bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Negotiating Proximity: Expert Testimony and Collective Memory in the Trials of Environmental Activists in France and the United Kingdom
Authors: Hayes Graeme
Published: August 2013

This article analyzes the role of expert witness testimony in the trials of social movement actors, discussing the trial of the “Kingsnorth Six” in Britain and the trials of activists currently mobilising against airport construction at Notre Dame des Landes in western France. Though the study of expert testimony has so far overwhelmingly concentrated on fact‐finding and admissibility, the cases here reveal the importance of expert testimony not simply in terms of legal argument, but in “moral” or political terms, as it reflects and constitutes movement cognitive praxis. In the so‐called climate change defence presented by the Kingsnorth Six, I argue that expert testimony attained a “negotiation of proximity,” connecting different types of contributory expertise to link the scales and registers of climate science with those of everyday understanding and meaning. Expert testimony in the trials of activists in France, however, whilst ostensibly able to develop similar bridging narratives, has instead been used to construct resistance to the airport siting as already proximate, material, and embedded. To explain this, I argue that attention to the symbolic, as well as instrumental, functions of expert testimony reveals the crucial role that collective memory plays in the construction of both knowledge and grievance in these cases. Collective memory is both a constraint on and catalyst for mobilisation, defining the boundaries of the sayable. Testimony in trials both reflects and reproduces these elements and is a vital explanatory tool for understanding the narrativisation and communication of movement identities and objectives.
Explaining the Divergence in Asylum Grant Rates among Immigration Judges: An Attitudinal and Cognitive Approach
Authors: Keith Linda Camp , Holmes Jennifer S. , Miller Banks P.
Published: August 2013

In seeking to understand the variation in asylum grant rates by immigration judges (IJs), we apply a variation of the attitudinal model that we modify by incorporating a cognitive model of decision making, arguing that some pieces of information before IJs are treated objectively while others are treated subjectively. This model allows us to account for informational cues that influence decisions while assessing the impact of national interests and human rights conditions. We find that IJ policy predispositions play a dominant role, and that liberal IJs respond to applicant characteristics differently than conservatives, but also that the law constrains decision making.
What Workers Want Depends: Legal Knowledge and the Desire for Workplace Change among Day Laborers
Authors: Trautner Mary Nell , Hatton Erin , Smith Kelly E.
Published: August 2013

In this article, we identify legal knowledge as a key difference between workers who desire workplace change and those who do not. Based on surveys with 121 day laborers, we find that not all day laborers are equally dissatisfied with their jobs, despite uniformly difficult working conditions. Some day laborers do not want to make any real changes to the day labor industry, while others desire a range of industry changes, from higher wages to greater government regulation and unionization. A key difference between these workers is their knowledge of employment law: Those who know the law are more likely to desire workplace change.
Inquisitorial Adjudication and Institutional Constraints in Chinese Civil Justice
Authors: He Xin , Ng Kwai Hang
Published: August 2013

Based on participatory observations of trials and extensive interviews with judges, this article examines the operation patterns of the civil justice process in China and explores the underlying reasons behind. It finds that, despite the reform efforts placing more responsibility on the litigants, the Chinese civil proceeding remains largely inquisitorial. The decline of out‐court investigation is evident, yet judges rely on a limited form of cross‐examination aimed to obtain oral testimony that can be used to justify a decision. This kind of judge‐initiated questioning becomes an inexpensive substitute for the previously labor‐intensive court investigation. The article further argues that the judges do not adjudicate based on whatever evidence presented by the litigation parties, a change mainly attributed to the institutional constraints to which the judges are subject. They respond to the incentives by handling cases efficiently with the minimum possibility of reversal and complaint. The article concludes by offering theoretical implications on the study of comparative legal process more generally.
Welfare Costs of Business Cycles in Turkey
Authors: Yılmaz Ensar
Published: August 2013

How large are welfare costs related to economic aggregate fluctuations is a topic of great concern among economists at least since Lucas's (1987) model. Our analysis assesses the magnitude of such costs for Turkey by means of two approaches: aggregate and disaggregate. The former approach uses aggregate data employing three alternative trend‐cycle decomposition methods which are Lucas' classical set‐up with deterministic linear trend for consumption, Hodrick and Prescott filter and one in which consumption trend is stochastic and whose implementation is performed using Beveridge–Nelson decomposition. The results of both approaches suggest that Turkey has high welfare costs associated with business cycles.
Creativity and improvisation as therapeutic tools within music therapy
Authors: Tomaino Concetta M.
Published: August 2013

The neuroscience of creativity and music improvisation is a fascinating topic and one with strong implications for clinical music therapy. Music therapists are trained to use musical improvisation as a means to bring their clients into deeper therapeutic relationship as well as free up any inhibitions or limitations that may block recovery. Could recent fMRI studies of jazz musicians showing areas of brain activation during music improvisation provide a new framework to understand underlying mechanisms at work with neurologically impaired individuals?
Bedside Ultrasound‐Guided Celiac Plexus Neurolysis in Upper Abdominal Cancer Patients: A Randomized, Prospective Study for Comparison of Percutaneous Bilateral Paramedian vs. Unilateral Paramedian Needle‐Insertion Technique
Authors: Bhatnagar Sushma , Joshi Saurabh , Rana S.P.S. , Mishra Seema , Garg Rakesh , Ahmed Syed M.
Published: August 2013

Introduction

Percutaneous anterior abdominal ultrasound guidance for performing celiac plexus neurolysis is a relatively new but more economical, less time‐consuming, more comfortable bedside technique for interventional pain management. Paucity of studies evaluating the efficacy of single‐site vs. double‐site injections at celiac trunk for ultrasound‐guided celiac plexus neurolysis (USCPN) prompted us to conduct a prospective, randomized, single‐blind clinical trial to compare USCPN using bilateral paramedian (double needle) technique with unilateral paramedian (single needle) technique.

Methods

Sixty patients aged 18 years or older with unresectable upper abdominal cancers were randomized into two groups to receive USCPN. A 20‐mL mixture of 50% ethanol with 0.25% bupivacaine was injected either unilaterally (20 mL×1 site) or bilaterally (10 mL×2 sites) depending on the randomization group. Subjects were assessed for the pain relief using Numerical rating scale (NRS) to assess their pain relief.

Results

Baseline parameters being comparable (P > 0.05), the site of drug injections (single or double needle) had no bearing on the onset of pain relief and patient satisfaction scores (P > 0.05). Pain relief during follow‐up visits was comparable between the two groups (P > 0.05). The discomfort score correlated well with the pain relief scoring without any significant difference between the two groups except in the last visit (at 3 month). Incidences of the complications were comparable in the two groups (P > 0.05).

Conclusion

Ultrasound‐guided celiac plexus neurolysis using unilateral paramedian (single needle) needle‐insertion technique is comparable with bilateral paramedian (double needle) needle‐insertion technique with regard to pain relief and side effects.
Isolation and characterisation of a dwarf rice mutant exhibiting defective gibberellins biosynthesis
Authors: Ji S. H. , Gururani M. A. , Lee J. W. , Ahn B.‐O. , Chun S.‐C.
Published: August 2013

We have isolated a severe dwarf mutant derived from aDs(Dissociation) insertion mutant rice (Oryza sativavar.japonicac.v.Dongjin). This severe dwarf phenotype, has short and dark green leaves, reduced shoot growth early in the seedling stage, and later severe dwarfism with failure to initiate flowering. When treated with bioactiveGA3, mutants are restored to the normal wild‐type phenotype. Reverse transcriptionPCRanalyses of 22 candidate genes related to the gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis pathway revealed that among 22 candidate genes tested, a dwarf mutant transcript was not expressed only in oneOsKS2gene. Genetic analysis revealed that the severe dwarf phenotype was controlled by recessive mutation of a single nuclear gene. The putativeOsKS2gene was a chromosome 4‐locatedent‐kaurene synthase (KS), encoding the enzyme that catalyses an early step of theGAbiosynthesis pathway. Sequence analysis revealed thatosks2carried a 1‐bp deletion in theORFregion ofOsKS2, which led to a loss‐of‐function mutation. The expression pattern ofOsKS2in wild‐type cvDongjin, showed that it is expressed in all organs, most prominently in the stem and floral organs. Morphological characteristics of the dwarf mutant showed dramatic modifications in internal structure and external morphology. We propose that dwarfism in this mutant is caused by a point mutation inOsKS2, which plays a significant role in growth and development of higher plants. Further investigation onOsKS2 and otherOsKS‐like proteins is underway and may yield better understanding of the putative role ofOsKSin severe dwarf mutants.
Growth alteration and leaf biochemical responses in Phaseolus vulgaris exposed to different doses of ionising radiation
Authors: Arena C. , De Micco V. , De Maio A.
Published: August 2013

Ionising radiation may have different effects on plant metabolism, growth and reproduction, depending on radiation dose, plant species, developmental stage and physiological traits. In this study, exposure of dwarf bean plants to different doses of X‐rays (0.3, 10, 50, 100 Gy) was investigated with a multidisciplinary approach consisting of morphological, ecophysiological and biochemical analysis. Both mature and young leaves still growing during the X‐rays exposure were compared with non‐irradiated control leaves. In particular, leaf expansion, leaf anatomy and functional traits, as well as photosynthetic pigment content and Rubisco expression were analysed. Moreover, the activity of poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerase (PARP) was also measured as an indicator of radiation‐induced DNA damage. Our data showed that leaf growth is affected by high levels of radiation and demonstrate that mature leaves are more radio‐resistant than young leaves, which experience severe dose‐dependent changes in leaf functional traits. In particular, young leaves exhibited a reduction of area and an increase in specific mass and dry matter content, as well as a decline in Rubisco activity. Moreover, they showed elevated PARP activity and an increase in phenolic compounds in wall cells if compared with mature leaves. Both of these strategies have been interpreted as a way to help developing leaves withstand irradiation.
Coproduction and Equity in Public Service Delivery
Authors: Jakobsen Morten , Andersen Simon Calmar
Published: August 2013

Public managers and researchers devote much attention to the benefits of coproduction, or the mixing of the productive efforts of public employees and citizens in public service design and delivery. One concern, however, is the distributional consequences of coproduction. This article proposes that disadvantaged citizens may be constrained by a lack of knowledge or other resources necessary to contribute to and benefit from the coproduction process. From this assumption, the authors develop the theoretical argument that if coproduction programs were designed to lift constraints on disadvantaged citizens, they might increase both efficiency and equity. This claim is tested using a field experiment on educational services. A coproduction program providing immigrant parents with knowledge and materials useful to their children's early educational development had a substantial positive impact on the educational outcomes of disadvantaged children, thereby diminishing inequity. Economically, the program was more efficient than later compensation of low‐performing children.
Why Do REIT Returns Poorly Reflect Property Returns? Unrealizable Appreciation Gains due to Trading Constraints as the Solution to the Short‐Term Disparity
Authors: Mühlhofer Tobias
Published: August 2013

This study addresses the short‐term disparity between REIT returns and direct property returns, and argues that this phenomenon is due to the trading constraints in the direct property market imposed on REITs (the dealer rule). This renders REITs unable to time markets in order to realize short‐term property appreciation profits, making REITs primarily a property income investment rather than a full property investment, and explains the observed disparity. Empirically, I find that REIT returns consistently reflect property income returns, but not property appreciation returns. This makes this study the first in the literature to find a consistent link between REIT returns and any portion of direct property returns at short time horizons, in the context of a linear factor model. I then set up a natural laboratory to test the trading‐constraints explanation by examining the appreciation dependence of different types of REITs, which should be differently affected by the trading constraints. I find that returns to UPREITs, which are less affected by the constraints, have a stronger appreciation dependence than returns to regular REITs. I also perform a size test and find that large REITs, which are less affected by the constraints, have a stronger appreciation dependence than small REITs. When testing the effects of UPREIT and size characteristics simultaneously, I find a consistent UPREIT effect. I further find that Real Estate Operating Companies (REOCs), which are not subject to trading constraints, show short‐term property appreciation dependence. These findings offer strong support for the trading‐restrictions explanation.
The US Trade Deficit and the Rate of Interest
Authors: Batra Ravi , Beladi Hamid
Published: August 2013

It is well known that nations with high trade deficits normally have higher interest rates than those with surplus or balanced trade. However, such has not been the case with the USA, which has seen a relentless trade deficit since 1982. Its interest rates have been lower than those prevailing in many trade‐surplus nations. Furthermore, these rates fell even as the trade shortfall shot up, generating an interest‐rate paradox. This paper demonstrates that, unlike for other nations, the rising trade deficit itself became the cause of lower US interest rates, and this happened because of the world's strong interest in maintaining a high value of the dollar.
Nonlinear Exchange Rate Adjustment and the Monetary Model
Authors: Beckmann Joscha
Published: August 2013

Although the empirical literature has delivered evidence in favor of nonlinearities in nominal and real exchange rate adjustment, the corresponding mechanisms with respect to the relationship between nominal exchange rates and fundamentals in general have rarely been put under any close scrutiny. This paper extends the work of other authors, who estimate exponential smooth transition autoregressive models to deviations of the exchange rate from monetary fundamentals. Using monthly data from 1976:01 to 2010:12 for theUSA,UK, andJapan, this paper first adopts a cointegrated vector autoregression (VAR) framework to test for the multivariate validity of the monetary model by applying restrictions on the long‐run relationships. Then, nonlinear vector error correction models are estimated to tackle the question of whether the adjustment of the nominal exchange rate with respect to those relationships follows a nonlinear path.
Capital Accumulation and Convergence in a Small Open Economy
Authors: Sen Partha
Published: August 2013

Outward‐oriented economies seem to grow faster than inward‐looking ones. Does the literature on convergence have anything to say on this? In the dynamic Heckscher–Ohlin–Samuelson model, with factor‐price equalization, there is no convergence of incomes. This is because with identical preferences and return to capital, irrespective of initial levels, the growth rates of consumption are the same. In the specific factors' model, there is factor‐price equalization in the long run, but incomes depend on endowments of non‐accumulable factors. Different specifications for the intersectorally mobile factors have different implications for development (as well as convergence).
International Environmental Agreements, Fiscal Federalism, and Constitutional Design
Authors: Buchholz Wolfgang , Haupt Alexander , Peters Wolfgang
Published: August 2013

In this paper, we analyze how the prospect of international negotiations over trans‐boundary pollution shapes intracountry transfer schemes when the governments of the countries' polluting regions are in charge of environmental policy and negotiations. Federal governments can implement compensation payments between domestic regions and matching grants prior to the international negotiations between the polluting regions. The subgame‐perfect transfer schemes fail to fully internalize the environmental externality, leading to an inefficient international environmental agreement. As the international spillover increases, the intracountry compensation rates increase while the matching rates decline, distorting the incentives for the regional governments in opposing directions. We also show that decentralization of environmental decision making arises endogenously.
Political, Institutional, and Economic Factors Underlying Deficit Volatility
Authors: Agnello Luca , Sousa Ricardo M.
Published: August 2013

It is well known that fiscal policy can counter‐cyclically smooth out the effect of unexpected shocks and public deficit volatility may reflect the (optimal) policy response to them. However, the welfare losses associated to fiscal instability are also an important challenge for many countries, as it typically implies an inefficient allocation of resources, higher sovereign risk premium and an inadequate provision of public services. In this paper, we empirically analyze the political, institutional, and economic sources of public deficit volatility. Using the system‐generalized method‐of‐moments (GMM) estimator for linear dynamic panel data models and a sample of 125 countries analyzed from 1980 to 2006, we show that higher public deficit volatility is typically associated with higher levels of political instability and less democracy. In addition, public deficit volatility tends to be magnified for small countries, in the outcome of hyper‐inflation episodes and for countries with a high degree of openness.
Regulatory Protection When Firms Decide First on Technical Collaboration and R&D
Authors: Edwards Huw , Poyago‐Theotoky Joanna
Published: August 2013

We investigate the imposition of a horizontal technical barrier to trade (HTBT) in a symmetric, cross‐hauling duopoly. Tariffs and subsidies are ruled out, but, in the absence of a mutual recognition agreement, governments can impose HTBTs, so long as firms operate different technologies. With firms being first movers, this possibility may induce them to avoid technical collaboration, in order to tempt governments into creating national monopolies, unless spillovers in R&D are high. This exacerbates the costs of regulatory protection, compared to standard models without R&D or spillovers.
Does it Matter Who You Sign With? Comparing the Impacts ofNorth–South andSouth–South Trade Agreements on Bilateral Trade
Authors: Behar Alberto , Cirera‐i‐Crivillé Laia
Published: August 2013

Free trade agreements (FTAs) lead to a rise in bilateral trade regardless of whether the signatories are developed or developing countries. Furthermore, the percentage increase in bilateral trade is higher forSouth–South agreements than forNorth–South agreements. The results are robust across a number of gravity model specifications in which we control for the endogeneity ofFTAs(with bilateral fixed effects) and also take account of multilateral resistance in both estimation (with country‐time fixed effects) and comparative statics (analytically). Our analytical model shows that multilateral resistance dampens the impact ofFTAson trade by less inSouth–South agreements than inNorth–South agreements, which accentuates the difference implied by our gravity model coefficients, and that this difference becomes larger as the number of signatories rises. For example, allowing for lags and multilateral resistance, a four‐countryNorth–South agreement raises bilateral trade by 53% while the analogousSouth–South impact is 107%.
Technology Transfer, Quality Standards, and North–South Trade
Authors: Nabin Munirul H. , Nguyen Xuan , Sgro Pasquale M.
Published: August 2013

This paper examines the economic consequences of technology transfer through licensing in a North–South model of vertical product differentiation, based on a product‐line pricing framework. With its limited technological expertise, the southern firm cannot export to the northern market without purchasing the northern firm's “clean” and low‐cost technology. With North–South cost‐asymmetry, we conclude that the transfer of technology through licensing promotes trade, product variety and improves global welfare. However, without government intervention, the private levels of product quality chosen by firms tend to be lower than the socially optimal levels. This finding helps to explain why developed countries often set quality standards for imported foreign products.
Productivity Performance of Export Market Entry and Exit: Evidence from Indian Firms
Authors: Mallick Sushanta , Yang Yong
Published: August 2013

This paper contributes to the literature on exporting and firm productivity, focusing on export entry (efficiency), learning (post‐entry growth) and exit (inefficiency) by Indian firms. Drawing on 7000 firms during 1989–2009, our main objective is to examine the effect of exporting on firm productivity, correcting for selection bias using propensity‐score matching, which allows a “like‐for‐like” comparison between new exporters and nonexporters. Robust to different matching estimators, we find evidence of learning‐by‐exporting that new exporters acquire rapid productivity growth after entry, relative to nonexporters. We also find that (1) exporters are more productive than nonexporters; (2) productive firms tend to self‐select in entering the exporting market, and (3) least productive exporters are found to exit the export market as they experience adverse productivity effect prior to the year of exit. Our robust result on learning‐by‐exporting suggests that entering export market does appear to be a channel explaining the Indian recent growth miracle.
Association of Genes in the NF‐κB Pathway with Antibody‐Positive Primary Sjögren's Syndrome
Authors: Nordmark Gunnel , Wang Chuan , Vasaitis Lilian , Eriksson Per , Theander Elke , Kvarnström Marika , Forsblad‐d'Elia Helena , Jazebi Helmi , Sjöwall Christopher , Reksten Tove Ragna , Brun Johan G. , Jonsson Malin V. , Johnsen Svein J. , Wahren‐Herlenius Marie , Omdal Roald , Jonsson Roland , Bowman Simon , Ng Wan‐Fai , Eloranta Maija‐Leena , Syvänen Ann‐Christine
Published: August 2013

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune inflammatory disease characterized by focal lymphocytic infiltrates in the lachrymal and salivary glands and autoantibodies against the SSA/Ro and SSB/La antigens. Experimental studies have shown an activation of NF‐κB in primary SS. NF‐κB activation results in inflammation and autoimmunity and is regulated by inhibitory and activating proteins. Genetic studies have shown an association between multiple autoimmune diseases and TNFAIP3 (A20) and TNIP1 (ABIN1), both repressors of NF‐κB and of IKBKE (IKKε), which is an NF‐κB activator. The aim of this study was to analyse single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the IKBKE, NFKB1, TNIP1 and TNFAIP3 genes for association with primary SS. A total of 12 SNPs were genotyped in 1105 patients from Scandinavia (Sweden and Norway, n = 684) and the UK (n = 421) and 4460 controls (Scandinavia, n = 1662, UK, n = 2798). When patients were stratified for the presence of anti‐SSA and/or anti‐SSB antibodies (n = 868), case–control meta‐analysis found an association between antibody‐positive primary SS and two SNPs in TNIP1 (P = 3.4 × 10−5, OR = 1.33, 95%CI: 1.16–1.52 for rs3792783 and P = 1.3 × 10−3, OR = 1.21, 95%CI: 1.08–1.36 for rs7708392). A TNIP1 risk haplotype was associated with antibody‐positive primary SS (P = 5.7 × 10−3, OR = 1.47, 95%CI: 1.12–1.92). There were no significant associations with IKBKE, NFKB1 or TNFAIP3 in the meta‐analysis of the Scandinavian and UK cohorts. We conclude that polymorphisms in TNIP1 are associated with antibody‐positive primary SS.
Effect of a 5‐week static stretching program on hardness of the gastrocnemius muscle
Authors: Akagi R. , Takahashi H.
Published: August 2013

This study investigated the effects of a static stretching (SS) program on muscle hardnesses of the gastrocnemius medialis (MG) and gastrocnemius lateralis (LG). Nineteen young men participated in this study. Either the right or left leg was randomly selected to conduct three bouts of 2‐min SS of the plantar flexors 6 days a week for 5 weeks in each subject (the SS group), and the other leg was assigned to a control group. Before (pretest) and after (posttest) conducting the SS program, MG and LG hardnesses were measured using shear wave ultrasound elastography. The SS program was found to decrease muscle hardnesses, but not to change the ratio of MG hardness to LG hardness. There were no significant differences between the relative changes in the MG and LG hardnesses from pretest to posttest in both the SS and control groups. Significant correlations between the muscle hardness ratios at pretest and posttest were found in both groups. The results of this study suggest that the current SS program is useful for improving muscle condition in the plantar flexors, and that its long‐term effects on the MG and LG hardnesses are of the same degree.
Assessing the HLA diversity of cord blood units collected from a birth clinic caring for pregnant women in an ethnically diverse metropolitan area
Authors: Magalon Jeremy , Billard‐Daufresne Lise Marie , Gilbertas Chantal , Hermanche Emmanuelle , Simon Sophie , Lemarie Claude , Calmels Boris , Sabatier Florence , Gamerre Marc , Picard Christophe , Chabannon Christian
Published: August 2013

Background

New strategies are emerging in cord blood banking where focusing on birth clinics caring for a high number of mothers belonging to ethnic minorities could offer new possibilities for allotransplantation both for patients of European origin and for patients from ethnic minorities or mixed ancestries.

Study Design and Methods

Marseilles Cord Blood Bank works with one university birth clinic caring for a culturally and sociologically diverse population. Stringent French legal restrictions apply to recording the geographic origin of parents. To circumvent this limitation and evaluate the contribution of newly banked cord blood units (CBUs) to increasing HLA diversity, we applied an algorithm that allows for the determination of parents' putative haplotypes and thus grossly deduce information on their ancestry. Generic resolution HLA‐A, HLA‐B, and allelic resolution HLA‐DRB1 genotyping for 328 CBUs and 2691 unrelated donors (UDs) between January 2009 and May 2012 were performed. Enrichment from international CBU registry with nonreferenced generic HLA‐A, HLA‐B, and allelic HLA‐DRB1 phenotypes was compared between CBUs identified with one or two non‐European haplotypes and CBUs identified with two European haplotypes.

Results

Marseilles CBUs display an increased proportion of HLA antigens frequently expressed in African populations compared to UDs. Whereas 93% of 199 CBUs identified with one or two non‐European haplotypes enrich international CBU registry, this result is reduced to 42% for the 129 CBUs identified with two European haplotypes.

Conclusion

This study supports a new method to assess HLA diversity. However, such an increased of HLA diversity raises questions about frequencies of CBUs released and clinical relevance from their uses.
Iron deficiency in Canadian blood donors
Authors: Goldman Mindy , Uzicanin Samra , Scalia Vito , O'Brien Sheila F.
Published: August 2013

Background

The adequacy of communication and knowledge of donors and physicians regarding iron needs and the relationship between hemoglobin (Hb) and iron stores require evaluation to address donor iron deficiency.

Study Design and Methods

A prospective cohort study was performed on 550 successful donors and 50 donors deferred for low Hb (<125 g/L on repeat fingerstick). Donors participated in an on‐clinic interview and had serum ferritin measured. They were mailed their results and recontacted regarding follow‐up.

Results

Most donors are unaware of possible health impacts of donation and do not discuss donation with their physician. In successful donors, mean ferritin levels were 37 and 131 μg/L in first‐time and reactivated (no donation for 2 years) females and males and 19 and 29 μg/L in frequent repeat females and males, respectively (p < 0.0001), with infrequent donors having intermediate results. Mean ferritin was 12 μg/L in donors deferred for low Hb. Twenty of 22 donors failing initial Hb testing and passing on repeat testing had ferritin below 25 μg/L. On follow‐up, 63 of 164 donors (38%) with low ferritin were taking iron supplements 2 months postdonation.

Conclusion

Iron deficiency is frequent, particularly in female donors and frequent donors. A fail on initial Hb testing followed by a pass on repeat testing is likely to be due to iron deficiency and borderline anemia. Donors and physicians need to be more aware of iron needs associated with blood donation and appropriate treatment for low iron stores.
Addition of plerixafor for CD34+ cell mobilization in six healthy stem cell donors ensured satisfactory grafts for transplantation
Authors: Hauge Anne Werner , Haastrup Eva Kannik , Sengeløv Henrik , Minulescu Lia , Dickmeiss Ebbe , Fischer‐Nielsen Anne
Published: August 2013

Background

In allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation, collection of a sufficient number of HSCs at a fixed time point is crucial. For HSC mobilization into the peripheral blood, the standard regimen, that is, granulocyte–colony‐stimulating factor (G‐CSF), may be inadequate. Use of plerixafor as adjuvant to G‐CSF is so far off‐label in healthy donors.

Study Design and Methods

We present six cases in which the “just‐in‐time” addition of plerixafor ensured proper CD34+ collection from healthy donors with insufficient G‐CSF mobilization. In four of these cases a high number of CD34+ cells was needed due to subsequent CD34+ selection or haploidentical transplantation.

Results

From all six donors a sufficient number of CD34+ cells was obtained by using plerixafor as an adjuvant to G‐CSF. This treatment regimen resulted in only mild side effects for the donor.

Conclusion

We have presented six cases with different causes leading to insufficient G‐CSF mobilization in allogeneic donors and in which the administration of plerixafor just‐in‐time ensured a proper graft for transplantation.
Effect of early stage growth on moisture permeation of thin-film Al2O3 grown by atomic layer deposition on polymers
Authors: Carcia Peter F. , Scott McLean Robert , Walls Dennis J. , Reilly Michael H. , Wyre John P.
Published: August 2013

The authors investigated moisture permeation for Al2O3 barrier films grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD) on the two individual chemically distinct surfaces of a commercial (DuPont Teijin Films, Chester, VA) polyethylene terephthalate (PET) film. One surface is “bare” PET polymer, whereas the opposite surface is coated with a low friction “slip” layer to facilitate winding and unwinding of the polymer film on a roll. For early stage Al2O3 film growth (<8 nm), the authors found that moisture permeation was less on the bare polymer side than the slip side but converged to same instrument limited value (∼1 × 10−4 g H2O/m2 day) for thicker films. However, thicker barrier films grown on the slip side experienced abrupt permeation breakthrough in longer-term Ca-testing at 60 °C/85% RH, whereas equivalently grown barrier films on the bare PET-side were stable. Mildly etching the slip side in Ar, before depositing Al2O3, resulted in permeation performance equivalent to barriers grown on the bare polymer side. The authors present evidence that the etch pretreatment reduced incorporation of hydroxide during early stage growth of Al2O3 by ALD, and this was critical for long-term, stable, low moisture permeation barrier films.
Plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition of nanolaminates for gate dielectric applications
Authors: Garces Nelson Y. , Meyer David J. , Wheeler Virginia D. , Liliental-Weber Zuzanna , Gaskill David K. , Eddy Charles R.
Published: August 2013

Thin [(x)Al2O3 + (y)TiO2] nanolaminates (NLs) films of various TiO2 and Al2O3 volume fractions were deposited on n-Si substrates at 250 °C using remote plasma-assisted atomic layer deposition. While the overall thickness of the dielectric was held relatively constant at ∼16 nm, the relative ratio of Al2O3 to TiO2 in the NL was varied by changing the number of deposition cycles of each component. This permitted the evaluation of changes in the dielectric constant κ, index of refraction Nf, optical band gap, Eg, and the electrical performance of the resulting oxides. Capacitance–voltage and current–voltage results on 100 μm diameter circular capacitors were obtained. The data reveals that the high-content TiO2 films show limited evidence of oxide charge trapping and relatively large dielectric constants (k ∼ 15) with reduced reverse-biased leakage current, whereas the high-content Al2O3 films offer a larger optical band-gap and excellent insulating character with reduced leakage currents. In addition, the authors present composition assessments of the oxides by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and electron energy loss spectroscopy.
Basal Drainage System Response to Increasing Surface Melt on the Greenland Ice Sheet
Authors: Meierbachtol T. , Harper J. , Humphrey N.
Published: August 2013

Draining Through Ice

Water formed by surface melting of the Greenland Ice Sheet is transferred rapidly to the underlying bedrock, but how the water is then dispersed is less clear. This question is important because how the ice-rock interface is lubricated affects how fast the ice sheet moves. Existing conceptual models are based on observations of mountain glaciers, but

Meierbachtol
et al.

(p.
777
; see the Perspective by

Lüthi

) now show that those ideas may not be applicable to the Greenland Ice Sheet. Measuring water pressures in a transect of 23 boreholes revealed that drainage structures differ between the edge, where large melt channels form, and further inland, where more distributed pathways are found.
Pivoting the Plant Immune System from Dissection to Deployment
Authors: Dangl Jeffery L. , Horvath Diana M. , Staskawicz Brian J.
Published: August 2013

Diverse and rapidly evolving pathogens cause plant diseases and epidemics that threaten crop yield and food security around the world. Research over the last 25 years has led to an increasingly clear conceptual understanding of the molecular components of the plant immune system. Combined with ever-cheaper DNA-sequencing technology and the rich diversity of germ plasm manipulated for over a century by plant breeders, we now have the means to begin development of durable (long-lasting) disease resistance beyond the limits imposed by conventional breeding and in a manner that will replace costly and unsustainable chemical controls.
Gauging Greenland's Subglacial Water
Authors: Lüthi Martin
Published: August 2013

Subglacial water flow regimes differ between the interior and the margins of the Greenland Ice Sheet.

[Also see Report by

Meierbachtol
et al.

]
Triggering an Optical Transistor with One Photon
Authors: Volz Jürgen , Rauschenbeutel Arno
Published: August 2013

The coherent absorption of a single photon by atoms in an optical cavity can control the transmission of a more intense light beam.

[Also see Report by

Chen
et al.

]
Europe Aims for a Cut-Rate Superlaser to Power Future Particle Accelerators
Authors: Clery Daniel
Published: August 2013

As particle accelerators risk becoming unmanageably big and expensive to build and run, a team of European physicists hopes to solve the problem with a new accelerator design based on simple fiber-optic lasers.
The Women of the Cosmos Club
Authors: Mervis Jeffrey
Published: August 2013

It's not the food that brings female scientists to Washington's Cosmos Club each month.
A Lethal Dose of RNA
Authors: Kupferschmidt Kai
Published: August 2013

A new generation of genetically modified crops will kill insects by silencing their genes.
Vietnam Turns Back a 'Tsunami of Pesticides'
Authors: Normile Dennis
Published: August 2013

Convincing Vietnamese rice farmers to use less pesticide came down to letting them see the benefits for themselves.
Antibody-Secreting Cell Responses after Vibrio cholerae O1 Infection and Oral Cholera Vaccination in Adults in Bangladesh
Authors: Rahman Atiqur , Rashu Rasheduzzaman , Bhuiyan Taufiqur Rahman , Chowdhury Fahima , Khan Ashraful Islam , Islam Kamrul , LaRocque Regina C. , Ryan Edward T. , Wrammert Jens , Calderwood Stephen B. , Qadri Firdausi , Harris Jason B.
Published: August 2013

Infection withVibrio choleraeand oral cholera vaccines (OCVs) induce transient circulating plasmablast responses that peak within approximately 7 days after infection or vaccination. We previously demonstrated that plasmablast responses strongly correlate with subsequent levels ofV. cholerae-specific duodenal antibodies up to 6 months afterV. choleraeinfection. Hence, plasmablast responses provide an early window into the immunologic memory at the mucosal surface. In this study, we characterized plasmablast responses followingV. choleraeinfection using a flow cytometrically defined population and comparedV. cholerae-specific responses in adult patients withV. choleraeO1 infection and vaccinees who received the OCV Dukoral (Crucell Vaccines Canada). Among flow cytometrically sorted populations of gut-homing plasmablasts, almost 50% of the cells recognized either cholera toxin B subunit (CtxB) orV. choleraeO1 lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Using a traditional enzyme-linked immunosorbent spot assay (ELISPOT), we found that infection withV. choleraeO1 and OCVs induce similar responses to the protein antigen CtxB, but responses to LPS were diminished after OCV compared to those after naturalV. choleraeinfection. A second dose of OCV on day 14 failed to boost circulatingV. cholerae-specific plasmablast responses in Bangladeshi adults. Our results differ from those in studies from areas where cholera is not endemic, in which a second vaccination on day 14 significantly boosts plasmablast responses. Given these results, it is likely that the optimal boosting strategies for OCVs differ significantly between areas whereV. choleraeinfection is endemic and those where it is not.
Seroepidemiologies of Human Metapneumovirus and Respiratory Syncytial Virus in Young Children, Determined with a New Recombinant Fusion Protein Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Authors: Dunn Sarah R. , Ryder Alex B. , Tollefson Sharon J. , Xu Meng , Saville Benjamin R. , Williams John V.
Published: August 2013

We compared antibodies against human metapneumovirus (HMPV) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) in children. The antibody nadirs for both viruses were at 3 to 5 months, and the majority of children were seropositive for both by 2 years. There was no significant difference in the kinetics of maternal antibody decline or seroconversion relative to the two viruses.
Application of a Newly Developed High-Sensitivity HBsAg Chemiluminescent Enzyme Immunoassay for Hepatitis B Patients with HBsAg Seroclearance
Authors: Shinkai Noboru , Matsuura Kentaro , Sugauchi Fuminaka , Watanabe Tsunamasa , Murakami Shuko , Iio Etsuko , Ogawa Shintaro , Nojiri Shunsuke , Joh Takashi , Tanaka Yasuhito
Published: August 2013

We modified and automated a highly sensitive chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay (CLEIA) for surface antigen (HBsAg) detection using a combination of monoclonal antibodies, each for a specific epitope of HBsAg, and by improving an earlier conjugation technique. Of 471 hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers seen in our hospital between 2009 and 2012, 26 were HBsAg seronegative as determined by the Abbott Architect assay. The Lumipulse HBsAg-HQ assay was used to recheck those 26 patients who demonstrated seroclearance by the Abbott Architect assay. The performance of the Lumipulse HBsAg-HQ assay was compared with that of a quantitative HBsAg detection system (Abbott Architect) and the Roche Cobas TaqMan HBV DNA assay (CTM) (lower limit of detection, 2.1 log copies/ml) using blood serum samples from patients who were determined to be HBsAg seronegative by the Abbott Architect assay. Ten patients had spontaneous HBsAg loss. Of 8 patients treated with nucleotide analogues (NAs), two were HBsAg seronegative after stopping lamivudine therapy and 6 were HBsAg seronegative during entecavir therapy. Eight acute hepatitis B (AH) patients became HBsAg seronegative. Of the 26 patients, 16 were HBsAg positive by the Lumipulse HBsAg-HQ assay but negative by the Abbott Architect assay. The differences between the two assays in terms of detectable HBsAg persisted over the long term in the spontaneous loss group (median, 10 months), the NA-treated group (2.5 months), and the AH group (0.5 months). In 9 patients, the Lumipulse HBsAg-HQ assay detected HBsAg when HBV DNA was negative by the CTM assay. HBsAg was also detected by the Lumipulse HBsAg-HQ assay in 4 patients with an anti-HBs concentration of >10 mIU/ml, 3 of whom had no HBsAg escape mutations. The automatic, highly sensitive HBsAg CLEIA Lumipulse HBsAg-HQ is a convenient and precise assay for HBV monitoring.
Identification of Mycobacterium Species and Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex Resistance Determinants by Use of PCR-Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry
Authors: Simner Patricia J. , Buckwalter Seanne P. , Uhl James R. , Wengenack Nancy L.
Published: August 2013

PCR coupled with electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (PCR–ESI-MS) is a novel technology that has recently been used to identify pathogens from clinical specimens or after culture within about 6 h. We evaluated the MDR-TB (multidrug-resistant tuberculosis) assay, which uses PCR–ESI-MS for detection and identification of
Mycobacterium
spp. and
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
complex (MTBC) resistance determinants from solid and broth Middlebrook culture media. The performance of the MDR-TB assay was compared to identification using nucleic acid hybridization probes and 16S rRNA gene sequencing for 68 MTBC and 97 nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) isolates grown on agar and 107 cultures grown in Bactec MGIT broth. MTBC resistance profiles from the MDR-TB assay were compared to results with the agar proportion method. The PCR–ESI-MS system correctly identified all MTBC isolates and 97.9% and 95.8% of the NTM isolates from characterized agar cultures and MGIT broth cultures to the species level, respectively. In comparison to the agar proportion method, the sensitivity and specificity for the detection of drug resistance using the MDR-TB assay were 100% and 92.3% for rifampin, 100% and 93.8% for isoniazid, 91.6% and 94.4% for ethambutol, and 100% and 100% for fluoroquinolones, respectively. The MDR-TB assay appears to be a rapid and accurate method for the simultaneous detection and identification of mycobacterial species and resistance determinants of MTBC from culture.
Evaluation of Rabies Biologics against Irkut Virus Isolated in China
Authors: Liu Ye , Chen Qi , Zhang Fei , Zhang Shoufeng , Li Nan , Lian Hai , Wang Ying , Zhang Jinxia , Hu Rongliang
Published: August 2013

An Irkut virus (IRKV) was recently isolated from a bat in China. The protective ability of rabies biologics available in the Chinese market and experimental biologics against the rabies virus (RABV) and IRKV were assessed in a hamster model via preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and postexposure prophylaxis (PEP) experiments. The results demonstrated that a single dose of rabies vaccine did not induce adequate protection against IRKV infection. However, routine PrEP with three doses of vaccine induced complete protection against IRKV infection. Higher doses of RABV immunoglobulins and alpha interferon were required during PEP to protect hamsters against IRKV versus RABV infection. Experimental recombinant vaccines containing IRKV glycoproteins induced more-reliable protection against IRKV than against RABV infection. Those findings may be explained by limited cross-neutralization of these viruses (confirmed via
in vitro
tests) in conjunction with antigenic distances between RABV and IRKV. These results indicate that the development and evaluation of new biologics for PrEP and PEP are required to ensure sufficient protection against IRKV infection in China and other territories where this virus is present.
Vaccination against a Virus-Encoded Cytokine Significantly Restricts Viral Challenge
Authors: Eberhardt Meghan K. , Deshpande Ashlesha , Chang W. L. William , Barthold Stephen W. , Walter Mark R. , Barry Peter A.
Published: August 2013

Identification of immune correlates of protection for viral vaccines is complicated by multiple factors, but there is general consensus on the importance of antibodies that neutralize viral attachment to susceptible cells. Development of new viral vaccines has mostly followed this neutralizing antibody paradigm, but as a recent clinical trial of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) vaccination demonstrated, this singular approach can yield limited protective efficacy. Since HCMV devotes >50% of its coding capacity to proteins that modulate host immunity, it is hypothesized that expansion of vaccine targets to include this part of the viral proteome will disrupt viral natural history. HCMV and rhesus cytomegalovirus (RhCMV) each encode an ortholog to the cellular interleukin-10 (cIL-10) cytokine: cmvIL-10 and rhcmvIL10, respectively. Despite extensive sequence divergence from their host's cIL-10, each viral IL-10 retains nearly identical functionality to cIL-10. Uninfected rhesus macaques were immunized with engineered, nonfunctional rhcmvIL-10 variants, which were constructed by site-directed mutagenesis to abolish binding to the cIL-10 receptor. Vaccinees developed antibodies that neutralized rhcmvIL-10 function with no cross-neutralization of cIL-10. Following subcutaneous RhCMV challenge, the vaccinees exhibited both reduced RhCMV replication locally at the inoculation site and systemically and significantly reduced RhCMV shedding in bodily fluids compared to controls. Attenuation of RhCMV infection by rhcmvIL-10 vaccination argues that neutralization of viral immunomodulation may be a new vaccine paradigm for HCMV by expanding potential vaccine targets.