bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Disagreements as a form of knowledge: How journalists address day-to-day conflicts between sources
Authors: Reich Zvi , Barnoy Aviv
Published: January 2019

Disagreements over facts, in which news sources are leading journalists in opposite directions, are an ultimate test of journalists’ knowledge, forcing them to develop their own understanding of the actual state of affairs. This study focuses on how reporters think, act, and establish knowledge during the coverage of day-to-day disagreements – contrary to former studies, which focused on large-scale scientific and political controversies based on content analysis that narrowed their exposure to the epistemic realities of disagreements. Using a combination of quantitative and qualitative reconstruction interviews we show that rather than eliciting an ‘epistemic paralysis’, as widely expected in the literature, disagreements attract significantly greater knowledge-acquisition energy. Findings support the problem-centered approach of epistemology and pragmatics that highlight the complexities of disagreements, rather than the adjudication-centered approach of journalism studies, which push for more journalistic ‘bottom lines’. Maximizing adjudication seems too ambitious and unrealistic for the time frame of daily reporting and the mixed epistemic standards seen in this study.
The postsecular Marx
Authors: McLennan Gregor
Published: January 2019

The emergence of ‘postsecularism’ prompts a re-assessment of the question of Marxism-and-religion, following a long period of polarization then a later twentieth-century phase of ambivalent reticence. But much hangs on whether postsecularism is taken to entail anti-secularism, and whether the latter, though a notable tendency in contemporary social theory, is convincing. The main thrust of this article is to counter two influential strands of theoretical anti-secularism: one drawing on postcolonialist themes and the other headed by Charles Taylor’s now-classic work A Secular Age. My arguments help us to re-specify the atheism-secularism of Marx himself and to identify current options. Singling out for critical note the postsecular positions of ‘compatibilism’ and ‘theologism’, the overall stance that guides the article is that of an expansive intellectual secularism. The point is neither to deny the subjective or political importance of religion nor to underestimate its (variable) societal functionality. Rather, I want to reaffirm an analytical, socio-naturalistic approach to what we understand by religion, and accordingly resist the moralistic, approving tone of many discussions of religion’s ‘revival’. More generally, the cultural, epistemic and imaginative resources of (critically minded) science seem to me still central for social understanding and progressive politics alike, an emphasis that remains one of Marx’s and Engels’ enduring contributions to social thought.
Impacts of LED dynamic white lighting on atmosphere perception
Authors: Lu Y , Li W , Xu W , Lin Y
Published: January 2019

This paper investigated atmosphere perception as dynamic white lighting varied in illuminance or correlated colour temperature in different directions and with different functional forms of change. Fifteen Chinese observers evaluated 32 dynamic lighting stimuli. A 13-scale questionnaire was employed for each stimulus. Factor analysis was adopted to examine the gender difference and the effect on atmosphere perception. Two dimensions of atmosphere perception were obtained and identified as coziness and liveliness for both illuminance change and correlated colour temperature change. Gender differences exist mostly on the scales ‘informal-formal’ and ‘slow–fast’. Dynamic white lighting shows significant influence on atmosphere perception. For illuminance changes, high correlated colour temperature levels are useful to create liveliness and a formal atmosphere. Liveliness also increases when the light level rises. A linear change increases coziness most and produces the slowest perceived speed of change. For dynamic light variations in correlated colour temperature, changes under high illuminance level or changes from warmer light to cooler light create liveliness. Perceived evenness tends to decrease when the light level rises. Linear and quadratic changes offer the coziest atmosphere. Further studies are needed but the effect should be considered when designing dynamic lighting installations or when dimming for numerous applications.
Perceived colour fidelity under LEDs with similar Rf but different Ra
Authors: Wei M , Royer M , Huang H-P
Published: January 2019

Substantial efforts have been made to develop new colour fidelity measures that are better correlated to perceived colour fidelity. Such measures minimize the possibility of increasing rated colour fidelity through spectral optimization without improving perceived colour fidelity. This paper reports a psychophysical experiment that was carefully designed to investigate how light sources with different spectral features affected perceived colour fidelity, and whether the effect can be reflected by the two existing colour fidelity measures (CIE Ra and Illuminating Engineering Society (IES) Rf). Fourteen observers evaluated the colour differences of eight physical colour samples under three pairs of light sources, which had similar IES Rf but different Ra values. IES Rf was found to perform better than CIE Ra.
Double agent mTOR
Authors: Danzer Steve C.
Published: January 2019

[Box: see text]
From DREADD to Treatment in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
Authors: Wong Jennifer C. , Escayg Andrew
Published: January 2019

[Box: see text]
Seize the Day for a Day With No Seizures: Modifiable Midlife Risk Factors Identified
Authors: Koubeissi Mohamad
Published: January 2019

[Box: see text]
Perceptions in PNES: A Bidirectional Problem
Authors: Dworetzky Barbara
Published: January 2019

[Box: see text]
Disparities in Access to Care Following Traumatic Digit Amputation
Authors: Long Chao , Suarez Paola A. , Hernandez-Boussard Tina , Curtin Catherine
Published: January 2019

Background: Care of digit amputations ranges from revision amputation to replantation. Many factors determine the treatment type. We looked at the epidemiology of amputation and factors associated with escalation of care after presenting to the emergency department (ED). We hypothesized that disparities in care following digit amputation exist. Methods: We queried the State ED Databases and State Inpatient Databases of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project and developed a cohort using the diagnosis codes for thumb and finger amputation. Escalation of care was defined as patients whose disposition from the ED was referral to a higher level hospital or inpatient admission. Bivariate and multivariable analyses were conducted to identify the characteristics associated with escalation of care. Results: Our cohort included 45 586 patients, of which 37 539 (82.4%) were men; 7130 (15.6%) and 38 456 (84.4%) suffered a thumb or finger amputation, respectively. The mean age was 39.3 ± 20.4 years, and 7487 (16.4%) received escalated care. Female sex (odds ratio [OR] = 0.7) was a negative independent predictor of escalation of care, while high income (OR = 1.1), machinery-related mechanism (OR = 1.8), self-harm (OR = 4.2), thumb amputation (OR = 1.7), Medicaid (OR = 1.3) or Medicare (OR = 1.1) insurance, trauma hospitals (OR = 1.3), and metropolitan teaching hospitals (OR = 1.2) were positive predictors. Conclusions: Male patients who suffered a thumb and/or self-inflicted amputation, are from a higher income zip code, have Medicaid or Medicare insurance, and present to a teaching trauma center are more likely to receive escalated care. This highlights differences in care that can serve as a starting point for work on barriers to access.
Numerical and experimental investigation of the effect of baffles on flow instabilities in a Francis turbine draft tube under partial load conditions
Authors: Zhou Xing , Wu He-gao , Shi Chang-zheng
Published: January 2019

An improved method for preventing vortex rope formation and alleviating the associated pressure fluctuations in turbine draft tubes is investigated using baffles in the draft tube to hinder the swirling flow emerging from a Francis turbine runner. A strong swirl produces flow instabilities and pressure fluctuations. Partial load operating conditions at the rated water head and three flow rates are taken into consideration. It is demonstrated using a computational fluid dynamics simulation that this method effectively eliminates the vortex rope, particularly when using four baffles. The amplitude of the pressure pulsation in the draft tube modified with four baffles was 0.42 times that in a traditional draft tube. The baffles were found to reduce the tangential velocity of the flow in the draft tube and consequently hinder the development of the fierce swirling flow. This type of decrease is more significant compared to the gradual decay due to viscous effects of the solid wall in a traditional draft tube. The conclusion was verified by the results of experiments conducted using a novel device. The measured increase in turbine efficiency exceeded 3% at the evaluated partial loading point, indicating improved economic performance of the turbine.
Astrocyte activation in the periaqueductal gray promotes descending facilitation to cancer-induced bone pain through the JNK MAPK signaling pathway
Authors: Ni Hua-dong , Xu Long Sheng , Wang Yungong , Li Hongbo , An Kang , Liu Mingjuan , Liu Qianying , Deng Houshen , He Qiuli , Huang Bing , Fang Jianqiao , Yao Ming
Published: January 2019

Descending nociceptive modulation from the supraspinal structures has an important role in cancer-induced bone pain (CIBP). Midbrain ventrolateral periaqueductal gray (vlPAG) is a critical component of descending nociceptive circuits; nevertheless, its precise cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in descending facilitation remain elusive. Our previous study has shown that the activation of p38 MAPK in vlPAG microglia is essential for the neuropathic pain sensitization. However, the existence of potential connection between astrocytes and c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway in CIBP has not yet been elucidated. The following study examines the involvement of astrocyte activation and upregulation of p-JNK in vlPAG, using a CIBP rat model. Briefly, CIBP was mimicked by an intramedullary injection of Walker 256 mammary gland carcinoma cells into the animal tibia. A significant increase in expression levels of astrocytes in the vlPAG of CIBP rats was observed. Furthermore, stereotaxic microinjection of the astrocytic cytotoxin L-α-aminoadipic acid decreased the mechanical allodynia as well as established and reversed the astrocyte activation in CIBP rats. A significant increase in expression levels of p-JNK in astrocytes in vlPAG of CIBP rats was also observed. Moreover, the intrathecal administration of JNK inhibitors SP600125 reduced the expression of glial fibrillary acidic protein, while microinjection of the SP600125 decreased the mechanical allodynia of CIBP rats. These results suggested that CIBP is associated with astrocyte activation in the vlPAG that probably participates in driving descending pain facilitation through the JNK MAPK signaling pathway. To sum up, these findings reveal a novel site of astrocytes modulation of CIBP.
Emerging media, political protests, and government repression in autocracies and democracies from 1995 to 2012
Authors: Christensen Britt , Groshek Jacob
Published: January 2019

This study empirically analyzed the relationships between emerging media as tools in fomenting anti-government protest as well as government repression of political opposition. Using a dataset of 162 democratic and autocratic countries over 18 years, potential differences between these phenomena were examined. The results of a series of analytic models suggest that higher levels of internet and mobile phones are positively associated with more instances of both political protests and political repression, which have increased dramatically in recent years. The differences between democratic and autocratic countries' emerging media and sociopolitical instability trends are explored and discussed.
Comparing iStent versus CyPass with or without phacoemulsification in patients with glaucoma: a meta-analysis
Authors: Mahdavi Fard Ali , Patel Sangita P. , Pourafkari Leili , Nader Nader D.
Published: January 2019

Bacground:

The aim of this study was to conduct a meta-analysis to compare the overall intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering effect of iStent or CyPass as isolated procedures or in combination with cataract extraction.

Materials and methods:

Cochrane review manager 5.3 software (RevMan® 5.3) was used for a meta-analysis of IOPs and the number of antiglaucoma medications in six groups according to the type and number of stents and whether the procedure was isolated or in combination with cataract extraction.

Main results:

A total of 33 out of 446 publications retrieved have been enrolled. The mean changes in IOP in the groups with one iStent and more than two iStents with concurrent cataract extraction were −3.78 ± 0.53 mmHg and −3.89 ± 0.73 mmHg, respectively. The mean differences in IOP in the groups with one iStent and more than two iStents without concurrent cataract extraction were −3.96 ± 0.25 mmHg and −7.48 ± 0.55 mmHg, respectively. The mean changes in IOP in the groups with CyPass implantation with and without concurrent cataract extraction were −4.97 ± 1.38 mmHg and −8.96 ± 0.16 mmHg, respectively.

Conclusions:

Both iStent and CyPass either in combination with cataract extraction or as isolated procedures effectively decrease IOP. This effect is greatest with isolated implantation of CyPass followed by multiple iStents and then single iStent implantation and lasts up to 2 years.
Perforations and bleeding in a population‐based cohort of all registered colonoscopies in Sweden from 2001 to 2013
Authors: Thulin Torbjörn , Hammar Ulf , Ekbom Anders , Hultcrantz Rolf , Forsberg Anna M
Published: January 2019

Background

The rates of perforation and bleeding are important quality measures of colonoscopy performance.

Objective

The objective of this article is to assess the frequency of colonoscopy‐related bleeding and perforation in Swedish counties and to relate these findings to patient characteristics.

Method

Data on 593,308 colonoscopies performed on adults from 2001 to 2013 were retrieved from Swedish inpatient and outpatient registers. Covariates were assessed in a multivariate Poisson regression model. The correlation between perforation and bleeding was calculated with Pearson's bivariate correlation formula.

Results

The relative frequency of bleeding and perforation vary across counties (bleeding: 0.02%–0.27%; perforation: 0.02%–0.27%). There were significant positive correlations between the relative frequency of bleeding and perforation at the county level, both including (r = 0.792, p < 0.001) and excluding polypectomies r = 0.814 (p < 0.001). The relative risks of these conditions in the counties ranged from 0.12, p < 0.001, to 1.53, p = 0.05 (bleeding) and from 0.17, p = 0.002, to 2.42, p < 0.001 (perforation).

Conclusions

There are substantial differences in colonoscopy performance in Sweden. These differences do not seem to be explained by patient characteristics.
Deforestation Adaptation Strategies Among Farmers in Nigeria
Authors: Bzugu P. M. , Egbeadumah M. O. , Aliyu A. , Ibrahim A. K.
Published: January 2019

The study examined deforestation adaptation strategies among farmers in Mubi South Local Government Area of Adamawa State, Nigeria. A proportionality factor was used in the selection of 120 respondents for the study. Data were collected through the use of a structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, Likert-scale and multiple regression analysis were used to analyse the data. The findings revealed that most (86.7%) of the respondents were within the ages of 20–50 years, educated (97.5%), males (86.7%) and married (70.0%) with household sizes of 6–10 persons (58.3%). Most of the respondents (91.7%) had between 11 and above 21 years of farming experience. Farming activities, fuel wood extraction and illegal lumbering activities were ranked foremost among the causes of deforestation in the area. The results revealed that the use of fuel efficient wood stove, use of corn straw for cooking, domestication of medicinal plants and conservation agriculture were ranked foremost among the deforestation adaptation strategies by the respondents. The results of the multiple regressions showed that age, education level, farming experience and extension contacts positively influence the use of adaptation strategies to deforestation. The constraints to deforestation adaptation strategies shows that lack of capital ranks 23 per cent; resistance to change, 22.3 per cent, and lack of awareness, 22 per cent, among respondents. It was concluded that respondents were in their active and productive age and had acquired one form of formal education or the other. Adaptation strategies are dominated by married farmers and males with household size of 6–10 persons and farming experience of 1–10 years. Farmers have less access to extension contacts and this constraint limited adaptation strategies. It was recommended that efforts should be intensified in educating farmers through concerted efforts of extension agents and agricultural radio programmes with the view to properly guide and educate farmers on effective afforestation strategies and sustainable strategies to be adopted in the study area. Government should educate farmers through the use of extension agents to teach farmers/respondents how to use alternative sources to cook; for instance, gather wood shavings, maize cubs or charcoal to make cooking fire as against felling trees.
Association of Global DNA Methylation to Titanium and Peri-Implantitis: A Case-Control Study
Authors: Daubert D.M. , Pozhitkov A.E. , Safioti L.M. , Kotsakis G.A.
Published: January 2019

Introduction:

Epigenetic changes are associated with various inflammatory diseases and are influenced by environmental factors. Recent data support an association between titanium dissolution products and peri-implantitis. We hypothesize that site-specific changes in gene methylation, a form of epigenetic regulation, around dental implants may be influenced by local environmental factors, such as titanium dissolution particles.

Objectives:

The primary purpose of this study was to assess global methylation patterns related to the disease status of dental implants and the concentration of titanium particles.

Methods:

We assessed peri-implantitis cases defined according to established definitions from a cross-sectional study that had implants in function for at least 2 y. Controls were sampled from the same population and had healthy implants. Peri-implant crevicular fluid samples were collected and prepared for immunohistochemical analysis of 5-methylcytosine (5mC), and submucosal plaque samples were collected and subjected to inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) for measuring titanium. Data were analyzed via generalized estimating equation models to account for multiple implants per participant.

Results:

Forty participants were included; 21 implants with peri-implantitis and 24 healthy implants were included in the analysis. Epigenetic alterations in global gene methylation were significantly more pronounced in peri-implantitis cases as compared to controls ( P = 0.002). Adjustment for smoking status further strengthened the association ( P = 0.0079). Higher adjusted titanium quantities had significantly higher 5mC ( P < 0.001).

Conclusions:

Peri-implantitis cases exhibited increased levels of methylated DNA cytosine (5mC) as compared to controls, suggesting that peri-implantitis is associated with epigenetic alterations in the peri-implant tissues. In addition, the finding that titanium concentrations were associated with global methylation levels independent of peri-implantitis status suggests that methylation may be affected by titanium dissolution products. Collectively, these results support further investigations to determine if these associations are causal or ecological in nature.

Knowledge Transfer Statement:

These are the first human data to elucidate the epigenetic regulation of gene transcription via hypermethylation as a potential mechanism involved in peri-implantitis. Furthermore, they identify titanium dissolution products as a potential environmental factor associated with this hypermethylation, which provides cues for novel therapeutic targets for peri-implantitis.
Decentralization and the quality of public services: Cross-country evidence from educational data
Authors: Diaz-Serrano Luis , Meix-Llop Enric
Published: January 2019

In this paper, we study the impact of fiscal and political decentralization on the quality of public service delivery. While the effect of fiscal decentralization on public services is a recursive theme, to the best of our knowledge, our study is the first to investigate the impact of political decentralization. We use educational data as a proxy for the quality of public services. We use microdata from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test scores from 22 countries and test for the impact of fiscal and political decentralization on students’ performance. We use not only general measures of decentralization but, for the first time, also education-specific decentralization measures. Our results indicate that the impact of fiscal decentralization on school outcomes is positive. However, the results regarding political decentralization are more ambiguous. We also observe that the scalar effect of both political and economic decentralization becomes more evident in large cities.
From stage-managed planning towards a more imaginative and inclusive strategic spatial planning
Authors: Albrechts Louis , Barbanente Angela , Monno Valeria
Published: January 2019

Planning systems have changed little from the traditional models of the 1970s. They focus mainly on maintaining the existing social-spatial order rather than challenging and transforming it. This is done through a focus on carefully stage-managed processes with subtly but clearly defined parameters of what is open for debate suspending alternative ways of interpretation. These systems fail to capture the dynamics and tensions of relations coexisting in particular places. We argue for a more imaginative and inclusive strategic spatial planning. Core issues for this strategic planning are: imagination to broaden the scope of the possible, social justice, and legitimacy. In the tradition of empowerment planning, co-production, as a mobilizing practice of collective political organization, is introduced. For us, the emancipatory narrative of co-production fulfills a legitimating function. All this calls for a transformative agenda and must revolve around the construction of great new fictions that create real possibilities for different futures. Our three core issues force planners to extend their thinking into other epistemological worlds.
Treatment of rare factor deficiencies other than hemophilia
Authors: Menegatti Marzia , Peyvandi Flora
Published: January 2019

The deficiency of fibrinogen, prothrombin, factor V (FV), FVII, FVIII, FIX, FX, FXI, and FXIII, called rare coagulation disorders (RCDs), may result in coagulopathies leading to spontaneous or posttrauma and postsurgery hemorrhages. RCDs are characterized by a wide variety of symptoms, from mild to severe, which can vary significantly from 1 disease to another and from 1 patient to another. The most typical symptoms of all RCDs are mucosal bleedings and bleeding at the time of invasive procedures, whereas other life-threatening symptoms such as central nervous system bleeding and hemarthroses are mostly present only in some deficiencies (afibrinogenemia, FX, and FXIII). At variance with hemophilia A and B and von Willebrand disease, RCDs are much less prevalent, ranging from 1 case in 500 000 to 1 in 2 million in the general population. Their clinical heterogeneity associated with the low number of patients has led to a delay in the development of appropriate therapies. Indeed, a similar heterogeneity can also be found in the treatment products available, ranging from the specific recombinant proteins to treat FVII- and FXIII-deficient patients to the complete absence of specific products to treat patients with FII or FV deficiencies, for whom prothrombin complex concentrates or fresh frozen plasma are, to date, the only option. The recent development of novel hemostatic approaches for hemophilia, such as the use of nonsubstitutive therapy as RNA interference, anti–tissue factor pathway inhibitor, and the gene therapy aimed at improving the patient’s quality of life may also have an important role in the treatment of patients with RCDs in the future.
Regulation of globin-heme balance in Diamond-Blackfan anemia by HSP70/GATA1
Authors: Rio Sarah , Gastou Marc , Karboul Narjesse , Derman Raphaёl , Suriyun Thunwarat , Manceau Hana , Leblanc Thierry , El Benna Jamel , Schmitt Caroline , Azouzi Slim , Larghéro Jérome , Karim Zoubida , Macias-Garcia Alejandra , Chen Jane-Jane , Hermine Olivier , Courtois Geneviève , Puy Hervé , Gouya Laurent , Mohandas Narla , Da Costa Lydie
Published: January 2019

Diamond-Blackfan anemia (DBA) is a congenital erythroblastopenia that is characterized by a blockade in erythroid differentiation related to impaired ribosome biogenesis. DBA phenotype and genotype are highly heterogeneous. We have previously identified 2 in vitro erythroid cell growth phenotypes for primary CD34+ cells from DBA patients and following short hairpin RNA knockdown of RPS19, RPL5, and RPL11 expression in normal human CD34+ cells. The haploinsufficient RPS19 in vitro phenotype is less severe than that of 2 other ribosomal protein (RP) mutant genes. We further documented that proteasomal degradation of HSP70, the chaperone of GATA1, is a major contributor to the defect in erythroid proliferation, delayed erythroid differentiation, increased apoptosis, and decreased globin expression, which are all features of the RPL5 or RPL11 DBA phenotype. In the present study, we explored the hypothesis that an imbalance between globin and heme synthesis may be involved in pure red cell aplasia of DBA. We identified disequilibrium between the globin chain and the heme synthesis in erythroid cells of DBA patients. This imbalance led to accumulation of excess free heme and increased reactive oxygen species production that was more pronounced in cells of the RPL5 or RPL11 phenotype. Strikingly, rescue experiments with wild-type HSP70 restored GATA1 expression levels, increased globin synthesis thereby reducing free heme excess and resulting in decreased apoptosis of DBA erythroid cells. These results demonstrate the involvement of heme in DBA pathophysiology and a major role of HSP70 in the control of balanced heme/globin synthesis.
Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis commonly complicates treated pulmonary tuberculosis with residual cavitation
Authors: Page Iain D. , Byanyima Rosemary , Hosmane Sharath , Onyachi Nathan , Opira Cyprian , Richardson Malcolm , Sawyer Richard , Sharman Anna , Denning David W.
Published: January 2019

Chronic pulmonary aspergillosis (CPA) complicates treated pulmonary tuberculosis (TB), with high 5-year mortality. We measured CPA prevalence in this group.

398 Ugandans with treated pulmonary TB underwent clinical assessment, chest radiography andAspergillus-specific IgG measurement. 285 were resurveyed 2 years later, including computed tomography of the thorax in 73 with suspected CPA. CPA was diagnosed in patients without active TB who had raisedAspergillus-specific IgG, radiological features of CPA and chronic cough or haemoptysis.

Author-defined CPA was present in 14 (4.9%, 95% CI 2.8–7.9%) resurvey patients. CPA was significantly more common in those with chest radiography cavitation (26%versus0.8%; p<0.001), but possibly less frequent in HIV co-infected patients (3%versus6.7%; p=0.177). The annual rate of new CPA development between surveys was 6.5% in those with chest radiography cavitation and 0.2% in those without (p<0.001). Absence of cavitation and pleural thickening on chest radiography had 100% negative predictive value for CPA. The combination of raisedAspergillus-specific IgG, chronic cough or haemoptysis and chest radiography cavitation had 85.7% sensitivity and 99.6% specificity for CPA diagnosis.

CPA commonly complicates treated pulmonary TB with residual chest radiography cavitation. Chest radiography alone can exclude CPA. Addition of serology can diagnose CPA with reasonable accuracy.
Persistence of fire-killed conifer snags in California, USA
Authors: Grayson Lindsay M. , Cluck Daniel R. , Hood Sharon M.
Published: January 2019

Background

Coarse woody debris has numerous functions in forest ecosystems, including wildlife habitat, fuel loading, and nutrient cycling. Standing dead trees, or snags, are particularly important resources for wildlife, and guidelines for snag recruitment and retention are integral parts of forest management. However, snag persistence is not well understood and existing models are poorly validated. We monitored fire-killed conifer snag persistence after four California wildfires and one prescribed fire. Species sampled included white fir (Abies concolor[Gord. & Glend.] Lindl. ex Hildebr.), incense-cedar (Calocedrus decurrens[Torr.] Florin), Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi[Balf.]), sugar pine (Pinus lambertianaDouglas), and ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosaLawson & C. Lawson var.ponderosaC. Lawson).

Results

Fire-injured trees that survived at least one year post fire were monitored for 10 years after they died. We developed two sets of species-specific snag persistence rates: a simplified model based only on time since death, and a full model that included tree characteristics. The primary factors affecting persistence rates in all models were snag age (years since death) and species. Secondary factors included diameter at breast height, time between fire and tree death, and crown injury. Snag persistence rates decreased with snag age. Yellow pine snags (a combined group of ponderosa pine and Jeffrey pine) fell significantly faster than any other species. Larger-diameter snags persisted longer than smaller-diameter snags for all species. Incense-cedar trees that survived longer post fire persisted longer as snags.

Conclusions

This study provides land managers with guidance on snag longevity, which can aid in planning for long-term wildlife habitat, fuel loading estimates, and forest structural diversity.
TOP1α regulates FLOWERING LOCUS C expression by coupling histone modification and transcription machinery
Authors: Zhong Peiqiao , Li Jiaojiao , Luo Linjie , Zhao Zhong , Tian Zhaoxia
Published: January 2019

The key steps of transcription are coupled with the opening of the DNA helical structure and establishment of active chromatin to facilitate the movement of the transcription machinery. Type I topoisomerases cleave one DNA strand and relax the supercoiled structure of transcribed templates. How topoisomerase-mediated DNA topological changes promote transcription and establish a permissive histone modification for transcription elongation is largely unknown. Here, we show that TOPOISOMERASE 1α in plants regulates FLOWERING LOCUS C transcription by coupling histone modification and transcription machinery. We demonstrate that TOP1α directly interacts with the methyltransferase SDG8 to establish high levels of H3K36 methylation downstream of FLC transcription start sites and recruits RNA polymerase II to facilitate transcription elongation. Our results provide a mechanistic framework for TOP1α control of the main steps of early transcription and demonstrate how topoisomerases couple RNA polymerase II and permissive histone modifications to initiate transcription elongation.
A TOR-YAK1 signaling axis controls cell cycle, meristem activity and plant growth in Arabidopsis
Authors: Barrada Adam , Djendli Meriem , Desnos Thierry , Mercier Raphael , Robaglia Christophe , Montané Marie-Hélène , Menand Benoît
Published: January 2019

TARGET OF RAPAMYCIN (TOR) is a conserved eukaryotic phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase-related kinase that plays a major role in regulating growth and metabolism in response to environment in plants. We performed a genetic screen for Arabidopsis ethylmethane sulfonate mutants resistant to the ATP-competitive TOR inhibitor AZD-8055 to identify new components of the plant TOR pathway. We found that loss-of-function mutants of the DYRK (dual specificity tyrosine phosphorylation regulated kinase)/YAK1 kinase are resistant to AZD-8055 and, reciprocally, that YAK1 overexpressors are hypersensitive to AZD-8055. Significantly, these phenotypes were conditional on TOR inhibition, positioning YAK1 activity downstream of TOR. We further show that the ATP-competitive DYRK1A inhibitor pINDY phenocopies YAK1 loss of function. Microscopy analysis revealed that YAK1 functions to repress meristem size and induce differentiation. We show that YAK1 represses cyclin expression in the different zones of the root meristem and that YAK1 is essential for TOR-dependent transcriptional regulation of the plant-specific SIAMESE-RELATED (SMR) cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors in both meristematic and differentiating root cells. Thus, YAK1 is a major regulator of meristem activity and cell differentiation downstream of TOR.
Enhanced Quantum Yield of Nanographenes Incorporated in Supermicroporous Silicas and the Co-Adsorption Effect of Water Molecules
Authors: Watanabe Hiroto , Fujimaki Yasuto , Hayashi Kosei , Imai Hiroaki
Published: January 2019

Nanographene with various molecular sizes was synthesized and incorporated into the size-controlled pores of super-microporous silica (SMPS). It was found that when the pore diameter of the SMPS matched the molecular size of the nanographene, the fluorescence quantum yield was greatly enhanced. Furthermore, co-adsorption of water molecules improved the quantum yield. This improvement is attributed to a suppression of the interaction between the nanographene and silica walls, which lowers the quantum yield. Since nanographene is insoluble in water, it becomes surrounded by water molecules, almost like in aqueous solution. Finally, highly fluorescent solid materials were obtained by incorporating nanographene into SMPS.
Environmental Justice: The Economics of Race, Place, and Pollution
Authors: Banzhaf Spencer , Ma Lala , Timmins Christopher
Published: January 2019

The grassroots movement that placed environmental justice issues on the national stage around 1980 was soon followed up by research documenting the correlation between pollution and race and poverty. This work has established inequitable exposure to nuisances as a stylized fact of social science. In this paper, we review the environmental justice literature, especially where it intersects with work by economists. First we consider the literature documenting evidence of disproportionate exposure. We particularly consider the implications of modeling choices about spatial relationships between polluters and residents, and about conditioning variables. Next, we evaluate the theory and evidence for four possible mechanisms that may lie behind the patterns seen: disproportionate siting on the firm side, “coming to the nuisance” on the household side, market-like coordination of the two, and discriminatory politics and/or enforcement. We argue that further research is needed to understand how much weight to give each mechanism. Finally, we discuss some policy options.
Force measurements show that uL4 and uL24 mechanically stabilize a fragment of 23S rRNA essential for ribosome assembly
Authors: Geffroy Laurent , Bizebard Thierry , Aoyama Ryo , Ueda Takuya , Bockelmann Ulrich
Published: January 2019

In vitro reconstitution studies have shown that ribosome assembly is highly cooperative and starts with the binding of a few ribosomal (r-) proteins to rRNA. It is unknown how these early binders act. Focusing on the initial stage of the assembly of the large subunit of the Escherichia coli ribosome, we prepared a 79-nucleotide-long region of 23S rRNA encompassing the binding sites of the early binders uL4 and uL24. Force signals were measured in a DNA/RNA dumbbell configuration with a double optical tweezers setup. The rRNA fragment was stretched until unfolded, in the absence or in the presence of the r-proteins (either uL4, uL24, or both). We show that the r-proteins uL4 and uL24 individually stabilize the rRNA fragment, both acting as molecular clamps. Interestingly, this mechanical stabilization is enhanced when both proteins are bound simultaneously. Independently, we observe a cooperative binding of uL4 and uL24 to the rRNA fragment. These two aspects of r-proteins binding both contribute to the efficient stabilization of the 3D structure of the rRNA fragment under investigation. We finally consider implications of our results for large ribosomal subunit assembly.
Chain reaction: LINC complexes and nuclear positioning
Authors: Burke Brian
Published: January 2019

Nuclear positioning plays an essential role in defining cell architecture and behaviour in both development and disease, and nuclear location frequently adjusts according to internal and external cues. For instance, during periods of migration in many cell types, the nucleus may be actively repositioned behind the microtubule-organising centre. Nuclear movement, for the most part, is dependent upon coupling of the cytoskeleton to the nuclear periphery. This is accomplished largely through SUN and KASH domain proteins, which together assemble to form LINC (linker of the nucleoskeleton and cytoskeleton) complexes spanning the nuclear envelope. SUN proteins of the inner nuclear membrane provide a connection to nuclear structures while acting as a tether for outer nuclear membrane KASH proteins. The latter contain binding sites for diverse cytoskeletal components. Recent publications highlight new aspects of LINC complex regulation revealing that the interplay between SUN and KASH partners can strongly influence how the nucleus functionally engages with different branches of the cytoskeleton.
Lassa virus diversity and feasibility for universal prophylactic vaccine
Authors: Lukashevich Igor S. , Paessler Slobodan , de la Torre Juan Carlos
Published: January 2019

Lassa virus (LASV) is a highly prevalent mammarenavirus in West Africa and is maintained in nature in a persistently infected rodent host,Mastomys natalensis, which is widely spread in sub-Saharan Africa. LASV infection of humans can cause Lassa fever (LF), a disease associated with high morbidity and significant mortality. Recent evidence indicates an LASV expansion outside its traditional endemic areas. In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) included LASV in top-priority pathogens and released a Target Product Profile (TPP) for vaccine development. Likewise, in 2018, the US Food and Drug Administration added LF to a priority review voucher program to encourage the development of preventive and therapeutics measures. In this article, we review recent progress in LASV vaccine research and development with a focus on the impact of LASV genetic and biological diversity on the design and development of vaccine candidates meeting the WHO’s TPP for an LASV vaccine.
Novel systemic therapies in atopic dermatitis: what do we need to fulfil the promise of a treatment revolution?
Authors: Alexander Helen , Patton Thomas , Jabbar-Lopez Zarif K. , Manca Andrea , Flohr Carsten
Published: January 2019

Patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) who do not adequately respond to topical therapy and phototherapy often need systemic immunomodulatory treatment to control their symptoms. Conventional systemic agents, such as ciclosporin, azathioprine, and methotrexate, have been used for decades, but there are concerns about their safety profile. There are now many novel systemic agents emerging through clinical trials, which may have great potential in the treatment of AD. Despite this, there are very few data comparing the performance of these drugs against each other. The purpose of this article is to review the current systemic therapies in AD and present an indirect comparison of systemic AD treatments using effectiveness and safety data from published randomised controlled trials, highlighting important remaining gaps in knowledge. Although the latest developments in systemic AD treatments are exciting and dearly needed, further work is required before the promise of a therapeutic revolution becomes reality.
Emptiness and desire in the first rule of logic
Authors: Pelkey Jamin
Published: January 2019

Charles Sanders Peirce’s first rule of logic (EP 2.48, 1898) identifies the inception point of human inquiry. Taking a closer look at this principle, we find at its core a necessary relationship between emptiness and desire that underlies all genuine instances of human learning and adaptation. This composite relationship plays a critical role in the function or failure of learning but has received scant attention in the literature. As a result, the complexities of the first rule of logic are not well understood, often being mistakenly conflated with the rule’s famous corollary, ‘do not block the way of inquiry’, or passed over with cursory definitions, including ‘wonder’, ‘doubt’ and ‘the will to learn’. Following a background discussion highlighting the nature of reflexive inquiry and fallibilism that situate human consciousness both within and beyond animal being, I draw on multiple layers of evidence from a range of disciplines to better reveal the complex dynamics intrinsic to the first rule of logic. These layers include a closer reading and exegesis of the original passage and surrounding text; a semiotic reanalysis of this reading in light of recent advances in the semiotic theory of learning; a resituation of these distinctions within broader contemporary discussions of emptiness ontology to which I contribute in part via an original semantic/rhetorical analysis of a linguistic construction in Laozi; the introduction of a closely related pedagogical tool under development in the context of my own university-level teaching in ethnography and research methods; and the dialogic situation of this diagram within discourses of psychotherapy, philosophy and literature. Building on these principles and distinctions, the paper closes with a perspective shift on obstacles and desire in human learning and an expanded reformulation of the first rule of logic.
Can semiotics be used to drive paradigm changes in medical education?
Authors: Tredinnick-Rowe John
Published: January 2019

This essay sets out to explain how educational semiotics as a discipline can be used to reform medical education and assessment. This is in response to an ongoing paradigm shift in medical education and assessment that seeks to integrate more qualitative, ethical and professional aspects of medicine into curricula, and develop ways to assess them. This paper suggests that a method to drive this paradigm change might be found in the Peircean idea of suprasubjectivity. This semiotic concept is rooted in the scholastic philosophy of John of St Thomas, but has been reintroduced to modern semiotics through the works of John Deely, Alin Olteanu and, most notably, Charles Sanders Peirce. I approach this task as both a medical educator and a semiotician. In this paper, I provide background information about medical education, paradigm shifts, and the concept of suprasubjectivity in relation to modern educational semiotic literature. I conclude by giving examples of what a suprasubjective approach to medical education and assessment might look like. I do this by drawing an equivalence between the notion of threshold concepts and suprasubjectivity, demonstrating the similarities between their positions. Fundamentally, medical education suffers from tensions of teaching trainee doctors the correct balance of biological science and situational ethics/ judgement. In the transcendence of mind-dependent and mind-independent being the scholastic philosophy of John of St Thomas may be exactly the solution medicine needs to overcome this dichotomy.
CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION AS ONE OF THE KEY ASPECTS OF SUCCESSFUL BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS OF FUTURE ECONOMISTS
Authors: Луговая Анастасия , Lugovaya Anastasia
Published: January 2019

The modern world offers new challenges for the world economic relations. Nowadays culture is one of the most important aspects in understanding different economic and business environments. Culture reflects various historical and traditional peculiarities of this or that society. It is everywhere around us and thus it influences the mind and behavior of people all around the world. The country development can be influenced by its own culture. Therefore, correct understanding the nature of culture and its characteristics is substantial to international business relations. This article deals with scientific information concerning cross cultural communication, examples and arguments why this sphere is very important for future economists.
a infância no cinema de abbas kiarostami
Authors: Rabbani Darian soheil rahnamaye , Aquino Julio groppa
Published: January 2019

O presente artigo devota-se a descrever e analisar o endereçamento à infância em algumas obras cinematográficas de Abbas Kiarostami. Para tanto, a argumentação volta-se inicialmente à contextualização da Revolução Iraniana de 1979, responsável pelo fim do regime monárquico do Xá Reza Pahlavi, que tinha a laicidade e a modernidade como motes, e pelo o início da República Islâmica do Irã, centrada na figura do Aiatolá Khomeini e apoiada na tradição islâmica. Nesse cenário, destaca-se o papel do Instituto para o Desenvolvimento Cultural da Criança e do Adolescente, referido como Kanun. Fundado com o propósito de criar obras de cunho educativo durante o regime do Xá, o Kanun foi de fundamental importância para a produção artístico-cultural do país, tanto antes quanto depois da Revolução. Especialmente, seu departamento de cinema, no qual vários cineastas iniciaram suas carreiras (entre eles, Kiarostami, o primeiro diretor do departamento), é considerado o berço do movimento reconhecido como o Novo Cinema Iraniano. Assim, o presente trabalho debruça-se sobre as narrativas acerca da infância presentes em tais filmes, considerando a ambiência pós-revolucionária e, presumidamente, a tarefa de construção de um novo sujeito histórico a partir de um marco outro para a infância. Mais especificamente, o trabalho oferece uma análise articulada de seis obras cinematográficas de Kiarostami produzidas no período de 1970 a 1989. Em todas elas é possível testemunhar uma interrogação sobre a posição das crianças naquele contexto societário. Após uma discussão sobre o uso de filmes como fonte investigativa, apresentam-se três movimentos argumentativos identificados em tais obras, intitulados respectivamente: a criança à margem da sociedade; a criança no centro da sociedade; e a criança da revolução. Ao final das discussões, propõe-se que o cinema de Kiarostami consistiu em um ponto de inflexão das modalidades de veridicção-subjetivação ali correntes. Tratava-se, assim, em um tipo peculiar de exercício ético-político, por meio de uma experimentação narrativa que se valia do universo infantil como ocasião de prospecção dos ideais do processo revolucionário
NÃO-VIOLAÇÃO DO MÍNIMO EXISTENCIAL E A ANTERIORIDADE TRIBUTÁRIA: UMA ANÁLISE À LUZ DO IMPACTO DOS TRIBUTOS NO MERCADO / NO VIOLATION OF THE EXISTENCIAL MINIMUN AND TAX PRECEDENCE: AN ANALYSIS BASED ON THE IMPACT OF TAXES ON THE MARKET
Authors: Oliveira Ricardo Marty
Published: January 2019

A presente pesquisa, valendo-se do método dedutivo, consubstanciada em doutrina corrente alusiva ao tema, tem por objetivo expor a essencialidade das limitações ao poder de tributar, mais especificamente, do princípio da anterioridade da lei tributária; enquadrando-o como um direito individual, espécie do gênero direitos fundamentais, e colocando-o como garantidor do direito ao mínimo existencial.