bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Association of personality with physical, social, and mental activities across the lifespan: Findings from US and French samples
Authors: Stephan Yannick , Boiché Julie , Canada Brice , Terracciano Antonio 
Published: November 2013

Despite evidence for its health‐related benefits, little is known on the psychological predictors of the participation in leisure activities across the lifespan. Therefore, this study aimed to identify whether personality is associated with a variety of different types of activities, involving physical, cognitive, and social components. The samples included individuals from the second wave of the National Study of Midlife in the United States (N = 3,396) and community‐dwelling French individuals (N = 2,917) aged between 30 and 84. Both samples completed measures of the five‐factor model of personality. To create an activity index, we combined the physical, social, and cognitive (games and developmental) activities performed at least once a month. In both samples, individuals who scored higher on extraversion and openness were more likely to engage in a variety of activity types. The findings were consistent across two samples from different western societies and suggest that extraversion and openness contribute to social, cognitive, and physical functioning across the lifespan.
Polymorphisms of EpCAM gene and prognosis for non‐small‐cell lung cancer in Han Chinese
Authors: Yang Yuefan , Fei Fei , Song Yang , Li Xiaofei , Zhang Zhipei , Fei Zhou , Su Haichuan , Wan Shaogui 
Published: November 2013

The epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) is overexpressed in a wide variety of human cancers and is associated with patient prognosis, including those with lung cancer. However, the association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the EpCAM gene with the prognosis for non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients has never been investigated. We evaluated the association between two SNPs, rs1126497 and rs1421, in the EpCAM gene and clinical outcomes in a Chinese cohort of 506 NSCLC patients. The SNPs were genotyped using the Sequenom iPLEX genotyping system. Multivariate Cox proportional hazards model and Kaplan–Meier curves were used to assess the association of EpCAM gene genotypes with the prognosis of NSCLC. We found that the non‐synonymous SNP rs1126497 was significantly associated with survival. Compared with the CC genotype, the CT+TT genotype was a risk factor for both death (hazard ratio, 1.40; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02–1.94; P = 0.040) and recurrence (hazard ratio, 1.34; 95% CI, 1.02–1.77; P = 0.039). However, the SNP rs1421 did not show any significant effect on patient prognosis. Instead, the AG+GG genotype in rs1421 was significantly associated with early T stages (T1/T2) when compared with the AA genotype (odds ratio for late stage = 0.65; 95% CI, 0.44–0.96, P = 0.029). Further stratified analysis showed notable modulating effects of clinical characteristics on the associations between variant genotypes of rs1126497 and NSCLC outcomes. In conclusion, our study indicated that the non‐synonymous SNP rs1126497 may be a potential prognostic marker for NSCLC patients.
Platelet‐Derived Microparticles are Implicated in Remote Ischemia Conditioning in a Rat Model of Cerebral Infarction
Authors: Shan Li‐Yang , Li Ji‐Zhao , Zu Ling‐Yun , Niu Chen‐Guang , Ferro Albert , Zhang Ying‐Dong , Zheng Le‐min , Ji Yong 
Published: November 2013

SummaryAimRemote ischemic preconditioning protects against ischemic organ damage by giving short periods of subcritical ischemia to a remote organ. We tested the hypothesis that remote ischemic conditioning can attenuate cerebral stroke in a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model by microparticles (MPs).Methods and resultsMPs were extracted from healthy rats that underwent hindlimb ischemia–reperfusion preconditioning (RIPC), and were transfused into rats that had undergone MCAO without RIPC. The transfusion resulted in an increase in platelet‐derived MPs in blood and reduction in infarction area, confirmed by both 2‐3‐5‐triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining and magnetic resonance imaging, albeit to a lesser degree than RIPC itself. Behavioral tests (modified Neurological Severity Score [mNSS]) were calculated to judge the behavioral change. However, no significant difference was observed after MP transfusion in 24 h or the following consecutive 9 days.ConclusionsRIPC induces an increase in MPs, and platelet‐derived MPs may confer at least part of the remote protective effect against cerebral ischemic–reperfusion injury.
What Contribution Can China Make to Inclusive Growth in Sub‐Saharan Africa?
Authors: Kaplinsky Raphael 
Published: November 2013

ABSTRACTDespite rapid economic growth, the numbers living in absolute poverty in Africa have grown. China's rapidly expanding presence in Africa is widely considered to be a prime source of this unequalization. However, at the same time, its presence also supports countervailing and unrecognized processes of equalization, although this varies by country, class, gender and age grouping. China has the capacity to help Africa move to a more sustainable and less unequal growth path by providing low‐cost consumer and capital goods, new market opportunities which can be accessed by small‐scale producers and new, more appropriate capital goods. Taking advantage of the China‐induced commodities price boom to promote more equal patterns of growth will depend on the capacity of African actors to promote linkages effectively. The extent to which Africa is able to take advantage of opportunities opened up by China to move to a new, more inclusive growth path will largely be determined by political developments in Africa. But these political dynamics are not independent of China's increasing economic and political footprint, both globally and in its direct relations with Africa.
China and the South: Objectives, Actors and Interactions
Authors: Breslin Shaun 
Published: November 2013

ABSTRACTChina has stepped up its engagement of developing countries through both bilateral interactions and the establishment of more formal multilateral fora. To achieve this, China's leaders have established a clear state policy designed to secure much needed resources and to establish an identity as a new and different type of ‘great power’. China has also become a proactive provider of development aid which, when combined with other forms of economic engagement, have raised concerns in the West that China is undermining the promotion of a liberal global order. But we need to take care in considering who, or what, is driving Chinese policy. The institutional weakness of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs means that commercial and financial agencies have dominated the agenda; major state owned enterprises and increasingly large numbers of small, often private enterprises are pursuing their own commercial agendas overseas, which are often not controlled by Beijing. The result is a patchwork of different types of relationships with developing countries, more often driven by the commercial concerns of economic actors than by a coherent diplomatic strategy.
Beyond the Enclave: Towards a Critical Political Economy of China and Africa
Authors: Mohan Giles 
Published: November 2013

ABSTRACTThis article provides a political economy framework for analysing China's engagements with Africa. It situates the rise of China in the context of the changing balance of power in the world system and particularly China's re‐entry into spheres of influence in Africa that have been the purview of the former European colonial powers for two centuries or more. It begins by arguing that current approaches to China, Africa and international relations are fragmented in particular ways which prevent the development of a more critical political economy. It then examines a pervasive theme in China–Africa relations, which assumes that the Chinese work through enclaved investments to secure the resources of low‐income economies, though in this sense the Chinese are no different from other investors. Where they do differ is in their bundling of aid, trade and FDI and their use of imported labour, which has been termed ‘surgical colonialism’. The article does not dispute the existence of Chinese enclaves but argues that we need more empirical evidence on the levels of labour importation in relation to local labour market conditions. This requires a more nuanced understanding of state–capital dynamics in those countries where the Chinese operate although the model appears to be one of elite brokerage. However, the enclaved investments and inter‐elite bargaining are only part of the story and the closing sections of the article analyse the role of independent Chinese businesses in Africa's social and political development, which moves us beyond the enclave.
‘Greater Chinese’ Global Production Networks in the Middle East: The Rise of the Jordanian Garment Industry
Authors: Azmeh Shamel , Nadvi Khalid 
Published: November 2013

ABSTRACTThe expansion of ‘Greater Chinese’ capital from mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan into other parts of the developing world is increasingly noted. It is especially prominent in sub‐Saharan Africa where Greater Chinese investments, firms and workers are found across a wide range of activities, from the extractive commodity sectors, to infrastructure projects, agriculture and manufacturing. One region where Greater Chinese investment is less well studied is the Middle East. This article focuses on the case of Jordan. Jordan has rapidly emerged as an important supplier of apparel to the United States, a consequence of a distinct preferential trade agreement. The article charts the ways in which this preferential trade agreement has stimulated the shifts of Greater Chinese garment manufacturers to Jordan. Using a global production networks (GPN) framework, and drawing on primary and secondary evidence, it assesses the dynamics behind Greater Chinese investments into Jordan; it also explores the ways in which Greater Chinese garment producers operating in Jordan organize their supply chains and are linked into the global garments GPNs. Finally, it considers the relationship between such capital flows and the influx of Asian migrant workers into the Jordanian export garment sector.
Spastic diplegia in children with HIV encephalopathy: first description of gait and physical status
Authors: Langerak Nelleke G , du Toit Jacques , Burger Marlette , Cotton Mark F , Springer Priscilla E , Laughton Barbara 
Published: November 2013

AimThe aim of this study was to explore the physical status and gait patterns of children with spastic diplegia secondary to human immunodeficiency virus encephalopathy (HIVE).MethodA cross‐sectional study was conducted on children diagnosed with HIVE and spastic diplegia. Sociodemographic and clinical background information was obtained, followed by three‐dimensional gait analysis (3DGA) and a physical examination including assessments of muscle tone, strength, motor control, contractures, and bony deformities of the lower extremities.ResultsFourteen children (eight males, six females; mean age 5y 8mo [SD 9mo], range 4y 4mo–6y 10mo) were studied. The cohort was divided into two groups based on distinctive gait patterns. Nine participants in group I showed only limited abnormalities. Group II displayed a more pathological gait pattern including stiff knee and equinus ankle abnormalities. Results of 3DGA, as with the physical examination outcomes, showed increased impairments from proximal to distal (except for hip extension).InterpretationThis study provides a first description of distinctive gait patterns and related physical characteristics of children with HIVE and spastic diplegia. Further research is necessary.
‘Beautiful Serbia’ ‐ objective and subjective outcomes of active labour market policy in a transition economy
Authors: Bonin Holger , Rinne Ulf 
Published: November 2013

AbstractThis paper studies the causal impact of participation in the Beautiful Serbia programme providing training and temporary work in the construction sector in Serbia on labour market outcomes as well as on measures of subjective well‐being approximating individual welfare. According to our estimates, the positive impact of this particular programme appears much stronger when judged by subjective well‐being than when judged by the immediate labour market effect.
Elevated glucose level adversely affects infarct volume growth and neurological deterioration in non‐diabetic stroke patients, but not diabetic stroke patients
Authors: Shimoyama T. , Kimura K. , Uemura J. , Saji N. , Shibazaki K. 
Published: November 2013

Background and purposeHyperglycemia is recognized as a common occurrence associated with a high risk of poor outcome in ischaemic stroke patients. However, little is known about the association between elevated glucose level, growth of infarct volume and neurological deterioration in ischaemic stroke patients without diabetes. The present study aimed to clarify this issue in acute ischaemic stroke patients with arterial occlusion.MethodsWe studied 375 acute ischaemic stroke patients with arterial occlusion within 24 h of onset. Diabetes was diagnosed in patients with a known history of diabetes or HbA1c value ≥ 6.5%. Infarct volume was measured on admission and at follow‐up within 48 h using diffusion‐weighted imaging. Neurological deterioration was defined as an increase of ≥ 4 points in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score within 7 days of stroke onset. We examined the relationship between glucose level on admission, infarct volume growth and neurological deterioration in three categories (all patients, non‐diabetes and diabetes) using multivariate modeling.ResultsDiabetes was present in 104 patients (27.7%). Multivariate regression analysis showed that elevated glucose level was independently associated with infarct volume growth in all patients (P = 0.034) and non‐diabetes (P = 0.002), but not in diabetes (P = 0.871). Moreover, elevated glucose level was independently associated with neurological deterioration in all patients [odds ratio (OR), 1.010; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.004–1.017; P = 0.002] and non‐diabetes (OR, 1.014; 95% CI, 1.002–1.026; P = 0.022), but not diabetes (OR, 1.006; 95% CI, 0.998–1.014; P = 0.151).ConclusionsGlucose level appears to influence infarct volume growth and neurological deterioration, particularly in non‐diabetic patients with ischaemic stroke.
NKG2C, HLA‐E and their association with psoriasis
Authors: Patel Forum , Marusina Alina I. , Duong Christopher , Adamopoulos Iannis E. , Maverakis Emanual 
Published: November 2013

AbstractNatural killer (NK) cell activation is regulated by the integration of signals from inhibitory and activating cell surface receptors. Both NKG2A and NKG2C pair with CD94 to form inhibitory and activating receptors specific for the HLA‐E‐canonical peptide complex. HLA‐E is a non‐classical MHC class Ib molecule with limited polymorphism. It preferentially binds to and presents leader sequence peptides derived from classical MHC class I molecules. Wilson et al. have identified an association between NKG2C deficiency and psoriasis. They have also discovered an HLA‐C‐dependent association between HLA‐E and psoriasis. Their research highlights the importance of NK cells in the pathophysiology of psoriasis. Herein, we propose two different models to explain the association between NKG2C, HLA‐E and psoriasis. In the first model, we hypothesize that NKG2C deficiency and/or HLA‐E O1:01 can inhibit the ability of NK cells to regulate autoreactive T cells, predisposing to psoriasis. The second model proposes that HLA‐E 01:03 can disrupt the presentation of the psoriasis‐inducing self‐determinant by HLA‐C, thereby protecting against psoriasis.
Surface structural dynamics of enzymatic cellulose degradation, revealed by combined kinetic and atomic force microscopy studies
Authors: Eibinger Manuel , Bubner Patricia , Ganner Thomas , Plank Harald , Nidetzky Bernd 
Published: November 2013

Highly heterogeneous and usually weakly defined substrate morphologies complicate the study of enzymatic cellulose hydrolysis. The cellulose surface has a non‐uniform shape in particular, with consequent impacts on cellulase adsorption and activity. We have therefore prepared a cellulosic model substrate which is shown by atomic force microscopy (AFM) to display a completely smooth surface, the residual squared mean roughness being 10 nm or lower, and applied it for kinetic analysis of cellulase action. The substrate consists of an amorphous cellulose matrix into which variably sized crystalline fibers are distributed in apparently irregular fashion. Its conversion into soluble sugars by Trichoderma sp. cellulase at 50 °C proceeded without apparent limitation up to 70% completion and was paralleled by a steady increase in cellulase adsorption to the cellulose. Individual cellulase components (CBH I, CBH II, EG) also showed strongly enhanced adsorption with progressing cellulose conversion, irrespective of their preference for degrading the amorphous or crystalline substrate parts as revealed by AFM. The specific activity of the adsorbed cellulases, however, decreased concomitantly. Cellulose surface morphologies evolving as a consequence of cellulase action were visualized by AFM. Three‐dimensional surface degradation by the cellulases resulted in a large increase in cellulose surface area for enzyme adsorption. However, the decline in enzyme specific activity during conversion was caused by factors other than surface ablation and disruption. Based on kinetic evidence for enzymatic hydrolyses of the smooth‐surface model substrate and microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel), we hypothesize that, due to gradual loss of productive dynamics in their interactions with the cellulose surface, individual cellulases get progressively confined to substrate parts where they are no longer optimally active. This eventually leads to an overall slow‐down of hydrolysis.
The Geographies of Heterotopia
Authors: Johnson Peter 
Published: November 2013

AbstractThis article explores the ongoing fascination with Foucault's brief and rather sketchy idea of heterotopia. Drawing out some key lessons from the most sustained interpretations of this curious spatio‐temporal concept, it addresses weaknesses and potential contradictions and goes on to highlight trends and emerging themes in studies that incorporate the notion. The article argues that although the uses of Foucault's accounts of heterotopia are bewilderingly diverse, heterotopias are most productively understood in the context of Foucault's insistence on ‘making difference’ and their adoption as a tool of analysis to illuminate the multifaceted features of cultural and social spaces and to invent new ones.
Channels in the Making – An Appraisal of Channel Evolution Models
Authors: Van Dyke Chris 
Published: November 2013

AbstractOver the past 30 years, fluvial geomorphologists have sought to understand the historical trajectory of channel adjustments after disturbance by developing channel evolution models (CEMs). These models use a combination of quantitative data and qualitative indicators to describe the spatial progression of channel evolution. This article surveys the historical development of CEMs, how they function, and what types of CEMs are best suited for different geomorphic settings. It describes the logic underlying classic CEMs, and their subsequent application to predict channel response following dam removal. After this, it recounts the emergence of multi‐pathway CEMs, which have been used to capture the evolutionary trajectories in complex fluvial systems (e.g., anastomosing rivers). Lastly, it argues that a state‐and‐transition framework offers an appropriate modeling template to document channel evolution in a wide variety of fluvial systems, including those originally modeled using classic CEMs. A state‐and‐transition approach sees rivers as composed of interrelated process and form (morphological) states. They identify under what conditions a river channel would undergo a transition from one formal state to another (e.g., from a single‐threaded to braided planform). They can also be used to understand the form‐process dynamics underlying subtle morphological transitions that produce changes in a river's biogeomorphological structure without triggering wholesale river metamorphosis.
The effects of di(2‐ethylhexyl)phthalate on rat liver in relation to selenium status
Authors: Erkekoglu Pınar , Zeybek Naciye D. , Giray Belma K. , Rachidi Walid , Kızılgün Murat , Hininger‐Favier Isabelle , Favier Alain , Asan Esin , Hincal Filiz 
Published: November 2013

SummaryThis study was performed to determine the hepatotoxicity of di(2‐ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP) in relation to selenium status. In 3‐week‐old Sprague‐Dawley rats, selenium deficiency was induced by a ≤0.05 selenium mg/kg. A selenium supplementation group was given 1 mg selenium/kg diet for 5 weeks. Di(2‐ethylhexyl)phthalate‐treated groups received 1000 mg/kg dose by gavage during the last 10 days of the experiment. Histopathology, peroxisome proliferation, catalase (CAT) immunoreactivity and activity and apoptosis were assessed. Activities of antioxidant selenoenzymes [glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPx1), glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPx4), thioredoxin reductase (TrxR1)], superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione S‐transferase (GST); aminotransferase, total glutathione (tGSH), and lipid peroxidation (LP) levels were measured. Di(2‐ethylhexyl)phthalate caused cellular disorganization while necrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration were observed in Se‐deficient DEHP group (DEHP/SeD). Catalase activity and immunoreactivity were increased in all DEHP‐treated groups. Glutathione peroxidase 1 and GPx4 activities decreased significantly in DEHP and DEHP/SeD groups, while GST activities decreased in all DEHP‐exposed groups. Thioredoxin reductase activity increased in DEHP and DEHP/SeS, while total SOD activities increased in all DEHP‐treated groups. Lipid peroxidation levels increased significantly in SeD (26%), DEHP (38%) and DEHP/SeD (71%) groups. Selenium supplementation partially ameliorated DEHP‐induced hepatotoxicity; while in DEHP/SeD group, drastic changes in hepatic histopathology and oxidative stress parameters were observed.
Hierarchical m‐ZrO2 Nanorods Template‐Free Synthesis by Hydrothermal Method
Authors: Khan Shahzad Ahmad , Fu Zhengyi , Wang Weimin , Wang Hao , Asif Muhammad 
Published: November 2013

Hierarchical m‐ZrO2 nanorods synthesized by the simple hydrothermal method, and the possible formation mechanism was proposed based on a series of chemical reactions. The as‐synthesized products are composed of many 1D ZrO2·nH2O nanorods with 150–250 nm in diameter and 6–8 μm in length. The final product after annealing at the 700°C was involved into hierarchical monoclinic m‐ZrO2 nanorods, and the big nanorod was made up of many small nanorods with 10–20 nm in diameter and 400–500 nm in length. This discovery could helpful in understanding, the chemical properties of ZrB2 and ZrO2, the design of its derivatives for m‐ZrO2 nanomaterials.
The European Commission's Proposal for a Financial Transactions Tax: A Critical Assessment
Authors: Grahl John , Lysandrou Photis 
Published: November 2013

AbstractA financial activities tax (FAT) and a financial transactions tax (FTT) are the main alternative ways of recouping some of the public money used to bail out the financial sector after the great crisis of 2007–08. In preparing a common proposal for the European Union, the European Commission initially appeared to favour the FAT, but then swung its weight behind the FTT in late 2011. Its rationale was that in addition to generating revenue, this tax could also help to stabilize the financial markets by curbing excessive speculative trading. This article takes a different position. Its central argument is that the FTT would amplify rather than dampen market instability by interfering with the functions of important financial institutions. Its chief conclusion is that the FAT is superior to the FTT.