bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Modeling Therapy Resistance in BRCA1/2-Mutant Cancers
Authors: Dréan Amy , Williamson Chris T. , Brough Rachel , Brandsma Inger , Menon Malini , Konde Asha , Garcia-Murillas Isaac , Pemberton Helen N. , Frankum Jessica , Rafiq Rumana , Badham Nicholas , Campbell James , Gulati Aditi , Turner Nicholas C. , Pettitt Stephen J. , Ashworth Alan , Lord Christopher J.
Published: June 2017

Although PARP inhibitors target BRCA1- or BRCA2-mutant tumor cells, drug resistance is a problem. PARP inhibitor resistance is sometimes associated with the presence of secondary or “revertant” mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2. Whether secondary mutant tumor cells are selected for in a Darwinian fashion by treatment is unclear. Furthermore, how PARP inhibitor resistance might be therapeutically targeted is also poorly understood. Using CRISPR mutagenesis, we generated isogenic tumor cell models with secondary BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations. Using these in heterogeneous in vitro culture or in vivo xenograft experiments in which the clonal composition of tumor cell populations in response to therapy was monitored, we established that PARP inhibitor or platinum salt exposure selects for secondary mutant clones in a Darwinian fashion, with the periodicity of PARP inhibitor administration and the pretreatment frequency of secondary mutant tumor cells influencing the eventual clonal composition of the tumor cell population. In xenograft studies, the presence of secondary mutant cells in tumors impaired the therapeutic effect of a clinical PARP inhibitor. However, we found that both PARP inhibitor–sensitive and PARP inhibitor–resistant BRCA2 mutant tumor cells were sensitive to AZD-1775, a WEE1 kinase inhibitor. In mice carrying heterogeneous tumors, AZD-1775 delivered a greater therapeutic benefit than olaparib treatment. This suggests that despite the restoration of some BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene function in “revertant” tumor cells, vulnerabilities still exist that could be therapeutically exploited. Mol Cancer Ther; 16(9); 2022–34. ©2017 AACR.
Voice Handicap Index in Persian Speakers with Various Severities of Hearing Loss
Authors: Aghadoost Ozra , Moradi Negin , Dabirmoghaddam Payman , Aghadoost Alireza , Naderifar Ehsan , Dehbokri Siavash Mohammadi
Published: June 2017

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to assess and compare the total score and subscale scores of the Voice Handicap Index (VHI) in speakers with and without hearing loss. A further aim was to determine if a correlation exists between severities of hearing loss with total scores and VHI subscale scores. Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional, descriptive analytical study, 100 participants, divided in 2 groups of participants with and without hearing loss, were studied. Background information was gathered by interview, and VHI questionnaires were filled in by all participants. Results: For all variables, including mean total score and VHI subscale scores, there was a considerable difference in speakers with and without hearing loss (p < 0.05). The correlation between severity of hearing loss with total score and VHI subscale scores was significant. Conclusion: Speakers with hearing loss were found to have higher mean VHI scores than speakers with normal hearing. This indicates a high voice handicap related to voice in speakers with hearing loss. In addition, increased severity of hearing loss leads to more severe voice handicap. This finding emphasizes the need for a multilateral assessment and treatment of voice disorders in speakers with hearing loss.
Low-Density Neuronal Cultures from Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
Authors: Dimitrion Peter , Zhi Yun , Clayton Dennis , Apodaca Gerard L. , Wilcox Madeleine R. , Johnson Jon W. , Nimgaonkar Vishwajit , D'Aiuto Leonardo
Published: June 2017

Induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-based technologies offer an unprecedented possibility to investigate defects occurring during neuronal differentiation in neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders, but the density and intricacy of intercellular connections in neuronal cultures challenge currently available analytic methods. Low-density neuronal cultures facilitate the morphometric and functional analysis of neurons. We describe a differentiation protocol to generate low-density neuronal cultures (∼2,500 neurons/cm2) from human iPSC-derived neural stem cells/early neural progenitor cells. We generated low-density cultures using cells from 3 individuals. We also evaluated the morphometric features of neurons derived from 2 of these individuals, one harboring a microdeletion on chromosome 15q11.2 and the other without the microdeletion. An approximately 7.5-fold increase in the density of dendritic filopodia was observed in the neurons with the microdeletion, consistent with previous reports. Low-density neuronal cultures enable facile and unbiased comparisons of iPSC-derived neurons from different individuals or clones.
Syphilitic Alopecia: Case Reports and Trichoscopic Findings
Authors: Doche Isabella , Hordinsky Maria K. , Valente Neusa Y.S. , Romiti Ricardo , Tosti Antonella
Published: June 2017

There has been a resurgence of syphilis in the last decade. Although alopecia is not a common manifestation of the disease, the “moth-eaten” pattern is considered patognomonic. However, diffuse hair loss, termed essential alopecia, sometimes can be the only sign of syphilis infection and mimic other conditions, such as alopecia areata and telogen effluvium. We describe three patients with syphilis in whom the pattern of alopecia was not typical. Although clinical, histopathological, and trichoscopic examinations may share some similar findings with other hair diseases, the inclusion of syphilis in the differential diagnosis of hair loss causes is fundamental to a correct screening and diagnosis.
Delayed Diagnosis of Basal Cell Carcinoma of the Upper Lip: The Possible Role of Incidental Multinucleated Foreign Body Giant Cells
Authors: Hays Joshua P. , Malone C. Helen , Tausend Will E. , Goodwin Brandon P. , Wagner Jr. Richard F.
Published: June 2017

Herpes simplex and basal cell carcinoma (BCC) can have similar clinical presentations due to overlapping lesional morphology. We describe the unusual case of a BCC masquerading as herpes labialis due to a possible false-positive Tzanck smear. The confounding diagnosis led to a failed trial of valacyclovir and subsequent loss of the patient for 1 year before the lesion was biopsied and diagnosed as a BCC. This case report highlights the importance of careful inspection of herpetic lesions and that further investigation should be pursued if the etiology is uncertain or if the treatment is not yielding the expected results.
Farnesoid X Receptor and Liver X Receptor Ligands Initiate Formation of Coated Platelets
Authors: Unsworth Amanda J. , Bye Alexander P. , Tannetta Dionne S. , Desborough Michael J.R. , Kriek Neline , Sage Tanya , Allan Harriet E. , Crescente Marilena , Yaqoob Parveen , Warner Timothy D. , Jones Chris I. , Gibbins Jonathan M.
Published: June 2017

Objectives—

The liver X receptors (LXRs) and farnesoid X receptor (FXR) have been identified in human platelets. Ligands of these receptors have been shown to have nongenomic inhibitory effects on platelet activation by platelet agonists. This, however, seems contradictory with the platelet hyper-reactivity that is associated with several pathological conditions that are associated with increased circulating levels of molecules that are LXR and FXR ligands, such as hyperlipidemia, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and obesity.

Approach and Results—

We, therefore, investigated whether ligands for the LXR and FXR receptors were capable of priming platelets to the activated state without stimulation by platelet agonists. Treatment of platelets with ligands for LXR and FXR converted platelets to the procoagulant state, with increases in phosphatidylserine exposure, platelet swelling, reduced membrane integrity, depolarization of the mitochondrial membrane, and microparticle release observed. Additionally, platelets also displayed features associated with coated platelets such as P-selectin exposure, fibrinogen binding, fibrin generation that is supported by increased serine protease activity, and inhibition of integrin αIIbβ3. LXR and FXR ligand-induced formation of coated platelets was found to be dependent on both reactive oxygen species and intracellular calcium mobilization, and for FXR ligands, this process was found to be dependent on cyclophilin D.

Conclusions—

We conclude that treatment with LXR and FXR ligands initiates coated platelet formation, which is thought to support coagulation but results in desensitization to platelet stimuli through inhibition of αIIbβ3 consistent with their ability to inhibit platelet function and stable thrombus formation in vivo.
Cardiotonic Steroids Stimulate Macrophage Inflammatory Responses Through a Pathway Involving CD36, TLR4, and Na/K-ATPase
Authors: Chen Yiliang , Huang Wenxin , Yang Moua , Xin Gang , Cui Weiguo , Xie Zijian , Silverstein Roy L.
Published: June 2017

Objective—

Circulating levels of cardiotonic steroids (CTS) are elevated in various chronic inflammatory conditions, but the role of CTS in inflammation remains largely unknown. We have previously shown that the CTS ouabain stimulates proinflammatory responses in murine macrophages. In this study, we aim to explore the mechanism how CTS induce proinflammatory responses in primary murine and human macrophages.

Approach and Results—

Using both murine peritoneal macrophages and human monocyte–derived macrophages, we demonstrated that ouabain activated NF-κB (nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells), leading to proinflammatory cytokine (eg, MCP-1 [monocyte chemotactic protein 1], TNF-α [tumor necrosis factor-α], IL-1β [interleukin-1β], and IL-6) production. By applying siRNA techniques and murine peritoneal macrophages isolated from genetically modified mice, we showed that macrophages partially deficient in Na/K-ATPase, the receptor for CTS, or fully deficient in the scavenger receptor CD36 or TLR4 (Toll-like receptor) were resistant to ouabain-induced NF-κB activation, suggesting an indispensable role of these 3 receptors in this pathway. Mechanistically, this effect of ouabain was independent of the ion transport function of the Na/K-ATPase. Instead, ouabain stimulated a signaling complex, including Na/K-ATPase, CD36, and TLR4. Subsequently, TLR4 recruited MyD88 adaptor protein for NF-κB activation. Furthermore, intraperitoneal injection of ouabain into mice specifically recruited Ly6C
+
CCR2
+
monocyte subtypes to the peritoneal cavities, indicating that the CTS ouabain triggers inflammation in vivo.

Conclusions—

CTS activate NF-κB leading to proinflammatory cytokine production in primary macrophages through a signaling complex, including CD36, TLR4, and Na/K-ATPase. These findings warrant further studies on endogenous CTS in chronic inflammatory diseases, such as atherosclerosis.
Multiancestry Study of Gene–Lifestyle Interactions for Cardiovascular Traits in 610 475 Individuals From 124 Cohorts
Authors: Rao D. C. , Sung Yun J. , Winkler Thomas W. , Schwander Karen , Borecki Ingrid , Cupples L. Adrienne , Gauderman W. James , Rice Kenneth , Munroe Patricia B. , Psaty Bruce M.
Published: June 2017

Background—

Several consortia have pursued genome-wide association studies for identifying novel genetic loci for blood pressure, lipids, hypertension, etc. They demonstrated the power of collaborative research through meta-analysis of study-specific results.

Methods and Results—

The Gene-Lifestyle Interactions Working Group was formed to facilitate the first large, concerted, multiancestry study to systematically evaluate gene–lifestyle interactions. In stage 1, genome-wide interaction analysis is performed in 53 cohorts with a total of 149 684 individuals from multiple ancestries. In stage 2 involving an additional 71 cohorts with 460 791 individuals from multiple ancestries, focused analysis is performed for a subset of the most promising variants from stage 1. In all, the study involves up to 610 475 individuals. Current focus is on cardiovascular traits including blood pressure and lipids, and lifestyle factors including smoking, alcohol, education (as a surrogate for socioeconomic status), physical activity, psychosocial variables, and sleep. The total sample sizes vary among projects because of missing data. Large-scale gene–lifestyle or more generally gene–environment interaction (G×E) meta-analysis studies can be cumbersome and challenging. This article describes the design and some of the approaches pursued in the interaction projects.

Conclusions—

The Gene-Lifestyle Interactions Working Group provides an excellent framework for understanding the lifestyle context of genetic effects and to identify novel trait loci through analysis of interactions. An important and novel feature of our study is that the gene–lifestyle interaction (G×E) results may improve our knowledge about the underlying mechanisms for novel and already known trait loci.
X-Box Binding Protein-1 Dependent Plasma Cell Responses Limit the Development of Atherosclerosis
Authors: Sage Andrew P. , Nus Meritxell , Bagchi Chakraborty Jayashree , Tsiantoulas Dimitrios , Newland Stephen A. , Finigan Alison J. , Masters Leanne , Binder Christoph J. , Mallat Ziad
Published: June 2017

Rationale:

Diverse B cell responses and functions may be involved in atherosclerosis. Protective antibody responses, such as those against oxidized lipid epitopes, are thought to mainly derive from T cell-independent innate B cell subsets. In contrast, both pathogenic and protective roles have been associated with T cell-dependent antibodies, and their importance in both humans and mouse models is still unclear.

Objective:

To specifically target antibody production by plasma cells and determine the impact on atherosclerotic plaque development in mice with and without CD4+ T cells.

Methods and Results:

We combined a model of specific antibody deficiency, B cell-specific CD79a-
Cre
x XBP1 (X-box binding protein-1) floxed mice (XBP1-conditional knockout), with antibody-mediated depletion of CD4+ T cells. Ldlr knockout mice transplanted with XBP1-conditional knockout (or wild-type control littermate) bone marrow were fed western diet for 8 weeks with or without anti-CD4 depletion. All groups had similar levels of serum cholesterol. In Ldlr/XBP1-conditional knockout mice, serum levels of IgG, IgE, and IgM were significantly attenuated, and local antibody deposition in atherosclerotic plaque was absent. Antibody deficiency significantly accelerated atherosclerosis at both the aortic root and aortic arch. T cell and monocyte responses were not modulated, but necrotic core size was greater, even when adjusting for plaque size, and collagen deposition significantly lower. Anti-CD4 depletion in Ldlr/wild-type mice led to a decrease of serum IgG1 and IgG2c but not IgG3, as well as decreased IgM, associated with increased atherosclerosis and necrotic cores, and a decrease in plaque collagen. The combination of antibody deficiency and anti-CD4 depletion has no additive effects on aortic root atherosclerosis.

Conclusions:

The endogenous T cell-dependent humoral response can be protective. This has important implications for novel vaccine strategies for atherosclerosis and in understanding the impacts of immunotherapies used in patients at high risk for cardiovascular disease.
The Nature of Leadership in the Crime of Aggression: The ICC’s New Concern?
Authors: Hajdin Nikola
Published: June 2017

Since the Nuremberg trials, it has been accepted that only the highest echelon of state leadership can be responsible for the crime of aggression. The crime of aggression is distinguished from other core crimes under the International Criminal Court’s (icc) purview by, inter alia, its leadership nature. According to Articles 8bis(1) and 25(3bis) of the Rome Statute, only a person ‘in a position effectively to exercise control over or direct the political or military action of a State’ can be held responsible for aggression. The ‘control or direct’ standard was adopted at the first Review Conference of the Rome Statute in Kampala in 2010 and differs from the customary counterpart (‘shape or influence’) established by the Nuremberg Military Tribunal (nmt). This article will explore how the leadership clause has evolved and whether the new standard is more appropriate for the icc.
Linguistic Features Shared by the Jewish Dialects of Baghdad and Aleppo and Their Possible Implications for the History of Both Communities
Authors: Arnold Werner , Bar-Moshe Assaf
Published: June 2017

The Arabic dialect of the Jews in Baghdad (jb) presents some surprising similarities with Levantine dialects, and specifically with the Arabic dialect of the Jews in Aleppo (ja). These similarities, which are rarely found in the vast geographical area between the two cities, might be explained by immigration or at least strong connections between these two Jewish centers. This article presents the grammatical features that the two dialects share and compares them with other dialects in the Mesopotamian-Levantine region. Afterwards, these findings are compared with existing historical sources. Finally, some speculations are presented about how the linguistic evidence reflects on the history of these two communities.
Following the Gardner steps: re-collection of Campuloclinium alternifolium (Compositae) after 177 years
Authors: CALVO JOEL , ROQUE NÁDIA
Published: June 2017

Campuloclinium alternifolium was re-collected in southeastern Tocantins State, Brazil, after the Gardner collection in 1840. This new material reveals opposite, slightly decussate cauline leaves in contrast with the original description. Ecological insights are provided in order to locate new populations of this poorly known species, and detailed pictures are presented for the first time. The species name is lectotypified.
A new species and a new combination of Caloboletus from China
Authors: ZHANG MING , LI TAI HUI , GELARDI MATTEO , SONG BIN , ZHONG XIANG JING
Published: June 2017

A new species, Caloboletus xiangtoushanensis sp. nov., is reported from China. This medium-sized bolete is distinguished by a brownish orange to greyish yellow pileus, greyish yellow to olive yellow hymenophore that quickly stains blue when bruised, reticulate stipe, bitter taste and oblong to subfusoid basidiospores 9–13(–13.5) × 4–5  μm. On the basis of its morphological and molecular characters (ITS, nrLSU, tef1-α and rpb1), this novel taxon can be assigned to the genus Caloboletus, sister to Boletus taienus. Accordingly, a new combination C. taienus comb. nov. is also proposed in this study based on both morphological and phylogenetic evidence.
Novelties in Fimbristylis (Cyperaceae) from Zhejiang, China: two new species and a new variety
Authors: LU YI-FEI , ZHENG CHAO-ZONG , CHEN JIAN-MIN , YE LI-XIN , LIU SHENG-LONG , JIN XIAO-FENG
Published: June 2017

In preparation for the second edition of Flora of Zhejiang, two new species and a new variety of Fimbristylis, F. longquanensis, F. minuticulmis and F. stolonifera var. cylindrica, are described and illustrated in the present paper. Fimbristylis longquanensis is similar to F. complanata, but differs in being an annual habit with rhizomes absent, leaves 2–2.5 mm wide, bracts longer than or nearly equal to inflorescence, and nutlets smooth. Fimbristylis minuticulmis is simiar to F. diphylloides, but differs in having culms 2–12 cm tall, much shorter than leaves, spikelets broadly ovoid, obtuse at apex, scales acute at apex, stigmas 2, and nutlets biconvex. Fimbristylis stolonifera var. cylindrica differs from its autonymic variety in having the inflorescence simple, and spikelets cylindrical, 8–15 × 2.5–3 mm.
Mexican biogeographic provinces: Map and shapefiles
Authors: MORRONE JUAN J. , ESCALANTE TANIA , RODRÍGUEZ-TAPIA GERARDO
Published: June 2017

We provide a map of the 14 biogeographic provinces of Mexico based on the ecoregions recognized for the country, which combine climatic, geological and biotic criteria. These provinces belong to the Nearctic region (Californian, Baja Californian, Sonoran, Chihuahuan Desert and Tamaulipas provinces), Neotropical region (Pacific Lowlands, Balsas Basin, Veracruzan and Yucatán Peninsula provinces) and the Mexican transition zone (Sierra Madre Occidental, Sierra Madre Oriental, Transmexican Volcanic Belt, Sierra Madre del Sur and Chiapas Highlands provinces). In order to facilitate future biogeographic analyses, we provide a file of the biogeographical regionalisation of Mexico by converting the map into a polygon shapefile and a raster file with all provinces. We also separately provide each of the provinces in vector and raster format. All the maps are in geographical and Lambert Conformal Conic projections.
Characterization of interlayer air permeability of thermoplastic prepreg stacks
Authors: Zhang Danning , Heider Dirk , Gillespie John W
Published: June 2017

An important mechanism for void air removal during oven vacuum bag processing for thermoplastic composites relies on void air flow to the part perimeters through the permeable pathways created by the rough surfaces of two adjacent prepreg layers. In this paper, the interlayer air permeability of AS4/APC2 carbon poly (ether ether ketone) thermoplastic prepreg was investigated before and after oven vacuum bag processing conditions. The permeability thickness product was measured with an experimental set-up and data reduced based on one-dimensional Darcy’s flow. The interlayer permeability exhibit directional dependency and are uniquely determined by the angle between two adjacent prepreg layers. Before oven vacuum bag processing, the principal permeability thickness products for lay-ups with included angle of 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90° were determined. Good agreement was achieved between the rotation matrix predicted permeability thickness products and the measured results. During processing, when temperature is above resin glass transition and below melting, the permeability of 0°/0° and 90°/90° interlayers reduces dramatically with increasing temperature and dwell time. For the 0°/90° interlayer, only a slight reduction compared to the room temperature baseline was obtained for temperature ramps up to 300℃ and dwell time up to 8 h at 240℃. The changes of the surfaces roughness were correlated to the reduction of measured permeability. The 0°/90° interlayer surface shows the evidence of fiber–fiber contact that limits the contact between layers and prevents significant drop of permeability during processing. Off-axis stacking sequences with fiber–fiber contact are advantageous for oven vacuum bag processing of large thermoplastic composite parts.
Dutch Communism in Transition: The Unfolding of a National Cold War during Political Reconstruction, 1944–8
Authors: Sinke Tijn
Published: June 2017

Within three years after the Second World War, the wartime alliance between the Western Allies and the Soviet Union, and between communist and bourgeois resistance forces, had collapsed. By 1948, Dutch communists found themselves in total isolation. Historians have generally treated this phenomenon in light of the ‘restoration’ of pre-war structures – including anticommunist attitudes – or by interpreting the Cold War as an international phenomenon ‘imposed’ on Dutch society. Neither view pays sufficient attention to the contingency of transition politics and the power struggle that was fought between 1944 and 1948. My project focuses on the Dutch Communist Party’s (CPN) attempt to forge a political breakthrough by forming a front of progressive forces against the ‘reaction’, and on the responses of non-communist political and intellectual actors. Instead of interpreting the 1948 stalemate as a ‘natural’ outcome, this article highlights the combination of historical anticommunism, dynamics of transition politics and strategic solidification that accounts for the emergence of the Dutch Cold War. The reinvention of the rules of Dutch politics during political reconstruction ultimately led to the ruination of the post-war communist breakthrough. This resembles the process going on in other European countries, but with important unique features.
Predicting Individual Differences in Reading and Spelling Skill With Artificial Script–Based Letter–Speech Sound Training
Authors: Aravena Sebastián , Tijms Jurgen , Snellings Patrick , van der Molen Maurits W.
Published: June 2017

In this study, we examined the learning of letter–speech sound correspondences within an artificial script and performed an experimental analysis of letter–speech sound learning among dyslexic and normal readers vis-à-vis phonological awareness, rapid automatized naming, reading, and spelling. Participants were provided with 20 min of training aimed at learning eight new basic letter–speech sound correspondences, followed by a short assessment of mastery of the correspondences and word-reading ability in this unfamiliar script. Our results demonstrated that brief training is moderately successful in differentiating dyslexic readers from normal readers in their ability to learn letter–speech sound correspondences. The normal readers outperformed the dyslexic readers for accuracy and speed on a letter–speech sound matching task, as well as on a word-reading task containing familiar words written in the artificial orthography. Importantly, the new artificial script-related measures were related to phonological awareness and rapid automatized naming and made a unique contribution in predicting individual differences in reading and spelling ability. Our results are consistent with the view that a fundamental letter–speech sound learning deficit is a key factor in dyslexia.
Discourse and Power Relations in Community Tourism
Authors: Xue Lan , Kerstetter Deborah
Published: June 2017

Adopting a mixed method of ethnographic fieldwork approach and critical discourse analysis, we explored the implicit power relations between a private company and local residents in Chongdu Valley, China. Three themes—destination image, development outcomes, and institutions and regulations—were identified within the discourses of the two groups and then examined for their intertextuality and congruence/incongruence. The findings suggested that in spite of congruence on destination image and overall development outcomes, the two groups held conflicting values, theories, and attitudes, and thus divergent discourses toward a range of tourism development issues. We concluded with a series of suggestions on how the power structure of Chongdu Valley should be changed to mitigate the relationship between the community and the private company, and comments regarding the effectiveness of discourse analysis as a research tool in uncovering implicit power relations at the community level.
The Disincarnate Text: Ritual Poetics in Herbert, Paul, Williams, and Levinas
Authors: Smith Matthew
Published: June 2017

This Introduction to a special issue on “The Sacramental Text Reconsidered” provides a brief genealogy of the practice of describing texts, performances, and poetics as sacramental, eucharistic, and incarnational. It also offers a critique and clarification of such reading practices by differentiating between the real divine presence theologically understood to dwell in a proper sacrament and the “disincarnation” enacted by sacramentally laden literary texts and performances. Drawing on the writings of Emmanuel Levinas, Rowan Williams, and St. Paul, I demonstrate the disincarnate as a poetic of ritual and oblation in an extended reading of Herbert’s poetry.
The Word and the Wheel: Navigating the Incarnation in Twentieth-Century Literature
Authors: Artuso Kathryn Stelmach
Published: June 2017

This essay maintains that an incarnational aesthetic often privileges the concrete over the abstract, transcends the dichotomy between the secular and the sacred, and offers a glimpse into the intersection of time and eternity, as evidenced in the works of Kathleen Norris, Madeleine L’Engle, James Joyce, T. S. Eliot, and Jorie Graham, though such themes are given particular resonance in the non-linear narrative technique of Graham Greene’s novel The End of the Affair. Greene seeks to represent the simultaneity of past, present, and future in the cyclical technique of his novel, which offers the unreliable narrator a redemptive entrance into God’s wheeling story of eternal love. The revelation of Christ’s Incarnation and a revaluation of corporeal presence stand at the heart of this novel, underscoring how human intimacy is a window into divine intimacy.
The Word Made Flesh Writ Edible: Emily Dickinson’s Micro-Eucharist of Crumb and Berry
Authors: Reder Kimo
Published: June 2017

Emily Dickinson, as the enigmatic anti-Madonna of American verse, presides over a Eucharistic micro-drama by suggesting that Words-as-spoken are a sacramental Food. Her repeated tokens of Crumb and Berry are the ritual components of Bread and Wine compressed into nubs, exiles from a collective Loaf and Vine. Dickinson never “took” the public rite of Communion, but performs her own private counter-version via her poems, where “famishing” is used as a progressive verb and “Starvation” is treated as an honorific state. Dickinson’s speaker nibbles at a non-communal crouton in several poems, favoring the nub of a crumb to the risen, levitated Loaf.
Skin of an Innocent Lamb: Shakespeare, Sacrament, and the Absence of Sin in Early Modern Literary Criticism
Authors: Vitale Kyle Sebastian
Published: June 2017

The critical fields of early modern English literature and religion define the term “sacrament” as a range of linguistic, didactic, and metaphorical moves. However, studies of sacramental rhetoric in Shakespeare and others fail to tie linguistic sacramental features to relevant, Reformed, historical notions of personal, answerable sin. This essay responds by considering how Shakespeare reflects on sin, confession, and literary expression through his Henry VI plays. Shakespeare employs the form of the book to stage his characters’ confessional struggles, offering rich articulations of literature’s interactions with sin and the sacramental practices syncopating the lives of readers.
“The world will be made whole”: Love, Loss, and the Sacramental Imagination in Marilynne Robinson’s Housekeeping
Authors: Potts Matthew
Published: June 2017

In this article I suggest that attending to the water imagery in Marilynne Robinson’s novel Housekeeping can reveal a sophisticated account of the sacraments, one that anticipates by several years important developments in recent Christian theology. I also argue that the novel seems thus to suggest something crucial about the nature of literary representation itself, about writing’s relationship to the reality of love. Briefly put, in Housekeeping Marilynne Robinson not only proposes a novel sacramental theology and anticipates its development in other thinkers, she also suggests a sort of sacramentality inherent to the very act of literary writing.
Sacraments, Gender, and Authority in the Prioress’s Prologue and Tale and Pearl
Authors: Warren Nancy Bradley
Published: June 2017

Both Pearl and the Prioress’s Prologue and Tale attend to sacraments: the Eucharist (in both texts) and baptism (in Pearl). What the texts say about sacraments is quite orthodox; indeed, one might argue that these texts are orthodox in ways that mark them as distinctly anti-heretical, particularly given the harsh treatment of Jews in the Prioress’s Tale. However, what the texts do in presenting this orthodoxy is more daring, recalling significant religious debates of the period and resonating with overlapping aspects of the emergent Lollard movement and contemporary Continental female mysticism, especially that of St. Birgitta of Sweden.
Word-related N170 responses to implicit and explicit reading tasks in neoliterate adults
Authors: Sánchez-Vincitore Laura V. , Avery Trey , Froud Karen
Published: June 2017

The present study addresses word recognition automaticity in Spanish-speaking adults who are neoliterate by assessing the event-related potential N170 for word stimuli. Participants engaged in two reading conditions that vary the degree of attention required for linguistic components of reading: (a) an implicit reading task, in which they detected immediate repetitions of words and symbols (one-back paradigm); (b) an explicit reading task, in which they determined if pairs of visual-auditory words matched (reading verification task). Results were compared to those of a group of people who learned to read in childhood. N170 amplitudes on left and right occipito-temporal regions were registered for each condition. A left-lateralization of N170 for word stimuli was considered as an index of word reading automaticity. No left-lateralized N170 was found for the neoliterate group in either condition. In addition, N170 amplitude for words was larger on the right than the left occipito-temporal region for the reading verification task. Participants from the comparison group showed left-lateralized N170 amplitude for words in both conditions. Findings suggest that the neoliterate group investigated here had not yet acquired automaticity of word recognition, but could be showing evidence of word familiarization.
Understanding Author Academic Disciplinary Background to Direct a More Effective Use of Standardized Testing Within the School Community
Authors: Jensen Joseph N. , Hite Steven J. , Hite Julie M. , Randall E. Vance
Published: June 2017

Standardized testing is an external control mechanism for K-12 public schools. Principals, nested between internal and external influences, must manage the tension created by testing’s roles as both an internal improvement tool and as an external control mechanism. Five competing narratives, each shaped by author academic background, significantly influence this tension. The testing literature is complex, but understanding these five main narratives can enable a principal to more effectively and proactively lead the testing narrative within their own school community.
Preparing Students for College: Lessons Learned From the Early College
Authors: Edmunds Julie A. , Arshavsky Nina , Lewis Karla , Thrift Beth , Unlu Fatih , Furey Jane
Published: June 2017

This article utilizes mixed methods—a lottery-based experimental design supplemented by qualitative data—to examine college readiness within an innovative high school setting: early college high schools. Early colleges are small schools that merge the high school and college experiences and are targeted at students underrepresented in college. Results show that early college students are more likely to have successfully completed the courses they need for entrance into college; early college students also graduated from high school at a higher rate. Interview and survey data show that early college students are generally considered similarly prepared to more traditional postsecondary students. The interview data also provide detailed descriptions of the kinds of strategies the schools use to support college readiness. The article concludes with lessons learned for secondary school principals.
Factors Affecting Exam Completion Speed, Exam Performance, and Nonexam Performance
Authors: Burnham Thomas A. , Makienko Igor
Published: June 2017

This study investigates how factors such as student achievement goals for a course, language skills, outside work commitments, and test anxiety are related to performance on multiple-choice exams and nonexam assignments. The study also explores whether these factors explain the time taken to complete exams and whether exam completion speed is related to exam performance. We find that exam performance is negatively related to test anxiety and avoidance goals and positively related to study effort, performance approach goals, and English language skills. Performance on nonexam assignments is positively related to performance approach goals and a review-oriented test-taking strategy and related in an inverted U-shaped relationship to outside employment. Overall, the results suggest that students who are motivated to get good grades do the best—not those most engaged in the course or those interested in mastering the subject. Students who take longer to complete multiple-choice exams tend to be those who have weaker language skills, those with more test anxiety and those who utilize a review-oriented test-taking strategy. However, exam-taking speed is best viewed as a symptom of these factors; it is not related to exam performance when controlling for those factors.
Observing Individuals Viewing Art
Authors: Bubić Andreja , Sušac Ana , Palmović Marijan
Published: June 2017

Understanding the mechanisms underlying the perception of artworks is of significant interest in experimental esthetics. Therefore, in this study, we utilized eye-tracking for investigating how participants familiar and unfamiliar with paintings’ titles viewed Kandinsky’s abstract and figural artworks. The analysis of behavioral data indicated that knowledge of the title increased participants’ liking of the presented paintings and demonstrated a general preference for figural over abstract paintings. Next, we focused the analysis of eye-movement data on areas of the paintings that depict themes associated with their titles. The results demonstrated that participants familiar with the titles viewed these longer and visited them earlier compared with those unfamiliar with paintings’ titles. Furthermore, all participants viewed these areas within figural paintings longer and returned to them more often than within abstract paintings. These findings extend previous results by indicating how presenting short titles influences participants’ viewing of abstract and figural artworks.
Senior Students’ Perceptions of Entering a Research Community
Authors: Brent Doug
Published: June 2017

Most of the literature on the assignment traditionally called the research paper focusses on first-year students, and often centers on what they don’t know or can’t do. This article seeks to expand the conversation to one about the skills and knowledge displayed by senior students, and about their perceptions of the universe of academic research and their place in it. It does so by means of a qualitative study of 13 senior students at the University of Calgary. Through interviews, I probe their understanding of their own research processes, how they think they learned to do what they do, and, most important, their understanding of what it means to conduct academic research.
Novel Nonsurgical Endoscopic Approaches for the Treatment of Obesity
Authors: Hurt Ryan T. , Frazier Thomas H. , Mundi Manpreet S.
Published: June 2017

Globally, obesity is a leading cause of preventable death and is associated with >60 comorbid medical conditions, including 10 types of cancer that are strongly associated with body mass index. There are a number of traditional obesity treatments—for example, lifestyle management (eg, decreased caloric intake and increased expenditure), pharmacotherapy, and bariatric surgery. Recently, endoscopic approaches have emerged as a viable alternative for weight loss. Endoscopically placed intragastric balloons were introduced in the early 1980s for the treatment of medically complicated obesity but, unfortunately, had high rates of complications, such as premature deflation leading to obstruction. Despite these shortcomings, these devices have experienced a renewal, with a second generation of improved devices being approved for clinical use in 2015. In addition to the intragastric balloons, there are a number of other endoscopic approaches to weight loss that are either Food and Drug Administration approved or undergoing evaluation (aspiration therapy, duodenal jejunal bypass sleeve). The current review examines the literature available and discusses the practical clinical considerations involved.
Properties of poly(lactic acid)/hydroxyapatite composite through the use of epoxy functional compatibilizers for biomedical application
Authors: Monmaturapoj Naruporn , Srion Autcharaporn , Chalermkarnon Prasert , Buchatip Suthawan , Petchsuk Atitsa , Noppakunmongkolchai Warobon , Mai-Ngam Katanchalee
Published: June 2017

A composite of 70/30 poly(lactic acid)/hydroxyapatite was systematically prepared using various amounts of glycidyl methacrylate as reactive compatibilizer or Joncryl ADR®-4368 containing nine glycidyl methacrylate functions as a chain extension/branching agent to improve the mechanical and biological properties for suitable usage as internal bone fixation devices. The effect of glycidyl methacrylate/Joncryl on mechanical properties of poly(lactic acid)/hydroxyapatite was investigated through flexural strength. Cell proliferation and differentiation of osteoblast-like MC3T3-E1 cells cultured on the composite samples were determined by Alamar Blue assay and alkaline phosphatase expression, respectively. Result shows that flexural strength tends to decrease, as glycidyl methacrylate content increases except for 1 wt.% glycidyl methacrylate. With an addition of dicumyl peroxide, the flexural strength shows an improvement than that of without dicumyl peroxide probably due to the chemical bonding of the hydroxyapatite and poly(lactic acid) as revealed by FTIR and NMR, whereas the composite with 5 wt.% Joncryl shows the best result, as the flexural strength increases getting close to pure poly(lactic acid). The significant morphology change could be seen in composite with Joncryl where the uniform agglomeration of hydroxyapatite particles oriented in poly(lactic acid) matrix. Addition of the epoxy functional compatibilizers at suitable percentages could also have benefits to cellular attachment, proliferation, differentiation and mineralization. So that, this poly(lactic acid)/hydroxyapatite composite could be a promising material to be used as internal bone fixation devices such as screws, pins and plates.
Perceived Group Threat, Perceived Injustice, and Self-Reported Right-Wing Violence: An Integrative Approach to the Explanation Right-Wing Violence
Authors: Pauwels Lieven J. R. , Heylen Ben
Published: June 2017

The present study aims at explaining individual differences in self-reported political violence. We integrate key concepts from the field of criminology that are conceptually related to social identity theory (Flemish identity, feelings of group superiority, and ethnocentrism) and the dual process model on prejudice (perceived injustice, perception of threat, and right-wing authoritarianism). In our model, social identity concepts are hypothesized to play a mediating role between mechanisms derived from the dual process model and political violence. To test the integrated model, a model was run for testing the strength of direct and indirect effects of perceived injustice, authoritarianism thrill-seeking behavior, feelings of superiority, Flemish nationalism, ethnocentrism, right-wing extremist beliefs, and exposure to racist peers on political violence. The analyses are based on a web survey ( N = 723) among adolescents and young adults in Flanders, Belgium. Results indicate that social identity variables play an important mediation role between perceptions and ideological attitudes related to injustice, and political violence. The main path revealed by our study is that perceived injustice may result in heightened perceptions of threat, which in turn positively influence levels of right-wing authoritarianism. Mediated by ethnocentrism, this variable has a significant and positive effect on right-wing beliefs, which in turn has a positive effect on political violence.
Racial Disparities in Health Service Utilization Among Medicare Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries Adjusting for Multiple Chronic Conditions
Authors: Gandhi Krupa , Lim Eunjung , Davis James , Chen John J.
Published: June 2017

Objective: To examine racial disparities in health services utilization in Hawaii among Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries aged 65 years and above. Method: All-cause utilization of inpatient, outpatient, emergency, home health agency, and skilled nursing facility admissions were investigated using 2012 Medicare data. For each type of service, multivariable logistic regression model was used to investigate racial disparities adjusting for sociodemographic factors and multiple chronic conditions. Results: Of the 84,212 beneficiaries, 27.8% were White, 27.4% were Asian, 27.3% were Pacific Islanders; 70.3% had two or more chronic conditions and 10.5% had six or more. Compared with Whites, all racial groups experienced underutilization across all types of services. As the number of chronic conditions increased, the utilization of inpatient, home health care, and skilled nursing facility dramatically increased. Discussion: Disparities persist among Asians and Pacific Islanders who encounter the problem of underutilization of various health services compared with Whites.
Design and analysis for a new energy-saving hydraulic pumping unit
Authors: Li Zhenhe , Song Jinchun , Huang Yanjun , Li Yungong , Chen Jianwen
Published: June 2017

With the increasing concern over global energy crisis, energy saving in pumping units is becoming a significant subject. In terms of energy-saving and working efficiency, hydraulic pumping units outperform conventional pumping units. In this paper, a novel hydraulic pumping unit is proposed to overcome the existing drawbacks of conventional pumping units and present hydraulic pumping units. Firstly, this novel hydraulic pumping unit adopts a balanced mechanical structure, which means two oil wells are used in this system and the weight of their sucker rods can balance each other through the symmetrical arrangement. This kind of structural design not only saves the nominal power but also allows the system to continuously pump oil. Another feature of this hydraulic pumping unit is that it adopts the electro-hydraulic proportional load-sensing control technology, which makes the pressure and flow rate of the pump adapt to the requirement automatically in real time. The double wells of the system work alternatively under the normal condition and any one can work alone when the other needs maintenance, which improves the operating rate of pumping oil. After the main system parameters are calculated, conclusion can be drawn that both the nominal and operating power of this hydraulic pumping unit are relatively low. The model of the whole system is built based on mathematical dynamics and AMESim environment, and simulation results demonstrate that the proposed hydraulic pumping unit can achieve remarkable energy-saving performance.
The Challenge and Benefit of Evaluating Folk Dancing Quality
Authors: Rhone Jeffrey
Published: June 2017

The physical, social, and music attributes inherent to folk dancing make it an ideal component of music education curricula. The communal experience of folk dancing is unprecedented for many adults and children. These experiences are unique because folk dancing can foster individual and group learning through music, and noncompetitive play. There is, however, currently a lack of assessment tools available to music educators for evaluating student folk dancing quality. In this discussion, the author examines the genre through the eyes of dance and physical educators, and the extant recreational folk dancing community. This exploration leads to the identification of observable skills and aesthetic features of good-quality folk dancing. This information culminates in the Folk Dancing Proficiency Rubric, created by the author, for use in educational settings.
Welcoming the Sunlight: A Conversation With Mary Kay Zabel and Robert Zabel
Authors: Teagarden James , Kaff Marilyn
Published: June 2017

Professors Emeriti Mary Kay and Robert Zabel share their reflections on their long and productive careers working with students and teachers. Their respective careers share much of the same history and complement each other. The Zabels share their advice with those entering the field and the challenges they see for the education of students with emotional/behavioral disorders.