bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
UK Fiscal Squeezes over a Century
Authors: Hood Christopher , Himaz Rozana
Published: June 2017

This chapter draws on historical statistics reporting financial outcomes for spending, taxation, debt, and deficit for the UK over a century to (a) identify quantitatively and compare the main fiscal squeeze episodes (i.e. major revenue increases, spending cuts, or both) in terms of type (soft squeezes and hard squeezes, spending squeezes, and revenue squeezes), depth, and length; (b) compare these periods of austerity against measures of fiscal consolidation in terms of deficit reduction; and (c) identify economic and financial conditions before and after the various squeezes. It explores the extent to which the identification of squeeze episodes and their classification is sensitive to which thresholds are set and what data sources are used. The chapter identifies major changes over time that emerge from this analysis over the changing depth and types of squeeze.
Rolling Back the State? Fiscal Squeeze, Thatcher-Style
Authors: Hood Christopher , Himaz Rozana
Published: June 2017

This chapter describes two fiscal squeezes under the Conservative majority-party governments led by Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s. The first comprised a hard post-election squeeze on revenue in the middle of a major recession and mass unemployment, beginning with an abrupt hike in VAT rates in 1979 and severe tax rises in the 1981 budget. The second comprised a strategy of holding down spending increases that led to public expenditure falling relative to GDP (but not in constant price terms) over an extended period as recession was followed by economic recovery from 1983. These periods of squeeze took place in an era of deep polarization between the two main parties and bitter industrial unrest and were fuelled to a considerable extent by sharply increasing North Sea oil revenue and widespread asset sales in the form of privatization of state-owned enterprises that counted as negative expenditure.
Conclusions
Authors: Worthy Ben
Published: June 2017

This concluding chapter reflects on how the LCI has performed and how it can be developed. Application of the LCI is analyzed across different leadership puzzles and contexts and for what this tells us about the authority of political leaders. Some interpretations of capital fluctuation across the chapters are presented. The LCI allows exploration of how skills, relations, and reputations create, build, or erode authority. Questions remain over the weighting of indicators, the balance between hard and soft measurements, and broader questions about how capital is acquired, preserved, and, in rare cases, regained. Leaders in weakly democratic systems may be less prone to “normal” patterns of capital fluctuation. Overall, the LCI does allow students of political leadership to think about the difference between political office-holding and exercising political leadership, and about why and when some leaders are able to make the political weather rather than being swept along by it.
Return to Meaning
Authors: Alvesson Mats , Gabriel Yiannis , Paulsen Roland
Published: June 2017

This book argues that we are currently witnessing not merely a decline in the quality of social science research, but a proliferation of meaningless research of no value to society and modest value to its authors—apart from securing employment and promotion. The explosion of published outputs, at least in social science, creates a noisy, cluttered environment which makes meaningful research difficult, as different voices compete to capture the limelight even briefly. Older, but more impressive contributions are easily neglected as the premium is to write and publish, not read and learn. The result is a widespread cynicism among academics on the value of academic research, sometimes including their own. Publishing comes to be seen as a game of hits and misses, devoid of intrinsic meaning and value and of no wider social uses whatsoever. This is what the book views as the rise of nonsense in academic research, which represents a serious social problem. It undermines the very point of social science. This problem is far from ‘academic’. It affects many areas of social and political life entailing extensive waste of resources and inflated student fees as well as costs to taxpayers. The book’s second part offers a range of proposals aimed at restoring meaning at the heart of social science research, and drawing social science back, address the major problems and issues that face our societies.
The Problem
Authors: Alvesson Mats , Gabriel Yiannis , Paulsen Roland
Published: June 2017

This chapter introduces ‘the problem’ of meaningless research in the social sciences. Over the past twenty years there has been an enormous growth in research publications, but never before in the history of humanity have so many social scientists written so much to so little effect. Academic research in the social sciences is often inward looking, addressed to small tribes of fellow researchers, and its purpose in what is increasingly a game is that of getting published in a prestigious journal. A wide gap has emerged between the esoteric concerns of social science researchers and the pressing issues facing today’s societies. The chapter critiques the inaccessibility of the language used by academic researchers, and the formulaic qualities of most research papers, fostered by the demands of the publishing game. It calls for a radical move from research for the sake of publishing to research that has something meaningful to say.
The Norwegian Context
Authors: Moses Jonathon W. , Letnes Bjørn
Published: June 2017

This is the second chapter to deal with non-transferable aspects of the Norwegian experience. The chapter provides the broader Norwegian political context into which oil was inserted, that is, a democratic Rechtsstaat with a relatively developed economy where oil was discovered immediately prior to the 1970s’ oil crisis. In particular, the chapter relates a short history of Norway’s experience with natural resource management (including the development of a concessionary system to regulate ownership of the hydroelectric industry) and introduces some of the most important institutional features in the Norwegian economy—as these features allow Norway to adapt quickly to economic shocks—for example, strong traditions with parliamentary democracy, economic management, the labor movement, corporatist bargaining arrangements, and so on.
Production of Investment Returns
Authors: Clark Gordon L. , Monk Ashby H. B.
Published: June 2017

Chapter 4 introduces the ways in which institutional investors produce investment returns over time and space. In doing so, the chapter considers the 1937 theory of the firm by Coase and reviews the theory’s relevance in today’s environment. It then outlines the three building blocks underpinning the ways in which financial institutions produce investment returns in the context of spatially extensive financial markets: ecology of finance, managers and workers, and coordination. The chapter also demonstrates the distinctive attributes of financial institutions, especially vis-à-vis the power and authority of senior managers in relation to the institution’s goals and objectives. The chapter explores other influential factors, such as the ways in which location, particularly in large urban centres with extensive financial networks, can make a difference.
Virtue Ethics in Business Organizations
Authors: Moore Geoff
Published: June 2017

This chapter is the first of two which provide a summary of, and draw lessons from, the academic work which has been conducted using the framework which Alasdair MacIntyre’s work provides. It focuses on business organizations. It is thematic in its approach considering first whether anything and everything can be considered to be a practice; exploring two particular practices—accounting and open source software—to see what we may learn from them; revisiting the idea of organizational purpose and the virtuous organizational mapping; considering the role of organizational members in promoting virtuous organizations; and exploring the need for a conducive mode of institutionalization, and also a conducive environment, if virtuous organizations are to thrive. In doing so, it illustrates these themes by considering practical applications in investment advising, human resource management, banking, health and beauty retailing, pharmaceuticals, garment manufacturing, Fair Trade, and car manufacturing.
Introduction
Authors: Lowe John J.
Published: June 2017

This chapter sets out the theoretical and empirical bases of the work. It introduces transitivity as a linguistic concept, as well as the categories of ‘agent noun’ and ‘action noun’. Semantic and syntactic transitivity are distinguished. It introduces Lexical-Functional Grammar, the formal framework in which analysis is provided, as a tool for the full understanding of transitivity. It summarizes the evidence for transitive nouns and adjectives in previous linguistic literature, indicates the types of word that the book will be engaging with, and looks at formal analysis. It introduces the early Indo-Aryan languages, Sanskrit and Pali, and the texts which are used as the basis for this work.
The Irrelevance of Religion to Law
Authors: Letsas George
Published: June 2017

Political theorists ask whether religion is in some relevant sense special within liberal democracies. Few, if any, treat this question as a purely factual one, to do with the way in which religion has historically played a special role in liberal politics. Yet many think that whether religion is special in law is a factual matter to be determined by consulting the text of treaties and constitutions or the intentions of those who enacted them. The orthodox view amongst many lawyers and political theorists is that religion is clearly special in law, with freedom of religion being a constitutional (or human) right. This chapter, however, argues that neither the text nor the drafters’ intentions suffice to establish that there is a legal right to freedom of religion, as separate from a general right to freedom of thought and belief.
The Lives of Ovid in Seventeenth-Century French Culture
Authors: Taylor Helena
Published: June 2017

Seventeenth-century France saw one of the most significant ‘culture wars’ Europe has ever known. Culminating in the Quarrel of the Ancients and Moderns, this was a confrontational, transitional time for the reception of the classics. This study explores responses to the life of the ancient Roman poet, Ovid, within this charged atmosphere. To date, criticism has focused on the reception of Ovid’s enormously influential work in this period, but little attention has been paid to Ovid’s lives. Through close analysis of a diverse corpus, which includes prefatory Lives, novels, plays, biographical dictionaries, poetry, and memoirs, this study investigates how the figure of Ovid was used to debate literary taste and modernity and to reflect on translation practice. It shows how the narrative of Ovid’s life was deployed to explore the politics and poetics of exile writing; and to question the relationship between fiction and history. In so doing, this book identifies two paradoxes: although an ancient poet, Ovid became key to the formulation of aspects of self-consciously ‘modern’ cultural movements; and while Ovid’s work might have adorned the royal palaces of Versailles, the poetry he wrote after being exiled by the Emperor Augustus made him a figure with which to question the relationship between authority and narrative. This study not only nuances understanding of both Ovid and life-writing in this period, but also offers a fresh perspective on classical reception: its paradoxes, uses, and quarrels.
Maternal Grief in the Hebrew Bible
Authors: Kozlova Ekaterina E.
Published: June 2017

This book explores the stories of biblical mothers who were placed at key junctures in Israel’s history to renegotiate the destinies not only of their own children, dead or lost, but also those of larger communities, i.e. family lines, ethnic groups, or entire nations. Since ‘rites in general are a context for the creation and transformation of social order’, these women used the circumstance of child loss as a platform for a kind of grief-driven socio-political activism. As maternal bereavement is generally understood as the most intense of all types of loss and was seen as archetypal of all mourning in the ancient Near East, Israelite communities in crisis deemed sorrowing motherhood as a potent agent in bringing about their own survival and resurgence back to normalcy. The book considers (1) modern examples of socio-political engagement among women that stems from child loss; (2) a survey of recent grief studies that identify maternal grief as the most intense and the most enduring among other types of bereavement; and (3) an overview of ancient Near Eastern cultures that viewed maternal grief as paradigmatic of all mourning and used ritual actions performed by mothers in contexts of large-scale catastrophes as mechanisms for dealing with a collective trauma. Against this background, the book discusses Hagar (Gen. 21), Rizpah (2 Sam. 21), the Tekoite (2 Sam. 14), and Rachel (Jer. 31), all of whom perform rites for their dying or dead children and exhibit a form of advocacy for society at large.
Pentecostalism and Popular Culture in Britain and America from the Early Twentieth Century to the 1970s
Authors: Stephens Randall
Published: June 2017

Pentecostalism is now the second largest subgrouping of global Christianity. It’s charted tremendous growth, even in deeply post-Christian countries like Sweden. This chapter compares British and American pentecostalism and looks at how disciples related to or rejected pop culture. Believers had an interesting, hot and cold, relationship with mass entertainment, music, and mass media. They were eager to borrow much for evangelistic purposes, and quick to shun all that they thought to be sinful. British pentecostalism never grew at the pace and never achieved the astounding success of their co-religionists across the Atlantic. Some of this had directly to do with access to mass culture and a willingness or ability to adjust the faith to pop culture. This chapter ends by detailing and analysing the major differences and similarities of the faith as it developed in both regions.
The Littlehampton Libels
Authors: Hilliard Christopher
Published: June 2017

This book reconsiders the workings of literacy and law in everyday life in early twentieth-century Britain. It does so through an analysis of an extraordinary criminal case from the 1920s—a poison-pen mystery that led to a miscarriage of justice and four criminal trials. The case, which unfolded in the coastal Sussex town of Littlehampton, proved as difficult to the police and the lawyers involved as any capital crime. Yet the offence in question was not murder, but libel, a crime involving words. So when a leading Metropolitan Police detective was tasked with solving the case, he questioned the residents of Littlehampton about their neighbours’ vocabularies, how often they wrote letters, what their handwriting was like, whether they swore. He assembled an ethnographic archive of working-class literacy. This book uses the materials generated by the investigation and the legal proceedings to examine, first, the variety of language used in working-class communities, and, second, the ways working-class people engaged with the legal system and vice versa. The four trials illustrate questions of access to justice; the relationship between respectability and credibility as a witness; and the largely forgotten history of criminal libel in modern times.
Conclusion
Authors: Lloyd Howell A.
Published: June 2017

According to Antoine Teissier, avocat in seventeenth-century Provence, historian, and compiler of scholars’ remarks on other scholars, the learned Joseph Scaliger had composed an anagram from the letters of Bodin’s name: ‘Ioannes Bodinus, Andinus sine bono’.1 The phrase, by no friend of its subject, seems ingeniously double-edged. ‘...
Introduction
Authors: Eaton Kent
Published: June 2017

In addition to conceptualizing the two types of subnational policy challenges that are examined in the book, this introductory chapter explores the distinctive possibilities and limitations of subnational neoliberalism and subnational statism as two prominent types of subnational policy regimes. It also examines the causes that have made subnational policy challenges more common around the world today and specifically within Latin America, including globalization, democratization, decentralization, party system collapse, and indigenous mobilization. Next, the chapter assesses the importance of the shift toward greater territorial heterogeneity by analyzing the possible advantages and disadvantages of this shift, including when it results in cases of policy regime juxtaposition. The chapter ends with a brief overview of the theoretical framework, which stresses the importance of structural, institutional, and coalitional factors to explain variation in the success of subnational policy challenges.
Territorial Conflict and Reconciliation in Bolivia
Authors: Eaton Kent
Published: June 2017

This chapter focuses on subnational policy challenges in Bolivia and on the important victories achieved by neoliberal challengers located in the country’s most powerful department: Santa Cruz. The first half of the chapter traces the strength of Santa Cruz’s neoliberal policy regime to the economic elites who invested heavily in local institutional capacity beginning in the 1950s. When this policy regime came under attack with the rise of President Evo Morales in 2005, local elites grouped together in the Pro-Santa Cruz Committee, and, led by Governor Rubén Costas, successfully maintained it by broadening its internal support coalition. The second half of the chapter explains how neoliberals in Santa Cruz also forced Morales to accept meaningful changes in his preferred, statist national policy regime, an outcome explained by the department’s structural leverage as a producer of foodstuffs and by the coalition Costas built with opposition governors in other eastern departments.
Changing Labour Market Indicators and the Rate of Economic Growth in Latin America during the 2000s
Authors: Cruces Guillermo , Fields Gary S. , Jaume David , Viollaz Mariana
Published: June 2017

The Latin American region exhibited an increase in gross domestic product per capita during the 2000s, an improvement in all employment and earnings indicators, and poverty and inequality reductions. On a country-by-country basis, all Latin American countries exhibited positive GDP per capita growth rates during the 2000s. Most countries experienced substantial improvements in labour market conditions over the period, Honduras being the only exception to this general pattern. Finally, the growth rates of most countries in the region were negatively affected by the international crisis of 2008, which also affected several labour market indicators in the worsening direction. Most labour market indicators had fully or partially recovered by 2012–13.
Deep Equality in an Era of Religious Diversity
Authors: Beaman Lori G.
Published: June 2017

While religious conflict receives plenty of attention, the everyday negotiation of religious diversity does not. Questions of how to accommodate religious minorities and of the limits of tolerance resonate in a variety of contexts and have become central preoccupations for many Western democracies. What might we see if we turned our attention to the positive narratives and success stories of the everyday working out of religious difference? Rather than ‘tolerance’ and ‘accommodation’, and through the stories of ordinary people, this book traces deep equality, which is found in the respect, humour, neighbourliness, and friendship of seemingly mundane interactions. Deep Equality in an Era of Religious Diversity posits that the telling of such stories can create an alternative narrative to that of diversity as a problem to be solved. It does so by exploring the non-event, or micro-processes of interaction that constitute the foundation for deep equality and the conditions under which deep equality emerges, exists, and sometimes flourishes. Although the focus of this book is deep equality and its existence and persistence in relation to religious difference, deep equality is located beyond the realm of religion. This book draws from the work of those whose primary focus is not in fact religion, and who are doing their own ‘deep equality’ work in other domains, illustrating especially why equality matters. By retelling and exploring stories of negotiation it is possible to reshape our social imaginary to better facilitate what works, which varies from place to place and time to time.
Tragedy’s Endurance
Authors: Fischer-Lichte Erika
Published: June 2017

The book is devoted to the remarkable phenomenon of Greek tragedy’s endurance on German stages during the last 200 years. It examines how performances of Greek tragedies since 1800 contributed to the emergence, stabilization, and transformation of the German Bildungsbürgertum’s (educated middle class) cultural identity. Its focus lies on performances that either introduced a new theatre aesthetics or a new image of ancient Greece, or both. Key here are the truly transformative moments as well as the cultural dynamics involved. In this context, the overall political situation of the 200 years between the French Revolution and the peaceful revolution of 1989 in the German Democratic Republic plays a central role. It resulted in the reunification of the two German states, both founded in 1949 in the aftermath of the Second World War and at the beginning of the cold war. What was/is the purpose and role of performances of Greek tragedies in such a political climate? Did they help to bring about changes or did they result from changes that were already taking place? Were the performances seen to be welcoming, opposing, or even negating these changes? This study supplies answers to these questions by shedding some light on the underexplored relationship between the Philhellenism and the theatromania of the German Bildungsbürgertum, which has been brought into a sharper focus in performances of ancient Greek tragedies since the beginning of the nineteenth century. In short, it attempts to understand tragedy’s endurance.
Enemies of the Reich
Authors: Retallack James
Published: June 2017

Focusing on the years 1869 to 1877, this chapter examines how election battles between liberals and conservatives were shaped by the war against the Reich’s “inner enemies.” A first section examines the rise of Saxon Social Democracy in the 1870s, its particular strength in the kingdom, and efforts to repress it. The Social Democrats’ breakthrough in the 1874 Reichstag elections is highlighted, with special attention to the perceptions of combatants on both sides as local, regional, and national politics became closely intertwined. Final sections examine the consolidation of Conservative and National Liberal organizations in the attempt to wage the struggle against “subversion.” Examination of the 1877 Reichstag election campaign and outcome illustrates that Social Democracy continued to thrive in Saxony despite this repression.
Against Liberalism and the Jews
Authors: Retallack James
Published: June 2017

Like the previous chapter, this one examines 1878–90 but with a different thematic focus. Attending to national and regional developments, it reveals how regional struggles for power were shaped by the success of right-wing parties and individuals who rallied new recruits, and voters, by conflating the socialist, liberal, and Jewish “threats.” The first section documents the relative weakness of left liberalism and National Liberalism in Saxony. It also examines the social profile of the Saxon Landtag to suggest why Conservatives mustered a strong following in an urbanized, industrialized state and its parliament. The next section begins by examining the condition of Jews living in Saxony, then documents the close ties between Conservatives and radical antisemites, nationally and locally. The antisemitic leaders within Saxon Conservatism and the “circus-like” agitation they condoned in the 1880s suggest that anti-liberalism and antisemitism were potent political weapons before Bismarck’s fall from power in 1890.
Politics in a New Key
Authors: Retallack James
Published: June 2017

In October 1909 Saxony’s new plural suffrage was tested for the first and only time. This chapter begins with an examination of Social Democratic strength and the election campaign. The chapter ends by citing different answers to a question that had resonance beyond Saxony’s borders: Did the plural suffrage save the existing social and political order from Social Democracy, or was it a grave miscalculation? In between, sections are devoted to the actions and reactions of anti-socialist groups during the campaign; to the role of left-liberal and National Liberal parties between Left and Right; to statistical analysis of plural voting and its impact on the parliamentary representation of workers and the lower-middle classes; and to contemporaries’ realization that statistical predictions about the plural suffrage’s effect on voting outcomes were flawed.
Introduction
Authors: Bennett Karen
Published: June 2017

A certain kind of talk is ubiquitous among both philosophers and so-called ‘ordinary people:’ talk of one phenomenon generating or giving rise to another, or talk of one phenomenon being based in or constructed from another. For example, your computer screen is built of atoms in a complex configuration, and the picture on the screen is based in the local illumination of various individual pixels. I call the family of relations invoked by such talk ‘building relations’. But what are building relations? To what extent do they form a unified family? It is natural to think they link more fundamental entities to less fundamental ones—but what does that fundamentality talk even mean? This short chapter provides an overview of the central questions addressed in the book.
Why and when social support predicts older adults' pain-related disability: a longitudinal study
Authors: Matos Marta , Bernardes Sónia F. , Goubert Liesbet
Published: June 2017

Pain-related social support has been shown to be directly associated with pain-related disability, depending on whether it promotes functional autonomy or dependence. However, previous studies mostly relied on cross-sectional methods, precluding conclusions on the temporal relationship between pain-related social support and disability. Also, research on the behavioral and psychological processes that account for such a relationship is scarce. Therefore, this study aimed at investigating the following longitudinally: (1) direct effects of social support for functional autonomy/dependence on pain-related disability, (2) mediating role of physical functioning, pain-related self-efficacy, and fear, and (3) whether pain duration and pain intensity moderate such mediating processes. A total of 168 older adults (Mage= 78.3; SDage= 8.7) participated in a 3-month prospective design, with 3 moments of measurement, with a 6-week lag between them. Participants completed the Formal Social Support for Autonomy and Dependence in Pain Inventory, the Brief Pain Inventory, the 36-SF Health Survey, behavioral tasks from the Senior Fitness Test, the Pain Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, and the Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia. Moderated mediation analyses showed that formal social support for functional dependence (T1) predicted an increase in pain-related disability (T3), that was mediated by self-reported physical functioning (T2) and by pain-related self-efficacy (T2) at short to moderate pain duration and at low to moderate pain intensity, but not at higher levels. Findings emphasized that social support for functional dependence is a risk factor for pain-related disability and uncovered the “why” and “when” of this relationship. Implications for the design of social support interventions aiming at promoting older adults' healthy aging despite chronic pain are drawn.
Unique Clinical Features of Los Angeles Grade D Esophagitis Suggest That Factors Other Than Gastroesophageal Reflux Contribute to its Pathogenesis
Authors: Nguyen Anh D. , Spechler Stuart J. , Shuler Monique N. , Souza Rhonda F. , Dunbar Kerry B.
Published: June 2017

Background:

The Los Angeles (LA) grade of reflux esophagitis (A to D) is assumed to reflect severity of the underlying gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Thus, LA-D esophagitis patients might be expected to have the most conditions predisposing to GERD (eg, obesity, hiatal hernia), and the highest frequency of GERD symptoms.

Goals:

The main goal of this study is to compare clinical features of patients with the most severe (LA-D) and mildest (LA-A) grades of esophagitis.

Study:

For this comparative study, we searched our endoscopy database for patients diagnosed with LA-D or LA-A esophagitis, reviewed their endoscopic images, and reviewed medical records of the first 100 we confirmed to have LA-D or LA-A esophagitis.

Results:

Compared with LA-A patients, LA-D patients were older (mean age, 65±13.4 vs. 56±13.4 y; P<0.001), had lower body mass index (25.9±5.6 vs. 29.4±5.3; P<0.001), were more frequently hospitalized (70% vs. 3%; P<0.001), and in the intensive care unit (15% vs. 0%; P<0.001), and had significantly more serious cardiopulmonary disorders and gastrointestinal bleeding. Conversely, a GERD history was more common in LA-A than LA-D patients (67% vs. 45%; P=0.002). Hiatal hernia was more frequent in LA-A patients than LA-D patients, but not significantly (48% vs. 36%; P=0.09).

Conclusions:

LA-D esophagitis primarily affects hospitalized, older, nonobese patients who often have serious comorbidities, and no history of GERD or hiatal hernia. In contrast, LA-A patients are generally younger, obese outpatients who often have a history of GERD and hiatal hernia without serious comorbidities. These profound differences between LA-A and LA-D patients suggest that factors other than typical GERD contribute to LA-D esophagitis pathogenesis.
X-linked Sideroblastic Anemia in a Malay Boy With ALAS2 S568G Mutation
Authors: Susanto Thomas A.K. , Bhattacharyya Rajat
Published: June 2017

Dimorphism in peripheral blood film was noted in a 16 year old Malay boy with anemia who was eventually diagnosed with X-linked sideroblastic anemia. A mutation in ALAS2 S568G was identified which has not been described previously in a Malay ethnic group.
Multifocal Motor Neuropathy Associated With Infliximab
Authors: Bayrak Ayse O. , Ulusoy Hasan , Bolat Necdet , Doğan Baki , Ozbenli Taner
Published: June 2017

Multifocal motor neuropathy with conduction block (MMN-CB) is purely a motor neuropathy with progressive weakness that is characteristically caused by conduction blocks. Association with antiganglioside antibodies and a good response to immunomodulating therapies suggest an autoimmune etiology. In rare cases, MMN-CB has been reported as an adverse effect of infliximab, a tumor necrosis factor-α blocker. We present a case of MMN-CB due to infliximab in a 45-year-old man with psoriatic arthritis who was exposed to the drug for 2 years because of a delayed diagnosis. We emphasize the possibility of this adverse effect and the importance of detailed electrophysiological examinations, which is supported by a review of the literature.
An Atypical Case of Paracentral Acute Middle Maculopathy
Authors: Haskes Cheryl , Santapaola Shannon , Zinn Jordan
Published: June 2017

PURPOSE

This is a case presentation of paracentral acute middle maculopathy in a 33-year-old white man with borderline hyperlipidemia. Paracentral acute middle maculopathy was originally thought to be a variant of acute macular neuroretinopathy; however, it is now generally accepted that these two conditions are separate disease entities. The etiology, evolution, and pathophysiology of acute macular neuroretinopathy and paracentral acute middle maculopathy are discussed, as well as current diagnostic techniques.

CASE REPORT

A 33-year-old white man with borderline hyperlipidemia presented with an acute, small paracentral scotoma involving the left eye. Clinical examination revealed a small wedge-shaped retinal lesion that corresponded to scotoma. Spectral domain–optical coherence tomography of the lesion demonstrated irregularity in the middle retina, whereas fluorescein angiography showed subtle hypofluorescence of the lesion. Spectral domain–optical coherence tomography was facilitated in monitoring retinal changes as the patient continued to have a persistent scotoma despite resolution of the retinal lesion.

CONCLUSIONS

Clinically, acute macular neuroretinopathy and paracentral acute middle maculopathy present in very similar fashions with localized scotomas, blurry vision, and subtle retinal lesions that can be difficult to discern funduscopically. At this time, there is no ocular treatment for either condition, but observation and patient education regarding possibly persistent scotomas are necessary. This atypical case highlights paracentral acute middle maculopathy in a relatively young man with a systemic history significant only for borderline hyperlipidemia. Eye care providers should be familiar with acute macular neuroretinopathy and paracentral acute middle maculopathy to enable them to perform appropriate diagnostic testing and to identify patients who require a systemic disease evaluation.
Engagement in Pleasant Leisure Activities and Blood Pressure: A 5-Year Longitudinal Study in Alzheimer Caregivers
Authors: Mausbach Brent T. , Romero-Moreno Rosa , Bos Taylor , von Känel Roland , Ziegler Michael G. , Allison Matthew A. , Mills Paul J. , Dimsdale Joel E. , Ancoli-Israel Sonia , Losada Andrés , Márquez-González María , Patterson Thomas L. , Grant Igor
Published: June 2017

Objective

Elevated blood pressure is a significant public health concern, particularly given its association with cardiovascular disease risk, including stroke. Caring for a loved one with Alzheimer disease has been associated with physical health morbidity, including higher blood pressure. Engagement in adaptive coping strategies may help prevent blood pressure elevation in this population. This 5-year longitudinal study examined whether greater participation in pleasant leisure activities was associated with reduced blood pressure in caregivers.

Methods

Participants were 126 in-home spousal Alzheimer's caregivers (M [SD] age = 74.2 [7.9] years) that completed five yearly assessments. Linear mixed-effects models analysis was used to examine the longitudinal relationship between pleasant leisure activities and caregivers' blood pressure, after adjusting for demographic and health characteristics.

Results

Greater engagement in pleasant leisure activities was associated with reduced mean arterial blood pressure (B = −0.08, SE = 0.04, p = .040). Follow-up analyses indicated that engagement in activities was significantly associated with reduced diastolic (B = −0.07, SE = 0.03, p = .030) but not systolic blood pressure (B = −0.10, SE = 0.06, p = .114). In addition, mean arterial blood pressure was significantly reduced when caregiving duties ended because of placement of care recipients in nursing homes (B = −3.10, SE = 1.11, p = .005) or death of the care recipient (B = −2.64, SE = 1.14, p = .021).

Conclusions

Greater engagement in pleasant leisure activities was associated with lowered caregivers' blood pressure over time. Participation in pleasant leisure activities may have cardiovascular health benefits for Alzheimer's caregivers.
Saccharomyces jurei sp. nov., isolation and genetic identification of a novel yeast species from Quercus robur
Authors: Naseeb Samina , James Stephen A. , Alsammar Haya , Michaels Christopher J. , Gini Beatrice , Nueno-Palop Carmen , Bond Christopher J. , McGhie Henry , Roberts Ian N. , Delneri Daniela
Published: June 2017

Two strains, D5088T and D5095, representing a novel yeast species belonging to the genus Saccharomyces were isolated from oak tree bark and surrounding soil located at an altitude of 1000 m above sea level in Saint Auban, France. Sequence analyses of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region and 26S rRNA D1/D2 domains indicated that the two strains were most closely related to Saccharomyces mikatae and Saccharomyces paradoxus. Genetic hybridization analyses showed that both strains are reproductively isolated from all other Saccharomyces species and, therefore, represent a distinct biological species. The species name Saccharomyces jurei sp. nov. is proposed to accommodate these two strains, with D5088T (=CBS 14759T=NCYC 3947T) designated as the type strain.
Hepatitis B virus core antigen mutations predict post-operative prognosis of patients with primary hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Jia Jian’an , Li Huiming , Wang Hui , Chen Shipeng , Wang Mengmeng , Feng Huijuan , Gao Yuzhen , Wang Yunjiu , Fang Meng , Gao Chunfang
Published: June 2017

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between hepatitis B virus (HBV) core antigen (HBc) mutations and the post-operative prognosis of HBV-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In total, 98 patients suffering from HBV-related HCC and treated with surgery were enrolled, with a 48 month follow-up. The preCore/Core region of the HBV genome from tumour tissue (TT) and paired adjacent non-tumour tissue (ANTT) of these patients was sequenced, and a phylogenetic tree was reconstructed. The correlations between the viral features and evolutionary divergence of preCore/Core amino acid sequences from 67 paired TTs and ANTTs were analysed. Cox proportional hazard model analysis was applied for post-operative hazard risk evaluation. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that all of the sequences were ascribed to genotype C. The evolutionary divergence of amino acid sequences from matched TTs and ANTTs was significantly negatively correlated with serum and intrahepatic HBV DNA levels. Multivariate analysis showed that the HBc E77 mutation was associated with shorter overall survival, and HBc S87 and P156 mutations were independent risk factors for relapse. Furthermore, in contrast to with patients without the S87 mutation, no correlation was observed between serum HBV DNA and intrahepatic HBV DNA in HCC patients with the S87 mutation. Analysis of the intrahepatic sequence may advance our understanding of viral status; thus, it is useful for prognosis prediction for HBV-related HCC.
Identification of uterine pacemaker regions at the myometrial-placental interface
Authors: Lutton E. Josiah , Lammers Wim J. E. P. , James Sean , van den Berg Hugo A. , Blanks Andrew M.
Published: June 2017

Coordinated uterine contractions at the end of gestation are essential for delivering viable offspring in mammals. Contractions are initiated by an electrical signal at the plasma membrane of uterine muscle cells, leading to voltage-dependent calcium entry, and subsequent activation of the intracellular contractile machinery. In contrast to other visceral smooth muscles, it is not known where excitation within the uterus is initiated, and no defined pacemaking region has hitherto been identified. Using a combination of multi-electrode array recordings and high-resolution computational reconstruction of the three-dimensional micro-structure of late pregnant rat uterus, we demonstrate that electrical potentials are initiated in distinct structures within the placental bed of individual implantation sites. These previously unidentified structures represent modified smooth muscle bundles that are derived from bridges between the longitudinal and circular layers. Coordinated implantation and encapsulation by invading trophoblast give rise to isolated placental/myometrial interface bundles that directly connect to the overlying longitudinal smooth muscle layer. Furthermore, the numerous bridge structures co-localise with the vascular network located between the longitudinal and circular layers. Taken together, these observations imply that the anatomical structure of the uterus, combined with site-specific implantation, gives rise to emergent patterns of electrical activity that drive effective contractility during parturition. The identification of the pacemaking zones of the uterus has important consequences for the treatment of disorders of parturition such as preterm labor, postpartum hemorrhage and uterine dystocia.
VipA N-terminal linker and VipB-VipB interaction modulate the contraction of Type VI secretion system sheath
Authors: Brackmann Maximilian , Wang Jing , Basler Marek
Published: June 2017

Secretion systems are essential for bacteria to survive and manipulate their environment. The bacterial Type VI Secretion System (T6SS) generates the force needed for protein translocation by the contraction of a long polymer called sheath, which is composed of interconnected VipA/VipB subunits forming a six-start helix. The mechanism of T6SS sheath contraction and the structure of its extended state are unknown. Here we show that elongating the N-terminal VipA linker or eliminating charge of a specific VipB residue abolished sheath contraction and delivery of effectors into target cells. The assembly of the non-contractile sheaths was dependent on the baseplate component TssE and mass-spectrometry analysis identified Hcp, VgrG and other components of the T6SS baseplate specifically associated with stable non-contractile sheaths. The ability to lock T6SS in the pre-firing state opens new possibilities for understanding its mode of action.
Predator-secreted sulfolipids induce fear-like defense responses in C. elegans
Authors: Liu Zheng , Kariya Maro J. , Chute Christopher D. , Pribadi Amy K. , Leinwand Sarah G. , Tong Ada , Curran Kevin P. , Bose Neelanjan , Schroeder Frank C. , Srinivasan Jagan , Chalasani Sreekanth H.
Published: June 2017

Animals respond to predators by altering their behavior and physiological states, but the underlying signaling mechanisms are poorly understood. Using the interactions between Caenorhabditis elegans and its predator, Pristionchus pacificus, we show that neuronal perception by C. elegans of a predator-specific molecular signature induces instantaneous escape behavior and a prolonged reduction in oviposition. Chemical analysis revealed this predator-specific signature to consist of a class of sulfolipids, produced by a biochemical pathway required for developing predacious behavior and specifically induced by starvation. These sulfolipids are detected by four pairs of C. elegans amphid sensory neurons that act redundantly and recruit cyclic nucleotide-gated (CNG) or transient receptor potential (TRP) channels to drive both escape and reduced oviposition. Specific abolishment of predator-evoked C. elegans responses by the anti-anxiety drug sertraline as well as functional homology of the delineated signaling pathways suggests a conserved or convergent strategy for managing predator threats.
A set of Columbia-0-specific single nucleotide polymorphism markers for the genetic analysis of natural variation inArabidopsis thaliana
Authors: Lutz Ulrich , Schwechheimer Claus
Published: June 2017

Genetic markers are important tools for the study of natural and induced genetic variation. Due to the strong increase in the number of genome sequences, an overview of the genomic diversity of many natural strains from individual species could be gained. This allows for the design of markers for flexible use and cost-efficient small scale genetic studies requiring minimal laboratory and bioinformatics effort. Here, we describe 140 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers with genome-wide distribution that discriminate between the genotype of the commonArabidopsis thalianareference accession Columbia-0 (Col-0) and the majority ofArabidopsis thalianaaccessions that have been sequenced to date. We designed, generated and validated the markers using the kompetitive allele-specific PCR (KASP) technology and made all 140SNPvCol marker assays publicly available through a service provider. Through the integration of available genomic SNP allele information of 1,135 accessions, we found that 120 of these 140 markers could detect non-reference alleles in 647 accessions and more than 100 markers showed non-reference alleles in 1,094 accessions. We further show that the marker set can be used for the verification or identification of accessions of unknown identity. As the KASP methodology is very flexible, an optimal marker subset can be easily selected among the available 140SNPvCol markers presented here to analyze genetic combinations of Col-0 with any other accession.
An integrative strategy to identify the entire protein coding potential of prokaryotic genomes by proteogenomics
Authors: Omasits Ulrich , Varadarajan Adithi R. , Schmid Michael , Goetze Sandra , Melidis Damianos , Bourqui Marc , Nikolayeva Olga , Québatte Maxime , Patrignani Andrea , Dehio Christoph , Frey Juerg E. , Robinson Mark D. , Wollscheid Bernd , Ahrens Christian H.
Published: June 2017

Accurate annotation of all protein-coding sequences (CDSs) is an essential prerequisite to fully exploit the rapidly growing repertoire of completely sequenced prokaryotic genomes. However, large discrepancies among the number of CDSs annotated by different resources, missed functional short open reading frames (sORFs), and overprediction of spurious ORFs represent serious limitations.

Our strategy towards accurate and complete genome annotation consolidates CDSs from multiple reference annotation resources,ab initiogene prediction algorithms andin silicoORFs in an integrated proteogenomics database (iPtgxDB) that covers the entire protein-coding potential of a prokaryotic genome. By extending the PeptideClassifier concept of unambiguous peptides for prokaryotes, close to 95% of the identifiable peptides imply one distinct protein, largely simplifying downstream analysis. Searching a comprehensiveBartonella henselaeproteomics dataset against such an iPtgxDB allowed us to unambiguously identify novel ORFs uniquely predicted by each resource, including lipoproteins, differentially expressed and membrane-localized proteins, novel start sites and wrongly annotated pseudogenes. Most novelties were confirmed by targeted, parallel reaction monitoring mass spectrometry, including unique ORFs and variants identified in a re-sequenced laboratory strain that are not present in its reference genome. We demonstrate the general applicability of our strategy for genomes with varying GC content and distinct taxonomic origin, and release iPtgxDBs forB. henselae,Bradyrhozibium diazoefficiensandEscherichia colias well as the software to generate such proteogenomics search databases for any prokaryote.
The Representational Dynamics of Task and Object Processing in Humans
Authors: Hebart M. N. , Bankson B. B. , Harel A. , Baker C. I. , Cichy R. M.
Published: June 2017

Despite the importance of an observer’s goals in determining how a visual object is categorized, surprisingly little is known about how humans process the task context in which objects occur and how it may interact with the processing of objects. Using magnetoencephalography (MEG), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and multivariate techniques, we studied the spatial and temporal dynamics of task and object processing. Our results reveal a sequence of separate but overlapping task-related processes spread across frontoparietal and occipitotemporal cortex. Task exhibited late effects on object processing by selectively enhancing task-relevant object features, with limited impact on the overall pattern of object representations. Combining MEG and fMRI data, we reveal a parallel rise in task-related signals throughout the cerebral cortex, with an increasing dominance of task over object representations from early to higher visual areas. Collectively, our results reveal the complex dynamics underlying task and object representations throughout human cortex.