bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A direct sampler for G‐Wishart variates
Authors: Lenkoski Alex
Published: June 2013

The G‐Wishart distribution is the conjugate prior for precision matrices that encode the conditional independence of a Gaussian graphical model. Although the distribution has received considerable attention, posterior inference has proven computationally challenging, in part owing to the lack of a direct sampler. In this note, we rectify this situation. The existence of a direct sampler offers a host of new possibilities for the use of G‐Wishart variates. We discuss one such development by outlining a new transdimensional model search algorithm—which we term double reversible jump—that leverages this sampler to avoid normalizing constant calculation when comparing graphical models. We conclude with two short studies meant to investigate our algorithm's validity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd
Inhibitory Effects of Hypoxia on Metabolic Switch and Osteogenic Differentiation of Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells
Authors: Hsu Shu-Han , Chen Chien-Tsun , Wei Yau-Huei
Published: June 2013

We previously demonstrated that metabolic switch and mitochondrial activation are required for osteogenic differentiation of human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs). However, stem cells in niches or transplanted into injured tissues constantly encounter hypoxic stress that hinders aerobic metabolism. Therefore, we investigated the effects of oxygen tension (1% vs. 21%) on metabolism and osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs. We found that hypoxia impaired osteogenic differentiation as indicated by attenuation of alkaline phosphatase activity and expression of osteogenic markers core binding factor a-1 and osteopontin. In addition, differentiation-induced mitochondrial activation was compromised as shown by the decrease in the expression of respiratory enzymes and oxygen consumption rate. On the contrary, anaerobic metabolism was augmented as revealed by the upregulation of glycolytic enzymes and increase of lactate production, rendering the cells to rely more on anaerobic glycolysis for energy supply. Moreover, administration of 2-deoxyglucose (a glycolytic inhibitor) but not antimycin A (a respiratory inhibitor) significantly decreased intracellular ATP levels of hMSCs differentiating under hypoxia. Treatment with cobalt chloride, a hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) stabilizer, recapitulated the inhibitory effects of hypoxia, suggesting that HIF-1α is involved in the compromise of hMSCs differentiation. These results suggest that hypoxia inhibits metabolic switch and mitochondrial function and therefore suppresses osteogenic differentiation of hMSCs. Stem Cells Stem Cells  2013;31:2779–2788
The efficacy of psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy in treating depressive and anxiety disorders: a meta‐analysis of direct comparisons
Authors: Cuijpers Pim , Sijbrandij Marit , Koole Sander L. , Andersson Gerhard , Beekman Aartjan T. , Reynolds Charles F.
Published: June 2013

Although psychotherapy and antidepressant medication are efficacious in the treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders, it is not known whether they are equally efficacious for all types of disorders, and whether all types of psychotherapy and antidepressants are equally efficacious for each disorder. We conducted a meta‐analysis of studies in which psychotherapy and antidepressant medication were directly compared in the treatment of depressive and anxiety disorders. Systematic searches in bibliographical databases resulted in 67 randomized trials, including 5,993 patients that met inclusion criteria, 40 studies focusing on depressive disorders and 27 focusing on anxiety disorders. The overall effect size indicating the difference between psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy after treatment in all disorders was g=0.02 (95% CI: −0.07 to 0.10), which was not statistically significant. Pharmacotherapy was significantly more efficacious than psychotherapy in dysthymia (g=0.30), and psychotherapy was significantly more efficacious than pharmacotherapy in obsessive‐compulsive disorder (g=0.64). Furthermore, pharmacotherapy was significantly more efficacious than non‐directive counseling (g=0.33), and psychotherapy was significantly more efficacious than pharmacotherapy with tricyclic antidepressants (g=0.21). These results remained significant when we controlled for other characteristics of the studies in multivariate meta‐regression analysis, except for the differential effects in dysthymia, which were no longer statistically significant.
Early childhood sexual abuse increases suicidal intent
Authors: Lopez-Castroman Jorge , Melhem Nadine , Birmaher Boris , Greenhill Laurence , Kolko David , Stanley Barbara , Zelazny Jamie , Brodsky Beth , Garcia-Nieto Rebeca , Burke Ainsley K. , Mann J. John , Brent David A. , Oquendo Maria A.
Published: June 2013

Childhood sexual abuse has been consistently associated with suicidal behavior. We studied suicide attempt features in depressed individuals sexually abused as children. On average, sexual abuse started before age 9. It frequently coexisted with physical abuse. Suicide attempters more often had personality disorders and had endured abuse for longer, but did not differ in terms of other clinical characteristics from non‐attempters. Earlier onset of sexual abuse and its duration were associated with more suicide attempts. However, when personality disorders were included in the regression model, only these disorders predicted number of attempts. The severity of sexual abuse and the coexistence of physical abuse were correlated with age at first suicide attempt. However, only severity of sexual abuse was marginally associated with age at first suicide attempt in the regression model. Finally, the earlier the age of onset of sexual abuse, the higher the intent, even after controlling for age, sex and personality disorders. This suggests that the characteristics of childhood sexual abuse, especially age of onset, should be considered when studying the risk for suicidal behavior in abused populations.
Personal stigma in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: a systematic review of prevalence rates, correlates, impact and interventions
Authors: Gerlinger Gabriel , Hauser Marta , De Hert Marc , Lacluyse Kathleen , Wampers Martien , Correll Christoph U.
Published: June 2013

A systematic electronic PubMed, Medline and Web of Science database search was conducted regarding the prevalence, correlates, and effects of personal stigma (i.e., perceived and experienced stigmatization and self‐stigma) in patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Of 54 studies (n=5,871), published from 1994 to 2011, 23 (42.6%) reported on prevalence rates, and 44 (81.5%) reported on correlates and/or consequences of perceived or experienced stigmatization or self‐stigma. Only two specific personal stigma intervention studies were found. On average, 64.5% (range: 45.0–80.0%) of patients perceived stigma, 55.9% (range: 22.5–96.0%) actually experienced stigma, and 49.2% (range: 27.9–77.0%) reported alienation (shame) as the most common aspect of self‐stigma. While socio‐demographic variables were only marginally associated with stigma, psychosocial variables, especially lower quality of life, showed overall significant correlations, and illness‐related factors showed heterogeneous associations, except for social anxiety that was unequivocally associated with personal stigma. The prevalence and impact of personal stigma on individual outcomes among schizophrenia spectrum disorder patients are well characterized, yet measures and methods differ significantly. By contrast, research regarding the evolution of personal stigma through the illness course and, particularly, specific intervention studies, which should be conducted utilizing standardized methods and outcomes, are sorely lacking.
Priorities for mental health research in Europe: A survey among national stakeholders' associations within the ROAMER project
Authors: Fiorillo Andrea , Luciano Mario , Del Vecchio Valeria , Sampogna Gaia , Obradors‐Tarragó Carla , Maj Mario ,   on behalf of the ROAMER Consortium
Published: June 2013

Within the ROAMER project, funded by the European Commission, a survey was conducted with national associations/organizations of psychiatrists, other mental health professionals, users and/or carers, and psychiatric trainees in the 27 countries of the European Union, aiming to explore their views about priorities for mental health research in Europe. One hundred and eight associations/organizations returned the questionnaire. The five most frequently selected research priorities were early detection and management of mental disorders, quality of mental health services, prevention of mental disorders, rehabilitation and social inclusion, and new medications for mental disorders. All these areas, except the last one, were among the top ten research priorities according to all categories of stakeholders, along with stigma and discrimination. These results seem to support the recent argument that some rebalancing in favor of psychosocial and health service studies may be needed in psychiatric research.
Agent‐based modeling: a systematic assessment of use cases and requirements for enhancing pharmaceutical research and development productivity
Authors: Hunt C. Anthony , Kennedy Ryan C. , Kim Sean H. J. , Ropella Glen E. P.
Published: June 2013

A crisis continues to brew within the pharmaceutical research and development (R&D) enterprise: productivity continues declining as costs rise, despite ongoing, often dramatic scientific and technical advances. To reverse this trend, we offer various suggestions for both the expansion and broader adoption of modeling and simulation (M&S) methods. We suggest strategies and scenarios intended to enable new M&S use cases that directly engage R&D knowledge generation and build actionable mechanistic insight, thereby opening the door to enhanced productivity. What M&S requirements must be satisfied to access and open the door, and begin reversing the productivity decline? Can current methods and tools fulfill the requirements, or are new methods necessary? We draw on the relevant, recent literature to provide and explore answers. In so doing, we identify essential, key roles for agent‐based and other methods. We assemble a list of requirements necessary for M&S to meet the diverse needs distilled from a collection of research, review, and opinion articles. We argue that to realize its full potential, M&S should be actualized within a larger information technology framework—a dynamic knowledge repository—wherein models of various types execute, evolve, and increase in accuracy over time. We offer some details of the issues that must be addressed for such a repository to accrue the capabilities needed to reverse the productivity decline. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2013, 5:461–480. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1222

This article is categorized under:

Models of Systems Properties and Processes > Mechanistic Models

Translational, Genomic, and Systems Medicine > Translational Medicine
Synthesis, Structure, Antibacterial and Spectroscopic Properties of a Zinc(II) Complex with the Ligand 4‐Heptanoyl‐pyrazol‐5‐one
Authors: Xu Li‐Ying , Li Ning , Li Jia‐Min , Dong Wei
Published: June 2013

The long‐chain ligand, 1‐phenyl‐3‐methyl‐4‐heptanoyl‐pyrazol‐5‐one (HL) and its zinc(II) complex ZnL2 were synthesized. The structure and the properties of ZnL2 were characterized by elemental analysis, IR spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis. The zinc ion is five‐coordinated in a square‐pyramidal environment by four oxygen atoms of the HL ligands in the equatorial plane and one water molecule in the axial position. The water molecule is directly bonded to Zn2+ and involved in intermolecular hydrogen bonding network. The complex and its corresponding ligand were screened in vitro against some strains of the human pathogenic bacteria. The metal complex exhibits higher antibacterial activity than its corresponding ligand. The complex exhibits purple effect emission as the result of fluorescence from the intraligand emission excited state.
Synthesis, Structure, and Characterization of a Microporous Metal‐Organic Framework with PtS Topology
Authors: Zhang Qing‐Feng , Luo Jun‐Hua , Yuan Ai‐Hua
Published: June 2013

The microporous metal‐organic framework Cd2(ABTC)(H2O)(DMA)2·H2O·3DMA (1) (H4ABTC = 3, 3′,5, 5′‐azobenzenetetracarboxylic acid; DMA = N,N′‐dimethylacetamide) was prepared by solvothermal reaction and characterized. X‐ray structure analysis revealed that compound 1 is a three‐dimensional (3D) open framework with 2D channels. The topology is based on a PtS net, constructed of 4‐connected rectangular ABTC4– units with 4‐connected tetrahedral dinuclear Cd2(CO2)4(H2O)(DMA)2 secondary building units (SBUs). The solid‐state excitation‐emission spectra showed that the strongest emission peak is at 403 nm upon excitation at λ = 287 nm.
Synthesis and Crystal Structures of the Alkali Aluminium Thiohypodiphosphates MIAlP2S6 (M = Li, Na)
Authors: Kuhn Alexander , Eger Roland , Nuss Jürgen , Lotsch Bettina V.
Published: June 2013

The crystal structures of the alkali aluminium thiohypodiphosphates MIAlP2S6 (MI = Li, Na) are reported. NaAlP2S6 crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Fdd2 (no. 43) with a = 8.0400(2), b = 10.9452(2), c = 20.8801(4) Å, and V = 1837.44(7) Å3 (Z = 8). It is isostructural with AgAlP2S6, which is consistent with the similar ionic radii of Na and Ag. In contrast, LiAlP2S6 crystallizes in a different structure type which has not been observed in the large number of thiohypodiphosphates reported so far. It crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c (no. 15) with a = 6.783(3), b = 10.365(4), c = 11.776(4) Å, β = 94.399(5)°, and V = 825.46(5) Å3 (Z = 4).
The Effect of Olive Leaf Addition on Antioxidant Content and Antioxidant Activity of “Memecik” Olive Oils at Two Maturity Stages
Authors: Sevim Didar , Tuncay Ozlem , Koseoglu Oya
Published: June 2013

In this study, the effects of leaf addition, maturity stage and storage on the antioxidant content and activity of olive oils (cv. Memecik) were investigated in the 2008/09 and 2009/10 crop seasons. Olive fruits were harvested at two different maturity stages (early and late), and the leaves of the same cultivar were added at different rates (0, 1, and 3 %) prior to oil extraction. After extraction, the oil samples were stored for 18 months and total chlorophyll, α‐tocopherol, total phenolic content and the antioxidant activity [DPPH· (2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl) and ABTS·+ (2,2‐azino‐bis(3‐ethylbenzothiazoline)‐6‐sulfonic acid) radical scavenging] were determined at 6 month‐intervals. Olive leaf addition induced a significant increase in total chlorophyll, α‐tocopherol, total phenolic content, and antioxidant activities in both years (P < 0.001). During the storage period antioxidant content and antioxidant activities in the oils significantly decreased in both years (P < 0.001). However, the oils to which leaf material was added had higher antioxidant contents and activities than those without leaf material addition at the end of the 18‐month storage period. After storage, the antioxidant content and DPPH· radical scavenging activity of control (0 %) samples were lower than those in the leaf added samples (3 %). The data obtained from this study suggested that the addition of olive leaf to oils allowed more functional olive oils with higher antioxidant contents.
Recognition of intermolecular G‐quadruplexes by full length nucleophosmin. Effect of a leukaemia‐associated mutation
Authors: Bañuelos Sonia , Lectez Benoît , Taneva Stefka G. , Ormaza Georgina , Alonso-Mariño Marián , Calle Xabier , Urbaneja María A.
Published: June 2013

Nucleophosmin (NPM) is a nucleolar protein involved in ribosome biogenesis. NPM1 gene is frequently mutated in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), correlating with aberrant cytoplasmic localization of the protein. NPM attachment to the nucleolus in physiological conditions probably depends on binding to nucleic acids, and this recognition could be altered in AML. NPM associates to guanine‐rich DNA sequences, able to fold as “G‐quadruplexes”. We have analyzed the interaction of pentameric, full length NPM with G‐rich oligonucleotides, finding that the protein binds preferentially high‐order G‐quadruplexes. AML‐associated mutation significantly hampers DNA binding, pointing to a possible mechanism contributing to pathological mislocalization of NPM.
Effect of phenol‐induced changes in lipid composition on conformation of OmpF‐like porin of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis
Authors: Nina Sanina , Ludmila Davydova , Svetlana Bakholdina , Olga Novikova , Olga Pornyagina , Tamara Solov'eva , Valery Shnyrov , Mikhail Bogdanov
Published: June 2013

The present work aimed to compare the effects of different lysophosphatidylethanolamine (LPE) content in lipids derived from Yersinia pseudotuberculosis cells exposed and not exposed to phenol on the conformation of OmpF‐like porin of these bacteria. Differential scanning calorimetry and intrinsic protein fluorescence showed that the 2.5‐fold increase of LPE content and the corresponding increase in the phase transition temperature of bacterial lipids were accompanied by enhanced protein thermostability. Integral conformational rearrangement of protein was supported by drastic changes in the microenvironment of the tryptophan residues, likely resulting in a convergence of monomers in trimeric porin and exposure of outer tryptophan residues to the water environment. These conformational changes may impede the porin channel permeability under stress conditions in bacteria.
New insights into early bronze age damascene technique north of the alps
Authors: Berger Daniel , Hunger Katja , Bolliger-Schreyer Sabine , Grolimund Daniel , Hartmann Stefan , Hovind Jan , Müller Felix , Lehmann Eberhard H , Vontobel Peter , Wörle Marie
Published: June 2013

Damascening, defined in this context as the inlay of one metal into a different metal base, is a rare decorative technique in the Early Bronze Age, known only from seven bronze artefacts found north of the Alps. This paper reports on the first thorough scientific examination of one such find, the axe from Thun-Renzenbühl grave no. 1. This interdisciplinary project involving several institutions in Germany and Switzerland investigated the axe by means of neutron radiographic imaging and X-ray microprobe methods, supported by microscopic examination. The result is an attempt to reconstruct the fabrication and decoration process and to reconsider the enigmatic question of the origins of the damascene technique north of the Alps.
Whey protein isolate counteracts the effects of a high-fat diet on energy intake and hypothalamic and adipose tissue expression of energy balance-related genes
Authors: McAllan Liam , Keane Deirdre , Schellekens Harriët , Roche Helen M. , Korpela Riitta , Cryan John F. , Nilaweera Kanishka N.
Published: June 2013

The intake of whey protein isolate (WPI) is known to reduce high-fat diet (HFD)-induced body-weight gain and adiposity. However, the molecular mechanisms are not fully understood. To this end, we fed C57BL/6J mice for 8 weeks with diets containing 10 % energy as fat (low-fat diet, LFD) or 45 % energy as fat (HFD) enriched with either 20 % energy as casein (LFD and HFD) or WPI (high-fat WPI). Metabolic parameters and the hypothalamic and epididymal adipose tissue expression of energy balance-related genes were investigated. The HFD increased fat mass and plasma leptin levels and decreased the dark-phase energy intake, meal number, RER, and metabolic (VO2and heat) and locomotor activities compared with the LFD. The HFD increased the hypothalamic tissue mRNA expression of the leptin receptor, insulin receptor (INSR) and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1b (CPT1b). The HFD also reduced the adipose tissue mRNA expression ofGLUT4andINSR. In contrast, WPI reduced fat mass, normalised dark-phase energy intake and increased meal size in HFD-fed mice. The dietary protein did not have an impact on plasma leptin, insulin, glucose or glucagon-like peptide 1 levels, but increased plasma TAG levels in HFD-fed mice. At a cellular level, WPI significantly reduced the HFD-associated increase in the hypothalamic tissue mRNA expression of the leptin receptor,INSRandCPT1b. Also, WPI prevented the HFD-induced reduction in the adipose tissue mRNA expression ofINSRandGLUT4. In comparison with casein, the effects of WPI on energy intake and hypothalamic and adipose tissue gene expression may thus represent a state of reduced susceptibility to weight gain on a HFD.
Carbon-isotope record and palaeoenvironmental changes during the early Toarcian oceanic anoxic event in shallow-marine carbonates of the Adriatic Carbonate Platform in Croatia
Authors: SABATINO NADIA , VLAHOVIĆ IGOR , JENKYNS HUGH C. , SCOPELLITI GIOVANNA , NERI RODOLFO , PRTOLJAN BOŽO , VELIĆ IVO
Published: June 2013

Geochemical (δ13C, δ18O and Mn) compositions of Lower Jurassic shallow-water carbonates cropping out in Croatia were analyzed to elucidate the impact of the early Toarcian oceanic anoxic event (T-OAE) on the Adriatic Carbonate Platform (AdCP). The bulk-rock carbon-isotope records through the studied sections (Velebit-A, Velebit-B and Gornje Jelenje) are characterized by two significant excursions: (i) an initial positive trend interrupted by a pronounced negative shift (c. 2.5‰) that is followed by (ii) an increasing trend of positive values (up to 4.5‰). A comparison with δ13C trends obtained from well-calibrated sections from other localities in Europe shows that the overall character of the early Toarcian negative excursion is clearly reproduced in the curves derived from Croatian shallow-water deposits, which helps to date the sequences and reinforces the global character of the carbon-cycle perturbation. Lower Jurassic sedimentary successions in the studied area show a gradual deepening trend corresponding to deposition of the Toarcian spotted limestones. Assuming that the distinctive negative excursion in the carbon-isotope curves is synchronous across the AdCP, the contact between the spotted limestones and the underlying beds rich in lithiotid bivalves appears to be diachronous within the study area. The Mn record through the Croatian Velebit-A section and, in particular, the rise in concentration (up to 100 ppm) coinciding with the beginning of the δ13Ccarbpositive shift, reflects a change in the redox conditions in seawater that allowed diagenetic incorporation of reduced manganese into the calcite structure of the carbonate sediment during the onset of the T-OAE.
U–Pb and Re–Os geochronology of the Haolibao porphyry Mo–Cu deposit, NE China: implications for a Late Permian tectonic setting
Authors: ZENG QING-DONG , SUN YAN , DUAN XIAO-XIA , LIU JIAN-MING
Published: June 2013

New geochronological data for the Haolibao porphyry Mo–Cu deposit, NE China, yield Permian crystallization zircon U–Pb ages of 278 ± 5 Ma for granite and 267 ± 10 Ma for the granite porphyry that hosts the Mo–Cu mineralization, and four Re–Os molybdenite ages yield an isochron age of 265 ± 3 Ma. These ages disagree with the previous K–Ar age determinations that suggest a correlation of intrusive rocks of the Haolibao area with the Yanshanian intrusive rocks of Cretaceous age. The mineralizations at the Haolibao area may be related to the tectonic–magmatic activity caused by collisional events between the North China Plate and Mongolian terranes during the Permian. The occurrence of the Haolibao plutonic rocks indicates that the Palaeo-Asian-Mongolian Ocean closed during the Permian along the Xilamulun River suture.
Writing Fiction, Living History: Kanhaiyalal Munshi's historical trilogy
Authors: PARE SHVETAL VYAS
Published: June 2013

Kanhaiyalal Munshi was a pre-eminent Gujarati author, freedom fighter and politician. A member of the Indian National Congress and a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi, he is credited with having developed and popularized the concept of Gujarat ni asmita, or Gujarati self-consciousness. This paper focusses on a trilogy of Munshi's historical fiction namely Patan Ni Prabhuta (The Glory of Patan) (1916), Gujarat No Nath (The Master of Gujarat) (1917–1918) and Rajadhiraj (The King of Kings) (1922). This paper offers a close reading of these texts, to argue that the trilogy offers the possibility of opening up notions of Gujarati identity, and of showing its constructed nature. Munshi's engagement with the ideas of politics, heroism and nation-building reflects the concerns of a movement that is trying to understand both itself and the nation that it is in the process of imagining. Highlighting the subversion of the texts is an attempt to stretch the boundaries of Gujarati identity, and think differently about the meaning of being Gujarati.
Mitochondrial phylogeny of the genus Echinococcus (Cestoda: Taeniidae) with emphasis on relationships among Echinococcus canadensis genotypes
Authors: NAKAO MINORU , YANAGIDA TETSUYA , KONYAEV SERGEY , LAVIKAINEN ANTTI , ODNOKURTSEV VALERIY A. , ZAIKOV VLADIMIR A. , ITO AKIRA
Published: June 2013

The mitochondrial genomes of the genus Echinococcus have already been sequenced for most species and genotypes to reconstruct their phylogeny. However, two important taxa, E. felidis and E. canadensis G10 genotype (Fennoscandian cervid strain), were lacking in the published phylogeny. In this study, the phylogeny based on mitochondrial genome sequences was completed with these taxa. The present phylogeny highly supports the previous one, with an additional topology showing sister relationships between E. felidis and E. granulosus sensu stricto and between E. canadensis G10 and E. canadensis G6/G7 (closely related genotypes referred to as camel and pig strains, respectively). The latter relationship has a crucial implication for the species status of E. canadensis. The cervid strain is composed of two genotypes (G8 and G10), but the present phylogeny clearly suggests that they are paraphyletic. The paraphyly was also demonstrated by analysing the complete nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) of E. canadensis genotypes from various localities. A haplotype network analysis using the short cox1 sequences from worldwide isolates clearly showed a close relatedness of G10 to G6/G7. Domestic and sylvatic life cycles based on the host specificity of E. canadensis strains have been important for epidemiological considerations. However, the taxonomic treatment of the strains as separate species or subspecies is invalid from a molecular cladistic viewpoint.
Soil tardigrades from the Antarctic Peninsula with a description of a new species and some remarks on the genusRamajendas(Eutardigrada: Isohypsibiidae)
Authors: Kaczmarek Łukasz , Janko Karel , Smykla Jerzy , Michalczyk Łukasz
Published: June 2013

In thirteen (mostly soil) mixed samples, collected from nine localities on the Antarctic continent and some of the neighbouring islands, 788 specimens and 32 eggs of tardigrades were found. In total, five species were identified:Acutuncus antarcticus, Echiniscus jenningsi,Diphascon(D.)victoriae,Hypsibius dujardiniandRamajendas dastychisp. nov.A. antarcticuswas the most abundant (nearly 90% of all specimens) and was the prevailing taxon found in the majority of locations.R. dastychisp. nov. is the fourth species described in the exclusively Antarctic/sub-Antarctic genus. The new species differs from all other congeners by the presence of four gibbosities on the caudo-dorsal cuticle (configuration II:2–2) and also by some morphometric characters. In this paper we also briefly discuss the taxonomy and zoogeography of the genusRamajendas.
Public sector reform and blame avoidance effects
Authors: Mortensen Peter B.
Published: June 2013

Blame avoidance has often been claimed to be an important rationale behind changes in the organisation of the public sector, but very few studies have examined whether and how public attribution of responsibility is actually affected by such reforms. For instance, how do changes in the formal allocation of authority affect public attribution of blame when things go wrong? Is the effect immediate or delayed? To advance our understanding of such questions, this paper presents an analysis of blame and credit attribution in more than 1,200 newspaper articles about health-care-related issues in Norway before and after the major Norwegian hospital reform from 2002. The central empirical finding of the article is that central state-level authorities in Norway were attributed less blame in media coverage of health-care problems after the reform than before the reform. The shift is delayed, but substantial and robust to various modifications in model estimations.
Representative democracy and policy-making in the administrative state: is agency policy-making necessarily better?
Authors: Krause George A.
Published: June 2013

This study focuses on how voters and politicians rationally select a preferred policy-making venue (Politician or Agency), and its implications for the principal-agent relationship between voters and politicians in a representative democracy. This study allows for incomplete information, as well as solving for the comparative static conditions pertaining to the extent that a politician's policy-making venue choices mirror those preferred by a representative voter. The comparative static results highlight when a politician (1) chooses the representative voter's preferred policy-making venue (ActiveorPassive Political Responsiveness); (2) is able to choose freely either policy-making venue without committing agency loss (Political Discretion); and (3) willing to deviate from the representative voter's preferred policy-making venue (Political Shirking). In contrast to the study by Spence, this study analytically demonstrates that one cannot infer that the benefits accrued from agency policy-making will necessarily exceed those from electoral institutions.
Governance and organisational effectiveness: towards a theory of government performance
Authors: Lynn Laurence E. , Robichau Robbie Waters
Published: June 2013

Research on the determinants of government performance has identified numerous factors bearing on effective governance and government's role in it. However, understanding of how these factors are causally inter-related is limited. We take as our point of departure a multi-level analytic framework termed a logic of governance (LOG), previously used to reveal patterns of causality in governance based on hundreds of published research publications. Using a revised LOG, we reinterpret the earlier analysis in terms of organisational effectiveness indicators, and identify patterns of causal interaction in 300 more recent research articles. We formulate a multi-level model of governance that postulates how public policy and management interact to affect government outputs and outcomes. We hypothesise that the exercise of hierarchical authority is more fundamental to performance than has been acknowledged by governance scholars. We challenge the argument that advanced democracies are moving towards “governance without government”.
Cops for hire? The political economy of police employment in the German states
Authors: Tepe Markus , Vanhuysse Pieter
Published: June 2013

In times of an alleged waning of political business cycles and partisan policy-making, vote-seeking policy-makers can be expected toshiftthe use of political manipulation mechanisms towards other policy domains in which the macro-institutional environment allows them greater leverage. Public employment generally, and police employment specifically, are a promising domain for such tactics. Timing the hiring of police officers during election periods may increase votes, as these are “street-visible” jobs dealing with politically salient issues. Law-and-order competence signalling makes police hiring especially attractive for conservative parties. Testing these electioneering and partisanship hypotheses in the German states between 1992 and 2010, we find that socio-economic variables such as population density strongly determine police employment. But incumbents also hire more police officers before elections, while conservative party power increases police numbers. Subjectively “immediate” forms of crime (issue salience) and perceived causes of crime such as immigration are also positively associated with police numbers.
Higher even dimensional Reidemeister torsion for torus knot exteriors
Authors: YAMAGUCHI YOSHIKAZU
Published: June 2013

We study the asymptotics of the higher dimensional Reidemeister torsion for torus knot exteriors, which is related to the results by W. Müller and P. Menal–Ferrer and J. Porti on the asymptotics of the Reidemeister torsion and the hyperbolic volumes for hyperbolic 3-manifolds. We show that the sequence of 1/(2N)2) log | Tor(EK; ρ2N)| converges to zero when N goes to infinity where TorEK; ρ2N is the higher dimensional Reidemeister torsion of a torus knot exterior and an acyclic SL2N(ℂ)-representation of the torus knot group. We also give a classification for SL2(ℂ)-representations of torus knot groups, which induce acyclic SL2N(ℂ)-representations.
The Herbrand topos
Authors: VAN DEN BERG BENNO
Published: June 2013

We define a new topos, the Herbrand topos, inspired by the modified realizability topos and our earlier work on Herbrand realizability. We also introduce the category of Herbrand assemblies and characterise these as the ¬¬-separated objects in the Herbrand topos. In addition, we show that the category of sets is included as the category of ¬¬-sheaves and prove that the inclusion functor preserves and reflects validity of first-order formulas.
Governance in integrated coastal zone management: a social networks analysis of cross-scale collaboration
Authors: ERNOUL LISA , WARDELL-JOHNSON ANGELA
Published: June 2013

The Integrated Coastal Zone Management protocol of the Barcelona Convention sets governance objectives for countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. This protocol emphasizes collaborative approaches to acknowledge the role of local people in coastal management. Evaluating the quality of governance processes is critical if coastal zone values are to be effectively managed in times of global climate change. This study examined the structure and attributes of collaborative governance networks in two Mediterranean deltas, the Camargue (France) and Gediz Delta (Turkey). A deliberative social catchment sampling was used to target actors with physical, cultural, social or economic ties. Forty-five different organizations/professions were interviewed using a standardized questionnaire to identify the frequency and quality of contacts, information flows, and subject matter relevant to natural resource management. There were higher levels of degree centrality and reciprocal ties in the Camargue, while the Gediz Delta had a greater homogeneity of actors, with one centralized influential actor. Civil society played a greater role in the Camargue network, and government organizations were more central in the Gediz Delta. The differences between the two sites call into question the use of the same integrated management strategies and suggest the need to acknowledge the importance of existing governance models and relationships within local contexts.
Microtubule assembly andin vitrodevelopment of bovine oocytes with increased intracellular glutathione level prior to vitrification andin vitrofertilization
Authors: Hara H. , Yamane I. , Noto I. , Kagawa N. , Kuwayama M. , Hirabayashi M. , Hochi S.
Published: June 2013

Although vitrification is a useful technique for preservation of bovine oocytes, the yield of blastocysts derived from the vitrified oocytes is still low. We have recently reported a new type of cryoinjury, multiple aster formation, by which pronuclear migration and development of vitrified–warmed andin vitro-fertilized bovine oocytes are impaired. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of glutathione (GSH) content of vitrified bovine oocytes on multiple aster formation and subsequentin vitrodevelopment. Treatment of bovine cumulus–oocyte complexes with β-mercaptoethanol (βME) andl-cysteine (Cys) duringin vitromaturation resulted in 2.5-fold higher GSH content not only in fresh control but also in vitrified–warmed oocytes. The percentage of normally fertilized zygotes exhibiting sperm aster(s) was >95% in all four groups (with or without βME/Cys × fresh control or vitrified). The frequency of multiple aster formation in vitrified oocytes (three-fold higher than that in fresh control oocytes) was not affected by the increased level of intracellular GSH with βME/Cys. Consequently, the migration and development of pronuclei as well as the yield of blastocysts from vitrified–warmed oocytes (17 versus 41%) were not improved. In addition, there was no effect of increased GSH level on the yield of blastocysts in fresh control groups.
The development and expression of pluripotency genes in embryos derived from nuclear transfer and in vitro fertilization
Authors: Ma Li-Bing , He Xiao-Ying , Wang Feng-Mei , Cao Jun-Wei , Cheng Teng
Published: June 2013

Somatic cell nuclear transfer can be used to produce embryonic stem (ES) cells, cloned animals, and can even increase the population size of endangered animals. However, the application of this technique is limited by the low developmental rate of cloned embryos, a situation that may result from abnormal expression of some zygotic genes. In this study, sheep–sheep intra-species cloned embryos, goat–sheep inter-species cloned embryos, or sheep in vitro fertilized embryos were constructed and cultured in vitro and the developmental ability and expression of three pluripotency genes, SSEA-1, Nanog and Oct4, were examined. The results showed firstly that the developmental ability of in vitro fertilized embryos was significantly higher than that of cloned embryos. In addition, the percentage of intra-species cloned embryos that developed to morula or blastocyst stages was also significantly higher than that of the inter-species cloned embryos. Secondly, all three types of embryos expressed SSEA-1 at the 8-cell and morula stages. At the 8-cell stage, a higher percentage of in vitro fertilized embryos expressed SSEA-1 than occurred for cloned embryos. However, at the morula stage, all detected embryos could express SSEA-1. Thirdly, the three types of embryos expressed Oct4 mRNA at the morula and blastocyst stages, and embryos at the blastocyst stage expressed Nanog mRNA. The rate of expression of Oct4 and Nanog mRNA at these developmental stages was higher in in vitro fertilized embryos than in cloned embryos. These results indicated that, during early development, the failure to reactivate some pluripotency genes maybe is a reason for the low cloning efficiency found with cloned embryos.
FINANCE AND INEQUALITY: HOW DOES GLOBALIZATION CHANGE THEIR RELATIONSHIP?
Authors: Kunieda Takuma , Okada Keisuke , Shibata Akihisa
Published: June 2013

This research demonstrates that international financial integration changes the way in which financial development affects inequality within a country. Specifically, both cross-country analysis and dynamic panel data analysis using data collected from more than 100 countries provide evidence indicating that if the financial market of a country is strongly closed to the world market, financial development narrows inequality within that country, whereas if the financial market of a country is strongly open to the world market, financial development widens inequality within that country. Our theoretical framework provides a possible explanation for our empirical findings.
The Ideality of Space and Time: Trendelenburg versus Kant, Fischer and Bird
Authors: Kanterian Edward
Published: June 2013

Trendelenburg argued that Kant's arguments in support of transcendental idealism ignored the possibility that space and time are both ideal and real. Recently, Graham Bird has claimed that Trendelenburg (unlike his contemporary Kuno Fischer) misrepresented Kant, confusing two senses of ‘subjective/objective’. I defend Trendelenburg's ‘neglected alternative’: the ideas of space and time, asa prioriand necessary, areideal, but this does not exclude theirvalidityin the noumenal realm. This undermines transcendental idealism. Bird's attempt to show that the Analytic considers, but rejects, the alternative fails: an epistemological reading makes Kant accept the alternative, while an ontological reading makes him incoherent. As I demonstrate, Trendelenburg acknowledged the ambiguity of ‘subjective/objective’, focusing on the transcendental, not the empirical sense. Unlike Fischer, Bird denies Kant's commitment to things-in-themselves in favour of a descriptivist, non-ontological reading of transcendental idealism as an inventory of ‘immanent experience’. But neither Bird's descriptivism, nor Fischer's commitment to things-in-themselves, answers Trendelenburg's sceptical worry about transcendental idealism.
Kant on Autonomy and the Value of Persons
Authors: Wilson Eric Entrican
Published: June 2013

This essay seeks to contribute to current debates about value in Kant's ethics. Its main objective is to dislodge the widely shared intuition that his view of autonomy requires constructivism or some other alternative to moral realism. I argue the following. Kant seems to think that the value of persons is due to their very nature, not to what anyone decides is the case (however rational or pure those decisions may be). He also seems to think that when we treat persons as ends in themselves we are responding appropriately to the fact that their very nature elevates them above all other concerns. Neither of these beliefs is incompatible with his view of autonomy. So it is a mistake to think that Kant's ethics requires constructivism or any other form of anti-realism.
Shame and Contempt in Kant's Moral Theory
Authors: Thomason Krista K.
Published: June 2013

Attitudes like shame and contempt seem to be at odds with basic tenets of Kantian moral theory. I argue on the contrary that both attitudes play a central role in Kantian morality. Shame and contempt are attitudes that protect our love of honour, or the esteem we have for ourselves as moral persons. The question arises: how are these attitudes compatible with Kant's claim that all persons deserve respect? I argue that the proper object of shame and contempt is not the humanity within a person, but rather her self-conceit, or the false esteem that competes with love of honour.
Humanity as an Idea, as an Ideal, and as an End in Itself
Authors: Dean Richard
Published: June 2013

Kant emphasizes that moral philosophy must be divided into two parts, a ‘purely rational’ metaphysics of morals, and an empirical application to individuals, which Kant calls ‘moral anthropology’. But Kant gives humanity (die Menschheit) a prominent role even in the purely rational part of ethics – for example, one formulation of the categorical imperative is a demand to treat humanity as an end in itself. This paper argues that the only concepts of humanity suited to play such a role are the rational idea of humanity, and the rational ideal derived from this idea, which Kant discusses inCritique of Practical Reasonand other texts.
The bloodstained spear: public reason and declarations of war
Authors: Grynaviski Eric
Published: June 2013

States rarely declare war. For many international law scholars, just war theorists, and moral philosophers, the declaration of war is a moribund tradition that serves no important purpose. When declarations of war are defended, the argument is situated in the war powers debate about executive authority. In contrast, I argue that declaring war – making conditional and reasoned moral demands – continues to be an important requirement for just wars. States should declare war because states should make explicit (formal) moral demands before fighting. Declaring war is procedurally important because it ensures that a state makes a formal moral case, showing respect to innocent third parties whose interests are affected and providing targets the right to confront their accusers and hear evidence. While not a panacea, requiring declarations is a significant improvement on thead hocpolitics of wartime justification that plagues wars such as Iraq. Further, declarations, as ultimatums, are the only reasonable interpretation of the ‘last resort’ requirement in just war theory. A final section extends the argument to contemporary wars against non-state actors, showing that a politics of recognition underlying declarations of war may prove especially fruitful today.
Realism, emotion, and dynamic allegiances in global politics
Authors: Ross Andrew A. G.
Published: June 2013

This article appeals to classical realism for new insights into the role emotions play in shifting the terrain of political allegiance in global politics. Although undetected in readings emphasizing rational statecraft, realists such as Hans Morgenthau and Reinhold Niebuhr were centrally concerned with human emotions and their political impact. While following the intellectual currents of their time in regarding emotions as fixed impulses, these realists’ deep appreciation for the contingencies of history also led them to cast emotions as socially conditioned mechanisms of adaptation. By revisiting the texts of classical realism, this paper develops a fresh account of how emotion responds to and engenders change in the social world – in particular, change in the location of political allegiances. I then show how Morgenthau and Niebuhr applied these ideas not only to the nation-state but also to the most vexingtransnational phenomena of their time – communism and liberal internationalism. In conclusion, the paper speculates that these reflections on dynamic allegiances at the transnational level offer realists and other international relation theorists insight into the emotional appeal, adaptability, and organizational complexity of contemporary non-state movements and actors.
There is no global public: the idea of the public and the legitimation of governance
Authors: Eriksen Stein Sundstøl , Sending Ole Jacob
Published: June 2013

Scholars of global governance have made much use of the public–private distinction in their exploration of the power of non-state actors and the constitution of authority beyond the state. But is this distinction analytically adequate? We subject the public–private distinction to analytical scrutiny and argue that it does not hold when analysing phenomena beyond the domestic setting. State actors are universal at the domestic level, but they are particularistic at the global level, being responsible primarily to its territorially defined constituency. The difference between public and private actors qua participants in global governance is thus overstated. We differentiate between public as a category of analysis and a category of practice. As a category of analysis, public denotes a particular configuration of accountability and capacity, which can, in principle, be found at the global level. As a category of practice, public is a claim to universality and responsibility that different types of actors use to legitimize what they do. We illustrate the added value of this conceptualization through a discussion of possibly emerging global public actors, and of how actors’ claim to ‘publicness’ in an incomplete public sphere serves to conceal their particularistic character, thereby undermining ‘publicness’ at the global level.
Domestic politics, reputational sanctions, and international compliance
Authors: Park Jong Hee , Hirose Kentaro
Published: June 2013

The argument that reputational concerns promote compliance is at the center of the literature of international cooperation. In this paper, we study how reputational sanctions affect compliance when domestic parties carry their own reputations in international negotiations. We showed that the prospect of international cooperation varies a lot depending on who sits at the negotiation table, how partisan preferences for compliance are different, and how much international audiences discriminate between different types of noncompliance. We illustrate implications of our model using episodes from the negotiations between the United States and North Korea over North Korea's nuclear weapons program.