bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Randomized Markdowns and Online Monitoring
Authors: Moon Ken , Bimpikis Kostas , Mendelson Haim
Published: February 2017

Online retail reduces the costs of obtaining information about a product’s price and availability and of flexibly timing a purchase. Consequently, consumers can strategically time their purchases, weighing the costs of monitoring and the risk of inventory depletion against prospectively lower prices. At the same time, firms can observe and exploit their customers’ monitoring behavior. Using a data set tracking customers of a North American specialty retail brand, we present empirical evidence that monitoring products online is associated with successfully obtaining discounts. We develop a structural model of consumers’ dynamic monitoring to find substantial heterogeneity, with consumers’ opportunity costs for an online visit ranging from $2 to $25 in inverse relation to their price elasticities. Our estimation results have important implications for retail operations. The randomized markdown policy benefits retailers by combining price commitment with the exploitation of heterogeneity in consumers’ monitoring costs. We estimate that the retailer’s profit under randomized markdowns is 81% higher than from subgame-perfect, state-contingent pricing, because the retailer need not limit its inventory to credibly limit markdowns, which permits its jointly optimal inventory stock to expand by 133%. The welfare gain from these larger inventories splits nearly equally into retailer profit and consumer surplus. We also discuss targeting customers with price promotions using their online histories and the implications of reducing consumers’ monitoring costs.

The electronic companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2016.2661 .

This paper was accepted by Serguei Netessine, operations management.
The constraints on voluntary sector voice in a period of continued austerity
Authors: Hemmings Mike
Published: February 2017

This article explores how austerity has affected the ability of voluntary sector organisations in England to represent, advocate and lobby to ensure that the voice of disadvantaged people is heard by government. The core contribution of the article is its use of a qualitative longitudinal research methodology to analyse how people experience, interpret and respond to change. The article supports neo-institutional and resource dependency theories, which argue that institutional incorporation, financial dependency and managerial isomorphism have a negative impact on the ability to express critical voice. Austerity accelerates this tendency, creating fear and layering additional pressures on previous restructuring and reform tensions. This contrasts with quantitative empirical findings that involvement with government and financial dependency strengthen rather than reduce political advocacy. The article argues for a nuanced view of advocacy that recognises the constraints on the ability of the sector to advocate for and empower disadvantaged people and communities.
Association of Blood Eosinophil and Blood Neutrophil Counts with Asthma Exacerbations in the Copenhagen General Population Study
Authors: Vedel-Krogh Signe , Fallgaard Nielsen Sune , Lange Peter , Vestbo Jørgen , Nordestgaard Børge Grønne
Published: February 2017

BACKGROUND

Blood eosinophil count is a marker of eosinophilic airway inflammation and disease severity in asthma. However, blood neutrophil count might also be associated with disease severity. We tested the hypothesis that high blood eosinophil and neutrophil counts are both associated with the risk of asthma exacerbations among individuals with asthma from the general population.

METHODS

From the Copenhagen General Population Study with 81351 participants, we included 4838 with self-reported asthma. We recorded baseline blood eosinophil and neutrophil counts, and asthma exacerbations during follow-up in 2003–2011, defined as moderate (short-course treatment of prednisolone) or severe (hospitalization).

RESULTS

The multivariable-adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) were 1.28 (95% CI, 1.06–1.55) for moderate exacerbations and 1.55 (1.20–2.00) for severe exacerbations for individuals with blood eosinophil counts >0.29 × 109/L (highest tertile) vs individuals with blood eosinophil counts <0.18 × 109/L (lowest tertile). For blood neutrophils, the multivariable-adjusted IRRs were 2.14 (1.74–2.63) for moderate exacerbations and 1.18 (0.89–1.55) for severe exacerbations for individuals with blood neutrophil counts >4.85 × 109/L (highest tertile) vs individuals with blood neutrophil counts <3.77 × 109/L (lowest tertile). Blood eosinophil and neutrophil counts interacted on moderate exacerbations (P = 3 × 10−4), but not on severe exacerbations.

CONCLUSIONS

High blood eosinophil counts are associated with an increased risk of both moderate and severe asthma exacerbations, while high blood neutrophil counts are associated with an increased risk of moderate, but not severe exacerbations.
Social Psychology and Social Pedagogy: Their Interdisciplinarity in Group Counselling for Parents
Authors: Giotsa Artemis
Published: February 2017

Nowadays Greece faces multiple transitions and difficulties at financial, social and interpersonal level. Undoubtedly family counselling offers help and support to deal with various problems raised within family and school contexts. Since 1998, the Ministry of Education and Religion has provided supportive counselling to families free of charge through the programme Parents’ Schools. Specialists from different fields (psychologists, pedagogues, social workers) participate as coordinators of parents’ groups. The application is based on basic notions of the field of social psychology, systemic theory and social pedagogy. The current paper focuses on the presentation of family counselling in Greece and the description of the interdisciplinary approach between social psychology and social pedagogy in the methodology of Parents’ Schools.
Clinical Risk Factors for Infective Endocarditis in Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia
Authors: Salvador Vincent Bryan D. , Chapagain Bikash , Joshi Astha , Brennessel Debra J.
Published: February 2017

Crucial to the management of staphylococcal bacteremia is an accurate evaluation of associated endocarditis, which has both therapeutic and prognostic implications. Because the clinical presentation of endocarditis can be nonspecific, the judicious use of echocardiography is important in distinguishing patients at high risk of developing endocarditis. In the presence of high-risk clinical features, an early transesophageal echocardiogram is warranted without prior transthoracic echocardiography.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical risk factors for staphylococcal infective endocarditis that might warrant earlier transesophageal echocardiography and to describe the incidence of endocarditis in cases of methicillin-resistant and methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus bacteremia.

A retrospective case-control study was conducted by means of chart review of 91 patients consecutively admitted to a community hospital from January 2009 through January 2013. Clinical risk factors of patients with staphylococcal bacteremia were compared with risk factors of patients who had definite diagnoses of infective endocarditis. There were 69 patients with bacteremia alone (76%) and 22 patients with endocarditis (24%), as verified by echocardiography. Univariate analysis showed that diabetes mellitus (P=0.024), the presence of an automatic implantable cardioverter-defibrillator/pacemaker (P=0.006) or a prosthetic heart valve (P=0.003), and recent hospitalization (P=0.048) were significantly associated with developing infective endocarditis in patients with S. aureus bacteremia. The incidence of methicillin-resistant and methicillin-sensitive S. aureus bacteremia was similar in the bacteremia and infective-endocarditis groups (P=0.437).

In conclusion, identified high-risk clinical factors in the presence of bacteremia can suggest infective endocarditis. Early evaluation with transesophageal echocardiography might well be warranted.
Percutaneous Valvuloplasty for Bioprosthetic Tricuspid Valve Stenosis
Authors: Rana Gaurav , Malhotra Rohit , Sharma Anjali , Kakouros Nikolaos
Published: February 2017

Percutaneous transcatheter tricuspid balloon valvuloplasty (PTTBV) is an accepted treatment option for symptomatic severe native tricuspid valve stenosis, although surgical tricuspid valve replacement remains the treatment of choice. There have been few reports of successful PTTBV for bioprosthetic tricuspid valve stenosis. We present case reports of 3 patients from our hospital experience. Two of the 3 cases were successful, with lasting clinical improvement, whereas the 3rd patient failed to show a reduction in valve gradient. We describe the standard technique used for PTTBV. We present results from a literature review that identified 16 previously reported cases of PTTBV for bioprosthetic severe tricuspid stenosis, with overall favorable results. We conclude that PTTBV should perhaps be considered for a select patient population in which symptomatic improvement and hemodynamic stability are desired immediately, and particularly for patients who are inoperable or at high surgical risk.
Endovascular Exclusion of Aortobronchial Fistula and Distal Anastomotic Aneurysm after Extra-Anatomic Bypass for Aortic Coarctation
Authors: Bozzani Antonio , Arici Vittorio , Rodolico Giuseppe , Brunetto Massimo Borri , Argenteri Angelo
Published: February 2017

The treatment of choice for aortic coarctation in adults remains open surgical repair. Aortobronchial fistula is a rare but potentially fatal late sequela of surgical correction of isthmic aortic coarctation via the interposition of a graft.

The endovascular treatment of aortobronchial fistula is still under discussion because of its high risk for infection, especially if the patient has a history of cardiovascular prosthetic implantation. Patients need close monitoring, most notably those with secondary aortobronchial fistula. We discuss the case of a 65-year-old man who presented with the combined conditions, and we briefly review the relevant medical literature.
Nonfluoroscopic Imaging as Guidance for Radiofrequency Ablation of Atrioventricular Nodal Reentrant Tachycardia after Mustard Repair
Authors: Hluchy Jan , Nguyen Dinh Q. , Sobczak Henrik , Brandts Bodo
Published: February 2017

Most tachycardias in the pulmonary venous atrium are inaccessible by direct means and require either a retrograde approach or a transseptal approach for ablation.

We present a case in which successful radiofrequency ablation of common atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia was accomplished via a retrograde transaortic approach guided by nonfluoroscopic mapping with use of the NavX™ mapping system. The patient was a 49-year-old woman who at the age of 4 years had undergone Mustard repair for complete dextrotransposition of the great arteries. Three-dimensional reconstructions of the ascending aorta, right ventricle, systemic venous atrium, left ventricle, and superior vena cava–inferior vena cava baffle complex were created, and the left-sided His bundle was marked. After a failed attempt at ablation from the systemic venous side, we eliminated the atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia by ablation from the pulmonary venous side.

This case is, to our knowledge, the first report of successful radiofrequency ablation of common atrioventricular nodal reentrant tachycardia after Mustard repair for this congenital cardiac malformation in which ablation was guided by 3-dimensional nonfluoroscopic imaging. This imaging technique enabled accurate anatomic location of the ablation catheters in relation to the His bundle marked from the systemic venous side.
Compartment Syndrome of the Hand: A Rare Sequela of Transradial Cardiac Catheterization
Authors: Jue Jennifer , Karam Joseph A. , Mejia Alfonso , Shroff Adhir
Published: February 2017

A 64-year-old man who underwent percutaneous coronary intervention via right radial artery access reported right-hand pain and swelling 2 hours after the procedure. He had developed compartment syndrome of the hand, specifically with muscular compromise of the thenar compartment but with no involvement of the forearm. He underwent emergency right-hand compartment release and carpal tunnel release, followed by an uneventful postoperative course. In addition to our patient's case, we discuss compartment syndrome of the hand and related issues.
Modified Cone Reconstruction of the Tricuspid Valve for Ebstein Anomaly as Performed in Siberia
Authors: Krivoshchekov Evgeny V. , Ackerman Jaeger P. , Yanulevich Olga S. , Sokolov Alexander A. , Ershova Nadezhda V. , Dearani Joseph A. , Cetta Frank
Published: February 2017

The cone reconstruction technique, first described by da Silva and modified by Dearani and by others, has become the repair method of choice in patients with Ebstein anomaly of the tricuspid valve. This report details the outcome of the modified cone reconstruction technique in 6 children who underwent surgical correction of Ebstein anomaly at the Tomsk Institute of Cardiology in Siberia.

From 2012 through 2015, 4 boys and 2 girls (age range, 11 mo–12 yr) underwent surgery to correct Ebstein anomaly. All had presented with cyanosis, exertional dyspnea, fatigue, or new-onset atrial arrhythmia, and none had undergone previous cardiac surgery. All survived the operation. One patient needed tricuspid valve replacement with a bioprosthesis after early breakdown of the cone reconstruction. As of December 2016, all the patients had no symptoms, tricuspid stenosis, or arrhythmia. This series indicates that cone reconstruction—the most anatomic repair technique for the dysmorphic Ebstein tricuspid valve—can be successfully performed in pediatric heart centers with a large experience.
Predicting Mobile Advertising Response Using Consumer Colocation Networks
Authors: Zubcsek Peter Pal , Katona Zsolt , Sarvary Miklos
Published: February 2017

Building on results from economics and consumer behavior, the authors theorize that consumers’ movement patterns are informative of their product preferences, and this study proposes that marketers monetize this information using dynamic networks that capture colocation events (when consumers appear at the same place at approximately the same time). To support this theory, the authors study mobile advertising response in a panel of 217 subscribers. The data set spans three months during which participants were sent mobile coupons from retailers in various product categories through a smartphone application. The data contain coupon conversions, demographic and psychographic information, and information on the hourly GPS location of participants and on their social ties in the form of referrals. The authors find a significant positive relationship between colocated consumers’ response to coupons in the same product category. In addition, they show that incorporating consumers’ location information can increase the accuracy of predicting the most likely conversions by 19%. These findings have important practical implications for marketers engaging in the fast-growing location-based mobile advertising industry.
Group Marketing: Theory, Mechanisms, and Dynamics
Authors: Harmeling Colleen M. , Palmatier Robert W. , Fang Eric (Er) , Wang Dianwen
Published: February 2017

Group marketing uses the psychological mechanisms underlying group influence to drive customer behaviors that are beneficial to the firm. It is predicated on the firm's ability to guide two necessary and sufficient conditions: (1) a customer's awareness of an affiliation with the focal group and (2) exposure to group norms. By examining what it means to be affiliated with a group; determining how group norms are inferred, applied, and maintained; and testing a wide variety of ways in which these conditions become manifest, this research demonstrates the theoretical foundations of group marketing. Groups influence purchase behaviors by altering information and identity appraisals during decision making. Time in a purchase domain emerges as a critical determinant of the strength of group influence. Although previous research has suggested that social influence diminishes over time, a longitudinal field study and an experiment reveal that this prediction holds only when information appraisal dominates; an opposite effect arises when identity appraisal dominates. Group efficacy strengthens, but product price weakens, the effects of groups on purchase behaviors.
Connectedness Bertini Theorem via numerical equivalence
Authors: Martinelli Diletta , Naranjo Juan Carlos , Pirola Gian Pietro
Published: February 2017

LetXbe an irreducible projective variety and letf:X→ ℙnbe a morphism. We give a new proof of the fact that the preimage of any linear variety of dimensionk≥n+ 1 -dimf(X) is connected. We show that the statement is a consequence of the Generalized Hodge Index Theorem using easy numerical arguments that hold in any characteristic. We also prove the connectedness Theorem of Fulton and Hansen as an application of our main theorem.
Dominance order on signed integer partitions
Authors: Bisi Cinzia , Chiaselotti Giampiero , Gentile Tommaso , Oliverio Paolo Antonio
Published: February 2017

In 1973 Brylawski introduced and studied in detail the dominance partial order on the setPar(m) of all integer partitions of a fixed positive integerm. As it is well known, the dominance order is one of the most important partial orders on the finite setPar(m). Therefore it is very natural to ask how it changes if we allow the summands of an integer partition to take also negative values. In such a case,mcan be an arbitrary integer andPar(m) becomes an infinite set. In this paperwe extend the classical dominance order in this more general case. In particular, we consider the resulting latticePar(m) as an infinite increasing union onnof a sequence of finite latticesO(m,n). The latticeO(m,n) can be considered a generalization of the Brylawski lattice. We study in detail the lattice structure ofO(m,n).
Rheb in neuronal degeneration, regeneration, and connectivity
Authors: Potheraveedu Veena Nambiar , Schöpel Miriam , Stoll Raphael , Heumann Rolf
Published: February 2017

The small GTPase Rheb was originally detected as an immediate early response protein whose expression was induced by NMDA-dependent synaptic activity in the brain. Rheb’s activity is highly regulated by its GTPase activating protein (GAP), the tuberous sclerosis complex protein, which stimulates the conversion from the active, GTP-loaded into the inactive, GDP-loaded conformation. Rheb has been established as an evolutionarily conserved molecular switch protein regulating cellular growth, cell volume, cell cycle, autophagy, and amino acid uptake. The subcellular localization of Rheb and its interacting proteins critically regulate its activity and function. In stem cells, constitutive activation of Rheb enhances differentiation at the expense of self-renewal partially explaining the adverse effects of deregulated Rheb in the mammalian brain. In the context of various cellular stress conditions such as oxidative stress, ER-stress, death factor signaling, and cellular aging, Rheb activation surprisingly enhances rather than prevents cellular degeneration. This review addresses cell type- and cell state-specific function(s) of Rheb and mainly focuses on neurons and their surrounding glial cells. Mechanisms will be discussed in the context of therapy that interferes with Rheb’s activity using the antibiotic rapamycin or low molecular weight compounds.
Analysis of decreasing squared-sum of Gram–Schmidt lengths for short lattice vectors
Authors: Yasuda Masaya , Yokoyama Kazuhiro , Shimoyama Takeshi , Kogure Jun , Koshiba Takeshi
Published: February 2017

In 2015,
Fukase and Kashiwabara proposed an efficient method to find a very short lattice vector.
Their method has been applied to solve Darmstadt shortest vector problems of dimensions 134 to 150.
Their method is based on Schnorr’s random sampling, but their preprocessing is different from others.
It aims to decrease the sum of the squared lengths of the Gram–Schmidt vectors of a lattice basis, before executing random sampling of short lattice vectors.
The effect is substantiated from their statistical analysis, and it implies that the smaller the sum becomes, the shorter sampled vectors can be. However, no guarantee is known to strictly decrease the sum.
In this paper, we study Fukase–Kashiwabara’s method in both theory and practice, and give a heuristic but practical condition that the sum is strictly decreased.
We believe that our condition would enable one to monotonically decrease the sum
and to find a very short lattice vector in fewer steps.
Green Chemistry Pedagogy
Authors: Kolopajlo Larry
Published: February 2017

This chapter attempts to show how the practice of chemistry teaching and learning is enriched by the incorporation of green chemistry (GC) into lectures and labs. To support this viewpoint, evidence from a wide range of published papers serve as a cogent argument that GC attracts and engages both science and nonscience students, enhances chemistry content knowledge, and improves the image of the field, while preparing the world for a sustainable future. Published pedagogy associated with green and sustainable chemistry is critically reviewed and discussed.
How the Principles of Green Chemistry Changed the Way Organic Chemistry Labs Are Taught at the University of Detroit Mercy
Authors: Mio Matthew J.
Published: February 2017

Many logistic and instructional changes followed the incorporation of the 12 principles of green chemistry into organic chemistry laboratory courses at the University of Detroit Mercy. Over the last decade, institutional limitations have been turned into green chemical strengths in many areas, including integration of atom economy metrics into learning outcomes, replacing overly toxic equipment and reagents, and modifying matters of reaction scale and type.
Synthesis and Use of Reactive Molecular Precursors for the Preparation of Carbon Nanomaterials
Authors: Schulte Bjoern , Schrettl Stephen , Frauenrath Holger
Published: February 2017

The use of reactive molecular carbon precursors is required if the preparation of carbon nanostructures and nanomaterials is to be achieved under conditions that are sufficiently benign to control their nanoscopic morphology and tailor their chemical functionalization. Recently, oligoyne precursors have been explored for this purpose, as they are sufficiently stable to be available in tangible quantities but readily rearrange in reactions that yield other forms of carbon. In this chapter, we briefly discuss available synthetic routes toward higher oligoynes that mostly rely on transition metal-mediated coupling reactions. Thereafter, a comprehensive overview of the use of oligoyne derivatives as precursors for carbon nanostructures and nanomaterials is given. While the non-templated conversion of simple oligoynes into carbonaceous matter exemplifies their potential as metastable carbon precursors, the more recent attempts to use functionalized oligoynes in host–guest complexes, self-assembled aggregates, thin films, colloids or other types of supramolecular structures have paved the way toward a new generation of carbon nanomaterials with predictable nanoscopic morphology and chemical functionalization.
Neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin, an early biomarker for diagnosis of acute kidney injury after percutaneous coronary intervention
Authors: Choudhry Nakhshab , Ihsan Amna , Mahmood Sadia , Haq Fahim Ul , Gondal Aamir Jamal
Published: February 2017

Objectives

This study was designed to find the reliability of serum NGAL as an early and better diagnostic biomarker than that of serum creatinine for acute kidney injury after percutaneous coronary intervention in Pakistani population.

Materials and methods

One hundred and fifty-one patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention were included and demographic data were recorded. Blood was drawn by venipuncture in clot activator vacutainers and serum was separated and stored at 4°C. Sample was drawn before the percutaneous procedure and subsequently sampling was done serially for 5 days.

Results

The mean±SD serum NGAL pre-PCI (39.92± 10.35 μg/L) and 4 h post-PCI (100.42±26.07 μg/L) showed highly significant difference (p<0.001). The mean±SD serum creatinine pre-PCI (70.1±11.8 μmol/L) and post-PCI (71.2±11.6 μmol/L) showed significant difference (p=0.005) on day 2 onwards but mean microalbumin showed insignificant results (p=0.533). The serum NGAL predicted CI-AKI with sensitivity of 95.8% and specificity of 97.6% for a cut off value of 118 μg/L.

Conclusion

Our results suggest that NGAL is an excellent early diagnostic biomarker for acute kidney injury in patients undergoing elective percutaneous coronary intervention.
Reading Romans 1 on Homosexuality in the Light of Biblical/Jewish and Greco-Roman Perspectives of its Time
Authors: Loader William
Published: February 2017

In seeking common ground with his readers Paul uses same sex relations to depict human depravity. In doing so he uses many of the arguments familiar from ethical discourse in the Greco-Roman world of his time, but employs them within a Jewish frame of reference. Thus the perverted mind, attitudes and actions are produced by perverted responses to God. The shame of making males passive is ultimately the shame of contravening what God created them to be. Exceptionally he relates the unnatural not to denying procreation, but to denying the created order of (only) male and female and implies the Leviticus prohibitions apply to both. Strong passion is problematic when wrongly directed. Paul’s argument is typically theological and psychological.
Neural Representations of Observed Actions Generalize across Static and Dynamic Visual Input
Authors: Hafri Alon , Trueswell John C. , Epstein Russell A.
Published: February 2017

People interact with entities in the environment in distinct and categorizable ways (e.g.,kickingismaking contact with foot). We can recognize these action categories across variations in actors, objects, and settings; moreover, we can recognize them from both dynamic and static visual input. However, the neural systems that support action recognition across these perceptual differences are unclear. Here, we used multivoxel pattern analysis of fMRI data to identify brain regions that support visual action categorization in a format-independent way. Human participants were scanned while viewing eight categories of interactions (e.g.,pulling) depicted in two visual formats: (1) visually controlled videos of two interacting actors and (2) visually varied photographs selected from the internet involving different actors, objects, and settings. Action category was decodable across visual formats in bilateral inferior parietal, bilateral occipitotemporal, left premotor, and left middle frontal cortex. In most of these regions, the representational similarity of action categories was consistent across subjects and visual formats, a property that can contribute to a common understanding of actions among individuals. These results suggest that the identified brain regions support action category codes that are important for action recognition and action understanding.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTHumans tend to interpret the observed actions of others in terms of categories that are invariant to incidental features: whether a girl pushes a boy or a button and whether we see it in real-time or in a single snapshot, it is stillpushing. Here, we investigated the brain systems that facilitate the visual recognition of these action categories across such differences. Using fMRI, we identified several areas of parietal, occipitotemporal, and frontal cortex that exhibit action category codes that are similar across viewing of dynamic videos and still photographs. Our results provide strong evidence for the involvement of these brain regions in recognizing the way that people interact physically with objects and other people.
Pejvakin, a Candidate Stereociliary Rootlet Protein, Regulates Hair Cell Function in a Cell-Autonomous Manner
Authors: Kazmierczak Marcin , Kazmierczak Piotr , Peng Anthony W. , Harris Suzan L. , Shah Prahar , Puel Jean-Luc , Lenoir Marc , Franco Santos J. , Schwander Martin
Published: February 2017

Mutations in thePejvakin(PJVK) gene are thought to cause auditory neuropathy and hearing loss of cochlear origin by affecting noise-induced peroxisome proliferation in auditory hair cells and neurons. Here we demonstrate that loss of pejvakin in hair cells, but not in neurons, causes profound hearing loss and outer hair cell degeneration in mice. Pejvakin binds to and colocalizes with the rootlet component TRIOBP at the base of stereocilia in injectoporated hair cells, a pattern that is disrupted by deafness-associatedPJVKmutations. Hair cells of pejvakin-deficient mice develop normal rootlets, but hair bundle morphology and mechanotransduction are affected before the onset of hearing. Some mechanotransducing shorter row stereocilia are missing, whereas the remaining ones exhibit overextended tips and a greater variability in height and width. Unlike previous studies ofPjvkalleles with neuronal dysfunction, our findings reveal a cell-autonomous role of pejvakin in maintaining stereocilia architecture that is critical for hair cell function.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTTwo missense mutations in thePejvakin(PJVKorDFNB59) gene were first identified in patients with audiological hallmarks of auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder, whereas all otherPJVKalleles cause hearing loss of cochlear origin. These findings suggest that complex pathogenetic mechanisms underlie human deafness DFNB59. In contrast to recent studies, we demonstrate that pejvakin in auditory neurons is not essential for normal hearing in mice. Moreover, pejvakin localizes to stereociliary rootlets in hair cells and is required for stereocilia maintenance and mechanosensory function of the hair bundle. Delineating the site of the lesion and the mechanisms underlying DFNB59 will allow clinicians to predict the efficacy of different therapeutic approaches, such as determining compatibility for cochlear implants.
GABA Cells in the Central Nucleus of the Amygdala Promote Cataplexy
Authors: Snow Matthew B. , Fraigne Jimmy J. , Thibault-Messier Gabrielle , Chuen Victoria L. , Thomasian Aren , Horner Richard L. , Peever John
Published: February 2017

Cataplexy is a hallmark of narcolepsy characterized by the sudden uncontrollable onset of muscle weakness or paralysis during wakefulness. It can occur spontaneously, but is typically triggered by positive emotions such as laughter. Although cataplexy was identified >130 years ago, its neural mechanism remains unclear. Here, we show that a newly identified GABA circuit within the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) promotes cataplexy. We used behavioral, electrophysiological, immunohistochemical, and chemogenetic strategies to target and manipulate CeA activity selectively in narcoleptic (orexin−/−) mice to determine its functional role in controlling cataplexy. First, we show that chemogenetic activation of the entire CeA produces a marked increase in cataplexy attacks. Then, we show that GABA cells within the CeA are responsible for mediating this effect. To manipulate GABA cells specifically, we developed a new mouse line that enables genetic targeting of GABA cells inorexin−/−mice. We found that chemogenetic activation of GABA CeA cells triggered a 253% increase in the number of cataplexy attacks without affecting their duration, suggesting that GABA cells play a functional role in initiating but not maintaining cataplexy. We show that GABA cell activation only promotes cataplexy attacks associated with emotionally rewarding stimuli, not those occurring spontaneously. However, we found that chemogenetic inhibition of GABA CeA cells does not prevent cataplexy, suggesting these cells are not required for initiating cataplexy attacks. Our results indicate that the CeA promotes cataplexy onset and that emotionally rewarding stimuli may trigger cataplexy by activating GABA cells in the CeA.

SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENTAlthough cataplexy has been closely linked to positive emotions for >130 years, the neural circuitry that underlies this relationship is poorly understood. Recent work suggests that the amygdala, a brain area important for processing emotion, may be part of this circuit. This study provides the first functional evidence to implicate GABA cells in the amygdala as regulators of cataplexy triggered by positive emotions and identifies the amygdala as the brain region important more for gating the entrance into rather than the exit from cataplexy. We also generated a new mouse model for studying GABA neurons in narcoleptic mice, which could serve as a useful tool for studying the neurobiological underpinnings of narcolepsy.
Cognitive decline in prostate cancer patients undergoing ADT: a potential role for exercise training
Authors: Mundell Niamh L , Daly Robin M , Macpherson Helen , Fraser Steve F
Published: February 2017

Androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) is an effective and widely prescribed treatment for prostate cancer (PCa), but it is associated with multiple treatment-induced adverse effects that impact on various musculoskeletal and cardiometabolic health outcomes. Emerging research has shown that ADT is also associated with cognitive impairment, which has been linked to a loss of independence, increased falls and fracture risk and greater use of medical services. The aim of this review is to outline the evidence related to the effect of ADT use on cognitive function, and propose a role for exercise training as part of usual care to prevent and/or manage cognitive impairments for PCa survivors on ADT. The following results have been obtained from this study. ADT has been shown to adversely affect specific cognitive domains, particularly verbal memory, visuomotor function, attention and executive function. However, current clinical guidelines do not recommend routine assessment of cognitive function in these men. No studies have examined whether exercise training can preserve or improve cognitive function in these men, but in healthy adults’, multimodal exercise training incorporating aerobic training, progressive resistance training (PRT) and challenging motor control exercises have the potential to attenuate cognitive decline. In conclusion, as treatment with ADT for men with PCa has been associated with a decline in cognition, it is recommended that cognitive function be routinely monitored in these men and that regular exercise training be prescribed to preserve (or improve) cognitive function. Assessment of cognition and individualised exercise training should be considered in the usual treatment plan of PCa patients receiving ADT.
PHYSIOLOGICAL AND PHENOLOGICAL VEGETATIVE RESPONSES OF Campomanesia adamantium (Cambess) O. Berg (Myrtaceae) TO THE HYDRIC SEASONALITY OF RUPESTRIAN FIELDS
Authors: Kuster Vinícius Coelho , Paula Mateus Scarpelli Aguiar Marcato de , Castro Silvana Aparecida Barbosa de , Vale Fernando Henrique Aguiar
Published: February 2017

ABSTRACT The rupestrian fields have two well-defined seasons throughout the year, with rainfall rates that reflect the rainy and dry seasons. This distinction in water availability affects the morphology, physiology and chemistry of plants, among other characteristics. Thus, it is aimed at evaluating the leaf water status, vegetative phenology and photosynthetic behavior of Campomanesia adamantium from a rupestrian field during the dry and rainy season. The study was conducted in Serra do Cipó, Minas Gerais, Brazil. From November 2011 to November 2012 it was examined vegetative phenophases and development of six individuals. Water potential, stomatal conductance, quantum yield and concentration of pigments were evaluated from four leaves of 3rd node per individual (n = 4-5) in the dry and rainy seasons. C. adamantium is an evergreen type and presents mature leaves and sprouting throughout the year. This species showed strategies that reduce water loss during the dry season in rupestrian field, such as decrease in stomatal conductance throughout the day, also associated with a reduction in leaf water potential. However, low water availability did not affect the photosynthetic performance, which enables the construction of new leaves and renovation of the crown even in dry periods. Finally, little reduction in the values of Fv/Fm throughout the day and increase the values of ΔF/Fm' in warmer times, both in the dry season, reiterates the ability of C. adamantium to adjust their physiology to seasonal water deficit of the rupestrian field.
EFFICIENCY OF THE USE OF YERBA MATE SOLAR RADIATION IN INTERCROPPING OR MONOCROPPING FOR THE ACCUMULATION OF CARBON
Authors: Caron Braulio Otomar , Schmidt Denise , Balbinot Rafaelo , Behling Alexandre , Eloy Elder , Elli Elvis Felipe
Published: February 2017

ABSTRACT The efficiency of solar radiation conversion is a variable often used in crop growth simulation models in which the production of biomass and, consequently, carbon accumulation are related to the conversion of radiant energy into chemical compounds by plants through the process of photosynthesis. The goal of this study was to determine the efficiency of conversion of intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (PARi) into carbon accumulation in shoots of Ilex paraguariensis in intercropping (Ilex paraguariensis A. St. Hil. and Pinus elliottii Engelm) and monoculture. The conversion efficiency of PAR in accumulated carbon was calculated based on the ratio between the accumulated carbon and the PARi involved in the process. Our results demonstrate that the higher conversion efficiency (eb) of photosynthetically active solar radiation intercepted in carbon in yerba mate sprouts was obtained in the intercropping scenario.
DAYTIME VARIATIONS OF CHLOROPHYLL A FLUORESCENCE IN PAU D'ALHO SEEDLINGS
Authors: Bacarin Marcos Antonio , Martinazzo Emanuela Garbin , Cassol Daniela , Falqueto Antelmo Ralph , Silva Diolina Moura
Published: February 2017

ABSTRACT Analysis of transient and modulated fluorescence of chlorophyll a were made at one-hour intervals during an eight-hour period starting at 07:30h aiming to study mechanisms of photoprotection against high radiation and temperature in Gallesia integrifolia plants. Seeds were germinated inside plastic pots containing soil as substrate. At 120 days after emergence, chlorophyll fluorescence measurements were performed using Handy-PEA and FMS2 fluorometers. During the course of a day, an increase and a subsequent decrease in temperature and in photosynthetic active radiation were observed until 12:30h. Changes in transient kinetic curves of chlorophyll a fluorescence were identified. This resulted in changes in JIP test parameters. An increase during the period of high radiation and temperature may be stressed in relation to variables related to dissipation flux and appearance of positive -K and -L bands. Considering the modulated fluorescence, high values of non-photochemical quenching coefficients associated with lower values of effective photochemical efficiency of the photosystem II (FV'/ FM') and current photochemical efficiency of PSII (φPSII) could be observed during early morning. This was probably the result of an inhibition of the biochemical phase of photosynthesis. It can be concluded that Gallesia integrifolia decrease its photochemical activity with the increase in the photosynthetic active radiation, demonstrating a photoinhibitory effect under high irradiance conditions, but without irreversible damages to the photosynthetic apparatus.
SELECTION OF EUCALYPTUS CLONES AND ADJUSTMENT OF POTASSIUM DOSES FOR EXTENDED DROUGHT IN BAHIA SAVANNA
Authors: Sampaio Thalita Fernanda , Dalcin Tiago Elias , Bogiani Julio Cesar , Mori Edson Seizo , Guerrini Iraê Amaral
Published: February 2017

ABSTRACT The use of clones adapted to regions with water deficit caused by well-defined and prolonged dry periods, as happens in the western part Bahia, is a way to overcome water stress. The adjustment of potassium (K) also influences this aspect, because it regulates the opening and closing of stomata, impeding water loss by plants and making them more efficient in water use. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of eucalyptus clones grown for energy production in response to potassium levels in soil and climate conditions, in the municipality of Luis Eduardo Magalhães, located in western Bahia state. A randomized block with four replications in a split plot was used as experimental design. Six eucalyptus clones (AEC-056, CEA-144, CEA-220, CEA-224, CEA-103 and CEA-1528) and four doses of K2O (0, 30, 60 and 120 kg ha-1) were tested. At two years old, clone 1528 showed greatest productivity, with the tallest height and trunk diameter, while 056 showed the lowest performance. Different K requirements were observed among eucalyptus clones for both growth and productivity.
ECOLOGICAL AND FUNCTIONAL CLUSTERING OF FORESTAL SPECIES IN THE SOUTH WESTERN AMAZONIA
Authors: Vasconcelos Neto Elias Lourenço , Azevedo Celso , Ribas Luciano , d'Oliveira Marcus Neves
Published: February 2017

ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to perform ecological and functional clustering of tree species in southwestern Amazon. Developed from data from 95 permanent plots of 1 ha each, all individuals with diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥10 cm were measured. The species grouping was performed in three stages: (1) cluster analysis, using the variables: diameter annual periodic increment -(IPADAP) considering three competition levels (high, medium and low) and the 95th percentile of the diameters (P95) cumulative frequency distribution (Ward hierarchical method); (2) Discriminant analysis, using the variables P95 and IPADAP by Fisher's method and (3) subjective stage, considering the species ecological characteristics. The Ward and Fisher methods used for discriminant and cluster analyses were effective for species grouping resulting on the formation of 10 groups. Variables: IPADAP and and P95 were efficient on the formed groups discrimination.. Variations in the growth rates for the overall mean data were reduced wen calculated for each group of species.
THE EFFECT OF WATER REDUCTION IN KRAFT PULP WASHING IN ECF BLEACHING
Authors: Frigieri Tânia Cristina , Ventorim Gustavo , Favaro Jaqueline Silveira Comelato
Published: February 2017

ABSTRACT The main objective of this work was to study the technical viability of using the cellulose bleaching effluent, at several stages of the process, seeking fresh water reduction in pulp washing, and evaluating its effect on pulp quality. Eucalyptus spp. industrial cellulosic pulp with oxygen was used in this experiment. The same bleaching sequence D(E+P)DP was performed ten times, under the same conditions (temperature, consistency and time). Counter current washing was used in the bleaching stages, and each sequence was carried out with different washing factors: 9, 6, 3, 0 m3 of distilled water/ton of pulp, trying to reach brightness of 92 ± 0,5% ISO. The ten sequences sought to achieve the stability of the effluent organic load, measured by the chemical oxygen demand (COD). Then, the COD results were compared to the brightness ones from the bleached pulp. The evaluated results from the ten sequences and four different washings showed an increasing in COD due to the organic load accumulation, resulting from the reuse of effluent from previous sequences. This COD increasing provided the lower brightness results during the cycles, besides the water reduction, evidencing the necessity of washing between bleaching stages. In this study, the obtained result for the pulp washing up to 3m3/t was tolerable and even recommended. On the other hand, the pulp without any washing (0m3/t), due to the lack of enough brightness, it is commercially unviable.
Caesalpinia echinata Lam. - BRAZILWOOD: THERMAL BEHAVIOR, STRUCTURAL CHARACTERISTICS, AND RESISTANCE TO BIODETERIORATION IN STATIC SYSTEMS
Authors: Pinheiro Ana Paula Pinto , Moraes d'Almeida José Roberto
Published: February 2017

ABSTRACT Wood is the best-known biological material used as a raw material since the dawn of mankind until present days. As a natural and renewable composite, its lifetime is limited by the degradation of its basic elements. This degradation can be caused by chemical reactions or by biological agents capable of accelerating the process of deterioration. In this work, the wear, thermal, and micro-structural characteristics, as also the bio-degradation behavior in static systems, of the wood species Brazilwood (Caesalpinia echinata) were studied under laboratory conditions in order to use these woods in design. The results show that Brazilwood has a good visual performance after abrasion test, since it has not shown any representative roughness increase. In addition, Brazilwood has high level of crystallinity of, approximately, 68% and was almost insensitive to fungi attack, forming only 5.3 x 103 CFU/mL. Besides, its texture did not change due to exposure to water or sweat.
80 anos do Serviço Social brasileiro: conquistas históricas e desafios na atual conjuntura
Authors: Mota Ana Elizabete ,   UFPE,  Brazil
Published: February 2017

Resumo: Expõe as conquistas históricas do Serviço Social brasileiro nos seus 80 anos de existência. Aponta os desafios da profissão na atual conjuntura e ressalta o significado do Projeto Ético-Político do Serviço Social. Conclui que nas três últimas décadas o Serviço Social ampliou sua função intelectual, contribuindo para a formação da cultura profissional, que se contrapõe à hegemonia das classes dominantes, em orgânica articulação com a esquerda marxista no Brasil.
As lutas autônomas frente ao modelo democrático-popular de contrarrevolução permanente
Authors: Polese Pablo ,   UEL,  Brazil
Published: February 2017

Resumo: Reflexão sobre a tática e a estratégia anticapitalista em um contexto de vigência do modelo democrático-popular de gestão dos conflitos sociais. Com base na análise de lutas autônomas recentemente ocorridas no Brasil, conclui-se que a fragmentação constitui uma condição de nosso tempo histórico e, a partir dessa constatação, aventam-se algumas hipóteses de análise acerca do caráter contraditório das soluções postas em prática pela esquerda, em especial depois da revolta popular de junho de 2013.
Validity of the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test in a Brazilian Sample
Authors: Miguel Fabiano Koich , Caramanico Raissa Barquete , Huss Eduardo Yudi , Zuanazzi Ana Carolina
Published: February 2017

Abstract: The Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET) is internationally used to assess emotional perception, but there are few validity studies with Brazilian samples. The test was answered by 1440 participants, along with the Computerized Test of Primary Emotions Perception (PEP), and abstract (AR) and verbal reasoning (VR) tasks. RMET items were studied with Rasch model. Results indicate that its items are concentrated at a lower level of difficulty, lacking difficult items to assess higher levels of emotional perception. Both RMET and PEP showed significant correlations with AR and VR, corroborating other studies showing emotional perception is related to other types of intelligence. However the correlation between RMET and PEP was lower than expected (r = .43), suggesting perception of emotions in the eyes is only partially related to perception in the whole face.