bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Endangered Arctic, the Arctic as Resource Frontier: Canadian News Media Narratives of Climate Change and the North
Authors: Stoddart Mark C.J. , Smith Jillian
Published: August 2016

The Arctic is one of the most radically altered parts of the world due to climate change, with significant social and cultural impacts as a result. Using discourse network analysis and qualitative textual analysis of articles published in the Globe and Mail and National Post during the period 2006 to 2010, we identify and analyze key frames that interpret the implications of climate change on the Arctic. We examine Canadian national news media coverage to ask: How does the Arctic enter media coverage of climate change? Is there evidence of a climate justice discourse in relation to regional disparities in the risks and harms of climate change between northern and southern Canada? Climate change in the Arctic is often framed through the lens of Canadian national interests, which downplays climate‐related social impacts that are already occurring at subnational political and geographical scales.

L'Arctique est une des régions du monde la plus radicalement altérée par le changement climatique, menant comme résultat des importants changements sociaux et culturels. En utilisant l'analyse des réseaux de discours ainsi que l'analyse textuelle qualitative des articles publiés dans le Globe and Mail et le National Post de 2006 à 2010, nous identifions and analysons des cadres clés qui servent à interpréter les conséquences du changement climatique dans l'Arctique. Nous examinons la couverture des médias nationaux canadiens pour pouvoir demander : comment est‐ce que l'Arctique s'insère dans la couverture médiatique du changement climatique? Est‐ce qu'il y a de la preuve d'un discours de la justice climatique en relation des disparités régionales des risques et méfaits du changement climatique entre le Canada du nord et du sud? Le changement climatique dans l'Arctique est souvent encadré à travers le prisme des intérêts nationaux canadiens, ce qui minimise les impacts sociaux reliés au climat qui se produisent actuellement aux échelons sous‐nationaux politiques et géographiques.
New pyrazole derivative 5‐[1‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐1H‐pyrazol‐4‐yl]‐2H‐tetrazole: synthesis and assessment of some biological activities
Authors: de Oliveira Lanussy Porfiro , da Silva Daiany Priscilla Bueno , Florentino Iziara Ferreira , Fajemiroye James Oluwagbamigbe , de Oliveira Thiago Sardinha , Marcelino Renato Ivan de Ávila , Pazini Francine , Lião Luciano Morais , Ghedini Paulo César , de Moura Soraia Santana , Valadares Marize Campos , de Carvalho Verônica Vale , Vaz Boniek Gontijo , Menegatti Ricardo , Costa Elson Alves
Published: August 2016

The molecular modification and synthesis of compounds is vital to discovering drugs with desirable pharmacological and toxicity profiles. In response to pyrazole compounds' antipyretic, analgesic, and anti‐inflammatory effects, this study sought to evaluate the analgesic, anti‐inflammatory, and vasorelaxant effects, as well as the mechanisms of action, of a new pyrazole derivative, 5‐[1‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐1H‐pyrazol‐4‐yl]‐2H‐tetrazole. During the acetic acid‐induced abdominal writhing test, treatments with 5‐[1‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐1H‐pyrazol‐4‐yl]‐2H‐tetrazole reduced abdominal writhing, while during the formalin test, 5‐[1‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐1H‐pyrazol‐4‐yl]‐2H‐tetrazole reduced licking times in response to both neurogenic pain and inflammatory pain, all without demonstrating any antinociceptive effects, as revealed during the tail flick test. 5‐[1‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐1H‐pyrazol‐4‐yl]‐2H‐tetrazole also reduced carrageenan‐induced paw edema and cell migration during the carrageenan‐induced pleurisy test. As demonstrated by the model of the isolated organ, 5‐[1‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐1H‐pyrazol‐4‐yl]‐2H‐tetrazole exhibits a vasorelaxant effect attenuated by Nω‐nitro‐l‐arginine methyl ester, 1H‐[1,2,4]oxadiazolo[4,3‐alpha]quinoxalin‐1‐one, tetraethylammonium or glibenclamide. 5‐[1‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐1H‐pyrazol‐4‐yl]‐2H‐tetrazole also blocked CaCl2‐induced contraction in a dose‐dependent manner. Suggesting a safe toxicity profile, 5‐[1‐(4‐fluorophenyl)‐1H‐pyrazol‐4‐yl]‐2H‐tetrazole reduced the viability of 3T3 cells at higher concentrations and was orally tolerated, despite signs of toxicity in doses of 2000 mg/kg. Lastly, the compounds' analgesic activity might be attributed to the involvement of the NO/cGMP pathway and K+ channels observed in the vasorelaxant effect.
The impact of parental incarceration on children's care: identifying good practice principles from the perspective of imprisoned primary carer parents
Authors: Trotter Chris , Flynn Catherine , Baidawi Susan
Published: August 2016

Parental incarceration has wide‐ranging impacts on families. One key effect may be disruption to the care and legal custody of children, yet few studies have examined processes and outcomes relating to care planning for children of prisoners. This paper presents findings of interviews with 151 primary carer prisoners in two Australian states which aimed to address this research gap. The study examined care planning for children upon parental arrest, sentencing and imprisonment, stability of care arrangements and primary carer prisoners' involvement and satisfaction with care planning. Around one third of prisoners had discussions regarding children's care arrangements at arrest and imprisonment, although the issue was more commonly raised at sentencing. While there was much variation in the stability of care arrangements, children placed in out‐of‐home care experienced the most instability. A minority of prisoners reported being involved in care planning and decision‐making for children upon imprisonment, and around one third rated care planning process poorly. Prisoners were more satisfied with care planning when there were fewer movements of children, where prisoners felt involved with decision‐making, and when police officers, lawyers and corrections staff inquired about the welfare of their children. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.
Polycube Simplification for Coarse Layouts of Surfaces and Volumes
Authors: Cherchi Gianmarco , Livesu Marco , Scateni Riccardo
Published: August 2016

Representing digital objects with structured meshes that embed a coarse block decomposition is a relevant problem in applications like computer animation, physically‐based simulation and Computer Aided Design (CAD). One of the key ingredients to produce coarse block structures is to achieve a good alignment between the mesh singularities (i.e., the corners of each block). In this paper we improve on the polycube‐based meshing pipeline to produce both surface and volumetric coarse block‐structured meshes of general shapes. To this aim we add a new step in the pipeline. Our goal is to optimize the positions of the polycube corners to produce as coarse as possible base complexes. We rely on re‐mapping the positions of the corners on an integer grid and then using integer numerical programming to reach the optimal. To the best of our knowledge this is the first attempt to solve the singularity misalignment problem directly in polycube space. Previous methods for polycube generation did not specifically address this issue. Our corner optimization strategy is efficient and requires a negligible extra running time for the meshing pipeline. In the paper we show that our optimized polycubes produce coarser block structured surface and volumetric meshes if compared with previous approaches. They also induce higher quality hexahedral meshes and are better suited for spline fitting because they reduce the number of splines necessary to cover the domain, thus improving both the efficiency and the overall level of smoothness throughout the volume.
Incorporating Sharp Features in the General Solid Sweep Framework
Authors: Adsul Bharat , Machchhar Jinesh , Sohoni Milind
Published: August 2016

This paper extends a recently proposed robust computational framework for constructing the boundary representation (brep) of the volume swept by a given smooth solid moving along a one parameter family h of rigid motions. Our extension allows the input solid to have sharp features, and thus it is a significant and useful generalization of that work.

This naturally requires a precise description of the geometry of the surface generated by the sweep of a sharp edge supported by two intersecting smooth faces. We uncover the geometry along with the related issues like parametrization and singularities via a novel mathematical analysis. Correct trimming of such a surface is achieved by an analysis of the interplay between the cone of normals at a sharp point and its trajectory under h. The overall topology is explained by a key lifting theorem which allows us to compute the adjacency relations amongst entities in the swept volume by relating them to corresponding adjacencies in the input solid. Moreover, global issues related to body‐check such as orientation, singularities and self‐intersections are efficiently resolved. Examples from a pilot implementation illustrate the efficiency and effectiveness of our framework.
Complex Transfinite Barycentric Mappings with Similarity Kernels
Authors: Chen Renjie , Gotsman Craig
Published: August 2016

Transfinite barycentric kernels are the continuous version of traditional barycentric coordinates and are used to define interpolants of values given on a smooth planar contour. When the data is two‐dimensional, i.e. the boundary of a planar map, these kernels may be conveniently expressed using complex number algebra, simplifying much of the notation and results. In this paper we develop some of the basic complex‐valued algebra needed to describe these planar maps, and use it to define similarity kernels, a natural alternative to the usual barycentric kernels.

We develop the theory behind similarity kernels, explore their properties, and show that the transfinite versions of the popular three‐point barycentric coordinates (Laplace, mean value and Wachspress) have surprisingly simple similarity kernels.

We furthermore show how similarity kernels may be used to invert injective transfinite barycentric mappings using an iterative algorithm which converges quite rapidly. This is useful for rendering images deformed by planar barycentric mappings.
Mobility Fitting using 4D RANSAC
Authors: Li Hao , Wan Guowei , Li Honghua , Sharf Andrei , Xu Kai , Chen Baoquan
Published: August 2016

Capturing the dynamics of articulated models is becoming increasingly important. Dynamics, better than geometry, encode the functional information of articulated objects such as humans, robots and mechanics. Acquired dynamic data is noisy, sparse, and temporarily incoherent. The latter property is especially prominent for analysis of dynamics. Thus, processing scanned dynamic data is typically an ill‐posed problem. We present an algorithm that robustly computes the joints representing the dynamics of a scanned articulated object. Our key idea is to by‐pass the reconstruction of the underlying surface geometry and directly solve for motion joints. To cope with the often‐times extremely incoherent scans, we propose a space‐time fitting‐and‐voting approach in the spirit of RANSAC. We assume a restricted set of articulated motions defined by a set of joints which we fit to the 4D dynamic data and measure their fitting quality. Thus, we repeatedly select random subsets and fit with joints, searching for an optimal candidate set of mobility parameters. Without having to reconstruct surfaces as intermediate means, our approach gains the advantage of being robust and efficient. Results demonstrate the ability to reconstruct dynamics of various articulated objects consisting of a wide range of complex and compound motions.
CustomCut: On‐demand Extraction of Customized 3D Parts with 2D Sketches
Authors: Guo Xuekun , Lin Juncong , Xu Kai , Chaudhuri Siddhartha , Jin Xiaogang
Published: August 2016

Several applications in shape modeling and exploration require identification and extraction of a 3D shape part matching a 2D sketch. We present CustomCut, an on‐demand part extraction algorithm. Given a sketched query, CustomCut automatically retrieves partially matching shapes from a database, identifies the region optimally matching the query in each shape, and extracts this region to produce a customized part that can be used in various modeling applications. In contrast to earlier work on sketch‐based retrieval of predefined parts, our approach can extract arbitrary parts from input shapes and does not rely on a prior segmentation into semantic components. The method is based on a novel data structure for fast retrieval of partial matches: the randomized compound k‐NN graph built on multi‐view shape projections. We also employ a coarse‐to‐fine strategy to progressively refine part boundaries down to the level of individual faces. Experimental results indicate that our approach provides an intuitive and easy means to extract customized parts from a shape database, and significantly expands the design space for the user. We demonstrate several applications of our method to shape design and exploration.
Data‐Driven Bending Elasticity Design by Shell Thickness
Authors: Zhang Xiaoting , Le Xinyi , Wu Zihao , Whiting Emily , Wang Charlie C.L.
Published: August 2016

We present a method to design the deformation behavior of 3D printed models by an interactive tool, where the variation of bending elasticity at different regions of a model is realized by a change in shell thickness. Given a soft material to be used in 3D printing, we propose an experimental setup to acquire the bending behavior of this material on tubes with different diameters and thicknesses. The relationship between shell thickness and bending elasticity is stored in an echo state network using the acquired dataset. With the help of the network, an interactive design tool is developed to generate non‐uniformly hollowed models to achieve desired bending behaviors. The effectiveness of this method is verified on models fabricated by different 3D printers by studying whether their physical deformation can match the designed target shape.
Learning 3D Scene Synthesis from Annotated RGB‐D Images
Authors: Kermani Z. Sadeghipour , Liao Z. , Tan P. , Zhang H.
Published: August 2016

We present a data‐driven method for synthesizing 3D indoor scenes by inserting objects progressively into an initial, possibly, empty scene. Instead of relying on few hundreds of hand‐crafted 3D scenes, we take advantage of existing large‐scale annotated RGB‐D datasets, in particular, the SUN RGB‐D database consisting of 10,000+ depth images of real scenes, to form the prior knowledge for our synthesis task. Our object insertion scheme follows a co‐occurrence model and an arrangement model, both learned from the SUN dataset. The former elects a highly probable combination of object categories along with the number of instances per category while a plausible placement is defined by the latter model. Compared to previous works on probabilistic learning for object placement, we make two contributions. First, we learn various classes of higher‐order object‐object relations including symmetry, distinct orientation, and proximity from the database. These relations effectively enable considering objects in semantically formed groups rather than by individuals. Second, while our algorithm inserts objects one at a time, it attains holistic plausibility of the whole current scene while offering controllability through progressive synthesis. We conducted several user studies to compare our scene synthesis performance to results obtained by manual synthesis, state‐of‐the‐art object placement schemes, and variations of parameter settings for the arrangement model.
Planar Minimization Diagrams via Subdivision with Applications to Anisotropic Voronoi Diagrams
Authors: Bennett H. , Papadopoulou E. , Yap C.
Published: August 2016

Let X = {f1, …, fn} be a set of scalar functions of the form fi : ℝ2 → ℝ which satisfy some natural properties. We describe a subdivision algorithm for computing a clustered ε‐isotopic approximation of the minimization diagram of X. By exploiting soft predicates and clustering of Voronoi vertices, our algorithm is the first that can handle arbitrary degeneracies in X, and allow scalar functions which are piecewise smooth, and not necessarily semi‐algebraic.

We apply these ideas to the computation of anisotropic Voronoi diagram of polygonal sets; this is a natural generalization of anisotropic Voronoi diagrams of point sites, which extends multiplicatively weighted Voronoi diagrams. We implement a prototype of our anisotropic algorithm and provide experimental results.
Mesh Statistics for Robust Curvature Estimation
Authors: Váša L. , Vaněček P. , Prantl M. , Skorkovská V. , Martínek P. , Kolingerová I.
Published: August 2016

While it is usually not difficult to compute principal curvatures of a smooth surface of sufficient differentiability, it is a rather difficult task when only a polygonal approximation of the surface is available, because of the inherent ambiguity of such representation. A number of different approaches has been proposed in the past that tackle this problem using various techniques. Most papers tend to focus on a particular method, while an comprehensive comparison of the different approaches is usually missing.

We present results of a large experiment, involving both common and recently proposed curvature estimation techniques, applied to triangle meshes of varying properties. It turns out that none of the approaches provides reliable results under all circumstances. Motivated by this observation, we investigate mesh statistics, which can be computed from vertex positions and mesh connectivity information only, and which can help in deciding which estimator will work best for a particular case. Finally, we propose a meta‐estimator, which makes a choice between existing algorithms based on the value of the mesh statistics, and we demonstrate that such meta‐estimator, despite its simplicity, provides considerably more robust results than any existing approach.
“As Far as Possible and as Appropriate”: Implementing the Aichi Biodiversity Targets
Authors: Hagerman Shannon M. , Pelai Ricardo
Published: August 2016

Past shortfalls to meet global biodiversity targets have simultaneously prompted questions about the relevance of global environmental conventions, and sparked renewed ambition, for example, in the form of the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. While progress toward the Aichi Targets through the Convention on Biological Diversity is well‐documented globally, less is known at the national level. We conducted a systematic content analysis of 154 documents to assess the nature and extent of national implementation of the Aichi Targets using Canada as a case study. Results indicate that most responses are aspirational, with only 28% of responses implemented. Implemented responses tend to be associated with targets with specified levels of ambition that emphasize biophysical values, or targets that are relatively straightforward to achieve in this context (e.g., knowledge capacity and awareness). In contrast, targets focused on equity, rights, or policy reform were associated with fewer actions. Implementation of this latter class of targets is arguably stalled not solely because of a lack of effective target design, but because of lack of fit within existing institutional commitments. This suggests that solutions—in terms of improving implementation—lie not only in overcoming known dilemmas of quantifiability, but also in fostering institutional transformation.
Cell transfer technique for constructing cytological microarrays for immunocytochemical analysis
Authors: Wen C.‐H. , Lin C.‐H. , Ko P.‐L. , Kuo Y.‐F. , Chen Y.‐J. , Chai C.‐Y.
Published: August 2016

Objective

To evaluate the utility of a proposed cell transfer technique for constructing cytological smear microarrays and its potential applications in multiplex immunocytochemical (ICC) staining.

Methods

Ninety‐six cytology smears, including two pericardial effusions, 22 ascites and 72 pleural effusions, were transferred to a 33‐plex cytological microarray. Paired staining of thyroid transcription factor‐1 (TTF‐1) and calretinin ICC was performed in duplicate slides.

Results

Most of the smeared cells selected for transfer could be removed from the original slides with a minimal loss of cells and with no change in morphological features or immunoreactivity. Comparison of the staining results with immunohistochemical staining results, clinical history and histopathological reports available for each patient revealed that TTF‐1 was positive in 32/33 metastatic pulmonary adenocarcinomas (PACs), 1/15 non‐pulmonary adenocarcinomas and 0/45 benign effusions. The ICC results for TTF‐1 on a transferred cytological microarray revealed high (97%) sensitivity and high (96.7%) specificity for the detection of metastatic PAC.

Conclusion

Cytology microarrays can be constructed by transferring cells from serous fluid cytological smears, and cells transferred to the microarray retain their morphological integrity and immunoreactivity. Researchers can use the technique for simultaneous immunostaining of multiple specimens in studies of neoplastic or non‐neoplastic diseases when available tissue samples are limited.
Research Ethics Education in Post‐Graduate Medical Curricula in I.R. Iran
Authors: Nikravanfard Nazila , Khorasanizadeh Faezeh , Zendehdel Kazem
Published: August 2016

Research ethics training during post‐graduate education is necessary to improve ethical standards in the design and conduct of biomedical research. We studied quality and quantity of research ethics training in the curricula of post‐graduate programs in the medical science in I.R. Iran. We evaluated curricula of 125 post‐graduate programs in medical sciences in I.R. Iran. We qualitatively studied the curricula by education level, including the Master and PhD degrees and analyzed the contents and the amount of teaching allocated for ethics training in each curriculum. We found no research ethics training in 72 (58%) of the programs. Among the 53 (42%) programs that considered research ethics training, only 17 programs had specific courses for research ethics and eight of them had detailed topics on their courses. The research ethics training was optional in 25% and mandatory in 76% of the programs. Post‐graduate studies that were approved in the more recent years had more attention to the research ethics training. Research ethics training was neglected in most of the medical post‐graduate programs. We suggest including sufficient amount of mandatory research ethics training in Master and PhD programs in I.R. Iran. Further research about quality of research ethics training and implementation of curricula in the biomedical institutions is warranted.
Intra‐oral reduction of zygomatic fractures
Authors: Jain Vaibhav , Garg Himani
Published: August 2016

Zygomatico‐maxillary complex fractures present a challenging diagnostic and reconstructive task to the surgeon. Gillie's temporal approach has been a commonly used technique for zygomatic arch reduction, but surgeons have been commonly using a buccal sulcus approach for the reduction of zygomatic arch fractures as well as for combined zygomatico‐maxillary complex fractures. This article outlines the use of Rowe's elevator (modification of Bristow's elevator) intra‐orally to reduce zygomatic arch fractures and, if required, simultaneously plate the zygoma through the same approach. A retrospective analysis of 379 patients treated with this technique in the last 10 years has been presented along with a comprehensive treatment protocol including a description of its advantages over the Gillie's approach. Based on the inclusion criteria, the study group consisted of 327 patients. In 281 patients, the zygomatic complex was fractured, whereas 46 patients presented with a solitary zygomatic arch fracture. Two hundred and three cases were successfully treated with the buccal sulcus approach, whereas 124 cases required both the buccal sulcus and the extra‐oral lateral orbital approaches. The described approach has advantages over Gillie's temporal approach by being simple, faster and cost‐effective, can be performed under local anesthesia, and is more esthetic as it does not leave any scars.
Prevalence of symptoms in patients with multiple myeloma: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Ramsenthaler Christina , Kane Pauline , Gao Wei , Siegert Richard J. , Edmonds Polly M. , Schey Stephen A. , Higginson Irene J.
Published: August 2016

Objectives

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable haematological disease. Due to novel agents, overall survival has improved in this group, yet there are no systematic reviews to understand the symptom profiles resulting from disease and treatment‐related toxicities. We aimed to synthesise data on the prevalence of symptoms in patients withMM.

Methods

A systematic database and grey literature search were conducted in six databases. Random‐effects meta‐analysis with inverse variance weighting to pool prevalence data was performed.

Results

Thirty‐six studies were included of which 34 studies (N= 3023) provided data for meta‐analysis. Twenty‐seven distinct symptoms were reported, with the majority of studies focusing on pain (n= 27), fatigue (n= 19) and problems with functioning (n= 15). The most prevalent symptoms were fatigue (98.8%, 95%CI98.1–99.2%), pain (73%, 39.9–91.7), constipation (65.2%, 22.9–92.2) and tingling in the hands/feet with 53.4% (0.4–99.7). The most common problems were decreased physical functioning (98.9%, 98.2–99.3), decreased cognitive functioning (80.2%, 40–96.1) and financial difficulties (78.4%, 39.1–95.4). These problems were present in newly diagnosed to advanced disease stage.

Conclusions

Optimal quality of life and good symptom management in this incurable disease can only be achieved by routinely assessing symptoms throughout the disease trajectory.
Rewired NFκB signaling as a potentially actionable feature of activated B‐cell‐like diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma
Authors: Knittel Gero , Liedgens Paul , Korovkina Darya , Pallasch Christian P. , Reinhardt Hans Christian
Published: August 2016

Diffuse large B‐cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of aggressive lymphoma in the Western world and remains a clinical challenge. Two types of DLBCL are distinguishable, namely a germinal center B‐cell‐like phenotype (GCB) and an activated B‐cell‐like phenotype (ABC). Particularly ABC‐DLBCL is difficult to treat, as this subentity typically displays resistance against frontline chemo‐immune therapy. Through the availability of novel experimental technologies, such as next‐generation sequencing and cutting‐edge mouse models, we recently caught an unprecedentedly detailed glimpse at the genomic and biological features of ABC‐DLBCL. Currently, a picture is emerging which suggests that ABC‐DLBCL critically depends on sustained activity of the NFκB pathway, which, among others, is achieved through numerous distinct genetic aberrations, including CD79A/B‐, CARD11‐, and MYD88 mutations. Further genomic aberrations include amplifications of BCL2 and inactivating mutations in PRMD1. These molecular insights have spurred the development of novel autochthonous mouse models that faithfully mimic the biology and genetics of human ABC‐DLBCL and could serve as preclinical platforms in future experiments. Furthermore, our genomic understanding of the disease now enables us to develop and validate novel targeted therapeutic intervention strategies that aim at decapitating non‐physiological NFκB activity and repressing anti‐apoptotic BCL2 signaling. In this review, we highlight these recent developments and make suggestions for further tool development and the design and stratification of future clinical trials.
Ryanodine‐sensitive intracellular Ca2+ channels are involved in the output from the SCN circadian clock
Authors: Aguilar‐Roblero Raúl , Quinto Daniel , Báez‐Ruíz Adrian , Chávez José Luis , Belin Andrea Carmine , Díaz‐Muñoz Mauricio , Michel Stephan , Lundkvist Gabriella
Published: August 2016

The suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) contain the major circadian clock responsible for generation of circadian rhythms in mammals. The time measured by the molecular circadian clock must eventually be translated into a neuronal firing rate pattern to transmit a meaningful signal to other tissues and organs in the animal. Previous observations suggest that circadian modulation of ryanodine receptors (RyR) is a key element of the output pathway from the molecular circadian clock. To directly test this hypothesis, we studied the effects of RyR activation and inhibition on real time expression of PERIOD2::LUCIFERASE, intracellular calcium levels and spontaneous firing frequency in mouse SCN neurons. Furthermore, we determined whether the RyR‐2 mRNA is expressed with a daily variation in SCN neurons. We provide evidence that pharmacological manipulation of RyR in mice SCN neurons alters the free [Ca2+]i in the cytoplasm and the spontaneous firing without affecting the molecular clock mechanism. Our data also show a daily variation in RyR‐2 mRNA from single mouse SCN neurons with highest levels during the day. Together, these results confirm the hypothesis that RyR‐2 is a key element of the circadian clock output from SCN neurons.
Threshold tracking primary motor cortex inhibition: the influence of current direction
Authors: Cirillo John , Byblow Winston D.
Published: August 2016

Paired‐pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can be used to probe inhibitory activity in primary motor cortex (M1). Recruitment of descending volleys with TMS depends on the induced current direction in M1. Anterior‐posterior (AP) stimulation preferentially activates late indirect‐ (I‐) waves that are most susceptible to paired‐pulse TMS. Threshold tracking TMS can assess intracortical inhibition; however, previous studies have only used a current direction that preferentially recruits early I‐waves [posterior‐anterior (PA)]. Our objective was to examine intracortical inhibition with threshold tracking TMS designed to preferentially recruit early vs. late I‐waves with PA and AP stimulation respectively. Electromyographic recordings were obtained from the right first dorsal interosseous muscle of 15 participants (21–50 years). Motor evoked potentials elicited by TMS over left M1 were recorded for PA, AP and lateromedial (LM) induced currents, with I‐wave recruitment calculated as the onset latency difference between PA‐LM and AP‐LM. Short‐ and long‐interval intracortical inhibition (SICI and LICI) were examined across a range of conditioning stimulus intensities and interstimulus intervals (3 and 100–260 ms) with threshold tracking TMS for PA and AP stimulation. SICI and LICI were greater for AP compared with PA current direction using threshold tracking. In addition, the efficacy of late I‐wave recruitment was associated with the extent of SICI for AP but not PA stimulation, and was not associated with LICI. These findings indicate that threshold tracking with an AP‐induced current provides a more robust and sensitive measure of M1 intracortical inhibition than PA.
Why is Family Firms’ Internationalization Unique? A Meta–Analysis
Authors: Arregle Jean–Luc , Duran Patricio , Hitt Michael A. , van Essen Marc
Published: August 2016

Despite its importance, there is no clear understanding of the uniqueness of family firms’ internationalization. This article sheds new light on this issue with a meta–analysis of 76 studies covering 41 countries. We show that the considerable study and cross–country differences in the relationship between family firm and internationalization are explained by the roles of family control, internationalization types, and home countries’ institutional contexts (i.e., minority shareholders protection and generalized trust of people from other countries). Therefore, we examine the existing divergent results using theories that reconcile some of these mixed findings and shed light on family firms’ specific internationalization challenges.
TNF receptors 1 and 2 exert distinct region‐specific effects on striatal and hippocampal grey matter volumes (VBM) in healthy adults
Authors: Stacey D. , Redlich R. , Büschel A. , Opel N. , Grotegerd D. , Zaremba D. , Dohm K. , Bürger C. , Meinert S. L. , Förster K. , Repple J. , Kaufmann C. , Kugel H. , Heindel W. , Arolt V. , Dannlowski U. , Baune B. T.
Published: August 2016

Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disease, with research highlighting a role for TNFα in hippocampal and striatal regulation. TNFα signals are primarily transduced by TNF receptors 1 and 2 (TNFR1 and TNFR2), encoded by TNFRSF1A and TNFRSF1B, which exert opposing effects on cell survival (TNFR1, neurodegenerative; TNFR2, neuroprotective). We therefore sought to explore the respective roles of TNFR1 and TNFR2 in the regulation of hippocampal and striatal morphology in an imaging genetics study. Voxel‐based morphometry was used to analyse the associations between TNFRSF1A (rs4149576 and rs4149577) and TNFRSF1B (rs1061624) genotypes and grey matter structure. The final samples comprised a total of 505 subjects (mean age = 33.29, SD = 11.55 years; 285 females and 220 males) for morphometric analyses of rs1061624 and rs4149576, and 493 subjects for rs4149577 (mean age = 33.20, SD = 11.56 years; 281 females and 212 males). Analyses of TNFRSF1A single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs4149576 and rs4149577 showed highly significant genotypic associations with striatal volume but not the hippocampus. Specifically, for rs4149576, G homozygotes were associated with reduced caudate nucleus volumes relative to A homozygotes and heterozygotes, whereas for rs4149577, reduced caudate volumes were observed in C homozygotes relative to T homozygotes and heterozygotes. Analysis of the TNFRSF1B SNP rs1061624 yielded a significant association with hippocampal but not with striatal volume, whereby G homozygotes were associated with increased volumes relative to A homozygotes and heterozygotes. Our findings indicate a role for TNFR1 in regulating striatal but not hippocampal morphology, as well as a complementary role for TNFR2 in hippocampal but not in striatal morphology.
Preparation and Performance Study of Mullite/Al2O3 Composite Ceramics for Solar Thermal Transmission Pipeline
Authors: Wu Jianfeng , Hu Cheng , Xu Xiaohong , Ma Xionghua , Zhang Yinfeng
Published: August 2016

For lowering sintering temperature of mullite/Al2O3 composite ceramics for solar thermal transmission pipeline, kaolin, potassium feldspar, quartz, and γ‐Al2O3 were used as raw materials to in situ synthesize the composite ceramics with pressureless sintering method. Densification, mechanical properties, thermal expansion coefficient, thermal shock resistance, phase composition, and microstructure were investigated. The experiment results demonstrated that the introduction of potassium feldspar and quartz decreased the lowest sintering temperatures greatly to 1300°C. The optimum sample A3 sintered at 1340°C obtained the best performances. The water absorption, apparent porosity, bulk density, bending strength, and thermal expansion coefficient of A3 were 0.04%, 0.12%, 2.71 g/cm3, 94.82 MPa, and 5.83 × 10−6/°C, respectively. After 30 thermal shock cycles (wind cooling from 1100°C to room temperature), no cracks were observed on the surfaces of the sample, and the bending strength increased by −7.96%. XRD analysis indicated that the main phases of samples before and after 30 thermal shock cycles were consistently mullite, corundum, and α‐cristobalite, while the content of mullite increased after thermal shock. SEM micrographs illustrated that the mullite grains growth and micro‐cracks appeared after thermal shock endowed the composite ceramics with excellent thermal shock resistance.
Tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (‐308G/A) promoter polymorphism is associated with ulcerative colitis in Brazilian patients
Authors: Tavares M. , de Lima C. , Fernandes W. , Martinelli V. , de Lucena M. , Lima F. , Telles A. , Brandão L. , de Melo Júnior M.
Published: August 2016

Inflammatory bowel disease consists of multifactorial diseases whose common manifestation is inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract and their pathogenesis remains unknown. This study aimed to analyse the gene polymorphisms in Brazilian patients with inflammatory bowel disease. A total of 101 patients diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease were analysed for the tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (‐308 G/A; rs1800629) and interleukin‐10 (‐1082 G/A; rs1800896) gene polymorphisms. Genotyping was performed through polymerase chain reaction–sequence‐specific primer, then fractionated on 2% agarose gel and visualized after staining by ethidium bromide. The anatomic–clinical form of Crohn's disease (CD) predominant was the inflammatory (32.75%), followed by fistulizing (29.31%) and 27.58% stricturing. As control group, a total of 136 healthy subjects, from the same geographical region, were enrolled. The statistical analyses were performed using R program. The frequency of the A allele at tumour necrosis factor‐alpha was high in ulcerative colitis (UC) patients (51%) than in controls (22%; P > 0.01). No statistical difference was found with the genotypic and allelic frequencies of CD patients compared to controls (P = 0.54). The polymorphism ‐1082G/A of interleukin‐10 was not statistical different between the diseases compared to controls. Tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) (‐308G/A) is associated with UC onset, suggesting that the presence of ‐308A allele could confer a relative risk of 3.62 more to develop UC in general population. Further studies, increasing the number of individuals, should be performed to ratify the role of TNF‐α in the inflammatory bowel disease pathogenesis.
Knowing What NOT To Do Is a Critical Job Skill: Evidence from 10 different scoring methods
Authors: Stemler Steven E. , Aggarwal Varun , Nithyanand Siddharth
Published: August 2016

Situational judgment tests (SJTs) have become an increasingly important tool for predicting employee performance; however, at least two key areas warrant further investigation. First, prior studies of SJTs have generally relied on samples from the western world, leaving open the question of the validity of using SJTs in the developing world where the majority of the world's workforce resides. Second, there is currently no standardized, theoretically‐based method for the development and scoring of SJTs. Therefore, SJTs are highly domain‐specific and must be developed anew for each new context. We report the results of three studies, conducted in India, that aim to: (1) test the cross‐cultural validity of SJTs in a non‐western context, and (2) examine the differential validity of 10 different approaches to scoring SJTs, some of which have the potential to resolve the problem of developing a theoretically‐infused, standardized approach to scoring and future development.
Patterns of Change in Fairness Perceptions During the Hiring Process
Authors: Konradt Udo , Garbers Yvonne , Erdogan Berrin , Bauer Talya
Published: August 2016

The justice literature, to date, shows that changes in fairness perceptions over time are consequential for job attitudes. However, few studies have been directed at explicating how fairness perceptions change over time or individual differences in patterns of change. The present research attempts to fill this gap by exploring patterns of temporal changes in fairness perceptions toward the selection process during a hiring process and potential determinants for such change. In a 3‐wave longitudinal study of the entire hiring process (pre‐, in‐, and post‐process) using a latent growth mixture modeling approach, different patterns of change in perceived fairness were modeled. In addition, the role of Big Five personality factors to predict classes of temporal patterns was examined. Results suggest that, on average, fairness perceptions declined in a non‐linear way over time, with high initial levels of fairness perception corresponding to a lower rate of decline, and vice versa. Four unique classes of applicants exhibiting different initial scores and growth of fairness perceptions were identified, which were predicted by the personality factors of extraversion, agreeableness, and conscientiousness. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for fairness theory and future research.
Validating the B‐Scan Self: A self‐report measure of psychopathy in the workplace
Authors: Mathieu Cynthia , Babiak Paul
Published: August 2016

The surging interest in corporate psychopathy has underscored the need for a reliable and valid measure of psychopathic features that is suitable for research in organizational settings. The B‐Scan Self is a new self‐report measure of corporate psychopathy that was developed with Hare's Psychopathy Checklist‐Revised (PCL‐R) as a framework. Validity studies, using two independent Mechanical Turk samples, were designed to examine its factor structure and validity. Results indicated that B‐Scan Self facets were internally consistent and unidimentional and strongly related to another self‐report measure of psychopathy (SRP‐III). Confirmatory factor analyses supported a reliable fifteen facets and four‐factor model consistent with the PCL‐R four‐factor model of psychopathy. Furthermore, B‐Scan Self facets were positively correlated with the Dark Triad of personality traits and negatively correlated with FFM traits of Agreeableness and Conscientiousness. More importantly, B‐Scan Self facets presented the same pattern of correlations with FFM traits as the SRP‐III and different patterns than the two other Dark Triad measures. Although this constitutes the first validation study of the B‐Scan Self and more research is needed, we believe that these results are encouraging and that the B‐Scan Self provides an opportunity to study psychopathic features through the measure of work‐related behavior.
Applicant Reactions to Selection Methods in China
Authors: Liu Xuewei , Potočnik Kristina , Anderson Neil
Published: August 2016

This study examines applicant reactions to ten popular selection methods in China. Using a sample of 294 graduates we found that Chinese applicants’ reactions were highly favorable for work sample tests, interviews, and written ability tests, whereas Guanxi (i.e., relying on personal contacts when applying for a job) and graphology were perceived as the least favorable selection methods. Guanxi was also perceived as significantly less fair method compared with all others on all seven procedural dimensions studied. These findings suggest that Guanxi as an informal selection channel might threaten the fairness of personnel selection in China. Implications for the design of selection systems in Chinese companies are discussed, and ramifications for future research into applicant reactions are considered.
A comparative evaluation of endodontic treatments for immature necrotic permanent teeth based on clinical and radiographic outcomes: a systematic review and meta‐analysis
Authors: Nicoloso Gabriel Ferreira , Pötter Isabel Garcia , Rocha Rachel de Oliveira , Montagner Francisco , Casagrande Luciano
Published: August 2016

Background

Dental trauma and deep caries are frequent findings in children and adolescents that may lead to pulp necrosis in young permanent teeth. As a consequence, the root stops its development, and managing these immature teeth becomes challenging due to the presence of open apexes and fragile dentinal walls.

Aim

We aimed to carry out a systematic review including a meta‐analysis to compare the endodontic treatments available in the management of immature necrotic permanent teeth and determine which one provides the best clinical and radiographic outcomes.

Design

The literature was screened via PubMed/MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and ClinicalTrials databases until August 2015 to select randomized clinical trials that compared at least two different treatments regarding immature necrotic permanent teeth comprising clinical and radiographic success as outcome. Two reviewers independently performed the screening and evaluation of the articles. A total of 648 studies were retrieved from the databases, in which only 14 were selected to full‐text analysis by the appliance of inclusion criteria. After the exclusion criteria, the remaining seven studies had their data extracted and assessed for bias risk. Pooled‐effect estimates were obtained comparing clinical and radiographic success rates among MTA Versus other treatments.

Results

Evaluation of clinical (Z = 2.32, P = 0.02, OR = 5.37, 95% CI: 1.29–22.23, I = 0%) and radiographic (Z = 2.45, P = 0.01, OR = 4.31, 95% CI: 1.34–13.82, I = 0%) outcomes favored the MTA (control group) when compared to other endodontic treatments (P < 0.05). No evidence of heterogeneity was detected among the studies (I < 50%), whereas a moderate risk of bias was identified in five of them.

Conclusions

Although almost all of the identified studies presented moderate risk of bias, MTA apexification seems to produce overall better clinical and radiographic success rates among the endodontic treatment available in immature necrotic permanent teeth.
Enzyme inactivation of tomato juice by ohmic heating and its effects on physico‐chemical characteristics of concentrated tomato paste
Authors: Makroo H. A. , Rastogi N. K. , Srivastava B.
Published: August 2016

Fresh juice of fully ripe tomato was subjected to ohmic heat (OH) treatment (90°C for 1 min) and the effectiveness of treatment was compared with conventional hot break (CT) treatment (90°C for 5 min). PG (Polygalacturonase) and PME (Pectin methyl esterase) enzyme inactivation achieved by the OH (1 min.) was similar as compared to CT of 5 min. During the kinetic analysis it was observed that the inactivation of PME & PG enzyme and degradation of ascorbic acid followed first order trend in ohmic as well as conventional treatment of tomato juice, however total color change (DE) was found to follow least‐squares non‐linear parameter algorithm behavior. Thermal treatments leads to the increased release of phyto‐chemicals from the matrix which results in a significant (p<0.01) increase in lycopene content during the early phases of the treatments. The Paste (28±0.5 °Brix) obtained after pre‐treatment was analyzed for lycopene, ascorbic acid content and apparent viscosity and color. OH Paste was found more viscous than CT treatment with maximum viscosity of 2.33×103 mPa‐s. The color of OH treated paste was bright red as compared to CT treatment, however the lycopene and ascorbic acid content of paste were found similar in OH and CT. Based on results of present study it is concluded that the ohmic treatment may be applied as an efficient alternative to the conventional method of enzyme inactivation in tomato juice.