bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Von Willebrand factor in relation to coronary plaque characteristics and cardiovascular outcome
Authors: Sonneveld Michelle A. , Cheng Jin , Oemrawsingh Rohit , de Maat Moniek P. M. , Kardys Isabella , Garcia-Garcia Hector , van Geuns Robert-Jan , Regar Evelyn , Serruys Patrick , Boersma Eric , Akkerhuis K. Martijn , Leebeek Frank W.
Published: December 2014

High von Willebrand factor (VWF) plasma levels are associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease. It has been suggested that the increase of VWF levels is partly due to endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis. Our aim was to investigate the association between coronary plaque burden, the presence of high-risk coronary lesions as measured by intravascular ultrasound virtual histology (IVUS-VH) and VWF levels. In addition, we studied the association between VWF levels and one-year cardiovascular outcome. Between 2008 and 2011, IVUS-VH imaging of a non-culprit coronary artery was performed in 581 patients undergoing coronary angiography for acute coronary syndrome (ACS) (n= 318) or stable angina pectoris (SAP) (n= 263). Arterial blood was sampled prior to the coronary angiography. VWF antigen (VWF:Ag) levels were measured using ELISA (n= 577). Patients with ACS had significantly higher VWF:Ag levels than SAP patients (median 1.73 IU/ml [IQR 1.27–2.31] vs 1.26 IU/ml [0.93–1.63], p < 0.001). High coronary plaque burden was associated with higher VWF:Ag levels (β= 0.12, p=0.027) in SAP patients, but not in ACS patients. In ACS patients, VWF:Ag levels were associated with 1-year MACE (HR 4.14 per SD increase of lnVWF:Ag, 95 % CI 1.47–11.6), whereas in SAP patients VWF:Ag levels predicted 1-year all-cause death and hospitalisation for ACS (HR 7.07 95 % CI 1.40–35.6). In conclusion, coronary plaque burden was associated with VWF:Ag levels in SAP patients undergoing coronary angiography. In ACS and SAP patients, high VWF levels are predictive of adverse cardiovascular outcome and death during one-year follow-up.
Britain’s recognition of the Spanish American republics
Authors: Van Hulle Inge
Published: December 2014

This paper seeks to illustrate the major role, which the introduction by Britain of three types of recognition, i.e. de facto, diplomatic and de iure recognition has played in the development of the modern declaratory and constitutive theories of recognition. Through an analysis of historical context, state practice and theories of the nineteenth-century doctrine of recognition, this paper shows that, while the development by Britain of its specific concept of recognition was inspired by Realpolitik, and less by legal considerations as to what the exact function of recognition by third states was, the use of the concept of recognition in the case of Spanish America was increasingly appropriated into a positivist and constitutive approach.
The Exclusive Nature
Authors: Olsen Torjer A.
Published: December 2014

In Sámi Christian educational texts, the Indigenous Sámi are presented as having a particularly close relation to nature. This is presented as a defining factor of both Sáminess and of Sámi Christianity. The article consists of the analysis of two educational texts, a catechism and a website, made/written by Sámi Christians. The close relation to nature is interpreted as part of global eco-indigenism, a tendency to combine the political movement of indigenism and the claim that indigenous peoples have a special kind of closeness to nature. In sum, what happens is a canonisation of Sámi Christian identity, excluding Sámi who are not living in close proximity to nature.
An Assessment of Long-Term and Contemporary Attitudes towards ‘Sanctity of Life’ Issues amongst Roman Catholics in Britain
Authors: Clements Ben
Published: December 2014

The Roman Catholic Church has long-standing and steadfast positions on ‘sanctity of life’ issues. This article examines the views of Catholics in Britain on two of these issues: assisted suicide and abortion. It looks at whether Catholics still retain distinctive views on these issues compared to wider society and then examines which socio-demographic and religious factors underpin their attitudes. Catholics tend to be more likely than the general population to oppose assisted suicide and abortion in particular circumstances and to view them as less morally justifiable. Amongst Catholics, socially-conservative views on these issues are associated with various socio-demographic factors and both believing and behaving aspects of religiosity.
NOW THAT WE ARE FACE TO FACE, OR, THE MYTH OF A GLOBAL VILLAGE
Authors: Maggay Melba Padilla
Published: December 2014

Circulating in the marketplace for some time now is the notion that the world has contracted into a ‘global village’, McLuhan’s construct of a universal sensory world where we are back to the social intimacy of a village and the depth involvement of hearing in the wilds the primitive resonance of tribal drums.
CRITICAL STUDY:ETHIEK, VAKFILOSOFIE VAN DE ETHIEK EN WIJSBEGEERTE
Authors: Troost A
Published: December 2014

'GRONDSLAGEN christelijke ethiek’ van de theoloog-ethicus J. Douma geeft een goede gelegenheid de ‘Reformatorische Wijsbegeerte’, speciaal die van H. Dooyeweerd, en haar toepassing op een vakwetenschap, te vergelijken met traditioneel-theologische c.q. klassiek-gereformeerde opvattingen over de grondslagen van de ethiek. Die vergelijking ligt voor de hand omdat het hoofdonderwerp van dit tamelijk omvangrijke boek van 413 pagina’s een filosofisch onderwerp is, geen theologie, zelfs geen theologische ethiek, maar een vakfilosofisch onderwerp. We zullen dus niet discussiëren met de schrijver over allerlei onderwerpen die men gewoonlijk als ethische problemen beschouwt, want daarover zal een geplande reeks van vijf andere boeken gaan. Bovengenoemd boek echter gaat niet over een of ander ethisch vraagstuk, maar over wat de titel alleen al door de gebruikte hoofdletters, met veel nadruk stelt: grondslagen van de eigenlijke ethiek.
CHURCHLAND, KANDEL AND DOOYEWEERD ON THE REDUCIBILITY OF MIND STATES
Authors: Glas Gerrit
Published: December 2014

This article is devoted to the conceptual analysis of two texts of leading scholars in cognitive neuroscience and its philosophy, Patricia Churchland and Eric Kandel. After a short introduction about the notion of reduction, I give a detailed account of the way both scientists view the relationship between theories about brain functioning on the one hand and consciousness and psychopathology, respectively, on the other hand. The analysis not only reveals underlying philosophical mind/brain conceptions and their inner tensions, but also the conceptual relevance of distinctions that are fundamental in the work of Dooyeweerd, such as the distinction between modes and entities, between law and subject and between subject function and object function. After a brief clarification of the way these distinctions function in Dooyeweerd’s theory of the body as an ‘enkaptic structural whole’, I try to explain how the conceptual framework, developed here, could be applied to brain functioning and leads to greater clarity in neuroscientific theorizing.
HET CHRISTELIJK PLATONISME VAN PROF. DR. C.J. DE VOGEL IN NIEUWE BELICHTING
Authors: Bos Abraham P.
Published: December 2014

Het is zeer verheugend dat een nieuw boek van mevr. C.J. de Vogel verschenen is. Het is historisch van belang en de schrijfster verdient het, dat mede hierdoor nog weer eens de aandacht gevestigd wordt op haar persoon en haar werk. Daaraan wordt ook bijgedragen door de ‘Prof. dr. C.J. de Vogel Stichting ter bevordering van de wijsbegeerte der klassieke Oudheid’ die zich heeft ingezet voor het organiseren van de ‘C.J. de Vogel-Memorial lectures’. Deze vormen nu reeds bijna vijftien jaar de openingslezing van de conferenties van de International Plato Society die om de drie jaar gehouden worden.
HERBEZINNING OP DE FILOSOFIE VAN DE TECHNIEK
Authors: Stellingwerff Johan
Published: December 2014

Er zijn een aantal redenen om de binnen de Reformatorische Wijsbegeerte door H. van Riessen ontwikkelde filosofie van de techniek aan te vullen. Het ging Van Riessen alleen om de moderne techniek: “de reformatorische benadering van de moderne techniek en waarom deze wezenlijk verschilde van de techniek van alle tijden. Dat verschil zit in de wetenschappelijke basis van de moderne techniek.” Zijn definitie was beperkt: “De ‘moderne techniek’ is de, in een economische verbandstructuur vervlochten en daardoor gecoördineerde, en overigens in wetenschappelijke zin ontplooide, vrije, beheersende vorming met technische operatoren, met als doel, de productie van die cultuurobjecten, die voor deze vorming geschikt zijn.” En zijn 7de en 8ste stelling luidden: “De transformatie van energie door middel van technische operatoren is karakteristiek voor de moderne, wetenschappelijk ontplooide techniek” en “De kenmerkende methode der wetenschappelijke ontplooide techniek is die van de neutraliserende functiedeling en functie-integratie.”
FILOSOFIE EN DE VERDUISTERING VAN HET VERSTAND
Authors: van Woudenberg René
Published: December 2014

De apostel Paulus spreekt in één van zijn brieven over ‘de verduistering van het verstand’ — een verduistering die het gevolg is van zonde. In het werk van een groot aantal filosofen uit de westerse filosofische traditie heeft dit woord van Paulus op een of andere wijze weerklank gevonden. Bij Augustinus, Anselmus, Thomas van Aquino, Jonathan Edwards, Kierkegaard, John Henry Newman en Franz von Baader bijvoorbeeld, en in ons land bij Abraham Kuyper en Herman Dooyeweerd, vindt men reflecties over de noëtische gevolgen van de zonde. Deze denkers hebben de noëtische doorwerking van de zonde onder meer aangewezen in de volgende verschijnselen: (a) dat mensen allerlei onware gedachten hebben (b) dat onze kenvermogens lang niet altijd naar behoren functioneren, zoals onder andere blijkt uit geheugenzwakte, misperceptie en foutief redeneren (c) dat mensen het vaak onderling oneens zijn. In dit artikel wil ik onderzoeken hoe deze thematiek is verwerkt door Herman Dooyeweerd, wiens streven het steeds is geweest een ‘christelijke wijsbegeerte’ te ontwerpen. Ik wil het echter niet alleen hebben over de noëtische gevolgen van de zonde, maar ook over de noëtische gevolgen van wat het christendom ‘de verlossing’ noemt.
DE GNOSTICUS BASILIDES EN ZIJN THEOLOGIE OVER DE LEVENSFASEN VAN DE KOSMOS
Authors: Bos Abraham P.
Published: December 2014

This paper contains a Dutch translation of the important text of Hippolytus of Rome on the Gnostic theology of Basilides of Alexandria. A summary of this theology is added together with some introductory remarks about whether or not Basilides received his doctrine from Matthias the Apostle, about the Aristotelean line of thought of Basilides, and about the relevance of modern study of Gnosticism.
DUALITY OR DUALISM? A REPLY TO JOHAN STELLINGWERFF
Authors: de Vries Marc J.
Published: December 2014

In Philosophia Reformata, Vol. 69, No. 1, Johan Stellingwerff published a challenging article1 on the need to rethink the philosophy of technology in reformational philosophy. Stellingwerff is not only critical about the work done by Van Riessen and Schuurman, but he also criticizes the Dual Nature of Technical Artifacts program at the Delft University of Technology.2 In this reply I want to take up particularly some of the points of criticism against the latter and see if they can be upheld when taking a closer look at what has been published in this program so far. Although the article by Stellingwerff is in Dutch, I have decided to write my reply in English to enable a wider audience to take part in the debate.
BRIEF COMMENTS ON STAFLEU’S PROPOSAL FOR A NEW POLITICAL ASPECT
Authors: Basden Andrew
Published: December 2014

In “On the character of social communities; the state and the public domain” [Philosophia Reformata 69(2):125-39, 2004] Dick Stafleu has suggested that the social aspect as currently constituted under Dooyeweerd, covers two distinct things: ”¢ companionship ”¢ authority and discipline, and that the latter should become a new aspect, the political, placed after the economic and before the juridical. (Stafleu seems to have dispensed with the aesthetic aspect that currently lies between those two aspects, largely taking Seerveld’s line that it should be redefined and placed earlier; see footnote 9 on p.130) I would like to briefly suggest some issues that need to be discussed and resolved before his suggestion is adopted. I have long felt the tension between the two parts of Dooyeweerd’s version of the social aspect that Stafleu refers to — companionship and authority — and I think Stafleu is right to open up discussion about it. But I am not happy that his proposal either is necessary or solves the problem. Moreover, I can also understand something of Dooyeweerd’s own thinking as he kept the two together.
THE CONCEPT OF MULTICULTURAL DEMOCRACY: A PRELIMINARY CHRISTIAN-PHILOSOPHICAL APPRAISAL
Authors: ten Napel Hans-Martien
Published: December 2014

The starting point of this article is the fact that, as the Dutch-American political scientist Arend Lijphart has observed, ‘[m]ost experts on divided societies and constitutional engineering broadly agree that deep societal divisions pose a grave problem for democracy, and that it is therefore generally more difficult to establish and maintain democratic government in divided than in homogeneous countries.’2 If this is true it does not bode well for democracy, since to a certain extent all countries are multicultural societies today. Fortunately, therefore, the Human Development Report 2004, published for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) — after having carefully examined it — rejects this claim. According to the Report, cultural differences can indeed lead to social and political conflict, but only if the state does not recognize and accommodate the diverse ethnicities, religions, languages, and values in a particular country. Active multicultural policies are required to achieve this and to thereby make democracy viable in divided societies.3 This article consists of four sections. I will begin by setting out the concept of multicultural democracy, as advocated by the UNDP, in general. Next, I will specifically deal with the topic of church and state, which is both at the heart of this concept and traditionally of particular interest to Christian Philosophy. Section three looks at the Reformed contribution to the topic of church and state in religiously plural societies in the past. Finally, section four raises the question how the notion of pluriform democracy, as developed by Reformed thinkers and put into practice in the Netherlands during the better part of the twentieth century, relates to the concept of multicultural democracy. As the subtitle already indicates, the article is very much meant to serve as a working paper, not as the final word on this complex issue. For example, an earlier version of it was presented during the Assembly of the Reformed Ecumenical Council, held in Utrecht, Netherlands, from 12-26 July 2005.4 Although this Assembly had at its disposal a 92-page report on ‘Church, State and the Kingdom of God’, it was unable to reach any final conclusions, and decided to continue its discussion of the topic during the next Assembly in 2009.
The Annual Cycle of East African Precipitation
Authors: Yang Wenchang , Seager Richard , Cane Mark A. , Lyon Bradfield
Published: December 2014

East African precipitation is characterized by a dry annual mean climatology compared to other deep tropical land areas and a bimodal annual cycle with the major rainy season during March–May (MAM; often called the “long rains”) and the second during October–December (OND; often called the “short rains”). To explore these distinctive features, ERA-Interim data are used to analyze the associated annual cycles of atmospheric convective stability, circulation, and moisture budget. The atmosphere over East Africa is found to be convectively stable in general year-round but with an annual cycle dominated by the surface moist static energy (MSE), which is in phase with the precipitation annual cycle. Throughout the year, the atmospheric circulation is dominated by a pattern of convergence near the surface, divergence in the lower troposphere, and convergence again at upper levels. Consistently, the convergence of the vertically integrated moisture flux is mostly negative across the year, but becomes weakly positive in the two rainy seasons. It is suggested that the semiarid/arid climate in East Africa and its bimodal precipitation annual cycle can be explained by the ventilation mechanism, in which the atmospheric convective stability over East Africa is controlled by the import of low MSE air from the relatively cool Indian Ocean off the coast. During the rainy seasons, however, the off-coast sea surface temperature (SST) increases (and is warmest during the long rains season) and consequently the air imported into East Africa becomes less stable. This analysis may be used to aid in understanding overestimates of the East African short rains commonly found in coupled models.
Does Afternoon Precipitation Occur Preferentially over Dry or Wet Soils in Oklahoma?
Authors: Ford Trent W. , Rapp Anita D. , Quiring Steven M.
Published: December 2014

Soil moisture is an integral part of the climate system and can drive land–atmosphere interactions through the partitioning of latent and sensible heat. Soil moisture feedback to precipitation has been documented in several regions of the world, most notably in the southern Great Plains. However, the impact of soil moisture on precipitation, particularly at short (subdaily) time scales, has not been resolved. Here, in situ soil moisture observations and satellite-based precipitation estimates are used to examine if afternoon precipitation falls preferentially over wet or dry soils in Oklahoma. Afternoon precipitation events during the warm season (May–September) in Oklahoma from 2003 and 2012 are categorized by how favorable atmospheric conditions are for convection, as well as the presence or absence of the Great Plains low-level jet. The results show afternoon precipitation falls preferentially over wet soils when the Great Plains low-level jet is absent. In contrast, precipitation falls preferentially over dry soils when the low-level jet is present. Humidity (temperature) is increased (decreased) as soil moisture increases for all conditions, and convective available potential energy prior to convection is strongest when atmospheric humidity is above normal. The results do not demonstrate a causal link between soil moisture and precipitation, but they do suggest that soil moisture feedback to precipitation could potentially manifest itself over wetter- and drier-than-normal soils, depending on the overall synoptic and dynamic conditions.
On the Alternate Transmission Mode for Polarimetric Phased Array Weather Radar
Authors: Melnikov Valery M. , Zrnić Dušan S.
Published: December 2014

Pulse-to-pulse switching of polarizations (alternate transmission mode) is considered for polarimetric phased array radar (PAR). It is argued that the performance of the radar in terms of data quality should match or exceed the achieved standards of the Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D). It turns out that the most stringent demand on the radar concerns the surveillance scan at the lowest elevations wherein the polarimetric variables are free of overlaid echoes, while ground clutter is significantly reduced. The scan uses a long pulse repetition time that has repercussion on the standard errors of the polarimetric variables and hence the choice of polarimetric mode. Herein the dwell time of this scan serves as a benchmark for comparisons of the accuracy of estimates. Because weather PAR should provide useful information at low signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) as low as those measured by the WSR-88D, the statistics of polarimetric variables, known at high SNR, is extended to low SNRs. It follows that the alternate mode would not match the performance of the simultaneous mode in the surveillance scans on the WSR-88D. Quasi-simultaneous transmission and reception of horizontally polarized and vertically polarized waves is discussed as a cost-effective alternative.
Expanding Europe through Memory: The Shifting Content of the Ever-Salient Past
Authors: Verovšek Peter J.
Published: December 2014

Collective memories of war and suffering have been crucial to the development of European integration since 1945. My basic thesis is that remembrance has also played an important role in the accession of new states to the organization that has come to be known as the European Union (EU). As the EU has expanded into new regions of Europe, particularly the post-dictatorial south and the post-communist east, continental institutions and existing member-states have been confronted by conflicting understandings of the past. Although the past has continued to push states towards membership in the EU, the nature of these remembered experiences has changed through the various rounds of expansion. In addition to tracing the role that memory has played in the widening of Europe, I argue that these confrontations have sparked important debates about the meaning of the past for Europe today.
Bobbies and Baseball Players
Authors: Bonkiewicz Luke
Published: December 2014

Patrol officer productivity is an understudied topic in police research. Prior studies on productivity have primarily relied on rudimentary statistics, such as calls for service and arrests. A more advanced method for evaluating productivity should (a) account for the diverse activities of patrol officers, (b) weight different productivity outputs, (c) evaluate officers in terms of available minutes for self-initiated activities (productive time), and (d) offer agencies the flexibility to select, prioritize, and weight patrol activities most relevant to their jurisdictions. Borrowing from a baseball sabermetric called Value Over Replacement Player, we create and test an innovative statistic called Value Over Replacement Cop. This metric analyzes 12 patrol activities and generates a single number by which to quantify and evaluate a patrol officer’s productivity. Using data from a midsize U.S. Police Department (325 sworn officers), we find strong support for the validity of this new metric.
From Constantinople to Istanbul: The Residences of the VenetianBailo(Thirteenth to Sixteenth Centuries)
Authors: Ağır Aygül
Published: December 2014

Medieval Italian city-states with access to the sea, most notably the Venetian and Genoese, were in need of safe ‘stopovers’ that would allow their inhabitants to travel to distant places across the territories in which they conducted commerce. As the most important ‘stopover’ and centre of consumption, Constantinople became a point of attraction for Italian merchant colonies, particularly after the eleventh century. Among these, the most powerful one with the largest settlement was the Venetian colony. Following a decree dated 1082 (Chrysoboullos) that granted them certain privileges, the Venetians settled across the southern shores of the Golden Horn. In terms of administration, it appears that, until the Latin period (1204–1261), no formal officers were appointed to the Venetian Merchant Colony. ‘The bailo’ was first instituted in Constantinople only after the treaty of 18 June 1265. The mention of a house owned by the bailo dates as late as 1277. Documents on the residence of the bailo remain silent until the early fifteenth century. It is unclear if the palace of the bailo mentioned in fifteenth-century documents and the house allocated to the bailo in 1277 are the same building. Despite the Turkish conquest of Constantinople in 1453, the Venetians, albeit with interruptions, continued to live on the historic peninsula. However, it is no longer possible to speak of a Venetian settlement similar to the one that had existed in Byzantine times. Per the agreement signed on 16 August 1454, the Venetians were granted a house and a church that ‘once’ belonged to Anconitans. The possible location and architectural features of the residences of the bailo, which have left behind no archaeological data, are discussed here through written sources including Ottoman documents.
The origin of nausea in migraine–A PET study
Authors: Maniyar Farooq H , Sprenger Till , Schankin Christoph , Goadsby Peter J
Published: December 2014

Background

Nausea is a common and disabling symptom of migraine. The origin of nausea is not well understood although functional connections between trigeminal neurons and the nucleus tractus solitarius may explain occurrence of nausea with pain. However, nausea occurs as a premonitory symptom in about a quarter of patients, suggesting that a primary brain alteration unrelated to the experience of pain may be the reason for nausea.

Methods

We performed positron emission tomography scans with H2
15O PET in premonitory phase of nitroglycerin-induced migraine and compared patients with and without nausea.

Results

The results showed activation in rostral dorsal medulla and periaqueductal grey (PAG) in the nausea group, which was absent in the no nausea group. The rostral dorsal medullary area included the nucleus tractus solitarius, dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve and the nucleus ambiguus, all of which are thought to be involved in brain circuits mediating nausea.

Conclusions

The results demonstrate that nausea can occur as a premonitory symptom in migraine, independent of pain and trigeminal activation. This is associated with activation of brain structures known to be involved in nausea. We conclude that nausea is a centrally driven symptom in migraine.
RETRACTED ARTICLE: Attenuating effect of Ginsenoside Rb1 on LPS-induced lung injury in rats
Authors: Yuan Qing , Jiang Yan-wen , Ma Ting-ting , Fang Qiu-hong , Pan Lei
Published: December 2014

Background

Sepsis causes neutrophil sequestration in the lung which leads to acute lung injury (ALI). Radix Ginseng (RG), a traditional herb used as herbal remedy in eastern Asia for thousands of years, which has been traditionally used in China to improve blood circulation and ameliorate pathological hemostasis. This study investigated whether Ginsenoside Rb1, the main components of RG, can attenuate ALI induced by LPS.

Methods

In vivo, 30 male Wistar rats were divided into three groups (n = 10 each groups) on the basis of the reagent used, which were subjected to LPS injection with or without Ginsenoside Rb1 (5 mg/kg) treatments to induce ALI model. Lung injury was assessed by pulmonary histology, lung wet-weight to dry-weight (W/D) ratio, the number of myeloperoxidase (MPO) positive cells, immunohistochemical analysis of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), gene expression of ICAM-1, ultrastructure changes of pulmonary microvasculature, concentration of inflammatory markers and in plasma. In vitro, pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (PMVECs) were stimulated with LPS in the presence and absence of Ginsenoside Rb1 (50 mM), nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) p65 was measured by immunocytochemistry staining and western blotting.

Results

Infusion of LPS induced lung injury, in vivo, as demonstrated by pulmonary edema with infiltration of neutrophils and hemorrhage, the increase in lung W/D ratio, the number of MPO positive cells, the level of inflammatory markers such as TNF-α, MCP-1 and IL-8, enhanced expression of ICAM-1 and ICAM-1 gene. Moreover, resulted in the changes of intercellular junctions in the endothelial cells of pulmonary microvasculature. In vitro, the significant increased release of NF-κB p65 and its subsequent translocation into the nucleus in PMVECs were observed. In contrast, Ginsenoside Rb1 treatment significantly ameliorated the LPS-induced lung injury, as judged by the marked improvement in all these indices.

Conclusions

These results indicate that Ginsenoside Rb1 attenuated LPS-induced lung injury through an inhibition of the inflammatory signaling pathway, besides the direct inhibitory effect on proinflammatory molecules.
Unmethylated CpG motifs in the L. donovani DNA regulate TLR9-dependent delay of programmed cell death in macrophages
Authors: Das Sushmita , Ghosh Ayan Kumar , Singh Shikha , Saha Bhaskar , Ganguly Ashish , Das Pradeep
Published: December 2014

Regulation of macrophage PCD plays an important role in pathogenesis of leishmaniasis. However, the precise involvement of any parasite molecule in this process remains uncertain. In the current study, in silico wide analysis demonstrated that genes in the Leishmania donovani genome are highly enriched for CpG motifs, with sequence frequency of 8.7%. Here, we show that unmethylated species-specific CpG motifs in LdDNA significantly (P = 0.01) delay macrophage PCD by endosomal interaction with TLR9 via the adaptor protein MyD88. Importantly, LdDNA triggered high levels of luciferase activity (P = 0.001) under NF-κB-dependent transcription in HEK-TLR9 cells. Furthermore, the activation of caspases in macrophages was inhibited (P = 0.001) in the presence of LdDNA. Notably, the delay of PCD was mediated by modulation of the antiapoptotic proteins, Mcl-1 and Bfl-1, and impairment of loss of Δψm in macrophages through the neutralization of oxidative and nitrosative stress. The inhibition of caspase activation and up-regulation of Mcl-1 by LdDNA were TLR9 dependent. Analysis of the targets of LdDNA identified an early activation of the TLR9-dependent PI3K/Akt and SFK pathways, which were required for the observation of the antiapoptotic effects in macrophages. Moreover, we demonstrate that LdDNA modulates the TLR9–IκB-α pathway by promoting the tyrosine phosphorylation of TLR9 and the TLR9-mediated recruitment of Syk kinase. The results have identified a novel, TLR9-dependent antiapoptotic function of LdDNA, which will provide new opportunities for discovering and evaluating molecular targets for drug and vaccine designing against VL.
Core analysis with emphasis on carbonate rocks — quality assurance and control for accuracy and representativeness
Authors: Ma Shouxiang Mark , Amabeoku Maclean
Published: December 2014

Accurate and representative core data should be used as the ground truth in formation evaluation, reservoir surveillance, and other relevant geoscience applications because the measurements are more direct than estimations from other petrophysical measurements such as logs. To ensure accuracy and representativeness, the rock and fluid samples should represent the reservoir; test conditions, test equipment, and test procedures need to be fit for purpose. In addition, the core analysis program should satisfy clearly defined objectives, which, unfortunately, is not generally applied in the industry. In this paper, we discussed general core analysis data quality assurance and control, with emphasis on carbonate core analysis when applicable. We started with recommended workflows for coring and coring fluid selection, conducting routine and fit-for-purpose special core analysis tests, and core analysis fluid selection and preparation. We then provided some tips and potential pitfalls useful to know in core analysis data quality assurance and control, including core sample screening and selection, criteria used in core sample cleaning and drying, and potential issues related to test conditions and procedures. We also illustrated applications of quality-controlled core data in formation evaluation and reservoir surveillance.
Socializing Future Professionals
Authors: Wittman John , Abuan Mariana
Published: December 2014

This article argues that graduate education often does not fully prepare students to take on the role of faculty member after graduation because it does not make students aware of the importance of faculty responsibilities such as service. It also suggests that the increasing importance of assessment in education indicates that assessment should be an essential part of training future faculty. This argument is explored through a graduate-level assessment course that required students to conduct assessment research for their department and university not only to give students real experience with assessment but also to make them aware of faculty responsibilities beyond the classroom. These students were interviewed twice during the course and reported that they felt that learning and applying assessment research allowed them to develop practical professional skills and broadened their knowledge of academic opportunities for conference presentations and publication.
From All Sides
Authors: Ball David M. , Gleason William , Peterson Nancy J.
Published: December 2014

This article makes the case for expanding our conception of what it means to provide “professional training” to PhD students in departments of English. Rather than focus exclusively on placing students in tenure-track academic appointments, departments should prepare them simultaneously for careers both inside and outside the academy by focusing on the broad range of skills inherent to doctoral training. Such an approach not only will empower graduate students but also may transform the academy itself.
The lame cat: common culprits of non-traumatic lameness when pain localises to the hip
Authors: Perry Karen L
Published: December 2014

The most common non-traumatic conditions that have been described affecting the feline hip joint are hip dysplasia and associated osteoarthritis, spontaneous femoral capital physeal fractures and metaphyseal osteopathy. While the findings on orthopaedic examination for all of these conditions may be similar, the history and signalment may assist in differentiating between them. Radiography allows a definitive diagnosis to be made, but specific views are necessary to avoid missing the diagnosis, and there are also critical differences between hip dysplasia in cats and in dogs, which it is important to be aware of.
Parasites affecting wild European hedgehogs: disease potential and zoonoses
Authors: Wright Ian
Published: December 2014

The wild European hedgehog (Erinaceus europaeus) is a frequent visitor to domestic gardens; as a result, injured and debilitated animals are often found by the public and brought into veterinary surgeries and rescue centres for treatment and rehabilitation. Wild hedgehogs often carry heavy parasite burdens, which in the diseased or debilitated animal will add to morbidity as well as presenting potential disease threats to pets and human carers. This article considers the wide range of parasites carried by hedgehogs and considers their pathogenicity, zoonotic potential, treatment and control.
Providing effective analgesia for day surgery
Authors: Lipp Anna
Published: December 2014

The most important difference in the management of analgesia for patients having day case surgery, as opposed to inpatient surgery, is that patients will need to be able to manage their own post-operative care within a few hours of surgery—and this will include management of pain. This can be a daunting prospect for patients and their carers. To ensure safe and effective care, the provision of analgesia must be carefully planned and communicated to the patient so that they are prepared and confident. There are many opportunities within the pathway of care to plan and communicate with patients, and I will highlight what steps can be taken at each stage.
Role of new therapies in optimizing asthma care
Authors: Bostock-Cox Beverley
Published: December 2014

Some patients with asthma suffer disabling symptoms. Beverley Bostock-Cox revisits the key principles of asthma management and looks at some of the newer therapies available
Embedding research into practice through innovation and creativity: a case study from social services
Authors: Petch Alison , Lightowler Claire , Pattoni Lisa , Watson Ian
Published: December 2014

This paper explores ways in which IRISS (Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services) promotes the delivery of cost effective social services in Scotland that support the achievement of positive outcomes. The approach to evidence-informed practice is characterised as four pillars of activity. The first focuses on improving awareness and access to evidence. The second refers to strengthening the evidence base and is discussed in the context of work on self-directed support. Improving skills and confidence to use evidence forms the third pillar. The final pillar is embedding evidence in organisations, through coproduction, creating spaces to test and challenge evidence, and through the development of evidence-based products.
CronoClock: A Multiagent Mobile Model to Assist Drivers in Park Zones
Authors: Navarro María , De La Prieta Fernando , Villarrubia Gabriel , Mohamad Mohd Saberi MOHAMAD
Published: December 2014

We present a model based on multiagent environment to help users of park zones. A multiagent system is built to communicate the different roles and devices belonging to the system. The result is a model that assists the different users in their payments and identifies the vehicle plate by image recognition and NFC (Near Field Communication) technology. An evaluation of the system is provided to know the efficiency of the model.
Smart device definition and application on embedded system: performance and optimi-zation on a RGBD sensor
Authors: Jiménez-García Jose-Luis , Baselga-Masia David , Poza-Luján Jose-Luis , Munera Eduardo , Posadas-Yagüe Juan-Luis , Simó-Ten José-Enrique
Published: December 2014

Embedded control systems usually are characterized by its limitations in terms of computational power and memory. Although this systems must deal with perpection and actuation signal adaptation and calculate control actions ensuring its reliability and providing a certain degree of fault tolerance. The allocation of these tasks between some different embedded nodes conforming a distributed control system allows to solve many of these issues. For that reason is proposed the application of smart devices aims to perform the data processing tasks related with the perception and actuation and offer a simple interface to be configured by other nodes in order to share processed information and raise QoS based alarms. In this work is introduced the procedure of implementing a smart device as a sensor as an embedded node in a distributed control system. In order to analyze its benefits an application based on a RGBD sensor implemented as an smart device is proposed.
Parameters of endothelial function and insulin resistance in patients with metabolic syndrome before and after weight loss
Authors: Mkrtumyan A M , Biryukova E V , Markina N V , Garbuzova M A
Published: December 2014

In clinical practice, physicians of different specialties often faced with the metabolic syndrome (MS) is a set of hormonal and metabolic disorders that share a common pathophysiological mechanism - insulin resistance (IR) [1, 5, 11]. MS is important for the clinician not only how widespread pathology, but primarily as a life-threatening condition. Of course, this syndrome plays an important role in accelerating the development and progression of diseases associated with atherosclerosis, which, according to experts WHO, ranks first among the causes of mortality in industrialized countries [12, 16, 19]. This situation is particularly important for Russia due to the relatively high spread of the syndrome, component, according to several authors, about 20% of the population, and high rates of death from coronary heart disease and stroke in the Russian population [2, 4, 5]. It is known that the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke, and total coronary mortality increases with the number of components of metabolic syndrome [14, 15, 20]. The study J.H. Park et al., Which included 478 patients with ischemic stroke, MS was diagnosed in 53.4% of patients (criteria NCEP ATP III), the thickness of the complex value of the index "intima-media" of the carotid arteries was increased in direct proportion to an increase in the number of available components of MS [20] . Link between R D and cardiovascular disease, apparently, is endothelial dysfunction, which is the study at various metabolic diseases received much attention [9, 10, 22]. Endothelial dysfunction, which is typical for many patients with MS, is a marker of metabolic and vascular disorders [15, 22]. In the initial period of development of the atherosclerotic process, even when there are no obvious clinical manifestations and visible morphological changes of blood vessels, the main role is played by endothelial dysfunction [9, 21]. Endothelial dysfunction is also discussed as one of the reasons for the rapid development, progression of atherosclerosis and its complications in patients with MS [11,18]. For example, recent studies have shown that tears plaques leading to myocardial infarction, do not always occur in the zone of maximum stenosis of the coronary arteries [13]. Rather, they tend to occur in places restrictions of small - less than 50% by angiography. The study of endothelial function in patients with MS is at the initial stages of the study [8, 15, 18]. In addition, of particular interest is the study of the effect of weight loss on the state of the endothelium in the syndrome of insulin resistance.
Nephrolithiasis in primary hyperparathyroidism: a contemporary look
Authors: Peretokina Elena Viktorovna , Mokrysheva Natalya Georgievna
Published: December 2014

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) has attracted a growing attention of medical doctors of different specialties in the last few years. The ability to predict the risk of the development of visceral manifestations (nephrolithiasis, nephrocalcinosis, cardiovascular disease, peptic ulcer disease) in the mild asymptomatic PHPT can define indications for conservative treatment of such patients because of the high prevalence of the mild form of the disease. Nephrolithiasis is one of the most common manifestations of the PHPT and is one of the indications for surgery. Mechanisms of nephrolithiasis and nephrocalcinosis in PHPT remain unclear and many investigations are devoted to studying the possible predictors of its development. In this paper we review the current knowledge of nephrolithiasis, clinical features and risk factors of its development in patients with PHPT.
Retail Tobacco Display Bans
Authors: Irvine Ian J. , Nguyen Van Hai
Published: December 2014

Bans on retail tobacco displays, of the type proposed by New York’s Mayor Bloomberg in March 2013, have been operative in several economies since 2001. Despite an enormous number of studies in public health journals using attitudinal data, we can find no econometric event studies of the type normally used in Economics. This paper attempts to fill that gap by using data from 13 cross sections of the annual Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Surveys. These data afford an ideal opportunity to study events of this type given that each of Canada’s 10 provinces implemented display bans at various points between 2003 and 2009. Accordingly, we use difference-in-difference methods to study three behaviors following the introduction of bans: participation in smoking, the intensity of smoking and quit intentions. A critical element of the study concerns the treatment of contraband tobacco. Our estimates provide very little support for the hypothesis that behaviors changed following the bans.
Effect of Titania Loading on Properties and Catalytic Activity of Nanostructured Phosphate–Vanadia-Impregnated Silica–Titania Oxidative–Acidic Bifunctional Catalyst
Authors: Lee Siew Ling , Mohd Ekhsan Jamilah , Kasiran Nur Azleena , Aziz Azira Abdul
Published: December 2014

Effect of titania loading on physical–chemical properties and bifunctional catalytic activity of phosphate–vanadia-impregnated silica–titania was investigated. Different concentrations of titanium were impregnated into fumed silica, followed by impregnation of vanadium and phosphoric acid simultaneously onto the prepared silica–titania. Results revealed that Ti amount did not have significant effect on crystallinity, surface area and particle size of the resulted materials. However, quantity of tetrahedrally coordinated Ti species increased with increasing Ti content in the sample. Pyridine adsorption study showed the presence of both Brønsted and Lewis acid sites in all the samples even in the titanium-free phosphate–vanadia-impregnated silica sample. The catalytic testing showed that phosphate–vanadia-impregnated silica–titania with the molar ratio of Si:Ti=33:1 was the best bifunctional catalyst in the transformation of 1-octene to 1,2-octanediol using aqueous hydrogen peroxide as oxidant.
Ill-conditioning versus ill-posedness for the boundary controllability of the heat equation
Authors: Ben Belgacem Faker , Kaber Sidi Mahmoud
Published: December 2014

Ill-posedness and/or ill-conditioning are features users have
to deal with appropriately in the controllability of
diffusion problems for secure and reliable outputs. We investigate those
issues in the case of a boundary Dirichlet control,
in an attempt
to underline the origin of the troubles
arising in the numerical computations and to shed some light on
the difficulties to obtain good quality simulations.
The exact-controllability is severely ill-posed while,
in spite of its well-posedness, the null-controllability turns out to be very
badly ill-conditioned.
Theoretical and numerical results are stated on the heat equation in
one dimension to illustrate the specific instabilities
of each problem.
The main tools used here are first a characterization of the subspace where the HUM (Hilbert Uniqueness Method) control
lies and the study of the spectrum
of some structured matrices, of Pick and Löwner type, obtained from the Fourier calculations on
the state and adjoint equations.
Van der Waals interactions in selected allotropes of phosphorus
Authors: Bachhuber Frederik , von Appen Joerg , Dronskowski Richard , Schmidt Peer , Nilges Tom , Pfitzner Arno , Weihrich Richard
Published: December 2014

Selected allotropes of phosphorus are investigated by different levels of density functional theory (DFT) calculations to evaluate the relative stability orders with a special focus on the role of van der Waals interactions. Phosphorus is an excellent reference system with a large number of allotropes. Starting from low-dimensional molecular (0D, white P) and polymer structures (1D, P nanorods) to layered (2D, black P) and tubular structures (2D and 3D, crystalline forms of red P), covalent structure motifs are interconnected by van der Waals interactions. They are a key factor for the correct energetic description of all P allotropes. A comparative study is carried out within the local density approximation (LDA) and the generalized gradient approximation (GGA), with and without implementation of a dispersion correction by Grimme (GGA-D2). Our intention is to achieve a reasonable agreement of our calculations with experimental data, the plausibility of energy values, and the treatment of long-range interactions. The effect of van der Waals interactions is exemplified for the interlayer distances of black phosphorous and its electronic structure.
Effect of Ion Irradiation on α and β Phase Evolution of Sputtered Tantalum Thin Films
Authors: Sosnowski Marek
Published: December 2014

Tantalum thin films were deposited by RF (13.56 MHz) magnetron sputtering on silicon and aluminum substrates with ion irradiation (~ 0.3 mA per sqaure cm) controlled by applying different DC bias voltages (0-300 V) to the substrate. The presence of two main crystallographic phases of Ta in deposited films was investigated. Results showed that only the tetragonal â-phase formed in thin Ta films on both Si <100> and Al substrates at zero bias voltage (ion energy ~10 eV), and only bcc α-phase of Ta formed at the ion irradiation energy to 150 eV. Both phases were present at the ion energy of 100 eV. With increase of the ion energy to 250 eV, or higher, â-phase Ta dominated the film structure on Si <100> but not on Al substrate. Ta films were deposited in compressive stress with the lowest stress measured for α-phase Ta films deposited with ion energy of 150 eV. A new set of deposition parameters, significantly different than those previously reported, for low temperature growth Ta films with bcc crystallographic structure, desired for most applications, was found. An advantage of the new deposition parameters is relatively simplicity of the required equipment, which can be easily scaled up for an industrial process.