bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Eochrysis, a new replacement name for the fossil Protochrysis Bischoff, 1916 (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Chrysididae) nec Pascher, 1911 (Protista: Cryptomonada)
Authors: DOWELD ALEXANDER B.
Published: December 2015

The genus Protochrysis (type species P. succinalis Bischoff, 1916, by monotypy) was established by Bischoff (1916: 139) for distinctive fossil insect remains of Eocene (Lutetian) age from the former Königsberg outskirts of East Prussia (now Kalinigrad, Russian Federation), referred at present to the Chrysididae (Hymenoptera) (Brues 1933; Carpenter 1985, 1992). However, an identical generic name Protochrysis had previously been proposed by Pascher (1911: 191) for a living protist (Cryptomonada). Bischoff’s (1916) name is therefore an invalid junior homonym. Carpenter (1985: 577) proposed a new replacement name for the fossil genus, but overlooked the fact that his newly proposed generic name Protochrysidis was also preoccupied, again by the name of another protist genus, Protochrysidis [Protista: Chrysomonada] described by Skvortzov (1969: 346) from Harbin (China). In fact, the protistan genus Protochrysidis had initially been published as chrysophyte algae following the International Code of Nomenclature for Algae, Fungi, and Plants (McNeill et al. 2012) by Skvortzov (1961: 4) who had failed to designate holotype of the species, but later fulfilled all conditions for valid publication in 1969 by providing necessary typification and reference to formerly published description and illustrations. At present chrysophyte algae are still maintained as Chrysomonada in protozoology due to a continued somewhat archaic tradition (Preisig & Anderson 2002). Protochrysidis Skvortzov, 1969 remained little studied since the time of its first description and is currently treated as an incertae sedis protistan taxon.
Comparison between the triglycerides standardization of routine methods used in Japan and the chromotropic acid reference measurement procedure used by the CDC Lipid Standardization Programme
Authors: Nakamura Masakazu , Iso Hiroyasu , Kitamura Akihiko , Imano Hironori , Noda Hiroyuki , Kiyama Masahiko , Sato Shinichi , Yamagishi Kazumasa , Nishimura Kunihiro , Nakai Michikazu , Vesper Hubert W , Teramoto Tamio , Miyamoto Yoshihiro
Published: December 2015

Background

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ensured adequate performance of the routine triglycerides methods used in Japan by a chromotropic acid reference measurement procedure used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lipid standardization programme as a reference point. We examined standardized data to clarify the performance of routine triglycerides methods.

Methods

The two routine triglycerides methods were the fluorometric method of Kessler and Lederer and the enzymatic method. The methods were standardized using 495 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reference pools with 98 different concentrations ranging between 0.37 and 5.15 mmol/L in 141 survey runs. The triglycerides criteria for laboratories which perform triglycerides analyses are used: accuracy, as bias ≤5% from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reference value and precision, as measured by CV, ≤5%.

Results

The correlation of the bias of both methods to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reference method was: y (%bias) = 0.516 × (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reference value) −1.292 ( n = 495, R2 = 0.018). Triglycerides bias at medical decision points of 1.13, 1.69 and 2.26 mmol/L was −0.71%, −0.42% and −0.13%, respectively. For the combined precision, the equation y (CV) = −0.398 × (triglycerides value) + 1.797 ( n = 495, R2 = 0.081) was used. Precision was 1.35%, 1.12% and 0.90%, respectively. It was shown that triglycerides measurements at Osaka were stable for 36 years.

Conclusions

The epidemiologic laboratory in Japan met acceptable accuracy goals for 88.7% of all samples, and met acceptable precision goals for 97.8% of all samples measured through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lipid standardization programme and demonstrated stable results for an extended period of time.
Using Survival Analysis to Understand Graduation of Students With Disabilities
Authors: Schifter Laura A.
Published: December 2015

This study examined when students with disabilities graduated high school and how graduation patterns differed for students based on selected demographic and educational factors. Utilizing statewide data on students with disabilities from Massachusetts from 2005 through 2012, the author conducted discrete-time survival analysis to estimate the conditional probability of high school graduation in a given year after high school entry by disability category and placement in the general education setting. Results suggest that, across all disability categories, the peak conditional probability for graduation occurs 4 years after high school entry. In addition, students with disabilities who are fully included have higher graduation probability profiles than students with disabilities who are educated in substantially-separate settings.
Co-Morbidities Among Persons With Substance Abuse Problems
Authors: Small La Fleur Flavia
Published: December 2015

This article uses the behavioral model for vulnerable populations to evaluate the use of substance abuse treatment services among a sample of 926 substance abusers with one or more vulnerable health designations. A two-stage hierarchical logistic regression was completed to determine the influence of vulnerable and traditional need factors on the probability of receiving substance abuse treatment. Among traditional covariates, increased odds of receiving substance abuse treatment are associated with being either non-Hispanic White, Hispanic, having an income > US$5,000, and having a regular source of care. Among vulnerable covariates, injection drug use (odds ratio [OR] = 2.19, confidence interval [CI] = [1.46, 3.27]) and the receipt of public benefits (OR = 1.98, CI = [135, 2.92]) remain independent risk factors for the receipt of substance abuse treatment. Many who experience substance abuse disorders can also experience a multitude of other vulnerable health classifications, suggesting the need for a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of substance use disorders.
Changing forms of ethnicised poverty: Reflections on Loïc Wacquant’s article
Authors: Ladányi János
Published: December 2015

The author examines those parts of Wacquant’s (forthcoming) article where he discusses the state’s rather active role in the production of the precariat or underclass, and agrees that Wilson overemphasised the role of technological and economic changes and turned little attention to the state’s relative autonomy in managing these dramatic transformations. The author believes that in the countries where serious attempts have been made to establish Eastern European versions of the neo-liberal state, it is justified to speak of the underclass, ethnic ghettoes and hyperghettoes – even if in several respects they differ from what we can see in the United States.
From one Out-In to another: What’s missing in Wacquant’s structural analysis
Authors: Patterson Orlando
Published: December 2015

Loic Wacquant’s trenchant and much needed structural analysis owes its originality, in part, to the fact that he is an intellectual Out-In. That is, someone who observes and analyses from the perspective of both the outsider (a Frenchman who has studied ethnoracial dynamics in his native land) and an insider (a Franco-American who has studied and lived long enough in America to be able to claim true insider status). I too am an Out-In (a Jamerican who can claim equal intellectual engagement in Jamaican and American academic and social life), which is perhaps why I can better appreciate the strengths of his analysis and what is missing.
Gelatinase activity imaged by activatable cell-penetrating peptides in cell-based and in vivo models of stroke
Authors: Chen Shanyan , Cui Jiankun , Jiang Tao , Olson Emilia S , Cai Quan-Yu , Yang Ming , Wu Wei , Guthrie James M , Robertson JD , Lipton Stuart A , Ma Lixin , Tsien Roger Y , Gu Zezong
Published: December 2015

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), particularly gelatinases (MMP-2/-9), are involved in neurovascular impairment after stroke. Detection of gelatinase activity in vivo can provide insight into blood–brain barrier disruption, hemorrhage, and nerve cell injury or death. We applied gelatinase-activatable cell-penetrating peptides (ACPP) with a cleavable l-amino acid linker to examine gelatinase activity in primary neurons in culture and ischemic mouse brain in vivo. We found uptake of Cy5-conjugated ACPP (ACPP-Cy5) due to gelatinase activation both in cultured neurons exposed to n-methyl-d-aspartate and in mice after cerebral ischemia. Fluorescence intensity was significantly reduced when cells or mice were treated with MMP inhibitors or when a cleavage-resistant ACPP-Cy5 was substituted. We also applied an ACPP dendrimer (ACPPD) conjugated with multiple Cy5 and/or gadolinium moieties for fluorescence and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in intact animals. Fluorescence analysis showed that ACPPD was detected in sub-femtomole range in ischemic tissues. Moreover, MRI and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry revealed that ACPPD produced quantitative measures of gelatinase activity in the ischemic region. The resulting spatial pattern of gelatinase activity and neurodegeneration were very similar. We conclude that ACPPs are capable of tracing spatiotemporal gelatinase activity in vivo, and will therefore be useful in elucidating mechanisms of gelatinase-mediated neurodegeneration after stroke.
The naval city of Karlskrona and its Jewish entrepreneurs
Authors: Svensson Harry
Published: December 2015

This note researches the social history of the naval city of Karlskrona. By focusing the Jewish parish of Karlskrona it tries to reach the ideas and perceptions that were created in the very special environment in the Swedish version of the trans-national phenomenon naval cities.
‘We Are the Monitors Now’
Authors: Scott Dayna Nadine
Published: December 2015

Residents of pollution hotspots often take on projects in ‘citizen science’, or popularepidemiology, in an effort to marshal the data that can prove their experience of the pollution to the relevant authorities. Sometimes these tactics, such as pollution logs or bucket brigades, take advantage of residents’ spatially ordered and finely honed experiential and sensory knowledge of the places they inhabit. But putting that knowledge into conversation with law requires them to mobilize a new, ‘foreign’ set of tools, primarily oriented to the observation, measurement and sampling of pollution according to conventional scientific standards. Here, I employ qualitative empirical methods in two case studies of communities ‘downwind’ of Canada’s contested tar sands region to demonstrate that the knowledge that is crucial to these citizen science strategies is not only local, situated and experiential in origin but also collectively generated and held. I draw on the notion of transcorporeality, emanating from feminist theory of the body, to demonstrate that the knowledge offered to law through these efforts often represents a fluid merger of experiential and conventional ways of knowing, posing a productive challenge to the strictly positive notions of science and evidence dominant in legal proceedings.
The Effect of Danazol in Primary Immune Thrombocytopenia
Authors: Liu Wenjie , Gu Xueping , Fu Rongfeng , Li Yang , Lv Mingen , Sun Tiantian , Lv Cuicui , Liu Xiaofan , Xue Feng , Zhang Lei , Yang Renchi
Published: December 2015

Aim:

This study assessed the long-term benefits and side effects of low-to-medium dose of danazol therapy in primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP).

Methods:

The retrospective analysis included 319 patients with ITP who accepted danazol therapy. Patients accepted danazol alone or in combination with glucocorticoids. Clinical outcome and tolerance were assessed in all patients.

Results:

Among patients with persistent or chronic ITP, the overall response rate of danazol therapy was 65.0%. Sixty-five (63.1%) of the 103 patients reached remission with danazol alone, and 93 (48.7%) of the 191 patients who accepted combination therapies acquired remission and discontinued glucocorticoids successfully. Age and previous treatments were 2 risk factors for response rate. In newly diagnosed patients with ITP, the response rate and median response time did not differ significantly with or without danazol. However, the relapse rate was significantly lower in patients administered danazol combined with glucocorticoids than those accepted glucocorticoids alone. Totally, 21.1% of the patients experienced mild or moderate side effects, and 1.2% of the patients discontinued treatment due to intolerable side effects.

Conclusion:

Low-to-medium dosage of danazol is better tolerated and effective in patients with ITP, even in those refractory to other treatments. Combination of danazol and glucocorticoids for initial treatment may decrease relapse rates to achieve well-tolerated long-term remission.
Safety Assessment of Boron Nitride as Used in Cosmetics
Authors: Fiume Monice M. , Bergfeld Wilma F. , Belsito Donald V. , Hill Ronald A. , Klaassen Curtis D. , Liebler Daniel C. , Marks James G. , Shank Ronald C. , Slaga Thomas J. , Snyder Paul W. , Andersen F. Alan
Published: December 2015

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel (Panel) assessed the safety of boron nitride which functions in cosmetics as a slip modifier (ie, it has a lubricating effect). Boron nitride is an inorganic compound with a crystalline form that can be hexagonal, spherical, or cubic; the hexagonal form is presumed to be used in cosmetics. The highest reported concentration of use of boron nitride is 25% in eye shadow formulations. Although boron nitride nanotubes are produced, boron nitride is not listed as a nanomaterial used in cosmetic formulations. The Panel reviewed available chemistry, animal data, and clinical data and concluded that this ingredient is safe in the present practices of use and concentration in cosmetic formulations.
Mechanical properties of sandwich panels constructed from polystyrene/cement mixed cores and thin cement sheet facings
Authors: Tabatabaiefar Hamid Reza , Mansoury Bita , Khadivi Zand Mohammad Javad , Potter Daniel
Published: December 2015

Sandwich panels are made of two materials that are relatively weak in their separated state, but are improved when they are constructed together in a sandwich panel. Sandwich panels can be used for almost any section of a building including roofs, walls and floors. These building components are regularly required to provide insulation properties, weatherproofing properties and durability in addition to providing structural load bearing characteristics. Polystyrene/cement mixed cores and thin cement sheet facings sandwich panels are Australian products made of cement-polystyrene beaded mixture encapsulated between two thick cement board sheets. The structural properties of sandwich panels constructed of polystyrene/cement cores and thin cement sheet facings are relatively unknown. Therefore, in this study, to understand the mechanical behaviour and properties of those sandwich panels, a series of experimental tests have been performed and the outcomes have been explained and discussed. Based on the results of this study, values for modulus of elasticity and ultimate strength of the sandwich panels in dry and saturated conditions have been determined and proposed for practical applications.
Reporting on LGBTIAQ Politics
Authors: Richardson-Self Louise
Published: December 2015

This article considers the importance of intersectionality in reporting. In this article I claim that the characterisation of the same-sex marriage debate in Australian mainstream media prevents any serious, nuanced evaluation of the movement. Through an analysis of recent news reports and opinion pieces, I illustrate the way that implicit dichotomous assumptions and language use create a myopic understanding of the same-sex marriage debate.
Reassessing Journalistic Pedagogy
Authors: Thomas Jennifer C.
Published: December 2015

In the challenge of preparing broadcast journalism students for the realities of a high-pressured newsroom during an actual political news event, journalism programmes must embrace new pedagogies while underscoring the fundamentals of journalism. This commentary examines the challenges and practical and instructional opportunities for broadcast journalism students of Howard University’s Department of Media, Journalism and Film, while covering the 2014 US Midterm Election. The author explains how her individual experience as a veteran news industry professional-turned journalism academic, influenced and informed processes, practices and outcomes for student journalists who lacked experience and in some cases interest in the political process. The students witnessed first-hand the plethora of challenges facing modern-day newsrooms during a major news event, which served as a reminder of the uncertainties of the profession while emphasizing the value of preparedness. Findings suggest the compelling need to focus on deadline management, develop students’ ability to successfully master ever-present ethical encounters and re-evaluate approaches for addressing the mutable realities of teaching millennium journalism students. Finally, an analysis of the realities of working in a classroom-turned-broadcast newsroom is offered.
A Capstone Unit for Tertiary Journalism Programmes That Aims to Facilitate the Demonstration of Graduate Capabilities
Authors: Cullen Trevor
Published: December 2015

There is still a lack of agreement about what skills journalism graduates need for employment in the industry and how these can be demonstrated and assured. The variability in courses has contributed to significant differences in standards and difficulties in measuring graduate capabilities. In response to this situation, this article outlines the case for the development of a new journalism capstone unit for journalism educators that demonstrates graduate capabilities more accurately and consistently. This final-year capstone unit aims to provide, for the first time, a series of agreed criteria and standards to guide journalism educators in the design and implementation of a unit that effectively demonstrates and measures the required graduate capabilities. While no one is proposing a unified tertiary journalism curriculum, there must be a way to identify the minimum standards and test capabilities to be met by a graduate from a bachelor-level degree or enrolled in a major in the field of journalism. There is much to be gained from collaboration to develop consistent assessment criteria and standards.
David Robie. 2014. Don’t Spoil My Beautiful Face: Media Mayhem and Human Rights in the Pacific
Authors: Blackall David
Published: December 2015

David Robie. 2014. Don’t Spoil My Beautiful Face: Media Mayhem and Human Rights in the Pacific. Auckland: Little Island Press. An Interview with Its Author1
Framing Thailand’s Political Crisis
Authors: Supadhiloke Boonlert
Published: December 2015

This study used content and textual analysis of four newspapers—the Bangkok Post, The Nation, Thai Rath and Matichon––between 1 November 2013 and the general election on 2 February 2014 to examine how they framed the Thai political crisis. The content analysis produced six dominant frames, namely, democracy, chaos (or anarchy), violence, social injustice, public disapproval and negative impact. Through these frames, the textual analysis portrayed how the elected government struggled to defend democracy as opposition protesters mounted civil disobedience and Bangkok shutdown campaigns to put pressure on it.
Book Review: Ensor, Jonathan, Berger, Rachel and Huq, Saleemul, editors. 2014: Community-based Adaptation to Climate Change: Emerging Lessons
Authors: Donaldson Chris
Published: December 2015

Ensor, Jonathan, Berger, Rachel and Huq, Saleemul, editors. 2014: Community-based Adaptation to Climate Change: Emerging Lessons. Rugby, UK: Practical Action Publishing. Chapters 11, 216 pp.. £17.95 (paperback). ISBN: 9781780447919.
Spectator Demand, Uncertainty of Results, and Public Interest
Authors: Cox Adam
Published: December 2015

This article tests the impact of match outcome uncertainty on stadium attendance and television audiences of English Premier League football. The method accounts for different measures of outcome uncertainty, an issue identified as a potential source of discord between existing evidence. Results show that more certain matches are preferred by spectators at the stadium yet more uncertain matches are preferred on TV spectators. Thus, a change in revenue sharing polices aimed at promoting a more uncertain match may affect both TV and stadium demand in opposing directions.
Kinematic analysis of cable-driven parallel mechanisms based on minimum potential energy principle
Authors: Liwen Guan , Huayang Xu , Zhihua Liu
Published: December 2015

The forward kinematic analysis of the cable-driven parallel mechanism has been a challenging and interesting problem since 10 years ago. This work converts the forward kinematic analysis problem of the cable-driven parallel mechanism to an optimization problem, whose objective is to minimize the potential energy of mobile platform. In order to simplify the optimization problem further so that it can be solved with any simple optimization algorithm in short time, some constraints are introduced to design variables. We utilize the sequential quadratic programming algorithm to solve the simplified optimization problem in this article. The efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed approach are validated with some numerical examples. Furthermore, due to the fact that a required pose may be not stable, the availability of its inverse kinematic solution should be supervised. The aforementioned approach provides a valid tool for solving this type of problems by contrasting the distinction between the required pose and the actual pose calculated by it. The feasibility of applying our proposed method to execute the inverse kinematic analysis of cable-driven parallel mechanism is proved with several examples in this article.
Health Coaching the Worker With Celiac Disease
Authors: Smith Letha
Published: December 2015

L.Y., a 52-year-old project manager, had a series of minor epistaxis episodes while at work. After seeing his primary care physician, he was diagnosed with anemia which was attributed to the epistaxis. After being evaluated by an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist for treatment of the epistaxis, anemia continued. Eventually, he was diagnosed with celiac disease. Implications for health coaching are explored.
Discordant bone marrow involvement in non-Hodgkin lymphoma
Authors: Brudno Jennifer , Tadmor Tamar , Pittaluga Stefania , Nicolae Alina , Polliack Aaron , Dunleavy Kieron
Published: December 2015

A discordant lymphoma occurs where 2 distinct histologic subtypes coexist in at least 2 separate anatomic sites. Histologic discordance is most commonly observed between the bone marrow (BM) and lymph nodes (LNs), where typically aggressive lymphoma is found in a LN biopsy with indolent lymphoma in a BM biopsy. Although the diagnosis of discordance relied heavily on histopathology alone in the past, the availability of flow cytometry and molecular studies have aided the identification of this entity. The true prevalence and clinical ramifications of discordance remain controversial as available data are principally retrospective, and there is therefore little consensus to guide optimal management strategies. In this review, we examine the available literature on discordant lymphoma and its outcome, and discuss current therapeutic approaches. Future studies in discordant lymphoma should ideally focus on a large series of patients with adequate tissue samples and incorporate molecular analyses.
Towards breed formation by island model divergence in Korean cattle
Authors: Strucken Eva M. , Lee Seung H. , Jang Gul W. , Porto-Neto Laercio R. , Gondro Cedric
Published: December 2015

Background

The main cattle breed in Korea is the brown Hanwoo, which has been under artificial selection within a national breeding program for several decades. Varieties of the Hanwoo known as Jeju Black and Chikso were not included in the breeding program and remained isolated from the effects of recent artificial selection advancements. We analysed the Jeju Black and Chikso populations in regards to their genetic variability, state of inbreeding, as well as level of differentiation from the mainland Hanwoo population.

Results

Jeju Black and Chikso were found to have small estimated effective population sizes (Ne) of only 11 and 7, respectively. Despite a smallNe, higher than expected heterozygosity levels were observed (0.303 and 0.306), however, lower allelic richness was found for the two island populations (1.76 and 1.77) compared to the mainland population (1.81). The increase in heterozygosity could be due to environmental disease challenges that promoted maintenance of higher genetic variability; however, no direct proof exists. Increased heterozygosity due to a first generation crossing of genetically different populations is not recorded. The differentiation between the Korean populations hadFSTvalues between 0.014 and 0.036 which is not as high as the differentiation within European beef or dairy cattle breeds (0.047–0.111). This suggests that the three populations have not separated into independent breeds.

Conclusion

Results agree with an island model of speciation where the brown Hanwoo represents the ancestral breed, whilst the Jeju Black and Chikso diverge from this common ancestor, following different evolutionary trajectories. Nevertheless, differences are minor and whether Jeju Black and Chikso cattle will develop into discrete breeds or reintegrate with the main population has to be seen in the future and will largely depend on human management decisions. This offers a rare opportunity to accompany the development of new breeds but also poses challenges on how to preserve these incipient breeds and ensure their long term viability.
An embryological perspective on the early arthropod fossil record
Authors: Chipman Ariel D.
Published: December 2015

Background

Our understanding of the early evolution of the arthropod body plan has recently improved significantly through advances in phylogeny and developmental biology and through new interpretations of the fossil record. However, there has been limited effort to synthesize data from these different sources. Bringing an embryological perspective into the fossil record is a useful way to integrate knowledge from different disciplines into a single coherent view of arthropod evolution.

Results

I have used current knowledge on the development of extant arthropods, together with published descriptions of fossils, to reconstruct the germband stages of a series of key taxa leading from the arthropod lower stem group to crown group taxa. These reconstruction highlight the main evolutionary transitions that have occurred during early arthropod evolution, provide new insights into the types of mechanisms that could have been active and suggest new questions and research directions.

Conclusions

The reconstructions suggest several novel homology hypotheses – e.g. the lower stem group head shield and head capsules in the crown group are all hypothesized to derive from the embryonic head lobes. The homology of anterior segments in different groups is resolved consistently. The transition between “lower-stem” and “upper-stem” arthropods is highlighted as a major transition with a concentration of novelties and innovations, suggesting a gap in the fossil record. A close relationship between chelicerates and megacheirans is supported by the embryonic reconstructions, and I suggest that the depth of the mandibulate-chelicerate split should be reexamined.
Evaluation of the mechanisms of intron loss and gain in the social amoebae Dictyostelium
Authors: Ma Ming-Yue , Che Xun-Ru , Porceddu Andrea , Niu Deng-Ke
Published: December 2015

Background

Spliceosomal introns are a common feature of eukaryotic genomes. To approach a comprehensive understanding of intron evolution on Earth, studies should look beyond repeatedly studied groups such as animals, plants, and fungi. The slime mold Dictyostelium belongs to a supergroup of eukaryotes not covered in previous studies.

Results

We found 441 precise intron losses in Dictyostelium discoideum and 202 precise intron losses in Dictyostelium purpureum. Consistent with these observations, Dictyostelium discoideum was found to have significantly more copies of reverse transcriptase genes than Dictyostelium purpureum. We also found that the lost introns are significantly further from the 5′ end of genes than the conserved introns. Adjacent introns were prone to be lost simultaneously in Dictyostelium discoideum. In both Dictyostelium species, the exonic sequences flanking lost introns were found to have a significantly higher GC content than those flanking conserved introns. Together, these observations support a reverse-transcription model of intron loss in which intron losses were caused by gene conversion between genomic DNA and cDNA reverse transcribed from mature mRNA. We also identified two imprecise intron losses in Dictyostelium discoideum that may have resulted from genomic deletions. Ninety-eight putative intron gains were also observed. Consistent with previous studies of other lineages, the source sequences were found in only a small number of cases, with only two instances of intron gain identified in Dictyostelium discoideum.

Conclusions

Although they diverged very early from animals and fungi, Dictyostelium species have similar mechanisms of intron loss.
Molecular imaging for stem cell therapy in the brain
Authors: Sandu Nora , Chowdhury Tumul , Schaller Bernhard
Published: December 2015

Molecular imaging is one of the methods to follow-up stem cell therapy by visualization in the brain. In a recent article in Stem Cell Research & Therapy, Micci et al. offer a thorough discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of this method and their roles in the future. The authors are among the very first who have implemented recently introduced molecular imaging techniques in experimental research and clinical practice.
Association of adiponectin and metabolic syndrome in adolescents: the caspian- III study
Authors: Shafiee Gita , Ahadi Zeinab , Qorbani Mostafa , Kelishadi Roya , Ziauddin Hassan , Larijani Bagher , Heshmat Ramin
Published: December 2015

Background

This study aimed to investigate the associations between metabolic syndrome (Mets) and adiponectin concentrations in Iranian adolescents.

Methods

This study was conducted as a sub-study of a national school- based surveillance program in 10–18 year- old students from 27 provinces in Iran. Plasma adiponectin was measured in 180 randomly selected participants. Metabolic syndrome (Mets) was defined based on the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP- III) criteria modified for the pediatric age group. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the association between adiponectin and cardiometabolic risk factors.

Results

The median of adiponectin concentrations was significantly lower among participants with Mets [2.95 μg/ml (interquartile range 2.72–3.30)] compared with subjects without Mets [4.55 μg/ml (interquartile range 3.02–5.75)]. Adiponectin showed significant negative association with higher number of Mets components (P- trend < 0.05). Significant correlations were observed between adiponectin concentrations and metabolic parameters, except blood pressure.

Significant inverse association existed between adiponectin levels and presence of Mets (OR, 0.21; 95%CI: 0.10–0.45; p < 0.001). In multivariate models, this association remained significant after adjustment for other risk factors (OR, 0.18; 95%CI: 0.07–0.47; p < 0.001.

Conclusions

Adiponectinhas inverse association with cardiometabolic parameters in Iranian adolescents, and it is a determinant of Mets independent of other risk factors. These findings can be used in comparison with other ethnic groups. Further longitudinal studies are necessary to assess the clinical impact of such inverse association.
College men’s fashion: clothing preference, identity, and avoidance
Authors: Noh Mijeong , Li Meng , Martin Kaleb , Purpura Joseph
Published: December 2015

The goal of our exploratory study was to investigate what fashion means to college men in terms of preference, identity, and avoidance. Specifically, we aimed to determine what young men want to achieve as well as avoid through their clothing. We interviewed 15 college men to collect data. This exploratory study revealed that the male college students who participated in this study desire clothing that is comfortable, gives them confidence, and meets the expectations of their surroundings. The results suggest that college men’s fashion preferences are driven largely by a desire for comfort and adherence to norms. Moreover, the study participants avoided certain types of clothing due to the clothing’s incongruence with their styles. Their aversion to clothing that could be perceived as alternative, gangster, or gay indicates that these men strived to avoid clothing that conveys identities viewed as non-conformist, non-professional, or unusual. In line with our findings, we encourage universities to educate students in order to prevent them from holding negative stereotypes against African Americans and homosexuals. Continued educational efforts could be made through courses that curtail aversion to underrepresented ethnic groups.
Evaluation of benefit to patients of training mental health professionals in suicide guidelines: Cluster randomised trial
Authors: de Beurs Derek P. , de Groot Marieke H. , de Keijser Jos , van Duijn Erik , de Winter Remco F. P. , Kerkhof Ad J. F. M.
Published: December 2015

Background

Randomised studies examining the effect on patients of training professionals in adherence to suicide guidelines are scarce.

Aims

To assess whether patients benefited from the training of professionals in adherence to suicide guidelines.

Method

In total 45 psychiatric departments were randomised (Dutch trial register: NTR3092). In the intervention condition, all staff in the departments were trained with an e-learning supported train-the-trainer programme. After the intervention, patients were assessed at admission and at 3-month follow-up. Primary outcome was change in suicide ideation, assessed with the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation.

Results

For the total group of 566 patients with a positive score on the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation at baseline, intention-to-treat analysis showed no effects of the intervention on patient outcomes at 3-month follow-up. Patients who were suicidal with a DSM-IV diagnosis of depression (n= 154) showed a significant decrease in suicide ideation when treated in the intervention group. Patients in the intervention group more often reported that suicidality was discussed during treatment.

Conclusions

Overall, no effect of our intervention on patients was found. However, we did find a beneficial effect of the training of professionals on patients with depression.
“Enchanting Witchery”: Sir Joshua Reynolds's Portrait of Kitty Fisher as Cleopatra
Authors: Mudge Bradford
Published: December 2015

Sir Joshua's Kitty Fisher as Cleopatra is a celebrated picture, one often taken as a representative of what are referred to as Reynolds's “courtesan portraits,” portraits of women—actresses, mistresses, models, prostitutes—who, in a variety of ways and with varying degrees of notoriety, traded sex for money. Reexamining a portrait already well known for its aesthetic, thematic, and cultural complexities, this essay considers first Reynolds's reworking of the Trevisani original and the Pliny account that inspired it. Then it reroutes all of the portrait's intricately connected themes through an understanding of Cleopatra's wager with Antony. That wager is crucial because Reynolds represents the moment at which it was won, and because Fisher is thereby asked to represent a female sexuality inextricable from the world of high-stakes gambling so important to the mid eighteenth-century England.
“Set His Image in Motion:” John Dennis and Early Eighteenth-Century Motion Imagery
Authors: Landreth Sara
Published: December 2015

This article examines early eighteenth-century attempts to explain how poetic descriptions of physical motion generated vivid scenes in the imagination. Motion was central to neo-Augustan theories of representation because, for much of this period, writers understood motion as a central principle of human nature. Questions about the mind/soul's “agitations” were crucial to a wide range of Enlightenment theories about mental imagery, rhetorical persuasion, and aesthetic beauty. Many writers, including John Dennis, linked the aesthetic import of spatial movement to Newtonian laws of motion. I trace the ways that Dennis's theories about motion imagery address not only the classical tradition of “bringing-before-the-eyes,” but also the modern philosophical models of inertia and force. In arguing that writing about poetry could better elucidate the motions of the mind/soul than could moral philosophy or physics, Dennis's essays can also teach us about eighteenth-century proto-disciplinary organization. Recent work in cognitive cultural studies has shown that the concept of motion is of vital importance to understanding the way the brain comprehends and structures language. This has especially wide-reaching implications for scholars of Restoration and eighteenth-century literature because it was during this period that writers began to codify connections between universal laws of nature, beauty, and human cognition.
The Gas2 family protein Pigs is a microtubule +TIP that affects cytoskeleton organisation
Authors: Girdler Gemma C. , Applewhite Derek A. , Perry Wick M. G. , Rogers Stephen L. , Röper Katja
Published: December 2015

Coordination between different cytoskeletal systems is crucial for many cell biological functions, including cell migration and mitosis, and also plays an important role during tissue morphogenesis. Proteins of the class of cytoskeletal crosslinkers, or cytolinkers, have the ability to interact with more than one cytoskeletal system at a time and are prime candidates to mediate any coordination. One such class comprises the Gas2-like proteins, combining a conserved calponin-homology-type actin-binding domain and a Gas2 domain predicted to bind microtubules (MTs). This domain combination is also found in spectraplakins, huge cytolinkers that play important roles in many tissues in both invertebrates and vertebrates. Here, we dissect the ability of the single Drosophila Gas2-like protein Pigs to interact with both actin and MT cytoskeletons, both in vitro and in vivo, and illustrate complex regulatory interactions that determine the localisation of Pigs to and its effects on the cytoskeleton.
Pore Structure and Compressibility of Coal Matrix with Elevated Temperatures by Mercury Intrusion Porosimetry
Authors: Li Zhentao , Liu Dameng , Cai Yidong , Yao Yanbin , Wang Hui
Published: December 2015

To gain a better understanding of the effect of heat (e.g., magma intrusion, geothermal fluids and enhanced coal-bed methane recovery process) on coal reservoir properties, the pore structure and compressibility of coal matrix for low rank coal (0.69% Ro, m) with elevated temperatures were investigated by using multiple methods, including thermogravimetry-mass spectrometry (TG-MS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), N2 adsorption/desorption at 77 K and mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP). The results from TG-MS showed that moisture and partial volatiles were removed from the coal matrix, and pore structure almost remained unchanged during the low heat treatment (25∼200°C). The micropores and transition pores consisted of more than 80% of the total pore volume based on the MIP. The pore structure was slightly changed following the temperature increase to 400°C, and the bound moisture and partial organics in the coal were released and decomposed by the increased heat, respectively. When temperature reached 400°C, organic matter decomposition of the coal released a large amount of hydrocarbon and micromolecule gases. The meso- and macropore in the coal were significantly developed, occupying ∼35% of the total pore volume. Although there was no large change in generated gas composition after 600°C, the pore volume and structures, including pore size distribution, pore volume and pore connectivity, were significantly changed based on the MIP. The pore structure acquired from MIP exhibited a deviation when the mercury intruded pressure reached 10 MPa. A fractal model was introduced to correct the MIP data and acquire the pore compressibility of the coal matrix. The results showed that the pore compressibility decreased with increasing pressure and temperature. Thus, this study provides significant implications of the pore structure evolution of underground coals that encounter heating.
Using Light Hydrocarbons to Identify the Depositional Environment of Source Rocks in the Ordos Basin, Central China
Authors: Liu Dan , Yu Cong , Huang Shipeng , Fang Chenchen , Feng Ziqi , Kong Qingfen
Published: December 2015

The Carboniferous–Permian coal beds in the Ordos Basin of central China are generally considered the source of gas found in upper Paleozoic reservoirs. However, the coal beds consist of both coal and coaly mudstone, each with a different distribution and potential for hydrocarbon generation. The ability to distinguish the gases generated by each type of source rock is critical for further petroleum exploration. In this study we integrated several light hydrocarbon indices (e.g., the Halpern C7OCSD, the K2) with carbon and hydrogen isotopes and the distribution of sedimentary facies in order to distinguish the coal-generated gases from the mudstone-generated gases. The differences in the light hydrocarbon contents of the coal and the coaly mudstone relate to the depositional environment, where the coal was deposited on a delta plain and the mudstone was deposited along the delta front. This paper presents a method for accurate gas–source correlation and its integration with sedimentary facies and depositional environment, for improved prediction and exploration of petroleum systems.
Factors Controlling Hydrocarbon Reservoir Formation and Distribution and Prediction of Favourable Areas in the Jurassic Toutunhe Formation in the Fudong Slope, Junggar Basin, China
Authors: Pang Hong , Pang Xiongqi , Zhou Liming , Xiang Caifu , Hu Tao
Published: December 2015

In recent years, many oil and gas reservoirs have been discovered in the Jurassic Toutunhe Formation in the Fudong slope, Junggar Basin. The total reserve in the formation is nearly 100 million tonnes, indicating huge exploration potential in the area. However, the main factors controlling the hydrocarbon accumulation remain unclear, and the mechanisms of hydrocarbon accumulation and enrichment are controversial. In this work, by studying the mechanism and main factors controlling hydrocarbon accumulation in the Toutunhe Formation in the Fudong area, a quantitative model of the reservoir rock and caprocks that control hydrocarbon distribution was constructed, the critical conditions for hydrocarbon accumulation were determined and favourable exploration areas were predicted. The results indicated that the oil in the Toutunhe Formation was derived from both Permian and Jurassic source rocks, the oil migrated from west to east after generation and both reservoir rock and caprock controlled the formation and distribution of oil reservoirs. The oil-bearing capacity improved with increases in the storage coefficient and caprock thickness. Accumulation did not occur when the reservoir rock and caprock index ( RCI) was ≤ 0.5 but was favoured when the values were higher; this factor was the critical condition for hydrocarbon accumulation.
Development and Evaluation of an Automated, Home‐Based, Electronic Questionnaire for Detecting COPD Exacerbations
Authors: Velazquez-Peña Francisco de B. , Sanchez-Morillo Daniel , Crespo-Miguel Mario , Astorga-Moreno Sonia , Santi-Cano MJ , Fernandez-Granero MA , Leon-Jimenez Antonio
Published: December 2015

Collaboration between patients and their medical and technical experts enabled the development of an automated questionnaire for the early detection of COPD exacerbations (AQCE). The questionnaire consisted of fourteen questions and was implemented on a computer system for use by patients at home in an un‐supervised environment. Psychometric evaluation was conducted after a 6‐month field trial. Fifty‐two patients were involved in the development of the questionnaire. Reproducibility was studied using 19 patients (ICC = 0.94). Sixteen out of the 19 subjects started the 6 month‐field trial with the computer application. Cronbach’s alpha of 0.81 was achieved. In the concurrent validity analysis, a correlation of 0.80 (p = 0.002) with the CCQ was reported. The results suggest that AQCE is a valid and reliable questionnaire, showing that an automated home‐based electronic questionnaire may enable early detection of exacerbations of COPD.
Numerical and Experimental Analysis of Reactive Fire Protection Systems Applied to Solid Steel Rods in Tension
Authors: Häßler Dustin , Hothan Sascha
Published: December 2015

The application of intumescent coatings for fire protection of steel constructions is increasing. Thanks to the relative thin thickness of the coatings, the typical visual appearance of the structures can remain essentially unchanged. In Germany, the applicability of the systems is regulated by the national as well as European technical assessments. According to the approvals, the application on steel members in tension is only allowed with limitations. Especially, the application on solid steel rods in tension is currently excluded from the approval. The paper explains the actual state of the art of the application of reactive fire protection systems applied to steel structures. Physical and technical background information are provided. Furthermore, the latest scientific results of an on-going research project funded by the German National Institute of Building Technology (DIBt) and conducted by the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM) will be described.
Disproportional Control Rights and the Governance Role of Debt
Authors: Dey Aiyesha , Nikolaev Valeri , Wang Xue
Published: December 2015

We examine the governance role of debt in the context of U.S.-based dual class ownership structures. We hypothesize that the use of debt alleviates the conflict between shareholder classes by balancing the power of controlling insiders. We document that dual class firms have higher leverage and a greater propensity to issue private debt; they also more frequently use cash sweeps and performance-based covenants. Dual class firms with greater agency conflicts and a greater need to access the capital market appear to rely more extensively on debt. These findings are consistent with controlling insiders bonding against the agency costs associated with dual class ownership. The governance role of debt is further corroborated by the valuation effect of debt for dual class companies. Private debt issuances trigger greater positive market reactions to the inferior dual class stock in relation to both the superior dual class stock and a matched sample of single class firms. Further, leverage attenuates the previously documented adverse effect of dual class status on Tobin’s q. Taken together, our analyses suggest that dual class firms use debt as a complementary governance mechanism.

This paper was accepted by Mary Barth, accounting.