bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Religion and the Secular in Premodern Japan from the Viewpoint of Systems Theory
Authors: Kleine Christoph 
Published: May 2013

Abstract
This article discusses the essential question of whether or not the concept “religion” is applicable to premodern Japan. Rather than looking for semantic equivalents of the Western term it stresses the necessity to look for structural analogies to the binary code religious/secular. Roughly within the theoretical framework of Niklas Luhmann’s systems theory, documents from medieval Japan are analyzed in order to find out whether an emic binary code was used as a functional equivalent to the religious/secular pattern. It is shown that the fundamental Buddhist distinction between things that belong to this world (laukika; seken) and those which transcend the world (lokottara; shusseken) functions as a culturally specific emic version of the binary code transcendence/immanence, i.e., the code by which—according to Luhmann—all religious communication is guided. Furthermore, it is argued that the distinction between the “ruler’s law” (ōbō) and the “Buddha’s law” (buppō), which was so prominent in the Buddhist political discourse of the Kamakura period, is closely related to the binary code transcendence/immanence (shusseken/seken). It is proposed that both “laws” or “orders” (hō) represent what we would call the “secular order” and the “religious order.” From the fact that medieval Japanese discourses actually organized the world by the binary code ōbō (seken) / buppō (shusseken) it can be concluded that “religion” as a generic concept was by no means alien to the Japanese as many post-colonial authors want to make us believe.
Uncertainty Analysis of Runoff Simulations and Parameter Identifiability in the Community Land Model: Evidence from MOPEX Basins
Authors: Huang Maoyi , Hou Zhangshuan , Leung L. Ruby , Ke Yinghai , Liu Ying , Fang Zhufeng , Sun Yu 
Published: May 2013

Abstract
In this study, the authors applied version 4 of the Community Land Model (CLM4) integrated with an uncertainty quantification (UQ) framework to 20 selected watersheds from the Model Parameter Estimation Experiment (MOPEX) spanning a wide range of climate and site conditions to investigate the sensitivity of runoff simulations to major hydrologic parameters and to assess the fidelity of CLM4, as the land component of the Community Earth System Model (CESM), in capturing realistic hydrological responses. They found that for runoff simulations, the most significant parameters are those related to the subsurface runoff parameterizations. Soil texture–related parameters and surface runoff parameters are of secondary significance. Moreover, climate and soil conditions play important roles in the parameter sensitivity. In general, water-limited hydrologic regime and finer soil texture result in stronger sensitivity of output variables, such as runoff and its surface and subsurface components, to the input parameters in CLM4. This study evaluated the parameter identifiability of hydrological parameters from streamflow observations at selected MOPEX basins and demonstrated the feasibility of parameter inversion/calibration for CLM4 to improve runoff simulations. The results suggest that in order to calibrate CLM4 hydrologic parameters, model reduction is needed to include only the identifiable parameters in the unknowns. With the reduced parameter set dimensionality, the inverse problem is less ill posed.
Can Drake Passage Observations Match Ekman's Classic Theory?
Authors: Polton Jeff A. , Lenn Yueng-Djern , Elipot Shane , Chereskin Teresa K. , Sprintall Janet 
Published: May 2013

AbstractEkman's theory of the wind-driven ocean surface boundary layer assumes a constant eddy viscosity and predicts that the current rotates with depth at the same rate as it decays in amplitude. Despite its wide acceptance, Ekman current spirals are difficult to observe. This is primarily because the spirals are small signals that are easily masked by ocean variability and cannot readily be separated from the geostrophic component. This study presents a method for estimating ageostrophic currents from shipboard acoustic Doppler current profiler data in Drake Passage and finds that observations are consistent with Ekman's theory. By taking into account the sampling distributions of wind stress and ageostrophic velocity, the authors find eddy viscosity values in the range of 0.08–0.12 m2 s−1 that reconcile observations with the classic theory in Drake Passage. The eddy viscosity value that most frequently reconciles observations with the classic theory is 0.094 m2 s−1, corresponding to an Ekman depth scale of 39 m.
A Prospective Study of Musculoskeletal Outcomes Among Manufacturing Workers
Authors: Gerr Fredric , Fethke Nathan B. , Anton Dan , Merlino Linda , Rosecrance John , Marcus Michele , Jones Michael P. 
Published: May 2013

Objective: The aim of this study was to characterize associations between psychosocial and work organizational risk factors and upper-extremity musculoskeletal symptoms and disorders. Background: Methodological limitations of previous studies of psychosocial and work organizational risk factors and musculoskeletal outcomes have produced inconsistent associations. Method: In this prospective epidemiologic study of 386 workers, questionnaires to assess decision latitude (“control”) and psychological job demands (“demand”) were administered to study participants and were used to classify them into job strain “quadrants.” Measures of job stress and job change were collected during each week of follow-up. Incident hand/arm and neck/shoulder symptoms and disorders were ascertained weekly. Associations between exposure measures and musculoskeletal outcomes were estimated with proportional hazard methods. Results: When compared to the low-demand/high-control job strain referent category, large increases in risk of hand/arm disorders were observed for both high-demand/high- control (hazard ratio [HR] = 4.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] = [1.23, 16.4]) and high-demand/low-control job strain categories (HR = 5.18, 95% CI = [1.39, 19.4]). Similar associations were observed for hand/arm symptoms. A strong association was also observed between the low-demand/low-control job strain category and neck/shoulder disorders (HR = 6.46, 95% CI = [1.46, 28.6]). Statistically significant associations were also observed between weekly stress level and weekly job change and several musculoskeletal outcomes. Conclusion: Associations between psychosocial risk factors and work organizational factors and musculoskeletal outcomes were large and in the hypothesized direction. Application: Prevention of occupational musculoskeletal disorders may require attention to psychosocial and work organizational factors in addition to physical factors. Methods to control adverse effects of psychosocial and work organizational risk factors should be explored.
Parisara: Developing a Collaborative, Free, Public Domain Knowledge Resource on Indian Environment
Authors: Gadgil Madhav 
Published: May 2013

To address the important challenge of taking good care of India’s environment, substantial, good quality information is crucial. Unfortunately, pertinent information is in very short supply. Much of the nationally collected information lacks quality and is incomplete. Modern science has demonstrated that good information flows from an open, transparent process that welcomes participation of all interested parties. Such a broad based, open, participatory process should be established to develop a sound, comprehensive base of information on India’s environment. All over the world, citizens are a great repository of detailed information on many facets of their local environment. India’s citizens, especially students and teachers, therefore have to play an important role in this process of building up a good information resource on India’s environment. Rapidly advancing information and communication technology (ICT) tools hold much promise in facilitating such a participatory process of knowledge generation. In India, such a programme may involve interested citizens of a locality working with a consortium of both urban and rural high schools, junior and undergraduate colleges. It would take advantage of the fact that it is now mandatory for students in Classes 11–12, as well as for the second year undergraduates in all branches, to undertake a major project on environment. It could also build upon the provisions of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 that mandates all panchayats and nagar palikas throughout the country to undertake documentation of local biodiversity resources and associated knowledge in the form of ‘People’s Biodiversity Registers’.  In the long run, this process would establish a transparent, publicly accessible information resource on India’s environment with accreditation to concerned students, teachers and other interested citizens for all items of information.
Enriching the care of patients with dementia in acute settings? The Dementia Champions Programme in Scotland
Authors: Banks Pauline , Waugh Anna , Henderson Jenny , Sharp Barbara , Brown Margaret , Oliver Joanne , Marland Glenn 
Published: May 2013

Admission to hospital has been found to have a negative impact on people with dementia. The Scottish Dementia Champions programme was developed to prepare health and social service Dementia Champions working in acute settings as Change Agents. The programme was initially delivered to a cohort of 100 health professionals via blended learning, and comprised five study days, a half day spent in a local community setting, and e-learning. In order to complete the programme and graduate, participants were required to complete and submit reports relating to three work-based activities. The evaluation of the project adopted a two-pronged approach: Impact on programme participants was assessed by scores derived from the Approaches to Dementia Questionnaire (ADQ) ( Lintern, 1996 ) completed at Study Days 1 and 5, and analysis of qualitative data derived from the three written assignments. Participants were asked to evaluate course materials and input for each of the five study days, as well as satisfaction with delivery. Analysis of data derived from the ADQ and 100 reflective reports of the community experience indicate that participants’ perceptions of people with dementia shifted significantly during the Programme. Participants identified a range of issues which should be addressed with a view to improving the experiences of people with dementia in acute settings, and put in place actions to bring about change. The format of the programme provided a cost effective means to prepare NHS and Social Service Dementia Champions as Change Agents for practice within a relatively short period of time, and would be transferrable to other staff groups as well as different organisational structures in other countries.
Diagnostic effectiveness of 75 g oral glucose tolerance test for gestational diabetes in India based on the International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups guidelines
Authors: Surapaneni Tarakeswari , Nikhat Irfana , Nirmalan Praveen K 
Published: May 2013

Background To determine the diagnostic effectiveness of the fasting and one-hour plasma glucose levels for gestational diabetes (GDM) based on International Association of the Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) criteria. Methods A Cross-sectional study that included 2348 pregnant women booked for antenatal care in 2011 at a tertiary care perinatal institute. Pregnant women underwent a 75 g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) between 24 and 28 weeks of gestation. Outcome measures include the incidence of GDM based on the IADPSG criteria and the diagnostic effectiveness of the recommended fasting and one-hour plasma glucose cut-off if used in isolation. Results The incidence of GDM was 21.81% ( n = 520, 95% CI: 20.15, 23.57) with the IADPSG criteria. A fasting plasma glucose cut-off 92 mg/dL, in isolation, correctly classified 87.16% of GDM, with a specificity of 96.08%, clinically significant positive likelihood ratio (14.08) and a post-test probability of 79.71%. The one-hour 75 g test, in isolation, correctly classified 85.74% of GDM, had specificity of 99.68% and clinically significant positive likelihood ratio (111.12) and post-test probability of 96.87%. The application of the World Health Organization criteria would misclassify 11.91% (95% CI: 10.66, 13.26) of GDM as normal. Conclusions Additional testing of plasma glucose levels can be avoided for 18.25% ( n = 435, 95% CI: 16.73, 19.84) if the IADPSG diagnostic criteria for GDM are applied with exit on a positive fasting or one-hour test result.
Genetic analysis of the roles of agaA, agaI, and agaS genes in the N-acetyl-D-galactosamine and D-galactosamine catabolic pathways in Escherichia colistrains O157:H7 and C
Authors: Hu Zonglin , Patel Isha R , Mukherjee Amit 
Published: May 2013

Abstract

Background
The catabolic pathways of N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (Aga) and D-galactosamine (Gam) in E. coli were proposed from bioinformatic analysis of the aga/gam regulon in E. coli K-12 and later from studies using E. coli C. Of the thirteen genes in this cluster, the roles of agaA, agaI, and agaS predicted to code for Aga-6-P-deacetylase, Gam-6-P deaminase/isomerase, and ketose-aldolase isomerase, respectively, have not been experimentally tested. Here we study their roles in Aga and Gam utilization in E. coli O157:H7 and in E. coli C.

Results
Knockout mutants in agaA, agaI, and agaS were constructed to test their roles in Aga and Gam utilization. Knockout mutants in the N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) pathway genes nagA and nagB coding for GlcNAc-6-P deacetylase and glucosamine-6-P deaminase/isomerase, respectively, and double knockout mutants ΔagaA ΔnagA and ∆agaI ∆nagB were also constructed to investigate if there is any interplay of these enzymes between the Aga/Gam and the GlcNAc pathways. It is shown that Aga utilization was unaffected in ΔagaA mutants but ΔagaA ΔnagA mutants were blocked in Aga and GlcNAc utilization. E. coli C ΔnagA could not grow on GlcNAc but could grow when the aga/gam regulon was constitutively expressed. Complementation of ΔagaA ΔnagA mutants with either agaA or nagA resulted in growth on both Aga and GlcNAc. It was also found that ΔagaI, ΔnagB, and ∆agaI ΔnagB mutants were unaffected in utilization of Aga and Gam. Importantly, ΔagaS mutants were blocked in Aga and Gam utilization. Expression analysis of relevant genes in these strains with different genetic backgrounds by real time RT-PCR supported these observations.

Conclusions
Aga utilization was not affected in ΔagaA mutants because nagA was expressed and substituted for agaA. Complementation of ΔagaA ΔnagA mutants with either agaA or nagA also showed that both agaA and nagA can substitute for each other. The ∆agaI, ∆nagB, and ∆agaI ∆nagB mutants were not affected in Aga and Gam utilization indicating that neither agaI nor nagB is involved in the deamination and isomerization of Gam-6-P. We propose that agaS codes for Gam-6-P deaminase/isomerase in the Aga/Gam pathway.
Phenotypic and genotypic properties of Microbacterium yannicii, a recently described multidrug resistant bacterium isolated from a lung transplanted patient with cystic fibrosis in France
Authors: Sharma Poonam , Diene Seydina M , Thibeaut Sandrine , Bittar Fadi , Roux Véronique , Gomez Carine , Reynaud-Gaubert Martine , Rolain Jean-Marc 
Published: May 2013

Abstract

Background
Cystic fibrosis (CF) lung microbiota consists of diverse species which are pathogens or opportunists or have unknown pathogenicity. Here we report the full characterization of a recently described multidrug resistant bacterium, Microbacterium yannicii, isolated from a CF patient who previously underwent lung transplantation.

Results
Our strain PS01 (CSUR-P191) is an aerobic, rod shaped, non-motile, yellow pigmented, gram positive, oxidase negative and catalase positive bacterial isolate. Full length 16S rRNA gene sequence showed 98.8% similarity with Microbacterium yannicii G72T type strain, which was previously isolated from Arabidopsis thaliana. The genome size is 3.95Mb, with an average G+C content of 69.5%. In silico DNA-DNA hybridization analysis between our Microbacterium yannicii PS01isolate in comparison with Microbacterium testaceum StLB037 and Microbacterium laevaniformans OR221 genomes revealed very weak relationship with only 28% and 25% genome coverage, respectively. Our strain, as compared to the type strain, was resistant to erythromycin because of the presence of a new erm 43 gene encoding a 23S rRNA N-6-methyltransferase in its genome which was not detected in the reference strain. Interestingly, our patient received azithromycin 250 mg daily for bronchiolitis obliterans syndrome for more than one year before the isolation of this bacterium.

Conclusions
Although significance of isolating this bacterium remains uncertain in terms of clinical evolution, this bacterium could be considered as an opportunistic human pathogen as previously reported for other species in this genus, especially in immunocompromised patients.
Endoscopist specialty is associated with colonoscopy quality
Authors: Jiang Mengzhu , Sewitch Maida J , Barkun Alan N , Joseph Lawrence , Hilsden Robert J 
Published: May 2013

Abstract

Background
Some studies have shown that endoscopist specialty is associated with colorectal cancers missed by colonoscopy. We sought to examine the relationship between endoscopist specialty and polypectomy rate, a colonoscopy quality indicator. Polypectomy rate is defined as the proportion of colonoscopies that result in the removal of one or more polyps.

Methods
A cross-sectional study was conducted of endoscopists and their patients from 7 Montreal and 2 Calgary endoscopy clinics. Eligible patients were aged 50–75 and covered by provincial health insurance. A patient questionnaire assessed family history of colorectal cancer, history of large bowel conditions and symptoms, and previous colonoscopy. The outcome, polypectomy status, was obtained from provincial health administrative databases. For each city, Bayesian hierarchical logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratio for polypectomy comparing surgeons to gastroenterologists. Model covariates included patient age, sex, family history of colorectal cancer, colonoscopy indication, and previous colonoscopy.

Results
In total, 2,113 and 538 colonoscopies were included from Montreal and Calgary, respectively. Colonoscopies were performed by 38 gastroenterologists and 6 surgeons in Montreal, and by 31 gastroenterologists and 5 surgeons in Calgary. The adjusted odds ratios comparing surgeons to gastroenterologists were 0.48 (95% CI: 0.32–0.71) in Montreal and 0.73 (95% CI: 0.43–1.21) in Calgary.

Conclusions
An association between endoscopist specialty and polypectomy was observed in both cities after adjusting for patient-level covariates. Results from Montreal suggest that surgeons are half as likely as gastroenterologists to remove polyps, while those from Calgary were associated with a wide, non-significant Bayesian credible interval. However, residual confounding from patient-level variables is possible, and further investigation is required.
Construction of Escherichia coli strains with chromosomally integrated expression cassettes for the synthesis of 2′-fucosyllactose
Authors: Baumgärtner Florian , Seitz Lyudmila , Sprenger Georg A , Albermann Christoph 
Published: May 2013

Abstract

Background
The trisaccharide 2′-fucosyllactose (2′-FL) is one of the most abundant oligosaccharides found in human milk. Due to its prebiotic and anti-infective properties, 2′-FL is discussed as nutritional additive for infant formula. Besides chemical synthesis and extraction from human milk, 2′-FL can be produced enzymatically in vitro and in vivo. The most promising approach for a large-scale formation of 2′-FL is the whole cell biosynthesis in Escherichia coli by intracellular synthesis of GDP-L-fucose and subsequent fucosylation of lactose with an appropriate α1,2-fucosyltransferase. Even though whole cell approaches have been demonstrated for the synthesis of 2′-FL, further improvements of the engineered E. coli host are required to increase product yields. Furthermore, an antibiotic-free method of whole cell synthesis of 2′-FL is desirable to simplify product purification and to avoid traces of antibiotics in a product with nutritional purpose.

Results
Here we report the construction of the first selection marker-free E. coli strain that produces 2′-FL from lactose and glycerol. To construct this strain, recombinant genes of the de novo synthesis pathway for GDP-L-fucose as well as the gene for the H. pylori fucosyltransferase futC were integrated into the chromosome of E. coli JM109 by using the λ-Red recombineering technique. Strains carrying additional copies of the futC gene and/or the gene fkp (from Bacteroides fragilis) for an additional salvage pathway for GDP-L-fucose production were used and shown to further improve production of 2′-FL in shake flask experiments. An increase of the intracellular GDP-L-fucose concentration by expression of fkp gene as well as an additional copy of the futC gene lead to an enhanced formation of 2′-FL. Using an improved production strain, feasibility of large scale 2′-FL production was demonstrated in an antibiotic-free fed-batch fermentation (13 l) with a final 2′-FL concentration of 20.28 ± 0.83 g l-1 and a space-time-yield of 0.57 g l-1 h-1.

Conclusions
By chromosomal integration of recombinant genes, altering the copy number of these genes and analysis of 2′-FL and intracellular GDP-L-fucose levels, we were able to construct and improve the first selection marker-free E. coli strain which is capable to produce 2′-FL without the use of expression plasmids. Analysis of intracellular GDP-L-fucose levels identified the de novo synthesis pathway of GDP-L-fucose as one bottleneck in 2′-FL production. In antibiotic-free fed-batch fermentation with an improved strain, scale-up of 2′-FL could be demonstrated.