bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Magnetic structure of martensite in Ni–Mn–Ga–Co alloys
Authors: Cesari Eduard , Seguí Concepció , Lázpita Patricia
Published: January 2017

Ni[Formula: see text]CoxMn[Formula: see text]Ga[Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]) alloys undergo martensitic transformation between ferromagnetic (FM) austenite and weak-magnetic martensite. However, the type of magnetism of martensite remains unclear. In this work, the results of a detailed study of the magnetic state of martensite in a Ni[Formula: see text]Co7Mn[Formula: see text]Ga[Formula: see text] are shown. The evolution with post-quench ageing indicates that improvement of atomic order increases the FM contributions to the weak-magnetic martensite, major changes occurring as the austenite switches from paramagnetic (PM) to FM. The results are consistent with the presence of FM clusters inside a PM matrix.
Realities and Strategies in Managing North Korea’s Nuclear Challenge
Authors: Kyung-Young Chung
Published: January 2017

The nuclear program is arguably Kim Jong-un’s strategic fantasy and core asset for breaking the status quo in order to achieve a unified Korea. To cope with North Korea’s grave nuclear and missile threats, the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system needs to be deployed in South Korea for deterrence by denial. In the meantime, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) should not exclude the military option in the event of any further nuclear test and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) launch experiment by North Korea. The U.S. government should consider redeploying tactical nuclear warheads to South Korea in order to make the extended deterrence more effective. The South Korean government should make it clear that the Republic of Korea (ROK) does not seek to join, nor will it be incorporated into, the U.S.-led missile defense system. The United States and China should cooperate with South Korea to take the lead in achieving a norm-oriented, nuclear-free, and unified Korea. In particular, ROK-U.S.-China strategic cooperation is essential to preventing any potential nuclear warfare and maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula. South Korea, the United States and China should propose restructured negotiations on important issues that provide genuine incentives for Pyongyang, culminating in complete and verifiable denuclearization and a treaty that will end the tensions on the Peninsula. In addition, the trilateral cooperation needs to adopt a more proactive engagement policy to facilitate North Korea’s lasting transformation.
Design and Early Implementation of the Murray–Darling Basin Plan
Authors: Kneebone Jo , Wilson Belinda
Published: January 2017

Australia’s Murray–Darling Basin extends over one million square kilometers and supports almost three-quarters of the country’s irrigated agricultural land. Like the Colorado River in America and the Yellow River in China, the Murray–Darling Basin runs across a number of jurisdictional boundaries, and has been a focus for national water reforms for many years. The Murray–Darling Basin Plan is the culmination of more than two decades of water reform experience in Australia. It was adopted by the Commonwealth Water Minister in 2012 to rebalance use of water resources and create a more sustainable footing for a healthy working Basin. The Basin Plan was based on the best science at the time, which was endorsed by peer review. The key features of the Basin Plan that are integrated into its design are optimizing social, economic and environmental (triple bottom line) outcomes; improving transparency of decision-making and flexible and adaptive management. As a result of widespread consultation, the Basin Plan also included suggestions from jurisdictions and communities that served to better balance the competing interests for water resources, and provided a clearly defined timetable for implementation to create certainty for communities and investment. The Basin Plan commenced on 29 November 2012, and early implementation activities are well progressed, meaning that water resources are already better positioned to cope with major drought. Looking forward, continued support for Basin Plan reforms from governments and communities will be an ongoing challenge for implementation. Similarly, separating out the effects of the Basin Plan from other external effects on the social and economic well-being of Basin communities will be a challenge when evaluating whether the Basin Plan has achieved its triple bottom line outcomes and objectives.
Valuing Treated Wastewater and Reuse: Preliminary Implications From a Meta-Analysis
Authors: Bouzit Madjid , Das Sukanya , Cary Lise
Published: January 2017

Over the past few years, several empirical studies have estimated the economic benefits of treating and reusing wastewater for different purposes and in different countries. This work has resulted in an expanded data pool potentially usable for evaluating the social and economic implications of wastewater investments, particularly those incorporating reuse projects. We present the results of a systematic and comprehensive review of available empirical studies that assessed individual willingness-to-pay (WTP) estimates of recycled wastewater. Using a meta-analysis method (MA), we investigated the results of 84 WTP estimates from 22 international studies covering 12 countries. From our general meta-regression model, we estimated the mean WTP for recycled wastewater at US$ 52.62 per-household/per-year. We find that WTP can vary in a systematic and predictable way with respect to key factors that determine an individual’s WTP for recycled water, such as socio-economic and contextual characteristics as well as the individuals’ attitudes and perceptions concerning recycled water. We demonstrate that such categories of variables are important for the potential use of MA for value transfer. This finding can be useful to inform and guide research and development on future empirical valuation studies, and to facilitate the use of value-transfer methods through the MA model.
Evaluation of Musical Creativity and Musical Metacreation Systems
Authors: Agres Kat , Forth Jamie , Wiggins Geraint A.
Published: January 2017

The field of computational creativity, including musical metacreation, strives to develop artificial systems that are capable of demonstrating creative behavior or producing creative artefacts. But the claim of creativity is often assessed, subjectively only on the part of the researcher and not objectively at all. This article provides theoretical motivation for more systematic evaluation of musical metacreation and computationally creative systems and presents an overview of current methods used to assess human and machine creativity that may be adapted for this purpose. In order to highlight the need for a varied set of evaluation tools, a distinction is drawn among three types of creative systems: those that are purely generative, those that contain internal or external feedback, and those that are capable of reflection and self-reflection. To address the evaluation of each of these aspects, concrete examples of methods and techniques are suggested to help researchers (1) evaluate their systems' creative process and generated artefacts, and test their impact on the perceptual, cognitive, and affective states of the audience, and (2) build mechanisms for reflection into the creative system, including models of human perception and cognition, to endow creative systems with internal evaluative mechanisms to drive self-reflective processes. The first type of evaluation can be considered external to the creative system and may be employed by the researcher to both better understand the efficacy of their system and its impact and to incorporate feedback into the system. Here we take the stance that understanding human creativity can lend insight to computational approaches, and knowledge of how humans perceive creative systems and their output can be incorporated into artificial agents as feedback to provide a sense of how a creation will impact the audience. The second type centers around internal evaluation, in which the system is able to reason about its own behavior and generated output. We argue that creative behavior cannot occur without feedback and reflection by the creative/metacreative system itself. More rigorous empirical testing will allow computational and metacreative systems to become more creative by definition and can be used to demonstrate the impact and novelty of particular approaches.
Collaborating with an Autonomous Agent to Generate Affective Music
Authors: Morreale Fabio , De Angeli Antonella
Published: January 2017

Multidisciplinary research recently has been investigating solutions to offer new experiences of music making to musically untrained users. Our approach proposes to distribute the process of music making between the user and an autonomous agent by encoding this collaboration in the emotional domain. In this framework, users communicate the emotions they wish to express to Robin, the autonomous agent, which interprets this information to generate music with matching affective flavor. Robin is taught a series of basic compositional rules of tonal music, which are used to create original compositions in Western classical-like music. Associations between alterations to musical factors and changes in the communicated emotions are operationalized on the basis of recent outcomes that have emerged from research in the field of psychology of music. At each new bar, a number of stochastic processes determine the values of seven musical factors, whose combinations best match the intended emotion. The ability of Robin to validly communicate emotions was tested in an experimental study (N = 33). Results indicated that listeners correctly identified the intended emotions. Robin was employed for the purposes of two interactive artworks, which are also discussed in the article, showing the potential of the algorithm to be employed in interactive installations.
Topology Control for Self-Adaptation in Wireless Sensor Networks with Temporary Connection Impairment
Authors: Roy Arijit , Misra Sudip , Kar Pushpendu , Mondal Ayan
Published: January 2017

In this work, the problem of topology control for self-adaptation in stationary Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) is revisited, specifically for the case of networks with a subset of nodes having temporary connection impairment between them. This study focuses on misbehaviors arising due to the presence of\enskip “dumb” nodes [Misra et al. 2014; Roy et al. 2014a, 2014b, 2014c; Kar and Misra 2015], which can sense its surroundings but cannot communicate with its neighbors due to shrinkage in its communication range by the environmental effects attributed to change in temperature, rainfall, and fog. However, a dumb node is expected to behave normally on the onset of favorable environmental conditions. Therefore, the presence of such dumb nodes in the network gives rise to impaired connectivity between a subset of nodes and, consequently, results in change in topology. Such phenomena are dynamic in nature and are thus distinct from the phenomena attributed to traditional isolation problems considered in stationary WSNs. Activation of all the sensor nodes simultaneously is not necessarily energy efficient and cost-effective. In order to maintain self-adaptivity of the network, two algorithms, named
Connectivity Re-establishment in the presence of Dumb nodes
(
CoRD
) and
Connectivity Re-establishment in the presence of Dumb nodes Without Applying Constraints
(
CoRDWAC
), are designed. The performance of these algorithms is evaluated through simulation-based experiments. Further, it is also observed that the performance of CoRD is better than the existing topology control protocols—LETC and A1—with respect to the number of nodes activated, overhead, and energy consumption.
Resource Tardiness Weighted Cost Minimization in Project Scheduling
Authors: Shirzadeh Chaleshtari Ali
Published: January 2017

In this paper, we study a project scheduling problem that is called resource constrained project scheduling problem under minimization of total weighted resource tardiness penalty cost (RCPSP-TWRTPC). In this problem, the project is subject to renewable resources, each renewable resource is available for limited time periods during the project life cycle, and keeping the resource for each extra period results in some tardiness penalty cost. We introduce a branch and bound algorithm to solve the problem exactly and use several bounding, fathoming, and dominance rules in our algorithm to shorten the enumeration process. We point out parameters affecting the RCPSP-TWRTPC degree of difficulty, generate extensive sets of sample instances for the problem, and perform comprehensive experimental analysis using the customized algorithm and also CPLEX solver. We analyze the algorithm behavior with respect to the changes in instances degree of difficulty and compare its performance for different cases with the CPLEX solver. The results reveal algorithm efficiency.
Two Cases of Ectopic Hamartomatous Thymoma Masquerading as Sarcoma
Authors: Kondo Takahito , Sato Yukiko , Tanaka Hiroko , Sasaki Toru , Kawabata Kazuyoshi , Mitani Hiroki , Yonekawa Hiroyuki , Fukushima Hirofumi , Shimbashi Wataru
Published: January 2017

Ectopic hamartomatous thymoma (EHT) is an extremely rare benign tumor. EHTs are difficult to differentiate from sarcomas, especially synovial sarcomas. We encountered two cases of EHT that were referred from other hospitals because sarcoma was suspected. In these cases, fusion gene detection via polymerase chain reaction or fluorescence in situ hybridization was useful for differentiating EHT from synovial sarcoma. EHT requires accurate diagnosis before surgery to avoid excessive treatment. Both tumor location and the presence of fat inside the tumor are important imaging findings for EHT, and confirmation of spindle cells, epithelial cells, and mature adipose cells in the tumor is an important pathological finding. It is important to exclude synovial sarcoma from the differential diagnosis via fusion gene analysis.
Necrotizing Liver Granuloma/Abscess and Constrictive Aspergillosis Pericarditis with Central Nervous System Involvement: Different Remarkable Phenotypes in Different Chronic Granulomatous Disease Genotypes
Authors: Eren Akarcan Sanem , Karaca Neslihan , Aksu Guzide , Bozkaya Halil , Ayik Mehmet Fatih , Ozdemir Sahan Yasemin , Kilinc Mehmet Arda , Dokumcu Zafer , Eraslan Cenk , Divarci Emre , Alper Hudaver , Kutukculer Necil
Published: January 2017

Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is a primary immune deficiency causing predisposition to infections with specific microorganisms, Aspergillus species and Staphylococcus aureus being the most common ones. A 16-year-old boy with a mutation in CYBB gene coding gp91phox protein (X-linked disease) developed a liver abscess due to Staphylococcus aureus. In addition to medical therapy, surgical treatment was necessary for the management of the disease. A 30-month-old girl with an autosomal recessive form of chronic granulomatous disease (CYBA gene mutation affecting p22phox protein) had invasive aspergillosis causing pericarditis, pulmonary abscess, and central nervous system involvement. The devastating course of disease regardless of the mutation emphasizes the importance of early diagnosis and intervention of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation as soon as possible in children with CGD.
The Role of PDGFs and PDGFRs in Colorectal Cancer
Authors: Manzat Saplacan Roberta M. , Balacescu Loredana , Gherman Claudia , Chira Romeo I. , Craiu Anca , Mircea Petru A. , Lisencu Cosmin , Balacescu Ovidiu
Published: January 2017

Introduction.Colorectal cancer (CRC) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Angiogenesis was reported as one important mechanism activated in colorectal carcinogenesis. Tumor microenvironment associated angiogenesis involves a large spectrum of signaling molecules and deciphering their role in colorectal carcinogenesis still represents a major challenge. The aim of our study is to point out the diagnosis and prediction role of PDGF family and their receptors in colorectal carcinogenesis.Material and Methods.A systematic search in Medline and PubMed for studies reporting the role of platelet-derived growth factors (PDGFs) and their receptors (PDGFRs) in tumor biology related to CRC was made.Results.PDGFs are important growth factors for normal tissue growth and division, with an important role in blood vessel formation. PDGFs/PDGFRs signaling pathway has been demonstrated to be involved in angiogenesis mainly by targeting pericytes and vascular smooth muscle cells. High levels of PDGF-BB were reported in CRC patients compared to those with adenomas, while elevated levels of PDGFRα/βin the stroma of CRC patients were correlated with invasion and metastasis. Moreover, PDGF-AB and PDGF-C were correlated with early diagnosis, cancer grading, and metastatic disease.Conclusions.Both PDGFs and PDGFRs families play an important role in colorectal carcinogenesis and could be considered to be investigated as useful biomarkers both for diagnosis and treatment of CRC.
Disseminated Tuberculosis Presenting as Baker’s Cyst Infection
Authors: Pervin Najwa , Akram Sami , Hudali Tamer , Bhattarai Mukul , Waqar Sana
Published: January 2017

In the absence of coexisting immunocompromised state and lack of specific symptoms a reactivation of treated mycobacterial tuberculosis (MTB) infection is generally not considered in the differential diagnosis of leg pain. We present a unique case of disseminated tuberculosis presenting as an infected Baker’s cyst in a 73-year-old immunocompetent male.
Diagenesis and Fluid Flow Variability of Structural Heterogeneity Units in Tight Sandstone Carrier Beds of Dibei, Eastern Kuqa Depression
Authors: Shi H. , Luo X. R. , Lei G. L. , Zhang L. Q. , Zhang L. K. , Lei Y. H.
Published: January 2017

Tight sand gas plays an important role in the supply of natural gas production. It has significance for predicting sweet spots to recognize the characteristics and forming of heterogeneity in tight sandstone carrier beds. Heterogeneity responsible for spatial structure, such as the combination and distribution of relatively homogeneous rock layers, is basically established by deposition and eodiagenesis that collectively affect the mesogenesis. We have investigated the structural heterogeneity units by petrofacies in tight sandstone carrier beds of Dibei, eastern Kuqa Depression, according to core, logging, and micropetrology. There are four types of main petrofacies, that is, tight compacted, tight carbonate-cemented, gas-bearing, and water-bearing sandstones. The brine-rock-hydrocarbon diagenesis changes of different heterogeneity structural units have been determined according to the pore bitumen, hydrocarbon inclusions, and quantitative grain fluorescence. Ductile grains or eogenetic calcite cements destroy the reservoir quality of tight compacted or tight carbonate-cemented sandstones. Rigid grains can resist mechanical compaction and oil emplacement before gas charging can inhibit diagenesis to preserve reservoir property of other sandstones. We propose that there is an inheritance relationship between the late gas and early oil migration pathways, which implies that the sweet spots develop in the reservoirs that experienced early oil emplacement.
Rapid Change in Mental Status in a Patient with Hypereosinophilia
Authors: Wang Hanyin , Erban John K.
Published: January 2017

We present the case of a 48-year-old female with acute onset altered mental status, who was found to have eosinophilia, elevated troponin, and embolic strokes. Extensive testing for autoimmune, infectious, and coronary artery etiologies was unremarkable. After a cardiac MRI revealed focal myocardial hyperenhancement, the patient underwent an endomyocardial biopsy with findings consistent with eosinophilic myocarditis. The patient was diagnosed of idiopathic hypereosinophilic syndrome and started on prednisone and apixaban. Our case highlights the importance of considering hypereosinophilic syndrome when eosinophilia is associated with multisystem impairments, as tissue biopsy is usually required to diagnose this rare condition.
A Rare Case of Vancomycin-Induced Linear Immunoglobulin A Bullous Dermatosis
Authors: Jha Pinky , Swanson Kurtis , Stromich Jeremiah , Michalski Basia M. , Olasz Edit
Published: January 2017

Linear IgA bullous dermatosis (LABD) is an autoimmune vesiculobullous disease, which is typically idiopathic but can also rarely be caused by medications or infections. Vancomycin is the most common drug associated with LABD. Lesions typically appear 24 hours to 15 days after the first dose of vancomycin. It is best characterized pathologically by subepidermal bulla (blister) formation with linear IgA deposition at the dermoepidermal junction. Here we report an 86-year-old male with a history of left knee osteoarthritis who underwent a left knee arthroplasty and subsequently developed a prosthetic joint infection. This infection was treated with intravenous vancomycin as well as placement of a vancomycin impregnated joint spacer. Five days following initiation of antibiotic therapy, he presented with a vesiculobullous eruption on an erythematous base over his trunk, extremities, and oral mucosa. The eruption resolved completely when intravenous vancomycin was discontinued and colchicine treatment was begun. Curiously, complete resolution occurred despite the presence of the vancomycin containing joint spacer. The diagnosis of vancomycin-induced linear IgA bullous dermatosis was made based on characteristic clinical and histopathologic presentations.
Beyond Linear Delay Multipliers in Air Transport
Authors: Belkoura Seddik , Peña José Maria , Zanin Massimiliano
Published: January 2017

Delays are considered one of the most important burdens of air transport, both for their social and environmental consequences and for the cost they cause for airlines and passengers. It is therefore not surprising that a large effort has been devoted to study how they propagate through the system. One of the most important indicators to assess such propagation is the delay multiplier, a ratio between outbound and inbound average delays; in spite of its widespread utilisation, its simplicity precludes capturing all details about the dynamics behind the diffusion process. Here we present a methodology that extracts a more complete relationship between the in- and outbound delays, distinguishing a linear and a nonlinear phase and thus yielding a richer description of the system’s response as a function of the delay magnitude. We validate the methodology through the study of a historical data set of flights crossing the European airspace and show how its most important airports have heterogeneous ways of reacting to extreme delays and that this reaction strongly depends on some of their global properties.
Targeted, Deep Sequencing Reveals Full Methylation Profiles of Multiple HPV Types and Potential Biomarkers for Cervical Cancer Progression
Authors: Liu Pengyuan , Iden Marissa , Fye Samantha , Huang Yi-Wen , Hopp Elizabeth , Chu Chen , Lu Yan , Rader Janet S.
Published: January 2017

Background: Invasive cervical cancer (ICC) and its premalignant phase (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia; CIN1-3) are distinguished by gynecologic and pathologic examination, yet no current methodologies can predict precancerous lesions that are destined to progress to ICC. Thus, development of reliable assays to assess patient prognosis is much needed.

Methods: Human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA methylation is significantly altered in cervical disease. Using an HPV enrichment approach and next-generation DNA sequencing, methylation status was characterized in a case–case comparison of CIN (n = 2 CIN1; n = 2 CIN2; n = 20 CIN3) and ICC (n = 37) samples. Pyrosequencing validated methylation changes at CpGs of interest in a larger sample cohort (n = 61 CIN3; 50 ICC).

Results: Global viral methylation, across HPV types, was significantly higher in ICC than CIN3. Average L1 gene methylation in 13 different HPV types best distinguished CIN3 from ICC. Methylation levels at individual CpG sites as a quantitative classifier achieved a sensitivity and specificity of >95% for detecting ICC in HPV 16 samples. Pyrosequencing confirmed significantly higher methylation of these CpGs in E1 of HPV 16 in ICC compared with CIN3.

Conclusions: Global HPV methylation is significantly higher in ICC than CIN3, with L1 gene methylation levels performing best for distinguishing CIN3 from ICC. Methylation levels at CpGs in the E1 gene of HPV 16 (972, 978, 1870, and 1958) can distinguish between CIN3 and ICC.

Impact: Higher methylation at specific E1 CpGs may associate with increased likelihood of progression to ICC in HPV 16–positive CIN3 lesions. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(4); 642–50. ©2017 AACR.
15α-methoxypuupehenol Induces Antitumor Effects In Vitro and In Vivo against Human Glioblastoma and Breast Cancer Models
Authors: Hilliard Tyvette S. , Miklossy Gabriella , Chock Christopher , Yue Peibin , Williams Philip , Turkson James
Published: January 2017

Studies with 15α-methoxypuupehenol (15α-MP), obtained from the extracts of Hyrtios species, identified putative targets that are associated with its antitumor effects against human glioblastoma and breast cancer. In the human glioblastoma (U251MG) or breast cancer (MDA-MB-231) cells, treatment with 15α-MP repressed pY705Stat3, pErk1/2, pS147CyclinB1, pY507Alk (anaplastic lymphoma kinase), and pY478ezrin levels and induced pS10merlin, without inhibiting pJAK2 (Janus kinase) or pAkt induction. 15α-MP treatment induced loss of viability of breast cancer (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-468) and glioblastoma (U251MG) lines and glioblastoma patient–derived xenograft cells (G22) that harbor aberrantly active Stat3, with only moderate or little effect on the human breast cancer, MCF7, colorectal adenocarcinoma Caco-2, normal human lung fibroblast, WI-38, or normal mouse embryonic fibroblast (MEF Stat3fl/fl) lines that do not harbor constitutively active Stat3 or the Stat3-null (Stat3−/−) mouse astrocytes. 15α-MP–treated U251MG cells have severely impaired F-actin organization and altered morphology, including the cells rounding up, and undergo apoptosis, compared with a moderate, reversible morphology change observed for similarly treated mouse astrocytes. Treatment further inhibited U251MG or MDA-MB-231 cell proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, colony formation, and migration in vitro while only moderately or weakly affecting MCF7 cells or normal mouse astrocytes. Oral gavage delivery of 15α-MP inhibited the growth of U251MG subcutaneous tumor xenografts in mice, associated with apoptosis in the treated tumor tissues. Results together suggest that the modulation of Stat3, CyclinB1, Alk, ezrin, merlin, and Erk1/2 functions contributes to the antitumor effects of 15α-MP against glioblastoma and breast cancer progression. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(4); 601–13. ©2017 AACR.
MALAT1 Is Associated with Poor Response to Oxaliplatin-Based Chemotherapy in Colorectal Cancer Patients and Promotes Chemoresistance through EZH2
Authors: Li Peilong , Zhang Xin , Wang Haiyan , Wang Lili , Liu Tong , Du Lutao , Yang Yongmei , Wang Chuanxin
Published: January 2017

A major reason for oxaliplatin chemoresistance in colorectal cancer is the acquisition of epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer cells. The long noncoding RNA (lncRNA), MALAT1, is a highly conserved nuclear ncRNA and a key regulator of metastasis development in several cancers. However, its role in oxaliplatin-induced metastasis and chemoresistance is not well known. In this study, we aim to investigate the prognostic and therapeutic role of lncRNA MALAT1 in colorectal cancer patients receiving oxaliplatin-based therapy and further explore the potential transcriptional regulation through interaction with EZH2 based on the established HT29 oxaliplatin-resistant cells. Our results showed that high MALAT1 expression was associated with reduced patient survival and poor response to oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy in advanced colorectal cancer patients. Oxaliplatin-resistant colorectal cancer cells exhibited high MALAT1 expression and EMT. LncRNA MALAT1 knockdown enhances E-cadherin expression and inhibits oxaliplatin-induced EMT in colorectal cancer cells. EZH2 is highly expressed and associated with the 3′ end region of lncRNA MALAT1 in colorectal cancer, and this association suppressed the expression of E-cadherin. Furthermore, targeted inhibition of MALAT1 or EZH2 reversed EMT and chemoresistance induced by oxaliplatin. Finally, the interaction between lncRNA MALAT1 and miR-218 was observed, which further indicated its prognostic value in patients who received standard FOLFOX (oxaliplatin combine with 5-fluorouracil and leucovorin) treatment. In conclusion, this study illuminates the prognostic role of lncRNA MALAT1 in colorectal cancer patients receiving oxaliplatin-based treatment and further demonstrates how lncRNA MALAT1 confers a chemoresistant function in colorectal cancer. Thus, lncRNA MALAT1 may serve as a promising prognostic and therapeutic target for colorectal cancer patients.
APC/C Dysfunction Limits Excessive Cancer Chromosomal Instability
Authors: Sansregret Laurent , Patterson James O. , Dewhurst Sally , López-García Carlos , Koch André , McGranahan Nicholas , Chao William Chong Hang , Barry David J. , Rowan Andrew , Instrell Rachael , Horswell Stuart , Way Michael , Howell Michael , Singleton Martin R. , Medema René H. , Nurse Paul , Petronczki Mark , Swanton Charles
Published: January 2017

Intercellular heterogeneity, exacerbated by chromosomal instability (CIN), fosters tumor heterogeneity and drug resistance. However, extreme CIN correlates with improved cancer outcome, suggesting that karyotypic diversity required to adapt to selection pressures might be balanced in tumors against the risk of excessive instability. Here, we used a functional genomics screen, genome editing, and pharmacologic approaches to identify CIN-survival factors in diploid cells. We find partial anaphase-promoting complex/cyclosome (APC/C) dysfunction lengthens mitosis, suppresses pharmacologically induced chromosome segregation errors, and reduces naturally occurring lagging chromosomes in cancer cell lines or following tetraploidization. APC/C impairment caused adaptation to MPS1 inhibitors, revealing a likely resistance mechanism to therapies targeting the spindle assembly checkpoint. Finally, CRISPR-mediated introduction of cancer somatic mutations in the APC/C subunit cancer driver gene CDC27 reduces chromosome segregation errors, whereas reversal of an APC/C subunit nonsense mutation increases CIN. Subtle variations in mitotic duration, determined by APC/C activity, influence the extent of CIN, allowing cancer cells to dynamically optimize fitness during tumor evolution.

Significance: We report a mechanism whereby cancers balance the evolutionary advantages associated with CIN against the fitness costs caused by excessive genome instability, providing insight into the consequence of CDC27 APC/C subunit driver mutations in cancer. Lengthening of mitosis through APC/C modulation may be a common mechanism of resistance to cancer therapeutics that increase chromosome segregation errors. Cancer Discov; 7(2); 218–33. ©2017 AACR.

See related commentary by Burkard and Weaver, p. 134.

This article is highlighted in the In This Issue feature, p. 115
New Analytical Monographs on TCM Herbal Drugs for Quality Proof
Authors: Wagner Hildebert , Bauer Rudolf , Melchart Dieter
Published: January 2017

Regardless of specific national drug regulations there is an international consensus that all TCM drugs must meet stipulated high quality standards focusing on authentication, identification and chemical composition. In addition, safety of all TCM drugs prescribed by physicians has to be guaranteed. During the 25 years history of the TCM hospital Bad Kötzting, 171 TCM drugs underwent an analytical quality proof including thin layer as well as high pressure liquid chromatography. As from now mass spectroscopy will also be available as analytical tool. The findings are compiled and already published in three volumes of analytical monographs. One more volume will be published shortly, and a fifth volume is in preparation. The main issues of the analytical procedure in TCM drugs like authenticity, botanical nomenclature, variability of plant species and parts as well as processing are pointed out and possible ways to overcome them are sketched.
Relationship between the Pathogenesis of Glaucoma and miRNA
Authors: Guo Ruru , Shen Wencui , Su Chang , Jiang Shaoyun , Wang Jiantao
Published: January 2017

Small RNA (microRNA or miRNA) is a kind of small noncoding single-stranded RNA that regulates complementary mRNA at the posttranscriptional level in eukaryotic organisms. As important regulatory factors, miRNAs play an important role in the occurrence and development of glaucoma and widely participate in regulating biological processes of glaucoma-related genes. This article reviews the connection between the aqueous humor, trabecular meshwork, the apoptosis of retinal ganglion cells, and miRNA.
MRI Differences Associated with Intrauterine Growth Restriction in Preterm Infants
Authors: Bruno Christie J. , Bengani Shreyans , Gomes William A. , Brewer Mariana , Vega Melissa , Xie Xianhong , Kim Mimi , Fuloria Mamta
Published: January 2017

Background: Preterm infants are at risk for neurodevelopmental impairment. Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) further increases this risk. Brain imaging studies are often utilized at or near term-equivalent age to determine later prognosis. Objective: To evaluate the association between intrauterine growth and regional brain volume on MRI scans performed in preterm infants at or near term-equivalent age. Methods: This is a retrospective case-control study of 24 infants born at gestational age ≤30 weeks and cared for in a large, inner-city, academic neonatal intensive-care unit from 2012 to 2013. Each IUGR infant was matched with 1-2 appropriate for gestational age (AGA) infants who served as controls. Predischarge MRI scans routinely obtained at ≥36 weeks' adjusted age were analyzed for regional brain volumetric differences. We examined the association between IUGR and thalamic, basal ganglion, and cerebellar brain volumes in these preterm infants. Results: Compared to AGA infants, IUGR infants had a smaller thalamus (7.88 vs. 5.87 mL, p = 0.001) and basal ganglion (8.87 vs. 6.92 mL, p = 0.002) volumes. There was no difference in cerebellar volumes between the two study groups. Linear regression analyses revealed similar trends in the associations between IUGR and brain volumes after adjusting for sex, gestational age at birth, and postconceptual age and weight at MRI. Conclusions: Thalamus and basal ganglion volumes are reduced in growth-restricted preterm infants. These differences may preferentially impact neurodevelopmental outcomes. Further research is needed to explore these relationships.
Novel Approach to Establishing an Aldosterone: Renin Ratio Cutoff for Primary Aldosteronism
Authors: Leung Alexander A. , Orton Dennis J. , Chin Alex , Sadrzadeh Hossein , Kline Gregory A.
Published: January 2017

Direct renin concentration is replacing plasma renin activity in many laboratories for the investigation of primary aldosteronism, which may have a significant impact on the resulting aldosterone:renin ratios. We sought to develop a population-based approach to establishing an aldosterone:renin ratio cutoff when transitioning between assays. A population-based study was performed in Calgary, Alberta, Canada of 4301 individuals who received testing from January 2012 to November 2015. In 2014, direct renin concentration replaced plasma renin activity in routine testing. We described the prevalence of primary aldosteronism in our population before the change and, using the assumption of disease prevalence stability, determined the corresponding ratio cutoffs after the introduction of the new assay. During the initial portion of the study (using plasma renin activity), 4.9% of those screened were classified as highly probable cases, whereas 10.4% were considered probable and 28.9% possible using locally validated cutoffs. Aldosterone:renin ratio cutoffs were then determined for the direct renin concentration assay. A highly probable case of primary aldosteronism corresponded to a cutoff of >100 pmol L
−1
mIU
−1
L
−1
with hypokalemia. A probable case corresponded to a cutoff of >100 and a possible case to >35 pmol L
−1
mIU
−1
L
−1
. In contrast, cutoffs derived using a conversion factor resulted in significantly higher cutoffs and the potential for missed cases. In conclusion, using large population data, historically consistent aldosterone:renin ratio cutoffs can be established when transitioning between assays. Population-derived cutoffs may be more appropriate for clinical use and less likely to result in false-negative classification than those obtained from conventional direct method comparisons.
Relations Between Aortic Stiffness and Left Ventricular Mechanical Function in the Community
Authors: Bell Vanessa , McCabe Elizabeth L. , Larson Martin G. , Rong Jian , Merz Allison A. , Osypiuk Ewa , Lehman Birgitta T. , Stantchev Plamen , Aragam Jayashri , Benjamin Emelia J. , Hamburg Naomi M. , Vasan Ramachandran S. , Mitchell Gary F. , Cheng Susan
Published: January 2017

Background

Aortic stiffness impairs optimal ventricular–vascular coupling and left ventricular systolic function, particularly in the long axis. Left ventricular global longitudinal strain (
GLS
) has recently emerged as a sensitive measure of early cardiac dysfunction. In this study, we investigated the relation between aortic stiffness and
GLS
in a large community‐based sample.

Methods and Results

In 2495 participants (age 39–90 years, 57% women) of the Framingham Offspring and Omni cohorts, free of cardiovascular disease, we performed tonometry to measure arterial hemodynamics and echocardiography to assess cardiac function. Aortic stiffness was evaluated as carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity and as characteristic impedance, and
GLS
was calculated using speckle tracking–based measurements. In multivariable analyses adjusting for age, sex, height, systolic blood pressure, augmentation index, left ventricular structure, and additional cardiovascular risk factors, increased carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity (B±
SE
: 0.122±0.030% strain per
SD
,
P
<0.0001) and characteristic impedance (0.090±0.029,
P
=0.002) were both associated with worse
GLS
. We observed effect modification by sex on the relation between characteristic impedance and
GLS
(
P
=0.004); in sex‐stratified multivariable analyses, the relation between greater characteristic impedance and worse
GLS
persisted in women (0.145±0.039,
P
=0.0003) but not in men (
P
=0.73).

Conclusions

Multiple measures of increased aortic stiffness were cross‐sectionally associated with worse
GLS
after adjusting for hemodynamic variables. Parallel reductions in left ventricular long axis shortening and proximal aortic longitudinal strain in individuals with a stiffened proximal aorta, from direct mechanical ventricular‐vascular coupling, offers an alternative explanation for the observed relations.
The Impact of Teach for America on Non-Test Academic Outcomes
Authors: Backes Ben , Hansen Michael
Published: January 2017

Recent evidence on teacher productivity suggests that teachers meaningfully influence non-test academic student outcomes that are commonly overlooked by narrowly focusing on test scores. Despite a large number of studies investigating the Teach For America (TFA) effect on math and English achievement, little is known about non-tested academic outcomes. Using administrative data from Miami-Dade County Public Schools, we investigate the relationship between being in a TFA classroom and five non-test student outcomes commonly found in administrative datasets: days absent, days suspended, GPA, classes failed, and grade repetition. We validate our use of non-test student academic outcomes to assess differences in teacher productivity using the quasi-experimental teacher switching methods of Chetty, Friedman, and Rockoff ( 2014 ) and fail to reject the null hypothesis of unbiasedness in most cases in elementary and middle school, although in some cases standard errors are large. We find suggestive evidence that students taught by TFA teachers in elementary and middle schools were less likely to miss school due to unexcused absences and suspensions compared with students taught by non-TFA teachers in the same school, although point estimates are very small. Other outcomes were found to be forecast-unbiased but showed no evidence of a TFA effect.
Preschoolers’ Selfish Sharing Is Reduced by Prior Experience With Proportional Generosity
Authors: Chernyak Nadia , Trieu Bertilia Y. , Kushnir Tamar
Published: January 2017

Young children make sophisticated social and normative inferences based on proportional reasoning. We explored the possibility that proportional cues also help children learn from and about their own generosity. Across two experiments, 3- to 4-year-olds had the opportunity to give either 1 of 4, 1 of 3, 1 of 2, or 1 of 1 of their resources to an individual in need. We then measured children’s subsequent prosociality by looking at sharing behavior with a new individual. The more proportionally generous the initial action, the less likely children were to share selfishly in the second phase. Our results suggest that children make sense of their own actions using proportional cues and that giving children experience with difficult, prosocial actions increases the likelihood of their recurrence.
Impact of personality traits and early life experience on timing of emigration and rise to alpha male status for wild male white-faced capuchin monkeys (Cebus capucinus) at Lomas Barbudal Biological Reserve, Costa Rica
Authors: Perry Susan , Godoy Irene , Lammers Wiebke , Lin Andy
Published: January 2017

It is rare in studies of long-lived animals to know enough about the personalities and early experiences of individuals to use this information to predict their behaviour during major life transitions in adolescence and adulthood. Here, we examine how personality traits and early experiences predict age of natal emigration and timing of first ascent to alpha status in 169 wild male white-faced capuchins studied at Lomas Barbudal, Costa Rica, 75 of whom emigrated and 23 of whom acquired alpha status. Males were more likely to delay natal emigration if they were more extraverted, more neurotic, if their fathers co-resided longer with them, and if there were fewer alpha male turnovers. More extraverted males attained alpha status sooner.
Temporal Categorization of Familiar Actions by Children and Adults
Authors: Rattat Anne-Claire , Tartas Valérie
Published: January 2017

Although it is very useful in daily life, children have difficulties to estimate durations using conventional time units. The aim of the present study was to examine whether young children aged three, five and eight years and adults are able to categorize familiar actions according to their duration, by using a new task not relying on knowledge of conventional time units. Participants performed a forced-choice categorization task in which short, medium or long target action durations had to be paired with one of three comparison action durations (short, medium or long). Results showed that as age increased so, too, did the percentage of accurate temporal categorizations, while that of temporal categorization errors decreased. Moreover, except at three years, the least frequent error consisted in categorizing a short action as a long one. These results are discussed in the light of event representation theory and the role of experience in temporal cognition.
Liparis subgenus Menoneuron (Orchidaceae, Liparidinae) materials for taxonomic revision
Authors: MARGOŃSKA HANNA B.
Published: January 2017

I present here taxonomic aspects of the genus Liparis subgenus Menoneuron which is restricted to South East Asia. This article gives all published names of this subgenus with their synonyms and the actual position of these taxa. Two new synonyms, 18 new lectotypes, four neotypes and one new representative of the subgenus are proposed.
The jumping lynx spider Oxyopes salticus Hentz, 1845 and its Neotropical relatives (Araneae: Oxyopidae)
Authors: SANTOS ADALBERTO J.
Published: January 2017

The spider genus Oxyopes Latreille occurs throughout the world, but is insufficiently known in South America and the Caribbean. In this study, three apparently related species of this genus are reported from the region. Oxyopes salticus Hentz, 1845 is redescribed and illustrated, and extreme variation in colour pattern and in female genitalia is reported within this species. Oxyopes m-fasciatus Piza, 1938 and Oxyopes nigrolineatus Mello-Leitão, 1941 are both considered junior synonyms of O. salticus. The material examined in this study, together with information from the literature, show this species is widely distributed throughout the continental Americas and the Caribbean. Oxyopes crewi Bryant, 1948 is redescribed and illustrated, and its geographic distribution is extended to Bahamas, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, and Saint Kitts. A new species, Oxyopes incantatus sp. nov., is described and illustrated for the first time based on specimens from the Galápagos Islands.
Insensitivity of the Summer South Asian High Intensity to a Warming Tibetan Plateau in Modern Reanalysis Datasets
Authors: Wu Liguang , Feng Xiaofang , Liang Mei
Published: January 2017

The South Asia high (SAH) is a prominent circulation system of the Asian summer monsoon, exerting profound influences on the weather and climate in China and surrounding regions. Its formation and maintenance is closely associated with strong summertime continental heating in the form of surface sensible heat flux and the latent heat release in connection with the Asian monsoon. In this study, the possible response of the South Asian high intensity to the thermal condition change in the Tibetan Plateau is examined with four modern reanalysis datasets, including the Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA), MERRA version 2 (MERRA-2), the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) interim reanalysis (ERA-Interim), and the Japanese 55-year Reanalysis (JRA-55). Despite the surface air warming in the four modern reanalysis datasets, reduced surface wind speed in three of the reanalysis datasets, and decreased surface sensible heat flux in the MERRA-2 dataset, there is no statistically significant trend in the SAH intensity over the period 1979–2015. One of the possible reasons is that the response of the upper-level circulation to the thermal condition change of the Tibetan Plateau occurs mainly in the 200-hPa subtropical westerly jet stream, which is located far away from the center of the South Asian high. Thus the South Asian high intensity is not particularly sensitive to the thermal condition change of the Tibetan Plateau, while the center of the South Asian high intensity over the plateau exhibits a northward trend over the period.