bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Direct influence of culture dimensionality on human mesenchymal stem cell differentiation at various matrix stiffnesses using a fibrous self‐assembling peptide hydrogel
Authors: Hogrebe Nathaniel J. , Gooch Keith J.
Published: May 2016

Much is unknown about the effects of culture dimensionality on cell behavior due to the lack of biomimetic substrates that are suitable for directly comparing cells grown on two‐dimensional (2D) and encapsulated within three‐dimensional (3D) matrices of the same stiffness and biochemistry. To overcome this limitation, we used a self‐assembling peptide hydrogel system that has tunable stiffness and cell‐binding site density as well as a fibrous microarchitecture resembling the structure of collagen. We investigated the effect of culture dimensionality on human mesenchymal stem cell differentiation at different values of matrix stiffness (G′ = 0.25, 1.25, 5, and 10 kPa) and a constant RGD (Arg–Gly–Asp) binding site concentration. In the presence of the same soluble induction factors, culture on top of stiff gels facilitated the most efficient osteogenesis, while encapsulation within the same stiff gels resulted in a switch to predominantly terminal chondrogenesis. Adipogenesis dominated at soft conditions, and 3D culture induced better adipogenic differentiation than 2D culture at a given stiffness. Interestingly, initial matrix‐induced cell morphology was predictive of these end phenotypes. Furthermore, optimal culture conditions corresponded to each cell type's natural niche within the body, highlighting the importance of incorporating native matrix dimensionality and stiffness into tissue engineering strategies. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 104A: 2356–2368, 2016.
Natural marine sponges for bone tissue engineering: The state of art and future perspectives
Authors: Granito Renata Neves , Custódio Márcio Reis , Rennó Ana Claudia Muniz
Published: May 2016

Marine life and its rich biodiversity provide a plentiful resource of potential new products for the society. Remarkably, marine organisms still remain a largely unexploited resource for biotechnology applications. Among them, marine sponges are sessile animals from the phylum Porifera dated at least from 580 million years ago. It is known that molecules from marine sponges present a huge therapeutic potential in a wide range of applications mainly due to its antitumor, antiviral, anti‐inflammatory, and antibiotic effects. In this context, this article reviews all the information available in the literature about the potential of the use of marine sponges for bone tissue engineering applications. First, one of the properties that make sponges interesting as bone substitutes is their structural characteristics. Most species have an efficient interconnected porous architecture, which allows them to process a significant amount of water and facilitates the flow of fluids, mimicking an ideal bone scaffold. Second, sponges have an organic component, the spongin, which is analogous to vertebral collagen, the most widely used natural polymer for tissue regeneration. Last, osteogenic properties of marine sponges is also highlighted by their mineral content, such as biosilica and other compounds, that are able to support cell growth and to stimulate bone formation and mineralization. This review focuses on recent studies concerning these interesting properties, as well as on some challenges to be overcome in the bone tissue engineering field. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part B: Appl Biomater, 105B: 1717–1727, 2017.
Adenovirus‐mediated artificial microRNA against human fibrinogen like protein 2 inhibits hepatocellular carcinoma growth
Authors: Wang Ming , Liu Junhui , Xi Dong , Luo Xiaoping , Ning Qin
Published: May 2016

Background

Human fibrinogen‐like protein 2 (hFGL2) is overexpressed in various human solid tumors and is associated with tumor growth, invasion and angiogenesis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) LM6 cells. In the present study, an adenoviral vector expressing an artificial microRNA (miRNA) against hfgl2 (Ad‐hfgl2‐miRNA) was used to evaluate the effect of FGL2 knockdown on cell proliferation and tumor growth of HCCLM6 xenografts.

Methods

Ad‐hfgl2‐miRNA was constructed and its effect on hFGL2 expression and cell proliferation was analyzed. The xenograft tumor model was established in nude mice and this was accompanied by intratumoral injection of Ad‐hfgl2‐miRNA when the tumor volume had reached 100 mm3. The volume of the tumor xenograft was recorded and angiogenesis in the tumor xenograft was assessed.

Results

Ad‐hfgl2‐miRNA significantly downregulated hFGL2 expression at both the mRNA and protein levels and exerted an inhibitory effect on proliferation in HCCLM6 cells. In HCCLM6 tumor‐bearing mice, the tumor volume significantly decreased following the intratumoral injection of Ad‐hfgl2‐miRNA compared to that of control groups. Additionally, Ad‐hfgl2‐miRNA also exhibited potent anti‐angiogenic effects.

Conclusions

HFGL2 might be a potential target for controlling angiogenesis in HCC and hfgl2 gene silencing via miRNA may be an alternative strategy for the management of HCC. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Expression of virulence and stress response genes in Aeromonas hydrophila under various stress conditions
Authors: Nagar Vandan , Bandekar Jayant R. , Shashidhar Ravindranath
Published: May 2016

Aeromonas hydrophila has emerged as an important human pathogen as it causes gastroenteritis and extra‐intestinal infections. Information regarding the influence of environmental stresses on gene expression profile of A. hydrophila is lacking. The impact of nutrient replenishment, nutrient deprivation, acid stress, and cold shock on housekeeping, general stress‐response, and virulence genes was studied using quantitative real‐time PCR in two A. hydrophila strains, CECT 839T, and A331. These sub‐lethal stresses invoked significant changes in the expression of these genes in a strain‐dependent manner. Overall, nutrient replenishment and deprivation significantly induced the expression of housekeeping (rpoD), general stress regulators (uspA and rpoS), and virulence (aer) genes, indicating their importance in regulating the survival and virulence of A. hydrophila under these stress conditions. rpoS gene was significantly induced under cold shock; whereas, acid stress significantly induced the expression of uspA gene. This is the first study to investigate the effect of environmental parameters on the expression of stress‐response and virulence genes in A. hydrophila strains.
A Longitudinal Study of the Bidirectional Relationship Between Social Support and Posttraumatic Stress Following a Natural Disaster
Authors: Platt Jonathan M. , Lowe Sarah R. , Galea Sandro , Norris Fran H. , Koenen Karestan C.
Published: May 2016

There is ample evidence that social support is protective against posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms through social causation processes. It is also likely that PTS is associated with decreased social support through social selection processes. Few studies, however, have examined the longitudinal and bidirectional associations between social support and PTS in a postdisaster context, and whether such associations vary by type of support (e.g., emotional, informational, or tangible). We examined these relationships using Galveston Bay Recovery Study data. Participants (N = 658) were interviewed 2–6 months (W1), 5–9 months (W2), and 14–19 months (W3) after Hurricane Ike in 2008. Longitudinal relationships between each support type and PTS were examined in cross‐lagged models. W1 emotional support was negatively associated with W2 PTS (Estimate = –.13, p = .007), consistent with social causation. W1 PTS was negatively associated with W2 emotional support (Estimate = –.14, p = .019), consistent with social selection. In contrast, pathways were nonsignificant at subsequent waves and for informational and tangible support. Results suggested that postdisaster social causation and selection were limited to emotional support and diminish over time. Based on these findings, postdisaster services should emphasize restoring supportive social connections to minimize the psychiatric consequences of disaster, especially among those with prior evidence of distress.
Brand Authenticity: Testing the Antecedents and Outcomes of Brand Management's Passion for its Products
Authors: Moulard Julie Guidry , Raggio Randle D. , Folse Judith Anne Garretson
Published: May 2016

While customer orientation is accepted as a core marketing principle, this research suggests that an opposing orientation—product orientation—may offer an advantage. Managers who follow a product orientation focus on products that interest and inspire them rather than on products that fulfill consumers’ desires. This research suggests that a consumer'sperceptionthat managers follow a product orientation is consistent with prior conceptualizations of brand authenticity. That research suggests that brands perceived as authentic are evaluated more positively, yet that research does not empirically assess brand authenticity's effects nor suggest its antecedents. To fill this gap, the authors develop a conceptualization and model of brand authenticity grounded in self‐determination theory, attribution theory, and extant authentic human brand research. Brand authenticity is defined asthe extent to which consumers perceive that a brand's managers are intrinsically motivated in that they are passionate about and devoted to providing their products. The model proposes four antecedents of brand authenticity—two related to rare brand behaviors (uniqueness and scarcity), and two related to stable brand behaviors (longevity and longitudinal consistency). It also proposes two perceptual outcomes of brand authenticity—expected quality and trust. Two 2 × 2 experiments (n= 136 for Study 1;n= 155 for Study 2) demonstrate a positive impact of the antecedents on brand authenticity and of brand authenticity on the outcomes. Brand authenticity mediates these effects.
Compartmentalization of hepatitis C virus variants in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma
Authors: Pérez Paula S. , Di Lello Federico A. , Mullen Eduardo G. , Galdame Omar A. , Livellara Beatriz I. , Gadano Adrián C. , Campos Rodolfo H. , Flichman Diego M.
Published: May 2016

Chronic Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection is a major risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development. HCV Core protein has been associated with the modulation of potentially oncogenic cellular processes and E2 protein has been useful in evolutive studies to analyze the diversity of HCV. Thus, the aim of this study was to evaluate HCV compartmentalization in tumoral, non‐tumoral liver tissue and serum and to identify viral mutations potentially involved in carcinogenesis. Samples were obtained from four patients with HCC who underwent liver transplantation. Core and E2 were amplified, cloned and sequenced. Phylogenies and BaTS Test were performed to analyze viral compartmentalization and a signature sequence analysis was conducted by VESPA. The likelihood and Bayesian phylogenies showed a wide degree of compartmentalization in the different patients, ranging from total clustering to a more scattered pattern with small groups. Nevertheless, the association test showed compartmentalization for the three compartments and both viral regions tested in all the patients. Signature amino acid pattern supported the compartmentalization in three of the cases for E2 protein and in two of them for Core. Changes observed in Core included polymorphism R70Q/H previously associated with HCC. In conclusion, evidence of HCV compartmentalization in the liver of HCC patients was provided and further biological characterization of these variants may contribute to the understanding of carcinogenesis mediated by HCV infection. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Herglotz's theorem and quaternion series of positive term
Authors: Kou Kit Ian , Liu Ming‐Sheng , Tao Shu‐Zhen
Published: May 2016

The present paper first introduces the notion of quaternion infinite series of positive term and establishes its several tests. Next, we give the definitions of the positive‐definite quaternion sequence and the positive semi‐definite quaternion function, and we extend the classical Herglotz's theorem to the quaternion linear canonical transform setting. Then we investigate the properties of the two‐sided quaternion linear canonical transform, such as time shift characteristics and differential characteristics. Finally, we derive its several basic properties of the quaternion linear canonical transform of a probability measure, in particular, and establish the Bochner–Minlos theorem. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Flavanol‐rich lychee fruit extract alleviates diet‐induced insulin resistance via suppressing mTOR/SREBP‐1 mediated lipogenesis in liver and restoring insulin signaling in skeletal muscle
Authors: Liu Hung‐Wen , Wei Chu‐Chun , Chen Yen‐Ju , Chen Yun‐An , Chang Sue‐Joan
Published: May 2016

Scope

An elevated intracellular lipid contents resulted from lipid oversupply links obesity to insulin resistance. Flavanol‐rich lychee fruit extract, oligonol, exhibited anti‐obesity property in vitro and in vivo; however, the effects of oligonol on peripheral lipid metabolism and insulin sensitivity have not been fully investigated. We hypothesized that oligonol alleviated insulin resistance via decreasing intracellular lipid contents in peripheral tissues.

Methods and results

Dietary oligonol supplementation (20 or 200 mg/kg bw) reduced glucose and insulin levels, improved oral glucose tolerance, and suppressed inflammatory markers, MCP‐1 and IL‐6, in High‐Fat diet (HFD) induced obese mice. Marked decreases in subcutaneous and visceral fat area, adipocyte size, and adipocyte released hormones including leptin and resistin by high‐dose oligonol treatment were associated with downregulation of PPARγ gene expression. Significantly reduced intrahepatocellular lipid contents and hepatic triglyceride levels by oligonol (both doses) were associated with downregulation of mTOR/SREBP‐1‐mediated de novo lipogenesis. In skeletal muscle, oligonol enhanced Sirtuin1 protein expression and AMPKα activation, consequently resulted in reductions of intramuscular lipid contents and triglyceride levels and restoration of IRS‐1 and AS160 phosphorylation.

Conclusion

Oligonol reduced intracellular lipid contents in liver and skeletal muscle and suppressed inflammatory markers, thereby alleviating HFD‐induced insulin resistance.
Region of Origin: Settlement Decisions of Turkish and Iranian Immigrants in Sweden, 1968–2001
Authors: Aradhya Siddartha , Hedefalk Finn , Helgertz Jonas , Scott Kirk
Published: May 2016

This paper focuses on the residential resettlement decisions of a sample of immigrants from Iran and Turkey living in Sweden between 1968 and 2001. Using the Swedish Longitudinal Immigrant database, we are able to link unique pre‐ and post‐migration data to understand whether region of origin is a better predictor of internal migration decisions than is country of origin, the more often used measure in existing research. More specifically, we test whether living in municipalities with a high number of individuals from the same country of origin is a similar phenomenon as a high number of individuals from the same region of origin. This is relevant, as large immigrant groups come from ethnically, religiously, and linguistically heterogeneous countries of origin where regional characteristics differ according to aforementioned aspects from that of the mainstream population. We indeed find that individuals are less likely to relocate from municipalities in which there is a large presence of other immigrants from the same region of origin. Instead, individuals residing in areas with a large number of individuals from their country of origin are observed with an elevated probability of resettlement. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Regeneration of Liver Function Capacity After Partial Liver Resection is Impaired in Case of Postoperative Bile Leakage
Authors: Bednarsch Jan , Blüthner Elisabeth , Malinowski Maciej , Seehofer Daniel , Pratschke Johann , Stockmann Martin
Published: May 2016

Background

Postoperative bile leakage (PBL) is a major surgical complication after partial liver resection resulting in increased perioperative morbidity and mortality. Previous experimental studies have shown an adverse effect on functional liver regeneration, but there are still no data available concerning these effects in humans.

Materials and methods

A retrospective matched pair analysis was carried out comparing the postoperative course of 51 patients with PBL to 51 patients without PBL. The influence of PBL on actual liver function was determined by means of LiMAx, Indocyanine green plasma disappearance rate (ICG‐PDR), and standard liver function tests.

Results

The analyzed groups were matched regarding demographic, preoperative, and operative data. Bilirubin, ICG‐PDR and LiMAx showed delayed postoperative functional recovery after partial liver resection in the PBL group compared to the non‐PBL group. LiMAx was the single parameter to assess differing liver regeneration continuously from the 3rd to 14th postoperative day between the groups. A subanalysis revealed an early recovery from impaired functional regeneration if the bile leakage was diagnosed until the 5th postoperative day (POD) or successfully treated until the 14th POD.

Conclusion

These are the first data evaluating the impact of PBL on functional regeneration after liver surgery. Liver regeneration after partial liver resection is impaired by PBL. However, a nearly normal recovery is possible if the bile leak is diagnosed early and immediately treated. Moreover, patients presenting with delayed functional recovery in the postoperative course are likely to have complications, e.g., bile leakage.
Dietary Black Raspberry Seed Oil Ameliorates Inflammatory Activities in db/db Mice
Authors: Lee Hee Jae , Jung Hana , Cho Hyunnho , Lee Kiuk , Kwak Ho‐Kyung , Hwang Keum Taek
Published: May 2016

The objective of this study was to evaluate the status of the markers related to inflammation in db/db mice fed black raspberry seed (BRS) oil, which is rich in α‐linolenic acid. Mice were divided into four groups: (1) C57BL/6 mice fed 16 % calories from soybean oil (normal CON); (2) C57BL/KsJ‐db/db mice fed 16 % calories from soybean oil (CON); (3) C57BL/KsJ‐db/db mice fed 8 % calories from soybean and 8 % calories from BRS oil (BRS 50 %); and (4) C57BL/KsJ‐db/db mice fed 16 % calories from BRS oil (BRS 100 %). After 10 weeks, n‐6/n‐3 fatty acid ratios were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the livers and epididymal adipose tissues of the BRS 50 % and BRS 100 % mice than in the CON. Serum TNFα and IL‐6 were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the BRS 50 % and BRS 100 % than in the CON. Serum IL‐10 was significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the BRS 100 % than the CON. In the liver and epididymal adipose tissue, mRNA levels of pro‐inflammatory markers in the BRS 50 % and BRS 100 % were lower than in the CON. Anti‐inflammatory markers were higher in the epididymal adipose tissues of the BRS 50 % and BRS 100 % than in the CON. In the epididymal adipose tissue, macrophage infiltration markers (F4/80 and CD68) and leptin mRNA were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in the BRS 50 % and BRS 100 % than in the CON. Results of this study suggest that BRS oil may have anti‐inflammatory effects in obese diabetic mice by ameliorating inflammatory responses.
The Cyberspace War: Propaganda and Trolling as Warfare Tools
Authors: Aro Jessikka
Published: May 2016

Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime has taken control of the traditional media in Russia: TV, radio and newspapers. As Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu has stated, the Kremlin sees the mass media as a ‘weapon’. Now Russia's leadership is trying to take control of social media too, and for this massive operation a new information warfare tool has been mobilised–-an army of fake social media Putinfans, known as ‘trolls’. My investigation has discovered that coordinated social media propaganda writers are twisting and manipulating the public debate in Finland, too. Trolls and bots distribute vast amounts of false information in various languages, and target individual citizens for aggressive operations. Aggressive trolls have created a feeling of fear among some of my interviewees, causing them to stop making Russia-related comments online. Trolling has had a serious impact on freedom of speech, even outside Russia. Thus, it should be viewed as a national security threat that needs to be addressed accordingly. The question is: how should the Kremlin's trolls and disinformation be countered?
Peer emotion socialization and somatic complaints in adolescents
Authors: Parr Naomi J. , Zeman Janice , Braunstein Kara , Price Natalee
Published: May 2016

Somatic symptoms tend to increase during early adolescence and although youth's social environments and emotional functioning play a role in somatic symptoms, few studies have examined mechanisms through which social interaction could influence youth's somatic wellbeing. Participants were 132 youth (61.6% girls, Mage = 12.61 years, 84.7% Caucasian) and their mothers. Reciprocated best‐friend dyads participated in a video‐taped problem discussion task to assess peer emotion socialization responses. Two supportive friend responses (i.e., emotion‐focused, problem‐focused) and two unsupportive responses (i.e., punitive, neglect) were examined. Mothers reported on their child's somatic complaints. Friends who provided emotion‐focused, problem‐focused, punitive, and neglect responses to their close friend's emotional disclosures had significantly fewer somatic symptoms. However, youth who received punitive responses to their emotional disclosures from their close friends had more somatic complaints. These findings provide initial evidence of a link between emotion socialization responses within close friendships and somatic complaints in early adolescence.
The generation of tonal noise from sawtooth trailing-edge serrations at low Reynolds numbers
Authors: Moreau D. J. , Doolan C. J.
Published: May 2016

The flow and noise created by sawtooth trailing-edge serrations has been studied experimentally at a low Reynolds number. Experiments have been performed on a flat-plate model with an elliptical leading edge and an asymmetrically bevelled trailing edge at Reynolds numbers of Rec = 1 × 105–1.3 × 105, based on chord. Wide serrations with a wavelength (λs) to amplitude (2h) ratio of λs/h = 0.6 were found to reduce the overall sound pressure level by up to 11dB. In contrast, narrower serrations with λs/h = 0.2 produce tonal noise and increase the overall noise level by up to 4dB. Intense vortices across the span of the trailing edge with narrow serrations are shown to be the source of tonal noise. Wide serrations reduce turbulent velocity fluctuations at low frequencies which explains the lower radiated noise. The narrow serrations that produce low Reynolds number tonal noise were shown previously to be effective at higher Reynolds numbers (Rec > 2 × 105), demonstrating that care is needed to fully understand the flow field over serrations for all intended operating conditions.
Design and flight test of active flutter suppression on the X-56A multi-utility technology test-bed aircraft
Authors: Burnett E. L. , Beranek J. A. , Holm-Hansen B. T. , Atkinson C. J. , Flick P. M.
Published: May 2016

Efforts to develop the next generation of aircraft with ever-increasing levels of performance – higher, farther, faster, cheaper – face great technical challenges. One of these technical challenges is to reduce structural weight of the aircraft. Another is to look to aircraft configurations that have been unrealizable to date. Both of these paths can lead to a rigid flex coupling phenomenon that can result in anything from poor flying qualities to the loss of an aircraft due to flutter. This has led to a need to develop an integrated flight and aeroelastic control capability where structural dynamics are included in the synthesis of flight control laws. Studies have indicated that the application of an integrated flight and aeroelastic control approach to a SensorCraft high-altitude long-endurance vehicle would provide substantial performance improvement(1,2). Better flying qualities and an expanded flight envelope through multi-flutter mode control are two areas of improvement afforded by integrated flight and aeroelastic control. By itself, multi-flutter mode control transforms the flutter barrier from a point of catastrophic structural failure to a benign region of flight. This paper discusses the history and issues associated with the development of such an integrated flight and aeroelastic control system for the X-56A aircraft.
KEEPING YOUR HEAD DOWN: PUBLIC PROFILES AND PROMOTION UNDER AUTOCRACY
Authors: Gueorguiev Dimitar D. , Schuler Paul J.
Published: May 2016

During recent party congresses in China and Vietnam, two highly anticipated candidates for promotion were sidelined. In China, Bo Xilai was arrested for corruption and stripped of his party membership. In Vietnam, Nguyen Ba Thanh remained a provincial leader with little opportunity for promotion to the Politburo. Existing arguments about promotions under authoritarian rule are unable to explain these outcomes. In particular, both candidates were competent and well connected. This cuts contrary to the expectations of both performance-based promotion and factional promotion theories. We argue that these candidates were sidelined due to a previously under-theorized factor in promotion contests—their ability to mobilize personal followings. Amidst a literature that has focused almost exclusively on intra-elite conflict, we argue that elite–mass linkages are critical. In particular, the public profile of top leaders is important for regime legitimacy and mobilization. However, when individuals become exceptionally well known they become threats to the single-party system. We test this argument on promotions in China's 18th Party Congress in 2012 and Vietnam's 11th Party Congress in 2011, using original data on Internet search queries and media coverage among contenders for promotion. Our approach offers new insights into the strategies authoritarian politicians use to stay afloat as well as the mistakes that sink them when competing for power under one-party rule.
CONTENTIOUS ELITES IN CHINA: NEW EVIDENCE AND APPROACHES
Authors: Shih Victor C.
Published: May 2016

The purges of former Politburo Standing Committee member Zhou Yongkang, former Central Military Commission Vice Chairman Xu Caihou, and the former head of the Central Committee Office Ling Jihua in 2014 re-excited a long-standing debate in the field of elite Chinese politics: how contentious is politics at the elite level? On the face of it, these purges, as well as the arrests of ninety nine senior officials associated with these three individuals and with other cases, seem to prove that elite politics remains highly contentious at the top (People's Daily 2015). This outcome was surprising considering that decades of institution building had taken place after the Cultural Revolution. However, proponents of institutionalized politics in the CCP argue that the leadership had a genuine desire to clean house, and that these arrests, even if politically motivated, instilled a renewed discipline in the party. Once the “bad apples” were eliminated, the leadership under Xi Jinping would have continued on the road of institutionalization (Li 2014). Cadre promotion institutions, regular meetings of the Politburo and its standing committee, party congresses, and retirement rules remain largely unaffected by the purges and will continue to ensure relatively harmonious decision making and predictable successions in the foreseeable future.
MOVING BEYOND FACTIONS: USING SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS TO UNCOVER PATRONAGE NETWORKS AMONG CHINESE ELITES
Authors: Keller Franziska Barbara
Published: May 2016

Informal connections play an important role in regimes all across the world, but among China's political elite, it is particularly factional affiliation that is said to structure contention over who will rule and who will fall victim to a purge. This article identifies two approaches to measuring factional ties in the literature: theexploratoryapproach traces alliance ties through qualitative assessment of insider sources, while thestructuredapproach uses publicly available data to infer factions from shared characteristics. The article combines the two by arguing that informal politics is better conceptualized as a process of alliance formation shaped by an underlying social (network) structure. Among the structured approaches, coworker networks best capture the latter, but this can be further refined by noting the number of instances of working together, or by taking into account promotions that have occurred while the two individuals were coworkers.
TERM LIMITS AND AUTHORITARIAN POWER SHARING: THEORY AND EVIDENCE FROM CHINA
Authors: Ma Xiao
Published: May 2016

Term limits that effectively govern leadership transition play an important role in authoritarian power sharing. A fixed term and a pre-appointed successor – two crucial components of term limits – credibly commit the incumbent ruler to share power with other elites, and also allow the elites to monitor and coordinate against the ruler's transgression of the power-sharing agreement. While the successful adoption of term limits often requires an even balance of power among the ruling elites in the first place, once adopted it initiates an evolving bargain over allocation of political power among multiple generations of leaders that further keeps any one faction from dominating the others. I corroborate this argument using a biographical dataset of elite members of the Chinese Communist Party from 1982 to 2012. The findings suggest that the Party's incumbent leaders and their rivals (i.e., predecessor and heir-apparent) shared equal chances in promoting their associates—which proxy their political influence—and this pattern has become more salient since the 16th party congress, when the term limits that currently govern China's leadership transition became fully fledged. This result also sheds light on the role of informal, patronage-based promotion in the institutionalization of authoritarian politics.
Nonlinear wakes behind a row of elongated roughness elements
Authors: Goldstein M. E. , Sescu Adrian , Duck Peter W. , Choudhari Meelan
Published: May 2016

This paper is concerned with the high Reynolds number flow over a spanwise-periodic array of roughness elements with interelement spacing of the order of the local boundary-layer thickness. While earlier work by Goldstein et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 644, 2010, pp. 123–163) and Goldstein et al. (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 668, 2011, pp. 236–266) was mainly concerned with smaller roughness heights that produced relatively weak distortions of the downstream flow, the focus here is on extending the analysis to larger roughness heights and streamwise elongated planform shapes that together produce a qualitatively different, nonlinear behaviour of the downstream wakes. The roughness scale flow now has a novel triple-deck structure that is somewhat different from related studies that have previously appeared in the literature. The resulting flow is formally nonlinear in the intermediate wake region, where the streamwise distance is large compared to the roughness dimensions but small compared to the downstream distance from the leading edge, as well as in the far wake region where the streamwise length scale is of the order of the downstream distance from the leading edge. In contrast, the flow perturbations in both of these wake regions were strictly linear in the earlier work by Goldstein et al. (2010, 2011). This is an important difference because the nonlinear wake flow in the present case provides an appropriate basic state for studying the secondary instability and eventual breakdown into turbulence.
Motion for emotion: an empirical cross-linguistic study of conceptual construals
Authors: PONTEROTTO DIANE
Published: May 2016

abstract

This study reports a methodological itinerary aimed at developing a statistically supported investigative procedure useful for the empirical verification of hypotheses in Cognitive Linguistics research. It targets motion–emotion construals and explores the possible conceptual link between upward-oriented movements encoded in some motion verbs and the emotional state of happiness. The results emerging from the observation of two typologically different languages (English and Italian) lend empirically verified evidence for basic hypotheses in cognition and language research regarding the conceptualization of emotions and also for findings in cross-linguistic research on emotion representation.
Friendship networks and sun safety behavior among children
Authors: TSAI JENNIFER , VALENTE THOMAS W. , MILLER KIMBERLY A. , DE LA HAYE KAYLA , PICKERING TREVOR A. , COCKBURN MYLES G.
Published: May 2016

Social networks, particularly those defined by friendships, influence many childhood and adolescent health behaviors such as the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, as well as diet and physical activity. Few, if any, studies have examined the concordance between friendship networks and sun exposure/safety behaviors. This study examines the friendship networks and sun safety behaviors for a group of fourth and fifth grade students taking part in a larger sun safety intervention, “SunSmart” (n= 128). Intra-class correlation, homophily hypothesis testing, and exponential random graph models were used to test friendship homophily based on sun safety behaviors. Peer Leaders were identified through social network popularity, and sun safety change scores were compared between Peer Leaders and non-leaders. Results show that students cluster based on shared demographic characteristics and some sun safety behaviors, and that there was a trend for Peer Leaders to respond better to the SunSmart intervention than non-leaders. Implications for future sun safety interventions using Peer Leaders as champions for sun safety behavior change are discussed.
Body-size trends inPeromyscus(Rodentia: Cricetidae) on Vancouver Island, Canada, with comments on relictual gigantism
Authors: Steffen Martina L.
Published: May 2016

Large body size in Keen’s mouse,Peromyscus keeni, has been regarded as a relictual character that developed in times of geographic separation fromP. maniculatus. However, body-size changes in Keen’s mouse have not been studied in detail. To address this problem the present paper compares the size of ancient and modernPeromyscusspecimens from Vancouver Island. Results indicate that Late PleistocenePeromyscusfrom Arch-2 Cave and early HolocenePeromyscusfrom Pellucidar Cave are significantly larger than those of modernP. maniculatusandP. keeni. Morphology and linear discriminant analyses support tentative assignment of several ancient specimens toP. keeni. Radiocarbon age estimates of 11,960±45 BP (14,004–13,637 cal BP) on a small mammal bone and 12,370±35 BP (14,695–14,148 cal BP) onUrsus arctosfrom Arch-2 Cave place these faunas on the island as relative sea level fell from a postglacial highstand, suggesting a local source for faunas with limited over-water dispersal capacities. Results of this study are consistent with insular relictual gigantism in Keen’s mouse, although some modification of the original hypothesis is needed to explain the smaller size of modern than ancient mice.
Bruckner–Garg-Type Results with Respect to Haar Null Sets inC[0, 1]
Authors: Balka Richárd , Darji Udayan B. , Elekes Márton
Published: May 2016

A setisshyorHaar null(in the sense of Christensen) if there exists a Borel setand a Borel probability measureμonC[0, 1] such thatandfor allf∈C[0, 1]. The complement of a shy set is called aprevalentset. We say that a set isHaar ambivalentif it is neither shy nor prevalent.

The main goal of the paper is to answer the following question: what can we say about the topological properties of the level sets of the prevalent/non-shy manyf∈C[0, 1]?

The classical Bruckner–Garg theorem characterizes the level sets of the generic (in the sense of Baire category)f∈C[0, 1] from the topological point of view. We prove that the functionsf∈C[0, 1] for which the same characterization holds form a Haar ambivalent set.

In an earlier paper, Balkaet al. proved that the functionsf∈C[0, 1] for which positively many level sets with respect to the Lebesgue measure λ are singletons form a non-shy set inC[0, 1]. The above result yields that this set is actually Haar ambivalent. Now we prove that the functionsf∈C[0, 1] for which positively many level sets with respect to the occupation measure λ ◦f–1are not perfect form a Haar ambivalent set inC[0, 1].

We show that for the prevalentf∈C[0, 1] for the genericy∈f([0, 1]) the level setf–1(y) is perfect. Finally, we answer a question of Darji and White by showing that the set of functionsf∈C[0, 1] for which there exists a perfect setPf⊂ [0, 1] such thatfʹ(x) = ∞ for allx∈Pfis Haar ambivalent.
From Lew Alcindor to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Race, Religion, and Representation in Basketball, 1968–1975
Authors: GOUDSOUZIAN ARAM
Published: May 2016

From 1968 to 1975, Lew Alcindor/Kareem Abdul-Jabbar traveled a turbulent personal path toward self-discovery. His journey had profound implications for the larger cultural landscape of race, sport, politics, and religion. As he became professional basketball's chief superstar, he was framed by the press as sullen and solitary, and he served as the villain in a media-driven storyline informed by popular prejudices. Yet for many African Americans and other progressive fans, he exemplified the ideals that made black power uplifting and affirmative, rather than threatening. His conversion to Islam and his name change further shaped new cultural and political territory for the black athlete. It highlighted a personal struggle within Abdul-Jabbar – he sought a kind of personal freedom, even as he revealed a tendency to subsume himself before strong authority figures. He nevertheless stood, in this period, as the nation's most prominent face of classical Islam. His religious conversion further distanced him from much of the American public, but over time he presented an effective, progressive narrative about the place of Islam in American life.
LAME HEPHAISTOS
Authors: Brennan Maura
Published: May 2016

The Return of Hephaistos to Olympus was a popular scene in Attic vase-painting from the beginning of the sixth century through the end of the fifth centurybce, and it is found occasionally on other forms of pottery as well. According to myth, Hephaistos was lame, and this disability is sometimes depicted on painted pottery, almost always in scenes of his Return. The most well-known example is the François Vase, which is often the only vase cited when discussing instances of Hephaistos's lameness on Athenian pottery. Although three other Attic vases are occasionally cited as showing the disability, one of which does not show his Return, but instead the Birth of Athena, there are actually quite a number more Attic vases that depict his lameness than have previously been recognised. In this paper I present seven new Attic examples that clearly display his lameness, and consider both the different ways in which his disability is rendered and how they relate to the various epithets associated with him For example, he is often associated with the epithet ‘clubfoot’, and while there was an established iconography of clubfoot Corinthian komasts, the god's disability is never rendered in this manner on Attic vases. Instead, he is depicted in ways more similar to other epithets associated with him. Most notably, four vases represent the disability in a fashion that seems to be connected with Hephaistos's most common Homeric epithet, ἀμφιγυήεις, or ‘with both feet crooked’.
The breeding ecology of the barn swallow Hirundo rustica gutturalis in South China
Authors: Pagani-Núñez Emilio , He Chao , Li Biao , Li Ming , He Ruchuan , Jiang Aiwu , Goodale Eben
Published: May 2016

Some animal species are found in many environments and over wide distributions and may have adaptations to live in such different areas. The barn swallow Hirundo rustica is an example of a species that is able to thrive over a large geographic range and in many different environments. However, little is known of the breeding biology of this species in southern China. Here, we studied 18 breeding pairs of barn swallow H. r. gutturalis in Nanning, Guangxi, between April and July 2015. We studied its breeding fitness and parental investment. We found that tropical barn swallows bred from early April to early July and had from two to five fledglings per brood. We also recorded a strong seasonal decrease of breeding success and nestling condition that has also been found in temperate regions. Nevertheless, nestlings showed relatively long wings and low body masses, which may have enabled three sets of parents to raise three broods per breeding season, more than in other Chinese populations. Generally, barn swallows breeding in the tropics showed a similar ecology to their conspecifics from temperate regions, probably due to the species’ niche specificity in urban settings. Morphological differences detected in this study require further research based on larger sample sizes and on more detailed data from different climatic regions of Asia.
Non-invasive genetic sampling reveals diet shifts, but little difference in endoparasite richness and faecal glucocorticoids, in Belizean felids inside and outside protected areas
Authors: Mesa-Cruz J. Bernardo , Brown Janine L. , Waits Lisette P. , Kelly Marcella J.
Published: May 2016

Many Neotropical felids are threatened with extinction due to direct effects of habitat destruction and/or human persecution. However, indirect and synergistic effects of human-felid conflict remain under-studied and potentially include increased stress and diet shifts that may negatively impact felid health. We hypothesized that faecal glucocorticoid metabolites (FGM) and endoparasite species richness (ESR) would be higher, and diet would shift, for felids outside protected areas where conflict occurs. In north-western Belize, a scat-detector dog located 336 faecal samples, identified to species and individual using DNA analyses. DNA amplification success was substantially higher within protected areas than outside. We detected jaguar, puma, ocelot, jaguarundi and domestic cat. FGMs were higher in puma and jaguarundi than in other felids, while ESR was similar across felids with domestic cats exhibiting the highest number of genera. Diet partitioning occurred among felids, but domestic cats may compete with ocelot and jaguarundi for small prey. Outside of protected areas, large cats shifted their diet to smaller prey and livestock remains were not found. Contrary to our hypotheses, FGM and ESR did not differ inside versus outside protected areas, but sample sizes were low in human-modified areas. We provide a baseline on wild felid adrenal activity, endoparasites and diet and suggest improvements to increase sample sizes outside protected areas. Our research provides a template for expanding non-invasive sampling approaches more widely across the range of Neotropical felids.
Relational Personhood Revisited
Authors: Fowler Chris
Published: May 2016

This article revisits one of the key heuristic devices archaeologists have used to appreciate personhood over the last 15 years—the idea that there is a tension between individual and dividual aspects of personhood. I argue that personhood is always relational, but in varied ways, and propose a revised heuristic approach to assist with appreciating diversity in the multi-dimensional and multi-modal character of personhood.
Respiratory syncytial virus hospitalisation trends in children with haemodynamically significant heart disease, 1997–2012
Authors: Chu Patricia Y. , Hornik Christoph P. , Li Jennifer S. , Campbell Michael J. , Hill Kevin D.
Published: May 2016

Objective

The aim of the study was to evaluate the trends in respiratory syncytial virus-related hospitalisations and associated outcomes in children with haemodynamically significant heart disease in the United States of America.

Study design

The Kids’ Inpatient Databases (1997–2012) were used to estimate the incidence of respiratory syncytial virus hospitalisation among children ⩽24 months with or without haemodynamically significant heart disease. Weighted multivariable logistic regression and chi-square tests were used to evaluate the trends over time and factors associated with hospitalisation, comparing eras before and after publication of the 2003 American Academy of Pediatrics palivizumab immunoprophylaxis guidelines. Secondary outcomes included in-hospital mortality, morbidity, length of stay, and cost.

Results

Overall, 549,265 respiratory syncytial virus-related hospitalisations were evaluated, including 2518 (0.5%) in children with haemodynamically significant heart disease. The incidence of respiratory syncytial virus hospitalisation in children with haemodynamically significant heart disease decreased by 36% when comparing pre- and post-palivizumab guideline eras versus an 8% decline in children without haemodynamically significant heart disease (p<0.001). Children with haemodynamically significant heart disease had higher rates of respiratory syncytial virus-associated mortality (4.9 versus 0.1%, p<0.001) and morbidity (31.5 versus 3.5%, p<0.001) and longer hospital length of stay (17.9 versus 3.9 days, p<0.001) compared with children without haemodynamically significant heart disease. The mean cost of respiratory syncytial virus hospitalisation in 2009 was $58,166 (95% CI:$46,017, $70,315).

Conclusions

These data provide stakeholders with a means to evaluate the cost–utility of various immunoprophylaxis strategies.
FALLIBLE INFALLIBILITY? GLADSTONE'S ANTI-VATICAN PAMPHLETS IN THE LIGHT OF MILL'S ON LIBERTY
Authors: Scarre Geoffrey
Published: May 2016

When W. E. Gladstone published in November 1874 his spirited pamphlet The Vatican Decrees in their Bearing on Civil Allegiance: A Political Expostulation, he seems to have taken many people by surprise. In its issue of the 21st of that month, Punch printed a cartoon, “An Unexpected Cut” (Figure 1) which portrayed the “Hawarden woodcutter” laying an axe to the stout trunk of a tree labelled “Papal Infallibility,” under the bemused gaze of Mr Punch. To the latter's remark “We didn't expect to find you cutting at that tree, you know,” the ex-Prime Minister dourly retorts: “All right, Mr Punch! I choose my own Trees, and my own Time!” In Gladstone's view, the time was ripe to take a stand against the recent pretensions of the Roman Catholic Church, under the leadership of its aging pontiff Pius IX, to exercise an absolute and unchallengeable authority over the consciences and actions of Catholics.