bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
TIME, NARRATIVE, AND FICTION: THE UNEASY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN RICOEUR AND A HETEROGENEOUS TEMPORALITY
Authors: JANSEN HARRY
Published: February 2015

In Time and Narrative, Paul Ricoeur confirms the relationship between time experience and how it is epitomized in a narrative by investigating historiography and fiction. Regarding fiction, he explores temporality in three “novels of time” [Zeitromane]: Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, The Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann, and À la recherche du temps perdu by Marcel Proust. Ricoeur perceives the temporalities as homogeneous; however, in my view, the novels contain at least three different temporalities. Mann seeks a new temporality by ironizing a romantic time of rise and fall and Woolf configures a time we can call the simultaneity of the dissimultaneous. In his analysis of Proust's À la recherche du temps perdu, Ricoeur explicitly dismisses a Bergsonian approach to temporality. In my opinion, Bergson defends a heterogeneous time that is apparent in Proust's novel.
REIMAGINING REPRESSION: NEW CENSORSHIP THEORY AND AFTER
Authors: BUNN MATTHEW
Published: February 2015

Emerging from the work of Foucault and Bourdieu in particular, a powerful theoretical critique of prevailing notions of censorship and its opposite, free speech, emerged in the waning decades of the last century. The principal theoretical contribution, I will argue, of this “New Censorship Theory” has been not to overthrow the dominant liberal conception of censorship, but rather to bracket this conception as a separate and ultimately subordinate species of censorship. In this article I reexamine the development of New Censorship Theory, especially its antecedents in the Marxist critique of bourgeois civil society. In place of an exclusive focus upon state actions, newer conceptions of censorship have enshrined self‐censorship as the paradigm and have seen traditional forms of censorship as secondary to impersonal, structural forms like the market. I argue that historians' qualms about New Censorship Theory stem from concerns over this erasure of the specificity of state repressive force. Rather than simply accepting the division of censorship into a dichotomy of repressive/authoritative and productive/structural, this article argues that no strict distinction ought to be drawn. Instead, investigations of censorship in the traditional sense must incorporate the insights of newer theories to understand state censors as actors internal to communication networks, and not as external, accidental features. By investigating the intellectual trajectory of New Censorship Theory, I posit a way forward for historians to incorporate its insights while addressing their concerns.
DOES HISTORY MATTER? CHARLES TAYLOR ON THE TRANSCENDENTAL VALIDITY OF SOCIAL IMAGINARIES
Authors: VANHEESWIJCK GUIDO
Published: February 2015

Since its appearance in 2007, Charles Taylor's monumental book A Secular Age has received much attention. One of the central issues in the discussions around Taylor's book is the role of history in philosophical argumentation, in particular with regard to normative positions on ultimate affairs. Many critics observe a methodological flaw in using history in philosophical argumentation in that there is an alleged discrepancy between Taylor's historical approach, on the one hand, and his defense of fullness in terms of openness to transcendence, on the other. Since his “faith‐based history” is unwittingly apologetic, it is not only “hard to judge in strictly historical terms,” but it also proves that “when it comes to the most ultimate affairs history may not matter at all.”

This paper challenges this verdict by exposing the misunderstanding underlying this interpretation of the role of history in Taylor's narrative. In order to disambiguate the relation between history and philosophy in Taylor's approach, I will raise three questions. First, what is the precise relation between history and ontology, taking into account the ontological validity of what Taylor calls social imaginaries? Second, why does “fullness” get a universal status in his historical narrative? Third, is Taylor's position tenable that the contemporary experience of living within “an immanent frame” allows for an openness to transcendence?

In order to answer these questions, I will first compare Peter Gordon's interpretation of the status of social imaginaries with Taylor's position and, on the basis of that comparison, distinguish two definitions of ontology (sections I and II). Subsequently, I try to make it clear that precisely Taylor's emphasis on the historical character of social imaginaries and on their “relaxed” ontological anchorage allows for his claim that “fullness” might have a trans‐historical character (section III). Finally, I would like to show that Taylor's defense of the possibility of an “openness to transcendence”—as a specific mode of fullness—is not couched in “onto‐theological” terms, as suggested by his critics, but that it is the very outcome of taking into account the current historical situation (section IV).
THE LIVING PAST
Authors: Leach Stephen
Published: February 2015

It is argued that although this book will be of interest to any scholar interested in Croce, Gentile, or de Ruggiero, it will be of particular interest to those interested in R. G. Collingwood, for the ultimate focus of the book is upon Collingwood's philosophy and how it developed in relation to the work of the Italian idealists. This is a subject that has not previously been investigated in any depth. Peters argues that the basic idea that unites all four philosophers is that “the past is not dead, but living”; but what distinguishes Collingwood's philosophy from the Italians' is the idea, and its justification, that “the past can live on even if we are not aware of it.” Collingwood explored and developed this idea in reaction to the “presentism” of the Italians, a position that is most obvious in the philosophy of Gentile but that is also to be found, albeit less obviously, in the philosophies of Croce and de Ruggiero.

Without casting doubt upon the influence of the Italian idealists on Collingwood, it is suggested in this review that, as well as explaining that influence, Peters's book also throws Collingwood's similarities with Oakeshott into relief; by contrast with Collingwood, there is no evidence that Oakeshott ever read the Italian idealists.
GLOBAL INTELLECTUAL HISTORY BEYOND HEGEL AND MARX
Authors: Subrahmanyam Sanjay
Published: February 2015

Recent years have seen the growing prominence of “global history” as a subject of research, especially in North America and Europe. However, there is no consensus on what the contours of the subject are, or what the appropriate research methods for it might be. Further, there are quite a few skeptics among historians with regard to this trend. The appearance of a volume on the subfield of “global intellectual history” is an occasion to reflect on all these issues, especially when the volume in question suggests that “the future of intellectual history as a discipline lies in this direction.” This review essay, while appreciative of the effort to lay out the contours of the field, as well as to point to possible future directions for research and reflection, is nevertheless somewhat critical of the actual execution of the project. It is found to be lacking in chronological depth, and also highly uneven in quality, as well as excessively centered on a few “great thinkers” such as Hegel and Marx. A greater attention to the centuries between 1500 and 1800, when a polycentric global regime of knowledge (however tenuous it proved) was established, would have been particularly helpful. Most important, there is the question of whether a history claiming to be “global,” as distinct from “universal,” should not pay closer attention to questions of space and geography.
Reproductive responses of temperate and boreal Tengmalm's OwlAegolius funereuspopulations to spatial and temporal variation in prey availability
Authors: Zárybnická Markéta , Sedláček Ondřej , Salo Pälvi , Šťastný Karel , Korpimäki Erkki
Published: February 2015

Environmental variation across space and time can strongly influence life‐history strategies in vertebrates. It has been shown that the reproductive success of birds of prey is closely related to food availability. However, relatively little is known about intraspecific differences in reproductive success of birds in relation to varying ecological conditions across environmental gradients. We investigated the reproductive performance of Tengmalm's OwlsAegolius funereusin a temperate (Czech Republic, 50°N) and a boreal (Finland, 63°N) population in relation to long‐term variations in the abundance of their main prey (small rodents). Prey densities at the northern site were much higher, but there were also large inter‐annual fluctuations and years with steep summer declines of vole densities. Northern owls laid larger clutches but offspring production per nest was similar at both study sites. This resulted from higher nestling mortality in the northern population, especially in nests established later in the season. Despite much greater nesting losses due to predation by Pine MartensMartes martes, productivity at the population level was about four times greater at the temperate site, mainly due to the much higher breeding densities compared with Finland. Tengmalm's Owls at the temperate study site may benefit from relatively stable prey abundance, a more diverse prey community that offers alternative prey during vole scarcity, longer nights in summer that allow more time for foraging, and a lower level of interspecific competition with other vole‐specialized predators.
Rotation thromboelastometry analysis of clot formation and fibrinolysis in severe thrombocytopenia: effect of fibrinogen, activated prothrombin complex concentrate, and thrombin‐ activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor
Authors: Shenkman B. , Einav Y. , Livnat T. , Budnik I. , Martinowitz U.
Published: February 2015

Introduction

Bleeding symptoms in severe thrombocytopenia range from mild to severe. The aim of this in vitro study was to improve blood clotting and protect against fibrinolysis in reconstituted severe thrombocytopenia blood.

Methods

Thrombocytopenia [(16 ± 4) × 106/mL] was created by high‐speed centrifugation of normal blood with subsequent mixing plasma with packed cells. The blood samples were subjected to clotting by CaCl2 and tissue factor and to fibrinolysis by the addition of tissue plasminogen activator. Blood was spiked with fibrinogen, activated prothrombin complex concentrate (FEIBA), thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI), or their combinations. To mimic the situation that may occur in patients subjected to massive transfusion of plasma substitutes, blood was diluted by 40% of TRIS/saline buffer. Clotting time (CT), α‐Angle, maximum clot firmness (MCF), and lysis onset time (LOT) were evaluated using rotation thromboelastometry.

Results

Spiking thrombocytopenia blood with FEIBA led to reduction of CT. Fibrinogen and FEIBA enhanced α‐Angle and MCF both in the absence and in the presence of tPA. LOT values were prolonged by TAFI and to less extent by FEIBA. Dilution of thrombocytopenia blood was followed by reduction of α‐Angle and MCF compared to nondiluted blood which partly reversed by either fibrinogen or FEIBA being higher using fibrinogen and FEIBA together. Clot strength was enhanced, and fibrinolysis was inhibited by TAFI.

Conclusion

The results of this study suggest that combined spiking of blood with fibrinogen and FEIBA may be enough to correct the clot formation disorder in severe thrombocytopenia, whereas in thrombocytopenia and blood dilution, additive inhibition of fibrinolysis may be needed.
Heatwave hyponatraemia: a case series at a single Victorian tertiary centre during January 2014
Authors: Yong S. A. , Reid D. A. , Tobin A. E.
Published: February 2015

Heatwaves are a major public health threat for Australians. Hyponatraemia is common, with an increased incidence previously described during heatwaves. We report a series of 10 patients admitted with moderate to profound hyponatraemia, the majority with a history of excess water consumption, during the January 2014 heatwave.
Delayed onset of benign pleural effusion following concurrent chemoradiotherapy for inoperable non‐small‐cell lung cancer
Authors: Kumar R. , Patel G. , Kichenadasse G. , Sukumaran S. , Roy A. , Koczwara B. , Bowden J. J , Leung J. , Woo T. , Karapetis C. S
Published: February 2015

Chronic benign pleural effusion (BPE) is a rare complication of concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CRT) for inoperable stage IIIA non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This report presents three cases of BPE, the workup to differentiate this benign condition from recurrence of cancer and recommends a pleural biopsy as part of the diagnostic process. These inflammatory exudates often remain indolent, and may not require drainage or surgical intervention. In the absence of clinical, radiological and pathological evidence of recurrent disease, we recommend clinicians manage these patients expectantly, using regular clinical assessment and imaging.
Politique et législation du travail en Chine méridionale: l'influence des chambres de commerce et autres représentations étrangères sur la réglementation de la négociation collective
Authors: HUI Elaine Sio‐Ieng , CHAN Chris King‐Chi
Published: February 2015

En 2010, un mouvement de protestations sociales a traversé la Chine. Afin de ramener le calme, les autorités de Shenzhen et du Guangdong ont repris les discussions sur leurs projets respectifs d'Ordonnance sur la consultation collective et de Réglementation sur la gestion démocratique des entreprises, pour les suspendre à nouveau face à la forte opposition des chambres de commerce étrangères. Les auteurs montrent comment les représentations étrangères, économiques ou diplomatiques, influencent la législation du travail en Chine méridionale. Deux facteurs sont déterminants: la position de leurs entreprises dans les chaînes mondiales de production et leurs modèles nationaux de relations professionnelles.
What about the numbers? A quantitative contribution to the study of domestic services in Europe
Authors: ABRANTES Manuel
Published: February 2015

How many domestic workers are there in Europe? How have their numbers evolved? Do the patterns differ across countries? Examining European Union Labour Force Survey data for the EU15 over the period 2000–10, the author finds that the numbers of domestic workers grew in this period, particularly those caring for children and frail adults. His analysis confirms the coexistence of two contrasting models that broadly divide Europe between northern countries relying mainly on public services and southern countries relying on private solutions. Considering the explanatory capacity of public policy, labour market dynamics and gender relations, however, he argues for a more nuanced approach to understanding cross‐country patterns.
Occupational segregation by sex in Spain: Exclusion or confinement?
Authors: DUEÑAS FERNÁNDEZ Diego , IGLESIAS FERNÁNDEZ Carlos , LLORENTE HERAS Raquel
Published: February 2015

Spain has one of Europe's highest levels of occupational segregation by sex. Using data from the Spanish Working Conditions Survey, this article investigates the determinants of workers' probabilities of employment in male‐dominated and female‐dominated occupations. Combining Oaxaca‐Blinder decomposition technique with counterfactual analysis based on a sample of “hypothetical women”, the authors probe the unexplained components of the probability differentials they identify. While gendered labour market dynamics are found to account for the bulk of segregation, the strength of this effect owes more to “positive discrimination” favouring women in female‐dominated occupations than to discrimination against women in male‐dominated occupations.
Getting the Measure of Modern Life
Authors: Allin Paul , Hand David
Published: February 2015

GDP is only part of the story when assessing national wellbeing and progress. Paul Allin and David Hand bring us up to speed on efforts to find new and complementary metrics
Slag Resistance Mechanism of Lightweight Microporous Corundum Aggregate
Authors: Fu Lvping , Gu Huazhi , Huang Ao , Zhang Meijie , Li Zhengkun
Published: February 2015

The microstructures of the reaction interfaces between slag and corundum aggregates, microporous corundum produced in the laboratory and tabular corundum were observed after slag resistance experiments, and their associated slag resistance mechanisms were investigated. A continuous isolation layer was observed around the microporous corundum, which showed a significantly better slag resistance than tabular corundum. The formation of columnar crystals of CaAl12O19 (CA6) and CaAl4O7 (CA2) in the isolation layer was the main reason for the difference in slag resistance. With respect to the nucleation and growth of second phase, the slag resistance mechanism of lightweight microporous corundum was explored by thermodynamic and kinetic analysis. Due to its smaller pore size, the second phase is more likely to achieve supersaturation, and large quantities of crystal nuclei are generated for microporous corundum. The critical dissolved depths of the microporous and tabular corundum in saturated slag were calculated to be 0.14 and 0.27 μm, respectively. Additionally, the small pore sizes lead to an increase in the Ostwald ripening rate of the second phase, and the Ostwald ripening rate of microporous corundum was 12 times that of the tabular corundum based on Ardell's theory.
Neurological disorders in patients with bullous pemphigoid: clinical and experimental investigations
Authors: Gambichler T. , Segert H. , Höxtermann S. , Schmitz L. , Altmeyer P. , Teegen B.
Published: February 2015

Background

Previous studies have shown that patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP) are more likely to have neurological diseases (ND).

Objectives

To compare clinical findings in BP patients with and without ND and to investigate BP180 autoantibody binding in different neuronal tissues of mammalians.

Methods

Our database was searched for clinical findings of in‐patients with the definitive diagnosis of BP. Moreover, brain tissue of mammalians was treated with serum of BP patients with elevated BP180 autoantibodies using biochip mosaics.

Results

Of 85/161 (52.8%) patients had a history of at least one ND (BP+ND). BP180 (P = 0.018), eosinophils (P = 0.043) and patients' accommodation in nursing homes (P < 0.0001) remained in the logistic regression model as significant independent predictors for the presence of ND in patients with BP. Subgroup analysis of community‐dwelling BP patients revealed 25/93 (26.9%) patients with ND. In this population, the presence of ND also significantly correlated with BP180 (r = 0.26; P = 0.0003) and eosinophils (r = 0.19; P = 0.0087). In the animal model, no BP180‐specific immunofluorescence could be detected.

Conclusions

Our data support results of previous studies detecting significantly increased frequency of ND in BP patients. We have shown that raised BP180 titres and blood eosinophils are independent predictors for the presence of ND in BP patients. However, our experimental data do not support previous results indicating that specific binding of BP180 antibodies in neuronal tissue plays a pathogenetic role in ND.
Anti‐TNF‐α therapy reduces retinol‐binding protein 4 serum levels in non‐diabetic patients with psoriasis: a 6‐month prospective study
Authors: Pina T. , Genre F. , Lopez‐Mejias R. , Armesto S. , Ubilla B. , Mijares V. , Dierssen‐Sotos T. , Corrales A. , Gonzalez‐Lopez M.A. , Gonzalez‐Vela M.C. , Blanco R. , Llorca J. , Gonzalez‐Gay M.A.
Published: February 2015

Background

Retinol‐binding protein‐4 (RBP4), an adipokine considered as an emerging cardiometabolic risk factor, is increased in patients with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis.

Objective

In this study, we aimed to establish the effect of anti‐TNF‐α therapy on RBP4 levels in patients with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis. We also assessed if RBP4 levels correlate with metabolic syndrome features and disease severity in these patients.

Methods

Prospective study on a series of consecutive non‐diabetic patients with moderate‐to‐severe psoriasis who completed 6 months of therapy with adalimumab. Patients with kidney disease, hypertension or body mass index ≥ 35 kg/m2 were excluded. Metabolic and clinical evaluation was performed at the onset of treatment (time 0) and at month 6.

Results

Twenty‐nine patients were assessed. Statistically significant reduction (P = 0.0001) of RBP4 levels was observed after 6 months of therapy (RBP4 at time 0: 55.7 ± 21.4 μg/mL, vs. 35.6 ± 29.9 μg/mL at month 6). No significant correlation between basal RBP4 levels and metabolic syndrome features or disease severity was found. Nevertheless, although RBP4 levels did not correlate with insulin resistance, a negative and significant correlation between RBP4 levels obtained after 6 months of adalimumab therapy and other metabolic syndrome features such as abdominal perimeter and body mass index were observed. At that time, a negative and significant correlation between RBP4 levels and disease activity scores and ultrasensitive CRP levels was also disclosed.

Conclusion

Our results support an influence of the anti‐TNF‐α blockade on RBP4 serum levels. This finding is of potential relevance due to increased risk of cardiovascular disease in patients with psoriasis.
Foucault at the bedside: a critical analysis of empowering a healthy lifestyle
Authors: Devisch Ignaas , Vanheule Stijn
Published: February 2015

Since quite a few years, philosophy is heading towards the bedside of the patient: the practice of philosophy has stepped out of its ivory tower, it seems, to deal with empirical or practical questions. Apart from the advantages, we should keep in mind the importance of a critical analysis of medical or clinical practice as such. If ethics partakes the clinical stage, it runs the risk only to discuss the how question and to forget the more fundamental what or why questions: what are we doing exactly and why is it good for? Starting from the principle of the empowerment of the patient, we will demonstrate how the discourse on empowerment in health care seems to forget a profound reflection upon this principle as such. By rehearsing some basics from the governmentality theory of Michel Foucault and the actualization of it by Nicolas Rose, we will argue how philosophical investigation in medical‐ethical evolutions such as empowerment of the patient is still needed to understand what is really going on in today's clinical practice.
Presence and absence of non‐native fish species in the Wet Tropics region, Australia
Authors: Kroon F. , Phillips S. , Burrows D. , Hogan A.
Published: February 2015

Distributional records of non‐native fish species were identified in the Wet Tropics region, Far North Queensland, Australia, through a compilation of published records and expert knowledge. A total of 1106 records were identified comprising 346 presence and four uncertain records for at least 13 species, and 756 absence records. All current presence records consist of six species from the families Cichlidae and Poeciliidae with established self‐sustaining populations in the region, probably affecting the highly diverse native fish fauna.
Effect of the sample annealing temperature and sample crystallographic orientation on the charge kinetics of MgO single crystals subjected to keV electron irradiation
Authors: BOUGHARIOU A. , DAMAMME G. , KALLEL A.
Published: February 2015

This paper focuses on the effect of sample annealing temperature and crystallographic orientation on the secondary electron yield of MgO during charging by a defocused electron beam irradiation. The experimental results show that there are two regimes during the charging process that are better identified by plotting the logarithm of the secondary electron emission yield, lnσ , as function of the total trapped charge in the material QT. The impact of the annealing temperature and crystallographic orientation on the evolution of lnσ is presented here. The slope of the asymptotic regime of the curve lnσ as function of QT, expressed in cm2 per trapped charge, is probably linked to the elementary cross section of electron–hole recombination, σhole, which controls the trapping evolution in the reach of the stationary flow regime.
3D imaging of cement‐based materials at submicron resolution by combining laser scanning confocal microscopy with serial sectioning
Authors: YIO M.H.N. , MAC M.J. , WONG H.S. , BUENFELD N.R.
Published: February 2015

In this paper, we present a new method to reconstruct large volumes of nontransparent porous materials at submicron resolution. The proposed method combines fluorescence laser scanning confocal microscopy with serial sectioning to produce a series of overlapping confocal z‐stacks, which are then aligned and stitched based on phase correlation. The method can be extended in the XY plane to further increase the overall image volume. Resolution of the reconstructed image volume does not degrade with increase in sample size. We have used the method to image cementitious materials, hardened cement paste and concrete and the results obtained show that the method is reliable. Possible applications of the method such as three‐dimensional characterization of the pores and microcracks in hardened concrete, three‐dimensional particle shape characterization of cementitious materials and three‐dimensional characterization of other porous materials such as rocks and bioceramics are discussed.
A potential mechanism for allometric trabecular bone scaling in terrestrial mammals
Authors: Christen Patrik , Ito Keita , van Rietbergen Bert
Published: February 2015

Trabecular bone microstructural parameters, including trabecular thickness, spacing, and number, have been reported to scale with animal size with negative allometry, whereas bone volume fraction is animal size‐invariant in terrestrial mammals. As for the majority of scaling patterns described in animals, its underlying mechanism is unknown. However, it has also been found that osteocyte density is inversely related to animal size, possibly adapted to metabolic rate, which shows a negative relationship as well. In addition, the signalling reach of osteocytes is limited by the extent of the lacuno‐canalicular network, depending on trabecular dimensions and thus also on animal size. Here we propose animal size‐dependent variations in osteocyte density and their signalling influence distance as a potential mechanism for negative allometric trabecular bone scaling in terrestrial mammals. Using an established and tested computational model of bone modelling and remodelling, we run simulations with different osteocyte densities and influence distances mimicking six terrestrial mammals covering a large range of body masses. Simulated trabecular structures revealed negative allometric scaling for trabecular thickness, spacing, and number, constant bone volume fraction, and bone turnover rates inversely related to animal size. These results are in agreement with previous observations supporting our proposal of osteocyte density and influence distance variation as a potential mechanism for negative allometric trabecular bone scaling in terrestrial mammals. The inverse relationship between bone turnover rates and animal size further indicates that trabecular bone scaling may be linked to metabolic rather than mechanical adaptations.
Predicting bite force and cranial biomechanics in the largest fossil rodent using finite element analysis
Authors: Cox Philip G. , Rinderknecht Andrés , Blanco R. Ernesto
Published: February 2015

Josephoartigasia monesi, from the Pliocene of Uruguay, is the largest known fossil rodent, with an estimated body mass of 1000 kg. In this study, finite element analysis was used to estimate the maximum bite force that J. monesi could generate at the incisors and the cheek teeth. Owing to uncertainty in the model inputs, a sensitivity study was conducted in which the muscle forces and orientations were sequentially altered. This enabled conclusions to be drawn on the function of some of the masticatory muscles. It was found that J. monesi had a bite of 1389 N at the incisors, rising to 4165 N at the third molar. Varying muscle forces by 20% and orientations by 10° around the medio‐lateral aspect led to an error in bite force of under 35% at each tooth. Predicted stresses across the skull were only minimally affected by changes to muscle forces and orientations, but revealed a reasonable safety factor in the strength of the skull. These results, combined with previous work, lead us to speculate that J. monesi was behaving in an elephant‐like manner, using its incisors like tusks, and processing tough vegetation with large bite forces at the cheek teeth.
Exploring the co-loading of lidocaine chemical forms in surfactant/phospholipid vesicles for improved skin delivery
Authors: Caddeo Carla , Valenti Donatella , Nácher Amparo , Manconi Maria , Fadda Anna Maria
Published: February 2015

Objectives

The present study was aimed at targeting the skin to deliver lidocaine loaded in surfactant/phospholipid vesicles tailored for improved local delivery. The influence of different formulation parameters was explored to maximise drug efficacy.

Methods

The vesicles were prepared using a mixture of soy lipids (Phospholipon 50) and a surfactant with penetration-enhancing properties (Oramix CG110, Labrasol, Labrafac PG or Labrafac CC), and loaded with lidocaine. The formulations were analysed in detail by cryo-TEM, SAXS, Turbiscan Lab, and tested in permeation experiments through new born pig skin, as a function of the chemical form and concentration of lidocaine (i.e. free base or salt, 12.5 or 25 mg/ml).

Key findings

Small, spherical vesicles with good entrapment efficiency and exceptional long-term stability were produced. The lamellar organisation was affected by either the surfactant or the lidocaine form used. Permeation studies highlighted that the co-incorporation of lidocaine base + hydrochloride allowed the achievement of a superior deposition in the skin layers, especially when surfactant vesicles were used, as their content was presumably saturated with the maximum amount of loadable anaesthetic.

Conclusions

The proposed systems based on surfactant/phospholipid vesicles co-loaded with both lidocaine forms are an effective approach for improving its local delivery.
Product Life‐Cycle Management and Distributor Contribution to New Product Development
Authors: Restuccia Mariachiara , de Brentani Ulrike , Legoux Renaud , Ouellet Jean‐François
Published: February 2015

After the initial launch of a new product, distributors are frequently among the first to learn about product‐related problems through the information they get about how it is perceived and used by customers, and how it might be improved or adapted for broader market coverage. For producers, such information, which has the potential to impact new product development (NPD) activities during the product life‐cycle management (PLM) phase that follows launch, can be decisive for ensuring the continued viability of the product in the medium to longer term. The goal of this article is to better understand how distributors contribute to producer PLM activities by engaging in product‐related information processing. A typology of four distinct scenarios is developed by integrating three conceptual themes: organizational information processing, dynamic capabilities, and task complexity. Each scenario results from the interplay of the distributor's level (low/high) of capability—specifically, a combination of information coordination and management of interorganization relations—and of the degree (low/high) of complexity of the product‐related problem. The four scenarios are analyzed and described in terms of NPD‐related information processing. According to the typology, distributors act as “problem informers” (low capability/high complexity), “solution advisors” (low capability/low complexity), “solution implementers” (high capability/low complexity), or “solution managers” (high capability/high complexity). Fourteen in‐depth interviews with distributors and producers in industrial goods provide empirical evidence for the analysis, description, and support of each scenario. The article contributes to NPD by shedding light on the role of distributors in terms of incremental innovation in the context of PLM. Developers of new products can use the typology in planning for distributor involvement in PLM activities; distributors can use it to map out their current and future level of engagement in PLM‐related activities.
Process optimization and modeling for the cultivation of Nannochloropsis sp. and Tetraselmis striata via response surface methodology
Authors: Imamoglu Esra , Demirel Zeliha , Conk Dalay Meltem
Published: February 2015

The aim of this study was to determine the optimal physical process conditions for the cultivation of locally isolated strains of Nannochloropsis sp. and Tetraselmis striata to achieve maximum growth rate. It was essential to evaluate biomass production at different agitation rates, light intensities, and temperature levels. Central composite design and response surface methodology were applied to design the experiments and optimize the cultivation process for Nannochloropsis sp. and T. striata. The specific growth rate of 0.250 d−1 was obtained for Nannochloropsis sp. cells under the light intensity of 54 μmol photons · m−2 · s−1, at the agitation rate of 151 rpm in 24.5°C. The optimal physical process conditions for T. striata were obtained under the light intensity of 56 μmol photons · m−2 · s−1 in 25.5°C at the agitation rate of 151 rpm in 25.5°C, resulting in a specific growth rate of 0.226 d−1. The predicted values were justified by the verification tests. Good agreement between the predicted values and the experimental values confirmed the validity of the models for the cultivation of microalgal strains. In this article, the noteworthy result was that temperature was a dominant factor in obtaining high chl‐a content for Nannochloropsis sp., whereas the growth of T. striata strongly depended on light exposure.
Coital Incontinence and Vaginal Symptoms and the Relationship to Pelvic Floor Muscle Function in Primiparous Women at 12 Months Postpartum: A Cross-Sectional Study
Authors: Tennfjord Merete Kolberg , Hilde Gunvor , Stær-Jensen Jette , Siafarikas Franziska , Engh Marie Ellström , Bø Kari
Published: February 2015

Introduction

Symptoms related to sexual dysfunction postpartum are scarcely addressed in the literature, and the relationship to pelvic floor muscle (PFM) function is largely unknown.

Aims

The aim of this study was to investigate primiparous women 12 months postpartum and study: (i) prevalence and bother of coital incontinence, vaginal symptoms, and sexual matters; and (ii) whether coital incontinence and vaginal symptoms were associated with vaginal resting pressure (VRP), PFM strength, and endurance.

Methods

International Consultation on Incontinence Modular Questionnaire (ICIQ) sexual matters module and ICIQ-Vaginal Symptoms Questionnaire were used for questions on coital incontinence, vaginal symptoms, and sexual matters, respectively. PFM function was assessed by manometer (Camtech AS, Sandvika, Norway).

Main Outcome Measures

Coital incontinence, vaginal symptoms, and PFM function were the main outcome measures.

Results

One hundred seventy-seven primiparous women, mean age 28.7 (standard deviation [SD] 4.3) participated. Of the 94% of women having sexual intercourse, coital incontinence was found for 1.2% whereas 34.5% reported at least one vaginal symptom interfering with the sexual life of primiparous women. Of the symptoms investigated, “vagina feels dry,” “vagina feels sore,” and “vagina feels loose or lax” were most prevalent, but the overall impact on the woman's sexual life was minimally bothersome, mean 1.4 out of 10 (SD 2.5). Women reporting “vagina feels loose or lax” had lower VRP, PFM strength, and endurance when compared with women without the symptom.

Conclusions

Twelve-month postpartum coital incontinence was rare, whereas the prevalence of vaginal symptoms interfering with sexual life was more common. The large majority of primiparous women in our study had sexual intercourse at 12 months postpartum and the reported overall bother on sexual life was low. Women reporting “vagina feels loose or lax” had lower VRP, PFM strength, and endurance when compared with women without the symptom.
Pain Experienced During Vaginal and Anal Intercourse with Other-Sex Partners: Findings from a Nationally Representative Probability Study in the United States
Authors: Herbenick Debby , Schick Vanessa , Sanders Stephanie A. , Reece Michael , Fortenberry J. Dennis
Published: February 2015

Introduction

Recent U.S. nationally representative data indicate that about 30% of women and 5% of men reported pain occurring during their most recent sexual event; however, little is known about the severity, duration, or context of such pain, or its prevalence during vaginal vs. anal intercourse.

Aims

To document the prevalence and characteristics of pain during vaginal and anal intercourse among U.S. women and men (ages 18+) at their most recent other-sex sexual event, including the self-reported severity, duration, and location of their pain; how participants addressed their pain; and partner communication related to the pain.

Methods

Data from a subsample of 1,738 women and men in the 2012 National Survey of Sexual Health Behavior, a nationally representative probability survey of Americans ages 18+ collected via the Internet, were analyzed.

Main Outcome Measures

Participants responded to items about their background characteristics; whether they had vaginal or anal intercourse during their most recent sexual experience; the severity, duration, and location of any pain experienced during said sexual event; and whether they responded to or communicated about the pain.

Results

About 30% of women and 7% of men reported pain during vaginal intercourse events, and most of the reports of pain were mild and of short duration. About 72% of women and 15% of men reported pain during anal intercourse events, with more of these events including moderate or severe pain (for the women) and of mixed duration. Large proportions of Americans do not tell their partner when sex hurts.

Conclusion

Pain is a relatively common, and often not discussed, aspect of both vaginal and anal intercourse events occurring between women and men. Individual and clinical implications are discussed.
The Efficacy of Combination Treatment with Injectable Testosterone Undecanoate and Daily Tadalafil for Erectile Dysfunction with Testosterone Deficiency Syndrome
Authors: Park Min Gu , Yeo Jeong Kyun , Cho Dae-Yeon , Kim Jin Wook , Kim Jong Wook , Oh Mi Mi , Kim Je Jong , Moon Du Geon
Published: February 2015

Introduction

Both testosterone therapy and chronic treatment with phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5Is) have positive effects on the histology of penile corpora and erectile function. However, few clinical studies have evaluated the efficacy of combination therapy with both testosterone replacement and chronic PDE5Is.

Aim

This study was designed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of combination treatment with long-acting injectable testosterone undecanoate (TU) and a once-daily tadalafil 5 mg for erectile dysfunction with testosterone deficiency syndrome.

Methods

Sixty patients were consecutively enrolled and followed for 36 weeks. Thirty patients were randomly assigned to group I and received 1,000 mg of parenteral TU on day 1, followed by additional injections at weeks 6 and 18 with on-demand tadalafil 10–20 mg during the 30 weeks of treatment. The remaining 30 patients received the same dose and schedule of TU as group I, and were prescribed once-daily tadalafil 5 mg during 30 weeks.

Main Outcome Measures

Serological tests were performed, and the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF), Aging Males' Symptoms (AMS) questionnaires, and Global Assessment Question (GAQ) were administered to the patients.

Results

Total IIEF and AMS scores were significantly improved during the 30 weeks of treatment in both groups. When IIEF scores were compared between the two groups, group II showed better symptom scores than group I at weeks 6 and 30. A similar pattern was observed when comparing AMS scores between the groups. At week 36, changes in IIEF and AMS scores that indicated worsened symptoms compared with week 30 were observed in both groups; group II showed better symptom scores than group I. On the GAQ, the ratio of patients reporting improvement in erectile function was significantly higher in group II than group I.

Conclusions

The combination of long-acting injectable TU and once-daily tadalafil 5 mg produced a significant improvement in erectile function. Moreover, the improvement in erectile function was well maintained, even after the cessation of treatment.
Effects of habitat quality on parasite abundance: do forest fragmentation and food availability affect helminth infection in the Eurasian red squirrel?
Authors: Santicchia F. , Romeo C. , Martinoli A. , Lanfranchi P. , Wauters L. A. , Ferrari N.
Published: February 2015

Habitat quality affects demography, population genetics, space use and phenotypic characteristics of mammals. However, little is known about the effects of habitat quality, fragmentation and/or food abundance, on host–parasite interactions. Here we present a first study on the relationships between the abundance of the dominant gastrointestinal helminth, Trypanoxyuris (Rodentoxyuris) sciuri, infecting the Eurasian red squirrel Sciurus vulgaris and three environmental factors: habitat type (mountain conifer forests vs. lowland mixed deciduous forests), fragmentation (fragmented woodlands vs. continuous forests) and food availability. Abundance of T. (R.) sciuri increased in fragmented woods. Furthermore, in mountain conifer forests, squirrels were more heavily infected after a poor Norway spruce seed crop than in years with medium or high seed production, indicating that squirrels are less capable of reducing parasite load when food availability is low. Hence, we suggest that T. (R.) sciuri abundance in red squirrels may be determined mainly by changes in host susceptibility induced by higher stress levels and/or poorer nutritional status, while in fragments, reduced genetic diversity may also increase host susceptibility to parasite infection. Although our data do not shed light on the mechanisms generating the observed patterns, results from other field studies highlighted the effect of stress and nutritional status on parasite infection, thus suggesting their implication in the changes in the abundance of T. (R.) sciuri.
Cat coexistence in central Sumatra: ecological characteristics, spatial and temporal overlap, and implications for management
Authors: Sunarto S. , Kelly M. J. , Parakkasi K. , Hutajulu M. B.
Published: February 2015

At least six species of wild cats live in Sumatra. Many are globally threatened and yet their ecology is poorly understood. We investigated ecological characteristics and spatial and temporal overlap among cats in central Sumatra using data from systematic and opportunistic camera trapping in five major forest blocks. We developed occupancy models assessing probability of site use by each cat based on (1) photo‐trap rates of other species at the same locations and (2) landscape‐level factors extracted from geographic information systems. We also used two‐species co‐occurrence models to assess spatial overlap and used kernel density estimates on circular data to assess temporal overlap between species pairs. We photographed five cat species: Sumatran tigers, Sunda clouded leopards, Asiatic golden cats, marbled cats and leopard cats. Four cats were present in all sampling blocks and one sampling block had all five cats. Spatially, cat distributions varied among forest types, within the sampling blocks and across elevation. We placed camera traps at elevations ranging from 6 to 460 m above sea level. The five cats used statistically different elevations, with golden cats found at highest elevation. Site use by tigers and leopard cats negatively covaried with distance to protected areas. Clouded leopard presence covaried positively with altitude. Leopard cat presence covaried with the photo‐trap rate of tigers, whereas the presence of tigers covaried with the photo‐trap rate of non‐cat carnivores. We found little evidence of spatial avoidance among cats at camera sites. Temporally, species more similar in size, or with similar‐sized prey, had lower overlap, suggesting temporal avoidance. We identified six mechanisms promoting coexistence of central Sumatra cats. Knowledge of interspecific interactions may improve the effectiveness of management aimed at conserving the increasingly threatened wild cat community.
Feedback control of prion formation and propagation by the ribosome‐associated chaperone complex
Authors: Kiktev Denis A. , Melomed Mikhail M. , Lu Caroline D. , Newnam Gary P. , Chernoff Yury O.
Published: February 2015

Cross‐beta fibrous protein aggregates (amyloids and amyloid‐based prions) are found in mammals (including humans) and fungi (including yeast), and are associated with both diseases and heritable traits. The Hsp104/70/40 chaperone machinery controls propagation of yeast prions. The Hsp70 chaperones Ssa and Ssb show opposite effects on [PSI+], a prion form of the translation termination factor Sup35 (eRF3). Ssb is bound to translating ribosomes via ribosome‐associated complex (RAC), composed of Hsp40‐Zuo1 and Hsp70‐Ssz1. Here we demonstrate that RAC disruption increases de novo prion formation in a manner similar to Ssb depletion, but interferes with prion propagation in a manner similar to Ssb overproduction. Release of Ssb into the cytosol in RAC‐deficient cells antagonizes binding of Ssa to amyloids. Thus, propagation of an amyloid formed because of lack of ribosome‐associated Ssb can be counteracted by cytosolic Ssb, generating a feedback regulatory circuit. Release of Ssb from ribosomes is also observed in wild‐type cells during growth in poor synthetic medium. Ssb is, in a significant part, responsible for the prion destabilization in these conditions, underlining the physiological relevance of the Ssb‐based regulatory circuit.
Phylogenetic correlations among chemical and physical plant defenses change with ontogeny
Authors: Kariñho‐Betancourt Eunice , Agrawal Anurag A. , Halitschke Rayko , Núñez‐Farfán Juan
Published: February 2015

Theory predicts patterns of defense across taxa based on notions of tradeoffs and synergism among defensive traits when plants and herbivores coevolve. Because the expression of characters changes ontogenetically, the evolution of plant strategies may be best understood by considering multiple traits along a trajectory of plant development.

Here we addressed the ontogenetic expression of chemical and physical defenses in 12 Datura species, and tested for macroevolutionary correlations between defensive traits using phylogenetic analyses. We used liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry to identify the toxic tropane alkaloids of Datura, and also estimated leaf trichome density.

We report three major patterns. First, we found different ontogenetic trajectories of alkaloids and leaf trichomes, with alkaloids increasing in concentration at the reproductive stage, whereas trichomes were much more variable across species. Second, the dominant alkaloids and leaf trichomes showed correlated evolution, with positive and negative associations. Third, the correlations between defensive traits changed across ontogeny, with significant relationships only occurring during the juvenile phase.

The patterns in expression of defensive traits in the genus Datura are suggestive of adaptation to complex selective environments varying in space and time.