bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Rapidly convergent quasi-periodic Green functions for scattering by arrays of cylinders—including Wood anomalies
Authors: Bruno Oscar P. , Fernandez-Lado Agustin G.
Published: March 2017

This paper presents a full-spectrum Green-function methodology (which is valid, in particular, at and around Wood-anomaly frequencies) for evaluation of scattering by periodic arrays of cylinders of arbitrary cross section—with application to wire gratings, particle arrays and reflectarrays and, indeed, general arrays of conducting or dielectric bounded obstacles under both transverse electric and transverse magnetic polarized illumination. The proposed method, which, for definiteness, is demonstrated here for arrays of perfectly conducting particles under transverse electric polarization, is based on the use of the shifted Green-function method introduced in a recent contribution (Bruno & Delourme 2014
J. Computat. Phys.
262
, 262–290 (
doi:10.1016/j.jcp.2013.12.047
)). A certain infinite term arises at Wood anomalies for the cylinder-array problems considered here that is not present in the previous rough-surface case. As shown in this paper, these infinite terms can be treated via an application of ideas related to the Woodbury–Sherman–Morrison formulae. The resulting approach, which is applicable to general arrays of obstacles even at and around Wood-anomaly frequencies, exhibits fast convergence and high accuracies. For example, a few hundreds of milliseconds suffice for the proposed approach to evaluate solutions throughout the resonance region (wavelengths comparable to the period and cylinder sizes) with full single-precision accuracy.
Pupil-mimicry conditions trust in partners: moderation by oxytocin and group membership
Authors: Kret Mariska E. , De Dreu Carsten K. W.
Published: March 2017

Across species, oxytocin, an evolutionarily ancient neuropeptide, facilitates social communication by attuning individuals to conspecifics' social signals, fostering trust and bonding. The eyes have an important signalling function; and humans use their salient and communicative eyes to intentionally and unintentionally send social signals to others, by contracting the muscles around their eyes and pupils. In our earlier research, we observed that interaction partners with dilating pupils are trusted more than partners with constricting pupils. But over and beyond this effect, we found that the pupil sizes of partners synchronize and that when pupils synchronously dilate, trust is further boosted. Critically, this linkage between mimicry and trust was bound to interactions between ingroup members. The current study investigates whether these findings are modulated by oxytocin and sex of participant and partner. Using incentivized trust games with partners from ingroup and outgroup whose pupils dilated, remained static or constricted, this study replicates our earlier findings. It further reveals that (i) male participants withhold trust from partners with constricting pupils and extend trust to partners with dilating pupils, especially when given oxytocin rather than placebo; (ii) female participants trust partners with dilating pupils most, but this effect is blunted under oxytocin; (iii) under oxytocin rather than placebo, pupil dilation mimicry is weaker and pupil constriction mimicry stronger; and (iv) the link between pupil constriction mimicry and distrust observed under placebo disappears under oxytocin. We suggest that pupil-contingent trust is parochial and evolved in social species in and because of group life.
Strategies for sustainable management of renewable resources during environmental change
Authors: Lindkvist Emilie , Ekeberg Örjan , Norberg Jon
Published: March 2017

As a consequence of global environmental change, management strategies that can deal with unexpected change in resource dynamics are becoming increasingly important. In this paper we undertake a novel approach to studying resource growth problems using a computational form of adaptive management to find optimal strategies for prevalent natural resource management dilemmas. We scrutinize adaptive management, or learning-by-doing, to better understand how to simultaneously manage and learn about a system when its dynamics are unknown. We study important trade-offs in decision-making with respect to choosing optimal actions (harvest efforts) for sustainable management during change. This is operationalized through an artificially intelligent model where we analyze how different trends and fluctuations in growth rates of a renewable resource affect the performance of different management strategies. Our results show that the optimal strategy for managing resources with declining growth is capable of managing resources with fluctuating or increasing growth at a negligible cost, creating in a management strategy that is both efficient and robust towards future unknown changes. To obtain this strategy, adaptive management should strive for: high learning rates to new knowledge, high valuation of future outcomes and modest exploration around what is perceived as the optimal action.
Pedigree-based inbreeding coefficient explains more variation in fitness than heterozygosity at 160 microsatellites in a wild bird population
Authors: Nietlisbach Pirmin , Keller Lukas F. , Camenisch Glauco , Guillaume Frédéric , Arcese Peter , Reid Jane M. , Postma Erik
Published: March 2017

Although the pedigree-based inbreeding coefficientFpredicts theexpectedproportion of an individual's genome that is identical-by-descent (IBD), heterozygosity at genetic markers captures Mendelian sampling variation and thereby provides an estimate ofrealizedIBD. Realized IBD should hence explain more variation in fitness than their pedigree-based expectations, but how many markers are required to achieve this in practice remains poorly understood. We use extensive pedigree and life-history data from an island population of song sparrows (Melospiza melodia) to show that the number of genetic markers and pedigree depth affected the explanatory power of heterozygosity andF, respectively, but that heterozygosity measured at 160 microsatellites did not explain more variation in fitness thanF. This is in contrast with other studies that found heterozygosity based on far fewer markers to explain more variation in fitness thanF. Thus, the relative performance of marker- and pedigree-based estimates of IBD depends on the quality of the pedigree, the number, variability and location of the markers employed, and the species-specific recombination landscape, and expectations based on detailed and deep pedigrees remain valuable until we can routinely afford genotyping hundreds of phenotyped wild individuals of genetic non-model species for thousands of genetic markers.
The human brain views selfish behaviour towards genetic vs. non-genetic sibling differently
Authors: Bacha-Trams Mareike , Glerean Enrico , Lahnakoski Juha , Ryyppö Elisa , Sams Mikko , Jääskeläinen Iiro P.
Published: March 2017

Previous behavioural studies have shown that humans act more altruistically towards kin. Whether and how such kinship preference translates into differential neurocognitive evaluation of social interactions has remained an open question. Here, we investigated how the human brain is engaged when viewing a moral dilemma between genetic vs. non-genetic sisters. During functional magnetic resonance imaging, a movie depicting refusal of organ donation between two sisters was shown, with participants guided to believe the sisters were related either genetically or by adoption. The participants selfreported that genetic relationship was not relevant to them, yet their brain activity told a different story. When the participants believed that the sisters were genetically related, inter-subject similarity of brain activity was significantly stronger in areas supporting response-conflict resolution, emotion regulation, and self-referential social cognition. Our results show that mere knowledge of a genetic relationship between interacting persons can robustly modulate social cognition of the perceiver.
Cohesion: A method for quantifying the connectivity of microbial communities
Authors: Herren Cristina M. , McMahon Katherine D.
Published: March 2017

The ability to predict microbial community dynamics lags behind the quantity of data available in these systems. Most predictive models use only environmental parameters, although a long history of ecological literature suggests that community complexity should also be an informative parameter. Thus, we hypothesize that incorporating information about a community’s complexity might improve predictive power in microbial models. Here, we present a new metric, called community “cohesion,” that quantifies the degree of connectivity of a microbial community. We validate our approach using long-term (10+ year) phytoplankton datasets, where absolute abundance counts are available. As a case study of our metrics’ utility, we show that community cohesion is a strong predictor of Bray-Curtis dissimilarity (R2= 0.47) between phytoplankton communities in Lake Mendota, WI, USA. Our cohesion metrics outperform a model built using all available environmental data collected during a long-term sampling program. The result that cohesion corresponds strongly to Bray-Curtis dissimilarity is consistent across the five lakes analyzed here. Our cohesion metrics can be used as a predictor for many community-level properties, such as phylogenetic diversity, nutrient fluxes, or ecosystem services. We explain here the calculation of our cohesion metrics and their potential uses in microbial ecology.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.
Good tutors are not Dear Enemies in Song Sparrows
Authors: Akçay Çağlar , Campbell S. Elizabeth , Beecher Michael D.
Published: March 2017

Bird song is the most widely studied example of vocal learning outside human language and shares important parallels with it, including the importance of social factors during development. Our understanding of how social factors affect song learning however remains surprisingly incomplete. Here we examine the possible role of aggressive interactions in determining song “tutor” choice in song sparrows (Melospiza melodia), a songbird in which individuals display song learning strategies ranging from learning primarily from one tutor, to learning a few songs each from a number of tutors. We test two hypotheses: The Competition hypothesis suggests that young birds learn more from tutors with whom they compete especially intensely and predicts that tutees will respond with high aggression to tutor songs. In contrast the Cooperation hypothesis suggests that song learning reflects a cooperative relationship between the tutor and the tutee and predicts that tutees will respond with low aggression to tutor songs. In a playback experiment we found that birds respond more aggressively to songs of their tutors than they do to songs of strangers and that the strength of aggressive response correlated positively with how much they had learned from that tutor. These results provide the first field evidence for the hypothesis that young males preferentially learn their songs from adult males with whom they compete most intensely during the song-learning phase, and perhaps afterwards.
Elementary Protein Analysis in Schizosaccharomyces pombe
Authors: Grallert Agnes , Hagan Iain M.
Published: March 2017

Biochemical monitoring and interrogation of protein function is a critical component of most fission yeast studies. In particular, its small proteome size, high conservation of core molecular cell biology, and genetic malleability make Schizosaccharomyces pombe an excellent model organism in which to use mass spectrometry to conduct proteome-wide approaches. Here we discuss issues encountered during the analysis of fission yeast protein preparations.
Analysis of Microarray and RNA-seq Expression Profiling Data
Authors: Hung Jui-Hung , Weng Zhiping
Published: March 2017

Gene expression profiling refers to the simultaneous measurement of the expression levels of a large number of genes (often all genes in a genome), typically in multiple experiments spanning a variety of cell types, treatments, or environmental conditions. Expression profiling is accomplished by assaying mRNA levels with microarrays or next-generation sequencing technologies (RNA-seq). This introduction describes normalization and analysis of data generated from microarray or RNA-seq experiments.
Management control systems
Authors: Su Sophia , Baird Kevin , Schoch Herb
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the association between the interactive and diagnostic approaches to using controls and Miller and Friesen’s (1984) organizational life cycle (OLC) stages (birth, growth, maturity, revival).

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from a random sample of 343 general managers in Australian manufacturing organizations.

Findings

The results indicate that both approaches are used to a greater extent in the growth and revival stages than the birth and maturity stages, whereas the interactive and diagnostic approaches are used to a similar extent in each of the four OLC stages.

Research limitations/implications

This study contributes to the management control system literature by examining the use of the interactive and diagnostic approaches from an OLC perspective. The findings highlight that the complementary nature of the interactive and diagnostic approaches applies in each OLC stages, and suggest that similar attention should be placed on the use of both the interactive and diagnostic approaches in each OLC stage.

Practical implications

The study provides managers with an insight into the prevalence of the use of interactive and diagnostic approaches across the birth, growth, maturity and revival stages.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the management control system literature by adopting the configuration approach to examine how multiple contingent variables simultaneously affect the approach to using controls. Specifically, this study examines how organizations adjust their emphasis on Simons’ (1995) interactive and diagnostic approaches to using controls as they move across different development stages. These development stages were labelled as OLC stages and are determined based on the simultaneous consideration of multiple contingent factors.
Workarounds in an SAP environment: impacts on accounting information quality
Authors: Drum Dawna , Pernsteiner Aimee , Revak Adam
Published: March 2017

Purpose

While research has been conducted on the causes of workarounds, less is known about their impact on business processes and system outcomes. This study aims to investigate the impact on accounting information quality from workarounds implemented by personnel at a large global organization.

Design/methodology/approach

Interviews and qualitative analysis methods were used at one large multinational organization in the midst of a multi-year SAP implementation. A subset of employees in the desired categories (systems designers and advisors) was gained through snowball sampling.

Findings

Workarounds have significant impacts on the quality of both financial and managerial accounting information quality. System users are often unable to fully comprehend their place in the task chain, and thus are unaware of the implications of their actions on information quality.

Research limitations/implications

Control issues are an inherent part of workaround outcomes, as is the notion of system success. The current research suggests a need for much more work in these areas, including additional exploration of the outcomes of workarounds.

Practical implications

The examples demonstrated very clearly that deviations from standard procedures have very real consequences. In particular, the completeness, neutrality and accuracy were impacted, making it difficult for the organization to achieve relevance and faithful representation in their financial information. Additional insights are provided concerning the importance of knowledge sharing and the degree to which an organization may achieve a more integrated information system.

Originality/value

This paper complements existing research on workarounds through analysis of impacts on accounting information quality. An important contribution of the current study is to continue the move away from focusing solely on the causes of workarounds, and instead investigate the outcomes.
Does auditor industry expertise affect bank loan costs?
Authors: Zhang Yinghong , Sun Fang , Xian Chunwei
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This paper aims to examine whether firms retaining industry-specialist auditors receive better price and non-price terms for bank loans.

Design/methodology/approach

Based on a sample of companies retaining big N auditors during the 2000-2010 period, this paper constructed six proxies for auditor industry expertise and tested three major loan terms: loan spreads, number of general and financial covenants and requirements for collateral.

Findings

It was found that companies retaining industry-specialist auditors receive lower interest rates and fewer covenants. Banks are also less likely to demand secured collateral. These findings are supported by several sensitivity tests.

Research limitations/implications

The findings suggest that auditor industry expertise provides incremental value to creditors and that bank loan cost is one economic benefit for companies hiring specialist auditors.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first to investigate the impact of auditor industry expertise on the cost of private debts.
How CSR and overall service quality lead to affective commitment: mediating role of company reputation
Authors: Engizek Nil , Yasin Bahar
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The paper aims to focus on the relationships among corporate social responsibility (CSR), overall service quality (OSQ), company reputation and affective commitment. It investigates whether service quality or CSR is the primer driver of affective commitment. Also, the mediating role of company reputation was examined.

Design/methodology/approach

Structural equation modelling analysis provided support for the hypotheses from a sample of 522 retail banking consumers in Turkey.

Findings

Findings show that both CSR and OSQ influence affective commitment through the mediator role of company reputation.

Originality/value

This study tests and confirms that corporate reputation plays a mediator role along the paths from CSR and OSQ to affective commitment. Also, this study expands the traditional view of CSR’s and OSQ effect on customers and suggests that CSR and OSQ do affect not only company reputation but also affective commitment.
Sustainability reports in Brazil through the lens of signaling, legitimacy and stakeholder theories
Authors: Ching Hong Yuh , Gerab Fábio
Published: March 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to extend the applicability of stakeholder, legitimacy and signaling theories by examining to what extent proactive corporate social responsibility disclosures are interrelated to attempt to gain and maintain legitimacy, to gain support of the stakeholders and to reduce information asymmetry.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the theoretical arguments, a longitudinal approach over a five-year period of 145 companies’ sustainability reports and statistical analysis was applied to investigate the evolution of their quality.

Findings

The results show a significant increase in the quality of sustainability reporting, and the experience gained while writing these reports can contribute to this. Based on signaling and legitimacy theories, this paper suggests that improvement in sustainability reporting quality acts as an important signal to gain legitimacy in case of information asymmetry during the legitimacy process. Th disclosure for economic and social dimensions is better than that of the environmental dimension, and the improvement in quality over time is the because of synergies and interlinkages more between these two dimensions of sustainability, and to a lesser extent because of the environmental dimension.

Practical implications

Firms should view investing in sustainability reporting disclosure as a strategy for obtaining business legitimacy.

Originality/value

The results of this paper are of interest for several reasons: extend and broaden the use of signaling in studying its use on sustainability reporting; the use of three theories is an appropriate framework for empirical analysis of sustainability reporting disclosure quality in Brazil; and add to the scarce evidence of sustainability reporting in Brazil.
The influence of the institutional context on sustainability reporting. A cross-national analysis
Authors: Ferri Laura Maria
Published: March 2017

Purpose

This paper intends to compare the sustainability reporting (SR) in three different national and institutional contexts, namely Italy, Brazil and USA, and aims to investigate whether companies show a different approach to SR depending on the institutional setting where they operate.

Design/methodology/approach

To reach this goal, a sample of 150 reports was content-analyzed through a methodology based on a coding process which overcomes part of the limitations in previous works.

Findings

Results observed a relationship between the SR and the characteristics of institutional contexts, thus suggesting that while there is a general acceptance and use of international SR standards and initiatives, the content is influenced by and shaped on the characteristics of the national institutional context. In other words, although a widely diffused base of data and information can be found in the SR of companies in different contexts, the accent is put on specific issues which reflect the political, cultural, religious, legal and otherwise defined institutions in the national system.

Originality/value

Using the institutional theory the paper demonstrated that institutional contexts is one of the drivers of contents of sustainability reports.
An Examination of Broadacre Farm Size and Performance in Western Australia
Authors: Lefroy Tim , Key James , Kingwell Ross
Published: March 2017

We analyse a balanced panel of 250 farms in Western Australia using convergence analysis, examining changes in the relative size, output composition and financial performance of small, medium and large farms over the decade 2002–2011. Fitted exponential growth rates in key variables allow us to determine whether differences between small, medium and large farms are narrowing or widening. Although farms in each size category grew on average, there was no significant change in the relative size of farms. Contrasting with earlier studies, smaller farms displayed a relative improvement in their performance, catching up to medium and larger farms.
Uncertainty and Macroeconomic Policy
Authors: Swieringa John
Published: March 2017

The policy‐maker's decision‐making environment is rarely characterised by complete certainty or complete uncertainty, but it is useful to contemplate these extremes as a guide to action in the grey area in‐between. A pragmatic approach to circumstances without existing evidence to rely upon is to assume all events should be treated as equally likely. With detrimental outcomes as likely as neutral or positive ones, the value of insuring against the negative increases. Unless insurance itself has become more expensive, policy‐makers should consider rising uncertainty as motivating greater insurance but be cognisant of factors that may limit policy effectiveness in uncertain times.
Cytotoxicity and binding profiles of activated Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab to three insect cell lines
Authors: Wei Jizhen , Liang Gemei , Wu Kongming , Gu Shaohua , Guo Yuyuan , Ni Xinzhi , Li Xianchun
Published: March 2017

While Cry1Ac has been known to bind with larval midgut proteins cadherin, APN (amino peptidase N), ALP (alkaline phosphatase) and ABCC2 (adenosine triphosphate‐binding cassette transporter subfamily C2), little is known about the receptors of Cry2Ab. To provide a clue to the receptors of Cry2Ab, we tested the baseline cytotoxicity of activated Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab against the midgut and fat body cell lines ofHelicoverpa zeaand the ovary cell line ofSpodoptera frugiperda(SF9). As expected, the descending order of cytotoxicity of Cry1Ac against the three cell lines in terms of 50% lethal concetration (LC50) was midgut (31.0μg/mL) > fat body (59.0μg/mL) and SF9 cell (99.6 μg/mL). By contrast, the fat body cell line (LC50= 7.55 μg/mL) was about twice more susceptible to Cry2Ab than the midgut cell line (16.0 μg/mL), the susceptibility of which was not significantly greater than that of SF9 cells (27.0 μg/mL). Further, ligand blot showed the binding differences between Cry1Ac and Cry2Ab in the three cell lines. These results indicated that the receptors of Cry2Ab were enriched in fat body cells and thus largely different from the receptors of Cry1Ac, which were enriched in midgut cells.
Delayed sexual maturity in males ofVespa velutina
Authors: Poidatz Juliette , Bressac Christophe , Bonnard Olivier , Thiéry Denis
Published: March 2017

Vespa velutinavarnigrithorax(Lepelletier, 1835) is an invasive predator of bees accidentally introduced in France in 2004, and it is having a serious impact on apiculture and ecosystems. Studying the reproduction of an invasive species is key to assess its population dynamic. This study explores the sexual maturation ofV. velutinamales and the evolution of their fertility. The main studied parameters were physiologic (spermiogenesis, spermatogenesis) and anatomic (testes size and structure, head width). Two populations of males were described based on their emergence period: early males in early summer or classic males in autumn. Each testis has an average of 108 testicular follicles. Spermatogenesis is synchronous, with only 1 sperm production wave, and completed, on average, at 10.3 d after emergence with the degeneration of the testes. The sperm counts in seminal vesicles of mature males are 3 × 106in October/November and 0.8 × 106in June. In comparison, females store 0.1 × 106sperm in their spermathecae. The early males emerged from colonies made by fertilized queens. The reproductive potential of these early males seemed limited, and their function in the colony is discussed. The sperm stock evolution in autumn males suggests the occurrence of a reproductive pattern of male competition for the access to females and a single copulation per male. The synchronicity of male and foundress emergences and sexual maturation is of primary importance for the mating success and the future colony development.
Evaluation of the ECG based Selvester scoring method to estimate myocardial scar burden and predict clinical outcome in patients with left bundle branch block, with comparison to late gadolinium enhancement CMR imaging
Authors: Chaudhry Uzma , Platonov Pyotr G. , Jablonowski Robert , Couderc Jean‐Philippe , Engblom Henrik , Xia Xiajuang , Wieslander Björn , Atwater Brett D. , Strauss David G. , Van der Pals Jesper , Ugander Martin , Carlsson Marcus , Borgquist Rasmus
Published: March 2017

Background

Myocardial scar burden quantification is an emerging clinical parameter for risk stratification of sudden cardiac death and prediction of ventricular arrhythmias in patients with left ventricular dysfunction. We investigated the relationships among semiautomated Selvester score burden and late gadolinium enhancement‐cardiovascular magnetic resonance (LGE‐CMR) assessed scar burden and clinical outcome in patients with underlying heart failure, left bundle branch block (LBBB) and implantable cardioverter‐defibrillator (ICD) treatment.

Methods

Selvester QRS scoring was performed on all subjects with ischemic and nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy at Skåne University Hospital Lund (2002–2013) who had undergone LGE‐CMR and 12‐lead ECG with strict LBBB pre‐ICD implantation.

Results

Sixty patients were included; 57% nonischemic dilated cardiomyopathy and 43% ischemic cardiomyopathy with mean left ventricular ejection fraction of 27.6% ± 11.7. All patients had scar by Selvester scoring. Sixty‐two percent had scar by LGE‐CMR (n = 37). The Spearman correlation coefficient for LGE‐CMR and Selvester score derived scar was r = .35 (p = .007). In scar negative LGE‐CMR, there was evidence of scar by Selvester scoring in all patients (range 3%–33%, median 15%). Fourteen patients (23%) had an event during the follow‐up period; 11 (18%) deaths and six adequate therapies (10%). There was a moderate trend indicating that presence of scar increased the risk of clinical endpoints in the LGE‐CMR analysis (p = .045).

Conclusion

There is a modest correlation between LGE‐CMR and Selvester scoring verified myocardial scar. CMR based scar burden is correlated to clinical outcome, but Selvester scoring is not. The Selvester scoring algorithm needs to be further refined in order to be clinically relevant and reliable for detailed scar evaluation in patients with LBBB.
Ets1 and ESE1 reciprocally regulate expression of ZEB1/ZEB2, dependent on ERK1/2 activity, in breast cancer cells
Authors: Sinh Nguyen Duy , Endo Kaori , Miyazawa Keiji , Saitoh Masao
Published: March 2017

The epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a crucial morphological event that occurs during progression of epithelial tumors. We reported previously that levels of the δ‐crystallin/E2‐box factor 1 (δEF1) family proteins (Zinc finger E‐box binding homeobox 1 [ZEB1]/δEF1 and ZEB2/ Smad‐interacting protein 1), key regulators of the EMT, are positively correlated with EMT phenotypes and aggressiveness of breast cancer. Here, we show that Ets1 induces ZEB expression and activates the ZEB1 promoter, independently of its threonine 38 phosphorylation status. In the basal‐like subtype of breast cancer cells, siRNAs targeting Ets1 repressed expression of ZEBs and partially restored their epithelial phenotypes and sensitivity to antitumor drugs. Epithelium‐specific ETS transcription factor 1 (ESE1), a member of the Ets transcription factor family, was originally characterized as being expressed in an epithelial‐restricted pattern, placing it within the epithelium‐specific ETS subfamily. ESE1, highly expressed in the luminal subtype of breast cancer cells, was repressed by activation of the MEK–ERK pathway, resulting in induction of ZEBs through Ets1 upregulation. Conversely, Ets1, highly expressed in the basal‐like subtype, was repressed by inactivation of MEK–ERK pathway, resulting in reduction of ZEBs through ESE1 upregulation. These findings suggest that ESE1 and Ets1, whose expressions are reciprocally regulated by the MEK–ERK pathway, define the EMT phenotype through controlling expression of ZEBs in each subtype of breast cancer cells.
Locating Economic Risks for Adolescent Mental and Behavioral Health: Poverty and Affluence in Families, Neighborhoods, and Schools
Authors: Coley Rebekah Levine , Sims Jacqueline , Dearing Eric , Spielvogel Bryn
Published: March 2017

Research has identified risks of both poverty and affluence for adolescents. This study sought to clarify associations between income and youth mental and behavioral health by delineating economic risks derived from family, neighborhood, and school contexts within a nationally representative sample of high school students (N = 13,179, average age 16). Attending schools with more affluent schoolmates was associated with heightened likelihoods of intoxication, drug use, and property crime, but youth at poorer schools reported greater depressive and anxiety symptoms, engagement in violence, and for male adolescents, more frequent violence and intoxication. Neighborhood and family income were far less predictive. Results suggest that adolescent health risks derive from both ends of the economic spectrum, and may be largely driven by school contexts.
The cost‐effectiveness of a web‐based multimodal therapy for unilateral cerebral palsy: the Mitii randomized controlled trial
Authors: Comans Tracy , Mihala Gabor , Sakzewski Leanne , Boyd Roslyn N , Scuffham Paul
Published: March 2017

Aim

To estimate the cost‐effectiveness of the Mitii training system for improvements in upper limb function for children with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP). Mitii is a web‐based programme delivered at home with set‐up and monitoring by therapists.

Method

A randomized controlled trial was conducted comparing the Mitii training programme to usual care. The Assessment of Motor and Process Skills (AMPS) and Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) were collected for each child at baseline and 20 weeks. Responders to training were characterized as those who met a minimally important difference on either the AMPS (0.3 logits) or COPM (2 points). Costs of the intervention were calculated by quantifying the equipment and staff cost. A cost per responder was calculated for each of the outcome measures.

Results

A total of 102 participants (52 males, 50 females) were included in the analysis. There were significantly more responders in the training group on both the AMPS motor and process scales and the COPM performance and satisfaction scales. The cost per responder for the Mitii programme ranged from AU$3078 to AU$4191 depending on the scale used.

Interpretation

The cost of delivering the Mitii training system is modest relative to the improvements in function.
Evolution of cutaneous leishmaniasis in the last 30 years in a tertiary hospital of the European Mediterranean coast
Authors: Marcoval Joaquim , Penín Rosa M.
Published: March 2017

Background

Although with a lower incidence than in other geographic areas, leishmaniasis is also endemic on the European Mediterranean coast. However, there are few studies on the clinical features of cutaneous lesions of leishmaniasis in Europe. Our objective was to review the clinical features of cutaneous leishmanial lesions in our European Mediterranean population in the last 30 years and compare the clinical features of immunosuppressed and nonimmunosuppressed patients.

Methods

The clinical features of cutaneous lesions of leishmaniasis diagnosed between 1987 and 2016 at Bellvitge Hospital in Barcelona, Spain, were retrospectively analyzed.

Results

Cutaneous lesions of leishmaniasis were diagnosed in 68 patients (40 male and 28 female, mean age 53.60 years, SD 19.68). Thirteen patients were immunosuppressed because of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) (7), renal transplantation (1), lymphoma (1), and anti‐TNF agents (4). Our immunosuppressed patients had more lesions (3.33 vs. 1.80, P = 0.021), with greater maximum diameter (33.00 vs. 13.33 mm, P = 0.001), and their lesions were more frequently disseminated (P = 0.008). Visceral leishmaniasis was observed only in immunosuppressed patients. Patients treated with anti‐TNF drugs developed unusually large skin lesions with crusted, eroded surfaces and without a tendency to spontaneous remission.

Conclusion

With the widespread use of anti‐TNF agents, an increase in severe forms of leishmaniasis can be expected. The development of persistent, crusted, or eroded erythematous‐brownish plaques in patients treated with anti‐TNF drugs who live or had traveled to endemic areas of Leishmania infection warrants consideration of a diagnosis of cutaneous leishmaniasis.
Value of Fluorescent Techniques for Detecting Mycobacterium Leprae in Tissue Sections
Authors: Betts Anthony , Hollander Alfred
Published: March 2017

The modified fluorescent technique described by Kuper and May for the detection of acid‐fast organisms was evaluated in a series of skin specimens of lepromatous leprosy. The method was not found sufficiently reliable to warrant its adoption in a routine laboratory, chiefly because of misleading fluorescent artifacts. In addition, the equipment is expensive, and special training is required.
Current Status of Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Italy
Authors: Cavalieri Rino
Published: March 2017

A significant spread and rise in incidence of endemic cutaneous leishmaniasis has been observed in postwar Italy. The areas of endemicity now include the islands, the Adriatic coast, especially Abruzzi e Molise, and focal areas on the Tyrrhenian coast from Calabria to Liguria. Cases have also been seen in the Valle Padana in northern Italy. Exhaustive studies of the fauna and flora have been conducted in the endemic regions, especially for the purpose of differentiating vectors and hosts of cutaneous leishmaniasis from those of the visceral form. Phlebotomus perfiliewi predominates in regions in which there is a high incidence of cutaneous leshmaniasis, and is its probable vector, whereas Phlebotomus perniciosas is the vector of leishmaniasis infantum in the endemic foci of kala‐azar. Some other problems, such as the epidemiology of the vectors, the natural reservoirs and the symptomatology have also been briefly reviewed. Statistics gathered from 1941 to 1961 at the Istituto Dermopatico dell'Immacolata of Rome are presented to prove the value of the prophylactic program carried out in various regions. A first study showed the incidence clearly rising from 1946 to 1948. Numerous new foci were found in the provinces of Terni, Viterbo and Roma. The various characteristics of these regions and the different clinical manifestations were studied. A second report covering the decade from 1946 to 1956 disclosed a second era and clearly showed the beneficial results of prophylaxis.

The paper concludes with a review of the years from 1957 to 1961, which shows the continuing reduction in the incidence of cutaneous leishmaniasis, and its obstinate persistence at a low level in certain areas; its atypia with regard to the morphology of present‐day lesions, at least in cases seen in a dermatology center in Rome; the efficacy of the program, particularly in children, and the effectiveness of current therapy.

We may look forward to the eradication of this disease through an all‐out prophylactic effort coupled with better knowledge of the dermatosis and continuing improvement in the sanitary and living standards of the agricultural population in Italy.
L' Importance Du Proteinogramme Dans Le Diagnostic Et Le Pronostic Des Maladies Allergiques Et Dans La Tuberculose
Authors: Laborie F. , Laborie R.
Published: March 2017

Il se dégage de ces études cliniques et expérimentales que dans les cas d'allergie et de tuberculose, il existe une déviation d l'équilibre protéinique dans le sens d'une augmentation, sur le compte du taux des albumines, des gamma‐globulines dans des sensibilisations dûes aux allergènes inertes, c'est‐à‐dire dans l'allergie médicamenteuse, alimentaire ou chimique, et une augmentation des bêta‐globulines dans des sensibilisations dûes aux microorganismes (allergènes vivants) c'est‐à‐dire dans l'allergie tuberculinique, microbienne et trichophytinique. Le retour du protéinogramme à la normale quand il se produit, sous l'effet d'une thérapeutique ou d'une désensibilisation, prend alors le chemin inverse.

C'est dans la tuberculose expérimentale du boeuf, du chien et en particulier du cobaye qu'il a été possible de noter avec précision que simultanément avec l'installation de l'état tuberculeux et allergique, il apparait une augmentation caractéristique des bêta‐globulines qui revêt ici un caractère bien spécifique et même pathognomonique pour l'origine tuberculinique, mycosique ou microbienne d'une allergie.

Le protéinogramme semble être appelé aujourd'hui à prendre une place très importante dans les investigations biologiques des cas d 'allergie et de tuberculose‐maladie allergique. Il peut compléter et fa ciliter non seulement le diagnostic et le pronostic d'un cas d'allergie mais son exécution régulière peut aussi renseigner sur la valeur et l'opportunité d'un traitement.
Fattori Meteoroclimatici E Patologia Cutanea
Authors: Midana A. , Leone R.
Published: March 2017

The authors review the importance and diagnostic usefulness of climatic factors as they affect the clinical picture as well as the nosology of skin conditions. Much of their data are based upon observations made at the Dermatology Clinic at the University of Turin (Italy).
L'Influence des Facteurs Climatiques Sur L'Existence et le Traitement du Psoriasis
Authors: Konopík J.
Published: March 2017

The author discusses the various climatic factors which influence the incidence and affect the treatment of psoriasis. Particular emphasis is given to the role of ultraviolet light and the degree of humidity as they affect various metabolic factors and, consequently, psoriasis.
New way of working: Professionals’ expectations and experiences of the Culture and Health Project for clients with psychiatric disabilities: A focus group study
Authors: Wästberg Birgitta A. , Sandström Boel , Gunnarsson Anna Birgitta
Published: March 2017

There is a need for various types of interventions when meeting needs of clients with psychiatric disabilities and complementary interventions may also influence their well‐being. The Culture and Health project, based on complementary interventions with 270 clients, was created in a county in Sweden for clients with psychiatric disabilities and for professionals to carry out the interventions. The aim of this study was to investigate the professionals’ expectations regarding the project and their clients’ possibilities for participating, and to investigate the professionals’ experiences of the project after its completion. Focus group data with a total of 30 professionals participating were collected. A qualitative content analysis revealed four categories of the professionals’ expectations before entering the project: “Clients’ own possibilities and limitations for their development and independence”, “Professionals’ possibilities for supporting the clients”, “Societal prerequisites”, and “Expectations of a new way of working”. Furthermore, the analysis regarding professionals’ experiences after working with the project revealed three categories: “Adopting the challenges”, “Having ways of working that function – prerequisites and possibilities”, and “Meeting the future – an ambition to continue”. Conclusion: Working in the Culture and Health project together with the clients in group‐based activities was perceived as beneficial, although challenges arose. When implementing cultural activities, support from stakeholder organisations is needed.
Building a Resilience‐Oriented Child Welfare Court System
Authors: Wyman Robert , Warner‐King Kelly
Published: March 2017

The child welfare court system wrestles consistently with how to measure success. Preventing child deaths, ensuring child safety, enhancing child well‐being, and faster permanency are some of the metrics used to assess the effectiveness of our system. This article proposes measuring child welfare courts on their principle‐driven expression of values that promote the existence of resilience in families, professionals, and the system itself. It is critical to understand that trauma is not a necessary result of adversity, and the existence of protective factors can make us resilient against the triggering and onset of trauma. Child welfare court systems exist in complexity, and need to be managed for innovation and adaptability. The experience of poverty shared between families and the system is often the curse that weighs against performance, but could be the link that opens expanded capacity. The Court Improvement Training Academy at the University of Washington School of Law provides a framework of values, principles, and examples of work aimed at building resilience‐oriented child welfare court systems.
The Pump‐Up in Pop Music of the 1970s and 1980s
Authors: RICCI ADAM
Published: March 2017

The pump‐up, which transposes an entire section of a pop song up by semitone or whole tone, has been widely castigated as a cheap trick for investing an inferior song with more energy towards its end. And cheap trick it often is, especially when the procedure seems unmotivated by anything within the song itself but is instead imposed from without. Indeed, previous scholars have focused especially on songs that prepare their pump‐ups through various means. This study continues that focus while also providing some useful generalizations from a corpus study of approximately 250 songs. Concentrating on the decades of the 1970s and '80s as critical to the development of the pump‐up, it identifies common harmonic types and their interaction with particular intervals of transposition – including those larger than a whole step – and then examines some more unusual and nuanced examples.
Cytology and sexuality of 11 species of Elatostema (Urticaceae) in limestone karsts suggests that apomixis is a recurring phenomenon
Authors: Fu Long‐Fei , Su Lan‐Ying , Mallik Azim , Wen Fang , Wei Yi‐Gang
Published: March 2017

Limestone karsts across southern China to southeastern Asia are renowned biodiversity hotspots. The karst are characterized by exposed calcareous rocks, seasonal droughts and thin soils that are deficient in N and P but with high Ca and Mg content. The stressful habitat may result in high biodiversity through mechanisms such as niche differentiation, hybridization, polyploidy and apomixis. The genus Elatostema (Urticaceae) has particularily high species diversity in this area and can be used a model genus to explore the mechanisms of speciation. We conducted cytological studies on 11 species of Elatostema from 12 populations in Guangxi, China. We found five populations to be diploid (2n = 26), and seven triploid populations (2n = 39). We infer x = 13 as the basic chromosome number of Elatostema. The chromosome numbers 2n = 26 and 2n = 39 were both found in populations of E. longistipulum, indicating that this species comprise both diploids and triploids. Both male and female plants of Elatostema were found to be diploid. In contrast, the triploids found were all female plants, and these produce seeds, presumably by apomixis. We found no clear relationship between ploidy level or reproductive pathway and endemism in Elatostema which might be because Elatostema species are wind‐pollinated and independent of biotic pollinators. However, a random sample of 11 karst species revealed that ca 2/3 appeared to be apomictic, suggesting that it is a widespread reproductive strategy of Elatostema in the limestone karsts of Guangxi. Apomixis enables plants to reproduce and disperse from a single individual, allowing ‘hopeful monsters’ adapted to a new habitat to form stable populations.
Alpinia newmanii sp. nov. (Zingiberaceae) from central Vietnam
Authors: Lý Ngọc‐Sâm
Published: March 2017

Alpinia newmanii, a new species from central Vietnam, is described and illustrated. A morphological comparison with the most closely related species and a key to the species of Alpinia subsection Catimbium in Vietnam are provided.