bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Coding Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism in Lysine Demethylase KDM4A Associates with Increased Sensitivity to mTOR Inhibitors
Authors: Van Rechem Capucine , Black Joshua C. , Greninger Patricia , Zhao Yang , Donado Carlos , Burrowes Paul d. , Ladd Brendon , Christiani David C. , Benes Cyril H. , Whetstine Johnathan R.
Published: January 2015

SNPs occur within chromatin-modulating factors; however, little is known about how these variants within the coding sequence affect cancer progression or treatment. Therefore, there is a need to establish their biochemical and/or molecular contribution, their use in subclassifying patients, and their impact on therapeutic response. In this report, we demonstrate that coding SNP-A482 within the lysine tridemethylase gene KDM4A/JMJD2A has different allelic frequencies across ethnic populations, associates with differential outcome in patients with non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and promotes KDM4A protein turnover. Using an unbiased drug screen against 87 preclinical and clinical compounds, we demonstrate that homozygous SNP-A482 cells have increased mTOR inhibitor sensitivity. mTOR inhibitors significantly reduce SNP-A482 protein levels, which parallels the increased drug sensitivity observed with KDM4A depletion. Our data emphasize the importance of using variant status as candidate biomarkers and highlight the importance of studying SNPs in chromatin modifiers to achieve better targeted therapy.

Significance: This report documents the first coding SNP within a lysine demethylase that associates with worse outcome in patients with NSCLC. We demonstrate that this coding SNP alters the protein turnover and associates with increased mTOR inhibitor sensitivity, which identifies a candidate biomarker for mTOR inhibitor therapy and a therapeutic target for combination therapy. Cancer Discov; 5(3); 245–54. ©2015 AACR.

See related commentary by Rothbart et al., p. 228

See related article by Van Rechem et al., p. 255

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 213
Stroke Prevention - Medical and Lifestyle Measures
Authors: Sarikaya Hakan , Ferro Jose , Arnold Marcel
Published: January 2015

Background: According to the World Health Organization, stroke is the ‘incoming epidemic of the 21st century'. In light of recent data suggesting that 85% of all strokes may be preventable, strategies for prevention are moving to the forefront in stroke management. Summary: This review discusses the risk factors and provides evidence on the effective medical interventions and lifestyle modifications for optimal stroke prevention. Key Messages: Stroke risk can be substantially reduced using the medical measures that have been proven in many randomized trials, in combination with effective lifestyle modifications. The global modification of health and lifestyle is more beneficial than the treatment of individual risk factors. Clinical Implications: Hypertension is the most important modifiable risk factor for stroke. Efficacious reduction of blood pressure is essential for stroke prevention, even more so than the choice of antihypertensive drugs. Indications for the use of antihypertensive drugs depend on blood pressure values and vascular risk profile; thus, treatment should be initiated earlier in patients with diabetes mellitus or in those with a high vascular risk profile. Treatment of dyslipidemia with statins, anticoagulation therapy in atrial fibrillation, and carotid endarterectomy in symptomatic high-grade carotid stenosis are also effective for stroke prevention. Lifestyle factors that have been proven to reduce stroke risk include reducing salt, eliminating smoking, performing regular physical activity, and maintaining a normal body weight.
MiR-133b Promotes Neurite Outgrowth by Targeting RhoA Expression
Authors: Lu Xiao Cheng , Zheng Jin Yu , Tang Lin Jun , Huang Bao Sheng , Li Kai , Tao Yi , Yu Wan , Zhu Rong Lan , Li Shuai , Li Li Xin
Published: January 2015

Background: MicroRNA-133b (miR-133b) has been shown to play a critical role in spinal cord regeneration. The aim of this study was to investigate the cellular role of miR-133b in neural cells. Methods: PC12 cells and primary cortical neurons (PCNs) were transfected with lenti-miR-133b, lenti-miR-133b inhibitor, plasmid-shRNA-RhoA, plasmid-RhoA and their negative controls. After 48 hours of transfection, the levels of proteins and mRNA or miRNA were evaluated by Western blotting and qRT-PCR, respectively. Moreover, the neurite outgrowth was analyzed by Image J. For pharmacological experiments, inhibitors of MEK1/2 kinase (PD98059), phosphoinositide-3 kinase (PI3K) (LY294002) and ROCK (Y27632) were added into the culture medium. Results: Overexpression of miR-133b in PC12 cells enhanced neurite outgrowth. Conversely, inhibition of miR-133b reduced neurite length. We further identified RhoA as a target and mediator of mir-133b for neurite extension by Western blot and knockdown experiment. Moreover, overexpression of RhoA could attenuate the neurite growth effects of miR-133b. Also, we observed that miR-133b activated MEK/ERK and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway by targeting RhoA. Finally, in PCNs, miR-133b also increased axon growth and attenuated axon growth restrictions from chondroitin sulfate proteoglycans (CSPG). Conclusions: In summary, our study suggested that miR-133b regulated neurite outgrowth via ERK1/2 and PI3K/Akt signaling pathway by RhoA suppression.
Patients Carrying 9q31.1-q32 Deletion Share Common Features with Cornelia de Lange Syndrome
Authors: Cao Ruixue , Pu Tian , Fang Shaohai , Long Fei , Xie Jing , Xu Yuejuan , Chen Sun , Sun Kun , Xu Rang
Published: January 2015

Background: Cornelia de Lange Syndrome (CdLS) is a rare but severe clinically heterogeneous developmental disorder characterized by facial dysmorphia, growth and cognitive retardation, and abnormalities of limb development. Objectives: To determine the pathogenesis of a patient with CdLS. Methods: We studied a patient with CdLS by whole exome sequencing, karyotyping and Agilent CGH Array. The results were confirmed by quantitative real-time PCR analysis of the patient and her parents. Further comparison of our patient and cases with partially overlapping deletions retrieved from the literature and databases was undertaken. Results: Whole exome sequencing had excluded the mutation of cohesion genes such as NIPBL,SMC1A and SMC3. The result of karyotyping showed a deletion of chromosome 9q31.1-q32 and the result of Agilent CGH Array further displayed a 12.01-Mb region of deletion at chromosome bands 9q31.1-q32. Reported cases with the deletion of 9q31.1-q32 share similar features with our CdLS patient. One of the genes in the deleted region, SMC2, belongs to the Structural Maintenance of Chromosomes (SMC) family and regulates gene expression and DNA repair. Conclusions: Patients carrying the deletion of 9q31.1-q32 showed similar phenotypes with CdLS.
Anti-Cancer Effect of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor 1 Inhibition in Human Glioma U87 Cells: Involvement of PI3K/Akt/mTOR Pathway
Authors: Zhang Chi , Yuan Xian-rui , Li Hao-yu , Zhao Zi-jin , Liao Yi-wei , Wang Xiang-yu , Su Jun , Sang Shu-shan , Liu Qing
Published: January 2015

Background: Metabotropic glutamate receptors (mGluRs) are G-protein-coupled receptors that mediate neuronal excitability and synaptic plasticity in the central nervous system, and emerging evidence suggests a role of mGluRs in the biology of cancer. Previous studies showed that mGluR1 was a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of breast cancer and melanoma, but its role in human glioma has not been determined. Methods: In the present study, we investigated the effects of mGluR1 inhibition in human glioma U87 cells using specific targeted small interfering RNA (siRNA) or selective antagonists Riluzole and BAY36-7620. The anti-cancer effects of mGluR1 inhibition were measured by cell viability, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release, TUNEL staining, cell cycle assay, cell invasion and migration assays in vitro, and also examined in a U87 xenograft model in vivo. Results: Inhibition of mGluR1 significantly decreased the cell viability but increased the LDH release in a dose-dependent fashion in U87 cells. These effects were accompanied with the induction of caspase-dependent apoptosis and G0/G1 cell cycle arrest. In addition, the results of Matrigel invasion and cell tracking assays showed that inhibition of mGluR1 apparently attenuated cell invasion and migration in U87 cells. All these anti-cancer effects were ablated by the mGluR1 agonist L-quisqualic acid. The results of western blot analysis showed that mGluR1 inhibition overtly decreased the phosphorylation of PI3K, Akt, mTOR and P70S6K, indicating the mitigated activation of PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway. Moreover, the anti-tumor activity of mGluR1 inhibition in vivo was also demonstrated in a U87 xenograft glioma model in athymic nude mice. Conclusion: The remarkable efficiency of mGluR1 inhibition to induce cell death in U87 cells may find therapeutic application for the treatment of glioma patients.
Evaluation of Combined Argon Plasma Coagulation and Savary Bougienage for the Relief of Anastomotic-Stenosis after Esophageal Squamous Cancer Surgery
Authors: Jia Ruinuo , Guo Ruifeng , Liu Gang , Yuan Xiang , Dong Caihong , Shan Tanyou , Yuan Xiaozhi , Zhang Yi , Tai Edmund Wing To , Feng Xiaoshan , Gao Shegan
Published: January 2015

Background: Several endoscopic dilation techniques have been reported for treatment of anastomotic-stenosis of esophageal cancer, but the high incidence of dysphagia has remained unchanged. The aim of this study was to compare the effect of Argon Plasma Coagulation (APC) combined with Savary Bougienage (SB) compared to APC alone or SB alone for anastomotic-stenosis after radical operation for squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus. Methods: Patients with anastomotic-stenosis that was diagnosed for the first time following esophageal squamous cell carcinoma resection surgery were randomly assigned to undergo APC combined with SB, APC alone, or SB alone. Primary endpoints were the dysphagia-free survival (DFS defined as the time from first dilatation of effectively relieved dysphagia to dysphagia relapse expressed in days) after 6 months of follow up. Results: A total of 90 patients from the Cancer Institute, First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Science and Technology were entered into the study (APC group, n = 30, SB group, n = 30, combination group [APC combined with SB], n = 30). Primary endpoints: 6 months after treatment, DFS of combination group (115.63 days; 95% CI, 105.31-125.95) was significantly longer than the APC alone group (39.53 days; 95% CI, 35.95-43.11, p = 0.000) and the SB alone group (16.93 days; 95% CI, 15.01-18.84, p = 0.000). No severe complications occurred within the three treatment groups. Conclusions: APC combined with SB was a safe and well-tolerated method for relieving dysphagia of esophageal squamous cell cancer patients with anastomotic-stenosis. (Registered with randomized controlled trials, ChiCRT, registration number ChiCTR-TRC-13003757.)
Endovascular Stroke Therapy Results Improve over Time: The ‘Learning Curve' at a New Comprehensive Stoke Center
Authors: Benardete Ethan A. , Nair Anil K.
Published: January 2015

Background: The requirements for a comprehensive stroke center (CSC) include the capability to perform endovascular stroke therapy (EST). EST is a complex process requiring early identification of appropriate patients and effective delivery of intervention. In order to provide prompt intervention for stroke, CSCs have been established away from large academic centers in community-based hospitals. We hypothesized that quantifiable improvements would occur during the first 2 years of a community-based CSC as the processes and personnel evolved. We report the results over time of EST at a new community-based CSC. Methods: We have retrospectively analyzed demographic data and outcome metrics of EST from the initiation phase of a new community-based CSC. Data was divided into year 1 and year 2. Statistical analysis (Student's t test and Fisher's exact test) was performed to compare the patient population and outcomes across the two time periods. Outcome variables included the thrombolysis in cerebral infarction (TICI) score, a change in the NIH stroke scale score and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to statistically analyze the relationship between population variables and outcome. Computed tomography (CT) angiography and CT perfusion analysis were used to select patients for EST. Approximately half of the patients undergoing EST were excluded from receiving intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (IV rt-PA) by standard criteria, while the other half showed no sign of improvement following 1 h of IV rt-PA treatment. Mechanical thrombolysis with a stentriever was performed in the majority of cases with or without intra-arterial medication. The majority of treated occlusions were in the middle cerebral artery. Results: A total of 18 patients underwent EST during year 1 and year 2. A statistically significant increase in good outcomes (mRS score ≤2 at discharge) was seen from year 1 to year 2 (p = 0.05). There were trends towards faster interventions, decreased complications and mortality as well as an improved TICI score from year 1 to year 2. With ANOVA, mortality was statistically correlated with age (p = 0.06), while decreases in the NIH stroke scale (NIHSS) score following EST correlated with decreased mortality (p = 0.01). A higher TICI score was significantly associated with a decreased NIHSS score following EST (p = 0.01). Conclusions: At a new community-based CSC, improved outcome occurred from year 1 to year 2, and trends towards decreased mortality, fewer complications, and improved revascularization were observed. Furthermore, the data shows that improvement in NIHSS score after EST is associated with decreased mortality following stroke in this setting, implying a net benefit.
Can Physicians Identify Inappropriate Nuclear Stress Tests?
Authors: Ye Siqin , Rabbani LeRoy E. , Kelly Christopher R. , Kelly Maureen R. , Lewis Matthew , Paz Yehuda , Peck Clara L. , Rao Shaline , Bokhari Sabahat , Weiner Shepard D. , Einstein Andrew J.
Published: January 2015

Background—

We sought to determine inter-rater reliability of the 2009 Appropriate Use Criteria for radionuclide imaging and whether physicians at various levels of training can effectively identify nuclear stress tests with inappropriate indications.

Methods and Results—

Four hundred patients were randomly selected from a consecutive cohort of patients undergoing nuclear stress testing at an academic medical center. Raters with different levels of training (including cardiology attending physicians, cardiology fellows, internal medicine hospitalists, and internal medicine interns) classified individual nuclear stress tests using the 2009 Appropriate Use Criteria. Consensus classification by 2 cardiologists was considered the operational gold standard, and sensitivity and specificity of individual raters for identifying inappropriate tests were calculated. Inter-rater reliability of the Appropriate Use Criteria was assessed using Cohen κ statistics for pairs of different raters. The mean age of patients was 61.5 years; 214 (54%) were female. The cardiologists rated 256 (64%) of 400 nuclear stress tests as appropriate, 68 (18%) as uncertain, 55 (14%) as inappropriate; 21 (5%) tests were unable to be classified. Inter-rater reliability for noncardiologist raters was modest (unweighted Cohen κ, 0.51, 95% confidence interval, 0.45–0.55). Sensitivity of individual raters for identifying inappropriate tests ranged from 47% to 82%, while specificity ranged from 85% to 97%.

Conclusions—

Inter-rater reliability for the 2009 Appropriate Use Criteria for radionuclide imaging is modest, and there is considerable variation in the ability of raters at different levels of training to identify inappropriate tests.
Adventitial CXCL1/G-CSF Expression in Response to Acute Aortic Dissection Triggers Local Neutrophil Recruitment and Activation Leading to Aortic Rupture
Authors: Anzai Atsushi , Shimoda Masayuki , Endo Jin , Kohno Takashi , Katsumata Yoshinori , Matsuhashi Tomohiro , Yamamoto Tsunehisa , Ito Kentaro , Yan Xiaoxiang , Shirakawa Kosuke , Shimizu-Hirota Ryoko , Yamada Yoshitake , Ueha Satoshi , Shinmura Ken , Okada Yasunori , Fukuda Keiichi , Sano Motoaki
Published: January 2015

Rationale:

In-hospital outcomes are generally acceptable in patients with type B dissection; however, some patients present with undesirable complications, such as aortic expansion and rupture. Excessive inflammation is an independent predictor of adverse clinical outcomes.

Objective:

We have investigated the underlying mechanisms of catastrophic complications after acute aortic dissection (AAD) in mice.

Methods and Results:

When angiotensin II was administered in lysyl oxidase inhibitor–preconditioned mice, AAD emerged within 24 hours. The dissection was initiated at the proximal site of the descending thoracic aorta and propagated distally into an abdominal site. Dissection of the aorta caused dilatation, and ≈70% of the mice died of aortic rupture. AAD triggered CXCL1 and granulocyte-colony stimulating factor expression in the tunica adventitia of the dissected aorta, leading to elevation of circulating CXCL1/granulocyte-colony stimulating factor levels. Bone marrow CXCL12 was reduced. These chemokine changes facilitated neutrophil egress from bone marrow and infiltration into the aortic adventitia. Interference of CXCL1 function using an anti-CXCR2 antibody reduced neutrophil accumulation and limited aortic rupture post AAD. The tunica adventitia of the expanded dissected aorta demonstrated high levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) expression. Neutrophils were the major sources of IL-6, and CXCR2 neutralization significantly reduced local and systemic levels of IL-6. Furthermore, disruption of IL-6 effectively suppressed dilatation and rupture of the dissected aorta without any influence on the incidence of AAD and neutrophil mobilization.

Conclusions:

Adventitial CXCL1/granulocyte-colony stimulating factor expression in response to AAD triggers local neutrophil recruitment and activation. This leads to adventitial inflammation via IL-6 and results in aortic expansion and rupture.
Effect of Study Design on the Reported Effect of Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy (CRT) on Quantitative Physiological Measures: Stratified Meta‐Analysis in Narrow‐QRS Heart Failure and Implications for Planning Future Studies
Authors: Jabbour Richard J. , Shun‐Shin Matthew J. , Finegold Judith A. , Afzal Sohaib S. M. , Cook Christopher , Nijjer Sukhjinder S. , Whinnett Zachary I. , Manisty Charlotte H. , Brugada Josep , Francis Darrel P.
Published: January 2015

Background

Biventricular pacing (
CRT
) shows clear benefits in heart failure with wide
QRS
, but results in narrow
QRS
have appeared conflicting. We tested the hypothesis that study design might have influenced findings.

Method and Results

We identified all reports of
CRT
‐P/D therapy in subjects with narrow
QRS
reporting effects on continuous physiological variables. Twelve studies (2074 patients) met these criteria. Studies were stratified by presence of bias‐resistance steps: the presence of a randomized control arm over a single arm, and blinded outcome measurement. Change in each endpoint was quantified using a standardized effect size (Cohen's d). We conducted separate meta‐analyses for each variable in turn, stratified by trial quality. In non‐randomized, non‐blinded studies, the majority of variables (10 of 12, 83%) showed significant improvement, ranging from a standardized mean effect size of +1.57 (95%
CI
+0.43 to +2.7) for ejection fraction to +2.87 (+1.78 to +3.95) for
NYHA
class. In the randomized, non‐blinded study, only 3 out of 6 variables (50%) showed improvement. For the randomized blinded studies, 0 out of 9 variables (0%) showed benefit, ranging from −0.04 (−0.31 to +0.22) for ejection fraction to −0.1 (−0.73 to +0.53) for 6‐minute walk test.

Conclusions

Differences in degrees of resistance to bias, rather than choice of endpoint, explain the variation between studies of
CRT
in narrow‐
QRS
heart failure addressing physiological variables. When bias‐resistance features are implemented, it becomes clear that these patients do not improve in
any
tested physiological variable. Guidance from studies without careful planning to resist bias may be far less useful than commonly perceived.
Vascular Imaging Abnormalities and Cognition
Authors: Knopman David S. , Griswold Michael E. , Lirette Seth T. , Gottesman Rebecca F. , Kantarci Kejal , Sharrett A. Richey , Jack Clifford R. , Graff-Radford Jonathan , Schneider Andrea L.C. , Windham B. Gwen , Coker Laura H. , Albert Marilyn S. , Mosley Thomas H.
Published: January 2015

Background and Purpose—

The relationships between cerebrovascular lesions visible on imaging and cognition are complex. We explored the possibility that the cerebral cortical volume mediated these relationships.

Methods—

Total of 1906 nondemented participants (59% women; 25% African–American; mean age, 76.6 years) in the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study underwent cognitive assessments, risk factor assessments, and quantitative MRI for white matter hyperintensities (WMH) and infarcts. The Freesurfer imaging analysis pipeline was used to determine regional cerebral volumes. We examined the associations of cognitive domain outcomes with cerebral volumes (hippocampus and separate groups of posterior and frontal cortical regions of interest) and cerebrovascular imaging features (presence of large or small cortical/subcortical infarcts and WMH volume). We performed mediation pathway analyses to assess the hypothesis that hippocampal and cortical volumes mediated the associations between cerebrovascular imaging features and cognition.

Results—

In unmediated analyses, WMH and infarcts were both associated with worse psychomotor speed/executive function. In mediation analyses, WMH and infarct associations on psychomotor speed/executive function were significantly attenuated, but not abolished, by the inclusion of the posterior cortical regions of interest volume in the models, and the infarcts on psychomotor speed/executive function association were attenuated, but not abolished, by inclusion of the frontal cortical regions of interest volume.

Conclusions—

Both WMH and infarcts were associated with cortical volume, and both lesions were also associated with cognitive performance, implying shared pathophysiological mechanisms. Although cross-sectional, our findings suggest that WMH and infarcts could be proxies for clinically covert processes that directly damage cortical regions. Microinfarcts are 1 candidate for such a clinically covert process.
Redaction and Rhetoric in Mahāyāna Sūtras
Authors: Apple James B.
Published: January 2015

This article examines a newly discovered and recently published Sanskrit manuscript of the Jayamatiparipṛcchāsūtra (“Inquiry of Jayamati”) and documents its relationship, previously unrecognized, as part of the Śūraṃgamasamādhisūtra (“The Concentration of Heroic Progress”). While both texts are classified as Mahāyāna sūtras, the Jayamatiparipṛcchā depicts its content as spoken by the Buddha while the Śūraṃgamasamādhi represents exactly the same content, spoken by Jayamati, as a “lower” view of the Buddha’s teachings. As the modern study of Mahāyāna sūtra literature has produced only a handful of confirmed cases of shared textual material between sūtras, the identification documented here provides important evidence for how authorial communities compiled and redacted “Mahāyāna” Buddhist texts.
Polyphasic characterization of four species of Pseudanabaena (Oscillatoriales, Cyanobacteria) from China and insights into polyphyletic divergence within the Pseudanabaena genus
Authors: Yu Gongliang , Zhu Mengling , Chen Youxin , Pan Qianqian , Chai Wenbo , Li Renhui
Published: January 2015

Current cyanobacterial taxonomic studies are mainly performed through polyphasic characterization at the genus and/or species levels. In this study, eleven Pseudanabaena strains isolated in China were taxonomically and phylogenetically evaluated by investigating several characteristics, including morphological features, cellular ultrastructures, pigment composition, and 16S rRNA gene sequences. The strains were identified as four morphospecies, namely, Pseudanabaena mucicola, P. galeata, P. limnetica, and P. minima. The cellular ultrastructures of these species showed that peripheral thylakoids with 4‒8 parallel layers were parietally distributed. Phylogenetic results based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that most of the Pseudanabaena strains used in this study, including the eleven from China and three Pseudanabaena catenata strains from GenBank, gathered into one large cluster that represents the core of the genus Pseudanabaena. Several Pseudanabaena species/strains that represent different extreme environments were phylogenetically located outside the main stream cluster and should be removed under the genus Pseudanabaena on the basis of the role of the main stream species. Limnothrix strains were divided into two clades, and the taxonomic solution for these clades was discussed. This study is the first to report on the morphology and phylogeny of Pseudanabaena species in China, providing new insights into the taxonomy of the genera Pseudanabaena and Limnothrix.
Steinernema balochiense n. sp. (Rhabditida: Steinernematidae) a new entomopathogenic nematode from Pakistan
Authors: FAYYAZ SHAHINA , KHANUM TABASSUM ARA , ALI SHAUKAT , SOLANGI GHULAM SARWAR , GULSHER MEHREEN , JAVED SALMA
Published: January 2015

A new species of entomopathogenic nematode (EPN) named Steinernema balochiense n. sp. belonging to the family Steinernematidae was isolated from Psidium guajava L., rhizophere soil samples of Balochistan, Pakistan. This new species belongs to the carpocapsae group. The new species can be separated from other described species by morphological and morphometrics characteristics as well as DNA sequence polymorphisms. This new nematode species is morphologically characterized by features of infective juveniles (IJ) and males. For the IJ average body length was (455; 415–528) µm, distance from anterior end to excretory pore (35; 32–38) µm, pharynx length (90; 85–98) µm, tail length (44.3; 40–51) µm, D% and E% values (39; 36–44) and (80; 70–92), respectively. For male specimens, the diagnostic characters included total body length (1330; 1135–1632) µm, gubernaculum length (44.4; 40–47) µm, D% (43.8; 40–51) and ratio of GS (63.8; 53–75). Morphological diagnostic traits for new species include the presence of a funnel shaped gubernaculum at the proximal end. S. balochiense n. sp. differs from infective stage juveniles of closest species S. nepalense by having 6 ridges vs 7 ridges in the lateral field. Molecular phylogenetic trees based on sequence of ITS-rDNA, D2D3 regions and the mitochondrial 12S rRNA gene supports the description of this nematode isolate as a new species.
A Study of Multiple Tropopause Structures Caused by Inertia–Gravity Waves in the Antarctic
Authors: Shibuya Ryosuke , Sato Kaoru , Tomikawa Yoshihiro , Tsutsumi Masaki , Sato Toru
Published: January 2015

Multiple tropopauses (MTs) defined by the World Meteorological Organization are frequently detected from autumn to spring at Syowa Station (69.0°S, 39.6°E). The dynamical mechanism of MT events was examined by observations of the first mesosphere–stratosphere–troposphere (MST) radar in the Antarctic, the Program of the Antarctic Syowa MST/Incoherent Scatter (IS) Radar (PANSY), and of radiosondes on 8–11 April 2013.

The MT structure above the first tropopause is composed of strong temperature fluctuations. By a detailed analysis of observed three-dimensional wind and temperature fluctuation components, it is shown that the phase and amplitude relations between these components are consistent with the theoretical characteristics of linear inertia–gravity waves (IGWs).

Numerical simulations were performed by using a nonhydrostatic model. The simulated MT structures and IGW parameters agree well with the observation. In the analysis using the numerical simulation data, it is seen that IGWs were generated around 65°S, 15°E and around 70°S, 15°E, propagated eastward, and reached the region above Syowa Station when the MT event was observed. These IGWs were likely radiated spontaneously from the upper-tropospheric flow around 65°S, 15°E and were forced by strong southerly surface winds over steep topography (70°S, 15°E). The MT occurrence is attributable to strong IGWs and the low mean static stability in the polar winter lower stratosphere.

It is also shown that nonorographic gravity waves associated with the tropopause folding event contribute to 40% of the momentum fluxes, as shown by a gravity wave–resolving general circulation model in the lower stratosphere around 65°S. This result indicates that they are one of the key components for solving the cold-bias problem found in most climate models.
MJO Intensification with Warming in the Superparameterized CESM
Authors: Arnold Nathan P. , Branson Mark , Kuang Zhiming , Randall David A. , Tziperman Eli
Published: January 2015

The Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) is the dominant mode of tropical intraseasonal variability, characterized by an eastward-propagating envelope of convective anomalies with a 30–70-day time scale. Here, the authors report changes in MJO activity across coupled simulations with a superparameterized version of the NCAR Community Earth System Model. They find that intraseasonal OLR variance nearly doubles between a preindustrial control run and a run with 4×CO2. Intraseasonal precipitation increases at a rate of roughly 10% per 1 K of warming, and MJO events become 20%–30% more frequent. Moist static energy (MSE) budgets of composite MJO events are calculated for each scenario, and changes in budget terms are used to diagnose the physical processes responsible for changes in the MJO with warming. An increasingly positive contribution from vertical advection is identified as the most likely cause of the enhanced MJO activity. A decomposition links the changes in vertical advection to a steepening of the mean MSE profile, which is a robust thermodynamic consequence of warming. Surface latent heat flux anomalies are a significant sink of MJO MSE at 1×CO2, but this damping effect is reduced in the 4×CO2 case. This work has implications for organized tropical variability in past warm climates as well as future global warming scenarios.
Gender essentialism in Canadian foreign aid commitments to women, peace, and security
Authors: Tiessen Rebecca
Published: January 2015

Canada has made a wide range of commitments to the promotion of gender equality in development assistance programming. However, in its fragile states programs, these commitments have in fact promoted gender essentialism, treating women as victims of violence rather than as active agents of peace and development. Drawing on a comparative analysis of the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security arising from the passing of Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) and on interviews conducted with a small sample of current and former Canadian government officials, this article documents and analyzes Canada’s comparatively weak and limited efforts to promote gender equality abroad under the Harper Conservatives, particularly for fragile and conflict-affected states. The research presented here is situated within broader feminist critiques of international relations and Canadian foreign policy, which document the centrality of gender equality to security and the role that international and national policies play in shaping gendered security dynamics.
Rationalizing Conflict
Authors: Wayne Carly , Porat Roni , Tamir Maya , Halperin Eran
Published: January 2015

How does accountability impact political decisions? Though previous research on accountability has demonstrated its potential effects in the realms of business, elections, and more, very little research has explored the effect of citizen accountability in highly ideological, intractable, and political conflicts. This article addresses this issue, looking at the unique interaction between accountability and ideology on Israeli citizens’ political attitudes regarding the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The results of two experimental studies in Israel reveal that accountable individuals behave in significantly more ideologically partisan ways than their nonaccountable counterparts. Moreover, this polarization is dependent on the specific conflict context, with leftists more affected by the issue of negotiations and rightists by security concerns. This signals that ideological polarization under accountability may depend on the “issue ownership” each ideological group feels toward the specific conflict context and its corresponding social goal of projecting ideological consistency on these issues.
What It Means to Verbalize
Authors: Fonteyn Lauren , De Smet Hendrik , Heyvaert Liesbet
Published: January 2015

The English gerund system consists of two types of gerunds: a nominal gerund ( the learning of a language), and a verbal gerund that developed out of the nominal gerund ( learning a language). While the formal aspects of this diachronic verbalization of the gerund are well documented, much remains to be said about the discourse-functional side of the change. In this paper, it is argued that the formal verbalization of the gerund is accompanied by an important change in the discourse-functional organization of the gerund system. Based on functional characterizations of noun phrase (NP) behavior in the literature, the prototypical behavior of complex NPs is operationalized as (i) functioning as manipulable discourse participants that are important enough in the following discourse to be susceptible to anaphoric targeting and (ii) being inaccessible to anaphoric targeting of internal participants. The results of an analysis of a set of nominal gerunds, verbal gerunds and ‘regular’ complex NPs covering the period 1640–1914 (taken from the Penn Parsed Corpora of Early Modern and Modern British English) shows that the increasingly clause-like appearance of the verbal gerund is in fact accompanied by atypical NP behavior. Moreover, the paper makes clear that the changes in the discourse-functional organization of the gerund system did not only affect the verbal gerund, but also had some implications for the nominal gerund. These findings shed new light on the (diachronic) processes of verbalization and nominalization, and on what they mean on a discourse-functional level.
Short Selling Around Restatement Announcements
Authors: Drake Michael S. , Myers Linda A. , Scholz Susan , Sharp Nathan Y.
Published: January 2015

This article draws on two distinct literatures—one that investigates the impact of accounting restatements and another that investigates the trading behavior of short sellers—to further our understanding of how sophisticated investors process and respond to news about accounting corrections. We examine short-seller behavior in the days surrounding restatement announcements to determine when short sellers identify restatements and how they trade on restatement news. Our findings suggest that short sellers do not appear to anticipate restatement announcement dates, but we find that abnormal short selling is significantly higher than is typical when restatements are announced, especially for restatements announced transparently (i.e., in press releases or 8-Ks). Short sellers target small companies, whose information environments may be weaker, and companies making restatements that reduce previously reported income. In addition, we find that restating companies targeted most heavily by short sellers experience the most negative subsequent abnormal returns over horizons of up to 40 trading days following the restatement disclosure. Overall, our results suggest that short sellers respond to, but do not anticipate, restatement announcements and trade as if they understand the post-announcement stock price implications of restatement disclosures.
Discovering expansion entities for keyword-based entity search in linked data
Authors: Zong Nansu , Lee Sungin , Kim Hong-Gee
Published: January 2015

There is an inherent rift between the characteristics of Web of documents and the Web of data – the latter is enriched with semantic properties that are not present in the former. This creates a formidable challenge for entity search in the era of Linked Data, requiring a new method that leverages on such features. Query expansion, used in keyword-based search, improves search quality by enhancing a query with terms. Existing query-expansion methods, statistical- and lexical-based approaches, are inadequate for linked data in two ways: (a) term-to-term co-occurrence, used in the statistical-based approach, cannot find satisfactory expansions in internal corpus (SPO triples) or external corpus (Web of documents); and (b) lexical incomparability between ontologies (or thesauri) as reference knowledge and linked data renders tenuous the possibility of creating lexically sound expanded queries. The study introduces a framework to expand keyword queries with expansion entities for keyword-based entity search in linked data. The framework offers two structures, star-shaped and multi-shaped RDF graphs (documents), to model the entities in linked data for indexing and search, and an algorithm called PFC for expansion entities by which to expand a given query. PFC obtains expansion entities by measuring a global importance (PageRank and entity–document Frequency) and a local importance (Centrality) of the candidates extracted from the returned RDF documents of the entity search. Our experiments illustrate that PFC improves search results by approximately 7%. This study also includes suggestions on how to glean important link types for extracting candidate expansion entities, as well as identifying properties of these entities by which to expand the query.
Cardiopulmonary bypass changes the plasma proteome in children undergoing tetralogy of Fallot repair
Authors: Hepponstall M , Ignjatovic V , Binos S , Attard C , Karlaftis V , d’Udekem Y , Monagle P , Konstantinov I E
Published: January 2015

Introduction:

Cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) can be associated with deleterious clinical effects. However, the impact of CPB on inflammatory, immunological and other homeostatic pathways remains poorly understood. We investigated the impact of CPB on the plasma proteome in children undergoing tetralogy of Fallot repair.

Methods:

Blood samples were taken from 20 children prior to and at the end of CPB and 6h, 12h and 24h after CPB. Plasma was analysed by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) in a label-free, untargeted approach. Data were analysed using Genedata software to identify peptides that were differentially expressed (p<0.01 above a false discovery rate). Proteins were identified from peptides that demonstrated differential expression.

Results:

The proteins that were found to be differentially expressed were haptoglobin isoform 1 preproprotein, isoform 2 of semaphorin-6C, vitamin D-binding protein, inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor, ceruloplasmin, apolipoprotein B100 and fibrinogen alpha.

Conclusion:

CPB alters the plasma proteome with differences most apparent at 6h and 12h post CPB. There was a return to baseline with no proteins differentially regulated by 24h.
Primary Partial Humeral Head Resurfacing
Authors: Sweet Stephan J. , Takara Tad , Ho Lance , Tibone James E.
Published: January 2015

Background:

Humeral head defects such as degenerative disease or avascular necrosis are often treated with stemmed hemiarthroplasty or total shoulder arthroplasty. Despite its historical and clinical significance, stemmed humeral head replacement poses inherent technical challenges to placing spherical implants at the anatomically correct head height, version, and neck-shaft angle.

Purpose:

The aim of this study was to assess humeral head inlay arthroplasty as a joint-preserving alternative that maintains the individual head-neck-shaft anatomy. Humeral head inlay arthroplasty also allows intraoperative surface mapping and placement of a contoured articular component that is matched to the patient’s defect size, location, and individual surface geometry.

Study Design:

Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods:

This retrospective case series included 19 patients (20 shoulders), with an average age of 48.9 years (range, 32-58 years; 16 men, 3 women). Preoperative diagnoses were osteoarthritis in 16 shoulders and osteonecrosis in 4 shoulders. Pre- and postoperative evaluations included physical examination, radiographic assessment, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form, the Simple Shoulder Test, a pain visual analog scale, and patient satisfaction rating.

Results:

The mean follow-up period was 32.7 months (range, 17-66 months). The mean American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score improved from 24.1 to 78.8, mean Simple Shoulder Test score from 3.95 to 9.3, mean visual analog scale score from 8.2 to 2.1, mean forward flexion from 100° to 129°, and mean external rotation from 23° to 43° ( P < .001 for all). Radiographic follow-up showed no evidence of periprosthetic fracture, component loosening, osteolysis, or device failure. Patient shoulder self-assessment was 90% poor before surgery and improved to 75% good to excellent at last follow-up; 20% of patients self-rated as somewhat good to somewhat poor, and 5% self-rated as poor. Ninety percent of patients were satisfied with the choice of the procedure. Three patients had postoperative complications unrelated to the implants, including a partial rotator cuff tear treated with physical therapy, preexisting glenoid wear treated with arthroscopic debridement and microfracture, and infection complicated by subscapularis rupture requiring several subsequent surgical procedures but with retention of the implant.

Conclusion:

Humeral head inlay arthroplasty is effective in providing pain relief, functional improvement, and patient satisfaction. Rather than delaying shoulder arthroplasty to end-stage osteoarthritis, humeral head inlay arthroplasty is a promising new direction in primary shoulder arthroplasty for younger and active patients with earlier stage disease.
Digital Sleep Logs Reveal Potential Impacts of Modern Temporal Structure on Class Performance in Different Chronotypes
Authors: Smarr Benjamin Lee
Published: January 2015

Stability of sleep and circadian rhythms are important for healthy learning and memory. While experimental manipulations of lifestyle and learning outcomes present major obstacles, the ongoing increase in data sources allows retrospective data mining of people’s sleep timing variation. Here I use digital sleep-log data generated by 1109 students in a biology lab course at the University of Washington to test the hypothesis that higher variance in time asleep and later sleep-onset times negatively correlate with class performance, used here as a real-world proxy for learning and memory. I find that sleep duration variance and mean sleep-onset times both significantly correlate with class performance. These correlations are powerful on weeknights but undetectable on Friday and Saturday nights (“free nights”). These correlations also show sex differences, with women showing stronger (both larger and more powerful) negative correlations than men. Finally, although these data come with no demographic information beyond sex, the constructed demographic groups of “larks” and “owls” within the sexes reveal a significant decrease in performance of owls relative to larks in male students, whereas the correlation of performance with sleep-onset time for all male students was only a near-significant trend. This provides a proof of concept that deeper demographic mining of digital logs in the future may identify subgroups for which certain sleep phenotypes have greater predictive value for performance outcomes. The data analyzed are consistent with known patterns, including sleep-timing delays from weeknights to free nights and sleep-timing delays in men relative to women. These findings support the hypothesis that modern schedule impositions on sleep and circadian timing have consequences for real-world learning and memory. This study also highlights the low-cost, large-scale benefits of personal, daily, digital records as an augmentation of sleep and circadian studies.
Bicultural Straddling Among Immigrant Adolescents
Authors: Kao Tsui-Sui Annie , Huang Betsy
Published: January 2015

Background: Increasing population diversity in the United States creates challenges for providing culturally responsive health care to immigrant adolescents. Nursing providers have few effective concepts to guide their understanding of how culturally diverse adolescents handle different cultural influences (between family and society) and how straddling two cultures may influence adolescents’ decision making about health. Aim: Bicultural straddling is defined as an ongoing process of adaptation resulting from living within two different cultural influences. A concept analysis of bicultural straddling is important to nursing professionals in caring for culturally diverse adolescents. Method: Walker and Avant’s methodology was used to guide our understanding about how immigrant adolescents straddle cultural influences between their homes and society. Results: Straddling two different cultures influences adolescents’ health-related beliefs, attitudes, perceptions, and behaviors as they navigate everyday struggles to make informed health decisions. Adolescents’ ability to achieve active straddling will allow them to experience positive social functioning, psychological development, and health outcomes. Conclusions: By understanding the ongoing process of “bicultural straddling” as a balancing act, nurse professionals can develop effective interventions to alleviate stress derived from acculturation among immigrant families and ultimately help adolescents achieve biculturalism.
Abrupt Holocene Indian Summer Monsoon failures: A primary response to solar activity?
Authors: Xu Hai , Yeager Kevin M , Lan Jianghu , Liu Bin , Sheng Enguo , Zhou Xinying
Published: January 2015

Knowledge of the millennial abrupt monsoon failures is critical to understanding the related causes. Here, we extracted proxy indices of Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM) intensity during the early to mid-Holocene, from peat deposits at Lake Xihu, in southwestern China. There are a series of abrupt, millennial-scale episodes of ISM weakening inferred from the Lake Xihu records, which are generally synchronous with those inferred from other archives over ISM areas. An important feature is that the ISM failures inferred from the Lake Xihu proxy indices synchronize well with abrupt changes in solar activity. We argue that changes in solar activity play a primary role in producing most of these millennial ISM failures, while some other causes, including freshwater outbursts into the North Atlantic Ocean and changes in sea surface temperatures of the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean, may have also exerted influences on parts of the millennial ISM failures.