bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
How Postindustrial Families Talk
Authors: Ochs Elinor , Kremer-Sadlik Tamar
Published: July 2015

The nuclear family is both crucible and product of capitalism and modernity, carried forth and modified across generations through ordinary communicative and other social practices. Focusing on postindustrial middle-class families, this review analyzes key discursive practices that promote “the entrepreneurial child” who can display creative language and problem-solving skills requisite to enter the globalized knowledge class as adults. It also considers how the entrepreneurial thrust, including the democratization of the parent–child relationship and exercise of individual desire, complicates family cooperation. Family quality time, heightened child-centeredness, children's social involvement as parental endeavor, children's autonomy and freedom, and postindustrial intimacies organize how family members communicate from morning to night.
Anthropology and Heritage Regimes
Authors: Geismar Haidy
Published: July 2015

This review unpacks some of the assumptions that underpin contemporary national heritage regimes. The genealogy of modern heritage exposes the entanglement of heritage, entitlement, resources, and property and underpins the frame of the modern nation-state. The article also highlights the implications of this genealogy for the processes of objectification, recognition, and new, expanded, ethical subject positions.
Broader, Deeper and Greener: European Union Environmental Politics, Policies, and Outcomes
Authors: Selin Henrik , VanDeveer Stacy D.
Published: July 2015

The European Union (EU) is influential in environmental politics and policy-making across its 28 member states, around its periphery, and globally. Building on a diverse analytical and empirical literature, this article's seven sections each highlights important research findings and outcomes from more than four decades of EU environmental governance. These include (a) a substantial transfer of legal authority from member states to the supranational level; (b) a growing involvement of EU bodies, advocacy groups, and civil society in regional goal-setting and decision-making; (c) the development of elaborate governance systems and mechanisms for making, implementing, and enforcing policy; (d) EU exercise of considerable influence over countries seeking membership before and after joining the Union; (e) increased EU participation and influence in international fora; (f) a mixed record of uneven implementation and varied environmental outcomes in Europe and across the world; and (g) continuing challenges in nascent attempts to engender greater resource efficiency and sustainability in Europe and beyond. All of these findings and outcomes suggest numerous areas and directions for additional research.
Regional Dynamical Downscaling and the CORDEX Initiative
Authors: Giorgi Filippo , Gutowski William J.
Published: July 2015

We review the challenges and future perspectives of regional climate model (RCM), or dynamical downscaling, activities. Among the main technical issues in need of better understanding are those of selection and sensitivity to the model domain and resolution, techniques for providing lateral boundary conditions, and RCM internal variability. The added value (AV) obtained with the use of RCMs remains a central issue, which needs more rigorous and comprehensive analysis strategies. Within the context of regional climate projections, large ensembles of simulations are needed to better understand the models and characterize uncertainties. This has provided an impetus for the development of the Coordinated Regional Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX), the first international program offering a common protocol for downscaling experiments, and we discuss how CORDEX can address the key scientific challenges in downscaling research. Among the main future developments in RCM research, we highlight the development of coupled regional Earth system models and the transition to very high-resolution, cloud-resolving models.
State of the World's Amphibians
Authors: Catenazzi Alessandro
Published: July 2015

The Anthropocene is characterized by a widespread biodiversity crisis that is rivaling prehistoric mass extinctions. Amphibians are the most threatened class of vertebrates. In addition to traditional threats such as land-use conversion and pollution, climate change and introduced diseases are expected to further reduce amphibian biodiversity. The fungal disease chytridiomycosis has caused the rapid extirpation of tens to possibly hundreds of amphibian species. Recent advances have revealed a deep evolutionary history and considerable variation in the virulence of strains of the fungal pathogen, patterns that need to be reconciled with the rapid spread of disease and demise of host populations. A conservation priority is surveillance of a newly discovered species of chytrid fungus that is killing European salamanders. The accelerated discovery of new amphibian species challenges existing conservation resources, but it is an opportunity to fill geographical gaps and to enhance programs aimed at preserving amphibian biodiversity.
High–Reynolds Number Taylor-Couette Turbulence
Authors: Grossmann Siegfried , Lohse Detlef , Sun Chao
Published: July 2015

Taylor-Couette flow, the flow between two coaxial co- or counter-rotating cylinders, is one of the paradigmatic systems in the physics of fluids. The (dimensionless) control parameters are the Reynolds numbers of the inner and outer cylinders, the ratio of the cylinder radii, and the aspect ratio. One key response of the system is the torque required to retain constant angular velocities, which can be connected to the angular velocity transport through the gap. Whereas the low–Reynolds number regime was well explored in the 1980s and 1990s of the past century, in the fully turbulent regime major research activity developed only in the past decade. In this article, we review this recent progress in our understanding of fully developed Taylor-Couette turbulence from the experimental, numerical, and theoretical points of view. We focus on the parameter dependence of the global torque and on the local flow organization, including velocity profiles and boundary layers. Next, we discuss transitions between different (turbulent) flow states. We also elaborate on the relevance of this system for astrophysical disks (quasi-Keplerian flows). The review ends with a list of challenges for future research on turbulent Taylor-Couette flow.
Housing, Poverty, and the Law
Authors: Desmond Matthew , Bell Monica
Published: July 2015

Throughout much of the late twentieth century, social scientists and legal scholars focused considerable attention on low-income housing and landlord-tenant law. In recent years, however, interest in housing has waned, leaving many questions fundamental to the poverty debate unanswered. This article calls for a renewed focus on housing, law, and poverty, with particular attention to the housing sector where most low-income families live, unassisted: the private rental market. Surveying social-scientific research, legal analysis, and case history on affordability, access, housing conditions, forced displacement, and homelessness, this article shows how housing plays a central, crucial role in the lives of poor Americans. The poor have been central to the development of housing law, and the law itself has done much to mitigate and aggravate their poverty.
Race, Ethnicity, and Culture in Jury Decision Making
Authors: Hunt Jennifer S.
Published: July 2015

This article reviews a growing body of social science research indicating that race, ethnicity, and culture can influence the judgments and behaviors of juries. The first section addresses research on jury bias, which shows that jurors often make harsher judgments of defendants from other racial and ethnic groups and are more likely to give death sentences in cases involving Black or Latino defendants and White victims. However, these effects are moderated by several factors related to the trial parties, context, and crime. Further, juror bias often involves subtle or implicit psychological processes that can be difficult to recognize and correct. The second section discusses research conceptualizing jurors as agentic forces whose judgments and behaviors may reflect their racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds. This work shows that jurors' backgrounds may influence their reactions to defendants, trial judgments, and deliberation behaviors. The final section offers recommendations for future research in these areas.
Sociophonetics of Consonantal Variation
Authors: Thomas Erik R.
Published: July 2015

Although consonantal variation has traditionally been studied using auditory coding, techniques now exist for measuring any kind of consonants acoustically and/or articulatorily. These methods have already been employed extensively for studying variation in many languages. Techniques and past studies using them are reviewed for rhotics, laterals, fricatives, stops, weakening and strengthening processes, and voicing. These methods are becoming well established in sociolinguistic inquiry. One of the greatest remaining challenges is to design studies that combine these methods with current sociological approaches to human interactions.
Nonsyntactic Explanations of Island Constraints
Authors: Newmeyer Frederick J.
Published: July 2015

The explanation of island phenomena has been a central feature of formal grammatical theory practically since its inception. However, a growing number of linguists have provided explanations for these phenomena that are not based on purely syntactic constraints. Some have proposed alternative explanations that appeal to information structure or to semantic information, and others find the basis for island constraints to lie in processing. This review documents the full range of nonsyntactic explanations of island constraints.
Slow Microbial Life in the Seabed
Authors: Jørgensen Bo Barker , Marshall Ian P.G.
Published: July 2015

Global microbial cell numbers in the seabed exceed those in the overlying water column, yet these organisms receive less than 1% of the energy fixed as organic matter in the ocean. The microorganisms of this marine deep biosphere subsist as stable and diverse communities with extremely low energy availability. Growth is exceedingly slow, possibly regulated by virus-induced mortality, and the mean generation times are tens to thousands of years. Intermediate substrates such as acetate are maintained at low micromolar concentrations, yet their turnover time may be several hundred years. Owing to slow growth, a cell community may go through only 10,000 generations from the time it is buried beneath the mixed surface layer until it reaches a depth of tens of meters several million years later. We discuss the efficiency of the energy-conserving machinery of subsurface microorganisms and how they may minimize energy consumption through necessary maintenance, repair, and growth.
CRISPR-Cas: New Tools for Genetic Manipulations from Bacterial Immunity Systems
Authors: Jiang Wenyan , Marraffini Luciano A.
Published: July 2015

Prokaryotic CRISPR-Cas loci encode proteins that function as an adaptive immune system against infectious viruses and plasmids. Immunity is mediated by Cas nucleases and small RNA guides, which specify a cleavage site within the genome of the invader. In type II CRISPR-Cas systems, the RNA-guided Cas9 nuclease cleaves the DNA. Cas9 can be reprogrammed to create double-strand DNA breaks in the genomes of a variety of organisms, from bacteria to human cells. Repair of Cas9 lesions by homologous recombination or nonhomologous end joining mechanisms can lead to the introduction of specific nucleotide substitutions or indel mutations, respectively. Furthermore, a nuclease-null Cas9 has been developed to regulate endogenous gene expression and to label genomic loci in living cells. Targeted genome editing and gene regulation mediated by Cas9 are easy to program, scale, and multiplex, allowing researchers to decipher the causal link between genetic and phenotypic variation. In this review, we describe the most notable applications of Cas9 in basic biology, translational medicine, synthetic biology, biotechnology, and other fields.
Endocrine Effects of Circadian Disruption
Authors: Bedrosian Tracy A. , Fonken Laura K. , Nelson Randy J.
Published: July 2015

Disruption of circadian rhythms, provoked by artificial lighting at night, inconsistent sleep-wake schedules, and transmeridian air travel, is increasingly prevalent in modern society. Desynchrony of biological rhythms from environmental light cycles has dramatic consequences for human health. In particular, disrupting homeostatic oscillations in endocrine tissues and the hormones that these tissues regulate can have cascading effects on physiology and behavior. Accumulating evidence suggests that chronic disruption of circadian organization of endocrine function may lead to metabolic, reproductive, sleep, and mood disorders. This review discusses circadian control of endocrine systems and the consequences of distorting rhythmicity of these systems.
Image Formation in the Living Human Eye
Authors: Artal Pablo
Published: July 2015

The human eye is a relatively simple optical instrument that imposes the first performance limits on the visual system. This review describes the main optical properties of the eye: geometric image formation, aberrations, and intraocular scattering. The article also discusses the sources of optical degradations and their impact on visual performance.
A vasoconstrictor response to COX-1-mediated prostacyclin synthesis in young rat renal arteries that increases in prehypertensive conditions
Authors: Liu Dongling , Liu Bin , Luo Wenhong , Li Hui , Zhang Yingzhan , Zhou Yingbi
Published: July 2015

This study aimed to determine whether prostacyclin (PGI2) functions as an endothelium-derived contracting factor (EDCF) in young rat renal arteries, and, if so, we wanted to examine the underlying mechanism(s) and how it changes in prehypertensive conditions. Vessels from Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and prehypertensive spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs) of 25–28 days of age were isolated for functional and biochemical analyses. Result showed that following NO synthase (NOS) inhibition PGI2 and the thromboxane-prostanoid (TP) receptor agonist U-46619 evoked contractions in young WKY renal arteries that were similar to those in prehypertensive SHRs. Meanwhile, the endothelial muscarinic receptor agonist ACh evoked an endothelium-dependent contraction under NOS-inhibited conditions and a production of the PGI2 metabolite 6-keto-PGF1α; both were sensitive to cyclooxygenase (COX) and/or COX-1 inhibition but higher in prehypertensive SHRs than in young WKYs. Interestingly, in WKY renal arteries PGI2 did not evoke relaxation even after TP receptor antagonism that diminished the contraction evoked by the agonist. Indeed, PGI2 (IP) receptors were not detected in the vessel with Western blot. Moreover, we noted that treatment with the nonselective COX inhibitor indomethacin, which was started at the prehypertensive stage, blunted the elevation of systolic blood pressure and reduced the heart-to-body ratio in SHR within 2 mo of treatment. These results demonstrate that due to scarcity of IP receptors, PGI2, which is derived mainly from COX-1-mediated metabolism, acts as an EDCF in young WKY renal arteries, and it increases in prehypertensive conditions. Also, our data revealed that COX inhibition starting from the prehypertensive stage has an antihypertensive effect in young SHRs.
Serum uric acid is associated with cardiac diastolic dysfunction among women with preserved ejection fraction
Authors: Nogi Shinpei , Fujita Shu-ichi , Okamoto Yusuke , Kizawa Shun , Morita Hideaki , Ito Takahide , Sakane Kazushi , Sohmiya Koichi , Hoshiga Masaaki , Ishizaka Nobukazu
Published: July 2015

Serum uric acid (SUA) is associated with the severity and prognosis of systolic heart failure. We investigated the potential association between SUA and cardiac diastolic dysfunction among total of 744 cardiac patients (202 women and 542 men) who had preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. Presence of diastolic dysfunction was assessed by echocardiographic data, plasma B-type natriuretic peptide concentration, and left ventricular hypertrophy. Univariate analysis showed that the prevalence of diastolic dysfunction increased with increasing SUA value in women, but not in men. When sex-nonspecific SUA quartiles were used, multivariate logistic regression analysis, among female patients who were not taking uric acid lowering medication, showed that the third (SUA, 5.7–6.4 mg) and the fourth (SUA, ≥6.5 mg/dl) SUA quartiles were associated with diastolic dysfunction with an odds ratio of 3.25 ( P < 0.05) and 8.06 ( P < 0.001), respectively, when compared with the first SUA quartile (≤4.7 mg/dl). When sex-specific SUA quartiles were used among these population, multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the fourth SUA quartile (≥5.7 mg/dl) was associated with diastolic dysfunction with an odds ratio of 5.34 ( P < 0.05) when compared with the first SUA quartile (≤4.1 mg/dl). By contrast, the relationship between SUA and diastolic dysfunction was not significant in men, irrespective of which of the sex-nonspecific or sex-specific SUA quartiles were used. These data indicated that among cardiac patients with preserved ejection fraction, SUA was significantly associated with diastolic dysfunction in women but not in men.
Value and determinants of the mean systemic filling pressure in critically ill patients
Authors: Repessé Xavier , Charron Cyril , Fink Julia , Beauchet Alain , Deleu Florian , Slama Michel , Belliard Guillaume , Vieillard-Baron Antoine
Published: July 2015

Mean systemic filling pressure (Pmsf) is a major determinant of venous return. Its value is unknown in critically ill patients (ICU). Our objectives were to report Pmsf in critically ill patients and to look for its clinical determinants, if any. We performed a prospective study in 202 patients who died in the ICU with a central venous and/or arterial catheter. One minute after the heart stopped beating, intravascular pressures were recorded in the supine position after ventilator disconnection. Parameters at admission, during the ICU stay, and at the time of death were prospectively collected. One-minute Pmsf was 12.8 ± 5.6 mmHg. It did not differ according to gender, severity score, diagnosis at admission, fluid balance, need for and duration of mechanical ventilation, or length of stay. Nor was there any difference according to suspected cause of death, classified as shock (cardiogenic, septic, and hemorrhagic) and nonshock, although a large variability of values was observed. The presence of norepinephrine at the time of death (102 patients) was associated with a higher 1-min Pmsf (14 ± 6 vs. 11.4 ± 4.5 mmHg), whereas the decision to forgo life-sustaining therapy (34 patients) was associated with a lower 1-min Pmsf (10.9 ± 3.8 vs. 13.1 ± 5.3 mmHg). In a multiple-regression analysis, norepinephrine (β = 2.67, P = 0.0004) and age (β = −0.061, P = 0.022) were associated with 1-min Pmsf. One-minute Pmsf appeared highly variable without any difference according to the kind of shock and fluid balance, but was higher with norepinephrine.
Arterial α2-Na+pump expression influences blood pressure: lessons from novel, genetically engineered smooth muscle-specific α2mice
Authors: Chen Ling , Song Hong , Wang Youhua , Lee Jane C. , Kotlikoff Michael I. , Pritchard Tracy J. , Paul Richard J. , Zhang Jin , Blaustein Mordecai P.
Published: July 2015

Arterial myocytes express α1-catalytic subunit isoform Na+pumps (75–80% of total), which are ouabain resistant in rodents, and high ouabain affinity α2-Na+pumps. Mice with globally reduced α2-pumps (but not α1-pumps), mice with mutant ouabain-resistant α2-pumps, and mice with a smooth muscle (SM)-specific α2-transgene (α2SM-Tg) that induces overexpression all have altered blood pressure (BP) phenotypes. We generated α2SM-DNmice with SM-specific α2(not α1) reduction (>50%) using nonfunctional dominant negative (DN) α2. We compared α2SM-DNand α2SM-Tgmice to controls to determine how arterial SM α2-pumps affect vasoconstriction and BP. α2SM-DNmice had elevated basal mean BP (mean BP by telemetry: 117 ± 4 vs. 106 ± 1 mmHg, n = 7/7, P < 0.01) and enhanced BP responses to chronic ANG II infusion (240 ng·kg−1·min−1) and high (6%) NaCl. Several arterial Ca2+transporters, including Na+/Ca2+exchanger 1 (NCX1) and sarcoplasmic reticulum and plasma membrane Ca2+pumps [sarco(endo)plasmic reticulum Ca2+-ATPase 2 (SERCA2) and plasma membrane Ca2+-ATPase 1 (PMCA1)], were also reduced (>50%). α2SM-DNmouse isolated small arteries had reduced myogenic reactivity, perhaps because of reduced Ca2+transporter expression. In contrast, α2SM-Tgmouse aortas overexpressed α2(>2-fold), NCX1, SERCA2, and PMCA1 (43). α2SM-Tgmice had reduced basal mean BP (104 ± 1 vs. 109 ± 2 mmHg, n = 15/9, P < 0.02) and attenuated BP responses to chronic ANG II (300–400 ng·kg−1·min−1) with or without 2% NaCl but normal myogenic reactivity. NCX1 expression was inversely related to basal BP in SM-α2engineered mice but was directly related in SM-NCX1 engineered mice. NCX1, which usually mediates arterial Ca2+entry, and α2-Na+pumps colocalize at plasma membrane-sarcoplasmic reticulum junctions and functionally couple via the local Na+gradient to help regulate cell Ca2+. Altered Ca2+transporter expression in SM-α2engineered mice apparently compensates to minimize Ca2+overload (α2SM-DN) or depletion (α2SM-Tg) and attenuate BP changes. In contrast, Ca2+transporter upregulation, observed in many rodent hypertension models, should enhance Ca2+entry and signaling and contribute significantly to BP elevation.
Cigarette smoke-induced disruption of pulmonary barrier and bacterial translocation drive tumor-associated inflammation and growth
Authors: Jungnickel C. , Wonnenberg B. , Karabiber O. , Wolf A. , Voss M. , Wolf L. , Honecker A. , Kamyschnikow A. , Herr C. , Bals R. , Beisswenger C.
Published: July 2015

Microorganisms have an important role in tumorgenesis by the induction of inflammation and by a direct impact on tumor cells. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is associated with an increased risk for lung cancer and microbial colonization. We asked whether bacterial pathogens act as tumor promoters during CS-induced pulmonary inflammation. In a metastatic lung cancer (LC) model, Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC) cells were injected in mice to initiate the growth of tumors in the lung. Exposure to the combination of cigarette smoke (CS) and nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) synergistically increased metastatic growth. Lung levels of albumin and LDH, translocation of bacterial factors into tumor tissue, tumor inflammation, and tumor proliferation were significantly increased in mice exposed to CS in combination with NTHi. Bacterial pathogens increased the proliferation of cultured LLC cells and human cancer cell lines. Metastatic growth induced by the exposure to CS in combination with NTHi was reduced in mice deficient for IL-17. Our data provide evidence that CS-induced loss of pulmonary barrier integrity allows bacterial factors to translocate into tumor tissue and to regulate tumor-associated inflammation and tumor proliferation. Translocation of bacterial factors in tumor tissue links CS-induced inflammation with tumor proliferation.
Detecting the Depth of a Subsurface Brine Layer in Lop Nur Lake Basin Using Polarimetric L-Band SAR
Authors: Liu Chang-An , Gong Huaze , Shao Yun , Li Bingyan
Published: July 2015

Lop Nur once was a huge lake located in northwestern China. At present, there is no surface water in Lop Nur Lake basin and on SAR images it looks like an “Ear.” The objective of this paper is to retrieve the depth of subsurface brine layer in Lop Nur by copolarized phase difference of surface scattering. Based on field investigation and analysis of sample properties, a two-layer scattering structure was proposed with detailed explanations of scattering mechanisms. The relationship between copolarized phase difference and the brine layer depth in the region of Lop Nur were studied. The copolarized phase difference of surface scattering was extracted by model-based polarimetric decomposition method. A good linear correlation between measured subsurface brine layer depth and copolarized phase difference with R2 reaching 0.82 was found. Furthermore, the subsurface brine layer depth of the entire lake area was analyzed. According to the retrieved maps, some interesting phenomena were found, and several hypotheses about the past water withdrawal process and the environmental evolution had been proposed to theoretically explain these phenomena. Based on the penetration capability of SAR the reconstruction of historical evolution process of Lop Nur will be an interesting topic for future research.
The Asymptotic Behavior in a Nonlinear Cobweb Model with Time Delays
Authors: Matsumoto Akio , Szidarovszky Ferenc
Published: July 2015

We study the effects of production delays on the local as well as global dynamics of nonlinear cobweb models in a continuous-time framework. After reviewing a single delay model, we proceed to two models with two delays. When the two delays are used to form an expected price or feedback for price adjustment, we have a winding stability switching curve and in consequence obtain repetition of stability losses and gains via Hopf bifurcation. When the two delays are involved in two interrelated markets, we find that the stability switching occurs on straight lines and complicated dynamics can arise in unstable markets.
Variational Iteration Method of Dropping Shock Response for the Suspension Spring Packaging System
Authors: Song Shuang , Chen An-Jun
Published: July 2015

In accordance with dropping shock dimensionless cubic nonlinear dynamic equation of suspension spring system, by variational iteration method, a first-order approximate solution of the system was obtained. The nondimensional peak of displacement, the nondimensional peak of acceleration, and the dropping shock extended period were compared with the results of the Runge-Kutta method, at which relative errors were less than 4%. The influence of suspension angle on peaks of response were discussed. It shows that the maximum response nondimensional acceleration decreases with decrease of the suspension angle under condition of the same nondimensional dropping shock velocity. Conditions for resonance were obtained by applying the variational iteration method, which should be avoided in the packaging design. The results provide reference for suspension spring system design.
Reactive Oxygen Species in Mesenchymal Stem Cell Aging: Implication to Lung Diseases
Authors: Yang Se-Ran , Park Jeong-Ran , Kang Kyung-Sun
Published: July 2015

MSCs have become an emerging cell source with their immune modulation, high proliferation rate, and differentiation potential; indeed, they have been challenged in clinical trials. Recently, it has shown that ROS play a dual role as both deleterious and beneficial species depending on their concentration in MSCs. Various environmental stresses-induced excessive production of ROS triggers cellular senescence and abnormal differentiation on MSCs. Moreover, MSCs have been suggested to participate in the treatment of ALI/ARDS and COPD as a major cause of high morbidity and mortality. Therapeutic mechanisms of MSCs in the treatment of ARDS/COPD were focused on cell engraftment and paracrine action. However, ROS-mediated therapeutic mechanisms of MSCs still remain largely unknown. Here, we review the key factors associated with cell cycle and chromatin remodeling to accelerate or delay the MSC aging process. In addition, the enhanced ROS production and its associated pathophysiological pathways will be discussed along with the MSC senescence process. Furthermore, the present review highlights how the excessive amount of ROS-mediated oxidative stress might interfere with homeostasis of lungs and residual lung cells in the pathogenesis of ALI/ARDS and COPD.
Anti‐Inflammatory and Organ‐Protective Effects of Resveratrol in Trauma‐Hemorrhagic Injury
Authors: Liu Fu-Chao , Tsai Yung-Fong , Tsai Hsin-I , Yu Huang-Ping
Published: July 2015

Resveratrol, a natural polyphenolic compound of grape and red wine, owns potential anti‐inflammatory effects, which results in the reduction of cytokines overproduction, the inhibition of neutrophil activity, and the alteration of adhesion molecules expression. Resveratrol also possesses antioxidant, anti‐coagulation and anti‐aging properties, and it may control of cell cycle and apoptosis. Resveratrol has been shown to reduce organ damage following traumatic and shock‐like states. Such protective phenomenon is reported to be implicated in a variety of intracellular signaling pathways including the activation of estrogen receptor, the regulation of the sirtuin 1/nuclear factor‐kappa B and mitogen‐activated protein kinases/hemeoxygenase‐1 pathway, and the mediation of proinflammatory cytokines and reactive oxygen species formation and reaction. In the recent studies, resveratrol attenuates hepatocyte injury and improves cardiac contractility due to reduction of proinflammatory mediator expression and ameliorates hypoxia‐induced liver and kidney mitochondrial dysfunction following trauma and hemorrhagic injuries. Moreover, through anti‐inflammatory effects and antioxidant properties, the resveratrol is believed to protect organ function in trauma‐hemorrhagic injury. In this review, the organ‐protective and anti‐inflammatory effects of resveratrol in trauma‐hemorrhagic injury will be discussed.
An Optimized Prediction Model Based on Feature Probability for Functional Identification of Large-Scale Ubiquitous Data
Authors: Yi Gangman
Published: July 2015

Recently, there is a growing interest in the sequence analysis. In particular, the next generation sequencing (NGS) technique fragments the base sequence and analyzes the functions thereof. Its essential role is to arrange pieces of the base sequence together based on sequencing and to define the functions. The organization of unarranged piece of sequence is one of the active research areas; moreover, definition of gene function automatically is a popular research topic. The previous studies about the automatic gene function have mainly utilized the method that automatically defines protein functions by using the similarities of base sequence or the disclosed database and the protein interaction or context free method. This study aims to predict the category of protein whose function was not defined after learning automatically with GO by extracting the characteristics of protein inside the cluster. This study conducts clustering by using the protein interaction that is generated by the similarities of base sequence under the assumption that the proteins inside the cluster have similar function. The proposed method is to show an optimized result in accordance with the option after finding the option value that can give the outperformed prediction of GO, which classifies the functions based on the IPR and keywords inside the same cluster as the unique features.
Assessing the Hardness of Quenched Medium Steel Using an Ultrasonic Nondestructive Method
Authors: Hsia Shao-Yi , Chou Yu-Tuan
Published: July 2015

Developing new materials or improving their heat treatment techniques is key to industrial upgrades for increasing fastener product quality. Nowadays, high tensile strength bolts are heat-treated to achieve desired mechanical properties such as hardness, strength, toughness, and resistance to fatigue and wear. Ultrasound detection is one widely used nondestructive inspection technique. Based on the characteristics of wave transmission, the refraction, diffraction, and scattering of ultrasound wave velocity and attenuation in a material are governed by its grain boundary characteristics. In this study, C1045 middle carbon steel was heat-treated at various temperatures and then water-quenched, and the relationships among grain size, ultrasonic velocity, attenuation, and material hardness were then determined using two ultrasound sources. Our experimental results show that a smaller average grain size as well as higher hardness can be obtained from higher quenching temperatures. Faster acoustic velocities and slower attenuation coefficients are caused by higher material hardness. A scattering effect is more obvious for higher transducer frequencies. Our results demonstrate another nondestructive test that can assess the quenching process in the fastener industry.
Model-Based Pseudo-Quad-Pol Reconstruction from Compact Polarimetry and Its Application to Oil-Spill Observation
Authors: Yin Junjun , Moon Wooil , Yang Jian
Published: July 2015

Compact polarimetry is an effective imaging mode for wide area observation, especially for the open ocean. In this study, we propose a new method for pseudo-quad-polarization reconstruction from compact polarimetry based on the three-component decomposition. By using the decomposed powers, the reconstruction model is established as a power-weighted model. Further, the phase of the copolarized correlation is taken into consideration. The phase of double-bounce scattering is closer toπthan to 0, while the phase of surface scattering is closer to 0 than toπ. By considering the negative (double-bounce reflection) and positive (surface reflection) copolarized correlation, the reconstruction model for full polarimetry has a good consistency with the real polarimetric SAR data.L-band ALOS/PALSAR-1 fully polarimetric data acquired on August 27, 2006, over an oil-spill area are used for demonstration. Reconstruction performance is evaluated with a set of typical polarimetric oil-spill indicators. Quantitative comparison is given. Results show that the proposed model-based method is of great potential for oil-spill observation.
Robust Fault Reconstruction in Discrete-Time Lipschitz Nonlinear Systems via Euler-Approximate Proportional Integral Observers
Authors: Jia Qingxian , Chen Wen , Zhang Yingchun , Jiang Yu
Published: July 2015

The problem of observer-based robust fault reconstruction for a class of nonlinear sampled-data systems is investigated. A discrete-time Lipschitz nonlinear system is first established, and its Euler-approximate model is described; then, an Euler-approximate proportional integral observer (EPIO) is constructed such that simultaneous reconstruction of system states and actuator faults are guaranteed. The presented EPIO possesses the disturbance-decoupling ability because its architecture is similar to that of a nonlinear unknown input observer. The robust stability of the EPIO and convergence of fault-reconstructing errors are proved using Lyapunov stability theory together withH∞techniques. The design of the EPIO is reformulated into convex optimization problem involving linear matrix inequalities (LMIs) such that its gain matrices can be conveniently calculated using standard LMI tools. In addition, to guarantee the implementation of the EPIO on the exact model, sufficient conditions of its semiglobal practical convergence are provided explicitly. Finally, a single-link flexible robot is employed to verify the effectiveness of the proposed fault-reconstructing method.
Attitudes toward Physician-Nurse Collaboration in Pediatric Workers and Undergraduate Medical/Nursing Students
Authors: Wang Yong , Liu Yong-fang , Li Hao , Li Tingyu
Published: July 2015

The purpose of this study was to compare the attitudes of pediatric workers and undergraduate medical/nursing students toward collaboration. Attitude toward collaboration was measured using an adaptation of the Jefferson Scale of Attitude toward Physician-Nurse Collaboration. The 656 questionnaires were gathered from pediatrician, pediatric interns, and medical students (PIS) and pediatric nurses, nursing interns, and nursing students (NIS). Results showed a statistically significant difference in the total mean scores in attitudes towards collaboration with NIS scoring higher. Among the participants of PIS, the pediatricians obtained the highest mean scores, while, among the participants of NIS, the pediatric nurses got higher mean scores than nursing interns. It is desirable that medical and nurse schools should include interprofessional education in their curriculum to increase the understanding of the complementary roles of physicians and nurses and to encourage establishment of an interdependent relationship between them.
Homogeneous Discrete Time Alternating Compound Renewal Process: A Disability Insurance Application
Authors: D’Amico Guglielmo , Gismondi Fulvio , Janssen Jacques , Manca Raimondo
Published: July 2015

Discrete time alternating renewal process is a very simple tool that permits solving many real life problems. This paper, after the presentation of this tool, introduces the compound environment in the alternating process giving a systematization to this important tool. The claim costs for a temporary disability insurance contract are presented. The algorithm and an example of application are also provided.
KAT6B Is a Tumor Suppressor Histone H3 Lysine 23 Acetyltransferase Undergoing Genomic Loss in Small Cell Lung Cancer
Authors: Simó-Riudalbas Laia , Pérez-Salvia Montserrat , Setien Fernando , Villanueva Alberto , Moutinho Catia , Martínez-Cardús Anna , Moran Sebastian , Berdasco Maria , Gomez Antonio , Vidal Enrique , Soler Marta , Heyn Holger , Vaquero Alejandro , de la Torre Carolina , Barceló-Batllori Silvia , Vidal August , Roz Luca , Pastorino Ugo , Szakszon Katalin , Borck Guntram , Moura Conceição S. , Carneiro Fátima , Zondervan Ilse , Savola Suvi , Iwakawa Reika , Kohno Takashi , Yokota Jun , Esteller Manel
Published: July 2015

Recent efforts to sequence human cancer genomes have highlighted that point mutations in genes involved in the epigenetic setting occur in tumor cells. Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is an aggressive tumor with poor prognosis, where little is known about the genetic events related to its development. Herein, we have identified the presence of homozygous deletions of the candidate histone acetyltransferase KAT6B, and the loss of the corresponding transcript, in SCLC cell lines and primary tumors. Furthermore, we show, in vitro and in vivo, that the depletion of KAT6B expression enhances cancer growth, while its restoration induces tumor suppressor–like features. Most importantly, we demonstrate that KAT6B exerts its tumor-inhibitory role through a newly defined type of histone H3 Lys23 acetyltransferase activity. Cancer Res; 75(18); 3936–45. ©2015 AACR.
IL17 Promotes Mammary Tumor Progression by Changing the Behavior of Tumor Cells and Eliciting Tumorigenic Neutrophils Recruitment
Authors: Benevides Luciana , da Fonseca Denise Morais , Donate Paula Barbim , Tiezzi Daniel Guimarães , De Carvalho Daniel D. , de Andrade Jurandyr M. , Martins Gislaine A. , Silva João S.
Published: July 2015

The aggressiveness of invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) of the breast is associated with increased IL17 levels. Studying the role of IL17 in invasive breast tumor pathogenesis, we found that metastatic primary tumor-infiltrating T lymphocytes produced elevated levels of IL17, whereas IL17 neutralization inhibited tumor growth and prevented the migration of neutrophils and tumor cells to secondary disease sites. Tumorigenic neutrophils promote disease progression, producing CXCL1, MMP9, VEGF, and TNFα, and their depletion suppressed tumor growth. IL17A also induced IL6 and CCL20 production in metastatic tumor cells, favoring the recruitment and differentiation of Th17. In addition, IL17A changed the gene-expression profile and the behavior of nonmetastatic tumor cells, causing tumor growth in vivo, confirming the protumor role of IL17. Furthermore, high IL17 expression was associated with lower disease-free survival and worse prognosis in IDC patients. Thus, IL17 blockade represents an attractive approach for the control of invasive breast tumors. Cancer Res; 75(18); 3788–99. ©2015 AACR.
Maspin Expression in Prostate Tumor Cells Averts Stemness and Stratifies Drug Sensitivity
Authors: Bernardo M. Margarida , Kaplun Alexander , Dzinic Sijana H. , Li Xiaohua , Irish Jonathan , Mujagic Adelina , Jakupovic Benjamin , Back Jessica B. , Van Buren Eric , Han Xiang , Dean Ivory , Chen Yong Q. , Heath Elisabeth , Sakr Wael , Sheng Shijie
Published: July 2015

Future curative cancer chemotherapies have to overcome tumor cell heterogeneity and plasticity. To test the hypothesis that the tumor suppressor maspin may reduce microenvironment-dependent prostate tumor cell plasticity and thereby modulate drug sensitivity, we established a new schematic combination of two-dimensional (2D), three-dimensional (3D), and suspension cultures to enrich prostate cancer cell subpopulations with distinct differentiation potentials. We report here that depending on the level of maspin expression, tumor cells in suspension and 3D collagen I manifest the phenotypes of stem-like and dormant tumor cell populations, respectively. In suspension, the surviving maspin-expressing tumor cells lost the self-renewal capacity, underwent senescence, lost the ability to dedifferentiate in vitro, and failed to generate tumors in vivo. Maspin-nonexpressing tumor cells that survived the suspension culture in compact tumorspheres displayed a higher level of stem cell marker expression, maintained the self-renewal capacity, formed tumorspheres in 3D matrices in vitro, and were tumorigenic in vivo. The drug sensitivities of the distinct cell subpopulations depend on the drug target and the differentiation state of the cells. In 2D, docetaxel, MS275, and salinomycin were all cytotoxic. In suspension, while MS275 and salinomycin were toxic, docetaxel showed no effect. Interestingly, cells adapted to 3D collagen I were only responsive to salinomycin. Maspin expression correlated with higher sensitivity to MS275 in both 2D and suspension and to salinomycin in 2D and 3D collagen I. Our data suggest that maspin reduces prostate tumor cell plasticity and enhances tumor sensitivity to salinomycin, which may hold promise in overcoming tumor cell heterogeneity and plasticity. Cancer Res; 75(18); 3970–9. ©2015 AACR.
TANRIC: An Interactive Open Platform to Explore the Function of lncRNAs in Cancer
Authors: Li Jun , Han Leng , Roebuck Paul , Diao Lixia , Liu Lingxiang , Yuan Yuan , Weinstein John N. , Liang Han
Published: July 2015

Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNA) have emerged as essential players in cancer biology. Using recent large-scale RNA-seq datasets, especially those from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we have developed “The Atlas of Noncoding RNAs in Cancer” (TANRIC; http://bioinformatics.mdanderson.org/main/TANRIC:Overview), a user-friendly, open-access web resource for interactive exploration of lncRNAs in cancer. It characterizes the expression profiles of lncRNAs in large patient cohorts of 20 cancer types, including TCGA and independent datasets (>8,000 samples overall). TANRIC enables researchers to rapidly and intuitively analyze lncRNAs of interest (annotated lncRNAs or any user-defined ones) in the context of clinical and other molecular data, both within and across tumor types. Using TANRIC, we have identified a large number of lncRNAs with potential biomedical significance, many of which show strong correlations with established therapeutic targets and biomarkers across tumor types or with drug sensitivity across cell lines. TANRIC represents a valuable tool for investigating the function and clinical relevance of lncRNAs in cancer, greatly facilitating lncRNA-related biologic discoveries and clinical applications. Cancer Res; 75(18); 3728–37. ©2015 AACR.
Metastatic Competence Can Emerge with Selection of Preexisting Oncogenic Alleles without a Need of New Mutations
Authors: Jacob Leni S. , Vanharanta Sakari , Obenauf Anna C. , Pirun Mono , Viale Agnes , Socci Nicholas D. , Massagué Joan
Published: July 2015

Several experimental models faithfully recapitulate many important facets of human metastatic disease. Here, we have performed whole-exome sequencing in five widely used experimental metastasis models that were independently derived through in vivo selection from heterogeneous human cancer cell lines. In addition to providing an important characterization of these model systems, our study examines the genetic evolution of metastatic phenotypes. We found that in vivo selected highly metastatic cell populations showed little genetic divergence from the corresponding parental population. However, selection of genetic variations that preexisted in parental populations, including the well-established oncogenic mutations KRASG13D and BRAFG464V, was associated with increased metastatic capability. Conversely, expression of the wild-type BRAF allele in metastatic cells inhibited metastatic outgrowth as well as tumor initiation in mice. Our findings establish that metastatic competence can arise from heterogeneous cancer cell populations without the need for acquisition of additional mutations and that such competence can benefit from further selection of tumor-initiating mutations that seed primary tumorigenesis. Cancer Res; 75(18); 3713–9. ©2015 AACR.
STAT3 Inhibition Enhances the Therapeutic Efficacy of Immunogenic Chemotherapy by Stimulating Type 1 Interferon Production by Cancer Cells
Authors: Yang Heng , Yamazaki Takahiro , Pietrocola Federico , Zhou Heng , Zitvogel Laurence , Ma Yuting , Kroemer Guido
Published: July 2015

STAT3 is an oncogenic transcription factor with potent immunosuppressive functions. We found that pharmacologic inhibition of STAT3 or its selective knockout in cancer cells improved the tumor growth-inhibitory efficacy of anthracycline-based chemotherapies. This combined effect of STAT3 inhibition/depletion and anthracyclines was only found in tumors growing on immunocompetent (not in immunodeficient) mice. As compared with Stat3-sufficient control tumors, Stat3−/− cancer cells exhibited an increased infiltration by dendritic cells and cytotoxic T lymphocytes after chemotherapy. Anthracyclines are known to induce several stress pathways that enhance the immunogenicity of dying and dead cancer cells, thereby stimulating a dendritic cell–dependent and T lymphocyte–mediated anticancer immune response. Among these therapy-relevant stress pathways, Stat3−/− cancer cells manifested one significant improvement, namely an increase in the expression of multiple type-1 interferon-responsive genes, including that of the chemokines Cxcl9 and Cxcl10. This enhanced type-1 interferon response could be suppressed by reintroducing wild-type Stat3 (but not a transactivation-deficient mutant Stat3Y705F) into the tumor cells. This maneuver also abolished the improved chemotherapeutic response of Stat3−/− cancers. Finally, the neutralization of the common type-1 interferon receptor or that of the chemokine receptor CXCR3 (which binds CXCL9 and CXCL10) abolished the difference in the chemotherapeutic response between Stat3−/− and control tumors. Altogether, these results suggest that STAT3 inhibitors may improve the outcome of chemotherapy by enhancing the type-1 interferon response of cancer cells. Cancer Res; 75(18); 3812–22. ©2015 AACR.