bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Relationship between Body Mass Index Reference and All-Cause Mortality: Evidence from a Large Cohort of Thai Adults
Authors: Yiengprugsawan Vasoontara , Banwell Cathy , Zhao Jiaying , Seubsman Sam-ang , Sleigh Adrian C.
Published: November 2014

We investigate variation in body mass index (BMI) reference and 5-year all-cause mortality using data from 87151 adult Open University students nationwide. Analyses focused on BMI reference bands: “normal” (≥18.5 to <23), “lower normal” (≥18.5 to <20.75), “upper normal” (≥20.75 to <23), and “narrow Western normal” (≥23 to <25). We report hazard ratios (HR) and 95% Confidence Intervals adjusting for covariates. Compared to lower normal, adults aged 35–65 years who were obese (BMI ≥ 30) were twice as likely to die during the follow-up (HR 2.37; 1.01–5.70). For the same group, when using narrow Western normal as the reference, the results were similar (HR 3.02; 1.26–7.22). However, different combinations of BMI exposure and reference band produce quite different results. Older age persons belonging to Asian overweight BMI category (≥23 to <25) were relatively protected from mortality (HR 0.57; 0.34–0.96 and HR 0.49; 0.28–0.84) when assessed using normal (≥18.5 to <23) and upper normal (≥20.75 to <23) as reference bands. Use of different “normal” reference produced varying mortality relationships in a large cohort of Thai adults. Caution is needed when interpreting BMI-mortality data.
Modelling Shallow Water Wakes Using a Hybrid Turbulence Model
Authors: Rodriguez-Cuevas Clemente , Couder-Castañeda Carlos , Flores-Mendez Esteban , Herrera-Díaz Israel Enrique , Cisneros-Almazan Rodolfo
Published: November 2014

A numerical research with different turbulence models for shallow water equations was carried out. This was done in order to investigate which model has the ability to reproduce more accurately the wakes produced by the shock of the water hitting a submerged island inside a canal. The study of this phenomenon is important for the numerical methods application advancement in the simulation of free surface flows since these models involve a number of simplifications and assumptions that can have a significant impact on the numerical solutions quality and thus can not reproduce correctly the physical phenomenon. The numerical experiments were carried out on an experimental case under controlled conditions, consisting of a channel with a submerged conical island. The numerical scheme is based on the Eulerian-Lagrangian finite volume method with four turbulence models, three mixing lengths (ml), and one joiningk-ϵon the horizontal axis with a mixing-length model (ml) on the vertical axis. The experimental results show that ak-ϵwith ml turbulence model makes it possible to approach the experimental results in a more qualitative manner. We found that when using only ak-ϵmodel in the vertical and horizontal direction, the numerical results overestimate the experimental data. Additionally the computing time is reduced by simplifying the turbulence model.
Clinical Trials of Immunogene Therapy for Spontaneous Tumors in Companion Animals
Authors: Glikin Gerardo Claudio , Finocchiaro Liliana María Elena
Published: November 2014

Despite the important progress obtained in the treatment of some pets’ malignancies, new treatments need to be developed. Being critical in cancer control and progression, the immune system’s appropriate modulation may provide effective therapeutic options. In this review we summarize the outcomes of published immunogene therapy veterinary clinical trials reported by many research centers. A variety of tumors such as canine melanoma, soft tissue sarcomas, osteosarcoma and lymphoma, feline fibrosarcoma, and equine melanoma were subjected to different treatment approaches. Both viral and mainly nonviral vectors were used to deliver gene products as cytokines, xenogeneic tumor associated antigens, specific ligands, and proapoptotic regulatory factors. In some cases autologous, allogenic, or xenogeneic transgenic cytokine producing cells were assayed. In general terms, minor or no adverse collateral effects appeared during this kind of therapies and treated patients usually displayed a better course of the disease (longer survival, delayed or suppressed recurrence or metastatic spread, and improvement of the quality of life). This suggests the utility of these methodologies as standard adjuvant treatments. The encouraging outcomes obtained in companion animals support their ready application in veterinary clinical oncology and serve as preclinical proof of concept and safety assay for future human gene therapy trials.
Molecular Detection, Phylogenetic Analysis, and Identification of Transcription Motifs in Feline Leukemia Virus from Naturally Infected Cats in Malaysia
Authors: Bande Faruku , Arshad Siti Suri , Hassan Latiffah , Zakaria Zunita
Published: November 2014

A nested PCR assay was used to determine the viral RNA and proviral DNA status of naturally infected cats. Selected samples that were FeLV-positive by PCR were subjected to sequencing, phylogenetic analysis, and motifs search. Of the 39 samples that were positive for FeLV p27 antigen, 87.2% (34/39) were confirmed positive with nested PCR. FeLV proviral DNA was detected in 38 (97.3%) of p27-antigen negative samples. Malaysian FeLV isolates are found to be highly similar with a homology of 91% to 100%. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that Malaysian FeLV isolates divided into two clusters, with a majority (86.2%) sharing similarity with FeLV-K01803 and fewer isolates (13.8%) with FeLV-GM1 strain. Different enhancer motifs including NF-GMa, Krox-20/WT1I-del2, BAF1, AP-2, TBP, TFIIF-beta, TRF, and TFIID are found to occur either in single, duplicate, triplicate, or sets of 5 in different positions within the U3-LTR-gag region. The present result confirms the occurrence of FeLV viral RNA and provirus DNA in naturally infected cats. Malaysian FeLV isolates are highly similar, and a majority of them are closely related to a UK isolate. This study provides the first molecular based information on FeLV in Malaysia. Additionally, different enhancer motifs likely associated with FeLV related pathogenesis have been identified.
On Some Integral Inequalities Related to Hermite-Hadamard-Fejér Inequalities for Coordinated Convex Functions
Authors: Xiang Ruiyin , Chen Feixiang
Published: November 2014

Several new mappings associated with coordinated convexity are proposed, by which we obtain some new Hermite-Hadamard-Fejér type inequalities for coordinated convex functions. We conclude that the results obtained in this work are the generalizations of the earlier results.
Simulation of Contrast Agent Transport in Arteries with Multilayer Arterial Wall: Impact of Arterial Transmural Transport on the Bolus Delay and Dispersion
Authors: Xu Min , Liu Xiao , Li Ang , Fan Yubo , Sun Anqiang , Deng Xiaoyan , Li Deyu
Published: November 2014

One assumption of DSC-MRI is that the injected contrast agent is kept totally intravascular and the arterial wall is impermeable to contrast agent. The assumption is unreal for such small contrast agent as Gd-DTPA can leak into the arterial wall. To investigate whether the unreal assumption is valid for the estimation of the delay and dispersion of the contrast agent bolus, we simulated flow and Gd-DTPA transport in a model with multilayer arterial wall and analyzed the bolus delay and dispersion qualified by mean vascular transit time (MVTT) and the variance of the vascular transport function. Factors that may affect Gd-DTPA transport hence the delay and dispersion were further investigated, such as integrity of endothelium and disturbed flow. The results revealed that arterial transmural transport would slightly affect MVTT and moderately increase the variance. In addition, although the integrity of endothelium can significantly affect the accumulation of contrast agent in the arterial wall, it had small effects on the bolus delay and dispersion. However, the disturbed flow would significantly increase both MVTT and the variance. In conclusion, arterial transmural transport may have a small effect on the bolus delay and dispersion when compared to the flow pattern in the artery.
Binding Energy Calculation of Patchouli Alcohol Isomer Cyclooxygenase Complexes Suggested as COX-1/COX-2 Selective Inhibitor
Authors: Raharjo Sentot Joko , Mahdi Chanif , Nurdiana Nurdiana , Kikuchi Takheshi , Fatchiyah Fatchiyah
Published: November 2014

To understand the structural features that dictate the selectivity of the two isoforms of the prostaglandin H2 synthase (PGHS/COX), the three-dimensional (3D) structure of COX-1/COX-2 was assessed by means of binding energy calculation of virtual molecular dynamic with using ligand alpha-Patchouli alcohol isomers. Molecular interaction studies with COX-1 and COX-2 were done using the molecular docking tools by Hex 8.0. Interactions were further visualized by using Discovery Studio Client 3.5 software tool. The binding energy of molecular interaction was calculated by AMBER12 and Virtual Molecular Dynamic 1.9.1 software. The analysis of the alpha-Patchouli alcohol isomer compounds showed that all alpha-Patchouli alcohol isomers were suggested as inhibitor of COX-1 and COX-2. Collectively, the scoring binding energy calculation (with PBSA Model Solvent) of alpha-Patchouli alcohol isomer compounds (CID442384, CID6432585, CID3080622, CID10955174, and CID56928117) was suggested as candidate for a selective COX-1 inhibitor and CID521903 as nonselective COX-1/COX-2.
Association between Paraoxonases Gene Expression and Oxidative Stress in Hepatotoxicity Induced by CCl4
Authors: Hafez Mohamed M. , Al-Shabanah Othman A. , Al-Harbi Naif O. , Al-Harbi Mohamed M. , Al-Rejaie Salim S. , Alsurayea Saad M. , Sayed-Ahmed Mohamed M.
Published: November 2014

Objectives. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the hepatoprotective effect of rutin in carbon tetrachloride- (CCl4-) induced liver injuries in rat model.Methods. Forty male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups. Group I was the control group and received dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO) and olive oil. Group II received rutin. Groups III was treated with CCl4. Group IV was administered rutin after 48 h of CCl4treatment. Liver enzymes level, lipid profile, lipid peroxidation, and hydrogen peroxide were measured. The genes expression levels were monitored by real time RT-PCR and western blot techniques.Results. CCl4group showed significant increase in alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBAR), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and lipid profile and a significant decrease in glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S transferase (GST), catalase (CAT), paraoxonase-1 (PON-1), paraoxonase-3 (PON-3), peroxisome proliferator activated receptor delta (PPAR-δ), and ATP-binding cassette transporter 1 (ABAC1) genes expression levels. Interestingly, rutin supplementation completely reversed the biochemical and gene expression levels induced by CCl4to control values.Conclusion. CCl4administration causes aberration of genes expression levels in oxidative stress pathway resulting in DNA damage and hepatotoxicity. Rutin causes hepatoprotective effect through enhancing the antioxidant genes.
Truncated Nuclear Norm Minimization for Image Restoration Based on Iterative Support Detection
Authors: Wang Yilun , Su Xinhua
Published: November 2014

Recovering a large matrix from limited measurements is a challenging task arising
in many real applications, such as image inpainting, compressive sensing, and
medical imaging, and these kinds of problems are mostly formulated as low‐rank
matrix approximation problems. Due to the rank operator being nonconvex
and discontinuous, most of the recent theoretical studies use the nuclear norm
as a convex relaxation and the low‐rank matrix recovery problem is solved
through minimization of the nuclear norm regularized problem. However, a
major limitation of nuclear norm minimization is that all the singular values
are simultaneously minimized and the rank may not be well approximated (Hu et al., 2013). Correspondingly, in this paper, we propose a new multistage algorithm, which
makes use of the concept of Truncated Nuclear Norm Regularization (TNNR)
proposed by Hu et al., 2013, and iterative support detection (ISD) proposed by Wang and Yin, 2010, to overcome
the above limitation. Besides matrix completion problems considered by Hu et al., 2013, the proposed method can be also extended to the general low‐rank matrix
recovery problems. Extensive experiments well validate the superiority of our
new algorithms over other state‐of‐the‐art methods.
The Association between Dry Eye Disease and Physical Activity as well as Sedentary Behavior: Results from the Osaka Study
Authors: Kawashima Motoko , Uchino Miki , Yokoi Norihiko , Uchino Yuichi , Dogru Murat , Komuro Aoi , Sonomura Yukiko , Kato Hiroaki , Nishiwaki Yuji , Kinoshita Shigeru , Tsubota Kazuo
Published: November 2014

Purpose. To assess the association of dry eye disease (DED) with physical activity and sedentary behavior.Methods. The cross-sectional survey conducted included Japanese office workers who use visual display terminals (n=672). DED was assessed according to the Japanese Dry Eye Diagnostic Criteria, and participants were categorized into “definite DED,” “probable DED,” or “non-DED” groups based on the results of DED examinations. Physical activity and sedentary behavior of participants were assessed using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and physical activity level was calculated in metabolic equivalent units per week (MET, min/week). Participants were classified as having a high, moderate, or low level of physical activity.Results. Participants with abnormal tear break-up time (BUT) (≤5 s) were involved in sedentary behavior for significantly longer duration than those with normal BUT (P=0.035). Non-DED participants (14.5%) tended to have higher levels of physical activity than definite DED participants (2.5%). Participants with definite DED had significantly lower MET scores than those with non-DED (P=0.025).Conclusions. Our findings suggest that a lower level of physical activity and sedentary behavior are associated with DED; however, longitudinal/intervention studies with large groups of participants are needed to validate these findings.
What Happened after the Clinical Trials: Long-Term Safety and Efficacy of Ustekinumab in Daily Clinical Practice
Authors: Talamonti Marina , Galluzzo Marco , Bianchi Luca , Boca Andreea N. , Costanzo Antonio , Chimenti Sergio
Published: November 2014

Background: Ustekinumab has been investigated in patients with psoriasis by randomized clinical trials. There are few data on ustekinumab use under ‘real life' conditions outside long-term registries. Objective: The aim of our study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ustekinumab as a long-term therapy in real life. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 71 patients who had been treated with ustekinumab up to 2 years. Efficacy data were analyzed both by ‘as treated' and ‘intention to treat-last observation carried forward'. Results: A significant improvement in the Psoriasis Area and Severity Index score was observed at 4 weeks and further improvements were observed throughout the treatment. Adverse events were generally mild. Conclusions: In routine administration ustekinumab seems to be more efficient than reported by randomized clinical trials. Our results are encouraging and can answer the patients' biggest concern on whether ustekinumab is an effective and safe drug for long-term use.
Maca: Superfood, Aphrodisiakum, Hype?
Authors: Henauer Stephan
Published: November 2014

Maca (Lepidium meyenii Walpers) ist eine Kulturpflanze aus den Anden, die dort in Höhen oberhalb 4000 Meter über dem Meer angebaut wird. Die vorhandenen wissenschaftlichen Daten weisen darauf hin, dass Maca sexuelles Verlangen, Erektionsfähigkeit, Spermienqualität und Wechseljahrbeschwerden positiv beeinflusst. Weitere Wirkungen, die noch zu bestätigen sind, und gute Verträglichkeit machen Maca zu einem vielversprechenden Nahrungsergänzungsmittel, das in vielerlei Hinsicht unsere Aufmerksamkeit verdient.
Lipoprotein Phospholipase A2 Mass and Activity Are Not Associated with the Diagnosis of Acute Brain Ischemia
Authors: Tai Waimei , Garcia Madelleine , Mlynash Michael , Kemp Stephanie , Albers Gregory W. , Olivot Jean-Marc
Published: November 2014

Background: Elevated lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) levels are associated with both coronary artery and cerebrovascular diseases. The clinical diagnosis of neurovascular events, specifically transient ischemic attack can be challenging, although there is disagreement among vascular trained neurologists regarding this. Currently, there is no single accurate biomarker for the diagnosis of acute brain ischemia. Aim: We studied the relationship between Lp-PLA2 mass and activity levels and the diagnosis of acute brain ischemia in the acute phase among patients evaluated in the emergency department following transient focal neurological symptoms. Methods: Patients evaluated in our academic center for transient neurological symptoms of possible ischemic mechanism were enrolled with informed consent. Lp-PLA2 mass and activity levels were performed by DiaDexus, Inc. Results: 100 patients were enrolled: 58 were ischemic (30 stroke, 28 TIA), 10 were unknown, and 28 were non-ischemic. Blood samples were collected after a median delay of 23 h (IQR: 17, 36) after symptom onset. The median levels of Lp-PLA2 activity level for ischemic (stroke and TIA) versus non-ischemic events were 186.5 nmol/ml/min (IQR = 153, 216.3) and 169 nmol/ml/min (IQR = 137, 212.5), respectively. The median levels of Lp-PLA2 mass level for ischemic versus non-ischemic events were 202 ng/ml (IQR = 171.6, 226.1) and 192 ng/ml (167.8, 230). The differences in median Lp-PLA2 mass and activity levels were not statistically significant in the ischemic versus non-ischemic patients. Vessel imaging revealed a symptomatic stenosis in 14 patients (10 intracranial and 4 cervical). The median Lp-PLA2 mass and activity levels among patients with a symptomatic stenosis were not significantly higher than the levels measured in TIA/stroke patients without stenosis. Conclusion: The results of our study do not support the early measurement of Lp-PLA2 mass or activity levels for confirming an ischemic etiology in patients experiencing minor or transient focal neurological events.
Antinociceptive and Antihyperglycemic Effects of Melissa officinalis Essential Oil in an Experimental Model of Diabetes
Authors: Hasanein Parisa , Riahi Hassan
Published: November 2014

Objective: The efficacy of oral administration of Melissa officinalis essential oil (MOEO) on hyperalgesia was investigated using the formalin test in streptozotocin (STZ)-induced diabetic rats. Materials and Methods: Animals were divided into control, MOEO-treated control (0.01, 0.02 and 0.04 mg/day), diabetic and MOEO-treated diabetic (0.01, 0.02 and 0.04 mg/day) groups. Nociceptive testing was performed on male adult Wistar rats 4 weeks after the onset of hyperglycemia. At the end of the experiment, all rats were weighed and plasma glucose measurements were performed. Results: Diabetes was associated with significant hyperalgesia during both phases of the formalin test. MOEO (0.04 mg/day) completely reversed hyperalgesia in diabetic rats, while MOEO (0.02 and 0.04 mg/day) caused less intensive nociceptive behaviors during both phases of the test in control rats. MOEO at both high doses restored euglycemia and reduced the body weight of treated diabetic animals compared to untreated diabetic animals. The 0.01-mg dose of MOEO did not alter pain responses in the control or diabetic groups compared to their respective controls. Conclusions: This study shows that chronic administration of MOEO displays efficacy in an experimental model of diabetic hyperalgesia. MOEO may therefore show promise as a treatment for painful diabetic neuropathy.
Responder Individuality in Red Blood Cell Alloimmunization
Authors: Körmöczi Günther F. , Mayr Wolfgang R.
Published: November 2014

Many different factors influence the propensity of transfusion recipients and pregnant women to form red blood cell alloantibodies (RBCA). RBCA may cause hemolytic transfusion reactions, hemolytic disease of the fetus and newborn and may be a complication in transplantation medicine. Antigenic differences between responder and foreign erythrocytes may lead to such an immune answer, in part with suspected specific HLA class II associations. Biochemical and conformational characteristics of red blood cell (RBC) antigens, their dose (number of transfusions and pregnancies, absolute number of antigens per RBC) and the mode of exposure impact on RBCA rates. In addition, individual circumstances determine the risk to form RBCA. Responder individuality in terms of age, sex, severity of underlying disease, disease- or therapy-induced immunosuppression and inflammation are discussed with respect to influencing RBC alloimmunization. For particular high-risk patients, extended phenotype matching of transfusion and recipient efficiently decreases RBCA induction and associated clinical risks.
Trimanual Anterior Vitrectomy: A Novel Technique to Manage Vitreous Loss during Phacoemulsification
Authors: Taggart Michael G. , Morshedi R. Grant , Ambati Balamurali K.
Published: November 2014

We report 2 cases illustrating the use of a new technique to manage vitreous loss during phacoemulsification, which we have termed ‘trimanual' anterior vitrectomy. In each case, after recognizing posterior capsule tear, the remaining nuclear pieces were removed with low-parameter phacoemulsification. The remaining cortical material was then removed using bimanual irrigation and aspiration handpieces while the assistant surgeon inserted the vitrectomy probe through a separate 1-mm limbal incision. The vitrectomy probe was held below the plane of the posterior capsule tear, used to cut the vitreous and to provide a mechanical blockade to potentially descending lens material. While this technique involves the potentially awkward simultaneous use of 3 intraocular instruments, we believe that there are several advantages over standard bimanual anterior vitrectomy.
Exercise Training in Patients With Heart Failure and Preserved Ejection Fraction
Authors: Pandey Ambarish , Parashar Akhil , Kumbhani Dharam J. , Agarwal Sunil , Garg Jalaj , Kitzman Dalane , Levine Benjamin D. , Drazner Mark , Berry Jarett D.
Published: November 2014

Background—

Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFPEF) is common and characterized by exercise intolerance and lack of proven effective therapies. Exercise training has been shown to be effective in improving cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) in patients with systolic heart failure. In this meta-analysis, we aim to evaluate the effects of exercise training on CRF, quality of life, and diastolic function in patients with HFPEF.

Methods and Results—

Randomized controlled clinical trials that evaluated the efficacy of exercise training in patients with HFPEF were included in this meta-analysis. Primary outcome of the study was change in CRF (measured as change in peak oxygen uptake). Effect of exercise training on quality of life (estimated using Minnesota living with heart failure score), and left ventricular systolic and diastolic function was also assessed. The study included 276 patients who were enrolled in 6 randomized controlled trials. In the pooled data analysis, patients with HFPEF undergoing exercise training had significantly improved CRF (mL/kg per min; weighted mean difference, 2.72; 95% confidence interval, 1.79–3.65) and quality of life (weighted mean difference, −3.97; 95% confidence interval, −7.21 to −0.72) when compared with the control group. However, no significant change was observed in the systolic function (EF−weighted mean difference, 1.26; 95% confidence interval, −0.13% to 2.66%) or diastolic function (E/A−weighted mean difference, 0.08; 95% confidence interval, −0.01 to 0.16) with exercise training in patients with HFPEF.

Conclusions—

Exercise training in patients with HFPEF is associated with an improvement in CRF and quality of life without significant changes in left ventricular systolic or diastolic function.
Outcomes and Resource Utilization in ST‐Elevation Myocardial Infarction in the United States: Evidence for Socioeconomic Disparities
Authors: Agarwal Shikhar , Garg Aatish , Parashar Akhil , Jaber Wael A. , Menon Venu
Published: November 2014

Background

Socioeconomic status (
SES
) as reflected by residential zip code status may detrimentally influence a number of prehospital clinical, access‐related, and transport variables that influence outcome for patients with
ST
‐elevation myocardial infarction (
STEMI
) undergoing reperfusion. We sought to analyze the impact of
SES
on in‐hospital mortality, timely reperfusion, and cost of hospitalization following
STEMI
.

Methods and Results

We used the 2003–2011 Nationwide Inpatient Sample database for this analysis. All hospital admissions with a principal diagnosis of
STEMI
were identified using
ICD
‐9 codes.
SES
was assessed using median household income of the residential zip code for each patient. There was a significantly higher mortality among the lowest
SES
quartile as compared to the highest quartile (
OR
[95%
CI
]: 1.11 [1.06 to 1.17]). Similarly, there was a highly significant trend indicating a progressively reduced timely reperfusion among patients from lower quartiles (
OR
[95%
CI
]: 0.80 [0.74 to 0.88]). In addition, there was a lower utilization of circulatory support devices among patients from lower as compared to higher zip code quartiles (
OR
[95%
CI
]: 0.85 [0.75 to 0.97]). Furthermore, the mean adjusted cost of hospitalization among quartiles 2, 3, and 4, as compared to quartile 1 was significantly higher by $913, $2140, and $4070, respectively.

Conclusions

Patients residing in zip codes with lower
SES
had increased in‐hospital mortality and decreased timely reperfusion following
STEMI
as compared to patients residing in higher
SES
zip codes. The cost of hospitalization of patients from higher
SES
quartiles was significantly higher than those from lower quartiles.
Physiological changes and acetylcholinesterase activity in the cladoceran Moina macrocopa (Straus, 1820) exposed to mercury and sodium dodecyl sulfate
Authors: Wang Qian , Liu Na , Wang Jin-Xiang , Wu Yu-Long , Wang Lan
Published: November 2014

Mercury is one of the most deleterious heavy metals in aquatic systems. Sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) is a common surfactant, which may reach relatively high concentrations in aquatic systems. In the present study, water fleas (Moina macrocopa (Straus, 1820)) were exposed to different mercury and SDS concentrations for 24 and 48 h to examine the toxic effect of the two reagents on heart rate, body size and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity. The 24 h and 48 h LC50 values were 4.93 and 3.51 μg/l for mercury, and 12.74 and 4.55 mg/l for SDS, respectively. Increased heart rate was observed in water fleas treated with 1.5 and 2.0 μg/l mercury for 24 h and 48 h, suggesting that the animals were stressed. The size of water fleas decreased with increasing mercury concentration. An increase in SDS concentration and exposure time had a negative impact on the heart rate and size of the water fleas. A pronounced inhibition of AChE activity was observed in water fleas exposed to mercury and SDS concurrently. However, the AChE inhibition level was different between mercury and SDS, which may be inferred by different pollutants. Although mercury and SDS have different modes of action, the relation between decrease of physiological parameters and AChE inhibition were relatively close for these two compounds. We conclude that measurements of AChE activity can be used as a biomarker for different aquatic pollutants.
Revisiting the Dialectic of Pain and Truth: War and Peace and The Death of Ivan Ilyich
Authors: Rosenshield Gary
Published: November 2014

In his excellent article on the function of pain in The Death of Ivan Ilyich, David Danaher argues that the increasing pain from which Ivan Ilyich suffers throughout the story both kills and resurrects him. Focusing primarily on linguistic devices, Danaher finds support for his thesis in Tolstoy’s use of figurative motifs such as journey and enclosure, oppositions such as light and dark, and thematic words and their derivatives, all of which he examines integrated into a narrative about pain. The focus of my study is different. First of all I deal more directly with physical pain. Some of the important changes that Danaher sees taking place in Ivan Ilyich are not the result of pain per se, but of illness in general. But just as important I also take a more genetic approach. I am interested in not only why Tolstoy chose physical pain as a vehicle to explore Ivan Ilyich’s journey, but why he chose a man like Ivan Ilyich to conduct his experiment. In War and Peace, in which Tolstoy shows no less interest in the relationship between physical pain and enlightenment, he chose a hero antithetical to Ivan Ilyich in almost every respect. For with regard to the portrayal of pain, The Death of Ivan Ilyich is more than a self-contained novel about pain, it is the continuation of an exploratory journey that started in War and Peace, in which the idiosyncratic and romantically imagined experiences of Andrei Bolkonsky in pain are replaced by the more universal and naturalistically portrayed experiences of Ivan Ilyich – and as we shall see – with dramatically different implications for interpretation.
The Views of Korean International Law Scholars Regarding the 2012 Supreme Court Decisions on Compensation for Forced Labor
Authors: Lee Seokwoo
Published: November 2014

Among the victims of the Japanese occupation of Korea were those who were forced to work for Japanese corporations against their will by the Japanese government. After unsuccessfully seeking recourse in Japanese courts, some forced labor victims filed suit in Korean courts, seeking compensation from the Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Corporation and the New Nippon Steel Corporation. In two groundbreaking decisions, the Supreme Court of Korea ruled in favor of the plaintiffs on May 24, 2012. This note offers non-Korean readers a survey of the views of Korean international law scholars on the issues and implications of the Court’s rulings.
Banksy’s Graffiti Art Reveals Insights about Perceptual Surface Completion
Authors: Rubin Nava
Published: November 2014

Kanizsa’s square may be the best known example of perceptual surface completion: a whole shape is perceived where only fragments of its bounding contour are present. But surface completion also plays a major role in perceiving whole objects from binarized pictures (‘two-tone’ images) such as Mooney faces. The binarization often causes lighter facets of the objects to merge with the background (or darker facets, for dark backgrounds), yet perceptually those regions appear figural, distinctly segregated from the background. For Kanizsa surfaces, it has been long known that perceptual completion is greatly reduced when the inducers are placed on a patterned background (e.g., a checkerboard). Here we show that patterned backgrounds produce detrimental effects on perceptual completion also in the case of two-tone images. Although this effect has not been previously described in the perception literature, analysis of a large corpus of work by the graffiti artist Banksy suggests that the type and condition of the background wall significantly affected his artistic choices. To minimize on-site production time, Banksy renders his famous subjects (e.g., the rat) by applying single-color paint over pre-fabricated stencils. When the wall is smooth, Banksy leaves the regions previously covered by the stencil unpainted, relying on observers’ perception to segregate figural regions from the (identically colored) background. But when the wall is patterned with large-scale luminance edges — e.g., due to bricks — Banksy takes the extra time to fill in unpainted figural regions with another color. This reveals the artist’s insight into perceptual processing, although it remains unknown whether the knowledge of the crucial effect of background patterns on perceptual completion is explicit or implicit.
E-motions
Authors: Actis-Grosso Rossana , Zavagno Daniele
Published: November 2014

An experiment is presented, aimed at preliminary testing the hypothesis according to which facial expressions related to specific emotions, such as anger, fear, and joy, incorporate a sense of dynamicity and are used to enhance the representation of motion in static artworks. Since a growing body of evidence shows that motion is one of the core components of emotion, and the representation of motion in art is often achieved by portraying unstable poses, we hypothesize that the visually more dynamic emotions are those with ‘unstable’ facial expressions, i.e., expressions that imply muscular tensions that cannot be held for long (e.g., rage, grief, amazement: E-motions) whereas static emotions are those which can last and even represent a constant facial feature in some people. To test this hypothesis we chose eleven static artworks from which we derived twelve human figures that convey different emotions in different proportions. Images were manipulated to produce two sets of stimuli: headless bodies (Set 1) and bodiless heads (Set 2). Participants were asked to rate perceived dynamicity of stimuli from Set 1 on a 7-point Likert scale (Session 1) and to rate each stimulus from Set 2 for joy, sadness, surprise, disgust, anger, fear, serenity, puzzlement and dynamicity (i.e., eight emotions and dynamicity). As expected, we found that some facial emotions (i.e., disgust, anger and fear) are positively related to the dynamicity attributed to the artworks: those emotions are the more sudden ones and thus the more ‘unstable’. We also found that serenity is negatively related to dynamicity. Contrary to our expectations, we found instead that joy is statistically different from dynamicity, a result that calls for further investigation.
The Hue of Angles — Was Kandinsky Right?
Authors: Albertazzi Liliana , Malfatti Michela , Canal Luisa , Micciolo Rocco
Published: November 2014

This article presents an experimental study on the natural association between angles and colour. Specifically, for each angle width — formed by two segments joined at their vertex — studied, participants were asked to indicate the colour that they perceived as most closely related to it, choosing from the NCS Hue Circle. The results show that participants systematically established a natural and consistent association between certain angles and colours, when explicitly asked to choose the colour that they perceived as most naturally related to a given angle presented as two lines. The overall results suggest an association between acute angles and warm colours and obtuse angles and cool colours, confirming Kandinsky’s hypothesis. In particular, the strongest relations were found between the angle of 22.5° and yellows, the angles of 45°, 90° and 135° and green-yellows, and the angle of 157.5° and red-blues, when angles were presented on a white background.
Two new species of the South Asian catfish genus Pseudolaguvia from northeastern India (Teleostei: Sisoridae)
Authors: TAMANG LAKPA , SINHA BIKRAMJIT
Published: November 2014

Two new species of sisorid catfish, Pseudolaguvia magna and P. jiyaensis, are described from the upper Brahmaputra River basin in Arunachal Pradesh, northeastern India. Pseudolaguvia magna differs from its congeners by its much larger size (47.0 mm standard length vs. a maximum of 35.6 mm), by having a broader rhomboid thoracic adhesive apparatus, two pale-brown or cream patches on the mid-dorsal region across the dorsal midline: one rectangular to elliptic patch on the mid-interdorsal region, and another indistinct elliptic to irregular patch between the adipose and caudal-fins; and a small, round, pale-brown to cream spot on the lateral side of the head; and except for P. inornata, P. austrina, P. virgulata, and P. assula, in lacking pale to cream cross-bands on the body. Another syntopic new species, Pseudolaguvia jiyaensis, is distinguished from its congeners by having the thoracic adhesive apparatus almost reaching the pelvic-fin origin, and by having fewer vertebrae (25–27 vs. 28–34; except in P. tenebricosa and P. tuberculata). Details of the combination of characters differentiating each of the new species from its congeners are provided in the respective diagnoses.
A new species of Sinocorophium from the Yangtze estuary (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Corophiidae: Corophiinae: Corophiini), China
Authors: REN XIANQIU , LIU WENLIANG
Published: November 2014

Amphipods collected from the Yangtze estuary, Shanghai, China are described as a new species, Sinocorophium dongtanense. It is closely allied to Sinocorophium homoceratum Yu, 1938 but differs markedly in the inner lateral side of peduncular article 4 of male antenna 2 having two rows of teeth.
Influence of the North Atlantic SST Variability on the Atmospheric Circulation during the Twentieth Century
Authors: Gastineau Guillaume , Frankignoul Claude
Published: November 2014

The ocean–atmosphere coupling in the North Atlantic is investigated during the twentieth century using maximum covariance analysis of sea surface temperature (SST) and 500-hPa geopotential height analyses and performing regressions on dynamical diagnostics such as Eady growth rate, wave activity flux, and velocity potential. The North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) generates the so-called SST anomaly tripole. A rather similar SST anomaly tripole, with the subpolar anomaly displaced to the east and a more contracted subtropical anomaly, which is referred to as the North Atlantic horseshoe pattern, in turn influences the atmosphere. In the fall and early winter, the response is NAO like and primarily results from subpolar forcing centered over the Labrador Sea and off Newfoundland. In summer, the largest atmospheric response to SST resembles the east Atlantic pattern and results from a combination of subpolar and tropical forcing. To emphasize the interannual to multidecadal variability, the same analysis is repeated after low-pass filtering. The SST influence is dominated by the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO), which also has a horseshoe shape, but with larger amplitude in the subpolar basin. A warm AMO phase leads to an atmospheric warming limited to the lower troposphere in summer, while it leads to a negative phase of the NAO in winter. The winter influence of the AMO is suggested to be primarily forced by the Atlantic SSTs in the northern subtropics. Such influence of the AMO is found in winter instead of early winter because the winter SST anomalies have a larger persistence, presumably because of SST reemergence.
Globalization and Its Discontents
Authors: Niżyńska Joanna
Published: November 2014

The article focuses on the challenges facing “East European Studies” in the globalizing Western academia. Niżyńska discusses major globalizing tendencies in the academic discourse, particularly in Comparative Literature, and the opportunities they present for the scholarship on cultures previously academically underprivileged. She suggests that scholarship on East European literatures and cultures has made insufficient use of such opportunities to generate research that combines the specialized knowledge of the regions with methodological reflection able to cross-pollinate other fields. The reasons for this status quo may lie in the very labels “East European Studies” and “Eastern Europe” under which the field has been circulating in Western academia. Because they cluster and homogenize different European cultures, these labels present an anachronistic view of the regions(s) associated mainly with Communism and the Cold War and perpetuate intellectual preconceptions in Western academia, hindering the development of new interpretative vocabularies. Although anachronistic, these labels were productive in a Foucauldian sense, at once generating and limiting the field’s institutional identity. As the geopolitical transformations of the post-1989 era reconfigured European maps, they compelled a need for East European studies’ self-adjustment and a change in the field’s public image. Instead of seeking new labels, Niżyńska proposes keeping the existing labels as heuristic devices serving the field’s institutional objectives while acknowledging the need for ongoing resignification of their anachronistic character. Niżyńska suggests “queering East European Studies”—performing a maneuver similar to that of Queer Studies, where the label of exclusion has been reclaimed as one of self-assertion and empowerment.
Moving Images
Authors: Lovejoy Alice
Published: November 2014

This essay examines recent work in film and media history that explores postwar East European media institutions, industries, and cultures, and the numerous modes of moving-image production beyond the fiction feature. Directly or indirectly influenced by histoire croisée and similar approaches to transnational history, as well as by film and media studies’ recent engagement with previously overlooked audiovisual practices and forms, this work links the history of postwar East European cinema not only to earlier media histories but also to contemporaneous media cultures stretching far beyond the region’s borders. The essay offers Czechoslovakia’s Army Film studio—its institutional identity, and the festival life of one of its films—as a case study that highlights these temporal and geographic through-lines.
Understanding 1989
Authors: Tismaneanu Vladimir
Published: November 2014

Two and a half decades have passed since the formidable tumult called by many the upheaval in the East —the chain of dramatic events that led to the accomplishment of what most among us thought to be unthinkable: the collapse of communist regimes, the end of a system that seemed destined to last forever. The revolutions of 1989 resulted in the rehabilitation of individual dignity after decades of dictatorial domination. The post-1989 East-Central Europe has been a battlefield between proponents of civic-liberal values and supporters of populist, ethnocentric, illiberal movements. Pre-communist and Communist legacies continue to influence the democratic transitions.
East Is Always Further East
Authors: Paloff Benjamin
Published: November 2014

This article comments on the problematic uses of East–West rhetoric in Anglo-American academia, literary culture, and popular media more generally. Of special interest to the author is how the cultural cachet of an Eastern European origin offered émigré writers a readymade audience in the last decades of the Cold War, and how these same writers then used this attention to redefine Eastern Europe, and in such a way that would exclude them from it. Rather than rehearse well-established critiques of the East–West binary, the article suggests several ways in which both scholarly and popular discourses continue to rely on it, though often in ways that call even our disciplinary boundaries into question.
Struggle for Democracy in Myanmar : Response of Neighbours, United States and ASEAN
Authors: Pradhan Sanjay Kumar
Published: November 2014

The military rulers in Myanmar have ruled the country with an iron grip and with impunity, and are successful by brutally crushing the movements for democracy. The hard-pressed people of a desperately underdeveloped and isolated land with an overdeveloped military can win their liberation with the support of giant neighbours like India and China, the world super power United States and their own forum, ASEAN. But the successive generals in the country have succeeded because of the ‘accommodation’ and ‘engagement’ approach of these two regional powers and ASEAN and the tangential role of the US in the region. Economic, geo-strategic and political factors have complicated the situation, against which there is hardly any united, concrete or effective approach for the liberation of the people of the country.
Individual and Structural Opportunities
Authors: Stein Rachel E.
Published: November 2014

Opportunity theories are suited to cross-national research on victimization that incorporates a multilevel approach. Comparative research on non-lethal victimization often combines several types of violence into a single category of expressive crime. While expressive crimes do indeed share some characteristics, opportunities leading to specific types of victimization may vary. The current research uses the International Crime Victimization Survey (ICVS) to examine two types of expressive victimization: sexual and physical assault. These data are limited to female victims, as sexual assault in the ICVS is assessed only for females. These data provide a rich source of comparative information on opportunities leading to victimization. Opportunities have been traditionally examined at the individual level through routine activities and lifestyles theories. Opportunity at the structural level of analysis is less commonly employed; however, routine activities theory offers a framework for measuring structural opportunity. The results indicate a multilevel approach of opportunities on victimization is appropriate. Differences in opportunity leading to sexual and physical assault are most evident in the opportunities provided by the development level of the country. The impact of country development on physical assault victimization is moderated by the involvement in leisure activities outside of the home.
What Lies Within
Authors: Anicich Eric M.
Published: November 2014

Interpreting scholarly contributions solely on the basis of the number, and not nature, of citations is inherently flawed because contradictory as well as confirmatory findings feed into the same metric, capturing popularity at the expense of precision. I propose a citation and indexing procedure that would conveniently integrate information about research trends while imposing minimal burden on the producers and consumers of research. Under the proposed system, citations appearing in the reference list of research reports would be superscripted with letters corresponding to one of the following six categories: references to findings that are Consistent with the current findings, are Replicated by the current findings, are Inconsistent with the current findings, Failed to be replicated by the current findings, were used to build Theory, or were used to cite Methodologies. I explain how the resulting CRIF-TM data could be summarized and perpetually updated by an online indexing service. I provide an example to demonstrate how these superscripts could be conveniently and unobtrusively presented in the reference list of forthcoming articles. Finally, I examine the anticipated benefits, limitations, and implementation challenges of the proposed citation and indexing procedure.
How Much (More) Should CEOs Make? A Universal Desire for More Equal Pay
Authors: Kiatpongsan Sorapop , Norton Michael I.
Published: November 2014

Do people from different countries and different backgrounds have similar preferences for how much more the rich should earn than the poor? Using survey data from 40 countries ( N = 55,238), we compare respondents’ estimates of the wages of people in different occupations—chief executive officers, cabinet ministers, and unskilled workers—to their ideals for what those wages should be. We show that ideal pay gaps between skilled and unskilled workers are significantly smaller than estimated pay gaps and that there is consensus across countries, socioeconomic status, and political beliefs. Moreover, data from 16 countries reveals that people dramatically underestimate actual pay inequality. In the United States—where underestimation was particularly pronounced—the actual pay ratio of CEOs to unskilled workers (354:1) far exceeded the estimated ratio (30:1), which in turn far exceeded the ideal ratio (7:1). In sum, respondents underestimate actual pay gaps, and their ideal pay gaps are even further from reality than those underestimates.