Greece in crisis: austerity, populism and the politics of blame

Within the broader debate on the Greek crisis, the theory of ‘populist democracy’ postulates that populism is fundamental to the sustenance of the Greek political system and is at the heart of Greece's endemic domestic weaknesses. This article tests this assumption empirically through the use of a sophisticated framing analysis of speeches delivered by the leaders of the five parties in the Greek parliament in the period 2009–11. The findings confirm that populism: (a) is expressed through the narratives of political actors; (b) is observed across the party system; (c) is expressed in the forms of blame-shifting and exclusivity; and (d) differs depending on position in the party system. The article contributes to the debate by testing and building on the theory of democratic populism, providing a novel way of measuring and operationalizing populism and identifying a new typology that distinguishes between mainstream and fringe populism.

Hydrophilic interaction chromatography–mass spectrometry for anionic metabolic profiling of urine from antibiotic-treated rats

Hydrophilic interaction chromatography–mass spectrometry (HILIC–MS) was used for anionic metabolic profiling of urine from antibiotic-treated rats to study microbial–host co-metabolism. Rats were treated with the antibiotics penicillin G and streptomycin sulfate for four or eight days and compared to a control group. Urine samples were collected at day zero, four and eight, and analyzed by HILIC–MS. Multivariate data analysis was applied to the urinary metabolic profiles to identify biochemical variation between the treatment groups. Principal component analysis found a clear distinction between those animals receiving antibiotics and the control animals, with twenty-nine discriminatory compounds of which twenty were down-regulated and nine up-regulated upon treatment. In the treatment group receiving antibiotics for four days, a recovery effect was observed for seven compounds after cessation of antibiotic administration. Thirteen discriminatory compounds could be putatively identified based on their accurate mass, including aconitic acid, benzenediol sulfate, ferulic acid sulfate, hippuric acid, indoxyl sulfate, penicillin G, phenol and vanillin 4-sulfate. The rat urine samples had previously been analyzed by capillary electrophoresis (CE) with MS detection and proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) spectroscopy. Using CE–MS and 1H NMR spectroscopy seventeen and twenty-five discriminatory compounds were found, respectively. Both hippuric acid and indoxyl sulfate were detected across all three platforms. Additionally, eight compounds were observed with both HILIC–MS and CE–MS. Overall, HILIC–MS appears to be highly complementary to CE–MS and 1H NMR spectroscopy, identifying additional compounds that discriminate the urine samples from antibiotic-treated and control rats.

A Lab-in-a-briefcase for rapid prostate specific antigen (PSA) screening from whole blood

We present a new concept for rapid and fully portable Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) measurement, termed “Lab-in-a-Briefcase”, which integrates an affordable microfluidic ELISA platform utilising a melt-extruded fluoropolymer Micro Capillary Film (MCF) containing 10 bore, 200 μm internal diameter capillaries, a disposable multi-syringe aspirator (MSA) plus a sample tray pre-loaded with all required immunoassay reagents, and a portable film scanner for colorimetric signal digital quantitation. Each MSA can perform 10 replicate microfluidic immunoassays on 8 samples, allowing 80measurements to be made in less than 15 minutes based on semi-automated operation and norequirement of additional fluid handling equipment. An assay was optimised for measurement of a clinically relevant range of PSA from 0.9 to 60.0 ng/ml in 15 minutes with CVs in the order of 5% based on intra-assay variability when read using a consumer flatbed film scanner. The PSA assay performance in the MSA remained robust in the presence of undiluted or 1:2 diluted human serum or whole blood, and the matrix effect could simply be overcome by extending sample incubation times. The PSA "Lab-in-a-briefcase" is particularly suited to a low-resource health setting where diagnostic labs and automated immunoassay systems are not accessible, by allowing PSA measurement outside the laboratory using affordable equipment.

Experimental confirmation of transformation pathways between inverse double diamond and gyroid cubic phases

A macroscopically oriented double diamond inverse bicontinuous cubic phase (QIID) of the lipid glycerol monooleate is reversibly converted into a gyroid phase (QIIG). The initial QIID phase is prepared in the form of a film coating the inside of a capillary, deposited under flow, which produces a sample uniaxially oriented with a ⟨110⟩ axis parallel to the symmetry axis of the sample. A transformation is induced by replacing the water within the capillary tube with a solution of poly(ethylene glycol), which draws water out of the QIID sample by osmotic stress. This converts the QIID phase into a QIIG phase with two coexisting orientations, with the ⟨100⟩ and ⟨111⟩ axes parallel to the symmetry axis, as demonstrated by small-angle X-ray scattering. The process can then be reversed, to recover the initial orientation of QIID phase. The epitaxial relation between the two oriented mesophases is consistent with topologypreserving geometric pathways that have previously been hypothesized for the transformation. Furthermore, this has implications for the production of macroscopically oriented QIIG phases, in particular with applications as nanomaterial templates.

Mid- to late Holocene Indian Ocean monsoon variability recorded in four speleothems from Socotra Island, Yemen

Four stalagmites covering the last 7.0 ka were sampled on Socotra, an island in the northern Indian Ocean to investigate the evolution of the northeast Indian Ocean Monsoon (IOM) since the mid Holocene. On Socotra, rain is delivered at the start of the southwest IOM in May–June and at the start of the northeast IOM from September to December. The Haggeher Mountains act as a barrier forcing precipitation brought by the northeast winds to fall preferentially on the eastern side of the island, where the studied caves are located. δ18O and δ13C and Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca signals in the stalagmites reflect precipitation amounts brought by the northeast winds. For stalagmite STM6, this amount effect is amplified by kinetic effects during calcite deposition. Combined interpretation of the stalagmites' signals suggest a weakening of the northeast precipitation between 6.0 and 3.8 ka. After 3.8 ka precipitation intensities remain constant with two superimposed drier periods, between 0 and 0.6 ka and from 2.2 to 3.8 ka. No link can be established with Greenland ice cores and with the summer IOM variability. In contrast to the stable northeast rainy season suggested by the records in this study, speleothem records from western Socotra indicate a wettening of the southwest rainy season on Socotra after 4.4 ka. The local wettening of western Socotra could relate to a more southerly path (more over the Indian Ocean) taken by the southwest winds. Stalagmite STM5, sampled at the fringe between both rain areas displays intermediate δ18O values. After 6.2 ka, similar precipitation changes are seen between eastern Socotra and northern Oman indicating that both regions are affected similarly by the monsoon. Different palaeoclimatologic records from the Arabian Peninsula currently located outside the ITCZ migration pathway display an abrupt drying around 6 ka due to their disconnection from the southwest rain influence. Records that are nowadays still receiving rain by the southwest winds, suggest a more gradual drying reflecting the weakening of the southwest monsoon.

Urban Growth Boundaries and their impact on land prices

Undeveloped land transactions at the urban fringe of the Melbourne metropolitan area in Australia are recorded in a dataset that enables exploration of the impact of its urban growth boundary (UGB) on residential land prices. Estimation can take account of a wide range of factors, while controlling for policy anticipation effects and other potential influences on land prices. Modelling estimates indicate that land prices rose substantially inside the UGB after its enactment in 2003, but did not rise much outside of it. These results suggest that the urban growth boundary has had a significant upward effect on the trajectory of the urban region’s house prices. Keywords: urban growth boundary, land prices, land market dynamics

Experimental evidence for proposed transformation pathway from the inverse hexagonal to inverse diamond cubic phase from oriented lipid samples

A macroscopically oriented inverse hexagonal phase (HII) of the lipid phytantriol in water is converted to an oriented inverse double diamond bicontinuous cubic phase (QIID). The initial HII phase is uniaxially oriented about the long axis of a capillary with the cylinders parallel to the capillary axis. The HII phase is converted by cooling to a QII D phase which is also highly oriented, where the cylindrical axis of the former phase has been converted to a ⟨110⟩ axis in the latter, as demonstrated by small-angle X-ray scattering. This epitaxial relationship allows us to discriminate between two competing proposed geometric pathways to convert HII to QIID. Our findings also suggest a new route to highly oriented cubic phase coatings, with applications as nanomaterial templates.

Menopausal status: A possible predictive factor for recurrence in women with cancer of the uterine cervix without pelvic lymph node metastasis

Objectives: To evaluate risk factors for recurrence of carcinoma of the uterine cervix among women who had undergone radical hysterectomy without pelvic lymph node metastasis, while taking into consideration not only the classical histopathological factors but also sociodemographic, clinical and treatment-related factors. Study design: This was an exploratory analysis on 233 women with carcinoma of the uterine cervix (stages IB and IIA) who were treated by means of radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy, with free surgical margins and without lymph node metastases on conventional histopathological examination. Women with histologically normal lymph nodes but with micrometastases in the immunohistochemical analysis (AE1/AE3) were excluded. Disease-free survival for sociodemographic, clinical and histopathological variables was calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The Cox proportional hazards model was used to identify the independent risk factors for recurrence. Results: Twenty-seven recurrences were recorded (11.6%), of which 18 were pelvic, four were distant, four were pelvic + distant and one was of unknown location. The five-year disease-free survival rate among the study population was 88.4%. The independent risk factors for recurrence in the multivariate analysis were: postmenopausal status (HR 14.1; 95% CI: 3.7-53.6; P < 0.001), absence of or slight inflammatory reaction (HR 7.9; 95% CI: 1.7-36.5; P = 0.008) and invasion of the deepest third of the cervix (FIR 6.1; 95% CI: 1.3-29.1; P = 0.021). Postoperative radiotherapy was identified as a protective factor against recurrence (HR 0.02; 95% CI: 0.001-0.25; P = 0.003). Conclusion: Postmenopausal status is a possible independent risk factor for recurrence even when adjusted for classical prognostic factors (such as tumour size, depth of turnout invasion, capillary embolisation) and treatment-related factors (period of treatment and postoperative radiotherapy status). (C) 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fortified food made by the extrusion of a mixture of chickpea, corn and bovine lung controls iron-deficiency anaemia in preschool children

A fortified food that was rich in protein, vitamins and iron made of chickpea, bovine lung and corn was developed with the aim of controlling iron-deficiency anaemia in children from poorer areas. It was tested in Teresina, State of Piaui, Northeastern Brazil, on a population with high anaemia prevalence. Two local daycare units with similar characteristics were selected and the children at one of them received a 30 g pack three times a week, representing a total iron daily intake of 6.96 mg. The other daycare unit was followed as a control. The capillary haemoglobin concentration was determined for the children at both daycare units, at the beginning of the study and after a two-month intervention period. The mean haemoglobin concentration in the test group at the beginning of the intervention was 11.8 g/dL, which increased to 13.1 g/dL at the end of the intervention. In the control group these figures remained practically constant (11.6-11.8 g/dL). These represented a dramatic and significant drop in anaemia prevalence, from 61.5% to 11.5% in the test group, and an insignificant reduction (63.1-57.7%) in the control group. The acceptance of the fortified snack was excellent and no undesirable effects were observed. (C) 2007 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Resonant Wave Interactions in the Equatorial Waveguide

Weakly nonlinear interactions among equatorial waves have been explored in this paper using the adiabatic version of the equatorial beta-plane primitive equations in isobaric coordinates. Assuming rigid lid vertical boundary conditions, the conditions imposed at the surface and at the top of the troposphere were expanded in a Taylor series around two isobaric surfaces in an approach similar to that used in the theory of surface-gravity waves in deep water and capillary-gravity waves. By adopting the asymptotic method of multiple time scales, the equatorial Rossby, mixed Rossby-gravity, inertio-gravity, and Kelvin waves, as well as their vertical structures, were obtained as leading-order solutions. These waves were shown to interact resonantly in a triad configuration at the O(epsilon) approximation. The resonant triads whose wave components satisfy a resonance condition for their vertical structures were found to have the most significant interactions, although this condition is not excluding, unlike the resonant conditions for the zonal wavenumbers and meridional modes. Thus, the analysis has focused on such resonant triads. In general, it was found that for these resonant triads satisfying the resonance condition in the vertical direction, the wave with the highest absolute frequency always acts as an energy source (or sink) for the remaining triad components, as usually occurs in several other physical problems in fluid dynamics. In addition, the zonally symmetric geostrophic modes act as catalyst modes for the energy exchanges between two dispersive waves in a resonant triad. The integration of the reduced asymptotic equations for a single resonant triad shows that, for the initial mode amplitudes characterizing realistic magnitudes of atmospheric flow perturbations, the modes in general exchange energy on low-frequency (intraseasonal and/or even longer) time scales, with the interaction period being dependent upon the initial mode amplitudes. Potential future applications of the present theory to the real atmosphere with the inclusion of diabatic forcing, dissipation, and a more realistic background state are also discussed.

An approach to chemotaxonomy to the fatty acid content of some Malvaceae species

Malvales is an order of flowering plants with a controversial circumscription. The relationships between taxa, particularly Malvaceae, Bombacaceae, Sterculiaceae, and Tiliaceae, are not well delineated. Several studies have reported the fatty acid compositions of Malvaceae plants but not for taxonomic purposes. In the present study, the fatty acid composition of oilseeds from seven species belonging to the Malvaceae family was determined by capillary gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS), and the quantitative distribution of fatty acids was analyzed by a cluster analysis With Euclidean Distance and UPGMA. The oil content in the seeds was very low (8.3-11.8%). The profile of fatty acids showed that there were two distinct groups: species rich in palmitic acid (Herissantia tiubae, Sidastrum paniculatum and Sida rhombifolia) and species rich in linoleic acid (other Sida species). The fatty acid profiles found for Sida species are consistent with other reported data. Although our data support a distinction between Sida and Sidastrum, more species should be analyzed to evaluate the real taxonomic value of differences in fatty acid content for distinguishing Malvaceae. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chemical Composition, Seasonal Variation and Evaluation of Antimicrobial Activity of Essential Oils of Talauma ovata A. St. Hil. (Magnoliaceae)

The essential oils isolated by hydrodistillation from trunk bark and leaves of Talauma ovata A. St. Hil. (Magnoliaceae), collected in four seasons, were analyzed by capillary GC and GC/MS. Altogether 52 components were identified, The oils were characterized by predominance of cyclic sesquiterpenes. The main components were linalool, trans-beta-guaiene, germaerene D, germacrene B, spathulenol, caryophyllene oxide, viridiflorol and alpha-endesmol. The content of individual components was variable during the year. All oils were screened against several strains of bacteria and yeasts, using the agar well-diffusion technique. The antimicrobial activity of oils showed strong dependence with the season. Significant activity was found for oils obtained in the spring and summer.

Microhabitat Selection of three Forest Understory Birds in the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest

When assessing fragmentation effects on species, not only habitat preferences on the landscape scale, but also microhabitat selection is an important factor to consider, as microhabitat is also affected by habitat disturbance, but nevertheless essential for species for foraging, nesting and sheltering. In the Atlantic Rainforest of Brazil we examined microhabitat selection of six Pyriglena leucoptera (white-shouldered fire-eye), 10 Sclerurus scansor (rufous-breasted leaftosser), and 30 Chiroxiphia caudata (blue manakin). We radio-tracked the individuals between May 2004 and February 2005 to gain home ranges based on individual fixed kernels. Vegetation structures in core plots and fringe plots were compared. In C. caudata, we additionally assessed the influence of behavioural traits on microhabitat selection. Further, we compared microhabitat structures in the fragmented forest with those in the contiguous, and contrasted the results with the birds` preferences. Pyriglena leucoptera preferred liana tangles that were more common in the fragmented forest, whereas S. scansor preferred woody debris, open forest floor (up to 0.5 m), and a thin closed leaf litter cover which all occurred significantly more often in the contiguous forest. Significant differences were detected in C. caudata for vegetation densities in the different strata; the distance of core plots to the nearest lek site was significantly influenced by sex and age. However, core sites of C. caudata in fragmented and contiguous forests showed no significant differences in structure. Exploring microhabitat selection and behavior may greatly support the understanding of habitat selection of species and their susceptibility to fragmentation on the landscape scale.

Histological and functional renal alterations caused by Bothrops alternatus snake venom: Expression and activity of Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase

Background: Acute renal failure is a serious complication of human envenoming by Bothrops snakes. The ion pump Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase has an important role in renal tubule function, where it modulates sodium reabsorption and homeostasis of the extracellular compartment. Here, we investigated the morphological and functional renal alterations and changes in Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase expression and activity in rats injected with Bothrops alternatus snake venom. Methods: Male Wistar rats were injected with venom (0.8 mg/kg, iv.) and renal function was assessed 6.24, 48 and 72 h and 7 days post-venom. The rats were then killed and renal Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity was assayed based on phosphate release from ATP; gene and protein expressions were assessed by real time PCR and immunofluorescence microscopy, respectively. Results: Venom caused lobulation of the capillary tufts, dilation of Bowman`s capsular space. F-actin disruption in Bowman`s capsule and renal tubule brush border, and deposition of collagen around glomeruli and proximal tubules that persisted seven days after envenoming. Enhanced sodium and potassium excretion, reduced proximal sodium reabsorption, and proteinuria were observed 6 h post-venom, followed by a transient decrease in the glomerular filtration rate. Gene and protein expressions of the Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase alpha(1) subunit were increased 6 h post-venom, whereas Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity increased 6 h and 24 h post-venom. Conclusions: Bothrops alternatus venom caused marked morphological and functional renal alterations with enhanced Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase expression and activity in the early phase of renal damage. General significance: Enhanced Na(+)/K(+)-ATPase activity in the early hours after envenoming may attenuate the renal dysfunction associated with venom-induced damage. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Direct action of aldosterone on bicarbonate reabsorption in in vivo cortical proximal tubule

Pergher PS, Leite-Dellova D, de Mello-Aires M. Direct action of aldosterone on bicarbonate reabsorption in in vivo cortical proximal tubule. Am J Physiol Renal Physiol 296: F1185-F1193, 2009. First published February 18, 2009; doi:10.1152/ajprenal.90217.2008.-The direct action of aldosterone (10(-12) M) on net bicarbonate reabsorption (J(HCO3)(-)) was evaluated by stationary microperfusion of an in vivo middle proximal tubule (S2) of rat kidney, using H ion-sensitive microelectrodes. Aldosterone in luminally perfused tubules caused a significant increase in J(HCO3)(-) from a mean control value of 2.84 +/- 0.08 [49/19 (n degrees of measurements/n degrees of tubules)] to 4.20 +/- 0.15 nmol.cm(-2).s(-1) (58/10). Aldosterone perfused into peritubular capillaries also increased J(HCO3)(-), compared with basal levels during intact capillary perfusion with blood. In addition, in isolated perfused tubules aldosterone causes a transient increase of cytosolic free calcium ([Ca(2+)](i)), monitored fluorometrically. In the presence of ethanol ( in similar concentration used to prepare the hormonal solution), spironolactone (10(-6) M, a mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist), actinomycin D (10(-6) M, an inhibitor of gene transcription), or cycloheximide (40 mM, an inhibitor of protein synthesis), the J(HCO3)(-) and the [Ca(2+)](i) were not different from the control value; these drugs also did not prevent the stimulatory effect of aldosterone on J(HCO3)(-) and on [Ca(2+)](i). However, in the presence of RU 486 alone [10(-6) M, a classic glucocorticoid receptor (GR) antagonist], a significant decrease on J(HCO3)(-) and on [Ca(2+)](i) was observed; this antagonist also inhibited the stimulatory effect of aldosterone on J(HCO3)(-) and on [Ca(2+)](i). These studies indicate that luminal or peritubular aldosterone (10(-12) M) has a direct nongenomic stimulatory effect on J(HCO3)(-) and on [Ca(2+)](i) in proximal tubule and that probably GR participates in this process. The data also indicate that endogenous aldosterone stimulates J(HCO3)(-) in middle proximal tubule.