bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Cell‐Based Biohybrid Drug Delivery Systems: The Best of the Synthetic and Natural Worlds
Authors: Banskota Samagya , Yousefpour Parisa , Chilkoti Ashutosh
Published: December 2016

The goal of drug delivery is to deliver therapeutics to the site of disease while reducing unwanted side effects. In recent years, a diverse variety of synthetic nano and microparticles have been developed as drug delivery systems. The success of these systems for drug delivery lies in their ability to overcome biological barriers such as the blood–brain barrier, to evade immune clearance and avoid nonspecific biodistribution. This Review provides an overview of recent advances in the design of biohybrid drug delivery systems, which combine cells with synthetic systems to overcome some of these biological hurdles. Examples include eukaryotic cells, such as stem cells, red blood cells, immune cells, platelets, and cancer cells that are used to carry drug‐loaded synthetic particles. Synthetic particles can also be cloaked with naturally derived cell membranes and thereby evade immune clearance, exhibit prolonged systemic circulation, and target specific tissues by capitalizing on the interaction/homing tendency of certain cells and their membrane components to particular tissues. Different designs of cell‐based biohybrid systems and their applications, as well as their promise and limitations, are discussed herein.

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An improved class of estimators in RR surveys
Authors: Rueda Maria Del Mar , Cobo Beatriz , Arcos Antonio
Published: December 2016

This work proposes a general class of estimators for the population total of a sensitive variable using auxiliary information. Under a general randomized response model, the optimal estimator in this class is derived. Design‐based properties of proposed estimators are obtained. A simulation study reflects the potential gains from the use of the proposed estimators instead of the customary estimators. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Non‐uniform dependence and persistence properties for coupled Camassa–Holm equations
Authors: Zhou Shouming
Published: December 2016

This paper deals with the non‐uniform dependence and persistence properties for a coupled Camassa–Holm equations. Using the method of approximate solutions in conjunction with well‐posedness estimate, it is proved that the solution map of the Cauchy problem for this coupled Camassa–Holm equation is not uniformly continuous in Sobolev spaces Hs with s > 3/2. On the other hand, the persistence properties in weighted Lp spaces for the solution of this coupled Camassa–Holm system are considered. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Are fear of movement, self‐efficacy beliefs and fear of falling associated with levels of disability in people with osteoarthritis of the knee? A cross sectional study
Authors: Thompson Dave P , Moula Katerina , Woby Steve R
Published: December 2016

Introduction

Osteoarthritis of the knee (OAK) can result in significant disability and previous authors have suggested that cognitive and falls‐related factors may be significant determinants of function. However, no previous studies have considered the relative influence of these factors when the effects of symptoms related to OAK are also considered. Additionally, it is plausible that falls‐related factors exert a greater influence in patients who have previously fallen.

Methods

Fifty‐eight patients were recruited from an outpatient physiotherapy department. They completed measures of physical function, pain, stiffness, physical symptoms, fear avoidance, perceived consequences of falling, fear of falling and self‐efficacy beliefs. Variables exhibiting significant correlations with disability were entered into a regression model. β Values were also calculated for the final model to allow the relative contribution of each variable to be established when all variables were considered. Sub‐analysis was then performed using only data from patients who had previously fallen, to establish whether cognitive and falls‐related factors exerted a stronger influence in this group.

Results

Pain, stiffness and joint symptoms significantly explained 75% of the variance in disability. The cognitive and falls‐related variables did not significantly explain any additional variance. Only pain and stiffness exhibited significant β values in the final model. Similar findings were observed in the sub‐analysis with the participants who had previously fallen, with only pain and stiffness explaining significant variance (77%) or exhibiting significant β values.

Discussion

The current findings suggested that cognitive and falls‐related factors are not significantly related to disability in patients with OAK. By contrast, pain and stiffness were strongly associated with disability. This suggests that targeting cognitive and falls‐related factors is unlikely significantly to improve outcome in these patients.
Efficacy of a gender‐tailored intervention to prevent weight regain in men over 3 years: A weight loss maintenance RCT
Authors: Young Myles D. , Callister Robin , Collins Clare E. , Plotnikoff Ronald C. , Aguiar Elroy J. , Morgan Philip J.
Published: December 2016

Objective

To examine whether a gender‐tailored weight loss maintenance (WLM) program could reduce men's weight regain following weight loss.

Methods

Ninety‐two men who lost at least 4 kg during a 3‐month weight loss phase were randomized to receive: (i) a 6‐month WLM program (WL + WLM; n = 47) or (ii) no resources (WL‐only; n = 45). The WLM program included written materials and messages (SMS, video email) plus other resources (e.g., pedometer, Gymstick™). The primary outcome was weight change in the first year post‐randomization. Participants were assessed at “−3 months” (preweight loss), “0 months” (randomization into the WLM Phase), “6 months,” “1 year,” and “3 years.”

Results

Before randomization, participants lost a mean (SD) of 7.3 kg (2.5). Retention was 83% at 6 months and 1 year and 71% at 3 years. Intention‐to‐treat analysis detected a significant group × time difference in weight regain favoring the intervention group at 6 months (−1.9 kg, 95% CI −3.7 to −0.1) but not at 1‐ or 3‐year follow‐up. Three years after completing the original weight loss program the WL‐only and WL + WLM groups had maintained 59% and 51% of their initial weight loss, respectively.

Conclusions

Men with overweight/obesity demonstrated clinically meaningful WLM 3 years after successfully losing weight. An additional WLM program contributed to enhanced WLM effects in the short term only. (ACTRN12612000749808).
The p53 inhibitor Mdm4 cooperates with multiple genetic lesions in tumourigenesis
Authors: Xiong Shunbin , Pant Vinod , Zhang Yun , Aryal Neeraj K , You M James , Kusewitt Donna , Lozano Guillermina
Published: December 2016

The p53 inhibitor Mdm4 is present at high levels in multiple human cancers. Overexpression of Mdm4 in mice drives the spontaneous development of mostly lymphomas and sarcomas. In this study, we explored the ability of Mdm4 to cooperate with lesions in tumour development. The Mdm4 transgene contributed to mammary tumour development in a BALB/cJ background. High levels of Mdm4 enhanced tumour development in a mutant p53R172H heterozygous background, and reduced the need to lose the wild‐type p53 allele, as compared with mice heterozygous only for the p53R172H mutation. Additionally, high levels of Mdm4 cooperated with an oncogenic K‐ras mutation to drive lung tumourigenesis in vivo. Finally, we examined p53‐independent functions of Mdm4 by studying the contribution of Mdm4 to tumour development in the absence of p53. Whereas the overall survival times of p53‐null mice with and without the Mdm4 transgene were similar, male mice with both alterations showed significantly shorter survival than p53‐null male mice, and showed differences in tumour spectrum, demonstrating a p53‐independent function of Mdm4 in tumourigenesis. Furthermore, p53‐null mice with the highest level of Mdm4 tended to have multiple tumours. Thus, a detailed analysis of Mdm4 transgenic mice in various genetic backgrounds shows synergy in tumour development in vivo. Mdm4 may thus serve as a therapeutic target in cancers. Copyright © 2016 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Robust simulation of continuous‐time systems with rational dynamics
Authors: Ben‐Talha Hiba , Massioni Paolo , Scorletti Gérard
Published: December 2016

This paper concerns the simulation of a class of nonlinear continuous‐time systems under a set of initial conditions described by an ellipsoid. By getting inspiration from Lyapunov theory, we show that it is possible to derive a procedure allowing the computation of a bounding ellipsoidal envelope, which will enclose all the states that can be reached from the set of initial conditions. This numerical procedure is based on convex optimization, and it makes it possible to set a guaranteed hard bound on the evolution of the state of the system for all the possible initial conditions. At the end of the paper, we show an application of the method through an academic example. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Market Therapy? On Intervention in the Consociation with Non‐members
Authors: Roth Steffen
Published: December 2016

While the majority of market interventions is concerned with market interventions that are good for particular market participants, this article is interested in interventions that are good for markets. We draw on observations of historical markets as presented by Hamilton Grierson and Max Weber to rediscover markets as forms of communication that systematically transcend the ambitions and influence of the individual market participants. We show that this non‐possessive concept of markets cancels established definitions of market failure and corresponding justifications of market interventions. We then imagine market intervention strategies that account for rather than problematize the double‐contingent nature of markets and outline systemic intervention strategies that emerge if we observe markets in the medium of the health system rather than in the medium of the economy. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Transplantation of Thy1+ Cells Accelerates Liver Regeneration by Enhancing the Growth of Small Hepatocyte-Like Progenitor Cells via IL17RB Signaling
Authors: Ichinohe Norihisa , Ishii Masayuki , Tanimizu Naoki , Kon Junko , Yoshioka Yusuke , Ochiya Takahiro , Mizuguchi Toru , Hirata Koichi , Mitaka Toshihiro
Published: December 2016

Small hepatocyte-like progenitor cells (SHPCs) transiently form clusters in rat livers treated with retrorsine (Ret)/70% partial hepatectomy (PH). When Thy1+ cells isolated from d-galactosamine-treated rat livers were transplanted into the livers of Ret/PH-treated rats, the mass of the recipient liver transiently increased during the first 30 days after transplantation, suggesting that liver regeneration was enhanced. Here we addressed how Thy1+ cell transplantation stimulates liver regeneration. We found that the number and size of SHPC clusters increased in the liver at 14 days after transplantation. GeneChip analysis revealed that interleukin 17 receptor b (IL17rb) expression significantly increased in SHPCs from livers transplanted with Thy1+ cells. We subsequently searched for ligand-expressing cells and found that sinusoidal endothelial cells (SECs) and Kupffer cells expressed Il17b and Il25, respectively. Moreover, extracellular vesicles (EVs) separated from the conditioned medium of Thy1+ cell culture induced IL17b and IL25 expression in SECs and Kupffer cells, respectively. Furthermore, EVs enhanced IL17rb expression in small hepatocytes (SHs), which are hepatocytic progenitor cells; in culture, IL17B stimulated the growth of SHs. These results suggest that Thy1-EVs coordinate IL17RB signaling to enhance liver regeneration by targeting SECs, Kupffer cells, and SHPCs. Indeed, the administration of Thy1-EVs increased the number and size of SHPC clusters in Ret/PH-treated rat livers. Sixty days post-transplantation, most expanded SHPCs entered cellular senescence, and the enlarged liver returned to its normal size. In conclusion, Thy1+ cell transplantation enhanced liver regeneration by promoting the proliferation of intrinsic hepatic progenitor cells via IL17RB signaling.
Existence and non-existence of transition fronts for bistable and ignition reactions
Authors: Zlatoš Andrej
Published: December 2016

We study reaction–diffusion equations in one spatial dimension and with general (space- or time-) inhomogeneous mixed bistable–ignition reactions. For those satisfying a simple quantitative hypothesis, we prove existence and uniqueness of transition fronts, as well as convergence of “typical” solutions to the unique transition front (the existence part even extends to mixed bistable–ignition–monostable reactions). These results also hold for all pure ignition reactions without the extra hypothesis, but not for all pure bistable reactions. In fact, we find examples of either spatially or temporally periodic pure bistable reactions (independent of the other space–time variable) for which we can prove non-existence of transition fronts. The latter are the first such examples in periodic media which are non-degenerate in a natural sense, and they also prove a conjecture from [7].
Social Cognitive Interventions in Neuropsychiatric Patients: A Meta-Analysis
Authors: Roelofs Renée L. , Wingbermühle Ellen , Egger Jos I.M. , Kessels Roy P.C.
Published: December 2016

Social cognitive deficits are common in neuropsychiatric disorders. Given the proximity of social cognition (SC) to everyday functioning, many intervention studies (including targeted, comprehensive, and broad-based approaches) have focussed on SC. The aim of this paper was to quantitatively meta-analyse the efficacy of SC interventions in adult neuropsychiatric patients. Databases Pubmed, PsycINFO, Web of Knowledge, and Embase were searched for controlled SC intervention studies published between 01-01-2003 and 01-01-2016. Forty-one studies, comprising 1,508 patients with schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders, or acquired brain injury were included. Outcome measures evaluated emotion perception (EP), social perception (SP), Theory of Mind (ToM), and social functioning (SF). The meta-analyses showed that interventions were effective in improving SC (Cohen'sd=.71). Interventions targeting one specific SC function were found to be most effective (d=.89), followed by broad-based interventions, targeting non-SC domains in addition to SC (d=.65), and comprehensive interventions, that target multiple SC processes (d=.61). Targeted interventions were especially effective in improving EP and ToM. Comprehensive interventions were able to ameliorate EP, ToM, and SF. Broad-based interventions were especially effective in improving SF, but also showed effects on EP and ToM.
A dramatic case of a woman discovered after 7 months of untreated catatonia
Authors: Ratzlaff M. , Harrington M.
Published: December 2016

Described is an unusually severe case of catatonia in the context of a major depressive episode. The patient is a 49-year-old Caucasian female who was living with her husband in an urban apartment. In March 2015, she experienced a major depressive episode in the context of financial hardship after being dismissed from her job. She became catatonic and did not leave her apartment for 7 months. For the first 4 months she lay in bed, then after losing bowel and bladder continence, she was transferred by her husband to the bedroom floor where she lay prone for another 3 months before paramedics were notified. She subsequently underwent a 4-month admission to an intensive care unit, surgical ward, and psychiatric ward. This case shows the extreme extent of psychiatric and physical sequelae that can result from prolonged delay of treatment of severe catatonia in the context of depression.
Association of body mass index-related single nucleotide polymorphisms with psychiatric disease and memory performance in a Japanese population
Authors: Ninomiya-Baba Midori , Matsuo Junko , Sasayama Daimei , Hori Hiroaki , Teraishi Toshiya , Ota Miho , Hattori Kotaro , Noda Takamasa , Ishida Ikki , Shibata Shigenobu , Kunugi Hiroshi
Published: December 2016

Objective

Obesity is a risk factor for psychiatric diseases. Recently, a number of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have been shown to be related to body mass index (BMI). In this study, we investigated the association of BMI-related SNPs with psychiatric diseases and one of their endophenotypes, memory performance, in a Japanese population.

Methods

The subjects were 1624 patients with one of three psychiatric diseases (799 patients with major depressive disorder, 594 with schizophrenia, and 231 with bipolar disorder) and 1189 healthy controls. Memory performance was assessed using the Wechsler Memory Scale – Revised (WMS-R). Genomic DNA was prepared from venous blood and used to genotype 23 BMI-related SNPs using the TaqMan 5′-exonuclease allelic discrimination assay. We then analysed the relationships between the SNPs and psychiatric disease and various subscales of the WMS-R.

Results

Three SNPs (rs11142387, rs12597579, and rs6548238) showed significant differences in the genotype or allele frequency between patients with any psychiatric diseases and controls. Furthermore, six SNPs (rs11142387, rs12597579, rs2815752, rs2074356, rs4776970, and rs2287019) showed significant differences in at least one subscale of the WMS-R depending on the genotypes of the healthy controls. Interestingly, rs11142387 near the Kruppel-like factor 9 (KLF9) was significantly associated with psychiatric disease and poor memory function.

Conclusions

We identified three and six BMI-related SNPs associated with psychiatric disease and memory performance, respectively. In particular, carrying the A allele of rs11142387 nearKLF9was found to be associated with psychiatric disease and poor memory performance, which warrants further investigations.
Sedimentation and vegetation history of a buried Meuse terrace during the Holocene in relation to the human occupation history (Limburg, the Netherlands)
Authors: Zuidhoff Frieda S. , Bos Johanna A.A.
Published: December 2016

During several archaeological excavations on a river terrace of the river Meuse near the village of Lomm (southeast Netherlands) information was gathered for a reconstruction of the sedimentation and vegetation history during the Holocene. Various geoarchaeological methods – geomorphological, micromorphological and botanical analyses – were applied, while accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS)14C and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating provided an accurate chronology for the sediments.

During the Early Holocene, many former braided river channels were deepened due to climate amelioration. Later, river flow concentrated in one main river channel to the west, at the location of the modern Meuse. The other channels were only active during floods, and infilling continued until the Bronze Age. Because of the higher setting of the Lomm terrace, it was only occasionally flooded and therefore formed an excellent location for habitation. Humans adapted to the changing landscape, as most remains were found on the higher river terraces or their slopes, a short distance from the Maas river. The Lomm terrace was more or less continuously inhabited from the Mesolithic onwards.

During the Early Holocene, river terraces were initially densely forested with birch and pine. From the Boreal (Mesolithic) onwards, dense mixed forests with deciduous shrubs and trees such as hazel, oak, elm and lime developed. During the Atlantic (Meso/Neolithic), the deciduous forests became dominated by oak. Due to human activities from the Late Subboreal (Late Bronze Age) onwards, forests slowly became more open, yet remained relatively dense in comparison to other Dutch areas. The botanical data, however, show that within the Lomm study area there was a large difference in the composition, distribution and openness of the vegetation. The spatial variation in openness came into existence during the Late Bronze Age, as soon as the higher areas started to be used for human activities (i.e. habitation, agriculture and livestock herding). Due to human activities, the northern part of the study area became very open during the Early Roman period. In the lower-situated areas of the southern part, however, forests remained present much longer, until the Early Middle Ages. Due to large-scale deforestation in the Lomm area and hinterland during the Roman period and Middle Ages, the sediment load of the river increased, large floods occurred and overbank sediments were deposited, burying the archaeological remains. The largest increase in sedimentation occurred after the Middle Ages.
F-THRESHOLDS OF GRADED RINGS
Authors: DE STEFANI ALESSANDRO , NÚÑEZ-BETANCOURT LUIS
Published: December 2016

The$a$-invariant, the$F$-pure threshold, and the diagonal$F$-threshold are three important invariants of a graded$K$-algebra. Hirose, Watanabe, and Yoshida have conjectured relations among these invariants for strongly$F$-regular rings. In this article, we prove that these relations hold only assuming that the algebra is$F$-pure. In addition, we present an interpretation of the$a$-invariant for$F$-pure Gorenstein graded$K$-algebras in terms of regular sequences that preserve$F$-purity. This result is in the spirit of Bertini theorems for projective varieties. Moreover, we show connections with projective dimension, Castelnuovo–Mumford regularity, and Serre’s condition$S_{k}$. We also present analogous results and questions in characteristic zero.
A universal model for growth of user population of products and services
Authors: ZHAN CHOUJUN , TSE CHI K.
Published: December 2016

We consider a network of interacting individuals, whose actions or transitions are determined by the states (behavior) of their neighbors as well as their own personal decisions. Specifically, we develop a model according to two simple decision-making rules that can describe the growth of the user population of a newly launched product or service. We analyze 22 sets of real-world historical growth data of a variety of products and services, and show that they all follow the growth equation. The numerical procedure for finding the model parameters allows the market size, and the relative effectiveness of customer service and promotional efforts to be estimated from the available historical growth data. We study the growth profiles of products and find that for a product or service to reach a mature stage within a reasonably short time in its user growth profile, the user growth rate corresponding to influenced transitions must exceed a certain threshold. Furthermore, results show that individuals in the group of celebrities having numerous friends become users of a new product or service at a much faster rate than those connected to ordinary individuals having fewer friends.
Open problems of magnetic island control by electron cyclotron current drive
Authors: Grasso D. , Lazzaro E. , Borgogno D. , Comisso L.
Published: December 2016

This paper reviews key aspects of the problem of magnetic islands control by electron cyclotron current drive in fusion devices. On the basis of the ordering of the basic spatial and time scales of the magnetic reconnection physics, we present the established results, highlighting some of the open issues posed by the small-scale structures that typically accompany the nonlinear evolution of the magnetic islands and constrain the effect of the control action.
A small-amplitude study of solitons near critical plasma compositions
Authors: Olivier Carel P. , Verheest Frank , Maharaj Shimul K.
Published: December 2016

The properties of small-amplitude solitons are established near critical plasma compositions in a generalized fluid plasma with an arbitrary number of species. The study is conducted via a Taylor series expansion of the Sagdeev potential. It is shown that there are two types of critical compositions, namely rich critical and poor critical compositions. The coexistence of positive and negative polarity solitons is shown to arise at rich critical compositions and near rich critical compositions. At poor critical compositions, no small-amplitude solitons exist, while weak double layers arise near poor critical compositions. A novel analytical expression is obtained for a small-amplitude acoustic speed soliton solution near rich critical compositions. These solitons have a Lorentzian shape with much fatter tails than regular solitons. A case study is also performed for a simple fluid model consisting of cold ions and two Boltzmann electron species. Exact agreement is obtained between the Sagdeev analysis and reductive perturbation theory. For the first time, we derive the same Lorentzian acoustic speed soliton from reductive perturbation theory.
Secondary school teachers’ approaches to teaching composition using digital technology
Authors: Wise Stuart
Published: December 2016

The music industry in the 21stcentury uses digital technology in a wide range of applications including in performance, in composition and in recording and publishing. In this article, I consider how the impact of digital technologies may be affecting pedagogical processes adopted by secondary music teachers, particularly in the area of composition. This paper examines qualitative data gathered from teachers in four schools participating in a larger research project. Data collected in this paper came from a number of semi-structured interviews. Findings indicate that although the majority of teachers involved in this research remain fundamentally conservative in their approaches to teaching composition, focusing on more procedural rather than creative activities, some music teachers do make radical changes to their pedagogy in contexts where this is important to their students’ engagement and supported by their school.
WHAT IS CIRCUMSTANTIAL ABOUT JUSTICE?
Authors: Estlund David
Published: December 2016

Does social justice lose all application in the (imaginary, of course) condition in which people are morally flawless? The answer, I will argue, is that it does not — justice might still have application. This is one lesson of my broader thesis in this paper, that there is a variety of conditions we would all regard as highly idealistic and unrealistic which are, nevertheless, not beyond justice. The idea of “circumstances of justice” developed especially by Hume and Rawls may seem to point in a more realistic direction, but we can see that this is not so once we distinguish between conditions of need for norms of justice, conditions of their emergence, and conditions of applicability of the standard of justice. Justice, I argue, can have application even in conditions where no mechanism of justice is present or needed, such as the case of internalized motives of justice.
WHAT IS A POLITICAL VALUE? POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY AND FIDELITY TO REALITY
Authors: Sleat Matt
Published: December 2016

This essay seeks to defend the claim that political philosophy ought to be appropriately guided by the phenomenon of politics that it seeks to both offer a theory of and, especially in its normative guise, offer a theory for. It does this primarily through the question of political values. It begins by arguing that for any value to qualify as a value for the political domain, it must be intelligible in relation to the constitutive features of politics as a human activity. It then examines the extent to which the preconditions for the realization of values in practice ought to figure in our considerations as to whether they are values that fit or belong to our social world. We can understand these parts of the essay as responding to two related questions, respectively: (i) Is this a political value at all? — which is to ask, is it a value that is appropriate for the political realm?; and then (ii) Is this a political value for us? The final section responds to the often-made complaint that political philosophy ought not to make any concessions to the actual world of politics as it really is, arguing that attending to the realities of politics, and in particular the constitutive conditions of political activity, gives meaning to the enterprise as the theorization of politics (and not something else). Furthermore those same conditions provide the limits of intelligibility beyond which ideals and values can no longer be, in any meaningful sense, ideals and values for the political sphere.
JUSTICE WITHIN THE LIMITS OF HUMAN NATURE ALONE
Authors: Badhwar Neera K.
Published: December 2016

Contra John Rawls, G. A. Cohen argues that the fundamental principles of justice are not constrained by the limits of our nature or the nature of society, even at its historical best. Justice is what it is, even if it will never be realized, fully or at all. Likewise, David Estlund argues that since our innate motivations can be justice-tainting, they cannot be a constraint on the right conception of justice. Cohen and Estlund agree that if the attempt to implement a certain conception of justice is likely to result in widespread harm or injustice, then it should not be implemented, but that this does not entail that the conception itself is false. I argue that (i) there is no way to judge the soundness of a principle of justice independently of all psychological facts, and the effects that the principle is likely to have if it is implemented; (ii) a principle of justice that, if implemented, makes it hard or impossible for individuals committed to justice to lead happy and worthwhile lives, even if the circumstances are favorable to living justly, cannot be sound; (iii) without the constraints noted in (i) and (ii), there can be no reason to reject racist, sexist, or other wrongheaded principles of justice that have been advanced as sound over the years, principles that even Cohen and Estlund would reject. In short, justice is justice only if kept within the limits of human nature.
IN WHAT SENSE MUST POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY BE POLITICAL?
Authors: Miller David
Published: December 2016

Political philosophy appears to have recovered from its alleged death in the
middle of the last century, but now faces the realist charge that in the work of
John Rawls and those influenced by him it fails to be political in the right
way; it is merely “applied moral philosophy.” I dismiss
the hyper-realist position of authors such as Raymond Geuss for taking an
implausibly narrow view of politics. There is more merit in Bernard
Williams’s claim that legitimacy, not justice, is the central problem
of political philosophy. Yet we cannot understand the significance of
legitimation without referring to the moral values that are realized when it
succeeds. Thus, Williams fails to show that political normativity can be
detached entirely from ethics. Moreover the legitimacy requirements of a liberal
state, according to Williams, are substantively close to the requirements of
justice according to Rawls. In light of the latter’s turn to
“political liberalism,” they appear also to hold
convergent views about the status of the theories they are advancing. I conclude
by suggesting that the “applied moral philosophy” charge
would apply only to philosophers who believe that general moral principles, like
utility or rights, can do all the work of political evaluation. Politics does
indeed have special features that impose distinctive justificatory requirements
on its procedures and the outcomes they produce.
ON THE VERY IDEA OF IDEAL THEORY IN POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY
Authors: Rosenberg Alexander
Published: December 2016

The essay agues that there is little scope for ideal theory in political
philosophy, even under Rawls’s conception of its aims. It begins by
identifying features of a standard example of ideal theory in physics
— the ideal gas law, PV=NRT and draws attention to the
lack of these features in Rawls’s derivation of the principles of
justice from the original position. A. John Simmons’s defense of
ideal theory against criticisms of Amartya Sen is examined, as are further
criticisms of both by David Schmidtz. The essay goes on to develop a conception
of the domain of social relations to be characterized by justice that suggests
that as a moving target it makes ideal theory otiose. Examination of
Rawls’s later views substantiate the conclusion that ideal theory as
propounded in A Theory of Justice is a mistaken starting point in the enterprise
of political philosophy. Differences between the domains of ideal theory in
mathematics, physics, and economics on the one hand, and political philosophy on
the other, reinforce this conclusion.
Missing data in FFQs: making assumptions about item non-response
Authors: Lamb Karen E , Olstad Dana Lee , Nguyen Cattram , Milte Catherine , McNaughton Sarah A
Published: December 2016

Objective

FFQs are a popular method of capturing dietary information in epidemiological studies and may be used to derive dietary exposures such as nutrient intake or overall dietary patterns and diet quality. As FFQs can involve large numbers of questions, participants may fail to respond to all questions, leaving researchers to decide how to deal with missing data when deriving intake measures. The aim of the present commentary is to discuss the current practice for dealing with item non-response in FFQs and to propose a research agenda for reporting and handling missing data in FFQs.

Results

Single imputation techniques, such as zero imputation (assuming no consumption of the item) or mean imputation, are commonly used to deal with item non-response in FFQs. However, single imputation methods make strong assumptions about the missing data mechanism and do not reflect the uncertainty created by the missing data. This can lead to incorrect inference about associations between diet and health outcomes. Although the use of multiple imputation methods in epidemiology has increased, these have seldom been used in the field of nutritional epidemiology to address missing data in FFQs. We discuss methods for dealing with item non-response in FFQs, highlighting the assumptions made under each approach.

Conclusions

Researchers analysing FFQs should ensure that missing data are handled appropriately and clearly report how missing data were treated in analyses. Simulation studies are required to enable systematic evaluation of the utility of various methods for handling item non-response in FFQs under different assumptions about the missing data mechanism.
SPECTRAL TRANSFER FOR METAPLECTIC GROUPS. I. LOCAL CHARACTER RELATIONS
Authors: Li Wen-Wei
Published: December 2016

Let $\widetilde{\text{Sp}}(2n)$ be the metaplectic covering of $\text{Sp}(2n)$ over a local field of characteristic zero. The core of the theory of endoscopy for $\widetilde{\text{Sp}}(2n)$ is the geometric transfer of orbital integrals to its elliptic endoscopic groups. The dual of this map, called the spectral transfer, is expected to yield endoscopic character relations which should reveal the internal structure of $L$-packets. As a first step, we characterize the image of the collective geometric transfer in the non-archimedean case, then reduce the spectral transfer to the case of cuspidal test functions by using a simple stable trace formula. In the archimedean case, we establish the character relations and determine the spectral transfer factors by rephrasing the works by Adams and Renard.
Endovascular management of infected iliofemoral pseudoaneurysms – a systematic review
Authors: Moulakakis Konstantinos G. , Alexiou Vangelis G. , Sfyroeras George S. , Kakisis John , Lazaris Andreas , Vasdekis Spyridon N. , Brountzos Elias N. , Geroulakos George
Published: December 2016

Abstract. We conducted a systematic review regarding the efficacy and outcome of endovascular treatment of infected iliofemoral arterial pseudoaneurysms with covered stents. 35 cases were identified, including 5 own. 22 pseudoaneurysms were located in the femoral area and 13 in the iliac vessels. The most commonly reported complaints were pulsatile groin mass (40 %), sepsis (37.1 %), active bleeding (31.4 %), and groin infection with purulent discharge (17.1 %). S. aureus (65.7 %) and Streptococcus species (22.9 %) were the most common microbes isolated. Factors for the development of infected pseudoaneurysms were intravenous drug use (20 %), infection of anastomosis in bypass surgery (22.9 %), cancer (14.3 %), history of multiple hip operations (14.3 %), renal transplantation (2.9 %), and obesity (5.7 %). The most commonly used covered stents were Viabahn (22.9 %),Jostent (17.1 %), Fluency (14.3 %), and Wallgraft (14.3 %). In 15 cases, surgical debridement and/or drainage was also performed.The mean follow-up was 15.8 months. There were only 2 cases of stent graft thrombosis (5.7 %). 2 patients required an open vascular bypass procedure at a later stage. One death was attributed to procedure-related complications (2.9 %). The infection rate of the deployed stent graft in follow-up was 3.4 %. Endovascular exclusion of an infected pseudoaneurysm with primary stent grafting and drainage may be an option in high-risk patients.
The Mechanics Behind Fall Meeting
Authors: Thronson Lauren
Published: December 2016

An AGU intern tells the inside story of how the world's largest annual meeting for the Earth and space sciences comes together.
The comparative landscape of duplications in Heliconius melpomene and Heliconius cydno
Authors: Pinharanda A , Martin S H , Barker S L , Davey J W , Jiggins C D
Published: December 2016

Gene duplications can facilitate adaptation and may lead to interpopulation divergence, causing reproductive isolation. We used whole-genome resequencing data from 34 butterflies to detect duplications in two Heliconius species, Heliconius cydno and Heliconius melpomene. Taking advantage of three distinctive signals of duplication in short-read sequencing data, we identified 744 duplicated loci in H. cydno and H. melpomene and evaluated the accuracy of our approach using single-molecule sequencing. We have found that duplications overlap genes significantly less than expected at random in H. melpomene, consistent with the action of background selection against duplicates in functional regions of the genome. Duplicate loci that are highly differentiated between H. melpomene and H. cydno map to four different chromosomes. Four duplications were identified with a strong signal of divergent selection, including an odorant binding protein and another in close proximity with a known wing colour pattern locus that differs between the two species.
Experience-dependent hippocampal pattern differentiation prevents interference during subsequent learning
Authors: Favila Serra E. , Chanales Avi J. H. , Kuhl Brice A.
Published: December 2016

The hippocampus is believed to reduce memory interference by disambiguating neural representations of similar events. However, there is limited empirical evidence linking representational overlap in the hippocampus to memory interference. Likewise, it is not fully understood how learning influences overlap among hippocampal representations. Using pattern-based fMRI analyses, we tested for a bidirectional relationship between memory overlap in the human hippocampus and learning. First, we show that learning drives hippocampal representations of similar events apart from one another. These changes are not explained by task demands to discriminate similar stimuli and are fully absent in visual cortical areas that feed into the hippocampus. Second, we show that lower representational overlap in the hippocampus benefits subsequent learning by preventing interference between similar memories. These findings reveal targeted experience-dependent changes in hippocampal representations of similar events and provide a critical link between memory overlap in the hippocampus and behavioural expressions of memory interference.
Tuning the role of charge-transfer states in intramolecular singlet exciton fission through side-group engineering
Authors: Lukman Steven , Chen Kai , Hodgkiss Justin M. , Turban David H. P. , Hine Nicholas D. M. , Dong Shaoqiang , Wu Jishan , Greenham Neil C. , Musser Andrew J.
Published: December 2016

Understanding the mechanism of singlet exciton fission, in which a singlet exciton separates into a pair of triplet excitons, is crucial to the development of new chromophores for efficient fission-sensitized solar cells. The challenge of controlling molecular packing and energy levels in the solid state precludes clear determination of the singlet fission pathway. Here, we circumvent this difficulty by utilizing covalent dimers of pentacene with two types of side groups. We report rapid and efficient intramolecular singlet fission in both molecules, in one case via a virtual charge-transfer state and in the other via a distinct charge-transfer intermediate. The singlet fission pathway is governed by the energy gap between singlet and charge-transfer states, which change dynamically with molecular geometry but are primarily set by the side group. These results clearly establish the role of charge-transfer states in singlet fission and highlight the importance of solubilizing groups to optimize excited-state photophysics.
Constraints and spandrels of interareal connectomes
Authors: Rubinov Mikail
Published: December 2016

Interareal connectomes are whole-brain wiring diagrams of white-matter pathways. Recent studies have identified modules, hubs, module hierarchies and rich clubs as structural hallmarks of these wiring diagrams. An influential current theory postulates that connectome modules are adequately explained by evolutionary pressures for wiring economy, but that the other hallmarks are not explained by such pressures and are therefore less trivial. Here, we use constraint network models to test these postulates in current gold-standard vertebrate and invertebrate interareal-connectome reconstructions. We show that empirical wiring-cost constraints inadequately explain connectome module organization, and that simultaneous module and hub constraints induce the structural byproducts of hierarchies and rich clubs. These byproducts, known as spandrels in evolutionary biology, include the structural substrate of the default-mode network. Our results imply that currently standard connectome characterizations are based on circular analyses or double dipping, and we emphasize an integrative approach to future connectome analyses for avoiding such pitfalls.
Spaceflight modulates gene expression in the whole blood of astronauts
Authors: Barrila Jennifer , Ott C Mark , LeBlanc Carly , Mehta Satish K , Crabbé Aurélie , Stafford Phillip , Pierson Duane L , Nickerson Cheryl A
Published: December 2016

Astronauts are exposed to a unique combination of stressors during spaceflight, which leads to alterations in their physiology and potentially increases their susceptibility to disease, including infectious diseases. To evaluate the potential impact of the spaceflight environment on the regulation of molecular pathways mediating cellular stress responses, we performed a first-of-its-kind pilot study to assess spaceflight-related gene-expression changes in the whole blood of astronauts. Using an array comprised of 234 well-characterized stress-response genes, we profiled transcriptomic changes in six astronauts (four men and two women) from blood preserved before and immediately following the spaceflight. Differentially regulated transcripts included those important for DNA repair, oxidative stress, and protein folding/degradation, including HSP90AB1, HSP27, GPX1, XRCC1, BAG-1, HHR23A, FAP48, and C-FOS. No gender-specific differences or relationship to number of missions flown was observed. This study provides a first assessment of transcriptomic changes occurring in the whole blood of astronauts in response to spaceflight.
Correction: Corrigendum: Recombination spot identification Based on gapped k-mers
Authors: Wang Rong , Xu Yong , Liu Bin
Published: December 2016

Scientific Reports 6: Article number: 23934; published online: 31 March 2016; updated: 07 December 2016.
A Competitive Bio-Barcode Amplification Immunoassay for Small Molecules Based on Nanoparticles
Authors: Du Pengfei , Jin Maojun , Chen Ge , Zhang Chan , Jiang Zejun , Zhang Yanxin , Zou Pan , She Yongxin , Jin Fen , Shao Hua , Wang Shanshan , Zheng Lufei , Wang Jing
Published: December 2016

A novel detection method of small molecules, competitive bio-barcode amplification immunoassay, was developed and described in this report. Through the gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) probe and magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) probe we prepared, only one monoclonal antibody can be used to detect small molecules. The competitive bio-barcode amplification immunoassay overcomes the obstacle that the bio-barcode assay cannot be used in small molecular detection, as two antibodies are unable to combine to one small molecule due to its small molecular structure. The small molecular compounds, triazophos, were selected as targets for the competitive bio-barcode amplification immunoassay. The linear range of detection was from 0.04 ng mL−1 to 10 ng mL−1, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.02 ng mL−1, which was 10–20 folds lower than ELISA (Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay). A practical application of the proposed immunoassay was evaluated by detecting triazophos in real samples. The recovery rate ranged from 72.5% to 110.5%, and the RSD was less than 20%. These results were validated by GC-MS, which indicated that this convenient and sensitive method has great potential for small molecular in real samples.
Gsy, a novel glucansucrase from Leuconostoc mesenteroides, mediates the formation of cell aggregates in response to oxidative stress
Authors: Yan Minghui , Han Jin , Xu Xiaofen , Liu Lianliang , Gao Caixia , Zheng Huajun , Chen Yunxia , Tao Yimin , Zhou Hu , Li Yunfei , Wu Zhengjun
Published: December 2016

Leuconostoc mesenteroides is a member of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with wide applications in the food and medical industries. Species in the genus Leuconostoc are catalase-negative and generally regarded as facultative anaerobic or aerotolerant organisms. Despite their extensive use in industry, certain issues concerning the aerobic life of L. mesenteroides, e.g., the mechanism involved in the tolerance to oxygen, remain to be addressed. In this manuscript, a survival strategy employed by L. mesenteroides BD3749 in response to oxidative stress was elucidated. BD3749 cells cultivated in medium with sucrose available synthesized large amounts of exopolysaccharides, mostly consisting of insoluble EPS. When BD3749 cells were challenged with oxidative stress, the amount of insoluble EPS was greatly enhanced. The synthesized EPSs reduced the accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in bacterial cells and improved their survival during chronic oxidative stress. Another study showed that Gsy, a novel glucansucrase in the GH70 family that is induced by sucrose and up-regulated following exposure to oxygen, was responsible for the synthesis of insoluble EPS. Gsy was subsequently demonstrated to play pivotal roles in the formation of aggregates to alleviate the detrimental effects on BD3749 cells exerted by oxygen.
Activation induced deaminase mutational signature overlaps with CpG methylation sites in follicular lymphoma and other cancers
Authors: Rogozin Igor B. , Lada Artem G. , Goncearenco Alexander , Green Michael R. , De Subhajyoti , Nudelman German , Panchenko Anna R. , Koonin Eugene V. , Pavlov Youri I.
Published: December 2016

Follicular lymphoma (FL) is an uncurable cancer characterized by progressive severity of relapses. We analyzed sequence context specificity of mutations in the B cells from a large cohort of FL patients. We revealed substantial excess of mutations within a novel hybrid nucleotide motif: the signature of somatic hypermutation (SHM) enzyme, Activation Induced Deaminase (AID), which overlaps the CpG methylation site. This finding implies that in FL the SHM machinery acts at genomic sites containing methylated cytosine. We identified the prevalence of this hybrid mutational signature in many other types of human cancer, suggesting that AID-mediated, CpG-methylation dependent mutagenesis is a common feature of tumorigenesis.