , Guo Xinbing , Chen Linlin , Miao Weinan , Jin Tao , Chang Huiyun , Zeng Yitao , Zheng Zhaoxin
Published: July 2013

Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) is responsible for substantial economic losses in livestock breeding each year, and the development of new strategies is needed to overcome the limitations of existing vaccines and antiviral drugs. In this study, we evaluated the antiviral potential of transgenic porcine cells and suckling mice that simultaneously expressed two short-hairpin RNAs (shRNAs) targeting the conserved regions of the viral polymerase protein 3D and the non-structural protein 2B. First, two recombinant shRNA-expressing plasmids, PB-EN3D2B and PB-N3D2B, were constructed and the efficiency of the constructs for suppressing an artificial target was demonstrated in BHK-21 cells. We then integrated PB-EN3D2B into the genome of the porcine cell line IBRS-2 using the piggyBac transposon system, and stable monoclonal transgenic cell lines (MTCL) were selected. Of the 6 MTCL that were used in the antiviral assay, 3 exhibited significant resistance with suppressing ratios of more than 94% at 48 hours post-challenge (hpc) to both serotype O and serotype Asia 1 FMDV. MTCL IB-3D2B-6 displayed the strongest antiviral activity, which resulted in 100% inhibition of FMDV replication until 72 hpc. Moreover, the shRNA-expressing fragment of PB-N3D2B was integrated into the mouse genome by DNA microinjection to produce transgenic mice. When challenged with serotype O FMDV, the offspring of the transgenic mouse lines N3D2B-18 and N3D2B-81 exhibited higher survival rates of 19% to 27% relative to their non-transgenic littermates. The results suggest that these heritable shRNAs were able to suppress FMDV replication in the transgenic cell lines and suckling mice.
NF-κB activation in myeloid cells mediates ventilator-induced lung injury
Authors: Ko Yi-An , Yang Ming-Chieh , Huang Hung-Tu , Hsu Ching-Mei , Chen Lee-Wei
Published: July 2013

Background

Although use of the mechanical ventilator is a life-saving intervention, excessive tidal volumes will activate NF-κB in the lung with subsequent induction of lung edema formation, neutrophil infiltration and proinflammatory cytokine/chemokine release. The roles of NF-κB and IL-6 in ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI) remain widely debated.

Methods

To study the molecular mechanisms of the pathogenesis of VILI, mice with a deletion of IкB kinase in the myeloid cells (IKKβ△mye), IL-6-/- to WT chimeric mice, and C57BL/6 mice (WT) were placed on a ventilator for 6 hr.

WT mice were also given an IL-6-blocking antibody to examine the role of IL-6 in VILI.

Results

Our results revealed that high tidal volume ventilation induced pulmonary capillary permeability, neutrophil sequestration, macrophage drifting as well as increased protein in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF). IL-6 production and IL-1β, CXCR2, and MIP2 expression were also increased in WT lungs but not in those pretreated with IL-6-blocking antibodies. Further, ventilator-induced protein concentrations and total cells in BALF, as well as lung permeability, were all significantly decreased in IKKβ△mye mice as well as in IL6-/- to WT chimeric mice.

Conclusion

Given that IKKβ△mye mice demonstrated a significant decrease in ventilator-induced IL-6 production, we conclude that NF-κB–IL-6 signaling pathways induce inflammation, contributing to VILI, and IкB kinase in the myeloid cells mediates ventilator-induced IL-6 production, inflammation, and lung injury.