bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Gene polymorphisms and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Authors: Wu Xiaodan , Yuan Bowei , López Elena , Bai Chunxue , Wang Xiangdong
Published: November 2013

The genetic component was suggested to contribute to the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a major and growing public health burden. The present review aims to characterize the evidence that gene polymorphisms contribute to the aetiology of COPD and related traits, and explore the potential relationship between certain gene polymorphisms and COPD susceptibility, severity, lung function, phenotypes, or drug effects, even though limited results from related studies lacked consistency. Most of these studies were association studies, rather than confirmatory studies. More large‐sized and strictly controlled studies are needed to prove the relationship between gene polymorphisms and the reviewed traits. More importantly, prospective confirmatory studies beyond initial association studies will be necessary to evaluate true relationships between gene polymorphisms and COPD and help individualized treatment for patients with COPD.
Relationship between periodontal disease and subclinical atherosclerosis: The Dong‐gu study
Authors: Jung Young‐Suk , Shin Min‐Ho , Kim Il‐Shin , Kweon Sun‐Seog , Lee Young‐Hoon , Kim Ok‐Joon , Kim Young‐Joon , Chung Hyun‐Ju , Kim Ok‐Su
Published: November 2013

Aim

We assessed the association of periodontal disease and number of missing teeth with subclinical atherosclerosis in an adult Korean population.

Materials and Methods

Cross‐sectional data from 5404 individuals aged ≥50 years were obtained from the 2008–2010 Dong‐gu study. Periodontal examinations were conducted to determine the number of missing teeth, pocket depth (PD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), and bleeding on probing (BOP). The percentages of sites with PD ≥ 4 mm (PD 4%), CAL ≥ 4 mm (CAL 4%), and BOP (BOP%) were recorded for each participant. B‐mode ultrasound was performed to determine common carotid artery intima–media thickness (CCA IMT) and the presence of carotid plaques. Multivariate linear regression models were used to assess the associations between periodontal parameters and CCA IMT and carotid plaque.

Results

Number of missing teeth was associated with increased CCA IMT, and BOP% was associated with increased CCA IMT in females only. This association was robust in never smokers.

Conclusions

The number of missing teeth was associated with CCA IMT, and BOP% was associated with CCA IMT in females only. These associations were robust in never smokers. Our results suggest that tooth loss due to oral disease may play a role in subclinical carotid atherosclerosis.
Serotype‐dependent response of human dendritic cells stimulated with Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans
Authors: Díaz‐Zúñiga Jaime , Yáñez Juan Pablo , Alvarez Carla , Melgar‐Rodríguez Samanta , Hernández Marcela , Sanz Mariano , Vernal Rolando
Published: November 2013

Aim

Different serotypes of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans have been described based on the lipopolysaccharide (LPS)‐O‐polysaccharide antigenicity. In turn, a distinct effect of A. actinomycetemcomitans serotypes has been described on cell proliferation and pro‐inflammatory cytokine production in different human cells. This study was aimed to investigate the differential dendritic cell (DC) response when stimulated with different bacterial strains belonging to the most prevalent serotypes of A. actinomycetemcomitans (a–c).

Materials and Methods

Dendritic cells were obtained from healthy subjects and stimulated with increasing multiplicity of infection (MOI = 10−1−102) of A. actinomycetemcomitans, serotypes a–c, or their lipopolysaccharide (10‐50 ng/ml). The levels for interferon (IFN)‐γ, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)‐α, interleukin (IL)‐1β, IL‐5, IL‐6, IL‐10, IL‐12 and IL‐23 were quantified by real‐time RT‐PCR and ELISA.

Results

Variable DC responses were detected when stimulated with the different strains of A. actinomycetemcomitans. DCs stimulated with A. actinomycetemcomitans strains belonging to the serotype b or their purified LPS expressed higher levels of IL‐1β, IL‐6, IL‐12, IL‐23, IFN‐γ and TNF‐α than DCs stimulated with the other serotypes.

Conclusions

Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans strains belonging to the serotype b demonstrated a higher capacity to trigger Th1 and Th17‐type cytokine production on DCs. These increased potential is likely explained by a higher immunogenicity of their LPS.
Randomized controlled effectiveness trial of executive function intervention for children on the autism spectrum
Authors: Kenworthy Lauren , Anthony Laura Gutermuth , Naiman Daniel Q. , Cannon Lynn , Wills Meagan C. , Luong‐Tran Caroline , Werner Monica Adler , Alexander Katie C. , Strang John , Bal Elgiz , Sokoloff Jennifer L. , Wallace Gregory L.
Published: November 2013

Background

Unstuck and On Target (UOT) is an executive function (EF) intervention for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) targeting insistence on sameness, flexibility, goal‐setting, and planning through a cognitive‐behavioral program of self‐regulatory scripts, guided/faded practice, and visual/verbal cueing. UOT is contextually‐based because it is implemented in school and at home, the contexts in which a child uses EF skills.

Methods

To evaluate the effectiveness of UOT compared with a social skills intervention (SS), 3rd–5th graders with ASD (mean IQ = 108; UOT n = 47; SS n = 20) received interventions delivered by school staff in small group sessions. Students were matched for gender, age, race, IQ, ASD symptomotolgy, medication status, and parents' education. Interventions were matched for ‘dose’ of intervention and training. Measures of pre–post change included classroom observations, parent/teacher report, and direct child measures of problem‐solving, EF, and social skills. Schools were randomized and evaluators, but not parents or teachers, were blinded to intervention type.

Results

Interventions were administered with high fidelity. Children in both groups improved with intervention, but mean change scores from pre‐ to postintervention indicated significantly greater improvements for UOT than SS groups in: problem‐solving, flexibility, and planning/organizing. Also, classroom observations revealed that participants in UOT made greater improvements than SS participants in their ability to follow rules, make transitions, and be flexible. Children in both groups made equivalent improvements in social skills.

Conclusions

These data support the effectiveness of the first contextually‐based EF intervention for children with ASD. UOT improved classroom behavior, flexibility, and problem‐solving in children with ASD. Individuals with variable background/training in ASD successfully implemented UOT in mainstream educational settings.
Unthinking Modernity: Historical‐Sociological, Epistemological and Logical Pathways
Authors: Ascione Gennaro
Published: November 2013

Modernity remains the privileged theoretical frame and narrative for long term processes at the global scale, notwithstanding the heterogeneously contested definition of its spatiotemporal coordinates, the irreconcilability of contradictions inherent to its alleged emancipatory power and the accusations of complicity with Eurocentrism. This article explores some logical, epistemological and historical‐sociological contradictions inherent in the effort to produce non‐euorcentric categories of social and historical analysis, and explains why such an effort is doomed to failure if modernity keeps on being accepted as the epistemic territory within which such an effort is located. Eurocentrism is thus defined as palingenetic, to the extent it constantly shifts its contextual meaning while reformulating European centrality in different and ever‐changing modalities; such properties of Eurocentrism as a paradigm are conceptualized in terms of its ability to operate by means of consequential isomorphism. Evidences from recent debates in history of scientific modernity are considered, in order to articulate analytical tensions between connected histories and dialogical civilizational narratives of East and West relation at the global scale. The impossibility to explain the ‘why’ of modernity according to a coherent ‘how’ of modernity without falling into Eurocentric structures of thinking is assessed. Finally, theoretical project of “unthinking modernity” is introduced as a possible way to reframe the problem of Eurocentric limits in historical and social sciences.
What Do Urban Black Mothers Tell Their Adolescents About Alcohol and Other Drugs?
Authors: Zaharakis Nikola M. , Taylor Katherine A. , Kliewer Wendy
Published: November 2013

This study utilized qualitative content analysis to examine messages conveyed about alcohol and other drugs by urban Black mothers (N = 130) with a personal, familial, or personal and familial history of problematic substance use to younger and older adolescents (M = 15.2 years). Data from a two‐cohort longitudinal sample revealed considerable similarity in themes across the younger and older cohorts. Results suggest Black mothers offer more messages of information and advice to younger adolescents, while communicating directives related to use to older adolescents.
Carbimazole‐associated hypersensitivity vasculitis in a cat
Authors: Bowlt K. , Cattin I. , Stewart J.
Published: November 2013

Feline hyperthyroidism can be treated medically, surgically or with radioactive iodine. Carbimazole inhibits both triiodothyronine and thyroxine synthesis in the thyroid gland and reported side effects include mild eosinophilia, leucopenia and lymphocytosis, thrombocytopenia, elevated liver enzyme activities, gastrointestinal signs and skin abnormalities. This case report describes a cat with carbimazole‐associated apparent hypersensitivity vasculitis causing digital and tail necrosis, with multiple renal infarcts. Withdrawal of carbimazole resulted in stable disease.
The Priority Principle from Kant to Frege
Authors: Heis Jeremy
Published: November 2013

In a famous passage (A68/B93), Kant writes that “the understanding can make no other use of […] concepts than that of judging by means of them.” Kant's thought is often called the thesis of the priority of judgments over concepts. We find a similar sounding priority thesis in Frege: “it is one of the most important differences between my mode of interpretation and the Boolean mode […] that I do not proceed from concepts, but from judgments.” Many interpreters have thought that Frege's priority principle is close to (or at least derivable from) Kant's. I argue that it is not. Nevertheless, there was a gradual historical development that began with Kant's priority thesis and culminated in Frege's new logic.
Influence of Uridine Diphosphate‐Glucuronyltransferase 2B7 (UGT2B7) Variants on Postoperative Buprenorphine Analgesia
Authors: Sastre José A. , Varela Gonzalo , López Mónica , Muriel Clemente , González‐Sarmiento Rogelio
Published: November 2013

Background

Genetic factors are known to influence individual differences in pain and sensitivity to analgesics. Different genetic polymorphisms in opioid‐metabolizing enzymes that can affect the analgesic response to opioids have been proposed. This study investigates a possible difference in the response to postoperative buprenorphine analgesia related to the presence of different isoforms (cytosine or thymine substitution at nucleotide 802) of UGT2B7 gene.

Methods

Transdermal buprenorphine was administered to 91 patients who underwent muscle‐sparing thoracotomy. UGT2B7 polymorphism at locus C802T (His268Tyr) was detected using a PCR Taqman‐based procedure. The severity of postoperative pain at rest and during coughing or deep inspiration was assessed by visual analog scale score after surgery. Hospital stay and perioperative opioid consumption were collected.

Results

Genotype frequencies were 18.4% for UGT2B7*1/*1, 52.9% for UGT2B7*1/*2, and 28.7% for UGT2B7*2/*2. VAS pain scores at rest were statistically similar among the groups except at 24, 60, and 120 hours (UGT2B7*2/*2 genotype showing higher pain scores). Patients with the UGT2B7*2/*2 genotype showed higher VAS scores triggered by coughing after the 48 hours (P < 0.05). In addition, patients with this genotype reported a higher prevalence of severe pain after 48 postoperative hours (P < 0.05). Thirty‐eight percent of patients carrying genotype UGT2B7*2/*2 experienced severe pain in a final survey vs. 17% in the group with UGT2B7*1/*1 (P = 0.36).

Conclusions

The presence of the SNP 802C>T UGT2B7 (UGT2B7*2/*2) is associated with a worse analgesic response to transdermal buprenorphine in the postoperative period of thoracic surgery.
Inhibition of germination of dormant barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grains by blue light as related to oxygen and hormonal regulation
Authors: HOANG HAI HA , SECHET JULIEN , BAILLY CHRISTOPHE , LEYMARIE JULIETTE , CORBINEAU FRANÇOISE
Published: November 2013

Germination of primary dormant barley grains is promoted by darkness and temperatures below 20 °C, but is strongly inhibited by blue light. Exposure under blue light at 10 °C for periods longer than five days, results in a progressive inability to germinate in the dark, considered as secondary dormancy. We demonstrate that the inhibitory effect of blue light is reinforced in hypoxia. The inhibitory effect of blue light is associated with an increase in embryo abscisic acid (ABA) content (by 3.5‐ to 3.8‐fold) and embryo sensitivity to both ABA and hypoxia. Analysis of expression of ABA metabolism genes shows that increase in ABA mainly results in a strong increase in HvNCED1 and HvNCED2 expression, and a slight decrease in HvABA8′OH‐1. Among the gibberellins (GA) metabolism genes examined, blue light decreases the expression of HvGA3ox2, involved in GA synthesis, increases that of GA2ox3 and GA2ox5, involved in GA catabolism, and reduces the GA signalling evaluated by the HvExpA11 expression. Expression of secondary dormancy is associated with maintenance of high embryo ABA content and a low HvExpA11 expression. The partial reversion of the inhibitory effect of blue light by green light also suggests that cryptochrome might be involved in this hormonal regulation.
Impact of Ultra‐Rapid Freezing on the Motility, Morphology, Viability and Acrosome Integrity of Epididymal Cat Sperm Diluted in Sucrose‐Based Extenders
Authors: Vizuete G , Jiménez E , Agüera EI , Pérez‐Marín CC
Published: November 2013

Contents

The objective of the present study was to investigate the influence of different sucrose‐based extenders on the motility, morphology, viability and acrosomal integrity of epididymal cat spermatozoa cryopreserved by ultra‐rapid freezing method. Nine cats were castrated, and collected semen was diluted 1 : 1 with Dulbecco`s phosphate‐buffered saline‐BSA1%‐based extender supplemented with different sucrose concentrations (0, 0.25, 0.4 and 0.6 m). After ultra‐rapid freezing, samples were thawed and sperm motility, morphology, viability and acrosome status were assessed. At thawing, the number of progressively motile (p < 0.01) and morphologically normal (p < 0.01) sperm was higher in the sucrose‐supplemented groups than in the sucrose‐free group. Viability of spermatozoa cryopreserved without sucrose was significantly reduced. In extender supplemented with 0.4 msucrose, spermatozoa viability showed higher values (57.0 ± 4.7; p < 0.01). No significant differences were detected among groups for sperm acrosome integrity. Results support that cat sperm survive after ultra‐rapid freezing using sucrose as a cryoprotectant, and the best results were achieved when 0.4 mof sucrose was used. This is the first report on sperm ultra‐rapid freezing of cat sperm and further studies on extenders, sperm management or cryovials should be carried out to improve sperm cryosurvival.
Lack of efficacy of neuromuscular electrical stimulation of the lower limbs in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease patients: A meta‐analysis
Authors: Pan Lei , Guo YongZhong , Liu Xunchao , Yan Junhong
Published: November 2013

Randomized controlled trials (RCT) were carried out to investigate the role of neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, these studies have small sample size and different measures for evaluating outcomes, and convey inconclusive results. We carried out a meta‐analysis to assess the effects of NMES to COPD patients.

A computerized search was performed through PubMed and Embase databases (up to December 2012) for relevant RCT. Two investigators independently screened the articles. The primary outcome measures were quadriceps strength and exercise capacity, secondary outcomes included dyspnoea and muscle fibre characteristics. The weighted mean difference (WMD) or standardized mean difference and the 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated, and the heterogeneity was assessed with the I2 test.

Eight trials involving 156 patients were included in this meta‐analysis. We found that NMES was not associated with significant changes in quadriceps strength (standardized mean difference 0.38; 95% CI: −0.13–0.89) nor 6 min walk distance (WMD 13.63 m; 95% CI: −17.39–44.65). NMES failed to improve the muscle fibre characteristics (type I: WMD 1.09%; 95% CI: −19.45–21.64; type IIa: WMD −7.50%; 95% CI: −19.81–4.81). NMES significantly improved dyspnoea (WMD −0.98 scores; 95% CI: −1.42– −0.54).

Evidence to support the benefits of NMES to COPD patients is currently inadequate. Larger‐scale studies are needed to investigate the efficacy of NMES.
Reporting of exercise attendance rates for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A systematic review
Authors: Williams Marie T. , Lewis Lucy K. , McKeough Zoe , Holland Anne E. , Lee Annemarie , McNamara Renae , Phillips Anna , Wiles Louise , Knapman Leona , Wootton Sally , Milross Maree , Effing Tanja
Published: November 2013

While recommendations for the duration, frequency, mode and intensity of exercise programmes for people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are specified in consensus statements, criteria for exercise session attendance are less clear. The review questions were: (i) how commonly are a priori criteria and attendance rates reported for people with COPD participating in exercise programmes and (ii) what is the strength of association between attendance and improvements in functional exercise capacity. Database searches identified primary studies of people with COPD participating in exercise or pulmonary rehabilitation programmes of at least 2 weeks duration. Primary outcomes were a priori criteria for attendance, reports of attendance at supervised exercise sessions and mean improvements in functional exercise assessments. Data extraction processes were confirmed prospectively (>80% agreement). Variants of exercise attendance data were described. Linear associations between attendance and improvements in exercise outcomes were explored (Pearson r, P < 0.05). Of the 234 included studies, 86 (37%) reported attendance and 29 (12%) provided a priori criteria for attendance. In the small sample of studies which reported attendance and functional exercise data before and after the intervention, there was little to no relationship between improvements in functional exercise capacity and training volume (prescribed r = −0.03, P = 0.88; attended r = −0.24, P = 0.18). Reporting of exercise programme attendance rates is low and of variable quality for people with COPD. Consistent and explicit reporting of exercise attendance in people with COPD will enable calculation of dose–response relationships and determine the value of a priori exercise attendance criteria.
Broadening the trans‐contextual model of motivation: A study with Spanish adolescents
Authors: González‐Cutre D. , Sicilia Á. , Beas‐Jiménez M. , Hagger M. S.
Published: November 2013

The original trans‐contextual model of motivation proposed that autonomy support from teachers develops students' autonomous motivation in physical education (PE), and that autonomous motivation is transferred from PE contexts to physical activity leisure‐time contexts, and predicts attitudes, perceived behavioral control and subjective norms, and forming intentions to participate in future physical activity behavior. The purpose of this study was to test an extended trans‐contextual model of motivation including autonomy support from peers and parents and basic psychological needs in a Spanish sample. School students (n = 400) aged between 12 and 18 years completed measures of perceived autonomy support from three sources, autonomous motivation and constructs from the theory of planned behavior at three different points in time and in two contexts, PE and leisure‐time. A path analysis controlling for past physical activity behavior supported the main postulates of the model. Autonomous motivation in a PE context predicted autonomous motivation in a leisure‐time physical activity context, perceived autonomy support from teachers predicted satisfaction of basic psychological needs in PE, and perceived autonomy support from peers and parents predicted need satisfaction in leisure‐time. This study provides a cross‐cultural replication of the trans‐contextual model of motivation and broadens it to encompass basic psychological needs.
Trans Men: Embodiments, Identities, and Sexualities
Authors: Williams Colin J. , Weinberg Martin S. , Rosenberger Joshua G.
Published: November 2013

This article examines the experiences of 25 persons who were assigned female status at birth but do not wish to live as women and take on a masculine or queer gender identity. We employ the concept of “gendered embodiment” and introduce the concept of “sexualized embodiment” to highlight what is involved in this process. We ask how experiencing a masculine gender identity is reflexively tied to a trans man's sexuality and the ways in which these two embodiments are tightly, moderately, or loosely coupled. For example, a tight coupling appeared when trans men began to use testosterone and obtained surgery such as breast removal; a moderate coupling was found where gender validation was sought from a sexual partner (with this being related to sexual preference identities as well as the interpretation of vaginal penetration); the loosest coupling of the gender‐sexuality embodiments was linked to the liberality of the locale and whether “queer” identities could be easily adopted. In sum, our research demonstrates the link between gender and sexuality as a result of the body work trans men do and the historical and geographical situations in which they find themselves.
Getting Unstuck: Interdisciplinarity and Aging
Authors: Markson Elizabeth , Stein Peter
Published: November 2013

Continuing the dialog initiated by Scheff in the March issue of Sociological Forum, we reflect on some of the challenges involved in interdisciplinary research.
A Double‐Slit Experiment for Non‐Classical Interference Effects in Decision Making
Authors: La Mura Pierfrancesco
Published: November 2013

We discuss the possible nature and role of non‐physical entanglement, and the classical vs. non‐classical interface, in models of human decision‐making. We also introduce an experimental setting designed after the double‐slit experiment in physics, and discuss how it could be used to discriminate between classical and non‐classical interference effects in human decisions.
A blinded, randomized, placebo‐controlled trial of the efficacy and safety of theJanus kinase inhibitor oclacitinib (Apoquel®) in client‐owned dogs with atopic dermatitis
Authors: Cosgrove Sallie B. , Wren Jody A. , Cleaver Dawn M. , Walsh Kelly F. , Follis Stacey I. , King Vickie I. , Tena Jezaniah‐Kira S. , Stegemann Michael R.
Published: November 2013

Background

Pruritus is the hallmark clinical sign of atopic dermatitis (AD) in dogs. Preliminary study results suggest that oclacitinib, a selectiveJanus kinase inhibitor, could reduce pruritus and associated inflammatory skin lesions in dogs withAD.

Hypothesis/Objectives

The objective was to evaluate efficacy and safety of oclacitinib (Apoquel®) for the control ofADin a randomized, double‐blind, placebo‐controlled trial.

Animals

Clinicians at 18 specialty clinics enrolled client‐owned dogs (n = 299) with a history of chronicAD.

Methods

Dogs were randomized to receive either oclacitinib (0.4–0.6 mg/kg twice daily for 14 days and then once daily for up to 112 days) or an excipient‐matched placebo. Owners assessed visual analog scale (VAS) scores of pruritus on days 0, 1, 2, 7, 14, 28, 56, 84 and 112. Clinicians assessed CanineADExtent and Severity Index (CADESI‐02) scores on days 0, 14, 28, 56, 84 and 112.

Results

On days 1, 2, 7, 14 and 28, oclacitinib‐treated dogs had a 29.5, 42.3, 61.5, 66.7 and 47.4% reduction from baseline in owner‐assessed pruritus scores, respectively, compared with a 6.5, 9.1, 6.5, 3.9 and 10.4% reduction in placebo‐treated dogs. On days 14 and 28, dermatologists recorded a 48.4% reduction inCADESI‐02 scores in oclacitinib‐treated dogs compared with a 1.7% reduction and a 3.6% increase in placebo‐treated dogs. After day 28, >86% of all placebo‐treated dogs had moved to an open‐label study, making between‐group comparisons biased. Differences were significant at all time points assessed (P < 0.0001).

Conclusions and clinical importance

Oclacitinib provided rapid, effective and safe control ofAD, with substantial improvement in VAS andCADESI‐02 scores.
TRANSHUMANISM AND THE FATE OF NATALITY: AN INTRODUCTION
Authors: Cruz Eduardo R.
Published: November 2013

Transhumanist thought on overpopulation usually invokes the welfare of present human beings and the control over future generation, thus minimizing the need and meaning of new births. Here we devise a framework for a more thorough screening of the relevant literature, to have a better appreciation of the issue of natality. We follow the lead of Hannah Arendt and Brent Waters in this respect. With three overlapping categories of words, headed by “natality,” “birth,” and “intergenerations,” a large sample of books on transhumanism is scrutinized, showing the lack of sustained reflection on the issue. After this preliminary scrutiny, a possible defense of natality in face of modern and transhumanist thought is marshaled, evoking a number of desirable human traits. One specific issue, the impact of modern values on natality, is further explored, reiterating that concerns about overpopulation and enhanced humans should keep in sight the natural cycle of birth and death.
TRANSCENDING OUR BIOLOGY: A VIRTUE ETHICS INTERPRETATION OF THE APPEAL TO NATURE IN TECHNOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS
Authors: Kirkham Nin
Published: November 2013

“Arguments from nature” are used, and have historically been used, in popular responses to advances in technology and to environmental issues—there is a widely shared body of ethical intuitions that nature, or perhaps human nature, sets some limits on the kinds of ends that we should seek, the kinds of things that we should do, or the kinds of lives that we should lead. Virtue ethics can provide the context for a defensible form of the argument from nature, and one that makes proper sense of its enduring role in debates concerning our relationship to technology and the environment. However, the notion of an ethics founded upon an account of the essential features of human nature is controversial. On the one hand, contemporary biological science no longer defines species by their essential characteristics, so from a biological point of view there just are no essential characteristics of human beings. On the other hand, it might be argued that humans have, in some sense, “transcended our biology,” so an understanding of humans as a biological species is extraneous to ethical questions. In this article, I examine and defend the argument from nature, as a way to ground an ethic of virtue, from some of the more common criticisms that are made against it. I argue that, properly interpreted as an appeal to an evaluative account of human nature, the argument from nature is defensible with the context of virtue ethics and, in this light, I show how arguments from nature made in popular responses to technological and environmental issues are best understood.
LIFE AS EMERGENT AGENTIAL SYSTEMS: TENDENCIES WITHOUT TELEOLOGY IN AN OPEN UNIVERSE
Authors: Peck Steven L.
Published: November 2013

Life is a relationship among various kinds of agents interacting at different scales in ways that are multifarious, complex, and emergent. Life is always a part of an ecological embedding in communities of interaction, which in turn structure and influence how life evolves. Evolution is essential for understanding life and biodiversity. Henri Bergson's Creative Evolution suggests a way of examining “tendencies” without “teleology.” In this paper I reexamine that work in light of recent concepts in evolutionary ecology, and explore how agential aspects of life are essential for understanding how emergence provides a basis for a process‐based metaphysics of life. In support of this project, I will explore how the major transitions of life on Earth have proceeded through increasing levels of cooperation among agents (e.g., mitochondria in animal cells forming a mutualistic relationship), which have allowed further emergences and complexity to evolve. This complexity always, however, emerges in the context of ecological relationships and a nonteleological evolutionary process. Yet, while nonteleological, the progression of life thus far on this planet seems to hold the promise of certain tendencies that seem inherent in life itself.
ACTIONS AND AGENTS: NATURAL AND SUPERNATURAL RECONSIDERED
Authors: Bracken Joseph A.
Published: November 2013

Using a process‐oriented understanding of the relation between actions and agents, the author argues that an ontological agent is the ongoing effect or by‐product rather than the antecedent cause of actions. Applied to the relation between natural and supernatural in philosophical cosmology, this allows one to claim, first, that agents (whether natural or supernatural) are not sensibly perceived, but only inferred from the ongoing observation of empirical actions; second, that the distinction between the natural and the supernatural is then conceivably a distinction between interrelated processes rather than between independently existing agents; and third, that a higher order process of supernatural origin could be operative in a lower order empirical process without interference even though its existence and activity could only be established on the basis of a faith commitment, not empirical evidence. What Paul Ricoeur referred to as a “surplus of meaning” over and above the scientific explanation of an event would be in play with the claim of divine guidance for the cosmic process.
Influence of Prehistory and Leading Edge Contouring on Aero Performance of a Three-Dimensional Nozzle Guide Vane
Authors: Saha Ranjan , Mamaev Boris I. , Fridh Jens , Laumert Björn , Fransson Torsten H.
Published: November 2013

Experiments are conducted to investigate the effect of the prehistory in the aerodynamic performance of a three-dimensional nozzle guide vane with a hub leading edge contouring. The performance is determined with two pneumatic probes (five hole and three hole) concentrating mainly on the end wall. The investigated vane is a geometrically similar gas turbine vane for the first stage with a reference exit Mach number of 0.9. Results are compared for the baseline and filleted cases for a wide range of operating exit Mach numbers from 0.5 to 0.9. The presented data includes loading distributions, loss distributions, fields of exit flow angles, velocity vector, and vorticity contour, as well as mass-averaged loss coefficients. The results show an insignificant influence of the leading edge fillet on the performance of the vane. However, the prehistory (inlet condition) affects significantly in the secondary loss. Additionally, an oil visualization technique yields information about the streamlines on the solid vane surface, which allows identifying the locations of secondary flow vortices, stagnation line, and saddle point.
Low temperature hydrogen plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition of copper studied using in situ infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy
Authors: Chaukulkar Rohan P. , Thissen Nick F. W. , Rai Vikrant R. , Agarwal Sumit
Published: November 2013

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is an ideal technique to deposit ultrathin, conformal, and continuous metal thin films. However, compared to the ALD of binary materials such as metal oxides and metal nitrides, the surface reaction mechanisms during metal ALD are not well understood. In this study, the authors have designed and implemented an in situ reflection-absorption infrared spectroscopy (IRAS) setup to study the surface reactions during the ALD of Cu on Al2O3 using Cu hexafluoroacetylacetonate [Cu(hfac)2] and a remote H2 plasma. Our infrared data show that complete ligand-exchange reactions occur at a substrate temperature of 80 °C in the absence of surface hydroxyl groups. Based on infrared data and previous studies, the authors propose that Cu(hfac)2 dissociatively chemisorbs on the Al2O3 surface, where the Al-O-Al bridge acts as the surface reactive site, leading to surface O-Cu-hfac and O-Al-hfac species. Surface saturation during the Cu(hfac)2 half-cycle occurs through blocking of the available chemisorption sites. In the next half-reaction cycle, H radicals from an H2 plasma completely remove these surface hfac ligands. Through this study, the authors have demonstrated the capability of in situ IRAS as a tool to study surface reactions during ALD of metals. While transmission and internal reflection infrared spectroscopy are limited to the first few ALD cycles, IRAS can be used to probe all stages of metal ALD starting from initial nucleation to the formation of a continuous film.
Revitalizing an undergraduate physics program: A case study of the University of Arkansas
Authors: Stewart John , Oliver William , Stewart Gay
Published: November 2013

In recent years, a number of states have enacted initiatives to close undergraduate departments with low graduation rates. In response, the American Association of Physics Teachers and the American Physical Society have presented workshops to help interested programs increase graduation rates. One program asked to present at these workshops was the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville. As a result of a number of initiatives, the University of Arkansas Physics Department has seen an increase from an average of 1 to 2 graduates per year in the mid-1990s to 27 graduates in 2012. This growth resulted from many changes: a revision of the introductory physics course sequence, a reworking of degree requirements to allow increased flexibility, an increased focus on in-department academic advising, and specific faculty hires to support the educational mission. The purpose of this paper is to explore the details of the revised program.
Theories Beyond Testability?

String Theory and the Scientific Method
by Richard Dawid

Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2013. 212 pp. $95, £60. ISBN 9781107029712.
Authors: Ellis George
Published: November 2013

Dawid considers why string theorists possess such a strong belief in their theories despite the lack of empirical confirmation.
Proposed Tweaks to NSF Peer Review Spur Tensions
Authors: Mervis Jeffrey
Published: November 2013

A hearing last week by the House science committee gave the community its first chance to publicly discuss controversial legislation they fear would undermine NSF's vaunted peer-review system.
Impact of Changes in Clostridium difficile Testing Practices on Stool Rejection Policies and C. difficile Positivity Rates across Multiple Laboratories in the United States
Authors: Cohen Jessica , Limbago Brandi , Dumyati Ghinwa , Holzbauer Stacy , Johnston Helen , Perlmutter Rebecca , Dunn John , Nadle Joelle , Lyons Carol , Phipps Erin , Beldavs Zintars , Clark Leigh Ann , Lessa Fernanda C.
Published: November 2013

We describe the adoption of nucleic acid amplification tests (NAAT) for
Clostridium difficile
diagnosis and their impact on stool rejection policies and
C. difficile
positivity rates. Of the laboratories with complete surveys, 51 (43%) reported using NAAT in 2011. Laboratories using NAAT had stricter rejection policies and increased positivity rates.
Bovine Ephemeral Fever Rhabdovirus α1 Protein Has Viroporin-Like Properties and Binds Importin β1 and Importin 7
Authors: Joubert D. Albert , Blasdell Kim R. , Audsley Michelle D. , Trinidad Lee , Monaghan Paul , Dave Keyur A. , Lieu Kim G. , Amos-Ritchie Rachel , Jans David A. , Moseley Gregory W. , Gorman Jeffrey J. , Walker Peter J.
Published: November 2013

Bovine ephemeral fever virus
(BEFV) is an arthropod-borne rhabdovirus that is classified as the type species of the genus
Ephemerovirus
. In addition to the five canonical rhabdovirus structural proteins (N, P, M, G, and L), the large and complex BEFV genome contains several open reading frames (ORFs) between the G and L genes (α1, α2/α3, β, and γ) encoding proteins of unknown function. We show that the 10.5-kDa BEFV α1 protein is expressed in infected cells and, consistent with previous predictions based on its structure, has the properties of a viroporin. Expression of a BEFV α1-maltose binding protein (MBP) fusion protein in
Escherichia coli
was observed to inhibit cell growth and increase membrane permeability to hygromycin B. Increased membrane permeability was also observed in BEFV-infected mammalian cells (but not cells infected with an α1-deficient BEFV strain) and in cells expressing a BEFV α1-green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein, which was shown by confocal microscopy to localize to the Golgi complex. Furthermore, the predicted C-terminal cytoplasmic domain of α1, which contains a strong nuclear localization signal (NLS), was translocated to the nucleus when expressed independently, and in an affinity chromatography assay employing a GFP trap, the full-length α1 was observed to interact specifically with importin β1 and importin 7 but not with importin α3. These data suggest that, in addition to its function as a viroporin, BEFV α1 may modulate components of nuclear trafficking pathways, but the specific role thereof remains unclear.

IMPORTANCE
Although rhabdovirus accessory genes occur commonly among arthropod-borne rhabdoviruses, little is known of their functions. Here, we demonstrate that the BEFV α1 ORF encodes a protein which has the structural and functional characteristics of a viroporin. We show that α1 localizes in the Golgi complex and increases cellular permeability. We also show that BEFV α1 binds importin β1 and importin 7, suggesting that it may have a yet unknown role in modulating nuclear trafficking. This is the first functional analysis of an ephemerovirus accessory protein and of a rhabdovirus viroporin.
Emergence of the Virulence-Associated PB2 E627K Substitution in a Fatal Human Case of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Virus A(H7N7) Infection as Determined by Illumina Ultra-Deep Sequencing
Authors: Jonges Marcel , Welkers Matthijs R. A. , Jeeninga Rienk E. , Meijer Adam , Schneeberger Peter , Fouchier Ron A. M. , de Jong Menno D. , Koopmans Marion
Published: November 2013

Avian influenza viruses are capable of crossing the species barrier and infecting humans. Although evidence of human-to-human transmission of avian influenza viruses to date is limited, evolution of variants toward more-efficient human-to-human transmission could result in a new influenza virus pandemic. In both the avian influenza A(H5N1) and the recently emerging avian influenza A(H7N9) viruses, the polymerase basic 2 protein (PB2) E627K mutation appears to be of key importance for human adaptation. During a large influenza A(H7N7) virus outbreak in the Netherlands in 2003, the A(H7N7) virus isolated from a fatal human case contained the PB2 E627K mutation as well as a hemagglutinin (HA) K416R mutation. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether these mutations occurred in the avian or the human host by Illumina Ultra-Deep sequencing of three previously uninvestigated clinical samples obtained from the fatal case. In addition, we investigated three chicken samples, two of which were obtained from the source farm. Results showed that the PB2 E627K mutation was not present in any of the chicken samples tested. Surprisingly, the avian samples were characterized by the presence of influenza virus defective RNA segments, suggestive for the synthesis of defective interfering viruses during infection in poultry. In the human samples, the PB2 E627K mutation was identified with increasing frequency during infection. Our results strongly suggest that human adaptation marker PB2 E627K has emerged during virus infection of a single human host, emphasizing the importance of reducing human exposure to avian influenza viruses to reduce the likelihood of viral adaptation to humans.
DNA Virus Replication Compartments
Authors: Schmid Melanie , Speiseder Thomas , Dobner Thomas , Gonzalez Ramon A.
Published: November 2013

Viruses employ a variety of strategies to usurp and control cellular activities through the orchestrated recruitment of macromolecules to specific cytoplasmic or nuclear compartments. Formation of such specialized virus-induced cellular microenvironments, which have been termed viroplasms, virus factories, or virus replication centers, complexes, or compartments, depends on molecular interactions between viral and cellular factors that participate in viral genome expression and replication and are in some cases associated with sites of virion assembly. These virus-induced compartments function not only to recruit and concentrate factors required for essential steps of the viral replication cycle but also to control the cellular mechanisms of antiviral defense. In this review, we summarize characteristic features of viral replication compartments from different virus families and discuss similarities in the viral and cellular activities that are associated with their assembly and the functions they facilitate for viral replication.
Epigenetic Deregulation of the LMP1/LMP2 Locus of Epstein-Barr Virus by Mutation of a Single CTCF-Cohesin Binding Site
Authors: Chen Horng-Shen , Martin Kayla A. , Lu Fang , Lupey Lena N. , Mueller Joshua M. , Lieberman Paul M. , Tempera Italo
Published: November 2013

The chromatin regulatory factors CTCF and cohesin have been implicated in the coordinated control of multiple gene loci in Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latency. We have found that CTCF and cohesin are highly enriched at the convergent and partially overlapping transcripts for the LMP1 and LMP2A genes, but it is not yet known how CTCF and cohesin may coordinately regulate these transcripts. We now show that genetic disruption of this CTCF binding site (EBVΔCTCF166) leads to a deregulation of LMP1, LMP2A, and LMP2B transcription in EBV-immortalized B lymphocytes. EBVΔCTCF166 virus-immortalized primary B lymphocytes showed a decrease in LMP1 and LMP2A mRNA and a corresponding increase in LMP2B mRNA. The reduction of LMP1 and LMP2A correlated with a loss of euchromatic histone modification H3K9ac and a corresponding increase in heterochromatic histone modification H3K9me3 at the LMP2A promoter region in EBVΔCTCF166. Chromosome conformation capture (3C) revealed that DNA loop formation with the origin of plasmid replication (OriP) enhancer was eliminated in EBVΔCTCF166. We also observed that the EBV episome copy number was elevated in EBVΔCTCF166 and that this was not due to increased lytic cycle activity. These findings suggest that a single CTCF binding site controls LMP2A and LMP1 promoter selection, chromatin boundary function, DNA loop formation, and episome copy number control during EBV latency.
A Novel Activation Mechanism of Avian Influenza Virus H9N2 by Furin
Authors: Tse Longping V. , Hamilton Alice M. , Friling Tamar , Whittaker Gary R.
Published: November 2013

Avian influenza virus H9N2 is prevalent in waterfowl and has become endemic in poultry in Asia and the Middle East. H9N2 influenza viruses have served as a reservoir of internal genes for other avian influenza viruses that infect humans, and several cases of human infection by H9N2 influenza viruses have indicated its pandemic potential. Fortunately, an extensive surveillance program enables close monitoring of H9N2 influenza viruses worldwide and has generated a large repository of virus sequences and phylogenetic information. Despite the large quantity of sequences in different databases, very little is known about specific virus isolates and their pathogenesis. Here, we characterize a low-pathogenicity avian influenza virus, A/chicken/Israel/810/2001 (H9N2) (Israel810), which is representative of influenza virus strains that have caused severe morbidity and mortality in poultry farms. We show that under certain circumstances the Israel810 hemagglutinin (HA) can be activated by furin, a hallmark of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus. We demonstrate that Israel810 HA can be cleaved in cells with high levels of furin expression and that a mutation that eliminates a glycosylation site in HA
1
allows the Israel810 HA to gain universal cleavage in cell culture. Pseudoparticles generated from Israel810 HA, or the glycosylation mutant, transduce cells efficiently. In contrast, introduction of a polybasic cleavage site into Israel810 HA leads to pseudoviruses that are compromised for transduction. Our data indicate a mechanism for an H9N2 evolutionary pathway that may allow it to gain virulence in a distinct manner from H5 and H7 influenza viruses.
Impact of Potential Permissive Neuraminidase Mutations on Viral Fitness of the H275Y Oseltamivir-Resistant Influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 VirusIn Vitro, in Mice and in Ferrets
Authors: Abed Yacine , Pizzorno Andrés , Bouhy Xavier , Rhéaume Chantal , Boivin Guy
Published: November 2013

Neuraminidase (NA) mutations conferring resistance to NA inhibitors (NAIs) generally compromise the fitness of influenza viruses. The only NAI-resistant virus that widely spread in the population, the A/Brisbane/59/2007 (H1N1) strain, contained permissive mutations that restored the detrimental effect caused by the H275Y change. Computational analysis predicted other permissive NA mutations for A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses. Here, we investigated the effect of T289M and N369K mutations on the viral fitness of the A(H1N1)pdm09 H275Y variant. Recombinant wild-type (WT) A(H1N1)pdm09 and the H275Y, H275Y/T289M, H275Y/N369K, and H275Y/V241I/N369K (a natural variant) NA mutants were generated by reverse genetics. Replication kinetics were performed by using ST6GalI-MDCK cells. Virulence was assessed in C57BL/6 mice, and contact transmission was evaluated in ferrets. The H275Y mutation significantly reduced viral titers during the first 12 to 36 h postinfection (p.i.)in vitro. Nevertheless, the WT and H275Y viruses induced comparable mortality rates, weight loss, and lung titers in mice. The T289M mutation eliminated the detrimental effect caused by the H275Y changein vitrowhile causing greater weight loss and mortality in mice, with significantly higher lung viral titers on days 3 and 6 p.i. than with the H275Y mutant. In index ferrets, the WT, H275Y, H275Y/T289M, and H275Y/V241I/N369K recombinants induced comparable fever, weight loss, and nasal wash viral titers. All tested viruses were transmitted at comparable rates in contact ferrets, with the H275Y/V241I/N369K recombinant demonstrating higher nasal wash viral titers than the H275Y mutant. Permissive mutations may enhance the fitness of A(H1N1)pdm09 H275Y virusesin vitroandin vivo. The emergence of such variants should be carefully monitored.