bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
The Ethics of Retaliatory Violence in Athenian Tragedy
Authors: Allan William 
Published: November 2013

AbstractThis article focuses on the presentation of retaliatory violence in Athenian tragedy. It suggests that such tit-for-tat violence is characterized as problematic from the earliest Greek literature onwards, but also stresses the continuing importance of anger, honour, and revenge in classical Athenian attitudes to punishment and justice. With these continuities in mind, it analyses the new process by which punishment and justice were achieved in Athens, and argues that the Athenians’ emphasis on the authority of their laws is central to understanding tragedy’s portrayal of personalized vengeance and the chaos that ensues from it. Though (for reasons of space) it focuses on only a selection of plays in detail (A.Eu., S.El., E.El.,Or.), the article adduces further examples to show that the same socio-historical developments are central to the portrayal of retaliatory violence throughout the genre, and ends by considering how tragedy, in depicting revenge as problematic, offers a more positive alternative to such violence which does justice to the emotional and social needs of its audience.
Did Varro Think that Slaves were Talking Tools?
Authors: Lewis Juan P. 
Published: November 2013

AbstractThis article challenges the widespread notion that Varro’sRes Rustica1.17 defined slaves as ‘talking tools’. Instead, it argues that thegenus vocale instrumenticomprised both slave and free workers within an economic unit. In this context,instrumentumdoes not mean ‘tool’, but what is needed to run a farmstead, including the human work-force, in accordance with the views that were prevalent among the Romans. Varro drew upon the agricultural literature of his time to build his three-fold division of theinstrumentum. His definition was unoriginal and void of any moral implications. As such, it has to be seen as a mere rhetorical device. What Varro attempted to do in this passage was to cast the pedestrian claim that human labour is needed to run a farmstead into a language that resembled an academic and philosophical discourse.
Diet composition changes correlated with body size in the Smooth snake, Coronella austriaca, inhabiting lowland heath in southern England
Authors: Reading Christopher , Jofré Gabriela 
Published: November 2013

The diet of Smooth snakes (Coronella austriaca) inhabiting lowland heath in southern England was studied over a nine-year period (2004-2012) by analysing 226 faecal samples obtained from 19 females and 41 males of varying age/size from juveniles to sexually mature adults. The main prey species belonged to the families Lacertidae (48%), Soricidae (32%) and Muridae (13%) with the remaining 7% comprising Anguidae (6%), Colubridae (0.5%) and Bufonidae (0.5%). Small mammals were absent from the diet of the smallest snakes but were a major component in the diet of large snakes. Lacertids were a major component of the diet of juvenile snakes whilst they formed a progressively smaller part of the diet of adult snakes. The data demonstrates a shift in diet, with increasing snake size, from Lacertids to small mammals. The highest number of small mammals was found in the diet during the early part of the activity period (April-June) with females apparently preying mainly upon Lacertids in late summer (August-October). A detailed understanding of the diet of C. austriaca, and how it changes with increasing snake body size, may have implications for the conservation of the species in the UK. Management of heathland that damages the preferred habitat of small Lacertids, the main prey of the smallest juvenile snakes, is likely to have a negative impact on recruitment and, as a consequence, a negative impact on the survival of C. austriaca populations.
Skin swabbing of amphibian larvae yields sufficient DNA for efficient sequencing and reliable microsatellite genotyping
Authors: Pichlmüller Florian , Straub Christina , Helfer Véronique 
Published: November 2013

Skin swabbing, a minimally invasive DNA sampling method recently developed on adult amphibians, was tested on larvae of fire salamanders (Salamandra salamandra). The quality and quantity of the sampled DNA was evaluated by (i) measuring DNA concentration in DNA extracts, (ii) sequencing part of the mtDNA cytochrome b gene (692 bp) and (iii) genotyping eight polymorphic nuclear microsatellite loci. The multiple-tubes approach was used for calculating allelic dropout (ADO) and false allele (FA) rates to evaluate the reliability of the genotypes. DNA extracts from tissue samples of road-killed individuals were included in the study as positive controls. Our results showed that skin swabs of fire salamander larvae can provide DNA in sufficient quantity and quality, as sequencing was successful and no allelic dropouts or false alleles were detected. This method, tested for the first time on amphibian larvae, has proven to be an efficient and reliable alternative to the controversial tail fin clipping procedure.
Renewing hope: the rediscovery of Atelopus varius in Costa Rica
Authors: González-Maya José F. , Belant Jerrold L. , Wyatt Sarah A. , Schipper Jan , Cardenal Josué , Corrales Daniel , Cruz-Lizano Iván , Hoepker Annelie , Escobedo-Galván Armando H. , Castañeda Fernando , Fischer Addison 
Published: November 2013

More than 90% of harlequin frog species (Atelopus spp.), endemic to the Americas, are currently threatened with extinction. We report the discovery of the only currently known breeding population of the Critically Endangered A. varius in Costa Rica. This population was located in 2008 on a private property in Las Tablas Protected Zone near San Vito, Coto Brus at 1300 m elevation. Previously, the only known remaining/remnant population of this species and genus was a single location near Manuel Antonio, Puntarenas, Costa Rica, where two individuals were documented in 2004. Subsequent searches at this location have yielded no additional sightings. Delineating the spatial limits of this population, quantifying demographics and resource use, and implementing conservation actions are necessary to ensure persistence of this population. Conducting additional surveys in this region to ascertain occurrence of additional populations is warranted.
Commercial Arbitration under Investment Treaties and Contracts: Its Importance and Danger in the Arab World
Authors: Daradkeh Lafi 
Published: November 2013

Abstract
Given the importance of investments, a number of international and regional conventions have been set up in order to protect the parties to investment contracts by adopting arbitration as a method to resolve any dispute that might arise from such contracts. Despite the importance of commercial arbitration for foreign investment treaties and contracts, the process of its application has revealed many of the risks investment poses to the host, particularly Arab, country. This is because commercial arbitration has often been used as a legal means to protect foreigners from the harmful consequences that their investments have had on the environment. The most negative aspects of international commercial arbitration for foreign investment contracts are the modern trends that have been adopted in the field of arbitration, where host countries must comply even when their local laws and public policies are being violated.
Influence of Circadian Typology and Time of Day on Temporal Preparation
Authors: Correa Ángel , Lara Tania , Madrid Juan Antonio 
Published: November 2013

The present study addressed the interactions between processes of circadian and millisecond timing by testing whether the ability for temporal preparation is influenced both by individual differences in circadian rhythmicity and by the time of day at which a task is performed. A temporal preparation task that measures temporal orienting and sequential effects was administered to morning-type and evening-type groups of participants, both in morning and evening sessions. The results confirmed a synchrony effect on overall reaction time (RT), indicating that participants were most vigilant at their optimal time of day according to their specific chronotype. This synchrony effect, however, did not influence temporal orienting or sequential effects. These findings suggest that only processes mediating overall RT (vigilance) but not processes related to temporal preparation are susceptible to circadian influence. The current research thus supports the dissociation between circadian timing and temporal preparation.
Multimodal Integration of Interval Duration: Temporal Ventriloquism or Changes in Pacemaker Rate?
Authors: de la Rosa Maria Dolores , Bausenhart Karin M. 
Published: November 2013

Previous studies demonstrated that perceived duration of visual intervals is strongly influenced by conflicting auditory intervals. However, it remains unclear which mechanisms underlie this multimodal integration of interval duration. To investigate this issue, we employed a reproduction task with empty (Experiment 1) or filled (Experiment 2) intervals, and a paired-comparison task (Experiment 3) to assess perceived duration of visually marked intervals, which could be accompanied by auditory marked intervals with congruent (same) or conflicting (longer and shorter) durations. First, we predicted that conflicting auditory intervals would bias the perceived duration of visual intervals towards the duration of the auditory ones. Second, according to pacemaker-accumulator models, two different mechanisms might contribute to multimodal interval integration: changes in pacemaker rate or changes of the switch component based on temporal ventriloquism effects. In the former case, the multimodal bias effect should increase with increasing interval duration. In the latter case, the effect should remain constant across interval durations. All experiments showed a strong influence of auditory interval duration on perceived visual duration. In Experiments 1 and 2, this bias effect unexpectedly decreased with increasing interval duration, which might be due to limitations of the employed duration reproduction method. In Experiment 3, however, the observed multimodal bias effect remained clearly constant across all interval durations. This finding supports the idea that multimodal integration of conflicting time intervals is mainly determined by a temporal ventriloquism effect, which affects the switch component of a pacemaker-accumulator mechanism. In addition, we demonstrated that bimodal congruent intervals are perceived as longer than unimodal visual ones. For filled (Experiment 2), but not for empty (Experiment 1) intervals, this effect seems to be caused by an increase in pacemaker rate.
Patient-controlled analgesia after coronary bypass: Remifentanil or sufentanil?
Authors: Alavi Seyed Mostafa , Ghoreishi Seyed Mohammadmehran , Chitsazan Mitra , Ghandi Iman , Fard Alireza Jahangiri , Hosseini Seyed Saeed , Mahjoobifard Maziar , Fani Kamal 
Published: November 2013

Background adequate pain control after cardiac surgery is mandatory to reduce its remarkable morbidity. In this study, we aimed to compare the efficacy of patient-controlled analgesia with remifentanil or sufentanil for pain management after coronary artery bypass grafting. Methods 249 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass were randomly assigned to receive patient-controlled analgesia with remifentanil or sufentanil during the first 24 h postoperatively. Pain intensity during patient-controlled analgesia was assessed using 4 different pain rating scales. Results patients given remifentanil had lower Visual Analog Scale scores at 24 h compared to those given sufentanil ( p = 0.002). The Numeric Rating Scale at 24 h was also significantly lower in patients using remifentanil ( p = 0.004). The Faces Pain Scale scores at 4, 18, and 24 h were significantly lower in patients using remifentanil compared to those using sufentanil ( p = 0.045, 0.036, and 0.011, respectively). No significant differences between groups were seen in the pain intensity assessed by the Behavior Rating Scale at any time point during the first 24 h postoperatively. Conclusion our study showed that both remifentanil and sufentanil patient-controlled analgesia can provide acceptable analgesia after coronary artery bypass. The difference between their efficacies was inconspicuous until 24 h postoperatively. Remifentanil seems to result in better pain relief at 24 h postoperatively.
Minimum generalized degree distance of n-vertex tricyclic graphs
Authors: Hamzeh Asma , Iranmanesh Ali , Hossein-Zadeh Samaneh 
Published: November 2013

Abstract
In (Hamzeh et al. in Stud. Univ. Babeş-Bolyai, Chem., 4:73-85, 2012), we introduced a generalization of a degree distance of graphs as a new topological index. In this paper, we characterize the n-vertex tricyclic graphs which have the minimum generalized degree distance.

MSC:05C12, 05C35, 05C05.
Identification and characterization of EBV genomes in spontaneously immortalized human peripheral blood B lymphocytes by NGS technology
Authors: Lei Haiyan , Li Tianwei , Hung Guo-Chiuan , Li Bingjie , Tsai Shien , Lo Shyh-Ching 
Published: November 2013

Abstract

Background
We conducted genomic sequencing to identify Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) genomes in 2 human peripheral blood B lymphocytes that underwent spontaneous immortalization promoted by mycoplasma infections in culture, using the high-throughput sequencing (HTS) Illumina MiSeq platform. The purpose of this study was to examine if rapid detection and characterization of a viral agent could be effectively achieved by HTS using a platform that has become readily available in general biology laboratories.

Results
Raw read sequences, averaging 175 bps in length, were mapped with DNA databases of human, bacteria, fungi and virus genomes using the CLC Genomics Workbench bioinformatics tool. Overall 37,757 out of 49,520,834 total reads in one lymphocyte line (# K4413-Mi) and 28,178 out of 45,335,960 reads in the other lymphocyte line (# K4123-Mi) were identified as EBV sequences. The two EBV genomes with estimated 35.22-fold and 31.06-fold sequence coverage respectively, designated K4413-Mi EBV and K4123-Mi EBV (GenBank accession number KC440852 and KC440851 respectively), are characteristic of type-1 EBV.

Conclusions
Sequence comparison and phylogenetic analysis among K4413-Mi EBV, K4123-Mi EBV and the EBV genomes previously reported to GenBank as well as the NA12878 EBV genome assembled from database of the 1000 Genome Project showed that these 2 EBVs are most closely related to B95-8, an EBV previously isolated from a patient with infectious mononucleosis and WT-EBV. They are less similar to EBVs associated with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) from Hong Kong and China as well as the Akata strain of a case of Burkitt’s lymphoma from Japan. They are most different from type 2 EBV found in Western African Burkitt’s lymphoma.
Resistance exercise leading to failure versus not to failure: effects on cardiovascular control
Authors: De Souza Jéssica Cardoso , Tibana Ramires Alsamir , Cavaglieri Claudia Regina , Vieira Denis César Leite , De Sousa Nuno Manuel Frade , Felipe Augusto Dos Santos Mendes , Tajra Vitor , Martins Wagner Rodrigues , De Farias Darlan Lopes , Balsamo Sandor , Navalta James Wilfred , Campbell Carmen Silvia Grubert , Prestes Jonato 
Published: November 2013

Abstract

Background
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the acute effects of resistance exercise (RE) leading to failure and RE that was not to failure on 24 h blood pressure (BP) and heart rate variability (HRV) in sedentary normotensive adult women.

Methods
Ten women (33.2 ± 5.8 years; 159.3 ± 9.4 cm; 58.0 ±6.4 kg; body fat 28.4 ± 2.8%) randomly underwent three experimental sessions: control (40 minutes of seated rest), RE leading to failure with 3 sets of 10 repetitions maximum (10-RM), and RE not to failure at 60% of 10-RM with 3 sets of 10 repetitions. Immediately post session BP and HRV were measured for 24 h.

Results
Ratings of perceived exertion and heart rate were higher during the 10-RM session when compared with 60% of 10-RM (6.4 ± 0.5 vs 3.5 ± 0.8 and 123.7 ± 13.9 vs 104.5 ± 7.3 bpm, respectively). The systolic, diastolic and mean BP decreased at 07:00 a.m. after the 10-RM session when compared with the control session (−9.0 ± 7.8 mmHg, -16.0 ± 12.9 mmHg and −14.3 ± 11.2 mmHg, respectively). The root mean square of the squared differences between R-R intervals decreased after both the 60% of 10-RM and 10-RM sessions compared with the control session.

Conclusions
An acute RE session leading to failure induced a higher drop of BP upon awakening, while both RE sessions reduced cardiac parasympathetic modulation. RE may be an interesting training strategy to acutely decrease BP in adult women.
Genomic comparative analysis and gene function prediction in infectious diseases: application to the investigation of a meningitis outbreak
Authors: Lavezzo Enrico , Toppo Stefano , Franchin Elisa , Di Camillo Barbara , Finotello Francesca , Falda Marco , Manganelli Riccardo , Palù Giorgio , Barzon Luisa 
Published: November 2013

Abstract

Background
Next generation sequencing (NGS) is being increasingly used for the detection and characterization of pathogens during outbreaks. This technology allows rapid sequencing of pathogen full genomes, useful not only for accurate genotyping and molecular epidemiology, but also for identification of drug resistance and virulence traits.

Methods
In this study, an approach based on whole genome sequencing by NGS, comparative genomics, and gene function prediction was set up and retrospectively applied for the investigation of two N. meningitidis serogroup C isolates collected from a cluster of meningococcal disease, characterized by a high fatality rate.

Results
According to conventional molecular typing methods, all the isolates had the same typing results and were classified as outbreak isolates within the same N. meningitidis sequence type ST-11, while full genome sequencing demonstrated subtle genetic differences between the isolates. Looking for these specific regions by means of 9 PCR and cycle sequencing assays in other 7 isolates allowed distinguishing outbreak cases from unrelated cases. Comparative genomics and gene function prediction analyses between outbreak isolates and a set of reference N. meningitidis genomes led to the identification of differences in gene content that could be relevant for pathogenesis. Most genetic changes occurred in the capsule locus and were consistent with recombination and horizontal acquisition of a set of genes involved in capsule biosynthesis.

Conclusions
This study showed the added value given by whole genome sequencing by NGS over conventional sequence-based typing methods in the investigation of an outbreak. Routine application of this technology in clinical microbiology will significantly improve methods for molecular epidemiology and surveillance of infectious disease and provide a bulk of data useful to improve our understanding of pathogens biology.
Population-based analysis of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug use among children in four European countries in the SOS project: what size of data platforms and which study designs do we need to assess safety issues?
Authors: Valkhoff Vera E , Schade René , ‘t Jong Geert W , Romio Silvana , Schuemie Martijn J , Arfe Andrea , Garbe Edeltraut , Herings Ron , Lucchi Silvia , Picelli Gino , Schink Tania , Straatman Huub , Villa Marco , Kuipers Ernst J , Sturkenboom Miriam CJM 
Published: November 2013

Abstract

Background
Data on utilization patterns and safety of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) in children are scarce. The purpose of this study was to investigate the utilization of NSAIDs among children in four European countries as part of the Safety Of non-Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (SOS) project.

Methods
We used longitudinal patient data from seven databases (GePaRD, IPCI, OSSIFF, Pedianet, PHARMO, SISR, and THIN) to calculate prevalence rates of NSAID use among children (0–18 years of age) from Germany, Italy, Netherlands, and United Kingdom. All databases contained a representative population sample and recorded demographics, diagnoses, and drug prescriptions. Prevalence rates of NSAID use were stratified by age, sex, and calendar time. The person-time of NSAID exposure was calculated by using the duration of the prescription supply. We calculated incidence rates for serious adverse events of interest. For these adverse events of interest, sample size calculations were conducted (alpha = 0.05; 1-beta = 0.8) to determine the amount of NSAID exposure time that would be required for safety studies in children.

Results
The source population comprised 7.7 million children with a total of 29.6 million person-years of observation. Of those, 1.3 million children were exposed to at least one of 45 NSAIDs during observation time. Overall prevalence rates of NSAID use in children differed across countries, ranging from 4.4 (Italy) to 197 (Germany) per 1000 person-years in 2007. For Germany, United Kingdom, and Italian pediatricians, we observed high rates of NSAID use among children aged one to four years. For all four countries, NSAID use increased with older age categories for children older than 11. In this analysis, only for ibuprofen (the most frequently used NSAID), enough exposure was available to detect a weak association (relative risk of 2) between exposure and asthma exacerbation (the most common serious adverse event of interest).

Conclusions
Patterns of NSAID use in children were heterogeneous across four European countries. The SOS project platform captures data on more than 1.3 million children who were exposed to NSAIDs. Even larger data platforms and the use of advanced versions of case-only study designs may be needed to conclusively assess the safety of these drugs in children.
Chinese herbal medicine for the treatment of recurrent miscarriage: a systematic review of randomized clinical trials
Authors: Yang Guo-Yan , Luo Hui , Liao Xing , Liu Jian-Ping 
Published: November 2013

Abstract

Background
Traditional Chinese medicine has been widely used for the treatment of recurrent miscarriage in China and other Asian countries for long time. We conducted this review to systematically summarize the evidences of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) for the prevention and treatment of recurrent miscarriage in randomized trials, and evaluate the effectiveness and safety of CHM compared with placebo or conventional medicine.

Methods
We searched studies in PubMed, ClinicalTrials, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, SinoMed and VIP databases until December, 2012. Randomized trials on CHM alone or in combination with conventional medicine for recurrent miscarriage compared with placebo or conventional medicine were included. We evaluated the methodological quality of each included trials using the Cochrane risk of bias tool.

Results
A total of 41 RCTs (3660 participants) were included. The majority of trials had a high or unclear risk of bias. CHM used alone or plus progesterone-based treatment showed superior effect over progesterone-based treatment in improving live birth rate and embryonic developmental state (measured by B ultrasound). However, there is substantial heterogeneity within each subgroup analysis (I

2
ranging from 35% to 71%). CHM plus progesterone and hCG-based treatment was superior to progesterone and hCG-based treatment in improving the embryonic developmental state, but not live birth rate. No severe adverse events were reported in relation to CHM.

Conclusions
Some Chinese herbal medicines or in combination with progesterone-based treatment demonstrated potentially beneficial effect in improving live birth rate and embryonic developmental state for women with recurrent miscarriage. However, due to the substantial heterogeneity among the herbal interventions and limitations of methodological quality of the included trials, it is not possible to recommend any specific CHMs for recurrent miscarriage. Further rigorous clinical trials are warranted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of CHM.