bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Crosslinguistic influence of wh-in-situ questions by Korean-English bilingual children
Authors: Park-Johnson Sunny K
Published: February 2016

Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions:

This study investigates wh-in-situ transfer for sequential bilingual children whose first language (L1) is Korean and early second language (L2) is English. Previous research has shown evidence that bilingual children who speak one in-situ language and one wh-movement language often show transfer from the dominant language to the weaker language, and from the in-situ language to the wh-movement language. The purpose of this study is to explore whether wh-in-situ is transferred to English, under the influence of Korean. The research questions are as follows: Do K-E bilingual children produce more wh-in-situ questions in English than their monolingual counterparts? If so, do these wh-in-situ questions appear in illicit constructions?

Design/Methodology:

The design of this study is longitudinal in nature, in order to best capture a holistic picture of the children’s productions of English over time. Seven K-E children spanning ages 2;4 to 7;11 were observed in their spontaneous play interactions over approximately two years.

Data/Analysis:

The data consists of 120 recordings, which were transcribed and coded in ELAN. Monolingual comparison data were obtained from the CHILDES database.

Findings/Conclusions:

Results show no instances of wh-in-situ in the children’s English; the bilingual children pattern similarly to English-monolingual children in wh-in-situ production. No direct influence from Korean to English for wh-in-situ formation was found, contrary to what has been found in studies with other language pairs.

Originality:

This paper provides new evidence from a language pairing that has not been previously explored for crosslinguistic influence of wh-in-situ questions.

Significance/Implications:

The findings suggest that a dominance approach or structural complexity approach to predicting crosslinguistic influence for bilingual speakers may not fully capture the conditions for such influence to occur and may require some modification.
The acquisition of different types of definite noun phrases in L2-English
Authors: Cho Jacee
Published: February 2016

Aims and research questions:

This study aims to investigate second language (L2) learnability in article acquisition from a feature-based contrastive approach by examining L1-Korean speakers’ comprehension of different types of definites in L2-English: anaphoric and non-anaphoric definites. English does not morphologically distinguish different kinds of definites but some languages do (e.g., Fering) (Schwarz, 2013). Korean, an article-less language, differentiates between the two types of definites by marking only one type (i.e., anaphoric) with the demonstrative ku ‘that’ (Chang, 2009). That is, the English definite article ‘ the’ encodes [+definite, ±anaphoric] and the Korean demonstrative ‘ ku’ encodes [+definite, +anaphoric]. Within the feature reassembly model (Lardiere, 2009), this difference in feature combinations between Korean and English is expected to influence L1-Korean learners’ interpretation of English articles.

Methodology:

An acceptability judgment task was used to assess L1-Korean L2-English learners (22 intermediate and 15 advanced) and 26 English native-speaker controls’ comprehension of different types of definites.

Data:

The intermediate group rated definites significantly higher than indefinites in anaphoric definite contexts but not in non-anaphoric definite contexts, indicating L1 influence. The advanced group rated definites higher than indefinites in non-bridging anaphoric contexts but not in bridging (anaphoric and non-anaphoric) contexts. This suggests that they have re-assembled the features associated with the definite article but have difficulty in accommodating unmentioned propositions for bridging definites.

Conclusion:

These findings suggest that presupposition accommodation for bridging definites may be another hurdle in article acquisition beyond feature reassembly.

Originality/Significance:

By focusing on the acquisition of the semantics of definites, exclusively, this study provides new data and information which enable us to come to a more precise and fine-grained understanding of learnability in article acquisition. Thus, the results of the study bring out new and insightful conceptual issues that open up new directions for future research on the acquisition of definiteness.
Queerbaiting: The ‘playful’ possibilities of homoeroticism
Authors: Brennan Joseph
Published: February 2016

This article explores the concept of ‘queerbaiting’, a term employed by media fans to criticise homoerotic suggestiveness in contemporary television when this suggestiveness is not actualised in the program narrative. I confront the negative connotations of the term and point to the agency of audiences, using the practices of ‘slash fans’ within the Merlin fandom as my case study. I trace definitions of queerbaiting in recent scholarly work and suggest comparison with another term, ‘hoyay’, which has more positive connotations. My central argument is that as this concept begins its inevitable permeation into academic work, worth considering are the queer readings that ‘queerbaiting’ in fact make possible, even plausible, which is an understanding of the term that is in line with the ‘poaching’ and ‘playful’ spirit of media fandom.
Investigation on structural behavior of an innovative orthogonal-diagonal steel open-web sandwich floor system
Authors: Luan Huanqiang , Ma Kejian , Qin Ying , Li Xiazhao , Chen Zhihua
Published: February 2016

A new orthogonal-diagonal steel open-web sandwich floor system has been developed by the authors in the past few years to replace the conventional methodology. This floor system owns excellent structural mechanical characteristics to be applied in civil engineering applications. The three-dimensional structural characteristics are achieved by letting the top and bottom chords of the space truss that constitutes the floor inclined 45° toward the edge of the boundary lines. The present work focuses on the fabrication and erection of the proposed floor and its structural behavior subjected to partial loadings. Field partially-loaded test was conducted and the performance was evaluated in terms of the deflection distribution and stress response at different load levels. A three-dimensional numerical finite element model was developed and calibrated against the test results. The results demonstrate that the new floor system offers satisfactory structural performance.
Recessionary Shock, Capital Mobility and the Informal Sector
Authors: Mandal Biswajit
Published: February 2016

Using the hybrid of Heckscher–Ohlin and Specific Factor models of trade, we show that the economic recession led to shock results for both capitalists and skilled workers. Some of the unionized unskilled workers lose formal sector employment and move onto the informal sector. When capital moves from the formal to the informal segments, both informal employment and wage can go up in latter’s segment. If capital does not move, informal employment expands and wage drops. Thus, recession may have actually benefitted a large number of informal workers.
Self-reported suicide attempts and exposure to different types of violence and neglect during childhood: Findings from a young adult population survey in Latvia
Authors: Springe Lauma , Pulmanis Toms , Velika Biruta , Pudule Iveta , Grīnberga Daiga , Villeruša Anita
Published: February 2016

Aims: Suicide rates in Latvia are among the highest in the EU. Among 18–25 year-old young adults, it is the second leading cause of death. This study investigates the prevalence of self-reported suicide attempts in young adults and examines its association with neglect or violence of a physical, emotional or sexual nature. Methods: A questionnaire was administered to 1259 young adults 18–25 years of age, selected by targeted quota sampling from secondary and vocational schools. Results: The prevalence of self-reported suicide attempts was 6.1%. Physical and emotional adverse experiences showed clear associations with attempted suicide. Although prevalence of reported physical neglect was higher than for physical violence (27.0% versus 16.3%, respectively) the latter posed a higher risk for attempted suicide (OR = 4.0; 95% CI, 2.4–6.6). Conversely, emotional violence had a higher prevalence than emotional neglect (31.5% vs. 23.6%, respectively), but neglect showed a stronger association with attempted suicide (OR = 4.4; 95% CI, 2.6–7.3). Conclusions: The high OR for attempted suicide associated with emotional neglect, together with findings that emotional violence had the highest prevalence, and that emotional neglect and emotional violence showed the highest population attributable risk fraction (PopAR%) of 46.8 and 40.4, respectively, suggested that emotional factors merit special attention in further investigations of attempted suicide among young adults in Latvia. The targeted quota sampling method from five cities representing all regions of Latvia and 43.8% of its population, ensure national relevance of our findings for policy and program development by legislative, educational and public health institutions.
Centering power, positionality, and emotional labor in a Master of Social Work research course: Perspectives from a student and instructor
Authors: Hudson Kimberly D , Richardson Evette J
Published: February 2016

This paper presents a case study of a student and instructor’s experience in a foundational research course in a Master of Social Work (MSW) program at a major university. As part of this course, students are asked to design and implement an original, practice-informed research project. One student had a particularly complex, affective response to her research project. In response to the student’s experience in the course, the instructor reconceptualized the major course assignment, drawing from the feminist concept of emotional labor, so that it would be responsive and relevant to the student’s learning. This instance of educational individualization allowed the student to take inventory of and critically reflect on her enhanced awareness of self, positionality, and power structures personally, professionally, and as a researcher, through an autoethnographic narrative and critical analysis. A central finding of this case study is that attention to the emotional labor of research opens up space for ways of knowing and learning beyond positivist, inflexible, and narrowly imagined competency-based paradigms. Moreover, this case study demonstrates the possibilities of qualitative research in accessing and exploring the affective research experience. Finally, this paper argues that emotional labor is a critical aspect of learning, teaching, and practicing research that ought to be fully considered and addressed across all approaches to inquiry, particularly those concerned with social justice. Recommendations for conceptualizing and teaching social work research courses are offered, including those related to course structure, curricular sequencing and the integration of content on epistemology and emotional labor.
Procrastination as a Fast Life History Strategy
Authors: Chen Bin-Bin , Chang Lei
Published: February 2016

Research has revealed that procrastination—the purposive delay of an intended course of action—is a maladaptive behavior. However, by drawing on an evolutionary life history (LF) approach, the present study proposes that procrastination may be an adaptive fast LF strategy characterized by prioritizing immediate benefits with little regard to long-term consequences. A total of 199 undergraduate students completed measures of procrastination and future orientation and the Mini-K scale, which measures the slow LF strategy. Structural equation modeling revealed that, as predicted, procrastination was negatively associated with a slow LF strategy both directly and indirectly through the mediation of future orientation. These results define the fast LF origin of procrastination.
Concordant Cues in Faces and Voices
Authors: Smith Harriet M. J. , Dunn Andrew K. , Baguley Thom , Stacey Paula C.
Published: February 2016

Information from faces and voices combines to provide multimodal signals about a person. Faces and voices may offer redundant, overlapping (backup signals), or complementary information (multiple messages). This article reports two experiments which investigated the extent to which faces and voices deliver concordant information about dimensions of fitness and quality. In Experiment 1, participants rated faces and voices on scales for masculinity/femininity, age, health, height, and weight. The results showed that people make similar judgments from faces and voices, with particularly strong correlations for masculinity/femininity, health, and height. If, as these results suggest, faces and voices constitute backup signals for various dimensions, it is hypothetically possible that people would be able to accurately match novel faces and voices for identity. However, previous investigations into novel face–voice matching offer contradictory results. In Experiment 2, participants saw a face and heard a voice and were required to decide whether the face and voice belonged to the same person. Matching accuracy was significantly above chance level, suggesting that judgments made independently from faces and voices are sufficiently similar that people can match the two. Both sets of results were analyzed using multilevel modeling and are interpreted as being consistent with the backup signal hypothesis.
Gender Inequality Issues in India
Authors: Batra Renu , Reio Thomas G.
Published: February 2016

The Problem

India struggles with gender inequality issues beyond just equal economic growth and access to educational resource opportunities. Gender inequality exists in the form of socially constructed, predefined gender roles firmly anchored in India’s sociocultural fabric that has deep cultural and historical roots. Sociocultural influences have spillover effects across all domains, including the organizational workforce, and social and political contexts. This unquestionable influence is still accepted as the norm within the societal and familial periphery.

The Solution

The purpose of this article is to provide an analysis of the causes of gender inequality in India. A secondary purpose is to outline the possible policies and practices, within a human resource development (HRD) framework, that could be implemented as productive steps toward reducing gender inequality in the Indian workplace.

The Stakeholders

This article will be of interest to individuals who conduct research, teach, and practice HRD. It will assist researchers in their understanding of how social, cultural, and historical contexts must be considered when studying gender inequality in India. Information gained from this article will help curriculum developers understand the importance of social and cultural influences in developing HRD courses for use not only in higher education institutions but also in workplace settings.
Clinical Experience With n-Butyl-2-Cyanoacrylate in Performing Lateral Neck Dissection for Metastatic Thyroid Cancer
Authors: Kim Hyeung Kyoo , Kim Seok-Mo , Chang Hojin , Kim Bup Woo , Lee Yong Sang , Lim Chi Young , Chang Hang-Seok , Park Cheong Soo
Published: February 2016

Background. Chyle leakage following lateral neck dissection (LND) is rare, but can induce metabolic disturbances, delay wound healing, and prolong hospitalization. n-Butyl-2-cyanoacrylate (NBCA) has been used to achieve hemostasis and seal tissues in several surgical settings. We here assessed whether application of NBCA to the thoracic duct area is effective in sealing chyle leakage. Methods. The medical records of 163 patients who underwent total thyroidectomy with unilateral LND between March 2011 and September 2012 were reviewed. NBCA was applied to 84 patients and not applied to 79. Drainage volume, duration of hospital stay, and incidence of complications were compared between the 2 groups. Results. The 2 groups were not different with regard to age, body weight, gender, primary tumor histology, and number of lateral neck nodes harvested. Mean hospital stay was significantly shorter (4.3 ± 1.8 vs 5.7 ± 3.0 days, P < .001), median total drainage volume was significantly smaller (270 mL; range: 97–931 mL vs 328 mL; range: 113–2636 mL; P < .001), and rate of chyle leakage was significantly lower (0% vs 6.3%, P = .025) in the NBCA than in the non-NBCA group. Conclusion. NBCA application to the dissected area of the thoracic duct posterior to its angle of junction with the internal jugular and subclavian veins could be safe and effective in reducing surgical complications related to chyle leakage after LND.
Playing Subaltern
Authors: Mukherjee Souvik
Published: February 2016

The postcolonial has still remained on the margins of Game Studies, which has now incorporated at length, contemporary debates of race, gender, and other areas that challenge the canon. It is difficult to believe, however, that it has not defined the way in which video games are perceived; the effect, it can be argued, is subtle. For the millions of Indians playing games such as Empire: Total War or East India Company, their encounter with colonial history is direct and unavoidable, especially given the pervasiveness of postcolonial reactions in everything from academia to day-to-day conversation around them. The ways in which games construct conceptions of spatiality, political systems, ethics, and society are often deeply imbued with a notion of the colonial and therefore also with the questioning of colonialism. This article aims to examine the complexities that the postcolonial undertones in video games bring to the ways in which we read them.
Personalization, self-advocacy and inclusion
Authors: Reindl Marie-Sol , Waltz Mitzi , Schippers Alice
Published: February 2016

This study focused on parent-initiated supported living schemes in the South of the Netherlands and the ability of these living schemes to enhance participation, choice, autonomy and self-advocacy for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities through personalized planning, support and care. Based on in-depth interviews with tenants, parents and caregivers, findings included that parent-initiated supported housing schemes made steps towards stimulating self-advocacy and autonomy for tenants. However, overprotective and paternalistic attitudes expressed by a significant number of parents, as well as structural constraints affecting the living schemes, created obstacles to tenants’ personal development. The study calls for consideration of interdependence as a model for the relationship of parents and adult offspring with disabilities. The benefits and tensions inherent within this relationship must be taken into consideration during inclusive community building.
Successful treatment of feline leishmaniosis using a combination of allopurinol and N-methyl-glucamine antimoniate
Authors: Basso Maria Alexandra , Marques Cátia , Santos Marcos , Duarte Ana , Pissarra Hugo , Carreira L Miguel , Gomes Lídia , Valério-Bolas Ana , Tavares Luís , Santos-Gomes Gabriela , Pereira da Fonseca Isabel
Published: February 2016

Case summary

This work describes the diagnosis and successful treatment of a 2-year-old domestic cat infected with Leishmania species and presenting fever, and ulcerative and nodular skin lesions after being treated for pyodermatitis for 1 year without clinical improvement. After anamnesis the cat was submitted to a complete clinical examination. Blood was collected for determination of haematological and biochemical parameters, detection of feline leukaemia virus (FeLV), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), feline coronavirus (FCoV) and Leishmania amastigotes. Fine-needle aspiration puncture from the skin nodules was also performed. After definitive diagnosis the animal was treated and followed up over a 2 year period. The animal tested negative for FIV-specific antibodies, FeLV antigen and feline coronavirus RNA. Leishmania amastigotes in the skin nodules were confirmed by cytology and molecular diagnosis. Treatment was initiated with allopurinol, resulting in a slight clinical improvement. Thus, N-methyl-glucamine antimoniate was added and administered for 30 days, with complete closure of the ulcerative lesions in the hindlimbs requiring a surgical approach. Close monitoring of the patient in the following 24 months indicated that combined therapy was safe and clinical cure was achieved without further relapses or side effects.

Relevance and novel information

Considering the increasing number of feline leishmaniosis cases and the inconsistent results of most therapeutic protocols described in the literature, the use of new approaches, especially in refractory cases, is essential. Although the use of allopurinol and N-methyl-glucamine antimoniate is off-label in cats, in this case the combination treatment was followed by an extensive analytical monitoring, supporting their safety and effectiveness.
Distal polyneuropathy in an adult Birman cat with toxoplasmosis
Authors: Mari Lorenzo , Shelton G Diane , De Risio Luisa
Published: February 2016

Case summary

A 6-year-old female spayed Birman cat presented with a history of weight loss, stiff and short-strided gait in the pelvic limbs and reluctance to jump, progressing to non-ambulatory tetraparesis over 6 weeks. Poor body condition, dehydration and generalised muscle wastage were evident on general examination. Neurological examination revealed mildly depressed mental status, non-ambulatory flaccid tetraparesis and severely decreased proprioception and spinal reflexes in all four limbs. The neuroanatomical localisation was to the peripheral nervous system. Haematology, feline immunodeficiency virus/feline leukaemia virus serology, serum biochemistry, including creatine kinase and thyroxine, thoracic radiographs and abdominal ultrasound did not reveal significant abnormalities. Electromyography revealed fibrillation potentials and positive sharp waves in axial and appendicular muscles. Decreased motor conduction velocities and compound muscle action potential amplitudes were detected in ulnar and sciatic–tibial nerves. Residual latency was increased in the sciatic–tibial nerve. Histologically, several intramuscular nerve branches were depleted of myelinated fibres and a few showed mononuclear infiltrations. Toxoplasma gondii serology titres were compatible with active toxoplasmosis. Four days after treatment initiation with oral clindamycin the cat recovered the ability to walk. T gondii serology titres and neurological examination were normal after 11 and 16 weeks, respectively. Clindamycin was discontinued after 16 weeks. One year after presentation the cat showed mild relapse of clinical signs and seroconversion, which again resolved following treatment with clindamycin.

Relevance and novel information

To our knowledge, this is the first report of distal polyneuropathy associated with toxoplasmosis in a cat. This case suggests the inclusion of toxoplasmosis as a possible differential diagnosis for acquired polyneuropathies in cats.
Totally Anomalous Pulmonary Venous Connection With Obliterated Vertical Vein
Authors: Mishra Amit , Pujara Jigisha , Jain Imelda , Baria Kinnaresh , Patel Hardik
Published: February 2016

A rare variant of totally anomalous pulmonary venous connection with obliterated infradiaphragmatic vertical vein is described. A 20-day-old male child weighing 2.2 kg was admitted with cyanosis and tachypnea. Pulmonary venous return was found to be entirely through a tortuous pulmonary-to-systemic venous collateral channel, as the descending vertical vein ended blindly.
The Culture of Nurses in a Critical Care Unit
Authors: Scholtz Suegnèt , Nel Elsabe W. , Poggenpoel Marie , Myburgh Chris P. H.
Published: February 2016

Critical care nurses have to adapt to a fast-paced and stressful environment by functioning within their own culture. The objective of this study was to explore and describe the culture of critical care nurses with the purpose of facilitating recognition of wholeness in critical care nurses. The study had a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, and contextual design. The ethnographic study included data triangulation of field notes written during 12 months of ethnographic observations, 13 interviews from registered nurses, and three completed diaries. Coding and analysis of data revealed patterns of behavior and interaction. The culture of critical care nurses was identified through patterns of patient adoption, armor display, despondency because of the demands to adjust, sibling-like teamwork, and non-support from management and medical doctors. An understanding of the complexity of these patterns of behavior and interaction within the critical care nursing culture is essential for transformation in the practice of critical care nursing.
Integration of Behavioral Health and Medical Services
Authors: Deavers Frances , DePesa Natasha , Mitchell Jonathan , Mazza Angela , Cassisi Jeffrey
Published: February 2016

Objectives:

This study aimed to assess patient satisfaction with behavioral health consultation in a primary and specialty care setting and to gauge patient interest in other behavioral health services.

Methods:

We surveyed patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (N = 65), following a brief behavioral health consultation about their satisfaction with the experience and their interest in various behavioral health services. Doctoral students with master’s degrees in clinical psychology provided the consultations.

Results:

Patients were highly satisfied with behavioral health consultations and expressed moderate to high interest in various potential behavioral health services. Patients with more diabetes-related concerns were less satisfied with brief behavioral health consultations but reported greater interest in other behavioral health services.

Conclusions:

Results were used to build stakeholder support and guide expansion of integrated behavioral health services. Examining patient experience can help identify patients who need more extensive services and ensure that services are patient centered.
Analysis of Jak2 signaling reveals resistance of mouse embryonic hematopoietic stem cells to myeloproliferative disease mutation
Authors: Mascarenhas Maria I. , Bacon Wendi A. , Kapeni Chrysa , Fitch Simon R. , Kimber Gillian , Cheng S. W. Priscilla , Li Juan , Green Anthony R. , Ottersbach Katrin
Published: February 2016

Key Points

Emerging HSCs require Jak2 and Pi3k signaling for proliferation and survival. Embryonic HSCs are unaffected by the JAK2V617F mutation.
The ability to cross the blood–cerebrospinal fluid barrier is a generic property of acute lymphoblastic leukemia blasts
Authors: Williams Mark T. S. , Yousafzai Yasar M. , Elder Alex , Rehe Klaus , Bomken Simon , Frishman-Levy Liron , Tavor Sigal , Sinclair Paul , Dormon Katie , Masic Dino , Perry Tracey , Weston Victoria J. , Kearns Pamela , Blair Helen , Russell Lisa J. , Heidenreich Olaf , Irving Julie A. E. , Izraeli Shai , Vormoor Josef , Graham Gerard J. , Halsey Christina
Published: February 2016

Key Points

More than 75% of primary diagnostic BCP-ALL samples engraft in the CNS in xenograft models. We find no evidence for selective trafficking to the CNS but show that CNS entry is a generic property of BCP-ALL cells.
Normal ABL1 is a tumor suppressor and therapeutic target in human and mouse leukemias expressing oncogenic ABL1 kinases
Authors: Dasgupta Yashodhara , Koptyra Mateusz , Hoser Grazyna , Kantekure Kanchan , Roy Darshan , Gornicka Barbara , Nieborowska-Skorska Margaret , Bolton-Gillespie Elisabeth , Cerny-Reiterer Sabine , Müschen Markus , Valent Peter , Wasik Mariusz A. , Richardson Christine , Hantschel Oliver , van der Kuip Heiko , Stoklosa Tomasz , Skorski Tomasz
Published: February 2016

Key Points

Normal ABL1 is a tumor suppressor in BCR-ABL1–induced leukemia. Allosteric stimulation of the normal ABL1 kinase activity enhanced the antileukemia effect of ABL1 tyrosine kinase inhibitors.
Conditioned umbilical cord tissue provides a natural three-dimensional storage compartment as in vitro stem cell niche for human mesenchymal stroma/stem cells
Authors: Yang Yuanyuan , Melzer Catharina , Bucan Vesna , von der Ohe Juliane , Otte Anna , Hass Ralf
Published: February 2016

Background

The use of large amounts of human multipotent mesenchymal stroma/stem cells (MSC) for cell therapies represents a desirable property in tissue engineering and banking in the field of regenerative medicine.

Methods and results

Whereas cryo-storage of umbilical cord (UC) tissue pieces in liquid nitrogen without ingredients was associated with predominant appearance of apoptotic cells after thawing and re-culture, progressive growth of MSC was observed following use of cryo-medium. Moreover, conditioning of UC tissue pieces by initial explant culture and subsequent cryo-storage with cryo-medium accelerated a further MSC culture after thawing. These findings suggested that conditioning of UC tissue pieces provides an in vitro stem cell niche by maintenance of a 3-dimensional natural microenvironment for continuous MSC outgrowth and expansion. Indeed, culture of GFP-labeled UC tissue pieces was accompanied by increased outgrowth of GFP-labeled cells which was accelerated in conditioned UC tissue after cryo-storage. Moreover, cryopreserved conditioned UC tissue pieces in cryo-medium after thawing and explant culture could be cryopreserved again demonstrating renewed MSC outgrowth after repeated thawing with similar population doublings compared to the initial explant culture. Flow cytometry analysis of outgrowing cells revealed expression of the typical MSC markers CD73, CD90, and CD105. Furthermore, these cells demonstrated little if any senescence and cultures revealed stem cell-like characteristics by differentiation along the adipogenic, chondrogenic and osteogenic lineages.

Conclusions

Expression of MSC markers was maintained for at least 10 freeze/thaw/explant culture cycles demonstrating that repeated cryopreservation of conditioned UC tissue pieces provided a reproducible and enriched stem cell source.
(Why) are immigrants unhappy?
Authors: Kóczán Zsóka
Published: February 2016

Recent studies suggest that migrants may be less satisfied with their ‘new’ lives than members of the host population and worry that this may be driven by cultural factors, such as feelings of not belonging. Motivated by this concern, this paper analyses the life satisfaction of immigrants once settled in the host country. We rely on the German Socio-Economic Panel’s immigrant sample for the years 1984–2010 and find that while immigrants are less satisfied than natives, this difference can be explained by factors related to economic integration, such as the details of their employment conditions, rather than cultural factors such as feelings of not belonging, which often loom large in the public mind.

JEL codes:J15, K37, O15
Examining Gender Differences in Written Assessment Tasks in Biology: A Case Study of Evolutionary Explanations
Authors: Federer Meghan Rector , Nehm Ross H. , Pearl Dennis K.
Published: February 2016

Understanding sources of performance bias in science assessment provides important insights into whether science curricula and/or assessments are valid representations of student abilities. Research investigating assessment bias due to factors such as instrument structure, participant characteristics, and item types are well documented across a variety of disciplines. However, the relationships among these factors are unclear for tasks evaluating understanding through performance on scientific practices, such as explanation. Using item-response theory (Rasch analysis), we evaluated differences in performance by gender on a constructed-response (CR) assessment about natural selection (ACORNS). Three isomorphic item strands of the instrument were administered to a sample of undergraduate biology majors and nonmajors (Group 1: n = 662 [female = 51.6%]; G2: n = 184 [female = 55.9%]; G3: n = 642 [female = 55.1%]). Overall, our results identify relationships between item features and performance by gender; however, the effect is small in the majority of cases, suggesting that males and females tend to incorporate similar concepts into their CR explanations. These results highlight the importance of examining gender effects on performance in written assessment tasks in biology.
High-mobility group box protein 1 promotes the survival of myeloid-derived suppressor cells by inducing autophagy
Authors: Parker Katherine H , Horn Lucas A , Ostrand-Rosenberg Suzanne
Published: February 2016

Myeloid-derived suppressor cells are immune-suppressive cells that are elevated in most individuals with cancer, where their accumulation and suppressive activity are driven by inflammation. As myeloid-derived suppressor cells inhibit anti-tumor immunity and promote tumor progression, we are determining how their viability is regulated. Previous studies have established that the damage-associated molecular pattern molecule high-mobility group box protein 1 drives myeloid-derived suppressor cell accumulation and suppressive potency and is ubiquitously present in the tumor microenvironment. As high-mobility group box protein 1 also facilitates tumor cell survival by inducing autophagy, we sought to determine if high-mobility group box protein 1 regulates myeloid-derived suppressor cell survival through induction of autophagy. Inhibition of autophagy increased the quantity of apoptotic myeloid-derived suppressor cells, demonstrating that autophagy extends the survival and increases the viability of myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Inhibition of high-mobility group box protein 1 similarly increased the level of apoptotic myeloid-derived suppressor cells and reduced myeloid-derived suppressor cell autophagy, demonstrating that in addition to inducing the accumulation of myeloid-derived suppressor cells, high-mobility group box protein 1 sustains myeloid-derived suppressor cell viability. Circulating myeloid-derived suppressor cells have a default autophagic phenotype, and tumor-infiltrating myeloid-derived suppressor cells are more autophagic, consistent with the concept that inflammatory and hypoxic conditions within the microenvironment of solid tumors contribute to tumor progression by enhancing immune-suppressive myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Overall, these results demonstrate that in addition to previously recognized protumor effects, high-mobility group box protein 1 contributes to tumor progression by increasing myeloid-derived suppressor cell viability by driving them into a proautophagic state.
HLA Genetic Discrepancy Between Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults and Type 1 Diabetes: LADA China Study No. 6
Authors: Luo Shuoming , Lin Jian , Xie Zhiguo , Xiang Yufei , Zheng Peilin , Huang Gan , Li Xia , Liao Yu , Hagopian William A. , Wang Cong-Yi , Zhou Zhiguang
Published: February 2016

Context:

The discrepancies in terms of human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1-DQA1-DQB1 conferred risks between latent autoimmune diabetes in adults (LADA) and type 1 diabetes (T1D) patients remained almost completely unknown. The goal of the current study is to determine and compare HLA-conferred risks between LADA and T1D.

Design:

A case-control study was conducted in a representative Chinese data set containing 520 T1D patients, 562 LADA patients, and 1065 controls. The frequencies and odds ratios for HLA susceptible haplotypes and genotypes and for arginine at residue 52 in the DQ-α chain or aspartic acid at residue 57 in the DQ-β chain were analyzed.

Results:

DRB1*0405-DQA1*03-DQB1*0401 and DRB1*0901-DQA1*03-DQB1*0303 are the major LADA susceptible haplotypes, which also confer comparable risks for T1D (odds ratio 2.02 vs 2.20 and 1.61 vs 2.30, respectively). The strongly associated T1D haplotype DRB1*0301-DQA1*05-DQB1*0201 is also associated with LADA but confers only half of the T1D risk (odds ratio 2.65 vs 4.84). Interestingly, the most susceptible T1D haplotypes, DRB1*0901-DQA1*05-DQB1*0201, DRB1*0301-DQA1*03-DQB1*0201, and DRB1*0301-DQA1*03-DQB1*0303, are not associated with LADA. Genotypes for DR3/DR3, DR3/DR9, and DR9/DR9 are highly associated with T1D susceptibility, whereas only DR9/DR9 confers risk for LADA. DR3/DR3 is the high-risk genotype in Chinese T1D patients, which manifests similar risk as the DR3/DR4 genotype in Caucasians but with a lower frequency. DR9/DR9 is the high risk LADA genotype in Chinese. Alleles with DQ-α arginine at residue 52-positive, DQ-β aspartic acid at residue 57-negative, and their combination formed in cis or trans confer susceptibility to T1D but not to LADA.

Conclusion:

Our results suggest that LADA risk conferred by HLA-DRB1-DQA1-DQB1 loci in Chinese differs significantly from that of T1D risk. This information would be useful for classifying Asian LADA patients, which should provides novel insight into the understanding of its pathoetiology as well.
Prickle isoforms control the direction of tissue polarity by microtubule independent and dependent mechanisms
Authors: Sharp Katherine A. , Axelrod Jeffrey D.
Published: February 2016

Planar cell polarity signaling directs the polarization of cells within the plane of many epithelia. While these tissues exhibit asymmetric localization of a set of core module proteins, in Drosophila, more than one mechanism links the direction of core module polarization to the tissue axes. One signaling system establishes a polarity bias in the parallel, apical microtubules upon which vesicles containing core proteins traffic. Swapping expression of the differentially expressed Prickle isoforms, Prickle and Spiny-legs, reverses the direction of core module polarization. Studies in the proximal wing and the anterior abdomen indicated that this results from their differential control of microtubule polarity. Prickle and Spiny-legs also control the direction of polarization in the distal wing (D-wing) and the posterior abdomen (P-abd). We report here that this occurs without affecting microtubule polarity in these tissues. The direction of polarity in the D-wing is therefore likely determined by a novel mechanism independent of microtubule polarity. In the P-abd, Prickle and Spiny-legs interpret at least two directional cues through a microtubule-polarity-independent mechanism.
Prediction of fine-tuned promoter activity from DNA sequence
Authors: Siwo Geoffrey , Rider Andrew , Tan Asako , Pinapati Richard , Emrich Scott , Chawla Nitesh , Ferdig Michael
Published: February 2016

The quantitative prediction of transcriptional activity of genes using promoter sequence is fundamental to the engineering of biological systems for industrial purposes and understanding the natural variation in gene expression. To catalyze the development of new algorithms for this purpose, the Dialogue on Reverse Engineering Assessment and Methods (DREAM) organized a community challenge seeking predictive models of promoter activity given normalized promoter activity data for 90 ribosomal protein promoters driving expression of a fluorescent reporter gene. By developing an unbiased modeling approach that performs an iterative search for predictive DNA sequence features using the frequencies of various k-mers, inferred DNA mechanical properties and spatial positions of promoter sequences, we achieved the best performer status in this challenge. The specific predictive features used in the model included the frequency of the nucleotide G, the length of polymeric tracts of T and TA, the frequencies of 6 distinct trinucleotides and 12 tetranucleotides, and the predicted protein deformability of the DNA sequence. Our method accurately predicted the activity of 20 natural variants of ribosomal protein promoters (Spearman correlation r = 0.73) as compared to 33 laboratory-mutated variants of the promoters (r = 0.57) in a test set that was hidden from participants. Notably, our model differed substantially from the rest in 2 main ways: i) it did not explicitly utilize transcription factor binding information implying that subtle DNA sequence features are highly associated with gene expression, and ii) it was entirely based on features extracted exclusively from the 100 bp region upstream from the translational start site demonstrating that this region encodes much of the overall promoter activity. The findings from this study have important implications for the engineering of predictable gene expression systems and the evolution of gene expression in naturally occurring biological systems.
ISCB’s initial reaction to New England Journal of Medicine editorial on data sharing
Authors: Valencia Alfonso , Markel Scott , Gaeta Bruno , Gaasterland Terry , Lengauer Thomas , Berger Bonnie , Orengo Christine
Published: February 2016

This message is a response from the ISCB in light of the recent the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) editorial around data sharing.
Bank Lending under Conditions of Turbulence: Theory and Practice
Authors: Костерина  , Kosterina T.
Published: February 2016

The article investigates the development problem within the bank lending

under current conditions in terms of the scientific and methodological support

of the credit process management. The main goal of the study is the analysis

of the credit theory evolution regarding implementation of the scientific

achievements’ results into the practice of crediting. The author focuses on

the opportunities for the realization of credit functions and on the factors

affecting this process.
The Value of E-commerce for the Country Economy
Authors: Сигарев  , Sigarev Aleksandr
Published: February 2016

This article is devoted to research the benefits offered by e-commerce for

business and consumers. Internet significantly increases the company’s

marketing opportunities, helps to reduce company’s costs, simplifies and

reduces the cost of interaction with contractors. As for consumers, Internet

provides opportunities to find the most optimal price offers, helps to reduce

asymmetry of information, and simplifies the process of purchase. The benefits

at the micro-level impact on the economy as a whole, resulting in an increase

in output and effective demand.
Acute radiation enteritis causing small bowel obstruction
Authors: Curtis NJ , Bryant T , Raj S , Bateman AR , Mirnezami AH
Published: February 2016

Although much is known about the late intestinal side effects of radiation, comparatively little has been published about its acute complications. We present a case of a small bowel obstruction due to acute radiation enteritis. As radiotherapy continues to expand its role in the management of oncological disease, clinicians should remain alert to the resulting undesired effects.
Biopolítica y educación. Medición, estandarización, regularización poblacional
Authors: Saura Geo , Luengo Navas Julián
Published: February 2016

Este texto analiza las pruebas estandarizadas del rendimiento escolar como dispositivo de la biopolítica educativa. Se presenta una breve revisión teórica de la noción de biopolítica, una analítica del poder de organismos economicistas legitimadores de políticas educativas globales y una cartografía sociotécnica de las tecnologías de control docente. El dispositivo de la biopolítica educativa provoca en el alumnado la legitimación de la lógica disciplinaria, la perpetuación de las líneas divisorias (normalidad/anormalidad) y la hegemonía de la estandarización como regularización de los conjuntos poblacionales. Los efectos generados en los docentes se presentan con entrevistas en profundidad de una investigación empírica, destacando dos cualidades: «comparabilidad», cuyos rasgos característicos son cómputo/ centro y relación con el todo; y «dividualidad», donde competitividad y sujeción son sus propiedades.
Intervención con mujeres en contextos de prostitución: lectura pedagógica desde diferentes voces
Authors: Payá Sánchez Montserrat , Ayuste González Ana , Rubio Serrano Laura , Gijón Casares Mónica
Published: February 2016

Este artículo trata de reflejar la dimensión educativa del trabajo que realizan las entidades sociales con mujeres en contextos de prostitución. Para ello, realizamos una investigación cualitativa basada en entrevistas, grupos de discusión, observación participante y relatos de vida, a tres tipos de informantes: especialistas en la materia, profesionales que trabajan sobre el terreno directamente con las mujeres y mujeres en contextos de prostitución. El análisis de la información nos permite visibilizar buena parte del contenido pedagógico que subyace en la intervención que se desarrolla en este ámbito. Desde esta perspectiva, los resultados que presentamos en este trabajo tratan de revelar el potencial educativo que contienen las prácticas y la relación que las profesionales establecen con las mujeres.
La cuestión metodológica (entre la filosofía, la ciencia y la pedagogía)
Authors: Gennari Mario , Sola Giancarla
Published: February 2016

El artículo tiene como objetivo investigar la cuestión metodológica a través de las dimensiones de la ciencia, la filosofía y la pedagogía. La perspectiva heurística va más allá del horizonte para abrir la investigación educativa interdisciplinaria y multidisciplinaria a un discurso transdisciplinario dirigido no sólo a ampliar los límites de la pedagogía científica, sino también a unir a la etimología y la filología, la semiótica y la hermenéutica, la lógica y la lingüística, la filosofía y la ciencia, la pedagogía y la epistemología pedagógica.
El «enfoque de las capacidades» de Martha Nussbaum y sus consecuencias educativas: hacia una pedagogía socrática y pluralista
Authors: Guichot Reina Virginia
Published: February 2016

En un tiempo de incertidumbre como el que vivimos, la educación corre el riesgo de perderse en un sinfín de propuestas sin que exista un debate riguroso acerca de una pregunta esencial para cualquier educador: cuál es el modelo de persona y de sociedad por el que apuesta, y hacia el que se han de dirigir todas sus acciones educativas. En este artículo, intentamos salvar ese importante déficit presentando el «enfoque de las capacidades» de Martha Nussbaum, que incluye una determinada teoría de la justicia social y del bienestar individual. A partir de dicho marco, Nussbaum presenta algunas líneas fundamentales que deberá recoger la educación: la de contribuir a formar el pensamiento crítico y reflexivo y la de ser pluralista y formarnos en una ciudadanía múltiple o compleja. Concluimos con unas reflexiones personales acerca del difícil camino que debemos recorrer si nos comprometemos con el logro de esa «sociedad justa» de Nussbaum.