bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Want a Job? Join a Job Club!
Authors: Liethof Mary-Ann
Published: March 2013

Job Clubs funded by the Department of Employment, Education and Training (DEET) have been assisting long-term pre-employed people develop the means to effectively compete for and obtain work since being introduced to Australia from Canada in 1986–87.
Strategic Planning in Careers Practice
Authors: Temple Brad , Armstrong Lesley
Published: March 2013

The task-based nature of careers practice has often prevented careers practitioners from being directly and substantively involved in achieving organisational goals. As a result, careers work has become vulnerable to criticisms about its validity, and concern has been expressed about its general accountability. In the United States, careers guidance and counselling has moved towards the concept of careers programs as a way of addressing some of these issues. The United States' experience suggests that strategic program planning is an important skill for careers practitioners to acquire and use. This article describes strategic program planning, what it involves, and why careers practitioners should use it.
Interests, Reasons and Subject Choice
Authors: Elsworth Gerald , Harvey-Beavis Adrian
Published: March 2013

Evidence from recent Australian research indicates that vocational and educational preferences and choices are related thematically in a manner that is well described by Holland's RIASEC themes. A recent Australia-wide survey of the curriculum choices of senior secondary students showed a pattern of relationships with measured interests that was consistent both with Holland's typology and the hexagonal arrangement of interests. The reasons that students gave for their subject choices were also classified and described. It is concluded that a school guidance program could valuably integrate attention to the choice of school subjects, the development of career plans and the critical discussion of anticipated reasons for subject and course choice.
Testing and Assessment in Careers Work
Authors: Temple Brad
Published: March 2013

The use of assessment instruments in careers counselling continues to be the focus of considerable debate among careers practitioners. Recent pressure on careers advisers to find more efficient ways of dealing with their client loads has resulted in an increase in the use of assessment in careers work. The purpose of this article is to describe briefly the history of testing in careers practice, the types of assessment instruments that are most commonly used, and the role that assessment plays in careers counselling.
Is Working Nation Working?
Authors: Thompson David
Published: March 2013

This paper is concerned with ethical issues in the practice and administration of tests. Some broad principles related to the knowledge required for test usage are described, together with the skills necessary for competent test use. Ethical practice in relation to test users, training in testing, test administration, test interpretation and test instruments is also examined. The focus then changes to a consideration of the more general ethical principles that apply to professional practice and are equally applicable to testing. A final section examines the relevance of these issues for career guidance practitioners and also some recent professional developments that will encourage ethical practice in testing
Paths to Success
Authors: VandenHeuvel Audrey , Robertson Frances
Published: March 2013

The Class of ′71 is a longitudinal study following the educational and career paths of a group of Australians over the years from secondary school to mid-adulthood. In this article, which is the first of a two-part series, details of the study and the sample are provided and the activities of the respondents 21 years after the initial survey are examined. Further, the relationship between background characteristics and career outcomes are given, as are the differentiating characteristics of those who were high earners versus those who were low earners at the time of the most recent follow-up.
Work Experience
Authors: Buckley Mark
Published: March 2013

This study, which examined whether the aims of the work experience program were being met in an all girls school, draws on research findings from Australia and overseas. Students' responses indicated that work experience increased their self-awareness, increased their knowledge of the world of work and knowledge of occupations they pursued and facilitated better VCE planning and career decisions. The study also highlighted the need for students to be given more responsibility for their learning and the opportunity to complete more practical tasks while at school.
Futures in Their Hands
Authors: Gunn Cathy , Carpenter Heather , Left Paul , Fatialofa Carol
Published: March 2013

FUTURES is a computer-based careers information system designed primarily for independent use by individuals, although it is equally valuable in guidance sessions led by an adviser. The program, developed over the past four years at Auckland's UNITEC Institute of Technology, is used there, in schools, in private careers consultancies and has been trialled by The New Zealand Employment Service. Surveys of user reactions suggest that FUTURES has assisted large numbers of students and community members to gain a broad perspective on career opportunities, reflect on their own potential and make well informed career decisions. This is achieved by providing an intuitive, graphical interface to a program that supports the structured exploration of a comprehensive information database and promotes reflection on personal prospects. The objective was to develop a significantly different system from the many computer-based products already available in the education market. The novel design philosophy, based on autonomous enquiry and choice, is believed to be largely responsible for the program's success.
Course Information on the World Wide Web
Authors: Inglis Alistair
Published: March 2013

A comparative study was made of the ways in which Australian universities are disseminating information about their courses over the World Wide Web. The study examined the quantity and quality of the information provided, the forms in which information is presented, and means of access to the information. The results of the survey indicated that while the majority of universities are now publishing at least some information over the World Wide Web, both the quantity and quality of information is variable. Implications for further development of institutional course information databases are discussed.
Year 12 Students' Estimates of Their Examination Performance
Authors: Hesketh Beryl , Whiteley Sonja
Published: March 2013

Accuracy of self-assessment is critical to effective career planning. Over a two year period, a total of 425 students were asked to estimate their Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER) after sitting the final Year 12 examination. Estimates were compared with their actual rank obtained in the state examination. On average males performed worse than expected while females performed better, although neither group self-assessed very accurately. Results are discussed in relation to the reasons for the inaccuracy, and implications for career planning are outlined.
Careers Week
Authors: Nourrice Marie Flora
Published: March 2013

In The Seychelles, as in other countries, one of the concerns of different agencies is the need to prepare the entire workforce for a flexible future and for rapid and unpredictable changes. Preparation for work is therefore a major goal of education. This case study reports on an aspect of career guidance programs in The Seychelles.
Using a Career Interest Card Sort for Vocational Assessment and Counselling
Authors: Athanasou James A. , Hosking Karin
Published: March 2013

This article describes the background to a direct assessment of interest categories without the use of a questionnaire. It is based on a card-sort procedure that focuses on Outdoor, Practical, Scientific, Creative, Business, Office and People Contact work interests. The rationale for the development of a Career Interest Card Sort is derived from previous research on the validity of self-estimates of vocational interests. Some data are provided on the card sort procedure. Directions and a case study on its use are also outlined.
You Did What in 1983?
Authors: Bright Jim , Davies Fiona
Published: March 2013

One of the most common dilemmas for candidates preparing résumés is to decide how to present periods in their work history when they were not actively engaged in the workforce. Content analysis of seven of the most popular résumé guides available in Australia indicates that opinion differs regarding how to deal with gaps in work history. Results from a field study involving professional recruiters indicate that reasons for absence from work are subject to gender stereotypes. Results from a second field study indicate that ratings of candidate suitability were not influenced by when the break in career history occurred, nor did explaining those gaps have any influence on this measure. However, explaining gaps in career history did result in improved ratings of honesty. When gaps were left unexplained, and the recruiters noticed the gaps, rejected candidates were rated significantly less honest than their shortlisted counterparts. When recruiters did not notice the gaps, there was no difference in the ratings of rejected and shortlisted candidates, indicating that gaps do influence recruiters' perceptions of candidates but only when noticed. It is argued that gaps in career history should generally be explained. Exceptions to this general rule are discussed.
Improvisation in Careers
Authors: Inkson Kerr
Published: March 2013

In the turbulence created by such phenomena as business restructuring and new flexible organisational forms, career improvisation grows in relative importance. Two studies are briefly reported. In the first, the common experience of “O.E.” (overseas experience) is shown to provide an example of career improvisation, giving the individual potential career advantages such as increased adaptability and versatility. The second, a study of “leased executives”, shows advantages of careers improvised around temporary projects and “employability”, rather than being planned around permanent jobs and “employment”. Kanter's (1989) concept of the “entrepreneurial career form” illustrates the change in career forms: individuals increasingly improvise career experiences to increase the “career capital” of their own learning. Implications are considered for individuals pursuing careers, for careers advisers, and for employers.
Career Mentoring
Authors: Theobald Karen , Nancarrow Elise , McCowan Col
Published: March 2013

In 1992 the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) Convocation initiated the Mentor Scheme to assist students to better prepare for the transition to employment. The scheme has developed over the past six years and in 1998 more than 130 pairs of employers and students from 12 different disciplines participated in it. Evaluations indicate the positive impact the scheme has made on both mentors and mentees, particularly in enhancing mentees' career development.
Parental Employment Status, Gender, Ethnic Identity and the Employment Commitment of Adolescents in New Zealand
Authors: Lysaght Karen , Tuck Bryan , Adair Vivienne
Published: March 2013

The commitment to the work ethic of 668 New Zealand high school students in Year 12 was examined in relation to their gender and ethnicity and the employment status (employed versus unemployed) of their parents. There was no significant difference between the levels of employment commitment of the female and male adolescents and, contrary to expectations, the commitment of the adolescents with unemployed parents did not differ significantly from those with employed parents. There were, however, significant differences associated with ethnicity: adolescents of Asian and Pacific Island descent had significantly higher levels of employment commitment than adolescents of either European or Maori descent. The discussion centres on the extent to which the findings can be explained by differences in school achievement, “career trajectory” and selective migration.
Surviving on the Inside
Authors: Birch Nola , McDonald Robina , Phillips Ann , Stansfeld Anne
Published: March 2013

This article discusses the implications of organisational change for organisational management and staff. Attention is given to the impact on those who survive downsizing or restructure and refers to these individuals as the survivors. Change necessitates many personal skills as well as the ability not only to be proactive but also “preactive”. The writers suggest that if, as has been asserted, the notion of career as we know it is dead, then the traditional role of the career practitioner may also be defunct. The article concludes with the suggestion that life management skills need to be acquired early in an individual's development and that the role of the career practitioner should be expanded to incorporate the facilitation of these skills for their clients, the survivors.
Exploring Meaning in Life in the Tel Hai Gifted Children’s Center
Authors: Kasler Jon , Goldfarb-Rivlin Sima , Levi Jossef , Elias Maurice J.
Published: March 2013

While high IQ is likely to be an advantage in moral reasoning, it does not guarantee students’ putting those morals into practice. A clearly defined sense of purpose grounded in values of social responsibility, exploration of values, and the search for ultimate truths, both personal and collective, is paramount. The Meaning in Life program in Israel was introduced in the 2008-2009 school year and The Center for Gifted Children at Tel Hai Academic College became one of the first educational institutions to implement it. In total, 67 seventh and eighth graders were divided into multicultural groups of no more than 15 pupils per teacher. Basing discussions on a wide variety of short philosophical texts and maxims, from Eastern and Western cultures, children were deeply engaged in addressing the values and everyday implications of this wisdom. The last stage of the program was the creation of products that represented their current and developing outlook on the meaning in life, either verbally or graphically. The general applicability of the approach across nations and contexts was discussed.
White-matter lesions drive deep gray-matter atrophy in early multiple sclerosis: support from structural MRI
Authors: Mühlau Mark , Buck Dorothea , Förschler Annette , Boucard Christine C , Arsic Milan , Schmidt Paul , Gaser Christian , Berthele Achim , Hoshi Muna , Jochim Angela , Kronsbein Helena , Zimmer Claus , Hemmer Bernhard , Ilg Rüdiger
Published: March 2013

Background:

In MS, the relationship between lesions within cerebral white matter (WM) and atrophy within deep gray matter (GM) is unclear.

Objective:

To investigate the spatial relationship between WM lesions and deep GM atrophy.

Methods:

We performed a cross-sectional structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study (3 Tesla) in 249 patients with clinically-isolated syndrome or relapsing–remitting MS (Expanded Disability Status Scale score: median, 1.0; range, 0–4) and in 49 healthy controls. Preprocessing of T1-weighted and fluid-attenuated T2-weighted images resulted in normalized GM images and WM lesion probability maps. We performed two voxel-wise analyses: 1. We localized GM atrophy and confirmed that it is most pronounced within deep GM; 2. We searched for a spatial relationship between WM lesions and deep GM atrophy; to this end we analyzed WM lesion probability maps by voxel-wise multiple regression, including four variables derived from maxima of regional deep GM atrophy (caudate and pulvinar, each left and right).

Results:

Atrophy of each deep GM region was explained by ipsilateral WM lesion probability, in the area most densely connected to the respective deep GM region.

Conclusion:

We demonstrated that WM lesions and deep GM atrophy are spatially related. Our results are best compatible with the hypothesis that WM lesions contribute to deep GM atrophy through axonal pathology.
Persistent visual impairment in multiple sclerosis: prevalence, mechanisms and resulting disability
Authors: Jasse Laurence , Vukusic Sandra , Durand-Dubief Françoise , Vartin Cristina , Piras Carolina , Bernard Martine , Pélisson Denis , Confavreux Christian , Vighetto Alain , Tilikete Caroline
Published: March 2013

Objective:

The objective of this article is to evaluate in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients the prevalence of persistent complaints of visual disturbances and the mechanisms and resulting functional disability of persistent visual complaints (PVCs).

Methods:

Firstly, the prevalence of PVCs was calculated in 303 MS patients. MS-related data of patients with or without PVCs were compared. Secondly, 70 patients with PVCs performed an extensive neuro-ophthalmologic assessment and a vision-related quality of life questionnaire, the National Eye Institute Visual Functionary Questionnaire (NEI-VFQ-25).

Results:

PVCs were reported in 105 MS patients (34.6%). Patients with PVCs had more frequently primary progressive MS (30.5% vs 13.6%) and more neuro-ophthalmologic relapses (1.97 vs 1.36) than patients without PVCs. In the mechanisms/disability study, an afferent visual and an ocular-motor pathways dysfunction were respectively diagnosed in 41 and 59 patients, mostly related to bilateral optic neuropathy and bilateral internuclear ophthalmoplegia. The NEI-VFQ 25 score was poor and significantly correlated with the number of impaired neuro-ophthalmologic tests.

Conclusion:

Our study emphasizes the high prevalence of PVC in MS patients. Regarding the nature of neuro-ophthalmologic deficit, our results suggest that persistent optic neuropathy, as part of the progressive evolution of the disease, is not rare. We also demonstrate that isolated ocular motor dysfunctions induce visual disability in daily life.
Policing the ‘progressive’ city: The racialized geography of drug law enforcement
Authors: Lynch Mona , Omori Marisa , Roussell Aaron , Valasik Matthew
Published: March 2013

This article explores selective drug law enforcement practices in a single municipality, San Francisco, where racial disproportionality in drug arrest rates is among the highest in the United States. We situate this work in the vein of recent case-study examinations done in Seattle, Cleveland, and New York to help build a more nuanced picture of how the local geography of policing drugs produces racialized outcomes. Within this, we examine how historically embedded local politics shape the varied styles and structures of policing that result in racially discriminatory enforcement patterns. Our goal is to begin sketching out a robust framework of ‘place’ as an orientation for examining discretionary local policing practices, especially as they impact marginalized groups and communities of color.
Consumer culture theory (re)visits actor–network theory
Authors: Bajde Domen
Published: March 2013

The vocabulary and tactics developed by actor–network theory (ANT) can shed light on several ontological and epistemological challenges faced by consumer culture theory. Rather than providing ready-made theories or methods, our translation of ANT puts forward a series of questions and propositions that, captured through the metaphor of ‘flattening’, invite a rethinking of how ontologies of consumption—its subjects, objects and devices, content and contexts, materiality and socioculturality—are enacted through precarious networks of heterogeneous relations.
Market practices of legitimization
Authors: Coskuner-Balli Gokcen
Published: March 2013

This article presents a reflexive discussion as to how new academic communities can legitimize their field of work. I integrate Abbott’s theory of professionalism and the body of consumer research on brand communities, subcultures and microculture consumption practices to propose a market-based theory of legitimacy. I identify four modes of practices that allow academic communities to break through the boundaries of cultural and social legitimacy: (1) mobilizing cultural myths, (2) code switching, (3) creating market resources and (4) community building. To illustrate, I examine the rise of the subfield of Consumer Culture Theory within consumer behavior.
Toleration and respect: Historical instances and current problems
Authors: Khomyakov Maxim
Published: March 2013

The problems of diversity and pluralism have always been serious challenges to the stability of European societies. In the course of its history Europe elaborated various important ways of accommodation of differences, including toleration, respect and recognition. This article is devoted to discussion of the relations among them both in analytical and historical perspectives. I argue that toleration has always been based on a certain kind of respect and distinguish three main paradigms of the relations among these concepts. Then I proceed to a discussion of the particular forms these paradigms took in European intellectual history and to an analysis of their applicability to the most important problems of contemporary society. I argue that pluralism and the complexity of contemporary society require pluralism in the modes of justifying toleration.
Fatigue crack detection performance comparison in a composite wind turbine rotor blade
Authors: Taylor Stuart G , Park Gyuhae , Farinholt Kevin M , Todd Michael D
Published: March 2013

This article presents the detection performance results for multiple detectors or test statistics, using different active-sensing hardware systems in identifying the presence and location of a through-thickness fatigue crack in a 9-m composite wind turbine rotor blade. The rotor blade underwent ~8.5 million cycles of fatigue loading until failure, when a 30-cm-long crack surfaced on the leading edge portion of the blade’s transitional root area. The rotor blade was cantilevered on a 7-ton test stand and excited using a hydraulically actuated resonant excitation system, which drove the rotor blade at its first natural frequency. Through the course of the test, data were collected using two distinct types of acquisition hardware: one designed for ultrasonic-guided wave interrogation and the other for diffuse wave field interrogation. This article presents the fatigue crack detection performance results for several hardware and test statistic combinations.
An Intersectional Approach to Social Determinants of Stress for African American Men
Authors: Griffith Derek M. , Ellis Katrina R. , Allen Julie Ober
Published: March 2013

Stress is a key factor that helps explain racial and gender differences in health, but few studies have examined gendered stressors that affect men. This study uses an intersectional approach to examine the sources of stress in African American men’s lives from the perspectives of African American men and important women in their lives. Phenomenological analysis was used to examine data from 18 exploratory focus groups with 150 African American men, ages 30 years and older, and eight groups with 77 African American women. The two primary sources of stress identified were seeking to fulfill socially and culturally important gender roles and being an African American man in a racially stratified society. A central focus of African American men’s daily lives was trying to navigate chronic stressors at home and at work and a lack of time to fulfill roles and responsibilities in different life domains that are traditionally the responsibility of men. Health was rarely mentioned by men as a source of stress, though women noted that men’s aging and weathering bodies were a source of stress for men. Because of the intersection of racism and economic and social stressors, men and women reported that the stress that African American men experienced was shaped by the intersection of race, ethnicity, age, marital status, and other factors that combined in unique ways. The intersection of these identities and characteristics led to stressors that were perceived to be of greater quantity and qualitatively different than the stress experienced by men of other races.
Dimensions of Social Media Utilization Among College Sport Fans
Authors: Clavio Galen , Walsh Patrick
Published: March 2013

As social media provide athletic departments and their constituents with an additional point of engagement with their fans, it is important to understand the social media audience. However, despite the growth of social media use among collegiate athletic departments, coaches, and teams, relatively little is known about the individuals who are utilizing various social media forums. This study was the first to attempt to understand why college sport fans engage in sport-focused social media use, with a theoretical grounding in uses and gratifications. Utilizing a survey of student fans from a large Division 1 institution, the results suggest that there is a relatively low level of social media participation among college sport fans in relation to official Twitter and Facebook feeds of the team, and a surprising prevalence of traditional media usage for informational purposes. Factor analysis reveals dimensions of gratification for social media use include content creation as an identifiable factor. These and other findings are discussed.
Following Your Virtual Trail: A Multistakeholder’s Approach to Privacy Protection
Authors: Ng Sylvester
Published: March 2013

Privacy has been a constant concern to online users since the Internet arrived as a consumer medium. Different stakeholders have tried to mitigate the concern of Internet privacy. The purpose of this article is to examine the tension between different stakeholders with competing interests, and sometimes, competing interests even arise amongst the same stakeholders. A model for online privacy protection for Singapore is introduced.
Applying Population Dynamics Theory to Entrepreneurial Survival Strategy: The Case of Financial Technologies and Its Promoter1
Authors: Jain Ankur , Kakani Ram Kumar
Published: March 2013

This article attempts to use concepts from the life sciences’ area to the field of business management. The first puzzle for any start-up entrepreneurs is to formulate the starting strategy for their business. Should they aim for the long term or should they focus on the short term? How can start-up entrepreneurs formulate long-term planning when market conditions are unpredictable? Population dynamics theory is used to find some plausible answers to a few such questions. An entrepreneurial venture is like a baby for its founder. In an uncertain environment for life sciences, as we cannot predict or influence which of our offsprings will survive, similarly we cannot predict which business ideas will work for a start-up entrepreneur. This work finds a few interesting clues from the laws of nature by applying them to the emerging commodities exchanges in India, especially the privately-owned Jignesh Shah promoted Financial Technologies baby MCX and state-owned national-level institutions promoted National Stock Exchanges’ baby NCDEX.
Short Run and Long Run Dynamics of Initial Public Offerings: Evidence from India
Authors: Singh Priyanka , Kumar Brajesh
Published: March 2013

This article investigates the short run as well as long run underpricing of the Initial Public Offerings in the Indian Capital markets by looking at the different factors affecting them. As the underwriters do not have discretionary power in Indian IPOs, some of the theoretical models like Rock’s (1986) and costly information acquisition hypothesis (1989), which involves the extent of informed as well as uninformed investors, can be tested more robustly in Indian Capital markets. Therefore, a model is proposed taking these oversubscription variables along with age and issue size to explain the underpricing. Since different sectors have different level of private and public information, it is interesting to perform industry-wise analysis and has been taken up here. The period for study was 22 months (January 2006 to October 2007) considering 116 IPOs. It was found that both short and long run return of IPOs are positive for this period. The short run underpricing was 18 percent and long run underpricing was 11.5 percent. Oversubscription variables, namely, total oversubscription, informed (institutional investors) and uninformed investors (retail investors) oversubscription, were found to be the main determinants of underpricing in the Indian IPOs. Higher subscription implied higher underpricing. However, informed investor’s oversubscription was higher in companies giving more return in the long run. Further Indian Capital markets were found to follow industry specific waves. Upon doing sector-wise underpricing analysis, the high performing sectors were more underpriced in the short run as well as performing better in the long run than low performing sectors. Infrastructure, financial and entertainment sectors with positive long run return fell under this category for the period of study. On the contrary, IT sector gave higher initial return but negative return in the long run.
Characterization of the TGF-β1 signaling abnormalities in the Gata1low mouse model of myelofibrosis
Authors: Zingariello Maria , Martelli Fabrizio , Ciaffoni Fiorella , Masiello Francesca , Ghinassi Barbara , D’Amore Emanuela , Massa Margherita , Barosi Giovanni , Sancillo Laura , Li Xiaochun , Goldberg Judith D. , Rana Rosa Alba , Migliaccio Anna Rita
Published: March 2013

Key Points

Abnormal signatures in TGF-β1 signaling gene expression were identified in spleen and marrow from the Gata1low model of MF. These signatures include abnormalities in individual gene (Id2, Stat1, mTOR) in spleen and of gene pathways (Smads and BMPs) in marrow.
Age-adjusted nonparametric detection of differential DNA methylation with case-control designs
Authors: Huang Hanwen , Chen Zhongxue , Huang Xudong
Published: March 2013

Background

DNA methylation profiles differ among disease types and, therefore, can be used in disease diagnosis. In addition, large-scale whole genome DNA methylation data offer tremendous potential in understanding the role of DNA methylation in normal development and function. However, due to the unique feature of the methylation data, powerful and robust statistical methods are very limited in this area.

Results

In this paper, we proposed and examined a new statistical method to detect differentially methylated loci for case control designs that is fully nonparametric and does not depend on any assumption for the underlying distribution of the data. Moreover, the proposed method adjusts for the age effect that has been shown to be highly correlated with DNA methylation profiles. Using simulation studies and a real data application, we have demonstrated the advantages of our method over existing commonly used methods.

Conclusions

Compared to existing methods, our method improved the detection power for differentially methylated loci for case control designs and controlled the type I error well. Its applications are not limited to methylation data; it can be extended to many other case-control studies.
Determination of dosage compensation of the mammalian X chromosome by RNA-seq is dependent on analytical approach
Authors: Jue Nathaniel K , Murphy Michael B , Kasowitz Seth D , Qureshi Sohaib M , Obergfell Craig J , Elsisi Sahar , Foley Robert J , O’Neill Rachel J , O’Neill Michael J
Published: March 2013

Background

An enduring question surrounding sex chromosome evolution is whether effective hemizygosity in the heterogametic sex leads inevitably to dosage compensation of sex-linked genes, and whether this compensation has been observed in a variety of organisms. Incongruence in the conclusions reached in some recent reports has been attributed to different high-throughput approaches to transcriptome analysis. However, recent reports each utilizing RNA-seq to gauge X-linked gene expression relative to autosomal gene expression also arrived at diametrically opposed conclusions regarding X chromosome dosage compensation in mammals.

Results

Here we analyze RNA-seq data from X-monosomic female human and mouse tissues, which are uncomplicated by genes that escape X-inactivation, as well as published RNA-seq data to describe relative X expression (RXE). We find that the determination of RXE is highly dependent upon a variety of computational, statistical and biological assumptions underlying RNA-seq analysis. Parameters implemented in short-read mapping programs, choice of reference genome annotation, expression data distribution, tissue source for RNA and RNA-seq library construction method have profound effects on comparing expression levels across chromosomes.

Conclusions

Our analysis shows that the high number of paralogous gene families on the mammalian X chromosome relative to autosomes contributes to the ambiguity in RXE calculations, RNA-seq analysis that takes into account that single- and multi-copy genes are compensated differently supports the conclusion that, in many somatic tissues, the mammalian X is up-regulated compared to the autosomes.
Medical students’ experience of personal loss: incidence and implications
Authors: Whyte Rebecca , Quince Thelma , Benson John , Wood Diana , Barclay Stephen
Published: March 2013

Background

Medical students are generally young people, often away from home for the first time and undertaking a course in which they are learning to care for people at all stages of life, including those approaching death. Existing research indicates that their experiences of personal bereavement may have significant implications for their pastoral welfare and medical learning. No previous studies have tracked medical student experience of bereavement longitudinally and no recent data are available from the UK.

Aims

The study aims to identify medical students’ experience of personal bereavement: the prevalence prior to and during the course and their relationship with those who died.

Method

Paper and online questionnaire including questions about recent personal loss. Setting / Participants: Four cohorts of core science and clinical medical students at the University of Cambridge, 1021 participants in total.

Results

Mean response rate was 65.2% for core science students and 72.8% for clinical students. On entry to the core science course, 23.1% of all students had experienced a loss at some point. Between 13.0% and 22.5% experienced bereavement during years 1 – 5 of the course: some (1.3% - 6.3%) experienced multiple or repeated losses. Close deaths reported were most commonly those of grandparents followed by friends.

Conclusions

Medical students commonly experience close personal bereavement, both before and during their course. Educators need to be aware of the range of personal and educational implications of bereavement for medical students, and ensure that appropriate help is available. Further research could explore incidence of loss at other medical schools and investigate the impact and depth of experience of loss.
Altering the selection capabilities of common cloning vectors via restriction enzyme mediated gene disruption
Authors: Manna Sam , Harman Ashley , Accari Jessica , Barth Christian
Published: March 2013

Background

The cloning of gene sequences forms the basis for many molecular biological studies. One important step in the cloning process is the isolation of bacterial transformants carrying vector DNA. This involves a vector-encoded selectable marker gene, which in most cases, confers resistance to an antibiotic. However, there are a number of circumstances in which a different selectable marker is required or may be preferable. Such situations can include restrictions to host strain choice, two phase cloning experiments and mutagenesis experiments, issues that result in additional unnecessary cloning steps, in which the DNA needs to be subcloned into a vector with a suitable selectable marker.

Results

We have used restriction enzyme mediated gene disruption to modify the selectable marker gene of a given vector by cloning a different selectable marker gene into the original marker present in that vector. Cloning a new selectable marker into a pre-existing marker was found to change the selection phenotype conferred by that vector, which we were able to demonstrate using multiple commonly used vectors and multiple resistance markers. This methodology was also successfully applied not only to cloning vectors, but also to expression vectors while keeping the expression characteristics of the vector unaltered.

Conclusions

Changing the selectable marker of a given vector has a number of advantages and applications. This rapid and efficient method could be used for co-expression of recombinant proteins, optimisation of two phase cloning procedures, as well as multiple genetic manipulations within the same host strain without the need to remove a pre-existing selectable marker in a previously genetically modified strain.
Enhancing sorafenib-mediated sensitization to gemcitabine in experimental pancreatic cancer through EMAP II
Authors: Awasthi Niranjan , Zhang Changhua , Hinz Stefan , Schwarz Margaret A , Schwarz Roderich E
Published: March 2013

Background

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the most aggressive human malignancies and tends to be relatively resistant to conventional therapies. Activated Ras oncogene mutations are found in up to 90% of PDAC, leading to activation of the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway. Sorafenib is a multikinase inhibitor of the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathway and of tumor angiogenesis. Endothelial monocyte activating polypeptide II (EMAP) enhances gemcitabine effects in PDAC. Antitumor activity of sorafenib was evaluated in combination with gemcitabine (Gem) and the antiangiogenic agent EMAP in experimental PDAC.

Methods

Cell proliferation and protein expression were analyzed by WST-1 assay and Western blotting. Animal survival studies were performed in murine PDAC xenografts.

Results

Sorafenib decreased phospho-MEK, phospho-ERK1/2, phospho-p70S6K and phospho-4EBP-1 expression in PDAC cells. Sorafenib inhibited in vitro proliferation of all four PDAC cell lines tested. Additive effects on cell proliferation inhibition were observed in the gemcitabine-sorafenib combination in PDAC cells, and in combinations of sorafenib or EMAP with gemcitabine in endothelial (HUVEC) and fibroblast (WI-38) cells. Sorafenib, alone or in combination with gemcitabine and EMAP, induced apoptosis in HUVECs and WI-38 cells as observed via increased expression of cleaved poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) and caspase-3 proteins. Compared to controls (median survival: 22 days), animal survival increased after Gem therapy (29 days) but not in sorafenib (23 days) or EMAP therapy alone (25 days). Further increases in survival occurred in combination therapy groups Gem+sorafenib (30 days, p=0.004), Gem+EMAP (33 days, p=0.002), and Gem+sorafenib+EMAP (36 days, p=0.004), but not after the sorafenib+EMAP combination (24 days).

Conclusions

These findings demonstrate that the addition of a polymechanistic antiangiogenic agent such as EMAP can enhance the combination treatment effects of sorafenib and cytotoxic PDAC therapy.
Cell division promotes efficient retrotransposition in a stable L1 reporter cell line
Authors: Xie Yi , Mates Lajos , Ivics Zoltán , Izsvák Zsuzsanna , Martin Sandra L , An Wenfeng
Published: March 2013

Background

Long interspersed element type one (L1) actively modifies the human genome by inserting new copies of itself. This process, termed retrotransposition, requires the formation of an L1 ribonucleoprotein (RNP) complex, which must enter the nucleus before retrotransposition can proceed. Thus, the nuclear import of L1 RNP presents an opportunity for cells to regulate L1 retrotransposition post-translationally. The effect of cell division on L1 retrotransposition has been investigated by two previous studies, which observed varied degrees of inhibition in retrotransposition when primary cell strains or cancer cell lines were experimentally arrested in different stages of the cell cycle. However, seemingly divergent conclusions were reached. The role of cell division on retrotransposition remains highly debated.

Findings

To monitor both L1 expression and retrotransposition quantitatively, we developed a stable dual-luciferase L1 reporter cell line, in which a bi-directional tetracycline-inducible promoter drives the expression of both a firefly luciferase-tagged L1 element and a Renilla luciferase, the latter indicative of the level of promoter induction. We observed an additional 10-fold reduction in retrotransposition in cell-cycle arrested cells even after retrotransposition had been normalized to Renilla luciferase or L1 ORF1 protein levels. In synchronized cells, cells undergoing two mitoses showed 2.6-fold higher retrotransposition than those undergoing one mitosis although L1 expression was induced for the same amount of time.

Conclusions

Our data provide additional support for an important role of cell division in retrotransposition and argue that restricting the accessibility of L1 RNP to nuclear DNA could be a post-translational regulatory mechanism for retrotransposition.
Enhancing Wi-Fi fingerprinting for indoor positioning using human-centric collaborative feedback
Authors: Luo Yan , Hoeber Orland , Chen Yuanzhu
Published: March 2013

Position information is an important aspect of a mobile device’s context. While GPS is widely used to provide location information, it does not work well indoors. Wi-Fi network infrastructure is found in many public facilities and can be used for indoor positioning. In addition, the ubiquity of Wi-Fi-capable devices makes this approach especially cost-effective.

In recent years, “folksonomy”-like systems such as Wikipedia or Delicious Social Bookmarking have achieved huge successes. User collaboration is the defining characteristic of such systems. For indoor positioning mechanisms, it is also possible to incorporate collaboration in order to improve system performance, especially for fingerprinting-based approaches.

In this article, a robust and efficient model is devised for integrating human-centric collaborative feedback within a baseline Wi-Fi fingerprinting-based indoor positioning system. Experiments show that the baseline system performance (i.e., positioning error and precision) is improved by collecting both positive and negative feedback from users. Moreover, the feedback model is robust with respect to malicious feedback, quickly self-correcting based on subsequent helpful feedback from users.
Premenopausal endogenous steroid hormones and breast cancer risk: results from the Nurses' Health Study II
Authors: Fortner Renée T , Eliassen A Heather , Spiegelman Donna , Willett Walter C , Barbieri Robert L , Hankinson Susan E
Published: March 2013

Introduction

Prior research supports an association between endogenous sex steroids and breast cancer among postmenopausal women; the association is less clear among premenopausal women.

Methods

We evaluated the associations between estrogens, androgens, progesterone and sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and breast cancer in a nested case-control study in the Nurses' Health Study II. Between 1996 and 1999, 29,611 participants provided blood samples; 18,521 provided samples timed in early follicular and mid-luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. A total of 634 women, premenopausal at blood collection, developed breast cancer between 1999 and 2009 and were matched to 1,264 controls (514 cases and 1,030 controls with timed samples). We used conditional logistic regression controlling for breast cancer risk factors for overall analyses; unconditional logistic regression additionally controlling for matching factors was used for subgroup analyses.

Results

In analyses of premenopausal estrogens including breast cancers diagnosed both before and after menopause, there was no association between follicular estradiol, estrone and free estradiol and risk of either total or invasive breast cancer. Luteal estradiol was positively associated with estrogen receptor positive (ER+)/progesterone receptor positive (PR+) cancers (5th vs. 1st quintile odds ratio (OR): 1.7 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.0 to 2.9), Ptrend = 0.02). Luteal estrone, free estradiol and progesterone were not associated with risk. Androgens were suggestively or significantly associated with risk when the sample was restricted to invasive tumors (for example, testosterone: OR: 1.4 (1.0 to 2.0), Ptrend = 0.23) and ER+/PR+ disease (testosterone: OR: 1.7 (1.1 to 2.6) Ptrend = 0.10; dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) OR: 1.3 (0.8 to 2.0) Ptrend = 0.05). SHBG was not associated with breast cancer risk. The results varied by menopausal status at diagnosis, with follicular estradiol suggestively positively associated with breast cancers in women premenopausal at diagnosis (OR: 1.1 (0.9 to 1.3) and significantly inversely associated with postmenopausal disease (OR: 0.6 (0.4 to 0.9); Pheterogeneity < 0.01).

Conclusions

Androgens were associated with modestly increased risk of breast cancer in this population, with stronger associations for invasive and ER+/PR+ disease. Luteal phase estradiol levels were suggestively associated with ER+/PR+ tumors but no other strong associations were observed with estrogens. Associations with follicular phase estrogens may vary by menopausal status at diagnosis, but case numbers were limited. Additional studies to confirm the role of premenopausal hormones in the etiology of both premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer are needed.
SOX2 maintains the quiescent progenitor cell state of postnatal retinal Müller glia
Authors: Surzenko Natalia , Crowl Tessa , Bachleda Amelia , Langer Lee , Pevny Larysa
Published: March 2013

Within discrete regions of the developing mammalian central nervous system, small subsets of glia become specialized to function as neural stem cells. As a result of their self-renewal and neurogenic capacity, these cells later serve to replenish neurons and glia during persistent or injury-induced adult neurogenesis. SOX2, an HMG box transcription factor, plays an essential role in the maintenance of both embryonic and adult neural progenitors. It is unclear, however, which biological mechanisms regulated by SOX2 are required for neural stem cell maintenance. In this study, we address this question through genetic analysis of SOX2 function in differentiating postnatal Müller glia, a cell type that maintains neurogenic capacity in the adult retina. By utilizing molecular analysis and real-time imaging, we show that two progenitor characteristics of nascent Müller glia - their radial morphology and cell cycle quiescence - are disrupted following conditional genetic ablation of Sox2 in the mouse postnatal retina, leading to Müller cell depletion and retinal degeneration. Moreover, we demonstrate that genetic induction of the Notch signaling pathway restores Müller glial cell identity to Sox2 mutant cells, but does not secure their quiescent state. Collectively, these results uncouple the roles of SOX2 and the Notch signaling pathway in the postnatal retina, and uncover a novel role for SOX2 in preventing the depletion of postnatal Müller glia through terminal cell division.
Axial restraint Effects on Fire Resistance of Statically Indeterminate RC Beams
Authors: Cvetkovska Meri , Todorov Koce , Lazarov Ljupco
Published: March 2013

The non uniform temperature fields in the cross section of the structural elements exposed to fire cause thermal dilatations which induce internal forces. In same time temperature changes cause longitudinal elongations and if these elongations are restricted, additional axial stresses will be induced. In this case the various support conditions can have a significant influence on fire resistance of reinforced concrete elements. In this paper three different support conditions as: pin-pin, pin-fixed and fully fixed were used to model RC beams with various level of axial restraint. The beams were exposed to the ISO-fire curve. The numerically obtained results are presented and based on these results it can be concluded that increasing of axial spring stiffness increases the induced axial forces and the fire resistance of the beams.