bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Predictors of Outcome for Cognitive Behaviour Therapy in Binge Eating Disorder
Authors: Lammers Mirjam W. , Vroling Maartje S. , Ouwens Machteld A. , Engels Rutger C. M. E. , van Strien Tatjana
Published: March 2015

The aim of this naturalistic study was to identify pretreatment predictors of response to cognitive behaviour therapy in treatment‐seeking patients with binge eating disorder (BED; N = 304). Furthermore, we examined end‐of‐treatment factors that predict treatment outcome 6 months later (N = 190). We assessed eating disorder psychopathology, general psychopathology, personality characteristics and demographic variables using self‐report questionnaires. Treatment outcome was measured using the bulimia subscale of the Eating Disorder Inventory 1. Predictors were determined using hierarchical linear regression analyses. Several variables significantly predicted outcome, four of which were found to be both baseline predictors of treatment outcome and end‐of‐treatment predictors of follow‐up: Higher levels of drive for thinness, higher levels of interoceptive awareness, lower levels of binge eating pathology and, in women, lower levels of body dissatisfaction predicted better outcome in the short and longer term. Based on these results, several suggestions are made to improve treatment outcome for BED patients. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and Eating Disorders Association.
A coupled hierarchical modeling approach to simulating the geomorphic response of river systems to anthropogenic climate change
Authors: Praskievicz Sarah
Published: March 2015

Anthropogenic climate change is expected to change the discharge and sediment transport regime of river systems. Because rivers adjust their channels to accommodate their typical inputs of water and sediment, changes in these variables can potentially alter river morphology. In this study, a hierarchical modeling approach was developed and applied to examine potential changes in reach‐averaged bedload transport and spatial patterns of erosion and deposition for three snowmelt‐dominated gravel‐bed rivers in the interior Pacific Northwest. The modeling hierarchy was based on discharge and suspended‐sediment load from a basin‐scale hydrologic model driven by a range of downscaled climate‐change scenarios. In the field, channel morphology and sediment grain‐size data for all three rivers were collected. Changes in reach‐averaged bedload transport were estimated using the Bedload Assessment of Gravel‐bedded Streams (BAGS) software, and the Cellular Automaton Evolutionary Slope and River (CAESAR) model was used to simulate the spatial pattern of erosion and deposition within each reach to infer potential changes in channel geometry and planform. The duration of critical discharge was found to control bedload transport. Changes in channel geometry were simulated for the two higher‐energy river reaches, but no significant morphological changes were found for a lower‐energy reach with steep, cohesive banks. Changes in sediment transport and river morphology resulting from climate change could affect the management of river systems for human and ecological uses. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Influence of fire retardants on the reaction‐to‐fire properties of coextruded wood–polypropylene composites
Authors: Nikolaeva Marina , Kärki Timo
Published: March 2015

The reaction‐to‐fire properties of coextruded wood–plastic composites containing different fire retardants (melamine, zinc borate, ammonium polyphosphate, aluminium trihydroxide, natural flake graphite and expandable graphite) in the shell layer have been studied with the cone calorimetry technique. The effect of ammonium polyphosphate in combination with graphite has also been studied with a cone calorimeter test. A coextruded composite manufactured without any fire retardant addition has been used as a reference. The fire properties measured in the cone calorimeter are discussed, including the heat release rate, total heat release, smoke production, specific extinction area, CO yield and mass loss rate. The results show that the introduction of fire retardants in the shell layer of coextruded wood–polypropylene composites has a favourable effect on the fire resistance properties of the composite materials. The reaction‐to‐fire properties have been improved according to the fire classification of construction products based on the Euroclass system. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Differential patterns of functional and structural plasticity within and between inferior frontal gyri support training‐induced improvements in inhibitory control proficiency
Authors: Chavan Camille F. , Mouthon Michael , Draganski Bogdan , van der Zwaag Wietske , Spierer Lucas
Published: March 2015

Ample evidence indicates that inhibitory control (IC), a key executive component referring to the ability to suppress cognitive or motor processes, relies on a right‐lateralized fronto‐basal brain network. However, whether and how IC can be improved with training and the underlying neuroplastic mechanisms remains largely unresolved. We used functional and structural magnetic resonance imaging to measure the effects of 2 weeks of training with a Go/NoGo task specifically designed to improve frontal top‐down IC mechanisms. The training‐induced behavioral improvements were accompanied by a decrease in neural activity to inhibition trials within the right pars opercularis and triangularis, and in the left pars orbitalis of the inferior frontal gyri. Analyses of changes in brain anatomy induced by the IC training revealed increases in grey matter volume in the right pars orbitalis and modulations of white matter microstructure in the right pars triangularis. The task‐specificity of the effects of training was confirmed by an absence of change in neural activity to a control working memory task. Our combined anatomical and functional findings indicate that differential patterns of functional and structural plasticity between and within inferior frontal gyri enhanced the speed of top‐down inhibition processes and in turn IC proficiency. The results suggest that training‐based interventions might help overcoming the anatomic and functional deficits of inferior frontal gyri manifesting in inhibition‐related clinical conditions. More generally, we demonstrate how multimodal neuroimaging investigations of training‐induced neuroplasticity enable revealing novel anatomo‐functional dissociations within frontal executive brain networks. Hum Brain Mapp 36:2527–2543, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A limited positioning system for memory
Authors: Shapiro Matthew
Published: March 2015

The 2014 Nobel Prize for Physiology or Medicine is an enormous triumph for John O'Keefe and May‐Britt and Edvard Moser and an historic event for cognitive and behavioral neuroscience. Neuronal representations decoded from action potentials form a mechanistic bridge between brain and mind and demonstrate the continuity of psychology with biology and physical science. The cognitive map theory powered an ongoing, international research program inspired by Hebb ( The Organization of Behavior. New York, NY: Wiley) that showed the way toward linking specific patterns of neuronal activity to high level representation and processing. The prize celebrates a path that led from fundamental, philosophical questions about psychological space to enduring, scientific facts: place, head direction, grid, and boundary fields in the hippocampus, presubiculum, entorhinal cortex, and other brain circuits provide a cellular basis for spatial behavior, learning, and memory. By awarding this prize, the Nobel committee affirmed neuroethology and comparative psychology, marked the end of a chapter in one debate about the existence of animal cognition, and recognized cognitive neurophysiology. The “inner GPS” in the brain” demonstrates “a cellular basis for higher cognitive function.” Animals represent, process, and use information defined by abstract relationships among items (O'Keefe and Conway, ) to guide flexible, goal‐directed actions. Beyond raising the ontological status of “animal mind,” the committee agreed that abstract mental representations can be investigated rigorously by recording single unit activity in the brain of behaving animals. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Upregulation of Runt‐Related Transcription Factor‐2 Through CCAAT Enhancer Binding Protein‐β Signaling Pathway in Microglial BV‐2 Cells Exposed to ATP
Authors: Nakazato Ryota , Takarada Takeshi , Ikeno Shinsuke , Nakamura Saki , Kutsukake Takaya , Hinoi Eiichi , Yoneda Yukio
Published: March 2015

We have shown constitutive expression of the master regulator of osteoblastogenesis, runt‐related transcription factor‐2 (Runx2), by microglia cells outside bone. Here, we attempted to evaluate the pathological significance of Runx2 in microglial BV‐2 cells exposed to ATP at a high concentration. Marked upregulation of Runx2 transcript and protein expression was seen in cells exposed to 1 mM ATP for a period longer than 30 min without inducing cytotoxicity. The Runx2 upregulation by ATP was prevented by extracellular and intracellular Ca2+ chelators, while thapsigargin upregulated Runx2 expression alone without affecting the upregulation by ATP. A calmodulin antagonist prevented the upregulation by ATP, with calcineurin inhibitors being ineffective. Although ATP markedly increased nuclear levels of nuclear factor of activated T cell‐2 (NFAT2), Runx2 promoter activity was not simulated by the introduction of either NFAT1 or NFAT2, but facilitated by that of CCAAT enhancer binding protein‐α (C/EBPα), C/EBPβ and nuclear factor (erythroid‐derived 2)‐like‐2 (Nrf2). Exposure to ATP up‐regulated C/EBPβ and Nrf2, but not C/EBPα, expression, in addition to increasing nuclear levels of respective corresponding proteins. Runx2 upregulation by ATP was deteriorated by knockdown of C/EBPβ but not by that of Nrf2, however, while exposure to ATP up‐regulated matrix metalloproteinase‐13 (Mmp13) expression in a Runx2‐dependent manner. Overexpression of Runx2 up‐regulated Mmp13 expression with promoted incorporation of fluorescent beads into BV‐2 cells without ATP. These results suggest that extracellular ATP up‐regulates Runx2 expression through activation of the C/EBPβ signaling in a calmodulin‐dependent manner to play a pivotal role in phagocytosis in microglial BV‐2 cells. J. Cell. Physiol. 230: 2510–2521, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Presence of a high‐flow‐mediated constriction phenomenon prior to flow‐mediated dilation in normal weight, overweight, and obese children and adolescents
Authors: Ostrem Joseph D. , Evanoff Nicholas , Kelly Aaron S. , Dengel Donald R.
Published: March 2015

Purpose

When assessing vasomotor endothelial function by reactive hyperemia, the brachial artery, in some individuals, constricts immediately before beginning to dilate following cuff release. We call this response high‐flow‐mediated constriction (H‐FMC). The aim of this study was to describe the rate of the H‐FMC during reactive hyperemia in children and adolescents throughout a range of body mass index (BMI) values, and to investigate differences in flow‐mediated dilation (FMD), cardiovascular, and anthropometric measures between subjects with and without H‐FMC.

Methods

FMD was assessed in 136 children and adolescents (61 male, 75 female; 13 ± 3 years) by sonographic imaging of the brachial artery. H‐FMC was characterized as the lowest point from the baseline brachial artery diameter immediately following reactive cuff release. Independent t tests were used to compare subjects with and without H‐FMC.

Results

H‐FMC was observed in 91 of the 136 participants (66.9%). No significant difference was found between H‐FMC and non‐H‐FMC subjects for age (p = 0.602), gender (p = 0.767), height (p = 0.227), or weight (p = 0.171). BMI percentile was nonsignificantly higher (91.8 ± 14.9th versus 84.6 ± 22.8th percentile, p = 0.057) and FMD was significantly lower (5.43 ± 3.41% versus 8.05 ± 3.97%, p < 0.001) in H‐FMC than in non‐H‐FMC subjects. Adding H‐FMC to FMD produced no significant difference between H‐FMC and non‐H‐FMC individuals (8.03 ± 3.27% versus 8.05 ± 3.97%, p = 0.977).

Conclusions

Approximately 67% of participants demonstrated an H‐FMC during reactive hyperemia. BMI percentile was nonsignificantly higher and FMD was significantly lower in children and adolescents who displayed this phenomenon. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 43:495–501 2015
Short‐day aggression is independent of changes in cortisol or glucocorticoid receptors in male Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus)
Authors: Scotti Melissa‐Ann L. , Rendon Nikki M. , Greives Timothy J. , Romeo Russell D. , Demas Gregory E.
Published: March 2015

Testosterone mediates aggression in many vertebrates. In some species, aggression remains high during the non‐breeding season (e.g., winter), when testosterone levels are low. In Siberian hamsters (Phodopus sungorus), we have demonstrated photoperiodic changes in aggression with hamsters housed in short, “winter‐like” days displaying significantly more territorial aggression than long‐day animals, despite low levels of testosterone. The mechanisms by which photoperiod regulates aggression, however, remain largely unknown. Adrenocortical hormones (e.g., glucocorticoids) have been implicated in mediating seasonal aggression; circulating concentrations of these hormones have been correlated with aggression in some species. The goal of this study was to examine the role of cortisol and glucocorticoid receptors in mediating photoperiodic changes in aggression in male Siberian hamsters. Males were housed in long or short days and treated with either exogenous cortisol or vehicle. Circulating levels of cortisol, adrenal cortisol content, and aggression were quantified. Lastly, photoperiodic effects on glucocorticoid receptor (GR) protein levels were quantified in limbic brain regions associated with aggression, including medial prefrontal cortex, amygdala, and hippocampus. Short‐day hamsters were more aggressive than long‐day hamsters, however cortisol treatment did not affect aggression. Photoperiod had no effect on serum or adrenal cortisol or GR levels in the brain regions examined. Taken together, these data suggest that increases in cortisol levels do not cause increases associated with short‐day aggression, and further that GR protein levels are not associated with photoperiodic changes in aggression. The results of this study contribute to our understanding of the role of adrenocortical steroids in mediating seasonal aggression. J. Exp. Zool. 323A: 331–342, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Glucose, lactate, and shuttling of metabolites in vertebrate retinas
Authors: Hurley James B. , Lindsay Kenneth J. , Du Jianhai
Published: March 2015

The vertebrate retina has specific functions and structures that give it a unique set of constraints on the way in which it can produce and use metabolic energy. The retina's response to illumination influences its energy requirements, and the retina's laminated structure influences the extent to which neurons and glia can access metabolic fuels. There are fundamental differences between energy metabolism in retina and that in brain. The retina relies on aerobic glycolysis much more than the brain does, and morphological differences between retina and brain limit the types of metabolic relationships that are possible between neurons and glia. This Mini‐Review summarizes the unique metabolic features of the retina with a focus on the role of lactate shuttling. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Spatial distribution of marine airborne bacterial communities
Authors: Seifried Jasmin S. , Wichels Antje , Gerdts Gunnar
Published: March 2015

The spatial distribution of bacterial populations in marine bioaerosol samples was investigated during a cruise from the North Sea to the Baltic Sea via Skagerrak and Kattegat. The analysis of the sampled bacterial communities with a pyrosequencing approach revealed that the most abundant phyla were represented by the Proteobacteria (49.3%), Bacteroidetes (22.9%), Actinobacteria (16.3%), and Firmicutes (8.3%). Cyanobacteria were assigned to 1.5% of all bacterial reads. A core of 37 bacterial OTUs made up more than 75% of all bacterial sequences. The most abundant OTU was Sphingomonas sp. which comprised 17% of all bacterial sequences. The most abundant bacterial genera were attributed to distinctly different areas of origin, suggesting highly heterogeneous sources for bioaerosols of marine and coastal environments. Furthermore, the bacterial community was clearly affected by two environmental parameters – temperature as a function of wind direction and the sampling location itself. However, a comparison of the wind directions during the sampling and calculated backward trajectories underlined the need for more detailed information on environmental parameters for bioaerosol investigations. The current findings support the assumption of a bacterial core community in the atmosphere. They may be emitted from strong aerosolizing sources, probably being mixed and dispersed over long distances.
Prediction of PARP Inhibition with Proteochemometric Modelling and Conformal Prediction
Authors: Cortés‐Ciriano Isidro , Bender Andreas , Malliavin Thérèse
Published: March 2015

Poly(ADP‐ribose) polymerases (PARPs) play a key role in DNA damage repair. PARP inhibitors act as chemo‐ and radio‐ sensitizers and thus potentiate the cytotoxicity of DNA damaging agents. Although PARP inhibitors are currently investigated as chemotherapeutic agents, their cross‐reactivity with other members of the PARP family remains unclear. Here, we apply Proteochemometric Modelling (PCM) to model the activity of 181 compounds on 12 human PARPs. We demonstrate that PCM (R02test=0.65–0.69; RMSEtest=0.95–1.01 °C) displays higher performance on the test set (interpolation) than Family QSAR and Family QSAM (Tukey’s HSD, α 0.05), and outperforms Inductive Transfer knowledge among targets (Tukey’s HSD, α 0.05). We benchmark the predictive signal of 8 amino acid and 11 full‐protein sequence descriptors, obtaining that all of them (except for SOCN) perform at the same level of statistical significance (Tukey’s HSD, α 0.05). The extrapolation power of PCM to new compounds (RMSE=1.02±0.80 °C) and targets (RMSE=1.03±0.50 °C) is comparable to interpolation, although the extrapolation ability is not uniform across the chemical and the target space. For this reason, we also provide confidence intervals calculated with conformal prediction. In addition, we present the R package conformal, which permits the calculation of confidence intervals for regression and classification caret models.
Consecutive minimum phase expansion of physically realizable signals with applications
Authors: Mai Weixiong , Dang Pei , Zhang Liming , Qian Tao
Published: March 2015

In digital signal processing, it is a well know fact that a causal signal of finite energy is front loaded if and only if the corresponding analytic signal, or the physically realizable signal, is a minimum phase signal, or an outer function in the complex analysis terminology. Based on this fact, a series expansion method, called unwinding adaptive Fourier decomposition (AFD), to give rise to positive frequency representations with rapid convergence was proposed several years ago. It appears to be a promising positive frequency representation with great potential of applications. The corresponding algorithm, however, is complicated due to consecutive extractions of outer functions involving computation of Hilbert transforms. This paper is to propose a practical algorithm for unwinding AFD that does not depend on computation of Hilbert transform, but, instead, factorizes out the Blaschke product type of inner functions. The proposed method significantly improves applicability of unwinding AFD. As an application, we give the associated Dirac‐type time‐frequency distribution of physically realizable signals. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Effect of cold plasma permittivity on the radiation of the dominant TEM‐wave by an impedance loaded parallel‐plate waveguide radiator
Authors: Ayub M. , Khan Tufail A. , Jilani K.
Published: March 2015

The effects of wall impedances on the radiation of the dominant transverse electromagnetic wave by an impedance loaded parallel‐plate waveguide radiator immersed in a cold plasma have been analyzed. The solution to the governing mathematical model in cold plasma is determined while using the Wiener–Hopf technique. It is observed that the amplitude of the radiated field increases with increasing permittivity of the plasma. The work presented may be of great interest to quantify the effects of ionosphere plasma on the communicating signals between Earth station and an artificial satellite in the Earth's atmosphere. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Evolutionary dynamics in a Lotka–Volterra competition model with impulsive periodic disturbance
Authors: Meng Xinzhu , Zhang Lai
Published: March 2015

In this paper, we develop a theoretical framework to investigate the influence of impulsive periodic disturbance on the evolutionary dynamics of a continuous trait, such as body size, in a general Lotka–Volterra‐type competition model. The model is formulated as a system of impulsive differential equations. First, we derive analytically the fitness function of a mutant invading the resident populations when rare in both monomorphic and dimorphic populations. Second, we apply the fitness function to a specific system of asymmetric competition under size‐selective harvesting and investigate the conditions for evolutionarily stable strategy and evolutionary branching by means of critical function analysis. Finally, we perform long‐term simulation of evolutionary dynamics to demonstrate the emergence of high‐level polymorphism. Our analytical results show that large harvesting effort or small impulsive harvesting period inhibits branching, while large impulsive harvesting period promotes branching. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
SCD5‐induced oleic acid production reduces melanoma malignancy by intracellular retention of SPARC and cathepsin B
Authors: Bellenghi Maria , Puglisi Rossella , Pedini Francesca , De Feo Alessandra , Felicetti Federica , Bottero Lisabianca , Sangaletti Sabina , Errico Maria Cristina , Petrini Marina , Gesumundo Cinzia , Denaro Massimo , Felli Nadia , Pasquini Luca , Tripodo Claudio , Colombo Mario Paolo , Carè Alessandra , Mattia Gianfranco
Published: March 2015

A proper balance between saturated and unsaturated fatty acids (FAs) is required for maintaining cell homeostasis. The increased demand of FAs to assemble the plasma membranes of continuously dividing cancer cells might unbalance this ratio and critically affect tumour outgrowth. We unveiled the role of the stearoyl‐CoA desaturase SCD5 in converting saturated FAs into mono‐unsaturated FAs during melanoma progression. SCD5 is down‐regulated in advanced melanoma and its restored expression significantly reduced melanoma malignancy, both in vitro and in vivo, through a mechanism governing the secretion of extracellular matrix proteins, such as secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine (SPARC) and collagen IV and of their proteases, such as cathepsin B. Enforced expression of SCD5 or supplementation of its enzymatic product, oleic acid, reduced the intracellular pH (pHe > pHi) and, in turn, vesicular trafficking across plasma membranes as well as melanoma dissemination. This intracellular acidification appears also to depend on SCD5‐induced reduction of the C2 subunit of the vacuolar H+‐ATPase, a proton pump whose inhibition changes the secretion profile of cancer cells. Our data support a role for SCD5 and its enzymatic product, oleic acid, in protection against malignancy, offering an explanation for the beneficial Mediterranean diet. Furthermore, SCD5 appears to functionally connect tumour cells and the surrounding stroma toward modification of the tumour microenvironment, with consequences on tumour spread and resistance to treatment. Copyright © 2015 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Clay induced thermoplastic crystals in thermoset matrix: Thermal, Dynamic mechanical, and morphological analysis of clay/nylon‐6‐epoxy nanocomposites
Authors: Vyas Aniket , Iroh Jude O.
Published: March 2015

A novel procedure to synthesize in situ clay/nylon‐6 composite suspension was explored via anionic solution polymerization. The suspension was efficiently blended with water‐based epoxy resin using mechanical stirrer at room temperature. Hence, a 3‐component coating system was obtained consisting of nano‐clay, nylon‐6 and epoxy resin. Large number of coatings and films were prepared with variation in clay and nylon‐6 loading. Concentration of clay was found to have profound effect on crystallinity of nylon‐6, thereby affecting the overall properties of clay/nylon/epoxy composite. All the films were characterized for thermal and dynamic mechanical behavior using differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) and dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA). Lower amount of clay was found to increase the crystallinity of nylon‐6 which in turn increased the plasticization of epoxy resin indicated by reduction in Tg. A multiphase morphology with distinct amorphous and crystalline zones was observed under scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A remarkable symmetrical morphology with branched dendritic crystal structure was observed for few of the clay/nylon/epoxy system. POLYM. COMPOS., 37:2206–2217, 2016. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Retrospective analysis of prenatal ultrasound of children with Hirschsprung disease
Authors: Jakobson‐Setton Ariella , Weissmann‐Brenner Alina , Achiron Reuven , Kuint Jacob , Gindes Liat
Published: March 2015

Objective

Hirschsprung disease (HD) is a rare gastrointestinal disorder. Our aim was to study the prenatal ultrasound findings of children who were diagnosed with HD after birth.

Methods

The study population included children who suffered from HD between 1990 and 2008. Data of anomaly scan findings in prenatal ultrasound, demographic and post‐natal physical abnormalities and treatment were retrieved from medical files and interviews with the parents.

Results

Twenty‐two patients confirmed histopathological diagnosis of HD at age of 1 day to 15 months. Nineteen fetuses had anomaly scan during pregnancy, which revealed minor sonographic abnormalities in three fetuses; two of them had hyperechogenic bowel. One fetus with hyperechogenic bowel had polyhydramnion, and another had a family history of three brothers with HD. A third fetus had dilated pelvic kidney. None of them had sonographic evidence of bowel dilatation. After birth, six patients (31%) were found to have other structural anomalies: ventriculoseptal defect, atriseptal defect, atrio‐ventricular septal defect, and pyloric stenosis.

Conclusions

Abnormal sonographic findings of fetal bowel are absent in the vast majority of fetuses who are diagnosed with HD after birth. In women with a family history of HD, a third trimester anomaly scan may be warranted. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Eliminating antibody polyreactivity through addition of N‐linked glycosylation
Authors: Chuang Gwo‐Yu , Zhang Baoshan , McKee Krisha , O'Dell Sijy , Kwon Young Do , Zhou Tongqing , Blinn Julie , Lloyd Krissey , Parks Robert , Von Holle Tarra , Ko Sung‐Youl , Kong Wing‐Pui , Pegu Amarendra , Wang Keyun , Baruah Kavitha , Crispin Max , Mascola John R. , Moody M. Anthony , Haynes Barton F. , Georgiev Ivelin S. , Kwong Peter D.
Published: March 2015

Antibody polyreactivity can be an obstacle to translating a candidate antibody into a clinical product. Standard tests such as antibody binding to cardiolipin, HEp‐2 cells, or nuclear antigens provide measures of polyreactivity, but its causes and the means to resolve are often unclear. Here we present a method for eliminating antibody polyreactivity through the computational design and genetic addition of N‐linked glycosylation near known sites of polyreactivity. We used the HIV‐1‐neutralizing antibody, VRC07, as a test case, since efforts to increase VRC07 potency at three spatially distinct sites resulted in enhanced polyreactivity. The addition of N‐linked glycans proximal to the polyreactivity‐enhancing mutations at each of the spatially distinct sites resulted in reduced antibody polyreactivity as measured by (i) anti‐cardiolipin ELISA, (ii) Luminex AtheNA Multi‐Lyte ANA binding, and (iii) HEp‐2 cell staining. The reduced polyreactivity trended with increased antibody concentration over time in mice, but not with improved overall protein stability as measured by differential scanning calorimetry. Moreover, glycan proximity to the site of polyreactivity appeared to be a critical factor. The results provide evidence that antibody polyreactivity can result from local, rather than global, features of an antibody and that addition of N‐linked glycosylation can be an effective approach to reducing antibody polyreactivity.
Summarising and validating test accuracy results across multiple studies for use in clinical practice
Authors: Riley Richard D. , Ahmed Ikhlaaq , Debray Thomas P. A. , Willis Brian H. , Noordzij J. Pieter , Higgins Julian P.T. , Deeks Jonathan J.
Published: March 2015

Following a meta‐analysis of test accuracy studies, the translation of summary results into clinical practice is potentially problematic. The sensitivity, specificity and positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values of a test may differ substantially from the average meta‐analysis findings, because of heterogeneity. Clinicians thus need more guidance: given the meta‐analysis, is a test likely to be useful in new populations, and if so, how should test results inform the probability of existing disease (for a diagnostic test) or future adverse outcome (for a prognostic test)? We propose ways to address this. Firstly, following a meta‐analysis, we suggest deriving prediction intervals and probability statements about the potential accuracy of a test in a new population. Secondly, we suggest strategies on how clinicians should derive post‐test probabilities (PPV and NPV) in a new population based on existing meta‐analysis results and propose a cross‐validation approach for examining and comparing their calibration performance. Application is made to two clinical examples. In the first example, the joint probability that both sensitivity and specificity will be >80% in a new population is just 0.19, because of a low sensitivity. However, the summary PPV of 0.97 is high and calibrates well in new populations, with a probability of 0.78 that the true PPV will be at least 0.95. In the second example, post‐test probabilities calibrate better when tailored to the prevalence in the new population, with cross‐validation revealing a probability of 0.97 that the observed NPV will be within 10% of the predicted NPV. © 2015 The Authors. Statistics in Medicine Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Comparison of operational characteristics for binary tests with clustered data
Authors: Kwak Minjung , Um Sang‐Won , Jung Sin‐Ho
Published: March 2015

Although statistical methodology is well‐developed for comparing diagnostic tests in terms of their sensitivity and specificity, comparative inference about predictive values is not. In this paper, we consider the analysis of studies comparing operating characteristics of two diagnostic tests that are measured on all subjects and have test outcomes from multiple sites with varying number of sites among subjects. We have developed a new approach for comparing sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value with simple variance calculation and, in particular, focus on comparing tests using difference of positive and negative predictive values. Simulation studies are conducted to show the performance of our approach. We analyze real data on patients with lung cancer, based on their diagnostic tests, to illustrate the methodology. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Supporting requirements update during software evolution
Authors: Ben Charrada Eya , Koziolek Anne , Glinz Martin
Published: March 2015

Updating the requirements specification when software systems evolve is a manual task that is expensive and time consuming. Therefore, maintainers usually apply the changes to the code directly and leave the requirements unchanged. This results in the requirements rapidly becoming obsolete and useless. In this paper, we propose an approach that supports the maintainer in keeping the requirements specification consistent with the implementation, by identifying the requirements that are impacted whenever the code is changed. Our approach works as follows. First, we analyze the changes that have been applied to the source code and detect if they are likely to impact the requirements or not. Second, we trace the requirements‐impacting changes back to the requirements specification to identify the parts that might need to be modified. The output of the tracing is a list of requirements that are sorted according to their likelihood of being impacted. Automatically identifying the parts of the requirements specification that are likely to need maintenance reduces the effort needed for keeping the requirements up‐to‐date and thus makes the task of the maintainer easier. When applying our approach in three cases studies, 70% to 100% of the impacted requirements were identified within a list that includes less than 20% of the total number of requirements in the specification. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Actl6a Protects Embryonic Stem Cells From Differentiating Into Primitive Endoderm
Authors: Lu Weisi , Fang Lekun , Ouyang Bin , Zhang Xiya , Zhan Shaoquan , Feng Xuyang , Bai Yaofu , Han Xin , Kim Hyeung , He Quanyuan , Wan Ma , Shi Feng-Tao , Feng Xin-Hua , Liu Dan , Huang Junjiu , Songyang Zhou
Published: March 2015

Actl6a (actin-like protein 6A, also known as Baf53a or Arp4) is a subunit shared by multiple complexes including esBAF, INO80, and Tip60-p400, whose main components (Brg1, Ino80, and p400, respectively) are crucial for the maintenance of embryonic stem cells (ESCs). However, whether and how Actl6a functions in ESCs has not been investigated. ESCs originate from the epiblast (EPI) that is derived from the inner cell mass (ICM) in blastocysts, which also give rise to primitive endoderm (PrE). The molecular mechanisms for EPI/PrE specification remain unclear. In this study, we provide the first evidence that Actl6a can protect mouse ESCs (mESCs) from differentiating into PrE. While RNAi knockdown of Actl6a, which appeared highly expressed in mESCs and downregulated during differentiation, induced mESCs to differentiate towards the PrE lineage, ectopic expression of Actl6a was able to repress PrE differentiation. Our work also revealed that Actl6a could interact with Nanog and Sox2 and promote Nanog binding to pluripotency genes such as Oct4 and Sox2. Interestingly, cells depleted of p400, but not of Brg1 or Ino80, displayed similar PrE differentiation patterns. Mutant Actl6a with impaired ability to bind Tip60 and p400 failed to block PrE differentiation induced by Actl6a dysfunction. Finally, we showed that Actl6a could target to the promoters of key PrE regulators (e.g., Sall4 and Fgf4), repressing their expression and inhibiting PrE differentiation. Our findings uncover a novel function of Actl6a in mESCs, where it acts as a gatekeeper to prevent mESCs from entering into the PrE lineage through a Yin/Yang regulating pattern. Stem Cells  2015;33:1782–1793
Birmingham Gateway: structural assessment and strengthening
Authors: Orr John J. , Pask Dominic , Weise Karsten , Otlet Mike
Published: March 2015

Birmingham New Street is the busiest UK rail station outside of London. Growing demand following upgrade works to the West Coast Main Line has seen passenger numbers exceed the design capacity of the current station, which was constructed in 1967. To meet projected increases in passenger numbers, a redevelopment of the historic station is currently underway. Retaining all major structural features, the redevelopment is being undertaken over a live railway in the heart of Birmingham while maintaining existing passenger capacity.
This paper describes the structural assessment and strengthening design work undertaken to facilitate the regeneration of Birmingham New Street. The assessment methodologies used in examining this historic concrete structure are discussed before the design of subsequent strengthening works is presented.
Shear tests on continuous prestressed concrete beams with external prestressing
Authors: Herbrand Martin , Classen Martin
Published: March 2015

According to current design codes, many existing road bridges exhibit shear capacity deficits. This is partly due to increased traffic loads and partly due to changes in the code provisions. In order to extend the service lives of these bridges, either refined design approaches may be used or strengthening measures performed. This paper describes the results of experimental investigations into how additional external prestressing influences the shear capacity of continuous prestressed concrete beams. Within the research project, six shear tests were performed on three test beams with parabolic internal post‐tensioning and additional, variable external prestressing. The aim of the project was to determine the effect of external prestressing on the shear capacity of existing bridges, and whether current design approaches lead to conservative results when used for recalculating existing bridge structures.
“Science capital”: A conceptual, methodological, and empirical argument for extending bourdieusian notions of capital beyond the arts
Authors: Archer Louise , Dawson Emily , DeWitt Jennifer , Seakins Amy , Wong Billy
Published: March 2015

This paper sets out an argument and approach for moving beyond a primarily arts‐based conceptualization of cultural capital, as has been the tendency within Bourdieusian approaches to date. We advance the notion that, in contemporary society, scientific forms of cultural and social capital can command a high symbolic and exchange value. Our previous research [Archer et al. (2014) Journal of Research in Science Teaching 51, 1–30] proposed the concept of “science capital” (science‐related forms of cultural and social capital) as a theoretical lens for explaining differential patterns of aspiration and educational participation among young people. Here, we attempt to theoretically, methodologically, and empirically advance a discussion of how we might conceptualize science capital and how this might be translated into a survey tool for use with students. We report on findings from a survey conducted with 3658 secondary school students, aged 11–15 years, in England. Analysis found that science capital was unevenly spread across the student population, with 5% being classified as having “high” science capital and 27% “low” science capital. Analysis shows that levels of science capital (high, medium, or low) are clearly patterned by cultural capital, gender, ethnicity, and set (track) in science. Students with high, medium, or low levels of science capital also seem to have very different post‐16 plans (regarding studying or working in science) and different levels of self‐efficacy in science. They also vary dramatically in terms of whether they feel others see them as a “science person.” The paper concludes with a discussion of conceptual and methodological issues and implications for practice. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Research in Science Teaching Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 52: 922–948, 2015.
A strategy for incorporating students’ interests into the high‐school science classroom
Authors: Hagay Galit , Baram‐Tsabari Ayelet
Published: March 2015

Many students feel the curriculum is detached from their lives and interests. Indeed, about half the questions asked by high school biology students are not addressed by the curriculum. This study presents a strategy to incorporate students’ curiosity questions into the curriculum as a way to reduce the disparity between students’ interests and curricular requirements. We examined how five high school teachers incorporate their students' questions into their teaching and students’ perspectives on and experience of learning this way. In all classes, students were invited to anonymously write down their questions on the next topics to be learned and hand them in to the teacher, who mapped the questions into the required curriculum and planned teaching to address these questions. Teachers were given a freehand concerning how the questions were to be answered. This resulted in five different pedagogies ranging from teacher‐centered to students‐centered and different levels to which students’ voices affected the lesson content. There was no commonality between the level of adaptation of teaching content to include students’ voice and the choice of student‐centered pedagogies. The three basic needs identified by the Self‐Determination Theory were addressed, hence potentially increasing students’ intrinsic motivation. It enabled almost all the students to ask questions and influence lesson content; in some cases, an unintended outcome of improving teacher–student and peer to peer relations was observed. We suggest a practical, accessible, and flexible way to integrate students’ existing interests in science with disciplinary science learning, governed by the respect for their autonomy and needs. If the curriculum does not provide for personal queries, teachers can make this possible by incorporating students’ questions into the curriculum and negotiating a shared shadow curriculum. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 52: 949–978, 2015.
Reproducible home ranges (rhr): A new, user‐friendly R package for analyses of wildlife telemetry data
Authors: Signer Johannes , Balkenhol Niko
Published: March 2015

Analyzing wildlife tracking data frequently involves the estimation of home ranges. However, home range studies frequently lack important analytical steps, or only insufficiently report results. This makes it difficult for other researchers to evaluate, compare, and reproduce results from published home‐range studies. To facilitate more thorough home‐range analyses and reporting of analytical details, we developed a package for the statistical software package R that offers a user‐friendly platform for comprehensive home‐range analyses. Importantly, the package automatically generates a summary report that contains all analytical parameters used during analyses, and lists the main findings. To improve usability of the package, we also provide a graphical user interface that can be called from R without any programming skills. We currently implemented the calculation of site fidelity, time to statistical independence, minimum convex polygon, kernel density estimation, Brownian Bridge Movement Model, Jennrich–Turner Ellipses, local convex hull, estimation of home range asymptote, and area‐independent core‐area estimation. © 2015 The Wildlife Society.
Four Transition Metal Coordination Polymers based on an Aromatic Multi‐carboxylic Acid as Ligand: Syntheses, Crystal Structures, and Fluorescent/Magnetic Properties
Authors: Sun Yan‐Chun , Li Zhuo , Liang Ling‐Ling , Zhao Jian‐She , Wang Jun‐Long
Published: March 2015

Four compounds, namely, [Zn(H2L)2·4H2O] (1), [Cu(HL)·(H2O)]·H2O (2), [Ni3L2(bpy)2·12H2O]·4H2O (3), and [Co3L2(bpy)2·12H2O]·4H2O (4) [H3L = 4, 4′‐[(5‐carboxy‐1, 3‐phenylene)bis(oxy)]dibenzoic acid], were synthesized under solvothermal conditions by employing a semi‐rigid aromatic multi‐carboxylic acid ligand (H3L) and ancillary nitrogen ligand (bpy = 4, 4′‐bipyridine). X‐ray diffraction studies revealed that complexes 1, 3, and 4 show zero‐dimensional (0D) structures, which were further extended to distinct 3D supramolecular nets by extensive hydrogen‐bond interactions. However, in compound 2, 1D chains of square‐shaped pores were linked together by HL2– ligands to generate a 2D porous layer along the ac plane. Comparison of the structures indicated that not only the conformation of the functional ligand, but also the ancillary ligand helped in structural determination of the compounds. Compound 1 exhibited solid fluorescence emission originating from an intraligand π→π* transition. Magnetic susceptibility measurements demonstrated that compound 2 exhibited antiferromagnetic coupling between adjacent copper(II) ions, with the corresponding J values of –141.84 cm–1. Furthermore, the thermal behaviors of the complexes 1–4 were studied by thermogravimetric analysis.
Synthesis, Crystal Structure, and Properties of the Sodium Molybdate Fluoride Na3MoO4F
Authors: Zhang Xiangyu , Li Danni , Yang Zhihua , Wu Hongping , Pan Shilie
Published: March 2015

The compound Na3MoO4F was synthesized by high temperature solution methods. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis reveals that Na3MoO4F crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Pnma (No. 62) with lattice constants a = 5.588(2) Å, b = 7.515(3) Å, c = 12.876(5) Å, and Z = 4. The crystal structure consists of isolated MoO4 groups and [FNa3]∞ chains, which are connected by Na–O bonds to form a three‐dimensional framework. A detailed structure comparison between Na3MoO4F and NaMoO3F was carried out. IR spectroscopy and bond valence sum analysis of Na3MoO4F indicate that the structure is reasonable. In addition, the electronic structure was investigated by the first‐principles method.
Proximity of Couples to Parents: Influences of Gender, Labor Market, and Family
Authors: Chan Tak Wing , Ermisch John
Published: March 2015

We use household survey data from the UK to study how close middle-aged men and women in partnerships live to their parents and their partner’s parents. We find a slight tendency for couples to live closer to the woman’s parents than the man’s. This tendency is more pronounced among couples in which neither partner has a college degree and in which there is a child. In other respects, proximity to parents is gender-neutral, with the two partners having equal influence on intergenerational proximity. Better-educated couples live farther from their parents. And although certain family characteristics matter, intergenerational proximity is primarily driven by factors affecting mobility over long distances, which are mainly associated with the labor market, as opposed to gender or family circumstances.
Performance of the Present-on-Admission Indicator for Clostridium difficile Infection
Authors: Pakyz Amy L. , Patterson Julie A. , Motzkus-Feagans Christine , Hohmann Samuel F. , Edmond Michael B. , Lapane Kate L.
Published: March 2015

The performance of a hospital- and community-onset Clostridium difficile infection definition using administrative data with a present-on-admission indicator was compared with definitions using clinical surveillance. For hospital-onset C. difficile infection, there was moderate sensitivity (68%) and high specificity (93%); for community-onset, sensitivity and specificity were high (both 85%).

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2015;36(7):838–840
From Posting to Voting: The Effects of Political Competition on Online Political Engagement
Authors: Settle Jaime E. , Bond Robert M. , Coviello Lorenzo , Fariss Christopher J. , Fowler James H. , Jones Jason J.
Published: March 2015

How does living in a battleground state during a presidential election affect an individual’s political engagement? We utilize a unique collection of 113 million Facebook status updates to compare users’ political discussion during the 2008 election. “Battleground” state users are significantly more likely to discuss politics in the campaign season than are users in uncompetitive “blackout” states. Posting a political status update—a form ofday-to-dayengagement with politics—mediates ∼20 percent of the relationship between exposure to political competition and self-reported voter turnout. This paper is among the first to use a massive quantity of social media data to explain the microfoundations of how people think, feel, and act on a daily basis in response to their political environment.