bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Intrahepatic natural killer cell activation, but not function, is associated with HBsAg levels in patients with HBeAg‐negative chronic hepatitis B
Authors: Tjwa Eric T. T. L. , Zoutendijk Roeland , van Oord Gertine W. , Biesta Paula J. , Verheij Joanne , Janssen Harry L. A. , Woltman Andrea M. , Boonstra Andre 
Published: July 2013

AbstractBackground & AimsNatural killer (NK) cells play an important role in the immune response to viruses. As the hepatitis B virus (HBV) replicates in hepatocytes, examination of the liver of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients is crucial to better understand the role of NK cells in HBV. HBeAg‐negative CHB differs in many aspects from HBeAg‐positive CHB, and until now little is known about the intrahepatic NK cell response in HBeAg‐negative patients. Intrahepatic immune control might be different in HBeAg‐negative as compared with HBeAg‐positive patients.MethodsLiver NK cells were investigated in 21 HBeAg‐positive and 35 HBeAg‐negative CHB patients. Biopsy specimens were processed for routine histopathology and staging according to Ishak scores. Intrahepatic and blood NK cell frequencies, activation status and function of NK cells were analysed by flow cytometry.ResultsIn HBeAg‐negative CHB patients, compared to blood, liver NK cells displayed a more activated phenotype and stimulation further increased the activation status, but production of IFN‐γ was markedly less. There was no difference with HBeAg‐positive CHB. Only in HBeAg‐negative CHB, but not in HBeAg‐positive CHB, NK cell activation was inversely correlated with HBsAg levels.ConclusionsThe present study indicates that liver NK cells of CHB have a higher activation status compared to blood. However, they are not capable to increase cytokine production above levels reached by activated blood NK cells. In HBeAg‐negative CHB, the levels of HBsAg may contribute to the incapacity of activated liver NK cells to increase cytokine production.
Can Explanatory Reasons Be Good Reasons for Action?
Authors: Beaulieu Gerald 
Published: July 2013

AbstractWhat kind of thing is a reason for action? Are reasons for action subjective states of the agent, such as desires and/or beliefs? Or are they, rather, objective features of situations that favor certain actions? The suggestion offered in this article is that neither strategy satisfies. What is needed is a third category for classifying reasons which makes them out to be neither purely subjective nor purely objective. In brief: a reason for action is a feature of the situation that matters to the agent. On this proposal, subjective states of the agent are indeed indispensable in characterizing reasons for action. Precisely which set of situational features matter to an agent—precisely what shape the agent experiences the situation as having—depends on the agent's psychological makeup. Those features themselves are not psychological states, however, and it is precisely those features that constitute the agent's reasons for action.
Error Theory and the Concept of Morality
Authors: Bloomfield Paul 
Published: July 2013

AbstractError theories about morality often take as their starting point the supposed queerness of morality, and those resisting these arguments often try to argue by analogy that morality is no more queer than other unproblematic subject matters. Here, error theory (as exemplified primarily by the work ofRichardJoyce) is resisted first by arguing that it assumes a common, modern, and peculiarly social conception of morality. Then error theorists point out that the social nature of morality requires one to act against one's self‐interest while insisting on the categorical, inescapable, or overriding status of moral considerations: they argue that morality requires magic, then (rightly) claim that there is no such thing as magic. An alternate eudaimonist conception of morality is introduced which itself has an older provenance than the social point of view, dating to the ancientGreeks. Eudaimonism answers to the normative requirements of morality, yet does not require magic. Thus, the initial motivation for error theory is removed.
In Defense of a Broad Conception of Experimental Philosophy
Authors: Rose David , Danks David 
Published: July 2013

AbstractExperimental philosophy is often presented as a new movement that avoids many of the difficulties that face traditional philosophy. This article distinguishes two views of experimental philosophy: a narrow view in which philosophers conduct empirical investigations of intuitions, and a broad view which says that experimental philosophy is just the colocation in the same body of (i) philosophical naturalism and (ii) the actual practice of cognitive science. These two positions are rarely clearly distinguished in the literature about experimental philosophy, both pro and con. The article argues, first, that the broader view is the only plausible one; discussions of experimental philosophy should recognize that the narrow view is a caricature of experimental philosophy as it is currently done. It then shows both how objections to experimental philosophy are transformed and how positive recommendations can be provided by adopting a broad conception of experimental philosophy.
Situating Moral Justification: Rethinking the Mission of Moral Epistemology
Authors: Jaggar Alison M. , Tobin Theresa W. 
Published: July 2013

AbstractThis is the first of two companion articles drawn from a larger project, provisionally entitled Undisciplining Moral Epistemology. The overall goal is to understand how moral claims may be rationally justified in a world characterized by cultural diversity and social inequality. To show why a new approach to moral justification is needed, it is argued that several currently influential philosophical accounts of moral justification lend themselves to rationalizing the moral claims of those with more social power. The present article explains how discourse ethics is flawed just in this way. The article begins by identifying several conditions of adequacy for assessing reasoning practices designed to achieve moral justification and shows that, when used in contexts of cultural diversity and social inequality, discourse ethics fails these conditions. It goes on to argue that the failure of discourse ethics is rooted in its reliance on a broader conception of moral epistemology that is invidiously idealized. It concludes by pointing to the need to rethink both the mission and the method of moral epistemology.
The magnetosome proteins MamX, MamZ and MamH are involved in redox control of magnetite biomineralization in Magnetospirillum gryphiswaldense
Authors: Raschdorf Oliver , Müller Frank D. , Pósfai Mihály , Plitzko Jürgen M. , Schüler Dirk 
Published: July 2013

SummaryMagnetospirillum gryphiswaldense uses intracellular chains of membrane‐enveloped magnetite crystals, the magnetosomes, to navigate within magnetic fields. The biomineralization of magnetite nanocrystals requires several magnetosome‐associated proteins, whose precise functions so far have remained mostly unknown. Here, we analysed the functions of MamX and the Major Facilitator Superfamily (MFS) proteins MamZ and MamH. Deletion of either the entire mamX gene or elimination of its putative haem c‐binding magnetochrome domains, and deletion of either mamZ or its C‐terminal ferric reductase‐like component resulted in an identical phenotype. All mutants displayed WT‐like magnetite crystals, flanked within the magnetosome chains by poorly crystalline flake‐like particles partly consisting of haematite. Double deletions of both mamZ and its homologue mamH further impaired magnetite crystallization in an additive manner, indicating that the two MFS proteins have partially redundant functions. Deprivation of ΔmamX and ΔmamZ cells from nitrate, or additional loss of the respiratory nitrate reductase Nap from ΔmamX severely exacerbated the magnetosome defects and entirely inhibited the formation of regular crystals, suggesting that MamXZ and Nap have similar, but independent roles in redox control of biomineralization. We propose a model in which MamX, MamZ and MamH functionally interact to balance the redox state of iron within the magnetosome compartment.
The Mondrian matrix: Culicoides biting midge abundance and seasonal incidence during the 2006–2008 epidemic of bluetongue in the Netherlands
Authors: MEISWINKEL R. , SCOLAMACCHIA F. , DIK M. , MUDDE J. , DIJKSTRA E. , VAN DER VEN I. J. K. , ELBERS A. R. W. 
Published: July 2013

AbstractDuring the northern Europe epidemic of bluetongue (BT), Onderstepoort‐type blacklight traps were used to capture Culicoides Latreille (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) biting midges weekly between November 2006 and December 2008 on 21 livestock farms in the Netherlands. Proven and potential vectors for the bluetongue virus (BTV) comprised almost 80% of the midges collected: the Obsoletus complex, constituting C. obsoletus (Meigen) and C. scoticus Downes & Kettle (44.2%), C. dewulfi Goetghebuer (16.4%), C. chiopterus (Meigen) (16.3%) and C. pulicaris (Linnaeus) (0.1%). Half of the 24 commonest species of Culicoides captured completed only one (univoltine) or two (bivoltine) generations annually, whereas multivoltine species (including all BTV vectors) cycled through five to six generations (exceeding the one to four generations calculated in earlier decades). Whether this increment signals a change in the phenology of northern Europe Culicoides or simply is an adaptive response that manifests during warmer episodes, thus heightening periodically the incursive potential of midge‐borne arboviruses, remains to be clarified. Culicoides duddingstoni Kettle & Lawson, C. grisescens Edwards, C. maritimus Kieffer, C. pallidicornis Kieffer and C. riethi Kieffer are new records for the biting midge fauna of the Netherlands. It is suggested that C. punctatus (Meigen) be added to the European list of vector Culicoides.
Morphology and identification of first instars of European and Mediterranean blowflies of forensic importance. PartIII: Calliphorinae
Authors: SZPILA K. , PAPE T. , HALL M. J. R. , MĄDRA A. 
Published: July 2013

AbstractFirst instars ofCalliphora vomitoria(Linnaeus) andCynomya mortuorum(Linnaeus) (both: Diptera: Calliphoridae) are thoroughly documented with scanning electron microscopy images, light microscopy photographs and line drawings. Substantial new data are provided for the following morphological structures: pseudocephalon; antennal complex; maxillary palpus; facial mask; cephaloskeleton; thoracic and abdominal spinulation; spiracular field, and posterior spiracles. Earlier descriptions are summarized and major discrepancies with the current study are discussed. An identification key to first‐instar larvae of the five European species of Calliphorinae of forensic importance is presented. However, it remains impossible to distinguish the first instars ofCa. vicinaandCy. mortuorumbased on external morphology with the current level of knowledge.
Continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS) in kidney‐transplanted children
Authors: Pasti Krisztina , Szabo Attila J. , Prokai Agnes , Meszaros Krisztina , Peko Nora , Solyom Reka , Sallay Peter , Reusz György , Rusai Krisztina 
Published: July 2013

AbstractNODAT and IGT are well‐known complications of immunosuppressive therapy after transplantation being a risk factor for cardiovascular disease affecting patient and graft survival. Therefore, early identification and treatment are of high importance. In this study, we examined the glycemic homeostasis of 20 renal‐transplanted children using routine laboratory tests and the continuous glucose monitoring system (CGMS). Six patients (30%) had IGT, and one patient had NODAT (5%). The HOMA index was in an abnormal range in 35% of all patients and was abnormal in 67% of the IGT patients. CGMS analysis showed that IGT patients had higher “lowest glucose” level, and the incidence of hypoglycemic episodes was significantly lower compared with patients with normal OGTT result. In IGT patients, glucose variability tended to be lower. Furthermore, in the whole patient cohort, glucose variability significantly decreased with time after transplantation. Summarizing, these novel data show that “lowest glucose” level and hypoglycemic episodes are significantly influenced and altered in renal‐transplanted patients with IGT. Furthermore, there is a decrease in glucose variability with time after transplantation. The mechanism and relevance of these data need further investigations.
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy with gastrointestinal disease in a pediatric kidney transplant recipient
Authors: Burke M. T. , Trnka P. , Walsh M. , Poole L. , McTaggart S. J. , Burke J. R. 
Published: July 2013

AbstractPML is a demyelinating disease of the central nervous system caused by infection with JCV. Several cases of PML in bone marrow and solid organ transplant recipients have been reported in recent years. JCV has been isolated from the gastrointestinal mucosa of immunocompromised patients, but there are no published reports of PML associated with symptomatic gastrointestinal involvement in kidney transplant recipients. We report a case of a nine‐yr‐old girl with a kidney transplant who developed a severe gastrointestinal illness causing pseudo‐obstruction in association with PML. JCV was suspected as the causative agent in this patient by the detection of high JCV titer through PCR analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid and blood and positive staining for simian virus 40 in the colon. JCV intestinal infection should be considered in kidney transplant recipients presenting with intestinal pseudo‐obstruction.
Christianity and Violence
Authors: Krueger David 
Published: July 2013

AbstractThis article explores the tensions between Jesus's command to “turn the other cheek” and the historical reality that many Christians have participated in acts of violence and have sometimes justified their actions as the will of God. Many considerations of the relationship between Christianity and violence have focused on historical instances such as the Crusades of Middle Ages and the violent persecution of heretics during the Inquisition. However, it is evident that Christian‐inspired holy wars and persecutions continue in various forms up to the present. This article offers a brief historical survey of the debates over just war theory and pacifism, but it primarily illuminates the cultural sources of violence in the Christian tradition that lead to actual violence in society. Finally, consideration is given to Christian thinkers who articulate a nonviolent theology of Christianity.
Envelopes and Partial Least Squares Regression
Authors: Cook R. D. , Helland I. S. , Su Z. 
Published: July 2013

SummaryWe build connections between envelopes, a recently proposed context for efficient estimation in multivariate statistics, and multivariate partial least squares (PLS) regression. In particular, we establish an envelope as the nucleus of both univariate and multivariate PLS, which opens the door to pursuing the same goals as PLS but using different envelope estimators. It is argued that a likelihood-based envelope estimator is less sensitive to the number of PLS components that are selected and that it outperforms PLS in prediction and estimation.
Non-Parametric Identification and Estimation of the Number of Components in Multivariate Mixtures
Authors: Kasahara Hiroyuki , Shimotsu Katsumi 
Published: July 2013

SummaryWe analyse the identifiability of the number of components in k-variate, M-component finite mixture models in which each component distribution has independent marginals, including models in latent class analysis. Without making parametric assumptions on the component distributions, we investigate how one can identify the number of components from the distribution function of the observed data. When k⩾2, a lower bound on the number of components (M) is non-parametrically identifiable from the rank of a matrix constructed from the distribution function of the observed variables. Building on this identification condition, we develop a procedure to estimate a lower bound on the number of components consistently.
INDUSTRIAL AGGLOMERATION: ASYMMETRY OF REGIONS AND TRADE COSTS
Authors: Wang Jian , Zheng Xiao‐Ping 
Published: July 2013

AbstractThis paper investigates the impact of international trade liberalization and regional integration on the distribution of economic activities within countries such as China. We extend Krugman's original New Economic Geography model to account for a two‐country, three‐region case where the home country is fully asymmetrical in terms of its size and access to global markets. Our simulation results show that the spatial economy of the home country changes in a more complex way than is shown in Krugman's results. When international trade liberalization continues but domestic regions remain poorly integrated, the gate region experiences a change from partial to full agglomeration. When the home country is closed to international trade, the decrease in domestic transport costs makes the hinterland more attractive for manufacturing. However, when it is open to global markets, more manufacturing is undertaken in the gate region.
Modelling Intercontinental Tourism Consumption in South Africa: A Systems‐of‐Equations Approach
Authors: Saayman Andrea , Cortés‐Jiménez Isabel 
Published: July 2013

AbstractThis paper investigates the pattern of inbound tourists' consumption in South Africa, examining four main intercontinental markets and five different tourism goods. The empirical investigation develops an almost ideal demand system (AIDS) model and it extends recent research by allowing tourists to base their spending decision on the real effective price differences between South Africa and their home country. The results show that tourist spending in South Africa is a luxury good, and tourists react normally to a change in the relative price of goods. The cross‐price elasticities suggest that the preferences of different markets influence their view of substitutability and complementary effects between various products in South Africa.
X-Linked Immunodeficient Mice Exhibit Enhanced Susceptibility to Cryptococcus neoformans Infection
Authors: Szymczak Wendy A. , Davis Michael J. , Lundy Steven K. , Dufaud Chad , Olszewski Michal , Pirofski Liise-anne 
Published: July 2013

ABSTRACTBruton’s tyrosine kinase (Btk) is a signaling molecule that plays important roles in B-1 B cell development and innate myeloid cell functions and has recently been identified as a target for therapy of B cell lymphomas. We examined the contribution of B-1 B cells to resistance toCryptococcus neoformansinfection by utilizing X-linked immunodeficient (XID) mice (CBA-CaHN-XID), which possess a mutation in Btk. XID mice had significantly higher brain fungal burdens than the controls 6 weeks after infection withC. neoformansstrain 52D (CN52D); however, consistent with the propensity for greater virulence ofC. neoformansstrain H99 (CNH99), CNH99-infected XID mice had higher lung and brain fungal burdens than the controls 3 weeks after infection. Further studies in a chronic CN52D model revealed markedly lower levels of total andC. neoformans-specific serum IgM in XID mice than in the control mice 1 and 6 weeks after infection. Alveolar macrophage phagocytosis was markedly impaired in CN52D-infected XID mice compared to the controls, with XID mice exhibiting a disorganized lung inflammatory pattern in which Gomori silver staining revealed significantly more enlarged, extracellularC. neoformanscells than the controls. Adoptive transfer of B-1 B cells to XID mice restored peritoneal B-1 B cells but did not restore IgM levels to those of the controls and had no effect on the brain fungal burden at 6 weeks. Taken together, our data support the hypothesis that IgM promotes fungal containment in the lungs by enhancingC. neoformansphagocytosis and restrictingC. neoformansenlargement. However, peritoneal B-1 B cells are insufficient to reconstitute a protective effect in the lungs.IMPORTANCECryptococcus neoformansis a fungal pathogen that causes an estimated 600,000 deaths per year. Most infections occur in individuals who are immunocompromised, with the majority of cases occurring in those with HIV/AIDS, but healthy individuals also develop disease. Immunoglobulin M (IgM) has been linked to resistance to disease in humans and mice. In this article, we found that X-linked immunodeficient (XID) mice, which have markedly reduced levels of IgM, were unable to containCryptococcusin the lungs. This was associated with reduced yeast uptake by macrophages, an aberrant tissue inflammatory response, an enlargement of the yeast cells in the lungs, and fungal dissemination to the brain. Since XID mice have a mutation in the Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (Btk) gene, our data suggest that treatments aimed at blocking the function of Btk could pose a higher risk for cryptococcosis.
Pathogenicity of the Novel A/H7N9 Influenza Virus in Mice
Authors: Mok Chris Ka Pun , Lee Horace Hok Yeung , Chan Michael Chi Wai , Sia Sin Fun , Lestra Maxime , Nicholls John Malcolm , Zhu Huachen , Guan Yi , Peiris Joseph Malik Sriyal 
Published: July 2013

ABSTRACT

A novel avian-origin influenza A/H7N9 virus infecting humans was first identified in March 2013 and, as of 30 May 2013, has caused 132 human infections leading to 33 deaths. Phylogenetic studies suggest that this virus is a reassortant, with the surface hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA) genes being derived from duck and wild-bird viruses, respectively, while the six “internal gene segments” were derived from poultry H9N2 viruses. Here we determine the pathogenicity of a human A/Shanghai/2/2013 (Sh2/H7N9) virus in healthy adult mice in comparison with that of A/chicken/Hong Kong/HH8/2010 (ck/H9N2) virus, highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) A/Hong Kong/483/1997 (483/H5N1) virus, and a duck influenza A H7N9 virus of different genetic derivation, A/duck/Jiangxi/3286/2009 (dk/H7N9). Intranasal infection of mice with Sh2/H7N9 virus doses of 10
3
, 10
4
, and 10
5
PFU led to significant weight loss without fatality. This virus was more pathogenic than dk/H7N9 and ck/H9N2 virus, which has six internal gene segments that are genetically similar to Sh2/H7N9. Sh2/H7N9 replicated well in the nasal cavity and lung, but there was no evidence of virus dissemination beyond the respiratory tract. Mice infected with Sh2/H7N9 produced higher levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the lung and serum than did ck/H9N2 and dk/H7N9 but lower levels than 483/H5N1. Cytokine induction was positively correlated with virus load in the lung at early stages of infection. Our results suggest that Sh2/H7N9 virus is able to replicate and cause disease in mice without prior adaptation but is less pathogenic than 483/H5N1 virus.

IMPORTANCE
An H7N9 virus isolate causing fatal human disease was found to be more pathogenic for mice than other avian H9N2 or H7N9 viruses but less pathogenic than the highly pathogenic avian influenza virus (HPAI) H5N1. Similarly, the ability of Sh2/H7N9 to elicit proinflammatory cytokines in the lung and serum of mice was intermediate to ck/H9N2 and dk/H7N9 on the one hand and HPAI H5N1 on the other. These findings accord with the observed epidemiology in humans, in whom, as with seasonal influenza viruses, H7N9 viruses cause severe disease predominantly in older persons while HPAI H5N1 can cause severe respiratory disease and death in children and young adults.