bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Genie in the bottle
Authors: Örs İlay Romain
Published: March 2014

Leaving İstanbul Bilgi University on 22 May 2013, conveners of the İstanbul Seminars could not have guessed that less than a week later the arguments they had debated would be revisited under a new light. For little did anybody know that in the summer of 2013 İstanbul would become the stage of one of the most intriguing of urban uprisings in Turkish, if not world, contemporary history. In this article I would like to take up some of the challenges brought up by Gezi resistance to rethink the concept of democracy through the changing ways in which people engage with urban public spaces in Turkey, and beyond.
Comparative Nonclinical Assessments of the Proposed Biosimilar PF-05280586 and Rituximab (MabThera®)
Authors: Ryan Anne M. , Sokolowski Sharon A. , Ng Chee-Keng , Shirai Norimitsu , Collinge Mark , Shen Amy C. , Arrington Joshua , Radi Zaher , Cummings Thomas R. , Ploch Stephen A. , Stephenson Sarah A. , Tripathi Niraj K. , Hurst Susan I. , Finch Gregory L. , Leach Michael W.
Published: March 2014

Comparative nonclinical studies were conducted with the proposed biosimilar PF-05280586 and rituximab-EU (MabThera®). In side-by-side analyses, peptide maps and complement-dependent cytotoxicity assay results were similar. Sexually-mature cynomolgus monkeys were administered PF-05280586 or rituximab-EU as a single dose of 0, 2, 10, or 20 mg/kg on day 1 and observed for 92 days (single-dose study) or as 5 weekly injections of 0 or 20 mg/kg and necropsied on day 30, the day after the 5th dose, or on day 121 (repeat-dose study). The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles for both molecules were similar. Marked depletion of peripheral blood B cells 4 days after dosing was followed by near or complete repletion (single-dose study) or partial repletion (repeat-dose study). In the single-dose study, anti-drug antibodies (ADA) were detected by day 29 in all animals administered PF-05280586 or rituximab-EU and persisted through day 85, the last day tested. In the repeat-dose study, ADA were detected on day 121 in 50% of animals administered PF-05280586 or rituximab-EU. Both molecules were well tolerated at all doses. In all endpoints evaluated, PF-05280586 exhibited similarity to rituximab-EU.
Archiving Egypt's revolution
Authors: Urgola Stephen
Published: March 2014

During the 18 days in early 2011 that came to be known as Egypt’s January 25 Revolution, a group of archivists, faculty, administrators, and students at the American University in Cairo met to devise ways to document those historic events. The resulting project, University on the Square: Documenting Egypt’s 21st Century Revolution, addressed the challenge of collecting the tangible remains of the protests like banners and tear gas canisters and the many digital photographs and videos taken by observers and participants. It also launched an oral history effort to record the experiences of a wide range of participants in the uprising and the subsequent protest and political activity in Egypt. Throughout the course of its activities the involvement of the community played an important role in the initiative. This paper describes the project’s methods and what it has collected, as well as challenges faced. Other projects to document Egypt’s revolution, and a comparison of their goals with that of AUC’s efforts, will also be covered.
Anatomic Variations of the Lateral Intercondylar Ridge
Authors: Tsukada Sachiyuki , Fujishiro Hitomi , Watanabe Kentaro , Nimura Akimoto , Mochizuki Tomoyuki , Mahakkanukrauh Pasuk , Yasuda Kazunori , Akita Keiichi
Published: March 2014

Background:

The lateral intercondylar ridge (LIR) has been recognized as an important landmark to create an appropriate femoral tunnel in single-bundle anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction. However, because of variations in the distal part of the LIR or because the relationship between the LIR and the anterior margin of the ACL attachment has not been sufficiently clarified, the utility of the LIR for anatomic single- and double-bundle reconstruction remains controversial.

Hypotheses:

(1) There is a large degree of positional and dimensional variation in the LIR, specifically concerning the distal part. (2) There may be significant differences between sexes in the LIR. (3) The anterior margin of the ACL attachment may be located anterior to the distal part of the LIR.

Study Design:

Descriptive laboratory study.

Methods:

A total of 318 femora, which were collected with the donors’ demographic data, were examined to determine anatomic variations of the LIR. In addition, 20 cadaveric knees, in which the anterior margin was marked by radiopaque silicon markers, were examined with micro–computed tomography to evaluate the positional relationship between the LIR and the anterior margin of the ACL attachment.

Results:

Although the LIR was identified in 94.0% of the 318 femora, the distal half of the LIR was not visible in 18.4% of these femora. Moreover, the LIR was located in an extremely anterior part of the lateral condyle surface in 8.8% in comparison with the common location, and in an extremely posterior part in 8.5%. The length–height ratio (69.9% in men, 63.6% in women) and the length between the inlet of the notch roof and the proximal part of the LIR (19.9 mm in men, 17.9 mm in women) were significantly greater in males than in females ( P = .0028 and P < .0001, respectively). The anterior margin of the ACL attachment was commonly located anterior to the middle and distal part of the LIR, having the mean marker-ridge distance of 4.2 mm.

Conclusion:

There were large positional and dimensional variations in the LIR, specifically concerning the distal part. There are slight but significant differences between the male and female femora. The anterior margin of the ACL attachment is commonly located anterior to the middle and distal parts of the LIR.

Clinical Relevance:

Utility of the LIR as an osseous landmark for femoral tunnel creation is limited in anatomic reconstruction of the posterolateral bundle and anatomic single-bundle reconstruction.
Manpower to coerce and co-opt—State capacity and political violence in southern Sudan 2006–2010
Authors: De Juan Alexander , Pierskalla Jan H.
Published: March 2014

This paper investigates the role of state capacity for political violence. Most previous studies have suffered from inadequacies of country-level data, questionable validity of indicators or theoretical shortcomings. This paper aims at overcoming some of these challenges. We focus on one specific aspect of state capacity: the role of governmental manpower. We argue that its subnational effect on political violence follows a non-linear, inverted-U shape. We investigate this hypothesis in the context of southern Sudan, covering the period from 2006 to 2010. We use unique data on the geographical distribution of public personnel across 75 southern Sudanese counties. The data are matched with geocoded data on violent events as well as various socio-economic indicators. Our fixed-effects estimations indicate that particularly low or high levels of state capacity are associated with low levels of violence. Counties with intermediate numbers of state personnel experience the highest numbers of violent events.
Modularized fault diagnosis model of induction motor based on radial basis function neural network
Authors: Li Wen , Zhao Huimin , Yang Xinhua , Deng Wu
Published: March 2014

A modular fault diagnosis model of induction motor is proposed based on radial basis function neural network. The modular structure makes model configuration flexible, training time short and model convergence easier. The training algorithm of the fault diagnosis model is given. Through an example, factors of the affecting fault diagnosis model classification are analyzed, methods of feature extraction and feature enhance are discussed, and the algorithm of feature enhance is presented. Lastly, the construction, training and verification of the motor fault diagnosis model consisting of two sub-models are introduced. Research results show that because of adopting the modular model and using a sub-model to recognize a fault state, model training becomes easier. It is more important that the fault recognition ability and application flexibility of the fault diagnosis model proposed are improved obviously.
Research on passenger flow and energy consumption in a subway system with fuzzy passenger arrival rates
Authors: Xu Xiaoming , Li Keping , Li Xiang
Published: March 2014

To relieve the traffic pressure in a subway system, in reality, increasing train frequency, improving train capacity and applying express trains, are three practical organization strategies. In this paper, we compare these three strategies by using four evaluation indexes, including accumulated congestion degree, loading ratio, passenger volume and energy consumption in one direction during one hour. Moreover, in order to determine the optimal strategy, an ideal-point compromise approach is employed in this paper. Specifically, for investigating the passenger flow and energy consumption in aforementioned strategies, we provide variation models for passenger flow in a subway system with fuzzy passenger arrival rates and alighting ratios. By using the operational data from Beijing Yizhuang subway line, we conduct extensive case studies to illustrate the performance of different strategies.
Beyond Gist
Authors: Malcolm George L. , Nuthmann Antje , Schyns Philippe G.
Published: March 2014

Research on scene categorization generally concentrates on gist processing, particularly the speed and minimal features with which the “story” of a scene can be extracted. However, this focus has led to a paucity of research into how scenes are categorized at specific hierarchical levels (e.g., a scene could be a road or more specifically a highway); consequently, research has disregarded a potential diagnostically driven feedback process. We presented participants with scenes that were low-pass filtered so only their gist was revealed, while a gaze-contingent window provided the fovea with full-resolution details. By recording where in a scene participants fixated prior to making a basic- or subordinate-level judgment, we identified the scene information accrued when participants made either categorization. We observed a feedback process, dependent on categorization level, that systematically accrues sufficient and detailed diagnostic information from the same scene. Our results demonstrate that during scene processing, a diagnostically driven bidirectional interplay between top-down and bottom-up information facilitates relevant category processing.
Ex-combatants, Security and Post-conflict Violence: Unpacking the Experience from Nepal
Authors: Subedi D.B.
Published: March 2014

As Nepali society has recently received a substantial number of demobilized but not adequately reintegrated Maoist ex-combatants, there is a concern regarding the ex-combatants’ re-mobilization and re-engagement in violence. Yet, adequate knowledge and empirical evidences surrounding this are still wanting. Drawing on fieldworks conducted in Nepal between September and December 2011, and again between December 2012 and March 2013, this article studies ex-combatant’s current and potential re-mobilization and post-conflict violence in which ex-combatants are or will be involved. Contending that ex-combatants cannot be homogenized, this article identifies three categories of Maoist ex-combatants: socially and economically engaged ex-combatants, (in)formal interest groups and politically active ex-combatants. It shows that each of the three categories of ex-combatants has different responses to security and violence in post-conflict period. It further argues that exploring the interface between various categories of ex-combatants, their re-mobilization vulnerability and the position and interest of re-mobilizing actors can better predict the outcomes of the ex-combatants violence. This article concludes that ex-combatant-led insecurity and violence including petty crimes have occurred increasingly at the micro level while the macro level threats at present are limited to confrontational, disruptive and violent political actions rather than re-mobilization in another insurgency.
Anxiety, Depression, Stress, and Cortisol Levels in Mothers of Children Undergoing Maintenance Therapy for Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia
Authors: Neu Madalynn , Matthews Ellyn , King Nancy A. , Cook Paul F. , Laudenslager Mark L.
Published: March 2014

The purpose of this study was to compare anxiety, depression, and stress between mothers of children during maintenance treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and matched controls. Twenty-six mothers were recruited from the hematology unit at a children’s hospital, and 26 mothers were recruited from the community. Participants were matched to their child’s age and gender. Mothers completed the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, the Perceived Stress Sale, and collected salivary cortisol 4 times a day for 3 consecutive days. Compared with mothers of healthy children, anxiety scores did not differ ( P = .10), but depression scores were higher ( P = .003) in mothers of children with ALL. More mothers in the ALL group scored above the cutoff of 7 indicating clinical anxiety (46%) and depressive symptoms (27%). A trend toward increased stress was found in mothers in the ALL group. No difference was found in overall daily cortisol (area under the curve), daily decrease in cortisol (slope), and cortisol awakening response. Mothers of children with ALL experienced emotional symptoms many months after the initial diagnosis.
Evaluation of policy environment for climate change adaptation in tourism
Authors: Wong Emma , Jiang Min , Klint Louise Munk , Dominey-Howes Dale , DeLacy Terry
Published: March 2014

Tourism in small island developing states and territories in the South Pacific is crucial to the development of these countries yet highly vulnerable to climate change. Drawing on political science theories, this study critically analyses the policy environment of Fiji, Samoa and Vanuatu for the tourism sector’s adaptation to climate change. Three aspects of the policy environment were analysed, namely stakeholder commitment, resource availability and capacity, and presence of enabling mechanisms or processes. We find that Samoa provides the most conducive policy environment among the three for climate change adaptation. The difference can be attributed to political instability and lack of institutional coordination in Fiji; and in Vanuatu, industry players showing little concern for climate change and lack of policy implementation. Stakeholders should take ownership of the climate change issues, and governments better manage the funding from aid agencies and establish policy mechanisms that facilitate adaptation.
Alzheimer’s Dementia From a Bilingual/Bicultural Perspective
Authors: Brice Alejandro E. , Wallace Sarah E. , Brice Roanne G.
Published: March 2014

Alzheimer’s dementia (AD) is a progressive, degenerative disease that occurs in the cerebral cortex due to increased levels of glutamate, the proliferation of plaque-forming amyloid beta proteins, and reactive gliosis. Establishing behavioral indicators of the disease (e.g., impairments of episodic memory) and use of neuroimaging technology that can substantiate medial temporal lobe brain structure deficiencies demonstrates an important clinical neuroanatomic relationship needed for early evaluation of possible AD diagnosis. This bilingual/bicultural case study details the cognitive and language impairments associated with AD over the course of 1 year. Utilization of a bilingual/bicultural case study may elucidate the pattern of language and cognitive decline in this understudied population. Formal and informal measures, observations, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results are provided. Insights into cultural and linguistic differences are presented.
Effects of Multisensory Stimulation on a Sample of Institutionalized Elderly People With Dementia Diagnosis
Authors: Maseda Ana , Sánchez Alba , Marante Mª Pilar , González-Abraldes Isabel , Buján Ana , Millán-Calenti José Carlos
Published: March 2014

Long-term effects of multisensory stimulation were assessed using a “Snoezelen” room on older residents with dementia. Thirty patients were randomly assigned to 3 groups: multisensory stimulation environment (MSSE) group, individualized activities (activity) group, and control group. The MSSE and activity groups participated in two 30-minute weekly individualized intervention sessions over 16 weeks. Pre-, mid-, posttrial, and 8-week follow-up behavior, mood, cognitive, and functional impairment in basic activities of daily living were registered. Items included in the physically nonaggressive behavior factor improved significantly in post- versus pretrial in the MSSE group compared to the activity group, with no significant differences between MSSE and control groups. The MSSE and activity groups demonstrated behavior improvements and higher scores on the Cohen-Mansfield agitation inventory, verbal agitated behavior factor, and Neuropsychiatric Inventory–Nursing Home, with no significant differences between groups. The MSSE could have long-term positive effects on such neuropsychiatric symptoms in older people with dementia.
Increasing Asian American participation in clinical trials by addressing community concerns
Authors: Ma Grace X , Seals Brenda , Tan Yin , Wang Sylvia Y , Lee Richard , Fang Carolyn Y
Published: March 2014

Background

Asian Americans are underrepresented in clinical trials, but little is known about the factors that contribute to clinical trial participation in this population.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to identify knowledge, barriers, facilitators, and cultural influences on participating in clinical trials among three Asian American ethnic groups. Concurrently, we sought to identify mechanisms and messages to facilitate dissemination of information and to identify strategies to promote clinical trial participation in this population.

Methods

Eight focus groups were conducted (n = 103) with Chinese (four groups), Korean (two groups), and Vietnamese (two groups) Americans. Each group was conducted with a moderator and a translator using a standardized guide.

Results

Participants discuss the benefits of contributing to science, future generations, and their families by being in clinical trials. Some participants think clinical trials would give hope to those with terminal illnesses. A doctor’s recommendation, being sick, and needing more options for treatment are motivators for Asian Americans. Having some guarantee of treatment effectiveness and lack of side effects facilitates participation. Cultural or religious beliefs are not believed to prevent clinical trial participation.

Limitations

This qualitative, two-site study included three Asian American ethnic groups and is not meant to establish prevalence of beliefs.

Conclusion

Asian Americans need more information about clinical trials and their benefits to science and the larger community. Health-care providers can play pivotal roles in enhancing recruitment of Asian Americans. Basing recruitment goals on percentage representation in most US geographic areas does not provide sufficient numbers to allow for analysis of minorities like Asian American groups. The discovery of important group-specific harms and benefits depends on greater participation of racial/ethnic subgroups.
The Autonomic Nervous System and Emotion
Authors: Levenson Robert W.
Published: March 2014

In many evolutionary/functionalist theories, emotions organize the activity of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) and other physiological systems. Two kinds of patterned activity are discussed: (a) coherence (i.e., emotions organize and coordinate activity within the ANS, and between the ANS and other response systems such as facial expression and subjective experience), and (b) specificity (i.e., emotions activate different patterns of ANS response for different emotions). For each kind of patterning, significant methodological obstacles are considered that need to be overcome before empirical studies can adequately test theories and resolve controversies. Finally, links that coherence and specificity have with health and well-being are considered.
Environmental and Genetic Influences on Neurocognitive Development
Authors: Karmiloff-Smith Annette , Casey B. J. , Massand Esha , Tomalski Przemyslaw , Thomas Michael S. C.
Published: March 2014

Genetic mutations and environmental factors dynamically influence gene expression and developmental trajectories at the neural, cognitive, and behavioral levels. The examples in this article cover different periods of neurocognitive development—early childhood, adolescence, and adulthood—and focus on studies in which researchers have used a variety of methodologies to illustrate the early effects of socioeconomic status and stress on brain function, as well as how allelic differences explain why some individuals respond to intervention and others do not. These studies highlight how similar behaviors can be driven by different underlying neural processes and show how a neurocomputational model of early development can account for neurodevelopmental syndromes, such as autism spectrum disorders, with novel implications for intervention. Finally, these studies illustrate the importance of the timing of environmental and genetic factors on development, consistent with our view that phenotypes are emergent, not predetermined.
Influences of Ovarian Hormones on Dysregulated Eating
Authors: Klump Kelly L. , Racine Sarah E. , Hildebrandt Britny , Burt S. Alexandra , Neale Michael , Sisk Cheryl L. , Boker Steven , Keel Pamela K.
Published: March 2014

Changes in ovarian hormones predict changes in emotional eating across the menstrual cycle. However, in prior studies, researchers have not examined whether the nature of associations varies across dysregulated-eating severity. In the current study, we determined whether the strength or nature of hormone/dysregulated-eating associations differ on the basis of the presence of clinically diagnosed binge episodes (BEs). Participants included 28 women with BEs and 417 women without BEs who provided salivary hormone samples, ratings of emotional eating, and BE frequency for 45 days. Results revealed stronger associations between dysregulated eating and ovarian hormones in women with BEs relative to women without BEs. The nature of associations also differed, as progesterone moderated the effects of lower estradiol levels on dysregulated eating in women with BEs only. Although hormone/dysregulated-eating associations are present across the spectrum of pathology, the nature of associations may vary in ways that have implications for etiological models and treatment.
Policy Discourses in Higher Education
Authors: Panigrahi Jinusha
Published: March 2014

The article examines the question of access to higher education (HE) in the context of unprecedented and irreversible changes in the higher education sector in the current scenario. It is based on a comparative study that seeks to probe the question of access based on a secondary data analysis using the NSSO data regarding household consumer expenditure in education in the state of Odisha, one of the poorest Indian states compared to the two advanced states in human development and access to technical education, Kerala and Tamil Nadu respectively. The study finds that the overall access to HE in Odisha is a privilege of the urban area non-scheduled category of population belonging to the upper and middle income group, that too in case of technical/professional education. The poor representation of reserved categories in urban areas makes them incapable of making use of the reservation facilities provided by the government due to their ignorance. Most of the benefits of the reserved categories of population are appropriated by the affluent sections of population of that category. The overambitious urban students supersede their counterparts in Kerala and Tamil Nadu in primary and secondary education and rural students in terms of demand and access to technical/professional education.
Growth of Higher Education in Manipur
Authors: Angom Sangeeta
Published: March 2014

Higher education in India has witnessed tremendous increase in the institutional capacity since independence. There are many issues and challenges of higher education in the country. Among them one is regional disparity. For instance, the North Eastern Region which comprises of eight states has been declared as an economically backward area and also considered as a special category by the planning commission. Naskar (2009) has shown that the student–college ratio in the region is far below the national average. In this background, the paper discusses the status of higher education in Manipur and its growth pattern in terms of expansion of institutions and increased enrolment. The chapter also brings out state government initiatives for an improved higher education system in the state and the major concerns for future growth. There has been an overall growth and increase of student enrolment in higher education of Manipur in the recent years. Responding to the recent trend, the state has initiated several measures for improving quality and access in higher education. However, proper future planning based on the identified major concerns of the higher education is the need of the hour. It is felt necessary to address the problems in higher education of the north-eastern states in general and in Manipur in particular from policy and planning perspective.
Predicting the size of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations on chest computed tomography: a role for transthoracic contrast echocardiography
Authors: Velthuis Sebastiaan , Buscarini Elisabetta , Mager Johannes J. , Vorselaars Veronique M.M. , van Gent Marco W.F. , Gazzaniga Pietro , Manfredi Guido , Danesino Cesare , Diederik Arjen L. , Vos Jan A. , Gandolfi Silvia , Snijder Repke J. , Westermann Cornelis J.J. , Post Martijn C.
Published: March 2014

This study aimed to investigate whether pulmonary shunt grade on transthoracic contrast echocardiography (TTCE) predicts the size of pulmonary arteriovenous malformations (PAVMs) on chest computed tomography (CT) and subsequent feasibility for transcatheter embolotherapy.

We prospectively included 772 persons with possible or definite hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia, who underwent both TTCE and chest CT for screening of PAVMs. A quantitative three-point grading scale was used to classify the pulmonary shunt size on TTCE (grade 1–3). Transcatheter embolotherapy was performed for PAVMs deemed large enough for endovascular closure on chest CT.

TTCE documented pulmonary shunting in 510 (66.1%) patients. The positive predictive value of a pulmonary shunt grade 1, 2 and 3 on TTCE for presence of PAVMs on chest CT was 13.4%, 45.3% and 92.5%, respectively (p<0.001). None of the 201 persons with a pulmonary shunt grade 1 on TTCE had PAVMs on chest CT large enough for transcatheter embolotherapy, while 38 (25.3%) and 123 (77.4%) individuals with a pulmonary shunt grade 2 and 3 on TTCE, respectively, underwent endovascular closure of PAVMs.

Pulmonary shunt grade on TTCE predicts the size of PAVMs on chest CT and their feasibility for subsequent transcatheter embolotherapy. Chest CT can be safely withheld from all persons with a pulmonary shunt grade 1 on TTCE, as any PAVM found in these subjects will be too small for transcatheter embolotherapy.
Prevalence and correlates of airflow obstruction in ∼317 000 never-smokers in China
Authors: Smith Margaret , Li Liming , Augustyn Mareli , Kurmi Om , Chen Junshi , Collins Rory , Guo Yu , Han Yabin , Qin Jingxin , Xu Guanqun , Wang Jian , Bian Zheng , Zhou Gang , Peto Richard , Chen Zhengming
Published: March 2014

In China, the burden of chronic obstructive disease (COPD) is high in never-smokers but little is known about its causes in this group.

We analysed data on 287 000 female and 30 000 male never-smokers aged 30–79 years from 10 regions in China, who participated in the China Kadoorie Biobank baseline survey (2004–2008). Prevalence of airflow obstruction (AFO) (pre-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1)/forced vital capacity (FVC) <0.7 and below the lower limit of normal (LLN)) was estimated, by age and region. Cross-sectional associations of AFO (FEV1/FVC <0.7), adjusted for confounding, were examined.

AFO prevalence defined as FEV1/FVC <0.7 was 4.0% in females and 5.1% in males (mean ages 51 and 54 years, respectively). AFO prevalence defined as FEV1/FVC <LLN was 5.9% and 5.2%, respectively. In females, odds ratios of AFO were positively associated with lower household income (1.63, 95% CI 1.55–1.72 for lowestversushighest income groups), prior tuberculosis (2.36, 95% CI 2.06–2.71), less education (1.17, 95% CI 1.12–1.23 for no schoolingversuscollege education), rural region and lower body mass index. AFO was positively associated with cooking with coal but not with other sources of household air pollution. Associations were similar for males.

AFO is prevalent in Chinese never-smokers, particularly among those with low socioeconomic status or prior tuberculosis, and in rural males.
Cyr61 Expression is associated with prognosis in patients with colorectal cancer
Authors: Jeong Dongjun , Heo Suhak , Sung Ahn Tae , Lee Sookyoung , Park Soyoung , Kim Hyungjoo , Park Doosan , Byung Bae Sang , Lee Sung Soo , Soo Lee Moon , Kim Chang-Jin , Jun Baek Moo
Published: March 2014

Background

Cysteine-rich 61 (Cyr61), a member of the CCN protein family, possesses diverse functionality in cellular processes such as adhesion, migration, proliferation, and survival. Cyr61 can also function as an oncogene or a tumour suppressor, depending on the origin of the cancer. Only a few studies have reported Cyr61 expression in colorectal cancer. In this study, we assessed the Cyr61 expression in 251 colorectal cancers with clinical follow up.

Methods

We examined Cyr61 expression in 6 colorectal cancer cell lines (HT29, Colo205, Lovo, HCT116, SW480, SW620) and 20 sets of paired normal and colorectal cancer tissues by western blot. To validate the association of Cyr61 expression with clinicopathological parameters, we assessed Cyr61 expression using tissue microarray analysis of primary colorectal cancer by immunohistochemical analysis.

Results

We verified that all of the cancer cell lines expressed Cyr61; 2 cell lines (HT29 and Colo205) demonstrated Cyr61 expression to a slight extent, while 4 cell lines (Lovo, HCT116, SW480, SW620) demonstrated greater Cyr61 expression than HT29 and Colo205 cell lines. Among the 20 cases of paired normal and tumour tissues, greater Cyr61 expression was observed in 16 (80%) tumour tissues than in normal tissues. Furthermore, 157 out of 251 cases (62.5%) of colorectal cancer examined in this study displayed strong Cyr61 expression. Cyr61 expression was found to be associated with pN (p = 0.018). Moreover, Cyr61 expression was associated with statistically significant cancer-specific mortality (p = 0.029). The duration of survival was significantly lesser in patients with Cyr61 high expression than in patients with Cyr61 low expression (p = 0.001). These results suggest that Cyr61 expression plays several important roles in carcinogenesis and may also be a good prognostic marker for colorectal cancer.

Conclusions

Our data confirmed that Cyr61 was expressed in colorectal cancers and the expression was correlated with worse prognosis of colorectal cancers.
Silencing of ETS1 reverses adriamycin resistance in MCF-7/ADR cells via downregulation of MDR1
Authors: Wei Jinrong , Zhou Yong , Jiang Guo-Qin , Xiao Dong
Published: March 2014

Background

Clinical resistance to chemotherapeutic agents is one of the major hindrances in the treatment of human cancers. Erythroblastosis virus E26 oncogene homolog 1 (ETS1) is involved in the drug resistance of various cancer cells, and is overexpressed in drug-resistant human breast cancer cell lines. In this study, we investigated the effects of ETS1 on adriamycin resistance in MCF-7/ADR cells.

Methods

siRNAs against ETS1 or negative control siRNAs was transfected to MCF-7/ADR breast cancer cells. Reverse transcription-PCR and Western blotting were used to determine the mRNA and protein expression of ETS1 and MDR1. The cytotoxicity of adriamycin was assessed using the MTT assay. Drug efflux was investigated by flow cytometry using the Rhodamine 123 intracellular accumulation assay.

Results

ETS1 mRNA and protein was significantly overexpressed in MCF-7/ADR cells, compared to MCF-7 cells. ETS1 siRNA successfully silenced ETS1 mRNA and protein expression. Silencing of ETS1 also significantly reduced the mRNA and protein expression levels of MDR1 (multidrug resistance 1; also known asABCB1, P-glycoprotein/P-gp), which is a major ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporter linked to multi-drug resistance in cancer cells. Silencing of ETS1 significantly increased the sensitivity of MCF-7/ADR cells to adriamycin, compared to cells transfected with negative control siRNA. In addition, intracellular accumulation of Rhodamine 123 significantly increased in MCF-7/ADR cells transfected with ETS1 siRNA, indicating that silencing of ETS1 may reduce drug efflux.

Conclusions

This study demonstrates that drug resistance can be effectively reversed in adriamycin-resistant breast carcinoma cells through delivery of siRNAs targeting ETS1.
Facile synthesis and optical properties of polymer-laced ZnO-Au hybrid nanoparticles
Authors: Wang XianHong , Zhang XiaoYan , Cheng WenZheng , Shao HongQin , Liu Xiao , Li XueMei , Liu HongLing , Wu JunHua
Published: March 2014

Bi-phase dispersible ZnO-Au hybrid nanoparticles were synthesized via one-pot non-aqueous nanoemulsion using the triblock copolymer poly(ethylene glycol)-block-poly(propylene glycol)-block-poly(ethylene glycol) as the surfactant. The characterization shows that the polymer-laced ZnO-Au nanoparticles are monosized and of high crystallinity and demonstrate excellent dispersibility and optical performance in both organic and aqueous medium, revealing the effects of quantum confinement and medium. The findings show two well-behaved absorption bands locating at approximately 360 nm from ZnO and between 520 and 550 nm from the surface plasmon resonance of the nanosized Au and multiple visible fingerprint photoluminescent emissions. Consequently, the wide optical absorbance and fluorescent activity in different solvents could be promising for biosensing, photocatalysis, photodegradation, and optoelectronic devices.
Food Insecurity in Farta District, Northwest Ethiopia: a community based cross–sectional study
Authors: Endale Worku , Mengesha Zelalem Birhanu , Atinafu Azeb , Adane Akilew Awoke
Published: March 2014

Background

Access to sufficient food is essential for household welfare as well as for accomplishing other development activities. Households with insufficient access to food often face other challenges related to food insecurity including poor health and a decline in productivity. These challenges can often create a vicious circle whereby households are unable to produce enough food even during a good crop season. Thus, this study aimed to determine the magnitude of food insecurity and its determinants in rural households of Farta District, Northwest Ethiopia.

Methods

A community based cross-sectional study was conducted from September to October 2012. Household heads were recruited using a multistage random sampling technique. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews using the Household Food Insecurity Access Scale (HFIAS) tool after verbal informed consent. Data were entered to Epi info 2002 and exported to SPSS version 16 for analysis. Multiple logistic regressions were fitted and odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated to identify associated factors and control confounding effect.

Results

A total of 836 households were included in this study. Nearly three quarters of the households (70.7%) had food insecurity. Households headed by females (AOR = 3.18, 95% CI:1.08, 15.21), lack of education (AOR = 2.59, 95% CI: 1.46, 4.60), family size of 4-7 (AOR = 2.39, 95% CI: 1.21,4.70), family size of >7 (AOR = 13.23,95% CI:6.18, 28.32), few or absence of livestock (AOR = 5.60, 95% CI:1.28, 24.43), absence of income from off-farm activities (AOR = 3.12, 95% CI:1.53, 6.36), lack of irrigation (AOR = 3.54, 95% CI:2.14, 5.18) and lack of perennial income (AOR = 3.15, 95% CI:1.88, 5.27) were factors associated with food insecurity.

Conclusions

This study revealed that most households of the district were food insecure. Hence, the promotion of contraceptive use, off-farm employment activities and the development of small scale irrigation are important recommendations to reduce food insecurity.
Modelling temperature effects on milk production: a study on Holstein cows at a Japanese farm
Authors: Yano Machiko , Shimadzu Hideyasu , Endo Toshiki
Published: March 2014

Milk yield and its composition vary according to individual cows as well as to a variety of different environment conditions, such as temperature. Previous studies suggest that heat exerts considerable negative effects on milk production and its composition, especially during summer months. We investigate the production and fat composition of milk from individual dairy cows and develop a modelling framework that investigates the effect of temperature by extending a traditional lactation curve model onto a more flexible statistical modelling framework, a generalised additive model (GAM). The GAM simultaneously copes with multiple different conditions (temperature, parity, days of lactation, etc.), and, importantly, their non-linear relationships. Our analysis of retrospective data suggests that individual cows respond differently to heat; cows producing relatively high quantities of milk tend to be particularly sensitive to heat. Our model also suggests that most dairy cows studied fall into three distinct cases that underpin the variation of the milk fat ratio by different mechanisms.
When Tobacco Targets Direct Democracy
Authors: Laposata Elizabeth , Kennedy Allison P. , Glantz Stanton A.
Published: March 2014

Tobacco control advocates began to use ballot initiatives to enact tobacco control measures in the late 1970s. In response, the tobacco industry worked for over two decades to change laws governing initiative and referendum processes to prevent passage of such measures. In 1981 the tobacco industry's political lobbying arm, the Tobacco Institute, created a front group that presented itself as a neutral initiative research clearinghouse to effect changes in state initiative and referenda laws. In 1990 the Tobacco Institute began creating an in-house team and worked with third-party groups to try to change state initiative laws. While the industry ultimately abandoned both efforts when neither achieved immediate success, over time the industry's goals have penetrated legitimate discourse on the initiative and referendum process in the United States, and many specific ideas it advocated have garnered mainstream support. Direct democracy advocates, as well as public health advocates and policy makers, need to understand the tobacco industry's goals (which other industries adopted) of limiting the direct democracy process to ensure that any changes do not inadvertently increase the power of the special interests that direct democracy was developed to counterbalance.
Implementation of a worksite educational program focused on promoting healthy eating habits
Authors: Tanagra Dimitra , Panidis Dimitris , Tountas Yannis , Remoudaki Elina , Alexopoulos Evangelos C.
Published: March 2014

Objective:To estimate the effectiveness of a short-term educational-counseling worksite program focused on lipid intake, by monitoring the possible change on nutrition knowledge and eating habits.

Methods:an 8-week educational program based on the Health Belief Model was implemented in a honey packaging and sales company in Greece. 20 out of the 29 employees initially enrolled completed the program. Knowledge level and eating habits were evaluated prior and after the intervention by the “Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire” and the “Food Habits Questionnaire”. ANOVA, Spearman rho test and paired Wilcoxon test were employed in statistical analysis.

Results:Non smokers and those with higher educational level had healthier eating habits. Knowledge following the intervention was significantly improved concerning recommendations and basic food ingredients but as far as eating habits were concerned, scores were not improved significantly, while intake of fried food was increased.

Conclusions and Implications: Short-term interventions may produce substantial improvement in knowledge but not necessarily modifications in unhealthy eating habits.
The Russian People as a Problem of the Russian Federation State Nationalities Policy
Authors: Яхшиян  , Yakhshiyan O.
Published: March 2014

The issue of the Russian people role in the unity enhancement of the Russian nation is considered based

on analysis of the state nationalities policy official content (primarily on the Strategy of the state nationalities

policy of the Russian Federation up to 2025 and speeches of V.V.Putin).
Extraterritoriality of Capital: Regional Dimension
Authors: Цветков  , TSvyetkov Valyeriy
Published: March 2014

The paper concerns the analysis of big business activities at the regional level. Such analysis is important

due the fact, that in order optimize costs, big business uses to refocus financial flows in detrimental to the

regional interests ways. For this purpose regional specifics of corporate structures building are examined in

details, particularly creation of holding structures and different emerging forms of cross-territorial integration.

Corporate property transformation results in emerging of two major types of corporations, quite different in

their impact on regional economic system development: regional (or territorial) corporations, integrated in

the inner environment of the territory of activity; vertically integrated corporations, which usually integrate

various territorial resources in corporate economic turnover with no concern for economic interests of the

territory, where they operate. Main stages of the Russian big business evolution are considered and creation

of holdings is described. Also considered are the issue of extraterritoriality of capital, impact of verticallyintegrated

corporations on the social and economic development of the region of activity, ways to overcome

negative effects of vertically-integrated corporations on the regional level.
Crowdsourcing with All-Pay Auctions: A Field Experiment on Taskcn
Authors: Liu Tracy Xiao , Yang Jiang , Adamic Lada A. , Chen Yan
Published: March 2014

To explore the effects of different incentives on crowdsourcing participation and submission quality, we conduct a randomized field experiment on Taskcn, a large Chinese crowdsourcing site using mechanisms with features of an all-pay auction. In our study, we systematically vary the size of the reward as well as the presence of a soft reserve, or early high-quality submission. We find that a higher reward induces significantly more submissions and submissions of higher quality. In comparison, we find that high-quality users are significantly less likely to enter tasks where a high-quality solution has already been submitted, resulting in lower overall quality in subsequent submissions in such soft reserve treatments.

Data, as supplemental material, are available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2013.1845 .

This paper was accepted by Uri Gneezy, behavioral economics.
Forest stand modelling as a tool to predict performance of the understory herb Cornus suecica
Authors: Meen Eivind , Nielsen Anders , Ohlson Mikael
Published: March 2014

Forest simulation models have been widely used to predict future stand structure. Generally these models do not include the understory vegetation and its response on stand structure change or other environmental factors. Previous simulation studies have shown that stand structure related variables, e.g. basal area, can explain diversity of the forest floor vegetation in boreal forests. We hypothesise that such variables also can be used to explain the performance of understory species and we conceptualise how plant ecology and forest modelling can be combined to predict the performance of understory plants in Norwegian boreal forests. We predict the performance of an understory plant species (Cornus suecica) over time using simulated values of forest variables as input to models expressing the relationship between forest environment variables and plant performance variables (viz. plant height, plant dry weight, number of flowers, number of branches and number of leaves). We also present relationships between plant performance and explanatory variables commonly used in basic ecological research, variables that currently not are readily compatible with forest simulators (e.g. soil chemical variables).We found basal area of canopy trees being the most important explanatory variable explaining C. suecica performance. The performance variable dry weight was predicted by one single model whereas the other performance variables were best predicted by model averaging. Forest simulations for 150 years showed values of plant performance of C. suecica to be reduced during forest succession.
Position Trajectory Tracking of a Quadrotor based on L1 Adaptive Control
Authors: De Monte Paul , Lohmann Boris
Published: March 2014

This paper presents an adaptive backstepping controller for the
position trajectory tracking of a quadrotor. The design adopts and
modifies the L1 adaptive control approach for nonlinear reference
systems to fit into the backstepping design and to decouple the
nominal controller from the adaptation. The controller compensates
for all model uncertainties and all bounded disturbances within
a particular frequency range. A stability criterion and verifiable
bounds on the system signals are derived. Simulations and
experimental tests demonstrate the powerful properties of the
presented controller.
Non-invasive determination of respiratory effort in spontaneous breathing and support ventilation: a validation study with healthy volunteers
Authors: Lopez-Navas Kristel , Brandt Sebastian , Strutz Merle , Gehring Hartmut , Wenkebach Ullrich
Published: March 2014

The proper setting of support ventilation aims to follow the patients’ demands, ensuring adequate assistance to their respiratory effort. Effort assessment is thus necessary. But invasive procedures like measuring transdiaphragmatic pressure (Pdi) are impractical in long-term ventilation. Our purpose was therefore the development of the Occlusion+Delta (O+D) method for non-invasive continuous assessment of effort, quantified by the inspiratory pressure-time-product (PTPinsp), during ventilatory support. Flow and airway pressure were measured from 25 healthy volunteers at three effort levels. For the non-invasive method, short expiratory occlusions were executed each three to seven cycles to estimate resistance and compliance with a fitting algorithm fed with the differences between occluded and undisturbed cycles. Signals and estimates were then used to calculate the effort. For the validation of O+D, its estimations were compared to the results from invasive measurement of Pdi using balloon catheters. The agreement between PTPinsp from the invasive measurement and the proposed alternative was confirmed by regression analysis (PTP