bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Targeting BRG1 Chromatin Remodeler via Its Bromodomain for Enhanced Tumor Cell Radiosensitivity In Vitro and In Vivo
Authors: Kwon Su-Jung , Lee Seul-Ki , Na Juri , Lee Shin-Ai , Lee Han-Sae , Park Ji-Hye , Chung June-Key , Youn Hyewon , Kwon Jongbum
Published: December 2014

Radiotherapy treats cancer by inducing DNA double-strand breaks (DSB) in tumor cells using ionizing radiation. However, DNA repair in tumor cells often leads to radioresistance and unsuccessful outcome. Inhibition of DNA repair by targeting repair proteins can increase radiosensitivity of tumor cells. The BRG1 chromatin remodeling enzyme assists DSB repair by stimulating γ-H2AX formation and BRG1 binding to acetylated histones at DSBs via bromodomain (BRD) is critical for this activity. Here, we show that ectopic expression of BRG1-BRD inhibited γ-H2AX and DSB repair after irradiation and increased the radiosensitivity in various human cancer cells, including HT29 colon cancer. Dimerization of BRG1-BRD, increasing its chromatin binding affinity, aggravated the defects in γ-H2AX and DSB repair and further enhanced the radiosensitivity. While little affecting the upstream ATM activation, BRG1-BRD in irradiated HT29 cells inhibited the recruitment of 53BP1 to damaged chromatin, the downstream event of γ-H2AX, and compromised the G2–M checkpoint and increased apoptosis. Importantly, in a xenograft mouse model, BRG1-BRD increased the radiosensitivity of HT29 tumors, which was further enhanced by dimerization. These data suggest that BRG1-BRD radiosensitizes tumor cells by a dominant negative activity against BRG1, which disrupts γ-H2AX and its downstream 53BP1 pathways, leading to inefficient DNA repair, G2–M checkpoint defect, and increased apoptosis. This work therefore identifies BRG1-BRD as a novel tumor radiosensitizer and its action mechanism, providing the first example of chromatin remodeler as a target for improving cancer radiotherapy. Mol Cancer Ther; 14(2); 597–607. ©2014 AACR.
Long Noncoding RNA ANRIL Promotes Non–Small Cell Lung Cancer Cell Proliferation and Inhibits Apoptosis by Silencing KLF2 and P21 Expression
Authors: Nie Feng-qi , Sun Ming , Yang Jin-song , Xie Min , Xu Tong-peng , Xia Rui , Liu Yan-wen , Liu Xiang-hua , Zhang Er-bao , Lu Kai-hua , Shu Yong-qian
Published: December 2014

Recent evidence highlights long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) as crucial regulators of cancer biology that contribute to essential cancer cell functions such as cell proliferation, apoptosis, and metastasis. In non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), several lncRNAs' expressions are misregulated and have been nominated as critical actors in NSCLC tumorigenesis. LncRNA ANRIL was first found to be required for the PRC2 recruitment to and silencing of p15INK4B, the expression of which is induced by the ATM–E2F1 signaling pathway. Our previous study showed that ANRIL was significantly upregulated in gastric cancer, and it could promote cell proliferation and inhibit cell apoptosis by silencing of miR99a and miR449a transcription. However, its clinical significance and potential role in NSCLC is still not documented. In this study, we reported that ANRIL expression was increased in NSCLC tissues, and its expression level was significantly correlated with tumor–node–metastasis stages and tumor size. Moreover, patients with high levels of ANRIL expression had a relatively poor prognosis. In addition, taking advantage of loss-of-function experiments in NSCLC cells, we found that knockdown of ANRIL expression could impair cell proliferation and induce cell apoptosis both in vitro and vivo. Furthermore, we uncover that ANRIL could not repress p15 expression in PC9 cells, but through silencing of KLF2 and P21 transcription. Thus, we conclusively demonstrate that lncRNA ANRIL plays a key role in NSCLC development by associating its expression with survival in patients with NSCLC, providing novel insights on the function of lncRNA-driven tumorigenesis. Mol Cancer Ther; 14(1); 268–77. ©2014 AACR.
Dual PI3K/mTOR Inhibitors, GSK2126458 and PKI-587, Suppress Tumor Progression and Increase Radiosensitivity in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
Authors: Liu Tongxin , Sun Quanquan , Li Qi , Yang Hua , Zhang Yuqin , Wang Rong , Lin Xiaoshan , Xiao Dong , Yuan Yawei , Chen Longhua , Wang Wei
Published: December 2014

Although combined chemoradiotherapy has provided considerable improvements for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC), recurrence and metastasis are still frequent. The PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway plays a critical role in tumor formation and tumor cell survival after radiation-induced DNA damage. In the present study, we evaluated whether inhibition of PI3K/mTOR by two novel dual inhibitors, GSK2126458 and PKI-587, could suppress tumor progression and sensitize NPC cells to radiation. Four NPC cell lines (CNE-1, CNE-2, 5-8F, and 6-10B) were used to analyze the effects of GSK216458 and PKI-587 on cell proliferation, migration, invasion, clonogenic survival, amount of residual γ-H2AX foci, cell cycle, and apoptosis after radiation. A 5-8F xenograft model was used to evaluate the in vivo effects of the two compounds in combination with ionizing radiation (IR). Both GSK216458 and PKI-587 effectively inhibited cell proliferation and motility in NPC cells and suppressed phosphorylation of Akt, mTOR, S6, and 4EBP1 proteins in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Moreover, both compounds sensitized NPC cells to IR by increasing DNA damage, enhancing G2–M cell-cycle delay, and inducing apoptosis. In vivo, the combination of IR with GSK2126458 or PKI-587 significantly inhibited tumor growth. Antitumor effect was correlated with induction of apoptosis and suppression of the phosphorylation of mTOR, Akt, and 4EBP1. These new findings suggest the usefulness of PI3K/mTOR dual inhibition for antitumor and radiosensitizing. The combination of IR with a dual PI3K/mTOR inhibitor, GSK2126458 or PKI-587, might be a promising therapeutic strategy for NPC. Mol Cancer Ther; 14(2); 429–39. ©2014 AACR.
Berberine Induces Senescence of Human Glioblastoma Cells by Downregulating the EGFR–MEK–ERK Signaling Pathway
Authors: Liu Qiao , Xu Xiuhua , Zhao Minnan , Wei Zhao , Li Xi , Zhang Xiyu , Liu Zhaojian , Gong Yaoqin , Shao Changshun
Published: December 2014

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor and has a poor prognosis. We, here, report a potent antitumor effect of berberine, an isoquinoline alkaloid, on GBM. Berberine was found to have an IC50 that is much lower than temozolomide in vitro in U87, U251, and U118 glioblastoma cells. Although previous studies showed that berberine primarily exerts its anticancer effect by inducing cell-cycle arrest, apoptosis, and autophagy, we observed that the antitumor effect of berberine on glioblastoma cells was primarily achieved through induction of cellular senescence. In glioblastoma cells treated with berberine, the level of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) was greatly reduced. Examination of the activities of the kinases downstream of EGFR revealed that the RAF–MEK–ERK signaling pathway was remarkably inhibited, whereas AKT phosphorylation was not altered. Pharmacologic inhibition or RNA interference of EGFR similarly induced cellular senescence of glioblastoma cells. Furthermore, the cellular senescence induced by berberine could be rescued by introduction of a constitutive active MKK. Berberine also potently inhibited the growth of tumor xenografts, which was accompanied by downregulation of EGFR and induction of senescence. Our findings thus revealed a new route by which berberine exerts its anticancer activity. Because EGFR is commonly upregulated in glioblastoma, the demonstration of effective inhibition of EGFR by berberine points to the possibility of using berberine in the treatment of patients with glioblastoma. Mol Cancer Ther; 14(2); 355–63. ©2014 AACR.
Identification of LY2510924, a Novel Cyclic Peptide CXCR4 Antagonist That Exhibits Antitumor Activities in Solid Tumor and Breast Cancer Metastatic Models
Authors: Peng Sheng-Bin , Zhang Xiaoyi , Paul Donald , Kays Lisa M. , Gough Wendy , Stewart Julie , Uhlik Mark T. , Chen Qi , Hui Yu-Hua , Zamek-Gliszczynski Maciej J. , Wijsman John A. , Credille Kelly M. , Yan Liang Zeng
Published: December 2014

Emerging evidence demonstrates that stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1) and CXCR4, a chemokine and chemokine receptor pair, play important roles in tumorigenesis. In this report, we describe a small cyclic peptide, LY2510924, which is a potent and selective CXCR4 antagonist currently in phase II clinical studies for cancer. LY2510924 specifically blocked SDF-1 binding to CXCR4 with IC50 value of 0.079 nmol/L, and inhibited SDF-1–induced GTP binding with Kb value of 0.38 nmol/L. In human lymphoma U937 cells expressing endogenous CXCR4, LY2510924 inhibited SDF-1–induced cell migration with IC50 value of 0.26 nmol/L and inhibited SDF-1/CXCR4-mediated intracellular signaling. LY2510924 exhibited a concentration-dependent inhibition of SDF-1–stimulated phospho-ERK and phospho-Akt in tumor cells. Biochemical and cellular analyses revealed that LY2510924 had no apparent agonist activity. Pharmacokinetic analyses suggested that LY2510924 had acceptable in vivo stability and a pharmacokinetic profile similar to a typical small-molecular inhibitor in preclinical species. LY2510924 showed dose-dependent inhibition of tumor growth in human xenograft models developed with non–Hodgkin lymphoma, renal cell carcinoma, lung, and colon cancer cells that express functional CXCR4. In MDA-MB-231, a breast cancer metastatic model, LY2510924 inhibited tumor metastasis by blocking migration/homing process of tumor cells to the lung and by inhibiting cell proliferation after tumor cell homing. Collectively, the preclinical data support further investigation of LY2510924 in clinical studies for cancer. Mol Cancer Ther; 14(2); 480–90. ©2014 AACR.
Elevated Slit2 Activity Impairs VEGF-Induced Angiogenesis and Tumor Neovascularization in EphA2-Deficient Endothelium
Authors: Youngblood Victoria , Wang Shan , Song Wenqiang , Walter Debra , Hwang Yoonha , Chen Jin , Brantley-Sieders Dana M.
Published: December 2014

Angiogenic remodeling during embryonic development and in adult tissue homeostasis is orchestrated by cooperative signaling between several distinct molecular pathways, which are often exploited by tumors. Indeed, tumors upregulate proangiogenic molecules while simultaneously suppressing angiostatic pathways to recruit blood vessels for growth, survival, and metastatic spread. Understanding how cancers exploit proangiogenic and antiangiogenic signals is a key step in developing new, molecularly targeted antiangiogenic therapies. While EphA2, a receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), is required for VEGF-induced angiogenesis, the mechanism through which these pathways intersect remains unclear. Slit2 expression is elevated in EphA2-deficient endothelium, and here it is reported that inhibiting Slit activity rescues VEGF-induced angiogenesis in cell culture and in vivo, as well as VEGF-dependent tumor angiogenesis, in EphA2-deficient endothelial cells and animals. Moreover, blocking Slit activity or Slit2 expression in EphA2-deficient endothelial cells restores VEGF-induced activation of Src and Rac, both of which are required for VEGF-mediated angiogenesis. These data suggest that EphA2 suppression of Slit2 expression and Slit angiostatic activity enables VEGF-induced angiogenesis in vitro and in vivo, providing a plausible mechanism for impaired endothelial responses to VEGF in the absence of EphA2 function.

Implications: Modulation of angiostatic factor Slit2 by EphA2 receptor regulates endothelial responses to VEGF-mediated angiogenesis and tumor neovascularization. Mol Cancer Res; 13(3); 524–37. ©2014 AACR.
Linking Tumor Mutations to Drug Responses via a Quantitative Chemical–Genetic Interaction Map
Authors: Martins Maria M. , Zhou Alicia Y. , Corella Alexandra , Horiuchi Dai , Yau Christina , Rakhshandehroo Taha , Gordan John D. , Levin Rebecca S. , Johnson Jeff , Jascur John , Shales Mike , Sorrentino Antonio , Cheah Jaime , Clemons Paul A. , Shamji Alykhan F. , Schreiber Stuart L. , Krogan Nevan J. , Shokat Kevan M. , McCormick Frank , Goga Andrei , Bandyopadhyay Sourav
Published: December 2014

There is an urgent need in oncology to link molecular aberrations in tumors with therapeutics that can be administered in a personalized fashion. One approach identifies synthetic–lethal genetic interactions or dependencies that cancer cells acquire in the presence of specific mutations. Using engineered isogenic cells, we generated a systematic and quantitative chemical–genetic interaction map that charts the influence of 51 aberrant cancer genes on 90 drug responses. The dataset strongly predicts drug responses found in cancer cell line collections, indicating that isogenic cells can model complex cellular contexts. Applying this dataset to triple-negative breast cancer, we report clinically actionable interactions with the MYC oncogene, including resistance to AKT–PI3K pathway inhibitors and an unexpected sensitivity to dasatinib through LYN inhibition in a synthetic lethal manner, providing new drug and biomarker pairs for clinical investigation. This scalable approach enables the prediction of drug responses from patient data and can accelerate the development of new genotype-directed therapies.

Significance: Determining how the plethora of genomic abnormalities that exist within a given tumor cell affects drug responses remains a major challenge in oncology. Here, we develop a new mapping approach to connect cancer genotypes to drug responses using engineered isogenic cell lines and demonstrate how the resulting dataset can guide clinical interrogation. Cancer Discov; 5(2); 154–67. ©2014 AACR.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 97
Primary Prevention Implantable Cardioverter-Defibrillators in Older Racial and Ethnic Minority Patients
Authors: Pokorney Sean D. , Hellkamp Anne S. , Yancy Clyde W. , Curtis Lesley H. , Hammill Stephen C. , Peterson Eric D. , Masoudi Frederick A. , Bhatt Deepak L. , Al-Khalidi Hussein R. , Heidenreich Paul A. , Anstrom Kevin J. , Fonarow Gregg C. , Al-Khatib Sana M.
Published: December 2014

Background—

Racial and ethnic minorities are under-represented in clinical trials of primary prevention implantable cardioverter-defibrillators (ICDs). This analysis investigates the association between primary prevention ICDs and mortality among Medicare, racial/ethnic minority patients.

Methods and Results—

Data from Get With The Guidelines-Heart Failure Registry and National Cardiovascular Data Registry’s ICD Registry were used to perform an adjusted comparative effectiveness analysis of primary prevention ICDs in Medicare, racial/ethnic minority patients (nonwhite race or Hispanic ethnicity). Mortality data were obtained from the Medicare denominator file. The relationship of ICD with survival was compared between minority and white non-Hispanic patients. Our analysis included 852 minority patients, 426 ICD and 426 matched non-ICD patients, and 2070 white non-Hispanic patients (1035 ICD and 1035 matched non-ICD patients). Median follow-up was 3.1 years. Median age was 73 years, and median ejection fraction was 23%. Adjusted 3-year mortality rates for minority ICD and non-ICD patients were 44.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 44.2%–45.7%) and 54.3% (95% CI, 53.4%–55.1%), respectively (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.79; 95% CI, 0.63–0.98;
P
=0.034). White non-Hispanic patients receiving an ICD had lower adjusted 3-year mortality rates of 47.8% (95% CI, 47.3%–48.3%) compared with 57.3% (95% CI, 56.8%–57.9%) for those with no ICD (adjusted hazard ratio, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.67%–0.83%;
P
<0.0001). There was no significant interaction between race/ethnicity and lower mortality risk with ICD (
P
=0.70).

Conclusions—

Primary prevention ICDs are associated with lower mortality in nonwhite and Hispanic patients, similar to that seen in white, non-Hispanic patients. These data support a similar approach to ICD patient selection, regardless of race or ethnicity.
Predicting Risk of Endovascular Device Infection in Patients With
Staphylococcus aureus
Bacteremia (PREDICT-SAB)
Authors: Sohail M. Rizwan , Palraj Bharath Raj , Khalid Sana , Uslan Daniel Z. , Al-Saffar Farah , Friedman Paul A. , Hayes David L. , Lohse Christine M. , Wilson Walter R. , Steckelberg James M. , Baddour Larry M.
Published: December 2014

Background—

Prompt recognition of underlying cardiovascular implantable electronic device (CIED) infection in patients presenting with
Staphylococcus aureus
bacteremia (SAB) is critical for optimal management of these cases. The goal of this study was to identify clinical predictors of CIED infection in patients presenting with SAB and no signs of pocket infection.

Methods and Results—

All cases of SAB in CIED recipients at Mayo Clinic from 2001 to 2011 were retrospectively reviewed. We identified 131 patients with CIED who presented with SAB and had no clinical signs of device pocket infection. Forty-five (34%) of these patients had underlying CIED infection based on clinical or echocardiographic criteria. The presence of a permanent pacemaker rather than an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (odds ratio, 3.90; 95% confidence interval, 1.65–9.23;
P
=0.002), >1 device-related procedure (odds ratio, 3.30; 95% confidence interval, 1.23–8.86;
P
=0.018), and duration of SAB ≥4 days (odds ratio, 5.54; 95% confidence interval, 3.32–13.23;
P
<0.001) were independently associated with an increased risk of CIED infection in a multivariable model. The area under the receiver operating characteristics curve for the multivariable model was 0.79, indicating a good discriminatory capacity to distinguish SAB patients with and without CIED infection.

Conclusions—

Among patients presenting with SAB and no signs of pocket infection, the risk of underlying CIED infection can be calculated based on the type of device, number of device-related procedures, and duration of SAB. We propose that patients without any of these high-risk features have a low risk of underlying CIED infection and may be monitored closely without immediate device extraction. Prospective studies are needed to validate this risk prediction model.
Variable Transcriptional Regulation of the Human Aldosterone Synthase Gene Causes Salt-Dependent High Blood Pressure in Transgenic Mice
Authors: Mopidevi Brahmaraju , Kaw Meenakshi K. , Puri Nitin , Ponnala Madhusudan , Jain Sudhir , Rana Anita , Keetha Narsimha R. , Khuder Sadik A. , Fiering Steven N. , Kumar Ashok
Published: December 2014

Background—

Aldosterone, synthesized in the adrenal cortex by the enzyme CYP11B2, induces positive sodium balance and predisposes to hypertension. Various investigators, using genomic DNA analyses, have linked -344T polymorphism in the human
CYP11B2
(h
CYP11B2
) gene to human hypertension. h
CYP11B2
gene promoter has 3 single-nucleotide polymorphisms in linkage disequilibrium: T/A at -663, T/C at -470, and C/T at -344. Variants ACT occur together and form the haplotype-I (Hap-I), whereas variants TTC constitute Hap-II. We hypothesize that these single-nucleotide polymorphisms, when present together, will lead to haplotype-dependent differences in the transcriptional regulation of the h
CYP11B2
gene and affect blood pressure regulation.

Methods and Results—

We evaluated differences in tissue expression in vivo and consequential effects on blood pressure stemming from the 2 haplotypes. Novel transgenic mice with the h
CYP11B2
gene, targeted to the mouse HPRT locus, with either Hap-II or Hap-I variant are used in this study. Our results show increased adrenal and renal expression of h
CYP11B2
in transgenic mice with Hap-I when compared with mice with Hap-II. Importantly, we observed increased baseline blood pressure in Hap-I transgenic mice, an effect accentuated by a high-salt diet. Pathophysiological effects of elevated aldosterone were corroborated by our results showing upregulation of proinflammatory markers in renal tissues from the transgenic mice with Hap-I.

Conclusions—

These findings characterize the haplotype-dependent regulation of the h
CYP11B2
gene where -344T serves as a reporter polymorphism and show that Hap-I leads to increased expression of h
CYP11B2
, with permissive effects on blood pressure and inflammatory milieu.
Use and Outcomes Associated With Bridging During Anticoagulation Interruptions in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Steinberg Benjamin A. , Peterson Eric D. , Kim Sunghee , Thomas Laine , Gersh Bernard J. , Fonarow Gregg C. , Kowey Peter R. , Mahaffey Kenneth W. , Sherwood Matthew W. , Chang Paul , Piccini Jonathan P. , Ansell Jack
Published: December 2014

Background—

Temporary interruption of oral anticoagulation for procedures is often required, and some propose using bridging anticoagulation. However, the use and outcomes of bridging during oral anticoagulation interruptions in clinical practice are unknown.

Methods and Results—

The Outcomes Registry for Better Informed Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation (ORBIT-AF) registry is a prospective, observational registry study of US outpatients with atrial fibrillation. We recorded incident temporary interruptions of oral anticoagulation for a procedure, including the use and type of bridging therapy. Outcomes included multivariable-adjusted rates of myocardial infarction, stroke or systemic embolism, major bleeding, cause-specific hospitalization, and death within 30 days. Of 7372 patients treated with oral anticoagulation, 2803 overall interruption events occurred in 2200 patients (30%) at a median follow-up of 2 years. Bridging anticoagulants were used in 24% (n=665), predominantly low-molecular-weight heparin (73%, n=487) and unfractionated heparin (15%, n=97). Bridged patients were more likely to have had prior cerebrovascular events (22% versus 15%;
P
=0.0003) and mechanical valve replacements (9.6% versus 2.4%;
P
<0.0001); however, there was no difference in CHA
2
DS
2
-VASc scores (scores ≥2 in 94% versus 95%;
P
=0.5). Bleeding events were more common in bridged than nonbridged patients (5.0% versus 1.3%; adjusted odds ratio, 3.84;
P
<0.0001). The incidence of myocardial infarction, stroke or systemic embolism, major bleeding, hospitalization, or death within 30 days was also significantly higher in patients receiving bridging (13% versus 6.3%; adjusted odds ratio, 1.94;
P
=0.0001).

Conclusions—

Bridging anticoagulation is used in one quarter of anticoagulation interruptions and is associated with higher risk for bleeding and adverse events. These data do not support the use of routine bridging, and additional data are needed to identify best practices concerning anticoagulation interruptions.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT01165710.
A Conceptual Tool for Climate Change Risk Assessment
Authors: Higgins Paul A. T. , Steinbuck Jonah V.
Published: December 2014

This study develops a new conceptual tool to explore the potential societal consequences of climate change. The conceptual tool delineates three quasi-independent factors that contribute to the societal consequences of climate change: how climate changes; the sensitivity of physical systems, biological resources, and social institutions to climate change; and the degree of human dependence on those systems, resources, and institutions. This conceptual tool, as currently developed, is not predictive, but it enables the exploration of the dependence of climate change risks on key contributing factors. In exploring a range of plausible behaviors for these factors and methods for their synthesis, the authors show that plausible assumptions lead to a wide range in potential societal consequences of climate change. This illustrates that the societal consequences of climate change are currently difficult to constrain and that high-consequence climate change outcomes are not necessarily low probability, as suggested by leading economic analyses. With careful implementation, this new conceptual tool has potential to increase public understanding of climate change risks, to support risk management decision making, or to facilitate communication of climate risks across disciplinary boundaries.
Welfare states and immigrant poverty
Authors: Kesler Christel
Published: December 2014

This article examines immigrant poverty across three institutionally distinct European states: Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. Focusing on 33 immigrant groups and controlling for sending country in addition to human capital and family characteristics, the analysis explores host country variation in (1) immigrant/native-born poverty gaps and (2) the underlying poverty levels at which these gaps occur. Findings reveal the largest poverty gaps in Sweden and demonstrate that this is due to immigrants’ comparatively severe labor market disadvantages. However, underlying poverty levels are also lowest in Sweden because of a two-pronged policy strategy of enabling work (particularly among women, immigrant and native-born alike) and reducing poverty through income support. Thus, immigrants in Sweden live at lower levels of poverty than their immigrant counterparts elsewhere, despite facing higher levels of inequality vis-à-vis native-born Swedes. The conclusion considers implications of poverty gaps and poverty levels, especially for the children of immigrants.
The apistoi and idiotes in 1 Corinthians 14:20–25: The Ancient Context and Missiological Meaning
Authors: Billings Bradly S.
Published: December 2014

‘Tongues, then, are a sign not for believers but for unbelievers’ (1 Cor 14:22). In the course of his extended instructions concerning public worship and order at Corinth, Paul refers to the presence, among the worshipping community, of those who are described as apistoi and idiotes (most commonly translated as ‘unbelievers’ and ‘uninitiated’ or ‘outsiders’). Whilst some have understood this to be a rhetorical device, there is good evidence for assuming that the conduct of early Christian worship at Corinth was accessible, in some way, to such persons, to the extent that they may be roughly analogous perhaps to the Gentile ‘god fearers’ who frequented Temple and Synagogue worship. If so, there are, here, some potentially fruitful missiological insights and imperatives for the 21st-century church, both in the conduct of its public rites, and especially in the manner in which it engages with those in its midst who may be unbelievers, baptised but ‘non-practising’, or among those commonly referred to today as ‘seekers.’
Huldrych Zwingli
Authors: Gordon Bruce
Published: December 2014

This article provides an overview of the life and work of Huldrych Zwingli. It considers, in particular, his relationship with Erasmus and his theological ideas, including his views on the sacraments. The article concludes that Zwingli was a perplexing and contradictory character, whose sudden death in October, 1531 not only differentiates him reformers like Luther, Calvin, and Melanchthon, who lived to develop their work over many decades, but also leaves many unanswered questions.
Saul and Samuel
Authors: Bar Shaul
Published: December 2014

This article examines the clashes between Samuel and Saul. During the war against the Philistines (1 Samuel 13:7-15) and following the war against the Amalekites (1 Samuel 15), Samuel condemned Saul’s dynasty and rejected his rule. What were the reasons for Samuel’s harsh sentence against Saul? Was Samuel only delivering God’s judgment on Saul, or was there perhaps a personal agenda behind his condemnation?
The role and impact of student leadership on participants in a healthy eating and physical activity programme
Authors: Gutuskey Lila , McCaughtry Nate , Shen Bo , Centeio Erin , Garn Alex
Published: December 2014

Objective:

In the USA there are rising rates of obesity among children, at least in part due to unhealthy eating and physical inactivity. Implementing school-based health interventions with elementary school children focused on youth empowerment could lead to improved health environments and behaviours. The purpose of the present study was to examine elementary students’ perceptions of participating in a student-led school health improvement team. Empowerment theory guided the research, specifically the concept of including participants in programming to identify possible individual-level outcomes.

Design:

Qualitative research.

Setting:

One US elementary school formed a student-led school health improvement team, focusing on healthy eating and physical activity, comprising nine students and two adult co-advisers.

Methods:

Data collection included 19 individual interviews with students and advisers and four non-participant observations of team meetings and reform initiatives. To ensure the perceptions of the research participants’ guided data analysis, analytic induction was undertaken using grounded theory.

Results:

Students and advisers shared similar perceptions that the student-led health reform process had a significant impact on several areas of students’ life skills and health behaviours. Specifically, they identified improved leadership skills (assuming responsibility, self-confidence in public speaking and pride in becoming healthy role models) and health behaviours (dietary intake and physical activity) as outcomes of their emerging identities as health reform leaders.

Conclusion:

This study documented previously identified psychological empowerment outcomes, such as perceived control and proactive health behaviours, and additional positive outcomes, such as peer modelling. The findings suggest that team membership may positively impact on young people, which could support the inclusion of students as leaders in future interventions.
Locating Frantz Fanon in Post-Apartheid South Africa
Authors: More Mabogo Percy
Published: December 2014

There is a huge re-emergence of Frantz Fanon’s ideas and an equally huge interest in his work in post-apartheid South Africa, both in the academy and social movement and organizations. Contrary to some commentators, particularly his biographers, this article aims to locate Fanon within the South African struggle for liberation. It is argued here that Fanon, throughout his life, as evidenced by his writings, was highly concerned about apartheid just as he was about French Algerian colonialism. For him, the paper claims, apartheid was synonymous with colonialism and therefore his critique of colonialism was just as much a critique of apartheid. The resurgence of his name and ideas in the country is a consequence of this critique.
Siblings, Stories and the Self: The Sociological Significance of Young People’s Sibling Relationships
Authors: Davies Katherine
Published: December 2014

This article explores the significance of intra-generational ties with siblings to sociological understandings of the formation of social identity and sense of self in young people’s lives. Drawing on data from a qualitative study exploring young people’s sense of who they are and who they have the potential to become in the future, it is demonstrated that young people’s identities are often constructed in relation to how they are similar to or different from their sibling(s). Literature expounding the role of stories in the construction of the self is used to suggest that the comparing that is at the heart of the relational construction of sibling identities can occur through the telling and re-telling of family stories within the politics and power dynamics of existing relationships. The article concludes by suggesting that sibling relationships be conceptualized as part of a web of relationships in which young people are embedded.
Sociological Ambivalence and Funeral Consumption
Authors: Szmigin Isabelle , Canning Louise
Published: December 2014

This article builds on Hillcoat-Nallétamby and Phillips’ (2011) conceptualization of sociological ambivalence within the relational framework to examine a particular consumption practice, the funeral. We develop understanding of social, cultural and relational issues that arise from the experience associated with funeral-arranging. This is not a voluntary behaviour but one engaged with through force of circumstance and which involves commercial and relational decisions. Drawing on data from 10 interviews from a larger UK study, we focus on ambivalence surrounding choice and its impact on relations, showing how sentiments including love, obligation, regret and revenge evolve and transform past and future relationships.
Negotiating Mobility: South Asian Women and Higher Education
Authors: Bagguley Paul , Hussain Yasmin
Published: December 2014

Using qualitative and quantitative data, this article explains how South Asian women’s attendance at university in Britain went from being exceptional in the 1970s to routine in the present century. Focusing upon the reflexivity of young South Asian women around issues of education, subject choice, marriage and careers in relation to their parents and their communities offers a better understanding than currently dominant social capital explanations of South Asian educational success. We show that conceptualizing reflexivity in a variety of forms following Archer better accounts for the different educational trajectories at the intersection of relations of ethnicity, class, gender and religion. The educational and career outcomes and transformations entail complex forms of resistance, negotiation and compromise across intersecting identities. These developments are transforming class and gender relations within South Asian ethnicities.
Study on the improvement of water vapor permeability and moisture absorption of microfiber synthetic leather base by collagen
Authors: Qiang Taotao , Wang Xiaoqin , Wang Xuechuan , Ren Longfang , Guo Peiying
Published: December 2014

The microfiber synthetic leather base pretreated by sulfuric acid was modified by collagen in which the organic phosphine FP was used as a cross-linking agent, for the purpose of increasing the active groups and improving its properties. Compared with the pretreated base, it was found that the amino content in the modified base was two times and the carboxyl content was three times. The water vapor permeability of the modified base increased by 65% and the moisture absorption increased by 181%. It was further found that the tensile strength of the modified base was 19.06 N/mm2, the elongation at break was 54% and the tear strength was 112.34 N/mm. The test results of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and water contact angle showed that the collagen molecules had evenly cross-linked with fiber. The modified base microfiber dispersion was greatly increased, the hydrophility was enhanced and the relative average roughness was decreased. Moreover, modification by collagen also affected the thermal properties of the base.
A model for predicting drying time period of wool yarn bobbins using computational intelligence techniques
Authors: Akyol Ugur , Tüfekci Pınar , Kahveci Kamil , Cihan Ahmet
Published: December 2014

In this study, a predictive model has been developed using computational intelligence techniques for the prediction of drying time in the wool yarn bobbin drying process. The bobbin drying process is influenced by various drying parameters, 19 of which were used as input variables in the dataset. These parameters affect the drying time of yarn bobbins, which is considered as the target variable. The dataset, which consists of these input and target variables, was collected from an experimental yarn bobbin drying system. Firstly, the most effective input variables on the target variable, named as the best feature subset of the dataset, were investigated by using a filter-based feature selection method. As a result, the most important five parameters were obtained as the best feature subset. Afterwards, the most successful method that can predict the drying time of wool yarn bobbins with the highest accuracy was explored amongst the 16 computational intelligence methods for the best feature subset. Finally, the best performance has been found by the REP tree method, which achieved minimum error and time taken to build the model.
Seam detection of inhomogeneously textured fabrics based on wavelet transform
Authors: Zhu Bo , Liu Jihong , Pan Ruru , Gao Weidong , Liu Jiangli
Published: December 2014

A large amount of seam detection for inhomogeneously textured fabrics makes those performing it fatigued, which leads to misjudgments by human vision, especially for the seam detection of patterned inhomogeneously textured fabrics. The traditional wavelet texture analysis is no longer applicable to fabrics with inhomogeneous textures and irregular patterns. In this paper, a novel mean weighting factor is proposed to obtain an optimized discriminant measure to detect the fabric seams. Firstly, the wavelet coefficients are extracted in individual decomposition levels. Then a mean weighting factor is calculated on the use of the difference of the coefficient values between two consecutive decomposition levels, and a better discriminant measure for seam detection is obtained. Lastly, a thresholding process is used to segment the seam information from the background. The experimental results show that the proposed approach effectively carries out the seam detection in the inhomogeneously textured fabric images.
School Security and Student Misbehavior
Authors: Servoss Timothy J.
Published: December 2014

Despite a nationwide trend to increase security measures in schools, their effectiveness in reducing or preventing student misbehavior remains largely unexamined. In addition, there is concern that increased security may have unintended negative side effects and is applied inequitably across students of disparate racial/ethnic backgrounds. The purpose of this study was to explore student differences between high- and low-security schools and to understand the relationship of security to student misbehavior. Data from 10,577 Grade 10 students from 504 public schools from the Education Longitudinal Study were examined. Numerous differences in students served by high- and low-security schools were noted; high-security schools were more likely to serve African American students. Security was negatively associated with student self-reported misbehavior but was unrelated to teacher ratings. Security interacted with race/ethnicity such that African American students were rated as having higher levels of disruptive and attendance-related misbehavior by teachers in schools with higher levels of security.
Acute viral hepatitis E presenting with haemolytic anaemia and acute renal failure in a patient with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency
Authors: Tomar Laxmikant Ramkumarsingh , Aggarwal Amitesh , Jain Piyush , Rajpal Surender , Agarwal Mukul P
Published: December 2014

The association of acute hepatitis E viral (HEV) infection with glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency leading to extensive intravascular haemolysis is a very rare clinical entity. Here we discuss such a patient, who presented with acute HEV illness, developed severe intravascular haemolysis and unusually high levels of bilirubin, complicated by acute renal failure (ARF), and was later on found to have a deficiency of G6PD. The patient recovered completely with haemodialysis and supportive management.
During Furloughs, Who Is More Attached to a Public University? Staff? Faculty? . . . Managers
Authors: Pelletier Kathie L. , Kottke Janet L. , Reza Ernesto M.
Published: December 2014

Perceived organizational membership (POM) is a relatively new framework to analyze the attachment of employees to their organizations. To date, there are no studies that have examined POM in public higher education. Furthermore, there are relatively few studies that have explored attitudes of public personnel in the context of pay cuts in the form of furloughs. In this article, we present the findings of a survey of more than 5,000 public university faculty, administrative support staff, and managerial personnel. On most POM facets, managerial personnel perceived greater organizational need fulfillment, mattering, and belonging than either faculty or support staff. Implications for university administrators and faculty are discussed, with recommendations to increase POM for all employees.
The Differentiation of Security Forces and the Onset of Genocidal Violence
Authors: Pilster Ulrich , Böhmelt Tobias , Tago Atsushi
Published: December 2014

Which factors drive the onset of genocidal violence? While the previous literature identified several important influences, states’ military capabilities for conducting mass-killings and the structure of their security forces have received surprisingly little attention so far. The authors take this shortcoming as a motivation for their research. A theoretical framework is developed, which argues that more differentiated security forces, that is, forces that are composed of a higher number of independent paramilitary and military organizations, are likely to act as a restraint factor in the process leading to state-sponsored mass-killings. Quantitative analyses support the argument for a sample of state-failure years for 1971–2003, and it is also shown that considering a state’s security force structure improves our ability to forecast genocides.
Are the Armed Forces Understood and Supported by the Public? A View from the United Kingdom
Authors: Hines Lindsey A. , Gribble Rachael , Wessely Simon , Dandeker Christopher , Fear Nicola T.
Published: December 2014

Despite the importance of public opinion in supporting the military and their missions, little is known about how the UK public perceive their Armed Forces. This article reviews and evaluates available research and opinion poll data of public attitudes toward the UK military and situates the evidence within the civil–military gap literature. Current evidence suggests public regard for the UK Armed Forces is high despite low levels of support for the Iraq and Afghanistan missions. Public understanding of the work of the Armed Forces is limited. Nonetheless, the United Kingdom’s long history of military deployments may have given the public an “intuitive understanding” of the basic realities of the military compared with other European states. There are indications of differences in attitudes between the UK Armed Forces and wider British society, but no firm evidence that the civil–military “gap” has become a “gulf” as claimed by some military leaders.
Military Spending and Electoral Systems
Authors: Hunter Lance Y. , Robbins Joseph W.
Published: December 2014

The implications for funding a military, though important, are still not fully understood. Existing work often surmises that military spending is higher in majoritarian electoral systems that are predicated on personalistic ties. However, further examination casts doubt upon these findings. Accordingly, we present a pooled time-series cross-sectional analysis of military spending and electoral institutions and we find that party-based electoral systems, rather than majoritarian ones, foment higher military spending levels—which we attribute to these systems’ predilection for public goods spending. These results are robust even when a host of control measures and four different military spending metrics are employed.
Pragmatism, The New Republic, and American Public Administration at Its Founding
Authors: Brennan John F. , Keller Lawrence F.
Published: December 2014

We argue that philosophical pragmatism explicitly influenced the founding of American public administration. We analyze the case of The New Republic magazine to support our contention. The New Republic was founded in 1914 and edited by two pragmatists—Herbert Croly and Walter Lippmann—and put forth a pragmatic editorial stance that supported administrative innovations in American government that characterized the era. We illustrate the magazine’s pragmatic orientation toward public administration by analyzing the editorials of Croly and Lippmann and the writings of John Dewey, Frederick Cleveland, and Charles Beard—all written during the magazine’s first decade of publication.
Towards improving XML search by using structure clustering technique
Authors: Shalabi Rehab , Elfatatry Ahmed
Published: December 2014

Searching large XML repositories is a challenging research problem. The application of clustering on a large repository before performing a search enhances the search process significantly. Clustering reduces a search space into smaller XML collections that can be better searched. In this work, we present an enhanced XML clustering by structure method. Also, we introduce a new representation of XML structure that keeps all characteristics of XML structure without summarization. Then, we perform a benchmark comparison between the search results of our improved method to SAXON and Qizx XML XQuery processors. The comparison focuses on search processing time and accuracy of the results using different sizes of datasets for both homogeneous and heterogeneous XML documents. The attained results show better accuracy at the same level of performance.
A linguistic approach for determining the topics of Spanish Twitter messages
Authors: Vilares David , Alonso Miguel A. , Gómez-Rodríguez Carlos
Published: December 2014

The vast number of opinions and reviews provided in Twitter is helpful in order to make interesting findings about a given industry, but given the huge number of messages published every day, it is important to detect the relevant ones. In this respect, the Twitter search functionality is not a practical tool when we want to poll messages dealing with a given set of general topics. This article presents an approach to classify Twitter messages into various topics. We tackle the problem from a linguistic angle, taking into account part-of-speech, syntactic and semantic information, showing how language processing techniques should be adapted to deal with the informal language present in Twitter messages. The TASS 2013 General corpus, a collection of tweets that has been specifically annotated to perform text analytics tasks, is used as the dataset in our evaluation framework. We carry out a wide range of experiments to determine which kinds of linguistic information have the greatest impact on this task and how they should be combined in order to obtain the best-performing system. The results lead us to conclude that relating features by means of contextual information adds complementary knowledge over pure lexical models, making it possible to outperform them on standard metrics for multilabel classification tasks.
Effect of n‐Butyl‐2‐cyanoacrylate on the Tensile Strength and Pressure Resistance of Tracheal Anastomoses Ex Vivo
Authors: Bicer Yusuf Ozgur , Koybasi Serap , Kazaz Hasan , Seyhan Sinan
Published: December 2014

Objectives

To investigate the effects of n‐butyl‐2‐cyanoacrylate on tracheal anastomoses in terms of increased tension and intraluminal pressure ex vivo.

Study Design

Ex vivo experimental study.

Setting

Tertiary referral center (Department of Otolaryngology).

Subjects and Methods

Thirty sheep tracheas were used. Four cartilage rings were resected from the tracheas that were 20 cm in length. End‐to‐end anastomoses were performed by using Vicryl only (group 1), Vicryl and n‐butyl‐2‐cyanoacrylate (group 2), and n‐butyl‐2‐cyanoacrylate only (group 3). The amount of force to break off the anastomosis and the amount of intraluminal pressure to arouse air leakage through the anastomosis were measured.

Results

The mean force required to break off was 171.9 ± 29.7 N in group 1, 164.8 ± 26 N in group 2, and 13.52 ± 2 N in group 3. The mean force required to break off in group 3 was significantly lower than those in groups 1 and 2 (P =. 008 and P =. 008, respectively). The mean pressure required to cause air leakage was 49.6 ± 9.1 mm Hg in group 1, 113 ± 14.4 mm Hg in group 2, and 15 ± 4.2 mm Hg in group 3. Group 2 was found to be more resistant to intraluminal pressure than groups 1 and 3 (P =. 008 and P =. 008, respectively).

Conclusion

n‐Butyl‐2‐cyanoacrylate had no significant effect on tensile strength. However, its application on the suture line provided extra pressure resistance ex vivo. We believe that further studies need to be conducted to investigate its long‐term effects and histological impact on tracheal anastomoses in vivo.