bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Molecular diversity of the 5S nuclear ribosomal DNA inCampeiostachyswithStHYhaplome constitution
Authors: Yang Cai‐Rong , Baum Bernard R. , Johnson Douglas A. , Zhang Hai‐Qin , Zhou Yong‐Hong
Published: January 2019

To detect the genomic constitutions and investigate the evolutionary relationships betweenCampeiostachysDrobov andElymusL. species, we have cloned and analyzed 271 5S nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences from 27 accessions of these species, mostly of Chinese origin. We identified LongH1, ShortS1, and LongY1 unit classes in nineCampeiostachysorElymusspecies. The identification of the three orthologous unit classes was confirmed by the neighbor‐joining tree of each unit class from PAUP and the phylogeny tree of three unit classes from MrBayes. The results suggested that theseElymusspecies compriseStYHhaplomes and should be included inCampeiostachys. The phylogeny tree showed a clear separation between theS1 unit class andY1 unit class. However,Y1 unit class sequences formed a sister clade to theS1 unit class, implying that although theStandYhaplomes might have some affinity, they are distinct from one another. The phylogeny tree also indicated that the five species in sect.Turczaninovia(C. dahuricavar.cylindrica,C. dahuricavar.dahurica,C. dahuricavar.tangutorum,E. purpuraristatus, andE. dahuricusTurcz. ex Griseb. var.violeusC. P. Wang & H. L. Yang) might share a more recent common ancestor, whereas the four species in sect.Elymus(C. nutans,E. breviaristatus(Keng) Keng ex Keng f.,E. sinosubmuticus(Keng) Keng f., andE. atratus(Nevski) Hand.‐Mazz.) share a close relationship. By identifying only one type of unit class for each haplome, we propose that the 5S nuclear ribosomal DNA sequences of species withinCampeiostachysmight have undergone haplome‐specific concerted evolution.
Pharmacodynamic evaluation of the effects of oral melatonin on expression of the T‐cell cytokines interleukin‐2 and interferon gamma in the dog
Authors: Peace Anna C. , Kumar Santosh , Wills Robert , Mackin Andrew , Hoh Crystal M. , Archer Todd
Published: January 2019

Objective

To determine the effects of exogenous melatonin administration on activated whole blood expression of the T‐cell cytokines interleukin‐2 (IL‐2) and interferon gamma (INF‐γ) in dogs.

Animals

Ten healthy dogs.

Procedures

Heparinized whole blood was collected from 10 dogs for analysis of cytokine expression before administration of melatonin (baseline). Each dog was then administered melatonin at a dosage of approximately 1 mg/kg,PO, q 12 hr for 14 days. On day 14, whole blood was again collected from each dog at the time points of trough (0 hr) and 6 hr postmelatonin administration to evaluate the effects of melatonin on cytokine expression. At all evaluated time points, analysis of activated whole blood expression ofmRNAcoding for bothIL‐2 andIFN‐γ was performed using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction to determine whether a difference existed for any time point. Blood melatonin concentrations were also measured at comparable time points.

Results

A statistical difference in the expression of either cytokine was not appreciated at any time point, despite attainment of expected blood concentrations of the drug.

Conclusions and Clinical Relevance

Results indicate that melatonin therapy does not significantly affectIL‐2 orIFN‐γ expression in healthy dogs. While melatonin is thought to have an effect on the immune system in dogs, it does not appear this effect is through altering T‐cellIL‐2 orIFN‐γ expression. Further studies investigating the effects of melatonin on the immune system of dogs are warranted.
Retracted: A Legacy of Lynchings: Perceived Black Criminal Threat Among Whites
Authors: Mears Daniel P. , Stewart Eric A. , Warren Patricia Y. , Craig Miltonette O. , Arnio Ashley N.
Published: January 2019

This article examines the legacy of lynchings on contemporary whites' views of blacks as criminal threats. To this end, it draws on prior literature on racial animus to demonstrate the sustained influence of lynching on contemporary America. We hypothesize that one long-standing legacy of lynchings is its influence in shaping views about blacks as criminals and, in particular, as a group that poses a criminal threat to whites. In addition, we hypothesize that this effect will be greater among whites who live in areas in America where socioeconomic disadvantage and political conservatism are greater. Results of multilevel analyses of lynching and survey data on whites' views toward blacks support the hypotheses. In turn, they underscore the salience of understanding historical forces, including the legacy of lynchings that influence contemporary views of blacks, criminals, and punishment policies.
How deep is the conflict between molecular and fossil evidence on the age of angiosperms?
Authors: Coiro Mario , Doyle James A. , Hilton Jason
Published: January 2019

The timing of the origin of angiosperms is a hotly debated topic in plant evolution. Molecular dating analyses that consistently retrieve pre‐Cretaceous ages for crown‐group angiosperms have eroded confidence in the fossil record, which indicates a radiation and possibly also origin in the Early Cretaceous. Here, we evaluate paleobotanical evidence on the age of the angiosperms, showing how fossils provide crucial data for clarifying the situation. Pollen floras document a Northern Gondwanan appearance of monosulcate angiosperms in the Valanginian and subsequent poleward spread of monosulcates and tricolpate eudicots, accelerating in the Albian. The sequence of pollen types agrees with molecular phylogenetic inferences on the course of pollen evolution, but it conflicts strongly with Triassic and early Jurassic molecular ages, and the discrepancy is difficult to explain by geographic or taphonomic biases. Critical scrutiny shows that supposed pre‐Cretaceous angiosperms either represent other plant groups or lack features that might confidently assign them to the angiosperms. However, the record may allow the Late Jurassic existence of ecologically restricted angiosperms, like those seen in the basalANITAgrade. Finally, we examine recently recognized biases in molecular dating and argue that a thoughtful integration of fossil and molecular evidence could help resolve these conflicts.
Management and outcomes in mitral valve prolapse with ventricular arrhythmias undergoing ablation and/or implantation of ICDs
Authors: Bumgarner Joseph M. , Patel Divyang , Kumar Anirudh , Clevenger Joshua R. , Trulock Kevin M. , Popović Zoran , Griffin Brian P. , Wazni Oussama M. , Menon Venu , Desai Milind Y. , Kanj Mohamed H. , Kalahasti Vidyasagar
Published: January 2019

Background

While there is an association between isolated mitral valve prolapse (MVP) and sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), the baseline characteristics and outcomes of patients with isolated MVP who experience ventricular arrhythmias (VAs) and then subsequently undergo catheter ablation and/or implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation are unknown.

Methods

We performed a retrospective review of all patients at the Cleveland Clinic with isolated MVP between 1997 and 2016 who underwent VA catheter ablation or secondary prevention ICD implantation.

Results

Of 617 screened patients, we identified 43 patients with isolated MVP and significant VA who underwent ICD placement (n = 13, 30%) or catheter ablation (n = 30, 70%). Both leaflets were most commonly involved (n = 22, 52%) with posterior MVP being next most common (n = 15, 36%). The most common foci of VA origin was the left ventricular papillary muscle (n = 9, 27%). Ablation was successful in the majority of cases (n = 20, 65%). At a mean follow‐up of 2.5 years, 11 patients (26%) had recurrent VT.

Conclusions

Patients with isolated MVP and VA were more likely to have bileaflet prolapse and at least moderate mitral regurgitation. VA originated more commonly from left‐sided foci. While ablation was acutely successful in the majority of cases, there was still a moderate rate of VA recurrence. There is still more study needed on factors that will predict malignant VAs and management of these VAs in the MVP population.
Comparison of the Medtronic SelectSecure and conventional pacing leads: Long‐term follow‐up in a multicenter pediatric and congenital cohort
Authors: Moak Jeffrey P. , Law Ian H. , LaPage Martin J. , Fish Frank , Shatty Ira , Dubin Anne M. , Patel Akash , Fishbach Peter , Cain Nicole , Johnsrude Christopher , Berul Charles I. , Bangoura Aminata , Hanumanthaiah Sridhar , McCarter Robert
Published: January 2019

Introduction

The Medtronic SelectSecure™ (Minneapolis, MN, USA) pacing lead (SS) has theoretical advantages compared to conventional (C) transvenous pacing leads (PLs). The study purpose was to determine whether differences in electrical function and lead survival exist between these PLs in a large data set of pediatric and congenital patients.

Methods

A multicenter historical longitudinal cohort study was performed comparing SS and CPL performance over a 72‐month follow‐up (FU). Ten centers provided data for both SS and CPL, matched for age, implanted pacing chamber, time period of implantation, and presence of heart disease.

Results

The cohort consisted of 141 subjects in each group. No statistical differences were observed in age, gender, presence of heart disease, or pacing indication. Atrial and ventricular capture thresholds were stable throughout FU and higher in the SS group (atrial: 0.75 ± 0.02 vs 0.5 ± 0.04 V, ventricular: 1.0 ± 0.04 vs 0.75 ± 0.04 V), P < 0.001. Group PL sensing thresholds did not differ. The SS group required greater energy to pace (atrial: 0.57 ± 0.05 vs 0.32 ± 0.02 mJ, ventricular: 0.83 ± 0.05 vs 0.56 ± 0.06 mJ), P = 0.001. Early lead dislodgement and phrenic nerve stimulation were greater in the SS group (P = 0.03). Long‐term lead survival was high and similar between the two groups, P = 0.35.

Conclusions

Long‐term survival of both PL was high with a low fracture rate. The SS had excellent electrical function but did show higher capture thresholds and increased energy to pace; these differences are offset by other advantages of the SS PL.
Differentially methylated DNA regions in early childhood wheezing: An epigenome‐wide study using saliva
Authors: Popovic Maja , Fiano Valentina , Fasanelli Francesca , Trevisan Morena , Grasso Chiara , Assumma Manuela Bianca , Gillio‐Tos Anna , Polidoro Silvia , De Marco Laura , Rusconi Franca , Merletti Franco , Zugna Daniela , Richiardi Lorenzo
Published: January 2019

Background

Epigenetics may play a role in wheezing and asthma development. We aimed to examine infant saliva DNA methylation in association with early childhood wheezing.

Methods

A case‐control study was nested within the NINFEA birth cohort with 68 cases matched to 68 controls by sex, age (between 6 and 18 months, median: 10.3 months) and season at saliva sampling. Using a bumphunting region–based approach, we examined associations between saliva methylome measured using Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450k array and wheezing between 6 and 18 months of age. We tested our main findings in independent publicly available data sets of childhood respiratory allergy and atopic asthma, with DNA methylation measured in different tissues and at different ages.

Results

We identified one wheezing‐associated differentially methylated region (DMR) spanning ten sequential CpG sites in the promoter‐regulatory region of PM20D1 gene (family‐wise error rate < 0.05). The observed associations were enhanced in children born to atopic mothers. In the publicly available data sets, hypermethylation in the same region of PM20D1 was consistently found at different ages and in all analysed tissues (cord blood, blood, saliva and nasal epithelia) of children with respiratory allergy/atopic asthma compared with controls.

Conclusion

This study suggests that PM20D1 hypermethylation is associated with early childhood wheezing. Directionally consistent epigenetic alteration observed in cord blood and other tissues at older ages in children with respiratory allergy and atopic asthma provides suggestive evidence that a long‐term epigenetic modification, likely operating from birth, may be involved in childhood atopic phenotypes.
Allergy screening in a schoolchildren‐based population
Authors: Sacchetti Marta , Regine Vincenza , Mantelli Flavio , Chini Loredana , Moschese Viviana , Bonini Matteo , Pugliese Lucia , Suligoi Barbara , Lambiase Alessandro
Published: January 2019

Background

Schoolchildren screening for allergic diseases may improve early identification and management of atopic children. The aim of this study was to perform a schoolchildren screening program for identification of children with allergic diseases.

Methods

All parents of children attending to 13 primary schools in the city of Rome were requested to fill in a demographic data form and the ChAt questionnaire. Allergological evaluation was performed in the children with suspect of allergy (ChAt score > 2). Ocular examination was performed to identify signs of allergic conjunctivitis. The presence of allergic symptoms was related to demographic and environmental variables.

Results

A total of 2667 children (mean age: 7.1 ± 1 years) were included, and 2489 (93.3%) parents completed the ChAt questionnaire. Results of ChAt questionnaire showed a previous diagnosis of allergic disease in 637 (25.6%) children and the potential presence of an allergic disease (ChAt score > 2) in 35.1%. Multivariate analysis showed that older age, male gender, and having less than two siblings were associated with higher risk of allergic disease. Visual screening showed the presence of clinical signs of allergic conjunctivitis in 2% of children. Allergologic evaluation in 334 children confirmed the diagnosis of allergic disease in 324 (97%) cases. Among them, 97 (29.9%) did not refer to a previous formal diagnosis of allergic condition.

Conclusions

This study confirmed that schoolchildren screening using ChAt questionnaire could represent a useful tool for early identification of yet undiagnosed atopic children.
Genome‐wide analysis of MADS‐box family genes during flower development in lettuce
Authors: Ning Kang , Han Yingyan , Chen Zijing , Luo Chen , Wang Shenglin , Zhang Wenjing , Li Ling , Zhang Xiaolan , Fan Shuangxi , Wang Qian
Published: January 2019

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is an important leafy vegetable consumed worldwide. Heat‐induced bolting and flowering greatly limit lettuce production during the summer. Additionally, MADS‐box transcription factors are important for various aspects of plant development and architecture (e.g., flowering and floral patterning). However, there has been no comprehensive study of lettuce MADS‐box family genes. In this study, we identified 82 MADS‐box family genes in lettuce, including 23 type I genes and 59 type II genes. Transcriptome profiling revealed that LsMADS gene expression patterns differ among the various floral stages and organs. Moreover, heat‐responsive cis‐elements were detected in the promoter regions of many LsMADS genes. An in situ hybridization assay of 10 homologs of flower‐patterning genes and a yeast two‐hybrid assay of the encoded proteins revealed that the ABC model is conserved in lettuce. Specifically, the APETALA1 (AP1) homolog in lettuce, LsMADS55, is responsive to heat and is specifically expressed in the inflorescence meristem and pappus bristles. The overexpression of LsMADS55 results in early flowering in Arabidopsis thaliana. Furthermore, we observed that the heat shock factor LsHSFB2A‐1 can bind to the LsMADS55 promoter in lettuce. Therefore, a model was proposed for the LsMADS‐regulated floral organ specification and heat‐induced flowering in lettuce.
Cryptic species and population genetic structure of Plasmopara viticola in São Paulo State, Brazil
Authors: Camargo M. P. , Hong C. F. , Amorim L. , Scherm H.
Published: January 2019

Downy mildew (Plasmopara viticola) is one of the most important diseases in grape‐growing areas worldwide, including Brazil. To examine pathogen population biology and structure, P. viticola was sampled during the 2015/16 growing season from 516 lesions on nine grape cultivars in 11 locations in subtropical areas of São Paulo State, Brazil. For identification of cryptic species, a subsample of 130 isolates was subjected to cleaved amplified polymorphic sequence (CAPS) analysis, and for 91 of these isolates the ITS1 region was sequenced. These analyses suggest that the population of P. viticola in São Paulo State consists of a single cryptic species, P. viticola clade aestivalis. Seven microsatellite markers were used to determine the genetic structure of all 516 P. viticola isolates, identifying 23 alleles and 55 multilocus genotypes (MLGs). Among these MLGs, 34.5% were clonal and represented 93% of the isolates sampled. Four dominant genotypes were present in at least five different locations, corresponding to 65.7% of the isolates sampled. Genotypic diversity (Ĝ = 0.21–0.89) and clonal fraction (0.58–0.96) varied among locations (populations). Most populations showed significant deviation from Hardy–Weinberg expectations; in addition, excess of heterozygosity was verified for many loci. However, principal coordinate analysis revealed no clusters among locations and no significant isolation by distance was found, suggesting high levels of migration. The results indicate that downy mildew epidemics result from multiple clonal infections caused by a few genotypes of P. viticola, and reproduction of P. viticola in São Paulo State is predominantly asexual.
Hair and saliva analysis fails to accurately identify atopic dogs or differentiate real and fake samples
Authors: Bernstein Joseph A , Tater Kathy , Bicalho Rodrigo C , Rishniw Mark
Published: January 2019

Background

The availability of direct‐to‐consumer medical testing for human and veterinary health conditions has increased in recent years. For allergies, several companies market proprietary hair and saliva tests directly to pet owners. These tests have not been validated and there is limited regulatory oversight for such tests in veterinary medicine.

Hypothesis/Objectives

To examine the accuracy and reproducibility of a commercial direct‐to‐consumer hair and saliva allergen test.

Animals

Seven healthy animals (six dogs, one cat); six animals (five dogs, one cat) with atopic dermatitis; 11 samples of synthetic fur and sterile saline.

Methods and materials

Duplicate animal hair and saliva, and 11 synthetic fur and saline samples were collected (total samples 35) and submitted to the company for analysis, yielding 12,075 outcomes for statistical analysis.

Results

Positive test results were provided by the direct‐to‐consumer pet allergy for all submitted samples, including synthetic fur and saline. The test results for healthy and atopic animal samples were no different from each other or from synthetic fur and saline samples. Reproducibility for paired samples was not different from random chance. The results for real animals correlated strongly with results for synthetic fur and saline samples (r = 0.71, P < 0.05).

Conclusions and clinical importance

The direct‐to‐consumer hair and saliva test for pet allergies examined in this study performed no better than chance and the results were not reproducible.
Tibial fracture repair with angle‐stable interlocking nailing in 2 calves
Authors: Marturello Danielle M. , Gazzola Krista M. , Déjardin Loïc M.
Published: January 2019

Objective

To report tibial fracture repairs with I‐Loc angle‐stable interlocking nails (AS‐ILN) in 2 calves.

Study design

Clinical case reports.

Animals

One 5‐day‐old Holstein calf and one 3‐month‐old beefalo calf.

Methods

In a 50‐kg Holstein calf, a proximal juxtametaphyseal comminuted tibial fracture with tibial tuberosity slab fracture was repaired with an 8–160‐mm I‐Loc nail and 2 cortical lag screws. In an 89‐kg beefalo calf, a long oblique middiaphyseal tibial fracture was repaired with an 8–185‐mm I‐Loc nail and 5 double loop cerclage wires. In each case, an I‐Loc AS‐ILN was selected because unique biomechanical challenges precluded treatment with traditional osteosynthesis methods, such as external coaptation or plate fixation.

Results

No complications were diagnosed, and clinical union was documented 4 weeks after surgery in both cases. Axial growth continued in both calves, with no evidence of angular limb deformity at 7‐ and 6‐month follow‐up.

Conclusion

This is the first report describing the use of the I‐Loc nail in a bovine species. This application led to uncomplicated healing of tibial fractures and continued growth in both young calves described here.

Clinical significance

Interlocking nailing may provide an effective and safe alternative for osteosynthesis of tibial fractures in young calves. Insertion of the AS‐ILN across the center of the proximal tibial physis of a rapidly growing calf does not seem to alter its growth potential.
The Trials
Authors: Unowsky Daniel
Published: January 2019

Chapter 4 turns to the search for justice. The Galician courts, closely watched by the Ministry of Justice in Vienna, assessed personal responsibility for individual acts of violence and disturbance of the peace. The first major attacks took place in mid-March 1898; five weeks of sustained violence began in the last week of May and ended only in late June. The first trials opened in the beginning of July; courts issued the last judgments in January 1899. Appeals continued for several more months. Each case was a drama that played out in local courtrooms, on the street, and in the press. What were the claims of the prosecution and the defense? How did defendants and witnesses describe the violence and their own actions? How did the media of the day portray the trials and engage in questions of guilt and responsibility?
Conclusion
Authors: Unowsky Daniel
Published: January 2019

The 1898 anti-Jewish riots and their aftermath did not simply arise from Galician backwardness. Swiftly spreading and constantly evolving rumors, slogans shouted by attackers, and statements made to investigators and on witness stands revealed a rural world rife with ignorance, drunkenness, and illiteracy, as well as medieval Catholic superstitions about Host desecration, ritual murder, well-poisoning, and the like. Yet, the specific form antisemitic violence took in Galicia in 1898—the dynamics of its spread and duration—reflected a lively and expanding partisan press, new Catholic social movements, government intervention, and the arrival of modern political mobilization in the Galician countryside. Polish peasant politicians would bring their interpretations of the 1898 violence into the newborn Poland after 1918: they argued that a modernization of the countryside that works for the benefit of Christians could come about only with the exclusion of the Jews.
An Economic and Demographic History of São Paulo, 1850-1950
Authors: Luna Francisco Vidal , Klein Herbert S.
Published: January 2019

This volume is the continuation of an earlier study of colonial and imperial São Paulo and covers the period 1850-1950. These volumes are the first full scale survey of the economy and society of the state of São Paulo in this two century period in any language. Today São Paulo is the most populated state of Brazil and also the richest and most industrialized one. It is also the world leader in the production of sugar cane and orange juice and houses one of the world’s major airplane manufacturers. Its GDP today is almost double the size of Portugal or Finland and close to the size of the entire economy of Colombia or Venezuela and its capital city is one of the top five metropolitan centers in the world. This volume shows how the region of São Paulo went from being one of the more marginal and backward areas of the nation to its leading agricultural, industrial and financial center. Special emphasis is given to the creation of a modern state government and finances in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as well as the evolution of tis coffee economy and its internal market as well as its leading role it played in the integration of over two million European and Asian immigrants into Brazilian society.
Crisis of the Paulista State and the Loss of Hegemony of the Paulista Elite
Authors: Luna Francisco Vidal , Klein Herbert S.
Published: January 2019

This chapter analyzes the impact of the international crisis of 1930 on the Brazilian economy and Government. It shows how the liberal federalist system that was developed from 1889-1930 was destroyed and replaced by an authoritarian, centralist and interventionist regime thus breaking the power hold of the paulista elite on the central government and even reducing their control over the state government.
The Sovereign State
Authors: Ferguson Heather L.
Published: January 2019

This chapter demonstrates that qualities once thought to be unique to the Ottoman confederation were of a piece with other imperial strategies to affirm the power of the court amid disparate territorial domains. The chapter builds a basis especially for thinking about the relationship between an expanding bureaucracy, a new set of spatial protocols within an established palatial seat, and the textual habits that extended authority outside the palace confines. It draws on comparisons with the Habsburg court in Spain, addresses the emergence of a hierarchical imperial chancery, and outlines features of the scribal culture that play a key role in the book as a whole. It draws on diverse chroniclers, early kanunname, imperial expenditures, and sultanic edicts in various forms to trace these dynamics between the fifteenth and the seventeenth centuries.
Medicine’s Malcontents
Authors: Ramírez Paul
Published: January 2019

The final chapter returns to the experience of medical reform in pueblos de indios, where rumors and political rituals mediated enlightened techniques, personnel, and reform programs. Political rituals allowed parents and Indian officials to assess and judge these medical interventions, discern efficacy, and occasionally shape more acceptable campaigns. Rumors of enslavement, forced enlistment, witchcraft, and kidnapping had the effect of threatening flight from villages by parents and others into “regions of refuge,” which compelled negotiation by administrators to avoid aborted campaigns and lost revenue. In these ways laypeople were integral to the domestication and interpretation of Enlightenment treatments.
Conclusion
Authors: Ramírez Paul
Published: January 2019

At the end of the nineteenth century, doctors and scientists in Mexico helped the authoritarian government of Porfirio Díaz project an image of a modern nation to the world. Despite medicine’s professionalization, a dispute in downtown Mexico City in these years over whether the sacred spaces of a parish church might be used for vaccinations opens a window onto continued confusion over preventive medicine’s proper place and identity. In part, confusion was a result of the role of rural priests in disease management and medical practice; early vaccination campaigns only reinforced the overlapping of authority in the early Republic. Continued struggles to immunize the population against disease in the nineteenth century warn against the tendency to see medical empiricism as neatly opposed to religious agents, rituals, or administration in the modern period.
The Kargil Crisis
Authors: Yusuf Moeed
Published: January 2019

This chapter examines the 1999 Kargil conflict between India and Pakistan, and establishes that what may otherwise be construed as a classic limited war where major conflict was avoided due to nuclear deterrence was in reality a display of brokered bargaining. This entailed the United States and other major powers ignoring Pakistan’s effort to manipulate the risk of war and its pleas for support to help terminate the crisis while it was in possession of forcibly occupied territory in Indian Kashmir. They deemed Pakistan’s unilateral withdrawal to be the most realistic and efficient way of ensuring crisis termination. India reacted militarily to Pakistan’s provocation but kept its actions limited to retain international goodwill and get the third party to make efforts to ensure Pakistan’s withdrawal. The chapter also analyzes the several risks of escalation introduced due to India’s and Pakistan’s misperceptions of the third party’s outlook toward the crisis.
The 2001–2002 Military Standoff
Authors: Yusuf Moeed
Published: January 2019

This chapter examines the 2001–2002 military standoff that kept India and Pakistan on the verge of war for ten months. Brokered bargaining characterized crisis behavior of the rivals and the U.S.-led third party. India threatened to use military force but pulled back at critical junctures as the United States acted as a guarantor of Pakistan’s promises of curbing cross-border terrorism and raised India’s costs of defying third-party demands to de-escalate. Pakistan promised retaliation against India and harmed the U.S. military campaign in Afghanistan by withdrawing forces from the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, but this “autonomous” behavior was trumped by its propensity to oblige the United States by accepting some responsibility for anti-India terrorism and acting tangibly against militants. The chapter also analyzes the several risks of escalation introduced by India’s and Pakistan’s misperceptions of the third party’s leverage over the opponent.
The Mumbai Crisis
Authors: Yusuf Moeed
Published: January 2019

This chapter examines the 2008 Mumbai crisis and shows that brokered bargaining characterized crisis behavior of the rivals and the U.S.-led third party. In a situation that could have boiled over given the spectacular nature of the terrorist attacks that triggered the crisis, India, Pakistan, and the United States exhibited an even greater sense of familiarity with the opportunities and limitations associated with the trilateral bargaining framework. Despite threatening military action at times, India relied almost exclusively on the United States to pursue its crisis objectives. Without boxing it in completely, the United States pressured Pakistan and forced it to take actions against terrorists believed to be linked to the attacks, and used this to pacify India. The centrality of the third-party strand of crisis management helps explain the prudence both sides exhibited in avoiding brinkmanship.
Brokered Bargaining
Authors: Yusuf Moeed
Published: January 2019

Drawing on the case studies, this chapter examines the applicability of brokered bargaining in South Asia’s first decade of overt nuclearization and its implications for crisis stability. In each crisis, the concern about escalation forced the United States and other strong states to engage, largely unsolicited, and use a mix of rewards and threats with the regional rivals to achieve de-escalation. Both India and Pakistan eagerly engaged the third-party and oscillated between manipulating the risk of war and deferring to its preferences to gain its support. The process encompassing this dynamic interaction explained both the specific choices and the overall crisis behavior of the three actors. Escalation risks due to the “moral hazard problem,” the “multiple-audience problem,” and the peacetime policy choices of the antagonists and the United States were present.
Dynasties and Democracy
Authors: Smith Daniel M.
Published: January 2019

Democracy is supposed to be the antithesis of hereditary rule by family dynasties. And yet “democratic dynasties” continue to persist in democracies around the world. They have been conspicuously prevalent in Japan, where more than a third of all legislators and two-thirds of all cabinet ministers in recent years have come from families with a history in parliament. Such a high proportion of dynasties is unusual and has sparked concerns over whether democracy in Japan is functioning properly. This book introduces a comparative theory to explain the causes and consequences of dynasties in democracies like Japan. Members of dynasties enjoy an “inherited incumbency advantage” in all three stages of a typical political career: selection, election, and promotion. However, the nature and extent of this advantage, as well as its consequences for elections and representation, varies by the institutional context of electoral rules and candidate selection methods within parties. In the late 1980s, roughly half of all new candidates in Japan’s long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party were political legacies. However, electoral system reform in 1994 and subsequent party reforms have changed the incentives for party leaders to rely on dynastic politics in candidate selection. A new pattern of party-based competition is slowly replacing the old pattern of competition based on localized family fiefdoms.
Election
Authors: Smith Daniel M.
Published: January 2019

This chapter explores the inherited incumbency advantage in elections, the mechanisms behind the advantage, and how it differs in the prereform and postreform electoral environments of Japan. New legacy candidates are decidedly advantaged over non-legacy candidates in both SNTV and FPTP elections. However, there is also a selection effect in terms of where legacy candidates emerge. In the prereform period, legacy candidates followed strong incumbents, whose exit freed up votes and encouraged the entry of competitive challengers. In the postreform period, legacy candidates are most likely to get nominated in party strongholds where any new candidate might be similarly successful, and challengers tend to be weaker. Evidence from traditional surveys and a conjoint survey experiment suggests that voters in Japan do not like the idea of dynasties in the abstract sense, even as they continue to elect specific legacy candidates in their own local districts.
Conclusion
Authors: Smith Daniel M.
Published: January 2019

This chapter concludes the book by drawing together the key empirical findings and reflecting on the lessons that Japan’s experience with dynastic politics might hold for other democracies, such as India and the Philippines, where dynasties have been viewed as a growing problem in recent years, and Ireland, where politics is still in many ways a family affair. The key challenge is how to transform party organizations from decentralized cadres of local notables into coherent vehicles for programmatic policies. The experience of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party, viewed through the lens of dynastic politics, sheds important light on the possibilities and challenges involved in institutional design and reform.
Globalization Under and After Socialism
Authors: Pula Besnik
Published: January 2019

The literature on globalization has often ignored Europe’s periphery and has particularly remained silent on how the structural changes in the world economy beginning in the 1970s affected the ex-socialist world. In the late twentieth century, among the few critical theories that broke from Cold War understandings of socialist political economies was world-systems theory. While making a number of counterintuitive and provocative claims, world-systems theory and its offshoots (including the “dual dependency” perspective) failed to account for the transformations from socialism to postsocialism and took little heed of the institutional realities and contradictions of Soviet socialism by relying on system-functionalist explanations of change. This chapter proposes a framework for an historical-institutionalist account of globalization that considers both structural changes in the capitalist world economy and political and economic reform in the socialist world that prefigured Central and Eastern Europe’s path of transformation after 1989.
A Room of Their Own
Authors: Wobick-Segev Sarah
Published: January 2019

The first chapter explores how Jews integrated into European society while at the same time used leisure and consumer places to maintain senses of group cohesion and collective identity. In aiming to preserve but also in effect to recreate a sense of collectivity, an increasing number of Jewish individuals turned to new social spaces to make and nurture friendships and solidify networks and solidarity. The chapter is thus about boundaries: the boundaries between Jews and non-Jews and the boundaries between different Jewish groups as they were expressed in social spaces. In particular, the chapter explores how writers, intellectuals, artists, immigrants, and the working classes used cafés to create friendship and fraternity, and how they used hotels and restaurants for new forms of conviviality and community building.
A New Insight Into the Grünwald–Letnikov Discrete Fractional Calculus
Authors: Wei Yiheng , Yin Weidi , Zhao Yanting , Wang Yong
Published: January 2019

The primary work of this paper is to investigate some potential properties of Grünwald–Letnikov discrete fractional calculus. By employing a concise and convenient description, this paper not only establishes excellent relationships between fractional difference/sum and the integer order case but also generalizes the Z-transform and convolution operation.
Educational needs and workplace opportunities of allied health assistants: A qualitative pilot
Authors: Mickan Sharon , Golenko Xanthe , Buys Nicholas
Published: January 2019

Introduction: Healthcare assistants perform a broad range of clinical and administrative tasks across many clinical settings and are supervised by most professional groups. This diversity creates challenges for maintaining a consistent scope of practice and consistent patterns of skill utilisation. It is not clear whether formal education in universities for allied health assistants (AHAs) could better shape the role and opportunities for the AHA workforce. Methods and analysis: An exploratory qualitative study was designed to investigate the perspectives of senior allied health clinicians and academics about the educational needs and workplace opportunities for AHAs. We were interested in whether university education for AHAs could help to shape consistent roles and expectations of AHAs for the future workforce. A convenience sample of participants was invited to exploratory semi-structured interviews, and their responses were thematically analysed and integrated. Results: Twelve participants, representing eight different allied health professions, were interviewed. Three themes emerged. Participants described the diverse roles, capabilities and expectations of the health assistant workforce. Current vocational training was considered inconsistent and insufficient, and participants reported significant local training occurring to meet the expectations of different work environments. Future educational pathways in university were not supported by any participants for many, largely practical, reasons. Conclusion: University-level education does not appear to be a feasible tool to ensure consistent workforce roles and expectations for allied health assistants. Instead, AHAs need integrated educational pathways across vocational training and workplace environments. Continued workforce design is required to align assistant and professional roles and expectations.
Chemistry and kinetics governing hydride/chloride chemical vapor deposition of epitaxial Ge1−xSnx
Authors: Margetis Joe , Yu Shui-Qing , Li Baohua , Tolle John
Published: January 2019

Recent breakthroughs in Ge1−xSnx and SiyGe1−x−ySnx materials and devices have created much excitement within the photonics research community. Group IV semiconductors with true direct bandgaps have now been realized, and they hold much promise for advancing integrated photonics technologies. Epitaxial growth is the primary enabling factor in this research field; however, an understanding of the fundamental surface and interfacial phenomena associated with this is still lacking. Due to the metastable nature of these alloys, low growth temperatures must be employed and it is still not understood how the chemical precursors achieve sufficient reactivity at such low temperatures. In this work, the authors discuss the chemical mechanisms responsible for the epitaxial growth of Ge1−xSnx alloys during chemical vapor deposition with GeH4 and SnCl4. They first describe how the growth rate and layer composition varies with precursor flow rates and temperature and then discuss the Arrhenius behavior and incorporation efficiency of each respective precursor. Finally, they connect these observed trends to a thermochemical analysis of likely reaction pathways. The authors find that exothermic gas-phase reactions likely produce reactive intermediates which allow the reaction to proceed at unexpectedly low temperatures.
Optimized reference spectrum for rating the impact sound insulation of concrete floors
Authors: Kylliäinen Mikko , Virjonen Petra , Hongisto Valtteri
Published: January 2019

It has been long recognized that the single-number quantities presented in the standard ISO 717-2 [(2013) International Organization for Standardization] do not correlate especially well with the subjective judgment of living impact sound sources directed to the floors. The aim of this study was to find single-number quantities which are well associated with the subjective annoyance caused by different impact sounds. Experimental data of laboratory measurements of impact sound insulation of floors and a psychoacoustic experiment was used [Kylliäinen et al. (2017). Acta Acust. Acust. 103, 236–251]. The five studied impact sound types were walking with hard shoes, socks, and soft shoes, super ball bouncing, and chair moving. A fundamental requirement was that the single-number quantities can be expressed as the sum of L′n,w or L′nT,w and a spectrum adaptation term. Reference spectra were derived by the means of a mathematical optimization method. Reference spectra for each sound type were defined separately. An optimized reference spectrum based on all five sound types explained the annoyance of these sound types reasonably well (r2 = 0.93) and better than any of the standardized single number quantities (e.g., r2 = 0.86 for L′n,w + CI,50-2500).
Bolsonaro's first moves have Brazilian scientists worried
Authors: Escobar Herton
Published: January 2019

Legacy on climate change at risk after government reshuffle.
Massive fish die-off sparks outcry in Australia
Authors: Normile Dennis
Published: January 2019

"Historic" plan to save the Murray-Darling River Basin failed to prevent ecological disaster.
Light skin may be legacy of Native American ancestors
Authors: Wade Lizzie
Published: January 2019

New gene variant undercuts simplistic assumptions about skin color and ancestry in Latin America.
Metabolic asymmetry and the global diversity of marine predators
Authors: Grady John M. , Maitner Brian S. , Winter Ara S. , Kaschner Kristin , Tittensor Derek P. , Record Sydne , Smith Felisa A. , Wilson Adam M. , Dell Anthony I. , Zarnetske Phoebe L. , Wearing Helen J. , Alfaro Brian , Brown James H.
Published: January 2019

Cold is better for polar predators

Generally, biodiversity is higher in the tropics than at the poles. This pattern is present across taxa as diverse as plants and insects. Marine mammals and birds buck this trend, however, with more species and more individuals occurring at the poles than at the equator. Grady
et al.
asked why this is (see the Perspective by Pyenson). They analyzed a comprehensive dataset of nearly 1000 species of shark, fish, reptiles, mammals, and birds. They found that predation on ectothermic (“cold-blooded”) prey is easier where waters are colder, which generates a larger resource base for large endothermic (“warm-blooded”) predators in polar regions.

Science
, this issue p.
eaat4220
; see also p.
338
Processed foods and food reward
Authors: Small Dana M. , DiFeliceantonio Alexandra G.
Published: January 2019

Processed foods compromise the fidelity of gut-brain signaling of food reinforcement
Advances in weather prediction
Authors: Alley Richard B. , Emanuel Kerry A. , Zhang Fuqing
Published: January 2019

Better weather and environmental forecasting will continue to improve well-being
Where to find fantastic beasts at sea
Authors: Pyenson Nicholas D.
Published: January 2019

Why do cold-blooded and warm-blooded marine predators live in different parts of the world?
Riccardo Giacconi (1931–2018)
Authors: Rosati Piero
Published: January 2019

Pioneer in x-ray astronomy and visionary astrophysicist
Roles of the DedD Protein in
Escherichia coli
Cell Constriction
Authors: Liu Bing , Hale Cynthia A. , Persons Logan , Phillips-Mason Polly J. , de Boer Piet A. J.
Published: January 2019

Cell division (cytokinesis) is a fundamental biological process that is incompletely understood for any organism. Division of bacterial cells relies on a ring-like machinery called the septal ring or divisome that assembles along the circumference of the mother cell at the site where constriction eventually occurs. In the well-studied bacterium
Escherichia coli
, this machinery contains over 30 distinct proteins. We identify functionally important parts of one of these proteins, DedD, and present evidence supporting a role for DedD in helping to induce and/or sustain a self-enhancing cycle of processes that are executed by fellow septal-ring proteins and that drive the active constriction phase of the cell division cycle.
Engineering Responses to Amino Acid Substitutions in the VP0- and VP3-Coding Regions of PanAsia-1 Strains of Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus Serotype O
Authors: Bai Xing-Wen , Bao Hui-Fang , Li Ping-Hua , Ma Xue-Qing , Sun Pu , Bai Qi-Feng , Zhang Meng , Yuan Hong , Chen Dong-Dong , Li Kun , Chen Ying-Li , Cao Yi-Mei , Fu Yuan-Fang , Zhang Jing , Li Dong , Lu Zeng-Jun , Liu Zai-Xin , Luo Jian-Xun
Published: January 2019

The sequence variation within the capsid proteins occurs frequently in the infection of susceptible tissue cultures, reflecting the high levels of genetic diversity of FMDV. A systematic study for the functional significance of isolate-specific residues in VP0 and VP3 of FMDV PanAsia-1 strains suggested that the interaction of amino acid side chains between the N terminus of VP4 and several potential domains of VP1-3 had cascading effects on the viability and developmental characteristics of progeny viruses. Y2079H in VP0 of the indicated FMDVs could affect plaque size and pathogenicity, as well as acid sensitivity correlated with NH
4
Cl resistance, whereas there was no inevitable correlation in viral plaque and acid-sensitive phenotypes. The high affinity of non-integrin-dependent FMDVs for heparin might be explained by the differences in structures of heparan sulfate proteoglycans on the surfaces of different cell lines. These results may contribute to our understanding of the distinct phenotypic properties of FMDV
in vitro
and
in vivo
.
Oropharyngeal dysphagia as an uncommon manifestation of an osteoarticular disease
Authors: Ferreira Joana Maria Soares , Oliveira Pedro , Almeida Antonio Faria , Condé Artur
Published: January 2019

We report a case of a 76-year-old Caucasian woman who was referred to our department due to progressive dysphagia. We performed a flexible nasofibrolaryngoscopy that demonstrated the presence of a non-pulsatile mass in the right posterior wall of the hypopharynx. Cervical CT scan revealed that the mass represented a bulging of the hypopharynx wall produced by osteophytes along the cervical segment (C3–C4 and C4–C5) of the rachis. The patient was successfully treated with conservative measures with progressive improvement of dysphagia. This case highlights that anterior cervical osteophytosis should be included in the differential diagnosis of oropharyngeal dysphagia.