bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Technological Intensity of Indian Exports and the Performance of Emerging Asian Economies
Authors: Fayaz Mohd. , Bhatia Sandeep Kaur
Published: May 2018

The increasing share of technological-intensive products in the world trade has recognized technology and technological capabilities as a major factor for competitiveness and growth. Notably, the emerging countries are progressively becoming the exporters of the products that are technologically more intensive. Thus, the current study presents an analysis of Indian exports and the performance of emerging Asian economies in terms of technological intensity over the period 1980–2016. The study shows that the exports of all the said emerging economies have a large technological base owing to their significant investments in R&D and open-door policies. While the figures of India also show a steady though slow technological upgradation from low-tech to medium-tech and high-tech exports but when compared to the standards of these emerging economies, they are low. Thus, in order to increase the technological intensity of its exports, there is a need to invest more in high-tech and medium-tech R&D activities and overcome the technological barriers. There is also a need to devise the policies that would make a favorable environment for attracting more outward-oriented foreign direct investment (FDI).
Tcf7L2 is essential for neurogenesis in the developing mouse neocortex
Authors: Chodelkova Olga , Masek Jan , Korinek Vladimir , Kozmik Zbynek , Machon Ondrej
Published: May 2018

Generation of neurons in the embryonic neocortex is a balanced process of proliferation and differentiation of neuronal progenitor cells. Canonical Wnt signalling is crucial for expansion of radial glial cells in the ventricular zone and for differentiation of intermediate progenitors in the subventricular zone. We detected abundant expression of two transcrtiption factors mediating canonical Wnt signalling, Tcf7L1 and Tcf7L2, in the ventricular zone of the embryonic neocortex. Conditional knock-out analysis showed that Tcf7L2, but not Tcf7L1, is the principal Wnt mediator important for maintenance of progenitor cell identity in the ventricular zone. In the absence of Tcf7L2, the Wnt activity is reduced, ventricular zone markers Pax6 and Sox2 are downregulated and the neuroepithelial structure is severed due to the loss of apical adherens junctions. This results in decreased proliferation of radial glial cells, the reduced number of intermediate progenitors in the subventricular zone and hypoplastic forebrain. Our data show that canonical Wnt signalling, which is essential for determining the neuroepithelial character of the neocortical ventricular zone, is mediated by Tcf7L2.
Cardiotoxicity of 5‐fluorouracil and capecitabine in Chinese patients: a prospective study
Authors: Peng Jianjun , Dong Chao , Wang Chang , Li Weihua , Yu Hao , Zhang Min , Zhao Qun , Zhu Bo , Zhang Jun , Li Wenliang , Wang Fenghua , Wu Qiong , Zhou Wenhao , Yuan Ying , Qiu Meng , Chen Gong
Published: May 2018

Background

5‐Fluorouracil (5‐FU) and capecitabine‐associated cardiotoxicity ranging from asymptomatic electrocardiography (ECG) abnormalities to severe myocardial infarction has been reported in a number of studies, but such cardiotoxicity in Chinese patients with malignant diseases has not been investigated to date. In the present study, we aimed to prospectively evaluate the incidence rates and clinical manifestations of 5‐FU‐ and capecitabine‐associated cardiotoxicity in cancer patients recruited from multiple centers in China.

Methods

Among the 527 patients who completed the study, 196 received 5‐FU‐based chemotherapy and 331 received capecitabine‐based chemotherapy as either first‐line or adjuvant therapy. Adverse events were reported during the treatment and up to 28 days of follow‐up. Outcome measures included ECG, myocardial enzymes, cardiac troponin, brain natriuretic peptide and echocardiography. Univariate analysis and logistic regression were performed for subgroup analysis and identification of significant independent variables that are associated with cardiotoxicity of both agents.

Results

In total, 161 of 527 patients (30.6%) experienced cardiotoxicity. The incidence rate of cardiotoxicity was 33.8% (112/331) in the capecitabine group, which was significantly higher than the rate of 25% (49/196) in the 5‐FU group (P = 0.0042). 110/527 patients (20.9%) suffered arrhythmia, 105/527 (19.9%) developed ischemic changes, while only 20/527 patients (3.8%) presented heart failure and 6/527 patients (1.1%) had myocardial infarction. Pre‐existing cardiac disease, hypertension, capecitabine‐based chemotherapy and duration of treatment were identified as significant risk factors associated with cardiotoxicity. The odds ratio were 15.7 (prior history of cardiac disease versus no history), 1.86 (capecitabine versus 5‐FU), 1.06 (5–8 versus 1–4 chemotherapy cycles) and 1.58 (hypertension versus no hypertension), respectively.

Conclusions

Cardiotoxicity induced by fluoropyrimidines in the Chinese population may be underestimated in clinical practice. Close monitoring of patients is recommended, especially for those patients at high risk for cardiotoxicity. Possible risk factors are duration of treatment, capecitabine‐based chemotherapy, pre‐existing cardiac diseases and hypertension.

Trial registration This study was initiated on January 22, 2014 and has been retrospectively registered with the registration number ChiCTR1800015434
Teaching Assistant Attention and Responsiveness to Student Reasoning in Written Work
Authors: Hill Cynthia F. C. , Gouvea Julia S. , Hammer David
Published: May 2018

Instructors communicate what they value about students’ written work through their comments and feedback, and this feedback has the potential to direct how students approach writing assignments. In this study, we examined how graduate student teaching assistants (TAs) attended and responded to students’ written lab reports in an introductory biology course. We collected and analyzed marked lab reports from five TAs and interviewed them about their marking decisions. The results show that TAs attended mainly to writing style and form in their markings and comments on lab reports. However, there were occasions when they attended to students’ scientific reasoning in their markings and during interviews. We provide evidence that TAs’ understanding of the purpose of the laboratory course and assessment structure influenced their attention. We also provide evidence that TAs could shift their attention from style and form to reasoning in response to moment-to-moment contextual cues. Building on these results, we discuss course design and professional development that reframes labs and reports to focus on students’ biological reasoning.
Validating Common Measures of Self-Efficacy and Career Attitudes within Informal Health Education for Middle and High School Students
Authors: Peterman Karen , Withy Kelley , Boulay Rachel
Published: May 2018

A common challenge in the evaluation of K–12 science education is identifying valid scales that are an appropriate fit for both a student’s age and the educational outcomes of interest. Though many new scales have been validated in recent years, there is much to learn about the appropriate educational contexts and audiences for these measures. This study investigated two such scales, the DEVISE Self-Efficacy for Science scale and the Career Interest Questionnaire (CIQ), within the context of two related health sciences projects. Consistent patterns were found in the reliability of each scale across three age groups (middle school, high school, early college) and within the context of each project. As expected, self-efficacy and career interest, as measured through these scales, were found to be correlated. The pattern of results for CIQ scores was also similar to that reported in other literature. This study provides examples of how practitioners can validate established measures for new and specific contexts and provides some evidence to support the use of the scales studied in health science education contexts.
Effects of Discovery, Iteration, and Collaboration in Laboratory Courses on Undergraduates’ Research Career Intentions Fully Mediated by Student Ownership
Authors: Corwin Lisa A. , Runyon Christopher R. , Ghanem Eman , Sandy Moriah , Clark Greg , Palmer Gregory C. , Reichler Stuart , Rodenbusch Stacia E. , Dolan Erin L.
Published: May 2018

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) provide a promising avenue to attract a larger and more diverse group of students into research careers. CUREs are thought to be distinctive in offering students opportunities to make discoveries, collaborate, engage in iterative work, and develop a sense of ownership of their lab course work. Yet how these elements affect students’ intentions to pursue research-related careers remain unexplored. To address this knowledge gap, we collected data on three design features thought to be distinctive of CUREs (discovery, iteration, collaboration) and on students’ levels of ownership and career intentions from ∼800 undergraduates who had completed CURE or inquiry courses, including courses from the Freshman Research Initiative (FRI), which has a demonstrated positive effect on student retention in college and in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. We used structural equation modeling to test relationships among the design features and student ownership and career intentions. We found that discovery, iteration, and collaboration had small but significant effects on students’ intentions; these effects were fully mediated by student ownership. Students in FRI courses reported significantly higher levels of discovery, iteration, and ownership than students in other CUREs. FRI research courses alone had a significant effect on students’ career intentions.
Exploring Biology: A Vision and Change Disciplinary First-Year Seminar Improves Academic Performance in Introductory Biology
Authors: Wienhold Caroline J. , Branchaw Janet
Published: May 2018

The transition to college is challenging for most students, especially those who aspire to major in the science, technology, engineering, or mathematics disciplines, in which introductory courses can be large and instruction less than optimal. This paper describes a novel, disciplinary first-year seminar (FYS) course, Exploring Biology, designed to address many of the challenges facing aspiring biology students beginning their academic careers at a large public research university. The course addresses typical FYS goals, such as community building, introduction to resources, and academic skill development, and introduces students to the core concepts of biology defined in the 2011 Vision and Change report. Relative to a matched comparison group of students, Exploring Biology alumni were retained at higher rates and had higher levels of academic performance in a subsequent introductory biology course, suggesting Exploring Biology has a positive impact on future academic performance in the discipline. Results from course evaluations and an alumni survey show that, overall, students valued both the FYS components and biology components of the course. These results provide evidence that the Exploring Biology disciplinary FYS model is an intervention that may increase academic success and retention in biology.
Institutional Interventions That Remove Barriers to Recruit and Retain Diverse Biomedical PhD Students
Authors: Wilson Marenda A. , DePass Anthony L. , Bean Andrew J.
Published: May 2018

The faculty and student populations in academia are not representative of the diversity in the U.S. population. Thus, research institutions and funding agencies invest significant funds and effort into recruitment and retention programs that focus on increasing the flow of historically underrepresented minorities (URMs) into the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) pipeline. Here, we outline challenges, interventions, and assessments by the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences (GSBS) that increased the diversity of the student body independently of grade point averages and Graduate Record Examination scores. Additionally, we show these efforts progressively decreased the attrition rates of URM students over time while eliminating attrition in the latest cohort. Further, the majority of URM students who graduate from the GSBS are likely to remain in the STEM pipeline beyond the postdoctoral training period. We also provide specific recommendations based on the data presented to identify and remove barriers that prevent entry, participation, and inclusion of the underrepresented and underserved in the STEM pipeline.
Identifying and Remediating Student Misconceptions in Introductory Biology via Writing-to-Learn Assignments and Peer Review
Authors: Halim Audrey S. , Finkenstaedt-Quinn Solaire A. , Olsen Laura J. , Gere Anne Ruggles , Shultz Ginger V.
Published: May 2018

Student misconceptions are an obstacle in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics courses and unless remediated may continue causing difficulties in learning as students advance in their studies. Writing-to-learn assignments (WTL) are characterized by their ability to promote in-depth conceptual learning by allowing students to explore their understanding of a topic. This study sought to determine whether and what types of misconceptions are elicited by WTL assignments and how the process of peer review and revision leads to remediation or propagation of misconceptions. We examined four WTL assignments in an introductory biology course in which students first wrote about content by applying it to a realistic scenario, then participated in a peer-review process before revising their work. Misconceptions were identified in all four assignments, with the greatest number pertaining to protein structure and function. Additionally, in certain contexts, students used scientific terminology incorrectly. Analysis of the drafts and peer-review comments generated six profiles by which misconceptions were addressed through the peer-review process. The prevalent mode of remediation arose through directed peer-review comments followed by correction during revision. It was also observed that additional misconceptions were elicited as students revised their writing in response to general peer-review suggestions.
Learning Gains from a Recurring “Teach and Question” Homework Assignment in a General Biology Course: Using Reciprocal Peer Tutoring Outside Class
Authors: Bailey E. G. , Baek D. , Meiling J. , Morris C. , Nelson N. , Rice N. S. , Rose S. , Stockdale P.
Published: May 2018

Providing students with one-on-one interaction with instructors is a big challenge in large courses. One solution is to have students interact with their peers during class. Reciprocal peer tutoring (RPT) is a more involved interaction that requires peers to alternate the roles of “teacher” and “student.” Theoretically, advantages for peer tutoring include the verbalization and questioning of information and the scaffolded exploration of material through social and cognitive interaction. Studies on RPT vary in their execution, but most require elaborate planning and take up valuable class time. We tested the effectiveness of a “teach and question” (TQ) assignment that required student pairs to engage in RPT regularly outside class. A quasi-experimental design was implemented: one section of a general biology course completed TQ assignments, while another section completed a substitute assignment requiring individuals to review course material. The TQ section outperformed the other section by ∼6% on exams. Session recordings were coded to investigate correlation between TQ quality and student performance. Asking more questions was the characteristic that best predicted exam performance, and this was more predictive than most aspects of the course. We propose the TQ as an easy assignment to implement with large performance gains.
A Faculty Professional Development Model That Improves Student Learning, Encourages Active-Learning Instructional Practices, and Works for Faculty at Multiple Institutions
Authors: Pelletreau Karen N. , Knight Jennifer K. , Lemons Paula P. , McCourt Jill S. , Merrill John E. , Nehm Ross H. , Prevost Luanna B. , Urban-Lurain Mark , Smith Michelle K.
Published: May 2018

Helping faculty develop high-quality instruction that positively affects student learning can be complicated by time limitations, a lack of resources, and inexperience using student data to make iterative improvements. We describe a community of 16 faculty from five institutions who overcame these challenges and collaboratively designed, taught, iteratively revised, and published an instructional unit about the potential effect of mutations on DNA replication, transcription, and translation. The unit was taught to more than 2000 students in 18 courses, and student performance improved from preassessment to postassessment in every classroom. This increase occurred even though faculty varied in their instructional practices when they were teaching identical materials. We present information on how this faculty group was organized and facilitated, how members used student data to positively affect learning, and how they increased their use of active-learning instructional practices in the classroom as a result of participation. We also interviewed faculty to learn more about the most useful components of the process. We suggest that this professional development model can be used for geographically separated faculty who are interested in working together on a known conceptual difficulty to improve student learning and explore active-learning instructional practices.
Peer Instruction
Authors: Knight Jennifer K. , Brame Cynthia J.
Published: May 2018

Peer instruction, a form of active learning, is generally defined as an opportunity for peers to discuss ideas or to share answers to questions in an in-class environment, where they also have opportunities for further interactions with their instructor. When implementing peer instruction, instructors have many choices to make about group design, assignment format, and grading, among others. Ideally, these choices can be informed by research about the impact of these components of peer instruction on student learning. This essay describes an online, evidence-based teaching guide published by CBE—Life Sciences Education at http://lse.ascb.org/evidence-based-teaching-guides/peer-instruction . The guide provides condensed summaries of key research findings organized by teaching choices, summaries of and links to research articles and other resources, and actionable advice in the form of a checklist for instructors. In addition to describing key features of the guide, this essay also identifies areas in which further empirical studies are warranted.
CSEM-regularized seismic velocity inversion: A multiscale, hierarchical workflow for subsalt imaging
Authors: Colombo Daniele , Rovetta Diego , Turkoglu Ersan
Published: May 2018

Seismic imaging in salt geology is complicated by highly contrasted velocity fields and irregular salt geometries, which cause complex seismic wavefield scattering. Although the imaging challenges can be addressed by advanced imaging algorithms, a fundamental problem remains in the determination of robust velocity fields in high-noise conditions. Conventional migration velocity analysis is often ineffective, and even the most advanced methods for depth-domain velocity analysis, such as full-waveform inversion, require starting from a good initial estimate of the velocity model to converge to a correct result. Nonseismic methods, such as electromagnetics, can help guide the generation of robust velocity models to be used for further processing. Using the multiphysics data acquired in the deepwater section of the Red Sea, we apply a controlled-source electromagnetic (CSEM) resistivity-regularized seismic velocity inversion for enhancing the velocity model in a complex area dominated by nappe-style salt tectonics. The integration is achieved by a rigorous approach of multiscaled inversions looping over model dimensions (1D first, followed by 3D), variable offsets and increasing frequencies, data-driven and interpretation-supported approaches, leading to a hierarchical inversion guided by a parameter sensitivity analysis. The final step of the integration consists of the inversion of seismic traveltimes subject to CSEM model constraints in which a common-structure coupling mechanism is used. Minimization is performed over the seismic data residuals and cross-gradient objective functions without inverting for the resistivity model, which is used as a reference for the seismic inversion (hierarchical approach). Results are demonstrated through depth imaging in which the velocity model derived through CSEM-regularized hierarchical inversion outperforms the results of a seismic-only derived velocity model.
Computation of ray-Born seismograms using isochrons
Authors: Sarajaervi Martin , Keers Henk
Published: May 2018

Seismic modeling in heterogeneous media is accomplished by using either approximate or fully numerical methods. A popular approximate method is ray-Born modeling, which requires the computation of 3D integrals. We have developed an integration technique for accurate and, under certain circumstances, efficient evaluation of the ray-Born integrals in the time domain. The 3D integrals are split into several 2D integrals, each of which gives the wavefield at a certain time, so that the waveform at each time step is computed independently of all other times. We compute seismograms for 3D heterogeneous acoustic media using this technique and compare these seismograms with seismograms computed using two other modeling methods: frequency-domain ray-Born modeling and finite-difference modeling of the acoustic wave equation. Our method can also be applied to elastic ray-Born modeling. Velocity models with smooth scatterers and the SEG/EAGE overthrust model are used for comparison. The ray-Born seismograms computed using the time- and frequency-domain ray-Born modeling methods are identical, as expected. The comparison between the ray-Born modeling and the finite-difference-modeling method indicates that the waveforms are similar for both types of velocity models. We evaluate the discrepancies in terms of multiple scattering and multipathing.
Stage III Non–Small-Cell Lung Cancer Treated With Concurrent Chemoradiation Followed or Not by Consolidation Chemotherapy: A Survival Analysis From a Brazilian Multicentric Cohort
Authors: Cordeiro de Lima Vladmir C. , Baldotto Clarissa S. , Barrios Carlos H. , Sobrinho Eldsamira M. , Zukin Mauro , Mathias Clarissa , Zaffaroni Facundo , Nery Rodrigo C. , Madeira Gabriel , Amadio Alex V. , Coelho Juliano C. , Geib Guilherme , Simões Maria Fernanda , Castro Gilberto
Published: May 2018

Purpose

Of newly diagnosed patients with non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), stage III accounts for 30%. Most patients are treated with concurrent chemoradiation therapy, but the addition of consolidation chemotherapy (CC) is debatable. We examined the effect of CC in Brazilian patients with stage III NSCLC treated in routine clinical practice.

Methods

We retrospectively collected data for patients from five different Brazilian cancer institutions who had stage III NSCLC and who were treated with chemoradiation therapy followed or not by CC. Eligible patients were age 18 years or older and must have been treated with cisplatin-carboplatin plus etoposide, paclitaxel, or vinorelbine, concurrently with thoracic radiation therapy (RT). Patients treated with surgery or neoadjuvant chemotherapy were excluded. The primary end point was overall survival (OS). Associations between CC and clinical variables and demographics were evaluated by using Pearson’s χ2 test. Survival curves were calculated by using the Kaplan-Meier method and were compared using the log-rank test. Univariable and multivariable analysis used a Cox proportional hazards model.

Results

We collected data from 165 patients. Median age was 60 years. Most patients were male (69.1%), white (77.9%), current or former smokers (93.3%), and had stage IIIB disease (52.7%). Adenocarcinoma was the most common histology (47.9%). Weight loss of more than 5% was observed in 39.1% and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 2 was observed in 14.6%. The only variable associated with CC was T stage ( P = .022). We observed no statistically significant difference in OS between patients treated or not with CC ( P = .128). A total delivered RT dose ≥ 61 Gy was the only variable independently associated with improved survival ( P = .012).

Conclusion

Brazilian patients with locally advanced NSCLC who were treated with standard treatment achieved OS similar to that reported in randomized trials. CC did not improve OS in patients with stage III NSCLC after concurrent chemoradiation therapy. An RT dose of less than 61 Gy had a negative effect on OS.
Olanzapine for the Prevention of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: A Comparative Study From Sudan
Authors: Osman Alaa A.M. , Elhassan Moawia M.A. , AbdElrahim Blala H.A. , Ahmed Fatima H.A. , Yousif Jihad B.H. , Ahmed Malak A.M. , Abdelhafeez Romisa H.A. , Ahmed Umsalama M.Y.
Published: May 2018

Purpose

Chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) is a distressing adverse effect. Neurokinin-1 receptor antagonist (NK1RA)–containing regimens are the standard regimens for CINV prophylaxis in patients with cancer receiving highly or moderately emetogenic chemotherapy (HEC or MEC). NK1RA agents are expensive and were not registered in Sudan. Recently, regimens containing olanzapine, the available and affordable medication in Sudan, were introduced as another option. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of an olanzapine-containing regimen with the antiemetic regimen that was currently used in our institute for CINV prophylaxis in HEC/MEC settings.

Patients and Methods

The study prospectively compared an olanzapine-containing regimen (acute phase: olanzapine, ondansetron, dexamethasone; delayed phase: olanzapine, ondansetron) with an ondansetron/dexamethasone regimen (acute phase: ondansetron, dexamethasone; delayed phase: ondansetron) in adult patients with cancer receiving HEC or MEC. The study outcomes were complete response (CR; no emesis and no rescue medications) and nausea control (no nausea), which were assessed in the acute (0 to 24 hours), delayed (24 to 120 hours), and overall (0 to 120 hours) phases.

Results

The study included 131 patients (olanzapine-containing: 50 patients; ondansetron/dexamethasone: 81 patients). CR and nausea control were higher in the olanzapine-containing than in the ondansetron/dexamethasone regimen (CR: acute phase, 86% v 71.6%; P = .086; delayed phase, 72% v 30.9%; P < .001; overall phase, 66% v 25.9%; P < .001; nausea control: acute phase, 86% v 74.1%; P = .127; delayed phase, 76% v 34.6%; P < .001; overall phase, 72% v 29.6%; P < .001). The major toxicity of olanzapine was grade 1 and 2 sedation or drowsiness (25 patients).

Conclusion

An olanzapine-containing regimen has better efficacy for prevention of CINV in the HEC/MEC setting. Oncologists working in a limited-resource setting should be familiar with olanzapine-containing regimens, because NK1RA agents are not affordable and not easily available.
So You Want to Be a Principal Investigator
Authors: Saleh Mansoor , Naik Gurudatta
Published: May 2018

Therapeutic trials represent the front line of clinical progress, where the rubber meets the road. The conduct of clinical trials requires unique skills, innate as well as learned, on the part of the investigators who conduct these studies. Often such skills are acquired on the job and are passed on from mentor to junior investigator. However, over the years, the role of the principal investigator (PI) has evolved into a vast list of roles and responsibilities that cannot readily be conveyed through a hands-on approach alone. The fast-paced tempo of drug discovery and development, and the ever-increasing numbers of therapeutic trials being conducted in the United States, combined with a decline in the number of new clinical investigators, have exposed a gap between the expectations placed on the PI and the training and experience of today’s young clinicians, who are being asked to take on the responsibilities outlined in Food and Drug Administration Form 1572. This article aims to begin an exploration of the role and increasing responsibilities of a PI and the growing need for structured investigator training. We propose options to better equip the PI to achieve compliance with Good Clinical Practice.
The phosphoinositide phosphatase Sac1 regulates cell shape and microtubule stability in the developing Drosophila eye
Authors: Del Bel Lauren M. , Griffiths Nigel , Wilk Ronit , Wei Ho-Chun , Blagoveshchenskaya Anastasia , Burgess Jason , Polevoy Gordon , Price James V. , Mayinger Peter , Brill Julie A.
Published: May 2018

Epithelial patterning in the developing Drosophila melanogaster eye requires the Neph1 homolog Roughest (Rst), an immunoglobulin family cell surface adhesion molecule expressed in interommatidial cells (IOCs). Here, using a novel temperature-sensitive (ts) allele, we show that the phosphoinositide phosphatase Sac1 is also required for IOC patterning. Sac1ts mutants have rough eyes and retinal patterning defects that resemble rst mutants. Sac1ts retinas exhibit elevated levels of phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate (PI4P), consistent with the role of Sac1 as a PI4P phosphatase. Indeed, genetic rescue and interaction experiments reveal that restriction of PI4P levels by Sac1 is crucial for normal eye development. Rst is delivered to the cell surface in Sac1ts mutants. However, Sac1ts mutant IOCs exhibit severe defects in microtubule organization, associated with accumulation of Rst and the exocyst subunit Sec8 in enlarged intracellular vesicles upon cold fixation ex vivo. Together, our data reveal a novel requirement for Sac1 in promoting microtubule stability and suggest that Rst trafficking occurs in a microtubule- and exocyst-dependent manner.
Nppa and Nppb act redundantly during zebrafish cardiac development to confine AVC marker expression and reduce cardiac jelly volume
Authors: Grassini Daniela R. , Lagendijk Anne K. , De Angelis Jessica E. , Da Silva Jason , Jeanes Angela , Zettler Nicole , Bower Neil I. , Hogan Benjamin M. , Smith Kelly A.
Published: May 2018

Atrial natriuretic peptide (nppa/anf) and brain natriuretic peptide (nppb/bnp) form a gene cluster with expression in the chambers of the developing heart. Despite restricted expression, a function in cardiac development has not been demonstrated by mutant analysis. This is attributed to functional redundancy however their genomic location in cis has impeded formal analysis. Using genome-editing, we generated mutants for nppa and nppb and found single mutants indistinguishable from wildtype whereas nppa/nppb double mutants display heart morphogenesis defects and pericardial oedema. Analysis of atrioventricular canal (AVC) markers show expansion of bmp4, tbx2b, has2 and versican expression into the atrium of double mutants. This expanded expression correlates with increased extracellular matrix in the atrium. Using a biosensor for Hyaluronic acid to measure the cardiac jelly (cardiac extracellular matrix), we confirm cardiac jelly expansion in nppa/nppb double mutants. Finally, bmp4 knockdown rescues the expansion of has2 expression and cardiac jelly in double mutants. This definitively shows that nppa and nppb function redundantly during cardiac development to restrict gene expression to the AVC, preventing excessive cardiac jelly synthesis in the atrial chamber.
A regulatory pathway involving retinoic acid and calcineurin demarcates and maintains joint cells and osteoblasts in the fin regenerate
Authors: McMillan Stephanie C. , Zhang Jing , Phan Hue-Eileen , Jeradi Shirine , Probst Leona , Hammerschmidt Matthias , Akimenko Marie-Andrée
Published: May 2018

During zebrafish fin regeneration, blastema cells lining the epidermis differentiate into osteoblasts and joint cells to reconstruct the segmented bony rays. We show that osteoblasts and joint cells originate from a common cell lineage, but are committed to different cell fates. Pre-osteoblasts expressing runx2a/b commit to the osteoblast lineage upon expressing sp7, while the strong upregulation of hoxa13a correlates with a commitment to a joint cell type. In the distal regenerate, hoxa13a, evx1, and pthlha are sequentially upregulated at regular intervals to define the newly identified presumptive joint cells. Presumptive joint cells mature into joint-forming cells, a distinct cell cluster that maintains the expression of these factors. Analysis of evx1 null mutants reveals that evx1 is acting upstream of pthlha and downstream or parallel to hoxa13a. Calcineurin activity, potentially through the inhibition of retinoic acid signaling, regulates evx1, pthlha, and hoxa13a expression during joint formation. Furthermore, retinoic acid treatment induces osteoblast differentiation in mature joint cells, leading to ectopic bone deposition in joint regions. Overall, our data reveal a novel regulatory pathway essential for joint formation in the regenerating fin.
Physical Activity Levels Predict Exercise-induced Hypoalgesia in Older Adults
Authors: OHLMAN THOMAS , MILLER LEAH , NAUGLE KEITH E. , NAUGLE KELLY M.
Published: May 2018

Prior research indicates that older adults exhibit a deficient capacity to activate multiple pain inhibitory mechanisms, including pain inhibition after acute exercise termed exercise-induced hypoalgesia (EIH). The influence of physical activity levels and psychological processes on EIH in older adults remains unclear.

Purpose

This study examined potential psychological and physical activity predictors of the magnitude of EIH after submaximal isometric exercise in healthy older adult men and women.

Methods

Fifty-two healthy older adults completed a test of EIH, the Pain Catastrophizing Scale, the Tampa Scale of Kinesiophobia, and wore an accelerometer on the hip for 1 wk to assess physical activity levels. For the test of EIH, participants complete a 3-min isometric handgrip at 25% of maximum voluntary contraction. Pressure pain thresholds (PPT) and a 30-s continuous heat pain test were completed before and immediately after the exercise.

Results

Mixed-model ANOVA revealed that older adults demonstrated significantly decreased PPT after isometric exercise (P = 0.030), and no changes on the heat pain trials from pretest to posttest (P > 0.05). A multiple regression revealed that accumulated moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) per week significantly predicted the change in PPT after exercise (β = 0.35, P = 0.012). Participants who averaged greater MVPA experienced a greater increase in PPT after exercise. No relationships were found with EIH and the psychological variables.

Conclusions

Older adults did not exhibit EIH after submaximal isometric exercise. However, those who did more MVPA per week experienced a greater magnitude of pain inhibition after acute exercise.
When Prospect Theory Meets Consumer Choice Models: Assortment and Pricing Management with Reference Prices
Authors: Wang Ruxian
Published: May 2018

Problem definition: Reference prices arise as price expectations against which consumers evaluate products in their purchase scenarios. We investigate what will happen when prospect theory (e.g., reference prices) meets consumer choice models from the perspectives of both the consumers and the firm. Academic/practical relevance: Consumers see multiple relevant products on a particular purchase occasion and often compare their prices to form the willingness to pay when considering whether to purchase a particular product. Reference prices, which are not included in many choice models, may impact consumer choice behavior, so we incorporate reference prices into consumer choice models and investigate the operations management problems. Methodology: We take the widely used multinomial logit model as a showcase to examine the effects of reference prices through analytical and empirical study. We consider the optimization problems on assortment planning and pricing under consumer choice models with a variety of reference prices, including the lowest price and the assortment variety. Results: Our empirical study on a real data set demonstrates that incorporating reference prices into choice models can significantly improve goodness of fit and prediction accuracy of consumer choice behavior. Moreover, we characterize the optimal policies for the assortment planning and pricing problems under the consumer choice models with various reference prices. In particular, for the pricing problems under the reference prices defined by either the lowest price or assortment variety, we show that the optimal pricing policy has the following structure: products can be divided into several groups based on their costs; the products in the same group charge either the same markup or the same price. Managerial implications: In practice, reference prices should be taken into account in model estimation and operations management. Ignoring reference prices may lead to substantial losses.

The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/msom.2017.0688 .
Technical Note—An Expectation-Maximization Algorithm to Estimate the Parameters of the Markov Chain Choice Model
Authors: Şimşek A. Serdar , Topaloglu Huseyin
Published: May 2018

We develop an expectation-maximization algorithm to estimate the parameters of the Markov chain choice model. In this choice model, a customer arrives into the system to purchase a certain product. If this product is available for purchase, then the customer purchases it. Otherwise, the customer transitions between the products according to a transition probability matrix until she reaches an available one and purchases this product. The parameters of the Markov chain choice model are the probability that the customer arrives into the system to purchase each one of the products and the entries of the transition probability matrix. In our expectation-maximization algorithm, we treat the path that a customer follows in the Markov chain as the missing piece of the data. Conditional on the final purchase decision of a customer, we show how to compute the probability that the customer arrives into the system to purchase a certain product and the expected number of times that the customer transitions from a certain product to another one. These results allow us to execute the expectation step of our algorithm. Also, we show how to solve the optimization problem that appears in the maximization step of our algorithm. Our computational experiments show that the Markov chain choice model, coupled with our expectation-maximization algorithm, can yield better predictions of customer choice behavior when compared with other commonly used alternatives.

The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/opre.2017.1692 .
Tasks Interrupted: How Anticipating Time Pressure on Resumption of an Interrupted Task Causes Attention Residue and Low Performance on Interrupting Tasks and How a “Ready-to-Resume” Plan Mitigates the Effects
Authors: Leroy Sophie , Glomb Theresa M.
Published: May 2018

This paper explores the attention regulation challenges brought by interruptions. In contrast to much of the research on interruptions that looks at the effects on the interrupted task, this paper examines the difficulty of focusing attention and performing well on interrupting tasks. Integrating research on attention residue, time pressure, and implementation intention, we predict that when people anticipate resuming their interrupted work under time pressure, they will find it difficult to switch their attention to the interrupting task, leading to attention residue and low performance. A ready-to-resume intervention, in which one briefly reflects on and plans one’s return to the interrupted task, mitigates this effect such that attention residue is reduced and performance on the interrupting task does not suffer. Data collected across four studies support these hypotheses.

The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2017.1184 .
developing children’s reasoning and inquiry, concept analysis, and meaningmaking skills through the community of inquiry
Authors: Canuto Abigail Thea
Published: May 2018

This paper presents the results of a research done to investigate the effectiveness of Philosophy for Children (P4C), a pedagogy employing philosophical dialogue in a community of inquiry, in a Philippine primary school.  Quantitative analysis of critical thinking skills identified by Sharp and Splitter (1995) as (1) reasoning; (2) concept analysis; and (3) meaning-making revealed that there was a considerable increase in the frequency of the children’s use of such critical thinking skills over the course of fifteen (15) sessions of dialogical inquiry.  Moreover, qualitative analysis of excerpts from the dialogue transcripts accounted for the refinement of the children’s use of the critical thinking skills.  This pioneering work thus calls for further research that will implement P4C in other grade levels and to explore other indicators of development in children’s thinking.  Further, it recommends that primary schools adopt P4C in Philippine basic education curriculum and that teacher education institutions provide teacher training and include P4C for pre-service training.
infância, alteridade e formação docente: encontro com as crianças como potência de transformação
Authors: Ribeiro Tiago , Souza Rafael de , Guedes Adrianne Ogêda
Published: May 2018

This paper aims to share reflections produced in the core of a research developed in everyday life of a school located in the city of Rio de Janeiro, in order to think the teacher training process and the child's potentiality in it. Through an investigation from the perspective of research with daily life, making use of narratives produced in the field notebook and of impressions and senses created throughout the investigation, brings two scenes experienced in the daily life of the mentioned public school and, with them, discusses concepts of training and child, defending the latter as a legitimate other in teacher education and training as a singular process and at the same time, collective and polyphonic. Finally, from the proposed problematization, the text invites us to think training with childhood in the quality of training as experience: that one which makes us think and think about ourselves, that is a training that moves us and causes us to inquire about our certainties and crystallized truths, invites us to be already others of ourselves, to rethink our ways of being, to be and to live the teaching experience with the children. Therefore, it is an invitation to think about our place and the place of children, in other words, our relationship in education and teacher's training.
putting philosophy to the service of schools to give children’s voices real value
Authors: Albert Sonia París
Published: May 2018

This article explores a modern approach to childhood that abandons the traditional view of children in western societies as inferior, fragile and vulnerable. The modern approach explored in this paper takes a plural perspective in the conception of children as people who are able to think for themselves and who have the absolute right to participate in the affairs that affect them. This modern approach is related in this study to the free-rangers thesis, in which childhood is interpreted as a process of maturation and not as a stage of life, which is the conception linked to the traditional percepcion of childhood in the western societies. In the framework of formal education, this modern approach to childhood is related to Freire’s liberating education and the proposals for the school of philosophy with children in which philosophical practices are encouraged from an early age, thereby stimulating a much more active role for children in schools and giving their voice due recognition. So, this study highlights the importance of promoting liberating education in schools with the aim of making every effort to subvert the traditional roles of both teachers and pupils in formal education to give a more active role to children. In thi sense, this paper calls for the activity of philosophy whith children and encourages the idea of putting philosophy at the service of schools to give children’s voices greater value.
nature gives and nature takes: a qualitative comparison between canadian and german children about their concepts of ‘nature’
Authors: Aslanimehr Parmis , Marsal Eva , Weber Barbara , Knapp Fabian
Published: May 2018

As concerns of the Earth heading towards environmental change is gaining more prominence, this article will introduce a pilot study intended to investigate the common ideas children have about nature and how such ideas emerge within a philosophical community of inquiry about nature. We are particularly interested in a cultural comparison between German and Canadian children in order to see if the different historical and cultural developments influence how children understand and feel about nature. This pilot study contributes towards a greater understanding of the cultural differences underlying how children’s perceptions of nature are tied to their identity formation. Furthermore, the process of philosophical inquiry may lend sensitivity to how children reflect and feel as they grow in today’s culture focused on environmental sustainability and economic development.
a arte e o afeto na inclusão escolar: potência e o pensamento não representativo
Authors: Barreiro Mateus Freitas , Carvalho Alonso Bezerra , Furlan Marta Regina
Published: May 2018

This article has as main objective to investigate art and the affection as options of will to power in the school inclusive process, having as theoretical reference, mainly, the thoughts of Deleuze and Guattari. The discussion begins in the conceptual formation of the notion affect (affection) and its other conceptual components that involve the will to power and the no representative thought. It is now necessary to include a new version of the register of a representative logic that encodes the subject's experience and reduces his/her affective power. In this perspective, the art as aesthetic experience is a way of amplifying power, once they are affected, they are empowered to a differentiated perspective in the means of conceiving and living life. The methodology is theoretical, with reflections on the affections in their relation with the deficient still to come? in the school, in its articulation with art and the aesthetic experience, and it involves the recognition of the social, psychological inequalities, among others. In this sense, art extends the affections, not only in the subjects under consideration, which possess a cultural background, but the appreciation depends on a sensible perception more than on a representative thinking.