bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Can circulating miRNAs live up to the promise of being minimal invasive biomarkers in clinical settings?
Authors: Keller Andreas , Meese Eckart
Published: December 2015

MicroRNAs have been discussed as non‐ or minimal invasive biomarkers with a remarkable extracellular stability. Despite a multitude of studies in basic research, there are only few independent validation studies on blood‐born miRNAs as disease markers. Toward clinical applications numerous obstacles still need to be overcome. They are of technical origin but also fundamentally associated with the source and the nature of miRNAs. Here, we emphasize on potential confounding factors, the nature and the source of miRNAs. We recently showed that age and gender could influence the pattern of circulating miRNAs. On the cellular level, the miRNA pattern differs between plasma and serum preparations. On the molecular level, one has to differentiate between extracellular miRNAs that are encapsulated in microvesicles or bound to proteins or high‐density lipoproteins. Using whole blood as source for miRNAs helps to minimize miRNA expression changes due to environmental influences and allows attributing miRNA changes to their cells of origin like B‐cells and T‐cells. Moreover, unambiguous annotation and differentiation from other noncoding RNAs can be challenging. Even not all miRNAs deposited in miRBase do necessarily represent true miRNAs, just a fraction of miRNAs in the reference database have been experimentally validated by Northern blotting. Functional evidence for a true miRNA should be obtained by cloning the precursor miRNA and by subsequent detection of the processed mature form in host cells. Surprisingly, attempts to finally confirm a true miRNA are frequently postponed until evidence has been established for a likely value as biomarker. WIREs RNA 2016, 7:148–156. doi: 10.1002/wrna.1320

This article is categorized under:

RNA in Disease and Development > RNA in Disease
Studien über die Überspannung. IV. Die Messung der Minimumüberspannung aus der Stromspannungskurve
Authors: Onoda Tadashi
Published: December 2015

1. Die Wasserstoffüberspannung an Elektroden aus Gold, Platin, Kupfer, Nickel und Quecksilber wurde aus der Stromspannungskurve ermittelt.
Zur Frage des Merkurooxydes
Authors: Fricke R. , Ackermann P.
Published: December 2015

Hg‐I‐Oxyd ist als solches bis heute noch nie einwandfrei identifiziert worden. Auch Röntgen‐ bzw. Elektronenstrahlaufnahmen an besonders vorsichtig hergestellten Präparaten erwiesen nur die Gegenwart von (gestört kristallisiertem) HgO neben Hg.
A History of Literary Criticism
Authors: Blamires Harry
Published: December 2015

The author traces the course of literary criticism from its foundations in classical and medieval precepts to the theorising of the present day. He explores the texts which have been milestones in the history of critical thought, placing them firmly in the context of their time.
Rationality and belief in learning mathematics
Authors: Brown Tony
Published: December 2015

This paper argues that rationality and belief are mutually formative dimensions of school mathematics, where each term is more politically embedded than often depicted in the field of mathematics education research. School mathematics then presents not so much rational mathematical thought distorted by irrational beliefs but rather a particular mode of activity referenced to the performance of certain substitute skills and procedures that have come to represent mathematics in the school context as a result of social management. The paper considers alternative modes of apprehending mathematical objects. Firstly, two accounts of how a young child might learn to point at mathematical entities are presented, where alternative interpretations of this act of pointing are linked to conceptions of enculturation. This comparison then underpins a discussion of how mathematics is produced as entities to be acquired according to certain ideological schema. The resulting cartographic definition of mathematics steers the production then selection of learners according to arbitrary curriculum or assessment criteria. Secondly, some trainee teachers report on shared experience in a spatial awareness exercise concerned with exploring alternative apprehensions of geometric objects. This provides an account of my own teaching and explains why I find teaching mathematics so exciting if it can be linked to the generation of multiple perspectives. The paper’s central argument is that rational mathematical thought necessarily rests on beliefs set within a play of ideological framings that within school often partition people in terms of their proxy interface with mathematics. The challenge is to loosen this administrative grip to allow both students and teachers to release their own powers to generate diversity in their mathematical insights rather than conformity.
Resident Accuracy of Electromyography Needle Electrode Placement Using Ultrasound Verification
Authors: Karvelas Kristopher , Ziegler Craig , Rho Monica E.
Published: December 2015

Background

Electromyography (EMG) and musculoskeletal (MSK) ultrasound (US) are core learning objectives during physical medicine and rehabilitation (PM&R) training. However, there have been no prior studies using MSK US to assess the acquisition of EMG procedural skills during residency training. This study aims to demonstrate the differences in skillful needle placement between junior and senior physiatry residents. The integration of both EMG and MSK US may have tremendous potential for additional learning opportunities related to electrodiagnostic education.

Objective

To determine the accuracy of anatomic landmark–guided EMG needle electrode placement in commonly used muscles by PM&R resident physicians.

Design

Cross‐sectional study.

Setting

An academic PM&R residency program.

Participants

Twelve (5 postgraduate year [PGY] –3 and 7 PGY‐4) PM&R resident physicians participating in a MSK US training course.

Methods

Twelve PM&R residents in the eighth month of their third and fourth years of postgraduate training performed anatomic landmark–guided needle placement to the extensor indicis proprius (EIP), pronator teres (PT), peroneus longus (PL), and soleus muscles of live subjects. Once the needle electrode was satisfactorily placed, needle localization was verified with US.

Main Outcome Measures

Accuracy of EMG needle electrode placement.

Results

The overall accuracy of needle electrode placement for all resident participants was 68.8%. The mean accuracy of the 4 selected muscles was 50% by PGY‐3 residents and 82.1% for PGY‐4 residents (P = .01). EIP was the most commonly missed muscle, with correct placement performed by 20% of PGY‐3 and 42.9% of PGY‐4 residents. PGY‐3 residents demonstrated 60% accuracy with localizing the PT, PL, and soleus muscles. PGY‐4 residents demonstrated 85.7% accuracy for PT, and 100% accuracy for both PL and soleus muscles.

Conclusions

Senior residents demonstrated greater accuracy of landmark‐guided needle placement than junior residents. EMG procedural skills are important milestones in PM&R training, and MSK US may be a useful tool to enhance resident learning.
Vitamin D-rich marine Inuit diet and markers of inflammation – a population-based survey in Greenland
Authors: Schæbel L. K. , Bonefeld-Jørgensen E. C. , Laurberg P. , Vestergaard H. , Andersen S.
Published: December 2015

The traditional Inuit diet in Greenland consists mainly of fish and marine mammals, rich in vitamin D. Vitamin D has anti-inflammatory capacity but markers of inflammation have been found to be high in Inuit living on a marine diet. Yet, the effect of vitamin D on inflammation in Inuit remains unsettled. This led us to investigate the association between vitamin D and markers of inflammation in a population with a high intake of a marine diet. We studied 535 Inuit and non-Inuit living in West and East Greenland. Information concerning dietary habits was obtained by interview-based FFQ. Blood samples were drawn for analysis of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and chitinase-3-like protein 1(YKL-40). Participants were divided into three groups based on degree of intake of the traditional Inuit diet. The diet groups (Inuit diet/mixed diet/imported foods) were associated with vitamin D levels in serum (74·2, 69·8 and 52·9 nm; P < 0·001), hsCRP (1·6, 1·4 and 1·3 mg/l; P = 0·002) and YKL-40 (130, 95 and 61 ng/ml; P < 0·001), respectively. YKL-40 level decreased with rising vitamin D level in Inuit (Inuit diet P = 0·002; mixed diet P = 0·011). YKL-40 was lower in groups with higher vitamin D levels after adjusting for other factors known to influence inflammation (P < 0·001). This was not seen for hsCRP. In conclusion, vitamin D and markers of inflammation vary in parallel with the intake of the marine Inuit diet. Vitamin D levels were inversely associated with YKL-40 levels, but no association with hsCRP was found. The hypothesised anti-inflammatory effect of vitamin D was not supported. Other factors in the marine diet may be speculated to influence inflammation.
Rainbow Coalitions or Inter-minority Conflict? Racial Affinity and Diverse Minority Voters
Authors: Besco Randy
Published: December 2015

There is a considerable amount of research about racial affinity effects, that voters are likely to support a candidate of the same race. However, it is unclear it this applies only to candidates of the voters' specific ethnocultural group or to racialized candidates in general. Previous research suggests that the prospects for “rainbow coalitions” on the basis of group identities are poor; indeed, findings of inter-minority conflict are common. This study uses new data from a web-based survey experiment with a large panel of racialized respondents. Respondents evaluated fictional candidates with the ethnicity of the candidates experimentally manipulated. While respondents show strong affinity for their own ethnocultural group, they also show some affinity for other minority candidates and certainly no inter-minority conflict. Effects are strongly conditional on the degree of ethnic self-identity. “Rainbow coalitions” may be more likely than previous research suggests.
Les réseaux militaires et la convergence de la sécurité internationale par les pratiques
Authors: Forget Amélie
Published: December 2015

Les puissances occidentales ont créé une vaste gamme de réseaux militaires dont nous ignorons largement les dynamiques de fonctionnement. Alors que la discipline des relations internationales débat sur les capacités de convergence des réseaux, cet article présente une première étude longitudinale d'un réseau militaire le Multinational Interoperability Council (MIC). Notre analyse révèle que, malgré une influence et des ressources limitées, les militaires du MIC produisent une identité, des normes ainsi que des capacités d'action collectives qui leur sont propres, et qu'ils ont mobilisées stratégiquement pour produire de la convergence douce, par le bas, en matière de création de coalition.
Guilt or Responsibility? The Hundred-Year Debate on the Origins of World War I
Authors: Mombauer Annika
Published: December 2015

Historians of the Great War found themselves in high demand in 2014. The looming anniversary naturally prompted publishers to commission titles that were designed to make a splash, cause debate, and spark public interest. The market was consequently flooded with publications that attempted to explain why war had broken out in 1914. Few could have predicted, however, the full extent of public and media interest in World War I. Nor could one have expected that the question of the origins of the war, in particular, would once again be paramount and the subject of widespread, heated debate.
Primary tumour characteristics predict the invasiveness of lymph node metastases in papillary thyroid carcinoma patients
Authors: Lee H S , Park C , Kim S W , Song J W , Chun B K , Park T J , Hong J C , Lee K D
Published: December 2015

Objective:

This study evaluated whether primary tumour characteristics are associated with specific features of metastatic lymph nodes in papillary thyroid carcinoma patients.

Method:

A retrospective review of 411 patients with pathologically diagnosed cervical lymph node metastasis was conducted.

Results:

A metastatic lymph node focus size of at least 2 mm was independently associated with a primary tumour size of at least 1 cm (hazard ratio 1.962) and with male sex (hazard ratio 1.947). A number of at least five lymph node metastases was independently associated with a primary tumour size of at least 1 cm (hazard ratio 2.863), extrathyroidal extension (hazard ratio 1.737) and male sex (hazard ratio 1.689). Extranodal extension was independently associated with a primary tumour size of at least 1 cm (hazard ratio 2.288), extrathyroidal extension (2.201) and male sex (hazard ratio 1.733).

Conclusion:

Primary papillary thyroid carcinoma characteristics are related to the pathological features of lymph node metastases.
Knowledge gaps in the epidemiology ofToxocara: the enigma remains
Authors: HOLLAND C. V.
Published: December 2015

Toxocaraspecies infect a wide range of companion, domestic and wild animals as definitive and paratenic hosts, via multiple routes of transmission, producing long-lived tissue-inhabiting larvae and resistant eggs that can survive in the external environment. ThereforeToxocaraand the disease it causes in humans, toxocariasis, represents an ideal aetiological agent for the development of the one health approach. However, despite increasing awareness of the public health significance of toxocariasis, gaps in our understanding of certain key aspects of the parasite's biology and epidemiology remain. These gaps hinder our ability to integrate research effort within the veterinary, medical and environmental disciplines. This review will highlight key deficits in our understanding of nine dimensions ofToxocaraepidemiology and discuss a potential scenario to develop a more integrated, one health approach to improve our understanding of the prevention and control of this complex and cryptic zoonosis.
A prospective longitudinal model predicting early adult alcohol problems: evidence for a robust externalizing pathway
Authors: Edwards A. C. , Gardner C. O. , Hickman M. , Kendler K. S.
Published: December 2015

Background

Risk factors for alcohol problems (AP) include biological and environmental factors that are relevant across development. The pathways through which these factors are related, and how they lead to AP, are optimally considered in the context of a comprehensive developmental model.

Method

Using data from a prospectively assessed, population-based UK cohort, we constructed a structural equation model that integrated risk factors reflecting individual, family and peer/community-level constructs across childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. These variables were used to predict AP at the age of 20 years.

Results

The final model explained over 30% of the variance in liability to age 20 years AP. Most prominent in the model was an externalizing pathway to AP, with conduct problems, sensation seeking, AP at age 17.5 years and illicit substance use acting as robust predictors. In conjunction with these individual-level risk factors, familial AP, peer relationships and low parental monitoring also predicted AP. Internalizing problems were less consistently associated with AP. Some risk factors previously identified were not associated with AP in the context of this comprehensive model.

Conclusions

The etiology of young adult AP is complex, influenced by risk factors that manifest across development. The most prominent pathway to AP is via externalizing and related behaviors. These findings underscore the importance of jointly assessing both biologically influenced and environmental risk factors for AP in a developmental context.
Adolescents and adults at clinical high-risk for psychosis: age-related differences in attenuated positive symptoms syndrome prevalence and entanglement with basic symptoms
Authors: Gerstenberg M. , Theodoridou A. , Traber-Walker N. , Franscini M. , Wotruba D. , Metzler S. , Müller M. , Dvorsky D. , Correll C. U. , Walitza S. , Rössler W. , Heekeren K.
Published: December 2015

Background

The attenuated positive symptoms syndrome (APSS) is considered an at-risk indicator for psychosis. However, the characteristics and developmental aspects of the combined or enriched risk criteria of APSS and basic symptom (BS) criteria, including self-experienced cognitive disturbances (COGDIS) remain under-researched.

Method

Based on the Structured Interview of Prodromal Syndromes (SIPS), the prevalence of APSS in 13- to 35-year-old individuals seeking help in an early recognition program for schizophrenia and bipolar-spectrum disorders was examined. BS criteria and COGDIS were rated using the Schizophrenia Proneness Instrument for Adults/Children and Youth. Participants meeting APSS criteria were compared with participants meeting only BS criteria across multiple characteristics. Co-occurrence (APSS+/BS+, APSS+/COGDIS+) was compared across 13–17, 18–22 and 23–35 years age groups.

Results

Of 175 individuals (age = 20.6 ± 5.8, female = 38.3%), 94 (53.7%) met APSS criteria. Compared to BS, APSS status was associated with suicidality, higher illness severity, lower functioning, higher SIPS positive, negative, disorganized and general symptoms scores, depression scores and younger age (18.3 ± 5.0 v. 23.2 ± 5.6 years, p < 0.0001) with age-related differences in the prevalence of APSS (ranging from 80.3% in 13- to 17-year-olds to 33.3% in 23- to 35-year-olds (odds ratio 0.21, 95% confidence interval 0.11–0.37). Within APSS+ individuals, fewer adolescents fulfilled combined risk criteria of APSS+/BS+ or APSS+/COGDIS+ compared to the older age groups.

Conclusions

APSS status was associated with greater suicidality and illness/psychophathology severity in this help-seeking cohort, emphasizing the need for clinical care. The age-related differences in the prevalence of APSS and the increasing proportion of APSS+/COGDIS+ may point to a higher proportion of non-specific/transient, rather than risk-specific attenuated positive symptoms in adolescents.
Managing a cluster outbreak of psittacosis in Belgium linked to a pet shop visit in The Netherlands
Authors: DE BOECK C. , DEHOLLOGNE C. , DUMONT A. , SPIERENBURG M. , HEIJNE M. , GYSSENS I. , VAN DER HILST J. , VANROMPAY D.
Published: December 2015

In July 2013, a Belgian couple were admitted to hospital because of pneumonia. Medical history revealed contact with birds. Eleven days earlier, they had purchased a lovebird in a pet shop in The Netherlands. The bird became ill, with respiratory symptoms. The couple's daughter who accompanied them to the pet shop, reported similar symptoms, but was travelling abroad. On the suspicion of psittacosis, pharyngeal swabs from the couple were taken and sent to the Belgian reference laboratory for psittacosis. Culture and nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests were positive for the presence ofChlamydia psittaci, andompAgenotyping indicated genotype A in both patients. The patients were treated with doxycycline and the daughter started quinolone therapy; all three recovered promptly. Psittacosis is a notifiable disease in Belgium and therefore local healthcare authorities were informed. They contacted their Dutch colleagues, who visited the pet shop. Seven pooled faecal samples were taken and analysed using PCR by the Dutch national reference laboratory for notifiable animal diseases for the presence ofChlamydia psittaci.Four (57%) samples tested positive, genotyping revealed genotype A. Enquiring about exposure to pet birds is essential when patients present with pneumonia. Reporting to health authorities, even across borders, is warranted to prevent further spread.
Echocardiographic evaluation of coronary arteries in congenital heart disease
Authors: Freire Grace , Miller Michelle S.
Published: December 2015

Among populations of patients with the congenital heart disease, there is considerable diversity in the anatomy of the coronary arteries. Understanding these anatomical differences is vitally important in directing interventions and surgical repair. In this report, the authors describe the echocardiographic evaluation of the variants of coronary artery anatomy in the following lesions: transposition of the great arteries, congenitally corrected transposition of the great arteries, double-inlet left ventricle, common arterial trunk, tetralogy of Fallot, and double-outlet right ventricle.
Near-fatal neonatal coronary ischaemia associated with intermittent aortic regurgitation: successful surgical treatment
Authors: Likes Maggie L. , Silverman Norman H. , Albers Erin L. , Choy Raylene , Bhat Aarti , McMullan David M.
Published: December 2015

An infant presented with features suggestive of an anomalous left coronary artery was found to have normal origins of both coronary arteries. Echocardiography during episodes of ischaemia showed marked aortic regurgitation with retrograde coronary flow. The left coronary leaflet was mildly hypoplastic. Surgical re-suspension of this leaflet prevented aortic regurgitation and the patient had no further symptoms and recovered cardiac function.
Critical care for patients with congenital abnormalities of the coronary arteries
Authors: Flores Saul , Moore Ryan A. , Statile Christopher J. , Michelfelder Erik C. , Wanstrath Shawna G. , Knilans Timothy K. , Morales David L. , Cooper David S.
Published: December 2015

Congenital abnormalities of the coronary arteries in the absence of structural heart disease account for a small but interesting percentage of cardiac lesions in children. Their presentation may vary from incidental identification to aborted/sudden cardiac death. Patients with aborted sudden death episodes will require significant support if they develop extensive ischaemic myocardial injury. Ultimately, surgical repair should be carried out as soon as haemodynamic stability is attained and the neurological status is evaluated. The aims of this article were to provide a review of congenital abnormalities of the coronary arteries most commonly seen in children in the ICU as well as to review the current critical-care management thereof.
The development of a congenital heart programme quality dashboard to promote transparent reporting of outcomes
Authors: Anand Vijay , Cave Dominic , McCrady Heather , Al-Aklabi Mohammed , Ross David B. , Rebeyka Ivan M. , Adatia Ian
Published: December 2015

In 2001, the Institute of Medicine identified healthcare transparency as a necessity for re-designing a quality healthcare system; however, despite widespread calls for publicly available transparent data, the goal remains elusive. The transparent reporting of outcome data and the results of congenital heart surgery is critical to inform patients and families who have both the wish and the ability to choose where care is provided. Indeed, in an era where data and means of communication of data have never been easier, the paucity of transparent data reporting is paradoxical. We describe the development of a quality dashboard used to inform staff, patients, and families about the outcomes of congenital heart surgery at the Stollery Children’s Hospital.
Primary-care management of patients with congenital anomalies of the coronary arteries
Authors: Boris Jeffrey R. , Brothers Julie A.
Published: December 2015

Congenital anomalies of the coronary arteries, although uncommon, have the potential to cause serious myocardial damage, ischaemic cardiomyopathy, and sudden cardiac death. This article summarises aspects of care for these patients in the outpatient setting, including clinical history and physical examination findings, ancillary testing, decision-making regarding the need for surgical intervention, and recommendations for physical activity. Although there are limited data regarding some of these recommendations, it is hoped that these can be used as an initial benchmark against which further data will lead to a more evidence-based approach.
Characterising adequacy or inadequacy of the borderline left ventricle: what tools can we use?
Authors: Kaplinski Michelle , Cohen Meryl S.
Published: December 2015

Borderline left ventricle refers to a spectrum of left ventricular underdevelopment, typically associated with other cardiac anomalies. The left ventricle may be mildly hypoplastic, as is sometimes seen accompanying aortic coarctation, or it can be severely hypoplastic, as is seen in hypoplastic left heart syndrome. For patients with a borderline left ventricle that is at either extreme, the treatment decision is relatively straightforward. Those with the most severe form of left ventricle hypoplasia will require single ventricle palliation or cardiac transplantation, whereas those with the mildest form may not need any intervention. It is the management strategy of children that fall within the grey zone of the spectrum, which continues to be controversial and remains variable within and among different institutions. Cardiac diseases with associated left ventricle hypoplasia include critical aortic stenosis, mitral stenosis, coarctation of the aorta, arch hypoplasia, cor triatriatum, unbalanced common atrioventricular canal, Shone’s complex, total anomalous pulmonary venous return, and complex conotruncal abnormalities. In this review, we will discuss the assessment and management of infants with borderline left ventricle with critical aortic stenosis or arch obstruction and associated mitral anomalies.
Introduction: December 2015 HeartWeek Issue of Cardiology in the Young – Highlights of HeartWeek 2015: Challenges and Dilemmas of Pediatric Cardiac Care including Heart Failure in Children and Congenital Abnormalities of the Coronary Arteries
Authors: Jacobs Jeffrey P.
Published: December 2015

This December Issue of Cardiology in the Young represents the 13th annual publication in Cardiology in the Young generated from the two meetings that composed “HeartWeek in Florida”. “HeartWeek in Florida”, the joint collaborative project sponsored by the Cardiac Centre at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, together with Johns Hopkins All Children’s Heart Institute of Saint Petersburg, Florida, averages over 1000 attendees every year and is now recognised as one of the major planks of continuing medical and nursing education for those working in the fields of diagnosis and treatment of cardiac disease in the foetus, neonate, infant, child, and adult. “HeartWeek in Florida” combines the International Symposium on Congenital Heart Disease, organised by All Children’s Hospital and Johns Hopkins Medicine, and entering its 16th year, with the Annual Postgraduate Course in Paediatric Cardiovascular Disease, organised by The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia entering its 19th year.

This December 2015 Issue of Cardiology in the Young features highlights of the two meetings that compose HeartWeek. Johns Hopkins All Children’s Heart Institute’s 15th Annual International Symposium on Congenital Heart Disease was held at the Renaissance Vinoy Resort & Golf Club, Saint Petersburg, Florida, from Friday, 6 February, 2015, to Monday, 9 February, 2015. This Symposium was co-sponsored by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and its special focus was “Congenital Abnormalities of the Coronary Arteries”. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s annual meeting – Cardiology 2015, the 18th Annual Update on Paediatric and Congenital Cardiovascular Disease: “Challenges and Dilemmas” – was held at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch, Scottsdale, Arizona, from Wednesday, 11 February, 2015, to Sunday, 15 February, 2015.

We would like to acknowledge the tremendous contributions made to paediatric and congenital cardiac care by Juan Valentín Comas, MD, PhD (13 May, 1960 to 16 June, 2015) and Donald Nixon Ross, FRCS (4 October, 1922 to 7 July, 2014); and therefore, we dedicate this December 2015 HeartWeek Issue of Cardiology in the Young to them.
Ars Moriendi: Coping with death in the Late Middle Ages
Authors: Espi Forcén Fernando , Espi Forcén Carlos
Published: December 2015

Objective:

TheArs moriendiwas a book written in the early 15th century with the goal of assisting friars in their work of helping the dying. The aim of our study was to review the current literature on theArs Moriendiconcerning the field of medicine, to analyze the psychological mechanisms for coping with death anxiety withinArs Moriendi, and to explore parallels between the strategies used in the medieval book and in contemporary literature about death and dying.

Method:

A review of literature using Pubmed, EMBASE, JSTOR, Project MUSE, and the New York Public Library was undertaken first. The primary source was then interpreted from a medical/psychological point of view.

Results:

Seven articles were selected by literature review. These works comment on the importance of theArs Moriendiin its historical context and explore the possibility of retrieving the principles of the text in contemporary society. The original text ofArs Moriendi, the primary source, presents death as a relief from the sufferings of earthly life and a gateway to eternal glory. According to the author, a good death implied the triumph over five demonic temptations in agonizing people: a lack of faith, despair, impatience, pride and greed.

Significance of Results:

Analyzed from a modern psychiatric perspective, theArs Moriendioffers descriptions of behavioral manifestations compatible with delirium, mood and anxiety disorders that characterize people with terminal illnesses. Moreover, we also explored parallels between the strategies used to cope with death anxiety in the Late Middle Ages and in contemporary society.
Before Prime Minister: Margaret Thatcher, Angela Merkel, and Gendered Party Leadership Contests
Authors: Beckwith Karen
Published: December 2015

Given that most national executives have been men, it is a commonplace to observe that access to executive power is gendered. Men have historically served as heads of government, and few women have been presidents or prime ministers. Women's numbers are increasing, however, as is research focusing on women who have achieved national executive leadership (e.g., Jalalzai 2013; Murray 2010). Such research has emphasized women's individual resources and credentials, family background, and political experience as factors contributing to their political success; research focusing on the strategic and institutional structural factors that contribute to this success has been rare.
Encouragement is not Enough: Addressing Social and Structural Barriers to Female Recruitment
Authors: Dittmar Kelly
Published: December 2015

Invite a woman to run for office. Based on findings that women are most responsive to and reliant on encouragement in making the decision to run for office, this invitation refrain is pervasive among those seeking greater gender parity in U.S. politics. For example, in 2007, the Women's Campaign Fund launched She Should Run, complete with an online tool that, to date, has been used to ask just under 200,000 women to run for office. In 2014, another organization, Vote Run Lead, adopted a similar strategy, launching Invitation Nation to send e-invitations to run to nearly 10,000 women within their first year of launching the project. My own organization, the Center for American Women and Politics (CAWP), has “invited” countless women to run for office through online communications, training programs, and recruitment campaigns and initiatives. While each of these organizations has also sought to provide potential women candidates with training, information, and resources to assist them throughout the recruitment process, our obsession with inviting can constrain a more complex and comprehensive approach to female candidate recruitment in both research and practice.
MBNL1-mediated regulation of differentiation RNAs promotes myofibroblast transformation and the fibrotic response
Authors: Davis Jennifer , Salomonis Nathan , Ghearing Natasha , Lin Suh-Chin J. , Kwong Jennifer Q. , Mohan Apoorva , Swanson Maurice S. , Molkentin Jeffery D.
Published: December 2015

The differentiation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts mediates tissue wound healing and fibrotic remodelling, although the molecular programme underlying this process remains poorly understood. Here we perform a genome-wide screen for genes that control myofibroblast transformation, and identify the RNA-binding protein muscleblind-like1 (MBNL1). MBNL1 overexpression promotes transformation of fibroblasts into myofibroblasts, whereas loss of Mbnl1 abrogates transformation and impairs the fibrotic phase of wound healing in mouse models of myocardial infarction and dermal injury. Mechanistically, MBNL1 directly binds to and regulates a network of differentiation-specific and cytoskeletal/matrix-assembly transcripts to promote myofibroblast differentiation. One of these transcripts is the nodal transcriptional regulator serum response factor (SRF), whereas another is calcineurin Aβ. CRISPR-Cas9-mediated gene-editing of the MBNL1-binding site within the Srf 3′UTR impairs myofibroblast differentiation, whereas in vivo deletion of Srf in fibroblasts impairs wound healing and fibrosis. These data establish a new RNA-dependent paradigm for myofibroblast formation through MBNL1.
All-photonic intercity quantum key distribution
Authors: Azuma Koji , Tamaki Kiyoshi , Munro William J.
Published: December 2015

Recent field demonstrations of quantum key distribution (QKD) networks hold promise for unconditionally secure communication. However, owing to loss in optical fibres, the length of point-to-point links is limited to a hundred kilometers, restricting the QKD networks to intracity. A natural way to expand the QKD network in a secure manner is to connect it to another one in a different city with quantum repeaters. But, this solution is overengineered unless such a backbone connection is intercontinental. Here we present a QKD protocol that could supersede even quantum repeaters for connecting QKD networks in different cities below 800 km distant. Nonetheless, in contrast to quantum repeaters, this protocol uses only a single intermediate node with optical devices, requiring neither quantum memories nor quantum error correction. Our all-photonic ‘intercity’ QKD protocol bridges large gaps between the conventional intracity QKD networks and the future intercontinental quantum repeaters, conceptually and technologically.
Toxic tau oligomer formation blocked by capping of cysteine residues with 1,2-dihydroxybenzene groups
Authors: Soeda Yoshiyuki , Yoshikawa Misato , Almeida Osborne F. X. , Sumioka Akio , Maeda Sumihiro , Osada Hiroyuki , Kondoh Yasumitsu , Saito Akiko , Miyasaka Tomohiro , Kimura Tetsuya , Suzuki Masaaki , Koyama Hiroko , Yoshiike Yuji , Sugimoto Hachiro , Ihara Yasuo , Takashima Akihiko
Published: December 2015

Neurofibrillary tangles, composed of hyperphosphorylated tau fibrils, are a pathological hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease; the neurofibrillary tangle load correlates strongly with clinical progression of the disease. A growing body of evidence indicates that tau oligomer formation precedes the appearance of neurofibrillary tangles and contributes to neuronal loss. Here we show that tau oligomer formation can be inhibited by compounds whose chemical backbone includes 1,2-dihydroxybenzene. Specifically, we demonstrate that 1,2-dihydroxybenzene-containing compounds bind to and cap cysteine residues of tau and prevent its aggregation by hindering interactions between tau molecules. Further, we show that orally administered DL-isoproterenol, an adrenergic receptor agonist whose skeleton includes 1,2-dihydroxybenzene and which penetrates the brain, reduces the levels of detergent-insoluble tau, neuronal loss and reverses neurofibrillary tangle-associated brain dysfunction. Thus, compounds that target the cysteine residues of tau may prove useful in halting the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and other tauopathies.
Single injection of small-molecule amyloid accelerator results in cell death of nigral dopamine neurons in mice
Authors: Chermenina Maria , Chorell Erik , Pokrzywa Małgorzata , Antti Henrik , Almqvist Fredrik , Strömberg Ingrid , Wittung-Stafshede Pernilla
Published: December 2015

The assembly process of α-synuclein toward amyloid fibers is linked to neurodegeneration in Parkinson’s disease. In the present study, we capitalized on thein vitrodiscovery of a small-molecule accelerator of α-synuclein amyloid formation and assessed its effects when injected in brains of normal mice. An accelerator and an inhibitor of α-synuclein amyloid formation, as well as vehicle only, were injected into the striatum of normal mice and followed by behavioral evaluation, immunohistochemistry, and metabolomics up to six months later. The effects of molecules injected into the substantia nigra of normal and α-synuclein knock-out mice were also analyzed. When accelerator or inhibitor was injected into the brain of normal mice no acute compound toxicity was found. However, 6 months after single striatal injection of accelerator, mice sensorimotor functions were impaired, whereas mice injected with inhibitor had no dysfunctions. Injection of accelerator (but not inhibitor or vehicle) into the substantia nigra revealed significant loss of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-positive neurons after 3 months. No loss of TH-positive neurons was found in α-synuclein knock-out mice injected with accelerator into the substantia nigra. Metabolic serum profiles from accelerator-injected normal mice matched those of newly diagnosed Parkinson’s disease patients, whereas the profiles from inhibitor-injected normal mice matched controls. Single inoculation of a small-molecule amyloid accelerator may be a new approach for studies of early events during dopamine neurodegeneration in mice.
Reduced pupillary reward sensitivity in Parkinson’s disease
Authors: Manohar S G , Husain M
Published: December 2015

Abnormalities in reward processing may be a critical part of understanding nonmotor manifestations of Parkinson’s disease (PD). Dysfunction in dopaminergic pathways, which signal upcoming rewards, might result in altered motivation by incentives. To examine this proposal, we studied 16 patients with PD, both ON and OFF their normal dopaminergic medication, comparing them with healthy controls. Participants performed a speeded saccade task to obtain monetary rewards. Crucially, we manipulated the reward available from trial to trial, by presenting an auditory incentive precue before each saccade. The effects of incentives on pupil dilatation (an index of autonomic response) were measured. Individuals with PD showed diminished autonomic reward effects, compared with age-matched controls. When tested ON medication, pupil responses to reward increased, demonstrating that dopaminergic drugs can restore reward sensitivity. These findings reveal blunted autonomic responses to incentives in PD, which can be modulated by dopaminergic drugs.
Dysfunctional vestibular system causes a blood pressure drop in astronauts returning from space
Authors: Hallgren Emma , Migeotte Pierre-François , Kornilova Ludmila , Delière Quentin , Fransen Erik , Glukhikh Dmitrii , Moore Steven T. , Clément Gilles , Diedrich André , MacDougall Hamish , Wuyts Floris L.
Published: December 2015

It is a challenge for the human body to maintain stable blood pressure while standing. The body’s failure to do so can lead to dizziness or even fainting. For decades it has been postulated that the vestibular organ can prevent a drop in pressure during a position change – supposedly mediated by reflexes to the cardiovascular system. We show – for the first time – a significant correlation between decreased functionality of the vestibular otolith system and a decrease in the mean arterial pressure when a person stands up. Until now, no experiments on Earth could selectively suppress both otolith systems; astronauts returning from space are a unique group of subjects in this regard. Their otolith systems are being temporarily disturbed and at the same time they often suffer from blood pressure instability. In our study, we observed the functioning of both the otolith and the cardiovascular system of the astronauts before and after spaceflight. Our finding indicates that an intact otolith system plays an important role in preventing blood pressure instability during orthostatic challenges. Our finding not only has important implications for human space exploration; they may also improve the treatment of unstable blood pressure here on Earth.
Non-local Optical Topological Transitions and Critical States in Electromagnetic Metamaterials
Authors: Ishii Satoshi , Narimanov Evgenii
Published: December 2015

Just as the topology of the Fermi surface defines the properties of the free electrons in metals and semiconductors, the geometry of the iso-frequency surface in the phase space of the propagating electromagnetic waves, determines the optical properties of the corresponding optical materials. Furthermore, in the direct analog to the Lifshitz transition in condensed matter physics, a change in the topology of iso-frequency surface has a dramatic effect on the emission, propagation and scattering of the electromagnetic waves. Here, we uncover a new class of such optical topological transitions in metamaterials, induced by the non-locality of the electromagnetic response inherent to these composites.
Familiarity affects other-regarding preferences in pet dogs
Authors: Quervel-Chaumette Mylene , Dale Rachel , Marshall-Pescini Sarah , Range Friederike
Published: December 2015

Other-regarding preferences are considered to be the foundation of human cooperation. However, the evolutionary origin of this behavior in humans remains poorly understood. So far, comparative studies in primates have led to mixed conclusions probably due to methodological differences relating to both task complexity and the types of control conditions used. Moreover, no clear link between phylogenetic relatedness and prosociality has been found, suggesting that other convergent selection pressures may play a role in the evolution of such behaviors. Here, using one of the cognitively less demanding tasks, we show for the first time, that dogs can behave pro-socially by donating food to a conspecific partner, but only if the partner is familiar. This highlights the importance of considering the social relationships between individuals when testing animals for other-regarding behaviors. Moreover, by including a social control condition, we show that the dogs’ prosocial response was not due to a simple social facilitation effect. The current findings support recent proposals that other convergent selection pressures, such as dependence on cooperative activities, rather than genetic relatedness to humans, may shape a species’ propensity for other-regarding behaviors.
Biotechnological production of 1,2,4-butanetriol: An efficient process to synthesize energetic material precursor from renewable biomass
Authors: Cao Yujin , Niu Wei , Guo Jiantao , Xian Mo , Liu Huizhou
Published: December 2015

1,2,4-Butanetriol (BT) is a valuable chemical with extensive applications in many different fields. The traditional chemical routes to synthesize BT suffer from many drawbacks, e.g., harsh reaction conditions, multiple steps and poor selectivity, limiting its industrial production. In this study, an engineered Escherichia coli strain was constructed to produce BT from xylose, which is a major component of the lignocellulosic biomass. Through the coexpression of a xylose dehydrogenase (CCxylB) and a xylonolactonase (xylC) from Caulobacter crescentus, native E. coli xylonate dehydratase (yjhG), a 2-keto acid decarboxylase from Pseudomonas putida (mdlC) and native E. coli aldehyde reductase (adhP) in E. coli BL21 star(DE3), the recombinant strain could efficiently convert xylose to BT. Furthermore, the competitive pathway responsible for xylose metabolism in E. coli was blocked by disrupting two genes (xylA and EcxylB) encoding xylose isomerase and xyloluse kinase. Under fed-batch conditions, the engineered strain BL21ΔxylAB/pE-mdlCxylBC&pA-adhPyjhG produced up to 3.92 g/L of BT from 20 g/L of xylose, corresponding to a molar yield of 27.7%. These results suggest that the engineered E. coli has a promising prospect for the large-scale production of BT.
Hierarchical deconstruction of mouse olfactory sensory neurons: from whole mucosa to single-cell RNA-seq
Authors: Saraiva Luis R. , Ibarra-Soria Ximena , Khan Mona , Omura Masayo , Scialdone Antonio , Mombaerts Peter , Marioni John C. , Logan Darren W.
Published: December 2015

The mouse olfactory mucosa is a complex chemosensory tissue composed of multiple cell types, neuronal and non-neuronal. We have here applied RNA-seq hierarchically, in three steps of decreasing cellular heterogeneity: starting with crude tissue samples dissected from the nose, proceeding to flow-cytometrically sorted pools of mature olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) and finally arriving at single mature OSNs. We show that 98.9% of intact olfactory receptor (OR) genes are expressed in mature OSNs. We uncover a hitherto unknown bipartition among mature OSNs. We find that 19 of 21 single mature OSNs each express a single intact OR gene abundantly, consistent with the one neuron-one receptor rule. For the 9 single OSNs where the two alleles of the abundantly expressed OR gene exhibit single-nucleotide polymorphisms, we demonstrate that monoallelic expression of the abundantly expressed OR gene is extremely tight. The remaining two single mature OSNs lack OR gene expression but express Trpc2 and Gucy1b2. We establish these two cells as a neuronal cell type that is fundamentally distinct from canonical, OR-expressing OSNs and that is defined by the differential, higher expression of 55 genes. We propose this tiered experimental approach as a paradigm to unravel gene expression in other cellularly heterogeneous systems.
Mechanically Stretchable and Electrically Insulating Thermal Elastomer Composite by Liquid Alloy Droplet Embedment
Authors: Jeong Seung Hee , Chen Si , Huo Jinxing , Gamstedt Erik Kristofer , Liu Johan , Zhang Shi-Li , Zhang Zhi-Bin , Hjort Klas , Wu Zhigang
Published: December 2015

Stretchable electronics and soft robotics have shown unsurpassed features, inheriting remarkable functions from stretchable and soft materials. Electrically conductive and mechanically stretchable materials based on composites have been widely studied for stretchable electronics as electrical conductors using various combinations of materials. However, thermally tunable and stretchable materials, which have high potential in soft and stretchable thermal devices as interface or packaging materials, have not been sufficiently studied. Here, a mechanically stretchable and electrically insulating thermal elastomer composite is demonstrated, which can be easily processed for device fabrication. A liquid alloy is embedded as liquid droplet fillers in an elastomer matrix to achieve softness and stretchability. This new elastomer composite is expected useful to enhance thermal response or efficiency of soft and stretchable thermal devices or systems. The thermal elastomer composites demonstrate advantages such as thermal interface and packaging layers with thermal shrink films in transient and steady-state cases and a stretchable temperature sensor.