bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The local structure of the welfare state: Uneven effects of social spending on poverty within countries
Authors: Zwiers Merle , Koster Ferry
Published: March 2014

Research has shown that there is a strong negative relationship between social spending and poverty levels. Among urban inequality researchers it is often assumed that, compared with the USA, the welfare state has mitigated social differences explaining lower levels of urban inequality in most European countries. However, research on the role of the welfare state is often conducted on the national level, and is thus unable to draw conclusions on the effects of social spending and redistribution on a lower level, failing to take the within-country variation into account. This study connects welfare state research to urban inequality research by investigating the effects of social spending on poverty in urban and non-urban areas. We have conducted a cross-national multilevel logistic regression analysis using Eurostat and European Social Survey data of 2008. Our findings suggest that the effects of social spending are unequally distributed within countries.
Tax delinquency and abandonment: An expanded model with application to industrial and commercial properties
Authors: Park In Kwon , von Rabenau Burkhard
Published: March 2014

This study expands on the literature of residential abandonment by considering five types of industrial and commercial properties and three levels of explanatory variables – parcel, neighbourhood, and city. Using data for Cleveland, Ohio, it shows that tax policies have a limited impact on abandonment. Instead, two categories of variables not previously modelled are significant and policy relevant. First, the more specialised a property and the greater the cost of conversion to alternative uses, the greater the likelihood of tax delinquency and abandonment, suggesting policies to ease transition to new uses. Second, abandonment spillovers are highly significant even after accounting for neighbourhood common factors. This suggests that spatial solutions such as land use planning may be more effective than tax abatement policies in dealing with abandonment, and approaches to abandonment must be differentiated by type of property. Residential abandonment should be re-examined in light of these findings.
Dynamics of Resource Slack and Constraints: Resource Positions in Action
Authors: Dolmans Sharon A.M. , van Burg Elco , Reymen Isabelle M.M.J. , Romme A. Georges L.
Published: March 2014

Previous studies of the effects of resource slack and constraints on creativity and performance offer contradictory findings. To resolve this debate, some authors operationalize resource slack and constraints in ways that actually may have concealed their underlying complexity and dynamics. This study seeks to demonstrate how perceived resource positions influence entrepreneurial decision making and creativity by drawing on in-depth case studies of three high-tech start-ups. The authors show that resource positions are perceived, relative, transient and multidimensional; that is, they reflect the entrepreneur’s perception of available resources relative to demand. Moreover, perceived resource positions are not static but change over time, and entrepreneurs can experience different types of resource constraints and slack simultaneously. The influence of perceived resource positions on decision making in turn depends on individual, temporal and resource position dynamics. These findings link perceptions of resources to the emergence of organizational ingenuity, by explaining how perceived resource positions influence decision making.
Too fast, too soon? An empirical investigation into rebound relationships
Authors: Brumbaugh Claudia C. , Fraley R. Chris
Published: March 2014

A “rebound relationship” is commonly understood as a relationship that is initiated shortly after a romantic breakup—before the feelings about the former relationship have been resolved. However, little research has examined the consequences of quickly beginning new romantic relationships after another has ended. In two studies we examined people who experienced a breakup and assessed their well-being, their feelings about their ex-partner, and whether they were seeing someone new. Analyses indicated that people in new relationships were more confident in their desirability and had more resolution over their ex-partner. Among those in new relationships, the speed with which they began their relationship was associated with greater psychological and relational health. Overall, these findings suggest that rebound relationships may be more beneficial than typically believed.
A bioregional economy: A green and post-capitalist alternative to an economy of accumulation
Authors: James Rhydian Fôn , Cato Molly Scott
Published: March 2014

Some of the most compelling explanations for the current crisis reasoning comes from a Marxist understanding of how rising inequality and accumulation by dispossession during the neoliberal era led to economic instability. Other arguments put forward tend to ignore the inappropriateness of stimulating aggregate demand in an era when we have already grown beyond the planetary boundary, as evidenced by the crises of land use, climate change, and resource depletion. It may not be possible to address these problems within a reformed capitalism; rather, such a goal can only be met within a post-capitalist ecological economy geared to production for need, not for profit. This paper sets out a post-capitalist alternative drawing from green economics and Marxian economics and applied at a local and regional level.
Synthesis of Research Symposium at CLD’s 35th International Conference on Learning Disabilities
Authors: Reed Deborah K. , Cummings Kelli D. , Allen Elizabeth A. , Weiser Beverly L. , Hott Brittany L. , Smolkowski Keith
Published: March 2014

The Council for Learning Disabilities’ Research Committee hosted a “Must Read” session at the 35th Annual International Conference in which they discussed influential articles published between August 1, 2012, and July 31, 2013. Articles were selected in six areas relevant to learning disabilities research and practice: response to intervention, reading assessment, math assessment, reading instruction, math instruction, and research methods. The six articles presented by the panel are summarized and explained with respect to why they are considered a “Must Read.”
HIV infection and high-risk behaviours in a Paraguayan military population
Authors: Laguna-Torres V Alberto , Aguayo Nicolás , Aguilar Gloria , Ampuero Julia S , Galeano Adolfo , Barboza Alma , Villafane Margarita , Jiménez Liliana , Perez Juan , Kochel Tadeusz J , Halsey Eric S
Published: March 2014

Summary

Between July 2005 and January 2006 we evaluated 1248 Paraguayan active duty military volunteers. Participants provided a blood sample for HIV testing and answered an anonymous survey. HIV seroprevalence was 0.4% (5 of 1248) among participants. The median age at first sexual intercourse was 16 years. Only 14.8% of participants reported condom use with every sexual encounter. Military students used condoms the most. Participants older than 45 years, compared with younger participants, had a fourfold (adjusted odds ratio 4.3) increased risk of not using condoms. Men were less likely to use a condom, more likely to practice anal intercourse, and had more sexual partners than women. Officers and non-commissioned officers were identified to have a twofold (as measured by adjusted odds ratio = 2.00 and 2.22, respectively) increased risk of having more than two sexual partners in the last month compared with students. Both officers and non-commissioned officers were twice as likely as students to practice anal intercourse. Despite the high-risk behaviours reported by those surveyed, HIV seroprevalence in active duty personnel was low. Future efforts should emphasize on the correct condom use keeping focus on the high-risk behaviours of groups at risk, and on routinely testing the military personnel for HIV.
Dry early Holocene revealed by sand dune accumulation chronology in Bayanbulak Basin (Xinjiang, NW China)
Authors: Long Hao , Shen Ji , Tsukamoto Sumiko , Chen Jianhui , Yang Linhai , Frechen Manfred
Published: March 2014

Understanding the Holocene climate changes (especially moisture variation) and their mechanisms in the semiarid–arid Central Asia (SCA) is very important, as water availability is crucial for sustainable developments in this area. This study presents chronostratigraphy of an aeolian sedimentary sequence from Bayanbulak Basin (Xinjiang, NW China), aiming to infer the Holocene moisture history in the SCA. Luminescence dating technique was selected to construct the age framework of the study section. Since the luminescence signal intensity of quartz from the samples was too low to be detected, feldspar was used as an alternative dosimeter. A newly developed post-infrared (IR) IR-stimulated luminescence (IRSL) (pIRIR) dating protocol on K-feldspar was applied to determine the ages of samples. A set of tests on luminescence characteristics was performed and demonstrate that this method is suitable and the resultant ages are reliable. Combined with the stratigraphic investigation on the sand dune/palaeosol section, the results imply a very dry climatic condition characterized by sand dune accumulation at ~9–8 kyr, and a wet interval of 5–1.6 kyr when a soil layer was formed. This moisture variation pattern is consistent with that inferred from many lacustrine records in the SCA, suggesting a widespread dry period at 11–8 kyr. The present results appear to challenge a new stalagmite δ18O sequence, located nearby to Bayanbulak Basin, which instead suggested a humid early Holocene.
Book Review: Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences
Authors: Jain Ravindra , Jain Prachi , Jain Cherry
Published: March 2014

Privitera, Gregory J, Research Methods for the Behavioral Sciences. Thousand Oaks, California: SAGE Publications, 2013, 594 pp., US$ 110 (Hardback). ISBN 978-1-4129-7511-7 (alk.paper)
Patient and Caregiver Incongruence in Advanced Heart Failure
Authors: Kitko Lisa A. , Hupcey Judith E. , Pinto Casey , Palese Maureen
Published: March 2014

The important role of caregivers in heart failure (HF) management is well documented, but few studies have explored HF patient–caregiver dyads when dyadic incongruence is evident. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of incongruence between HF patient–caregiver dyads, areas of incongruence, and the impact on individuals in the dyadic relationship. Data were collected as part of a longitudinal qualitative study examining the palliative care needs of HF dyads. Interviews with dyads determined to be incongruent were further analyzed. Of the 100 dyads, 47 were identified as being incongruent. Dyads were found to be incongruent in illness management, health care issues, and end-of-life decisions. Dyads that were incongruent reported more psychosocial issues and distress within the dyad and individually. Further research is needed to determine the impact of incongruence and whether interventions to modify incongruence will lead to improved HF patient and caregiver outcomes and experiences.
Let’s Get Serious! . . . Really?
Authors: Manz Charles C.
Published: March 2014

As academics, we do work that is both serious and significant. Yet, being too serious can interfere with our performance and enjoyment of the knowledge creation and dissemination work we do as researchers and educators. In this essay, I call for some reflection on the value of not being too serious. I offer some stories and simple prescriptions in the spirit of pursuing career and life balance, personal effectiveness, and, just as importantly, fun as a not-too-serious academic scholar.
Differential effects of a systematic vocabulary intervention on adolescent language minority students with varying levels of English proficiency
Authors: Hwang Jin Kyoung , Lawrence Joshua F. , Mo Elaine , Snow Catherine E.
Published: March 2014

The purpose of this study was to understand the reading performance of subgroups of language minority students and examine whether a research-based academic vocabulary intervention, Word Generation, has differential effects on these students’ academic vocabulary knowledge. Thirteen middle schools, propensity-score matched based on their achievement and demographic data, were randomly assigned to either treatment ( n = 3,539) or control ( n = 2,630) conditions. Students in both conditions were classified as either English-only (EO) or language minority students. The language minority students were further grouped as either being initially fluent English proficient (IFEP), redesignated fluent English proficient (RFEP), or limited English proficient (LEP). Multivariate analysis of variance and hierarchical linear models revealed three important findings. First, while LEP students’ scores on reading measures were significantly below those of the EO students, RFEP students’ scores were comparable to EO students’ scores. In addition, IFEP students’ scores were higher than those of the EO students. Second, there were variations within the RFEP students when they were disaggregated by time since redesignation; RFEP students’ reading scores were positively correlated with time since redesignation. Third, the treatment effect emerged only as an interaction with RFEP status. This study suggests that the benefits of a research-based intervention may vary according to students’ level of English proficiency.
Atmospheric things and circumstantial excursions
Authors: McCormack Derek P.
Published: March 2014

Stories told of the excursions of things are inflected by the properties of those things and by their capacities to move and be moved in different ways. Such stories can also be infused with a sense of the processes and relations from and within which these things – as apparently discrete presences – emerge. Moving in the spacetimes between these ontological and narrative imperatives, this paper tells stories of the excursions of atmospheric things as shaped forms that proposition us as discrete presences while also drawing attention to the clouds of affective and material relations in which they are generatively immersed. These episodic stories turn around the promise of the balloon as an only ever partially dirigible narrative device: a device through which to foreground what, following Michel Serres, we might call the ‘circumstantial’ qualities of atmospheric things.
Simple multi-attribute rating technique for renewable energy deployment decisions (SMART REDD)
Authors: Taylor James M. , Love Betty N.
Published: March 2014

In the effort to provide electrical power service and the sustaining fuel required to run generators at forward-deployed bases in Afghanistan and Iraq over more than 10 years, the US military spent billions of dollars and a paid a heavy toll in terms of human casualties. The green energy linear program for optimizing deployments (GELPOD) proof-of-concept model showed that a linear program could be used to optimize combat deployment of energy generation systems to minimize cost and casualties. Results indicated that reduction in both cost and casualties for renewable energy sources was highly dependent on fuel cost and deployment length. Neglected in the decision making process, however, were factors that impact the operational success of the mission. When deploying combat units, commanders must not only consider potential costs and casualties, they must also contend with battlefield mobility requirements, maintenance capability (or lack thereof), weather, and anticipated hostile action that could affect operational performance. This paper leverages the simple multi-attribute rating technique (SMART), pioneered by Edwards, to attempt to address this deficiency. The resulting simple multi-attribute rating technique for renewable energy deployment decisions (SMART REDD) model allows commanders to take mission attributes into consideration when making decisions on which energy source is most appropriate for the mission as well as providing information on operations costs, expected transportation requirements, and expected casualties.
How Exactly Do I “Let Go”? The Potential of Using ACT to Overcome the Relaxation Paradox
Authors: Wilson Christopher J. , Barnes-Holmes Yvonne , Barnes-Holmes Dermot
Published: March 2014

Relaxation induced anxiety (RIA) or relaxation induced panic (RIP) occurs when a person’s attempts to reduce anxiety result in increased arousal. Such paradoxical increases often occur when relaxation is viewed as the avoidance of anxiety-related experiences. In fact, passivity toward these experiences is necessary for successful relaxation. However, passivity is not always easy to understand. Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) has attracted increasing interest in recent years and adopts a similar position with regard to experiential avoidance. Reviewing literature on the relaxation paradox, this article argues that incorporating elements of ACT into relaxation training might help overcome some problems with passivity in relaxation.
Evaluation and Comparison of Femoral Tunnel Placement During Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction Using 3-Dimensional Computed Tomography
Authors: Dugas Jeffrey R. , Pace Jesse L. , Bolt Becky , Wear Shane A. , Beason David P. , Cain E. Lyle
Published: March 2014

Background:

Advocates of medial portal drilling claim that the transtibial technique results in a more vertical positioning of the graft, which could lead to subsequent failure and/or a residual pivot shift on postoperative examination. However, advocates of transtibial drilling state that with appropriate placement and adequate notchplasty, their technique places the graft in a more anatomically correct position on the wall, negating the resultant potential for pivot shift and early postoperative failure.

Hypothesis:

Transtibial femoral drilling can adequately reproduce the femoral origin of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and place the graft in an anatomical position equivalent to medial portal drilling.

Study Design:

Controlled laboratory study.

Methods:

Ten matched-pair cadaveric knees (N = 20) were scanned using computed tomography (CT), and 3-dimensional images of the native ACL origin were reconstructed. The matched pairs were then randomized into transtibial and medial portal groups. The femoral tunnel was drilled in each knee according to group. A bamboo skewer was placed in the femoral tunnel, and the knees underwent a second CT scan. Arthroscopic notchplasty was performed, and the femoral tunnels were redrilled. Radiographs confirmed placement, and the post-notchplasty tunnel was reamed with a 4-mm reamer. The knees underwent a third CT scan. CT scans compared femoral tunnel placement with the native ACL footprint before and after notchplasty.

Results:

The post-notchplasty transtibial group revealed an average of 68.3% coverage of the native ACL femoral origin. The medial portal group revealed an average of 60.8% coverage, with 1 instance of perforation of the posterior cortex. There were no instances of perforation in the transtibial group.

Conclusion:

Both drilling techniques place the graft in an anatomically correct position.

Clinical Relevance:

Transtibial drilling of the femur can adequately place the entry tunnel at the origin of the ACL’s native footprint.
Reciprocal leukemia-stroma VCAM-1/VLA-4-dependent activation of NF-κB mediates chemoresistance
Authors: Jacamo Rodrigo , Chen Ye , Wang Zhiqiang , Ma Wencai , Zhang Min , Spaeth Erika L. , Wang Ying , Battula Venkata L. , Mak Po Yee , Schallmoser Katharina , Ruvolo Peter , Schober Wendy D. , Shpall Elizabeth J. , Nguyen Martin H. , Strunk Dirk , Bueso-Ramos Carlos E. , Konoplev Sergej , Davis R. Eric , Konopleva Marina , Andreeff Michael
Published: March 2014

Key Points

VCAM-1/VLA-4 triggers reciprocal NF-κB activation in leukemia and stromal cells and mediates cross-talk between leukemia and stromal cells. VCAM-1/VLA-4 and NF-κB signaling plays a pivotal role in the development of leukemia chemoresistance.
How I treat: the clinical differentiation and initial treatment of adult patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome
Authors: Cataland Spero R. , Wu Haifeng M.
Published: March 2014

Published data demonstrating the efficacy of complement inhibition therapy in patients with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) are remarkable in contrast to the historically poor long-term prognosis for aHUS patients treated with plasma-based therapy. Although both aHUS and acquired thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) remain clinical diagnoses, an increased understanding of both conditions has improved our ability to differentiate aHUS from acquired TTP. These same data have also demonstrated the importance of a more rapid identification and diagnosis of aHUS as the recovery of end-organ injury present appears to be related to the time to initiate therapy with eculizumab. The diagnosis of acquired TTP can be confirmed by the finding of severely deficient ADAMTS13 activity (<10%) with evidence of an ADAMTS13 antibody inhibitor whereas merely deficient ADAMTS13 activity in the absence of an ADAMTS13 autoantibody is more consistent with congenital TTP. In the absence of an objective diagnostic test, clinicians must rely collectively on platelet count, serum creatinine, and ADAMTS13 activity in the context of the response to plasma exchange therapy to identify patients whose diagnosis is most consistent with aHUS, and thus be more likely to benefit from therapy with eculizumab.
Awareness regarding eye donation among stakeholders in Srikakulam district in South India
Authors: Ronanki Venkata Ramana , Sheeladevi Sethu , Ramachandran Brinda P , Jalbert Isabelle
Published: March 2014

Background

There is a huge need for the availability of transplantable donor corneas worldwide to reduce the burden of corneal blindness due to corneal opacity. Voluntary eye donation depends on the awareness levels of various stakeholders in the community. This study aimed to assess the awareness level regarding eye donation among various stakeholders in Srikakulam district in the state of Andhra Pradesh, India.

Methods

355 subjects were selected from the district using multi stage random sampling. A pre tested semi structured questionnaire was used to collect information regarding each individual’s awareness, knowledge, and perception regarding eye donation. Each response was scored individually and a total score was calculated. Univariate and multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with willingness towards eye donation and increased awareness levels.

Results

Of the 355 subjects interviewed, 192 (54%) were male and 163 (46%) were female. The mean age of the stakeholders was 35.9 years (SD ±16.1) and all the study subjects were literate. Ninety-three percent of subjects were aware of the concept of eye donation. Knowledge levels were similar among the teaching community and persons engaged in social service, but lower among students (p < 0.05). Among the stakeholders, there was considerable ambiguity regarding whether persons currently wearing spectacles or suffering from a chronic illnesses could donate their eyes. Older age group (p < 0.001), female gender (p < 0.001) and education (p < 0.001) were associated with increased knowledge levels. 82% of the subjects were willing to donate their eyes and this was unaffected by gender or geographical location (rural vs urban).

Conclusions

Awareness levels and willingness to donate eyes are high among the stakeholders in Srikakulam district in India. The services of stakeholders could be utilized, in conjunction with other community based eye donation counselors, to promote awareness regarding eye donation among the general population.
A task-specific interactive game-based virtual reality rehabilitation system for patients with stroke: a usability test and two clinical experiments
Authors: Shin Joon-Ho , Ryu Hokyoung , Jang Seong Ho
Published: March 2014

Background

Virtual reality (VR) is not commonly used in clinical rehabilitation, and commercial VR gaming systems may have mixed effects in patients with stroke. Therefore, we developed RehabMaster™, a task-specific interactive game-based VR system for post-stroke rehabilitation of the upper extremities, and assessed its usability and clinical efficacy.

Methods

A participatory design and usability tests were carried out for development of RehabMaster with representative user groups. Two clinical trials were then performed. The first was an observational study in which seven patients with chronic stroke received 30 minutes of RehabMaster intervention per day for two weeks. The second was a randomised controlled trial of 16 patients with acute or subacute stroke who received 10 sessions of conventional occupational therapy only (OT-only group) or conventional occupational therapy plus 20 minutes of RehabMaster intervention (RehabMaster + OT group). The Fugl-Meyer Assessment score (FMA), modified Barthel Index (MBI), adverse effects, and drop-out rate were recorded.

Results

The requirements of a VR system for stroke rehabilitation were established and incorporated into RehabMaster. The reported advantages from the usability tests were improved attention, the immersive flow experience, and individualised intervention. The first clinical trial showed that the RehabMaster intervention improved the FMA (P= .03) and MBI (P= .04) across evaluation times. The second trial revealed that the addition of RehabMaster intervention tended to enhance the improvement in the FMA (P= .07) but did not affect the improvement in the MBI. One patient with chronic stroke left the trial, and no adverse effects were reported.

Conclusions

The RehabMaster is a feasible and safe VR system for enhancing upper extremity function in patients with stroke.
Immune responses result in misdiagnosis of Schistosoma japonicum by immunodiagnosis kits in egg-positive patients living in a low schistosomiasis transmission area of China
Authors: Xie Shu-Ying , Yuan Min , Ji Min-Jun , Hu Fei , Li Zhao-Jun , Liu Yue-Min , Zeng Xiao-Jun , Chen Hong-Gen , Wu Hai-Wei , Lin Dan-Dan
Published: March 2014

Background

In recent field surveys, we failed to detect the presence of specific antibody againstSchistosoma japonicumin some egg-positive patients by commonly used immunodiagnostic kits. To find out whether low levels of specific antibody truly exist among egg-positive individuals and elucidate the underlying immune mechanisms, we carried out a cross-sectional epidemiologic study in aS. japonicumlow transmission endemic area of Poyang Lake region, China and compared the humoral and cellular immune characteristics betweenS. japonicumhigh and low antibody responders.

Methods

Kato–Katz thick smear assay was used to determine the schistosomiasis status of 3,384 participants residing in two Poyang Lake region villages, Jiangxi, China. Among the 142 stool egg-positive participants, we identified low and highS. japonicumantibody responders with soluble egg antigen (SEA) and adult worm antigen (AWA) specific IgG levels by adopting ROC curve analysis. To compare the humoral and cellular immune responses between high and lowS. japonicumantibody responders, serum specific antibody levels as well as the percentage of T lymphocyte subpopulation in PMBC, and cell stimulated cytokines (IFN- gamma and interlukin-10) were detected.

Results

EightS. japonicumegg-positive participants were defined as low antibody responders. Although the percentage of CD3+T cells in low responders was slightly higher and the percentage of CD4+T cells, CD8+T cells, the ratio of CD4+/CD8+and CD4+CD25+Treg cells were lower than those in high responders, the differences between the two groups were not significant (P > 0.05). AWA -stimulated interlukin-10 level was significantly higher in high responders, while other cytokines did not show differences between two groups. For antibody profiles, except AWA specific IgA, significant differences of each antibody isotype between low and high responders were detected (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

Our study confirmed that there areS. japonicumantibody low responders among schistosome egg-positive residents inS. japonicumlow-transmission areas in China. Thus, mis-diagnosis using immune-diagnosis kits do exist. Significant differences of responding antibody levels between low and high responders were detected, while no major cellular response changes were observed.
The role of the cytosolic HSP70 chaperone system in diseases caused by misfolding and aberrant trafficking of ion channels
Authors: Young Jason C.
Published: March 2014

Protein-folding diseases are an ongoing medical challenge. Many diseases within this group are genetically determined, and have no known cure. Among the examples in which the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms are well understood are diseases driven by misfolding of transmembrane proteins that normally function as cell-surface ion channels. Wild-type forms are synthesized and integrated into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane system and, upon correct folding, are trafficked by the secretory pathway to the cell surface. Misfolded mutant forms traffic poorly, if at all, and are instead degraded by the ER-associated proteasomal degradation (ERAD) system. Molecular chaperones can assist the folding of the cytosolic domains of these transmembrane proteins; however, these chaperones are also involved in selecting misfolded forms for ERAD. Given this dual role of chaperones, diseases caused by the misfolding and aberrant trafficking of ion channels (referred to here as ion-channel-misfolding diseases) can be regarded as a consequence of insufficiency of the pro-folding chaperone activity and/or overefficiency of the chaperone ERAD role. An attractive idea is that manipulation of the chaperones might allow increased folding and trafficking of the mutant proteins, and thereby partial restoration of function. This Review outlines the roles of the cytosolic HSP70 chaperone system in the best-studied paradigms of ion-channel-misfolding disease – the CFTR chloride channel in cystic fibrosis and the hERG potassium channel in cardiac long QT syndrome type 2. In addition, other ion channels implicated in ion-channel-misfolding diseases are discussed.
Preface
Authors: Ahlberg Per
Published: March 2014

The 15th International Conference on Physical Organic Chemistry (ICPOC 15) was held on the west coast of Sweden in the heart of Scandinavia in central Göteborg on 8–13 July 2000 in the middle of the summer. The conference was the first in the series to be held in the Nordic countries of Europe. IUPAC Conferences on Physical Organic Chemistry are for physical organic chemists working in all fields of science and its applications. ICPOC 15 covered progress in physical organic chemistry and emphasized its interaction with other sciences.In particular, those ways in which physical organic chemistry has crept into some "hot "fields were highlighted.

The conference attracted 268 active participants and 51 accompanying persons. The program comprised 14 plenary lectures, 30 invited lectures, 75 oral contributions, 119 poster presentations, and 3 after-lunch concerts. The organizers are grateful for support from IUPAC, The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences through its Nobel Institute for Chemistry, The Swedish National Committee for Chemistry, The Swedish Chemical Society, and Organic Chemistry at Göteborg University.

Per Ahlberg

Chairman, ICPOC 15
Preface
Authors: Mapolie Selwyn
Published: March 2014

CHEMRAWN XII was the first of the CHEMRAWN series of conferences to be held in Southern Africa. CHEMRAWN (chemical research applied to world needs) is a standing committee of IUPAC and has over the years organized a number of important conferences focusing on specific issues of global interests. These conferences often bring together scientists, government leaders and policy makers to address major global issues which could be resolved via chemistry. CHEMRAWN XII took place at Stellenbosch University, South Africa over the period 2-5 December 2007. Delegates came from all over Africa as well as from other parts of the developed and developing world. The conference was organized along the following broad themes:

- adequate, safe, and affordable food for Africa

- African agriculture in a global context: chemistry as the enabler

- securing and sustaining water and soil quality for agricultural production

- technologies to reduce post-harvest food loss

- the role of agriculture in building a sustainable energy base

- the role of chemicals in sustainable agriculture

- the safe development and application of biotechnology in agricultural production

- value-added and niche chemicals from agricultural produce

This issue of Pure and Applied Chemistry (PAC) contains some of the papers presented at CHEMRAWNXII. The topics of these papers encompass many of the major themes of the conference andreflect the varied contributions of speakers from a range of countries. It is heartening to see papers fromresearchers based at institutions in developing countries. I would like to thank all those colleagues whomade the effort to submit full manuscripts arising from their lectures at the conference.

Selwyn Mapolie

Conference Editor
Preface
Authors: Lanzetta Rosa , Nicotra Francesco
Published: March 2014

The European Carbohydrate Organization (ECO), under the auspices of IUPAC and the cosponsorship of the Italian Chemical Society, organized the 16th European Carbohydrate Symposium (Eurocarb-16), in Sorrento (Napoli), Italy on 3-7 July 2011, during the International Year of Chemistry.

More than 700 participants representing 46 different countries participated; the scientific program covered all the chemical, biological, biophysical, and biotechnological aspects of carbohydrates; and more than 150 oral communications, 28 invited lectures, 10 plenary lectures, and 2 awarded plenary lectures, as well as 400 poster contributions were presented.

Following the tradition of the previous meetings, the Emil-Fischer Carbohydrate Award and the Carbohydrate Research Award were presented during the opening ceremony.

The papers published in this issue of Pure and Applied Chemistry (PAC) give a good cross-section of the topics covered at Eurocarb-16, including: synthetic procedures developed on multifunctional molecules such as carbohydrates; design and synthesis of bioactive carbohydrates of pharmaceutical interest; structural studies on very complex carbohydrate molecules and their dynamic interactions; carbo hydrate-based tools for biological applications such as PNA-sugar conjugates; and carbohydratebased synthetic ion transporters and glyco-nanoparticles. These are just some examples of the contributions presented.

We are grateful to the contributors, who permit the readers to have an idea of how carbohydrate chemistry can concur with the development of chemistry in different and multidisciplinary areas, with relevant applications of social interest. Eurocarb-17 will take place in Tel Aviv 7-11 July 2013.

Rosa Lanzetta and Francesco Nicotra

Conference Co-chairs and Editors
Preface
Authors: King Benjamin T.
Published: March 2014

The 14th International Symposium on Novel Aromatic Compounds (ISNA-14), held in Eugene, OR, USA from 24 to 29 July 2011, dealt with broad themes: molecular design, geometry, and function, realized through the hands of chemists. Aromatic compounds underlie these themes in the same way that stone and steel underlie architecture. Indeed, the ISNA conferences have been central to the development of the architectural approach to chemistry.

The 256 ISNA-14 participants came from around the globe and enjoyed 62 talks, 148 posters, and a fine social program. The Nozoe Lecture, delivered by Prof. Peter Bäuerle of the University of Ulm, initiated an avalanche of outstanding science that lasted five days. The participation of many first-time attendees and seasoned ISNA veterans demonstrated the continuing vitality of the ISNA series and bodes well for ISNA-15, to be held in Taipei, Taiwan from 28 July to 2 August 2013.

The University of Oregon was a delightful venue for the conference. Excursions to the ocean and to vineyards provided opportunities to meet old friends, make new ones, and see this lovely corner of the world. And, lo and behold, it did not rain!

This issue of Pure and Applied Chemistry is a microcosm of ISNA-14, reflecting the thoughts, trends, scientific style, and problems addressed. The compilation of papers is synergistic and tells us more than each story taken separately—it tells us what chemists are thinking about now. I hope this issue might today pique the curiosity and creativity of a new investigator or might tomorrow reveal the key role played by novel aromatic compounds in the development of chemistry.

Benjamin T. King

Conference Co-chair
Exhibition Review
Authors: Maier Danica
Published: March 2014

Kaunas Biennial: UNITEXT M. Žilinskas Art Gallery of National Museum of M. K. Čiurlionis, and various locations in Kaunas, Lithuania, 13 September–31 December 2013
Shifting values: The promotional policies of craft and industrial design in Flanders (1980–2001)
Authors: Gimeno-Martínez Javier
Published: March 2014

This article looks at the shifts in cultural promotion of craft as a result of a particular political conjuncture in the region of Flanders (Belgium). In 1991, as a consequence of Belgian federalization, the promotion policies for craft in Flanders passed from being answerable to the Belgian state to being answerable to the regional Flemish government. This political change brought about cultural consequences. Industrial design entered the promotional channels that until then had been preserved for craft, and became a dominant referent that dictated its further evolution. Before this, craft had been a site for diversity of material discourses in which the decorative, the figurative and the minimalistic coexisted. In the late 1990s however, this diversity was lost and craft offered a homogeneous sight, characterized by the minimalistic and non-figurative. This article argues that non-creative aspects turned out to be decisive in this struggle between craft and industrial design. More specifically, the fact that promotional policies of craft and industrial design became answerable to economic institutions from the Belgian federalisation onwards enhanced the importance of industrial design and reduced the relevance of craft. This research utilizes a historical politico-aesthetic perspective to analyse the relationship between political and ideological superstructure, and cultural and artistic practices to explain the changes in the aesthetic and stylistic appearance of craft.
Deconstruction, legibility and space: Four experimental typographic practices
Authors: Ayiter Elif , Yazıcıgil Onur , Çetin Sina Cem , Türkmen Doruk
Published: March 2014

In this article we wish to present the typographic experimentations of four designers, each of whom looks at typography and its implementations from different viewpoints; however with similar goals – namely to investigate how typographic systems can be implemented, their attributes as carriers of semantic meaning be redefined, and/or their functions be improved upon within the digital medium that presents challenges as well as opportunities that enable graphic designers to reach well beyond the traditional medium of typographic work; i.e., printed paper. The article will examine these four projects under the umbrella concept of Deconstruction, also extending into a consideration of Legibility; setting them forth as examples of the impact that the digital medium has brought to bear upon typographic practice in recent decades.
On the empirical separability of news shocks and sunspots
Authors: Sorge Marco M.
Published: March 2014

In this note we discuss the possibility of empirically evaluating the relative importance of different drivers of forecast errors in linear rational expectations frameworks, using the predictions generated by the theory. By means of a few simple examples, we show that, when accounting for indeterminate equilibria, empirical difficulties are likely to arise in distinguishing between determinate models driven by news shocks or rather by indeterminate ones under non-fundamental – or arbitrarily related to fundamentals – sunspot noise.
Micro credit and territory: Portugal as a case study
Authors: Afonso Joana , Mota Isabel , Silva Sandra
Published: March 2014

This paper studies the relations between micro credit and territory, assuming that micro credit is an important instrument for fighting against poverty and social exclusion. Based on a micro-level database provided by ANDC (Associação Nacional de Direito ao Crédito), a statistical and econometric study has been undertaken in order to identify the territorial idiosyncrasies associated with the employment of micro credit in Portugal. Focusing on the survival of micro credit projects during the period 2006-2009, our study demonstrates the significance for a firm’s survival of variables such as population density, value added growth in each activity and promoters’ qualifications, as well as two regional dummies.
The dynamics of employer enterprise creation in Portugal over the last two decades: a firm size, regional and sectoral perspective
Authors: Sarmento Elsa De Morais , Nunes Alcina
Published: March 2014

The Portuguese economy underwent a process of growth and structural transformation during the twentieth century, while the last two decades conveyed a period of considerable creative destruction of firms. Indeed, following a period of rapid economic expansion in the second half of the 1990s, the deterioration of the economic situation felt since 2001 contributed to the deceleration of economic growth, which has also had an impact on firm turbulence. Using Quadros de Pessoal and the Eurostat and OECD methodology (Manual on Business Demography Statistics), this article describes employer enterprise dynamics in Portugal over 1985-2007, and discusses the main stylized facts related to firm creation, performance, and firm size distribution by region and sector.
Financiamento público à I&D empresarial em Portugal
Authors: Carvalho Adão
Published: March 2014

The will to foster a knowledge-based economy has led many countries, including Portugal, to a greater compromise with public policies to stimulate business R&D. The general trend to design policies in accordance with the political goals set for business R&D intensity is the visible expression of the mission that governments have accepted to that end. Recent changes in the public policies to foster business R&D raise or revive issues at different levels that deserve a critical analysis that is not taking place, namely in Portugal. This paper makes a contribution to the discussion about the role and the limits of the public policies to stimulate business R&D by estimating the weight of the public support of business R&D in Portugal and analyzing its evolution from 1997 to 2010. There has been a sustained growth of the public funding of business R&D as percentage of GDP over the period that reached 0.13% in 2009; as a percentage of BERD, the evolution has been irregular but the level of support has been quite high, sometimes over 18%.
Scientific research publication productivity in the areas of mathematics and physics in south eastern Europe
Authors: Kutlaca Djuro , Zivkovic Lazar , Strbac Dijana , Babic Dragan , Semencenko Dusica
Published: March 2014

The paper presents the scientific publication productivity, registered in Web
of Science (WoS) databases in two fields of science, Mathematics and Physics,
for authors from countries of South East Europe (SEE).Using Revealed
Publication Advantage (RPA) indicator calculated for SEE countries, policy
makers could get insight into the scientific publication productivity of SEE
countries, in these two scientific fields, compared with the world average.
The scientific output in Mathematics and Physics from the SEE region
represents majority of the overall scientific output in every particular
country in this region. The scientific output in Mathematics and Physics from
the SEE region is comparable with those of other research groups in the
world. When analysing Web of Science publications by field of research,
Mathematics represents 2.1% of the total worldwide scientific production,
while Physics accounts for 8.8%, giving a total of 10.9% for Physics and
Mathematics combined - over 1,547,187 publications in the period 2005-2010.
In South East Europe, Mathematics is 3.5% of the total scientific production,
while Physics is 9.6% - bringing the total for Physics and Mathematics to
13.1%.
Melanoma of the Hand: Current Practice and New Frontiers
Authors: Turner John , Rinker Brian
Published: March 2014

Melanoma of the hand represents a complicated clinical entity. Anatomic features of the hand create challenges in successful management of melanoma not encountered elsewhere in the body. The objectives of this article are to outline current standards for managing melanoma of the hand including diagnosis, surgical, and chemotherapeutic management. Particular emphasis will be placed on currently debated topics of the role of sentinel lymph node biopsy, the role of Mohs micrographic surgery, tissue sparing management of subungual melanoma, and the consideration of melanoma of the hand as a distinct entity based on clinical and molecular studies.
A MIXED JOINT UNIVERSALITY THEOREM FOR ZETA-FUNCTIONS. II
Authors: Pocevičienė Vaida , Šiaučiūnas Darius
Published: March 2014

In the paper, a joint universality theorem on the approximation of analytic functions for zeta-function of a normalized Hecke eigen cusp form and a collection of periodic Hurwitz zeta-functions with algebraically independent parameters is obtained.
Intrahepatic Innate Lymphoid Cells Secrete IL-17A and IL-17F That Are Crucial for T Cell Priming in Viral Infection
Authors: Jie Zuliang , Liang Yuejin , Hou Lifei , Dong Chen , Iwakura Yoichiro , Soong Lynn , Cong Yingzi , Sun Jiaren
Published: March 2014

Intrahepatic cell-derived, early IL-17 is important for activating APCs in viral infection; however, the source and regulation of this IL-17 surge in the liver microenvironment are not well defined. In this article, we present evidence for a significant expansion of IL-17A/F–producing cells in mouse liver within 24 h of adenovirus infection. In addition to γδ T cells, a subset of IL-17A/F+ cells expressed no myeloid or lymphoid lineage markers. Instead, they expressed high levels of stem cell markers, IL-7R and RORγt, consistent with the newly described innate lymphoid cells (ILCs). Based on their unique surface markers and cytokine profiles, these cells were confirmed as group 3 ILCs. In addition to adenovirus infection, group 3 ILCs were also found in mouse liver within 24 h of lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus infection. They contributed significantly to the establishment of the early cytokine milieu in virus-infected liver. Functional studies with mice deficient of IL-17R, IL-17A, and IL-17F further revealed that IL-17 signaling was critical for priming T cell responses in viral hepatitis. IL-17A repressed IL-17F secretion in vitro and in vivo; IL-17F+ intrahepatic cells expanded more vigorously in IL-17A knockout animals, permitting efficient Ag presentation and T cell function. However, IL-17F neither inhibited IL-17A in vitro nor regulated its secretion in vivo. Together, this study has demonstrated the importance of a unique intrahepatic subpopulation and subsequent IL-17A/F regulation at initial stages of viral infection in the liver. These results have important implications for anticytokine biologic therapy and vaccine development.