bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Effect of Heterogeneous Short Chain Branching Distribution on Acceleration or Retardation of the Rate of Crystallization from Melts of Ethylene Copolymers Synthesized with Ziegler‐Natta Catalysts
Authors: Ren Minqiao , Chen Xuejian , Sang Yuan , Alamo Rufina G.
Published: October 2015

Ethylene 1‐alkene copolymers with the same molar mass, same molar mass distribution and very similar average comonomer content of 3.8 +/− 0.4 mol% but different broad interchain comonomer content distribution (CCD), are found to display different extents of melt memory effect on crystallization rate. With decreasing the initial melt temperature, all broadly distributed copolymers show enhanced crystallization followed by a decrease of crystallization rate. However, copolymers with a higher content of molecules in the medium composition range (6‐2 mol% comonomer) and a lower content of lightly branched molecules (<2 mol% comonomer), display the highest effect of memory of a prior crystallization in their high temperature melts. The increase in crystallization peak temperature is up to 4  °C. The acceleration and further retardation of the crystallization are associated with self‐seeds that remain in one‐phase or two liquid phases melts respectively. The magnitude of the effect on crystallization is proportional to the number of surviving seeds in the initial melt.
On positive solutions to fractional sum boundary value problems for nonlinear fractional difference equations
Authors: Reunsumrit Jiraporn , Sitthiwirattham Thanin
Published: October 2015

In this paper, we study a new class of 3‐point boundary value problems of nonlinear fractional difference equations. Our problems contain difference and fractional sum boundary conditions. Existence and uniqueness of solutions are proved by using the Banach fixed‐point theorem, and existence of the positive solutions is proved by using the Krasnoselskii's fixed‐point theorem. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Existence of solutions for an anisotropic elliptic problem with variable exponent and singularity
Authors: Yu Mei , Wang Li , Tang Sufang
Published: October 2015

In this paper, we study the following anisotropic problem with singularity:

urn:x-wiley:mma:media:mma3729:mma3729-math-0001
where
is a bounded domain with smooth boundary. Using the critical point theory, we obtain the existence of weak solutions for the problem under suitable conditions. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Morphometric Variability of Roman Dogs in Hispania Tarraconensis: The Case Study of the Vila de Madrid Necropolis
Authors: Colominas L.
Published: October 2015

The size, body conformation and skull shape of Roman dogs from the ‘Vila de Madrid necropolis’ site, where 1480 dog remains were recovered, are described in this paper to provide evidence of the morphometric variability of Roman dogs in Hispania Tarraconensis.

The individualized and detailed morphometric analysis of 10 individuals shows that the proliferation and explosion of the morphological variability already documented in different regions of the Roman Empire (Italia, Gallia, Britannia, Pannonia) are also noted here. The presence of very different individuals in terms of their shape and size, similar to the differences that can at present be noted between Pekingese and Doberman dogs, has been documented at the site. The reasons for the appearance of this morphological variability within those territories that were part of the Roman Empire are also discussed. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Babala and the Bible: Israel and a ‘Messianic Church’ in Papua New Guinea
Authors: Dundon Alison
Published: October 2015

In early 2000s, a large group of Gogodala‐speaking villagers in the Western Province (WP) of Papua New Guinea, led by a man I refer to as Henry, claimed to be members of the Lost Tribes of Israel. Henry and his supporters arranged for the visit of Tudor Parfitt, then Director of the Centre for Jewish Studies at the University of London, to WP. In this paper, I suggest that an ongoing local interest in ‘origins’ has been framed in light of biblical teachings, and this more recent claim of a connection between the Gogodala ancestors and the Lost Tribes of Israel. I explore the generation of such ideas and claims through an examination of the significance of babala (‘rules’ or ‘laws’) as practices vital to the maintenance of village‐based life, and biblical teachings on behaviour and practice focused on by the local Unevangelised Fields Mission. In this context, I explore the implications of the conjuncture of babala and the Bible, and the visits by Parfitt and his team, through the recent development of a ‘Messianic Church’ in Balimo with explicit forms of worship associated with Judaism.
Studying human respiratory disease in animals – role of induced and naturally occurring models
Authors: Williams Kurt , Roman Jesse
Published: October 2015

Respiratory disorders like asthma, emphysema, and pulmonary fibrosis affect millions of Americans and many more worldwide. Despite advancements in medical research that have led to improved understanding of the pathophysiology of these conditions and sometimes to new therapeutic interventions, these disorders are for the most part chronic and progressive; current interventions are not curative and do not halt disease progression. A major obstacle to further advancements relates to the absence of animal models that exactly resemble the human condition, which delays the elucidation of relevant mechanisms of action, the unveiling of biomarkers of disease progression, and identification of new targets for intervention in patients. There are currently many induced animal models of human respiratory disease available for study, and even though they mimic features of human disease, discoveries in these models have not always translated into safe and effective treatments in humans. A major obstacle relates to the genetic, anatomical, and functional variations amongst species, which represents the major challenge to overcome when searching for appropriate models of respiratory disease. Nevertheless, rodents, in particular mice, have become the most common species used for experimentation, due to their relatively low cost, size, and adequate understanding of murine genetics, among other advantages. Less well known is the fact that domestic animals also suffer from respiratory illnesses similar to those found in humans. Asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, and pulmonary fibrosis are among the many disorders occurring naturally in dogs, cats, and horses, among other species. These models might better resemble the human condition and are emphasized here, but further investigations are needed to determine their relevance. Copyright © 2015 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Targeting a novel bone degradation pathway in primary bone cancer by inactivation of the collagen receptor uPARAP/Endo180
Authors: Engelholm Lars H , Melander Maria C , Hald Andreas , Persson Morten , Madsen Daniel H , Jürgensen Henrik J , Johansson Kristina , Nielsen Christoffer , Nørregaard Kirstine S , Ingvarsen Signe Z , Kjær Andreas , Trovik Clement S , Lærum Ole D , Bugge Thomas H , Eide Johan , Behrendt Niels
Published: October 2015

In osteosarcoma, a primary mesenchymal bone cancer occurring predominantly in younger patients, invasive tumour growth leads to extensive bone destruction. This process is insufficiently understood, cannot be efficiently counteracted and calls for novel means of treatment. The endocytic collagen receptor, uPARAP/Endo180, is expressed on various mesenchymal cell types and is involved in bone matrix turnover during normal bone growth. Human osteosarcoma specimens showed strong expression of this receptor on tumour cells, along with the collagenolytic metalloprotease, MT1–MMP. In advanced tumours with ongoing bone degeneration, sarcoma cells positive for these proteins formed a contiguous layer aligned with the degradation zones. Remarkably, osteoclasts were scarce or absent from these regions and quantitative analysis revealed that this scarcity marked a strong contrast between osteosarcoma and bone metastases of carcinoma origin. This opened the possibility that sarcoma cells might directly mediate bone degeneration. To examine this question, we utilized a syngeneic, osteolytic bone tumour model with transplanted NCTC‐2472 sarcoma cells in mice. When analysed in vitro, these cells were capable of degrading the protein component of surface‐labelled bone slices in a process dependent on MMP activity and uPARAP/Endo180. Systemic treatment of the sarcoma‐inoculated mice with a mouse monoclonal antibody that blocks murine uPARAP/Endo180 led to a strong reduction of bone destruction. Our findings identify sarcoma cell‐resident uPARAP/Endo180 as a central player in the bone degeneration of advanced tumours, possibly following an osteoclast‐mediated attack on bone in the early tumour stage. This points to uPARAP/Endo180 as a promising therapeutic target in osteosarcoma, with particular prospects for improved neoadjuvant therapy. Copyright © 2015 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Identification of DDX39A as a Potential Biomarker for Unfavorable Neuroblastoma Using a Proteomic Approach
Authors: Otake Kohei , Uchida Keiichi , Ide Shozo , Kobayashi Yuhko , Kobayashi Issei , Kusunoki Masato
Published: October 2015

Background

Malignant potential in unfavorable neuroblastoma (NB) is dependent on an undifferentiated status. The aim of this study was to identify a novel biomarker associated with the undifferentiated status of NB in vitro and to evaluate its prognostic implication.

Procedure

Shotgun proteomic analysis was performed in undifferentiated and all trans‐retinoic acid induced differentiated NB cells in vitro. An identified protein was verified by multiple reaction monitoring (MRM) and evaluated by Western blot analysis. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was used to examine the expression of the identified protein in 33 primary NB tissues.

Results

Twelve proteins, including ATP‐dependent RNA helicase (DDX39A), were only detected in undifferentiated NB cells. A peptide of DDX39A was detected at a significantly higher level in undifferentiated IMR‐32 (P = 0.002) and LA‐N‐1 (P < 0.001) cells by MRM. Western blot analysis revealed that DDX39A expression was significantly higher in undifferentiated IMR‐32 (P = 0.02) and LA‐N‐1 (P = 0.025) cells. IHC demonstrated that DDX39A was highly expressed in the primary tumor tissues of patients with poor prognosis, and univariate and multivariate survival analyses showed that DDX39A expression could be an independent unfavorable prognostic factor (P = 0.027).

Conclusions

DDX39A is a potential biomarker for unfavorable NB using a proteomic approach. Evaluation of DDX39A protein expression in NB tumor tissues may provide complementary prognostic information for further subclassification of these tumors.
Sb–Te–Se composite film with high‐thermal stability for phase‐change memory application
Authors: Chen Liangliang , Song Sannian , Song Zhitang , Li Le , Zhang Zhonghua , Zheng Qianqian , Zhang Xin , Zhu Xiuwei , Lu Luyao , Shao Hehong
Published: October 2015

The Sb–Te–Se ternary system with suitable composition material Sb44Te11Se45 is proposed for its brilliant thermal stability, which was fabricated by doping with Sb2Se3 to Sb2Te. Compared to the traditional Ge2Sb2Te5, Sb44Te11Se45 film exhibits a higher crystallization temperature of 220 °C, a larger active energy of 4.25 eV, along with ultra‐long data retention of 133.8 °C for 10 years, which means a brilliant thermal stability. It was found that Sb2Se3 doping could decrease the grain size, which makes Sb44Te11Se45 material a more stable material for phase‐change memory (PCM) application. For the PCM cell based on Sb44Te11Se45, the resistance ratio between amorphous and crystalline state is up to two orders of magnitude, sufficient for data resolution. From the view‐point of thermal stability, Sb44Te11Se45 composite film will be a potential phase‐change material for high‐temperature storage application.
Is the Circular Economy a New Fast‐Expanding Market?
Authors: Esposito Mark , Tse Terence , Soufani Khaled
Published: October 2015

The circular pathway, also called the “cradle‐to‐cradle” model, is more than just recycling and environmental concerns. It is about a new way of thinking how we could grow without resorting to just expending resources. Its rapid expansion, as a new norm for companies, has characteristics of a Fast Expanding Market, given its exponential growth. In this article, we examine how the circular model is pushing companies and entities to come up with disruptive technology and business models that are based on longevity, renewability, reuse, repair, upgrade, refurbishment, servitization, capacity sharing and dematerialization. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Investigation of the theoretical load alleviation potential using trailing edge flaps controlled by inflow data
Authors: Fischer A. , Madsen H. A.
Published: October 2015

A novel control concept for fatigue load reduction with trailing edge flaps based on the measurement of the inflow locally on the blade was presented. The investigation was conducted with the aeroelastic code HAWC2. The aerodynamic modelling in the code is based on blade element momentum theory. The simulations were carried out for the NREL 5MW reference wind turbine, and the mean wind speed at hub height was 8 m s−1. The turbine was operated with fixed rotational speed. The energy at the blade is concentrated in spectral bands centred at multiples of the rotational frequency up to three times the rotational frequency. The highest fatigue load reduction was achieved when the inflow sensor was placed at the outer parts of the blade. In the best case, the reduction of the local fatigue loads induced by the blade sectional normal force was 60%. The control method gave the highest fatigue load reductions in conditions with strong wind shear. The demands for the flap actuator in terms of deflection angles was ±10°. The requirements in terms of the flap deflection velocity depend mainly on the inflow turbulence intensity. The maximum value was ±40°s−1 for 20% inflow turbulence intensity. Unsteady aerodynamic effects seem to be negligible. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Accuracy of an efficient framework for structural analysis of wind turbine blades
Authors: Blasques J. P. , Bitsche R. D. , Fedorov V. , Lazarov B. S.
Published: October 2015

This paper presents a novel framework for the structural design and analysis of wind turbine blades and establishes its accuracy. The framework is based on a beam model composed of two parts—a 2D finite element‐based cross‐section analysis tool and a 3D beam finite element model. The cross‐section analysis tool is able to capture the effects stemming from material anisotropy and inhomogeneity for sections of arbitrary geometry. The proposed framework is very efficient and therefore ideally suited for integration within wind turbine aeroelastic design and analysis tools. A number of benchmark examples are presented comparing the results from the proposed beam model to 3D shell and solid finite element models. The examples considered include a square prismatic beam, an entire wind turbine rotor blade and a detailed wind turbine blade cross section. Phenomena at both the blade length scale—deformation and eigenfrequencies—and cross section scale—3D material strain and stress fields—are analyzed. Furthermore, the effect of the different assumptions regarding the boundary conditions is discussed in detail. The benchmark examples show excellent agreement suggesting that the proposed framework is a highly efficient alternative to 3D finite element models for structural analysis of wind turbine blades. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Some aspects of affine motion and nonholonomic constraints. Two ways to describe homogeneously deformable bodies
Authors: Gołubowska Barbara
Published: October 2015

The main goal is to carry out a thorough analysis of some geometric problems of the dynamics of affinely‐rigid bodies. The author presents two ways to describe this case: the classical dynamical d'Alembert and variational, i.e., vakonomic ones. So far, he can see that they give quite different results. The vakonomic model from the mathematical point of view seems to be more elegant.
Surgery and Obstetric Care are Highly Cost‐Effective Interventions in a Sub‐Saharan African District Hospital: A Three‐Month Single‐Institution Study of Surgical Costs and Outcomes
Authors: Roberts Geoffrey , Roberts Charlotte , Jamieson Amy , Grimes Caris , Conn Gemma , Bleichrodt Robert
Published: October 2015

Background

The Lancet recently sponsored a commission examining the role of surgery in global health. There is a paucity of published information on the cost‐effectiveness of surgery in low‐ and middle‐income countries, a key metric in the prioritisation of limited resources.

Methods

All patients undergoing emergency laparotomy, elective and emergency inguinal hernia repair, elective and emergency caesarean section, amputation, fracture manipulation, or fracture fixation over a 3 months period in a single district African hospital were assessed. World Health Organisation global burden of disease (GBD) methodology was used to calculate the disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs) saved for each patient (using global and local life expectancy). Fully loaded costs were calculated for each patient’s care and providing the overall surgical service. Cost‐effectiveness was calculated in year 2012 US$ per DALY saved for each procedure and overall.

Results

A total of 428 patients were included, with an overall cost‐effectiveness of $10.70 per DALY averted. The cost‐effectiveness of individual procedures (global life expectancy) was

Amputation—$17.66

Emergency caesarean section—$7.42

Elective caesarean section—$20.50

Emergency laparotomy—$8.62

Elective hernia repair—$15.26

Emergency hernia repair—$4.36

Fracture/dislocation reduction—$69.03

Fracture/dislocation fixation—$225.89

Conclusions

Surgery is a highly cost‐effective healthcare measure in the setting of an African district hospital. The presented outcomes demonstrate that surgery is on a par with better‐recognised and funded interventions such as HIV anti‐retrovirals, malaria prevention and diarrhoea treatment. There are recognised limitations with the GBD methodology used here; however, this remains the best way to investigate the cost‐effectiveness of health interventions. This study provides useful information on an, at present, under‐studied field.
Changes in vegetation and nitrogen mineralization during recovery of a montane subtropical broadleaved forest in North‐eastern India following anthropogenic disturbance
Authors: Mylliemngap Wishfully , Nath Debashree , Barik Saroj Kanta
Published: October 2015

Understanding the changes in the plant community and soil nitrogen (N) availability during natural recovery of a forest following clear‐cutting is critical to develop post‐disturbance forest management strategies. Therefore, post‐clearcut changes in vegetation, net N mineralization rates and available N concentrations in soil were studied in a montane subtropical broadleaved forest during the early years of recovery following a chronosequence approach. Two replicate stands were selected for each treatment of old‐growth undisturbed forest and recovering forest stands aged 1, 5 and 10 years. Following disturbance, tree species diversity and basal area declined but shrub and herb diversity increased. High percentage dissimilarity among the stands in tree, shrub and herb species composition indicated that species colonization varied with recovery age. NH4+‐N and NO3−‐N concentrations increased significantly (P < 0.001) following clear‐cutting and the increasing trend continued until 5 years post‐recovery, after which it declined. While ammonification rate remained unchanged with recovery age, nitrification and net N mineralization rates in 10‐year‐old and undisturbed forest were significantly greater (P < 0.001) than in 1‐ and 5‐year‐old forest, indicating that mineralization rates increased with recovery age. Despite high mineralization rates, low availability of soil N in the later years of recovery was attributed to high N uptake by growing vegetation and leaching because of high rainfall in Cherrapunjee. To ensure N availability during the later years of recovery, we suggest that forest management intervention should encourage aided regeneration of native N‐fixing trees, e.g., Myrica esculenta, during the initial years of recovery.
Long‐term, climate‐change‐related shifts in feeding frequencies of a Mediterranean snake population
Authors: Capula Massimo , Rugiero Lorenzo , Capizzi Dario , Franco Daniel , Milana Giuliano , Luiselli Luca
Published: October 2015

In a context of climate change, ecological and physiological adaptations of organisms are of central importance for determining the outcome of niche challenges (e.g., with potential competitors) and species persistence. Typically, long‐term data on free‐ranging populations are needed to investigate such phenomena. Here, long‐term data on a free‐ranging population of western whip snakes (Hierophis viridiflavus: Colubridae) from central Italy were used in order to test the hypothesis that snake feeding frequencies should increase in relation to climate warming, thus positively affecting individual performance because of longer annual activity period, increased daily activity and larger prey base. Data from 231 ‘female snake‐years’ of records (including inter‐annual recaptures) were collected were collected between 1990 and 2014. The frequency of fed snakes varied remarkably across the study period with a significant increase over the years. There was a significant positive effect of the mean annual temperature on the percentage of fed animals, whereas there was a non‐significant relationship between yearly rainfall and percentage of fed animals. There was a positive relationship between mean annual temperature and yearly diversity‐of‐prey index. No other climatic variables were significantly correlated with yearly diversity‐of‐prey index. This study supported the hypothesis that global warming may be favorable for thermophilic species (such as H. viridiflavus), as it enhances their foraging performances and hence their feeding frequencies. The same may not be necessarily true for other species which have colder preferenda (e.g., Zamenis longissimus).
Comparison of postoperative vaginal length and sexual function after abdominal, vaginal, and laparoscopic hysterectomy
Authors: Ercan Önder , Özer Alev , Köstü Bülent , Bakacak Murat , Kıran Gürkan , Avcı Fazıl
Published: October 2015

Objective

To compare vaginal length and sexual function after total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH), total abdominal hysterectomy (TAH), and vaginal hysterectomy (VH).

Methods

The present cross‐sectional study at a single center in Turkey compared vaginal length and sexual function among women who received TLH, TAH, VH, or no surgery (groups 1, 2, 3, and 0, respectively) between January 2011 and April 2014. All women underwent hysterectomy for benign reasons at least 3 months before the study and were sexually active. Vaginal length was measured between the hymenal ring and vaginal apex. Sexual function was assessed via the Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Function Questionnaire, short form (PISQ‐12).

Results

Vaginal length in groups 0, 1, 2, and 3 was 10.9 ± 1.5, 8.9 ± 1.4, 8.5 ± 1.2, and 8.1 ± 0.7 cm, respectively; it was significantly longer in the control group (P < 0.001), and significantly shorter in group 3 than in group 1 (P = 0.03). The mean PISQ‐12 score in groups 0, 1, 2, and 3 was 18.6 ± 5.2, 12.9 ± 3.0, 13.8 ± 4.4, and 11.5 ± 4.4, respectively, and was significantly higher in group 0 (P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Total hysterectomy shortened vaginal length and compromised sexual function regardless of the technique used.
The Denaturation of Environmental Education: Exploring the Role of Ecotechnologies
Authors: Gough Annette , Gough Noel
Published: October 2015

This article explores the changing ways ‘environment’ has been represented in the discourses of environmental education and education for sustainable development (ESD) in United Nations (and related) publications since the 1970s. It draws on the writings of Jean-Luc Nancy and discusses the increasingly dominant view of the environment as a ‘natural resource base for economic and social development’ (United Nations, 2002, p. 2) and how this instrumentalisation of nature is produced by discourses and ‘ecotechnologies’ that ‘identify and define the natural realm in our relationship with it’ (Boetzkes, 2010, p. 29). This denaturation of nature is reflected in the priorities for sustainable development discussed at Rio+20 and proposed successor UNESCO projects. The article argues for the need to reassert the intrinsic value of ‘environment’ in education discourses and discusses strategies for so doing. The article is intended as a wake-up call to the changing context of the ‘environment’ in ESD discourses. In particular, we need to respond to the recent UNESCO (2013a, 2013b) direction of global citizenship education as the successor to the UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development 2005–2014 that continues to reinforce an instrumentalist view of the environment as part of contributing to ‘a more just, peaceful, tolerant, inclusive, secure and sustainable world’ (UNESCO, 2013a, p. 3).
EIGENVALUE HOMOGENISATION PROBLEM WITH INDEFINITE WEIGHTS
Authors: FERNÁNDEZ BONDER JULIÁN , PINASCO JUAN P. , SALORT ARIEL M.
Published: October 2015

In this work we study the homogenisation problem for nonlinear elliptic equations involving$p$-Laplacian-type operators with sign-changing weights. We study the asymptotic behaviour of variational eigenvalues which consist of a double sequence of eigenvalues. We show that the$k$th positive eigenvalue goes to infinity when the average of the weights is nonpositive, and converges to the$k$th variational eigenvalue of the limit problem when the average is positive for any$k\geq 1$.
INNOVATION PLATFORMS: EXPERIENCES WITH THEIR INSTITUTIONAL EMBEDDING IN AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH FOR DEVELOPMENT
Authors: SCHUT MARC , KLERKX LAURENS , SARTAS MURAT , LAMERS DIEUWKE , CAMPBELL MARIETTE MC , OGBONNA IFEYINWA , KAUSHIK PAWANDEEP , ATTA-KRAH KWESI , LEEUWIS CEES
Published: October 2015

Innovation Platforms (IPs) are seen as a promising vehicle to foster a paradigm shift in agricultural research for development (AR4D). By facilitating interaction, negotiation and collective action between farmers, researchers and other stakeholders, IPs can contribute to more integrated, systemic innovation that is essential for achieving agricultural development impacts. However, successful implementation of IPs requires institutional change within AR4D establishments. The objective of this paper is to reflect on the implementation and institutionalisation of IPs in present AR4D programmes. We use experiences from sub-Saharan Africa to demonstrate how the adoption and adaptation of IPs creates both opportunities and challenges that influence platform performance and impact. Niche-regime theory is used to understand challenges, and anticipate on how to deal with them. A key concern is whether IPs in AR4D challenge or reinforce existing technology-oriented agricultural innovation paradigms. For example, stakeholder representation, facilitation and institutional embedding determine to a large extent whether the IP can strengthen systemic capacity to innovate that can lead to real paradigm change, or are merely ‘old wine in new bottles’ and a continuation of ‘business as usual’. Institutional embedding of IPs and – more broadly – the transition from technology-oriented to system-oriented AR4D approaches requires structural changes in organisational mandates, incentives, procedures and funding, as well as investments in exchange of experiences, learning and capacity development.
A new Hymedesmia (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) with large sigmas off western Sweden
Authors: Cárdenas P. , Thollesson M.
Published: October 2015

Hymedesmia (Hymedesmia) lindstroemae sp. nov. collected at 178–210 m depth off the western Swedish coast is described. This encrusting sponge is notably characterized by its unusually large sigmas. This new species brings the number of Hymedesmia (Hymedesmia) species in Swedish waters to 30. A key for all the North Atlantic Hymedesmia (Hymedesmia) species with sigmas (32 species) is included.
Synergistic effect between back pain and common mental disorders and the risk of future disability pension: a nationwide study from Sweden
Authors: Dorner T. E. , Alexanderson K. , Svedberg P. , Tinghög P. , Ropponen A. , Mittendorfer-Rutz E.
Published: October 2015

Background

The aim of this study was to analyse a possible synergistic effect between back pain and common mental disorders (CMDs) in relation to future disability pension (DP).

Method

All 4 823 069 individuals aged 16–64 years, living in Sweden in December 2004, not pensioned in 2005 and without ongoing sickness absence at the turn of 2004/2005 formed the cohort of this register-based study. Hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for DP (2006–2010) were estimated. Exposure variables were back pain (M54) (sickness absence or inpatient or specialized outpatient care in 2005) and CMD (F40-F48) [sickness absence or inpatient or specialized outpatient care or antidepressants (N06a) in 2005].

Results

HRs for DP were 4.03 (95% CI 3.87–4.21) and 3.86 (95% CI 3.68–4.04) in women and men with back pain. HRs for DP in women and men with CMD were 4.98 (95% CI 4.88–5.08) and 6.05 (95% CI 5.90–6.21). In women and men with both conditions, HRs for DP were 15.62 (95% CI 14.40–16.94) and 19.84 (95% CI 17.94–21.94). In women, synergy index, relative excess risk due to interaction, and attributable proportion were 1.24 (95% CI 1.13–1.36), 0.18 (95% CI 0.11–0.25), and 2.08 (95% CI 1.09–3.06). The corresponding figures for men were 1.45 (95% CI 1.29–1.62), 0.29 (95% CI 0.22–0.36), and 4.21 (95% CI 2.71–5.70).

Conclusions

Co-morbidity of back pain and CMD is associated with a higher risk of DP than either individual condition, when added up, which has possible clinical implications to prevent further disability and exclusion from the labour market.
Social feedback processing in borderline personality disorder
Authors: Korn C. W. , La Rosée L. , Heekeren H. R. , Roepke S.
Published: October 2015

Background

Patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) show negative and unstable self- and other-evaluations compared to healthy individuals. It is unclear, however, how they process self- and other-relevant social feedback. We have previously demonstrated a positive updating bias in healthy individuals: When receiving social feedback on character traits, healthy individuals integrate desirable more than undesirable feedback. Here, our aim was to test whether BPD patients exhibit a more negative pattern of social feedback processing.

Method

We employed a character trait task in which BPD patients interacted with four healthy participants in a real-life social interaction. Afterwards, all participants rated themselves and one other participant on 80 character traits before and after receiving feedback from their interaction partners. We compared how participants updated their ratings after receiving desirable and undesirable feedback. Our analyses included 22 BPD patients and 81 healthy controls.

Results

Healthy controls showed a positivity bias for self- and other-relevant feedback as previously demonstrated. Importantly, this pattern was altered in BPD patients: They integrated undesirable feedback for themselves to a greater degree than healthy controls did. Other-relevant feedback processing was unaltered in BPD patients.

Conclusions

Our study demonstrates an alteration in self-relevant feedback processing in BPD patients that might contribute to unstable and negative self-evaluations.
Happy taxation: increasing tax compliance through positive rewards?
Authors: Brockmann Hilke , Genschel Philipp , Seelkopf Laura
Published: October 2015

Can governments increase tax compliance by rewarding honest taxpayers? We conducted a controlled laboratory experiment comparing tax compliance under a “deterrence” baseline with tax compliance under two “reward” treatments: a “donation” treatment giving taxpayers a say in the spending purposes of their payments and a “lucky” treatment giving taxpayers the (highly unlikely) chance of winning a lottery. The reward treatments significantly affected tax behaviour but not in a straightforward manner. Although female participants altered their behaviour as expected and complied somewhat more, men strongly reacted in the opposite manner: they evaded a much higher percentage of taxes than under the baseline. Apparently, there is no one-size-fits-all approach to boost tax compliance.
Dietary and pharmacological compounds altering intestinal calcium absorption in humans and animals
Authors: Areco Vanessa , Rivoira María Angélica , Rodriguez Valeria , Marchionatti Ana María , Carpentieri Agata , Tolosa de Talamoni Nori
Published: October 2015

The intestine is the only gate for the entry of Ca to the body in humans and mammals. The entrance of Ca occurs via paracellular and intracellular pathways. All steps of the latter pathway are regulated by calcitriol and by other hormones. Dietary and pharmacological compounds also modulate the intestinal Ca absorption process. Among them, dietary Ca and P are known to alter the lipid and protein composition of the brush-border and basolateral membranes and, consequently, Ca transport. Ca intakes are below the requirements recommended by health professionals in most countries, triggering important health problems. Chronic low Ca intake has been related to illness conditions such as osteoporosis, hypertension, renal lithiasis and incidences of human cancer. Carbohydrates, mainly lactose, and prebiotics have been described as positive modulators of intestinal Ca absorption. Apparently, high meat proteins increase intestinal Ca absorption while the effect of dietary lipids remains unclear. Pharmacological compounds such as menadione,dl-butionine-S,R-sulfoximine and ursodeoxycholic acid also modify intestinal Ca absorption as a consequence of altering the redox state of the epithelial cells. The paracellular pathway of intestinal Ca absorption is poorly known and is under present study in some laboratories. Another field that needs to be explored more intensively is the influence of the gene × diet interaction on intestinal Ca absorption. Health professionals should be aware of this knowledge in order to develop nutritional or medical strategies to stimulate the efficiency of intestinal Ca absorption and to prevent diseases.
The Archaeology of Teaching: A Conceptual Framework
Authors: d'Errico Francesco , Banks William E.
Published: October 2015

Studying the emergence of teaching in our lineage entails identifying learning strategies among human and non-human groups, understanding the situations in which they occur, evaluating their performance, recognizing their expression in the archaeological record, identifying trends in the way knowledge transmission changed through time, and detecting the key moments in which members of our lineage complemented pre-existing transmission strategies with those that led our species to develop cumulative culture and eventually ‘teaching’ as we know it. Here we explore how learning processes function in spatial, temporal, and social dimensions and use the resulting situations to build a tentative framework, which may guide our interpretation of the archaeological record and ultimately aid our identification of the learning processes at work in animal and past hominin societies. We test the pertinence of this heuristic approach by applying it to a handful of archaeological case studies.
Archaeology, aviation, and the topographical projection of ‘Paradoxical Modernism’ in 1940s South Africa
Authors: Foster Jeremy
Published: October 2015

At the time of his premature death in 1942, Rex Martienssen, the gifted South African architect who had helped make Johannesburg an outpost of modernism, had just completed a seminal PhD thesis on Greek space, and was documenting the layout of remote African settlements in South Africa's highlands. Martienssen's writings suggest that the link between these disjunct projects was topographical thinking, a form of architectural seeing and thinking that ontologically articulates time, place and culture. His research project was informed by the white colonial national intellectual search for an alternative to the racialised imaginary geography being promoted by white nationalism in the 1930s, a paradoxical modernity that would be progressive and cosmopolitan, yet also respected a timeless order threatened by European modernity. This re-envisioning of the 'place' of Western culture in Africa was encouraged by two seemingly-unrelated engagements with the sub-continent's terrain: archaeology and commercial aviation. Both practices came into their own in Southern Africa during this period, deploying Western technique and rationality in ways that constructed a vision of the subcontinent that unsettled the territorial limits and historical narratives of the post-colony, and inaugurated perceptions of the African landscape as modern and transcultural, yet situated in the Hegelian geographical movement of history. This made it possible to imagine, for the first time, that the topographical organisation of indigenous settlements might yield a spatial logic for new urban areas. A key figure in understanding this multiscalar geo-historical subjectivity was Le Corbusier, who had close ties with Martienssen and what he called le Groupe Transvaal. Le Corbusier's global journeys during the 1930s had made him increasingly interested in the anthropo-geographic traces left by the 'natural order of things' in human environments, and the possibility of a neo-syndicalist world order based on geo-political regions that were latitudinally complementary.
Two modes of a literary architecture: Bernard Tschumi and Nigel Coates
Authors: Jamieson Claire , Roberts-Hughes Rebecca
Published: October 2015

Tschumi’s experimental use of the literary text as part of design briefs for students at the Architectural Association in the late 1970s formed the basis for a preoccupation with what he termed the disjunction between space and the events that happen within it. For Coates, the literary briefs triggered a fixation with what was happening in space – but instead of focusing on its conceptual interaction with events, he moved towards the dramatisation of architecture. Grounded in the architects' shared teaching at the AA, the article discusses the early briefs and projects that shaped the directions they would each take.
Underweight and mortality
Authors: Lee Joo Young , Kim Hyeon Chang , Kim Changsoo , Park Keeho , Ahn Song Vogue , Kang Dae Ryong , Khaw Kay-Tee , Willett Walter C , Suh Il
Published: October 2015

Objective

According to most prospective studies, being underweight (BMI<18·5 kg/m2) is associated with significantly higher mortality than being of normal weight, especially among smokers. We aimed to explore in a generally lean population whether being underweight is significantly associated with increased all-cause mortality.

Design

Prospective cohort study.

Setting

Korea Medical Insurance Corporation study with 14 years of follow-up.

Subjects

After excluding deaths within the first 5 years of follow-up (1993–1997) to minimize reverse causation and excluding participants without information about smoking and health status, 94 133 men and 48 496 women aged 35–59 years in 1990 were included.

Results

We documented 5411 (5·7 %) deaths in men and 762 (1·6 %) in women. Among never smokers, hazard ratios (HR) for underweight individuals were not significantly higher than those for normal-weight individuals (BMI=18·5–22·9 kg/m2): HR=0·87 (95 % CI 0·41, 1·84, P=0·72) for underweight men and HR=1·12 (95 % CI 0·76, 1·65, P=0·58) for underweight women. Among ex-smokers, HR=0·86 (95 % CI 0·38, 1·93, P=0·72) for underweight men and HR=3·77 (95 % CI 0·42, 32·29, P=0·24) for underweight women. Among current smokers, HR=1·60 (95 % CI 1·28, 2·01, P<0·001) for underweight men and HR=2·07 (95 % CI 0·43, 9·94, P=0·36) for underweight women.

Conclusions

The present study does not support that being underweight per se is associated with increased all-cause mortality in Korean men and women.
The effect of a psychological empowerment program based on psychodrama on empowerment perception and burnout levels in oncology nurses: Psychological empowerment in oncology nurses
Authors: Özbaş Azize Atli , Tel Havva
Published: October 2015

Objective:

Oncology nursing is stressful by its nature, and nurses in the field experience a high amount of stress and burnout. In order to cope with occupational stress, nurses need to employ flexible adjustment mechanisms that allow them the power to process their experiences. Failure of efficient stress management causes burnout, and burnout is closely related to powerlessness. It is therefore believed that the occurrence of burnout can be reduced by means of psychological empowerment of nurses. Our study was conducted to determine the effect of a “psychodrama-based psychological empowerment program” on (1) the perception of empowerment and (2) the levels of burnout in oncology nurses.

Method:

The sample was made up of 82 oncology nurses (38 nurses in the study group and 44 in the control/comparison group). Study data were collected using the Psychological Empowerment Scale, the Nurse Work Empowerment Scale, and Maslach's Burnout Inventory. The study group attended a “psychodrama-based psychological empowerment program” (2 hours, 1 day a week, for 10 weeks). For data assessment, we employed an independentttest and one-way analysis of variance.

Results:

The psychological empowerment and workplace empowerment scores of nurses in the study group increased and their burnout scores decreased following attendance in the psychodrama-based psychological empowerment program.

Significance of results:

We found that the psychodrama-based psychological empowerment program increased psychological empowerment and enhanced perception of workplace empowerment while decreasing levels of burnout in oncology nurses. The program is recommended and should allow oncology nurses to benefit from their personal experiences and thus increase self-empowerment, to enhance their perception of empowerment, and to prevent burnout.
Morphometric differentiation of Moroccan indigenous Draa goat based on multivariate analysis
Authors: Ibnelbachyr M. , Boujenane I. , Chikhi A.
Published: October 2015

The Moroccan goat livestock is characterized by the existence of different phenotypes distributed among diverse geographic locations. The objective of this study was to analyse the morphometric traits that differentiate the Draa breed from the other local populations raised in areas close to its cradle zone. Eight morphometric measurements were taken on 287 goats in South-eastern and Southern Morocco. The variance analysis, fitting a model that included the random effect of animal and the fixed effects of population, gender and age of animal, was used. Mahalanobis distances were calculated between identified populations and an Unweighted Pairs Group Method Analysis tree was built. Draa goats had the highest height at withers (61.5 cm), heart girth (74.4 cm), body length (64.6 cm) and live body weight (27.2 kg). These morphometric traits varied significantly among populations as well as the age and the gender of animal. The most discriminating traits between the identified populations were the body length, the heart girth, the hair length, the horn length, the ear length and the live body weight. Draa animals had the largest genetic distances from the other populations and appeared more distinguished from them. This differentiation can contribute in defining the phenotypic standard of the breed and in orienting its genetic improvement programs in the future.
Far upstream element-binding protein 1 is a prognostic biomarker and promotes nasopharyngeal carcinoma progression
Authors: Liu Z-H , Hu J-L , Liang J-Z , Zhou A-J , Li M-Z , Yan S-M , Zhang X , Gao S , Chen L , Zhong Q , Zeng M-S
Published: October 2015

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a malignant epithelial tumor with tremendous invasion and metastasis capacities, and it has a high incidence in southeast Asia and southern China. Previous studies identified that far upstream element-binding protein 1 (FBP1), a transcriptional regulator of c-Myc that is one of the most frequently aberrantly expressed oncogenes in various human cancers, including NPC, is an important biomarker for many cancers. Our study aimed to investigate the expression and function of FBP1 in human NPC. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR), western blot and immunohistochemical staining (IHC) were performed in NPC cells and biopsies. Furthermore, the effect of FBP1 knockdown on cell proliferation, colony formation, side population tests and tumorigenesis in nude mice were measured by MTT, clonogenicity analysis, flow cytometry and a xenograft model, respectively. The results showed that the mRNA and protein levels of FBP1, which are positively correlated with c-Myc expression, were substantially higher in NPC than that in nasopharyngeal epithelial cells. IHC revealed that the patients with high FBP1 expression had a significantly poorer prognosis compared with the patients with low expression (P=0.020). In univariate analysis, high FBP1 and c-Myc expression predicted poorer overall survival (OS) and poorer progression-free survival. Multivariate analysis indicated that high FBP1 and c-Myc expression were independent prognostic markers. Knockdown of FBP1 reduced cell proliferation, clonogenicity and the ratio of side populations, as well as tumorigenesis in nude mice. These data indicate that FBP1 expression, which is closely correlated with c-Myc expression, is an independent prognostic factor and promotes NPC progression. Our results suggest that FBP1 can not only serve as a useful prognostic biomarker for NPC but also as a potential therapeutic target for NPC patients.
Inhibition of Notch1 signaling overcomes resistance to the death ligand Trail by specificity protein 1-dependent upregulation of death receptor 5
Authors: Fassl A , Tagscherer K E , Richter J , De-Castro Arce J , Savini C , Rösl F , Roth W
Published: October 2015

The Notch1 signaling pathway contributes to tumorigenesis by influencing differentiation, proliferation and apoptosis. Here, we demonstrate that inhibition of the Notch1 signaling pathway sensitizes glioblastoma cell lines and glioblastoma initiating cells to apoptosis induced by the death ligand TRAIL. This sensitization occurs through transcriptional upregulation of the death receptor 5 (DR5, TRAIL-R2). The increase in DR5 expression is abrogated by concomitant repression of the transcription factor Sp1, which directly binds to the DR5 promoter in the absence of Notch1 as revealed by chromatin immunoprecipitation. Consistent with these findings, Notch1 inhibition resulted in increased DR5 promoter activity, which was impaired by mutation of one out of two Sp1-binding sites within the proximal DR5 promoter. Moreover, we demonstrate that JNK signaling contributes to the regulation of DR5 expression by Notch1. Taken together, our results identify Notch1 as key driver for TRAIL resistance and suggest Notch1 as a promising target for anti-glioblastoma therapy.