bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Types and Number of Traumas Associated With Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempts in PTSD: Findings From a U.S. Nationally Representative Sample
Authors: LeBouthillier Daniel M. , McMillan Katherine A. , Thibodeau Michel A. , Asmundson Gordon J. G.
Published: May 2015

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with suicidal ideation and suicide attempt; however, research has largely focused on specific samples and a limited range of traumas. We examined suicidal ideation and suicide attempt relating to 27 traumas within a nationally representative U.S. sample of individuals with PTSD. Data were from the National Epidemiologic Survey of Alcohol and Related Conditions (N = 34,653). Participants were assessed for lifetime PTSD and trauma history, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt. We calculated the proportion of individuals reporting suicidal ideation or suicide attempt for each trauma and for the number of unique traumas experienced. Most traumas were associated with greater suicidal ideation and suicide attempt in individuals with PTSD compared to individuals with no lifetime trauma or with lifetime trauma but no PTSD. Childhood maltreatment, assaultive violence, and peacekeeping traumas had the highest rates of suicidal ideation (49.1% to 51.9%) and suicide attempt (22.8% to 36.9%). There was substantial variation in rates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempt for war and terrorism‐related traumas. Multiple traumas increased suicidality, such that each additional trauma was associated with an increase of 20.1% in rate of suicidal ideation and 38.9% in rate of suicide attempts. Rates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts varied markedly by trauma type and number of traumas, and these factors may be important in assessing and managing suicidality in individuals with PTSD.
Trajectories of Scores on a Screening Instrument for PTSD Among World Trade Center Rescue, Recovery, and Clean‐Up Workers
Authors: Maslow Carey B. , Caramanica Kimberly , Welch Alice E. , Stellman Steven D. , Brackbill Robert M. , Farfel Mark R.
Published: May 2015

The longitudinal course of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) over 8–9 years was examined among 16,488 rescue and recovery workers who responded to the events of September 11, 2001 (9/11) at the World Trade Center (WTC; New York, NY), and were enrolled in the World Trade Center Health Registry. Latent class growth analysis identified 5 groups of rescue and recovery workers with similar score trajectories at 3 administrations of the PTSD Checklist (PCL): low‐stable (53.3%), moderate‐ stable (28.7%), moderate‐increasing (6.4%), high‐decreasing (7.7%), and high‐stable (4.0%). Relative to the low‐stable group, membership in higher risk groups was associated with 9/11‐related exposures including duration of WTC work, with adjusted odds ratios ranging from 1.3 to 2.0, witnessing of horrific events (range = 1.3 to 2.1), being injured (range = 1.4 to 2.3), perceiving threat to life or safety (range = 2.2 to 5.2), bereavement (range = 1.6 to 4.8), and job loss due to 9/11 (range = 2.4 to 15.8). Within groups, higher PCL scores were associated with adverse social circumstances including lower social support, with B coefficients ranging from 0.2 to 0.6, divorce, separation, or widowhood (range = 0.4–0.7), and unemployment (range = 0.4–0.5). Given baseline, exposure‐related, and contextual influences that affect divergent PTSD trajectories, screening for both PTSD and adverse circumstances should occur immediately, and at regular intervals postdisaster.
Organocatalytic Polymerization of Furfuryl Methacrylate and Post‐Diels–Alder Click Reaction to Cross‐Linked Materials
Authors: Feng Shuo (Kelvin) , Schmitt Meghan , Chen Eugene Y.‐X.
Published: May 2015

Biomass‐derived furfuryl methacrylate (FMA) has been effectively polymerized at ambient temperature by the P4‐phosphazene superbase, tBu‐P4, with or without iPrOH as the coinitiator, producing syndio‐rich atactic poly(furfuryl methacrylate) (PFMA). The polymerization exhibits high initiation efficiencies up to 370% and is, therefore, a catalytic polymerization system. In the polymerization by tBu‐P4 or tBu‐P4 +iPrOH, the true initiator is shown to be 2‐furfurylmethoxide, [(C4H3O)CH2O]−, generated from the reaction between FMA and tBu‐P4 or [tBu‐P4H]+[iPrO]− during the induction period. The Diels–Alder (DA) “click” reaction has been utilized to produce two types of cross‐linked PFMA materials. The first is PFMA–C60, prepared from the DA reaction between the furfuryl group of PFMA and polydienophile C60, and the second employs a bifunctional bismaleimide (BM) to construct the cross‐linked network polymer PFMA–BM. When compared to the pristine PFMA, the cross‐linked network polymers PFMA–C60 and PFMA–BM, especially the PFMA–BM materials with a high crosslinking density, exhibit significantly enhanced thermal stability at temperatures above 600 °C and a much higher glass‐transition temperature, as shown by the thermal and thermomechanical analyses.

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The Cardinal Anomalies that Led to Behavioral Economics: Cognitive or Motivational?
Authors: Ainslie G.
Published: May 2015

The field of behavioral economics (BE) has been defined by the study of anomalies in choice, that is, choices that do not obey what is called rational choice theory or expected utility theory. Expected utility theory holds that an intelligent and well‐informed agent (‘economic man’) will make choices that maximize his expected utility, which by implication means avoiding choice patterns that would make him (her hereafter) vulnerable in competitive markets—for instance, to be money pumped, or make intransitive choices or choices that could be reversed by reframing. Research in two disparate schools has found that people commit a number of apparent violations of the maximizing principle. These traditions have formed the two legs on which BE stands: behavioral and cognitive.

During the 1970s and 1980s, both schools found anomalies in expected utility theory that called for new approaches. The behavioral school revealed anomalies in choice as a function of intertemporal differences in motivation, thus creating the topics of dynamic inconsistency and hyperbolic and quasihyperbolic delay discounting. The cognitive school revealed anomalies in choice as a function of cognitive framing, which are summarized in prospect theory. These anomalies have remained the cardinal phenomena of BE. Critics have called the resulting literature ‘a ragbag’, but I argue that the 12 best‐known framing effects have coherent motivational roots. Most anomalies that persist after reflection can be understood as strategies in intertemporal bargaining, for maximizing hyperbolically discounted utility (or reward). Published 2015. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA
Matching and Behavioral Contrast in a Two‐Option Repeated Investment Simulation
Authors: Hantula Donald A. , Crowell Charles R.
Published: May 2015

Matching and behavioral contrast were explored in an investment simulation with young adults who made repeated investments in two different markets that provided intermittent, non‐predictable returns. In the first phase in which the markets provided equivalent returns, participants matched. In a second phase in which one market ceased to provide returns while the other market remained unchanged, participants showed behavioral contrast by decreasing investment in the non‐producing market and dramatically increasing investing in the unchanged market. A third phase restored the original return rates and matching was observed. In a fourth phase, one market ceased to provide returns while the other market remained unchanged, and less robust evidence of behavioral contrast was found. These results replicate and extend previous research are one of the few demonstrations of behavioral contrast in adults, are consistent with matching theory and show that options are valued relatively, not absolutely. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Conjoint Analysis for Social Media Marketing Experimentation: Choice, Utility Estimates and Preference Ranking
Authors: Menon R. G. Vishnu , Sigurdsson Valdimar
Published: May 2015

To analyze the importance of social media in consumer purchase situations, we conducted conjoint analysis on consumer decision‐making in collaboration with a fashion retailer that uses Facebook as part of their promotional and commerce system. The study involved the comparisons of consumer preference for different marketing attributes by placing them on a comparable pricing scale, or pricing out non‐monetary stimuli (e.g., ordering type, shipping, size, pictures, donation to charity, and guarantee). The research framework adopted was the Behavioral Perspective Model of consumer choice. The results of the conjoint study (Pearson's R=0.998, p<0.05) showed an inverse relation between price and utility, with higher prices corresponding to lower utility. This inverse relationship for utility also holds true for other attributes, such as shipping cost. In line with behavior analytical focus on individualization and increasing emphasis on personalized marketing, we show partial utility scores from different consumers based on altered interventions for decision‐making with scenario testing and a demand curve. We discuss the implications of conjoint analysis as an experimental survey technique for decision‐making in managerial economics and its role as an efficient pre‐testing for more direct measures on behavior in online experimental analysis of behavior. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
On a nonlinear renewal equation with diffusion
Authors: Kakumani Bhargav Kumar , Tumuluri Suman Kumar
Published: May 2015

In this paper, we consider a nonlinear age structured McKendrick–von Foerster population model with diffusion term. Here we prove existence and uniqueness of the solution of the equation. We consider a particular type of nonlinearity in the renewal term and prove Generalized Relative Entropy type inequality. Longtime behavior of the solution has been addressed for both linear and nonlinear versions of the equation. In linear case, we prove that the solution converges to the first eigenfunction with an exponential rate. In nonlinear case, we have considered a particular type of nonlinearity that is present in the mortality term in which we can predict the longtime behavior. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Three‐dimensional dictionary‐learning reconstruction of 23Na MRI data
Authors: Behl Nicolas G.R. , Gnahm Christine , Bachert Peter , Ladd Mark E. , Nagel Armin M.
Published: May 2015

Purpose

To reduce noise and artifacts in 23Na MRI with a Compressed Sensing reconstruction and a learned dictionary as sparsifying transform.

Methods

A three‐dimensional dictionary‐learning compressed sensing reconstruction algorithm (3D‐DLCS) for the reconstruction of undersampled 3D radial 23Na data is presented. The dictionary used as the sparsifying transform is learned with a K‐singular‐value‐decomposition (K‐SVD) algorithm. The reconstruction parameters are optimized on simulated data, and the quality of the reconstructions is assessed with peak signal‐to‐noise ratio (PSNR) and structural similarity (SSIM). The performance of the algorithm is evaluated in phantom and in vivo 23Na MRI data of seven volunteers and compared with nonuniform fast Fourier transform (NUFFT) and other Compressed Sensing reconstructions.

Results

The reconstructions of simulated data have maximal PSNR and SSIM for an undersampling factor (USF) of 10 with numbers of averages equal to the USF. For 10‐fold undersampling, the PSNR is increased by 5.1 dB compared with the NUFFT reconstruction, and the SSIM by 24%. These results are confirmed by phantom and in vivo 23Na measurements in the volunteers that show markedly reduced noise and undersampling artifacts in the case of 3D‐DLCS reconstructions.

Conclusion

The 3D‐DLCS algorithm enables precise reconstruction of undersampled 23Na MRI data with markedly reduced noise and artifact levels compared with NUFFT reconstruction. Small structures are well preserved. Magn Reson Med 75:1605–1616, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Volunteerism, compassion and religiosity as drivers of donations practices
Authors: de Abreu Madalena Eça , Laureano Raul M. S. , da Silva Rui Vinhas , Dionísio Pedro
Published: May 2015

The topic of donations is one of high relevance and has been widely covered in contemporary marketing literature. It is a topic of interest to both theoreticians and practitioners alike, particularly due to its implicit links to fundraising activities and research. The reality of what makes an individual donor ultimately part with his money and give it away to a nonprofit organization is a hot contemporary topic. This study looks into the role of religiosity as a predictor of donations practices. Also volunteerism and compassion, two acts of pro‐social behaviour are analysed as predictors of donations practices. Using data collected from a survey of 612 charity donors in Portugal, the results show unequivocally that religiosity does influence donations practices, and so being a predictor of donations practices. Moreover, pro‐social behaviour is a predictor of donations practices when in the case of volunteerism, but not in the form of compassion.

The findings are particularly useful for nonprofit organizations that want to attract and retain individual charitable donors and may also help to increase donation regularity, to obtain higher amounts, and donations both to religious and to secular organizations. Finally, it can be stated that the understanding of religiosity sheds light on knowledge about donations practices, and that this study also makes an important contribution to academia, as it is the first study conducted in Portugal that assesses the drivers of donations practices.

Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Reduced insulin sensitivity in childhood survivors of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation is associated with lipodystropic and sarcopenic phenotypes
Authors: Wei Christina , Thyagiarajan Manigandan S. , Hunt Linda P. , Shield Julian P.H. , Stevens Michael C.G. , Crowne Elizabeth C.
Published: May 2015

Background

Survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) treated with haematopoietic stem cell transplantation and total body irradiation (HSCT/TBI) have a high cardiometabolic risk despite lacking overt clinical obesity. This study characterised body composition using different methodologies and explored associations with reduced insulin sensitivities in a group of ALL survivors treated with/without HSCT/TBI.

Procedure

Survivors of childhood ALL treated with HSCT/TBI (n = 20,10 M) were compared with Chemotherapy‐only (n = 31), and an obese non‐leukaemic controls (n = 30). All subjects (aged 16–26 years) were investigated with: auxology (BMI, waist and hip circumferences), DEXA (total and regional fat, fat‐free mass), abdominal MRI (subcutaneous, visceral, intramuscular fat), oral glucose tolerance tests (impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes, insulin sensitivity) and serum adiponectin.

Results

HSCT/TBI Group displayed a higher prevalence of abnormal glucose tolerance (45%); lower insulin sensitivity; lower lean mass with higher prevalence of reduced fat‐free mass index (from DEXA); higher visceral and intramuscular, and lower subcutaneous fat on MRI, compared with the Chemotherapy‐only and Obese controls. BMI was lowest in HSCT/TBI Group. Waist‐to‐hip and android‐to‐gynoid ratios were similar between HSCT/TBI and Obese Groups. Insulin sensitivity adjusted for visceral fat mass was lower in the HSCT/TBI than the Chemotherapy‐only and Obese groups. Adiponectin in the HSCT/TBI Group was lower than the Chemotherapy‐only group, and correlated negatively with time post HSCT/TBI.

Conclusions

HSCT/TBI survivors have an increased risk of abnormal glucose tolerance and reduced insulin sensitivity with reduced subcutaneous and increased visceral fat distribution, increased total fat mass and reduced lean mass. Pediatr Blood Cancer © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Chemical vapor deposition and analysis of thermally insulating ZrO2 layers on injection molds
Authors: Atakan Burak , Khlopyanova Victoria , Mausberg Simon , Mumme Frank , Kandzia Adrian , Pflitsch Christian
Published: May 2015

High quality injection molding requires a precise control of cooling rates. Thermal barrier coating (TBC) of zirconia with a thickness of 20‐40 µm on polished stainless steel molds could provide the necessary insulating effect. This paper presents results of zirconia deposition on stainless steel substrates using chemical vapor deposition (CVD) aiming to provide the process parameters for the deposition of uniform zirconia films with such a thickness. The deposition was performed with zirconium (IV) acetylacetonate (Zr(C5H7O2)4) as precursor and synthetic air as co‐reactant, which allows deposition at temperatures below 600 °C. The experiments were carried out in a hot‐wall reactor at pressures between 7.5 mbar and 500 mbar and in a temperature range from 450 °C to 600 °C. Important growth parameters were characterized and growth rates between 1 and 2.5 µm/h were achieved. Thick and well adhering zirconia layers of 38 µm could be produced on steel within 40 h. The transient heat transfer rate upon contact with a hot surface was also evaluated experimentally with the thickest coatings. These exhibit a good TBC performance. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Relationship Between Emotional Behavior in Mice and the Concentration of (+)‐α‐Santalol in the Brain
Authors: Satou Tadaaki , Ogawa Yuko , Koike Kazuo
Published: May 2015

We previously reported finding anxiolytic‐like activity for sandalwood oil after administration in mice. In this report, we further investigated the emotional behavior associated with inhaled or intraperitoneally administered (+)‐α‐santalol, the main component of sandalwood oil, in addition to examining whether pharmacological or neurological transfers are responsible for this behavior. After administration of (+)‐α‐santalol by inhalation or intraperitoneal injection, we assessed anxiolytic‐like and locomotor activities using elevated‐plus maze tests. We also examined the relationship between the emotional behavior and the (+)‐α‐santalol brain concentration.

Anxiolytic‐like activity was not observed immediately after administration or after water‐immersion stress for 24 h for either the (+)‐α‐santalol 2 μL/L air inhalation or the (+)‐α‐santalol 0.03 mL/kg (i.p.) administration. However, mice administered (+)‐α‐santalol 0.03 mL/kg intraperitoneally exhibited a significant decrease in the locomotor activity after exposure to water‐immersion stress for 24 h. The brain (+)‐α‐santalol concentration was 2.6 µg/g tissue after (+)‐α‐santalol 0.03 mL/kg (i.p.) administration.

The observed shift of (+)‐α‐santalol to the brain suggests that this component acts via pharmacological transfer and is responsible for the sedative effect but not the anxiolytic‐like activity. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Serotonin toxicity from co‐administration of escitalopram and mirtazapine
Authors: Lam Y. W. Francis
Published: May 2015

Serotonin syndrome is a serious condition that can, rarely, result in fatality. It is usually caused by increased serotonin stimulation. The most common pharmacologic intervention that results in serotonin syndrome is the concurrent use of drugs that enhance central serotonergic activity, including monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), and serotonin‐norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs). Other drugs also can increase central serotonergic activity.
Smoothing using fractional polynomials: an alternative to polynomials and splines in applied research
Authors: Regier Michael David , Parker R. David
Published: May 2015

The fractional polynomial regression model is an emerging tool in applied research. Overcoming inherent problems associated with a polynomial expansion and splines, fractional polynomial models provide an alternate approach for modeling nonlinear relationships. In this article, we introduce the univariable and multivariable fractional polynomial model and highlight important aspects of their construction. Because of the curvilinear nature of fractional polynomial models, functional tables and functional plots are emphasized for model interpretation. We present two examples to illustrate fractional polynomial models for their selection and interpretation in applied research.WIREs Comput Stat2015, 7:275–283. doi: 10.1002/wics.1355

This article is categorized under:

Statistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Density Estimation

Statistical Learning and Exploratory Methods of the Data Sciences > Modeling Methods

Statistical and Graphical Methods of Data Analysis > Transformations
Syntheses and Crystal Structures of Three Metal‐Organic Frameworks Constructed from a C3‐Symmetrical Tricarboxylic Acid
Authors: Alfooty Khalid , He Yabing , Fronczek Frank R. , Chen Banglin
Published: May 2015

Three coordination polymers were synthesized by solvothermal reaction of a C3‐symmetrical organic ligand and metal ions (Zn2+, Cd2+, Mn2+). Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction studies revealed that the compounds consist of trinuclear secondary building blocks connected by the organic linkers to form two‐dimensional layers, which are packed together to form the final architectures, although they crystallized in the different space groups.
Incidence and predictors of cognitive impairment and dementia in Aboriginal Australians: A follow‐up study of 5 years
Authors: Lo Giudice Dina , Smith Kate , Fenner Stephen , Hyde Zoë , Atkinson David , Skeaf Linda , Malay Roslyn , Flicker Leon
Published: May 2015

Introduction

Aboriginal Australians are reported to develop dementia earlier than the general population. The causes remain unknown.

Methods

This was a longitudinal study of 363 participants aged ≥45 years. Consensus diagnoses were established for cognitive impairment or dementia.

Results

At follow‐up, 189 people (mean ± standard deviation age, 65.4 ± 10.3 years) participated, as 109 (30%) had died and 65 (18%) were unavailable. The incidence of cognitive impairment or dementia was 52.6 (95% confidence interval 33.9, 81.5) per 1000 person‐years (380.3 total person‐years) and for dementia was 21.0 (10.5, 42.1) per 1000 person‐years (380.3 person‐years total) over the age 60 years. Longitudinal risk factors associated with a decline from normal cognition to impairment were age and head injury. Other associations with cognitive decline were stroke, head injury, nonaspirin analgesics, lower BMI, and higher systolic BP.

Discussion

Dementia incidence in Aboriginal Australians is among the highest in the world, and is associated with age and head injury.
Indigenous Language Speaking Students Learning Mathematics in English: Expectations of and for Teachers
Authors: Edmonds-Wathen Cris
Published: May 2015

Effective mathematics teaching for Indigenous language speaking students needs to be based on fair expectations of both students and teachers. Concepts of ‘age-appropriate learning’ and ‘school readiness’ structure assessment expectations that entire cohorts of Indigenous language speaking students are unable to meet. This institutionalises both student and teacher failure, as both are exhorted to meet unachievable expectations. The voices of teachers teaching in a very remote school provide insight into teachers’ responses to the mismatch between the system expectations and the teaching context. Teacher interviews in a small Northern Territory school, conducted within an ethnographic study, showed that teachers’ decisions regarding the level of mathematics curriculum taught were informed by students’ prior learning and by the language dynamic in their classrooms. The need and pressure to teach Standard Australian English also affected how mathematics was taught. This leads to a reformulation of the concept of school readiness to ask how schools can be more ready for their Indigenous language speaking students in terms of preparing and supporting teachers.
Affective Politics after 9/11
Authors: Hall Todd H. , Ross Andrew A.G.
Published: May 2015

Affect and emotion are key elements of our lived experience as human beings but currently play little role in how we theorize actorhood in international relations. We offer six amendments for integrating affective dynamics into existing conceptions of individual-level actorhood in IR. From these amendments emerge the theoretical micro-foundations upon which we build propositions concerning potential collective-level affective dynamics and political strategies. We illustrate the analytical payoff of our proposals by examining the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001. By amending existing understandings of actorhood to include human affective experience, we can integrate and make sense of a variety of psychological, social, and political consequences stemming from the attacks, both within the United States and internationally.
Salvador Allende and the International Monetary Fund, 1970–1973: TheDepoliticisationandTechnocratisationof Cold War Relations
Authors: KEDAR CLAUDIA
Published: May 2015

This article unveils the continuous and productive relationship that developed between Chile and the IMF during Salvador Allende's presidency (1970–73). This counter-intuitive relationship was made possible by the systematicdepoliticisationandtechnocratisationof the ties between them. By downplaying ideological discrepancies and keeping a high degree of autonomy, the IMF and Chilean technocrats blurred rigid Cold War divides and circumvented the US-imposed embargo against Allende's regime. The examination of this relationship sheds new light on Allende's positioning in the international arena and provides a unique prism to reconsider dichotomist perceptions of the Cold War in Latin America.
On time or fashionably late for lichen discoveries in Singapore? Seven new species and nineteen new records of Graphidaceae from the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, a highly urbanized tropical environment in South-East Asia
Authors: Weerakoon Gothamie , Ngo Kang Min , Lum Shawn , Lumbsch H. Thorsten , Lücking Robert
Published: May 2015

Based on collections focusing on Graphidaceae made in 2012 at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve (BTNR) in Singapore, seven new species are described: Astrochapsa sipmanii, differing from A. astroidea in the olive-brown thallus and thick and coarse apothecial pruina; Fissurina duplomarginata, differing from F. insidiosa by the double margin of the lirellae and the more greenish, rough thallus; Graphis bukittimaensis, differing from G. phaeospora in the erumpent lirellae with lateral thalline margin and the consistently 1-spored asci; G. singaporensis, differing from G. novopalmicola in the much smaller ascospores and in the immersed, densely branched lirellae with thin lateral thalline margin; Ocellularia subudupiensis, differing from O. udupiensis in the presence of three unknown secondary substances and in the comparatively rough thallus surface; O. gueidaniana, characterized by small, transversely septate, hyaline ascospores, prominent, carbonized but ecolumellate apothecia, and two unknown chemical substances resembling metabolites in the stictic acid chemosyndrome; and O. rivasplatana, differing from O. exigua in the larger, broad-pored apothecia with black-rimmed margin and filled with a black-topped columella. Nineteen species are recognized as new records for Singapore. The substantial diversity of Graphidaceae in this reserve suggests that many more taxa are awaiting discovery, even in such a highly urbanized location.
Devolution and Local Cohesion Policy: Bureaucratic Obstacles to Policy Integration in Italy
Authors: CATALANO SERIDA L. , GRAZIANO PAOLO R. , BASSOLI MATTEO
Published: May 2015

This article analyses and compares the multi-dimensional co-ordination of employment and social policies at the Italian local level, especially focusing on the policy implementation stage. It departs from developing a theoretical framework to take into account the crucial variables that might potentially impact on the co-ordination of social cohesion policies. In particular, following a neo-institutionalist approach, great emphasis is placed on the legacy of the Weberian bureaucratic model, and its implied ‘specialisation ethos’. In addition, the effect of other contextual variables, such us social capital and the rate of unemployment, are considered.

The empirical analysis confirms the crucial impact of the specialisation ethos in preventing inter-policy co-ordination from occurring at the Italian local level, and the relevance of other contextual variables in causing policy integrationwithinservices, rather thanbetweenservices.
New Insights into Currents in Earth's Magnetic Field
Authors: Wheeling Kate
Published: May 2015

Multisatellite missions give scientists a more complete view of the intense currents that bounce back and forth along our planet's magnetic field lines.
Productivity links morphology, symbiont specificity and bleaching in the evolution of Caribbean octocoral symbioses
Authors: Baker David M , Freeman Christopher J , Knowlton Nancy , Thacker Robert W , Kim Kiho , Fogel Marilyn L
Published: May 2015

Many cnidarians host endosymbiotic dinoflagellates from the genus Symbiodinium. It is generally assumed that the symbiosis is mutualistic, where the host benefits from symbiont photosynthesis while providing protection and photosynthetic substrates. Diverse assemblages of symbiotic gorgonian octocorals can be found in hard bottom communities throughout the Caribbean. While current research has focused on the phylo- and population genetics of gorgonian symbiont types and their photo-physiology, relatively less work has focused on biogeochemical benefits conferred to the host and how these benefits vary across host species. Here we examine this symbiosis among 11 gorgonian species collected in Bocas del Toro, Panama. By coupling light and dark bottle incubations (P/R) with 13C-bicarbonate tracers, we quantified the link between holobiont oxygen metabolism with carbon assimilation and translocation from symbiont to host. Our data show that P/R varied among species, and was correlated with colony morphology and polyp size. Sea fans and sea plumes were net autotrophs (P/R>1.5), while nine species of sea rods were net heterotrophs with most below compensation (P/R<1.0). 13C assimilation corroborated the P/R results, and maximum δ13Chost values were strongly correlated with polyp size, indicating higher productivity by colonies with high polyp SA:V. A survey of gorgonian-Symbiodinium associations revealed that productive species maintain specialized, obligate symbioses and are more resistant to coral bleaching, whereas generalist and facultative associations are common among sea rods that have higher bleaching sensitivities. Overall, productivity and polyp size had strong phylogenetic signals with carbon fixation and polyp size showing evidence of trait covariance.
Allele-specific analysis of DNA replication origins in mammalian cells
Authors: Bartholdy Boris , Mukhopadhyay Rituparna , Lajugie Julien , Aladjem Mirit I. , Bouhassira Eric E.
Published: May 2015

The mechanisms that control the location and timing of firing of replication origins are poorly understood. Using a novel functional genomic approach based on the analysis of SNPs and indels in phased human genomes, we observe that replication asynchrony is associated with small cumulative variations in the initiation efficiency of multiple origins between the chromosome homologues, rather than with the activation of dormant origins. Allele-specific measurements demonstrate that the presence of G-quadruplex-forming sequences does not correlate with the efficiency of initiation. Sequence analysis reveals that the origins are highly enriched in sequences with profoundly asymmetric G/C and A/T nucleotide distributions and are almost completely depleted of antiparallel triplex-forming sequences. We therefore propose that although G4-forming sequences are abundant in replication origins, an asymmetry in nucleotide distribution, which increases the propensity of origins to unwind and adopt non-B DNA structure, rather than the ability to form G4, is directly associated with origin activity.
Exposure to a youthful circulation rejuvenates bone repair through modulation of β-catenin
Authors: Baht Gurpreet S. , Silkstone David , Vi Linda , Nadesan Puviindran , Amani Yasha , Whetstone Heather , Wei Qingxia , Alman Benjamin A.
Published: May 2015

The capacity for tissues to repair and regenerate diminishes with age. We sought to determine the age-dependent contribution of native mesenchymal cells and circulating factors onin vivobone repair. Here we show that exposure to youthful circulation by heterochronic parabiosis reverses the aged fracture repair phenotype and the diminished osteoblastic differentiation capacity of old animals. This rejuvenation effect is recapitulated by engraftment of young haematopoietic cells into old animals. During rejuvenation, β-catenin signalling, a pathway important in osteoblast differentiation, is modulated in the early repair process and required for rejuvenation of the aged phenotype. Temporal reduction of β-catenin signalling during early fracture repair improves bone healing in old mice. Our data indicate that young haematopoietic cells have the capacity to rejuvenate bone repair and this is mediated at least in part through β-catenin, raising the possibility that agents that modulate β-catenin can improve the pace or quality of fracture repair in the ageing population.
Large-scale recent expansion of European patrilineages shown by population resequencing
Authors: Batini Chiara , Hallast Pille , Zadik Daniel , Delser Pierpaolo Maisano , Benazzo Andrea , Ghirotto Silvia , Arroyo-Pardo Eduardo , Cavalleri Gianpiero L. , de Knijff Peter , Dupuy Berit Myhre , Eriksen Heidi A. , King Turi E. , de Munain Adolfo López , López-Parra Ana M. , Loutradis Aphrodite , Milasin Jelena , Novelletto Andrea , Pamjav Horolma , Sajantila Antti , Tolun Aslıhan , Winney Bruce , Jobling Mark A.
Published: May 2015

The proportion of Europeans descending from Neolithic farmers ∼10 thousand years ago (KYA) or Palaeolithic hunter-gatherers has been much debated. The male-specific region of the Y chromosome (MSY) has been widely applied to this question, but unbiased estimates of diversity and time depth have been lacking. Here we show that European patrilineages underwent a recent continent-wide expansion. Resequencing of 3.7 Mb of MSY DNA in 334 males, comprising 17 European and Middle Eastern populations, defines a phylogeny containing 5,996 single-nucleotide polymorphisms. Dating indicates that three major lineages (I1, R1a and R1b), accounting for 64% of our sample, have very recent coalescent times, ranging between 3.5 and 7.3 KYA. A continuous swathe of 13/17 populations share similar histories featuring a demographic expansion starting ∼2.1–4.2 KYA. Our results are compatible with ancient MSY DNA data, and contrast with data on mitochondrial DNA, indicating a widespread male-specific phenomenon that focuses interest on the social structure of Bronze Age Europe.
Genome analysis of Excretory/Secretory proteins in Taenia solium reveals their Abundance of Antigenic Regions (AAR)
Authors: Gomez Sandra , Adalid-Peralta Laura , Palafox-Fonseca Hector , Cantu-Robles Vito Adrian , Soberón Xavier , Sciutto Edda , Fragoso Gladis , Bobes Raúl J. , Laclette Juan P. , Yauner Luis del Pozo , Ochoa-Leyva Adrián
Published: May 2015

Excretory/Secretory (ES) proteins play an important role in the host-parasite interactions. Experimental identification of ES proteins is time-consuming and expensive. Alternative bioinformatics approaches are cost-effective and can be used to prioritize the experimental analysis of therapeutic targets for parasitic diseases. Here we predicted and functionally annotated the ES proteins in T. solium genome using an integration of bioinformatics tools. Additionally, we developed a novel measurement to evaluate the potential antigenicity of T. solium secretome using sequence length and number of antigenic regions of ES proteins. This measurement was formalized as the Abundance of Antigenic Regions (AAR) value. AAR value for secretome showed a similar value to that obtained for a set of experimentally determined antigenic proteins and was different to the calculated value for the non-ES proteins of T. solium genome. Furthermore, we calculated the AAR values for known helminth secretomes and they were similar to that obtained for T. solium. The results reveal the utility of AAR value as a novel genomic measurement to evaluate the potential antigenicity of secretomes. This comprehensive analysis of T. solium secretome provides functional information for future experimental studies, including the identification of novel ES proteins of therapeutic, diagnosis and immunological interest.
Improving Network Structure can lead to Functional Failures
Authors: Pade Jan Philipp , Pereira Tiago
Published: May 2015

In many real-world networks the ability to synchronize is a key property for their performance. Recent work on undirected networks with diffusive interaction revealed that improvements in the network connectivity such as making the network more connected and homogeneous enhances synchronization. However, real-world networks have directed and weighted connections. In such directed networks, understanding the impact of structural changes on the network performance remains a major challenge. Here, we show that improving the structure of a directed network can lead to a failure in the network function. For instance, introducing new links to reduce the minimum distance between nodes can lead to instabilities in the synchronized motion. This effect only occurs in directed networks. Our results allow to identify the dynamical importance of a link and thereby have a major impact on the design and control of directed networks.
Representation of the Numerosity ‘zero’ in the Parietal Cortex of the Monkey
Authors: Okuyama Sumito , Kuki Toshinobu , Mushiake Hajime
Published: May 2015

Zero is a fundamental concept in mathematics and modern science. Empty sets are considered a precursor of the concept of numerosity zero and a part of numerical continuum. How is numerosity zero (the absence of visual items) represented in the primate cortex? To address this question, we trained monkeys to perform numerical operations including numerosity zero. Here we show a group of neurons in the posterior parietal cortex of the monkey activated in response to numerosity ‘zero’. ‘Zero’ neurons are classified into exclusive and continuous types; the exclusive type discretely encodes numerical absence and the continuous type encodes numerical absence as a part of a numerical continuum. “Numerosity-zero” neurons enhance behavioral discrimination of not only zero numerosity but also non-zero numerosities. Representation of numerosity zero in the parietal cortex may be a precursor of non-verbal concept of zero in primates.
ASIC-dependent LTP at multiple glutamatergic synapses in amygdala network is required for fear memory
Authors: Chiang Po-Han , Chien Ta-Chun , Chen Chih-Cheng , Yanagawa Yuchio , Lien Cheng-Chang
Published: May 2015

Genetic variants in the human ortholog of acid-sensing ion channel-1a subunit (ASIC1a) gene are associated with panic disorder and amygdala dysfunction. Both fear learning and activity-induced long-term potentiation (LTP) of cortico-basolateral amygdala (BLA) synapses are impaired in ASIC1a-null mice, suggesting a critical role of ASICs in fear memory formation. In this study, we found that ASICs were differentially expressed within the amygdala neuronal population and the extent of LTP at various glutamatergic synapses correlated with the level of ASIC expression in postsynaptic neurons. Importantly, selective deletion of ASIC1a in GABAergic cells, including amygdala output neurons, eliminated LTP in these cells and reduced fear learning to the same extent as that found when ASIC1a was selectively abolished in BLA glutamatergic neurons. Thus, fear learning requires ASIC-dependent LTP at multiple amygdala synapses, including both cortico-BLA input synapses and intra-amygdala synapses on output neurons.
Land use change influences soil C, N and P stoichiometry under ‘Grain-to-Green Program’ in China
Authors: Fazhu Zhao , Jiao Sun , Chengjie Ren , Di Kang , Jian Deng , Xinhui Han , Gaihe Yang , Yongzhong Feng , Guangxin Ren
Published: May 2015

Changes in land use might affect the combined C, N and P stoichiometry in soil. The Grain-to-Green Program (GTGP), which converts low-yield croplands or abandoned lands into forest, shrub, and/or grassland, was the largest land reforestation project in China. This study collected the reported C, N and P contents of soil in GTGP zones to achieve the factors driving the changes in the C:N, C:P and N:P values. The results showed that the annual average precipitation exerted significant effects on the C:P value and on the N:P value became significant 20 years after the change in land use. The annual average temperature was the main factor affecting the C:N value during the first 10 years, while the annual average precipitation strongly affected this value afterwards. In addition, “Redfield-like” interactions between C, N and P in the soil may exist. A linear regression revealed significant positive correlations between the C:N, C:P and N:P values and the restoration age, temperature and precipitation after a change in land use. Therefore large-scale changes in land use under the ‘GTGP’ program might significantly affect the C:N, C:P and N:P ratios in soil.
Longitudinal in vivo evaluation of bone regeneration by combined measurement of multi-pinhole SPECT and micro-CT for tissue engineering
Authors: Lienemann Philipp S. , Metzger Stéphanie , Kiveliö Anna-Sofia , Blanc Alain , Papageorgiou Panagiota , Astolfo Alberto , Pinzer Bernd R. , Cinelli Paolo , Weber Franz E. , Schibli Roger , Béhé Martin , Ehrbar Martin
Published: May 2015

Over the last decades, great strides were made in the development of novel implants for the treatment of bone defects. The increasing versatility and complexity of these implant designs request for concurrent advances in means to assess in vivo the course of induced bone formation in preclinical models. Since its discovery, micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) has excelled as powerful high-resolution technique for non-invasive assessment of newly formed bone tissue. However, micro-CT fails to provide spatiotemporal information on biological processes ongoing during bone regeneration. Conversely, due to the versatile applicability and cost-effectiveness, single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) would be an ideal technique for assessing such biological processes with high sensitivity and for nuclear imaging comparably high resolution (<1 mm). Herein, we employ modular designed poly(ethylene glycol)-based hydrogels that release bone morphogenetic protein to guide the healing of critical sized calvarial bone defects. By combined in vivo longitudinal multi-pinhole SPECT and micro-CT evaluations we determine the spatiotemporal course of bone formation and remodeling within this synthetic hydrogel implant. End point evaluations by high resolution micro-CT and histological evaluation confirm the value of this approach to follow and optimize bone-inducing biomaterials.
An embryo of protocells: The capsule of graphene with selective ion channels
Authors: Li Zhan , Wang Chunmei , Tian Longlong , Bai Jing , Yao Huijun , Zhao Yang , Zhang Xin , Cao Shiwei , Qi Wei , Wang Suomin , Shi Keliang , Xu Youwen , Mingliang Zhang , Liu Bo , Qiu Hongdeng , Liu Jie , Wu Wangsuo , Wang Xiaoli , Wenzhen An
Published: May 2015

The synthesis of artificial cell is a route for searching the origin of protocell. Here, we create a novel cell model of graphene capsules with selective ion channels, indicating that graphene might be an embryo of protocell membrane. Firstly, we found that the highly oxidized graphene and phospholipid-graphene oxide composite would curl into capsules under a strongly acidic saturated solution of heavy metallic salt solution at low temperature. Secondly, L-amino acids exhibited higher reactivity than D-amino acids on graphene oxides to form peptides and the formed peptides in the influence of graphene would be transformed into a secondary structure, promoting the formation of left-handed proteins. Lastly, monolayer nanoporous graphene, prepared by unfocused 84Kr25+, has a high selectivity for permeation of the monovalent metal ions ( Rb+ > K+ > Cs+ > Na+ > Li+, based on permeation concentration), but does not allow Cl- go through. It is similar to K+ channels, which would cause an influx of K+ into capsule of graphene with the increase of pH in the primitive ocean, creating a suitable inner condition for the origin of life. Therefore, we built a model cell of graphene, which would provide a route for reproducing the origin of life.
Digital Ecology: Coexistence and Domination among Interacting Networks
Authors: Kleineberg Kaj-Kolja , Boguñá Marián
Published: May 2015

The overwhelming success of Web 2.0, within which online social networks are key actors, has induced a paradigm shift in the nature of human interactions. The user-driven character of Web 2.0 services has allowed researchers to quantify large-scale social patterns for the first time. However, the mechanisms that determine the fate of networks at the system level are still poorly understood. For instance, the simultaneous existence of multiple digital services naturally raises questions concerning which conditions these services can coexist under. Analogously to the case of population dynamics, the digital world forms a complex ecosystem of interacting networks. The fitness of each network depends on its capacity to attract and maintain users’ attention, which constitutes a limited resource. In this paper, we introduce an ecological theory of the digital world which exhibits stable coexistence of several networks as well as the dominance of an individual one, in contrast to the competitive exclusion principle. Interestingly, our theory also predicts that the most probable outcome is the coexistence of a moderate number of services, in agreement with empirical observations.
Intrathecal curcumin attenuates pain hypersensitivity and decreases spinal neuroinflammation in rat model of monoarthritis
Authors: Chen Jun-Jie , Dai Lin , Zhao Lin-Xia , Zhu Xiang , Cao Su , Gao Yong-Jing
Published: May 2015

Curcumin is a major component of turmeric and reportedly has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects. Neuroinflammation has been recognized to play an important role in the pathogenesis of various diseases in the central nervous system. Here we investigated the anti-nociceptive and anti-neuroinflammatory effect of curcumin on arthritic pain in rats. We found that repeated oral treatment with curcumin, either before or after complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) injection, dose-dependently attenuated CFA-induced mechanical allodynia and thermal hyperalgesia, but had no effect on joint edema. Repeated intrathecal injection of curcumin reversed CFA-induced pain hypersensitivity. Furthermore, such a curcumin treatment reduced CFA-induced activation of glial cells and production of inflammatory mediators [interleukin-1β (IL-1β), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and monocyte inflammatory protein-1 (MIP-1α)] in the spinal cord. Curcumin also decreased lipopolysaccharide-induced production of IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α, MCP-1 and MIP-1α in cultured astrocytes and microglia. Our results suggest that intrathecal curcumin attenuates arthritic pain by inhibiting glial activation and the production of inflammatory mediators in the spinal cord, suggesting a new application of curcumin for the treatment of arthritic pain.