bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Aid, institutions and economic growth in sub‐Saharan Africa: Heterogeneous donors and heterogeneous responses
Authors: Wako Hassen Abda
Published: June 2017

This study contributes to the aid‐effectiveness debate using panel data from 43 sub‐Saharan African countries over the period 1980–2013. Its novelty lies in assessing the intermediary role of institutions and the importance of recipient and donor heterogeneity. The long‐run growth effect of (aggregate) aid from “traditional” donors is robustly non‐positive, and the indirect effect is negative. Disaggregation reveals donor heterogeneity. Chinese aid outperforms aggregate aid from traditional donors with respect to growth; however, it has a negative institutional effect. Recipient heterogeneity is largely a short‐run phenomenon, with only a few countries showing some deviations from shared long‐run parameter sets. Comparing donor behavior suggests that the future of aid would benefit more from focusing on quality – particularly, specialization and donor alignment.
Preliminary Validation of a Korean Version of the Acquired Capability for Suicide Scale‐Fearlessness About Death
Authors: Seo Jang‐Won , Kwon Seok‐Man
Published: June 2017

The interpersonal‐psychological theory of suicide proposes that the desire for suicide must be accompanied by the capability to do so in order for an individual to engage in suicidal behavior. The Acquired Capability for Suicide Scale‐Fearlessness about Death (ACSS‐FAD) measures fearlessness about death, a core component of the capability for suicide. This study aimed to validate a Korean version of the ACSS‐FAD in a college student sample. We administered the ACSS‐FAD and measures of suicide ideation, fear of suicide, death anxiety, pain anxiety, and depression in a sample of Korean college students (N = 301) and analyzed its reliability, factor structure, invariance across genders, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. The one‐factor model achieved satisfactory model fit. Across genders, partial metric invariance and partial scalar invariance were established. The results also revealed that the ACSS‐FAD has good internal consistency, convergent validity (positive correlations with fear of suicide, death anxiety, and pain anxiety), and discriminant validity (no relation with depression). The Korean version of the ACSS‐FAD presents adequate psychometric properties and may be considered to be a promising instrument for measuring fearlessness about death in college students.
Phylogenetic position of a remarkable new fideliine bee from northern Chile (Hymenoptera: Megachilidae)
Authors: PACKER LAURENCE , LITMAN JESSICA , PRAZ CHRISTOPHE J.
Published: June 2017

Fideliine bees are an archaic group with a disjunct distribution mostly restricted to deserts of South America and South Africa. This group was previously thought to be more diverse in Africa than in South America, where only one genus (Neofidelia) comprising five species is known. Here we describe a species belonging to a second South American genus: Xenofidelia colorada Packer gen. et sp.n., from northern Chile. The species is illustrated and its phylogenetic position within Megachilidae is assessed using morphological, molecular and combined data. The 214 character morphological matrix includes 55 new characters with an additional 16 hitherto unexplored for megachilid phylogeny. The molecular dataset is based upon seven nuclear gene sequences, totalling 6439 bp, many of which are published for the first time for particular megachilid taxa. In all analyses, Xenofidelia was found as sister to Neofidelia (endemic to Chile and Peru). It differs from that genus most notably in its short mouthparts, absence of a glossal rod, unmodified female metabasitarsus and an elongate and horizontal dorsal surface of the metapostnotum. Morphological and combined data support a monophyletic Fideliinae (excluding Pararhophites), while molecular data alone failed to recover fideliine monophyly. Dating analyses suggest that Xenofidelia and Neofidelia diverged 34.3–40.6 Ma, indicating that New World fideliines were probably present in arid habitats of South America during the Eocene. This divergence time predates both the main orogenic events that resulted in the formation of the Andean mountains and the origin of hyperarid conditions in the Atacama Desert; it also corresponds to a period prior to the origin of the summer rainfall area in the far north of Chile where the new genus is found. These results support the view that arid habitats have been present continuously in South America since the Eocene.

This published work has been registered in ZooBank,
http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:EA69BB4A‐6F59‐4A15‐AB44‐2A8949E3CF8F.
High-Speed Rainbow Schlieren Deflectometry of n-Heptane Sprays Using a Common Rail Diesel Injector
Authors: Mirynowski Eileen M. , Agrawal Ajay K. , Bittle Joshua A.
Published: June 2017

More precise measurements of the fuel injection process can enable better combustion control and more accurate predictions resulting in a reduction of fuel consumption and toxic emissions. Many of the current methods researchers are using to investigate the transient liquid fuel sprays are limited by cross-sensitivity when studying regions with both liquid and vapor phases present (i.e., upstream of the liquid length). The quantitative rainbow schlieren technique has been demonstrated in the past for gaseous fuel jets and is being developed here to enable study of the spray near the injector. In this work, an optically accessible constant pressure flow rig (CPFR) and a modern common rail diesel injector are used to obtain high-speed images of vaporizing fuel sprays at elevated ambient temperatures and pressures. Quantitative results of full-field equivalence ratio measurements are presented as well as more traditional measurements such as vapor penetration and angle for a single condition (13 bar, 180 °C normal air) using n-heptane injected through a single hole (0.1 mm diameter) common rail fuel injector at 1000 bar fuel injection pressure. This work serves as a proof of concept for the rainbow schlieren technique being applied to vaporizing fuel sprays, and full details of the image-processing routine are provided. The ability of the imaging technique combined with the constant pressure flow rig make this approach ideal for generating large data sets in short periods of time for a wide range of operating conditions.
Dynamic Model Validation Metric Based on Wavelet Thresholded Signals
Authors: Atkinson Andrew D. , Hill Raymond R. , Pignatiello Joseph J. , Geoffrey Vining G. , White Edward D. , Chicken Eric
Published: June 2017

Model validation is a vital step in the simulation development process to ensure that a model is truly representative of the system that it is meant to model. One aspect of model validation that deserves special attention is when validation is required for the transient phase of a process. The transient phase may be characterized as the dynamic portion of a signal that exhibits nonstationary behavior. A specific concern associated with validating a model's transient phase is that the experimental system data are often contaminated with noise, due to the short duration and sharp variations in the data, thus hiding the underlying signal which models seek to replicate. This paper proposes a validation process that uses wavelet thresholding as an effective method for denoising the system and model data signals to properly validate the transient phase of a model. This paper utilizes wavelet thresholded signals to calculate a validation metric that incorporates shape, phase, and magnitude error. The paper compares this validation approach to an approach that uses wavelet decompositions to denoise the data signals. Finally, a simulation study and empirical data from an automobile crash study illustrates the advantages of our wavelet thresholding validation approach.
Heat Transfer Improvement in Automotive Brake Disks Via Shape Optimization of Cooling Vanes Using Improved TPSO Algorithm Coupled With Artificial Neural Network
Authors: Karbalaei Mehdi Javid , Nejat Amir , Shariat Panahi Masoud
Published: June 2017

One important safety issue in automotive industry is the efficient cooling of brake system. This research work aims to introduce an optimized cooling vane geometry to enhance heat removal performance of ventilated brake disks. The novel idea of using airfoil vanes is followed as the basis of this investigation (Nejat et al., 2011, “Heat Transfer Enhancement in Ventilated Brake Disk Using Double Airfoil Vanes,” ASME J. Therm. Sci. Eng. Appl., 3(4), p. 045001). In order to perform the optimization technique efficiently, an integrated shape optimization process is designed. According to the aerodynamic and heat transfer considerations, first an appropriate airfoil is selected as the base profile to be optimized. For the shape modification purpose, a curve parameterization method named class shape transformation (CST) is utilized. The control parameters defined in CST method are then established as the geometrical design variables of an improved territorial particle swarm optimization (TPSO) algorithm. In order to overcome the potential bottleneck of high computational cost associated with the required computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based function evaluations, TPSO algorithm is coupled with a predictive artificial neural networks (ANN), well trained with an input dataset designed based on the Taguchi method. The obtained profile shows an evident convective heat dissipation improvement accomplished mainly via airflow acceleration over the vanes, avoiding early flow detachment and adjusting the flow separation region at the rear part of the suction sides. The results also reveal the approaches by which such a superior performance is achieved by means of the modified surface curvatures.
A Comparison of High-Performance Football Coaches Experiencing High- Versus Low-Burnout Symptoms Across a Season of Play: Quality of Motivation and Recovery Matters
Authors: Bentzen Marte , Lemyre Nicolas , Kenttä Göran
Published: June 2017

The purpose of the current study was to provide insights in how and why four head coaches in elite football experienced being either high or low in burnout symptoms (BS) during a competitive season. A longitudinal sequential quantitative-qualitative mixed method approach was used to enhance the understanding of coaches’ experiences. First, data were collected using online questionnaires at the start and at the end of the competitive season with all coaches working at the Norwegian Elite Football League level. Second, in-depth interviews were conducted with four head coaches who were purposefully selected based on having the two highest and the two lowest burnout scores across the season compared with the overall sample. A quantitative approach was used to explore whether these four coaches differed when compared with the overall population on the associated variables: performance, budget, quality of motivation, perceived workload, work-home-interference (WHI), and recovery. A qualitative approach helped gain more insight in the experiences these four coaches had with possible onset variables. Analyses comparing the two sets of coaches, indicated no difference related to performance, budget and workload. However, the motivational profile, WHI, and ability to meet recovery demands were variables that contributed to explain differences in coaches’ BS.
A 6-Nucleotide Regulatory Motif within the AbcR Small RNAs of
Brucella abortus
Mediates Host-Pathogen Interactions
Authors: Sheehan Lauren M. , Caswell Clayton C.
Published: June 2017

In
Brucella abortus
, two small RNAs (sRNAs), AbcR1 and AbcR2, are responsible for regulating transcripts encoding ABC-type transport systems. AbcR1 and AbcR2 are required for
Brucella
virulence, as a double chromosomal deletion of both sRNAs results in attenuation in mice. Although these sRNAs are responsible for targeting transcripts for degradation, the mechanism utilized by the AbcR sRNAs to regulate mRNA in
Brucella
has not been described. Here, two motifs (M1 and M2) were identified in AbcR1 and AbcR2, and complementary motif sequences were defined in AbcR-regulated transcripts. Site-directed mutagenesis of M1 or M2 or of both M1 and M2 in the sRNAs revealed transcripts to be targeted by one or both motifs. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays revealed direct, concentration-dependent binding of both AbcR sRNAs to a target mRNA sequence. These experiments genetically and biochemically characterized two indispensable motifs within the AbcR sRNAs that bind to and regulate transcripts. Additionally, cellular and animal models of infection demonstrated that only M2 in the AbcR sRNAs is required for
Brucella
virulence. Furthermore, one of the M2-regulated targets, BAB2_0612, was found to be critical for the virulence of
B. abortus
in a mouse model of infection. Although these sRNAs are highly conserved among
Alphaproteobacteria
, the present report displays how gene regulation mediated by the AbcR sRNAs has diverged to meet the intricate regulatory requirements of each particular organism and its unique biological niche.

IMPORTANCE
Small RNAs (sRNAs) are important components of bacterial regulation, allowing organisms to quickly adapt to changes in their environments. The AbcR sRNAs are highly conserved throughout the
Alphaproteobacteria
and negatively regulate myriad transcripts, many encoding ABC-type transport systems. In
Brucella abortus
, AbcR1 and AbcR2 are functionally redundant, as only a double
abcR1 abcR2
(
abcR1
/
2
) deletion results in attenuation
in vitro
and
in vivo
. In the present study, we confirmed that the AbcR sRNAs have redundant regulatory functions and defined two six-nucleotide motifs, M1 and M2, that the AbcR sRNAs utilize to control gene expression. Importantly, only M2 was linked to
B. abortus
virulence. Further investigation of M2-regulated targets identified BAB2_0612 as critical for colonization of
B. abortus
in mice, highlighting the significance of AbcR M2-regulated transcripts for
Brucella
infection. Overall, our findings define the molecular mechanism of the virulence-associated AbcR system in the pathogenic bacterium
B. abortus
.
A content analysis of outdoor non-alcoholic beverage advertisements in Ghana
Authors: Bragg Marie A , Hardoby Tamara , Pandit Natasha G , Raji Yemi R , Ogedegbe Gbenga
Published: June 2017

Objectives

This was a two-part descriptive study designed to (1) assess the marketing themes and sugar content of beverages promoted in outdoor advertisements (ads) within a portion of Accra, Ghana and (2) quantify the types of ads that appeared along the Accra-Cape Coast Highway.

Setting

A 4.7 km2area of Accra, Ghana and a 151 km region along the highway represented the target areas for collecting photos of outdoor beverage ads.

Primary and secondary outcome measures

Number and types of beverage ads, sugar content of beverage products featured in ads and marketing themes used in ads.

Design

Two researchers photographed outdoor beverage ads in a 4.7 km2area of Accra and used content analysis to assess marketing themes of ads, including the portrayal of children, local culture, music, sports and health. Researchers also recorded the number and type of ads along a 151 km stretch of the Accra-Cape Coast Highway. Researchers assessed the added sugar content to determine which beverages were sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs).

Results

Seventy-seven photographed ads were analysed. Seventy-three per cent (72.7%) of ads featured SSBs, and Coca-Cola accounted for 59.7% of ads. Sixty-five per cent (64.9%) of all ads featured sodas, while 35.1% advertised energy drinks, bottled or canned juice drinks and coffee-based, milk-based and water-based beverages. Thirteen per cent (13%) of ads featured children and 5.2% were located near schools or playgrounds. Nine per cent (9.1%) of ads contained a reference to health and 7.8% contained a reference to fitness/strength/sport. Along the Accra-Cape Coast Highway, Coca-Cola accounted for 60% of branded ads.

Conclusion

This study demonstrates the frequency of outdoor SSB ads within a 4.7 km2area of Accra, Ghana. Coca-Cola was featured in the majority of ads, and the child-targeted nature of some ads indicates a need to expand the Children’s Food and Beverage Advertising Initiative pledge to reduce child-targeted marketing on a global scale.
Finnish Subacromial Impingement Arthroscopy Controlled Trial (FIMPACT): a protocol for a randomised trial comparing arthroscopic subacromial decompression and diagnostic arthroscopy (placebo control), with an exercise therapy control, in the treatment of shoulder impingement syndrome
Authors: Paavola Mika , Malmivaara Antti , Taimela Simo , Kanto Kari , Järvinen Teppo LN
Published: June 2017

Introduction

Arthroscopic subacromial decompression (ASD) is the most commonly performed surgical intervention for shoulder pain, yet evidence on its efficacy is limited. The rationale for the surgery rests on the tenet that symptom relief is achieved through decompression of the rotator cuff tendon passage. The primary objective of this superiority trial is to compare the efficacy of ASD versus diagnostic arthroscopy (DA) in patients with shoulder impingement syndrome (SIS), where DA differs only by the lack of subacromial decompression. A third group of supervised progressive exercise therapy (ET) will allow for pragmatic assessment of the relative benefits of surgical versus non-operative treatment strategies.

Methods and Analysis

Finnish Subacromial Impingement Arthroscopy Controlled Trial is an ongoing multicentre, three-group randomised controlled study. We performed two-fold concealed allocation, first by randomising patients to surgical (ASD or DA) or conservative (ET) treatment in 2:1 ratio and then those allocated to surgery further to ASD or DA in 1:1 ratio. Our two primary outcomes are pain at rest and at arm activity, assessed using visual analogue scale (VAS). We will quantify the treatment effect as the difference between the groups in the change in the VAS scales with the associated 95% CI at 24 months. Our secondary outcomes are functional assessment (Constant score and Simple shoulder test), quality of life (15D and SF-36), patient satisfaction, proportions of responders and non-responders, reoperations/treatment conversions, all at 2 years post-randomisation, as well as adverse effects and complications. We recruited a total of 210 patients from three tertiary referral centres. We will conduct the primary analysis on the intention-to-treat basis.

Ethics and Dissemination

The study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Pirkanmaa Hospital District and duly registered at ClinicalTrials.gov. The findings of this study will be disseminated widely through peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations.

Trial registration number

NCT00428870; Pre-results.
The Hoorn Diabetes Care System (DCS) cohort. A prospective cohort of persons with type 2 diabetes treated in primary care in the Netherlands
Authors: van der Heijden Amber AWA , Rauh Simone P , Dekker Jacqueline M , Beulens Joline W , Elders Petra , ‘t Hart Leen M , Rutters Femke , van Leeuwen Nienke , Nijpels Giel
Published: June 2017

Purpose

People with type 2 diabetes (T2D) have a doubled morbidity and mortality risk compared with persons with normal glucose tolerance. Despite treatment, clinical targets for cardiovascular risk factors are not achieved. The Hoorn Diabetes Care System cohort (DCS) is a prospective cohort representing a comprehensive dataset on the natural course of T2D, with repeated clinical measures and outcomes. In this paper, we describe the design of the DCS cohort.

Participants

The DCS consists of persons with T2D in primary care from the West-Friesland region of the Netherlands. Enrolment in the cohort started in 1998 and this prospective dynamic cohort currently holds 12 673 persons with T2D.

Findings to date

Clinical measures are collected annually, with a high internal validity due to the centrally organised standardised examinations. Microvascular complications are assessed by measuring kidney function, and screening feet and eyes. Information on cardiovascular disease is obtained by 1) self-report, 2) electrocardiography and 3) electronic patient records. In subgroups of the cohort, biobanking and additional measurements were performed to obtain information on, for example, lifestyle, depression and genomics. Finally, the DCS cohort is linked to national cancer and all-cause mortality registers. A selection of published findings from the DCS includes identification of subgroups with distinct development of haemoglobin A1c, blood pressure and retinopathy, and their predictors; validation of a prediction model for personalised retinopathy screening; the assessment of the role of genetics in development and treatment of T2D, providing options for personalised medicine.

Future plans

We will continue with the inclusion of persons with newly diagnosed T2D, follow-up of persons in the cohort and linkage to morbidity and mortality registries. Currently, we are involved in (inter)national projects on, among others, biomarkers and prediction models for T2D and complications and we are interested in collaborations with external researchers.

Trial registration

ISRCTN26257579
Strongly outer group actions on UHF algebras
Authors: Sun Michael
Published: June 2017

We show that for any countable discrete maximally almost periodic group [Formula: see text] and any UHF algebra [Formula: see text], there exists a strongly outer product type action [Formula: see text] of [Formula: see text] on [Formula: see text]. When [Formula: see text] is also elementary amenable, Matui–Sato have shown that such actions have their tracial Rokhlin property. Consequently, the class of crossed products [Formula: see text] satisfy Elliott’s classification conjecture. We also show the existence of the “Rokhlin” property for countable discrete almost abelian group actions on the universal UHF algebra.
Tungsten Isotopes in Planets
Authors: Kleine Thorsten , Walker Richard J.
Published: June 2017

The short-lived Hf-W isotope system has a wide range of important applications in cosmochemistry and geochemistry. The siderophile behavior of W, combined with the lithophile nature of Hf, makes the system uniquely useful as a chronometer of planetary accretion and differentiation. Tungsten isotopic data for meteorites show that the parent bodies of some differentiated meteorites accreted within 1 million years after Solar System formation. Melting and differentiation on these bodies took ∼1–3 million years and was fueled by decay of 26Al. The timescale for accretion and core formation increases with planetary mass and is ∼10 million years for Mars and >34 million years for Earth. The nearly identical 182W compositions for the mantles of the Moon and Earth are difficult to explain in current models for the formation of the Moon. Terrestrial samples with ages spanning ∼4 billion years reveal small 182W variations within the silicate Earth, demonstrating that traces of Earth's earliest formative period have been preserved throughout Earth's history.
Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus: Rapidly Increasing Global Distribution, Etiology, Epidemiology, and Management
Authors: Dombrovsky Aviv , Tran-Nguyen Lucy T.T. , Jones Roger A.C.
Published: June 2017

Cucumber green mottle mosaic virus (CGMMV) was first described in 1935 infecting cucumber, making it one of the first plant viruses to be studied. Its initial distribution occurred out of England to other countries. This was followed by its distribution from England and these other countries to additional countries. This process increased slowly between 1935 and 1985, faster between 1986 and 2006, and rapidly between 2007 and 2016. The discovery that it diminished cucurbit fruit yields and quality, especially of watermelon, prompted a substantial research effort in worst-affected countries. These efforts included obtaining insight into its particle and genome characteristics, evolution, and epidemiology. CGMMV's particle stability, ease of contact transmission, and seed transmissibility, which are typical tobamovirus characteristics, explained its complex disease cycle and its ability to spread locally or over long distances without a vector. Knowledge of its disease etiology and epidemiology enabled development of integrated disease management approaches that rely heavily on diverse phytosanitary measures. Dispersal of seed-borne infection through the international seed trade following cucurbit seed crop production in tropical or subtropical countries explains its recent rapid dispersion worldwide.
Effects of 10 days of separate heat and hypoxic exposure on heat acclimation and temperate exercise performance
Authors: Rendell Rebecca A. , Prout Jamie , Costello Joseph T. , Massey Heather C. , Tipton Michael J. , Young John S. , Corbett Jo
Published: June 2017

Adaptations to heat and hypoxia are typically studied in isolation but are often encountered in combination. Whether the adaptive response to multiple stressors affords the same response as when examined in isolation is unclear. We examined 1) the influence of overnight moderate normobaric hypoxia on the time course and magnitude of adaptation to daily heat exposure and 2) whether heat acclimation (HA) was ergogenic and whether this was influenced by an additional hypoxic stimulus. Eight males [V̇o2max = 58.5 (8.3) ml·kg−1·min−1] undertook two 11-day HA programs (balanced-crossover design), once with overnight normobaric hypoxia (HAHyp): 8 (1) h per night for 10 nights [[Formula: see text] = 0.156; SpO2 = 91 (2)%] and once without (HACon). Days 1, 6, and 11 were exercise-heat stress tests [HST (40°C, 50% relative humidity, RH)]; days 2–5 and 7–10 were isothermal strain [target rectal temperature (Tre) ~38.5°C], exercise-heat sessions. A graded exercise test and 30-min cycle trial were undertaken pre-, post-, and 14 days after HA in temperate normoxia (22°C, 55% RH; FIO2 = 0.209). HA was evident on day 6 (e.g., reduced Tre, mean skin temperature (T̄sk), heart rate, and sweat [Na+], P < 0.05) with additional adaptations on day 11 (further reduced T̄sk and heart rate). HA increased plasma volume [+5.9 (7.3)%] and erythropoietin concentration [+1.8 (2.4) mIU/ml]; total hemoglobin mass was unchanged. Peak power output [+12 (20) W], lactate threshold [+15 (18) W] and work done [+12 (20) kJ] increased following HA. The additional hypoxic stressor did not affect these adaptations. In conclusion, a separate moderate overnight normobaric hypoxic stimulus does not affect the time course or magnitude of HA. Performance may be improved in temperate normoxia following HA, but this is unaffected by an additional hypoxic stressor.
Efferent inhibition strength is a physiological correlate of hyperacusis in children with autism spectrum disorder
Authors: Wilson Uzma S. , Sadler Kate M. , Hancock Kenneth E. , Guinan John J. , Lichtenhan Jeffery T.
Published: June 2017

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are a heterogeneous group, some with hyperacusis and some without. Our research shows that hyperacusis can be estimated in children with ASD by using medial olivocochlear (MOC) reflex measurements. By establishing that an objective measure correlates with attributes of hyperacusis, our results enable future work to enable subtyping of children with ASD to provide improved individualized treatments to at-risk children and those without adequate language to describe their hyperacusis symptoms.
A Review of Dietary Ziziphus jujuba Fruit (Jujube): Developing Health Food Supplements for Brain Protection
Authors: Chen Jianping , Liu Xiaoyan , Li Zhonggui , Qi Airong , Yao Ping , Zhou Zhongyu , Dong Tina T. X. , Tsim Karl W. K.
Published: June 2017

The fruits of Ziziphus jujuba, known as jujube or Chinese date, are being consumed all around the world because of their health benefits, as both food and herbal medicine. Traditionally, one of the main functions of jujube, as described in herbal medicine, is to benefit our brain by calming down the mind and improving quality of sleep. Here, the activities of jujubes on nervous system are summarized and discussed. Jujube possesses neuroprotective activities, including protecting neuronal cells against neurotoxin stress, stimulating neuronal differentiation, increasing expression of neurotrophic factors, and promoting memory and learning. Flavonoid, cAMP, and jujuboside could be the potential bioactive ingredients to account for the aforesaid biological activities. These findings imply that jujube is a potential candidate for development of health supplements for prevention and/or treatment of neurological diseases.
[Retracted] An ErChen and YinChen Decoction Ameliorates High‐Fat‐Induced Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis in Rats by Regulating JNK1 Signaling Pathway
Authors: Xie Tian-hong , Li Jun-xiang , Mao Tang-you , Guo Yi , Chen Chen , Han Ya-fei , Tan Xiang , Chen Run-hua
Published: June 2017

ErChen and YinChen decoction (ECYCD) is an effective traditional Chinese medicine and has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), with good curative effects. However, the specific mechanisms underlying these effects are unclear. In this study, we determined the efficacy of ECYCD in a high‐fat diet‐induced NASH rat model, established by 8‐week administration of a high‐fat diet. ECYCD was administered daily for 4 weeks, after which the rats were euthanized. The results demonstrated that ECYCD ameliorated high‐fat diet‐induced NASH, as evidenced by decreased liver indexes, reduced hepatic lipid deposition and liver injury, lower serum biochemistry markers (including low‐density lipoprotein), and reduced HOMA‐IR scores. Moreover, levels of free fatty acids, tumor necrosis factor, and malondialdehyde were decreased, whereas glutathione was increased in the liver. Serum high‐density lipoprotein was also increased in the liver, and ECYCD regulated the c‐Jun N‐terminal kinase 1 (JNK1) signaling pathway by decreasing the levels of JNK1 protein, JNK1 mRNA, activator protein‐ (AP‐) 1 protein, AP-1 mRNA, and phospho‐insulin receptor substrate‐ (IRS‐) 1ser307 and increasing phopsho‐PKBser473 levels. These results suggested that ECYCD could ameliorate high‐fat diet‐induced NASH in rats through JNK1 signaling. ECYCD may be a safe therapeutic option for the treatment of NASH.
Secondary Somatic Mutations Restoring RAD51C and RAD51D Associated with Acquired Resistance to the PARP Inhibitor Rucaparib in High-Grade Ovarian Carcinoma
Authors: Kondrashova Olga , Nguyen Minh , Shield-Artin Kristy , Tinker Anna V. , Teng Nelson N.H. , Harrell Maria I. , Kuiper Michael J. , Ho Gwo-Yaw , Barker Holly , Jasin Maria , Prakash Rohit , Kass Elizabeth M. , Sullivan Meghan R. , Brunette Gregory J. , Bernstein Kara A. , Coleman Robert L. , Floquet Anne , Friedlander Michael , Kichenadasse Ganessan , O'Malley David M. , Oza Amit , Sun James , Robillard Liliane , Maloney Lara , Bowtell David , Giordano Heidi , Wakefield Matthew J. , Kaufmann Scott H. , Simmons Andrew D. , Harding Thomas C. , Raponi Mitch , McNeish Iain A. , Swisher Elizabeth M. , Lin Kevin K. , Scott Clare L.
Published: June 2017

High-grade epithelial ovarian carcinomas containing mutated BRCA1 or BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) homologous recombination (HR) genes are sensitive to platinum-based chemotherapy and PARP inhibitors (PARPi), while restoration of HR function due to secondary mutations in BRCA1/2 has been recognized as an important resistance mechanism. We sequenced core HR pathway genes in 12 pairs of pretreatment and postprogression tumor biopsy samples collected from patients in ARIEL2 Part 1, a phase II study of the PARPi rucaparib as treatment for platinum-sensitive, relapsed ovarian carcinoma. In 6 of 12 pretreatment biopsies, a truncation mutation in BRCA1, RAD51C, or RAD51D was identified. In five of six paired postprogression biopsies, one or more secondary mutations restored the open reading frame. Four distinct secondary mutations and spatial heterogeneity were observed for RAD51C. In vitro complementation assays and a patient-derived xenograft, as well as predictive molecular modeling, confirmed that resistance to rucaparib was associated with secondary mutations.

Significance: Analyses of primary and secondary mutations in RAD51C and RAD51D provide evidence for these primary mutations in conferring PARPi sensitivity and secondary mutations as a mechanism of acquired PARPi resistance. PARPi resistance due to secondary mutations underpins the need for early delivery of PARPi therapy and for combination strategies. Cancer Discov; 7(9); 984–98. ©2017 AACR.

See related commentary by Domchek, p. 937.

See related article by Quigley et al., p. 999.

See related article by Goodall et al., p. 1006.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 920
PPARγ-Coactivator-1α, Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide and Renal Stress Resistance
Authors: Poyan Mehr Ali , Parikh Samir M.
Published: June 2017

With one of the highest mitochondrial densities in the body, the kidneys consume approximately 10% of total oxygen while constituting 0.5% of body mass. Renal respiration is linear to solute extraction, linking oxidative metabolism directly to tubular function. This fundamental role of mitochondria in renal health may become an “Achilles heel” under duress. Acute kidney injury (AKI) related to each major class of stressor - inflammation, ischemia, and toxins - exhibits early and prominent mitochondrial injury. The mitochondrial biogenesis regulator, PPARγ-coactivator-1α (PGC1α), may confer tubular protection against these stressors. Recent work proposes that renal PGC1α directly increases levels of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), an essential co-factor for energy metabolism that has lately been proposed as an anti-aging factor. This mini-review summarizes recent studies on AKI, PGC1α, and NAD+ that identify a direct mechanism between the regulation of metabolic health and the ability to resist renal stressors.
Comunicação e consumo: sobre a produção de modos de vida no airbnb
Authors: Costa Ramon Bezerra
Published: June 2017

Este artigo reflete sobre o Airbnb, um site que permite alugar a própria residência, estando ou não nela, para desconhecidos, e evidencia lógicas de organização que parecem distender as fronteiras entre as vidas pública e privada e conformar singulares processos de construção da confiança entre desconhecidos. O fenômeno será abordado na perspectiva da comunicação e do consumo, aqui entendidos como processo de vinculação social e produção de modos de vida, respectivamente.
Deslizando pelas categorias sígnicas de C. S. Peirce: um estudo de caso
Authors: Santos Marcelo , Borges Priscila
Published: June 2017

Ao apropriar-se, fonética e graficamente, da fórmula da água (o legissígno simbólico H2O), a marca de refrigerantes H2OH! adotou uma estratégia semiótica peculiar: deslocou um signo predominantemente de terceiridade para a primeiridade, habilitando-o a gerar, preferencialmente, interpretantes na esfera qualitativa-sugestiva. Neste trabalho, fazemos a análise semiótica da marca grafada no rótulo da bebida, com enfoque nos interpretantes da divisão dos signos em dez tricotomias.
O consumo dos serviços de crédito por idosos do programa municipal de terceira idade de Viçosa, MG
Authors: Vasconcelos Adriana Miranda de , Silva Neuza Maria da , Fontes Márcia Barroso
Published: June 2017

Este artigo tem por objetivo analisar a forma como ocorre o consumo dos serviços de crédito, verificando valores contratados a título de crédito consignado, limite do cartão de crédito e do crediário por meio de pesquisa quantitativa com 52 idosos participantes de um Programa de Terceira Idade do Município de Viçosa, MG. Verificou-se a autonomia desses quando da contratação do crédito como também a necessidade constante de recorrer a esse tipo de serviço.
Implantable Cardioverter‐Defibrillator Therapy in Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Dysplasia/Cardiomyopathy: Predictors of Appropriate Therapy, Outcomes, and Complications
Authors: Orgeron Gabriela M. , James Cynthia A. , Te Riele Anneline , Tichnell Crystal , Murray Brittney , Bhonsale Aditya , Kamel Ihab R. , Zimmerman Stephan L. , Judge Daniel P. , Crosson Jane , Tandri Harikrishna , Calkins Hugh
Published: June 2017

Background

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy is characterized by ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death. Once the diagnosis is established, risk stratification to determine whether implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator (
ICD
) placement is warranted is critical.

Methods and Results

The cohort included 312 patients (163 men, age at presentation 33.6±13.9 years) with definite arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy who received an
ICD
. Over 8.8±7.33 years, 186 participants (60%) had appropriate
ICD
therapy and 58 (19%) had an intervention for ventricular fibrillation/flutter. Ventricular tachycardia at presentation (hazard ratio [
HR
]: 1.86; 95% confidence interval [
CI
], 1.38–2.49;
P
<0.001), inducibility on electrophysiology study (HR: 3.14; 95% CI, 1.95–5.05;
P
<0.001), male sex (HR: 1.62; 95% CI, 1.20–2.19;
P
=0.001), inverted T waves in ≥3 precordial leads (HR: 1.66; 95% CI, 1.09–2.52;
P
=0.018), and premature ventricular contraction count ≥1000/24 hours (HR: 2.30; 95% CI, 1.32–4.00;
P
=0.003) were predictors of any appropriate
ICD
therapy. Inducibility at electrophysiology study (HR: 2.28; 95% CI, 1.10–4.70;
P
=0.025) remained as the only predictor after multivariable analysis. The predictors for ventricular fibrillation/flutter were premature ventricular contraction ≥1000/24 hours (HR: 4.39; 95% CI, 1.32–14.61;
P
=0.016), syncope (HR: 1.85; 95% CI, 1.10–3.11;
P
=0.021), aged ≤30 years at presentation (HR: 1.76; 95% CI, 1.04–3.00;
P
<0.036), and male sex (HR: 1.73; 95% CI, 1.01–2.97;
P
=0.046). Younger age at presentation (HR: 3.14; 95% CI, 1.32–7.48;
P
=0.010) and high premature ventricular contraction burden (HR: 4.43; 95% CI, 1.35–14.57;
P
<0.014) remained as independent predictors of ventricular fibrillation/flutter. Complications occurred in 66 participants (21%), and 64 (21%) had inappropriate
ICD
interventions. Overall mortality was low at 2%, and 4% underwent heart transplantation.

Conclusion

These findings represent an important step in identifying predictors of
ICD
therapy for potentially fatal ventricular fibrillation/flutter and should be considered when developing a risk stratification model for arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia/cardiomyopathy.
The graphical brain: Belief propagation and active inference
Authors: Friston Karl J. , Parr Thomas , de Vries Bert
Published: June 2017

This paper considers functional integration in the brain from a computational perspective. We ask what sort of neuronal message passing is mandated by active inference—and what implications this has for context-sensitive connectivity at microscopic and macroscopic levels. In particular, we formulate neuronal processing as belief propagation under deep generative models. Crucially, these models can entertain both discrete and continuous states, leading to distinct schemes for belief updating that play out on the same (neuronal) architecture. Technically, we use Forney (normal) factor graphs to elucidate the requisite message passing in terms of its form and scheduling. To accommodate mixed generative models (of discrete and continuous states), one also has to consider link nodes or factors that enable discrete and continuous representations to talk to each other. When mapping the implicit computational architecture onto neuronal connectivity, several interesting features emerge. For example, Bayesian model averaging and comparison, which link discrete and continuous states, may be implemented in thalamocortical loops. These and other considerations speak to a computational connectome that is inherently state dependent and self-organizing in ways that yield to a principled (variational) account. We conclude with simulations of reading that illustrate the implicit neuronal message passing, with a special focus on how discrete (semantic) representations inform, and are informed by, continuous (visual) sampling of the sensorium.
Exploratory Study of Adopters’ Concerns Prior to Acquiring Dogs or Cats from Animal Shelters
Authors: O’Connor Rachel , Coe Jason B. , Niel Lee , Jones-Bitton Andria
Published: June 2017

Caretaker expectations for companion-animal guardianship can affect attachment to, and satisfaction with, an animal. Understanding these expectations may help match adopters and companion animals, increasing success of adoptions. Seventeen one-on-one interviews were used to gain a deep understanding of the thoughts and expectations of potential cat or dog adopters at three animal shelters in Ontario, Canada. Thematic analysis was conducted until data saturation was achieved (n= 14). Animal behavior was the most common prior concern held by participants, specifically, unknown history, aggression, incompatibility between animals, and shy or aloof, destructive, or vocal behavior. Participants who identified adoption “deal-breakers” often identified specific traits they wanted and did not want in an animal. In contrast, others indicated they would seek out training or advice for problem behaviors. Participants discussed prior human-related concerns less frequently. Understanding pre-adoption concerns at the time of adoption will assist in better preparing individuals for companion-animal guardianship.
Root-Brains: The Frontiers of Cognition in the Light of John Dewey’s Philosophy of Nature
Authors: Madzia Roman
Published: June 2017

This article endeavors to interpret certain facets of Dewey’s philosophy in light of an underinvestigated research program in contemporary situated cognition, namely, plant cognition. I argue that Dewey’s views on situated cognition go substantially further than most philosophers of embodied mind are ready to admit. Building on the background of current research in plant cognition, and adding conceptual help of Dewey, I contend that plants can be seen as full-blown cognitive organisms, although they do not have what one would normally call “a body.” Through this line of inquiry, I identify what are among the most pressing problems in current theories of the embodied mind and subsequently try to overcome them by means of Dewey’s metaphysics of the psychical.
National Human Rights Institutions and Their Sub-National Counterparts
Authors: Wolman Andrew
Published: June 2017

This article outlines and explores the arguments in favor of and in opposition to the establishment of sub-national human rights institutions (such as state and local human rights commissions, ombudsmen and the like) in nations that already possess national human rights institutions. This analysis will be based on an application of prior research findings in the broader field of administrative decentralisation as tailored to the particularities of human rights implementation. Where relevant, the article also examines the implications of institutional type for decentralisation, as well as the implication of different attributes of the relevant jurisdiction. The article concludes by setting out the circumstances under which the establishment of sub-national human rights institutions will be more or less advantageous.
A taxonomic revision of the South American genus Discolobium (Leguminosae, Papilionoideae)
Authors: SARTORI ÂNGELA LÚCIA BAGNATORI , NEVES IANNY MARQUES , SELEME ELIDIENE PRISCILA , MANSANO VIDAL DE FREITAS
Published: June 2017

Discolobium, an exclusively South American legume genus, includes six species. The nomenclature of each taxon has been reviewed, and six synonyms are presented. Discolobium hirtum, D. junceum, D. leptophyllum, D. psoraleaefolium, D. pulchellum and D. tocantinum can be differentiated mainly by the number and shape of leaflets, degree of fusion of calyx lacinia, morphology of calyx lacinia, petal and fruit wings, and ornamentation of the seed chamber. Species of this genus occur in Pantanal, Chaco, and Caatinga vegetation associated with marshes and river banks and in tropical ombrophilous alluvial forests, either dry or flooded most of the year. An identification key to the species is presented, together with a detailed taxonomic revision of the genus and its species, distribution maps, linedrawings, and comments on the taxonomy and ecology of each species. Lectotypes for D. elongatum, D. hirtum, D. junceum, D. leptophyllum, D. leptophyllum var. junceum, D. leptophyllum var. junceum f. grandiflora, D. leptophyllum var. junceum f. parviflora, D. paucijugum, D. psoraleaefolium, D. pulchellum, D. pulchellum var. major, D. pulchellum var. viscosissimum and D. tocantinum are herein designated.
On the validity, synonymy and distribution of some Lapideacassaceae (Haptophyta)
Authors: OVECHKINA MARIA N. , JORDAN RICHARD W. , MOSTOVSKI MIKE B.
Published: June 2017

The genus Lapideacassis Black [= Scampanella Forchheimer & Stradner; Pervilithus Crux] is synonymized under Mennerius Luljeva. The following new combinations are established: M. asymmetricus (Perch-Nielsen) Ovechkina comb. nov., M. bispinosus (Perch-Nielsen) Ovechkina comb. nov., M. blackii (Perch-Nielsen) Ovechkina comb. nov., M. cornutus (Forchheimer & Stradner) Ovechkina comb. nov., M. glans (Black) Ovechkina comb. nov., M. magnificus (Perch-Nielsen) Ovechkina comb. nov., M. mariae (Black) Ovechkina comb. nov., M. tricornus (Wind & Wise) Ovechkina comb. nov., M. trispinus (Perch-Nielsen) Ovechkina comb. nov., M. varius (Crux) Ovechkina comb. nov., and M. wisei (Perch-Nielsen) Ovechkina comb. nov. Descriptions of Mennerius longus Luljeva and M. morosus Luljeva (both from the Turonian of the Ukraine) are emended. For the first time, Mennerius sp. cf. M. bispinosus is recorded from the Campanian of the Ukraine, M. cornutus and Mennerius sp. cf. M. bispinosus from the Lower Maastrichtian of Russia, and Mennerius sp. from the Cenomanian of Israel; notes on newly recorded species are provided.
Morinda carnosa (Morindeae-Rubiaceae), a new species from Palawan, Philippines
Authors: VENTURINA RUSSELL EVAN L. , SUAREZ ETHAN ELIJAH L. , ALEJANDRO GRECEBIO JONATHAN D.
Published: June 2017

Morinda carnosa, a new species from Mt.Talon, Coron Palawan, Philippines is here described and illustrated. This is a first record of endemic Morinda in the country following the current taxonomic revisions in Morindeae. Morinda carnosa is easily distinguished from other Malesian Morinda by having petals being carnose and thick, corolla lobes not recurved, corolla pubescent with prominent striations on each lobe, calyx puberulent and fruit sparsely scabrid.
Massonia gypsicola (Asparagaceae, Scilloideae), a new species from the Knersvlakte in South Africa
Authors: MARTÍNEZ-AZORÍN MARIO , PINTER MICHAEL , CRESPO MANUEL B. , ALONSO VARGAS MARÍA ÁNGELES , WETSCHNIG WOLFGANG
Published: June 2017

Asparagaceae (subfamily Scilloideae, tribe Hyacintheae) is alternatively regarded as Hyacinthaceae subfam. Hyacinthoideae, an option of our choice. Additional information on generic circumscriptions in Hyacinthoideae can be found in Martínez-Azorín et al. (2013, 2014a, 2014b), Pinter et al. (2013) and Wetschnig et al. (2014).