bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A compreensão de regras matemáticas na formação docente: uma pesquisa sob o ponto de vista da linguagem
Authors: Abreu da Silveira Marisa Rosâni , Da Silva Paulo Vilhena
Published: January 2016

Os indicadores da educação básica apontam para o insucesso na aprendizagem dos estudantes na matemática. Partindo disso, nos propomos discutir como os futuros professores da disciplina interpretam regras matemáticas que ensinarão no ensino básico. Para isso, realizamos uma pesquisa com estudantes de um Curso de Licenciatura em Matemática em fase final de formação. Na ocasião, solicitamos aos licenciados que descrevessem como ensinariam algumas operações matemáticas, justificando sua validade. Constatamos que esses licenciandos não tem clareza das operações matemáticas que terão que ensinar e que alguns de seus erros são os mesmos dos alunos da educação básica. Nosso referencial teórico é composto, principalmente, pelas idéias do filósofo austríaco Ludwig Wittgenstein – que trata do aprendizado e aplicação de regras -, das idéias da (re)educadora francesa Stella Baruk que discute, entre outras coisas, a respeito da aparente conexão entre a matemática e magia, bem como outras pesquisas que discutem a formação docente.
La Experiencia Como Eje de la Formación: una propuesta de formación inicial de educadoras y educadores sociales.
Authors: Blanco García Nieves , Sierra Nieto Jose Eduardo
Published: January 2016

El sentido de la formación inicial es ayudar a que las alumnas y los alumnos desarrollen sus modos propios de pensar, de actuar, explicitando y reflexionando sobre los principios que orientan sus acciones. Por tanto, consideramos que nuestro papel como enseñantes es favorecer que las y los estudiantes puedan formar-se, conocer-se, que desarrollen un saber vivo, encarnado, donde el saber, el hacer y el ser se presentan unidos. Desde estos presupuestos, desarrollamos una propuesta de formación que toma como base la experiencia: la de los estudiantes, la de profesionales en ejercicio, y la nuestra propia como docentes. En las páginas que siguen, abordamos las concepciones que la orientan, los principios y opciones metodológicas en que se concreta, y algunas reflexiones sobre los retos y posibilidades que se abren.
Incentives, Teachers, and Gender at Work
Authors: Robert Sarah A.
Published: January 2016

Incentive pay programs have become panacea for a multitude of educational challenges. When aimed at teachers the assumption is that rewards entice them to work in particular ways or particular schools. However, the assumption is based on an economic formula that does not take into consideration the gendered nature of policy processes. This study examined ethnographically 10 teachers’ decision-making processes regarding whether to take up The Rural Program [La Ruralidad] in the Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, which rewarded qualified educators with bonus pay to work in hard-to-staff schools, to address the question: How does gender mediate teachers’ decision-making process to take up an incentive reward? I isolate three conditions: safety, transportation, and community, to show how gendered relations, identities, and roles incentivize teachers. I argue that masculinities and femininities mediated teachers’ approach to taking up incentives. Rather than a simplistic, one-time-only decision, the study shows an on-going policy process that involves women and men in “rational economic decision making” mired by gender.
Visibilidad y poder de las mujeres en instituciones universitarias.
Authors: Sanchez-Moreno Marita , Tomás Folch Marina , Lavié Martinez José Manuel
Published: January 2016

Este artículo plantea el debate acerca de la presencia y visibilidad de las mujeres en puestos de responsabilidad en la gestión universitaria así como el carácter que adopta el ejercicio del poder en las mujeres responsables de unidades organizativas de instituciones de educación superior. Para ello se presentan los resultados de una indagación desarrollada mediante un estudio descriptivo en dos universidades públicas españolas. El análisis fue realizado mediante la información obtenida a través de tres instrumentos de recogida de datos: entrevistas semiestructuradas,  análisis de  sitios Web institucionales y grupos de discusión. Los resultados obtenidos revelan que la visibilidad y el ejercicio del poder son aspectos que tienen una relación directa con el género. La existencia de cierta invisibilidad de las mujeres en las dos universidades españolas estudiadas aparece como consecuencia de las características socioculturales que han impregnado la vida de las académicas universitarias así como de las circunstancias estructurales imperantes en la universidad española.
Teacher Preparation and Language Policy Appropriation: A Qualitative Investigation of Teach For America Teachers in Arizona
Authors: Heineke Amy J , Cameron Quanna
Published: January 2016

In this qualitative study, we examined teachers’ language policy appropriation in the English-only state of Arizona. Specifically, we investigated teachers who received their professional placement and preparation through the Teach For America organization. We conducted the research in 2010 and 2011, a period when Arizona state language policy required that English learners be placed in English language development classrooms, separated from mainstream classrooms, to receive four hours of daily skill-based language instruction in language-specific content only, including grammar, vocabulary, reading, writing, and conversation. Through analysis of interview data from seven current corps members and eight alumni teachers, we investigated whether and how professional preparation shaped teachers’ identity and agency to implement prescriptive linguistic and instructional mandates in the classroom.
Social pedagogy: historical traditions and transnational connections
Authors: Schugurensky Daniel , Silver Michael
Published: January 2016

With over 150 years of history, social pedagogy is both an interdisciplinary scholarly field of inquiry and a field of practice that is situated in the intersection of three areas of human activity: education, social work and community development. Although social pedagogy has different emphases and approaches depending on particular historical and geographical contexts, a common theme is that it deals with the connections between educational and social dynamics, or put in a different way, it is concerned with the educational dimension of social issues and the social dimensions of educational issues. The first part of this paper analyzes the history of the field of social pedagogy since its origins until today, with a focus on transnational flows between Europe and the Americas. The second part of the paper discusses the main issues raised in this special issue of EPAA, and extracts the main threads and connections among the different papers included in the volume.
Pedagogia Social e resiliência: diálogos possíveis.
Authors: Martins Margareth , Araujo Flávia Monteiro de Barros
Published: January 2016

O texto busca analisar as contribuições dos estudos sobre resiliência para pedagogia social. As reflexões em tela são resultantes de pesquisa realizada com crianças trabalhadoras urbanas, seus professores e suas escolas. A investigação, desenvolvida no município de Duque de Caxias, situado na região metropolitana do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, envolveu o acompanhamento de crianças que vivem em situação de risco social, escolas e professores. Buscou-se detectar as concepções de escola e de mundo que povoam o imaginário destes indivíduos. No percurso metodológico, privilegiou-se a construção de relatos de experiência e de histórias de vida. O artigo procura estabelecer um diálogo entre o conceito de resiliência e a temática pesquisada, buscando aproximações, conexões e, principalmente, estabelecer uma atitude reflexiva que possibilite uma prática escolar que contribua para potencializar alunos e professores
Preparing Teachers: Highly Qualified to Do What? Editors’ introduction
Authors: Chin Elaine , Wong Pia L.
Published: January 2016

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 has had significant effects on teacher preparation programs, both in terms of changes required for policy compliance and through important program adjustments. These adjustments have largely been made in response to changes in partner schools and districts, where pacing guides, scripted curricula, benchmark testing and program improvement mandates are now the norm. In the context of anticipated robust policy activity in K-12 education and teacher education (e.g., possible re-authorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, adoption of the Common Core Standards, new teacher certification performance assessments, etc.), it is important to understand the ways in which the current federal law, focused primarily on K-12 education, has also shaped teacher preparation programs. Paying attention to the dynamics involved in such context that his article introduces the articles of EPAA/AAPE’s Special Issue on Preparing Teachers: Highly Qualified to Do What?
Classroom, the We Space: Developing Student-Centered Practices for Second Language Learner (SLL) Students
Authors: Rodriguez-Valls Fernando , Ponce Gregorio
Published: January 2016

Developing teaching practices that meet the needs of Second Language Learners (SLL) calls for models of apprenticeship in which teacher candidates acquire competency on how to create learning spaces where students discover, experience and construct knowledge rather than solely practicing skills. The aforesaid argument has an implication when defining the competency of highly qualified teachers as framed by the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act. This article presents a three-step teacher development process requiring teacher candidates first to observe and analyze exemplary teaching practices. Secondly, to help them build expertise on how to question students to ignite their inquiry. And, thirdly, to develop and implement their practices to create a classroom as the wespace. The outcomes of this model suggest that highly qualified teachers could be better prepared to work with SLL when they are competent in creating inclusive, participatory learning environments, in which students are able to utilize, experiment, synthesize and evaluate knowledge.
The transformative potential of boundary spanners: a narrative inquiry into preservice teacher education and professional development in an NCLB-impacted context.
Authors: Whitenack David Alan , Swanson Patricia E.
Published: January 2016

This narrative inquiry uses pedagogic discourse theory and organization theory to frame pre-service teacher education and in-service professional development initiatives in a school district facing tensions related to the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. Implications for similar future initiatives are considered.
Public entrepreneurs and the adoption of broad-based merit aid beyond the Southeastern United States
Authors: Ingle William Kyle , Petroff Ruth Ann
Published: January 2016

The concentration of broad-based merit aid adoption in the southeastern United States has been well noted in the literature. However, there are states that have adopted broad-based merit aid programs outside of the Southeast.  Guided by multiple theoretical frameworks, including innovation diffusion theory (e.g., Gray, 1973, 1994; Rogers, 2003), Roberts and King’s (1991) typology of public entrepreneurs, and Anderson’s (2003) stages of the policymaking process, this qualitative study sought to answer the following questions. First, in the absence of regional diffusion pressures, what internal determinants are reported as accounting for the diffusion of broad-based merit aid programs outside of the Southeastern US?  What types of public entrepreneurs were identified as playing key roles in establishing merit aid in states outside the southeastern US?  During which stages of the policymaking process were they active? We found that merit aid was a means of addressing an array of public problems, including low college going rates at in-state public colleges and universities, and weak K-12 accountability. Consistent factors reported as facilitating merit aid creation included a strong, vocal public advocate (governors and a university system president) and a desire to strengthen state economies and diversify workforces.  A full range of public entrepreneurs played key roles in developing merit aid in the sampled states. Political and executive entrepreneurs were in the forefront of merit aid efforts, but our data suggest that a cast of supporting public entrepreneurs were integral to the eventual adoption of broad-based merit aid in the sampled states.
Role of High Schools in Undocumented Students' College Choice
Authors: Nienhusser H. Kenny
Published: January 2016

In recent years, some states in the United States have enacted policies that grant some higher education benefits—primarily in-state resident tuition eligibility—to certain undocumented students. While in existence since 2001, little is known of the role of high school institutional agents in implementing such policies. This study describes the efforts of seven New York City high schools to educate their undocumented students about such educational benefits within their college choice process. It details five categories of activities that institutional agents developed to address undocumented students’ college choice needs. These college choice activities included: one-on-one counseling, presentations, outreach, scholarship, and curriculum. This study also examined the effects of institutional demographics on the process of educating undocumented students about their college choice. It discovered that those high schools that had higher percentages of undocumented students had a greater number of college choice activities and had organized their implementation in such a way as to make information more available to this student population. This article concludes with a section that is devoted to implications for research and practice.
Charter School Competition, Organization, and Achievement in Traditional Public Schools
Authors: Davis Tomeka M.
Published: January 2016

Market models of education reform predict that the growth of charter schools will infuse competition into the public school sector, forcing traditional public schools to improve the practices they engage in to educate students. Some scholars have criticized these models, arguing that competition from charter schools is unlikely to produce significant change among public schools. Using data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Kindergarten Class, I attempt to identify potential mechanisms linking charter competition to achievement in traditional public schools. The results provide little support for the market model. Competition from charter schools is not associated with reading or math scores, and is only associated with three of ten organizational measures.  There is some support for an indirect relationship between math achievement and competition through reductions in teacher absenteeism, but these results fall short of meeting conventional thresholds for statistical significance.
Sentinels guarding the grail: Value-added measurement and the quest for education reform
Authors: Gabriel Rachael , Lester Jessica Nina
Published: January 2016

Over the past three years, Value-Added Measurement (VAM) has captured the attention of the American public through high-profile media representations of the tool and the controversy that surrounds it. In this paper, we build upon investigations of constructions of VAM in the media and present a discourse analysis of the policymaking process within the meetings of Tennessee’s Teacher Evaluation Advisory Committee (TEAC), a 15-member panel appointed by the Tennessee governor to develop a new teacher evaluation policy under Race to the Top. The data included audiorecordings of public meetings from March, 2010 through the end of the committee’s work in April, 2011. As we analyzed the talk of the TEAC, we oriented to the particular version of VAM worked up within these conversations in relation to a descriptive metaphor in which VAM is compared to a “sentinel of trust.” We present examples to illustrate three patterns in the construction of VAM as the sentinel of trust within teacher evaluation: (1) VAM alone defines effectiveness; (2) VAM is the only objective option; and (3) concerns about VAM are minimized. We discuss the implications of this way of thinking and talking about VAM and contrast it with other possibilities, including those constructed by teachers, researchers, and the media.
Development of ‘Self-Confidence’ AAC Board for the Olds with Communication Disorders
Authors: Moon Jeong Yeon , Hwang Bo Myung ,   Korean Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Published: January 2016

Background &　Objective: Now, a great number of AAC are developed in various types based on digital device. However, the elderly are not familiar with digital devices, which may create a barrier in using the device. Therefore, in this report, the purpose is to develop AAC tool which can be ‘self-confidently’ used and deliver basic vocabulary or sentence as a form of communication board, easily usable for the elderly. Method: The mouse remote control uses circuits of wireless toy cars which are easily accessible around to call guardians and to move communication pendulum. The communication board is where the pendulum rotates to point the card of many attached basic vocabulary and sentence cards which the user tries to communicate. The receiver is for the guardian to receive calls from the user. Results: ‘Self-confidence’ AAC board increases the convenience for the elderly with communication disorders when using. Furthermore, it increases the convenience not only for the elderly but also for the guardians. Conclusion: When the elderly with communication disorder and his guardian are further apart from each other, the receiver for guardian should be operable so it needs technical complement.
Planning of Speech Intelligibility Enhancement Program for Dysarthria
Authors: Hong Sae Mi , Sim Hyun Sub ,   Korean Society of Augmentative and Alternative Communication
Published: January 2016

AAC programs for dysarthria are currently lacking. The current study aims to plan the speech intelligibility enhancement program to improve overall speech intelligibility and communication efficiency in dysarthria. This program consists of 4 different sections: (1) warming up exercise for respiration and phonation training, (2) articulation training, (3) speech rate control training, and (4) script training and generalization. We expect that the software development for this program is completed as soon as possible and utilized widely for people with dysarthria.
Algebraic flows on abelian varieties
Authors: Ullmo Emmanuel , Yafaev Andrei
Published: January 2016

Let A be an abelian variety. The abelian Ax–Lindemann theorem shows that
the Zariski closure of an algebraic flow in A is a translate of an abelian subvariety of A. The paper discusses some conjectures on the usual topological closure of an algebraic flow in A. The main result is a proof of these conjectures when the algebraic flow is given by an algebraic curve.
Rigidity and sharp stability estimates
for hypersurfaces with constant and almost-constant nonlocal mean curvature
Authors: Ciraolo Giulio , Figalli Alessio , Maggi Francesco , Novaga Matteo
Published: January 2016

We prove that the boundary of a (not necessarily connected) bounded smooth set with constant nonlocal mean curvature is a sphere. More generally, and in contrast with what happens in the classical case,
we show that the Lipschitz constant of the nonlocal mean curvature of such a boundary controls
its

C
2

{C^{2}}

-distance from a single sphere. The corresponding stability inequality is obtained with a sharp decay rate.
Pronoun innovation in Middle English
Authors: Alcorn Rhona
Published: January 2016

This paper reconsiders the history of two little-known third-person pronouns – 3pl. acc.
A new interpretation of Lachmann’s Law
Authors: De Angelis Alessandro , Chilà Annamaria
Published: January 2016

In Latin, a short vowel followed by a voiced plosive undergoes lengthening in the past participle (Lachmann’s law). Many of these ppp. show a nasal segment inherited from the present or perfect stem. In a few ppp. moving from a dental stem, such as
Exaptation and phonological change
Authors: Kaźmierski Kamil
Published: January 2016

Looking at the fate of the concept of exaptation in historical linguistics, this article attempts an extension of exaptation from morphosyntactic change to phonological change. It argues that explicit recognition of the links between language change and other manifestations of Darwinian evolution can provide a context in which the use of this concept might be justified. First, an overview of the applications of exaptation in linguistics is provided (
The historical phonology of Mawé glides
Authors: de Carvalho Fernando O.
Published: January 2016

This study aims at contributing to a more elaborate understanding of the historical phonology of Mawé (Tupí family, Brazil). The paper discusses two patterns of diachronic correspondence involving
The cellular level mode I fracture behaviour of spruce and birch in the RT crack propagation system
Authors: Tukiainen Pekka , Hughes Mark
Published: January 2016

The effect of the microscopic structure and the moisture content (MC) of wood on its fracture behaviour has been investigated. Green and air-dried spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst.) and birch (Betula pendula Roth.) wood were subjected to pure mode I loading in the radial- tangential (RT) crack propagation system. Tests were carried out in situ in an environmental scanning electron microscope to observe crack propagation at the cellular level. Crack-tip displacement fields were computed by digital image correlation, and crack propagation was observed from the images captured during testing. Both the MC and the microscopic structure were found to affect the fracture process. In the air-dried birch and spruce, only microcracking caused large displacements ahead of the crack-tip. In spruce, the microcracking zone was larger than in birch. In green birch and spruce, microcracking was less evident than in the air-dried specimens, and in some cases, there were notable deformations in a few cells ahead of the crack-tip before crack extension. Microcracking is considered to be the main toughening mechanism in spruce and birch in the RT crack propagation system.
The study of entrepreneurship in Ireland
Authors: O’Gorman Colm
Published: January 2016

In this paper, I (1) reflect on the current state of entrepreneurship research in Ireland; (2) assess the impact of Irish entrepreneurship research on four groups: students, academic peers, policymakers and practitioners; and (3) outline the factors that might shape the entrepreneurship research agenda in Ireland. While there is an established body of research on entrepreneurship in Ireland, I argue that this has had a limited impact on the international research community and, perhaps more importantly, it may not have impacted or informed, to the extent that it could, the teaching of entrepreneurship, the practice of entrepreneurship or policy relating to entrepreneurship in Ireland. The agenda for entrepreneurship research in Ireland should reflect (1) the national industrial development imperative, (2) aspects of the Irish context that offer Irish researchers a comparative advantage, (3) the changing nature of entrepreneurship and (4) emerging frameworks and theories.
Changing times for management educators: Rethinking engagement with participatory forms of knowledge production
Authors: Harrington Denis , Short Jeremy C. , Hynes Briga
Published: January 2016

Oscar Wilde once quipped, ‘Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.’ Whilst business scholars have challenged this premise, debate rages concerning what elements are most worth knowing. Specifically, the value of rigorous academic research is often weighed against the merits of specific student experiences that may have more immediate value in the marketplace. Within this changed context, academics are challenged to embrace collaborative forms of research activity and re-imagine the nature of the academic-practitioner exchange and accompanying knowledge transfer. We explore this changing role of the business school with an eye towards outlining potential bridges between academic knowledge and benefits of interactions with practice. Specifically, we consider the academic-practitioner interface in the context of the wider debate on ‘rigour and relevance’ in management education and research. Participatory modes of knowledge production are discussed, and current ideas on the ‘management practice’ gap are discussed. We conclude that more innovative forms of research engagement are required to encourage academic-practitioner collaboration. To that end, we discuss a number of potential approaches to help foster co-learning and discovery and debate their student, educator and broader instructional implications.
Effect of γ irradiation on the impact response of rigid polyurethane foam
Authors: Chandra Sagar , Sharma Sudhanshu , Ali Hajrat , Mane Jotiram V. , Naik Yeshwant P. , Chavan Vivek M. , Manjunath Bychapur S. , Patel Rameshchandra J.
Published: January 2016

An experimental study to observe the change in impact response of rigid polyurethane foam due to γ irradiation is presented. The foam samples were irradiated using a 60Co based γ irradiator, γ Chamber 5000. Dynamic tests were performed on unirradiated and irradiated cubical foam specimens in a drop weight testing machine to characterize the mechanical properties. Structural characterization was performed using phase-contrast X-ray imaging and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results reveal a significant change in the dynamic response of polyurethane foam after irradiation due to change in structure. The response of foam gets stiffer in the initial linear phase, and densification (lockup) occurs well below the strains at which lockup occurs for an unirradiated foam. The ramifications of this study towards the application of polyurethane foam as an impact limiter in nuclear shipping casks are discussed.
Nonorthogonal Stagnation-point Flow of a Second-grade Fluid Past a Lubricated Surface
Authors: Mahmood Khalid , Sajid Muhammad , Ali Nasir
Published: January 2016

The stagnation-point flow of a second-grade fluid past a power law lubricated surface is considered in this paper. It is assumed that the fluid impinges on the wall obliquely. A suitable choice of similarity transformations reduces the governing partial differential equations into ordinary differential equations. The thin lubrication layer suggests that the interface conditions between the fluid and the lubricant can be imposed on the boundary. An implicit finite difference scheme known as the Keller-Box method is employed to obtain the numerical solutions. The effects of slip parameter and Weissenberg number on the fluid velocity and streamlines is discussed in the graphs. The limiting cases of partial-slip and no-slip can be deduced from the present solutions.
Vitamin D mitigates the adverse effects of obesity on breast cancer in mice
Authors: Swami Srilatha , Krishnan Aruna V , Williams Jasmaine , Aggarwal Abhishek , Albertelli Megan A , Horst Ronald L , Feldman Brian J , Feldman David
Published: January 2016

Obesity is an established risk factor for postmenopausal breast cancer (BCa), insulin resistance, and vitamin D deficiency, and all contribute to increased synthesis of mammary estrogens, the drivers of estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) BCa growth. As both dietary vitamin D and calcitriol treatments inhibit breast estrogen synthesis and signaling, we hypothesized that vitamin D would be especially beneficial in mitigating the adverse effects of obesity on ER+BCa. To assess whether obesity exerted adverse effects on BCa growth and whether vitamin D compounds could reduce these unfavorable effects, we employed a diet-induced obesity (DIO) model in ovariectomized C57BL/6 mice. Breast tumor cells originally from syngeneicMmtv-Wnt1transgenic mice were then implanted into the mammary fat pads of lean and obese mice. DIO accelerated the initiation and progression of the mammary tumors. Treatments with either calcitriol or dietary vitamin D reduced the adverse effects of obesity causing a delay in tumor appearance and inhibiting continued tumor growth. Beneficial actions of treatments with vitamin D or calcitriol on BCa and surrounding adipose tissue included repressedEsr1, aromatase, andCox2expression; decreased tumor-derived estrogen and PGE2; reduced expression of leptin receptors; and increased adiponectin receptors. We demonstrate that vitamin D treatments decreased insulin resistance, reduced leptin, and increased adiponectin signaling and also regulated the LKB1/AMPK pathway contributing to an overall decrease in local estrogen synthesis in the obese mice. We conclude that calcitriol and dietary vitamin D, acting by multiple interrelated pathways, mitigate obesity-enhanced BCa growth in a postmenopausal setting.
Early pregnancy modulates survival and apoptosis pathways in the corpus luteum in sheep
Authors: Lee JeHoon , Banu Sakhila K , McCracken John A , Arosh Joe A
Published: January 2016

The corpus luteum (CL) is a transient endocrine gland. Functional and structural demise of the CL allows a new estrous cycle. On the other hand, survival of CL and its secretion of progesterone are required for the establishment of pregnancy. Survival or apoptosis of the luteal cells is precisely controlled by interactions between survival and apoptosis pathways. Regulation of these cell signaling components during natural luteolysis and establishment of pregnancy is largely unknown in ruminants. The objective of the present study was to determine the regulation of survival and apoptosis signaling protein machinery in the CL on days 12, 14, and 16 of the estrous cycle and pregnancy in sheep. Results indicate that: i) expressions of p-ERK1/2, p-AKT, β-catenin, NFκB -p65, -p50, -p52, p-Src, p-β -arrestin, p-GSK3β, X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP), and p-CREB proteins are suppressed during natural luteolysis; in contrast, their expressions are sustained or increased during establishment of pregnancy; ii) expressions of cleaved caspase-3, apoptosis inducing factor (AIF), c-Fos, c-Jun, and EGR-1 proteins are increased during natural luteolysis; in contrast, their expressions are decreased during establishment of pregnancy; and iii) expressions of Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, Bad, and Bax proteins are not modulated during natural luteolysis while expressions of Bcl2 and Bcl-XL proteins are increased during establishment of pregnancy in sheep. These proteomic changes are evident in both large and small luteal cells. These results together indicate that regression of the CL during natural luteolysis or survival of the CL during establishment of pregnancy is precisely controlled by distinct programmed suppression or activation of intraluteal cell survival and apoptosis pathways in sheep/ruminants.
Collective Fluctuations in the Dynamics of Adaptation and Other Traveling Waves
Authors: Hallatschek Oskar , Geyrhofer Lukas
Published: January 2016

The dynamics of adaptation are difficult to predict because it is highly stochastic even in large populations. The uncertainty emerges from random genetic drift arising in a vanguard of particularly fit individuals of the population. Several approaches have been developed to analyze the crucial role of genetic drift on the expected dynamics of adaptation, including the mean fitness of the entire population, or the fate of newly arising beneficial deleterious mutations. However, little is known about how genetic drift causes fluctuations to emerge on the population level, where it becomes palpable as variations in the adaptation speed and the fitness distribution. Yet these phenomena control the decay of genetic diversity and variability in evolution experiments and are key to a truly predictive understanding of evolutionary processes. Here, we show that correlations induced by these emergent fluctuations can be computed at any arbitrary order by a suitable choice of a dynamical constraint. The resulting linear equations exhibit fluctuation-induced terms that amplify short-distance correlations and suppress long-distance ones. These terms, which are in general not small, control the decay of genetic diversity and, for wave-tip dominated (“pulled”) waves, lead to anticorrelations between the tip of the wave and the lagging bulk of the population. While it is natural to consider the process of adaptation as a branching random walk in fitness space subject to a constraint (due to finite resources), we show that other traveling wave phenomena in ecology and evolution likewise fall into this class of constrained branching random walks. Our methods, therefore, provide a systematic approach toward analyzing fluctuations in a wide range of population biological processes, such as adaptation, genetic meltdown, species invasions, or epidemics.
Segregation of Naturally Occurring Mitochondrial DNA Variants in a Mini-Pig Model
Authors: Cagnone Gael , Tsai Te-Sha , Srirattana Kanokwan , Rossello Fernando , Powell David R , Rohrer Gary , Cree Lynsey , Trounce Ian A , St. John Justin C
Published: January 2016

The maternally inherited mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) is present in multimeric form within cells and harbors sequence variants (heteroplasmy). While a single mtDNA variant at high load can cause disease, naturally occurring variants likely persist at low levels across generations of healthy populations. To determine how naturally occurring variants are segregated and transmitted, we generated a mini-pig model, which originates from the same maternal ancestor. Following next-generation sequencing, we identified a series of low-level mtDNA variants in blood samples from the female founder and her daughters. Four variants, ranging from 3% to 20%, were selected for validation by high-resolution melting analysis in 12 tissues from 31 animals across three generations. All four variants were maintained in the offspring, but variant load fluctuated significantly across the generations in several tissues, with sex-specific differences in heart and liver. Moreover, variant load was persistently reduced in high-respiratory organs (heart, brain, diaphragm, and muscle), which correlated significantly with higher mtDNA copy number. However, oocytes showed increased heterogeneity in variant load, which correlated with increased mtDNA copy number during in vitro maturation. Altogether, these outcomes show that naturally occurring mtDNA variants segregate and are maintained in a tissue-specific manner across generations. This segregation likely involves the maintenance of selective mtDNA variants during organogenesis, which can be differentially regulated in oocytes and preimplantation embryos during maturation.
Timing of Puberty in Overweight Versus Obese Boys
Authors: Lee Joyce M. , Wasserman Richard , Kaciroti Niko , Gebremariam Achamyeleh , Steffes Jennifer , Dowshen Steven , Harris Donna , Serwint Janet , Abney Dianna , Smitherman Lynn , Reiter Edward , Herman-Giddens Marcia E.
Published: January 2016

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:

Studies of the relationship of weight status with timing of puberty in boys have been mixed. This study examined whether overweight and obesity are associated with differences in the timing of puberty in US boys.

METHODS:

We reanalyzed recent community-based pubertal data from the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Pediatric Research in Office Settings study in which trained clinicians assessed boys 6 to 16 years for height, weight, Tanner stages, testicular volume (TV), and other pubertal variables. We classified children based on BMI as normal weight, overweight, or obese and compared median age at a given Tanner stage or greater by weight class using probit and ordinal probit models and a Bayesian approach.

RESULTS:

Half of boys (49.9%, n = 1931) were white, 25.8% (n = 1000) were African American, and 24.3% (n = 941) were Hispanic. For genital development in white and African American boys across a variety of Tanner stages, we found earlier puberty in overweight compared with normal weight boys, and later puberty in obese compared with overweight, but no significant differences for Hispanics. For TV (≥3 mL or ≥4 mL), our findings support earlier puberty for overweight compared with normal weight white boys.

CONCLUSIONS:

In a large, racially diverse, community-based sample of US boys, we found evidence of earlier puberty for overweight compared with normal or obese, and later puberty for obese boys compared with normal and overweight boys. Additional studies are needed to understand the possible relationships among race/ethnicity, gender, BMI, and the timing of pubertal development.
Physical Examination Findings Among Children and Adolescents With Obesity: An Evidence-Based Review
Authors: Armstrong Sarah , Lazorick Suzanne , Hampl Sarah , Skelton Joseph A. , Wood Charles , Collier David , Perrin Eliana M.
Published: January 2016

Overweight and obesity affects 1 in 3 US children and adolescents. Clinical recommendations have largely focused on screening guidelines and counseling strategies. However, the physical examination of the child or adolescent with obesity can provide the clinician with additional information to guide management decisions. This expert-based review focuses on physical examination findings specific to children and adolescents with obesity. For each physical examination element, the authors define the finding and its prevalence among pediatric patients with obesity, discuss the importance and relevance of the finding, describe known techniques to assess severity, and review evidence regarding the need for additional evaluation. The recommendations presented represent a comprehensive review of current evidence as well as expert opinion. The goal of this review is to highlight the importance of conducting a targeted physical examination during pediatric weight management visits.
An LMI Technique for the Global Stabilization of Nonlinear Polynomial Systems
Authors: Belhaouane Mohamed Moez , Mtar Riadh , Ayadi Hela Belkhiria , Braiek Naceur Benhadj
Published: January 2016

This paper deals with the global asymptotic stabilization of nonlinear polynomial systems within the framework of Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs). By employing the well-known Lyapunov stability direct method and the Kronecker product properties, we develop a technique of designing a state feedback control law which stabilizes quadratically the studied systems. Our main goal is to derive sufficient LMI stabilization conditions which resolution yields a stabilizing control law of polynomial systems.
Fuzzy Logic in Genetic Regulatory Network Models
Authors: Poblete Carlos Muñoz , Vargas Parra Francisco , Bustos Gomez Jaime , Curilem Saldias Millaray , Salvo Garrido Sonia , Miranda Vargas Horacio
Published: January 2016

Interactions between genes and the proteins they synthesize shape genetic regulatory networks (GRN). Several models have been proposed to describe these interactions, been the most commonly used those based on ordinary differential equations (ODEs). Some approximations using piecewise linear differential equations (PLDEs), have been proposed to simplify the model non linearities. However they not allways give good results. In this context, it has been developed a model capable of representing small GRN, combining characteristics from the ODE’s models and fuzzy inference systems (FIS). The FIS is trained through an artificial neural network, which forms an Adaptive Nertwork-based Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS). This network allows to adapt the membership and output functions from the FIS according to the training data, thus, reducing the previous knowledge needed to model the specific phenomenon.
 In addition, Fuzzy Logic allows to express their rules through linguistic labels, which also allows to incorporate expert knowledge in a friendly way. The proposed model has been used to describe the Lac Operon in E. Coli and it has been compared with the models already mentioned. The outcome errors due to the training process of the ANFIS network are comparable with those of the models based on ODEs. Additionally, the fuzzy logic approach provides modeling flexibility and knowledge acquisition advantages.
High Performance Computing Systems with Various Checkpointing Schemes
Authors: Naksinehaboon Nichamon , P[un Mihaela , Nassar Raja , Leangsuksun Chokchai Box , Scott Stephen
Published: January 2016

Finding the failure rate of a system is a crucial step in high performance computing systems analysis. To deal with this problem, a fault tolerant mechanism, called checkpoint/ restart technique, was introduced. However, there are additional costs to perform this mechanism. Thus, we propose two models for different schemes (full and incremental checkpoint schemes). The models which are based on the reliability of the system are used to determine the checkpoint placements. Both proposed models consider a balance of between checkpoint overhead and the re-computing time. Due to the extra costs from each incremental checkpoint during the recovery period, a method to find the number of incremental checkpoints between two consecutive full checkpoints is given. Our simulation suggests that in most cases our incremental checkpoint model can reduce the waste time more than it is reduced by the full checkpoint model. The waste times produced by both models are in the range of 2% to 28% of the application completion time depending on the checkpoint overheads.
An Interview with Dr. Steve Budsberg
Authors: Evans Richard
Published: January 2016

Veterinary Evidence Editor-in-Chief Rich Evans caught up with long-time EBVM advocate Dr. Steve Budsberg at this year’s American College of Veterinary Surgeons Symposium and took the opportunity to ask Dr. Budsberg his take on some of the current issues in EBVM. Dr. Budsberg, an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Georgia, USA, is a past president and charter member of the Evidence-base Veterinary Medical Association and on the program committee for Veterinary Evidence Today: The 2016 EBVM Network Conference, to be held in November, in Edinburgh.
Love in Violence: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis
Authors: Shah Gayatri , Vetere Arlene , Brown Dora
Published: January 2016

The objective of this research was to explore through interpretative phenomenological analysis on how psychotherapists understand and conceptualize women’s relationship experiences including those of intimacy and love with their abusive partners. In this study, 6 therapists were interviewed regarding women’s relationship experiences with abusive partners. The findings of this research challenge the notion that therapists can act as blank screens in therapy and has implications for psychological therapy, therapists, supervisors, training courses, services, and policymakers. These highlight the need for therapists, through self-reflection, supervision, continuous professional development, and personal therapy, to reflect on how they influence women’s disclosures of abusive experiences. The study supports the argument for a multitreatment approach with systemic understanding when working with women living with violence and abuse.
A Novel Work Flow of Density-Log Normalization for Coalbed-Methane Wells: An Example From the Surat Basin in Australia
Authors: Ren Bin , Zhang Ming , Cui Zehong , Li Chunlei , Xia Zhaohui , Gan Thomas , Lau Hon Chung
Published: January 2016

In coalbed-methane (CBM) projects, conventional logs, such as density were used heavily for coal identification, coal-property derivation, and also potentially for coal ranking. This paper presents a novel work flow of density-log normalization for CBM wells. It addresses two major challenges to current normalization methods: absence of a pervasive reference layer and removal of geological effects after normalization.

To overcome these disadvantages, the proposed work flow undertakes six steps, which are data quality control (QC), geological-area segmentation, subarea type-well selection, density-control points, variable linear transformation and normalized-log result QC with box plots, matrix crossplots, and several histograms. This work flow removes the systematic errors caused by acquiring logs at different times with different logging instruments provided by different vendors. Furthermore, it possesses the advantages of the automated QC work flow, type-well control, and reference-layer methods without incurring their respective disadvantages. It was applied successfully to approximately 600 wells covering a large area in the Surat basin of Australia.

Proper log normalization will reduce the uncertainties involved in 3D geological modeling and will increase the accuracy of reservoir evaluation. This paper should therefore be of interest to petrophysicists and geologists involved in CBM-field characterization.
Evaluation of mixing zones in a Latvian–Lithuanian transboundary river basin
Authors: Kriaučiūnienė Jūratė , Vircava Ligita , Šarauskienė Diana , Kublina Anete , Spradze Ieva , Meilutytė-Lukauskienė Diana , Jakimavičius Darius , Irbinskas Valdas
Published: January 2016

The neighbouring countries of Latvia and Lithuania should use common water assessment methodologies and measures for water management in the transboundary rivers according to EU Water Framework Directive, establishing a framework for community action in the field of water policy. However, there are no national and local legislative acts describing how to harmonise water policy and activities for good water status at the cross-border level. This study intends to propose practical measures for management of chemical pollution risk in the cross-border region by mixing zones. The transboundary basin of the Venta River was used as a case study. After initial assessment of water quality status on both sides (Latvian and Lithuanian) in Venta River Basin District, 12 hot spots of pollution were selected for evaluation of mixing zones. Chemical analysis of cadmium, lead, nickel, chromium, copper, zinc, arsenic, phenols, formaldehyde, mercury, benzene as well as total nitrogen and total phosphorus in the water samples from the selected sites was performed. The modelling, using the selected Discharge Test, ensured evaluation of mixing zone dimensions. Such joint investigations might benefit the evaluation of possibilities to integrate mixing zones to the overall transboundary water body for harmonisation of water quality management.
Assessment of the reliability of popular satellite products in characterizing the water balance of the Yangtze River Basin, China
Authors: Zhang Dan , Zhang Qi , Werner Adrian D. , Gu Renying
Published: January 2016

This study investigates the water balance of the Yangtze River Basin (YRB) during 2003–2012 using the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission precipitation, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer evapotranspiration and the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment total water storage change. The bias, absolute error and correlation coefficient are used to quantify water balance performances at monthly and annual time steps. The results show that the absolute error in the YRB water balance was 18.1 mm/month and 152.5 mm/yr at monthly and annual time steps accounting for 20% and 14% of YRB precipitation, respectively. The three satellite products were combined through a water balance equation to estimate monthly and annual stream flow, which was in error by 19.4 mm/month and 76.7 mm/yr, accounting for 22% and 7% of YRB precipitation, respectively. Trends in YRB water balance components at annual time steps obtained from satellite products were in the range 83–318% of the corresponding trends from alternative datasets (e.g., ground-based measurements, land-surface modelling, etc.), which performed significantly better than monthly time series. The results indicate that the YRB water balance can be evaluated using multiple satellite products to a reasonable accuracy at annual time steps.