bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Feature Selection Combined with Neural Network Structure Optimization for HIV-1 Protease Cleavage Site Prediction
Authors: Liu Hui , Shi Xiaomiao , Guo Dongmei , Zhao Zuowei , Yimin
Published: April 2015

It is crucial to understand the specificity of HIV-1 protease for designing HIV-1 protease inhibitors. In this paper, a new feature selection method combined with neural network structure optimization is proposed to analyze the specificity of HIV-1 protease and find the important positions in an octapeptide that determined its cleavability. Two kinds of newly proposed features based on Amino Acid Index database plus traditional orthogonal encoding features are used in this paper, taking both physiochemical and sequence information into consideration. Results of feature selection prove thatp2,p1,p1′, andp2′are the most important positions. Two feature fusion methods are used in this paper: combination fusion and decision fusion aiming to get comprehensive feature representation and improve prediction performance. Decision fusion of subsets that getting after feature selection obtains excellent prediction performance, which proves feature selection combined with decision fusion is an effective and useful method for the task of HIV-1 protease cleavage site prediction. The results and analysis in this paper can provide useful instruction and help designing HIV-1 protease inhibitor in the future.
The Nonlinear Hydroelastic Response of a Semi-Infinite Elastic Plate Floating on a Fluid due to Incident Progressive Waves
Authors: Wang Ping
Published: April 2015

The nonlinear hydroelastic response of very large floating structures (VLFSs) or an ice sheet floating on the surface of deep water, idealized as a semi-infinite thin elastic plate, is investigated analytically in the case of nonlinear incident waves. Assuming that the fluid is inviscid and incompressible and the motion is irrotational, we consider incident progressive waves with a given angular frequency within the framework of potential flow theory. With the aid of the homotopy analysis method (HAM), the convergent analytical series solutions are derived by solving the simultaneous equations in which we apply a convergence-control parameter to obtain convergent solutions with relatively few terms. The clear calculation results are represented to show nonlinear wave-plate interaction. The effects of different physical parameters, including incident wave amplitude, Young’s modulus, the thickness and density of the plate on the wave scattering, and the hydroelastic response of the floating plate, are considered. We find that the variations of the plate stiffness, thickness, and density greatly change amount of wave energy which is reflected into the open water region and is transmitted into the plate-covered region. Further, the hydroelastic response of the plate also can be affected by the amplitude of incident wave.
Prediction of Antifungal Activity of Gemini Imidazolium Compounds
Authors: Pałkowski Łukasz , Błaszczyński Jerzy , Skrzypczak Andrzej , Błaszczak Jan , Nowaczyk Alicja , Wróblewska Joanna , Kożuszko Sylwia , Gospodarek Eugenia , Słowiński Roman , Krysiński Jerzy
Published: April 2015

The progress of antimicrobial therapy contributes to the development of strains of fungi resistant to antimicrobial drugs. Since cationic surfactants have been described as good antifungals, we present a SAR study of a novel homologous series of 140 bis-quaternary imidazolium chlorides and analyze them with respect to their biological activity againstCandida albicansas one of the major opportunistic pathogens causing a wide spectrum of diseases in human beings. We characterize a set of features of these compounds, concerning their structure, molecular descriptors, and surface active properties. SAR study was conducted with the help of the Dominance-Based Rough Set Approach (DRSA), which involves identification of relevant features and relevant combinations of features being in strong relationship with a high antifungal activity of the compounds. The SAR study shows, moreover, that the antifungal activity is dependent on the type of substituents and their position at the chloride moiety, as well as on the surface active properties of the compounds. We also show that molecular descriptors MlogP, HOMO-LUMO gap, total structure connectivity index, and Wiener index may be useful in prediction of antifungal activity of new chemical compounds.
Dissociation of Calcium Transients and Force Development following a Change in Stimulation Frequency in Isolated Rabbit Myocardium
Authors: Haizlip Kaylan M. , Milani-Nejad Nima , Brunello Lucia , Varian Kenneth D. , Slabaugh Jessica L. , Walton Shane D. , Gyorke Sandor , Davis Jonathan P. , Biesiadecki Brandon J. , Janssen Paul M. L.
Published: April 2015

As the heart transitions from one exercise intensity to another, changes in cardiac output occur, which are modulated by alterations in force development and calcium handling. Although the steady-state force-calcium relationship at various heart rates is well investigated, regulation of these processes during transitions in heart rate is poorly understood. In isolated right ventricular muscle preparations from the rabbit, we investigated the beat-to-beat alterations in force and calcium during the transition from one stimulation frequency to another, using contractile assessments and confocal microscopy. We show that a change in steady-state conditions occurs in multiple phases: a rapid phase, which is characterized by a fast change in force production mirrored by a change in calcium transient amplitude, and a slow phase, which follows the rapid phase and occurs as the muscle proceeds to stabilize at the new frequency. This second/late phase is characterized by a quantitative dissociation between the calcium transient amplitude and developed force. Twitch timing kinetics, such as time to peak tension and 50% relaxation rate, reached steady-state well before force development and calcium transient amplitude. The dynamic relationship between force and calcium upon a switch in stimulation frequency unveils the dynamic involvement of myofilament-based properties in frequency-dependent activation.
Evolutionary Pattern and Regulation Analysis to Support Why Diversity Functions Existed within PPAR Gene Family Members
Authors: Zhou Tianyu , Yan Xiping , Wang Guosong , Liu Hehe , Gan Xiang , Zhang Tao , Wang Jiwen , Li Liang
Published: April 2015

Peroxisome proliferators-activated receptor (PPAR) gene family members exhibit distinct patterns of distribution in tissues and differ in functions. The purpose of this study is to investigate the evolutionary impacts on diversity functions of PPAR members and the regulatory differences on gene expression patterns. 63 homology sequences of PPAR genes from 31 species were collected and analyzed. The results showed that three isolated types of PPAR gene family may emerge from twice times of gene duplication events. The conserved domains of HOLI (ligand binding domain of hormone receptors) domain and ZnF_C4 (C4 zinc finger in nuclear in hormone receptors) are essential for keeping basic roles of PPAR gene family, and the variant domains of LCRs may be responsible for their divergence in functions. The positive selection sites in HOLI domain are benefit for PPARs to evolve towards diversity functions. The evolutionary variants in the promoter regions and 3′ UTR regions of PPARs result into differential transcription factors and miRNAs involved in regulating PPAR members, which may eventually affect their expressions and tissues distributions. These results indicate that gene duplication event, selection pressure on HOLI domain, and the variants on promoter and 3′ UTR are essential for PPARs evolution and diversity functions acquired.
A Giant Left Atrial Myxoma Neovascularized from the Right Coronary Artery
Authors: Gerede Demet Menekse , Akbulut Irem Muge , Ersoz Sadık , Kilıckap Mustafa
Published: April 2015

Myxomas are benign and the most common tumors of the cardiac muscle (Reynen, 1995). They are predominantly located in the left atrium. Clinical manifestations may vary according to the localization and the size of the myxoma. On the other hand, imaging of a myxoma by contrast dye during coronary angiography is a rare sign, which displays the vascular supply of the tumor. Here, we report the case of a 51-year-old man presenting with presyncope and palpitations due to a giant left atrial myxoma having its vascular supply from the right coronary artery (RCA).
The Natural History and Predictors for Intervention in Patients with Small Renal Mass Undergoing Active Surveillance
Authors: Bahouth Zaher , Halachmi Sarel , Meyer Gil , Avitan Ofir , Moskovitz Boaz , Nativ Ofer
Published: April 2015

Aim. To describe the natural history of small renal mass on active surveillance and identify parameters that could help in predicting the need for intervention in patients with small renal masses undergoing active surveillance. We also discuss the need for renal biopsy in the management of these patients.Methods. A retrospective analysis of 78 renal masses ≤4 cm diagnosed at our Urology Department at Bnai Zion Medical Center between September 2003 and March 2012.Results. Seventy patients with 78 small renal masses were analyzed. The mean age at diagnosis was 68 years (47–89). The mean follow-up period was 34 months (12–112). In 54 of 78 masses there was a growth of at least 2 mm between imaging on last available follow-up and diagnosis. Eight of the 54 (15%) masses which grew in size underwent a nephron-sparing surgery, of which two were oncocytomas and six were renal cell carcinoma. Growth rate and mass diameter on diagnosis were significantly greater in the group of patients who underwent a surgery.Conclusions. Small renal masses might eventually be managed by active surveillance without compromising survival or surgical approach. All masses that were eventually excised underwent a nephron-sparing surgery. None of the patients developed metastases.
Improving the Understanding of Pathogenesis of Human Papillomavirus 16 via Mapping Protein-Protein Interaction Network
Authors: Dong Yongcheng , Kuang Qifan , Dai Xu , Li Rong , Wu Yiming , Leng Weijia , Li Yizhou , Li Menglong
Published: April 2015

The human papillomavirus 16 (HPV16) has high risk to lead various cancers and afflictions, especially, the cervical cancer. Therefore, investigating the pathogenesis of HPV16 is very important for public health. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network between HPV16 and human was used as a measure to improve our understanding of its pathogenesis. By adopting sequence and topological features, a support vector machine (SVM) model was built to predict new interactions between HPV16 and human proteins. All interactions were comprehensively investigated and analyzed. The analysis indicated that HPV16 enlarged its scope of influence by interacting with human proteins as much as possible. These interactions alter a broad array of cell cycle progression. Furthermore, not only was HPV16 highly prone to interact with hub proteins and bottleneck proteins, but also it could effectively affect a breadth of signaling pathways. In addition, we found that the HPV16 evolved into high carcinogenicity on the condition that its own reproduction had been ensured. Meanwhile, this work will contribute to providing potential new targets for antiviral therapeutics and help experimental research in the future.
Regulation of VDR Expression in Apc-Mutant Mice, Human Colon Cancers and Adenomas
Authors: Giardina Charles , Nakanishi Masako , Khan Awaad , Kuratnik Anton , Xu Wanli , Brenner Bruce , Rosenberg Daniel W.
Published: April 2015

One variable that may affect the ability of vitamin D to reduce colon cancer risk is the expression of its high-affinity receptor, VDR. Here, we show that vitamin D does not reduce tumor formation in ApcΔ14/+ mice and that VDR expression is lost in the majority of the colon tumor cells. The extent of VDR loss corresponded inversely to the level of β-catenin nuclear localization and could be observed in early lesions composed of just a few crypts. Analysis of reported VDR regulators showed that the repressing class I histone deacetylases (HDAC) were significantly elevated in the tumors (up to 4-fold), whereas the VDR-activating retinoid X receptors (RXR) were downregulated (∼50%). Expression of the Slug repressor was also increased, but was found primarily in stromal cells. Analysis of epigenetically active compounds on colon cell lines and intestinal organoids showed that HDAC inhibitors were particularly adept at stimulating VDR expression. Treatment of tumor-bearing ApcΔ14/+ mice with the HDAC inhibitor panobinostat increased VDR expression in the tumors and normal mucosa. The RXR agonist bexarotene failed to activate VDR expression, indicating that RXR ligands were not limiting. Analysis of human microarray data indicated that VDR mRNA is frequently downregulated in colon adenomas, which correlated positively with RXRA expression and inversely with HDAC 2 and 8 expression. Human adenomas showed variable VDR protein expression levels, both between and within individual lesions. Determining the mechanisms of VDR regulation in colon neoplasms may significantly enhance our ability to use vitamin D as a cancer prevention agent. Cancer Prev Res; 8(5); 387–99. ©2015 AACR.
Anti-Müllerian Hormone Concentrations in Premenopausal Women and Breast Cancer Risk
Authors: Nichols Hazel B. , Baird Donna D. , Stanczyk Frank Z. , Steiner Anne Z. , Troester Melissa A. , Whitworth Kristina W. , Sandler Dale P.
Published: April 2015

Laboratory models support an inverse association between anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) and breast tumor development. Human studies are lacking; one study (N = 105 cases, 204 controls) with prospectively collected serum reported the opposite—an approximate 10-fold increase in breast cancer risk comparing fourth with first quartile AMH levels. We investigated the relation between serum AMH levels and breast cancer risk in a case–control (N = 452 cases, 902 controls) study nested within the prospective Sister Study cohort of 50,884 women. At enrollment, participants were ages 35 to 54, premenopausal, and completed questionnaires on medical and family history, lifestyle factors, and demographics. AMH (ng/mL) was measured by ultrasensitive ELISA in serum collected at enrollment and log-transformed for analysis. Multivariate conditional logistic regression was used to calculate ORs and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to account for matching on age and enrollment year. Mean age at enrollment was 46.8 years with an average 2.9 years from blood draw to breast cancer diagnosis (SD = 1.9). AMH concentrations were below the limit of detection (0.003 ng/mL) for approximately 25% of samples. Compared with samples below the LOD, women with AMH >2.84 ng/mL (90th percentile among controls) had a 2-fold increase in breast cancer odds (OR, 2.25; 95% CI, 1.26–4.02). For each 1-unit increase in lnAMH, overall breast cancer odds increased by 8% (OR, 1.08; 95% CI, 1.02–1.15) and odds of estrogen receptor–positive, invasive disease increased by 15% (OR, 1.15; 95% CI, 1.05–1.25). Our findings demonstrate an overall positive relation between AMH and breast cancer. Cancer Prev Res; 8(6); 528–34. ©2015 AACR.
Incidentally Discovered Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma Limited to the Endocervical Mucosa in a Young Female Patient
Authors: Pósfai Éva , Nagy Károly , Marton Imelda , Bánfalvi Attila , Kocsis Lajos , Cserni Gábor
Published: April 2015

Primary high-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma of the female genital tract is extremely rare. Vaginal bleeding, abdominal pain or urinary complaints might be its most frequent symptoms. We report a 27-year-old multipara who underwent large loop excision of the transformation zone because of the repeated finding of a low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion identified during routine cancer screening. Incidentally, CD20-positive, primary, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma infiltrating the mucosa of the endocervix was also diagnosed from this specimen. The case is unusual because the patient had no symptoms, specific colposcopic signs or visible mass. R-CHOP 21 immunochemotherapy was introduced and resulted in complete remission without hysterectomy. The patient is without any evidence of disease after 49 months of follow-up. Primary cervical lymphomas are mainly subepithelial initially, and therefore they may be under-recognized due to the inefficiency of smears to diagnose such lesions. Early diagnosis and available targeted treatment allowed a cure in the reported example.
Kidney Volume Estimations with Ellipsoid Equations by Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease
Authors: Higashihara Eiji , Nutahara Kikuo , Okegawa Takatsugu , Tanbo Mitsuhiro , Hara Hidehiko , Miyazaki Isao , Kobayasi Kuninori , Nitatori Toshiaki
Published: April 2015

Background: Kidney volume (KV) becomes clinically relevant in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) management. KV can be conveniently estimated (ceKV) using ellipsoid volume equations with three axes measurements; however, the accuracy and reliability are unknown. Methods: KVs of 347 kidneys in 177 consecutive ADPKD patients were determined with a volumetric method (standard-KV), and ceKV was calculated using six different ellipsoid equations with three axes measurements using magnetic resonance imaging. The inter- and intraobserver reliabilities were analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). Ellipsoid-KVs were obtained by linear regression analysis between standard-KV and ceKVs, and six ellipsoid-KVs were validated with a bootstrap model. Results: The ICCs of intra- and interobserver reliabilities in standard-KV and axes measurements were highly reliable. All ceKVs underestimated standard-KV and % differences between ceKV and standard-KV were reduced by ellipsoid-KVs. Bootstrap analyses suggested that six ellipsoid-KVs reliably simulated standard-KV. Conclusion: Among six ellipsoid-KVs, ellipsoid-KV3 = 84 + 1.01 x π/24 × Length × (sum of two width measurements)2 relatively accurately simulated the standard-KV. Kidney volume estimation using ellipsoid equations is reliably applied to clinical management of ADPKD while recognizing wide scattering in the difference between estimated and volumetrically measured kidney volume.
Quantitative Analysis of Localized Sources Identified by Focal Impulse and Rotor Modulation Mapping in Atrial Fibrillation
Authors: Benharash Peyman , Buch Eric , Frank Paul , Share Michael , Tung Roderick , Shivkumar Kalyanam , Mandapati Ravi
Published: April 2015

Background—

New approaches to ablation of atrial fibrillation (AF) include focal impulse and rotor modulation (FIRM) mapping, and initial results reported with this technique have been favorable. We sought to independently evaluate the approach by analyzing quantitative characteristics of atrial electrograms used to identify rotors and describe acute procedural outcomes of FIRM-guided ablation.

Methods and Results—

All FIRM-guided ablation procedures (n=24; 50% paroxysmal) at University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center were included for analysis. During AF, unipolar atrial electrograms collected from a 64-pole basket catheter were used to construct phase maps and identify putative AF sources. These sites were targeted for ablation, in conjunction with pulmonary vein isolation in most patients (n=19; 79%). All patients had rotors identified (mean, 2.3±0.9 per patient; 72% in left atrium). Prespecified acute procedural end point was achieved in 12 of 24 (50%) patients: AF termination (n=1), organization (n=3), or >10% slowing of AF cycle length (n=8). Basket electrodes were within 1 cm of 54% of left atrial surface area, and a mean of 31 electrodes per patient showed interpretable atrial electrograms. Offline analysis revealed no differences between rotor and distant sites in dominant frequency or Shannon entropy. Electroanatomic mapping showed no rotational activation at FIRM-identified rotor sites in 23 of 24 patients (96%).

Conclusions—

FIRM-identified rotor sites did not exhibit quantitative atrial electrogram characteristics expected from rotors and did not differ quantitatively from surrounding tissue. Catheter ablation at these sites, in conjunction with pulmonary vein isolation, resulted in AF termination or organization in a minority of patients (4/24; 17%). Further validation of this approach is necessary.
Multigene phylogeny and morphology reveal Phaeobotryon rhois sp. nov. (Botryosphaeriales, Ascomycota)
Authors: FAN XIN-LEI , HYDE KEVIN D. , LIU JIAN-KUI , LIANG YING-MEI , TIAN CHENG-MING
Published: April 2015

The family Botryosphaeriaceae encompasses important plant-associated pathogens, endophytes and saprobes with a wide geographical and host distribution. Two dark-spored botryosphaeriaceous taxa associated with Rhus typhina dieback and canker disease were collected from Ningxia Province, in northwestern China. Morphology and multigene analysis (ITS, LSU and EF-1α) clearly distinguished this clade as a distinct species in the genus. Phaeobotryon rhois is introduced and illustrated as a new species in this paper. The species is characterized by its globose, unilocular fruiting bodies and small, brown, 1-septate conidia. It can be distinguished from the similar species P. cercidis, P. cupressi, P. mamane and P. quercicola based on host association and conidial size and colour.
A new species of Uleiorchis (Gastrodieae, Orchidaceae) from the Brazilian Amazon
Authors: Cardoso André Luiz de Rezende , ILKIU-BORGES ANNA LUIZA , RODRIGUES TARCÍSIO MAGEVSKI
Published: April 2015

A new species of Uleiorchis from Serra dos Carajás National Forest, Pará, Brazil, is described. This is the fourth species of this mycoheterotrophic genus. The species is illustrated, its affinities with related species are discussed, and a key to the species of the genus is presented. The new species differs from U. ulei, U. pratënsis and U. liesneri by the extremely elongated pedicel, the ligulate lip with a distal round dilatation, and by the elliptic, smooth stigmatic zone.
Impact of the Madden–Julian Oscillation on Western North Pacific Tropical Cyclogenesis Associated with Large-Scale Patterns
Authors: Zhao Haikun , Yoshida Ryuji , Raga G. B.
Published: April 2015

The intraseasonal variability of tropical cyclogenesis in the western North Pacific (WNP) basin is explored in this study. The relation of cyclogenesis in each of the five large-scale patterns identified in recent work by Yoshida and Ishikawa is associated with the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO). Confirming previous results, more events of cyclogenesis are found during the active MJO phase in the WNP. Furthermore, results indicate that most of the tropical cyclogenesis is associated with the monsoon shear line large-scale pattern during the active phase. The genesis potential index (GPI) and its individual components are used to evaluate the environmental factors that most contribute toward cyclogenesis under the different phases of the MJO. GPI exhibits a large positive anomaly during the active phase of the MJO, and such an anomaly is spatially correlated with the events of cyclogenesis. The analysis of each factor indicates that low-level relative vorticity and midlevel relative humidity are the two dominant contributors to the MJO-composited GPI anomalies. The positive GPI anomalies during the active phase are partially offset by the negative contributions from vertical wind shear and potential intensity. This is valid for all five large-scale patterns. It is noteworthy that the easterly wave (EW) large-scale pattern, while exhibiting the same influence of relative vorticity and midlevel humidity contributing toward positive GPI anomalies, presents slightly more cyclogenesis events under the inactive phase of the MJO. This unexpected result suggests that other factors not included in the definition of the GPI and/or changes in environmental flows on other time scales contribute to the tropical cyclogenesis associated with the EW large-scale pattern.
Human Influences on Changes in the Temperature Seasonality in Mid- to High-Latitude Land Areas
Authors: Qian Cheng , Zhang Xuebin
Published: April 2015

The annual cycle is the largest variability for many climate variables outside the tropics. Whether human activities have affected the annual cycle at the regional scale is unclear. In this study, long-term changes in the amplitude of surface air temperature annual cycle in the observations are compared with those simulated by the climate models participating in phase 5 of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). Different spatial domains ranging from hemispheric to subcontinental scales in mid- to high-latitude land areas for the period 1950–2005 are considered. Both the optimal fingerprinting and a nonoptimal detection and attribution technique are used. The results show that the space–time pattern of model-simulated responses to the combined effect of anthropogenic and natural forcings is consistent with the observed changes. In particular, models capture not only the decrease in the temperature seasonality in the northern high latitudes and East Asia, but also the increase in the Mediterranean region. A human influence on the weakening in the temperature seasonality in the Northern Hemisphere is detected, particularly in the high latitudes (50°–70°N) where the influence of the anthropogenic forcing can be separated from that of the natural forcing.
Ireland’s Public Health (Alcohol) Bill
Authors: Butler Shane
Published: April 2015

In the wake of the Steering Group Report on a National Substance Misuse Strategy in 2012, the Irish government announced in October 2013 that it had approved a number of alcohol policy measures to be incorporated into a Public Health (Alcohol) Bill to be drafted and enacted as quickly as possible. Against a historic backdrop of previous alcohol policy proposals in Ireland in recent decades, this article looks critically at this recent development with a view to determining to what extent it represents, in Kingdon’s terms, a “policy window” for the public health approach to alcohol issues. It is argued that while some specific public health measures may be introduced, the various “streams” of the Irish policy process have not joined together in an unambiguous, consensual acceptance of the public perspective on alcohol, and that the “politics stream” has not to date deemed this perspective to be consonant with the “national mood.”
Evaluating Informational Inputs in Rulemaking Processes: A Cross-Case Analysis
Authors: Crow Deserai A. , Albright Elizabeth A. , Koebele Elizabeth
Published: April 2015

As legislative venues are increasingly stymied by gridlock, much policymaking responsibility has devolved to the U.S. states. This article analyzes informational inputs and participation by actors within the rulemaking context, focusing on the level of state rulemaking. Specifically, we explore the rulemaking process in Colorado and North Carolina in two environmental sectors. Using data from documents and in-depth interviews, this study finds that goals of deliberative and open regulatory processes are not met in the cases studied here, in part due to informal pre-hearing processes established by agencies which can be navigated most successfully by the regulated community.
On Technological Determinism
Authors: Dafoe Allan
Published: April 2015

“Technological determinism” is predominantly employed as a critic’s term, used to dismiss certain classes of theoretical and empirical claims. Understood more productively as referring to claims that place a greater emphasis on the autonomous and social-shaping tendencies of technology, technological determinism is a valuable and prominent perspective. This article will advance our understanding of technological determinism through four contributions. First, I clarify some debates about technological determinism through an examination of the meaning of technology. Second, I parse the family of claims related to technological determinism. Third, I note that constructivist and determinist insights may each be valid given particular scope conditions, the most prominent of which is the scale of analysis. Finally, I propose a theoretical microfoundation for technological determinism— military–economic adaptationism—in which economic and military competition constrain sociotechnical evolution to deterministic paths. This theory is a special case of a general theory—sociotechnical selectionism—which can be regarded as also including (mild) constructivist theories as special cases. Greater understanding of, respect for, and engagement with technological determinism will enhance the study of technology and our ability to shape our sociotechnical systems.
Prohibition and production of the past: Representation of the Cultural Revolution in TV dramas
Authors: Meng Jing
Published: April 2015

The Cultural Revolution ended more than three decades ago and is generally concluded to have been a disaster and trauma; however, it kept resurfacing at different points throughout the past and being interpreted from different perspectives addressing contemporary concerns. TV, one of the most important channels for political communication in China, is closely supervised by the censoring mechanism. Despite political control, TV has also become a contending arena where discourses concerning the Cultural Revolution are negotiated and shaped. This article will juxtapose a text analysis of a recent TV drama Sent Down Youth (2012) with a study of its production and reception within Mainland China so as to map out the complexity and richness in the discursive debates about the Cultural Revolution and its representation. The research intends to explore how TV and social context both limit and at the same time enable discourses around representations and memories of the Cultural Revolution.
Model mapping approaches for XML documents: A review
Authors: Qtaish Amjad , Ahmad Kamsuriah
Published: April 2015

XML has become the dominant standard for data exchange and representation on the Web. The Relational Database (RDB) possesses is widely used as a storage and retrieval medium in the business field. With the expanding utilization of XML data on the Web, the size of this data type has increased rapidly, and more complicated queries are issued by users through this data. This expansion has prompted numerous researchers to propose various approaches in managing XML data through RDB. In this study, the most cited and the latest model-mapping approaches are reviewed in terms of the description, the technique used and the RDB schema produced using each approach. The limitations of these approaches are discussed, in terms of the storage space and query response time. At the end of this study, a solution to these limitations is proposed. It is hoped that this paper will give some insight into storing XML documents in RDB schema and contribute to the XML community.
Adopting Evidence-Based Caregiver Training Programs in the Real World: Outcomes and Lessons Learned From the STAR-C Oregon Translation Study
Authors: McCurry Susan M. , Logsdon Rebecca G. , Mead Jennifer , Pike Kenneth C. , La Fazia David M. , Stevens Laura , Teri Linda
Published: April 2015

Objectives: This article describes the translation and evaluation of STAR–Community Consultants program (STAR-C), an evidence-based dementia caregiver training program, within the Oregon Department of Human Services. Method: Staff from two regional Area Agencies on Aging (AAAs) were trained to implement all aspects of STAR-C, including screening, recruitment of caregiver/care-receiver dyads, and treatment delivery. Mailed assessments of caregiver depression, burden, and care-receiver mood, behavior, and quality of life were collected at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and 6-month follow-up. Results: One hundred fifty-one dyads entered the program; 96 completed the 8-week intervention. Significant positive post-treatment effects were obtained for caregiver depression, burden, and reactivity to behavior problems, and care-receiver depression and quality of life. At 6-month follow-up, improvements in caregiver reactivity and care-receiver depression were maintained. Caregivers reported high levels of satisfaction with the program. Discussion: STAR-C was successfully and effectively implemented by participating AAAs. Recommendations for replication, including training, recruitment, and assessment procedures are provided.
Sensegiving and Sensebreaking via Emotion Cycles and Emotional Buffering
Authors: Scarduzio Jennifer A. , Tracy Sarah J.
Published: April 2015

Municipal courtroom employees face a variety of positive and negative emotional interactions, especially when defendants are encountering the criminal justice system for the first time. Based on qualitative data from participant observation and informal and formal interviews, this study analyzes how emotion cycles between judges and bailiffs help provide sensegiving and sensebreaking cues to defendants and observers in the courtroom. The heart of the analysis explores the routines and previous enacted environments of the courtroom, and the emotional buffering role of bailiffs—who we call intermediary actors—and names three types of emotion cycles: (a) the positive complementary emotion cycle, (b) the negative compensatory emotion cycle, and (c) the negative complementary emotion cycle. Theoretical implications include extensions of emotion cycle research through the use of participant observation data, the role of emotional buffering among three or more actors, and the impact of sensegiving and sensebreaking cues on organizational visitors.
Rethinking asexuality: A Symbolic Interactionist account
Authors: Scott Susie , Dawson Matt
Published: April 2015

This article aims to contribute a Symbolic Interactionist approach to the study of asexuality. Previous research in psychology, sexology and sociology has had an individualized focus, which has downplayed the interactive and relational dimensions of asexual identities. In order to capture such elements we demonstrate the relevance of some key Symbolic Interactionist concepts: meaning, negotiation, social selfhood and trajectory. In doing so, we suggest it is possible to see asexual identity as a process of becoming within the context of negotiation with intimate others.
Black swan, white masks: Contesting cosmopolitanism and double misrecognition in a gay tourist town
Authors: Dixon Laura J
Published: April 2015

This article discusses the effects that constructions of lesbianism – generated and circulated widely throughout Anglo-American media – had on normative discourses of gender and sexuality amongst British migrants, living in the affluent coastal tourist town of Sitges, in Spain. Marketed as a cosmopolitan location par excellence, Sitges’ identity is built largely on its reputation for playing host to an internationally diverse gay community, subsequently understood to evince an atmosphere of openness and tolerance. And yet drawing on the work of Frantz Fanon (1952/1967) and Kelly Oliver (2001), I suggest that the visibility of feminine lesbianism in this context was resignified through those media images, constituting a ‘double misrecognition’, which saw all female homosexuality paradoxically become invisible at the exact moment representation was explicitly deemed to have been achieved. Far from elaborating a cosmopolitan ‘openness towards difference’, I argue that the resulting double misrecognition actually substantiated highly conservative gender norms, even as it masqueraded as the opposite.
Your HIV-positive sperm, my trans-dyke uterus: Anti/futurity and the politics of bareback sex between Guillaume Dustan and Beatriz Preciado
Authors: Evans Elliot
Published: April 2015

Contemporary queer theorist Beatriz Preciado’s hypothetical bareback encounter with her friend and former editor, the HIV-positive writer Guillaume Dustan, explores her own understanding of the origins of queer politics in the AIDS crisis. Dustan’s ‘insurrectional’ writing, particularly his views on bareback sex, made him party to a bitter feud with anti-AIDS group Act Up-Paris. I consider what is at stake in Preciado’s eventual refusal of such an encounter with Dustan before his death, her understanding of Dustan’s queer politics as a ‘path of death’, and finally the influence of these ideas on notions of futurity in Preciado’s own thought.
Organizational transparency as myth and metaphor
Authors: Christensen Lars Thøger , Cornelissen Joep
Published: April 2015

Transparency has achieved a mythical status in society. Myths are not false accounts or understandings, but deep-seated and definitive descriptions of the world that ontologically ground the ways in which we frame and see the world around us. We explore the mythical nature of transparency from this perspective, explain its social-historical underpinnings and discuss its influence on contemporary organizations. In doing so, we also theorize in a more general sense about the relationship between myth, as a foundational understanding and description of the world, and the constellation of metaphors, as specific ways of framing and seeing organizational reality, to which it gives rise. While observations and evidence can always be adduced to challenge a particular set of metaphors, the endogenous force of the myth may sustain the overall project. This process is explained with a detailed analysis of the transparency myth.
Effect of internal branding on employee brand commitment and behavior in hospitality
Authors: Yang Jen-Te , Wan Chin-Sheng , Wu Chi-Wei
Published: April 2015

The purpose of this study was to explore the implementation of internal branding in international tourist hotels and to investigate the impact of internal branding and employee brand commitment on employee brand behavior. Based on the results of 661 questionnaires returned from a sample of international tourist hotels in Taiwan, internal branding and employee brand commitment have a significant effect on employee brand behavior. Moreover, internal branding and employee brand commitment and behavior differ significantly according to personal variables such as age and work experience, and in different categories of tourist hotels. The results of this study imply that hoteliers could shape employee attitudes and behavior through internal branding, and it is therefore recommended that internal branding be added to corporate education and training. In the extant literature on the hospitality industry, the effect of internal branding on organizational performance and effectiveness is unclear; the present study contributes to academic research in clarifying this link.
The role of peer relationships and interactions in preschool bilingual children's responses to picture books
Authors: Kim So Jung
Published: April 2015

In spite of the emphasis on the importance of social contexts in children's literacy development, there is still a startling scarcity of studies examining the role of peer relationships in preschool bilinguals' literary practices. This qualitative case study investigates how peer relationships and interactions among preschool, Korean-English bilingual children affect their responses to picture books during whole group read-alouds. As part of a comprehensive 18-month longitudinal study, this article focuses on data collected over a period of 10 months. Multiple data collection sources were used to enhance the credibility and validity of the study. Results indicated that the children's literary responses were highly influenced by their different social relationships with peers. Thus, in order to create supportive literature environments, it is important for teachers to pay considerable attention to what bilingual students experience with eir peers. With more engrossing narratives and vivid descriptions, the study aims to provide insights into the significance of peer relationships and interactions in early literacy practices in bilingual settings.
Prognostic Value of C-met Expression in Cholangiocarcinoma
Authors: Mao Zhi-Yuan , Zhu Guang-Qing , Ren Li , Guo Xiao-Chuan , Su Dan , Bai Li
Published: April 2015

Aim:

To explore the relationship of clinicopathological features and the proteins of C-met expression in the prognosis of cholangiocarcinoma.

Methods:

Clinical data and the completed follow-up information of patients with cholangiocarcinoma who underwent cholangiocarcinoma operation from January 2004 to December 2010 were analyzed retrospectively. The relationship of clinicopathological features and C-met in the prognosis of the patients was analyzed.

Results:

Patients with high expression of C-met had significantly shorter overall survival than those with low expression of C-met, the difference being statistically significant ( P = .003). Patients with high C-met expression had significantly shorter disease-free survival time than those with low expression of C-met, the difference being statistically significant ( P = .009). By COX multivariate analysis, high C-met expression in tumor tissues was an independent risk factor in predicting overall survival and disease-free survival for patients with cholangiocarcinoma ( P = .038, .048, relative risk = 1.390, 1.427).

Conclusion:

Patients with high C-met expression in cancer tissues had shorter disease-free survival and overall survival. High expression of C-met is an independent risk factor for overall survival and disease-free survival.
The relationship between emotional recognition ability and challenging behaviour in adults with an intellectual disability
Authors: Davies Bronwen , Frude Neil , Jenkins Rosemary
Published: April 2015

This review questions whether a relationship exists between emotional recognition ability and challenging behaviour in people with an intellectual disability. A search was completed of a number of databases to identify relevant articles, and these were then evaluated against defined criteria. Eight articles were reviewed and their aims, study methodology, samples, measurement tools and findings are discussed and evaluated. Overall, studies found no significant deficit in the emotional recognition abilities of those with challenging behaviour when they were asked to identify the emotions of others. Two areas for further investigation were identified. Firstly, to ascertain whether a bias for identifying anger or sadness is found in those with challenging behaviour, and secondly, to understand the role of context in recognition of emotions and the degree to which this is different in those who present with challenging behaviour. A critique relating to the research is provided and suggested clinical and research implications are put forward.
Autologous Dual-Tissue Transplantation for Osteochondral Repair
Authors: Christensen Bjørn Borsøe , Foldager Casper Bindzus , Jensen Jonas , Lind Martin
Published: April 2015

Background

Numerous treatment methods for osteochondral repair have been implemented, including auto- and allogeneic osteochondral transplantations, combined bone and chondrocyte transplantations, and synthetic implants, but no gold standard treatment has been established. We present preliminary data on a combined autologous bone and cartilage chips: autologous dual-tissue transplantation (ADTT); an easily applicable, low-cost treatment option for osteochondral repair. The aim of this study was to investigate the early biological and clinical outcome of ADTT.

Materials

Eight patients (age 32 ± 7.5 years) suffering from osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) in the knee were enrolled. The OCD lesion was debrided and the osteochondral defect was filled with autologous bone, to a level at the base of the adjacent cartilage. Cartilage biopsies from the intercondylar notch were chipped and embedded within fibrin glue in the defect. Evaluation was performed using magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, and clinical scores, preoperative and 1 year postoperative.

Results

Cartilage tissue repair evaluated using MOCART score improved from 22.5 to 52.5 ( P < 0.01). Computed tomography imaging demonstrated very good subchondral bone healing with all 8 patients having a bone filling of >80%. We found improvements 1 year postoperative in the International Knee Documentation Committee score (from 35.9 to 68.1, P < 0.01), Tegner score (from 2.6 to 4.7, P < 0.05), and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score pain, symptoms, sport/recreation and quality of life ( P < 0.05).

Conclusion

Treatment of OCD with ADTT resulted in very good subchondral bone restoration and good cartilage repair. Significant improvements in patient reported outcome was found at 1 year postoperative. This study suggests ADTT as a promising, low-cost, treatment option for osteochondral injuries.
Collaborative Learning in a Japanese Language Course
Authors: Burress Megumu D. , Peters John M.
Published: April 2015

This article describes ethnographic action research that explored experiences of the first author and her undergraduate students as they engaged in collaborative learning (CL) activities in a university Japanese language course. The purpose of the study was to generate new practical knowledge of CL for her, so that she might subsequently improve her teaching practice. A thematic analysis of the interview and descriptive data revealed that the incorporation of CL helped promote a comfortable environment and reduce the effects of the hierarchical authority of the instructor. While facing new challenges, the class also co-constructed its own knowledge about the reading content, language concepts, and cultural matters by working as a collaborative group. These findings are represented in the form of a performative text that invites readers to actively engage with the study’s findings.
Policing Transgender People
Authors: Miles-Johnson Toby
Published: April 2015

Police policy documents often articulate strategies and approaches that police organizations want to implement in their efforts to break down barriers with minority groups. However, most police policy documents are written for police audiences and not for members of the public. Police policy documents serve as a reflection of the aspirations of the agency and not necessarily the practice of the officers. Differential policing has been a salient experience for members of transgender communities because, as individuals who express gender in ways that deviate from the norm, they have experienced numerous documented cases of police mismanaged practice. In Australia, achieving police reform in the area of policing of diverse community groups has been difficult as new initiatives implemented to educate police officers about diverse groups such as transgender communities are scarce. My study sought to analyze a police policy document to assess how one police agency’s policy aspires to shape police contact/experiences with transgender people and how this document might shape intergroup identity differences between transgender people and the police. It is argued that the policy document will negatively affect police perceptions of transgender people and may enhance adverse perceptions of intergroup difference between police and transgender people. I also argue that using this document to achieve police reform in the area of policing of transgender people will be problematic as the policy document lacks substantial procedural guidelines regarding interaction with transgender people and may not favorably constrain discretionary police power.