bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Association between angiogenic factors and signs of arterial aging in women with pre‐eclampsia
Authors: Akhter T. , Wikström A.‐K. , Larsson M. , Larsson A. , Wikström G. , Naessen T.
Published: June 2016

Objective

Pre‐eclampsia (PE) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease later in life. In cases with PE there is a substantial increase in levels of the antiangiogenic factor soluble fms‐like tyrosine kinase‐1 (sFlt‐1) and decreased levels of the proangiogenic factor placental growth factor (PlGF). Elevated levels of sFlt‐1 are also found in individuals with cardiovascular disease. The aims of this study were to assess levels of sFlt‐1, PlGF and the sFlt‐1/PlGF ratio and their correlation with signs of arterial aging by measuring the common carotid artery (CCA) intima and media thicknesses and their ratio (I/M ratio) in women with and without PE.

Methods

Serum sFlt‐1 and PlGF levels were measured using commercially available enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay kits, and CCA intima and media thicknesses were estimated using high‐frequency (22‐MHz) ultrasonography in 55 women at PE diagnosis and in 64 women with normal pregnancy at a similar gestational age, with reassessment at 1 year postpartum.

Results

During pregnancy, higher levels of sFlt‐1, lower levels of PlGF, a thicker intima, a thinner media and a higher I/M ratio of the CCA were found in women with PE vs controls (all P < 0.0001). Further, sFlt‐1 and the sFlt‐1/PlGF ratio were positively correlated with intima thickness and I/M ratio (all P < 0.0001). At 1 year postpartum, levels of sFlt‐1 and the sFlt‐1/PlGF ratio had decreased in both groups; however, their levels in the PE group were still higher than in the controls (P = 0.001 and < 0.0001, respectively). Levels of sFlt‐1 and the sFlt‐1/PlGF ratio remained positively correlated with intima thickness and I/M ratio at 1 year postpartum.

Conclusions

Higher sFlt‐1 levels and sFlt‐1/PlGF ratio in women with PE were positively associated with signs of arterial aging during pregnancy. At 1 year postpartum, sFlt‐1 levels and the sFlt‐1/PlGF ratio were still higher in the PE group and were associated with the degree of arterial aging. © 2016 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology.
Visual climate change art 2005–2015: discourse and practice
Authors: Nurmis Joanna
Published: June 2016

During the last decade (2005–2015), artists from all over the world have taken on climate change as the subject matter of their work. Encouraged by activists (most notably BillMcKibben), artists have appropriated climate change as a social problem and decided that they too, alongside journalists, scientists, and activists, were called upon to engage with this issue. Dozens of noteworthy exhibitions, most notably in Boulder (2007), London and Copenhagen (2009), Paris (2012), New York (2013), Boston (2014), and Melbourne (2015), have placed climate change art on the map as a new and timely genre, displaying relevant artworks both alongside climate negotiations and in dedicated gallery spaces such as the Barbican in London. I argue that much progress has been made in appropriating climate change art as an essentially artistic, rather than propagandistic or activist practice. Although caught in the net of many criticisms, climate change art plays a crucial role in allowing the public to rethink the role of human beings’ everyday activities in irrevocably altering the climate system. In effect, climate change art makes the Anthropocene a cultural reality. However, the review points out a strong artistic trend toward the imagery of apocalyptic sublime, which results in art that may be poignant, but falls out of step with the self‐professed motivations of artists and curators alike.WIREs Clim Change2016, 7:501–516. doi: 10.1002/wcc.400

This article is categorized under:

Trans‐Disciplinary Perspectives > Humanities and the Creative Arts
Variations in the Thickness of the Cranial Vault in a Deformed Skull from Pre-Hispanic Ancón (Peru)
Authors: Boman F. , Froment A. , Charlier P.
Published: June 2016

A medical tomodensitometric study (TDM) was performed on a dry skull from the necropolis of Ancón in Peru. The skull, housed at the Muséum national d'histoire naturelle in Paris, displays an anteroposterior, brachycephalic, oblique, asymmetric, and bilobar deformation. TDM permitted 3-D reconstructions of the skull, endocranium, and vault thickness. The external surface displayed deformation and asymmetry in the bone structures and the endocranium demonstrated deformation and asymmetry in the brain lobes and superficial structures. The TDM demonstration of abnormal variations and pronounced asymmetry in the thickness of the vault strongly suggested that the deformation was ante mortem. The 3-D TDM reconstructions also helped to reconstruct the device used to deform the head.
Unexpected and unintentional fish bone ingestion causing acute abdomen and uncommon small intestinal perforation
Authors: Yang Tsung‐Han , Lu Chiao‐Yi
Published: June 2016

Perforation of the mesenteric small bowel is an uncommon cause of acute abdomen in the emergency department. Early diagnosis is difficult owing to unspecific clinical presentations. The most common causes of perforation are tumor, trauma, Crohn's disease, ischemia, and foreign body ingestion. Currently, computed tomography (CT) is often the initial modality used to assess patients with acute abdomen, and the excellent anatomic details it provides, including segmental bowel wall thickening, mesenteric air bubbles, and fatty infiltration, may help the clinician to diagnose earlier and with greater ease. Here, we present a case of acute abdomen diagnosed as small bowel perforation due to unintentional fish bone ingestion using multidetector CT. The multiplanar reconstruction images from multidetector CT helped locate the perforation site before surgical intervention.
Pregnancy after fertility‐sparing surgery for borderline ovarian tumors
Authors: Lian Chengying , Chen Xiujuan , Ni Yihua , Huang Xiaochen , Lin Yuan
Published: June 2016

Objective

To investigate the ability to conceive and the factors affecting chances of pregnancy among patients with borderline ovarian tumors (BOTs) treated with fertility‐sparing surgery.

Methods

A retrospective study included nulliparous patients aged 40 years or younger who had undergone fertility‐sparing surgery for BOTs between January 2005 and June 2012 at a center in Fuzhou, China. Identified patients were followed up by telephone or mail between March 15 and June 30, 2013. Patients who had already been pregnant and those who had not but had discontinued contraception for more than 1 year were included in final analyses.

Results

Among 23 included patients, 17 (74%) had become pregnant within the mean follow‐up period of 48.2 months. The frequencies of previous infertility, sequelae of pelvic inflammatory disease, and endometriosis were all higher in the nonpregnant group than in the pregnant group (P ≤ 0.021 for all). More women in the nonpregnant group that in the pregnant group had BOTs of stage II or worse, but the difference was nonsignificant (P = 0.059).

Conclusion

Fertility‐sparing surgery in young patients with BOTs is associated with a good pregnancy rate. However, the tumor stage and coexisting infertility factors are important considerations in selecting the optimal surgical approach.
Reconstruction of polygonal prisms from point-clouds of engineering facilities
Authors: Chida Akisato , Masuda Hiroshi
Published: June 2016

The advent of high-performance terrestrial laser scanners has made it possible to capture dense point-clouds of engineering facilities. 3D shape acquisition from engineering facilities is useful for supporting maintenance and repair tasks. In this paper, we discuss methods to reconstruct box shapes and polygonal prisms from large-scale point-clouds. Since many faces may be partly occluded by other objects in engineering plants, we estimate possible box shapes and polygonal prisms and verify their compatibility with measured point-clouds. We evaluate our method using actual point-clouds of engineering plants.

Highlights This paper proposes a point-based reconstruction method for boxes and polygonal prisms in engineering plants. Many faces may be partly occluded by other objects in engineering plants. In our method, possible shapes are estimated and they are verified using their compatibility with measured point-clouds. In our experiments, our method achieved high precision and recall rates.
Effect of day/night administration of three different inhalational anesthetics on melatonin levels in rats
Authors: Ocmen Elvan , Erdost Hale Aksu , Duru Leyla S. , Akan Pinar , Cimrin Dilek , Gokmen Ali N.
Published: June 2016

The nocturnal peak of melatonin can be altered after anesthesia and surgery. We aimed to examine the melatonin levels during the day and night after anesthesia with three commonly used inhalational anesthetics. Forty‐eight male Wistar albino rats were randomized into eight groups. Rats were administered anesthesia between 7:00 am and 1:00 pm (day groups) or 7:00 pm and 1:00 am (night groups) for 6 hours. At the end of the anesthesia, blood samples were collected for assessing melatonin levels. Mean values of melatonin levels after 6 hours of anesthesia during daytime were 43.17 ± 12.95 for control, 59.79 ± 27.83 for isoflurane, 50.75 ± 34.28 for sevoflurane and 212.20 ± 49.56 pg/mL for desflurane groups. The night groups' mean melatonin levels were 136.12 ± 33.20 for control, 139.85 ± 56.29 for isoflurane, 117.48 ± 82.39 for sevoflurane and 128.70 ± 44.63 pg/mL for desflurane groups. Desflurane anesthesia between 7:00 am and 1:00 pm significantly increased melatonin levels (p < 0.001). Sevoflurane and desflurane anesthesia between 7:00 pm and 1:00 am decreased the melatonin levels but there were no significant differences (p = 0.904 and p > 0.99, respectively). Isoflurane anesthesia did not significantly change melatonin levels during day or night (p = 0.718 and p > 0.99, respectively). Our results demonstrate that during daytime desflurane anesthesia can alter melatonin levels. Altered melatonin rhythm following inhalational anesthesia can be related to sleep disorders observed after anesthesia.
The effects of tadalafil and pentoxifylline on apoptosis and nitric oxide synthase in liver ischemia/reperfusion injury
Authors: Bektas Sibel , Karakaya Kemal , Can Murat , Bahadir Burak , Guven Berrak , Erdogan Nilsen , Ozdamar Sukru Oguz
Published: June 2016

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of tadalafil (TDF) and pentoxifylline (PTX) on hepatic apoptosis and the expressions of endothelial and inducible nitric oxide synthases (eNOS and iNOS) after liver ischemia/reperfusion (IR). Forty Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into five groups (n = 8) as follows: sham group; IR group with ischemia/reperfusion alone; low‐dose and high‐dose TDF groups received 2.5 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg TDF, respectively; and PTX group received 40 mg/kg PTX. Blood was collected for the analysis of serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, γ‐glutamyl transferase, uric acid, malondialdehyde (MDA), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC). MDA and TAC also were measured in liver tissue. Histopathological examination was performed to assess the severity of hepatic injury. Apoptosis was evaluated using the apoptosis protease‐activating factor 1 (APAF‐1) antibody; the expressions of eNOS and iNOS were also assessed by immunohistochemistry in all groups. Serum alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, γ‐glutamyl transferase, uric acid, MDA, and TAC, tissue MDA and TAC levels, hepatic injury, and score for extent and for intensity of eNOS, iNOS, and apoptosis protease‐activating factor 1 were significantly different in TDF and PTX groups compared to the IR group. High dose‐TDF and PTX have the best protective effect on IR‐induced liver tissue damage. This study showed that TDF and PTX supplementation may be helpful in preventing free oxygen radical damage, lipid peroxidation, hepatocyte necrosis, and apoptosis in liver IR injury and minimizing liver damage.
USP37 deubiquitinates Cdt1 and contributes to regulate DNA replication
Authors: Hernández-Pérez Santiago , Cabrera Elisa , Amoedo Hugo , Rodríguez-Acebes Sara , Koundrioukoff Stephane , Debatisse Michelle , Méndez Juan , Freire Raimundo
Published: June 2016

DNA replication control is a key process in maintaining genomic integrity. Monitoring DNA replication initiation is particularly important as it needs to be coordinated with other cellular events and should occur only once per cell cycle. Crucial players in the initiation of DNA replication are the ORC protein complex, marking the origin of replication, and the Cdt1 and Cdc6 proteins, that license these origins to replicate by recruiting the MCM2‐7 helicase. To accurately achieve its functions, Cdt1 is tightly regulated. Cdt1 levels are high from metaphase and during G1 and low in S/G2 phases of the cell cycle. This control is achieved, among other processes, by ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation. In an overexpression screen for Cdt1 deubiquitinating enzymes, we isolated USP37, to date the first ubiquitin hydrolase controlling Cdt1. USP37 overexpression stabilizes Cdt1, most likely a phosphorylated form of the protein. In contrast, USP37 knock down destabilizes Cdt1, predominantly during G1 and G1/S phases of the cell cycle. USP37 interacts with Cdt1 and is able to de‐ubiquitinate Cdt1 in vivo and, USP37 is able to regulate the loading of MCM complexes onto the chromatin. In addition, downregulation of USP37 reduces DNA replication fork speed. Taken together, here we show that the deubiquitinase USP37 plays an important role in the regulation of DNA replication. Whether this is achieved via Cdt1, a central protein in this process, which we have shown to be stabilized by USP37, or via additional factors, remains to be tested.
Efficacy of Inpatient Rehabilitation After Left Ventricular Assist Device Implantation
Authors: Yost Gardner , Coyle Laura , Milkevitch Kristen , Adair Roy , Tatooles Antone , Bhat Geetha
Published: June 2016

Background

Left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) have become an increasingly popular and effective means for treating advanced heart failure. LVAD implantation requires extensive surgery and postoperative rehabilitation. The Functional Independence Measure (FIM) has been used to quantify functional gains in numerous patient populations, including those with stroke and spinal cord injury. This study investigated functional improvements in patients undergoing LVAD implantation using the FIM score.

Objective

To assess functional improvements in patients with advanced heart failure who underwent LVAD implantation.

Design

Retrospective.

Setting

Inpatient rehabilitation unit.

Subjects

Ninety consecutive patients who received acute inpatient rehabilitation after continuous flow LVAD implantation.

Methods

Demographic, laboratory, and functional outcomes data including inpatient rehabilitation unit (IRU) length of stay (LOS), discharge disposition, and FIM score were collected for all patients. Paired t‐tests were used to assess change in functional measures and laboratory data.

Main Outcome Measures

Primary outcome measures included FIM gain, FIM efficiency, discharge disposition, rates of readmission after discharge from rehabilitation, and LOS in the rehabilitation unit.

Results

The FIM gain was statistically significant at 28.4 ± 12.3 (P < .001) and compared favorably with benchmarks for mean FIM gains at our facility (26.4), regionally (21.5), and nationally (22.7) for patients admitted to IRUs with a cardiac diagnosis. FIM efficiency (FIM gain/IRU LOS) was 1.9 ± 1.0 compared with the mean FIM efficiency at our facility (2.2), regionally (2.1), and nationally (2.2). Seventy‐four percent (n = 67) of patients were discharged directly home after inpatient rehabilitation, 17% (n = 16) were readmitted to the acute hospital service, and 8% (n = 7) required additional rehabilitation at a subacute rehabilitation facility. The IRU LOS was 16.2 ± 6.9 days.

Conclusions

Our study indicates that most patients with an LVAD achieve clinically meaningful functional gains from acute inpatient rehabilitation, with the majority of patients being discharged home. Further studies need to be performed to analyze clinical outcomes after acute inpatient rehabilitation.

Level of Evidence

IV
The effect of shear-thinning behaviour on rod orientation in filled fluids
Authors: Férec Julien , Bertevas Erwan , Khoo Boo Cheong , Ausias Gilles , Phan-Thien Nhan
Published: June 2016

In the present article, the cell model (or self-consistent scheme) is used to derive constitutive equations for rod suspensions in non-Newtonian viscous matrices such as power-law, Ellis and Carreau fluids. It is found that the shear-thinning character of the matrix influences considerably the rod contribution to the stress tensor, but has no impact on the rod orientation dynamics: the same microstructure evolution as the one encountered in Newtonian fluids is obtained. The rod suspension behaves differently than the unfilled matrix in the sense that, depending on rod orientation, the onset of shear thinning in the composite occurs at lower or higher shear rates. Our analysis also provides a semi-analytical model for rod suspensions in an Ellis fluid, which appears to be suitable for predicting a Newtonian plateau at low shear rates and a shear-thinning behaviour at high shear rates. In addition, the model predictions are in good agreement with the shear viscosity measurements of glass-fibre-filled polystyrene melts (Chan et al., J. Rheol., vol. 22 (5), 1978, pp. 507–524), demonstrating its ability to describe the rheological behaviour of such polymer composites. Finally, the proposed approach is extended to a Carreau fluid although its solution requires the numerical solution of a set of partial differential equations.
A NOTE ON THE -SUPERSOLUBILITY OF FINITE GROUPS
Authors: LI CHANGWEN , YI XIAOLAN , QIAO SHOUHONG
Published: June 2016

In this paper, we investigate the influence of certain subgroups of fixed prime power order on the $p$-supersolubility of finite groups.
Effects ofl-carnitine and/or maize distillers dried grains with solubles in diets of gestating and lactating sows on the intestinal barrier functions of their offspring
Authors: Wei Bingdong , Nie Shaoping , Meng Qingwei , Qu Zhe , Shan Anshan , Chen Zhihui
Published: June 2016

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects ofl-carnitine and/or maize distillers dried grains with solubles (DDGS) in diets of gestating and lactating sows on the intestinal barrier functions of their offspring. The experiment was designed as a 2×2 factorial with two dietary treatments (soyabean mealv.DDGS) and twol-carnitine levels (0v.100 mg/kg in gestating diets and 0v.200 mg/kg in lactating diets). Sows (Landrace×Large White) with an average parity of 4·2 with similar body weight were randomly assigned to four groups of thirty each. Dietary supplementation withl-carnitine increased the total superoxide dismutase activity but decreased the concentration of malondialdehyde of the jejunal mucosa in newborn piglets and weaning piglets on day 21. Dietary supplementation withl-carnitine decreased the concentrations of IL-1β, IL-12 and TNF-αin the jejunal mucosa of newborn piglets and decreased the concentrations of IL-6 and TNF-αin the jejunal mucosa of weaning piglets on day 21. There was an interaction between dietary treatment andl-carnitine on the bacterial numbers of total eubacteria in the digesta of caecum in weaning piglets on day 21. Bacterial numbers of total eubacteria in weaning piglets on day 21 were significantly increased byl-carnitine only in soyabean meal diet, but there was no significant effect ofl-carnitine in DDGS-based diet. Dietary supplementation withl-carnitine increased the bacterial numbers ofLactobacillusspp. and bifidobacteria spp. in the digesta of caecum in weaning piglets on day 21. Dietary supplementation withl-carnitine in sows affected the expression of tight junction proteins (claudin 1, zonula occludens-1 (ZO-1) and occludin) in the jejunal mucosa of their offspring by increasing the expression of ZO-1 mRNA in the jejunal mucosa of newborn piglets, and by increasing the expression of ZO-1 and occludin mRNA in the jejunal mucosa of weaning piglets on day 21. In conclusion, dietary supplementation withl-carnitine in gestating and lactating sows had positive effects on intestinal barrier functions of newborn piglets and weaning piglets on day 21, but it did not have effects on intestinal barrier functions of growing–finishing pigs in the filial generation. There were no effects of dietary treatment of sows on intestinal barrier functions in their offspring.
CONTRASTING CONCURRENT AND CHILDHOOD SOCIOECONOMIC PREDICTORS OF SELF-RATED HEALTH AMONG OLDER EUROPEAN MEN AND WOMEN
Authors: Verropoulou Georgia , Zakynthinou Maria
Published: June 2016

This study aimed to assess the relative importance of childhood and adulthood socioeconomic position (SEP) on the self-rated health (SRH) of men and women aged 50 or higher in Europe, controlling for a substantial number of mediators and health conditions. Data from Wave 2 (current data) and Wave 3 (retrospective material) of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) were combined (N=20,829) and logistic regression models applied; the analysis was carried out for males and females separately. The findings indicate that concurrent and past SEP, when considered separately, are both very significant predictors of SRH. When all factors were included in a comprehensive model most childhood and adult SEP variables retained their significance, implying that both types of socioeconomic circumstances have a strong and independent effect on SRH. However, the relative importance of several childhood indicators was reduced, signifying that their effect on SRH is mediated by adult SEP and, especially, educational attainment. Some childhood predictors, such as having experienced a period of hunger, remained very significant. Though these findings roughly hold for both sexes, the relative effects differentiate by sex. Current SEP is more important among women, with the exception of income and ‘making ends meet in the household’. Childhood SEP indicators are more significant among men.
Many important language universals are not reducible to processing or cognition
Authors: Medeiros David P. , Piattelli-Palmarini Massimo , Bever Thomas G.
Published: June 2016

Christiansen & Chater (C&C) ignore the many linguistic universals that cannot be reduced to processing or cognitive constraints, some of which we present. Their claim that grammar is merely acquired language processing skill cannot account for such universals. Their claim that all other universal properties are historically and culturally based is a nonsequitur about language evolution, lacking data.
Is Now-or-Never language processing good enough?
Authors: Ferreira Fernanda , Christianson Kiel
Published: June 2016

Christiansen & Chater's (C&C's) Now-or-Never bottleneck framework is similar to the Good-Enough Language Processing model (Ferreira et al. 2002), particularly in its emphasis on sparse representations. We discuss areas of overlap and review experimental findings that reinforce some of C&C's arguments, including evidence for underspecification and for parsing in “chunks.” In contrast to Good-Enough, however, Now-or-Never does not appear to capture misinterpretations or task effects, both of which are important aspects of comprehension performance.
Natural language processing and the Now-or-Never bottleneck
Authors: Gómez-Rodríguez Carlos
Published: June 2016

Researchers, motivated by the need to improve the efficiency of natural language processing tools to handle web-scale data, have recently arrived at models that remarkably match the expected features of human language processing under the Now-or-Never bottleneck framework. This provides additional support for said framework and highlights the research potential in the interaction between applied computational linguistics and cognitive science.
How long is now? The multiple timescales of language processing
Authors: Honey Christopher J. , Chen Janice , Müsch Kathrin , Hasson Uri
Published: June 2016

Christiansen & Chater (C&C) envision language function as a hierarchical chain of transformations, enabling rapid, continuous processing of input. Their notion of a “Now-or-Never” bottleneck may be elaborated by recognizing that timescales become longer at successive levels of the sensory processing hierarchy – that is, the window of “Now” expands. We propose that a hierarchical “process memory” is intrinsic to language processing.
What is the value of security? Contextualising the negative/positive debate
Authors: Nyman Jonna
Published: June 2016

Review of International Studieshas seen a debate over thevalueof security. At its heart this is a debate about ethics: concerning the extent to which security is a ‘good’ and whether or not security politics produces the kind of world we want. More recent contributions focus on the extent to which security is ‘positive’ or ‘negative’. However, this article argues that the existing debate is limited and confusing: key authors use the terms ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ in different, and, at times, contradictory ways. The article clarifies the roots of the existing debate, and then draws out two different uses of the terms positive and negative: an analytic frame and a normative frame. In response, it proposes a pragmatist frame that synthesises the existing uses, drawing on pragmatism and practice-centred approaches to analyse the value of security in context. The contribution of the article is thus twofold: it both clarifies the existing debate and suggests a solution. This is key because the debate over the value of security is crucial to thinking about how we want to live.
Visual regimes and the politics of war experience: Rewriting war ‘from above’ in WikiLeaks’ ‘Collateral Murder’
Authors: Tidy Joanna
Published: June 2016

War experiences are a material of political currency, invoked, appropriated, and ‘written’ in particular configurations to sustain, complicate, and contest narratives about war. This occurs through and within the same relations of power that are intrinsic to the conduct of war as war-experiencing subjects comprise a political vocabulary of selves and others that populate and operate within war’s wider social (re)production. To track these power relations and consider implications for how dominant accounts of war can be complicated and contested, the article is grounded in an analysis of the visual regimes at work in footage, photographs, and testimony relating to the shooting of a group of people by an American Apache helicopter in Baghdad, Iraq in 2007. The event was publicised on a dedicated website and dubbed ‘Collateral Murder’ by WikiLeaks in 2010. Analysis of the website reveals how visual modes and the experiences of war subjects accompany each other, revealing war in contrasting locations of sight and violence: the ‘view from above’, the ‘view from below’, and the view of the ‘on-the-ground’ soldier eyewitness. Taken together these discursively produce ‘Collateral Murder’ and contest the dominance of war known through the experience of those who wage it ‘from above’.
Traceless SU(2) representations of 2-stranded tangles
Authors: FUKUMOTO YOSHIHIRO , KIRK PAUL , PINZÓN-CAICEDO JUANITA
Published: June 2016

Given a 2-stranded tangle T contained in a ℤ-homology ball Y, we investigate the character variety R(Y, T) of conjugacy classes of traceless SU(2) representations of π1(Y \ T). In particular we completely determine the subspace of binary dihedral representations, and identify all of R(Y, T) for many tangles naturally associated to knots in S3. Moreover, we determine the image of the restriction map from R(T, Y) to the traceless SU(2) character variety of the 4-punctured 2-sphere (the pillowcase). We give examples to show this image can be non-linear in general, and show it is linear for tangles associated to pretzel knots.
MAYA FLASKS: THE “HOME” OF TOBACCO AND GODLY SUBSTANCES
Authors: Loughmiller-Cardinal Jennifer A. , Zagorevski Dmitri
Published: June 2016

Among the specialized types of Late Classic Maya vessels (a.d.550–900) are small bottle-shaped containers known as “flasks.” Current interpretations of their uses, for example as poison bottles or medicine bottles, are speculative. In some cases, such interpretations rely on analogical comparisons with other Native American containers based on their formal similarities of shape or construction. This paper presents research on basic construction methods of flasks, a set of correlations between the various social mediation roles in which such flasks are depicted in Classic-period artwork, their material correlates (the vessels themselves), and a report of their specific contents. We also provide evidence of the first discovery of nicotine in an ancient Maya vessel, which is the first empirically demonstrated proof for the presence of tobacco contained in a clay vessel from this cultural tradition. The codex-style flask yielding this evidence bears a text that appears to readyo-'OTOT-ti 'u-MAY-ya, spellingy-otoot 'u-mahy“the home of his/her tobacco.” This is only the second case in which residue analysis has shown a Maya vessel to hold the same content as is indicated by a hieroglyphic text on the same vessel.
NEITHER DOPES NOR DUPES: MAYA FARMERS AND IDEOLOGY
Authors: Robin Cynthia
Published: June 2016

Drawing inspiration from the work and legacy of Elizabeth Brumfiel, I develop a case study about the lives and religious practices of Maya farmers at the Chan site in Belize, to demonstrate how farmers were neither the dopes, dupes, nor mystified masses of Maya state level ideologies. I use this case study to rethink anthropological theories that attempt to explain the role of state level ideologies in the production of inequality and power, particularly ideas about ideology and false consciousness that are often bundled together and referred to as the ‘dominant ideology thesis.’
THE TRADE IN COOKING POTS UNDER THE AZTEC AND SPANISH EMPIRES
Authors: Rodríguez-Alegría Enrique , Stoner Wesley D.
Published: June 2016

Elizabeth Brumfiel studied the local production and exchange of pottery in Xaltocan as part of her ongoing efforts to study the link between women's work and political change. We give continuity to Brumfiel's work by presenting a chemical characterization study of Plain Ware and lead-glazed earthenware in Xaltocan, Mexico. These wares were mostly used by women for cooking and storage. The pattern shows that the people of Postclassic Xaltocan increased their reliance on Plain Ware from nearby Cuauhtitlan through time, before and after they were conquered by the Aztecs. After the Spanish conquest, the people of Xaltocan relied more heavily on locally produced Plain Ware and began using lead-glazed earthenware. These two different empires affected the trade in cooking tools even though it was not part of their policies to affect the domestic economy directly.
Caregiving burden and gain among adult-child caregivers caring for parents with dementia in China: the partial mediating role of reciprocal filial piety
Authors: Yu Hua , Wu Li , Chen Shu , Wu Qing , Yang Yuan , Edwards Helen
Published: June 2016

Background:

The majority of the family caregivers are adult children in China. The aim of this study was to examine the mediating role of reciprocal filial piety (RFP) between the care recipient's behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) and the caregiver's burden or gain among adult-child caregivers caring for parents with dementia in China.

Methods:

Using Kramer's caregiver adaptation model as the research framework, a cross-sectional survey collected data from 401 adult-child caregivers caring for parents with dementia from hospitals in China.

Results:

Results of the regression analysis revealed that after adjusting for covariates, the regression coefficient between care recipient's BPSD and caregiver burden reduced fromc= 1.01 toc′ = 0.91 when controlling for RFP. Using the bootstrap approach, the estimated indirect effect through RFP between care recipient's BPSD and caregiver burden was 0.11 (95% CI: 0.03, 0.20). The mediation proportion was 11%. The absolute value of the regression coefficient between care recipient's BPSD and caregiver gain reduced fromc= −0.75 toc′ = −0.63 when controlling for RFP. The bootstrapped estimate of the indirect effect through RFP between care recipient's BPSD and caregiver gain was −0.12 (95% CI: −0.18, −0.07). The mediation proportion was 12%.

Conclusions:

The findings suggest that the effect of care recipient's BPSD on caregiver's burden/gain may be related to the level of RFP among adult-child caregivers in China.
The Netherworld between Work and Retirement
Authors: McGann Michael , Kimberley Helen , Bowman Dina , Biggs Simon
Published: June 2016

A major theme within social gerontology is how retirement ‘is being re-organised, if not undone’. Institutional supports for retirement are weakening, with pension ages rising in many countries. Increasing numbers of older workers are working past traditional retirement age on a part-time or self-employed basis, and a growing minority are joining the ranks of the long-term unemployed. Drawing upon narrative interviews with older Australians who are involuntarily non-employed or underemployed, this article explores how the ‘unravelling’ of retirement is experienced by a group of older workers on the periphery of the labour market. While policy makers hope that higher pension ages will lead to a longer period of working life, the risk is that older workers, especially those experiencing chronic insecurity in the labour market, will be caught in a netherworld between work and retirement.
Early ovarian follicular development in prepubertal Wistar rats acutely exposed to androgens
Authors: Paixão L. , Velez L. M. , Santos B. R. , Tusset C. , Lecke S. B. , Motta A. B. , Spritzer P. M.
Published: June 2016

Androgens may directly modulate early ovarian follicular development in preantral stages and androgen excess before puberty may disrupt this physiological process. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the dynamics of follicular morphology and circulating androgen and estradiol levels in prepubertal Wistar rats acutely exposed to androgens. Prepubertal female Wistar rats were distributed into three groups: control, equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) intervention and eCG plus dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) intervention (eCG+DHEA). Serum DHEA, testosterone and estradiol levels were determined, and ovarian morphology and morphometry were assessed. The eCG+DHEA group presented increased serum estradiol and testosterone levels as compared with the control group (P<0.01), and higher serum DHEA concentration v. the eCG-only and control groups (P<0.01). In addition, the eCG+DHEA group had a higher number of, and larger-sized, primary and secondary follicles as compared with the control group (P<0.05). The eCG group presented intermediate values for number and size of primary and secondary follicles, without significant differences as compared with the other two groups. The number of antral follicles was higher in the eCG+DHEA and eCG groups v. controls (P<0.05). The number of primordial, atretic and cystic follicles were similar in all groups. In conclusion, the present experimental model using an acute eCG+DHEA intervention was useful to investigate events involved in initial follicular development under hyperandrogenic conditions, and could provide a reliable tool to study defective follicular development with possible deleterious reproductive consequences later in life.
Transcriptome analysis of G protein-coupled receptors in distinct genetic subgroups of acute myeloid leukemia: identification of potential disease-specific targets
Authors: Maiga A , Lemieux S , Pabst C , Lavallée V-P , Bouvier M , Sauvageau G , Hébert J
Published: June 2016

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is associated with poor clinical outcome and the development of more effective therapies is urgently needed. G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) represent attractive therapeutic targets, accounting for approximately 30% of all targets of marketed drugs. Using next-generation sequencing, we studied the expression of 772 GPCRs in 148 genetically diverse AML specimens, normal blood and bone marrow cell populations as well as cord blood-derived CD34-positive cells. Among these receptors, 30 are overexpressed and 19 are downregulated in AML samples compared with normal CD34-positive cells. Upregulated GPCRs are enriched in chemokine (CCR1, CXCR4, CCR2, CX3CR1, CCR7 and CCRL2), adhesion (CD97, EMR1, EMR2 and GPR114) and purine (including P2RY2 and P2RY13) receptor subfamilies. The downregulated receptors include adhesion GPCRs, such as LPHN1, GPR125, GPR56, CELSR3 and GPR126, protease-activated receptors (F2R and F2RL1) and the Frizzled family receptors SMO and FZD6. Interestingly, specific deregulation was observed in genetically distinct subgroups of AML, thereby identifying different potential therapeutic targets in these frequent AML subgroups.
Torn apart and reunited: impact of a heterotroph on the transcriptome of Prochlorococcus
Authors: Biller Steven J , Coe Allison , Chisholm Sallie W
Published: June 2016

Microbial interactions, whether direct or indirect, profoundly affect the physiology of individual cells and ultimately have the potential to shape the biogeochemistry of the Earth. For example, the growth of Prochlorococcus, the numerically dominant cyanobacterium in the oceans, can be improved by the activity of co-occurring heterotrophs. This effect has been largely attributed to the role of heterotrophs in detoxifying reactive oxygen species that Prochlorococcus, which lacks catalase, cannot. Here, we explore this phenomenon further by examining how the entire transcriptome of Prochlorococcus NATL2A changes in the presence of a naturally co-occurring heterotroph, Alteromonas macleodii MIT1002, with which it was co-cultured for years, separated and then reunited. Significant changes in the Prochlorococcus transcriptome were evident within 6 h of initiating co-culture, with groups of transcripts changing in different temporal waves. Many transcriptional changes persisted throughout the 48 h experiment, suggesting that the presence of the heterotroph affected a stable shift in Prochlorococcus physiology. These initial transcriptome changes largely corresponded to reduced stress conditions for Prochlorococcus, as inferred from the depletion of transcripts encoding DNA repair enzymes and many members of the ‘high light inducible’ family of stress–response proteins. Later, notable changes were seen in transcripts encoding components of the photosynthetic apparatus (particularly, an increase in PSI subunits and chlorophyll synthesis enzymes), ribosomal proteins and biosynthetic enzymes, suggesting that the introduction of the heterotroph may have induced increased production of reduced carbon compounds for export. Changes in secretion-related proteins and transporters also highlight the potential for metabolic exchange between the two strains.
Erratum: Nanoelectronic primary thermometry below 4 mK
Authors: Bradley D. I. , George R. E. , Gunnarsson D. , Haley R. P. , Heikkinen H. , Pashkin Yu A. , Penttilä J. , Prance J. R. , Prunnila M. , Roschier L. , Sarsby M.
Published: June 2016

Nature Communications 7: Article number: 10455 (2016); Published: 27 January 2016; Updated: 3 June 2016 The affiliation details for L. Roschier are incorrect in this Article. The correct affiliation details for this author are given below: Aivon Oy, Valimotie 13A, 00380 Helsinki, Finland.
Photoelectrochemical water splitting enhanced by self-assembled metal nanopillars embedded in an oxide semiconductor photoelectrode
Authors: Kawasaki Seiji , Takahashi Ryota , Yamamoto Takahisa , Kobayashi Masaki , Kumigashira Hiroshi , Yoshinobu Jun , Komori Fumio , Kudo Akihiko , Lippmaa Mikk
Published: June 2016

Production of chemical fuels by direct solar energy conversion in a photoelectrochemical cell is of great practical interest for developing a sustainable energy system. Various nanoscale designs such as nanowires, nanotubes, heterostructures and nanocomposites have been explored to increase the energy conversion efficiency of photoelectrochemical water splitting. Here we demonstrate a self-organized nanocomposite material concept for enhancing the efficiency of photocarrier separation and electrochemical energy conversion. Mechanically robust photoelectrodes are formed by embedding self-assembled metal nanopillars in a semiconductor thin film, forming tubular Schottky junctions around each pillar. The photocarrier transport efficiency is strongly enhanced in the Schottky space charge regions while the pillars provide an efficient charge extraction path. Ir-doped SrTiO3 with embedded iridium metal nanopillars shows good operational stability in a water oxidation reaction and achieves over 80% utilization of photogenerated carriers under visible light in the 400- to 600-nm wavelength range.
Correction: Corrigendum: Diverse human extracellular RNAs are widely detected in human plasma
Authors: Freedman Jane E. , Gerstein Mark , Mick Eric , Rozowsky Joel , Levy Daniel , Kitchen Robert , Das Saumya , Shah Ravi , Danielson Kirsty , Beaulieu Lea , Navarro Fabio C. P. , Wang Yaoyu , Galeev Timur R. , Holman Alex , Kwong Raymond Y. , Murthy Venkatesh , Tanriverdi Selim E. , Koupenova Milka , Mikhalev Ekaterina , Tanriverdi Kahraman
Published: June 2016

Nature Communications 7: Article number: 11106 (2016); Published: 26 April 2016; Updated: 3 June 2016 The original version of this Article contained an error in the spelling of the author Milka Koupenova, which was incorrectly given as Milka Koupenova-Zamor. This has now been corrected in both the PDF and HTML versions of the Article.
Erratum: Induction of IL-25 secretion from tumour-associated fibroblasts suppresses mammary tumour metastasis
Authors: Yin Shu-Yi , Jian Feng-Yin , Chen Yung-Hsiang , Chien Shih-Chang , Hsieh Mao-Chih , Hsiao Pei-Wen , Lee Wen-Hwa , Kuo Yueh-Hsiung , Yang Ning-Sun
Published: June 2016

Nature Communications 7: Article number: 11311 (2016); Published: 18 April 2016; Updated: 3 June 2016 The author Yueh-Hsiung Kuo was incorrectly omitted from the list of corresponding authors in this Article. The correct information for correspondence is: ‘Correspondence and requests for materials should be addressed to Y.
Aberrant functional brain connectome in people with antisocial personality disorder
Authors: Tang Yan , Long Jun , Wang Wei , Liao Jian , Xie Hua , Zhao Guihu , Zhang Hao
Published: June 2016

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is characterised by a disregard for social obligations and callous unconcern for the feelings of others. Studies have demonstrated that ASPD is associated with abnormalities in brain regions and aberrant functional connectivity. In this paper, topological organisation was examined in resting-state fMRI data obtained from 32 ASPD patients and 32 non-ASPD controls. The frequency-dependent functional networks were constructed using wavelet-based correlations over 90 brain regions. The topology of the functional networks of ASPD subjects was analysed via graph theoretical analysis. Furthermore, the abnormal functional connectivity was determined with a network-based statistic (NBS) approach. Our results revealed that, compared with the controls, the ASPD patients exhibited altered topological configuration of the functional connectome in the frequency interval of 0.016–0.031 Hz, as indicated by the increased clustering coefficient and decreased betweenness centrality in the medial superior frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, Rolandic operculum, superior parietal gyrus, angular gyrus, and middle temporal pole. In addition, the ASPD patients showed increased functional connectivity mainly located in the default-mode network. The present study reveals an aberrant topological organisation of the functional brain network in individuals with ASPD. Our findings provide novel insight into the neuropathological mechanisms of ASPD.
Nanomechanical probing of the layer/substrate interface of an exfoliated InSe sheet on sapphire
Authors: Beardsley Ryan , Akimov Andrey V. , Greener Jake D. G. , Mudd Garry W. , Sandeep Sathyan , Kudrynskyi Zakhar R. , Kovalyuk Zakhar D. , Patanè Amalia , Kent Anthony J.
Published: June 2016

Van der Waals (vdW) layered crystals and heterostructures have attracted substantial interest for potential applications in a wide range of emerging technologies. An important, but often overlooked, consideration in the development of implementable devices is phonon transport through the structure interfaces. Here we report on the interface properties of exfoliated InSe on a sapphire substrate. We use a picosecond acoustic technique to probe the phonon resonances in the InSe vdW layered crystal. Analysis of the nanomechanics indicates that the InSe is mechanically decoupled from the substrate and thus presents an elastically imperfect interface. A high degree of phonon isolation at the interface points toward applications in thermoelectric devices, or the inclusion of an acoustic transition layer in device design. These findings demonstrate basic properties of layered structures and so illustrate the usefulness of nanomechanical probing in nanolayer/nanolayer or nanolayer/substrate interface tuning in vdW heterostructures.
A screen for constituents of motor control and decision making in Drosophila reveals visual distance-estimation neurons
Authors: Triphan Tilman , Nern Aljoscha , Roberts Sonia F. , Korff Wyatt , Naiman Daniel Q. , Strauss Roland
Published: June 2016

Climbing over chasms larger than step size is vital to fruit flies, since foraging and mating are achieved while walking. Flies avoid futile climbing attempts by processing parallax-motion vision to estimate gap width. To identify neuronal substrates of climbing control, we screened a large collection of fly lines with temporarily inactivated neuronal populations in a novel high-throughput assay described here. The observed climbing phenotypes were classified; lines in each group are reported. Selected lines were further analysed by high-resolution video cinematography. One striking class of flies attempts to climb chasms of unsurmountable width; expression analysis guided us to C2 optic-lobe interneurons. Inactivation of C2 or the closely related C3 neurons with highly specific intersectional driver lines consistently reproduced hyperactive climbing whereas strong or weak artificial depolarization of C2/C3 neurons strongly or mildly decreased climbing frequency. Contrast-manipulation experiments support our conclusion that C2/C3 neurons are part of the distance-evaluation system.
Atomic and electronic structure of Lomer dislocations at CdTe bicrystal interface
Authors: Sun Ce , Paulauskas Tadas , Sen Fatih G. , Lian Guoda , Wang Jinguo , Buurma Christopher , Chan Maria K. Y. , Klie Robert F. , Kim Moon J.
Published: June 2016

Extended defects are of considerable importance in determining the electronic properties of semiconductors, especially in photovoltaics (PVs), due to their effects on electron-hole recombination. We employ model systems to study the effects of dislocations in CdTe by constructing grain boundaries using wafer bonding. Atomic-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) of a [1–10]/(110) 4.8° tilt grain boundary reveals that the interface is composed of three distinct types of Lomer dislocations. Geometrical phase analysis is used to map strain fields, while STEM and density functional theory (DFT) modeling determine the atomic structure at the interface. The electronic structure of the dislocation cores calculated using DFT shows significant mid-gap states and different charge-channeling tendencies. Cl-doping is shown to reduce the midgap states, while maintaining the charge separation effects. This report offers novel avenues for exploring grain boundary effects in CdTe-based solar cells by fabricating controlled bicrystal interfaces and systematic atomic-scale analysis.