bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cost/benefit of synbiotics in acute infectious gastroenteritis: spend to save
Authors: Vandenplas Y. , De Hert S.
Published: July 2012

The cost/benefit ratio of probiotics in the ambulatory treatment of acute infectious gastro-enteritis with or without a synbiotic food supplement (containing fructo-oligosaccharides and probiotic strains of Streptoccoccus thermophilus, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Bifidobacterium lactis and Bifidobacterium infantis) has been studied. 111 children (median age 37 and 43 months for the synbiotic and placebo group, respectively) with acute infectious gastroenteritis were included in a randomised, prospective placebo-controlled trial performed in primary health care. All children were treated with an oral rehydration solution and with the synbiotic food supplement (n=57) or placebo (n=54). Physicians were allowed to prescribe additional medication according to what they considered as ‘necessary’. Cost of add-on medication and total healthcare cost were calculated. Median duration of diarrhoea was 1 day shorter (95% confidence interval -0.6 to -1.9 days) in the symbiotic than in the placebo group (P<0.005). Significantly more concomitant medication (antibiotics, antipyretics, antiemetics) was prescribed in the placebo group (39 prescriptions in 28 patients) compared to the synbiotic group (12 prescriptions in 7 patients) (P<0.001). The difference was most striking for antiemetics: 28 vs. 5 prescriptions. The cost of add-on medication in the placebo group was evaluated at € 4.04/patient (median 4.97 (interquartile (IQ) 25-75: 0-4.97)) vs. € 1.13 /patient in the synbiotic arm (P<0.001). If the cost of the synbiotic is considered, median cost raised to € 7.15/patient (IQ 25-75: 7.15-7.15) (P<0.001). The extra consultations needed to prescribe the concomitant medication resulted in a higher health care cost in the placebo group (€ 14.41 vs. € 10.74/patient, P<0.001). Synbiotic food supplementation resulted in a 24 h earlier normalisation of stool consistency. Although use of the synbiotic supplementation increased cost, add-on medication and extra consultations were reduced, resulting in a reduction of health care cost of 25%.
Onset of blood lactate accumulation and peak oxygen uptake during graded walking test combined with and without restricted leg blood flow
Authors: Sakamaki-Sunaga M. , Loenneke J.P. , Thiebaud R.S. , Abe T.
Published: July 2012

The purpose of this study was to compare the peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak) and lactate threshold / onset of blood lactate accumulation (LT/OBLA) during an incremental exercise test with and without blood flow restriction (BFR). Six male subjects performed a graded walking test on a treadmill with and without BFR in random order, and oxygen uptake (VO2), minute ventilation (VE), and blood lactate concentration were measured during each test. During the BFR test, the subjects wore pressure cuff belts on the most proximal portion of each thigh. At a given workload (e.g. during walking at 100 m/min) VO2 was 17% higher in BFR than in free-flow. Exercise time to exhaustion during BFR was shorter compared with free-flow despite the ratings of perceived exertion being similar between both conditions. Peak heart rate did not reach same level in the BFR test as it did in free-flow, with the heart rate 5 beats lower with BFR. VO2peak and VE peak were also 17% and 9%, respectively, lower in BFR than in free-flow. Compared with the control, O2 pulse (an index of stroke volume) was 14% lower in BFR. During BFR, VO2 at LT and OBLA were lower compared with free-flow. However, percentages of VO2peak at LT and OBLA were similar between BFR and free-flow. Our results suggest that the BFR-induced decrease in VO2peak may be associated with reductions in venous return and stroke volume. Additionally, these results suggest that increased muscle fiber recruitment with BFR may relate to the earlier LT/OBLA observed at lower intensities.
Validation of a non-exercise prediction equation for cardiorespiratory fitness in the Asian Indian population
Authors: Shenoy S.D. , Wagle S.S. , Sandhu J.S. , Singh H.P.
Published: July 2012

The non-exercise based prediction equation is widely used to predict cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), however it has not been validated for the Asian Indian population. To increase the generalisation of the equation we validated it in Asian Indians. 230 participants aged 40-75 years were recruited after excluding any medical illness. Parameters recorded were body mass index, resting heart rate and a self-reported physical activity score questionnaire. CRF was measured using metabolic equivalent at the final speed and grade of treadmill. CRF was also estimated using the non-exercise based prediction equation. The correlation of measured CRF and that calculated through the equation was 0.769 (P<0.001). Paired t-test yielded t=1.207 with a confidence interval of -0.08-0.34, indicating that the equation was statistically significant for our study population. We conclude that the non-exercise based prediction equation is valid in sedentary Asian Indians in the age group of 40-75 years.
Variability in the parasitoid community associated with galls of Diplolepis variabilis (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae): a test of the distance decay hypothesis
Authors: Bannerman Jordan A. , Shorthouse Joseph D. , Pither Jason , Lalonde Robert G.
Published: July 2012

Galls of Diplolepis variabilis (Bassett) (Hymenoptera: Cynipidae) on their host plant Rosa woodsii Lindley (Rosaceae) support a diverse community of parasitoid and inquiline wasps that exploit the gall inducer and the gall itself. Here, we studied quantitative variation in local structure of the gall community in the Okanagan Valley of southern British Columbia, Canada, from the United States border north, to test the hypothesis that dispersal limitation would generate a distance decay in gall community similarity. We also explored gall community richness in relation to latitude, as the northern range limit of the gall inducer occurs within our study area. We found that gall communities exhibited strikingly similar composition across the study region, with most of the major inquilines and parasitoids present across the gall's range. However, the increased richness of rare parasitoid taxa near the northern range limits of D. variabilis generated a marginally significant positive relationship between gall community richness and latitude. Overall, our study suggests that dispersal constraints do not influence the composition of the Diplolepis Geoffroy gall community at regional scales, and that gall communities offer useful models for studying the association between community structure and range limits.
B7-DC-Ig Enhances Vaccine Effect by a Novel Mechanism Dependent on PD-1 Expression Level on T Cell Subsets
Authors: Mkrtichyan Mikayel , Najjar Yana G. , Raulfs Estella C. , Liu Linda , Langerman Solomon , Guittard Geoffrey , Ozbun Laurent , Khleif Samir N.
Published: July 2012

Programmed death receptor 1 (PD-1) is an important signaling molecule often involved in tumor-mediated suppression of activated immune cells. Binding of this receptor to its ligands, B7-H1 (PD-L1) and B7-DC (PD-L2), attenuates T cell activation, reduces IL-2 and IFN-γ secretion, decreases proliferation and cytotoxicity, and induces apoptosis. B7-DC-Ig is a recombinant protein that binds and targets PD-1. It is composed of an extracellular domain of murine B7-DC fused to the Fc portion of murine IgG2a. In this study, we demonstrate that B7-DC-Ig can enhance the therapeutic efficacy of vaccine when combined with cyclophosphamide. We show that this combination significantly enhances Ag-specific immune responses and leads to complete eradication of established tumors in 60% of mice and that this effect is CD8 dependent. We identified a novel mechanism by which B7-DC-Ig exerts its therapeutic effect that is distinctly different from direct blocking of the PD-L1–PD-1 interaction. In this study, we demonstrate that there are significant differences between levels and timing of surface PD-1 expression on different T cell subsets. We found that these differences play critical roles in anti-tumor immune effect exhibited by B7-DC-Ig through inhibiting proliferation of PD-1high CD4 T cells, leading to a significant decrease in the level of these cells, which are enriched for regulatory T cells, within the tumor. In addition, it also leads to a decrease in PD-1high CD8 T cells, tipping the balance toward nonexhausted functional PD-1low CD8 T cells. We believe that the PD-1 expression level on T cells is a crucial factor that needs to be considered when designing PD-1–targeting immune therapies.
Phospholipase Cγ2 Plays a Role in TCR Signal Transduction and T Cell Selection
Authors: Fu Guoping , Chen Yuhong , Schuman James , Wang Demin , Wen Renren
Published: July 2012

One of the important signaling events following TCR engagement is activation of phospholipase Cγ (PLCγ). PLCγ has two isoforms, PLCγ1 and PLCγ2. It is known that PLCγ1 is important for TCR signaling and TCR-mediated T cell selection and functions, whereas PLCγ2 is critical for BCR signal transduction and BCR-mediated B cell maturation and functions. In this study, we report that PLCγ2 was expressed in primary T cells, and became associated with linker for activated T cells and Src homology 2-domain containing leukocyte protein of 76 kDa and activated upon TCR stimulation. PLCγ1/PLCγ2 double-deficient T cells displayed further block from CD4 and CD8 double-positive to single-positive transition compared with PLCγ1 single-deficient T cells. TCR-mediated proliferation was further impaired in PLCγ1/PLCγ2 double-deficient T cells compared with PLCγ1 single-deficient T cells. TCR-mediated signal transduction, including Ca2+ mobilization and Erk activation, was further impaired in PLCγ1/PLCγ2 double-deficient relative to PLCγ1 single-deficient T cells. In addition, in HY TCR transgenic mouse model, thymic positive and negative selections were reduced in PLCγ1 heterozygous- and PLCγ2 homozygous-deficient (PLCγ1+/−PLCγ2−/−) relative to wild-type, PLCγ2 single-deficient (PLCγ2−/−), or PLCγ1 heterozygous-deficient (PLCγ1+/−) mice. Taken together, these data demonstrate that PLCγ2 participates in TCR signal transduction and plays a role in T cell selection.
Cutting Edge: Suppression of GM-CSF Expression in Murine and Human T Cells by IL-27
Authors: Young Andrew , Linehan Eimear , Hams Emily , O’Hara Hall Aisling C. , McClurg Angela , Johnston James A. , Hunter Christopher A. , Fallon Padraic G. , Fitzgerald Denise C.
Published: July 2012

GM-CSF is a potent proinflammatory cytokine that plays a pathogenic role in the CNS inflammatory disease experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. As IL-27 alleviates experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, we hypothesized that IL-27 suppresses GM-CSF expression by T cells. We found that IL-27 suppressed GM-CSF expression in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in splenocyte and purified T cell cultures. IL-27 suppressed GM-CSF in Th1, but not Th17, cells. IL-27 also suppressed GM-CSF expression by human T cells in nonpolarized and Th1- but not Th17-polarized PBMC cultures. In vivo, IL-27p28 deficiency resulted in increased GM-CSF expression by CNS-infiltrating T cells during Toxoplasma gondii infection. Although in vitro suppression of GM-CSF by IL-27 was independent of IL-2 suppression, IL-10 upregulation, or SOCS3 signaling, we observed that IL-27–driven suppression of GM-CSF was STAT1 dependent. Our findings demonstrate that IL-27 is a robust negative regulator of GM-CSF expression in T cells, which likely inhibits T cell pathogenicity in CNS inflammation.
Antibodies Generated against Conserved Antigens Expressed by Bacteria and Allergen-Bearing Fungi Suppress Airway Disease
Authors: Kin Nicholas W. , Stefanov Emily K. , Dizon Brian L. P. , Kearney John F.
Published: July 2012

There has been a sharp rise in allergic asthma and asthma-related deaths in the developed world, in contrast to many childhood illnesses that have been reduced or eliminated. The hygiene hypothesis proposes that excessively sanitary conditions early in life result in autoimmune and allergic phenomena because of a failure of the immune system to receive proper microbial stimulation during development. We demonstrate that Abs generated against conserved bacterial polysaccharides are reactive with and dampen the immune response against chitin and Aspergillus fumigatus. A reduction in Ag uptake, cell influx, cell activation, and cytokine production occurred in the presence of anti-polysaccharide Abs, resulting in a striking decrease in the severity of allergic airway disease in mice. Overall, our results suggest that Ag exposure—derived from environmental sources, self-antigens, or vaccination—during the neonatal period has dramatic effects on the adult Ab response and modifies the development of allergic airway disease.
A Common Single Nucleotide Polymorphism in Endoplasmic Reticulum Aminopeptidase 2 Induces a Specificity Switch That Leads to Altered Antigen Processing
Authors: Evnouchidou Irini , Birtley James , Seregin Sergey , Papakyriakou Athanasios , Zervoudi Efthalia , Samiotaki Martina , Panayotou George , Giastas Petros , Petrakis Olivia , Georgiadis Dimitris , Amalfitano Andrea , Saridakis Emmanuel , Mavridis Irene M. , Stratikos Efstratios
Published: July 2012

Endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidases 1 and 2 (ERAP1 and ERAP2) cooperate to trim antigenic peptide precursors for loading onto MHC class I molecules and help regulate the adaptive immune response. Common coding single nucleotide polymorphisms in ERAP1 and ERAP2 have been linked with predisposition to human diseases ranging from viral and bacterial infections to autoimmunity and cancer. It has been hypothesized that altered Ag processing by these enzymes is a causal link to disease etiology, but the molecular mechanisms are obscure. We report in this article that the common ERAP2 single nucleotide polymorphism rs2549782 that codes for amino acid variation N392K leads to alterations in both the activity and the specificity of the enzyme. Specifically, the 392N allele excises hydrophobic N-terminal residues from epitope precursors up to 165-fold faster compared with the 392K allele, although both alleles are very similar in excising positively charged N-terminal amino acids. These effects are primarily due to changes in the catalytic turnover rate (kcat) and not in the affinity for the substrate. X-ray crystallographic analysis of the ERAP2 392K allele suggests that the polymorphism interferes with the stabilization of the N terminus of the peptide both directly and indirectly through interactions with key residues participating in catalysis. This specificity switch allows the 392N allele of ERAP2 to supplement ERAP1 activity for the removal of hydrophobic N-terminal residues. Our results provide mechanistic insight to the association of this ERAP2 polymorphism with disease and support the idea that polymorphic variation in Ag processing enzymes constitutes a component of immune response variability in humans.
HumanStreptococcus suisEndocarditis: Echocardiographic Features and Clinical Outcome
Authors: Pachirat Orathai , Taksinachanekit Suthep , Mootsikapun Piroon , Kerdsin Anusak
Published: July 2012

Background

Human Streptococcus suis endocarditis occurs infrequently and continues to be a serious illness with high mortality. However, knowledge of the echocardiographic features and clinical outcome of this disease remains unclear.

Methods

One hundred and fourteen patients were identified in a prospective study, and hospitalized at Queen Sirikit Heart Center and Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University. Echocardiography was routinely performed in all patients.

Results

Between January 2010 and December 2011, three cases of S. suis endocarditis were diagnosed. All cases were male and aged 27-53 years. The most common risk factor for contracting S. suis infection was eating undercooked pork. Three patients presented with congestive heart failure. Transthoracic echocardiography demonstrated large, highly mobile vegetations and severe valvular damage. Aortic valve involvement was documented in two patients, and mitral valve involvement in one. One patient presented with embolic stroke and one with arterial occlusion. All patients underwent urgent valve replacement with a good clinical outcome.

Conclusion

The echocardiographic features of S. suis endocarditis show destructive, extensive valvular damage and early embolization with a fulminant course, needing early surgical intervention with a good clinical outcome.
Hypertension and Biliary Ductopenia in a Patient with Duplication of Exon 6 of the JAG1 Gene
Authors: Uberos J. , Moreno L. , Muñoz-Hoyos A.
Published: July 2012

We describe a neonatal patient with biliary ductopenia featuring duplication of exon 6 of the JAG1 gene. Facial alterations were observed, consisting of a prominent forehead, sunken eyes, upward slanting palpebral fissures, hypertelorism, flat nasal root and prominent chin. From birth, these were accompanied by the development of haematuria and renal failure and by renal Doppler findings indicative of peripheral renal artery stenosis. JAG1 gene mutations on chromosome 20 have been associated with various anomalies, including biliary cholestasis, vertebral abnormalities, eye disorders, heart defects and facial dysmorphia. This syndrome, first described by Alagille, is an infrequent congenital disorder caused by a dominant autosomal inheritance with variable expressivity. Anatomopathological effects include the destruction and disappearance of hepatic bile ducts (ductopenia). The duplication of exon 6 of JAG1 has not previously been described as an alteration related to the Alagille syndrome with peripheral renal artery stenosis.
Attenuation of Methamphetamine-Induced conditioned place preference in Mice after a Drug-Free period and Facilitation of this effect by exposure to a Running Wheel
Authors: Kitanaka Nobue , Kitanaka Junichi , Hall F. Scott , Uhl George R. , Watabe Kaname , Kubo Hitoshi , Takahashi Hitoshi , Takemura Motohiko
Published: July 2012

The effect of exposure of male mice to a horizontal running wheel (Fast-Trac™) on conditioned place preference (CPP) and hyperlocomotion induced by methamphetamine (METH) was determined. In the first experiment eleven-week-old male ICR mice were divided into three groups and exposed to three different environments (housed individually with (group A) or without a running wheel (group B), or housed in a group of eight mice without a running wheel (group C)) for two weeks except during periods of CPP conditioning and testing procedures. Administration of METH (0.5 mg/kg, i.p.) every other day during three conditioning sessions, with saline conditioning sessions in the other compartment on alternate days (ie, saline/METH conditioning), induced a significant CPP, compared to saline/saline conditioning, in mice of groups A and C, but not B. The increased CPP for METH was significantly attenuated by additional 5-day (drug-free)-exposure to a running wheel in mice of group A (but not group C). In the second experiment, pre-exposure of another set of mice to a running wheel for three days did not affect a subsequent METH (1.0 mg/kg)- or saline-induced horizontal locomotion or rearing, compared with the locomotor activities observed in mice without an experience of a running wheel. These observations suggest that experience of a running wheel may selectively facilitate an attenuation of drug-seeking behavior.
Motor traffic injuries in Sub-Saharan Africa
Authors: Tarimo Hipolite Thomas
Published: July 2012

Introduction: Motor traffic injuries are recognized as a major public health problem in developing countries. MTIs continue to cause morbidity, mortality and disability in Sub Saharan Africa (SSA). Objectives: To describe the magnitude of MTI’s in SSA and to find the magnitude of morbidity and mortality caused by MTI’s. Methodology: The World Health Organization (WHO), PUBMED and EMBASE databases were used to identify documents and articles on MTIs in SSA and its effects. The literature review was supplemented by document review and interviews with a key informant in one region of Tanzania to determine the magnitude of morbidity and mortality associated with MTI’s in Tanzania. Results: The mortality rate due to MTI’s in Lower and Middle Income Countries(LMIC’s) including SSA is about 20 per 100,000 population while in High Income Countries(HIC’s) it is about 10.3 per 100,000 population. MTI’s also represent the ninth leading cause of Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALY’s) lost and are forecasted by WHO to be the third leading cause of DALY’s lost by 2020. Total number of reported accidents in Kilimanjaro region in 2008 was 906 while in 2009 it was 1,125 accounting for an increase of 24%. The total mortality reported in 2008 was 147 and 202 in 2009 with an increase of 37%. The total morbidity was 622 in 2008 and 933 in 2009 accounting for a 50% increase. Discussion: The high mortality rate in SSA of about 20 per 100,000 population is contributed mainly by human factors with the major being reckless driving and negligence of drivers, pedestrians and passengers. Morbidity and mortality due to MTI’s is increasing gradually over time as seen from the Kilimanjaro documents. The burden of MTI morbidity and mortality is predicted to rise by 80% in SSA and fall by 30% in HIC’s by 2020. Conclusion & recommendations: MTI is still a public health problem in LMIC’s. Measures to improve human factors in causing MTA are urgently required in order to reverse the trend. I hereby conclude with the motto by the National Road Safety Council of Tanzania which says “Road safety is NO ACCIDENT” and that “Road safety is for sharing”. Corresponding author: Hipolite T.T. Address: P.O BOX 10398 ARUSHA, Telephone number: +255 753 642 882, E-mail: hipolitethomas@yahoo.com
Eggs: clearing the charges, exploring the potential!
Authors: Amour Maryam , Boshe Judith
Published: July 2012

Of all the various kinds of foods, an egg is special for its combination of all essential food nutrients in one item. However for much of the past 40 years, the public has been warned away from eggs because of concerns that they increase the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke and a claim that they raise the blood pressure by causing vasoconstriction. In Tanzania, up to date there are some cultures that forbid women in general or pregnant women in particular from eating eggs due to a belief that they will get bald babies or have problems during delivery. Several studies over the years have examined egg intake and its relationship with coronary outcome. When dietary confounders were considered, no association was seen between egg consumption and the risk of coronary heart disease in non-diabetic men and women. Recent researches have not only linked eggs with biological functions beyond basic nutrition but to a huge potential in the medical field. Eggs are now linked to fetal brain development and boosting of the immune system thus consequently lowering the risk of getting breast cancer, colon and lung cancer. For already developed cancer, eggs show potential for the development of promising anticancer drugs through the production of Monoclonal antibodies. They are also proven to prevent cataract and macular degeneration and protect against heart attacks and strokes by preventing arteriosclerosis and facilitating fat metabolism. Moreover researchers now not only prove eggs do not increase your blood cholesterol, but also link eggs to lowering high blood pressure by acting like an antihypertensive through an ACEI like inhibiting mechanism. Components in eggs were also found to be active as anti-adhesives, microbiocidals and as chelators in metal poisoning. Good news to egg lovers again!
Aerosol information content analysis of multi-angle high spectral resolution measurements and its benefit for high accuracy greenhouse gas retrievals
Authors: Frankenberg C. , Hasekamp O. , O'Dell C. , Sanghavi S. , Butz A. , Worden J.
Published: July 2012

Abstract. New generations of space-borne spectrometers for the retrieval of atmospheric abundances of greenhouse gases require unprecedented accuracies as atmospheric variability of long-lived gases is very low. These instruments, such as GOSAT and OCO-2, typically use a high spectral resolution oxygen channel (O2 A-band) in addition to CO2 and CH4 channels to discriminate changes in the photon path-length distribution from actual trace gas amount changes. Inaccurate knowledge of the photon path-length distribution, determined by scatterers in the atmosphere, is the prime source of systematic biases in the retrieval. In this paper, we investigate the combined aerosol and greenhouse gas retrieval using multiple satellite viewing angles simultaneously. We find that this method, hitherto only applied in multi-angle imagery such as from POLDER or MISR, greatly enhances the ability to retrieve aerosol properties by 2–3 degrees of freedom. We find that the improved capability to retrieve aerosol parameters significantly reduces interference errors introduced into retrieved CO2 and CH4 total column averages. Instead of focussing solely on improvements in spectral and spatial resolution, signal-to-noise ratios or sampling frequency, multiple angles reduce uncertainty in space based greenhouse gas retrievals more effectively and provide a new potential for dedicated aerosols retrievals.
Tracking atmospheric and riverine terrigenous supplies variability during the last glacial and the Holocene in central Mediterranean
Authors: Bout-Roumazeilles V. , Combourieu-Nebout N. , Desprat S. , Siani G. , Turon J.-L.
Published: July 2012

Abstract. The objectives were to retrace the eolian and fluvial terrigenous supplies in a sediment core from the Sicilian-Tunisian Strait by coupling mineralogical, grain-size and geochemical approaches, in order to get informations on the atmospheric versus riverine contributions to sedimentation on the southern side of central Mediterranean since the last glacial. The eolian supply is dominant over the whole interval, excepted during the sapropel S1 when riverine contribution apparently became significant, and particles provenance has been modified since Last Glacial. Saharan contribution increased during the Bølling-Allerød, evidencing the persistence of aridity over North Africa although the northern Mediterranean already experienced moister and warmer conditions. The Younger Dryas is marked by proximal dust inputs highlighting intense regional eolian activity. A southward migration of dust provenance toward Sahel occurred at the onset of the Holocene, likely resulting from a southward position of the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone, probably associated with a large-scale atmospheric reorganization. Finally, a peculiar high terrigenous flux associated with drastic modifications of the mineralogical and geochemical sediment signature occurred during the sapropel S1, suggesting the propagation of fine-particles derived from major floodings of the Nile River – resulting from enhanced rainfall on northeastern Africa – and their transportation across the Sicilian-Tunisian Strait by intermediate water-masses.
Storm surge and wave simulations in the Gulf of Mexico using a consistent drag relation for atmospheric and storm surge models
Authors: Vatvani D. , Zweers N. C. , van Ormondt M. , Smale A. J. , de Vries H. , Makin V. K.
Published: July 2012

Abstract. To simulate winds and water levels, numerical weather prediction (NWP) and storm surge models generally use the traditional bulk relation for wind stress, which is characterized by a wind drag coefficient. A still commonly used drag coefficient in those models, some of them were developed in the past, is based on a relation, according to which the magnitude of the coefficient is either constant or increases monotonically with increasing surface wind speed (Bender, 2007; Kim et al., 2008; Kohno and Higaki, 2006). The NWP and surge models are often tuned independently from each other in order to obtain good results. Observations have indicated that the magnitude of the drag coefficient levels off at a wind speed of about 30 m s−1, and then decreases with further increase of the wind speed. Above a wind speed of approximately 30 m s−1, the stress above the air-sea interface starts to saturate. To represent the reducing and levelling off of the drag coefficient, the original Charnock drag formulation has been extended with a correction term. In line with the above, the Delft3D storm surge model is tested using both Charnock's and improved Makin's wind drag parameterization to evaluate the improvements on the storm surge model results, with and without inclusion of the wave effects. The effect of waves on storm surge is included by simultaneously simulating waves with the SWAN model on identical model grids in a coupled mode. However, the results presented here will focus on the storm surge results that include the wave effects. The runs were carried out in the Gulf of Mexico for Katrina and Ivan hurricane events. The storm surge model was initially forced with H*wind data (Powell et al., 2010) to test the effect of the Makin's wind drag parameterization on the storm surge model separately. The computed wind, water levels and waves are subsequently compared with observation data. Based on the good results obtained, we conclude that, for a good reproduction of the storm surges under hurricane conditions, Makin's new drag parameterization is favourable above the traditional Charnock relation. Furthermore, we are encouraged by these results to continue the studies and establish the effect of improved Makin's wind drag parameterization in the wave model. The results from this study will be used to evaluate the relevance of extending the present towards implementation of a similar wind drag parameterization in the SWAN wave model, in line with our aim to apply a consistent wind drag formulation throughout the entire storm surge modelling approach.
Effect of higher-order stress gradients on the centennial mass evolution of the Greenland ice sheet
Authors: Fürst J. J. , Goelzer H. , Huybrechts P.
Published: July 2012

Abstract. We use a three-dimensional thermo-mechanically coupled model of the Greenland ice sheet to assess the effects of marginal perturbations on volume changes on centennial time scales. The model is designed to allow for five ice dynamic formulations using different approximations to the force balance. The standard model is based on the shallow ice approximation for both ice deformation and basal sliding. A second model version relies on a higher-order Blatter/Pattyn type of core that resolves effects from gradients in longitudinal stresses and transverse horizontal shearing, i.e. membrane-like stresses. Together with three intermediate model versions, these five versions allow for gradually more dynamic feedbacks from membrane stresses. Idealised experiments were conducted on various resolutions to compare the time-dependent response to imposed accelerations at the marine ice front. If such marginal accelerations are to have an appreciable effect on total mass loss on a century time scale, a fast mechanism to transmit such perturbations inland is required. While the forcing is independent of the model version, inclusion of direct horizontal coupling allows the initial speedup to reach several tens of kilometres inland. Within one century, effects from gradients in membrane stress alter the inland signal propagation and transmit additional dynamic thinning to the ice sheet interior. But the centennial overall volume loss differs only by some percents from the standard model as the dominant response is a diffusive inland propagation of geometric changes. In our experiments, the volume response is even attenuated by direct horizontal coupling. The reason is a faster adjustment of the sliding regime by instant stress transmission in models that account for the effect of membrane stresses. Ultimately, horizontal coupling decreases the reaction time to perturbations at the ice sheet margin.
Antimicrobial Synergic Effect of Chitosan with Sodium Lactate, Nisin or Potassium Sorbate against the Bacterial Flora of Fish
Authors: Schelegueda Laura Inés , Gliemmo María Fernanda , Campos Carmen Adriana
Published: July 2012

The inhibitory action of sodium lactate (SL), potassium sorbate (PS), nisin and chitosan against representative bacteria of fish spoilage flora (two Pseudomonas strains, Shewanella putrefaciens and Lactobacillus plantarum) and also against Listeria innocua was assessed. Minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations were determined. Antimicrobial interactions seeking for synergistic effects between binary mixtures were evaluated by isobolograms and by the fractional inhibitory concentrations (FIC). To study antimicrobials effects on a food matrix, selected mixtures showing synergistic action were tested in fish homogenates. Most antimicrobials inhibited bacterial growth. Isobolograms and FIC index showed that the combination of antimicrobials with chitosan and the mixture PS-SL exerted a synergistic action. Among them, combinations containing PS were discarded, since the levels needed may have adverse effects on the sensory characteristics of fish. Regarding to fish homogenates, chitosan in combination with SL, achieved the greater reduction of bacterial population, being useful for the preservation of minimally processed fish.
Inhibition of Yeast in Commercial Pickle Brines
Authors: Doan T. , Babu D. , Buescher R.
Published: July 2012

This study investigated the inhibition of yeasts in brines from fermented cucumber pickles using 2, 4-hexadienoic (sorbic), hexanoic and (E)-3-hexenoic acids. Native yeast population and chemical composition of commercial brines were analyzed and the minimum inhibitory concentrations of inhibitors on yeast growth were established. Commercial brines were treated with 100-350 ppm of 2, 4-hexadienoic (sorbic), hexanoic and (E)-3-hexenoic acids individually and at 2.5 to 10% salt (sodium chloride) concentrations. Yeast populations in the treated brines were monitored for 30 days of incubation. Hexanoic and (E)-3-hexenoic acids at 350 ppm caused reduction in yeast populations by about 4 and 2 log CFU/ml, respectively, within 24 hours of treatment. However, when brines were treated with 2, 4-hexadienoic acid at salt concentrations of 7.5 to 10%, there were no significant differences noted in yeast inhibition between the three acids. Hexanoic and (E)-3-hexenoic acids at 200 ppm caused longer lasting inhibitory effects (30 days) on yeasts than the traditionally used 2, 4-hexadienoic acid (10 days) in fermentation brine. Thus, the hexanoic and (E)-3-hexenoic acids are potential alternatives to 2, 4-hexadienoic acid for controlling yeasts during storage of spent cucumber fermentation brines.
The UN Global Compact: The Challenge and the Promise
Authors: Williams Oliver F.
Published: July 2012

The UN Global Compact is a voluntary initiative designed to help fashion a more humane world by enlisting business to follow ten principles concerning human rights, labor, the environment, and corruption. Although the four-year-old Compact is a relatively successful initiative, having signed up over eleven hundred companies and more than two hundred of the large multinationals, and having begun some important projects on globalization issues, there is a serious problem in that very few of the major U.S. companies have joined. While the premier U.S. companies are interested in meeting the legitimate expectations of society, there is concern centering around accountability issues. The accountability issues are in four major areas: 1. Accountability showing that the globalization of the economy actually helps the poor. 2. Accountability showing the corporate performance matches rhetoric. 3. Accountability that provides legitimacy to a two-tier pricing system and other measures that are designed to assist the poor in developing countries. 4. Accountability in the human rights area; what societal expectations are multinational companies accountable for? The article outlines the problems that the Compact brings to the fore and offers some insight from the ethical literature that may address U.S. company concerns or provide new ways of thinking about the issues. It further argues that the forum provided by the Compact may be the most effective means to gain consensus of the role of business in society.
Introduction: Special Issue: “Business Ethics in a Global Economy”
Authors: Calkins Martin , Berman Shawn L.
Published: July 2012

During the 2002–2003 academic year, Santa Clara University’s Institute on Globalization offered a series of public lectures, conferences, and exhibits featuring perspectives on globalization by leading scholars, journalists, officials, business leaders, and activists from around the world. The purpose of this program was to increase the attendees’ understanding of the processes and impact of globalization, especially in terms of the effects of market forces, advances in information technology, and new forms of transnational governance on developing countries.
Intellectual Property Battles in a Technological Global Economy: A Just War Analysis
Authors: Schmidt David P.
Published: July 2012

War has broken out in the technological global economy, principally in battles over intellectual property. A particularly fierce aspect of this battle sets people who guard proprietary software against hackers, who want information to be free. The key challenge today is to produce an adequate conceptual lens for seeing what ethically is at stake in this battle. Toward this end, this paper uses the just war tradition to analyze differences between proponents of Free Software and proponents of Open Source Software. This paper’s use of three just war criteria—Just Cause, Right Intention, and Discrimination—illustrates how the just war tradition can raise the level of ethical awareness about the intellectual property wars that continue to rage in the technological global economy.

The division between the two [open source and free software] is often bitterly contested, both from inside and outside the communities. The holiest of holy wars are not fought over word processors, operating systems, or compilers. They are all about software licenses.—Joe Barr
TheDangoTango: Why Corruption Blocks Real Reform in Japan
Authors: Black William K.
Published: July 2012

Japan’s economy has stagnated since the bursting of the twin real estate and stock bubbles in 1990. Construction employment rose after the bubbles burst despite a real estate glut.

Systemic corruption is delaying recovery. The key is thedango—Japan’s system of bid rigging, which is pervasive in public construction. The firms rotate who will win the “competitive” bid. The bureaucrats leak the highest price bid that will be accepted in return for favors from the industry and lucrative sinecures when they retire (amakudari—”descent from heaven”). The ruling politicians (the “construction tribes”) get kickbacks and ensure the adoption of enormous public construction programs.

The result is that Japanese public and private capital flows are corruptly routed to uses that are not simply inefficient, but outright harmful to society. Pervasive corruption is the primary obstacle to Japanese economic (and environmental) health and political reform.
The Development of International Business Norms
Authors: Windsor Duane
Published: July 2012

International business norms do not exist. Content and development of such norms is a significant research question for business ethics scholarship. Any norms must address difficult practical and moral problems facing multinational enterprises. The author’s thesis is as follows. A key circumstance is that international relations remain a Hobbesian state of nature. The theoretical solution of a global sovereignty for norm formulation and enforcement is unlikely. The business ethics literature proposes other insightful but theoretical and conflicting solutions to abstract wealth-responsibility and universalism-relativism controversies. Theoretical convergence seems unlikely. Evolution of multiple international policy regimes fragmented by policy arena is more probable. Regimes will typically be neither morals by agreement nor a morality of the marketplace. Regime development can occur in various other ways. Moral leadership, by firms, stakeholders, nongovernmental organizations or governments, can be a vital force. Formal ethical theories can inform and guide such leadership initiatives. This process perspective is applied to several recent case examples cited here as supporting evidence: anti-corruption, labor, environmental, human rights, and fiduciary responsibility initiatives.
Experimental Evidence Relating to the Person-Situation Interactionist Model of Ethical Decision Making
Authors: Church Bryan , Gaa James C. , Khalid Nainar S. M. , Shehata Mohamed M.
Published: July 2012

According to a widely credited model in the business ethics literature, ethical decisions are a function of two kinds of factors, personal (individual) and situational, and these factors interact with each other. According to a contrary view of decision making that is widely held in some areas of business research, individuals’ decisions about ethical issues (and subsequent actions) are purely a function of their self-interest.

The laboratory experiment reported in this paper provides a test of the person-situation interactionist model, using the general theoretical and experimental framework used in the experimental economics literature. One individual and two situational factors relating to moral intensity were examined which may influence decisions to misrepresent information in the course of business activities.

The individual and one situational variable were significantly related to participants’ actions. The interactions among individual and situation variables were not individually significant, although the model including interactions had a much higher level of statistical significance. Gender was significant, both directly and in interaction with moral development, suggesting that it may be worthy of further examination.
On the Relevance of Political Philosophy to Business Ethics
Authors: Moriarty Jeffrey
Published: July 2012

The central problems of political philosophy (e.g., legitimate authority, distributive justice) mirror the central problems of business ethics. The question naturally arises: should political theories be applied to problems in business ethics? If a version of egalitarianism is the correct theory of justice for states, for example, does it follow that it is the correct theory of justice for businesses? If states should be democratically governed by their citizens, should businesses be democratically managed by their employees? Most theorists who have considered these questions, including John Rawls inPolitical Liberalism, and Robert Phillips and Joshua Margolis in a 1999 article, have said “no.” They claim that states and businesses are different kinds of entities, and hence require different theories of justice. I challenge this claim. While businesses differ from states, the difference is one of degree, not one of kind. Business ethics has much to learn from political philosophy.
Intellectual Property Rights, Moral Imagination, and Access to Life-Enhancing Drugs
Authors: Werhane Patricia H. , Gorman Michael
Published: July 2012

Although the idea of intellectual property (IP) rights—proprietary rights to what one invents, writes, paints, composes or creates—is firmly embedded in Western thinking, these rights are now being challenged across the globe in a number of areas. This paper will focus on one of these challenges: government-sanctioned copying of patented drugs without permission or license of the patent owner in the name of national security, in health emergencies, or life-threatening epidemics. After discussing standard rights-based and utilitarian arguments defending intellectual property we will present another model. IP is almost always a result of a long history of scientific or technological development and numbers of networks of creativity, not the act of a single person or a group of people at one moment in time. Thus thinking about and evaluating IP requires thinking about IP as shared rights. A network approach to IP challenges a traditional model of IP. It follows that the owner of those rights has some obligations to share that information or its outcomes. If that conclusion is applied to the distribution of antiretroviral drugs, what pharmaceutical companies are ethically required to do to increase access to these medicines in the developing world will have to be reanalyzed from a more systemic perspective.
Intellectual Property and Pharmaceutical Drugs: An Ethical Analysis
Authors: De George Richard T.
Published: July 2012

The pharmaceutical industry has in recent years come under attack from an ethical point of view concerning its patents and the non-accessibility of life-saving drugs for many of the poor both in less developed countries and in the United States. The industry has replied with economic and legal justifications for its actions. The result has been a communication gap between the industry on the one hand and poor nations and American critics on the other. This paper attempts to present and evaluate the arguments on all sides and suggests a possible way out of the current impasse. It attempts to determine the ethical responsibility of the drug industry in making drugs available to the needy, while at the same time developing the parallel responsibilities of individuals, governments, and NGOs. It concludes with the suggestion that the industry develop an international code for its self-regulation.
Corporate Character: Modern Virtue Ethics and the Virtuous Corporation
Authors: Moore Geoff
Published: July 2012

This paper is a further development of two previous pieces of work (Moore 2002, 2005) in which modern virtue ethics, and in particular MacIntyre’s (1985) related notions of “practice” and “institution,” have been explored in the context of business. It first introduces and defines the concept of corporate character and seeks to establish why it is important. It then reviews MacIntyre’s virtues-practice-institution schema and the implications of this at the level of the institution in question—the corporation—and argues that the concept of corporate character follows from, but is a novel development of, MacIntyre’s schema. The paper contrasts corporate character and virtues with the more familiar concepts of corporate culture and values. The constitutive and substantive elements of corporate character, including the essential corporate virtues, are then drawn out and illustrated with reference to the cases explored in Koehn (1998). Finally, the paper acknowledges and counters a specific criticism of this approach.
Sweatshops, Choice, and Exploitation
Authors: Zwolinski Matt
Published: July 2012

This paper argues that sweatshop workers’ choices to accept the conditions of their employment are morally significant, both as an exercise of their autonomy and as an expression of their preferences. This fact establishes a moral claim against interference in the conditions of sweatshop labor by third parties such as governments or consumer boycott groups. It should also lead us to doubt those who call for MNEs to voluntarily improve working conditions, at least when their arguments are based on the claim that workers have a moralrightto such improvement. These conclusions are defended against three objections: 1) that sweatshop workers’ consent to the conditions of their labor is not fully voluntary, 2) that sweatshops’ offer of additional labor options is part of an overall package that actually harms workers, 3) that even if sweatshop labor benefits workers, it is nevertheless wrongfully exploitative.