bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Neutrophil–Lymphocyte Ratio Connected to Treatment Options and Inflammation Markers of Ankylosing Spondylitis
Authors: Gökmen Ferhat , Akbal Ayla , Reşorlu Hatice , Gökmen Esra , Güven Mustafa , Aras Adem Bozkurt , Erbağ Gökhan , Kömürcü Erkam , Akbal Erdem , Coşar Murat
Published: May 2014

Background

In recent years, white blood cells (WBCs) and their subtypes have been studied in relation to inflammation. The aim of our study was to assess the relationship between neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS).

Materials and methods

We enrolled a total of 177 patients, 96 AS and 81 healthy controls. Complete blood count, WBC, neutrophil and lymphocyte levels were measured, and the NLR was calculated. In the assessment of AS, we used the erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C‐reactive protein (CRP), the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index, and the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index.

Results

In the present study, 96 AS and 81 healthy individuals were enrolled. The mean age was 43.8 ± 12.9 and 46.5 ± 11.2 years, respectively. Mean disease duration of AS patients was 6.9 ± 5.6 years (median = 5, min–max = 1–25). The patients with AS had a higher NLR than the control individuals (mean NLR, 2.24 ± 1.23 and 1.73 ± 0.70, respectively, P < 0.001). A statistically significant positive correlation was observed between NLR and CRP (r = 0.322, P = 0.01). The patients receiving antitumor necrosis factor α therapy had a lower NLR than the patients receiving nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug therapy (mean NLR, 1.71 ± 0.62 and 2.41 ± 1.33, respectively, P = 0.02).

Conclusion

NLR may be seen as a useful marker for demonstrating inflammation together with acute phase reactants such as CRP and in evaluating the effectiveness of anti‐TNF‐α therapy.
Fine structure of Delia platura (Meigen) (Diptera: Anthomyiidae) revealed by scanning electron microscopy
Authors: Wang Qi‐Ke , Yang Yan‐Zhi , Liu Mei‐Qin , Zhang Dong
Published: May 2014

Delia platura (Meigen) is a phytophagous fly that can cause significant crop losses. To obtain a better understanding of the external morphology of this species, adult D. platura is studied using scanning electron microscopy. Organs or structures that are important for taxonomy, such as the compound eyes, spiracles, pulvilli, wings, and genitalia are highlighted to complement previous description based on light microscope. Mesothoracic and metathoracic spiracles of D. platura that provide efficiency in preventing entrance of fine materials or dust into the tracheal system are morphologically different. In addition, the elongate‐oval pulvillus is densely covered with tenent setae with spoon‐like tip, which can increase the number of contact points for attachment to a surface. Four types of sensilla are observed on the male genitalia of D. platura including: trichoid sensilla, chaetic sensilla, three subtypes of campaniform sensilla, and basiconic sensilla. Long bristles and microtrichiae are observed on the female genitalia of D. platura. The possible function of sensilla located in the genitalia of D. platura is discussed. Microsc. Res. Tech. 77:619–630, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Synthesis and Reactivity of 2‐Pyrrolidino‐, 2‐N‐Methylpiperazino‐, 2‐Piperidino‐, and 2‐Morpholino‐1,3,4‐thiadiazines
Authors: Knak Stefanie , Pfeiffer Wolf‐Diethard , Dollinger Horst , Langer Peter
Published: May 2014

A variety of 2‐pyrrolidino‐, 2‐N‐methylpiperazino‐, 2‐piperidino‐, and 2‐morpholino‐1,3,4‐thiadiazines were prepared by cyclocondensation of phenacyl halides with thiosemicarbazides. Heating of the products resulted in desulfurization and formation of pyrazoles. The rate of this process strongly depends on the substitution pattern of the 1,3,4‐thiadiazines.
Light and pH Dual‐Degradable Triblock Copolymer Micelles for Controlled Intracellular Drug Release
Authors: Jin Qiao , Cai Tongjiang , Han Haijie , Wang Haibo , Wang Yin , Ji Jian
Published: May 2014

A novel amphiphilic ABA‐type triblock copolymer poly(ethylene glycol)‐b‐poly(ethanedithiol‐alt‐nitrobenzyl)‐b‐poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG‐b‐PEDNB‐b‐PEG) is successfully prepared by sequential thiol‐acrylate Michael addition polymerization in one pot. PEG‐b‐PEDNB‐b‐PEG is designed to have light‐cleavable o‐nitrobenzyl linkages and acid‐labile β‐thiopropionate linkages positioned repeatedly in the main chain of the hydrophobic block. The light and pH dual degradation of PEG‐b‐PEDNB‐b‐PEG is traced by gel permeation chromatography (GPC). Such triblock copolymer can self‐assemble into micelles, which can be used to encapsulate anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX). Because of the different degradation chemistry of o‐nitrobenzyl linkages and β‐thiopropionate linkages, DOX can be released from the micelles by two different manners, i.e., light‐induced rapid burst release and pH‐induced slow sustained release. Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) results indicated that DOX‐loaded micelles exhibited faster drug release in A549 cells after UV irradiation. Furthermore, 3‐(4,5‐dimethylthiazol‐2‐yl)‐2,5‐diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) results show that the DOX‐loaded micelles under UV light degradation exhibit better anticancer activity against A549 cells than that of the nonirradiated ones.

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Medicinal leeches for surgically uncorrectable venous congestion after free flap breast reconstruction
Authors: Pannucci Christopher J. , Nelson Jonas A. , Chung Cyndi U. , Fischer John P. , Kanchwala Suhail K. , Kovach Stephen J. , Serletti Joseph M. , Wu Liza C.
Published: May 2014

Background

Free tissue transfer is an accepted method for breast reconstruction. Surgically uncorrectable venous congestion is a rare but real occurrence after these procedures. Here, we report our experience with the management of surgically uncorrectable venous congestion after free flap breast reconstruction using medicinal leech therapy.

Methods

We queried our prospectively maintained institutional database for all patients with venous congestion after free flap breast reconstruction since 2005. Chart review was performed for all patients having post‐operative venous congestion. We compared patients with surgically correctable venous congestion and surgically uncorrectable venous congestion requiring medicinal leech therapy.

Results

Twenty‐three patients had post‐operative venous congestion, and four of these patients were surgically uncorrectable requiring medicinal leech therapy. Patients who required leech therapy had lower hemoglobin nadirs, received more blood transfusions, and received a higher number of total units of red blood cells than patients who did not require leech therapy. Among four patients who required leech therapy, one flap was partially salvaged and three flaps were completely lost. Leech therapy was associated with higher total flap loss rates (75.0% vs. 42.1%) and longer length of stay (8.0 ± 3.6 days vs. 6.5 ± 2.1 days) when compared to non‐leeched flaps. These differences were not statistically significant (P = 0.32 and P = 0.43, respectively).

Conclusions

In patients with surgically uncorrectable venous congestion after free flap breast reconstruction, total flap loss is common despite leech therapy. When venous congestion cannot be corrected, total flap removal may be a better option than attempted salvage with leech therapy. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 34:522–526, 2014.
Perineal and posterior vaginal wall reconstruction with a superior gluteal artery dual perforator‐pedicled propeller flap
Authors: Ayestaray Benoit , Proske Yann Martin
Published: May 2014

Gluteal artery perforator flaps are a good option to reconstruct perineal and posterior vaginal wall defects after abdominoperineal resection. The bulkiness of the folded flap may compromise the results by obliterating the introitus and vaginal cavity. In this report, we present a case of the use of a superior gluteal artery dual perforator‐pedicled propeller flap to reconstruct the posterior vaginal wall and perineum in a 60‐year‐old female who had an abdominoperineal resection of a locally progressive anal squamous cell carcinoma. Two perforators were completely skeletonized through gluteus maximus muscle fibers. The vascularization of the skin flap was based on the first perforator, whereas the aponeurotic flap was vascularized by the second perforator. The vaginal defect was reconstructed with a gluteus maximus aponeurotic flap, and the perineal reconstruction was based on a superior gluteal artery perforator skin flap. No postoperative infection or necrosis occurred. Skin healing was completed in 3 weeks. Vaginal opening was controlled using lubricant and graduated vaginal dilators during 6 weeks. The patient began sexual intercourse 2 months postoperatively. No revision was needed. Perineal and posterior vaginal wall defects may be reconstructed with a gluteal artery perforator flap. The thickness of the flap allows a complete filling of the full perineal cavity. The gluteus maximus aponeurosis may be suitable for the reconstruction of the posterior vaginal wall. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Microsurgery 35:64–67, 2015.
c‐Jun promotes cell migration and drives expression of the motility factor ENPP2 in soft tissue sarcomas
Authors: Sioletic Stefano , Czaplinski Jeffrey , Hu Lan , Fletcher Jonathan A , Fletcher Christopher DM , Wagner Andrew J , Loda Massimo , Demetri George D , Sicinska Ewa T , Snyder Eric L
Published: May 2014

Genomic amplification of the c‐Jun proto‐oncogene has been identified in ∼30% of dedifferentiated liposarcomas (DDLPS), but the functional contribution of c‐Jun to the progression of DDLPS remains poorly understood. In previous work we showed that knock‐down of c‐Jun by RNA interference impaired the in vitro proliferation and in vivo growth of a DDLPS cell line (LP6) with genomic amplification of the c‐Jun locus. Here, we used gene expression analysis and functional studies in a broad panel of cell lines to further define the role of c‐Jun in DDLPS and other soft tissue sarcomas. We show that c‐Jun knock‐down impairs transition through the G1 phase of the cell cycle in multiple DDLPS cell lines. We also found that high levels of c‐Jun expression are both necessary and sufficient to promote DDLPS cell migration and invasion in vitro. Our data suggest that high levels of c‐Jun enhance motility in part by driving the expression of ENPP2/Autotaxin. c‐Jun over‐expression has minimal effects on in vitro proliferation but substantially enhances the in vivo growth of weakly tumourigenic DDLPS cell lines. Finally, we provide evidence that c‐Jun genomic amplification and over‐expression may have similar functional consequences in other types of soft tissue sarcoma. Our data suggest a model in which relatively low levels of c‐Jun are sufficient for in vitro proliferation, but high levels of c‐Jun enhance invasiveness and capacity for in vivo tumour growth. These observations provide an explanation for the selective advantage provided by c‐Jun genomic amplification in vivo and suggest that sarcomas with elevated c‐Jun levels are likely to have a particularly high malignant potential. Data from exon array and RNA‐Seq experiments have been deposited in the GEO database (Accession No. GSE57531). Copyright © 2014 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd
Effect of flow induced alignment on the thermal conductivity of injection molded carbon nanotube‐filled polystyrene nanocomposites
Authors: Mahmoodi Mehdi , Lee Young Hoon , Mohamad Abdulmajeed , Park Simon S.
Published: May 2014

Carbon nanotube (CNT) nanocomposites with a polystyrene thermoplastic matrix were injection molded and the high shear stress exerted during the injection process partially enabled the alignment of the CNTs in the flow direction. Nanocomposites with different CNT loadings and degrees of alignment were produced, and their thermal conductivities were measured based on ASTM D5470. The results were compared with compression molded samples featuring random alignments of CNTs. The results showed that the injection molded samples possessed anisotropic thermal conductivities, due to the partial alignment of the CNTs in the flow direction. The effective medium approach was used to analytically estimate the thermal conductivity of the molded samples. Good agreement was observed between the experimental and analytically simulated results in lower CNT concentrations (less than 5 wt% of CNT). Using transmission electron microscopy pictures taken of the nanocomposites, the alignment of CNTs in the thermoplastic matrix were modeled; and their thermal conductivities were simulated using the finite element method. Good agreement was observed between the experiments and simulated results. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 55:753–762, 2015. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers
Comparison of the Incidence of Vancomycin‐Induced Nephrotoxicity in Hospitalized Patients with and without Concomitant Piperacillin‐Tazobactam
Authors: Burgess Lindsey D. , Drew Richard H.
Published: May 2014

Study Objectives

To determine whether the addition of piperacillin‐tazobactam leads to an increased incidence of nephrotoxicity in patients receiving vancomycin and to explore potential confounding factors that may increase the risk of vancomycin‐induced nephrotoxicity.

Design

Single‐center, retrospective cohort study.

Setting

Large, academic, tertiary‐care hospital.

Patients

One hundred ninety‐one adults hospitalized between July 1, 2009, and July 1, 2012, with normal baseline renal function who received a minimum of 48 hours of vancomycin for any indication were included in the analysis. Of these patients, 92 received a minimum of 48 hours of intravenous piperacillin‐tazobactam concurrently with vancomycin, with piperacillin‐tazobactam being initiated within 48 hours of the initiation of vancomycin (combination group); 99 received vancomycin without piperacillin‐tazobactam (vancomycin group).

Measurements and Main Results

A univariate analysis was performed to assess the effect of the following risk factors on the incidence of nephrotoxicity within the first 7 days of vancomycin treatment: concomitant nephrotoxic agents, advanced age, steady‐state vancomycin trough concentration of 15 μg/ml or greater, elevated Charlson Comorbidity Index, and a total daily vancomycin dose of 4 g or greater. A multivariate model was constructed to compare the incidence of the primary end point of nephrotoxicity, defined as a minimum 1.5‐fold increase in serum creatinine concentration, between groups. Nephrotoxicity developed in 8 (8.1%) of 99 patients in the vancomycin group and in 15 (16.3%) of 92 patients in the combination group (1‐sided χ2 test, p=0.041). In the univariate analysis, only vancomycin trough concentration of 15 μg/ml or greater (odds ratio 3.67) was associated with an increased risk of developing nephrotoxicity. In the multivariate analysis, patients with piperacillin‐tazobactam added to vancomycin exhibited an increased incidence of nephrotoxicity, with an odds ratio of 2.48 (1‐sided χ2 test, p=0.032).

Conclusion

We observed an increased incidence of nephrotoxicity in vancomycin‐treated patients who received concomitant piperacillin‐tazobactam. A steady‐state vancomycin trough concentration of 15 μg/ml or greater was also associated with an increased risk of the development of nephrotoxicity. These findings should be confirmed in larger, randomized studies.
Analysis of liquid materials in low vacuum with Wet‐SIMS
Authors: Seki Toshio , Fujii Makiko , Kusakari Masakazu , Nakagawa Shunichiro , Aoki Takaaki , Matsuo Jiro
Published: May 2014

In conventional SIMS with keV‐energy ion beams, elastic collisions occur between projectiles and atoms in the constituent molecules. The collisions produce fragments, making the acquisition of molecular information difficult. Volatile liquid samples (wet samples) are also difficult to measure using conventional SIMS because samples must be dried first and then introduced into the high‐vacuum chamber. In contrast, ion beams with MeV‐energy excite electrons near the surface and enhance the ionization of high‐mass molecules; hence, a fragment‐suppressed SIMS spectrum of ionized molecules can be obtained. We developed a SIMS analysis system for wet samples (Wet‐SIMS) that works under low‐vacuum pressures up to 1000 Pa using heavy MeV‐energy ion beams. The evaporation of heptanoic acid was suppressed under the low‐vacuum pressure of 1000 Pa, and the wet samples, which included volatile materials with different vapor pressures, could be measured using heavy MeV‐energy ions. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Simulations of magnetic domain patterns on the surface of Co/Ni multilayers
Authors: Kudo Kauze , Suzuki Masahiko , Kojima Kazuki , Yasue Tsuneo , Akutsu Noriko , Kasai Hideaki , Diño Wilson Agerico , Bauer Ernst , Koshikawa Takanori
Published: May 2014

Magnetic domains in ultrathin films show a wide variety of patterns. Recent instrument developments, in particular in spin‐polarized low‐energy electron microscopy (SPLEEM), have allowed real‐time observation of magnetic domain patterns in thin films. Recent SPLEEM experiments have shown that the magnetic anisotropy, and hence magnetic domain patterns, in a Co/Ni multilayer changes with the number of layers. We simulate the magnetic domain pattern formation on the surface of a Co/Ni multilayer. The numerical simulations well reproduce the magnetic domain patterns that were observed in the experiments. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Formation Conditions of Ti2O3, MgTi2O4, Mg2TiO4, and MgAl2O4in Ti–Mg–Al Complex Deoxidation of Molten Iron
Authors: Ono Hideki , Nakajima Keiji , Agawa Shingo , Ibuta Toshio , Maruo Ryota , Usui Tateo
Published: May 2014

The relationships of the compounds in the Mg–Ti–Al–O system in equilibrium with molten iron are investigated at temperatures ranging from 1873 to 1973 K, and the thermodynamic calculations are conducted in avoiding Al2O3or spinel MgAl2O4formation and for inclusion control. The equilibrium relations between the compounds (Mg2TiO4, MgTi2O4, or MgAl2O4) and the composition of solutes in steel are clarified. The conditions are shown that the transformation of the stable compound from Mg–Ti spinel to Mg–Al spinel occurs at Mg contents ranging from 1 to 10 ppm by mass. It is also found, on the Mg–Ti spinel, the stable compound is transformed from inverse‐spinel Mg2TiO4to normal‐spinel MgTi2O4at Ti = about 60 ppm by mass. In addition, the stable compound is transformed from MgTi2O4to Ti2O3at Ti = about 1000 ppm by mass.
Moisture diffusion through nanoclay/vinylester processed using twin‐screw extrusion
Authors: Sridhar R. , Narasimha Murthy H.N. , Karthik B. , Vishnu Mahesh K.R. , Krishna M. , Ratna Pal
Published: May 2014

This research concerns moisture absorption through nanoclay/vinylester composites in artificial seawater medium and the resulting properties of degradation. Cloisite 15A, an organomodified nanoclay, and Cloisite Na, a naturally occurring nanoclay, were studied to examine the influence of organomodification on the moisture ingress behavior of the nanocomposites processed by using ultrasonication and twin‐screw extrusion. Although X‐ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed exfoliation of Cloisite 15A in vinylester, Cloisite Na was only intercalated. Moisture diffusivity decreased by 72% due to the addition of 5 wt% of Cloisite 15A to vinylester. However, the same increased in the case of the addition of Cloisite Na, suggesting a positive influence of the organomodification on the moisture barrier properties. Although Fick's Law of Diffusion showed deviation from the experimental data in the nonlinear region of moisture absorption as a function of duration of exposure, the Langmuir Model was in better agreement with the experimental data in the entire range. (Cloisite 15A)/vinylester showed lower levels of microhardness deterioration due to moisture absorption than that of (Cloisite Na)/vinylester. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 20:152–159, 2014. © 2014 Society of Plastics Engineers
Synthesis and Structural Characterization of a Lithium Alkynyl(hydrazinediido)zirconate and its Protonolysis to an Alkynylhydrazido(1–)zirconium Complex
Authors: Gehrmann Thorsten , Wadepohl Hubert , Gade Lutz H.
Published: May 2014

Reaction of the hydrazinediido complex 1 with lithiated phenylacetylene selectively gave the lithium alkynyl(hydrazinediido)zirconate [(N2TBSNpy)Zr{μ‐NNPh2‐1κN:2κN}{μ‐PhCC‐1κC:2κC}‐Li(py)] (2), which reacted with one molar equivalent of TMEDA to give the corresponding Li‐TMEDA derivative [(N2TBSNpy)Zr{μ‐NNPh2‐1κN:2κN}{μ‐PhCC‐1κC:2κC}‐Li(TMEDA)] (3). The details of the molecular structure of complex 3 were established by single‐crystal X‐ray structure analysis. The lithium hydrazinediidozirconate 2 was treated with triethylammonium hydrochloride yielding the corresponding alkinylzirconium hydrazido(1‐) complex 4 as a mixture of two diastereomers.
Comparison of Single‐Incision Plus One Additional Port Laparoscopy‐assisted Anterior Resection with Conventional Laparoscopy‐assisted Anterior Resection for Rectal Cancer
Authors: Kawamata Futoshi , Homma Shigenori , Minagawa Nozomi , Kawamura Hideki , Takahashi Norihiko , Taketomi Akinobu
Published: May 2014

Background

Reduced‐port laparoscopic surgery is the latest innovation in minimally invasive surgery. We performed single‐incision plus one additional port laparoscopy‐assisted anterior resection (SILS + 1‐AR) starting in August 2010. This study aimed at evaluating the feasibility of SILS + 1‐AR and comparing it with that of conventional laparoscopy‐assisted anterior resection (C‐AR).

Methods

Patients with preoperative clinical stage 0 to stage III rectal cancer were included. Demographic, intraoperative, and pathological examination data, as well as short‐term outcome data, of 20 patients who underwent SILS + 1‐AR were retrospectively compared with that of 20 patients who underwent C‐AR. Invasiveness of the two procedures was also evaluated through a vital signs diary and hematological examination on postoperative days (POD) 1, 3, and 7.

Results

Operating time, mean estimated blood loss, the number of lymph nodes dissected, the number of lymph node metastases, and the mean distal resection margin length were not significantly different. However, postoperative neutrophil counts in the SILS + 1‐AR group were lower than those in the C‐AR group (P = 0.085). A significant difference in body temperature was observed in the SILS + 1‐AR group on POD 1 (P = 0.028). No significant differences were observed in perioperative and overall morbidity between the two groups. Conversion to open surgery was required in 2 (10 %) of the 20 patients in the SILS + 1‐AR group. The mean postoperative length of stay and recurrence rates were similar in the two groups.

Conclusion

SILS + 1‐AR for rectal cancer is similar to C‐AR in safety, feasibility, and provision of oncological radicality.
A high-resolution Late Glacial to Holocene record of environmental change in the Mediterranean from Lake Ohrid (Macedonia/Albania)
Authors: Lacey Jack H. , Francke Alexander , Leng Melanie J. , Vane Christopher H. , Wagner Bernd
Published: May 2014

Lake Ohrid (Macedonia/Albania) is the oldest extant lake in Europe and exhibits an outstanding degree of endemic biodiversity. Here, we provide new high-resolution stable isotope and geochemical data from a 10 m core (Co1262) through the Late Glacial to Holocene and discuss past climate and lake hydrology (TIC, δ13Ccalcite, δ18Ocalcite) as well as the terrestrial and aquatic vegetation response to climate (TOC, TOC/N, δ13Corganic, Rock Eval pyrolysis). The data identifies 3 main zones: (1) the Late Glacial–Holocene transition represented by low TIC and TOC contents, (2) the early to mid-Holocene characterised by high TOC and increasing TOC/N and (3) the Late Holocene–Present which shows a marked decrease in TIC and TOC. In general, an overall trend of increasing δ18Ocalcite from 9 ka to present suggests progressive aridification through the Holocene, consistent with previous records from Lake Ohrid and the wider Mediterranean region. Several proxies show commensurate excursions that imply the impact of short-term climate oscillations, such as the 8.2 ka event and the Little Ice Age. This is the best-dated and highest resolution archive of past Late Glacial and Holocene climate from Lake Ohrid and confirms the overriding influence of the North Atlantic in the north-eastern Mediterranean. The data presented set the context for the International Continental scientific Drilling Program Scientific Collaboration On Past Speciation Conditions in Lake Ohrid project cores recovered in spring–summer 2013, potentially dating back into the Lower Pleistocene, and will act as a recent calibration to reconstruct climate and hydrology over the entire lake history.
Male territories and the lek-like mating system of MacQueen’s Bustard Chlamydotis macqueenii
Authors: Riou Samuel , Combreau Olivier
Published: May 2014

Lekking is a promiscuous breeding system in which females visit groups of displaying males only for the purpose of mating. The spatial organization of these groups can range from tight aggregations of individuals, or leks, to loose clusters of males displaying on exploded-leks, and it can also include males seemingly displaying alone. As the distance between displaying males increases, it becomes possible for them to hold fixed territories and for females to select mates not for their genetic quality, as on true leks, but for the quality of the resource on their territory, i.e., resource-defense polygyny. Here, in a 2-year study of a breeding population of MacQueen’s BustardChlamydotis macqueeniiin southwest Kazakhstan, we used GPS and radio-tracking coupled with observation to understand male territoriality and the spatial distribution of sites, and we followed the breeding behavior of cryptic females using nest locations and genetic paternity analysis. We found that males were faithful throughout the season and across years to a small and exclusive territory centered on their display site. These sites were significantly overdispersed in space and thus we could not delimit any leks in a study area spanning 350 km2. Females nested in the vicinity of male territories and sometimes inside them, but based on a sample of six resolved paternities, they did not favor the territory of their mate for nesting. This is inconsistent with the hypothesis of resource-based female choice and implies that the breeding system of MacQueen’s Bustard can be treated as a special case of lekking, albeit without male aggregation. Six broods were fathered by at least five different males, which lends support to the hypothesis that overdispersion of male sites is related to variability in female mate choice, and thus low male mating-skew in a lekking system.
Acetate Treatment Increases Fatty Acid Content in LPS‐Stimulated BV2 Microglia
Authors: Bhatt Dhaval P. , Rosenberger Thad A.
Published: May 2014

Acetate supplementation increases plasma acetate, brain acetyl‐CoA, histone acetylation, phosphocreatine levels, and is anti‐inflammatory in models of neuroinflammation and neuroborreliosis. Although radiolabeled acetate is incorporated into the cellular lipid pools, the effect that acetate supplementation has on lipid deposition has not been quantified. To determine the impact acetate‐treatment has on cellular lipid content, we investigated the effect of acetate in the presence of bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on fatty acid, phospholipid, and cholesterol content in BV2 microglia. We found that 1, 5, and 10 mM of acetate in the presence of LPS increased the total fatty acid content in BV2 cells by 23, 34, and 14 % at 2 h, respectively. Significant increases in individual fatty acids were also observed with all acetate concentrations tested with the greatest increases occurring with 5 mM acetate in the presence of LPS. Treatment with 5 mM acetate in the absence of LPS increased total cholesterol levels by 11 %. However, neither treatment in the absence of LPS significantly altered the content of individual phospholipids or total phospholipid content. To determine the minimum effective concentration of acetate we measured the time‐ and concentration‐dependent changes in histone acetylation using western blot analysis. These studies showed that 5 mM acetate was necessary to induce histone acetylation and at 10 mM acetate, the histone acetylation‐state increased as early as 0.5 h following the start of treatment. These data suggest that acetate increases fatty acid content in LPS‐stimulated BV2 microglia that is reflected by an increase in fatty acids esterified into membrane phospholipids.
Regulation of Diacylglycerol Kinase δ2 Expression in C2C12 Skeletal Muscle Cells by Free Fatty Acids
Authors: Sakiyama Shizuka , Usuki Takako , Sakai Hiromichi , Sakane Fumio
Published: May 2014

Decreased expression of diacylglycerol kinase (DGK) δ in skeletal muscles is closely related to the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes. However, the regulation of DGKδ expression is not well understood. In this study, we found that myristic acid (14:0) significantly increased DGKδ2 protein expression in a dose‐dependent manner (EC50 = 0.16 mM) in mouse C2C12 myotubes. In contrast, oleic [18:1(n‐9)], eicosenoic [20:1(n‐9)] and erucic [22:1(n‐9)] acids markedly decreased DGKδ2 expression. Myristic acid slowly enhanced DGKδ2 expression at the transcription level. Therefore, DGKδ2 expression is positively regulated by the relatively short‐chain saturated fatty acid myristic acid but attenuated by n‐9 monounsaturated fatty acids.
Selection, Language Heritage, and the Earnings Trajectories of Black Immigrants in the United States
Authors: Hamilton Tod G.
Published: May 2014

Research suggests that immigrants from the English-speaking Caribbean surpass the earnings of U.S.-born blacks approximately one decade after arriving in the United States. Using data from the 1980–2000 U.S. censuses and the 2005–2007 American Community Surveys on U.S.-born black and non-Hispanic white men as well as black immigrant men from all the major sending regions of the world, I evaluate whether selective migration and language heritage of immigrants’ birth countries account for the documented earnings crossover. I validate the earnings pattern of black immigrants documented in previous studies, but I also find that the earnings of most arrival cohorts of immigrants from the English-speaking Caribbean, after residing in the United States for more than 20 years, are projected to converge with or slightly overtake those of U.S.-born black internal migrants. The findings also show three arrival cohorts of black immigrants from English-speaking African countries are projected to surpass the earnings of U.S.-born black internal migrants. No arrival cohort of black immigrants is projected to surpass the earnings of U.S.-born non-Hispanic whites. Birth-region analysis shows that black immigrants from English-speaking countries experience more rapid earnings growth than immigrants from non-English-speaking countries. The arrival-cohort and birth-region variation in earnings documented in this study suggest that selective migration and language heritage of black immigrants’ birth countries are important determinants of their initial earnings and earnings trajectories in the United States.
Governance of professional service firms: a configurational approach
Authors: Harlacher Dirk , Reihlen Markus
Published: May 2014

Professional service firms (PSFs) such as accounting firms, management consultancies, or advertising agencies use very different forms of governance ranging from traditional professional partnerships to public corporations. In spite of the extensive literature, little academic work has been done to synthesize the wealth of theoretical and empirical work on PSF governance into a more comprehensive theory of PSF governance. Taking configuration theory as our theoretical approach, we identify three classes of design parameter (legal form, organizational governance structure, and the systems for managing professionals) and six contingency factors (service commoditization, service diversification, firm size, capital intensity, firm culture, and risk of litigation) that are synthesized into four configurations of PSF governance. These are described, respectively, as the founder-dominated, the collegial, the managerial, and the entrepreneurial configuration.
May We Have a Say? Central Asian States in the Un General Assembly
Authors: Costa-Buranelli Filippo
Published: May 2014

Since the demise of the USSR in 1991, the five Central Asian republics have joined a number of international organisations, most notably the UN. However, while their membership in this organisation is often taken for granted and used by scholarship on Central Asia as an example of their “race to membership”, few studies if none have addressed not only how these state relate themselves to the organisation, but also how they behave in it and what norms they support in it. By using the theoretical lenses of the English School and by adopting a multi-method analysis based on qualitative and quantitative strategies, this paper seeks to shed light on the normative stands of these states as expressed within the General Assembly, on whether common positions and strategies exist and on what the degree of their normative convergence is. Findings reveal that all Central Asian states favour a Westphalian world order, that among them there is high convergence on pluralist norms of international society, and that while their record of regional cooperation is poor, they tend to agree on many issues at the international level.
Low expression level of OB‐Rb results from constitutive translocational attenuation attributable to a less efficient signal sequence
Authors: Choi Ilho , Park Joong-Yeol , Song Youngsup , Yoon Seung-Yong , Chang Eun-Ju , Kang Sang-Wook
Published: May 2014

OB‐Rb is a crucial factor for leptin signaling. This study was initially motivated by the observation that OB‐Rb expression is constitutively inhibited in the early secretory pathway. Our analyses reveal that OB‐Rb contains a less hydrophobic, but functionally active N‐terminal signal sequence. Constitutive translocational attenuation attributable to a less efficient signal sequence proved to be a reason for low protein level of OB‐Rb. By contrast, enhanced signal sequence efficiency rescues translocation and cell surface expression of OB‐Rb, and eventually potentiates leptin signaling. These observations provide considerable insight into the therapeutic enhancement of OB‐Rb translocation as a potential strategy for leptin resistance.
Contemporary policy work in subnational governments and NGOs: Comparing evidence from Australia, Canada and the Czech Republic
Authors: Evans Bryan , Veselý Arnošt
Published: May 2014

This article introduces the special issue on policy work at the sub-national government level and non-governmental sector in three countries: Australia, Canada, and the Czech Republic. It consists of three parts. First, new public governance theory is presented as a general theoretical perspective that captures some of the important macro factors influencing the nature of current policy work. Second, an overview of empirical findings on policy work of subnational governments and NGOs is provided. This review discusses different possible interpretations of these findings. Third, main findings from each paper presented in this special issue are summarized.
Crime, politics and business in 1990s Ukraine
Authors: Kuzio Taras
Published: May 2014

In contrast to Russian studies, the study of crime and corruption in Ukraine is limited to a small number of scholarly studies while there is no analysis of the nexus between crime and new business and political elites with law enforcement (Kuzio, 2003a,b). This is the first analysis of how these links emerged in the 1990s with a focus on the Donbas (Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts) and the Crimea, two regions that experienced the greatest degree of violence during Ukraine’s transition to a market economy. Donetsk gave birth to the Party of Regions in 2001 which has become Ukraine’s only political machine winning first place plurality in three elections since 2006 and former Donetsk Governor and party leader Viktor Yanukovych was elected president in 2010 (Zimmer, 2005; Kudelia and Kuzio, 2014). Therefore, an analysis of the nexus that emerged in the 1990s in Donetsk provides the background to the political culture of the country’s political machine that, as events have shown since 2010 and during the Euro-Maydan, is also the party most willing in Ukraine to use violence to achieve its objectives.
Innovations, Fragility and Complexity: Understanding the Power of Finance
Authors: Nesvetailova Anastasia
Published: May 2014

This article examines financial innovation as a source of structural power of finance originally identified by Susan Strange. I build a synthesis based on complex network theory and the field of evolutionary finance which yields a conception of finance as a complex ecological habitat. On the one hand, the interaction between various entities inhabiting the financial system endows this complex habitat with a tangible degree of autonomy vis-à-vis politics, society and economy. On the other hand, the evolutionary process guiding this financial ecology is built on complexity and innovation and hence is fragile. The structural power of finance today, therefore, is necessarily twofold: it manifests the effects of the endeavours (intentional and otherwise) of financial agents; crucially, it also rests on the seemingly boundless ability of the financial system to adapt, change and evolve.
Bank Rescue Schemes in Continental Europe: The Power of Collective Inaction
Authors: Woll Cornelia
Published: May 2014

Comparing bank rescue schemes in France and Germany during the banking crisis of 2008–9, this article argues that collective inaction is a little-studied aspect in the exercise of power in business–government relations. Contrary to studies that focus on lobbying, structural power or the influence of beliefs, the comparison highlights that governments depend on contributions from the financial industry during crisis management. In the negotiations to design bank support schemes, some countries, such as France, succeeded in engaging their financial sector collectively. Such public–private burden-sharing arrangements alleviate the public budget and increase mutual surveillance between banks during government support. In other countries, such as Germany, a collectively organized industry response failed, which forced the government to design an entirely public support scheme. The German government reacted to this perceived imbalance by imposing tighter banking regulation to avoid a repetition of the impotence it experienced in 2008.
From Being to Love: Reconceiving the Trinity in Light of Jean-Luc Marion's Phenomenological Shift
Authors: Russell Heidi
Published: May 2014

This article uses the work of Jean-Luc Marion, emphasizing his shift from Being to Love as an analogue for God, to make a parallel shift from Person to Love in Trinitarian theology, thereby addressing some of the issues raised by the social trinitarians. The article then focuses on the work of Catherine Mowry LaCugna as particularly congruent with the shift suggested by Marion, but adds to LaCugna's work a conception of the immanent Trinity that is grounded in Marion's phenomenological shift. Conceiving of God as the unoriginate source of Love that is revealed in Word and enacted in Spirit allows one to understand personhood and community, not in and through the relationships between the Trinitarian Persons, but in and through Love incarnate in the human person of Jesus Christ, and Love enacted in the Spirit present in the community, forming it into the Body of Christ.
Fully adaptive turbulence simulations based on Lagrangian spatio-temporally varying wavelet thresholding
Authors: Nejadmalayeri Alireza , Vezolainen Alexei , De Stefano Giuliano , Vasilyev Oleg V.
Published: May 2014

A new framework for spatio-temporally adaptive turbulence simulations is proposed. The method is based on a variable-fidelity representation that tightly integrates numerics and modelling of subgrid-scale turbulence and aims to capture the flow physics on a near-optimal adaptive mesh. The integration is achieved by combining hierarchical wavelet-based computational modelling with spatially and temporally varying wavelet threshold filtering. The proposed approach provides automatic smooth transition from directly resolving all flow physics to capturing only the energetic/coherent structures, which leads to a dynamically adaptive variable-fidelity approach. The self-regulating continuous switch between different fidelity regimes is accomplished through a two-way feedback mechanism between the modelled dissipation and the local grid resolution, which is based on spatio-temporal variation of the wavelet filtering threshold. The proposed methodology systematically accounts for and exploits the spatial and temporal intermittency of turbulence. Thus, it overcomes the major limitation of all existing wavelet-based multi-resolution techniques, namely, the use of a global thresholding criterion. The procedure consists of tracking the wavelet thresholding factor within a Lagrangian frame by exploiting a Lagrangian path-line diffusive averaging approach, based on either interpolation along characteristics or direct solution of the corresponding evolution equation. This new methodology is tested for linearly forced homogeneous turbulence at different Reynolds numbers and provides very promising results on a benchmark with time-varying prescribed level of turbulence resolution.
Editorial: Applied Practices — Perspectives From the Field
Authors: Colmar Susan
Published: May 2014

The two articles in the Applied Practices section of the current journal provide interesting views of the role of school psychologists and school counsellors in interventions directly facilitating children's development, progress and skills within schools.
A Review of the Healthy Mindsets for Super Kids Program
Authors: Azri Stephanie , Cartmel Jennifer , Larmar Stephen
Published: May 2014

The notion of resilience has emerged in the 21st century as an important factor influencing children's responses to adverse events. In the past 10 years, resilience theory and resilience programs for children have flourished globally. ‘Healthy Mindsets for Super Kids’ is a new program aimed at building resilience in children aged 9–14. The program features 10 modules, illustrated by superhero themes, on topics of communication and social skills, anger management, grief and loss, body image, healthy relationships, and positive thinking. This review will introduce the Healthy Mindsets for Super Kids program (Jessica Kingsley publishers, 2014) in use by practitioners in educational, community and mental health settings. It will describe its content, evaluation and the value in building resilience in children at risk of mental health issues.
EDITORIAL
Authors: Campbell Marilyn
Published: May 2014

Yes, it is 2014, and welcome to a new issue of the journal for the year. The journal will soon be available to you online when the APACs new website is up and running. All back issues from volume 1, number 1 in 1987 will also be available. After this time you will be able to choose to use both the online version and the printed one, or decline the printed version. More on this in the APAC newsletter later in the year.
Soluble maize fibre affects short-term calcium absorption in adolescent boys and girls: a randomised controlled trial using dual stable isotopic tracers
Authors: Whisner Corrie M. , Martin Berdine R. , Nakatsu Cindy H. , McCabe George P. , McCabe Linda D. , Peacock Munro , Weaver Connie M.
Published: May 2014

Soluble maize fibre (SCF) has been found to significantly improve bone mineral density and strength in growing rats compared with several other novel prebiotic fibres. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of SCF on Ca absorption and retention in pubertal children by studying the potential absorption mechanisms of the intestinal microbiota. A total of twenty-four adolescent boys and girls (12–15 years) participated in two 3-week metabolic balance studies testing 0 g/d SCF (control (CON) treatment) and 12 g/d SCF (SCF treatment) in a random order by inclusion in a low-Ca diet (600 mg/d). Fractional Ca absorption was measured at the end of the two intervention periods using a dual-stable isotope method. Diet composites and faecal and urine samples were collected daily and analysed for Ca content. Ca retention was calculated as dietary Ca intake minus Ca excretion in faeces and urine over the last 2 weeks. Microbial community composition in the faecal samples collected at the beginning and end of each session was determined by 454 pyrosequencing of the PCR-amplified 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Fractional Ca absorption was 12 % higher (41 mg/d) after the SCF treatment compared with that after the CON treatment (0·664 (sd 0·129) and 0·595 (sd 0·142), respectively; P= 0·02), but Ca retention was unaffected. The average proportion of bacteria of the phylum Bacteroidetes was significantly greater in the participants after the SCF treatment than after the CON treatment. These results suggest that moderate daily intake of SCF, a well-tolerated prebiotic fibre, increases short-term Ca absorption in adolescents consuming less than the recommended amounts of Ca.
Love Thy Neighbo(u)r? Political Attitudes, Proximity and the Mutual Perceptions of the Canadian and American Publics
Authors: Gravelle Timothy B.
Published: May 2014

There has been renewed interest in recent years in both the foreign perceptions of the United States as well as the foreign policy attitudes of the American public. In this light, it is interesting to observe that there is a substantial body of research on Canadian public opinion toward the United States but relatively little on American public opinion toward Canada. Further, most literature neglects the effect of spatial proximity to the other country on perceptions. This article addresses both shortcomings in the literature. It investigates the mutual perceptions of the Canadian and American publics drawing on public opinion data from both Canada and the US. The explanation of attitudes toward the other country has three main foci: the roles of political party identification and political ideology; the role of spatial proximity to the Canada–US border; and the interactive relationship between political attitudes and border proximity.
SEX RATIO AT BIRTH IN TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY GREECE: THE ROLE OF ETHNIC AND SOCIAL GROUPS
Authors: GAVALAS V. , RONTOS K. , NAGOPOULOS N.
Published: May 2014

The number of male per 100 female live births (defined as the sex ratio at birth, SRB) has been shown to be consistently stable in human populations irrespective of time and geographical location. All over the globe approximately 105 boys are born for every 100 girls and any significant deviation from this ‘global average’ is considered to be unnatural and is attributed to sex-selective under-reporting of births, sex-selective abortion, sex-selective infanticide or other man-made factors. The present paper uses data on civil registration from 2004–2011 to investigate the sex ratio at birth in modern Greece. It was found that the SRB is extremely masculine when the parents originate from the Indian sub-continent and China. The SRB is also unnaturally high (more than 113 boys per 100 girls) in the case of legitimate births born to Greek mothers who are illiterate. These findings are strong evidence that sex-selective abortions are taking place in Greece within population groups with a certain ethnic and social profile. Other parameters, such as age of mother at birth, birth order, legal status of birth and geographical location, were also investigated and they were found to play a role in the variation of SRB, but not to the extent education and ethnic group do.