bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
SNES makes sense? Single-cell exome sequencing evolves
Authors: Voet Thierry , Van Loo Peter
Published: April 2015

Technologies for single-cell sequencing are improving steadily. A recent study describes a new method for interrogating all coding sequences of the human genome at single-cell resolution.

See related research by Leung et al., http://genomebiology.com/2015/16/1/55
Histological antiphospholipid-associated nephropathy versus lupus nephritis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus: an observational cross-sectional study with longitudinal follow-up
Authors: Gerhardsson Jakob , Sundelin Birgitta , Zickert Agneta , Padyukov Leonid , Svenungsson Elisabet , Gunnarsson Iva
Published: April 2015

Introduction

Renal involvement is a severe complication in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Moreover, a subset of SLE patients develop the anti-phospholipid syndrome (APS), characterised by the occurrence of anti-phospholipid antibodies in combination with macro- and microvascular thrombotic manifestations, including acute and chronic antiphospholipid-associated nephropathy (APLN). Clinical presentations of lupus nephritis and APLN are similar and a renal biopsy is necessary to differentiate between the conditions. Our aim with this study was to investigate the occurrence of histopathological findings consistent with APLN (hAPLN) in renal biopsies from SLE patients and to investigate associations with anti-phospholipid antibody specificities, clinical manifestations, HLA-DRB1 alleles, and long-term renal outcome.

Method

Consecutive renal biopsies from 112 SLE patients with renal involvement were investigated and evaluated for findings of hAPLN; in all there were 236 renal biopsies. Data from biopsy reports and clinical information were collected. Autoantibodies against cardiolipin and β2-glycoprotein-1 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A lupus anticoagulant test was determined with a modified Dilute Russel Viper Venom method. HLA genotyping was performed by sequence-specific primer PCR. Renal outcome was determined at study end.

Results

The prevalence of hAPLN was 14.3% among SLE patients with renal involvement. Compared to patients with pure lupus nephritis, occurrence of hAPLN was associated with intima changes (odds ratio (OR) = 24; 95% confidence interval (CI), 3.0 to 189.8; P < 0.0001), hypertensive vascular changes (OR = 7.8; 95% CI, 1.6 to 39.4; P = 0.01), inflammatory infiltrates (OR = 6.5; 95% CI, 1.7 to 25.1; P = 0.007) and tubular atrophy (OR = 13.1; 95% CI, 1.7 to 103.6; P = 0.002). hAPLN was associated with the presence of cardiolipin antibodies (OR = 3.3; 95% CI, 1.0 to 10.8; P = 0.05) and triple anti-phospholipid antibody positivity (OR = 4.2; 95% CI, 1.3 to 13.7; P = 0.02). Patients with hAPLN were more hypertensive (OR = 3.8; 95% CI, 1.2 to 12.3; P = 0.03) and had higher levels of creatinine as compared to lupus nephritis patients (median 116 versus 75 μmol/L; P < 0.0001). We found significantly higher frequency of HLA-DRB1*13 (OR = 5.1; 95% CI, 1.7 to 15.4; P = 0.03) and development of end-stage renal disease (OR = 5.8; 95% CI, 1.7 to 19.7; P = 0.008) in hAPLN compared with lupus nephritis.

Conclusion

hAPLN is a severe and often unrecognized condition in SLE patients with renal involvement. We have demonstrated an increased risk for development of renal impairment and a genetic predisposition in hAPLN patients compared to lupus nephritis patients.
Rapid start-up and improvement of granulation in SBR
Authors: Jalali Sajjad , Shayegan Jalal , Rezasoltani Samira
Published: April 2015

Background

The aim of this study is to accelerate and improve aerobic granulation within a Sequencing Batch Reactor (SBR) by cationic polymer addition.

Methods

To identify whether the polymer additive is capable of enhancing granule formation, two SBRs (R1 and R2, each 0.15 m in diameter and 2 m in height) are used by feeding synthetic wastewater. The cationic polymer with concentration of 30 to 2 ppm is added to R2, while no cationic polymer is added to R1.

Results

Results show that the cationic polymer addition causes faster granule formation and consequently shorter reactor start-up period. The polymer-amended reactor contains higher concentration of biomass with better settling ability (23% reduction in SVI15) and larger and denser granules (112% increase of granular diameter). In addition, the results demonstrate that the cationic polymer improve the sludge granulation process by 31% increase in Extracellular Polymer Substance(EPS) concentration, 7% increase in Specific Oxygen Uptake Rate(SOUR), 18% increase in hydrophobicity, and 17% reduction in effluent Mixed Liquor Suspended Solid(MLSS) concentration.

Conclusions

Concludingly, it is found that using the cationic polymer to an aerobic granular system has the potential to enhance the sludge granulation process.
Equilibrium and kinetic studies of copper biosorption by dead Ceriporia lacerata biomass isolated from the litter of an invasive plant in China
Authors: Li Xiaona , Li Airong , Long Mingzhong , Tian Xingjun
Published: April 2015

Background

Ceriporia lacerata, a strain of white-rot fungus isolated from the litter of an invasive plant (Solidago canadensis) in China, was little known about its properties and utilization. In this work, the copper(II) biosorption characteristics of formaldehyde inactivated C. lacerata biomass were examined as a function of initial pH, initial copper(II) concentration and contact time, and the adsorptive equilibrium and kinetics were simulated, too.

Results

The optimum pH was found to be 6.0 at experimental conditions of initial copper(II) concentration 100 mg/L, biomass dose 2 g/L, contact time 12 h, shaking rate 150 r/min and temperature 25°C. Biosorption equilibrium cost about 1 hour at experimental conditions of pH 6.0, initial copper(II) concentration 100 mg/L, C. lacerata dose 2 g/L, shaking rate 150 r/min and temperature 25°C. At optimum pH 6.0, highest copper(II) biosorption amounts were 6.79 and 7.76 mg/g for initial copper(II) concentration of 100 and 200 mg/L, respectively (with other experimental parameters of C. lacerata dose 2 g/L, shaking rate 150 r/min and temperature 25°C). The pseudo second-order adsorptive model gave the best adjustment for copper(II) biosorption kinetics. The equilibrium data fitted very well to both Langmuir and Freundlich adsorptive isotherm models.

Conclusions

Without further acid or alkali treatment for improving adsorption properties, formaldehyde inactivated C. lacerata biomass possesses good biosorption characteristics on copper(II) removal from aqueous solutions.
Enhanced mobility of polydisperse granular flows in a small flume
Authors: Yang Qingqing , Su Zhiman , Cai Fei , Ugai Keizo
Published: April 2015

Background

A series of laboratory tests was conducted to investigate the influence of the interaction between coarse and fine particles on the mobility of granular flows in a small flume.

Methods

The angle of the upper slope was fixed at 45°, and the lower slope was inclined at angles of 0°, 5°, 10°, and 15° in different cases. Three monodisperse materials (gravel, coarse sand, and fine sand) were mixed, and the proportion of each material in each test was varied but maintained the same total mass of 3.0 kg.

Results

Test results show that the proportion of fine sand strongly influenced the run-out of polydisperse materials. With increasing proportion of fine sand, the run-outs of granular flows increased until its peak. However, the run-outs decreased with further more fine sand.

Discussion

The reason might be that a thin layer of fine sand acted as rollers for the rolling of the gravel, leading to the reduction of effective friction resistance during the movement; when excessive amount of fine sand was involved, these rollers were thrown into disarray so that the particles were either blocked or forced into sliding.

Conclusion

This implies that an appropriate proportion of fine particles were partly responsible for the long run-out of rock avalanches.
Emerging single-cell technologies in immunology
Authors: Herderschee Jacobus , Fenwick Craig , Pantaleo Giuseppe , Roger Thierry , Calandra Thierry
Published: April 2015

During evolution, the immune system has diversified to protect the host from the extremely wide array of possible pathogens. Until recently, immune responses were dissected by use of global approaches and bulk tools, averaging responses across samples and potentially missing particular contributions of individual cells. This is a strongly limiting factor, considering that initial immune responses are likely to be triggered by a restricted number of cells at the vanguard of host defenses. The development of novel, single-cell technologies is a major innovation offering great promise for basic and translational immunology with the potential to overcome some of the limitations of traditional research tools, such as polychromatic flow cytometry or microscopy-based methods. At the transcriptional level, much progress has been made in the fields of microfluidics and single-cell RNA sequencing. At the protein level, mass cytometry already allows the analysis of twice as many parameters as flow cytometry. In this review, we explore the basis and outcome of immune-cell diversity, how genetically identical cells become functionally different, and the consequences for the exploration of host-immune defense responses. We will highlight the advantages, trade-offs, and potential pitfalls of emerging, single-cell-based technologies and how they provide unprecedented detail of immune responses.
Determining the effects of films with suicidal content: A laboratory experiment
Authors: Till Benedikt , Strauss Markus , Sonneck Gernot , Niederkrotenthaler Thomas
Published: April 2015

Background

Media stories on suicide can increase suicidal ideation, but little is known about variations in media effects with regard to audience vulnerability and story contents.

Aims

We investigated the impact of three drama films with suicidal content that varied with regard to the final outcome (suicide completion, mastery of crisis and death by natural causes) and tested the moderating effect of baseline suicidality of the participants on the effects.

Method

Within a laboratory setting, we randomly assigned 95 adults to three film groups. We used questionnaires to analyse the effects of the films on mood, depression, life satisfaction, self-worth, assumed benevolence of the world and suicidality, as well as identification with the protagonist. We stratified the sample into participants with suicidal tendencies above and below the sample median.

Results

The film that ended with the protagonist's suicide led to a deterioration of mood particularly in individuals with baseline suicidality below the median, who also experienced an increase in self-worth. Participants with stronger suicidal tendencies experienced a rise in suicidality that depended on their level of identification with the protagonist. The film featuring the main character positively coping with his crisis increased life satisfaction particularly among participants with higher suicidal tendencies.

Conclusions

The effects of suicide-related media material seem to vary with individual vulnerability and with type of media portrayal. Individuals with lower vulnerability experience more emotional reactions when exposed to a film culminating in suicide, but individuals with higher vulnerability experience a rise in suicidal tendencies particularly if they identify with the protagonist who died by suicide. In contrast, portrayals of individual mastery of crisis may have beneficial effects in more vulnerable individuals.
Obscure Forms: The Letter, the Law, and the Line in Hardy's Social Geometry
Authors: Kornbluh Anna
Published: April 2015

There could scarcely be a novel more searingly critical of social contradictions than Thomas Hardy's last, and arguably the last Victorian one, Jude the Obscure. Between its Pauline epigraph (“the letter killeth”) and its unforgettable tragedy (“done because we are too menny”), Jude bears out in its plot an indictment of law's inherent abjections and an interrogation of the value of life that seem to precociously articulate the consensus of today's hegemonic biopolitical theory: that human institutions tend inexorably to subjugate humanity itself. Yet the form of the novel develops another theory of the political, another conception of the letter of the law. In ways legible from the presentation of the epigraph onward, that form is conspicuously experimental about typography, the lining and lettering of the letter. The form is also, as Hardy himself repeatedly maintained, “geometrically constructed,” riveted by the study of lines and shapes. Reading Jude's manifold geometric imagery in the context of the revolutionary non-Euclidean break in Victorian-era mathematics and tracing the novel's bold typographic experiments, this essay highlights Hardy's surprising exuberance about the shape of letters. Typography and geometry are unexpectedly crucial to the political imaginary of Jude the Obscure, which projects the malleability of social lineaments even as it tells the tale of lethally rigid norms.
Our Mutual Friend and Network Form
Authors: Gibson Anna
Published: April 2015

This essay demonstrates how Charles Dickens used the form of serial fiction to experiment with a uniquely Victorian idea of life as a dynamic network of interactions. Reading Our Mutual Friend alongside nineteenth-century physiological and evolutionary writing, I show how Dickens shaped novel form around the attractions and reactions that organized social and psychological life in his city. Victorian sciences—particularly the work of George Henry Lewes and Charles Darwin—were turning to “net-work” to describe the plastic processes underpinning biological life. Dickens's fiction used the same dynamic potential of network form to put in motion the mechanisms of social life. Taking a novel form traditionally organized around the story of a self, Dickens used serial publication to incorporate variety, change, and new combinations of radically heterogeneous characters into each new installment, turning novel form into an ongoing formation. The resulting model of character psychology is one that replaces interiority with interaction and individuated desire with physiological affect.
Political Spirituality
Authors: Diken Bülent
Published: April 2015

The article thematizes the difference between superstition and faith through an allegorical double reading of social theory and Ken Russell’s film The Devils. It discusses the political implications of this difference, contrasting the function of “love of God” in mysticism and in the governmental economy of the church. Crucially, love is originally a universal, immanent impulse, which is captured by religion. But if religion is an apparatus of capture, then the profanation of this universal core is possible. Religion cannot fully appropriate or exhaust the virtual potentiality of faith. By the same token, it becomes possible to distinguish religion and faith. Not all faith is religion and not all religion is faithful. The article draws on Foucault, discussing the possibility of a “political spirituality” outside the religious domain, as a profane, modern political gesture that cannot be reduced to theological notions. Finally, it turns to the relationship between political spirituality and political strategy.
A Deweyan Experience Economy for Higher Education
Authors: Graham Phil , Dezuanni Michael , Arthurs Andy , Hearn Greg
Published: April 2015

In this essay we argue that a Deweyan experience economy will best support the higher education (HE) sector in the future, and we draw a contrast between that economy and the sector’s current focus on informational concerns, as expressed by the recent rush to Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) and other mass online informational offerings. We base our argument on current developments in music education and music technology that we see as being preemptive of wider trends. We use examples from a three-year study of online and offline music pedagogies and outline a four-year experiment in developing a pedagogical experience economy to illustrate a theoretical position informed by John Dewey’s theory of experience, Pierre Bourdieu’s theory of habitus and capital, and recent work in economic geography on epistemic communities. We argue further that the future of the HE sector is local rather than global, experiential rather than informational, and that therefore a continued informational approach to the future of HE risks undermining the sector.
A mitochondrial therapeutic reverses diabetic visual decline
Authors: Alam N.M. , Mills W. C. , Wong A.A. , Douglas R.M. , Szeto H. H. , Prusky G. T.
Published: April 2015

Diabetic retinopathy is characterized by progressive vision loss and the advancement of retinal micoraneurysms, edema, and angiogenesis. Unfortunately, managing glycemia or targeting vascular complications with anti-vascular endothelial growth factor agents has shown only limited efficacy in treating the deterioration of vision in diabetic retinopathy. In light of growing evidence that mitochondrial dysfunction is an independent pathophysiology of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy, we investigated whether selectively targeting and improving mitochondrial dysfunction is a viable treatment for visual decline in diabetes. Measures of spatial visual behavior, blood glucose, bodyweight, and optical clarity were made in mouse models of diabetes. Treatment groups were administered MTP-131, a water-soluble tetrapeptide that selectively targets mitochondrial cardiolipin and promotes efficient electron transfer, either systemically or in eye drops. Progressive visual decline emerged in untreated animals before the overt symptoms of metabolic and ophthalmic abnormalities were manifest, but with time, visual dysfunction was accompanied by compromised glucose clearance, and elevated blood glucose and bodyweight. MTP-131 treatment reversed the visual decline without improving glycemic control or reducing bodyweight. These data provide evidence that visuomotor decline is an early complication of diabetes. They also indicate that selectively treating mitochondrial dysfunction with MTP-131 has the potential to remediate the visual dysfunction, and complement existing treatments for diabetic retinopathy.
FilGAP, a Rho–ROCK-regulated GAP for Rac, controls adherens junctions in MDCK cells
Authors: Nakahara Shinichiro , Tsutsumi Koji , Zuinen Takuya , Ohta Yasutaka
Published: April 2015

Rho family small GTPases are essential for the formation of adherens junctions in epithelial cells. Here, we found that FilGAP (also known as ARHGAP24), a Rac-specific Rho GTPase-activating protein, promoted the formation of adherens junctions in Madin–Darby canine kidney (MDCK) cells. Knockdown of FilGAP by siRNA stimulated the disassembly and migration of MDCK cells induced by hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). By contrast, forced expression of FilGAP induced accumulation of E-cadherin at adherens junctions. Endogenous FilGAP colocalized with E-cadherin at adherens junctions, and depletion of FilGAP reduced the amount of E-cadherin expressed at the surface. The Rac GAP domain of FilGAP was necessary for the suppression of cell scattering induced by HGF. In agreement with this, siRNA-mediated knockdown of both Rac1 and FilGAP suppressed cell scattering induced by HGF. Forced expression of Rho kinase (ROCK, of which there are two isoforms ROCK1 and ROCK2) induced the accumulation of E-cadherin at the adherens junction, and depletion of FilGAP prevented the accumulation of E-cadherin. Moreover, wild-type FilGAP but not a non-phosphorylatable FilGAP mutant rescued the accumulation of E-cadherin at adherens junctions. These results suggest that FilGAP might regulate cell–cell adhesion through inactivation of Rac downstream of Rho–ROCK-signaling in MDCK cells.
The nucleus is an intracellular propagator of tensile forces in NIH 3T3 fibroblasts
Authors: Alam Samer G. , Lovett David , Kim Dae In , Roux Kyle J. , Dickinson Richard B. , Lele Tanmay P.
Published: April 2015

Nuclear positioning is a crucial cell function, but how a migrating cell positions its nucleus is not understood. Using traction-force microscopy, we found that the position of the nucleus in migrating fibroblasts closely coincided with the center point of the traction-force balance, called the point of maximum tension (PMT). Positioning of the nucleus close to the PMT required nucleus–cytoskeleton connections through linker of nucleoskeleton-to-cytoskeleton (LINC) complexes. Although the nucleus briefly lagged behind the PMT following spontaneous detachment of the uropod during migration, the nucleus quickly repositioned to the PMT within a few minutes. Moreover, traction-generating spontaneous protrusions deformed the nearby nucleus surface to pull the nuclear centroid toward the new PMT, and subsequent retraction of these protrusions relaxed the nuclear deformation and restored the nucleus to its original position. We propose that the protruding or retracting cell boundary transmits a force to the surface of the nucleus through the intervening cytoskeletal network connected by the LINC complexes, and that these forces help to position the nucleus centrally and allow the nucleus to efficiently propagate traction forces across the length of the cell during migration.
The small GTPase Arl8b regulates assembly of the mammalian HOPS complex to lysosomes
Authors: Khatter Divya , Raina Vivek B. , Dwivedi Devashish , Sindhwani Aastha , Bahl Surbhi , Sharma Mahak
Published: April 2015

HOmotypic fusion and Protein Sorting (HOPS) complex is a multi-subunit complex conserved from yeast to mammals that regulates late endosome-lysosome fusion. However, little is known about how HOPS complex is recruited to lysosomes in mammalian cells. Here we report that the small GTPase Arl8b, but not Rab7, is essential for membrane localization of hVps41 subunit of the HOPS complex. Assembly of the core HOPS subunits to Arl8b and hVps41-positive lysosomes is guided by their subunit-subunit interactions. RNAi-mediated depletion of hVps41 resulted in the impaired degradation of EGFR that was rescued upon expression of wild-type but not an Arl8b-binding defective mutant of hVps41, suggesting that Arl8b-dependent lysosomal localization of hVps41 is required for its endocytic function. Further, we have also identified that Arl8b effector SKIP/PLEKHM2 interacts with and recruits HOPS subunits to Arl8b and Kinesin–positive peripheral lysosomes. Accordingly, RNAi-mediated depletion of SKIP impaired lysosomal trafficking and degradation of EGFR. These findings reveal that Arl8b regulates association of the human HOPS complex with lysosomal membranes that is critical for the function of this tethering complex in endocytic degradation.
The transcriptional activator Gli2 modulates T-cell receptor signalling through attenuation of AP-1 and NFκB activity
Authors: Furmanski Anna L. , Barbarulo Alessandro , Solanki Anisha , Lau Ching-In , Sahni Hemant , Saldana Jose Ignacio , D'Acquisto Fulvio , Crompton Tessa
Published: April 2015

Different tissues contain diverse and dynamic cellular niches, providing distinct signals to tissue-resident or migratory infiltrating immune cells. Hedgehog (Hh) proteins are secreted inter-cellular signalling molecules, which are essential during development and are important in cancer, post-natal tissue homeostasis and repair. Hh signalling mediated by the Hh-responsive transcription factor Gli2 also has multiple roles in T-lymphocyte development and differentiation. Here, we investigate the function of Gli2 in T-cell signalling and activation. Gene transcription driven by the Gli2 transcriptional activator isoform (Gli2A) attenuated T-cell activation and proliferation following T-cell receptor (TCR) stimulation. Expression of Gli2A in T-cells altered gene expression profiles, impaired the TCR-induced Ca2+ flux and nuclear expression of NFAT2, suppressed upregulation of molecules essential for activation, and attenuated signalling pathways upstream of the AP-1 and NFκB complexes, leading to reduced activation of these important transcription factors. Inhibition of physiological Hh-dependent transcription increased NFκB activity upon TCR ligation. These data are important for understanding the molecular mechanisms of immunomodulation, particularly in tissues where Hh proteins or other Gli-activating ligands such as TGFβ are upregulated, including during inflammation, tissue damage and repair, and in tumour microenvironments.
Traction forces mediated by integrin signaling are necessary for definitive endoderm specification
Authors: Taylor-Weiner Hermes , Ravi Neeraja , Engler Adam J.
Published: April 2015

Pluripotent embryonic stem cells (ESCs) exert low-traction forces on their niche in vitro whereas specification to definitive endoderm in vivo coincides with force-mediated motility, suggesting a differentiation-mediated switch. However, the onset of contractility and extent to which force-mediated integrin signaling regulates fate choices is not understood. To address the requirement of tractions forces for differentiation, we examined mouse embryonic stem cell (ESC) specification towards definitive endoderm on fibrillar fibronectin containing a deformation-sensitive FRET probe. Inhibiting contractility resulted in an increase in the observed fibronectin FRET intensity ratio but also decreased the amount of phosphorylated nuclear SMAD2, leading to reduced expression of the definitive endoderm marker SOX17. By contrast ESCs maintained in pluripotency medium did not exert significant tractions against the fibronectin matrix. When laminin-111 was added to fibrillar matrices to improve the efficiency of definitive endoderm induction, ESCs decreased their fibronectin traction forces in a laminin-dependent manner; blocking the laminin-binding α3-integrin restored fibronectin matrix deformation and reduced SOX17 expression and SMAD2 phosphorylation, probably because of compensation of inhibitory signaling from SMAD7 after 5 days in culture. These data imply that traction forces and integrin signaling are important regulators of early fate decisions in ESCs.
Non-coding stem-bulge RNAs are required for cell proliferation and embryonic development in C. elegans
Authors: Kowalski Madzia P. , Baylis Howard A. , Krude Torsten
Published: April 2015

Stem bulge RNAs (sbRNAs) are a family of small non-coding stem-loop RNAs present in Caenorhabditis elegans and other nematodes, the function of which is unknown. Here, we report the first functional characterisation of nematode sbRNAs. We demonstrate that sbRNAs from a range of nematode species are able to reconstitute the initiation of chromosomal DNA replication in the presence of replication proteins in vitro, and that conserved nucleotide sequence motifs are essential for this function. By functionally inactivating sbRNAs with antisense morpholino oligonucleotides, we show that sbRNAs are required for S phase progression, early embryonic development and the viability of C. elegans in vivo. Thus, we demonstrate a new and essential role for sbRNAs during the early development of C. elegans. sbRNAs show limited nucleotide sequence similarity to vertebrate Y RNAs, which are also essential for the initiation of DNA replication. Our results therefore establish that the essential function of small non-coding stem-loop RNAs during DNA replication extends beyond vertebrates.
Dendrite arborization requires the dynein cofactor NudE
Authors: Arthur Ashley L. , Yang Sihui Z. , Abellaneda Allison M. , Wildonger Jill
Published: April 2015

The microtubule-based molecular motor dynein is essential for proper neuronal morphogenesis. Dynein activity is regulated by cofactors, and the role(s) of these cofactors in shaping neuronal structure are still being elucidated. Using Drosophila melanogaster, we reveal that the loss of the dynein cofactor NudE results in abnormal dendrite arborization. Our data show that NudE associates with Golgi outposts, which mediate dendrite branching, suggesting that NudE normally influences dendrite patterning by regulating Golgi outpost transport. Neurons lacking NudE also have increased microtubule dynamics, reflecting a change in microtubule stability that is likely to also contribute to abnormal dendrite growth and branching. These defects in dendritogenesis are rescued by elevating levels of Lis1, another dynein cofactor that interacts with NudE as part of a tripartite complex. Our data further show that the NudE C-terminus is dispensable for dendrite morphogenesis and is likely to modulate NudE activity. We propose that a key function of NudE is to enhance an interaction between Lis1 and dynein that is crucial for motor activity and dendrite architecture.
Sexual differences in exploration behavior inXenopus tropicalis?
Authors: Videlier Mathieu , Cornette Raphaël , Bonneaud Camille , Herrel Anthony
Published: April 2015

The two sexes of a species often differ in many ways. How sexes differ depends on the selective context, with females often investing more in reproductive output and males in territory defense and resource acquisition. This also implies that behavioral strategies may differ between the two sexes allowing them to optimize their fitness in a given ecological context. Here we investigate whether males and females differ in their exploration behavior in an aquatic frog (X. tropicalis). Moreover, we explore whether females show different behavioral strategies in the exploration of a novel environment as has been demonstrated previously for males of the same species. Our results show significant sex differences with males exploring their environment more than females. Yet, similarly to males, female exploratory behavior varied significantly among individuals and broadly fell into three categories: shy, intermediate and bold. Moreover, like in males, behavioral strategies are decoupled from morphology and performance. Our results suggest that females are more sedentary than males, with males engaging in greater risk taking by exploring novel environments more. Male and female behaviors could, however, be classified into similar groups, with some individuals being bolder than others and displaying more exploration behavior. The decoupling of morphology and performance from behavior appears to be a general feature in the species and may allow selection to act on both types of traits independently.
Importance Sampling in Stochastic Programming: A Markov Chain Monte Carlo Approach
Authors: Parpas Panos , Ustun Berk , Webster Mort , Tran Quang Kha
Published: April 2015

Stochastic programming models are large-scale optimization problems that are used to facilitate decision making under uncertainty. Optimization algorithms for such problems need to evaluate the expected future costs of current decisions, often referred to as the recourse function. In practice, this calculation is computationally difficult as it requires the evaluation of a multidimensional integral whose integrand is an optimization problem. In turn, the recourse function has to be estimated using techniques such as scenario trees or Monte Carlo methods, both of which require numerous functional evaluations to produce accurate results for large-scale problems with multiple periods and high-dimensional uncertainty. In this work, we introduce an importance sampling framework for stochastic programming that can produce accurate estimates of the recourse function using a small number of samples. Our framework combines Markov chain Monte Carlo methods with kernel density estimation algorithms to build a nonparametric importance sampling distribution, which can then be used to produce a lower-variance estimate of the recourse function. We demonstrate the increased accuracy and efficiency of our approach using variants of well-known multistage stochastic programming problems. Our numerical results show that our framework produces more accurate estimates of the optimal value of stochastic programming models, especially for problems with moderate variance, multimodal, or rare-event distributions.
The Role of Extra-Role Behaviors and Social Controls in Information Security Policy Effectiveness
Authors: Hsu Jack Shih-Chieh , Shih Sheng-Pao , Hung Yu Wen , Lowry Paul Benjamin
Published: April 2015

Although most behavioral security studies focus on organizational in-role behaviors such as information security policy (ISP) compliance, the role of organizational extra-role behaviors—security behaviors that benefit organizations but are not specified in ISPs—has long been overlooked. This study examines (1) the consequences of organizational in-role and extra-role security behaviors on the effectiveness of ISPs and (2) the role of formal and social controls in enhancing in-role and extra-role security behaviors in organizations. We propose that both in-role security behaviors and extra-role security behaviors contribute to ISP effectiveness. Furthermore, based on social control theory, we hypothesize that social control can boost both in- and extra-role security behaviors. Data collected from practitioners—including information systems (IS) managers and employees at many organizations—confirmed most of our hypotheses. Survey data from IS managers substantiated the importance of extra-role behaviors in improving ISP effectiveness. Paired data, collected from managers and employees in the same organizations, indicated that formal control and social control individually and interactively enhance both in- and extra-role security behaviors. We conclude by discussing the implications of this research for academics and practitioners, along with compelling future research possibilities.
Bias Blind Spot: Structure, Measurement, and Consequences
Authors: Scopelliti Irene , Morewedge Carey K. , McCormick Erin , Min H. Lauren , Lebrecht Sophie , Kassam Karim S.
Published: April 2015

People exhibit a bias blind spot: they are less likely to detect bias in themselves than in others. We report the development and validation of an instrument to measure individual differences in the propensity to exhibit the bias blind spot that is unidimensional, internally consistent, has high test-retest reliability, and is discriminated from measures of intelligence, decision-making ability, and personality traits related to self-esteem, self-enhancement, and self-presentation. The scale is predictive of the extent to which people judge their abilities to be better than average for easy tasks and worse than average for difficult tasks, ignore the advice of others, and are responsive to an intervention designed to mitigate a different judgmental bias. These results suggest that the bias blind spot is a distinct metabias resulting from naïve realism rather than other forms of egocentric cognition, and has unique effects on judgment and behavior.

This paper was accepted by Yuval Rottenstreich, judgment and decision making.
Smarty pants aliens
Authors: Bruin Eleanor de
Published: April 2015

What are those aliens doing with the underpants? Eleanor de Bruin explains how Claire Freedman and Ben Cort's funny album can be utilised to enhance literacy and communication skills.
Quo vadis, politischer Islam?
Authors: Hasche Thorsten
Published: April 2015

Sowohl der »Arabische Frühling« als auch das Erstarken der dschihadistischen Kampfgruppe »Islamischer Staat« haben die diversen islamistischen Bewegungen in den Fokus der medialen und publizistischen Aufmerksamkeit rücken lassen. Auf der Basis der Gesellschaftstheorie der Politik Niklas Luhmanns untersucht Thorsten Hasche mit der AKP, der al-Qaida und der Muslimbruderschaft drei zentrale Bewegungen des sunnitischen Islamismus. Historisch und vergleichend nimmt er dabei ihre Vordenker, ihre politischen Ideologien und ihre Strukturen in den Blick. Es wird deutlich: Der sunnitische politische Islam wird auch mittelfristig ein wirkmächtiger Bestandteil des weltpolitischen Systems bleiben.
The role of disclosure and transparency in financial reporting
Authors: Mohammadi Shaban , Nezhad Behrad Moein
Published: April 2015

Voluntary disclosure and transparency can preserve the interests of shareholders, and the company's performance improves. in this paper, the importance of transparency in financial reporting and expressed its limitations and quality of disclosure and transparency, we express and at the end of the importance and benefits of voluntary disclosure, as well as major issues and the impact of voluntary disclosure of information in the market. we will examine.
Inbreeding depression for seed germination and seedling vigor in strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.)
Authors: Kaczmarska Elżbieta , Gawroński Jacek , Dyduch-Siemińska Magdalena , Szypiło Piotr , Szafrańska Bożena
Published: April 2015

Experiments leading to the procurement of subsequent inbred generations were conducted in the years 2006- 2013. Seeds obtained from open pollination and after self-pollination of four strawberry cultivars (Teresa, Senga Sengana, Kent and Chandler) and clone 1387 were used. These genotypes were evaluated for their tolerance to strong inbreeding under in vitro culture conditions. The aims of this study were to estimate the inbreeding depression of each of the progenies. During the investigation, the germination percentage as well as seedling viability were evaluated. The highest seed germination was shown for populations derived from ‘Teresa’ × open pollination (82%) and ‘Kent’ (7) S4 (78%). Seeds derived from self-pollination resulted in the lowest germination - an average of 16.8%. Generally, seed germination was significantly lower for the five S1 offspring, whose depression was 0.62, in comparison with the S4 seedlings, whose depression was 0.31. Inbred offspring showed a depression in relation to the average weight of a single seedling of 0.08 in the case of S1 progeny, whereas in the case of S4 progeny it was 0.23. The highest germination energy was shown by ‘Kent’ (7) S4 seeds (74%) and hybrids of ‘Teresa’ derived from open pollination (75%); whereas seeds obtained at the same time from self-pollination germinated 10.8% on average.
Changes in quality of selected red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) cultivars during the growing season
Authors: Nizioł-Łukaszewska Zofia , Gawęda Maria
Published: April 2015

Red beet (Beta vulgaris L.) may be consumed at all stages of growth, both in the form of small early vegetable during spring and later, during winter, when stored. Therefore, knowledge of the dynamics of changes in the content of individual components in subsequent stages of growth is very important.

The experiment was conducted for two consecutive growing seasons. The study included four cultivars of red beet ‘Boro’ F1, ‘Czerwona Kula’, ‘Nochowski’ and ‘Regulski Cylinder’. The aim of this study was to assess the dynamics of changes of selected components during the growing season. Particular attention was paid to the content of components having a positive impact on the quality of red beet, such as: antioxidant activity, the content of betalain pigments, soluble sugars and dry matter.

On the basis of the survey it was demonstrated that the optimal harvest date of red beet roots, with respect to the favorable nutrient and health-related content, falls in the 8th and 11th week of the growing season depending on the weather conditions in a given year. A significant increase in the anti-radical activity, soluble sugars as well as betanin and vulgaxanthin (2009) was observed between the 6th and the 8th and also in the 11th week of the cultivation. A gradual drop in betanin to vulgaxanthin ratio was observed within the following weeks of the vegetation. On the basis of the research conducted we can conclude that the cultivar recommended for consumption is ‘Nochowski’.
The role of temperament in traumatic hearing loss: a single case study of a cochlear-implanted patient
Authors: Mento Carmela , Galletti Francesco , Freni Francesco , Longo Patrizia , Testini Giovanna , Rizzo Amelia , Settineri Salvatore
Published: April 2015

Introduction: The majority of existing research regarding cochlear-implanted patients focuses on acoustic perception and language skills in children and adolescents, or on the postoperative quality of life in adults.

Purpose: We hypothesized that a patient’s psychological reaction to a cochlear implant (CI) may be influenced by the temperament of the implanted subject. This case study aims to assess whether temperament plays a role in the adaptation to CIs and if certain temperamental and character traits may be risk or protective factors for surgery and rehabilitation outcomes.

Method: We evaluated a 21-year-old male patient presenting a history of traumatic hearing loss. The Temperament and Character Inventory (TCI) was employed to obtain a psychological evaluation.

Results: The findings suggest a connection between the scores obtained on the TCI questionnaire and the patient’s behavior toward the CI. The effects of the operation may be mediated by some temperamental and character traits.

Conclusion: In the field of clinical psychology and hearing rehabilitation, psychological evaluation may contribute a more profound understanding of the personality dynamics that influence the patient’s reaction toward traumatic hearing loss, compliance, and CI surgery outcomes.
Spectral analysis of heart rate variability
Authors: Estévez Mario , Machado Calixto , Leisman Gerry , Estévez-Hernández Talía , Arias-Morales Asdrúbal , Machado Andrés , Montes-Brown Julio
Published: April 2015

Spectral analysis (SA) has been extensively applied to the assessment of heart rate variability. Traditional methods require the transformation of the original non-uniformly spaced electrocardiogram RR interval series into regularly spaced ones using interpolation or other approaches. The Lomb-Scargle (L-S) method uses the raw original RR series, avoiding different artifacts introduced by traditional SA methods, but it has been scarcely used in clinical settings. An RR series was recorded from 120 healthy participants (17–25 years) of both genders during a resting condition using four SA methods, including the Classic modified periodogram, the Welch procedure, the autoregressive Burg method and the L-S method. The efficient implementation of the L-S algorithm with the added possibility of the application of a set of options for the RR series pre-processing developed by Eleuteri et al., and also the results obtained in this study, show that the L-S method can be a good choice for future clinical studies. The L-S method seems particularly useful when the heart rates of studied participants will be below 60 or over 120 beats per minute. Nevertheless, it is important to the development of a smoothing procedure for the L-S spectra to avoid the picky behavior of the L-S power spectrum. The implementation of the L-S algorithm used in this study has been recently published by other authors included in our references, and brings some particular filtering features. The results obtained, comparing the four spectral methods, show that this implementation seems particularly useful when the heart rates of studied participants will be below 60 or over 120 beats per minute. Nevertheless, it is important to recommend for all existing L-S software implementations, the development of a smoothing procedure to avoid the picky behavior of the L-S power spectrum.
Between Jūjīds and Jalāyirids: the Coinage of the Chopānids, Akhījūq and their Contemporaries, 754–759/1353–1358
Authors: Akopyan Alexander V. , Mosanef Farbod
Published: April 2015

Coins of the Chopānid Ḥusayn struck in 740/1339–40, and of the Īlkhāns, Jūjīds, the Chopānid Ashraf and Akhījūq, struck in the last years of the Īlkhānate (754–9/1353–8) in the South Caucasus and Iran, constitute a historical source for an area little covered by the chronicles of the time. This article focuses on the anonymous coinage of 740/1339–40 struck in Shīrāz and commissioned by the Chopānid Ḥusayn or the Īnjūid Masʿūd Shāh, four coin types of the Chopānid Ashraf (struck with his name in 754–7/1353–6, and anonymously with the laqab “
A class of probabilistic models for the Schrödinger equation
Authors: Wagner Wolfgang
Published: April 2015

A class of stochastic particle models for the
spatially discretized time-dependent Schrödinger equation
is constructed.
Each particle is characterized by a
complex-valued weight and a position.
The particle weights change according to some deterministic rules between
the jumps.
The jumps are determined by the creation of offspring.
The main result is that certain functionals of the
particle systems
satisfy the Schrödinger equation.
The proofs are based on the theory of piecewise deterministic
Markov processes.
Fractal plasmonic metamaterials: physics and applications
Authors: Tang Shiwei , He Qiong , Xiao Shiyi , Huang Xueqin , Zhou Lei
Published: April 2015

We review our recent works on a particular type of metamaterials (MTMs), which are metallic plates drilled with periodic arrays of subwavelength apertures typically in fractal-like complex shapes. We first show that such MTMs can well mimic plasmonic metals in terms of surface plasmon properties, but with plasmon resonances solely dictated by their aperture geometries rather than the constitutional materials. We then develop an effective-medium description for such plasmonic MTMs based on the mode expansion theory. Based on these theoretical understandings, we show that such MTMs exhibit several interesting applications, such as superlensing, hyperlensing, and enhancing light-matter interactions, which are demonstrated by microwave experiments or full-wave simulations.
Recent advances in SPR and SERS for sensitive translational medical diagnostics
Authors: Wong Chi Lok , Dinish U.S. , Olivo Malini
Published: April 2015

Personalized medicine is revolutionizing modern health care. The aim of personalized diagnostics is to provide rapid, portable and simple tests that will reduce diagnosis time. They enable rapid analysis performed near the patient and provide specific details of the patient’s condition so that a personalized treatment can be made. This review focuses on the recent advances in optical diagnostic techniques based on surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and surface-enhanced Raman scattering spectroscopy (SERS) for translational medical diagnostics. In the first part, recent developments in SPR biosensors for infectious disease diagnosis are presented including the first two-dimensional multiplex influenza SPR biosensor for H1N1 (influenza A) and H3N2 (seasonal influenza) detection. In the second part, advances in SERS, which is another ultra-sensitive optical diagnostic technique for various cancer detection applications in pre-clinical and clinical settings, are reviewed.
Recent advances in reactors for low-temperature Fischer-Tropsch synthesis: process intensification perspective
Authors: Saeidi Samrand , Nikoo Maryam Khoshtinat , Mirvakili Azadeh , Bahrani Samaneh , Saidina Amin Nor Aishah , Rahimpour Mohammad Reza
Published: April 2015

The low-temperature Fischer-Tropsch (LTFT) process aims to produce heavy cuts such as wax and diesel. For many years, there have been studies and improvements on the LTFT process to make the existing reactors more efficient. Recent studies have proposed innovative configurations such as monolithic loop and membrane reactors as well as microchannel reactor, which improved the performance of LTFT synthesis. This persuades us to update the existing knowledge about the available reactors. Some fundamental features of the current reactors, which belong to the classes of conventional reactors (fixed-bed reactors and slurry reactors) and innovative reactors, are discussed to assist the selection of the most efficient reactors specifically for heavy-cuts production. Published experimental and theoretical works with respect to developments in reactor technology and significant advances in catalysis (such as using structured packing, foams, and knitted wire as catalyst supports due to their excellent radial mixing properties) of the FT process are analyzed and discussed. Consequently, it is shown that the LTFT innovative reactors have higher CO conversions and selectivity of desired heavy cuts. Furthermore, the place of innovative reactors among conventional reactors in terms of effective process parameters on the product distribution has been estimated.