bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
¿Es la medicalización un fenómeno negativo? Un análisis de las consecuencias que suelen atribuirse a la medicalización
Authors: Oya Márquez Alberto
Published: July 2017

En este ensayo expondremos un análisis de las consecuencias que suelen atribuirse al fenómeno de la medicalización y, partiendo de aquí, nuestro objetivo básico será mostrar que la medicalización no es en sí mismo un fenómeno negativo. Sólo lo será cuando se obtenga un valor negativo del cálculo entre, por un lado, la efectividad de la propuesta médica para solucionar el problema y, por otro lado, el balance entre los beneficios de dicha propuesta médica y sus posibles efectos secundarios; o bien, cuando se dé un contexto en el que el individuo, ya sea por desinformación o por una restricción externa (paternalismo médico), no tiene la libertad suficiente de escoger entre una propuesta médica y una propuesta no-médica.
La crítica a la especialización científica y filosófica en la obra de Karl R. Popper
Authors: Ordóñez Roig Vicente
Published: July 2017

Popper se muestra muy crítico con el proceso de especialización que afecta a las ciencias y a la filosofía, proceso que interpreta como signo inequívoco de una época postracionalista y postcrítica: la especialización, junto con las modas intelectuales y el recurso a la autoridad de los expertos, amenaza seriamente al conocimiento. Analizar las causas de la especialización científica y filosófica desde la perspectiva de Popper es el objetivo principal del siguiente trabajo. Se estudian, asimismo, algunas de las alternativas a la especialización que Popper propone.
Heterotopías urbanas: una mirada foucaultiana a las favelas cariocas
Authors: Fernández Guerrero Olaya
Published: July 2017

Las grandes ciudades contemporáneas son espacios dinámicos en constante transformación. Sus espacios se modifican a cada momento, no solamente en sentido físico sino también a un nivel simbólico. El entorno urbano es un espacio poliédrico que, sometido al análisis filosófico, se revela como un ámbito de poder y contrapoder, de normatividad y resistencia, y el pensamiento de Foucault ofrece un marco muy útil para entender esos entornos. Partiendo de estos supuestos, este trabajo presenta los resultados de una investigación realizada en las favelas de Río de Janeiro (Brasil), que teoriza sobre la realidad social de estos barrios a partir de las categorías foucaultianas de heterotopía, panoptismo y resistencia.
Charles Darwin y el 'desencantamiento' weberiano
Authors: Jiménez Pazos Bárbara
Published: July 2017

Este artículo pretende poner de manifiesto una interrelación permanente entre dos metáforas darwinianas como “la orilla enmarañada”, presente en On the Origin of Species, y la relativa al “daltonismo”, mencionada en Autobiography, para demostrar la dudosa consistencia de interpretaciones que defienden un “encanto” secular latente en la Teoría de la Evolución y descartan un “desencanto”, en términos weberianos (Entzauberung).
La visión pragmatista de C.S. Peirce sobre la aserción
Authors: Alfaro Iglesias Jaime
Published: July 2017

C.S. Peirce defendió una visión pragmatista de la aserción en términos de su efecto normativo. El presente artículo tiene dos objetivos. El primero es reconstruir y evaluar el argumento de Peirce a favor de la tesis de que aseverar una proposición es hacerse responsable de su verdad. El segundo es argumentar que Peirce interpretó “responsabilidad por la verdad” como la adquisición de un compromiso dialógico, a saber, el deber de defender la proposición aseverada dando razones ante desafío.
VILLAVERDE RICO, María José y CASTILLA URBANO, Francisco (dirs.) (2016): La sombra de la leyenda negra, Madrid: Tecnos.
Authors: Díaz Martín José Manuel
Published: July 2017

Reseña de  VILLAVERDE RICO, María José y CASTILLA URBANO, Francisco (dirs.) (2016): La sombra de la leyenda negra, Madrid: Tecnos.
SEARLE, John (2015): Seeing Things as They Are: A Theory of Perception. New York: Oxford University Press.
Authors: Luis López Alberto
Published: July 2017

Reseña del libro de John Searle (2015): "Seeing Things as They Are: A

Theory of Perception".
Qui a le droit d’écrire l’histoire? Controverses autour de l’histoire de la médecine en France (XXe-XXIe siècle)
Authors: Doria Corinne
Published: July 2017

Cet article propose une réflexion autour de l’histoire de la médecine en tant que discipline universitaire. Il se focalise notamment sur les débats qui ont lieu en France entre la seconde moitié du XXe siècle et le début du XXIe. Dans un premier temps, il rappelle les principaux courants théoriques de l’histoire médicale jusqu’au tournant épistémologique qui, au milieu du XIXe siècle, oppose les partisans d’une histoire médicale « philologique » aux partisans d’une histoire médicale « héroïque ». La deuxième partie porte sur les débats qui, en France, se développent à compter des années 1950 autour de la légitimité d’une histoire médicale faite par les médecins; cette remise en question fut propulsée par la « révolution des Annales » et le courant d’histoire sociale de la médecine qui s’est formé autour de Jacques Léonard. La troisième partie engage une réflexion sur l’avenir de l’enseignement et de la recherche en histoire de la médecine en France, et souligne la nécessité d’une coopération entre praticiens et spécialistes des sciences humaines et sociales en raison de leurs compétences respectives.
States of Obligation and the Elusive Rural Citizen
Authors: Gaudin Corinne
Published: July 2017

This essay opens the discussion of Yanni Kotsonis’ States of Obligation by exploring what implications the book’s arguments about taxation and citizenship have for our understanding of fraught state-peasant relations in the late Imperial and Soviet periods. It argues that in addition to the technocratic, philosophical, and bureaucratic continuities that shaped the Russian/Soviet variant of European modernity, one could add a cultural and temporal conception of citizenship that rendered the peasant an ever elusive citizen.
Seeing Themselves: Jean Barman’s French Canadians, Furs, and Indigenous Women in the Making of the Pacific Northwest as a Resource for the Region’s People
Authors: Nation-Knapper Stacy
Published: July 2017

Dr. Barman’s award-winning study is a resource to the Indigenous and non-Indigenous people of the Columbia River Plateau and the Pacific Northwest, an environmentally and culturally diverse region that now encompasses two countries, two provinces, three states, and many Indigenous communities. For Indigenous communities of the region, French Canadians, Furs, and Indigenous Women in the Making of the Pacific Northwest provides an important context of colonialism, global economics, and the complicated nature of cross-cultural encounters. For non-Indigenous communities, the book also encourages an appreciation for the complexities of history often overlooked by celebratory histories of colonization. French Canadians, Furs, and Indigenous Women in the Making of the Pacific Northwest is a resource in which people see themselves and their families in a complicated, accessible, and inspiring story of the past.
“Jean Barman — Vernacular Historian”
Authors: Devine Heather
Published: July 2017

Over the past year, several excellent new publications focused on the histories of mixed-race French-Canadian communities in western Canada and the Pacific Northwest. Of these books, Jean Barman’s French Canadians, Furs and Indigenous Women in the Making of the Pacific Northwest merits special attention, because the author has successfully sought out, and integrated, vernacular voices as historical sources. And for this reason, Jean Barman is sometimes referred to as a “vernacular,” or grassroots historian. What is vernacular history? Is this genre a product of methodology or of one’s worldview? And can a vernacular approach to history help scholars navigate the increasingly politicised environment of indigenous studies? The author reflects on these questions, by sharing some of her personal experiences with Jean Barman that illustrate the complexity of the issues surrounding indigenous historical practice today.
Les voyageurs canadiens-français, de Jean Barman
Authors: Frenette Yves
Published: July 2017

Dans ce court texte, l’auteur porte un regard critique sur la monographie de Jean Barman, une des études les plus importantes à paraître sur les voyageurs qui ont parcouru et se sont établis dans plusieurs aires de l’Amérique du Nord entre 1650 et 1850. Il en montre la richesse documentaire et il insiste sur l’analyse fine que fait Barman de la vie ainsi que de la contribution des voyageurs et de leurs femmes autochtones à l’histoire de la région du Pacifique Nord-Ouest. Il discute aussi de quelques points plus problématiques du livre.
Some Reflections on Jean Barman’s French Canadians, Furs and Indigenous Women
Authors: Watson Bruce McIntyre
Published: July 2017

As a coda to Jean Barman’s book, Bruce McIntyre Watson proposes extending her wider definitional embrace of French Canadians to include the early Scots in Canada, particularly those who descended from the eighteenth-century Jacobites who, in Scotland, had allied themselves with the French to provide a bulwark against English dominance. He also advances Jean’s reasons for marginalization and subsequent amnesia of the early French-Canadian fact west of the Rockies squarely on literacy or lack thereof. Although memory of the French-Canadian fact was retained to some degree by First Nations’ oral tradition, he proposes that the early French Canadian/canadien’s failure to present a written record to establish a founding narrative became, for the wider community, an agent of amnesia rather than an instrument of memory.
Ethiopia: Natural Resource Exploitation and Emerging Investors1
Authors: Besada Hany
Published: July 2017

Natural resource governance accelerates development. Ethiopia, a low-income country, passed land legislation in the 1990s and subsequently exhibited exceptional economic growth and human development improvements. From 2004 to 2014, Ethiopia’s average annual GDP growth rate was about nine per cent. Nevertheless, over 80% of the population remain food insecure. Using a literature review and interviews, this case study examines Ethiopia’s economic and social development through a land governance lens. It aims to document the flaws in Ethiopia’s regulatory framework that hinder vulnerable communities from leveraging the benefits of greater foreign direct investments (FDI) and resultant economic growth. The case analyzes Ethiopia’s agricultural governance framework and the impact of FDI-driven large-scale farming on smallholder communities, and concludes with suggestions for alternative investment approaches. The case study reveals that Ethiopian government legislation and resultant macroeconomic growth has yet to deliver inclusive and stable economic gains for many of the vulnerable smallholder communities. There is a need to advance further regulation and policies that not only protect these vulnerable communities, but also enhance economic and trade incentives for potential foreign investors.
Identification of ecogeographical gaps in the Spanish Aegilops collections with potential tolerance to drought and salinity
Authors: Garcia Rosa María , Parra-Quijano Mauricio , Iriondo Jose María
Published: July 2017

Drought, one of the most important abiotic stress factors limiting biomass, significantly reduces crop productivity. Salinization also affects the productivity of both irrigated and rain-fed wheat crops. Species of genus Aegilops can be considered crop wild relatives (CWR) of wheat and have been widely used as gene sources in wheat breeding, especially in providing resistance to pests and diseases. Five species (Ae. biuncialis, Ae. geniculata, Ae. neglecta, Ae. triuncialis and Ae. ventricosa) are included in the Spanish National Inventory of CWRs. This study aimed to identify ecogeographic gaps in the Spanish Network on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (PGRFA) with potential tolerance to drought and salinity. Data on the Spanish populations of the target species collected and conserved in genebanks of the Spanish Network on PGRFA and data on other population occurrences in Spain were compiled and assessed for their geo-referencing quality. The records with the best geo-referencing quality values were used to identify the ecogeographical variables that might be important for Aegilops distribution in Spain. These variables were then used to produce ecogeographic land characterization maps for each species, allowing us to identify populations from low and non-represented ecogeographical categories in ex situ collections. Predictive characterization strategy was used to identify 45 Aegilops populations in these ecogeographical gaps with potential tolerance to drought and salinity conditions. Further efforts are being made to collect and evaluate these populations.
Laser Flare Photometry: An Under-Utilised Investigative Tool For Anterior Segment Inflammation
Authors: Kumawat Devesh , Sahay Pranita , Kumar Pradeep , Kumar Vinod
Published: July 2017

Slit lamp examination is an important clinical method for microscopic evaluation of anterior segment inflammation. However, it is observer dependant and existing grading systems are subjective with limited reproducibility. Laser flare photometry is an objective quantitative tool to analyze aqueous flare non-invasively and accurately. It allows precise monitoring of clinical activity in uveitic disorders, prediction of recurrence, detection of persistent subclinical disease and comparison of effects of different surgical techniques and anti-inflammatory agents spite of such advantages, it remains an underutilised investigative tool in day to day clinical practice. Clinicians should explore this potential instrument and identify its appropriate use in diagnosis, management andfollow-up of ocular disorders.
An Insight into Ocular Genetics
Authors: Bisht Shilpa , Kumar Manoj , Gautam Surabhi , Dada Rima
Published: July 2017

Over the past decade, there has been an exponential increase in the database of heritable eye disorders. More than 100,000 germline mutations reported in more than 3,700 different human nuclear genes are associated with inherited diseases. Continuously increasing mutation database has revolutionized the study of human genome and facilitated “personalized genomics.” With more than 300 new “inherited disease genes” being identified annually, it is essential to ask how many inherited disease genes” are in the human genome, containing how many mutations, and where they are located? Knowledge of the clinical and molecular features of ocular genetics and inherited eye diseases is important for appropriate diagnosis and patient management. Genetic causes for a wide range of eye diseases have been identified, leading to discovery of genes associated with the eye disorder. Discovery of these new genes have led to a rethinking and a reclassification of eye disorders that were earlier based only on classical clinical signs, but now also on underlying genetic aetiology. Some of these disorders include the corneal dystrophies, rare forms of strabismus, ocular disorders resulting from mutations in transcription factors, cataract that result from mutations in crystallins and other structural lens components, retinal dystrophies that result from defects in phototransduction or visual cycle defects and many more. This article discusses molecular basis of some of these eye disorders and also advances in the field of ophthalmic genetics.
A Simple Surgical Technique to Repair Large Iridodialysis
Authors: Kaur Manpreet , Bajaj Ashish , Sharma Madhavi
Published: July 2017

A large and clinically symptomatic iridodialysis often requires surgical repair. In literature, many complex and surgically complicated techniques have been described which are not possible for a general ophthalmologist to replicate in routine operation theater settings. We describe a simple technique of repairing a large iatrogenic iridodialysis and implantation of a posterior-iris-fixated intraocular lens (IOL) in a single-sitting. We found it to be a safe, less traumatic, simple surgery which requires minimum instrumentation, provides maximum patient comfort and has satisfactory cosmetic results.
Passive‐ocean radial basis function approach to improve temporal gravity recovery from GRACE observations
Authors: Yang Fan , Kusche Jürgen , Forootan Ehsan , Rietbroek Roelof
Published: July 2017

We present a state‐of‐the‐art approach of passive‐ocean modified radial basis functions (MRBFs) that improves the recovery of time‐variable gravity fields from Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE). As is well known, spherical harmonics (SHs), which are commonly used to recover gravity fields, are orthogonal basis functions with global coverage. However, the chosen SH truncation involves a global compromise between data coverage and obtainable resolution, and strong localized signals may not be fully captured. Radial basis functions (RBFs) provide another representation, which has been proposed in earlier works to be better suited to retrieve regional gravity signals. In this paper, we propose a MRBF approach by embedding the known coastal geometries in the RBF parameterization and imposing global mass conservation and equilibrium behavior of the oceans. Our hypothesis is that with this physically justified constraint, the GRACE‐derived gravity signals can be more realistically partitioned into the land and ocean contributions along the coastlines. We test this new technique to invert monthly gravity fields from GRACE level‐1b observations covering 2005–2010, for which the numerical results indicate that (1) MRBF‐based solutions reduce the number of parameters by approximately 10% and allow for more flexible regularization when compared to ordinary RBF solutions and (2) the MRBF‐derived mass flux is better confined along coastal areas. The latter is particularly tested in the southern Greenland, and our results indicate that the trend of mass loss from the MRBF solutions is approximately 11% larger than that from the SH solutions and approximately 4%–6% larger than that of RBF solutions.
Structure, characteristics, and simulation of monsoon low‐pressure systems in CFSv2 coupled model
Authors: Srivastava Ankur , Rao Suryachandra A. , Rao D. Nagarjuna , George Gibies , Pradhan Maheswar
Published: July 2017

Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) synoptic scale systems (low‐pressure systems, LPS) are known to produce increased rainfall over central India (CI). Fidelity of the Climate Forecast System version 2 (CFSv2) at simulating the LPS and their characteristics is evaluated in this study using a feature tracking algorithm. The model is able to reproduce the clustering of LPS by monsoon intraseasonal oscillations and the associated precipitation over eastern‐central India. It is found that mean biases in circulation and moisture stem from cold sea surface temperature (SST) bias in the model which results in weak LPS linked rainfall events over central India. Two sensitivity experiments were carried out to study the effect of coupled dynamics of tropical basins on LPS. Suppression of active dynamics of the tropical Indian Ocean in CFSv2 causes a reduction in cold SST bias and enhanced cyclogenesis in the northern Bay of Bengal. The reduced low‐level anticyclonic bias and enhanced moisture availability result in a better simulation of LPS structure, and associated precipitation over CI. Suppression of active ocean dynamics in tropical Pacific Ocean causes a perennial El‐Niño type bias which restricts LPS propagation over the Indian landmass, possibly due to time‐mean subsidence induced by remote El‐Niño forcing. Sensitivity experiments indicate the need for improvements in the representation of tropical Indian Ocean coupled dynamics as well as convective parameterization schemes in the model for subsequent improvements in the simulation of ISM at various time scales.
The impact of aerosol vertical distribution on aerosol optical depth retrieval using CALIPSO and MODIS data: Case study over dust and smoke regions
Authors: Wu Yerong , de Graaf Martin , Menenti Massimo
Published: July 2017

Global quantitative aerosol information has been derived from MODerate Resolution Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MODIS) observations for decades since early 2000 and widely used for air quality and climate change research. However, the operational MODIS Aerosol Optical Depth (AOD) products Collection 6 (C6) can still be biased, because of uncertainty in assumed aerosol optical properties and aerosol vertical distribution. This study investigates the impact of aerosol vertical distribution on the AOD retrieval. We developed a new algorithm by considering dynamic vertical profiles, which is an adaptation of MODIS C6 Dark Target (C6_DT) algorithm over land. The new algorithm makes use of the aerosol vertical profile extracted from Cloud‐Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) measurements to generate an accurate top of the atmosphere (TOA) reflectance for the AOD retrieval, where the profile is assumed to be a single layer and represented as a Gaussian function with the mean height as single variable. To test the impact, a comparison was made between MODIS DT and Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) AOD, over dust and smoke regions. The results show that the aerosol vertical distribution has a strong impact on the AOD retrieval. The assumed aerosol layers close to the ground can negatively bias the retrievals in C6_DT. Regarding the evaluated smoke and dust layers, the new algorithm can improve the retrieval by reducing the negative biases by 3–5%.
Rayleigh/Raman lidar observations of gravity wave activity from 15 to 70 km altitude over Syowa (69°S, 40°E), the Antarctic
Authors: Kogure Masaru , Nakamura Takuji , Ejiri Mitsumu K. , Nishiyama Takanori , Tomikawa Yoshihiro , Tsutsumi Masaki , Suzuki Hidehiko , Tsuda Takuo T. , Kawahara Takuya D. , Abo Makoto
Published: July 2017

The potential energy of gravity waves (GWs) per unit mass (Ep), at altitudes of 15–70 km, has been examined from temperature profiles obtained by a Rayleigh/Raman lidar at Syowa Station (69°S, 40°E) from May 2011 to October 2013, with the exception of the summer months. The GWs with ground‐based wave periods longer than 2 h and vertical wavelengths between 1.8 and 16 km were extracted from the temperature profiles. Ep was larger in winter than in spring and fall, although in 2012, at altitudes below 30 km, Ep was larger in spring than in winter and fall. Ep increased with a mean scale height of 11.3 km. Ep profiles showed a local maximum at an altitude of 20 km and a minimum at 25 km in almost every month, which has not been reported by previous studies observed by radiosondes. The values of Ep in October of 2012 were smaller at 35–60 km and larger at 20–35 km than those in October of 2011 and 2013. This difference in the Ep profile is most probably caused by different seasonal variations of zonal winds. The larger and smaller Ep values seem to be observed both below and above the altitude at which the zonal wind speed reached 0 m s−1. This result suggests that wind filtering of gravity waves with small phase speeds is significantly important in early spring.
Sensitivity of the regional climate in the Middle East and North Africa to volcanic perturbations
Authors: Dogar Muhammad Mubashar , Stenchikov Georgiy , Osipov Sergey , Wyman Bruce , Zhao Ming
Published: July 2017

The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) regional climate appears to be extremely sensitive to volcanic eruptions. Winter cooling after the 1991 Pinatubo eruption far exceeded the mean hemispheric temperature anomaly, even causing snowfall in Israel. To better understand MENA climate variability, the climate responses to the El Chichón and Pinatubo volcanic eruptions are analyzed using observations, NOAA/National Centers for Environmental Prediction Climate Forecast System Reanalysis, and output from the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory's High‐Resolution Atmospheric Model. A multiple regression analysis both for the observations and the model output is performed on seasonal summer and winter composites to separate out the contributions from climate trends, El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Indian summer monsoon, and volcanic aerosols. Strong regional temperature and precipitation responses over the MENA region are found in both winter and summer. The model and the observations both show that a positive NAO amplifies the MENA volcanic winter cooling. In boreal summer, the patterns of changing temperature and precipitation suggest a weakening and southward shift of the Intertropical Convergence Zone, caused by volcanic surface cooling and weakening of the Indian and West African monsoons. The model captures the main features of the climate response; however, it underestimates the total cooling, especially in winter, and exhibits a different spatial pattern of the NAO climate response in MENA compared to the observations. The conducted analysis sheds light on the internal mechanisms of MENA climate variability and helps to selectively diagnose the model deficiencies.
Modeling and design for electromagnetic surface wave devices
Authors: La Spada Luigi , Haq Sajad , Hao Yang
Published: July 2017

A great deal of interest has reemerged recently in the study of surface waves. The possibility to control and manipulate electromagnetic wave propagations at will opens many new research areas and leads to lots of novel applications in engineering. In this paper, we will present a comprehensive modeling and design approach for surface wave cloaks, based on graded‐refractive‐index materials and the theory of transformation optics. It can be also applied to any other forms of surface wave manipulation, in terms of amplitude and phase. In this paper, we will present a general method to illustrate how this can be achieved from modeling to the final design. The proposed approach is validated to be versatile and allows ease in manufacturing, thereby demonstrating great potential for practical applications.
A new detrital mica 40Ar/39Ar dating approach for provenance and exhumation of the Eastern Alps
Authors: Gemignani L. , Sun Xilin , Braun J. , van Gerve T. D. , Wijbrans J. R.
Published: July 2017

Detrital thermochronology can be used as a tool to quantitatively constrain exhumation rates and its spatial variability from active mountain belts. Commonly used methods for this purpose assume a steady state relationship between tectonic uplift and erosion. However, this assumption does not account for the transitory response of a dynamic orogenic system to changes in the boundary conditions. We propose a different approach that uses the observed detrital age distributions as “markers” of the past exhumation and of the present‐day erosion and mixing occurring in a river system. In this paper, we present new 40Ar/39Ar biotite and white mica age distributions for 19 modern river sands from the Eastern Alps north of the Periadriatic line. The results present three main clusters of ages at ~0.5–50, ~60–120, and ~250–350 Ma that record the main orogenic phases in this sector of the Alps. We have applied two numerical methods to the cooling ages to (a) linearly compute the spatial variability of the relative present‐day erosion of a set of four detrital mineral samples from drainage basins along the Inn River and (b) quantify the rates of the cooling and erosion in the Tauern Window during Paleocene‐Miocene time of the Alpine orogeny. Our results suggest a 0.34–0.84 mm/yr range of exhumation rates for the Tauern Window since the Miocene. Our estimates of exhumation rates of the western Tauern Window are higher than those for the eastern Tauern Window, which is consistent with the previous studies.
Graphene Quantum Dots Downregulate Multiple Multidrug‐Resistant Genes via Interacting with Their C‐Rich Promoters
Authors: Luo Chao , Li Yanfang , Guo Lijuan , Zhang Fangwei , Liu Hui , Zhang Jiali , Zheng Jing , Zhang Jingyan , Guo Shouwu
Published: July 2017

Multidrug resistance (MDR) is the major factor in the failure of many forms of chemotherapy, mostly due to the increased efflux of anticancer drugs that mediated by ATP‐binding cassette (ABC) transporters. Therefore, inhibiting ABC transporters is one of effective methods of overcoming MDR. However, high enrichment of ABC transporters in cells and their broad substrate spectra made to circumvent MDR are almost insurmountable by a single specific ABC transporter inhibitor. Here, this study demonstrates that graphene quantum dots (GQDs) could downregulate the expressions of P‐glycoprotein, multidrug resistance protein MRP1, and breast cancer resistance protein genes via interacting with C‐rich regions of their promoters. This is the first example that a single reagent could suppress multiple MDR genes, suggesting that it will be possible to target multiple ABC transporters simultaneously with a single reagent. The inhibitory ability of the GQDs to these drug‐resistant genes is validated further by reversing the doxorubicin resistance of MCF‐7/ADR cells. Notably, GQDs have superb chemical and physical properties, unique structure, low toxicity, and high biocompatibility; hence, their capability of inhibiting multiple drug‐resistant genes holds great potential in cancer therapy.
A double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study of rituximab in patients with stiff person syndrome
Authors: Dalakas Marinos C. , Rakocevic Goran , Dambrosia James M. , Alexopoulos Harry , McElroy Beverly
Published: July 2017

Objective

In stiff person syndrome (SPS), an antibody‐mediated impaired γ‐aminobutyric acidergic (GABAergic) neurotransmission is believed to cause muscle stiffness and spasms. Most patients improve with GABA‐enhancing drugs and intravenous immunoglobulin, but some respond poorly and remain disabled. The need for more effective therapy prompted a trial with the anti‐CD20 monoclonal antibody rituximab.

Methods

This was a placebo‐controlled randomized trial of rituximab (2 biweekly infusions of 1g each). The primary outcome was a change in stiffness scores at 6 months. Secondary outcomes were changes in heightened‐sensitivity and quality of life scores. Enrolling 24 patients was calculated to detect 50% change in stiffness scores.

Results

Randomization was balanced for age, sex, disease duration, and glutamic acid decarboxylase autoantibody titers. No significant changes were noted at 6 months after treatment in all outcomes. Specifically, no differences were noted in the stiffness index, the primary outcome, or sensitivity scores, the secondary outcome, at 3 or 6 months. Quality of life scores improved significantly (p < 0.01) at 3 months in both groups, but not at 6 months, denoting an early placebo effect. Blinded self‐assessment rating of the overall stiffness for individual patients revealed improvement in 4 patients in each group. At 6 months, improvement persisted in 1 patient in the placebo group versus 3 of 4 in the rituximab group, where these meaningful improvements were also captured by video recordings.

Interpretation

This is the largest controlled trial conducted in SPS patients and demonstrates no statistically significant difference in the efficacy measures between rituximab and placebo. Rituximab's lack of efficacy could be due to a considerable placebo effect; insensitivity of scales to quantify stiffness, especially in the less severely affected patients; or drug effectiveness in only a small patient subset. Ann Neurol 2017;82:271–277
Compact Cell Settlers for Perfusion Cultures of Microbial (and Mammalian) Cells
Authors: Freeman Cassandra A. , Samuel Premsingh S.D. , Kompala Dhinakar S.
Published: July 2017

As microbial secretory expression systems have become well developed for microbial yeast cells, such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris, it is advantageous to develop high cell density continuous perfusion cultures of microbial yeast cells to retain the live and productive yeast cells inside the perfusion bioreactor while removing the dead cells and cell debris along with the secreted product protein in the harvest stream. While the previously demonstrated inclined or lamellar settlers can be used for such perfusion bioreactors for microbial cells, the size and footprint requirements of such inefficiently scaled up devices can be quite large in comparison to the bioreactor size. Faced with this constraint, we have now developed novel, patent‐pending compact cell settlers that can be used more efficiently with microbial perfusion bioreactors to achieve high cell densities and bioreactor productivities. Reproducible results from numerous month‐long perfusion culture experiments using these devices attached to the 5 L perfusion bioreactor demonstrate very high cell densities due to substantial sedimentation of the larger live yeast cells which are returned to the bioreactor, while the harvest stream from the top of these cell settlers is a significantly clarified liquid, containing less than 30% and more typically less than 10% of the bioreactor cell concentration. Size of cells in the harvest is smaller than that of the cells in the bioreactor. Accumulated protein collected from the harvest and rate of protein accumulation is significantly (> 6x) higher than the protein produced in repeated fed‐batch cultures over the same culture duration. © 2017 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 33:913–922, 2017
MiR‐429 suppresses glioblastoma multiforme by targeting SOX2
Authors: Dong Huixiao , Hao Xiuzhen , Cui Benliang , Guo Meiling
Published: July 2017

Accumulating evidence has shown that miR‐429 plays an important role in the development and progression of tumour. However, the role of miR‐429 in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) remains largely unknown. The present study is designed to investigate the function of miR‐429 in GBM and to explore the molecular mechanism underlying its function. The expression level of miR‐429 was detected in GBM tissues and cell lines by quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction. The effect of overexpression of miR‐429 on in vitro cell proliferation, apoptosis and invasion was examined. Western blot analysis was used to detect the influence of miR‐429 on the expression of target gene, and Pearson analysis was used to calculate the correlation between the expression of targets gene and the miR‐429 in GBM tissues. Our study shows that miR‐429 is downregulated in GBM tissues compared with noncancerous tissues (P < .01). In addition, the expression of miR‐429 in GBM cell lines is also significantly lower (P < .01). Enforced expression of miR‐429 inhibits GBM cells proliferation, induces apoptosis and suppresses invasion and leads to the downregulation of the SOX2 protein. Moreover, the expression level of miR‐429 in GBM tissues shows inverse relationship with the expression level of SOX2 protein. Our findings suggest that miR‐429 represents a potential tumour‐suppressive miRNA and plays an important role in GBM progression by directly targeting SOX2.
Physicochemical and thermodynamic study of malachite green adsorption on raw and modified corn straw
Authors: Lima Diana R. , Sellaoui Lotfi , Klein Laura , Reis Glaydson S. , Lima Éder C. , Dotto Guilherme L.
Published: July 2017

Physicochemical and thermodynamic interpretations of malachite green (MG) adsorption on raw (RCS) and modified corn straw (MCS) are detailed in this work. Experimental isotherms were constructed at different temperatures (from 298 to 328 K). To interpret these curves, three models named multilayer model with saturation, double layer model with two energies, and monolayer model with one energy were developed based on the principle of grand canonical ensemble in statistical physics. The double layer model with two energies was the more adequate to represent the adsorption process. Thermodynamic functions such as configurational entropy (Sa), free adsorption enthalpy (G), and internal energy (Eint) were studied. The number of MG molecules per site (n) ranged from 0.33 to 2.33 and the adsorbed quantity at saturation (Qasat) ranged from 164.15 to 528.19 mg g−1 and both increased with the temperature. The density of the receptor sites (NM) ranged from 248.71 to 104.88 and decreased with the temperature. For RCS and MCS, the first and second energies, ϵ1 and ϵ2, increased with the temperature, with ϵ1 being higher than ϵ2. The adsorption energies of MCS (7.77–11.19 kJ mol−1) were higher than the adsorption energies of RCS (6.17–10.88 kJ mol−1). The adsorption process occurred by physisorption and the disorder increased at low equilibrium concentrations, but decreased at high concentrations. The free enthalpy and internal energy described with care the spontaneity of the studied system.
Left atrial appendage occlusion for stroke prevention in patients with atrial fibrillation
Authors: Bajwa Rizma Jalees , Kovell Lara , Resar Jon R. , Arbab‐Zadeh Armin , Mandal Kaushik , Calkins Hugh , Berger Ronald D.
Published: July 2017

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a commonly sustained atrial arrhythmia with associated morbidity and mortality. AF is associated with increased risk of thromboembolism and stroke, requiring use of anticoagulation. Anticoagulation decreases the risk of stroke but is associated with a higher risk of bleeding, necessitating discontinuation in some patients. The left atrial appendage is the likely source of thrombus in the majority of patients with AF. This has led to the development of left atrial appendage occlusion as a means to reduce stroke risk in patients who have a contraindication to long‐term anticoagulation. Multiple implantable devices have surfaced in the last few years, with some promising prospects. The main purpose of this review is to highlight the indications and use of these devices for left atrial appendage occlusion.
The evolutionary consequences of habitat fragmentation: Body morphology and coloration differentiation among brook trout populations of varying size
Authors: Zastavniouk Carol , Weir Laura K. , Fraser Dylan J.
Published: July 2017

A reduction in population size due to habitat fragmentation can alter the relative roles of different evolutionary mechanisms in phenotypic trait differentiation. While deterministic (selection) and stochastic (genetic drift) mechanisms are expected to affect trait evolution, genetic drift may be more important than selection in small populations. We examined relationships between mature adult traits and ecological (abiotic and biotic) variables among 14 populations of brook trout. These naturally fragmented populations have shared ancestry but currently exhibit considerable variability in habitat characteristics and population size (49 < Nc < 10,032; 3 < Nb < 567). Body size, shape, and coloration differed among populations, with a tendency for more variation among small populations in both trait means andCVwhen compared to large populations. Phenotypic differences were more frequently and directly linked to habitat variation or operational sex ratio than to population size, suggesting that selection may overcome genetic drift at small population size. Phenotype–environment associations were also stronger in females than males, suggesting that natural selection due to abiotic conditions may act more strongly on females than males. Our results suggest that natural and sexual‐selective pressures on phenotypic traits change during the process of habitat fragmentation, and that these changes are largely contingent upon existing habitat conditions within isolated fragments. Our study provides an improved understanding of the ecological and evolutionary consequences of habitat fragmentation and lends insight into the ability of some small populations to respond to selection and environmental change.
Genetic differentiation and inferred dynamics of a hybrid zone between Northern Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis caurina) and California Spotted Owls (S. o. occidentalis) in northern California
Authors: Miller Mark P. , Mullins Thomas D. , Forsman Eric D. , Haig Susan M.
Published: July 2017

Genetic differentiation among Spotted Owl (Strix occidentalis) subspecies has been established in prior studies. These investigations also provided evidence for introgression and hybridization among taxa but were limited by a lack of samples from geographic regions where subspecies came into close contact. We analyzed new sets of samples from Northern Spotted Owls (NSO:S. o. caurina) and California Spotted Owls (CSO:S. o. occidentalis) in northern California using mitochondrialDNAsequences (mtDNA) and 10 nuclear microsatellite loci to obtain a clearer depiction of genetic differentiation and hybridization in the region. Our analyses revealed that aNSOpopulation close to the northern edge of theCSOrange in northern California (theNSOContact Zone population) is highly differentiated relative to otherNSOpopulations throughout the remainder of their range. Phylogenetic analyses identified a unique lineage of mtDNAin theNSOContact Zone, and Bayesian clustering analyses of the microsatellite data identified the Contact Zone as a third distinct population that is differentiated fromCSOandNSOfound in the remainder of the subspecies' range. Hybridization betweenNSOandCSOwas readily detected in theNSOContact Zone, with over 50% of individuals showing evidence of hybrid ancestry. Hybridization was also identified among 14% ofCSOsamples, which were dispersed across the subspecies' range in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The asymmetry of hybridization suggested that the hybrid zone may be dynamic and moving. Although evidence of hybridization existed, we identified no F1 generation hybrid individuals. We instead found evidence for F2 or backcrossed individuals among our samples. The absence of F1 hybrids may indicate that (1) our 10 microsatellites were unable to distinguish hybrid types, (2) primary interactions between subspecies are occurring elsewhere on the landscape, or (3) dispersal between the subspecies' ranges is reduced relative to historical levels, potentially as a consequence of recent regional fires.
Quantifying marine mammal hotspots in British Columbia, Canada
Authors: Harvey Gillian K. A. , Nelson Trisalyn A. , Fox Caroline H. , Paquet Paul C.
Published: July 2017

Global biodiversity is undergoing rapid decline due to direct and indirect anthropogenic impacts to species and ecosystems. Marine species, in particular, are experiencing accelerated population declines leading to many species being considered at risk by regional, national, and international standards. As one conservation approach, decisions made using spatially explicit information on marine wildlife populations have the potential to facilitate recovery and contribute to national and international commitments toward conservation targets. Delineating areas of intense use by species at risk can inform future marine spatial planning and conservation efforts, including the identification of marine protected areas. Methods for detecting hotspots (e.g., areas with high density and/or abundance) enable categorical mapping of the most intensely used areas. Yet, many of the current methods for delineating hotspots, such as the top 5% threshold, are subjective and fail to account for spatial patterns. Our goal was to map spatially continuous distributions of marine mammal densities and employ quantitative statistical methods to extract hotspot locations on the northern coast of British Columbia. We integrated systematically surveyed species information with environmental variables using generalized additive models to predict marine mammal distribution and density. Hotspots were identified from the density surfaces using two approaches: aspatial top 5% method and spatially localGi* statistic using three neighborhood definitions. Heterogeneous density patterns were observed for all species, and high‐density regions were generally clustered in areas exhibiting oceanographic characteristics that may promote concentrated food resources. Combining species density surfaces and extracting hotspot locations identified regions important to multiple species and present candidate locations for future conservation efforts. Contributions from this research provide robust statistical methods to objectively map hotspot locations and generateGISdata products for informing coastal conservation decisions.
Interpreting differentiation landscapes in the light of long-term linked selection
Authors: Burri Reto
Published: July 2017

Identifying genomic regions underlying adaptation in extant lineages is key to understanding the trajectories along which biodiversity evolves. However, this task is complicated by evolutionary processes that obscure and mimic footprints of positive selection. Particularly, the long-term effects of linked selection remain underappreciated and difficult to account for. Based on patterns emerging from recent research on the evolution of differentiation across the speciation continuum, I illustrate how long-term linked selection affects the distribution of differentiation along genomes. I then argue that a comparative population genomics framework that exploits emergent features of long-term linked selection can help overcome shortcomings of traditional genome scans for adaptive evolution, but needs to account for the temporal dynamics of differentiation landscapes.
Mineralogy, zircon U–Pb–Hf isotopes, and whole‐rock geochemistry of Late Cretaceous–Eocene granites from the Tengchong terrane, western Yunnan, China: Record of the closure of the Neo‐Tethyan Ocean
Authors: Cao Hua‐Wen , Zhang Yun‐Hui , Santosh M. , Zhang Shou‐Ting , Tang Li , Pei Qiu‐Ming
Published: July 2017

New data from mineralogy, geochemistry, zircon U–Pb dating, and Hf isotopes have revealed Late Cretaceous to Eocene magmatic intrusions in the Tengchong terrane and constrained the origin, tectonic setting, and characteristics of tin‐bearing and barren granitoids. We divide the studied granitoids into two groups: (a) the Late Cretaceous Zhinaxiang (70 Ma) and Early Paleocene Dazhupeng (65 Ma) S‐type barren granites and (b) the Eocene Lailishan A2‐type tin‐bearing granite (50 Ma). All these granitoids display Si‐ and K‐rich and calc‐alkaline characteristics and have similar chondrite‐normalized rare earth element patterns. However, geochemical differences do exist between the two groups of granites. The Zhinaxiang and Dazhupeng S‐type granites are slightly peraluminous, enriched in large‐ion lithophile elements (e.g., Rb and K), and depleted in high‐field‐strength elements (e.g., Nb, Ta, Zr, and Hf), whereas the Lailishan A2‐type granite has higher TFe2O3, high‐field‐strength element content, and Ga/Al ratios. The geochemical and Hf isotopic data indicate that the granites in this study were generated by partial melting of Paleoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks. Due to the subduction of the Neo‐Tethyan Ocean beneath the Eurasian plate, the Zhinaxiang and Dazhupeng S‐type granites were formed in a thickened‐crustal environment, whereas the Lailishan A2‐type granite was emplaced in a post‐collisional extensional setting attributed to slab break‐off. By comparison between tin‐bearing and barren granites, we propose that the Sn mineralization could be related to relatively high‐temperature and low‐pressure crystallization conditions.