bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Comprehensive coverage of cardiovascular disease data in the disease portals at the Rat Genome Database
Authors: Wang Shur-Jen , Laulederkind Stanley J. F. , Hayman G. Thomas , Petri Victoria , Smith Jennifer R. , Tutaj Marek , Nigam Rajni , Dwinell Melinda R. , Shimoyama Mary
Published: June 2016

Cardiovascular diseases are complex diseases caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. To facilitate progress in complex disease research, the Rat Genome Database (RGD) provides the community with a disease portal where genome objects and biological data related to cardiovascular diseases are systematically organized. The purpose of this study is to present biocuration at RGD, including disease, genetic, and pathway data. The RGD curation team uses controlled vocabularies/ontologies to organize data curated from the published literature or imported from disease and pathway databases. These organized annotations are associated with genes, strains, and quantitative trait loci (QTLs), thus linking functional annotations to genome objects. Screen shots from the web pages are used to demonstrate the organization of annotations at RGD. The human cardiovascular disease genes identified by annotations were grouped according to data sources and their annotation profiles were compared by in-house tools and other enrichment tools available to the public. The analysis results show that the imported cardiovascular disease genes from ClinVar and OMIM are functionally different from the RGD manually curated genes in terms of pathway and Gene Ontology annotations. The inclusion of disease genes from other databases enriches the collection of disease genes not only in quantity but also in quality.
Vagal Afferent Innervation of the Airways in Health and Disease
Authors: Mazzone Stuart B. , Undem Bradley J.
Published: June 2016

Vagal sensory neurons constitute the major afferent supply to the airways and lungs. Subsets of afferents are defined by their embryological origin, molecular profile, neurochemistry, functionality, and anatomical organization, and collectively these nerves are essential for the regulation of respiratory physiology and pulmonary defense through local responses and centrally mediated neural pathways. Mechanical and chemical activation of airway afferents depends on a myriad of ionic and receptor-mediated signaling, much of which has yet to be fully explored. Alterations in the sensitivity and neurochemical phenotype of vagal afferent nerves and/or the neural pathways that they innervate occur in a wide variety of pulmonary diseases, and as such, understanding the mechanisms of vagal sensory function and dysfunction may reveal novel therapeutic targets. In this comprehensive review we discuss historical and state-of-the-art concepts in airway sensory neurobiology and explore mechanisms underlying how vagal sensory pathways become dysfunctional in pathological conditions.
Notch Signaling Mediates Skeletal Muscle Atrophy in Cancer Cachexia Caused by Osteosarcoma
Authors: Mu Xiaodong , Agarwal Rashmi , March Daniel , Rothenberg Adam , Voigt Clifford , Tebbets Jessica , Huard Johnny , Weiss Kurt
Published: June 2016

Skeletal muscle atrophy in cancer cachexia is mediated by the interaction between muscle stem cells and various tumor factors. Although Notch signaling has been known as a key regulator of both cancer development and muscle stem cell activity, the potential involvement of Notch signaling in cancer cachexia and concomitant muscle atrophy has yet to be elucidated. The murine K7M2 osteosarcoma cell line was used to generate an orthotopic model of sarcoma-associated cachexia, and the role of Notch signaling was evaluated. Skeletal muscle atrophy was observed in the sarcoma-bearing mice, and Notch signaling was highly active in both tumor tissues and the atrophic skeletal muscles. Systemic inhibition of Notch signaling reduced muscle atrophy.In vitrococulture of osteosarcoma cells with muscle-derived stem cells (MDSCs) isolated from normal mice resulted in decreased myogenic potential of MDSCs, while the application of Notch inhibitor was able to rescue this repressed myogenic potential. We further observed that Notch-activating factors reside in the exosomes of osteosarcoma cells, which activate Notch signaling in MDSCs and subsequently repress myogenesis. Our results revealed that signaling between tumor and muscle via the Notch pathway may play an important role in mediating the skeletal muscle atrophy seen in cancer cachexia.
Immediate Remote Ischemic Postconditioning Reduces Brain Nitrotyrosine Formation in a Piglet Asphyxia Model
Authors: Rocha-Ferreira Eridan , Rudge Brogan , Hughes Michael P. , Rahim Ahad A. , Hristova Mariya , Robertson Nicola J.
Published: June 2016

Remote ischemic postconditioning (RIPostC) is a promising therapeutic intervention that could be administered as an alternative to cooling in cases of perinatal hypoxia‐ischemia (HI). In the current study we hypothesized that RIPostC in the piglet model of birth asphyxia confers protection by reducing nitrosative stress and subsequent nitrotyrosine formation, as well as having an effect on glial immunoreactivity. Postnatal day 1 (P1) piglets underwent HI brain injury and were randomised to HI (control) or HI + RIPostC. Immunohistochemistry assessment 48 hours after HI revealed a significant decrease in brain nitrotyrosine deposits in the RIPostC‐treated group (p = 0.02). This was accompanied by a significant increase in eNOS expression (p < 0.0001) and decrease in iNOS (p = 0.010), with no alteration in nNOS activity. Interestingly, RIPostC treatment was associated with a significant increase in GFAP (p = 0.002) and IBA1 (p = 0.006), markers of astroglial and microglial activity, respectively. The current study demonstrates a beneficial effect of RIPostC therapy in the preclinical piglet model of neonatal asphyxia, which appears to be mediated by modulation of nitrosative stress, despite glial activation.
Extended State Observer-Based Sliding Mode Control with New Reaching Law for PMSM Speed Control
Authors: Qian Junzhang , Xiong Ai , Ma Wenli
Published: June 2016

In order to improve the performance of external disturbance rejection of permanent magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) in speed control, sliding mode control with extended state observer is adopted in this paper. First, an exponential function-based sliding mode reaching law (ESMRL) is developed. The ESMRL can dynamically adapt to the variations of the controlled system, which decrease the reaching time in reaching stage and void chattering in sliding motion stage while maintaining high tracking accuracy of the servo system. Then, an extended state observer (ESO) is introduced to the controller to simultaneously estimate external disturbance and compensate the uncertainties. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed method has better suppression of chattering effect and disturbance rejection ability while ensuring dynamic performance.
Dual NAMPT and BTK Targeting Leads to Synergistic Killing of Waldenström Macroglobulinemia Cells Regardless of MYD88 and CXCR4 Somatic Mutation Status
Authors: Cea Michele , Cagnetta Antonia , Acharya Chirag , Acharya Prakrati , Tai Yu-Tzu , Yang Cao , Lovera Davide , Soncini Debora , Miglino Maurizio , Fraternali-Orcioni Giulio , Mastracci Luca , Nencioni Alessio , Montecucco Fabrizio , Monacelli Fiammetta , Ballestrero Alberto , Hideshima Teru , Chauhan Dharminder , Gobbi Marco , Lemoli Roberto M. , Munshi Nikhil , Treon Steven P. , Anderson Kenneth C.
Published: June 2016

Purpose: Nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt) regulates intracellular NAD+ pool and is highly expressed in a number of malignancies. FK866, a selective inhibitor of Nampt, depletes intracellular NAD+ levels, thereby blocking cellular metabolism and triggering sensitization to other drugs and cell death. Here we characterized the antitumor effects of Nampt inhibition in Waldenström macroglobulinemia.

Experimental Design: We investigated Nampt role in MW cells using both mRNA and protein expression analyses. We have also used loss-of-function approaches to investigate the growth and survival effects of Nampt on MW cells and further tested the anti-MW activity of dual Nampt and BTK inhibition in vitro and in vivo.

Results: We found that Waldenström macroglobulinemia cells exhibit high levels of Nampt compared with normal B cells. Loss of function studies suggested a potential oncogenic role of Nampt in Waldenström macroglobulinemia cells, and BTK-inhibitor ibrutinib and FK866 resulted in a significant and synergistic anti-Waldenström macroglobulinemia cell death, regardless of MYD88 and CXCR4 mutational status. Cell death was associated with: (i) activation of caspase-3, PARP and downregulation of Mcl-1, (ii) enhanced intracellular ATP and NAD+ depletion, (iii) inhibition of NF-κB signaling, and (iv) inhibition of multiple prosurvival signaling pathways. In a murine xenograft Waldenström macroglobulinemia model, low-dose combination FK866 and ibrutinib is well tolerated, significantly inhibits tumor growth, and prolongs host survival.

Conclusions: Our results show intracellular NAD+ level as crucial for proliferation and survival of Waldenström macroglobulinemia cells, and provides the mechanistic preclinical rationale for targeting Nampt, either alone or with Ibrutinib, to overcome drug resistance and improve patient outcome in Waldenström macroglobulinemia. Clin Cancer Res; 22(24); 6099–109. ©2016 AACR.
A Minimal DNA Methylation Signature in Oral Tongue Squamous Cell Carcinoma Links Altered Methylation with Tumor Attributes
Authors: Krishnan Neeraja M. , Dhas Kunal , Nair Jayalakshmi , Palve Vinayak , Bagwan Jamir , Siddappa Gangotri , Suresh Amritha , Kekatpure Vikram D. , Kuriakose Moni Abraham , Panda Binay
Published: June 2016

Oral tongue squamous cell carcinomas (OTSCC) are a homogenous group of aggressive tumors in the head and neck region that spread early to lymph nodes and have a higher incidence of regional failure. In addition, there is a rising incidence of oral tongue cancer in younger populations. Studies on functional DNA methylation changes linked with altered gene expression are critical for understanding the mechanisms underlying tumor development and metastasis. Such studies also provide important insight into biomarkers linked with viral infection, tumor metastasis, and patient survival in OTSCC. Therefore, we performed genome-wide methylation analysis of tumors (N = 52) and correlated altered methylation with differential gene expression. The minimal tumor-specific DNA 5-methylcytosine signature identified genes near 16 different differentially methylated regions, which were validated using genomic data from The Cancer Genome Atlas cohort. In our cohort, hypermethylation of MIR10B was significantly associated with the differential expression of its target genes NR4A3 and BCL2L11 (P = 0.0125 and P = 0.014, respectively), which was inversely correlated with disease-free survival (P = 9E−15 and P = 2E−15, respectively) in patients. Finally, differential methylation in FUT3, TRIM5, TSPAN7, MAP3K8, RPS6KA2, SLC9A9, and NPAS3 genes was found to be predictive of certain clinical and epidemiologic parameters.

Implications: This study reveals a functional minimal methylation profile in oral tongue tumors with associated risk habits, clinical, and epidemiologic outcomes. In addition, NR4A3 downregulation and correlation with patient survival suggests a potential target for therapeutic intervention in oral tongue tumors. Data from the current study are deposited in the NCBI Geo database (accession number GSE75540). Mol Cancer Res; 14(9); 805–19. ©2016 AACR.
Association of Choroidal Interleukin-17-Producing T Lymphocytes and Macrophages with Geographic Atrophy
Authors: Camelo Serge , Lavelette Sophie , Guillonneau Xavier , Raoul William , Sennlaub Florian
Published: June 2016

Purpose: To evaluate the presence of interleukin-17 (IL-17)-producing cells in patients with geographic atrophy (GA). Methods: In this short report, we analyzed IL-17, CD3, and IBA-1 expression by immunohistochemistry on paraffin-embedded sections from 13 donors with a known history of GA, confirmed by fundus appearance and histology, and 7 age-matched control donors. Results/Conclusion: We showed that IL-17+ cells are found near areas of retinal pigmented epithelium atrophy in the eyes of GA patients. IL-17+ cells mainly localized to CD3+ cells, which identifies T lymphocytes, as well as IBA-1+ cells, which identifies mononuclear phagocytes. Therefore, IL-17 could be involved in the pathological mechanisms that contribute to the degeneration observed in GA.
L-homoarginine administration reduces neointimal hyperplasia in balloon-injured rat carotids
Authors: Dellera Federica , Ganzetti Giulia S. , Froio Alberto , Manzini Stefano , Busnelli Marco , Meinitzer Andreas , Sirtori Cesare R. , Chiesa Giulia , Parolini Cinzia
Published: June 2016

Supplementary Material to this article is available at www.thrombosis-online.com.
Deletion of Interleukin-6 Attenuates Pressure Overload-Induced Left Ventricular Hypertrophy and Dysfunction
Authors: Zhao Lin , Cheng Guangming , Jin Runming , Afzal Muhammad R. , Samanta Anweshan , Xuan Yu-Ting , Girgis Magdy , Elias Harold K. , Zhu Yanqing , Davani Arash , Yang Yanjuan , Chen Xing , Ye Sheng , Wang Ou-Li , Chen Lei , Hauptman Jeryl , Vincent Robert J. , Dawn Buddhadeb
Published: June 2016

Rationale:

The role of interleukin (IL)-6 in the pathogenesis of cardiac myocyte hypertrophy remains controversial.

Objective:

To conclusively determine whether IL-6 signaling is essential for the development of pressure overload–induced left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and to elucidate the underlying molecular pathways.

Methods and Results:

Wild-type and
IL-6
knockout (
IL-6
−/−
) mice underwent sham surgery or transverse aortic constriction (TAC) to induce pressure overload. Serial echocardiograms and terminal hemodynamic studies revealed attenuated LV hypertrophy and superior preservation of LV function in
IL-6
−/−
mice after TAC. The extents of LV remodeling, fibrosis, and apoptosis were reduced in
IL-6
−/−
hearts after TAC. Transcriptional and protein assays of myocardial tissue identified Ca
2+
/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) activation as important underlying mechanisms during cardiac hypertrophy induced by TAC. The involvement of these pathways in myocyte hypertrophy was verified in isolated cardiac myocytes from wild-type and
IL-6
−/−
mice exposed to prohypertrophy agents. Furthermore, overexpression of CaMKII in H9c2 cells increased STAT3 phosphorylation, and exposure of H9c2 cells to IL-6 resulted in STAT3 activation that was attenuated by CaMKII inhibition. Together, these results identify the importance of CaMKII-dependent activation of STAT3 during cardiac myocyte hypertrophy via IL-6 signaling.

Conclusions:

Genetic deletion of
IL-6
attenuates TAC-induced LV hypertrophy and dysfunction, indicating a critical role played by IL-6 in the pathogenesis of LV hypertrophy in response to pressure overload. CaMKII plays an important role in IL-6–induced STAT3 activation and consequent cardiac myocyte hypertrophy. These findings may have significant therapeutic implications for LV hypertrophy and failure in patients with hypertension.
Intestinal Microbiota‐Generated Metabolite Trimethylamine‐
N‐
Oxide and 5‐Year Mortality Risk in Stable Coronary Artery Disease: The Contributory Role of Intestinal Microbiota in a COURAGE‐Like Patient Cohort
Authors: Senthong Vichai , Wang Zeneng , Li Xinmin S. , Fan Yiying , Wu Yuping , Wilson Tang W. H. , Hazen Stanley L.
Published: June 2016

Background

Trimethylamine‐
N
‐oxide (
TMAO
), a metabolite derived from gut microbes and dietary phosphatidylcholine, is linked to both coronary artery disease pathogenesis and increased cardiovascular risks. The ability of plasma
TMAO
to predict 5‐year mortality risk in patients with stable coronary artery disease has not been reported. This study examined the clinical prognostic value of
TMAO
in patients with stable coronary artery disease who met eligibility criteria for a patient cohort similar to that of the Clinical Outcomes Utilizing Revascularization and Aggressive Drug Evaluation (COURAGE) trial.

Methods and Results

We examined the relationship between fasting plasma
TMAO
and all‐cause mortality over 5‐year follow‐up in sequential patients with stable coronary artery disease (n=2235) who underwent elective coronary angiography. We identified the
COURAGE
‐like patient cohort as patients who had evidence of significant coronary artery stenosis and who were managed with optimal medical treatment. Higher plasma
TMAO
levels were associated with a 4‐fold increased mortality risk. Following adjustments for traditional risk factors, high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein, and estimated glomerular filtration rate, elevated
TMAO
levels remained predictive of 5‐year all‐cause mortality risk (quartile 4 versus 1, adjusted hazard ratio 1.95, 95%
CI
1.33–2.86;
P
=0.003).
TMAO
remained predictive of incident mortality risk following cardiorenal and inflammatory biomarker adjustments to the model (adjusted hazard ratio 1.71, 95%
CI
1.11–2.61;
P
=0.0138) and provided significant incremental prognostic value for all‐cause mortality (net reclassification index 42.37%,
P
<0.001; improvement in area under receiver operator characteristic curve 70.6–73.76%,
P
<0.001).

Conclusions

Elevated plasma
TMAO
levels portended higher long‐term mortality risk among patients with stable coronary artery disease managed with optimal medical treatment.
Athens QRS Score as a Predictor of Coronary Artery Disease in Patients With Chest Pain and Normal Exercise Stress Test
Authors: Alvi Raza , Sklyar Eduard , Gorski Robert , Atoui Moustapha , Afshar Maryam , Bella Jonathan N.
Published: June 2016

Background

The diagnostic value of the Athens
QRS
score to detect obstructive coronary artery disease
CAD
in patients with otherwise normal exercise stress test remains unclear.

Methods and Results

We analyzed 458 patients who underwent exercise stress test with or without myocardial perfusion imaging within 2 months of coronary angiography from 2008 to 2011. Patients (n=173) with abnormal stress test based on
ST
segment criteria were excluded. The Athens
QRS
score ≤5 was defined as abnormal. In our study cohort, 285 patients met the inclusion criteria and were divided into 2 groups: low Athens
QRS
score (
LQRS
, n=56), with
QRS
score ≤5 and normal Athens
QRS
score normal Athens
QRS
score, n=229), with
QRS
score >5. The presence of single‐vessel and multivessel obstructive
CAD
was higher in
LQRS
than in normal Athens
QRS
score patients (47% versus 7.5% and 30% versus 3.8%, respectively, all
P
<0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that the likelihood of
CAD
was strongly and independently associated with
LQRS
(odds ratio=36.81, 95%
CI
: 10.77–120.47), diabetes (odds ratio=6.49, 95%
CI
: 2.41–17.49), lower maximum heart rate (odds ratio=0.92, 95%
CI
: 0.88–0.95, all
P
<0.001), and older age (odds ratio=1.93,
CI
: 1.88–1.97,
P
=0.002).

Conclusions

In a clinical cohort of patients with chest pain and normal exercise stress test,
LQRS
score is a strong independent predictor of presence of
CAD
.
LQRS
patients have a 6‐fold higher prevalence of
CAD
and may warrant further evaluation even with reassuring exercise stress test.
Der Abfassungszweck des sogenannten Haereticarum fabularum compendium des Theodoret von Kyrrhos
Authors: Scholten Clemens
Published: June 2016

The date of origin, the addressee and the intended purpose of Theodoret’s of Cyrrhus so-called Haereticarum fabularum compendium demonstrate the profound connection of the writing to the christological dispute between 448 and 452. The significance of the text for the history of heresies and for the reconstruction of texts of Early Christianity is therefore small.
Larval morphology of Lebertia insignis Neuman, 1880, L. porosa Thor, 1900 and L. saxonica Thor, 1911 (Acari, Hydrachnidia: Lebertiidae)
Authors: TUZOVSKIJ PETR V.
Published: June 2016

Illustrated redescriptions of the larvae of the water mite species Lebertia insignis Neuman, 1880, L. porosa Thor, 1900 and L. saxonica Thor, 1911 are presented. The present data suggest that L. saxonica, recently considered as a subspecies or a junior synonym of L. insignis, or as a “species incerta“ should be recognized as separate species. A key to all named species based on larvae is given.
Increasing Trend of Pan Evaporation over the Semiarid Loess Plateau under a Warming Climate
Authors: Zhang Qiang , Wang Wenyu , Wang Sheng , Zhang Liang
Published: June 2016

In most parts of the world, pan evaporation decreases with increased air temperature rather than increases, which is known as the “evaporation paradox.” The semiarid Loess Plateau, which is sensitive to global climate change and ecological variations, has a unique warming and drying climate. The authors of this study consider whether pan evaporation shows the same decreasing trend in this unique environment. Meteorological observations of the typical semiarid Dingxi in the Loess Plateau from 1960 to 2010 were used to analyze the variation in pan evaporation and its responses to climatic factors. It was found that the pan evaporation has increased considerably over the past 50 yr, which does not support the evaporation paradox proposed in previous studies. A multifactor model developed to simulate the independent impacts of climate factors on pan evaporation indicated that the temperature, humidity, wind speed, and low cloud cover variations contributed to pan evaporation by 46.18%, 25.90%, 2.48%, and 25.44%, respectively. The increased temperature, decreased relative humidity, and decreased low cloud cover all caused an increase in pan evaporation, unlike many parts of the world where increased low cloud cover offsets the effects of increased temperature and decreased relative humidity on pan evaporation. This may explain why the evaporation paradox occurs. If all relevant factors affecting pan evaporation are considered, it is possible the paradox will not occur. Thus in warm and drying regions, the increased pan evaporation will lead to increasingly arid conditions, which may exacerbate drought and flood disaster occurrences worldwide.
Coupled Evaluation of Below- and Aboveground Energy and Water Cycle Variables from Reanalysis Products over Five Flux Tower Sites in the United States
Authors: Lytle William , Zeng Xubin
Published: June 2016

Reanalysis products are widely used to study the land–atmosphere exchanges of energy, water, and carbon fluxes and have been evaluated using in situ data above or below ground. Here, measurements for several years at five flux tower sites in the United States (with a total of 315 576 h of data) are used for the coupled evaluation of both below- and aboveground processes from three global reanalysis products and six global land data assimilation products. All products show systematic errors in precipitation, snow depth, and the timing of the melting and onset of snow. Despite the biases in soil moisture, all products show significant correlations with observed daily soil moisture for the periods with unfrozen soil. While errors in 2-m air temperature are highly correlated with errors in skin temperature for all sites, the correlations between skin and soil temperature errors are weaker, particularly over the sites with seasonal snow. While net short- and longwave radiation flux errors have opposite signs across all products, the net radiation and ground heat flux errors are usually smaller in magnitude than turbulent flux errors. On the other hand, the all-product averages usually agree well with the observations on the evaporative fraction, defined as the ratio of latent heat over the sum of latent and sensible heat fluxes. This study identifies the strengths and weaknesses of these widely used products and helps understand the connection of their errors in above- versus belowground quantities.
Sympathy and misery in families with drinking problems
Authors: Järvinen Margaretha , Bloch Charlotte
Published: June 2016

Sympathy is an emotion that connects people in trouble with those around them. This paper uses Candace Clark’s sociological theory on sympathy-giving to explore the emotional relationships between adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs) and their parents. Three dimensions are singled out as being central to sympathy-giving. We show, first, that the ‘sympathy accounts’ of alcoholic parents are related to the degree to which they live up to standardized parental obligations. Second, ACOAs’ sympathy investment in their parents is associated with the parents’ reciprocation – in terms of returning the sympathy, showing gratitude and/or acknowledging their problems and trying to solve them. Third, the interviewees’ sympathy-giving is related to the moral status they ascribe to problem drinkers, and especially their conceptions of alcohol problems as being self-inflicted or caused by circumstances the drinker cannot control. The paper is based on qualitative interviews with 25 ACOAs recruited through a survey in Denmark.
Neuroscience and education: Mind the gap
Authors: Morris John , Sah Pankaj
Published: June 2016

Although significant advances have been made in our understanding of the neural basis of learning and memory over the past hundred years, the translation of these neuroscientific insights into classroom teaching practice has been very limited. In this review, we discuss the historical development of pedagogy, cognitive psychology, and the neuroscience of learning over the past century, and how these separate disciplines are now combining in the new field of educational neuroscience. We examine the successes and promises of this emerging field, but also discuss the considerable practical and conceptual difficulties that face educational neuroscientists who have to be constantly vigilant to “mind the gap.”
Planting a Forest
Authors: Reynolds Amy L.
Published: June 2016

Louise Douce has been a leader in the field of counseling psychology and, more specifically, college student mental health for over 40 years. Her long-standing involvement in the Society of Counseling Psychology (SCP) or Division 17 of the American Psychological Association through a variety of leadership roles—including fellows chair, vice president of education and training, president, and SCP council representative—demonstrate her covenant with the values and spirit of counseling psychology. She is renowned for her endless passion for diversity and inclusion, her role as a visionary, her commitment to creating change on college campuses around mental health issues, and her excellence as a mentor. These themes come to life through the eyes of those who have been mentored and inspired by her important work on behalf of all counseling psychologists.
Do African Americans Direct Science Fiction or Blockbuster Franchise Movies? Race, Genre, and Contemporary Hollywood
Authors: Erigha Maryann
Published: June 2016

While scholars have long considered the relationship between genre and Black film production, less is known about African American directors’ participation in contemporary Hollywood film genres, especially the spaces where they are least included. An examination of post-2000 Hollywood films reveals that Black directors are routinely underrepresented in the most financially lucrative film genre, science fiction, and are therefore denied the success that comes with it. The underrepresentation of Black directors in the science fiction genre operates in dialogue with racialized ideological discourses about the place of African Americans in U.S. society—stereotyping them out of intellectual cultures. Race-bound practices of marginalization in science fiction films, and thereby top franchises, also impedes Black directors’ ability to attain the highest levels of economic success in the Hollywood film industry. Both outcomes present material and symbolic barriers for the complete inclusion of African Americans in contemporary media institutions and in U.S. society.
Survival Rate of Resin and Ceramic Inlays, Onlays, and Overlays
Authors: Morimoto S. , Rebello de Sampaio F.B.W. , Braga M.M. , Sesma N. , Özcan M.
Published: June 2016

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the survival rate of ceramic and resin inlays, onlays, and overlays and to identify the complication types associated with the main clinical outcomes. Two reviewers searched PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials for articles published between 1983 through April 2015, conforming to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for systematic reviews. Clinical studies meeting the following criteria were included: 1) studies related to resin and ceramic inlays, onlays, and overlays; 2) prospective, retrospective, or randomized controlled trials conducted in humans; 3) studies with a dropout rate of less than 30%; and 4) studies with a follow-up longer than 5 y. Of 1,389 articles, 14 met the inclusion criteria. The meta-regression indicated that the type of ceramic material (feldspathic porcelain vs. glass-ceramic), study design (retrospective vs. prospective), follow-up time (5 vs. 10 y), and study setting (university vs. private clinic) did not affect the survival rate. Estimated survival rates for glass-ceramics and feldspathic porcelain were between 92% and 95% at 5 y ( n = 5,811 restorations) and were 91% at 10 y ( n = 2,154 restorations). Failures were related to fractures/chipping (4%), followed by endodontic complications (3%), secondary caries (1%), debonding (1%), and severe marginal staining (0%). Odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) were 0.19 (0.04 to 0.96) and 0.54 (0.17 to 1.69) for pulp vitality and type of tooth involved (premolars vs. molars), respectively. Ceramic inlays, onlays, and overlays showed high survival rates at 5 y and 10 y, and fractures were the most frequent cause of failure.
Communicative Success in Spatial Dialogue: The Impact of Functional Features and Dialogue Strategies
Authors: Tenbrink Thora , Andonova Elena , Schole Gesa , Coventry Kenny R.
Published: June 2016

This paper addresses the impact of dialogue strategies and functional features of spatial arrangements on communicative success. To examine the sharing of cognition between two minds in order to achieve a joint goal, we collected a corpus of 24 extended German-language dialogues in a referential communication task that involved furnishing a dolls’ house. Results show how successful communication, as evidenced by correct placement of furniture items, is affected by: (a) functionality of the furniture arrangement; (b) previous task experience; and (c) dialogue features such as description length and orientation information. To enhance research in this area, our ‘Dolldialogue’ corpus ( www.dolldialogue.space ) is now available as a free resource.
The Role of Fundamental Frequency and Temporal Envelope in Processing Sentences with Temporary Syntactic Ambiguities
Authors: Sharpe Victoria , Fogerty Daniel , den Ouden Dirk-Bart
Published: June 2016

Previous experiments have demonstrated the impact of speech prosody on syntactic processing. The present study was designed to examine how listeners use specific acoustic properties of prosody for grammatical interpretation. We investigated the independent contributions of two acoustic properties associated with the pitch and rhythmic properties of speech; the fundamental frequency and temporal envelope, respectively. The effect of degrading these prosodic components was examined by testing listeners’ ability to parse early-closure garden-path sentences. A second aim was to investigate how effects of prosody interact with semantic effects of sentence plausibility. Using a task that required both a comprehension and a production response, we were able to determine that degradation of the speech envelope more consistently affects syntactic processing than degradation of the fundamental frequency. These effects are exacerbated in sentences with plausible misinterpretations, showing that prosodic degradation interacts with contextual cues to sentence interpretation.
The Psychometric Properties of a Modified Sit-to-Stand Test With Use of the Upper Extremities in Institutionalized Older Adults
Authors: Le Berre Melanie , Apap David , Babcock Jade , Bray Sarah , Gareau Esther , Chassé Kathleen , Lévesque Nicole , Robbins Shawn M.
Published: June 2016

Current sit-to-stand protocols do not permit use of upper extremities, limiting the protocols’ utility for institutionalized older adults with diminished physical function. The objective of this study was to modify a 30-s sit-to-stand protocol to allow for arm use and to examine test–retest reliability and convergent validity; 54 institutionalized older adult men (age = 91 ± 3 year) performed the 30-s sit-to-stand twice within a span of 3 to 7 days. Results suggest good test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient = .84) and convergent validity with the Timed Up and Go Test ( r = −.62). This modified 30-s sit-to-stand can be used to assess physical function performance in institutionalized older adults and will ensure that individuals with lower physical function capacity can complete the test, thus eliminating the floor effect demonstrated with other sit-to-stand protocols.
Factor Structure of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale
Authors: Horwitz Elaine K.
Published: June 2016

By employing both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis, Park has provided an important contribution to understanding the underlying constructs of the Foreign Language Classroom Anxiety Scale. To Park’s concerns about previous research on the components of the measure, this article adds the necessity of considering the specific learner populations and learning contexts where foreign language anxiety (FLA) is being examined since the components of FLA likely vary in different learner populations, especially with respect to cultural and proficiency differences. It is particularly important to consider that FLA has different triggers and manifestations in different cultures.
Finite element simulations to evaluate deformation of polyester tubular braided structures
Authors: Ochola Jerry , Malengier Benny , Daelemans Lode , Van Langenhove Lieva
Published: June 2016

The use of narrow tubular braided structures for biological tissue support has made it possible to produce highly flexible and robust soft tissue reinforcement structures. These attributes make the braids ideal in supporting ruptured and broken tissues during healing and regeneration. There have been continued efforts to improve the design in order to reinforce tissues while still maintaining their flexibility; this has been undertaken by exploring the deformation behavior of these structures. Mechanical modeling, which provides an in-depth understanding of the deformation mechanism of structures, plays an important role in designing structural changes in tubular braids. This paper reports the results of numerical and experimental investigations into the radial contraction and deformation mode of two types of tubular braided fabrics—single and double braided—subjected to uniaxial tensile loading under quasi-static conditions. Realistic geometrical structures were developed for mechanical modeling of tubular braids in terms of tensile loads, elongation, radial contraction and braid angle. The results indicated that there was a good match between experimental and simulated tensile behavior of the braided structures. It was established that the amount of braided yarns within the structure had the likelihood of influencing the radial contraction and braid angle in the braided structure under uniaxial tensile deformation. The results portrayed that braided structures would undergo large deformations at low loads. It was also established that there would be more structural stability as the yarns increased, evidenced by more loads in the double-braided structure as compared to the single-braided tubular structure.
Social capital and community representation: How multiform networks promote local democracy in Los Angeles
Authors: Musso Juliet , Weare Christopher
Published: June 2016

This paper examines the variant roles that specific forms of networked-based social capital play in supporting the democratic functions of a neighbourhood governance network in Los Angeles. A significant body of empirical work has demonstrated the positive role that social capital plays in the functioning of civil society, but there has been less attention to the manner in which different types of network-based social capital promote support efficacy of multifaceted civic organisations. This paper utilises network measures from a survey of the members of a neighbourhood governance network in Los Angeles to explore the associations between types of network ties – within group; among groups; to different external stakeholders – and perceived self-efficacy of the member associations. We find that internal cohesion, or bonding social capital, promotes both advisement of city officials and promotion of local participation, suggesting that this network-based resource is fungible. Other network structures appear to have value in different contexts, in that stakeholder connections promote participation, while bridging social capital is associated with perceived success in advising city officials. The findings suggest that architects of participatory reform should be attentive to system goals in establishing supports for varying forms of system relationships.
Desistance from Crime and Identity
Authors: Paternoster Raymond , Bachman Ronet , Kerrison Erin , O’connell Daniel , Smith Lionel
Published: June 2016

Theories of desistance from crime have emphasized social processes like involvement in adult social bonds or prosocial social relationships to the deliberate neglect of individual subjective processes such as one’s identity. More recent theories, however, have stressed the role of identity and human agency in the desistance process. An important set of questions is whether identity theory adds anything to existing theories, and whether there is empirical evidence to suggest that such subjective processes are important. In this article, we provide an empirical assessment of individual subjective considerations in desistance by looking at the relationship between “good identities,” intentional self-change, and desistance using survival time data from a sample of serious drug-troubled adult offenders released from prison whose arrest records are followed for almost a 20-year period. The implications of our findings for all brands of criminal desistance theory are discussed.
The role of resumptive pronouns in Cantonese relative clause acquisition
Authors: Lau Elaine
Published: June 2016

Resumptive pronouns are often regarded as a last-resort strategy for rescuing illicit long-distance dependencies. Previous work has demonstrated a facilitative role for resumptive pronouns in production as well as in comprehension, though not a grammatical option in the languages. This study examined whether the same pattern is found in Cantonese, a language that allows resumption as a legitimate relativization strategy. Young Cantonese monolingual children were tested for both comprehension and production of object relative clauses using different relativization strategies (the gap strategy vs. the resumptive pronoun strategy). Although children did not perform better on either strategy in comprehension, and never employed resumptive pronouns in their production, resumption did prevent misanalysis of prenominal relative clauses as matrix clauses, suggesting that these elements help reveal the full structure of the relative clause to the processor. The study also showed better performance on subject than on object relative clauses, suggesting that the widely observed subject–object asymmetry also applies to Cantonese.
Breaking into the Hebrew verb system: A learning problem
Authors: Ashkenazi Orit , Ravid Dorit , Gillis Steven
Published: June 2016

Verb learning is an important part of linguistic acquisition. The present study examines the early phases of verb acquisition in Hebrew, a language with complex derivational and inflectional verb morphology, analyzing verbs in dense recordings of CDS and CS of two Hebrew-speaking parent–child dyads aged 1;8–2;2. The goal was to pinpoint those cues that help toddlers identify the root-and-pattern make-up of Hebrew verbs despite the prevalence of structural opacity and irregularity in the verbs they hear, due to a high token frequency of defective (irregular)-root verbs. The study provides a detailed account of the distribution of root types and temporal categories in Hebrew CDS and CS showing how verb specific morphological features in the form of inflectional affixes in the Modal Cluster of Infinitive Imperative and Future Tense in CDS act as distributional cues facilitating verb acquisition in CS.
Temporary employment at labour market entry in Europe: Labour market dualism, transitions to secure employment and upward mobility
Authors: Passaretta Giampiero , Wolbers Maarten HJ
Published: June 2016

This article focuses on school-leavers who enter employment with a temporary contract in the European context, and examines their probabilities to shift to standard employment or unemployment, and their chances of occupational mobility afterwards. The authors argue that two institutional dimensions of insider–outsider segmentation drive the career progression after a flexible entry: the gap between the regulation of permanent and temporary contracts and the degree of unionization. The analyses show that a disproportionate protection of permanent compared to temporary contracts increases the probability of remaining on a fixed-term contract, whereas the degree of unionization slightly decreases the chance of moving to jobs with higher or lower socio-economic status. Finally, a shift to permanent employment after a fixed-term entry is more often associated with occupational upward mobility in strongly rather than weakly unionized labour markets.
The Role of Partners’ Support for Women’s Reentry Into Employment After a Child-Related Career Break in Germany
Authors: Bröckel Miriam
Published: June 2016

In the present study, the effect of partners’ social support on women’s reentry into the labor market is examined by means of discrete-time event history analysis using the German Socio-Economic Panel (1984-2013). In doing so, we take into account partners’ instrumental and emotional support. A special focus is placed on the moderating effect of partners’ relative resources on partners’ support. Results reveal that both partners’ instrumental and partners’ emotional support play a major role in women’s return to employment. Particularly with a more egalitarian division of domestic labor and child care, women have a higher likelihood of returning to the labor market. However, a partner’s reduction of working hours can also accelerate women’s reemployment. In addition, we find moderating effects of partners’ resource constellations on partners’ support: with a partner’s increasing comparative advantage, help with housework facilitates labor market reentry, while educational homogamy moderates the effect of a partner’s emotional support.
Susceptibility to Classmates’ Influence on Delinquency During Early Adolescence
Authors: Müller Christoph M. , Hofmann Verena , Arm Sybille
Published: June 2016

Early adolescents vary in their susceptibility to peer influence on delinquency. However, it is still less clear which factors explain this variation and how these factors relate to each other. In this study, 10 factors that may moderate peer influence were investigated. A sample of 868 participants was followed across six occasions from seventh to ninth grade. Multilevel longitudinal models showed that descriptive norms among the classmates, based on aggregated self-reported delinquency, predicted individual delinquent behavior across time. When each factor was considered separately, the effect of classmates’ delinquency was stronger for males and adolescents scoring higher on impulsivity, risk tolerance, social dominance, cool appearance, unstructured spare time activities, and lower parental supervision. No moderation effects were found for age, self-worth, and social acceptance. In a model containing all significant moderators, only male gender remained significant, indicating boys’ higher susceptibility. Implications for theory and preventing negative peer influence are discussed.
A steady state model of agricultural waste pyrolysis: A mini review
Authors: Trninić M , Jovović A , Stojiljković D
Published: June 2016

Agricultural waste is one of the main renewable energy resources available, especially in an agricultural country such as Serbia. Pyrolysis has already been considered as an attractive alternative for disposal of agricultural waste, since the technique can convert this special biomass resource into granular charcoal, non-condensable gases and pyrolysis oils, which could furnish profitable energy and chemical products owing to their high calorific value. In this regard, the development of thermochemical processes requires a good understanding of pyrolysis mechanisms. Experimental and some literature data on the pyrolysis characteristics of corn cob and several other agricultural residues under inert atmosphere were structured and analysed in order to obtain conversion behaviour patterns of agricultural residues during pyrolysis within the temperature range from 300 °C to 1000 °C. Based on experimental and literature data analysis, empirical relationships were derived, including relations between the temperature of the process and yields of charcoal, tar and gas (CO2, CO, H2 and CH4). An analytical semi-empirical model was then used as a tool to analyse the general trends of biomass pyrolysis. Although this semi-empirical model needs further refinement before application to all types of biomass, its prediction capability was in good agreement with results obtained by the literature review. The compact representation could be used in other applications, to conveniently extrapolate and interpolate these results to other temperatures and biomass types.
A Meta-Analysis of Educator Training to Improve Implementation of Interventions for Students With Disabilities
Authors: Brock Matthew E. , Carter Erik W.
Published: June 2016

Teachers and paraprofessionals need effective training to improve their implementation of interventions for students with disabilities. Reviews of the single-case design literature have identified some features associated with effective training for these educators, but the group-design literature has received little attention. This meta-analysis systematically reviews group-design studies testing the efficacy of training to improve implementation of interventions for students with disabilities. The mean effect size of educator training on implementation fidelity was g = 1.08, and results from meta-regression analysis suggest training that involves a combination of two specific training strategies (i.e., modeling and performance feedback) was associated with improved implementation fidelity. Increased duration of training was not associated with larger effects. Considered alongside findings from the single-case design literature, these results suggest that how educators are trained is a more important consideration than the number of hours they spend in training.