bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A BIM-based monitoring system for urban deep excavation projects
Authors: Wu I-Chen , Lu Siang-Rou , Hsiung Bin-Chen
Published: January 2015

Background

Deep excavations in urban areas have the potential to cause unfavorable effects on ground stability and nearby structures. Thus, it is necessary to evaluate and monitor the environmental impact during deep excavation construction processes. Generally, construction project teams will set up monitoring instruments to control and monitor the overall environmental status, especially during the construction of retaining walls, main excavations, and when groundwater is involved. Large volumes of monitoring data and project information are typically created as the construction project progresses, making it increasingly difficult to manage them comprehensively.

Methods

To address the abovementioned issues, this project develops a Building Information Model (BIM)-based monitoring system to integrate and visualize monitoring data for risk assessments during urban deep excavation projects. A BIM can be used to establish a comprehensive model of managing a construction project. The system developed herein can access required data from BIM models, and allow complicated numerical data to be displayed effectively in an easily understandable visual format. It is composed of intelligent building components, which includes data attributes and parametric rules for each object. This system can provide a construction project team with a full monitoring view of the ongoing project, along with functions to integrate the information and display it in various ways to present complex engineering monitoring information quickly and clearly.

Results

Testing examples of the developed system on the excavation of the O6 station in the Kaohsiung metro system in Taiwan are presented to illustrate the improvements of safety management for adjacent structures in urban deep excavation projects. The risks and issues affecting the safety of excavation activities and proximal structures during a project can be identified earlier through effective visualization of information in the system, enabling construction project teams to address them promptly and appropriately by performing accurate risk assessments and decision making.

Conclusions

This system assists construction project teams in identifying and understanding possible blind spots when attempting to achieve risk assessments during urban deep excavation projects, and further enables the adoption of mitigation measures to reduce risk levels.
Population structure of Hirundichthys oxycephalus in the northwestern Pacific inferred from mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase I gene
Authors: Chou Chang-En , Liao Te-Yu , Chang Hsueh-Wen , Chang Shui-Kai
Published: January 2015

Background

Hirundichthys oxycephalusis an important flyingfish resource in eastern Taiwan and northwestern Japan. A substantial catch decline in Taiwan has caused serious concerns on stock status of the fish, prompting the government to impose a set of regulations on flyingfish egg fishery since 2008. However, the regulations were set in a precautionary manner, without considering the fundamental understanding of the population genetic structure. This study aims to investigate the population genetic structure ofH. oxycephalusin the region based on mtDNA cytochrome oxidase I (COI) gene and to thus provide scientific information for sustainable management of the resource.

Results

Tissue samples (156) from six localities of eastern Taiwan and western Japan were collected, and 616 bp of mtDNA COI gene were sequenced. Seventy haplotypes were determined, and the haplotype diversity and nucleotide diversity were estimated as 0.93% and 0.57%, respectively. Results of various statistical analyses suggested that the genetic differentiations among the six localities were small and most variation occurred within populations, indicating a high gene flow in the region with undergoing population expansion. Although the study showed that the fishes were genetically divided into two groups, the support was low and the separation was not geologically evident.

Conclusions

The study revealed two groups ofH. oxycephalusin the northwestern Pacific Ocean. However, due to high gene flow, an association of either group to a spatial distribution was not observed, and so the two groups may be considered as one population. Thus, the results favored the conclusion thatH. oxycephalusfrom eastern Taiwan and western Japan belong to the same population and, consequently, that the management unit of the current regulations only covering eastern Taiwan does not match the spatial structure of the population. Rather, the results suggest that joint efforts from countries within the population boundary are necessary to maintain a sustainable exploitation.
Spatial and temporal changes in zooplankton abundance, biovolume, and size spectra in the neighboring waters of Japan: analyses using an optical plankton counter
Authors: Sato Kaede , Matsuno Kohei , Arima Daichi , Abe Yoshiyuki , Yamaguchi Atsushi
Published: January 2015

Background

An optical plankton counter (OPC) was used to examine spatial and temporal changes in the zooplankton size spectra in the neighboring waters of Japan from May to August 2011.

Results

Based on the zooplankton biovolume of equivalent spherical diameter (ESD) in 45 bins for every 0.1 mm between 0.5 and 5.0 mm, a Bray-Curtis cluster analysis classified the zooplankton communities into six groups. The geographical distribution of each group varied from each of the others. Groups with a dominance of 4 to 5 mm ESD were observed in northern marginal seas (northern Japan Sea and Okhotsk Sea), while the least biovolume with a dominance of a small-size class (0.5 to 1 mm) was observed for the Kuroshio extension. Temporal changes were observed along the 155° E line, i.e., a high biovolume group dominated by 2 to 3 mm ESD during May shifted to other size spectra groups during July to August. These temporal changes were caused by the seasonal vertical descent of dominant large Neocalanus copepods during July to August. As a specific characteristic of the normalized biomass size spectra (NBSS), the slope of NBSS was moderate (−0.90) for the Neocalanus dominant spring group but was at −1.11 to −1.24 for the other groups. Theoretically, the slope of the NBSS of the stable marine ecosystem is known to settle at approximately −1.

Conclusions

Based on the analysis by OPC, zooplankton size spectra in the neighboring waters of Japan were separated into six groups. Most groups had −1.11 to −1.24 NBSS slopes, which were slightly higher than the theoretical value (−1). However, one group had a moderate slope of NBSS (−0.90) caused by the dominance of large Neocalanus copepods.
Role of Tyr143 phosphorylation of S1PR1 in downregulating endothelial cell surface S1PR1 expression and responsiveness
Authors: Chavez Alejandra , Schmidt Tracy Thennes , Yazbeck Pascal , Rajput Charu , Desai Bhushan , Sukriti Sukriti , Giantsos-Adams Kristina , Knezevic Nebojsa , Malik Asrar B , Mehta Dolly
Published: January 2015

Activation of sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor 1 (S1PR1) plays a key role in repairing endothelial barrier function. We addressed the role of phosphorylation of the three intracellular tyrosines (Y) of S1PR1 in endothelial cells (ECs) in regulating receptor responsiveness and endothelial barrier function regulated by SIP activation of SIPR1. We demonstrated that phosphorylation of only Y143 site was required for SIPR1 internalization in response to SIP. Maximal SIPR1 internalization was seen in 20 min but S1PR1 returned to the cell surface within 1 h accompanied by Y143-dephosphorylation. Cell surface SIPR1 loss paralleled defective endothelial barrier enhancement induced by SIP. Expression of phospho-defective (Y143→F) or phospho-mimicking (Y143→D) mutant, respectively, failed to internalize or showed unusually high receptor internalization, consistent with the requirement of Y143 in regulating cell surface SIPR1 expression. Phosphorylation of the five SIPR1 C-terminal serine residues did not affect the role of Y143 phosphorylation in signaling SIPR1 internalization. Thus, rapid reduction of EC surface expression of SIPR1 subsequent to Y143 phosphorylation is a crucial mechanism of modulating SIPR1 signaling, and hence the endothelial barrier repair function of SIP.
TRPP2-dependent Ca2+ signaling in dorso-lateral mesoderm is required for kidney field establishment inXenopus
Authors: Futel Mélinée , Leclerc Catherine , Le Bouffant Ronan , Buisson Isabelle , Néant Isabelle , Umbhauer Muriel , Moreau Marc , Riou Jean-François
Published: January 2015

In Xenopus embryos kidney field (KF) specification is dependent on retinoic acid (RA) and coincides with a dramatic increase of Ca2+ transients, but the role of Ca2+ signaling in the KF is unknown. Here, we identify TRPP2, a TRP superfamily member of channel encoded by the pkd2 gene, as a central component of Ca2+ signaling in the KF. TRPP2 is strongly expressed at the plasma membrane where it may regulate extracellular Ca2+ entry. Knockdown of pkd2 in the KF results in the down-regulation of pax8, but not of the other KF genes lhx1, osr1 and 2. We further show that inhibition of Ca2+ signaling by an inducible Ca2+ chelator also causes pax8 inhibition, and that pkd2 knockdown results in a severe inhibition of Ca2+ transients in KF explants. Finally we show that disruption of RA results both in an inhibition of intracellular Ca2+ signaling and of TRPP2 incorporation into the plasma membrane of KF cells. We propose that TRPP2-dependent Ca2+ signaling is a key component of pax8 regulation in the KF downstream of a RA non-transcriptional control of TRPP2.
Acetylation of the RhoA GEF Net1A controls its subcellular localization and activity
Authors: Song Eun Hyeon , Oh Wonkyung , Ulu Arzu , Carr Heather S. , Zuo Yan , Frost Jeffrey A.
Published: January 2015

Net1A is a RhoA GEF that is required for cell motility and invasion in multiple cancers. Nuclear localization of Net1A negatively regulates its activity, and we have recently shown that Rac1 stimulates Net1A relocalization to the plasma membrane to promote RhoA activation and cytoskeletal reorganization. However, mechanisms controlling the subcellular localization of Net1A are not well understood. Here, we show that Net1A contains two nuclear localization signal (NLS) sequences within its amino-terminus and that residues surrounding the second NLS sequence are acetylated. Treatment of cells with deacetylase inhibitors or expression of active Rac1 promotes Net1A acetylation. Deacetylase inhibition is sufficient for Net1A relocalization outside the nucleus, and arginine substitution of the N-terminal acetylation sites prevents cytoplasmic accumulation of Net1A caused by deacetylase inhibition or EGF stimulation. Conversely, glutamine substitution of these sites is sufficient for Net1A relocalization, RhoA activation and downstream signaling. Moreover, the N-terminal acetylation sites are required for rescue of F-actin accumulation and focal adhesion maturation in Net1 knockout MEFs. These data indicate that Net1A acetylation regulates its subcellular localization to impact RhoA activity and actin cytoskeletal organization.
SEPT12 orchestrates the formation of mammalian sperm annulus by organizing SEPT12-7-6-2/-4 core complexes
Authors: Kuo Yung-Che , Shen Yi-Ru , Chen Hau-Inh , Lin Ying-Hung , Wang Ya-Yun , Chen Yet-Ran , Wang Chia-Yih , Kuo Pao-Lin
Published: January 2015

Male infertility has become a worldwide health problem, but the etiologies of most cases are still unknown. SEPT12, a GTP-binding protein, is involved in male fertility. Two SEPT12 mutations (SEPT12T89M and SEPT12D197N) have been identified in infertile men who had a defective sperm annulus with a bent tail. The function of SEPT12 in the sperm annulus is still unclear. Here, we found that SEPT12 formed a filamentous structure with SEPT7, 6, 2 and 4 at the sperm annulus. The SEPT12-based septin core complex was assembled as SEPT12-7-6-2-2-6-7-12 or SEPT12-7-6-4-4-6-7-12 octameric filaments. In addition, the GTP-binding domain of SEPT12 was critical for its interaction with SEPT7, and the NC-terminus of SEPT12 was required for the interaction of SEPT12 with itself to polymerize octamers into filaments. Mutant mice carrying the SEPT12D197N mutation, which disrupts SEPT12 filament formation, showed a disorganized sperm annulus, bent tail, reduced motility and loss of the SEPT ring structure at the sperm annulus. These phenotypes were also observed in an infertile man carrying SEPT12D197N. Taken together, our results demonstrate the molecular architecture of septin12 filaments at the sperm annulus, their mechanical support of sperm motility, and their correlation with male infertility.
Cavin3 interacts with cavin1 and caveolin1 to increase surface dynamics of caveolae
Authors: Mohan Jagan , Morén Björn , Larsson Elin , Holst Mikkel , Lundmark Richard
Published: January 2015

Caveolae are invaginations of the cell surface thought to regulate membrane tension, signalling, adhesion and lipid homeostasis due to their dynamic behaviour ranging from stable surface association to dynamic rounds of fission and fusion with the plasma membrane. The caveolae coat is generated by oligomerisation of the membrane protein caveolin and the family of cavin proteins. Here, we show that cavin3 is targeted to caveolae by cavin1 where it interacts with the scaffolding domain of caveolin1 and promote caveolae dynamics. We found that the N-terminal region of cavin3 binds a trimer of the cavin1 N-terminus in competition with a homologous cavin2 region, showing that the cavins form distinct subcomplexes via their N-terminal regions. Our data shows that cavin3 is enriched at deeply invaginated caveolae and that loss of cavin3 in cells results in an increase of stable caveolae and a decrease of caveolae with short duration time at the membrane. We propose that cavin3 is recruited to the caveolae coat by cavin1 to interact with caveolin1 and regulate the duration time of caveolae at the plasma membrane.
Specific interaction of KIF11 with ZBP1 regulates the transport of β-actin mRNA and cell motility
Authors: Song Tingting , Zheng Yi , Wang Yarong , Katz Zachary , Liu Xin , Chen Shaoying , Singer Robert H. , Gu Wei
Published: January 2015

ZBP1-modulated localization of β-actin mRNA enables a cell to establish polarity and structural asymmetry. While the mechanism of β-actin mRNA localization has been well revealed, the underlying mechanism of how a specific molecular motor contributes to transport of the ZBP1 complex in non-neuronal cells remains elusive. In this study, we report the isolation and identification of KIF11, a microtubule motor, which physically interacts with ZBP1 and is a component of β-actin mRNP. We show that KIF11 co-localizes with the β-actin mRNA and the ability of KIF11 to transport β-actin mRNA is ZBP1-dependent. We characterize the corresponding regions of ZBP1 and KIF11, which mediate the two protein's interaction in vitro and in vivo. Disruption of the in vivo interaction of KIF11 with ZBP1 delocalizes β-actin mRNA and affects cell migration. Our study reveals a molecular mechanism that a particular microtubule motor mediates the transport of an mRNP through the direct interaction with an mRNA-binding protein.
ESCRT-0 marks an APPL1-independent transit route for EGFR between the cell surface and the EEA1-positive early endosome
Authors: Flores-Rodriguez Neftali , Kenwright David A. , Chung Pei-Hua , Harrison Andrew W. , Stefani Flavia , Waigh Thomas A. , Allan Victoria J. , Woodman Philip G.
Published: January 2015

ESCRT-0 sorts ubiquitinated EGFR within the early endosome, so that the receptor can be incorporated into intralumenal vesicles. An important question is whether ESCRT-0 acts solely upon EGFR that has already entered the vacuolar early endosome (characterised by the presence of EEA1) or engages EGFR within earlier compartments. Here we employ a suite of software to localise ESCRT-0 at subpixel resolution and to perform particle-based colocalisation analysis with other endocytic markers. We demonstrate that although some of the ESCRT-0 subunit Hrs colocalises with the vacuolar early endosome marker EEA1, most localises to a population of peripheral EEA1-negative endosomes that act as intermediates in transporting EGFR from the cell surface to more central early endosomes. The peripheral Hrs-labelled endosomes are distinct from APPL1-containing endosomes, but co-label with the novel endocytic adaptor SNX15. In contrast to ESCRT-0, ESCRT-I is recruited to EGF-containing endosomes at later times as they move to more a central position, whilst ESCRT-III is also recruited more gradually. RNA silencing experiments show that both ESCRT-0 and ESCRT-I are important for the transit of EGF to EEA1 endosomes.
Loss of LKB1 leads to impaired epithelial integrity and cell extrusion in the early mouse embryo
Authors: Krawchuk Dayana , Anani Shihadeh , Honma-Yamanaka Nobuko , Polito Samantha , Shafik Marian , Yamanaka Yojiro
Published: January 2015

LKB1/PAR-4 is essential for the earliest polarization steps in C. elegans embryos and Drosophila oocytes. Although LKB1 is sufficient to initiate polarity in a single mammalian intestinal epithelial cell, its necessity in the formation and maintenance of mammalian epithelia remains unclear. To address this, we completely remove LKB1 from mouse embryos by generating maternal/zygotic Lkb1 mutants and find it is dispensable for polarity and epithelia formation in the early embryo. Instead, Lkb1 loss leads to the extrusion of cells from blastocyst epithelia that remain alive and can continue to divide. Chimeric analysis shows that Lkb1 is cell-autonomously required to prevent these extrusions. Furthermore, heterozygous loss of Cdh1 exacerbates the number of extrusions per blastocyst, suggesting LKB1 has a role regulating adherens junctions in order to prevent extrusion in epithelia.
The heterotrimeric kinesin-2 complex interacts with and regulates GLI protein function
Authors: Carpenter Brandon S. , Barry Renee L. , Verhey Kristen J. , Allen Benjamin L.
Published: January 2015

GLI transport to the primary cilium and nucleus is required for proper HH signaling; however, the mechanisms that mediate these trafficking events are poorly understood. Kinesin-2 motor proteins regulate ciliary transport of cargo, yet their role in GLI protein function remains unexplored. To examine a role for the heterotrimeric KIF3A/KIF3B/KAP3 kinesin-2 motor complex in regulating GLI activity, we performed a series of structure-function analyses using biochemical, cell signaling and in vivo approaches that define novel, specific interactions between GLI proteins and two components of this complex, KAP3 and KIF3A. We find that all three mammalian GLI proteins interact with KAP3 and map specific interaction sites in both proteins. Further, we find that GLI proteins interact selectively with KIF3A, but not KIF3B and that GLI interacts synergistically with KAP3 and KIF3A. Using a combination of cell signaling assays and chicken in ovo electroporations, we demonstrate that KAP3 interactions restrict GLI activator, but not GLI repressor function. These data suggest that GLI interactions with KIF3A/KIF3B/KAP3 complexes are essential for proper GLI transcriptional activity.
Cell competition in mouse NIH3T3 embryonic fibroblasts controlled by Tead activity and Myc
Authors: Mamada Hiroshi , Sato Takashi , Ota Mitsunori , Sasaki Hiroshi
Published: January 2015

Cell competition is a short-range communication originally observed in Drosophila. Relatively little is known about cell competition in mammals or in non-epithelial cells. Hippo signaling and its downstream transcription factor, Tead, control cell proliferation and apoptosis. Here, we established an in vitro model system that shows cell competition in mouse NIH3T3 embryo fibroblast cells. Co-culture of Tead activity-manipulated cells with normal cells caused cell competition. Cells with reduced Tead activity became losers, while cells with increased Tead activity became super-competitors. Tead directly regulated Myc RNA expression, and cells with increased Myc expression also became super-competitors. At low cell density, cell proliferation required both Tead activity and Myc. At high cell density, however, reduction of either Tead activity or Myc was compensated by an increase in the other, and this increase was sufficient to confer winner activity. Collectively, NIH3T3 cells have cell competition mechanisms similar to those regulated by Yki and Myc in Drosophila. Establishment of this in vitro model system should be useful for analyses of the mechanisms of cell competition in mammals and in fibroblasts.
TOM1 is a PI5P effector involved in the regulation of endosomal maturation
Authors: Boal Frédéric , Mansour Rana , Gayral Marion , Saland Estelle , Chicanne Gaëtan , Xuereb Jean-Marie , Marcellin Marlène , Burlet-Schiltz Odile , Sansonetti Philippe J. , Payrastre Bernard , Tronchère Hélène
Published: January 2015

Phosphoinositides represent a major class of lipids specifically involved in the organisation of signaling cascades, maintenance of the identity of organelles and regulation of multiple intracellular trafficking steps. We previously described that phosphatidylinositol 5-monophosphate (PI5P), produced by the Shigella flexneri phosphatase IpgD, is implicated in the endosomal sorting of the EGFR. Here, we show that the adaptor protein TOM1 is a new PI5P direct binding partner. We identify the domain of TOM1 involved in this interaction and characterize the binding motif. Finally, we demonstrate that the recruitment of TOM1 by PI5P on signaling endosomes is responsible for the delay in EGFR degradation and fluid-phase bulk endocytosis. Taken together, our data strongly suggest that PI5P-enrichment in signaling endosomes prevents endosomal maturation through the recruitment of TOM1, and point out to a new function of PI5P in regulating discrete maturation steps in the endosomal system.
Isolation of a Photochemically Unstable Product by Inner Filtering of Liquid–Liquid Slug Flow in a Microreactor
Authors: Yamashita Toshiaki , Inoue Motohiro , Yasuda Masahide
Published: January 2015

Photocycloaddition of 2-cyclopenten-1-one with 2,5-dihydrofuran was performed in a microreactor using the liquid–liquid slug flow consisting of water and an organic solvent to give a photochemically unstable cyclobutane, which was successfully isolated by protection using an inner filtering agent in the organic solution.
Facile Synthesis of Deuterium-Labelled Geranylgeraniols
Authors: Totsuka Yusuke , Ueda Shota , Kuzuyama Tomohisa , Shinada Tetsuro
Published: January 2015

Facile and stereoselective syntheses of three different kinds of deuterium-labelled geranylgeraniol analogs have been achieved. LiAlD4 is used as the deuterium source to ensure high deuterium incorporation. [8,8-d2]- and [9,9-d2]-geranylgeraniols have been prepared for the first time. [10-d]-geranylgeraniol was efficiently prepared with a high degree of deuterium incorporation.
The Nickel(II)-Catalyzed Direct Benzylation, Allylation, Alkylation, and Methylation of C–H Bonds in Aromatic Amides Containing an 8-Aminoquinoline Moiety as the Directing Group
Authors: Aihara Yoshinori , Wuelbern Jendrik , Chatani Naoto
Published: January 2015

Direct alkylation via the cleavage of the ortho C–H bonds by a nickel-catalyzed reaction of aromatic amides containing an 8-aminoquinoline moiety as the directing group with alkyl halides is reported. Various alkyl halides, including benzyl, allyl, alkyl, and methyl halides (or pseudo halides) participate as electrophilic coupling partners. The reaction shows a high functional group compatibility. The reaction proceeds in a highly regioselective manner at the less hindered C–H bonds in the reaction of meta-substituted aromatic amides, irrespective of the electronic nature of the substituent. The mechanism responsible for the C–H alkylation reaction is discussed based on the results obtained in a variety of mechanistic experiments.
Hydroxylation of Phenol on Iron-Containing Mesoporous Silica with Hierarchical Macroporous Architecture
Authors: Kamegawa Takashi , Ando Takahiro , Ishiguro Yasushi , Yamashita Hiromi
Published: January 2015

Iron-containing mesoporous silica with hierarchical macroporous architecture (Fe-MMS) was prepared by applying a solvent evaporation method. In the hydroxylation of phenol with H2O2, the advantageous structure of Fe-MMS realized the higher selectivity for formation of dihydroxybenzene (catechol and hydroquinone) as compared to Fe-containing mesoporous silica (Fe-MS).
Unexpected selection to retain high GC content and splicing enhancers within exons of multiexonic lncRNA loci
Authors: Haerty Wilfried , Ponting Chris P.
Published: January 2015

If sequencing was possible only for genomes, and not for RNAs or proteins, then functional protein-coding exons would be recognizable by their unusual patterns of nucleotide composition, specifically a high GC content across the body of exons, and an unusual nucleotide content near their edges. RNAs and proteins can, of course, be sequenced but the extent of functionality of intergenic long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) remains under question owing to their low nucleotide conservation. Inspired by the nucleotide composition patterns of protein-coding exons, we sought evidence for functionality across lncRNA loci from diverse species. We found that such patterns across multiexonic lncRNA loci mirror those of protein-coding genes, although to a lesser degree: Specifically, compared with introns, lncRNA exons are GC rich. Additionally we report evidence for the action of purifying selection to preserve exonic splicing enhancers within human multiexonic lncRNAs and nucleotide composition in fruit fly lncRNAs. Our findings provide evidence for selection for more efficient rates of transcription and splicing within lncRNA loci. Despite only a minor proportion of their RNA bases being constrained, multiexonic intergenic lncRNAs appear to require accurate splicing of their exons to transact their function.
Relationship between nucleosome positioning and progesterone-induced alternative splicing in breast cancer cells
Authors: Iannone Camilla , Pohl Andy , Papasaikas Panagiotis , Soronellas Daniel , Vicent Guillermo P. , Beato Miguel , ValcáRcel Juan
Published: January 2015

Splicing of mRNA precursors can occur cotranscriptionally and it has been proposed that chromatin structure influences splice site recognition and regulation. Here we have systematically explored potential links between nucleosome positioning and alternative splicing regulation upon progesterone stimulation of breast cancer cells. We confirm preferential nucleosome positioning in exons and report four distinct profiles of nucleosome density around alternatively spliced exons, with RNA polymerase II accumulation closely following nucleosome positioning. Hormone stimulation induces switches between profile classes, correlating with a subset of alternative splicing changes. Hormone-induced exon inclusion often correlates with higher nucleosome occupancy at the exon or the preceding intronic region and with higher RNA polymerase II accumulation. In contrast, exons skipped upon hormone stimulation display low nucleosome densities even before hormone treatment, suggesting that chromatin structure primes alternative splicing regulation. Skipped exons frequently harbor binding sites for hnRNP AB, a hormone-induced splicing regulator whose knock down prevents some hormone-induced skipping events. Collectively, our results argue that a variety of chromatin architecture mechanisms can influence alternative splicing decisions.
Active learning and decision making: an introduction to the collection
Authors: Gottlieb Jacqueline , Lopes Manuel , Oudeyer Pierre-Yves
Published: January 2015

The importance of exploratory behaviors by which agents actively sample information has been long appreciated in a wide range of disciplines ranging from machine and robot learning to neuroscience and psychology.  Given the complexity of these behaviors, progress in understanding them will require a confluence of ideas from these multiple fields.  This collection of articles in F1000Research aims to provide a home for a broad range of studies addressing this topic, including full length research articles, brief communications, single figure studies, and review/opinion articles, and studies using computational, behavioral or neural approaches.  Here, we provide an introduction to the collection which we hope will grow and become a valuable resource for the researchers exploring this topic.
Moving from an Exception to a Rule: Analyzing Mechanisms in Emergence-Based Institutionalization
Authors: Colyvas Jeannette A. , Maroulis Spiro
Published: January 2015

We analyze the conditions under which a practice moves from rare and unacceptable to preponderant and legitimate through bottom-up, relational processes. To better understand the mechanisms and contingencies of such “emergence-based institutionalization,” we combine computational agent-based modeling with insights from a setting where a seemingly deviant local practice became institutionalized: the case of the emergence of proprietary disclosure in the academic life sciences. Our approach results in both theoretical and methodological contributions. From a theoretical perspective, we develop propositions related to microlevel processes that lead to the institutionalization of new rules or those that leave existing arrangements unchanged. Our analysis suggests that traditional social explanations, such as organizational reproduction and copying successful peers, are less likely to drive emergence-based institutionalization than cognitive factors that direct individuals to anticipate and preempt the actions of others. From a methodological perspective, we provide an example of how case analysis and computational modeling can be combined to study the varying and contingent roles that normative, social, and cognitive factors play in persistence and change in institutionalization.
Combination therapies for asthma
Authors: Greener Mark
Published: January 2015

Combination inhalers are one of the five most expensive drug groups in the UK. Expenditure may rise further following the launch of several new combinations for asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or both. Despite clear advice, healthcare professionals (HCPs) often prescribe combination therapies inappropriately, which potentially undermines efficacy, increases costs, and may contribute to asthma mortality. Nevertheless, health care professionals need a diverse formulary to tailor treatment to each patient, and address the related issues of poor adherence and poor inhaler technique—both of which undermine outcomes and drive up costs. Meanwhile, commissioning groups seem to be missing several opportunities to reduce expenditure on drugs for asthma, while maintaining or improving outcomes.
Implementing Care Aims in an integrated team
Authors: Waterworth Caroline , Willcocks Steve , Selfe James , Roddam Hazel
Published: January 2015

Care Aims is increasingly being used as a model of care within NHS services, particularly by allied health professionals. This article reports the findings of a pilot study exploring the impact of implementing Care Aims in an integrated community health team. It describes the main findings, and discusses the factors that appeared to impact on the implementation and use of the Care Aims approach in these teams. The model has been traditionally used in uni-professional teams rather than integrated teams. This case study suggests Care Aims has potential to support integrated team working. In this study, clinicians perceived Care Aims was a model that could improve care for patients, support professionals working together and support self-management. However, it is unclear whether it was Care Aims itself or the training and discussion that took place that enabled this team to develop and agree more consistent working practices. Similar to previous studies, this study has shown how team and professional culture can influence how team members work together and provide care in an integrated way. Team and professional cultures are also shown to influence how team members approach and embrace that change. As such, Care Aims may be more challenging to some staff groups to implement.
Leading a CPD session
Authors: Weston David
Published: January 2015

It is common for teachers to be asked to lead CPD workshops with colleagues. David Weston advises on how you can prepare, deliver and follow-up your CPD to ensure it is effective
NEETs: Prevention is better than cure
Authors: Fleming Sarah
Published: January 2015

What is the best way to support students who, for none of the obvious reasons, seem to be switching off from school? Sarah Fleming shares some promising findings from on-going research
Resolving exam clashes
Authors: Chima Jugjit
Published: January 2015

The move to linear examinations has a number of implications for exams officers, not least scheduling clashes between the wide number of different examinations. Jugjit Chima offers some advice
Olympia: Alchemical designs of spatial decadence
Authors: LOIZOS YORGOS
Published: January 2015

Architectures were thought to be designed and placed in a very physical place: the architectural site. However, a large majority of designers overlook the complexity of our environment’s continuous adaptation and mutation. This deficiency of a design needs to be addressed through
a greater understanding of the feedback from the environment. It could be said that design does not need an active interfering designer, as it is an inherent part of the universe. A more assertive designer would treat a design in our environment as a giant simulation and just allow things
to happen. Through this article, I will present a series of design strategies that generate a spatial complexity informed by the rural environment of a seaside pier, a theatre of the bizarre – a freak show, a chemical photographic process and a cyborg, a storefront in an urban environment.
Through my practice all these spaces are interconnected through a creative language of spatial representation. Using my creative language of spatial representation I aim to celebrate the ordinary through the environment’s continuous transformation. The binding and separation of the various
sites come together through experimentation with the wet photographic techniques in a darkroom. The research speculates on the various ecological fluxes of an alchemical design. Hidden in the arcane of film chemical photography, I extract, reintroduce and reinvestigate a contemporary architecture
with a fresh approach to architectural drawing. The potential is not only within time delays and the composition of the image, but also in its chemical substance.
‘…behind a screen’: Early intercultural exchange in the Yokohama treaty port and the Michael Moss court case (1860)
Authors: Proshan Chester
Published: January 2015

In the late 1850s, western powers ‘imposed’ treaty ports on Japan, ending 200 years of Japanese near seclusion from international exchange. Western modernity and traditional Japanese society suddenly and sharply intermixed in the treaty ports. In 1860, a criminal court case was held in the Yokohama Treaty Port involving British and Japanese. The case provides a window on a Japanese early encounter with westerners and western culture. This article takes up the court case’s preliminary examination, addressing how Japanese prosecutors and witnesses engaged the culturally uncharted and potentially vexed circumstances they found themselves in.
What text can tell us about male and female characters in shōjo- and shōnen-manga
Authors: Unser-Schutz Giancarla
Published: January 2015

The manner in which manga can reflect and influence readers’ gender perceptions has been a frequently researched issue. This article is an attempt to consider those questions through language, a traditionally less-examined element, in order to shed new light on how male and female characters are used in manga. To do so, I use a linguistic corpus of ten popular shōjo-manga and shōnen-manga to look at (1) how much of the text found in speech bubbles was spoken by male and female characters; and (2) how many characters were seen. With regards to approximately 80% of all text, the corpus shows that shōnen-manga are extremely skewed towards male characters, compared to shōjo-manga, which is more balanced between female and male characters. While many more characters appear in shōnen-manga, the majority are male. Furthermore, only two female characters in all of the shōnen-manga series account for more than 10% of text, whereas all the shōjo-manga have male characters accounting for over 12%.

In examining why this might be, I suggest that the focus on interpersonal relationships – including both friendship and romance – in shōjo-manga may lead to a smaller cast of characters and better balance between male and female characters. However, with authors usually writing for their own gender, I also maintain that it is related to differences in the roles of women and men in Japanese society. These distributions also have an impact on characterization itself, particularly in regards to the use of gendered speech patterns. With insight from Kinsui’s yakuwari-go, or role-playing language (2003), I specifically argue that the results predict that shnōen-manga will use more stereotypical speech, particularly in depicting female characters. In offering supporting evidence for this hypothesis, I suggest that this may affect how readers engage with the characters, thus creating different types of reading experiences within the genres. Through this discussion, it will become clear that linguistic data can shed light into how characters are manipulated in manga on a variety of levels, thus appealing to its potential as a legitimate and unique approach to manga research.
A Japanese engineer who became a Taiwanese deity: Postcolonial representations of Hatta Yoichi
Authors: Amae Yoshihisa
Published: January 2015

Hatta Yoichi (1886–1942) was a Japanese engineer who designed and oversaw the construction of a massive reservoir in southern Taiwan, completed in 1930. He is a widely celebrated figure in present-day Taiwan, an island once ruled by Japan (1895–1945). Hatta is featured in books, music, manga, an animation film, a TV drama, a dance drama and a play. He has been deified; every year on 8 May, admirers flock in the hundreds to the Wushantou Reservoir to pay tribute to the famed engineer. In recent years, Wushantou has become a popular tourist attraction for both Japanese and Taiwanese. What is often overlooked, however, is the fact that Hatta, as a widely known figure, is a new discovery and modern invention; until the late 1980s, the famed engineer was virtually absent from public discourse and memory.

This article examines how Hatta is represented in present-day popular culture, as well as how his legacy has been culturally produced and consumed by different civic and political groups in both Taiwan and Japan. This study demonstrates that new meanings have been added through the ongoing process of productions and consumptions, making the Japanese engineer look very different from who he was historically.
Approaching transnational Chinese queer stardom as zhongxing (‘neutral sex/gender’) sensibility
Authors: Li Eva Cheuk-yin
Published: January 2015

A generation of female queer stars has emerged in post-millennial transnational Chinese popular culture. They have amassed many female followers. Among these stars are Mainland China’s Chris Lee, Hong Kong’s Denise Ho and Taiwan’s Jing Chang. These celebrities are often characterized as ‘zhongxing’, which literally means ‘neutral sex and/or gender’, because of their non-normative gender and ambiguous sexual representation. This article aims to develop a lens to approach this emergence of queer stars and its sociocultural implications. Considering the genealogy of zhongxing and its historical relevance and taking on the reflections of Anglo-American queer theory, this article justifies the use of zhongxing over the usual English term ‘androgyny’. Recent media scholarship on Chinese queer stardom has provided an insightful entry point to this phenomenon. In this article, zhongxing is conceptualized as a sensibility for its liminal status as a non-identity category and non-sexual practice. It is ambiguous but also gradually being stabilized and shaped as specific forms of embodiment, a quest for individuality and reflexive authenticity, and an emerging queer feeling. The potentiality of zhongxing sensibility, as suggested by preliminary interview data, invites further research in the affective texture of everyday life and the transforming contours of gender and sexuality in transnational Chinese societies.
Biopolitics and translation: Edwidge Danticat’s many tongues
Authors: Misrahi-Barak Judith
Published: January 2015

Edwidge Danticat’s novel The Farming of Bones (1998) takes its epigraph from the Bible (Judges). The famous passage about the Shibboleth is indeed the best possible introduction to the novel since ‘le droit de passage, le laissez-passer’ is reserved to people who can be identified as belonging to a certain social and ethnic group because they speak in a certain way. The way a word is pronounced determines whether one lives or dies. From ancient times, when the Gileadites inflicted the Shibboleth test upon the Ephraimites so as to distinguish insiders from outsiders, to 1937 when Dominicans put Haitians to the Parsley test, having them say perejil in the ‘proper’ Dominican way and putting them to death if they could not, such violence is ongoing. This article will use the framework of biopolitics to understand how violence is brought upon the body to exert an authoritarian power as well as how Danticat prolongs the work of her predecessors to offset such violence in a life-sustaining way. It will move across biopolitics, translation, Anglophone and Francophone literature and trauma studies, to understand how the multiple translations further the resistance and enhance the resilience that is at work in the very body of the text.

L’exergue du roman d’Edwidge Danticat The Farming of Bones (1998) est extraite de la Bible (Juges). Le passage bien connu à propos du Schibboleth est la meilleure introduction possible au roman puisque ‘le droit de passage, le laissez-passer’ est réservé à ceux qui peuvent être identifiés comme appartenant à un certain groupe ethnique et social par la façon dont ils parlent. La prononciation d’un mot décidera de la vie ou de la mort. Depuis les temps anciens où les Giléadites imposaient le test du Schibboleth aux Ephraïmites pour distinguer les intrus jusqu’à 1937 où les Dominicains ont utilisé la façon de prononcer perejil pour reconnaître les Haitiens et les mettre à mort à la moindre différence, la même violence se poursuit. Cet article utilisera le cadre de la biopolitique pour comprendre comment la violence est portée sur le corps afin d’exercer un pouvoir autoritaire mais aussi comment Danticat parvient à contrer une telle violence par la prolongation, et la dissémination, du travail de ses prédécesseurs. Il utilisera la biopolitique, la traduction, la littérature Anglophone et Francophone et les études sur le trauma pour comprendre comme les multiples traductions renforcent aussi la résistance et la résilience qui sont au cœur du corps du texte.
Parallel paths, converging interests: Trends and changes within media groups in Spain and Portugal (1995–2010)
Authors: Domínguez José Manuel Moreno
Published: January 2015

The recent introduction of Spanish media groups to the Portuguese market and the latest disputes in the telecommunications industry have put the spotlight on the Iberian market, in which companies of both countries coexist, compete and collaborate in order to consolidate their businesses and grow on the international scene. The convergent interests of big companies such as Telefónica, Prisa, Portugal Telecom and Lusomundo have opened up the debate on the high concentration of communication companies on the Iberian Peninsula. The purpose of this article is to establish similarities in the behaviour of these groups between 1995 and 2010 and to identify their common interests.
The experience of Basque dissidents in Ireland during the Second World War
Authors: Whelan Barry
Published: January 2015

It is the aim of this paper to investigate the experience of Basque exiles that came to Ireland during the Second World War to flee General Franco and his post–civil war repression. Many of these exiles previously occupied senior political and military positions in the Republican administration and were now forced to live in exile far away from Spain and their families. They escaped to Ireland because it was a democratic, friendly and Catholic nation, yet none of these men were idle. They continued the fight against international fascism from abroad. This article also details the exhaustive efforts Franco’s fascist representative in Dublin employed to force the Irish authorities to extradite these dissidents back to Spain to face imprisonment and possible execution. The research for this article has been gathered from archival investigations in the diplomatic files of Madrid and Dublin.
Taking Nigeria to the movies: The innovative regulatory role of the National Film and Video Censors Board
Authors: Obiaya Ikechukwu
Published: January 2015

The double-faceted nature of film as both a cultural and an economic good means that the direct involvement by the state in the film industry can often be guaranteed. Such state involvement worldwide is largely expressed through function-specific organs, whose powers and functions tend to vary. The National Film and Video Censors Board (NFVCB) of Nigeria, as one of such organs, has powers that go beyond film classification and censorship. This has been manifested especially through its attempt to regularize film distribution in Nigeria through the introduction of a distribution framework. Many resented this attempt by the NFVCB. They considered it as needless interference, especially since the Nigerian video film industry had grown without any assistance from the government. But the NFVCB stated that it was merely exercising its mandate. This article examines the various issues involved and seeks to throw some light on a body that has been little studied.
The impacts of an entertainment-education radio serial drama in Botswana on outcomes related to HIV prevention goals in the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief
Authors: Mahoney L. Meghan , Bates Benjamin R.
Published: January 2015

This study examines the effectiveness of an entertainment education (EE) programme, Makgabaneng, in reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS in Botswana. If successful, this communication intervention should result in greater self-report of attitudes, actions and knowledge related to risk reduction goals among those who listen to Makgabaneng more often than among those who listen less often. This article begins by describing the general orientation of Makgabaneng as EE and its specific theoretical model: the MARCH model of behaviour change. Through a survey of Batswana living in and around the capital of Gabarone, we assess whether Makgabaneng is effective in promoting knowledge, attitudinal and behavioural change. Findings reveal successes in some areas, but lack of success in other areas of prevention-supportive messages. We offer some conclusion for improving this form of EE.