bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Galeterone Prevents Androgen Receptor Binding to Chromatin and Enhances Degradation of Mutant Androgen Receptor
Authors: Yu Ziyang , Cai Changmeng , Gao Shuai , Simon Nicholas I. , Shen Howard C. , Balk Steven P.
Published: May 2014

Purpose: Galeterone inhibits the enzyme CYP17A1 and is currently in phase II clinical trials for castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). Galeterone is also a direct androgen receptor (AR) antagonist and may enhance AR degradation. This study was undertaken to determine the molecular basis for AR effects and their therapeutic potential.

Experimental Design: Effects of galeterone on AR expression and activities were examined in prostate cancer cell lines.

Results: Similar to the AR antagonist enzalutamide, but in contrast to bicalutamide, galeterone did not induce binding of a constitutively active VP16-AR fusion protein to reporter genes and did not induce AR recruitment to endogenous androgen-regulated genes based on chromatin immunoprecipitation. Galeterone at low micromolar concentrations that did not induce cellular stress responses enhanced AR protein degradation in LNCaP and C4-2 cells, which express a T878A mutant AR, but not in prostate cancer cells expressing wild-type AR. Further transfection studies using stable LNCaP and PC3 cell lines ectopically expressing wild-type or T878A-mutant ARs confirmed that galeterone selectively enhances degradation of the T878A-mutant AR.

Conclusions: Similar to enzalutamide, galeterone may be effective as a direct AR antagonist in CRPC. It may be particularly effective against prostate cancer cells with the T878A AR mutation but may also enhance degradation of wild-type AR in vivo through a combination of direct and indirect mechanisms. Finally, these findings show that conformational changes in AR can markedly enhance its degradation and thereby support efforts to develop further antagonists that enhance AR degradation. Clin Cancer Res; 20(15); 4075–85. ©2014 AACR.
Selective Protection of Normal Cells during Chemotherapy by RY4 Peptides
Authors: Wu Xiao-Rong , Liu Lihua , Zhang Zhi-Fu , Zhang Bing , Sun Hongzhe , Chan Gerald L. , Li Na
Published: May 2014

Mitochondrial targeted Szeto-Schiller (SS) peptides have recently gained attention for their antioxidative stress ability; however, the functional variations between normal and cancer cells have not been determined. Here, we report the results of such experiments conducted with a newly designed class of peptide called RY4, which is based on SS peptide sequence characteristics. The RY4 peptide exhibits distinct differences in antioxidative stress response between normal and cancer cells when challenged with chemotherapeutics like the glycolytic inhibitor dichloroacetate (DCA), the platinating agent carboplatin, and the DNA damage inducer doxorubicin. Interestingly, only normal human cells were protected by the RY4 peptide and catalase (CAT) activity was significantly enhanced in normal but not tumor cells when incubated with RY4. Pull-down, coimmunoprecipitation, and LC/MS-MS proteomic analysis demonstrated that RY4 and catalase are capable of forming protein complexes. Finally, in vivo efficacy was evaluated by intraperitoneal administration of RY4 into a lung cancer xenograft model, which revealed significant myocardiocyte protection from doxorubicin-induced cardiotoxicity without diminishing doxorubicin's tumoricidal effects. Taken together, RY4 offers selective protection to normal cells from chemotherapy-induced toxicity by enhancing the activity of cellular antioxidant enzymes.

Implications: RY4 peptides selectively reduce chemotherapeutic-induced oxidative stress and represent a new class of chemoprotective agents with clinical potential. Mol Cancer Res; 12(10); 1365–76. ©2014 AACR.
NSD3–NUT Fusion Oncoprotein in NUT Midline Carcinoma: Implications for a Novel Oncogenic Mechanism
Authors: French Christopher A. , Rahman Shaila , Walsh Erica M. , Kühnle Simone , Grayson Adlai R. , Lemieux Madeleine E. , Grunfeld Noam , Rubin Brian P. , Antonescu Cristina R. , Zhang Songlin , Venkatramani Rajkumar , Dal Cin Paola , Howley Peter M.
Published: May 2014

NUT midline carcinoma (NMC) is an aggressive subtype of squamous cell carcinoma that typically harbors BRD4/3–NUT fusion oncoproteins that block differentiation and maintain tumor growth. In 20% of cases, NUT is fused to uncharacterized non-BRD gene(s). We established a new patient-derived NMC cell line (1221) and demonstrated that it harbors a novel NSD3–NUT fusion oncogene. We find that NSD3–NUT is both necessary and sufficient for the blockade of differentiation and maintenance of proliferation in NMC cells. NSD3–NUT binds to BRD4, and BRD bromodomain inhibitors induce differentiation and arrest proliferation of 1221 cells. We find further that NSD3 is required for the blockade of differentiation in BRD4–NUT-expressing NMCs. These findings identify NSD3 as a novel critical oncogenic component and potential therapeutic target in NMC.

Significance: The existence of a family of fusion oncogenes in squamous cell carcinoma is unprecedented, and should lead to key insights into aberrant differentiation in NMC and possibly other squamous cell carcinomas. The involvement of the NSD3 methyltransferase as a component of the NUT fusion protein oncogenic complex identifies a new potential therapeutic target. Cancer Discov; 4(8); 928–41. ©2014 AACR.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 855
Autophagy Is Critical for Pancreatic Tumor Growth and Progression in Tumors with p53 Alterations
Authors: Yang Annan , Rajeshkumar N.V. , Wang Xiaoxu , Yabuuchi Shinichi , Alexander Brian M. , Chu Gerald C. , Von Hoff Daniel D. , Maitra Anirban , Kimmelman Alec C.
Published: May 2014

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is refractory to available therapies. We have previously shown that these tumors have elevated autophagy and that inhibition of autophagy leads to decreased tumor growth. Using an autochthonous model of pancreatic cancer driven by oncogenic Kras and the stochastic LOH of Trp53, we demonstrate that although genetic ablation of autophagy in the pancreas leads to increased tumor initiation, these premalignant lesions are impaired in their ability to progress to invasive cancer, leading to prolonged survival. In addition, mouse pancreatic cancer cell lines with differing p53 status are all sensitive to pharmacologic and genetic inhibition of autophagy. Finally, a mouse preclinical trial using cohorts of genetically characterized patient-derived xenografts treated with hydroxychloroquine showed responses across the collection of tumors. Together, our data support the critical role of autophagy in pancreatic cancer and show that inhibition of autophagy may have clinical utility in the treatment of these cancers, independent of p53 status.

Significance: Recently, a mouse model with embryonic homozygous Trp53 deletion showed paradoxical effects of autophagy inhibition. We used a mouse model with Trp53 LOH (similar to human tumors), tumor cell lines, and patient-derived xenografts to show that p53 status does not affect response to autophagy inhibition. These findings have important implications on ongoing clinical trials. Cancer Discov; 4(8); 905–13. ©2014 AACR.

See related commentary by Amaravadi and Debnath, p. 873

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 855
Autophagy Is Required for Glucose Homeostasis and Lung Tumor Maintenance
Authors: Karsli-Uzunbas Gizem , Guo Jessie Yanxiang , Price Sandy , Teng Xin , Laddha Saurabh V , Khor Sinan , Kalaany Nada Y. , Jacks Tyler , Chan Chang S. , Rabinowitz Joshua D. , White Eileen
Published: May 2014

Macroautophagy (autophagy hereafter) recycles intracellular components to sustain mitochondrial metabolism that promotes the growth, stress tolerance, and malignancy of lung cancers, suggesting that autophagy inhibition may have antitumor activity. To assess the functional significance of autophagy in both normal and tumor tissue, we conditionally deleted the essential autophagy gene, autophagy related 7 (Atg7), throughout adult mice. Here, we report that systemic ATG7 ablation caused susceptibility to infection and neurodegeneration that limited survival to 2 to 3 months. Moreover, upon fasting, autophagy-deficient mice suffered fatal hypoglycemia. Prior autophagy ablation did not alter the efficiency of non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) initiation by activation of oncogenic KrasG12D and deletion of the Trp53 tumor suppressor. Acute autophagy ablation in mice with preexisting NSCLC, however, blocked tumor growth, promoted tumor cell death, and generated more benign disease (oncocytomas). This antitumor activity occurred before destruction of normal tissues, suggesting that acute autophagy inhibition may be therapeutically beneficial in cancer.

Significance: We systemically ablated cellular self-cannibalization by autophagy in adult mice and determined that it is dispensable for short-term survival, but required to prevent fatal hypoglycemia and cachexia during fasting, delineating a new role for autophagy in metabolism. Importantly, acute, systemic autophagy ablation was selectively destructive to established tumors compared with normal tissues, thereby providing the preclinical evidence that strategies to inhibit autophagy may be therapeutically advantageous for RAS-driven cancers. Cancer Discov; 4(8); 914–27. ©2014 AACR.

See related commentary by Amaravadi and Debnath, p. 873

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 855
Estrogen Effects on Vascular Inflammation Are Age Dependent
Authors: Bowling Meaghan R. , Xing Dongqi , Kapadia Akash , Chen Yiu-Fai , Szalai Alexander J. , Oparil Suzanne , Hage Fadi G.
Published: May 2014

Objective—

17β-Estradiol (E2) offers cardiovascular protection in young female animals and postmenopausal women. In contrast, randomized trials of menopausal hormones performed in older women have shown harm or no cardiovascular benefit. We hypothesize that E2 effects on vascular inflammation are age dependent.

Approach and Results—

Young (10 weeks) and aged (52 weeks) female C57BL/6 mice were used as source for primary cultures of bone marrow–derived macrophages (BMMs) and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). E2 pretreatment of cells derived from young mice attenuated C-reactive protein (CRP)–induced expression of inflammatory mediators. In contrast, E2 pretreatment of cells from aged mice did not alter (BMMs) or paradoxically exaggerated (VSMCs) inflammatory mediator response to CRP. Using E2 receptor (ER) knockout mice, we demonstrated that E2 regulates inflammatory response to CRP in BMMs via ERα and in VSMCs via ERβ. BMMs derived from aged (versus young) mice expressed significantly less ERα mRNA and protein. A selective ligand of the novel ER GPR30 reproduced the E2 effects in BMMs and VSMCs. Unlike in young mice, E2 did not reduce neointima formation in ligated carotid arteries of aged CRP transgenic mice.

Conclusions—

E2 attenuates inflammatory response to CRP in BMMs and VSMCs derived from young but not aged mice and reduces neointima formation in injured carotid arteries of young but not aged CRP transgenic mice. ERα expression in BMMs is greatly diminished with aging. These data suggest that vasoprotective effects of E2 are age dependent and may explain the vasotoxic effects of E2 seen in clinical trials of postmenopausal women.
Chemokine (C-X-C Motif) Receptor 4 Blockade by AMD3100 Inhibits Experimental Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Expansion Through Anti-Inflammatory Effects
Authors: Michineau Stéphanie , Franck Grégory , Wagner-Ballon Orianne , Dai Jianping , Allaire Eric , Gervais Marianne
Published: May 2014

Objective—

Inflammation plays a critical role in the development of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs). Because stromal cell–derived factor 1 (SDF-1) is known for its ability to attract inflammatory cells, we investigated whether SDF-1/chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 4 (CXCR4) axis is expressed in aneurysmal aortic wall and plays a role in AAA physiopathology and asked whether its blockade modulates AAA formation and expansion.

Approach and Results—

Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis showed that
SDF-1α
and
CXCR4
mRNA levels are increased in both human and CaCl
2
-induced mouse AAA wall and are positively correlated to the aortic diameter in mice. ELISA quantification and immunostaining demonstrated that, in mice, aortic SDF-1α is rapidly induced during AAA formation, first by apoptotic vascular smooth muscle cells in the injured media and then by adventitial macrophages once AAA is fully established. Using green fluorescent protein-positive (GFP
+/−
) bone marrow transplantation experiments, we demonstrated that aortic SDF-1 overexpression is implicated in the recruitment of bone marrow–derived macrophages within the AAA wall. Furthermore, in mice, blockade of CXCR4 by AMD3100 decreases the infiltration of adventitial macrophages, inhibits AAA formation, and prevents aortic wall destruction. AMD3100 reduces the mRNA levels of MMP-12 and MMP-14 as well as that of inflammatory effectors MCP-1, MIP-1β, MIP-2α, RANTES, IL-1β, IL-6, TNF-α, and E-selectin. Finally, AMD3100 stabilizes the diameter of formed, expanding AAAs in 2 experimental models.

Conclusions—

SDF-1/CXCR4 axis is upregulated in human and mouse AAAs. Blockade of CXCR4 with AMD3100 suppresses AAA formation and progression in two rodent models. Blockade of SDF-1/CXCR4 axis may represent a new strategy to limit progression of small human AAAs.
Feasibility of Optical Coherence Tomography in Children With Kawasaki Disease and Pediatric Heart Transplant Recipients
Authors: Harris Kevin C. , Manouzi Anas , Fung Anthony Y. , De Souza Astrid , Bezerra Hiram G. , Potts James E. , Hosking Martin C.K.
Published: May 2014

Background—

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a high-resolution intravascular imaging technique used in adults. We tested the hypothesis that OCT could identify coronary abnormalities not seen by angiography in children with a history of Kawasaki disease (KD) and pediatric heart transplant (TX) recipients.

Methods and Results—

Patients with KD and TX recipients were evaluated between December 2012 and October 2013 with angiography and OCT (Ilumien System, LightLabs, St Jude Medical, Westford, MA). Modifications were made to the adult OCT protocol to adapt this technique for children. Serial cross-sectional area measurements of the lumen, intima, and media were made. Entire imaging data were analyzed for the presence of qualitative changes. Seventeen children were evaluated (5 patients with KD; 12 TX recipients). In patients with KD, angiography was normal. However, OCT imaging revealed that significant vessel wall abnormalities were present in all children including intimal thickening (intima/lumen cross-sectional area ratio>0.4), loss of the normal layered structure of the vessel wall, white thrombus, calcification, and neovascularization. There was extensive destruction of the internal elastic lamina. In TX recipients, angiography was normal; however, intimal thickening (intima/media cross-sectional area ratio>1) was seen in 9 of 12 patients. The median intima/media cross-sectional area ratio was 1.18.

Conclusions—

In this initial experience with OCT in children, we have identified significant coronary abnormalities with OCT that are angiographically silent in children with a history of coronary aneurysms because of KD and in pediatric TX recipients.
FOXO1-Mediated Activation of Akt Plays a Critical Role in Vascular Homeostasis
Authors: Dharaneeswaran Harita , Abid Md. Ruhul , Yuan Lei , Dupuis Dylan , Beeler David , Spokes Katherine C. , Janes Lauren , Sciuto Tracey , Kang Peter M. , Jaminet Shou-Ching S. , Dvorak Ann , Grant Marianne A. , Regan Erzsébet Ravasz , Aird William C.
Published: May 2014

Rationale
:

Forkhead box-O transcription factors (FOXOs) transduce a wide range of extracellular signals, resulting in changes in cell survival, cell cycle progression, and several cell type-specific responses. FOXO1 is expressed in many cell types, including endothelial cells (ECs). Previous studies have shown that
Foxo1
knockout in mice results in embryonic lethality at E11 because of impaired vascular development. In contrast, somatic deletion of
Foxo1
is associated with hyperproliferation of ECs. Thus, the precise role of FOXO1 in the endothelium remains enigmatic.

Objective
:

To determine the effect of endothelial-specific knockout and overexpression of FOXO1 on vascular homeostasis.

Methods and Results
:

We show that EC-specific disruption of
Foxo1
in mice phenocopies the full knockout. Although endothelial expression of FOXO1 rescued otherwise
Foxo1
-null animals, overexpression of constitutively active FOXO1 resulted in increased EC size, occlusion of capillaries, elevated peripheral resistance, heart failure, and death. Knockdown of FOXO1 in ECs resulted in marked inhibition of basal and vascular endothelial growth factor–induced Akt-mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling.

Conclusions
:

Our findings suggest that in mice, endothelial expression of FOXO1 is both necessary and sufficient for embryonic development. Moreover, FOXO1-mediated feedback activation of Akt maintains growth factor responsive Akt/mTORC1 activity within a homeostatic range.
Stroke Mortality Rates Vary in Local Communities in a Metropolitan Area
Authors: Hunt Bijou R. , Deot Deepa , Whitman Steven
Published: May 2014

Background and Purpose—

For the past decade, stroke has held steady as one of the top 4 leading causes of death in the United States. Aggregated data provide information about how the country or individual states are faring with respect to stroke mortality, but disaggregation provides data that may facilitate targeted interventions and community engagement.

Methods—

We analyzed deaths from stroke to residents of Chicago to calculate age-adjusted stroke mortality rates (AASMRs). We calculated AASMRs for Chicago by race/ethnicity, sex, and community area. We also examined the correlation between AASMR and (1) racial/ethnic composition of a community area and (2) median household income.

Results—

The AASMR for Chicago (44.9 per 100 000 population) was significantly higher than the national rate (42.2). Within both the United States and Chicago, the highest AASMRs were found among non-Hispanic blacks, followed by non-Hispanic whites, and then Hispanics. There was a strong, positive correlation between the proportion of black residents in a community area and the AASMR (0.58). There was a strong, negative relationship between household income and the AASMR for the entire city (−0.56) and for the predominantly black community areas (−0.47).

Conclusions—

These data provide insight into where the worst stroke mortality problems reside in Chicago. We anticipate that the data can be used to work toward the development of solutions to the high stroke mortality rates observed in several of Chicago’s community areas and in similar communities throughout the United States.
Predictors of Functional Dependence Despite Successful Revascularization in Large-Vessel Occlusion Strokes
Authors: Shi Zhong-Song , Liebeskind David S. , Xiang Bin , Ge Sijian Grace , Feng Lei , Albers Gregory W. , Budzik Ronald , Devlin Thomas , Gupta Rishi , Jansen Olav , Jovin Tudor G. , Killer-Oberpfalzer Monika , Lutsep Helmi L. , Macho Juan , Nogueira Raul G. , Rymer Marilyn , Smith Wade S. , Wahlgren Nils , Duckwiler Gary R.
Published: May 2014

Background and Purpose—

High revascularization rates in large-vessel occlusion strokes treated by mechanical thrombectomy are not always associated with good clinical outcomes. We evaluated predictors of functional dependence despite successful revascularization among patients with acute ischemic stroke treated with thrombectomy.

Methods—

We analyzed the pooled data from the Multi Mechanical Embolus Removal in Cerebral Ischemia (MERCI), Thrombectomy Revascularization of Large Vessel Occlusions in Acute Ischemic Stroke (TREVO), and TREVO 2 trials. Successful revascularization was defined as thrombolysis in cerebral infarction score 2b or 3. Functional dependence was defined as a score of 3 to 6 on the modified Rankin Scale at 3 months. We assessed relationship of demographic, clinical, angiographic characteristics, and hemorrhage with functional dependence despite successful revascularization.

Results—

Two hundred and twenty-eight patients with successful revascularization had clinical outcome follow-up. The rates of functional dependence with endovascular success were 48.6% for Trevo thrombectomy and 58.0% for Merci thrombectomy. Age (odds ratio, 1.04; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–1.06 per 1-year increase), National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (odds ratio, 1.08; 95% confidence interval, 1.02–1.15 per 1-point increase), and symptom onset to endovascular treatment time (odds ratio, 1.11; 95% confidence interval, 1.01–1.22 per 30-minute delay) were predictors of functional dependence despite successful revascularization. Symptom onset to reperfusion time beyond 5 hours was associated with functional dependence. All subjects with symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage had functional dependence.

Conclusions—

One half of patients with successful mechanical thrombectomy do not have good outcomes. Age, severe neurological deficits, and delayed endovascular treatment were associated with functional dependence despite successful revascularization. Our data support efforts to minimize delays to endovascular therapy in patients with acute ischemic stroke to improve outcomes.

Clinical Trial Registration—

URL:
http://www.clinicaltrials.gov
. Unique identifier: NCT00318071, NCT01088672, and NCT01270867.
How to Compress Sequential Memory Patterns into Periodic Oscillations: General Reduction Rules
Authors: Zhang Kechen
Published: May 2014

A neural network with symmetric reciprocal connections always admits a Lyapunov function, whose minima correspond to the memory states stored in the network. Networks with suitable asymmetric connections can store and retrieve a sequence of memory patterns, but the dynamics of these networks cannot be characterized as readily as that of the symmetric networks due to the lack of established general methods. Here, a reduction method is developed for a class of asymmetric attractor networks that store sequences of activity patterns as associative memories, as in a Hopfield network. The method projects the original activity pattern of the network to a low-dimensional space such that sequential memory retrievals in the original network correspond to periodic oscillations in the reduced system. The reduced system is self-contained and provides quantitative information about the stability and speed of sequential memory retrievals in the original network. The time evolution of the overlaps between the network state and the stored memory patterns can also be determined from extended reduced systems. The reduction procedure can be summarized by a few reduction rules, which are applied to several network models, including coupled networks and networks with time-delayed connections, and the analytical solutions of the reduced systems are confirmed by numerical simulations of the original networks. Finally, a local learning rule that provides an approximation to the connection weights involving the pseudoinverse is also presented.
Sequential Activity in Asymmetrically Coupled Winner-Take-All Circuits
Authors: Mostafa Hesham , Indiveri Giacomo
Published: May 2014

Understanding the sequence generation and learning mechanisms used by recurrent neural networks in the nervous system is an important problem that has been studied extensively. However, most of the models proposed in the literature are either not compatible with neuroanatomy and neurophysiology experimental findings, or are not robust to noise and rely on fine tuning of the parameters. In this work, we propose a novel model of sequence learning and generation that is based on the interactions among multiple asymmetrically coupled winner-take-all (WTA) circuits. The network architecture is consistent with mammalian cortical connectivity data and uses realistic neuronal and synaptic dynamics that give rise to noise-robust patterns of sequential activity. The novel aspect of the network we propose lies in its ability to produce robust patterns of sequential activity that can be halted, resumed, and readily modulated by external input, and in its ability to make use of realistic plastic synapses to learn and reproduce the arbitrary input-imposed sequential patterns. Sequential activity takes the form of a single activity bump that stably propagates through multiple WTA circuits along one of a number of possible paths. Because the network can be configured to either generate spontaneous sequences or wait for external inputs to trigger a transition in the sequence, it provides the basis for creating state-dependent perception-action loops. We first analyze a rate-based approximation of the proposed spiking network to highlight the relevant features of the network dynamics and then show numerical simulation results with spiking neurons, realistic conductance-based synapses, and spike-timing dependent plasticity (STDP) rules to validate the rate-based model.
Systematic relationships of Vuilletia and Senegathrips (Thysanoptera, Phlaeothripinae) from galls on the West African shrub Guiera senegalensis
Authors: MOUND LAURENCE A , DAHIYA NISHA , YERBANGA RAKISWENDE S
Published: May 2014

Widespread and common across much of the drier areas of western Africa, the woody shrub Guiera senegalensis (Combretaceae) is the sole member of its genus. Similarly widespread is Vuilletia houardi, a thrips species that induces galls on this shrub, and is recorded from Mali, Senegal, Gambia and northern Nigeria (Pitkin & Mound 1973). Moreover, large numbers of galls, together with their included thrips, have now been studied from Burkina Faso. Some galls (Figs 1, 2) are invaded by Senegathrips coutini, a species whose biology is not known but that is possibly a predator. Moreover, Liothrips africana also sometimes breeds within these galls, but is possibly using these only as a convenient shelter. A re-description and line-drawings of V. houardi was provided by zur Strassen (1958), but no modern diagnosis of this genus, nor of Senegathrips, is available, the objective here being to provide formal diagnoses for these two monotypic genera.
Replacement names for Eutrigaster (Graffia) Csuzdi & Zicsi, 1991 and Dichogaster (Malawia) Csuzdi, 2010 (Oligochaeta, Acanthodrilidae)
Authors: CSUZDI CSABA
Published: May 2014

The earthworm genus Eutrigaster Cognetti, 1904 has long been in synonymy with Dichogaster Beddard, 1888 until Sims (1987) resurrected it for the Central American Dichogaster-like species possessing a muscular proventriculus in segment 5. Today the genus consists of some 50 species distributed in two subgenera (Csuzdi 2012). The subgenus Eutrigaster (Graffia) Csuzdi & Zicsi, 1991 was erected for species that differ from the type species of the genus in possessing penial setae. According to the summary by Fragoso & Brown (2007) the subgenus Graffia contained 27 taxa. Later, further three species were described (Sherlock et al. 2011; Sherlock & Csuzdi 2013). However, the subgenus name Graffia is a junior homonym of the turbellarian genus Graffia Levinsen, 1879. (A further junior homonym Graffia Ihering, 1880 (Platyhelminthes: Turbellaria) has already been renamed as Graffilla Ihering, 1880). Here the replacement name Eutrigaster (Graffiona) nom. nov. is proposed for the earthworm subgenus Eutrigaster (Graffia).
A new genus and species of Platyischnopidae (Amphipoda: Gammaridea) from the Argentine Sea, South-West Atlantic Ocean
Authors: CHIESA IGNACIO L. , ALONSO GLORIA M.
Published: May 2014

The family Platyischnopidae is herein reported for the first time in the Argentine Sea, South-West Atlantic Ocean. A new genus and species, Platyisao holodividum gen. et. sp. nov., collected off the coast of Buenos Aires and Río Negro provinces, is fully described and illustrated. Platyisao gen. nov. is distinguished from the eight other genera of Platyischnopidae by the gnathopods subchelate, and the telson elongate, completely cleft. In addition, the distribution of Tiburonella viscana (Barnard J.L., 1964), up to now known in the South-West Atlantic Ocean from Brazilian waters, is extended to the coast off Buenos Aires province, Argentina.
The strange case of Laetesia raveni n. sp., a green linyphiid spider from Eastern Australia with a preference for thorny plants (Araneae, Linyphiidae)
Authors: HORMIGA GUSTAVO , SCHARFF NIKOLAJ
Published: May 2014

Laetesia raveni n. sp. (Araneae, Linyphiidae), is described based on specimens collected in New South Wales and Queensland (Australia). This new linyphiid species is of bright green colour, and it seems to have a preference to build its webs almost exclusively on two plant species, namely Calamus muelleri Wendland (Arecaceae) and Solanum inaequilaterum Domin, (Solanaceae), both of them densely covered with thorns. The epigynal morphology of Laetesia raveni n. sp. varies intraspecifically. Live individuals and several of their dome-shaped sheet webs are illustrated.
Third instar of the myrmecophilous Italochrysa insignis (Walker) from Australia (Neuroptera: Chrysopidae: Belonopterygini)
Authors: TAUBER CATHERINE A. , WINTERTON SHAUN L.
Published: May 2014

The third instar of the Australian green lacewing Italochrysa insignis (Walker) is described and compared with that of the European Italochrysa italica (Rossi). Larvae of both species are associated with arboreal ant nests. Moreover, they share a substantial number of morphological adaptations that may defend them against ants and that distinguish them from larvae of other chrysopids. The larvae of the two Italochrysa Principi species also have distinct differences. The potential systematic value of several of the larval characters at the tribal, generic, and species levels is assessed, and a brief review of myrmecophily in the Belonopterygini is presented.
Coordinated Exploration
Authors: Knudsen Thorbjørn , Srikanth Kannan
Published: May 2014

In this paper, we use an agent-based simulation model to investigate how coordinated exploration by multiple specialists, as in new product development, is different from individual search. We find that coordinated exploration is subject to two pathologies not present in unitary search: mutual confusion and joint myopia. In joint search, feedback to one agent’s actions is confounded by the actions of the other agent. Search therefore leads to increasing mutual confusion because agents are unable to learn from feedback to correct their faulty mental models of the search space. Incorrect beliefs held by one agent lead to mistakes, and because it is unclear which agent was wrong, this confuses the other agent, either into revising (correct) beliefs or holding on to (incorrect) beliefs. Sharing knowledge aligns specialists’ mental models and counters mutual confusion by inducing coordination around particular search regions. Yet that very effort increases joint myopia, as agents prematurely reinforce each other into choosing from an increasingly narrow portion of the search space. In the extreme, high levels of shared knowledge induce agents to abandon their distinct search approach in favor of a lower common denominator. In coordinated exploration, increasing coordination efforts (such as by increasing communication) reduces mutual confusion but simultaneously increases joint myopia. Efforts to reduce joint myopia, such as by slow learning or lower levels of knowledge transfer, however, automatically increase mutual confusion. As modeled in our simulation, successful joint search needs to balance these two effects. Our results suggest that because unitary-searcher models abstract from epistemic interdependence, their predictions are potentially misleading for coordinated exploration.
What’s Love Got to Do with It? A Longitudinal Study of the Culture of Companionate Love and Employee and Client Outcomes in a Long-term Care Setting
Authors: Barsade Sigal G. , O’Neill Olivia A.
Published: May 2014

In this longitudinal study, we build a theory of a culture of companionate love—feelings of affection, compassion, caring, and tenderness for others—at work, examining the culture’s influence on outcomes for employees and the clients they serve in a long-term care setting. Using measures derived from outside observers, employees, family members, and cultural artifacts, we find that an emotional culture of companionate love at work positively relates to employees’ satisfaction and teamwork and negatively relates to their absenteeism and emotional exhaustion. Employees’ trait positive affectivity (trait PA)—one’s tendency to have a pleasant emotional engagement with one’s environment—moderates the influence of the culture of companionate love, amplifying its positive influence for employees higher in trait PA. We also find a positive association between a culture of companionate love and clients’ outcomes, specifically, better patient mood, quality of life, satisfaction, and fewer trips to the emergency room. The study finds some association between a culture of love and families’ satisfaction with the long-term care facility. We discuss the implications of a culture of companionate love for both cognitive and emotional theories of organizational culture. We also consider the relevance of a culture of companionate love in other industries and explore its managerial implications for the healthcare industry and beyond.
Does Fertility Behavior Spread among Friends?
Authors: Balbo Nicoletta , Barban Nicola
Published: May 2014

By integrating insights from economic and sociological theories, this article investigates whether and through which mechanisms friends’ fertility behavior affects an individual’s transition to parenthood. By exploiting the survey design of the Add Health data, our strategy allows us to properly identify interaction effects and distinguish them from selection and contextual effects. We use a series of discrete-time event history models with random effects at the dyadic level. Results show that, net of confounding effects, a friend’s childbearing increases an individual’s risk of becoming a parent. We find a short-term, curvilinear effect: an individual’s risk of childbearing starts increasing after a friend’s childbearing, reaches its peak approximately two years later, and then decreases.
Hearing their voices: The lived experience of recovery from first-episode psychosis in schizophrenia in South Africa
Authors: de Wet Anneliese , Swartz Leslie , Chiliza Bonginkosi
Published: May 2014

Background:

Recovery was previously regarded as a somewhat unattainable goal, and the subjective experience was de-emphasised. Lately, the person and his or her experiences are emphasised.

Material:

Seven participants were interviewed regarding their experience of recovery from first-episode psychosis in schizophrenia. Data were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA).

Discussion:

Support and having to care for another are possibly the greatest contributors to their recovery. Spirituality plays an important role. Stigma, found to be ingrained and pervasive, could be a barrier to recovery. The rediscovery by the participants of their abilities (re)introduced a sense of agency.

Conclusion:

The narrative in the process of recovery is crucial.
The Coevolution of Trade Agreement Networks and Democracy
Authors: Manger Mark S. , Pickup Mark A.
Published: May 2014

The proliferation of preferential trade agreements (PTAs) and the wave of democratization are among the most significant developments in international relations during the past three decades. The correlation between these is well noted. The causal link between these phenomena, however, remains unclear. On one hand, democracies have been found to be more likely to join PTAs. On the other hand, trade agreements should foster democratization because they undermine the ability of governments to distribute rents to maintain an autocratic regime. If PTAs and democracy coevolve through a selection and a contagion effect, then conventional statistical techniques can produce wholly misleading results. This article presents a new approach based on recent advancements in longitudinal network analysis. Our findings confirm that historically, democratization indeed made states more likely to sign PTAs, but that trade agreements also encourage the democratization of a country, in particular if the PTA partners are themselves democracies.
Employer and employer association matters in Australia in 2013
Authors: Thornthwaite Louise , Sheldon Peter
Published: May 2014

This article considers the industrial relations issues at the forefront of employer and employer association attention in 2013. We examine their engagement with the institutional industrial relations framework through the Modern Awards Review, Minimum Wage Case and in responding to legislative changes to the Fair Work Act 2009. Employers viewed the Conservative Coalition's victory in the September federal election as dramatically improving their prospects, but soon after tempered their enthusiasm when confronted by the new Prime Minister's cautious agenda. We examine the public policy-directed rhetoric in which employers engaged both before and after the election, and the grievances and particular hopes of those in specific industries including restaurants, and building and construction.
A simplified necropsy technique for mice: making the most of unscheduled deaths
Authors: Scudamore Cheryl L , Busk Naomi , Vowell Kate
Published: May 2014

Sudden or unexpected deaths in experimental mice can be potential causes of lost data or lost opportunities to diagnose health problems. In small animal units and in particular out of normal working hours there may not be the time or expertise available to attempt a careful dissection on unscheduled mortalities or moribund animals. This paper outlines a robust and easy necropsy technique which can be easily learnt, uses minimal equipment and can be used to implement the 3Rs (replacement, refinement and reduction) by maximizing the amount of information gained from experimental animals.
“We Who Have the Destiny of Musical America in Our Hands”
Authors: McCarthy Marie
Published: May 2014

To mark the centennial of Music Educators Journal ( MEJ), this article explores the relationship of music education and the making of musical America across the century. Several interwoven themes are developed to show changing narratives of American music and music education, using voices from the pages of MEJ. The themes rise and recede at different times, appearing in different guises according to the political, social, and cultural ideologies and values of the time. The author reflects on music education then and now and ends with reflections based on the first century of the journal’s history.
What History Is Teaching Us
Authors: Hedgecoth David M. , Fischer Sarah H.
Published: May 2014

As Music Educators Journal celebrates its centennial, it is appropriate to look back over the past century to see how advocacy in music education has evolved. Of the more than 200 submitted articles on advocacy, four main themes emerged: music education in community, the relevancy of music education, the value of music education, and the perpetual nature of advocacy. These themes were presented in the context of previous articles and then blended to create a platform from which current practitioners can work to promote music instruction in schools.
A Place for Music Education in the Humanities
Authors: Allsup Randall Everett
Published: May 2014

This article seeks to reignite debate about the purpose of a university music education. Taking inspiration from Randall Thompson’s 1935 investigation of the role of music preparation in U.S. colleges and universities, an analogous call is made for a less vocational approach to the study of music. The author claims that the music education profession’s historic apprentice model, a practice of training and adaptation, is insufficiently rich, particularly in today’s context of open and hybrid musical forms. Resisting the discourses that link educational excellence to economic competitiveness and human capital, a music education in and through the humanities would include more focus on creativity, independence, and idiosyncratic learning.
Resisting Elephants Lurking in the Music Education Classroom
Authors: Regelski Thomas A.
Published: May 2014

Music education has many ‘elephants’ in its classrooms: obvious major problems that go unmentioned and suffered silently. Two of the larger, more problematic ‘elephants’ are identified, analyzed, and critiqued: (1) the hegemony of university schools of music on school music and the resulting focus in school music on “presentational” music (i.e., concert performance), with a corresponding lack of “participatory” music in schools; and (2) an increasingly problematic ‘anything goes’ anarchy of teaching methods (methodolatry)—this condition being worsened by the absence of shared curricular ideals for guiding the field towards the status of a true helping profession. The ethical premises such professionalism are explored (duty ethics, consequentialism, and virtue ethics) and a professional ethic for teaching music is proposed.
Repositioning urban governments? Energy efficiency and Australia’s changing climate and energy governance regimes
Authors: McGuirk Pauline , Dowling Robyn , Bulkeley Harriet
Published: May 2014

Urban local governments are important players in climate governance, and their roles are evolving. This review traces the changing nexus of Australia’s climate policy, energy policy and energy efficiency imperatives and its repositioning of urban local governments. We characterise the ways urban local governments’ capacities and capabilities are being mobilised in light of a changing multi-level political opportunity structure around energy efficiency. The shifts we observe not only extend local governments’ role in implementing climate change responses but also engage them as partners in conceiving and operationalising new measures, suggesting new ground is being opened in the urban politics of climate governance. A review of the Australian context provides important insights for the new politics of energy in the city as, internationally, energy efficiency is reframed as a climate change issue and the city is repositioned as an important strategic space in energy politics and the governance of energy systems.
Constructing racialised masculinities in/through affective orientations to a multicultural town
Authors: Rootham Esther , Hardgrove Abby , McDowell Linda
Published: May 2014

This paper examines how gendered and racialised discourses and practices intersect to shape, to an extent, the ways in which young men are affected by representations of Luton and how they experience urban space. Using Wetherell’s concept of affective intersectionality, Hage’s distinction between passive and governmental belonging and Brah’s interpretation of diasporic identities, we argue that the affective-discursive modalities through which participants make sense of belonging reflects wider political discourses positioning them as differently valued. Despite contradictions and ambivalences, racialised young men tended to express relatively more positive feelings of being ‘at home’ in their neighbourhood and in Luton than the white young men we interviewed. Yet, they were also less likely to express a sense of entitlement to the city. Furthermore, spectacular racist events reinforced more mundane experiences of everyday racism, particularly among Muslim young men.
The Social Relations Approach, empowerment and women factory workers in Malaysia
Authors: Miles Lilian
Published: May 2014

This article discusses the empowerment of women factory workers in Malaysia through the lens of Kabeer’s Social Relations Approach. The approach offers an institutional analysis of how gender inequality is produced and calls for the overall terms of exchange and cooperation to be shifted in women’s favour. Its application shows that Malaysian women factory workers face significant challenges, due to the character of institutions, and women’s difficulties in adopting and internalising the notion of ‘empowerment’.
Profound Versus Superficial Coping With Mortality Threats
Authors: Quirin Markus , Bode Regina C. , Luckey Udo , Pyszczynski Tom , Kuhl Julius
Published: May 2014

Mortality salience (MS) strengthens cultural values but individuals might differ in whether this process operates at a superficial, explicit level only or also at a profound, implicit level. Two studies investigated whether explicit and implicit attitudes toward Muslims after an MS induction vary as a function of threat-related action orientation (AOT), an efficient form of self-regulation of emotion and behavior that draws on the activation of the implicit, integrated self. In Study 1, there was a main effect of MS on explicit prejudice but only participants with high levels of AOT showed reduced implicit prejudice following MS. In Study 2, this interaction effect was replicated using an alternative implicit measure of prejudice. Defense in response to MS might thus not be a uniform phenomenon but might be composed of processes operating on different (i.e., profound vs. superficial) levels that vary with types of self-regulation such as high versus low AOT.
Protection of neuronal cell death against diabetes-induced apoptosis by Fas blocker ZB4
Authors: Rouq Fawzia Al , Hammad Durdana , Meo Sultan Ayoub
Published: May 2014

Objective

To determine the role of apoptosis inhibition in the prevention of diabetic neuropathy using the antiFas cell surface death receptor (Fas) antagonistic monoclonal antibody ZB4.

Methods

This prospective study enrolled patients with type 2 diabetes with and without neuropathy and a group of healthy controls. The serum concentrations of Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) were measured in all study participants using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The ability of serum from study participants to induce apoptosis was evaluated in a human neuronal cell line using flow cytometry.

Results

A total of 28 healthy subjects and 57 patients with diabetes were enrolled in the study. Serum Fas concentrations were significantly increased in diabetes patients with and without neuropathy compared with the controls. Cells treated with the serum from diabetes patients with neuropathy had significantly higher rates of early apoptosis compared with cells treated with control serum. Monoclonal antibody ZB4 was able to block serum-induced apoptosis.

Conclusions

Serum-induced apoptosis of a human neuronal cell line appeared to be mediated via Fas, which suggests that targeting and inhibiting Fas might offer a therapeutic target for diabetic neuropathy.
Psychometric Properties of the Psychopathy Checklist
Authors: Pechorro Pedro , Barroso Ricardo , Maroco João , Vieira Rui Xavier , Gonçalves Rui Abrunhosa
Published: May 2014

The main aim of the present study was to examine some psychometric properties of the Psychopathy Checklist: Youth Version (PCL:YV) among Portuguese juvenile delinquents. With forensic sample of 192 incarcerated male participants, the Portuguese version of the PCL:YV demonstrated promising psychometric properties of the three-factor model of youth psychopathy, internal consistency, convergent validity, concurrent validity, and retrospective validity that generally justify its use among Portuguese youths. Statistically significant associations were found with age of criminal onset, frequency of crimes, number of victims, and use of physical violence.