bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The impact of physics teachers’ pedagogical content knowledge and motivation on students’ achievement and interest
Authors: Keller Melanie M. , Neumann Knut , Fischer Hans E.
Published: December 2016

This paper examines students’ achievement and interest and the extent to which they are predicted by teacher knowledge and motivation. Student achievement and interest are both considered desirable outcomes of school instruction. Teacher pedagogical content knowledge has been identified a major predictor of student achievement in previous research, whereas teacher motivation is considered a decisive factor influencing students’ interest. So far, however, most research either focused on knowledge or motivation (both on the students’ as well as the teachers’ side), rarely investigating them together or examining the instructional mechanisms through which the supposed effects of teacher knowledge and motivation are facilitated. In the present study, N = 77 physics teachers and their classes in Germany and Switzerland are investigated utilizing a multi‐method approach in combining data obtained from test‐instruments (teacher pedagogical content knowledge, student achievement) and questionnaires (teacher motivation, student interest, student perceived enthusiastic teaching) as well as videotaped instruction (cognitive activation rated by observers). Multi‐level structural equation modeling was used to support the assumptions that teacher pedagogical content knowledge positively predicted students’ achievement; the effect was mediated by cognitive activation. Teachers’ motivation predicted students’ interest which was mediated by enthusiastic teaching as perceived by students. Neither did teacher pedagogical content knowledge predict students’ interest, nor teacher motivation students’ achievement. This implies that in order to improve students’ cognitive as well as affective outcomes, both teachers’ knowledge but also their motivation need to be considered. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Research in Science Teaching Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 54:586–614, 2017
Clean energy transition—our urgent challenge: an editorial assay
Authors: Byrne John , Lund Peter D.
Published: December 2016

This article is categorized under:

Energy Research & Innovation > Science and Materials

Energy Research & Innovation > Economics and Policy

Energy Research & Innovation > Systems and Infrastructure

Energy Research & Innovation > Climate and Environment
Cover Image, Volume 9, Issue 1
Authors: Fan Yuchen , Moon James J.
Published: December 2016

image

The cover image, by James J. Moon and Yuchen Fan, is based on the Advanced Review Particulate delivery systems for vaccination against bioterrorism agents and emerging infectious pathogens, DOI: 10.1002/wnan.1403.
Sonocrystallization of Interesterified Fats with 20 and 30% C16:0 at sn‐2 Position
Authors: Kadamne Jeta V. , Ifeduba Ebenezer A. , Akoh Casimir C. , Martini Silvana
Published: December 2016

The objective of this study was to induce crystallization in enzymatically interesterified fats (IE) with 20 and 30% palmitic acid at the sn‐2 position using high intensity ultrasound (HIU). The physical blends (PB) used to prepare these two IE were consisted of tripalmitin and high oleic sunflower oil and contained 13.2 and 27.1% tripalmitin, respectively. Crystallization behavior of IE was compared with PB at supercoolings of 9, 6 and 3 °C. Results show that the melting point, SFC, and crystallization rate of PB were higher than IE and were driven mainly by tripalmitin content. HIU induced crystallization and generated small crystals in the IE samples. At 9 °C supercooling, sonication did not increase the viscosity of IE C16:0 20%, while that of the IE C16:0 30% increased significantly from 192.4 ± 118.9 to 3297.7 ± 1368.6 Pa·s. The elastic modulus (G’) for IE C16:0 30% increased from 12521 ± 2739.8 to 75076.7 ± 18259 Pa upon sonication at 9 °C supercooling, while the G’ of the IE C16:0 20% did not increase. Similar behavior was observed for the other supercoolings tested. This research suggests that HIU can improve the functional properties of IE with low content of C16:0 creating more viscous and elastic materials. These fats with low C16:0 content and improved functional properties could be used as trans‐free fat alternatives.
Impact of Cognitive and Psychological Symptoms on Work Productivity and Quality of Life among Breast Cancer Survivors in Hong Kong
Authors: Cheng Andy S.K. , Lau Lauren O.C. , Ma Yvonne N.H. , Ngai Rain H. , Fong Sanne S.L.
Published: December 2016

Objective/Background

Employed breast cancer survivors (BCS) may experience residual symptoms that can impact their work productivity and quality of life (QoL), but it is unclear whether such associations exist among BCS in Hong Kong. Therefore, this study was designed to explore the symptom burden (cognitive limitation and psychological distress) of employed BCS in HK, and to investigate whether such factors are related to work productivity and QoL.

Methods

A cross-sectional study including employed BCS (n = 30), women with musculoskeletal conditions (n = 30), and healthy women (n = 30) was conducted. Participants completed a questionnaire covering their sociodemographics, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Cognitive Symptom Checklist, Work Limitation Questionnaire, and European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30.

Results

The self-perceived cognitive limitations at work of BCS were significantly higher than that of the healthy control group (5.33 vs. 2.60; p < .05). The cognitive limitations in BCS were significantly associated with their QoL (β = —0.320; p = .032). A negative relationship between depression and QoL in BCS was also observed in this study.

Conclusion

This exploratory study provides local evidence that BCS experience greater work-task related cognitive limitations and that is related to QoL. Similar to findings in other countries, this provides insight for the consideration of early identification of cognitive problems in this particular patient group. Further studies may be needed to further substantiate such findings and to examine the effectiveness of potential cognitive interventions.
Essentials of infection prevention in the pediatric population
Authors: Koutlakis-Barron Irene , Hayden Tina Ann
Published: December 2016

Application of infection prevention and control (IP&C) measures is synonymous with safety, quality, resource saving, and the rights of all patients, staff and visitors. An extensive literature review was undertaken to identify key IP&C measures that address pediatric-specific requirements, taking into account age-related factors, diseases that occur most frequently among pediatric populations, and the important role of the caregiver in prevention and disease transmission. IP&C initiatives that target and incorporate both human (intrinsic) and environmental (extrinsic) sources of infection are population specific and guide practices and provide safe caring environments when used appropriately.

Categories of care specifically geared to the pediatric age-group (0-14 years) are divided into two categories: within-the-healthcare system and outside-of-the-healthcare setting. By taking into account the child's developmental age; physiological, psycho-social and immunological development; differing impacts on the body's natural defense mechanisms, including procedural, device type and length of utilization; and availability of specific technologies and disciplines, the caregiver IP&C strategies can be developed and tailored to address specific needs. Within-the-healthcare setting strategies focus on surveillance, standard and transmission-based precautions, the immune system, age-related factors, institutional regulations, the family and visitation. Outside the healthcare setting preventative and protective measures are vital for providing maximum and comprehensive care. Care provided within and outside the healthcare setting can either be independent of each other or work together to maximize the health and safety of the child.

This review article highlights the importance of IP&C knowledge, need for strict adherence to approved standards, and need for auditing compliance to achieve the ultimate goal of providing safe, quality care as well as an infection-free environment.
Evaluation of Real-Time Mortality Surveillance Based on Media Reports
Authors: Olayinka Olaniyi O. , Bayleyegn Tesfaye M. , Noe Rebecca S. , Lewis Lauren S. , Arrisi Vincent , Wolkin Amy F.
Published: December 2016

Objective

We evaluated the usefulness and accuracy of media-reported data for active disaster-related mortality surveillance.

Methods

From October 29 through November 5, 2012, epidemiologists from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tracked online media reports for Hurricane Sandy–related deaths by use of a keyword search. To evaluate the media-reported data, vital statistics records of Sandy-related deaths were compared to corresponding media-reported deaths and assessed for percentage match. Sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), and timeliness of the media reports for detecting Sandy-related deaths were calculated.

Results

Ninety-nine media-reported deaths were identified and compared with the 90 vital statistics death records sent to the CDC by New York City (NYC) and the 5 states that agreed to participate in this study. Seventy-five (76%) of the media reports matched with vital statistics records. Only NYC was able to actively track Sandy-related deaths during the event. Moderate sensitivity (83%) and PPV (83%) were calculated for the matching media-reported deaths for NYC.

Conclusions

During Hurricane Sandy, the media-reported information was moderately sensitive, and percentage match with vital statistics records was also moderate. The results indicate that online media-reported deaths can be useful as a supplemental source of information for situational awareness and immediate public health decision-making during the initial response stage of a disaster. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:460–466)
Understanding Deep, Socially Embedded Human Motivations and Aspirations for Work From Whole Person and Interdisciplinary Perspectives
Authors: Rothausen Teresa J.
Published: December 2016

As someone trained exclusively as a quantitative researcher, who recently became a semi-autodidactic qualitative researcher (see Rothausen, Henderson, Arnold, & Malshe, in press; “semi” in part because I am still learning and in part because my coauthors have taught me), I would like to extend the argument made by Pratt and Bonaccio (2016) for increasing qualitative research in the domains of industrial–organizational psychology (IOP), organizational behavior (OB), and human resources (HR), and I would also add industrial relations (IR), which was my doctoral field of study and “where workers went” within business and management studies as HR became more aligned with organizational interests (see Lefkowitz, 2016, from this journal). I extend their argument by deepening one of their reasons, understanding the “why” of work, and adding another potential use, understanding the “what could be” of work.
Taking Qualitative Methods a Step Further to Team Science
Authors: Solis Lorena , Aristomene Theresa , Feitosa Jennifer , Smith Ebony
Published: December 2016

Pratt and Bonaccio's (2016) focal article properly reviews and identifies the need for qualitative research methods in our field. However, they overlooked one important benefit—team science—that is crucial to current organizations. Despite the fact that qualitative research in team science is lacking, we suggest that with qualitative research we can gain more insight into what teams need in order to be effective. According to Kozlowski and Bell (2003), team dynamics are historically looked at in a static way in teams research, solely focusing on individuals’ perceptions of the team at a given time as opposed to multilevels over time. In an attempt to further expand on how qualitative research can examine constructs that purely quantitative methods may not, the purpose of this commentary is to highlight importance of qualitative research regarding its ability to capture team dynamics as they occur in the real world. The need for qualitative methods exists across various components (i.e., inputs, team emergent states, processes, outputs) when it comes to teams. We argue that how these components appear, happen, and, more importantly, evolve over time should be taken into consideration. The current commentary highlights how qualitative research can start to fill the gap of understanding team dynamics and how to improve team practices by taking time into consideration.
Why the Qualms With Qualitative? Utilizing Qualitative Methods in 360° Feedback
Authors: Kabins Adam
Published: December 2016

Although the authors of the focal article provide a comprehensive definition of 360° feedback, one exclusionary criterion results in an overly narrow definition of 360° feedback. Specifically, Point 3 in their definition described the criticality of strictly using quantitative methods in collecting 360° feedback. The authors provided a brief rationale by stating, “Data generated from truly qualitative interviews would not allow comparisons between rater groups on the same set of behaviors” (Bracken, Rose, & Church, 2016, p. 765). Although there is little doubt about the value in taking a quantitative approach for gathering 360° feedback, it is not clear why this has to be the sole approach. Below, I outline three issues with taking this constricted methodology. That is, first, excluding qualitative methods is not in line with the purpose of 360° feedback, which is directed at minimizing criterion deficiency. Second, qualitative methodologies (in conjunction with quantitative methodologies) are more equipped to provide and inspire a call to action (supporting the change component addressed by the authors). Finally, there are qualitative methods that allow for rigorous quantitative analysis and can provide an additional source of macro organizational-level data.
Qualitative Research in I-O Psychology: Maps, Myths, and Moving Forward
Authors: Pratt Michael G. , Bonaccio Silvia
Published: December 2016

Qualitative methods are gaining prominence in psychology, as well as related fields such as organizational behavior. Yet, we can find little evidence of qualitative research in our top industrial–organizational (I-O) psychology journals. We argue that the lack of research employing qualitative methods is a loss for the field, and we explore the reasons why few scholars adopt this approach. We then explore where this type of research is published and where it is not. Finally, we discuss and debunk several myths that continue to characterize qualitative methods with an eye toward encouraging a greater appreciation and acceptance of this research tradition.
Are press depictions of Affordable Care Act beneficiaries favorable to policy durability?
Authors: Chattopadhyay Jacqueline
Published: December 2016

Background: If successfully implemented and enduring, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) stands to expand health insurance access in absolute terms, reduce inter-group disparities in that access, and reduce exposure to the financial vulnerabilities illness entails. Its durability—meaning both avoidance of outright retrenchment and fidelity to its policy aims—is thus of scholarly interest. Past literature suggests that social constructions of a policy’s beneficiaries may impact durability.

Questions: This paper first describes media portrayals of ACA beneficiaries with an eye toward answering three descriptive questions: (1) Do portrayals depict beneficiaries as economically heterogeneous? (2) Do portrayals focus attention on groups that have acquired new political relevance due to the ACA, such as young adults? (3) What themes that have served as messages about beneficiary “deservingness” in past social policy are most frequent in ACA beneficiary portrayals? The paper then assesses how the portrayal patterns that these questions uncover may work both for and against the ACA’s durability, finding reasons for confidence as well as caution.

Methods: Using manual and automated methods, this paper analyzes newspaper text from August 2013 through January 2014 to trace portrayals of two ACA “target populations” before and during the new law’s first open-enrollment period: those newly eligible for Medicaid, and those eligible for subsidies to assist in the purchase of private health insurance under the ACA. This paper also studies newspaper text portrayals of two groups informally crafted by the ACA in this timeframe: those gaining health insurance and those losing it.

Results: The text data uncover the following answers to the three descriptive questions for the timeframe studied: (1) Portrayals may underplay beneficiaries’ economic heterogeneity. (2) Portrayals pay little attention to young adults. (3) Portrayals emphasize themes of workforce participation, economic self-sufficiency, and insider status. Health status, age, gender, and race/ethnicity appear to receive little attention.

Implications and Conclusions: Existing literature suggests that these portrayal patterns may both support and limit ACA durability. In favor of durability is that ACA beneficiaries are depicted in terms that have been associated with deservingness in past American social policy—particularly being cast as workers and insiders. Yet, the results also give three reasons for caution. First, ACA insurance-losers are also portrayed as deserving. Second, it is unclear how the portrayal patterns found may impact the durability of the ACA’s efforts to cut insurance disparities by age, health status, and especially race/ethnicity. Third, portrayals’ strong casting of beneficiaries as workers, and limited attention to beneficiaries’ economic heterogeneity and to young adults, may do little to help cultivate beneficiary political engagement around the ACA.
Strengthening bonds and connecting with followers
Authors: Stewart Patrick A. , Bucy Erik P. , Mehu Marc
Published: December 2016

The smiles and affiliative expressions of presidential candidates are important for political success, allowing contenders to nonverbally connect with potential supporters and bond with followers. Smiles, however, are not unitary displays; they are multifaceted in composition and signaling intent due to variations in performance. With this in mind, we examine the composition and perception of smiling behavior by Republican presidential candidates during the 2012 preprimary period. In this paper we review literature concerning different smile types and the muscular movements that compose them from a biobehavioral perspective. We then analyze smiles expressed by Republican presidential candidates early in the 2012 primary season by coding facial muscle activity at the microlevel using the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) to produce an inventory of politically relevant smile types. To validate the subtle observed differences between smile types, we show viewers a series of short video clips to differentiate displays on the basis of their perceived reassurance, or social signaling. The discussion considers the implications of our findings in relation to political evaluation and communication efficacy.
Selective perceptions of hydraulic fracturing
Authors: Sarge Melanie A. , VanDyke Matthew S. , King Andy J. , White Shawna R.
Published: December 2016

Hydraulic fracturing (HF) is a focal topic in discussions about domestic energy production, yet the American public is largely unfamiliar and undecided about the practice. This study sheds light on how individuals may come to understand hydraulic fracturing as this unconventional production technology becomes more prominent in the United States. For the study, a thorough search of HF photographs was performed, and a systematic evaluation of 40 images using an online experimental design involving$N=250$participants was conducted. Key indicators of hydraulic fracturing support and beliefs were identified. Participants showed diversity in their support for the practice, with 47 percent expressing low support, 22 percent high support, and 31 percent undecided. Support for HF was positively associated with beliefs that hydraulic fracturing is primarily an economic issue and negatively associated with beliefs that it is an environmental issue. Level of support was also investigated as a perceptual filter that facilitates biased issue perceptions and affective evaluations of economic benefit and environmental cost frames presented in visual content of hydraulic fracturing. Results suggested an interactive relationship between visual framing and level of support, pointing to a substantial barrier to common understanding about the issue that strategic communicators should consider.
Gender, risk assessment, and political ambition
Authors: Sweet-Cushman Jennie
Published: December 2016

In the United States, women have long held the right to vote and can participate fully in the political process, and yet they are underrepresented at all levels of elected office. Worldwide, men’s dominance in the realm of politics has also been the norm. To date, scholars have focused on supply-side and demand-side explanations of women’s underrepresentation but differences in how men and women assess electoral risk (the risk involved in seeking political office) are not fully explained. To fill this gap, I explore how evolutionary theory offers insights into gendered differences in political ambition and the evaluation of electoral risk. Using the framework of life-history theory, I hypothesize that both cognitive and environmental factors in human evolution, particularly as they relate to sexual selection and social roles, have shaped the psychology of ambition in gendered ways affecting contemporary politics. Cognitive risk-assessment mechanisms evolving in the hominid line came to be expressed differently in females and males, in women and men. These gendered expressions plausibly reflect differentiable environmental pressures in the past and may help explain behaviors in and barriers to women’s electoral political activity in the present. If so, then the success of efforts to increase such activity — or, regressively, to suppress it — may be better understood.
Evolutionary institutionalism
Authors: Fürstenberg Kai
Published: December 2016

Background. Institutions are hard to define and hard to study. Long prominent in political science have been two theories: Rational Choice Institutionalism (RCI) and Historical Institutionalism (HI). Arising from the life sciences is now a third: Evolutionary Institutionalism (EI). Comparative strengths and weaknesses of these three theories warrant review, and the value-to-be-added by expanding the third beyond Darwinian evolutionary theory deserves consideration.

Question.Should evolutionary institutionalism expand to accommodate new understanding in ecology, such as might apply to the emergence of stability, and in genetics, such as might apply to political behavior?

Methods.Core arguments are reviewed for each theory with more detailed exposition of the third, EI. Particular attention is paid to EI’s gene-institution analogy; to variation, selection, and retention of institutional traits; to endogeneity and exogeneity; to agency and structure; and to ecosystem effects, institutional stability, and empirical limitations in behavioral genetics.

Findings.RCI, HI, and EI are distinct but complementary.

Conclusions. Institutional change, while amenable to rational-choice analysis and, retrospectively, to critical-juncture and path-dependency analysis, is also, and importantly, ecological. Stability, like change, is an emergent property of institutions, which tend to stabilize after change in a manner analogous to allopatric speciation. EI is more than metaphorically biological in that institutional behaviors are driven by human behaviors whose evolution long preceded the appearance of institutions themselves.
A Personal Reflection on 40 Years of Radiocarbon Dating and Archaeology
Authors: Van Strydonck Mark
Published: December 2016

In 1981, the first 14C and Archaeology Symposium was organized because it was felt necessary to have a symposium that focused on the specific problems related to the use of 14C dating in archaeology. The dating method has been constantly changing and approving itself technically as well as in the application of the method. The relationship between the archaeologists and the 14C dating laboratories has, however, never been straightforward. For a lot of 14C laboratories, archaeology was not their core business. For archaeologists, the main problem arose from an insufficient knowledge of natural sciences. The last decennia, however, 14C and archaeology are growing towards one another. One of the reasons might be the introduction of small exclusively 14C-dedicated machines and the availability of fully automatic graphitization lines.
Risk factors for secondary post-tonsillectomy haemorrhage following tonsillectomy with bipolar scissors: four-year retrospective cohort study
Authors: Harju T , Numminen J
Published: December 2016

Objective:

To analyse risk factors associated with secondary post-operative bleeding when only one technique, namely bipolar scissors, is used.

Methods:

The medical records of all consecutive patients aged six years or older who underwent tonsillectomy or adenotonsillectomy between 1 December 2010 and 30 November 2014 were retrospectively analysed.

Results:

A total of 1734 patients were included in the study. A secondary haemorrhage occurred in 208 patients (12 per cent). Patients aged 15 years or older were 4.5 times (95 per cent confidence interval = 2.6–7.9;p< 0.001) more likely to experience secondary haemorrhage. In cases of acute quinsy, patients aged 15 years or older had an 8.1-fold (95 per cent confidence interval = 1.1–59.6;p= 0.02) increased likelihood of experiencing secondary haemorrhage.

Conclusion:

Patients aged 15 years or older have a higher risk for bleeding regardless of the primary indication for the tonsillectomy. The risk for secondary haemorrhage does not seem to depend on the primary indication itself.
The relationship between cognitive impairment in schizophrenia and metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors: Bora E. , Akdede B. B. , Alptekin K.
Published: December 2016

Background

Individuals with schizophrenia are at greater risk for metabolic syndrome (MetS) which is associated with cognitive deficits in the general population. MetS might be potentially an important contributing factor to cognitive impairment in schizophrenia.

Method

In the current systematic review and meta-analysis, the findings of 18 studies investigating the association between MetS (and its components) with cognitive impairment in schizophrenia are reviewed.

Results

Co-morbidity of MetS (d = 0.28) and diabetes mellitus (d = 0.28) were both associated with more severe cognitive deficits in schizophrenia. There was also evidence for a significant relationship between cognitive impairment in schizophrenia and each of the components of MetS including hypertension, dyslipidemia, abdominal obesity and diabetes.

Conclusions

MetS is significantly associated with cognitive impairment in schizophrenia and can potentially contribute to functional decline observed in some patients with schizophrenia throughout the course of illness.
Global benefits and local costs – The dilemma of tropical forest conservation: A review of the situation in Madagascar
Authors: NEUDERT REGINA , GANZHORN JÖRG U. , WÄTZOLD FRANK
Published: December 2016

Deforestation is one of the most important conservation problems in tropical developing countries, even though cost–benefit analyses consistently show that forest conservation is economically beneficial. In Madagascar, deforestation continues at alarming rates despite numerous initiatives of international donors to increase incentives for local households to support forest conservation. In this literature review, we contrast cost–benefit analyses for forest conservation with: (1) the actual burdens and (2) the actual gains of forest conservation for rural households, generated mainly in the context of conservation projects. We show that approaches to generating direct benefits deliver less value than expected for rural communities; the benefit transfer mechanisms are insufficient as the majority of benefits are captured by other stakeholders, and increased benefit transfer is limited by structural and institutional limitations in local communities, valuation chains and in terms of governance failure at higher levels.
Suicide ideation among high-risk adolescent females: Examining the interplay between parasympathetic regulation and friendship support
Authors: Giletta Matteo , Hastings Paul D. , Rudolph Karen D. , Bauer Daniel J. , Nock Matthew K. , Prinstein Mitchell J.
Published: December 2016

Poor physiological self-regulation has been proposed as a potential biological vulnerability for adolescent suicidality. This study tested this hypothesis by examining the effect of parasympathetic stress responses on future suicide ideation. In addition, drawing from multilevel developmental psychopathology theories, the interplay between parasympathetic regulation and friendship support, conceptualized as an external source of regulation, was examined. At baseline, 132 adolescent females (Mage = 14.59,SD= 1.39) with a history of mental health concerns participated in an in vivo interpersonal stressor (a laboratory speech task) and completed self-report measures of depressive symptoms and perceived support within a close same-age female friendship. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia (RSA) was measured before and during the speech task. Suicide ideation was assessed at baseline and at 3, 6, and 9 months follow-up. The results revealed that females with greater relative RSA decreases to the laboratory stressor were at higher risk for reporting suicide ideation over the subsequent 9 months. Moreover, parasympathetic responses moderated the effect of friendship support on suicide ideation; among females with mild changes or higher relative increases in RSA, but not more pronounced RSA decreases, friendship support reduced risk for future suicide ideation. Findings highlight the crucial role of physiological and external regulation sources as protective factors for youth suicidality.
Do dormancy-breaking temperature thresholds change as seeds age in the soil seed bank?
Authors: Liyanage Ganesha S. , Ooi Mark K.J.
Published: December 2016

In fire-prone ecosystems, many species regenerate after fire from persistent soil seed banks. Species with physically dormant (PY) seeds have dormancy broken by fire-related heat. The magnitude of post-fire recruitment, to predict response to varying fire severity, is commonly estimated by testing dormancy-breaking temperature thresholds of fresh PY seeds. However, seeds spend years in the soil during the inter-fire period, and determining whether dormancy-breaking thresholds change over time is essential to accurately predict population persistence. Germination of four south-eastern Australian PY species from the Fabaceae family (Acacia linifolia, Aotus ericoides, Bossiaea heterophylla and Viminaria juncea) were studied. Dormancy-breaking temperature thresholds vary inter-specifically and the species represented either high or low dormancy-breaking threshold classes. Freshly collected seeds, and seeds that had been buried in the field or stored in dry laboratory conditions for 6 and 18 months were subjected to a fire-related range of heat treatments (40–100°C). Seed ageing increased germination response to heat treatments, effectively lowering the dormancy-breaking thresholds of three species. The fourth species, A. linifolia, initially had a relatively large non-dormant fraction which was lost as seeds aged, with older seeds then displaying PY broadly similar to the other study species. Patterns of threshold decay were species-specific, with the thresholds and viability of low-threshold species declining more rapidly than high-threshold species. The non-dormant fraction did not increase over time for any of our study species. Instead of increasing their non-dormant fraction, as is common in other vegetation types, these fire-prone PY species displayed a change of dormancy-breaking temperature thresholds. This is an important distinction, as maintaining dormancy during the inter-fire period is essential for population persistence. While changes in sensitivity to dormancy-breaking treatments have previously been reported as seeds age, our study provides the first test of changes to temperature thresholds, which increases the range of germination response from the seed bank under varying fire severity.
Social change and markets for urban credit: political elites as investors in urban annuities in sixteenth-century Ghent
Authors: Baguet Jelten Y. P.
Published: December 2016

Financial historians have devoted considerable attention to the investment behaviour of urban politicians in the market for public debt in the Low Countries. They have focused not only on how many urban officials invested in annuities, but also why they did so. On the one hand, it has been suggested that political elites often had political and economic motivations for investing in urban annuities. By contrast, historians from the institutional school defend the thesis that inclusive governance led to broader participation in the market for urban credit. A variable that has gone largely unnoticed in explaining investments by the political elite is the impact of the changing composition and social profile of the ruling elites on their investment behaviour. In this article, I examine the case of sixteenth-century Ghent to argue that changes in the city's power structure resulted in profound changes in attitudes towards public debt management. While the old political elite in the early sixteenth century prioritised selling annuities to individuals who belonged to the political networks of their time, the group of political newcomers that dominated urban politics at the end of the sixteenth century had much more of a market-oriented attitude, giving priority to non-political investors in the free market.
A genealogy of metatheory in IR: how ‘ontology’ emerged from the inter-paradigm debate
Authors: Hamilton Scott
Published: December 2016

Drawn from the philosophy of science, metatheory is generally defined in International Relations (IR) as ‘theorizing about theory’ by examining a theory’s ontology or epistemology. Yet, despite being available to IR since at least the 1940s, metatheory ‘exploded’ into IR only in the late-1980s. What explains this sudden proliferation of metatheory in IR’s literature? This article answers this question by conducting a genealogy of metatheory in IR. It begins by offering a four-step heuristic guide for conducting a genealogical analysis. Then, bracketing IR’s traditional historical narratives, it problematizes a tacit practice undergirding IR’s present use of metatheory: theorizing about the ‘world’ using the philosophy of science. Tracing and interpreting the transformations of this practice through scholarship from the 1940s to the present reveals how metatheory emerged unexpectedly from what is now considered to be an outmoded and forgotten event: the inter-paradigm debate (IPD) of the mid-1980s. The IPD transformed what had always been conceptualized as a single, dynamic world for IR theory, into plural, static, theoretical worlds best (meta)theorized through a concept of ontology drawn from scientific realism. In sum, this genealogy demonstrates the implicit power that explicit theoretical practices wield over IR scholars, tacitly conditioning the discipline’s conceptual possibilities and limits.
Religion, Gendered Authority, and Identity in American Politics
Authors: Cassese Erin C. , Holman Mirya R.
Published: December 2016

Religious identity serves as a central cleavage in American politics. However, little attention has been granted to how gendered views of authority conveyed in religious doctrine shape political identities and attitudes. Using a nation-wide sample of adult Americans, we demonstrate that gendered notions of divine and human authority exert considerable influence on political thinking. In particular, belief in a masculine God and preferences for traditional gender roles strongly relate to political conservatism. Adherence to gendered notions of authority influences political identity and policy preferences, even when controlling for more conventional indicators of religiosity. Accounting for gendered beliefs about authority also partially explains well-documented gender gaps in American politics, providing insight into women's apparently contradictory tendencies toward both political liberalism and religiosity. The relationships uncovered here, coupled with the continued salience of both gender and religion in contemporary political campaigns, underscore the importance of attending to the gendered dimensions of authority.
Prenatal phthalate exposure and 8-isoprostane among Mexican-American children with high prevalence of obesity
Authors: Tran V. , Tindula G. , Huen K. , Bradman A. , Harley K. , Kogut K. , Calafat A. M. , Nguyen B. , Parra K. , Ye X. , Eskenazi B. , Holland N.
Published: December 2016

Oxidative stress has been linked to many obesity-related conditions among children including cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and hypertension. Exposure to environmental chemicals such as phthalates, ubiquitously found in humans, may also generate reactive oxygen species and subsequent oxidative stress. We examined longitudinal changes of 8-isoprostane urinary concentrations, a validated biomarker of oxidative stress, and associations with maternal prenatal urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites for 258 children at 5, 9 and 14 years of age participating in a birth cohort residing in an agricultural area in California. Phthalates are endocrine disruptors, and in utero exposure has been also linked to altered lipid metabolism, as well as adverse birth and neurodevelopmental outcomes. We found that median creatinine-corrected 8-isoprostane concentrations remained constant across all age groups and did not differ by sex. Total cholesterol, systolic and diastolic blood pressure were positively associated with 8-isoprostane in 14-year-old children. No associations were observed between 8-isoprostane and body mass index (BMI), BMI Z-score or waist circumference at any age. Concentrations of three metabolites of high molecular weight phthalates measured at 13 weeks of gestation (monobenzyl, monocarboxyoctyl and monocarboxynonyl phthalates) were negatively associated with 8-isoprostane concentrations among 9-year olds. However, at 14 years of age, isoprostane concentrations were positively associated with two other metabolites (mono(2-ethylhexyl) and mono(2-ethyl-5-carboxypentyl) phthalates) measured in early pregnancy. Longitudinal data on 8-isoprostane in this pediatric population with a high prevalence of obesity provides new insight on certain potential cardiometabolic risks of prenatal exposure to phthalates.
The ASEAN Economic Community: Deep Integration or Just Political Window Dressing?
Authors: Dosch Jörn
Published: December 2016

On 31 December 2015, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) announced the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). In theory, this agreement has produced association-wide economic integration. However, following the announcement and for the foreseeable future, ASEAN member states will continue to have significantly less than full regional economic integration. Why? Some observers believe that the AEC plans involve an overly ambitious timeline and too many ill-thought-out initiatives. Others point to ASEAN's traditional aversion to legally binding agreements. While progress has been made in reducing or eliminating intra-ASEAN trade tariffs, substantial non-tariff barriers to trade persist. However, for most member states, the ASEAN market is relatively small, while external markets, especially China, are growing rapidly. Given this outward orientation for ASEAN trade, is the lack of an unhindered regional market really a problem?
Cullin-4 regulates Wingless and JNK signaling-mediated cell death in the Drosophila eye
Authors: Tare Meghana , Sarkar Ankita , Bedi Shimpi , Kango-Singh Madhuri , Singh Amit
Published: December 2016

In all multicellular organisms, the fundamental processes of cell proliferation and cell death are crucial for growth regulation during organogenesis. Strict regulation of cell death is important to maintain tissue homeostasis by affecting processes like regulation of cell number, and elimination of unwanted/unfit cells. The developing Drosophila eye is a versatile model to study patterning and growth, where complex signaling pathways regulate growth and cell survival. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying regulation of these processes is not fully understood. In a gain-of-function screen, we found that misexpression of cullin-4 (cul-4), an ubiquitin ligase, can rescue reduced eye mutant phenotypes. Previously, cul-4 has been shown to regulate chromatin remodeling, cell cycle and cell division. Genetic characterization of cul-4 in the developing eye revealed that loss-of-function of cul-4 exhibits a reduced eye phenotype. Analysis of twin-spots showed that in comparison with their wild-type counterparts, the cul-4 loss-of-function clones fail to survive. Here we show that cul-4 clones are eliminated by induction of cell death due to activation of caspases. Aberrant activation of signaling pathways is known to trigger cell death in the developing eye. We found that Wingless (Wg) and c-Jun-amino-terminal-(NH2)-Kinase (JNK) signaling are ectopically induced in cul-4 mutant clones, and these signals co-localize with the dying cells. Modulating levels of Wg and JNK signaling by using agonists and antagonists of these pathways demonstrated that activation of Wg and JNK signaling enhances cul-4 mutant phenotype, whereas downregulation of Wg and JNK signaling rescues the cul-4 mutant phenotypes of reduced eye. Here we present evidences to demonstrate that cul-4 is involved in restricting Wg signaling and downregulation of JNK signaling-mediated cell death during early eye development. Overall, our studies provide insights into a novel role of cul-4 in promoting cell survival in the developing Drosophila eye.
Senescent peritoneal mesothelium creates a niche for ovarian cancer metastases
Authors: Mikuła-Pietrasik Justyna , Uruski Paweł , Sosińska Patrycja , Maksin Konstantin , Piotrowska-Kempisty Hanna , Kucińska Małgorzata , Murias Marek , Szubert Sebastian , Woźniak Aldona , Szpurek Dariusz , Sajdak Stefan , Piwocka Katarzyna , Tykarski Andrzej , Książek Krzysztof
Published: December 2016

Although both incidence and aggressiveness of ovarian malignancy rise with age, the exact reason for this tendency, in particular the contribution of senescent cells, remains elusive. In this project we found that the patient’s age determines the frequency of intraperitoneal metastases of ovarian cancer. Moreover, we documented that senescent human peritoneal mesothelial cells (HPMCs) stimulate proliferation, migration and invasion of ovarian cancer cells in vitro, and that this effect is related to both the activity of soluble agents released to the environment by these cells and direct cell-cell contact. The panel of mediators of the pro-cancerous activity of senescent HPMCs appeared to be cancer cell line-specific. The growth of tumors in a mouse peritoneal cavity was intensified when the cancer cells were co-injected together with senescent HPMCs. This effect was reversible when the senescence of HPMCs was slowed down by the neutralization of p38 MAPK. The analysis of lesions excised from the peritoneum of patients with ovarian cancer showed the abundance of senescent HPMCs in close proximity to the cancerous tissue. Collectively, our findings indicate that senescent HPMCs which accumulate in the peritoneum in vivo may create a metastatic niche facilitating intraperitoneal expansion of ovarian malignancy.
Differential regulated microRNA by wild type and mutant p53 in induced pluripotent stem cells
Authors: Grespi Francesca , Landré Vivien , Molchadsky Alina , Di Daniele Nicola , Marsella Luigi Tonino , Melino Gerry , Rotter Varda
Published: December 2016

The tumour suppressor p53 plays an important role in somatic cell reprogramming. While wild-type p53 reduces reprogramming efficiency, mutant p53 exerts a gain of function activity that leads to increased reprogramming efficiency. Furthermore, induced pluripotent stem cells expressing mutant p53 lose their pluripotency in vivo and form malignant tumours when injected in mice. It is therefore of great interest to identify targets of p53 (wild type and mutant) that are responsible for this phenotype during reprogramming, as these could be exploited for therapeutic use, that is, formation of induced pluripotent stem cells with high reprogramming efficiency, but no oncogenic potential. Here we studied the transcriptional changes of microRNA in a series of mouse embryonic fibroblasts that have undergone transition to induced pluripotent stem cells with wild type, knock out or mutant p53 status in order to identify microRNAs whose expression during reprogramming is dependent on p53. We identified a number of microRNAs, with known functions in differentiation and carcinogenesis, the expression of which was dependent on the p53 status of the cells. Furthermore, we detected several uncharacterised microRNAs that were regulated differentially in the different p53 backgrounds, suggesting a novel role of these microRNAs in reprogramming and pluripotency.
Short-term inhibition of TERT induces telomere length-independent cell cycle arrest and apoptotic response in EBV-immortalized and transformed B cells
Authors: Celeghin Andrea , Giunco Silvia , Freguja Riccardo , Zangrossi Manuela , Nalio Silvia , Dolcetti Riccardo , De Rossi Anita
Published: December 2016

Besides its canonical role in stabilizing telomeres, telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) may promote tumorigenesis through extra-telomeric functions. The possible therapeutic effects of BIBR1532 (BIBR), a powerful TERT inhibitor, have been evaluated in different cellular backgrounds, but no data are currently available regarding Epstein–Barr virus (EBV)-driven B-cell malignancies. Our aim was to characterize the biological effects of TERT inhibition by BIBR on EBV-immortalized lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) and fully transformed Burkitt’s lymphoma (BL) cell lines. We found that BIBR selectively inhibits telomerase activity in TERT-positive 4134/Late and 4134/TERT+ LCLs and EBV-negative BL41 and EBV-positive BL41/B95.8 BL cell lines. TERT inhibition led to decreased cell proliferation, accumulation of cells in the S-phase and ultimately to increased apoptosis, compared with mock-treated control cells. All these effects occurred within 72 h and were not observed in BIBR-treated TERT-negative 4134/TERT- and U2OS cells. The cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, consequent upon short-term TERT inhibition, were associated with and likely dependent on the activation of the DNA damage response (DDR), highlighted by the increased levels of γH2AX and activation of ATM and ATR pathways. Analyses of the mean and range of telomere lengths and telomere dysfunction-induced foci indicated that DDR after short-term TERT inhibition was not related to telomere dysfunction, thus suggesting that TERT, besides stabilizing telomere, may protect DNA via telomere-independent mechanisms. Notably, TERT-positive LCLs treated with BIBR in combination with fludarabine or cyclophosphamide showed a significant increase in the number of apoptotic cells with respect to those treated with chemotherapeutic agents alone. In conclusion, TERT inhibition impairs cell cycle progression and enhances the pro-apoptotic effects of chemotherapeutic agents in TERT-positive cells. These results support new therapeutic applications of TERT inhibitors in EBV-driven B-cell malignancies.