bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Teaching Students With Developmental Disabilities Daily Living Skills Using Point-of-View Modeling Plus Video Prompting With Error Correction
Authors: Gardner Stephanie J. , Wolfe Pamela S.
Published: August 2014

A primary goal of instruction for students with developmental disabilities is to enhance their future quality of life by promoting skill acquisition, which will enable them to live, function, and participate in the community. One instructional method that can help students with developmental disabilities improve independence in performing daily living skills is video prompting (VP). This study investigated the effectiveness of a VP plus error correction procedure on skill acquisition when teaching daily living skills to four adolescents with mild and moderate developmental disabilities. A multiple baseline across participants design demonstrated that all four participants rapidly acquired dish washing skills upon introduction of the intervention. Future research should further explore the efficacy of error correction procedures used with VP and the impact that these procedures have on student learning and skill retention.
Cooperatives—saviours or gravediggers of capitalism? Critical performativity and the John Lewis Partnership
Authors: Paranque Bernard , Willmott Hugh
Published: August 2014

The structures of ownership and governance at John Lewis, a major UK employee-owned retailer, have been commended by those who wish to recuperate capitalism and by those who seek to transform it. From a perspective of ‘critical performativity’, John Lewis is of special interest since it is celebrated as a successful organization and heralded as an alternative to more typical forms of capitalist enterprise. By examining the cooperative elements of the John Lewis structures of ownership and governance, we illuminate a number of issues faced in realizing the principles ascribed to employee-owned cooperatives—notably, with regard to ‘democratic member control’, ‘member economic participation’ and ‘autonomy and independence’.
Managing and resisting ‘degeneration’ in employee-owned businesses: A comparative study of two large retailers in Spain and the United Kingdom
Authors: Storey John , Basterretxea Imanol , Salaman Graeme
Published: August 2014

Employee-owned businesses have recently enjoyed a resurgence of interest as possible ‘alternatives’ to the somewhat tarnished image of conventional investor-owned capitalist firms. Within the context of global economic crisis, such alternatives seem newly attractive. This is somewhat ironic because, for more than a century, academic literature on employee-owned businesses has been dominated by the ‘degeneration thesis’. This suggested that these businesses tend towards failure—they either fail commercially, or they relinquish their democratic characters. Bucking this trend and offering a beacon—especially in the United Kingdom —has been the commercially successful, co-owned enterprise of the John Lewis Partnership whose virtues have seemingly been rewarded with favourable and sustainable outcomes. This article makes comparisons between John Lewis Partnership and its Spanish equivalent Eroski—the supermarket group which is part of the Mondragon cooperatives. The contribution of this article is to examine in a comparative way how the managers in John Lewis Partnership and Eroski have constructed and accomplished their alternative scenarios. Using longitudinal data and detailed interviews with senior managers in both enterprises, it explores the ways in which two large, employee-owned, enterprises reconcile apparently conflicting principles and objectives. The article thus puts some new flesh on the ‘regeneration thesis’.
Effects of lifetime stress exposure on mental and physical health in young adulthood: How stress degrades and forgiveness protects health
Authors: Toussaint Loren , Shields Grant S , Dorn Gabriel , Slavich George M
Published: August 2014

To examine risk and resilience factors that affect health, lifetime stress exposure histories, dispositional forgiveness levels, and mental and physical health were assessed in 148 young adults. Greater lifetime stress severity and lower levels of forgiveness each uniquely predicted worse mental and physical health. Analyses also revealed a graded Stress × Forgiveness interaction effect, wherein associations between stress and mental health were weaker for persons exhibiting more forgiveness. These data are the first to elucidate the interactive effects of cumulative stress severity and forgiveness on health, and suggest that developing a more forgiving coping style may help minimize stress-related disorders.
Psychological resilience moderates the impact of social support on loneliness of “left-behind” children
Authors: Ai Hongshan , Hu Junmin
Published: August 2014

This study examined the moderator effect of psychological resilience on the relationship between social support and loneliness of the “left-behind” children. A total of 200 left-behind girls and 214 left-behind boys completed the measures of psychological resilience, social support, and loneliness. Hierarchical regression analysis showed that psychological resilience moderated the association between social support and loneliness. When left-behind children reported a low level of psychological resilience, those with high social support reported lower scores in loneliness than those with low social support. However, the impact of social support on loneliness was much smaller in the high psychological resilience group, compared with that in low psychological resilience group.
Universal cures for idiosyncratic illnesses: A genealogy of therapeutic reasoning in the mental health field
Authors: Collin Johanne
Published: August 2014

Over the past decades, there has been a significant increase in prescriptions of psychotropic drugs for mental disorders. So far, most of the explanations of the phenomenon have focused on the process of medicalization, but little attention has been cast towards physicians’ day-to-day clinical reasoning, and the way it affects therapeutic decision-making. This article addresses the complex relationship between aetiology, diagnosis and drug treatment by examining the style of reasoning underlying prescribing practices through an historical lens. A genealogy of contemporary prescribing practices is proposed, that draws significant comparisons between 19th-century medicine and modern psychiatry. Tensions between specific, standardized cures and specific, idiosyncratic patients have been historically at play in clinical reasoning – and still are today. This inquiry into the epistemological foundations of contemporary drug prescription reveals an underlying search for scientific legitimacy.
Education as networking: Rethinking the success of the harm reduction policy of Taiwan
Authors: Chen Jia-shin
Published: August 2014

The harm reduction policy of Taiwan has been considered a success. However, the HIV incidence among injection drug users declined before the nationwide needle and syringe program and drug substitution treatments were implemented. Thus, other factors in the policy might have contributed to its success. Some authors have suggested that education may have played a pivotal part. In this research, the purported significance of education in the success of the policy is conceptualized by reviewing the studies on harm reduction in Taiwan and reflecting upon my own fieldwork. Moreover, relevant literature is used as reference to reformulate this notion of education. This article shows that harm reduction education may be conducted in numerous forms, most of which are non-formal, improvisational, and contingent. Non-governmental organizations may play a role, but more actors, strategies, infrastructures, and interactions should be considered. This article draws from actor-network theory and refines the current thesis that attributes the policy success to education by utilizing three reflections, namely, appreciating materiality and spatiality, recognizing covert actors in the networking, and treating education as an outcome rather than a means. In conclusion, looking at education as a form of networking offers theoretical insight that increases understanding of its participants, mechanisms, processes, and permutations.
Falling through the cracks? Migrant workers and the Global Social Protection Floor
Authors: Hennebry Jenna
Published: August 2014

Growing numbers of migrant workers worldwide face human rights violations, exploitation and mistreatment, and lack broader social protections granted to permanent residents in countries where they work. Protecting migrant labour was an objective at the founding of the International Labour Organization (ILO), documented within the Declaration of Philadelphia in 1944. Yet, more than 60 years on, despite numerous United Nations (UN) conventions, declarations and frameworks aimed at protecting their rights, migrant workers remain marginalized. In the context of globalizing labour markets and economic crises, migrant workers are a particularly vulnerable group. This article will discuss the extent to which the Global Social Protection Floor Initiative (SPF) has addressed this group, and will assess how well existing international, bilateral and national frameworks for social protection extend to migrant workers.
Response 2: Criminal law as a security project
Authors: Farmer Lindsay
Published: August 2014

This article asks how criminal law might be understood as a security project. Following Valverde’s lead, it does this not by trying to define the concept of security, but by looking at the operation of the temporal and spatial logics of the criminal law. It looks first at the basic logics of time and space in conceptions of criminal liability and jurisdiction, before reviewing some recent developments which challenge these practices and what these might mean for understanding criminal law as a security project.
Employment Social Skills
Authors: Agran Martin , Hughes Carolyn , Thoma Colleen A. , Scott LaRon A.
Published: August 2014

Although social skills have long been recognized as essential in promoting employees’ employability (e.g., maintaining employment), there has been little research about work-related social skills for the last two decades. A systematic replication of Salzberg, Agran, and Lignugaris/Kraft’s investigation of critical social skills was conducted. Specifically, a national sample of secondary teachers was asked to rate the importance of social skills in employment settings and the extent to which instruction was provided to teach these skills. Among the skills rated as most important were seeking clarification for unclear instructions, arriving at work on time, refraining from inappropriate touching of others, carrying out instructions needing immediate attention, notifying a supervisor when assistance is needed, responding appropriately to critical feedback, and interacting well with customers/clients. Interestingly, the skills perceived to be the most important were not the skills that were most frequently taught. The implications of these findings are discussed.
Clonal analysis identifies hemogenic endothelium as the source of the blood-endothelial common lineage in the mouse embryo
Authors: Padrón-Barthe Laura , Temiño Susana , Villa del Campo Cristina , Carramolino Laura , Isern Joan , Torres Miguel
Published: August 2014

Key Points

Single cell lineage tracing shows early separation of blood-endothelial precursors in the mouse embryo. Hemogenic endothelium in the YS generates the blood-endothelial common lineage and produces definitive precursors.
Somatic mutations identify a subgroup of aplastic anemia patients who progress to myelodysplastic syndrome
Authors: Kulasekararaj Austin G. , Jiang Jie , Smith Alexander E. , Mohamedali Azim M. , Mian Syed , Gandhi Shreyans , Gaken Joop , Czepulkowski Barbara , Marsh Judith C. W. , Mufti Ghulam J.
Published: August 2014

Key Points

Acquired mutations of myeloid-related genes are present in a proportion of AA patients. Somatic mutations in AA predict higher risk of transformation to MDS.
Reed-Sternberg cell–derived lymphotoxin-α activates endothelial cells to enhance T-cell recruitment in classical Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Fhu Chee Wai , Graham Anne M. , Yap Celestial T. , Al-Salam Suhail , Castella Antonio , Chong Siew Meng , Lim Yaw-Chyn
Published: August 2014

Key Points

HRS cell-derived LTα activates the endothelium to enhance T-cell recruitment. COX/NF-κB/AP1 pathways act in concert to regulate LTα production.
Periodic solutions of delay differential equations with feedback control for enterprise clusters based on ecology theory
Authors: Soltan Mohamadi Ahmad , Pourabbas Abdolrasoul , Vaezpour Seyed Mansour
Published: August 2014

By utilizing a fixed point theorem of strict-set-contraction, some criteria are established for the existence of positive periodic solutions of enterprise clusters based on ecology theory with time-varying delays and feedback controls.
Analytic and numerical solutions of nonlinear diffusion equations via symmetry reductions
Authors: Verma Anjali , Jiwari Ram , Koksal Mehmet Emir
Published: August 2014

In this article, the authors study analytic and numerical solutions of nonlinear diffusion equations of Fisher’s type with the help of classical Lie symmetry method. Lie symmetries are used to reduce the equations into ordinary differential equations (ODEs). Lie group classification with respect to time dependent coefficient and optimal system of one-dimensional sub-algebras is obtained. Then sub-algebras are used to construct symmetry reduction and analytic solutions. Finally, numerical solutions of nonlinear diffusion equations are obtained by using one of the differential quadrature methods.
Recent extensions of U.S. unemployment benefits: search responses in alternative labor market states
Authors: Valletta Robert G
Published: August 2014

In response to the 2007–09 “Great Recession,” the maximum duration of U.S. unemployment benefits was increased from the normal level of 26 weeks to an unprecedented 99 weeks. I estimate the impact of these extensions on job search, comparing them with the more limited extensions associated with the milder 2001 recession. The analyses rely on monthly matched microdata from the Current Population Survey. I find that a 10-week extension of UI benefits raises unemployment duration by about 1.5 weeks, with little variation across the two episodes. This estimate lies in the middle-to-upper end of the range of past estimates.

JEL codes

J64; J65
Monocyte-derived dendritic cells from HLA-B27+ axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients display altered functional capacity and deregulated gene expression
Authors: Talpin Alice , Costantino Félicie , Bonilla Nelly , Leboime Ariane , Letourneur Franck , Jacques Sébastien , Dumont Florent , Amraoui Sonia , Dutertre Charles-Antoine , Garchon Henri-Jean , Breban Maxime , Chiocchia Gilles
Published: August 2014

Introduction

This study aimed to compare the functional capacity and gene expression profile of monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MD-DCs) in HLA-B27+ axial spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients and healthy controls.

Methods

MD-DCs were differentiated with interleukin 4 (IL-4) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) for seven days, starting from purified CD14+ monocytes and stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for six and twenty four hours. Their capacity to stimulate allogeneic CD4+ T cells from unrelated healthy donor was tested. Transcriptomic study was performed with Affymetrix HuGene 1.0 ST microarrays. Gene expression levels were compared between patients and controls using a multivariate design under a linear model (LIMMA). Real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) was performed for validation of the most striking gene expression differences.

Results

The stimulatory capacity of allogeneic CD4+ T cells by MD-DCs from SpA patients was decreased. Transcriptomic analysis revealed 81 genes differentially expressed in MD-DCs between SpA patients and controls (P <0.01 and fold-change <0.66 or >1.5). Four selected genes were validated by qRT-PCR: ADAMTS15, CITED2, F13A1 and SELL. Expression levels of ADAMTS15 and CITED2, encoding a metallopeptidase and a transcription factor, respectively, were inversely correlated with each other (R = 0.75, P = 0.0003). Furthermore, in silico analysis identified several genes of the Wnt signaling pathway having expression co-regulated with CITED2.

Conclusion

This study revealed altered function and gene expression pattern in MD-DCs from HLA-B27+ axial SpA. Co-expression study showed an inverse correlation between ADAMTS15 and CITED2. Moreover, the Wnt signaling pathway appeared as deregulated in SpA MD-DCs, a finding which may be connected to Th17-driven inflammatory responses.
Enhanced chromium (VI) removal using activated carbon modified by zero valent iron and silver bimetallic nanoparticles
Authors: Kakavandi Babak , Kalantary Roshanak Rezaei , Farzadkia Mahdi , Mahvi Amir Hossein , Esrafili Ali , Azari Ali , Yari Ahmad Reza , Javid Allah Bakhsh
Published: August 2014

Recently, adsorption process has been introduced as a favorable and effective technique for the removal of metal ions from aqueous solutions. In the present study, bimetallic nanoparticles consisting of zero valent iron and silver were loaded on the activated carbon powder for the preparation of a new adsorbent (PAC-Feo/Ag). The above adsorbent was characterized by using XRD, SEM and TEM techniqes. Experimental data were exploited for kinetic, equilibrium and thermodynamic evaluations related to the adsorption processes. The Cr(VI) adsorption process was found to be favorable at pH 3 and it reached equilibrium state within 60 min. The stirring rate did not have a significant effect on the adsorption efficiency. Furthermore, the monolayer adsorption capacity of Cr(VI) based on the Langmuir model was measured to be 100 mg/g. The experimental equilibrium data were fitted to the Freundlich adsorption and pseudo second-order models. According to the thermodynamic study, the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic in nature, indicating the adsorption capacity increases with increasing the temperature. The results also revealed that the synthesized composite can be potentially applied as a magnetic adsorbent to remove Cr(VI) contaminants from aqueous solutions.
Seismic Risk Analysis of Steel-MRFs by Means of Fragility Curves in High Seismic Zones
Authors: Farsangi E. Noroozinejad , Rezvani F. Hashemi , Talebi M. , Hashemi S.A.H.
Published: August 2014

In this study a steel moment resisting frame in a high seismic prone area in Iran has been remodeled based on different versions of Iranian Seismic Code (Standard No. 2800 1988, 1999, 2005) to estimate the seismic fragility and mean annual loss for the modeled buildings. At the first stage a probabilistic seismic hazard analysis (PSHA) has been performed to extract hazard curve in CRISIS platform. (Akkar and Bommer 2007) earthquake prediction model for the Middle East has been used in the hazard analysis. In the next stage, hundreds of nonlinear incremental dynamic analyses by means of lumped-parameter based structural models have been simulated and performed to extract the fragility curves by using OpenSees. Consequently by combining the hazard curves, judgmental event trees and seismic fragility curves for the extensive damage mode (EDM), the required annual loss curves are extracted.
Gaussian Process Machine-Learning Method for Structural Reliability Analysis
Authors: Su Guoshao , Yu Bo , Xiao Yilong , Yan Liubin
Published: August 2014

To deal extensively with issues on implicit performance function and huge computational cost in reliability analysis, a new method for structural reliability analysis was proposed by combining the GP and importance sampling method (ISM). Firstly, a small amount of training dataset is generated by the structural analysis to train the GP. Then, the implicit performance and its derivatives are approximated by the trained GP using explicit formulations. Secondly, an iterative algorithm called as the GP-based first-order reliability method is implemented to obtain the design point. During iterations, the precision of the GP approximation in the important region, which contributes significantly to the failure probability, is improved continuously by adding the new iterative design point into the training set. Finally, an importance sampling around the design point is applied to obtain the failure probability. To assess the validity of the proposed method, five numerical examples were presented and discussed, which validated that accurate and computationally efficient results for structural reliability analysis can be obtained using the proposed method.
Free Vibration Analysis of the Tube-In-Tube Tall Buildings with the Differential Transform Method
Authors: Bozdogan K.B. , Ozturk D.
Published: August 2014

The Differential Transform method is an effective method used in recent years in the solving of differential equations. This study benefits from the use of the Differential Transform method in the preliminary free vibration analysis of tall buildings composed from tubular structures. In this study, in accordance with the literature, the tube-in-tube tall building was modeled as an orthotropic beam. The solution was completed in the governing equation written according to this model by applying the Differential Transform method to convert the differential equation into an algebraic equation. In the study, the Mathematic program was used in the execution of the Differential Transform Method. At the end of the study, two examples gathered from the literature were solved and assessed in order to investigate the validity of the suggested method.
Edge-Based Reconstruction Schemes for Prediction of near Field Flow Region in Complex Aeroacoustics Problems
Authors: Abalakin Ilya , Bakhvalov Pavel , Kozubskaya Tatiana
Published: August 2014

The present paper is devoted to the Edge-Based Reconstruction (EBR) schemes for solving Euler equations on unstructured tetrahedral meshes which can be used for prediction of complex turbulent flows. The schemes provide lower computational costs and higher accuracy in simulating the near field flow region considered as a distributed acoustic source in aeroacoustic problems. In this paper we give a refined formulation of EBR schemes, analyses of their properties and possible extensions. The 5th theoretically reachable order EBR scheme is verified on the simulation of monopole acoustic source in a subsonic uniform flow. The results of the simulation of turbulent flow around two rectangular cylinders obtained with the use of EBR scheme are shown. Both cases were solved within the FP7 VALIANT project.
Toward Hybrid CAA with Ground Effects
Authors: Jacob M. C. , Dragna D. , Cahuzac A. , Boudet J. , Blanc–Benon Ph.
Published: August 2014

CAA based on the Linearised Euler Equations (LEE) is applied to propagate aerodynamic sound over an extended distance including ground effects. The LEE are coupled to data from an LES via an acoustic analogy to follow-up the sound from the source to the extended far field: the complete chain is illustrated on the sound generated by a cylinder in a M ∼ 0.2 and Re ∼ 48000 flow. A very good agreement is found in free field between the approach based on the Ffowcs-Williams & Hawkings (FWH) analogy only and the combined FWH-LEE approach. The ability of the combined approach to handle complex boundary conditions is illustrated on the same data set with a rigid and a grassy ground.
A Comparative Study of Accuracy of Shock Capturing Schemes for Simulation of Shock/Acoustic Wave Interactions
Authors: Khotyanovsky Dmitry V. , Kudryavtsev Alexey N. , Ovsyannikov Andrey Yu.
Published: August 2014

We simulate transmission of a small-amplitude disturbance wave through a shock wave. Results of our numerical experiments performed with different high-order shock-capturing schemes show that the capability of a scheme to correctly predict the amplification of the disturbances crucially depends on the Riemann solver used in evaluation of numerical fluxes. Incorrectly high amplification rates are produced by the solvers resolving shock waves sharply, with no interior points in numerical profiles of steady shock waves. In particular, both the exact Riemann solver and the popular Roe flux difference splitting demonstrate such unphysical behavior. A possible explanation of such behavior is proposed. More dissipative solvers, such as the global Lax–Friedrichs splitting, produce transmission coefficients close to the predictions of linear theory.
High-Temperature Creep Buckling Phenomenon of Steel Columns Subjected to Fire
Authors: Morovat Mohammed , Engelhardt Michael , Helwig Todd , Taleff Eric
Published: August 2014

This paper presents highlights of on-going research, which aims at developing analytical, computational and experimental predictions of the phenomenon of creep buckling in steel columns subjected to fire. Analytical solutions using the concept of time-dependent tangent modulus are developed to model time-dependent buckling behavior of steel columns at elevated temperatures. Results from computational creep buckling studies using Abaqus are also presented, and compared with analytical predictions. Material creep data on ASTM A992M steel is also presented and compared to existing creep models for structural steel. Both analytical and computational methods utilize material creep models for structural steel developed by Harmathy, by Fields and Fields, and by the authors. Predictions from this study are also compared against those from Eurocode 3 and the AISC Specification. Results of this work show that neglecting creep effects can lead to erroneous and potentially unsafe predictions of the strength of steel columns subjected to fire.
Artificial Neural Networks for the Spalling Classification & Failure Prediction Times of High Strength Concrete Columns
Authors: McKinney John , Ali Faris
Published: August 2014

This paper presents the results from two supervised Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) developed for the spalling classification and failure prediction of high strength concrete columns (HSCC) subjected to fire. The experimental test data used for the ANN are based on the HSCC tests undertaken at the Fire Research Laboratories at the University of Ulster. 80% of the chosen experimental test data was used to train the network with the remaining 20% used for testing. In the spalling classification example the key ANN input parameters were; furnace temperature, restraint, loading level, force, spalling degree, failure time and spalling type. This was also the case for the failure prediction example except for spalling type. The networks were trained using the resilient propagation algorithm. A 6-10-3 and 5-10-1 ANN architecture gave the best results for the classification and failure prediction times respectively. The results demonstrate that HSCC can be assessed using ANN.
High-Performance Mixed Models Based Genome-Wide Association Analysis with omicABEL software
Authors: Fabregat-Traver Diego , Sharapov Sodbo Zh. , Hayward Caroline , Rudan Igor , Campbell Harry , Aulchenko Yurii , Bientinesi Paolo
Published: August 2014

To raise the power of genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and avoid false-positive results in structured populations, one can rely on mixed model based tests. When large samples are used, and when multiple traits are to be studied in the ’omics’ context, this approach becomes computationally challenging. Here we consider the problem of mixed-model based GWAS for arbitrary number of traits, and demonstrate that for the analysis of single-trait and multiple-trait scenarios different computational algorithms are optimal. We implement these optimal algorithms in a high-performance computing framework that uses state-of-the-art linear algebra kernels, incorporates optimizations, and avoids redundant computations,

increasing throughput while reducing memory usage and energy consumption. We show that, compared to existing libraries, our algorithms and software achieve considerable speed-ups. The OmicABEL software described in this manuscript is available under the GNU

GPL v. 3 license as part of the GenABEL project for statistical genomics at http: //www.genabel.org/packages/OmicABEL.
Momordica charantia ointment accelerates diabetic wound healing and enhances transforming growth factor-β expression
Authors: Hussan F. , Teoh S. Lin , Muhamad N. , Mazlan M. , Latiff A.A.
Published: August 2014

Objective:

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) plays an important role in wound healing. Delayed wound healing is a consequence of diabetes, leading to high morbidity and poor quality of life. Momordica charantia (MC) fruit possesses anti-diabetic and wound healing properties. This study aimed to explore the changes in TGF-β expression in diabetic wounds treated with topical MC fruit extract.

Methods:

Fifty-six male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into a normal control group and five diabetic groups of ten rats each. Intravenous streptozotocin (50mg/kg) was given to induce diabetes in the diabetic groups. Full thickness excision wounds were created on the thoracodorsal region of the animals, and these wounds were then treated with vehicle, MC powder, MC ointment and povidone ointment or ointment base for ten days. Wound healing was determined by the rate of wound closure, total protein content and TGF-β expression in the wounds, and histological observation.

Results:

Diabetic groups showed delayed wound closure rates compared to the control group. The wound closure rate in the MC ointment group was significantly faster than that of the untreated diabetic group (p<0.05). The MC ointment group also showed intense TGF-β expression and a high level of total protein content.

Conclusion:

MC ointment has a promising potential for use as an alternative topical medication for diabetic wounds. This work has shown that it accelerates wound healing in diabetic rats, and it is suggested here that this occurs by enhancing TGF-β expression. Further work is recommended to explore this effect.

Declaration of interest:

There is no conflict of interest.
A kinetic mechanism for in vivo protein folding
Authors: Cruzeiro Leonor
Published: August 2014

For many decades now, the solution to the protein folding problem has been sought within the thermodynamic hypothesis of Anfinsen. Instead, the work discussed here is concerned with protein folding in vivo and assumes that the solution lies within a generalization of the kinetic, nonequilibrium mechanism first proposed by Levinthal. Accordingly, two different initial conditions, namely, a fully extended and a helical chain, are tested and pathways to the native state are generated via targeted molecular dynamics. The energetic and structural analysis indicates that a helical initial condition is to be preferred over an extended one. These results are set against the broader context of in vitro protein refolding experiments and theories and are found to be in agreement with the recent experimental observations about the influence of the ribosome on the structure of, and on the folding from, nascent chains.
Design of Nanostructured Selective Surfaces for Solar to Thermal Energy Conversion
Authors: Gau Daniel L. , Marotti Ricardo E. , Davoine Federico , Amy Lucía I. , Dalchiele Enrique A. , Romero Rocío , Ramos-Barrado José R. , Leinen Dietmar , Martín Francisco , Botasini Santiago , Méndez Eduardo , Abal Gonzalo
Published: August 2014

The solar absorptance αs of nanostructured selective surface (NSS) for solar thermal energy is improved. The NSS are prepared by AC electrochemical impregnation of metal inclusions (MI) into porous anodized aluminum oxide (AAO). The dependence of the NSS performance with composition depth profile and MI is studied by numeric simulations based in a gradient index model and effective medium theory. The results are compared with experimental NSS prepared varying three control parameters and MI (Ni, Cu, Ag). The αs is improved to > 85% (keeping thermal emittance εT relatively low) for Ni MI, mainly by increasing MI content. Increasing AAO thickness or MI molecular weight (for a given experimental composition profile) also improves the performance. For Ag the αs was further improved to 90%.
Long-term risks of bisphosphonate therapy
Authors: Watts Nelson B.
Published: August 2014

The objective this study was to summarize long-term risks associated with bisphosphonate therapy. Search of relevant medical publications for data from clinical trials, trial extensions, observational studies and post-marketing reports. Trial extensions and modifications did not reveal significant long-term safety issues. Observational data suggest at least as many benefits as risks. Post-marketing reports of musculoskeletal pain, osteonecrosis of the jaw and atypical femur fractures have been widely circulated in the lay press. Most focus on long-terms risks has been on osteonecrosis of the jaw and atypical femur fractures which occur in patients who have not received bisphosphonate therapy but may be more frequent (though still uncommon) in patients who have been on treatment for 5 years or longer. Lower-risk patients may be able to stop treatment after 3-5 years for a “drug holiday,” which mitigates these long-term risks; for higher risk patients, therapy through 6-10 years appears to be advisable and offers more benefits than risks.
The multiple effects of thyroid disorders on bone and mineral metabolism
Authors: Cardoso Ludmilla F. , Maciel Léa M. Z. , de Paula Francisco J. A.
Published: August 2014

Differently from most hormones, which commonly are specialized molecules able to influence other cells, tissues and systems, thyroid hormones (TH) are pleiotropic peptides, whose primordial function is difficult to identify. The complex action of TH on human economy can be easily witnessed by examining the diverse consequences of TH excess and deficiency during development and after maturity. In particular, different manifestations in bone modeling and remodeling reflect the circumstantial consequences of thyroid disturbances, which are age dependent. While hyperthyroidism during childhood enhances bone mineralization and accelerates epiphyseal maturation, in adults it induces bone loss by predominant activation of osteoclast activity. Furthermore, the syndrome of TH resistance is a multifaceted condition in which different sites exhibit signs of hormone excess or deficiency depending on the configuration of the TH receptor isoform. The investigation of the impact of TH resistance on the skeleton still remains to be elucidated. We present here a thorough review of the action of TH on bone and of the impact of thyroid disorders, including hyper- and hypothyroidism and the syndrome of TH resistance, on the skeleton.
Osteocalcin, energy and glucose metabolism
Authors: Zanatta Leila C. B. , Boguszewski Cesar L. , Borba Victoria Z. C. , Kulak Carolina A. M.
Published: August 2014

Osteocalcin is a bone matrix protein that has been associated with several hormonal actions on energy and glucose metabolism. Animal and experimental models have shown that osteocalcin is released into the bloodstream and exerts biological effects on pancreatic beta cells and adipose tissue. Undercarboxylated osteocalcin is the hormonally active isoform and stimulates insulin secretion and enhances insulin sensitivity in adipose tissue and muscle. Insulin and leptin, in turn, act on bone tissue, modulating the osteocalcin secretion, in a traditional feedback mechanism that places the skeleton as a true endocrine organ. Further studies are required to elucidate the role of osteocalcin in the regulation of glucose and energy metabolism in humans and its potential therapeutic implications in diabetes, obesity and metabolic syndrome.
Bone disease in primary hyperparathyroidism
Authors: Bandeira Francisco , Cusano Natalie E. , Silva Barbara C. , Cassibba Sara , Almeida Clarissa Beatriz , Machado Vanessa Caroline Costa , Bilezikian John P.
Published: August 2014

Bone disease in severe primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is described classically as osteitis fibrosa cystica (OFC). Bone pain, skeletal deformities and pathological fractures are features of OFC. Bone mineral density is usually extremely low in OFC, but it is reversible after surgical cure. The signs and symptoms of severe bone disease include bone pain, pathologic fractures, proximal muscle weakness with hyperreflexia. Bone involvement is typically characterized as salt-and-pepper appearance in the skull, bone erosions and bone resorption of the phalanges, brown tumors and cysts. In the radiography, diffuse demineralization is observed, along with pathological fractures, particularly in the long bones of the extremities. In severe, symptomatic PHPT, marked elevation of the serum calcium and PTH concentrations are seen and renal involvement is manifested by nephrolithiasis and nephrocalcinosis. A new technology, recently approved for clinical use in the United States and Europe, is likely to become more widely available because it is an adaptation of the lumbar spine DXA image. Trabecular bone score (TBS) is a gray-level textural analysis that provides an indirect index of trabecular microarchitecture. Newer technologies, such as high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT), have provided further understanding of the microstructural skeletal features in PHPT.
Cesariana e resultados neonatais em hospitais privados no Brasil: estudo comparativo de dois diferentes modelos de atenção perinatal
Authors: Torres Jacqueline Alves , Domingues Rosa Maria Soares Madeira , Sandall Jane , Hartz Zulmira , Gama Silvana Granado Nogueira da , Filha Mariza Miranda Theme , Schilithz Arthur Orlando Correa , Leal Maria do Carmo
Published: August 2014

Objetiva-se comparar a prevalência de cesariana e desfechos neonatais de dois modelos de atenção ao parto em hospitais privados brasileiros, utilizando-se dados do estudo Nascer no Brasil, coorte de base hospitalar realizada nos anos 2011/2012. Foram analisadas 1.664 puérperas e seus conceptos, atendidos em 13 hospitais localizados na Região Sudeste, divididos em “típico” – modelo de atenção padrão, e “atípico” – Hospital Amigo da Criança com equipes de plantão e trabalho colaborativo entre enfermeiras obstétricas e médicos na atenção ao parto. A classificação de Robson foi adotada para a comparação das prevalências de cesariana, que foram menores no hospital atípico (47,8% vs. 90,8%, p < 0,001). Desfechos positivos relativos ao aleitamento materno foram mais frequentes no hospital atípico. Eventos neonatais adversos não apresentaram diferença significativa entre os hospitais. A intervenção adotada no hospital atípico deve ser avaliada em profundidade, uma vez que parece ter reduzido a prevalência de cesariana e aumentado as boas práticas de cuidado neonatal.
Estrutura das maternidades: aspectos relevantes para a qualidade da atenção ao parto e nascimento
Authors: Bittencourt Sonia Duarte de Azevedo , Reis Lenice Gnocchi da Costa , Ramos Márcia Melo , Rattner Daphne , Rodrigues Patrícia Lima , Neves Dilma Costa Oliveira , Arantes Sandra Lúcia , Leal Maria do Carmo
Published: August 2014

Avaliar aspectos da estrutura de uma amostra de maternidades do Brasil. A estrutura foi avaliada tendo como referências as normas do Ministério da Saúde e englobou: localização geográfica, volume de partos, existência de UTI, atividade de ensino, qualificação de recursos humanos, disponibilidade de equipamentos e medicamentos. Os resultados evidenciam diferenças na qualificação e na disponibilidade de equipamentos e insumos dos serviços de atenção ao parto e nascimento segundo o tipo de financiamento, regiões do país e grau de complexidade. As regiões Norte/Nordeste e Centro-oeste apresentaram os maiores problemas. No Sul/Sudeste, os hospitais estavam melhores estruturados, atingindo proporções satisfatórias em vários dos aspectos estudados, próximas ou mesmo superiores ao patamar da rede privada. O presente estudo traz para o debate a qualidade da estrutura dos serviços hospitalares ofertados no país, e sublinha a necessidade de desenvolvimento de estudos analíticos que considerem o processo e os resultados da assistência.
Rates and reasons for blood donor deferral, Shiraz, Iran. A retrospective study
Authors: Kasraian Leila , Negarestani Neda
Published: August 2014

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Knowledge of the reasons for donor deferral can help in planning more efficient recruitment strategies and evaluating donor selection criteria. This study aimed to investigate the rates and reasons for donor deferral. DESIGN AND SETTING: Retrospective study at Shiraz Blood Transfusion Center, Shiraz, Iran. METHODS: 141,820 volunteers were interviewed confidentially by physicians before blood donation. The rate of and reasons for donor deferral were investigated according to demographic characteristics. The data were analyzed using the comparison-of-proportions test of the MedCalc statistical software. RESULTS: 43,839 people (30.9%) who had come for blood donation were deferred, 1,973 (4.5%) of them permanently. The deferral rate was significantly higher among women, single individuals and first-time donors, compared with men, married individuals and those with a history of previous donation (P < 0.0001). The deferral rate was significantly higher in the 17 to 30-year-old group (P < 0.05). The reasons for deferral were divided into five categories: risk factors possibly related to HIV or hepatitis (43.6%), underlying diseases (31.9%), non-eligible conditions (13.5%), medications that interfere with blood donation (7.8%) and risk factors that may relate to bacterial or viral infections except HIV and hepatitis infections (3.2%). CONCLUSION: Effective measures are required for documenting the impact of deferral on blood availability, monitoring the effectiveness of and need for deferral, and determining the reasons and rates of deferral.
Saúde, gênero e reconhecimento no trabalho das professoras: convergências e diferenças no Brasil e na França
Authors: Brito Jussara , Bercot Régine , Horellou-Lafarge Chantal , Neves Mary Yale , Oliveira Simone , Rotenberg Lucia
Published: August 2014

O presente artigo trata do reconhecimento do trabalho das professoras e suas implicações sobre a saúde em dois diferentes contextos econômicos e sociais: de um país da América Latina (Brasil) e de um país europeu (França). Baseia-se, principalmente, nas contribuições teóricas da psicodinâmica do trabalho e das ciências sociais, apresentando exemplos oriundos de diversas pesquisas. Observa-se que, apesar das diferenças em relação às condições laborais das professoras nos dois países, o não reconhecimento de seu trabalho está presente em ambos os contextos. Os baixos salários (mesmo considerando-se as especificidades de cada um desses contextos) e a falta de valorização dos esforços feitos no cotidiano profissional são a prova disso. No entanto, na França, o mal-estar das professoras advém, sobretudo, de dúvidas sobre a utilidade social do trabalho docente, frente às inúmeras reformas e às defasagens no nível de escolaridade dos alunos. No caso do Brasil, o malestar decorre especialmente da precariedade das condições de trabalho, que sinalizam a desvalorização da profissional, destacando-se o número excessivo de alunos por turma e a necessidade de complementação salarial. Nos dois casos registra-se a importância do reconhecimento pelos alunos e do trabalho em equipe na preservação da saúde.
Street commerce as a 'problem' in the cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo
Authors: Hirata Daniel
Published: August 2014

The aim of this article is to describe how street commerce that has come to be seen as a "problem" in two major Brazilian cities: Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. The text concentrates on two periods - 1980 to 1990 and 2000 to 2010 - during which governmental intervention in street commerce radically changed, examining the flux of people and merchandise and the forms of this intervention.
Repression ofOsEXPA3Expression Leads to Root System Growth Suppression in Rice
Authors: Qiu Shichun , Ma Nana , Che Shugang , Wang Ying , Peng Xiaoyan , Zhang Guopeng , Wang Guixue , Huang Junli
Published: August 2014

Expansins are cell‐wall–loosening proteins known to be involved in a wide range of physical processes during plant development.OsEXPA3, a rice α‐expansin gene, was found to be preferentially expressed in the root and highly induced by NaCl, while suppressed by nitrate (N) and phosphate (Pi) starvation. Repression ofOsEXPA3expression by RNA interference (RNAi) in rice (Oryza sativaL.) severely impaired the growth of the root system. A significant reduction in the primary root length and lateral root density was observed in 1‐wk‐oldOsEXPA3‐RNAilines at seedling stage, and the total size and density of the root system was clearly decreased in 1‐mo‐old plants. Besides, the root hair of RNAi seedlings was clearly shorter than that of wild‐type plants. Moreover, RNAi plants exhibited clearly inhibited growth, which is mostly attributed to the poorer root system architecture. Further study indicated that the cell length of root vascular bundles and cell growth in suspension cultures inOsEXPA3‐RNAilines decreased significantly, which revealed the cellular basis forOsEXPA3‐mediated rice root growth. Further, the cell‐wall mechanical properties of suspension cells probed by atomic force microscopy (AFM) showed that repression ofOsEXPA3led to a significant increase in cell‐wall stiffness, and cell‐wall polymer compositions revealed by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra were also strongly changed. Taken together, the results suggest thatOsEXPA3is required for root system development in rice and involved in mediating root growth by mediating cell‐wall loosening.
Overview and Application of QTL for Adult Plant Resistance to Leaf Rust and Powdery Mildew in Wheat
Authors: Li Zaifeng , Lan Caixia , He Zhonghu , Singh Ravi P. , Rosewarne Garry M. , Chen Xinmin , Xia Xianchun
Published: August 2014

Leaf rust and powdery mildew, caused by Puccinia triticina and Blumeria graminis f. sp. tritici, respectively, are widespread fungal diseases of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). Development of cultivars with durable resistance is crucially important for global wheat production. This paper reviews the progress of genetic study and application of adult plant resistance (APR) to wheat leaf rust and powdery mildew. Eighty leaf rust and 119 powdery mildew APR quantitative trait loci (QTL) have been reported on 16 and 21 chromosomes, respectively, in over 50 publications during the last 15 yr. More important, we found 11 loci located on chromosomes 1BS, 1BL, 2AL, 2BS (2), 2DL, 4DL, 5BL, 6AL, 7BL, and 7DS showing pleiotropic effects on resistance to leaf rust, stripe rust, and powdery mildew. Among these, QTL on chromosomes 1BL, 4DL, and 7DS also correlate with leaf tip necrosis. Fine mapping and cloning of these QTL will be achieved with the advent of cheaper high‐throughput genotyping technologies. Germplasm carrying these potential resistance genes will be useful for developing cultivars with durable multidisease resistance. In addition to its non‐NBS–LRR (nucleotide binding site–leucine rich repeat) structure, the senescence‐like processes induced by Lr34 could be the reason for durability of resistance; however, more information is needed for a full understanding of the molecular mechanism related to durability. Adult plant resistance genes have been used by CIMMYT for more than 30 yr and have also been transferred to many Chinese wheat varieties through shuttle breeding.