bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Processing Graded Feedback: Electrophysiological Correlates of Learning from Small and Large Errors
Authors: Luft Caroline Di Bernardi , Takase Emilio , Bhattacharya Joydeep
Published: December 2013

Feedback processing is important for learning and therefore may affect the consolidation of skills. Considerable research demonstrates electrophysiological differences between correct and incorrect feedback, but how we learn from small versus large errors is usually overlooked. This study investigated electrophysiological differences when processing small or large error feedback during a time estimation task. Data from high-learners and low-learners were analyzed separately. In both high- and low-learners, large error feedback was associated with higher feedback-related negativity (FRN) and small error feedback was associated with a larger P300 and increased amplitude over the motor related areas of the left hemisphere. In addition, small error feedback induced larger desynchronization in the alpha and beta bands with distinctly different topographies between the two learning groups: The high-learners showed a more localized decrease in beta power over the left frontocentral areas, and the low-learners showed a widespread reduction in the alpha power following small error feedback. Furthermore, only the high-learners showed an increase in phase synchronization between the midfrontal and left central areas. Importantly, this synchronization was correlated to how well the participants consolidated the estimation of the time interval. Thus, although large errors were associated with higher FRN, small errors were associated with larger oscillatory responses, which was more evident in the high-learners. Altogether, our results suggest an important role of the motor areas in the processing of error feedback for skill consolidation.
Love to Win or Hate to Lose? Asymmetry of Dopamine D2 Receptor Binding Predicts Sensitivity to Reward versus Punishment
Authors: Tomer Rachel , Slagter Heleen A. , Christian Bradley T. , Fox Andrew S. , King Carlye R. , Murali Dhanabalan , Gluck Mark A. , Davidson Richard J.
Published: December 2013

Humans show consistent differences in the extent to which their behavior reflects a bias toward appetitive approach-related behavior or avoidance of aversive stimuli [Elliot, A. J. Approach and avoidance motivation. In A. J. Elliot (Ed.), Handbook of approach and avoidance motivation (pp. 3–14). New York: Psychology Press, 2008]. We examined the hypothesis that in healthy participants this motivational bias (assessed by self-report and by a probabilistic learning task that allows direct comparison of the relative sensitivity to reward and punishment) reflects lateralization of dopamine signaling. Using [F-18]fallypride to measure D2/D3 binding, we found that self-reported motivational bias was predicted by the asymmetry of frontal D2 binding. Similarly, striatal and frontal asymmetries in D2 dopamine receptor binding, rather than absolute binding levels, predicted individual differences in learning from reward versus punishment. These results suggest that normal variation in asymmetry of dopamine signaling may, in part, underlie human personality and cognition.
Commonalities for Numerical and Continuous Quantity Skills at Temporo-parietal Junction
Authors: Cappelletti Marinella , Chamberlain Rebecca , Freeman Elliot D. , Kanai Ryota , Butterworth Brian , Price Cathy J. , Rees Geraint
Published: December 2013

How do our abilities to process number and other continuous quantities such as time and space relate to each other? Recent evidence suggests that these abilities share common magnitude processing and neural resources, although other findings also highlight the role of dimension-specific processes. To further characterize the relation between number, time, and space, we first examined them in a population with a developmental numerical dysfunction (developmental dyscalculia) and then assessed the extent to which these abilities correlated both behaviorally and anatomically in numerically normal participants. We found that (1) participants with dyscalculia showed preserved continuous quantity processing and (2) in numerically normal adults, numerical and continuous quantity abilities were at least partially dissociated both behaviorally and anatomically. Specifically, gray matter volume correlated with both measures of numerical and continuous quantity processing in the right TPJ; in contrast, individual differences in number proficiency were associated with gray matter volume in number-specific cortical regions in the right parietal lobe. Together, our new converging evidence of selective numerical impairment and of number-specific brain areas at least partially distinct from common magnitude areas suggests that the human brain is equipped with different ways of quantifying the outside world.
Competitive Interactions of Attentional Resources in Early Visual Cortex during Sustained Visuospatial Attention within or between Visual Hemifields: Evidence for the Different-hemifield Advantage
Authors: Walter Sabrina , Quigley Cliodhna , Mueller Matthias M.
Published: December 2013

Performing a task across the left and right visual hemifields results in better performance than in a within-hemifield version of the task, termed the different-hemifield advantage. Although recent studies used transient stimuli that were presented with long ISIs, here we used a continuous objective electrophysiological (EEG) measure of competitive interactions for attentional processing resources in early visual cortex, the steady-state visual evoked potential (SSVEP). We frequency-tagged locations in each visual quadrant and at central fixation by flickering light-emitting diodes (LEDs) at different frequencies to elicit distinguishable SSVEPs. Stimuli were presented for several seconds, and participants were cued to attend to two LEDs either in one (Within) or distributed across left and right visual hemifields (Across). In addition, we introduced two reference measures: one for suppressive interactions between the peripheral LEDs by using a task at fixation where attention was withdrawn from the periphery and another estimating the upper bound of SSVEP amplitude by cueing participants to attend to only one of the peripheral LEDs. We found significantly greater SSVEP amplitude modulations in Across compared with Within hemifield conditions. No differences were found between SSVEP amplitudes elicited by the peripheral LEDs when participants attended to the centrally located LEDs compared with when peripheral LEDs had to be ignored in Across and Within trials. Attending to only one LED elicited the same SSVEP amplitude as Across conditions. Although behavioral data displayed a more complex pattern, SSVEP amplitudes were well in line with the predictions of the different-hemifield advantage account during sustained visuospatial attention.
Muscari erdalii (Asparagaceae, Scilloideae), a new species from Southern Turkey
Authors: Demirci Serpil , Özhatay Neriman , Koçyiğit Mine
Published: December 2013

Muscari erdalii is described as a new species from Mersin, Southern Turkey. A description, photographs and identification key to the subgenus Leopoldia for Turkish species are given. The morphological differences between the new species and related taxa (M. tenuiflorum Tausch, M. babachii Eker & Koyuncu) are also presented. Also the karyomorphology of M. erdalii, M. tenuiflorum and M. babachii is presented and discussed. The chromosome number of the new species is 2n = 18.
Two new species of Gaeolaelaps (Acari: Laelapidae) from Iran
Authors: NEMATI ALIREZA , MOHSENI MASTANEH
Published: December 2013

This paper reports on two new species of mites of the genus Gaeolaelaps in soil from Iran, G. farajii sp. nov., and G. orbiculatus sp. nov.. A key to the species of Gaeolaelaps with short peritremes is presented.
The red-listed species Thamnurgus rossicus in East Europe is a synonym of the rare Central European species, T. petzi (Curculionidae: Scolytinae)
Authors: JORDAL BJARTE H. , GEBHARDT HEIKO , MANDELSHTAM MICHAIL Y.
Published: December 2013

The taxonomic status of Thamnurgus rossicus was evaluated with respect to the morphologically similar T. petzi using genetic markers. Nucleotide data from the mitochondrial COI gene revealed 2.4% variation between the European Alps and Russian steppe populations. The two nuclear DNA markers CAD and EF1á were identical across populations. In view of their similar morphology, genetic composition, and the partial overlap in host plant preferences (Ranunculaceae: Aconitum and Delphinium), T. rossicus is placed in synonymy with T. petzi.
JESSE EASTER (2013) A new name for the oviraptorid dinosaur “Ingenia” yanshini (Barsbold, 1981; preoccupied by Gerlach, 1957). Zootaxa, 3737(2): 184–190.
Authors: EASTER JESSE
Published: December 2013

The following corrections and acknowledgements should be added to the paper.
Insecurity and Economic Inequality in the United States
Authors: Pattnayak Satya R.
Published: December 2013

In recent memory, the United States has lived under a heightened sense of insecurity. This sense of insecurity, which initially emanated from the terrorist attacks in September 2001, subsequently has been extended to the employment and financial sectors. As a response to terrorism, multiple Congressional laws have put added restrictions on the movement of humans, capital, and goods and services. On the whole, such policy changes have contributed to a climate of securitization of the major areas of American life. The sense of insecurity has been correlated with a level of economic inequality previously unseen in American history. It is argued that to address both issues simultaneously, the United States should foster improved relations with both Mexico and Canada. The pending legislation in the US Congress on comprehensive immigration reform may hold one of the keys to addressing the problems of both insecurity and inequality in a meaningful way.
Homeward journey abroad: Nirad C. Chaudhuri and the tradition of twentieth century Indian national autobiographies
Authors: Chattopadhyay Sayan
Published: December 2013

This article seeks to place the autobiographical works of the maverick intellectual Nirad C. Chaudhuri within the context of twentieth-century Indian national autobiographies. It begins by tracing the trajectory of exile and homecoming that forms an integral part of the structural convention of this genre. It explores the conventional notions of “Indianness” and “West”, and village and city that act as opposite poles in the national autobiographies, orienting the journey of exile and return. The article then goes on to show how Chaudhuri’s works deconstruct the India/West and village/city binaries by reversing the conventional spatial direction of the life’s journey while paradoxically conforming to the same pattern of exile and homecoming.
Toward a Political Economy of Regime Values, Ethics, and Institutions in a Context of Globalization and Hypermodernity
Authors: Adams Guy B. , Balfour Danny L.
Published: December 2013

In this article, we discuss the recent ascendancy of the market state and its consequences for regime values, ethics, and institutions. Three types of market states—entrepreneurial, managerial, and mercantile—are outlined, along with their primary ethical basis and associated public values. We then turn to a discussion of globalization and hypermodernity, which we argue characterize the current global cultural context. Difficult as it may be to imagine, we suggest that a global response is likely the only way to address worldwide governance challenges and offer three trajectories that—even if vigorously pursued—seem likely only to ameliorate our global challenges at best.
Human Capital Pipelines
Authors: Brymer Rhett A. , Molloy Janice C. , Gilbert Brett A.
Published: December 2013

This article offers pipelines as a new perspective on human capital heterogeneity between firms. Using resource-based theory logic, we define pipelines as repeated interorganizational hiring and a practice firms use to differentially acquire and accumulate human capital and mitigate human capital risks. Pipelines are a ubiquitous staffing practice with ambiguous implications for firm performance that to date have eluded scholarly examination. Thus we use a systems framework to highlight input, output, and process contingencies in which pipeline hiring can create advantage over rivals—contingencies of human capital scarcity in the labor market, the choice of firm activity system, and product market ambiguity (i.e., credence qualities), respectively. Collectively, the article’s theoretical foundations provide new insights for human resource, strategy, and human capital fields and open the conceptual space of pipelines for examination by organizational scholars. We discuss the theoretical, empirical, and practical implications accordingly.
Public Entrepreneurship and Interlocal Cooperation in County Government
Authors: Delabbio Daryl J. , Zeemering Eric S.
Published: December 2013

The use of interlocal agreements for the delivery of public services has expanded in recent years. Prior studies show that county governments are well positioned to exercise leadership in the development of interlocal cooperation. Theories of public entrepreneurship and institutional collective action can help us better understand when county government leaders pursue new interlocal agreements or shared service delivery projects. Using a survey of county leaders in five states, this research outlines several hypotheses linking institutional context to county leaders’ roles in the expansion of interlocal cooperation. The survey identifies distinct patterns of support for preparing for interlocal cooperation inside the county and reaching out to other local governments. The findings highlight the need for new research about counties’ internal preparation for interlocal cooperation as well as managers’ tolerance for entrepreneurship and risk.
Collaborative Service Delivery
Authors: Hilvert Cheryl , Swindell David
Published: December 2013

Local government managers continue to face an array of challenges that have created the opportunity for new and innovative ways to achieve high quality and less expensive service delivery in their communities. Many such innovative efforts have emerged as part of some form of collaboration by the local governmental jurisdiction with private, nonprofit, or other public entities. This article provides a perspective to highlight important factors local officials should bear in mind in deciding which services might benefit from such collaborations, as well as which form of collaboration might be most likely to help a community achieve its goals.
Local Government Collaboration
Authors: Benton J. Edwin
Published: December 2013

The purpose of this article is to lay a foundation for a better understanding of the nature of local government collaboration, the rationale for and pros and cons of entering into them, the considerations and issues that accompany these kinds of arrangements, and their prospects for success. Taking a closer look at local governments collaborative is particularly timely and relevant, given the lingering anguish associated with the great recession and the prospect for local governments having to adapt to the exigencies and challenges of providing services in what many in academia and government are projecting to be the new normal. While the five articles that follow will address many of the topics highlighted previously and hopefully provide more informed answers than lingering questions, additional, follow-up research and the development of best case scenarios will be both welcomed and warranted.
The Changing Landscape of Total Laryngectomy Surgery
Authors: Verma Sunil P. , Mahboubi Hossein
Published: December 2013

Objective

To determine if the number of total laryngectomies (TL) performed in California has changed over a 15‐year period from 1996 to 2010. We also sought to investigate if the location of surgery, length of stay, use of rotational/free flaps, cost, and complications changed over this period.

Study Design

Cross‐sectional.

Setting

California Hospital Inpatient Discharge Data sets.

Subjects and Methods

All patient records enlisting International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification procedural codes for total/radical laryngectomy were extracted from 1996 to 2010 data sets. Patients’ demographics were evaluated. Hospitals were coded as university medical centers (UMCs) vs others. Population‐adjusted surgery rates, percentage of surgeries with rotational/free flap and/or percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG), length of stay, total charges, and disposition status were then analyzed and compared between UMCs and non‐UMCs.

Results

A total of 4145 TLs were performed in California during 1996 to 2010. The overall number of surgeries declined from 1.3 to 0.6 per 100,000 California residents (P <. 001). The number of surgeries performed in non‐UMCs dropped by 70% during this period (P <. 001). The median length of stay increased from 10 to 12 days, and the median total charges increased from $45,000 to $192,000 over the 15‐year period. The use of rotational/free flaps more than doubled, and the use of PEG tubes increased 7‐fold.

Conclusion

The total number of TLs in California has declined and surgeries are currently being performed equally at UMCs and non‐UMCs. The use of rotational/free flaps, costs, hospital stay length, and complications have increased over the past 15 years.
Application of fuzzy set to lot-sizing production planning with remanufacturing and heterogeneous demands
Authors: Jing Yi , Wang Xu , Li Wenchuan , Deng Lei
Published: December 2013

Remanufacturing, which processes end-of-life products with disassembly, testing, reprocessing, and reassembly operations in such a way that their quality and performance is restored, has attracted substantial interest in recent years. In this article, we address a capacitated dynamic lot-sizing problem with remanufacturing, in which there are heterogeneous demand streams for newly manufactured products assembled wholly by brand-new components and remanufactured ones reassembled by reprocessed components. The demand for remanufactured products could also be satisfied by new ones, as remanufactured products do not meet self-demand, but not vice versa. For this planning problem, a fuzzy mixed integer linear programming model, which considers the uncertainties of market demands, the quantity of end-of-life products available, the remanufacturable rate, selling prices, unit cost values, and capacity constraints, is developed by triangular fuzzy numbers. After that, the fuzzy mixed integer linear programming model is transformed into a crisp equivalent by clarifying fuzzy constraints and objective. The solution approach is designed by genetic algorithm, in which self-adaptive formula is adopted to resolve difficulty in obtaining optimum value of crossover probability and mutation probability. Finally, a numerical example is suggested to demonstrate the applicability and effectiveness of the proposed model and solution approach.
Three-dimensional finite element simulation of gas tungsten arc welding for β-titanium alloy
Authors: Rathore Vijay S , Balachandar K
Published: December 2013

In the current study, three-dimensional simulation of an autogenous gas tungsten arc welding of β-titanium alloy (Ti-15V-3Cr-3Sn-3Al) was attempted using the finite element method. Models were developed for continuous current and pulsed current welding at different frequencies (2, 4 and 6 Hz). The transient temperature distributions along the heat-affected zone of the simulated weldments were predicted by considering a moving heat source, the surface heat flux distribution and convectional heat loss in the welded plates. Comparative studies of cooling rates and peak temperatures of the simulated welds between all the generated models were conducted. A realistic temperature at the weld center was also predicted. Results show that both peak temperature and cooling rate exhibit increments with pulsing and also with the increase in frequency up to 4 Hz. Obtained results validated against experimental data showed good agreement.
Family Music Concerts
Authors: Kenney Susan Hobson
Published: December 2013

This article describes how conductors of the top performing groups and music education faculty at one university collaborated to create a Family Concert Series for parents and children of all ages, including infants in arms. Recognizing the conflict between “The first three years of life are the most important for educating a young child in music” and “Children under the age of six are not allowed to attend the concert,” the Family Concert Series is an attempt to resolve the issue. The Family Concerts require a minimum of extra work for conductors and are becoming a curriculum component for university music education students. This article also includes strategies that teachers might use in classrooms with recorded music when live music is not available.
Survey of Staff and Family Members of Patients in Bulgarian Hospices on the Concept of “Good Death”
Authors: Aleksandrova-Yankulovska Silviya , ten Have Henk
Published: December 2013

The concept of a “good death” has been intensely discussed over the past decades. The objective of this study is to investigate this concept among staff and patients’ relatives in 29 Bulgarian hospices and 5 palliative care units. Self-administered questionnaires were completed by 190 members of staff and 216 patients’ relatives. Death without pain and suffering and death in one’s sleep were leading concepts in both the groups. Staff preferred death in the presence of relatives, while relatives preferred fast and sudden death. Although we were able to define the common concept of a good death as painless and sudden death in one’s sleep, death is unique phenomenon and good palliative care should be based on communication with patients about their idea of a good death.
Solitary Lesions With Fibrosis and Increased IgG4+ Plasma Cells
Authors: Lee Lik Hang , Shaffer Eldon A. , Falck Vincent , Kelly Margaret M.
Published: December 2013

We assessed 6 cases acquired during routine surgical sign-out for IgG4-related disease (IRD) according to criteria from a recent consensus meeting. These cases fulfilled the morphologic criteria—that is, dense lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates, IgG4:IgG ratio greater than or equal to 0.4, and fibrosis (storiform in 4 cases—but were associated with malignancy or did not fulfill the criteria for a new site. These criteria include increased serum IgG4 (normal in the majority of IRD) and a response to glucocorticoids, which is not appropriate treatment for resectable lesions as in our cases. Until more is known about the natural history of the disease, we propose that the possibility of an early, localized, or forme fruste of IRD should be considered and that cases associated with malignancy should at least be documented. Although we acknowledge the value of the consensus criteria, their strict application may result in missed opportunities to study the disease.
Multirater Reliability of the Historical, Clinical, and Risk Management-20
Authors: Penney Stephanie R. , McMaster Robert , Wilkie Treena
Published: December 2013

The assessment and management of risk for future violence is a core requirement of mental health professionals in many settings. Despite an increasing need for violence risk assessments across diverse contexts, little is known regarding the ecological validity of many widely used risk assessment schemes or the level of reliability with which actual practicing clinicians score these instruments. The current study investigated the interrater reliability of the Historical, Clinical, and Risk Management-20 (HCR-20), a widely used structured professional tool to assess violence risk, among 21 practicing clinicians in a forensic psychiatric program in Ontario, Canada. Results suggest that clinicians with varying professional training backgrounds and experience were able to rate the HCR-20 with good to excellent levels of reliability across three patients who varied in risk level. Consistent with studies investigating rater reliability for research purposes, we found that the risk management scale of the HCR-20 was the most challenging for clinicians to rate reliably. Importantly, results from generalizability theory analyses revealed that less than 3% of the variance in HCR-20 total scores and summary risk ratings is attributable to rater effects, whereas the majority of variance is attributable to differences among patients.
Adaptation to Flooding in Urban Areas
Authors: Heikkila Eric J. , Huang Mylinh
Published: December 2013

New Orleans and Bangkok are vivid examples of major urban areas recently affected by massive inundations of floodwaters. The pending effects of climate change may exacerbate this problem; yet, local decision makers lack a clear and consistent framework for analyzing the costs and benefits of alternative modes of adaptation. This article offers a primer on the economic analysis of three distinct modes of adaptation, with a view to assist planners in determining the best course of action for their respective cities. These responses include (a) physical modifications to the environment through adaptive topography and adaptive infrastructure, (b) modify land uses to locate or relocate vulnerable populations away from flood-prone areas, and (c) concentrate more efforts on clean up and recovery after the fact. Our analysis is designed to help planners determine which of these three adaptive responses to urban flooding are best suited to their own local circumstances.
Institutional Legacy as the Driver of Port Development Strategy
Authors: Miller Chad R.
Published: December 2013

Numerous East and Gulf Coast ports are undergoing expansions based on the prospect of increased cargo from the expansion of the Panama Canal. The Port of Gulfport in Mississippi is one of these port projects. This commentary explores how and why Mississippi decided to make a huge public investment in port infrastructure. An historical approach is used to explore the factors that led to the investment decisions. The need for economic development and competition from neighboring ports were found to be legacy factors driving the decision-making. The lessons from the case include the need for effective public relations, to understand market forces that impact port success, and to consider how seaports influence economic development in the metropolitan region and state in which they are located.
Identifying Critical Elements of Treatment
Authors: Rieth Sarah R. , Stahmer Aubyn C. , Suhrheinrich Jessica , Schreibman Laura , Kennedy Joanna , Ross Benjamin
Published: December 2013

Evidence-based treatments for autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are comprised of components that identify therapist behavior necessary to implement the treatment with integrity. Some components are shared across approaches from diverse theoretical backgrounds. One component included in several interventions that has not been researched in isolation is turn taking, or the manner in which the therapist facilitates back-and-forth interaction with the child. The current study used an alternating treatments design to examine the efficacy of four types of turn taking. Six children, ages 30 to 39 months, received behavioral treatment while therapists systematically varied the nature of the turn taking component. Children’s responses were behaviorally scored to examine differences based on turn condition. Consistent patterns of behavior were found across children. Results suggest that the optimal type of turn is dependent on developmental level and target skill. Implications for treatment of ASD and future research directions are discussed.
Nativist but not alienated
Authors: Zhirkov Kirill
Published: December 2013

In the present study I use large-scale survey data to compare radical right voting to other forms of electoral behavior in Western Europe. The chosen method, multilevel multinomial logistic regression, allows, first, distinguishing among voting for several party families as well as abstention and, second, controlling for differences between countries and survey rounds. I find that the radical right electorate is not characterized by social alienation or anti-modern values; these characteristics are more likely to be encountered among people who abstain from elections. Radical right voting is most strongly motivated by political attitudes, namely by negative perception of immigration, political mistrust, opposition to income redistribution, and – rather unexpectedly – political satisfaction. My analysis also shows that radical right parties in different West European countries attract voters with similar ideological orientations which remain relatively stable over time. In the conclusion I discuss the implications of my findings for comparative research on the radical right party family.
El Tequio: Social capital, civic advocacy journalism and the construction of a transnational public sphere by Mexican indigenous migrants in the US
Authors: Mercado Antonieta
Published: December 2013

This paper discusses the importance of transnational communication and civic practices of indigenous Mexican immigrants in the US. Using a content analysis of El Tequio, a magazine produced by a pan-ethnic and multi-sited organization called the Indigenous Front of Binational Organizations, it shows what Alexis de Tocqueville deemed to be the fundamental relationship between the production of media and civic participation. El Tequio is the expression of transnational communicative action and the creation of self-representation and civic advocacy journalism among marginalized communities. Stories in El Tequio are not only a “bilocal” connection between immigrants’ sending and receiving communities, but part of a transnational dialogue of global voices. This analysis demonstrates how communication practices across borders have helped in the development of bonding and bridging social capital, and have enabled the participation of marginalized minorities in at least two national public spheres through communicative action executed through immigrant networks.
Building the Evidence-Base of Effective Reading Strategies to Use With Deaf English-Language Learners
Authors: Guardino Caroline , Cannon Joanna E. , Eberst Kimberley
Published: December 2013

Nearly 25% of Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) students come from homes where a language other than English is used and are known as English-Language Learners (ELLs). Evidence-based practices used to teach students who are DHH ELLs are imperative. To build an evidence-base, successful strategies must be examined across multiple researchers, sites, and participants. This research is a replication of an effective reading strategy; teaching vocabulary using repeated preteaching sessions paired with viewing American Sign Language books on DVD. Five participants with severe to profound hearing loss participated in this multiple-baseline design (ABC) across three sets of five vocabulary words study. Results indicated that after three sessions of preteaching and viewing the DVD, the majority of participants signed correctly 90% to 100% of the targeted vocabulary. Maintenance data were collected 1 to 5 weeks following the intervention. Implications for practitioners and researchers are discussed.
Italian education beyond hierarchy
Authors: Grimaldi Emiliano , Serpieri Roberto
Published: December 2013

This article deals with the changes introduced in the Italian education system after the 1997 School Autonomy reform. Looking at the complex interplay between global influences and processes of local inflection, the work explores the degree to which we are witnessing a significant shift towards a new mode of governance and the interplay between governance changes, shifts in the mechanisms of control and the shaping of professional subjectivity. Analysing the interplay between politics, policy and culture, we draw on Newman’s analytical model to map the changes in the modes of governance and interpret them in terms of tensions between centralization/decentralization and internal/external change. The article highlights two main ‘paradoxes’ that cross-cut the political project of reforming education in Italy: (1) the coexistence of an attempt to introduce decentralized forms of governance and empower self-regulating actors with the tightening of hierarchical ties; (2) the simultaneous request to fulfil new managerialist accountability demands and continue to deal with hierarchical forms of control.
The Fishing President: Ritual in constructing leadership mythology
Authors: Kuronen Tuomas , Virtaharju Jouni
Published: December 2013

We study leadership using anthropological and visual methodological viewpoints, starting from Lévi-Strauss’ association of ritual and mythology. We explore the private fishing ritual of the Cold War era President of Finland, Urho Kekkonen and his political elite ‘tribe’ using visual discourse analysis. We show how the emergent leadership mythology was communicated both within and outside this tribe. The qualitative dataset consists of one primary and two secondary data types: photographs, and correspondence exchanges and media material fragments. We report our analysis through a photo-essay, in which the development of ritual and mythology is presented over time. Our theoretical contributions include showing the association of ritual and myth in the leadership context and how they are intertwined and how they also may separate, as well as the description of a primal leadership archetype, that of the hunter.
The Cannon–Bard Thalamic Theory of Emotions: A Brief Genealogy and Reappraisal
Authors: Dror Otniel E.
Published: December 2013

In this contribution, I examine several key publications on the physiology of emotions from the 1860s to the 1930s. I focus on physiologists who studied the emotions prior to and following William James’s 1884 Mind article, by critically reflecting on the conceptual and practical origins and constituents of the Cannon–Bard thalamic theory of emotions. I offer a historical corrective to several major assumptions in our histories of the scientific study of emotions.
William James and the Rise of the Scientific Study of Emotion
Authors: Deigh John
Published: December 2013

Recent attempts by philosophers to revive William James’s theory of emotions rest on a basic misunderstanding of James’s theory. To see why, one needs to see how James’s theory completed the transformation of the study of emotions from a study in moral philosophy to a scientific study. This essay charts that transformation.
Author Reply: Is Cannon’s Theory (Only) a “Centralized” Version of James’s?
Authors: Dror Otniel E.
Published: December 2013

In this reply, I focus on the question of whether Cannon’s theory was (only) a “centralized” version of James’s. Due to space limitations, I briefly present six observations that problematize this assertion. One of my guiding principles is that theories acquire their meaning within a particular context. From this historical perspective, and in their historical contexts, the theories were quite distinct.
More on James and the Physical Basis of Emotion
Authors: Reisenzein Rainer , Stephan Achim
Published: December 2013

We first present a reconstruction of James’s theory of emotion (JATE) and then argue for four theses: (a) Despite constructivist elements, James’s views are overall in line with basic emotions theory. (b) JATE does not exclude an influence of emotion on intentional action even in its original formulation; nevertheless, this influence is quite limited. It seems possible, however, to repair this problem of the theory. (c) Cannon’s theory of emotion is a centralized version of JATE that inherits from the latter theory a potentially fatal flaw, the insufficient physiological differentiation of emotions. (d) The core claim of JATE, that emotions are bodily feelings, is very likely false.
An Analysis of Spanish Hotel Efficiency
Authors: Fernández Manuel Angel , Becerra Rafael
Published: December 2013

Using data envelopment analysis, this paper investigates operational efficiency drivers for 166 Spanish hotels divided into medium and upper chain scale groups from 2000 through 2009. For the sample as a whole, the analysis indicated a strong relationship between quality levels and efficiency; resort hotels were more efficient than other types of properties, and large hotels were more efficient than smaller properties. The effects of star rating were shown in diverse findings regarding intangible investment and group membership. Midscale hotels belonging to a hotel group were more efficient, but that was not true of upscale properties. Quality represented a boost for midscale hotels but not for upscale properties. However, upscale properties had gained efficiency from investments in intangibles (such as information systems), while the midlevel hotels had not made those investments.
Effects of Freeze–Thaw Cycle with and without Proteolysis Inhibitors and Cryopreservant on the Biochemical and Biomechanical Properties of Articular Cartilage
Authors: Qu Chengjuan , Hirviniemi Mikko , Tiitu Virpi , Jurvelin Jukka S. , Töyräs Juha , Lammi Mikko J.
Published: December 2013

Objective:

We investigated the effects of freeze-thawing on the properties of articular cartilage.

Design:

The reproducibility of repeated biomechanical assay of the same osteochondral sample was first verified with 11 patellar plugs from 3 animals. Then, 4 osteochondral samples from 15 bovine patellae were divided into 4 groups. The reference samples were immersed in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) containing proteolysis inhibitors and biomechanically tested before storage for further analyses. Samples of group 1 were biomechanically tested before and after freeze-thawing in PBS in the absence and those of group 2 in the presence of inhibitors. Samples of the group 3 were biomechanically tested in PBS-containing inhibitors, but frozen in 30% dimethyl sulfoxide/PBS and subsequently tested in PBS supplemented with the inhibitors. Glycosaminoglycan contents of the samples and immersion solutions were analyzed, and proteoglycan structures examined with SDS-agarose gel electrophoresis.

Results:

Freeze-thawing decreased slightly dynamic moduli in all 3 groups. The glycosaminoglycan contents and proteoglycan structures of the cartilage were similar in all experimental groups. Occasionally, the diffused proteoglycans were partly degraded in group 1. Digital densitometry revealed similar staining intensities for the glycosaminoglycans in all groups. Use of cryopreservant had no marked effect on the glycosaminoglycan loss during freeze-thawing.

Conclusion:

The freeze-thawed cartilage samples appear suitable for the biochemical and biomechanical studies.
Network-based differential gene expression analysis suggests cell cycle related genes regulated by E2F1 underlie the molecular difference between smoker and non-smoker lung adenocarcinoma
Authors: Wu Chao , Zhu Jun , Zhang Xuegong
Published: December 2013

Background

Differential gene expression (DGE) analysis is commonly used to reveal the deregulated molecular mechanisms of complex diseases. However, traditional DGE analysis (e.g., the t test or the rank sum test) tests each gene independently without considering interactions between them. Top-ranked differentially regulated genes prioritized by the analysis may not directly relate to the coherent molecular changes underlying complex diseases. Joint analyses of co-expression and DGE have been applied to reveal the deregulated molecular modules underlying complex diseases. Most of these methods consist of separate steps: first to identify gene-gene relationships under the studied phenotype then to integrate them with gene expression changes for prioritizing signature genes, or vice versa. It is warrant a method that can simultaneously consider gene-gene co-expression strength and corresponding expression level changes so that both types of information can be leveraged optimally.

Results

In this paper, we develop a gene module based method for differential gene expression analysis, named network-based differential gene expression (nDGE) analysis, a one-step integrative process for prioritizing deregulated genes and grouping them into gene modules. We demonstrate that nDGE outperforms existing methods in prioritizing deregulated genes and discovering deregulated gene modules using simulated data sets. When tested on a series of smoker and non-smoker lung adenocarcinoma data sets, we show that top differentially regulated genes identified by the rank sum test in different sets are not consistent while top ranked genes defined by nDGE in different data sets significantly overlap. nDGE results suggest that a differentially regulated gene module, which is enriched for cell cycle related genes and E2F1 targeted genes, plays a role in the molecular differences between smoker and non-smoker lung adenocarcinoma.

Conclusions

In this paper, we develop nDGE to prioritize deregulated genes and group them into gene modules by simultaneously considering gene expression level changes and gene-gene co-regulations. When applied to both simulated and empirical data, nDGE outperforms the traditional DGE method. More specifically, when applied to smoker and non-smoker lung cancer sets, nDGE results illustrate the molecular differences between smoker and non-smoker lung cancer.
The early phase transcriptome of bovine monocyte-derived macrophages infected with Staphylococcus aureus in vitro
Authors: Lewandowska-Sabat Anna Monika , Boman Guro Margrethe , Downing Alison , Talbot Richard , Storset Anne Kristine , Olsaker Ingrid
Published: December 2013

Background

In the mammary gland, local recruitment and action of macrophages is a key immunological defence mechanism against infection. Macrophages are members of the innate immune system, serve as the first line of the defence against invading pathogens and are critical effectors and regulators of inflammation. We have examined the early phase response of bovine macrophages to infection with live Staphylococcus aureus. Genome-wide transcript profiling of blood monocyte-derived macrophages from six Norwegian Red heifers infected with live S. aureus for 2 and 6 hours in vitro was performed.

Results

About 420 of the 17 000 genes on the ARK-Genomics bovine cDNA array were differentially regulated at 6 hours post infection. Approximately 70% of the responding genes had a known identity (Entrez Gene ID) and were used in the identification of overrepresented pathways and biological functions in the dataset.

Analysis of a subset of differentially regulated genes (List eQG) obtained by comparison with data from genome-wide association mapping in Norwegian Red cattle identified anti-inflammatory cytokines interleukin 4 and interleukin 13 as putative expression quantitative trait loci, suggesting that S. aureus infection triggers alternative activation of macrophages. Moreover, several classical activation pathways were found, mainly cellular immune response and cytokine signaling pathways, i.e. triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 (TREM1) and nucleotide-binding and oligomerization domain-like receptor (NLR) pathways. Tumor necrosis factor receptor superfamily member 5 (CD40 ligand) was identified as an upstream regulator which points toward CD40 likely acting as a co-stimulatory receptor during Toll-like receptor 2(TLR2)-mediated inflammatory response of bovine macrophages to S. aureus infection. Furthermore, peptidoglycan was identified as an upstream regulator in the List eQG, which indicates that this bacterial cell-wall component might be pivotal in macrophage intracellular bacterial recognition during early inflammation.

Conclusions

Here we have shown that in vitro infection of bovine macrophages with live S. aureus induced both alternative and classical activation pathways. Alternative activation of macrophages may be a mechanism contributing to intracellular persistence of S. aureus in the course of inflammation such as during mastitis in dairy cattle.
OnPLS integration of transcriptomic, proteomic and metabolomic data shows multi-level oxidative stress responses in the cambium of transgenic hipI- superoxide dismutase Populus plants
Authors: Srivastava Vaibhav , Obudulu Ogonna , Bygdell Joakim , Löfstedt Tommy , Rydén Patrik , Nilsson Robert , Ahnlund Maria , Johansson Annika , Jonsson Pär , Freyhult Eva , Qvarnström Johanna , Karlsson Jan , Melzer Michael , Moritz Thomas , Trygg Johan , Hvidsten Torgeir R , Wingsle Gunnar
Published: December 2013

Background

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are involved in the regulation of diverse physiological processes in plants, including various biotic and abiotic stress responses. Thus, oxidative stress tolerance mechanisms in plants are complex, and diverse responses at multiple levels need to be characterized in order to understand them. Here we present system responses to oxidative stress inPopulusby integrating data from analyses of the cambial region of wild-type controls and plants expressing high-isoelectric-point superoxide dismutase (hipI-SOD) transcripts in antisense orientation showing a higher production of superoxide. The cambium, a thin cell layer, generates cells that differentiate to form either phloem or xylem and is hypothesized to be a major reason for phenotypic perturbations in the transgenic plants. Data from multiple platforms including transcriptomics (microarray analysis), proteomics (UPLC/QTOF-MS), and metabolomics (GC-TOF/MS, UPLC/MS, and UHPLC-LTQ/MS) were integrated using the most recent development of orthogonal projections to latent structures called OnPLS. OnPLS is a symmetrical multi-block method that does not depend on the order of analysis when more than two blocks are analysed. Significantly affected genes, proteins and metabolites were then visualized in painted pathway diagrams.

Results

The main categories that appear to be significantly influenced in the transgenic plants were pathways related to redox regulation, carbon metabolism and protein degradation, e.g. the glycolysis and pentose phosphate pathways (PPP). The results provide system-level information on ROS metabolism and responses to oxidative stress, and indicate that some initial responses to oxidative stress may share common pathways.

Conclusion

The proposed data evaluation strategy shows an efficient way of compiling complex, multi-platform datasets to obtain significant biological information.