bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Nederland een van de meest punitieve landen in Noord- en West-Europa? Een mythe ontzenuwd
Authors: van Velthoven Ben
Published: March 2016

The myth of Dutch punitivity disproved

It is frequently claimed that the punishment regime in the Netherlands lately has become one of the most severe in North and West Europe. This claim is critically addressed using data over the period 1990-2011 from the European Sourcebooks of Crime and Criminal Justice. Prison stock data from recent SPACE I Annual Penal Statistics are also taken into account. These data hardly do warrant a reliable international comparison of punitivity levels in Europe. At any rate, there is no evidence that the punishment regime in the Netherlands is among the most severe in North and West Europe, on the contrary.
Two new species of freshwater crabs from the highlands of northern Uganda, East Africa and a redescription of Potamonautes amalerensis (Rathbun, 1935) stat. rev. from Mount Kadam (Brachyura: Potamoidea: Potamonautidae)
Authors: Cumberlidge Neil , Clark Paul F.
Published: March 2016

Two new species of potamonautid freshwater crabs are described from the Imatong Mountains and Mount Moroto in northern Uganda, East Africa, and a third highland species, Potamonautes amalerensis (Rathbun, 1935) stat. rev. from Mount Kadam is re-diagnosed based on examination of the holotype. All three species are endemic to a different mountain range and their collection localities indicate a distinct preference for higher altitudes. Diagnoses, illustrations and distribution maps are provided for these taxa, and they are compared to similar species from the region. The conservation status of all three species is discussed.
Dansk medieforskning igennem de seneste 30 år. En kommentar til SHF’s fagseminar om dansk film- og medievidenskab
Authors: Mortensen Frands
Published: March 2016

Dansk medieforsknings mest originale indsats ligger ikke på det teore-

tiske plan, men i det empiriske og analytiske arbejde. Medieforskningen

har defineret sig ved sin genstand snarere end ved sine teorier og meto-

der. Det er synspunktet i denne kritiske kommentar til SHF's fagseminar

og oplæggene fra Ib Bondebjerg og Peter Schepelern. Frands Mortensen

leverer hermed skitsen til en alternativ historie, der samtidig tilbyder en

status over forskningen inden for de enkelte medier.
Repræsentation og flerrepræsentation i computermediet og i de levende billeder
Authors: Højbjerg Lennard
Published: March 2016

Artiklen beskæftiger sig med spørgsmålet om, hvordan computeren

repræsenterer andre medier, og hvad man skal forstå ved repræsen-

tation, når computeren benyttes til at vise levende billeder. Centralt i

diskussionen står begrebet flerrepræsentation, som belyses med ud-

gangspunkt i en række filmteoretiske overvejelser og med inddragelse

af eksempler fra såvel gamle som nye medier.
Den lidt for virkelige reality
Authors: Christensen Lars Holmgaard
Published: March 2016

En vigtig dimension i de store reality koncepter som Robinson Ekspe-

ditionen, Big Brother og Baren er deres høje grad af (inter)aktivitet,

som bliver formidlet gennem andre medier. Artiklen behandler det dis-

kussionsforum, som TV3 oprettede i forbindelse med Robinson Ekspe-

ditionen 2000. Det spiller en særlig rolle, at kommunikationen foregår i

et offentligt rum i regi af TV3, og debattørerne udfolder en opmærksom-

hedsvækkende diskurs, som har en fornærmende og rituel karakter i

forhold til de deltagende personer i Robinson Ekspeditionen. Over tid

opstår der imidlertid en mere dialogisk samtaleform mellem de aktive

personer i gruppen. Afslutningsvist diskuteres, om de aktive seeres

indlæg kan formidles i en interaktiv form i forhold til selve tv-teksten.

Det giver dog visse problemer at videreformidle de underholdende,

men fornærmende indlæg direkte i tv’s offentlige rum.
Levende billeder på nettet
Authors: Weider Mikkel
Published: March 2016

Siden slutningen af 90’erne har verden oplevet en eksplosiv udvikling i

mængden af videoklip på Internettet. Fra at være et overvejende tekst-

og grafikbaseret medie, har Internettet udviklet sig til også at have bety-

delige mængder levende billeder. En lang række hjemmesider har alle-

rede implementeret, eller planlægger at implementere, levende billeder i

form af live transmissioner og video-on-demand. Derved skabes en slags

hybrid mellem de typisk tekstbaserede hjemmesider og det traditionelle

tv-medie. Det er denne artikels fokus at beskrive særegenhederne for

den nye mediehybrid.
Boogie – Fjernsyn med mig !! *GG*
Authors: Bjørner Thomas , Christensen Lars Holmgaard
Published: March 2016

DR lancerede i januar 2002 Boogie, som er et interaktivt musikvideo-

program for unge, i et forsøg på at lave et programformat, der går tæt

på de ting, som har de danske unges interesse og som fylder meget

i hverdagen hos dem. Boogie handler om det farverige, det sjove, stjer-

nerne, drømmene, det glamourøse og det opsigtsvækkende. I denne

artikel gives et indblik i Boogies ungdomsdiskurs dels gennem en semi-

otisk tekstanalyse og dels gennem interview med unge Boogie-brugere.
Filmretorik og den internationale politik
Authors: Widding Astrid Söderbergh
Published: March 2016

Med baggrund i de seneste års krigs- og terrorhandlinger – Afghanistan,

Irak, den 11. september – reflekterer forfatteren over forholdet mellem

krig, tilskuer, medier og forestillinger om virkeligheden. Forholdet mellem

medier og virkelighed tenderer ifølge forfatteren mod at smelte sammen i

en gennemmedieret kultur, hvor fremstillingsformer fra for eksempel film

kan anvendes til at formidle faktiske begivenheder. Forfatterens blik på

mediekulturen tager afsæt i flere aktuelle udgivelser fra postmodernis-

mens centrale filosoffer, blandt andet Jean Baudrillard og Paul Virilio.

Denne artikel er dermed samtidig en introduktion til deres refleksioner

over terrorhandlingerne den 11. september og deres betydning i det

moderne samfund.
Partiskiftere og politik som oplevelse
Authors: Andersen Johannes
Published: March 2016

Partiskiftere bliver et mere og mere centralt element i den moderne politiske kultur, og som sådan er

de medvirkende til at give de politiske processer dynamik og udfordringer. Derfor står de centralt i alle

politiske partiers sigtekorn, når man nærmer sig eksempelvis et folketingsvalg. Det er ikke mindst de

unge, der indtager rollen som partiskifter. De orienterer sig i forhold til det politiske især i forbindelse

med valgkampe, og de afgør ofte, hvor de skal stemme, i løbet af valgkampens sidste dage. Her er de

ikke mindst påvirket af de politiske lederes aktiviteter. Det kan meget vel betyde, at den politiske kom-

munikation i stigende udstrækning kommer til at indeholde oplevelsesbaserede elementer på bekostning

af mere holdningsprofilerede positioner. Artiklen omhandler således en række centrale vilkår for den type

politisk kommunikation, der analyseres i efterfølgende artikler.
“Det var, hvad vi ikke valgte at bringe”. Om fravalg af ideer til potentielle nyhedshistorier
Authors: Gravengaard Gitte
Published: March 2016

Hver eneste dag finder en række hændelser sted – i Danmark og i verden omkring os. Kun en del af disse hændelser får journalister kendskab til, og kun meget få af disse kendte hændelser bliver til egentlige nyhedshistorier i medierne. Det er et grundvilkår for journalister, at de hver dag må vælge mellem alle de ideer til potentielle historier, de har kendskab til denne dag. Fravalget af nogle historie-ideer er betingelsen for tilvalget af andre historie-ideer. Journalisterne er dybt involverede i denne fravalgsproces, og det er netop deres rolle heri, denne artikel handler om, idet den beskriver processer og rutiner i nyhedsarbejdet på et mikroniveau.
Reframing the Medium Theory: McLuhan, Meyrowitz, and Luhmann
Authors: Liu Yu Cheng
Published: March 2016

This essay examines the concept of medium and other medium/media theories. Compared to the emphasis Marshall McLuhan and Joshua Meyrowitz place on the direct impact of the media on how people understand the world, the major theme of this paper is that such impact cannot be regarded as so direct, and their theories can be reframed with Niklas Luhmann’s social systems theory. Thus, we can distinguish the medium system from the psychological and other social systems, and at the same time structurally couple with them. The concept of the medium system has not been envisioned by Luhmann; he constructed and explained a general theory of society and of social systems. In spite of this, his theoretical insights provide the basis for extension of his work to frame the medium theory.
Social systems and codes of communication in the health system – an empirical study of the communication of hospital personnel during the implementation of an electronic patient record
Authors: Krog Anna-Britt
Published: March 2016

The point of departure is an empirical study of communication on hospital wards during the implementations of a new media of communication – an electronic patient record (EPR). The implementation of the EPR illustrates, that the chosen code of communication is of great importance in determining weather communication is successful. According to Niklas Luhmann the binary code sick/healthy is guiding the communication in the health system. However, in this paper it is argued that today the health system is made up of several sub-systems, each with their own distinctive code of communication.
Molecule desorption induced by gate-voltage application in MOS structure
Authors: Hirota Nozomu , Hattori Ken , Daimon Hiroshi , Hattori Azusa N. , Tanaka Hidekazu
Published: March 2016

For the first time, we demonstrate desorption from a MOS surface by applying gate voltages (V
G). We observed CH4, CO, and CO2 desorption from a MOS (Fe nanofilm/a-SiO2/Si) surface in vacuum only when applying negative V
G, suggesting the occurrence of electronic excitation by hot-hole injection. This demonstration is the first step in the application of MOSs to electrically controlled catalysts.
NeisseriaBase: a specialisedNeisseriagenomic resource and analysis platform
Authors: Zheng Wenning , Mutha Naresh V.R. , Heydari Hamed , Dutta Avirup , Siow Cheuk Chuen , Jakubovics Nicholas S. , Wee Wei Yee , Tan Shi Yang , Ang Mia Yang , Wong Guat Jah , Choo Siew Woh
Published: March 2016

Background.The gram-negativeNeisseriais associated with two of the most potent human epidemic diseases: meningococcal meningitis and gonorrhoea. In both cases, disease is caused by bacteria colonizing human mucosal membrane surfaces. Overall, the genus shows great diversity and genetic variation mainly due to its ability to acquire and incorporate genetic material from a diverse range of sources through horizontal gene transfer. Although a number of databases exist for theNeisseriagenomes, they are mostly focused on the pathogenic species. In this present study we present the freely available NeisseriaBase, a database dedicated to the genusNeisseriaencompassing the complete and draft genomes of 15 pathogenic and commensalNeisseriaspecies.

Methods.The genomic data were retrieved from National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) and annotated using the RAST server which were then stored into the MySQL database. The protein-coding genes were further analyzed to obtain information such as calculation of GC content (%), predicted hydrophobicity and molecular weight (Da) using in-house Perl scripts. The web application was developed following the secure four-tier web application architecture: (1) client workstation, (2) web server, (3) application server, and (4) database server. The web interface was constructed using PHP, JavaScript, jQuery, AJAX and CSS, utilizing the model-view-controller (MVC) framework. The in-house developed bioinformatics tools implemented in NeisseraBase were developed using Python, Perl, BioPerl and R languages.

Results.Currently, NeisseriaBase houses 603,500 Coding Sequences (CDSs), 16,071 RNAs and 13,119 tRNA genes from 227Neisseriagenomes. The database is equipped with interactive web interfaces. Incorporation of the JBrowse genome browser in the database enables fast and smooth browsing ofNeisseriagenomes. NeisseriaBase includes the standard BLAST program to facilitate homology searching, and for Virulence Factor Database (VFDB) specific homology searches, the VFDB BLAST is also incorporated into the database. In addition, NeisseriaBase is equipped with in-house designed tools such as the Pairwise Genome Comparison tool (PGC) for comparative genomic analysis and the Pathogenomics Profiling Tool (PathoProT) for the comparative pathogenomics analysis ofNeisseriastrains.

Discussion.This user-friendly database not only provides access to a host of genomic resources onNeisseriabut also enables high-quality comparative genome analysis, which is crucial for the expanding scientific community interested inNeisseriaresearch. This database is freely available athttp://neisseria.um.edu.my.
Microphytoplankton variations during coral spawning at Los Roques, Southern Caribbean
Authors: Cavada-Blanco Francoise , Zubillaga Ainhoa L. , Bastidas Carolina
Published: March 2016

Phytoplankton drives primary productivity in marine pelagic systems. This is also true for the oligotrophic waters in coral reefs, where natural and anthropogenic sources of nutrients can alter pelagic trophic webs. In this study, microphytoplankton assemblages were characterized for the first time in relation to expected coral spawning dates in the Caribbean. A hierarchical experimental design was used to examine these assemblages in Los Roques archipelago, Venezuela, at various temporal and spatial scales for spawning events in both 2007 and 2008. At four reefs, superficial water samples were taken daily for 9 days after the full moon of August, including days before, during and after the expected days of coral spawning. Microphytoplankton assemblages comprised 100 microalgae taxa at up to 50 cells per mL (mean ± 8 SD) and showed temporal and spatial variations related to the coral spawning only in 2007. However, chlorophyllaconcentrations increased during and after the spawning events in both years, and this was better matched with analyses of higher taxonomical groups (diatoms, cyanophytes and dinoflagellates), that also varied in relation to spawning times in 2007 and 2008, but asynchronously among reefs. Heterotrophic and mixotrophic dinoflagellates increased in abundance, correlating with a decrease of the diatomCerataulina pelagicaand an increase of the diatomRhizosolenia imbricata. These variations occurred during and after the coral spawning event for some reefs in 2007. For the first time, a fresh-water cyanobacteria species ofAnabaenawas ephemerally found (only 3 days) in the archipelago, at reefs closest to human settlements. Variability among reefs in relation to spawning times indicated that reef-specific processes such as water residence time, re-mineralization rates, and benthic-pelagic coupling can be relevant to the observed patterns. These results suggest an important role of microheterotrophic grazers in re-mineralization of organic matter in coral reef waters and highlight the importance of assessing compositional changes of larger size fractions of the phytoplankton when evaluating primary productivity and nutrient fluxes.
Child Care in the
U
nited
S
tates
Authors: Rose Katherine K.
Published: March 2016

Nonparental child care refers to settings in which children between the ages of six weeks and 12 years receive custodial and/or educational care by adults other than their parents. This can occur in a variety of settings, ranging from center‐based to home‐based care, and quality levels in these settings vary from program to program. In the absence of federal regulations governing standards for care, individual states are charged with regulating child care programs and these standards vary from state to state. Researchers interested in studying child care typically focus on issues related to quality, developmental influences, parental choice/preference, and its impact on labor force participation.
Intimacy
Authors: McAnn Brandy Renee
Published: March 2016

Family and developmental scholars typically conceptualize intimate relationships as close relationships. Intimate relationships are not necessarily sexual or romantic in nature and are characterized by intimate interaction such as shared time, shared activities, self‐disclosure, and shared history. Although scholars vary in how it is studied, most agree that intimacy is a lifelong developmental process.
National Center for Family & Marriage Research
Authors: Duncan Melanie L.
Published: March 2016

The National Center for Family & Marriage Research, founded in 2007, is an academic resource for media, researchers, and students to learn more about current trends and areas of interest in the field of family studies in the United States. The history, mission, research, and resources of the center are discussed in this entry.
Perspectives From Emerging Researchers: What Next in EE/SE Research?
Authors: Aguayo Claudio , Higgins Blanche , Field Ellen , Nicholls Jennifer , Pudin Susan , Tiu Sangion Appiee , Osborn Maia , Hashemzadeh Farshad , Lubuulwa Kevin Kezabu , Boulet Mark , Christie Belinda A. , Mah Jeremy
Published: March 2016

Following the inaugural Australian Association for Environmental Education (AAEE) research symposium in November 2014, we — a group of emerging researchers in Environmental Education/Sustainability Education (EE/SE) — commenced an online collaboration to identify and articulate our responses to the main themes of the symposium. Identifying as #aaeeer, our discussions coalesced into four main areas that we felt captured not only some of our current research interests, but also ‘under-explored’ areas that need further attention and that also held the potential for meaningful and ‘dangerous’ contributions to EE/SE research and practice. These themes were: (1) uncertain futures, (2) traditional knowledges for the future, (3) community EE/SE, and (4) the rise of the digital, explorations of which we present in this article. By no means intended to capture all that is worth researching in this field, these themes, and this article, are deliberately presented by #aaeeer to spark discussions, as well as showcase an example of online collaboration between researchers in a number of countries.
Interdecadal variability of degree-day factors on Vestari Hagafellsjökull (Langjökull, Iceland) and the importance of threshold air temperatures
Authors: MATTHEWS TOM , HODGKINS RICHARD
Published: March 2016

The skill of degree-day glacier melt models is highly dependent on the choice of degree-day factor (DDF), which is often assumed to remain constant in time. Here we explore the validity of this assumption in a changing climate for two locations on Vestari Hagafellsjökull (1979–2012) using a surface energy-balance (SEB) approach that isolates the effect of changes in the prevailing weather on the DDF. At lower elevation, we observe stable DDF during the period of study; however, at higher elevation, DDF is noted to be more variable and a statistically-significant downward trend is observed. This is found to result from an inappropriate threshold air temperature (Tcrit) from which to initiate the positive-degree-day sum, and is removed by settingTcritto −1.83°C, rather than the usual value of 0°C used in degree-day melt models. The stationarity of DDF onceTcritis adjusted contradicts previous research and lends support to the use of constant DDF for projecting future glacier melt. OptimizingTcritalso improves the skill of melt simulations at our study sites. This research thus highlights the importance ofTcritfor both melt model performance and the evaluation of DDF stationarity in a changing climate.
ENGAGING THE WORLD: ANTHONY LAKE AND AMERICAN GRAND STRATEGY, 1993–1997
Authors: JONES FRANK L.
Published: March 2016

Using recently available archival material, this article examines Lake's key beliefs and the part they had in shaping US grand strategy in the first Clinton administration. Lake operated as one of the major architects of the administration's foreign policy. His intellectual influence commenced in the 1992 presidential campaign, when he served as candidate Bill Clinton's principal foreign policy adviser, and continued through the first presidential term, reaching its most concrete manifestation in the Clinton administration's 1994 National security strategy. The article analyses Lake's ideas and his overarching concerns about national purpose, his strategic vision, and his definition of national security policy objectives using the analytical framework known as a mental map. Likewise, it considers his role in articulating a new grand strategy during a period of strategic adjustment, one in which the cold war doctrine of containment no longer applied.
THE RESOLUTION OF DISPUTES BEFORE THE SINGAPORE INTERNATIONAL COMMERCIAL COURT
Authors: Yip Man
Published: March 2016

The jurisdictional framework of the Singapore courts has become more nuanced with the establishment of the Singapore International Commercial Court (SICC) on 5 January 2015 and the signing of the Hague Convention on the Choice of Court Agreements 2005 (Hague Convention) on 25 March 2015. Although the Hague Convention has yet to be incorporated in domestic law, it is expected this will happen in the near future. The SICC project, on the other hand, is part of Singapore's strategy to promote the jurisdiction as an international dispute resolution hub. In essence, the SICC is a domestic specialist court established to deal with international commercial litigation. Adapted from the arbitral model but underpinned by judicial control, central to the SICC framework are party autonomy and flexible procedural rules. The Hague Convention complements the SICC project by increasing the number of jurisdictions in which Singapore judgments will be recognized and enforced. These 2015 developments—key to establishing Singapore as the regional hub for dispute resolution—requires careful working out and an evaluation is needed of the jurisdictional regime that applies to the SICC and the internal allocation of jurisdiction as between the SICC and the Singapore High Court sans the SICC, as well as the impact of the Hague Convention. This article focuses on explaining the in personam jurisdictional rules of the Singapore High Court that now includes the SICC division. Its chief objective is to offer the international community an overview of the working framework of Singapore's version of an ‘international’ commercial court.
Morphology, molecular and systematic analyses of Bychowskyella (Monogenea: Dactylogyridae) in siluriform fish from India
Authors: Verma C. , Chaudhary A. , Singh H.S.
Published: March 2016

Three species of genus Bychowskyella Akhmerov (1952), i.e. B. fossilisi Majumdar & Agarwal, 1989, B. tchangi Gusev, 1976 and B. wallagonia (Jain, 1959a) Gusev, 1961, were found to parasitize the gill filaments of siluriform fish in India. This redescription based on light microscopic examination of B. fossilisi, B. tchangi and B. wallagonia provides detailed taxonomic data for these species. We also amplified the 18S ribosomal RNA gene to evaluate the phylogenetic relationships of these three species. The morphological and genetic profiles confirmed the validation and taxonomical relationships of the above-mentioned species belonging to the genus Bychowskyella.
Brain dopamine and serotonin transporter binding are associated with visual attention bias for food in lean men
Authors: Koopman K. E. , Roefs A. , Elbers D. C. E. , Fliers E. , Booij J. , Serlie M. J. , la Fleur S. E.
Published: March 2016

Background

In rodents, the striatal dopamine (DA) system and the (hypo)thalamic serotonin (5-HT) system are involved in the regulation of feedingbehavior. In lean humans, little is known about the relationship between these brain neurotransmitter systems and feeding. We studied the relationship between striatal DA transporters (DAT) and diencephalic 5-HT transporters (SERT), behavioral tasks and questionnaires, and food intake.

Method

We measured striatal DAT and diencephalic SERT binding with [123I]FP-CIT SPECT in 36 lean male subjects. Visual attention bias for food (detection speed and distraction time) and degree of impulsivity were measured using response-latency-based computer tasks. Craving and emotional eating were assessed with questionnaires and ratings of hunger by means of VAS scores. Food intake was assessed through a self-reported online diet journal.

Results

Striatal DAT and diencephalic SERT binding negatively correlated with food detection speed (p= 0.008,r= −0.50 andp= 0.002,r= −0.57, respectively), but not with food distraction time, ratings of hunger, craving or impulsivity. Striatal DAT and diencephalic SERT binding did not correlate with free choice food intake, whereas food detection speed positively correlated with total caloric intake (p= 0.001,r= 0.60), protein intake (p= 0.01,r= 0.44), carbohydrate intake (p= 0.03,r= 0.39) and fat intake (p= 0.06,r= 0.35).

Conclusions

These results indicate a role for the central 5-HT and DA system in the regulation of visual attention bias for food, which contributes to the motivation to eat, in non-obese, healthy humans. In addition, this study confirms that food detection speed, measured with the latency-based computer task, positively correlates with total food and macronutrient intake.
The prevalence of visual hallucinations in non-affective psychosis, and the role of perception and attention
Authors: van Ommen M. M. , van Beilen M. , Cornelissen F. W. , Smid H. G. O. M. , Knegtering H. , Aleman A. , van Laar T. ,   GROUP Investigators
Published: March 2016

Background

Little is known about visual hallucinations (VH) in psychosis. We investigated the prevalence and the role of bottom-up and top-down processing in VH. The prevailing view is that VH are probably related to altered top-down processing, rather than to distorted bottom-up processing. Conversely, VH in Parkinson's disease are associated with impaired visual perception and attention, as proposed by the Perception and Attention Deficit (PAD) model. Auditory hallucinations (AH) in psychosis, however, are thought to be related to increased attention.

Method

Our retrospective database study included 1119 patients with non-affective psychosis and 586 controls. The Community Assessment of Psychic Experiences established the VH rate. Scores on visual perception tests [Degraded Facial Affect Recognition (DFAR), Benton Facial Recognition Task] and attention tests [Response Set-shifting Task, Continuous Performance Test-HQ (CPT-HQ)] were compared between 75 VH patients, 706 non-VH patients and 485 non-VH controls.

Results

The lifetime VH rate was 37%. The patient groups performed similarly on cognitive tasks; both groups showed worse perception (DFAR) than controls. Non-VH patients showed worse attention (CPT-HQ) than controls, whereas VH patients did not perform differently.

Conclusions

We did not find significant VH-related impairments in bottom-up processing or direct top-down alterations. However, the results suggest a relatively spared attentional performance in VH patients, whereas face perception and processing speed were equally impaired in both patient groups relative to controls. This would match better with the increased attention hypothesis than with the PAD model. Our finding that VH frequently co-occur with AH may support an increased attention-induced ‘hallucination proneness’.
Prenatal diagnosis of tetralogy of Fallot with a double aortic arch
Authors: Cheng Andrew L. , Pruetz Jay D. , Kung Grace C.
Published: March 2016

In this study, we present a case of prenatally diagnosed tetralogy of Fallot with a double aortic arch, correlating images from fetal echocardiography, transthoracic echocardiography, and cardiac MRI.
Inflammatory diseases of the aorta
Authors: Caspary Ludwig
Published: March 2016

Abstract. Inflammatory aortic diseases may occur with and without dilatation and are complicated by obstruction, rupture and dissection. Infections originate from periaortic foci or septicaemia and tend to result in the rapid development of aneurysms. Large vessel vasculitis due to Takayasu arteritis in younger and giant cell arteritis (GCA) in older patients is located in all layers of the aortic wall and prevails in the thoracic section. GCA patients are prone to developing aortic complications in the late course of disease. In Behçet’s disease, aneurysms may have an unusual morphology and localisation. The diagnosis of aortitis is usually obtained by vascular imaging, but partly made only by biopsy on occasion of an operation, especially in case of isolated aortitis of the ascending aorta which mostly remains inapparent until dissection or large aneurysms have developed. Periaortitis typically occurs in the abdominal aorta and may lead to inflammatory aortic aneurysm (IAA). It is looked upon as a special form of vasculitis, with an overlap to primary retroperitoneal fibrosis (RF). An identical pathology is discussed for the three diseases. On the other hand, about 50 % of isolated aortitides and periaortitides as well as retroperitoneal fibroses can be classed among IgG4-related diseases. Periaortitis also is observed after treatment of aortic aneurysms by stent-graft implantation. Special attention should be paid to ureteral obstruction along with RF or IAA. Once infection is ruled out, immunosuppression is applied to all forms of inflammatory aortic diseases, primarily with glucocorticoids. However, after successful surgery for isolated thoracic aortitis or inflammatory aortic aneurysm immunosuppression may be dispensable and it is not required if periaortic tissue enlargement persists in chronic inactive disease. For some patients with periaortitis and RF, tamoxifen may be a valuable alternative.
Knowledge about ankle-brachial index procedure among residents: being experienced is beneficial but is not enough
Authors: Chaudru Ségolène , de Müllenheim Pierre-Yves , Le Faucheur Alexis , Jaquinandi Vincent , Kaladji Adrien , Mahe Guillaume
Published: March 2016

Abstract. Background: Ankle-brachial index (ABI) at rest is the main clinical tool to diagnose the presence of lower extremity peripheral artery disease (PAD). The method for ABI procedure (i.e., measurement, calculation and interpretation) is standardised and guidelines were published in 2012. This study sought to: i) assess knowledge about the three major steps of the ABI procedure (i.e., measurement, calculation and interpretation) among residents from different medical schools, ii) compare the ABI knowledge of experienced residents (i.e., who have already performed ABI procedure more than 20 times) with the knowledge of inexperienced residents, and iii) describe the most common errors by residents. Methods: Residents from six medical schools were invited to complete a questionnaire about the ABI procedure. Results: Sixty-eight residents completed the questionnaire. None of them knew how to perform the entire ABI procedure. Overall, 22 %, 13 % and 41 % of residents correctly answered questions about ABI measurement, ABI calculation and ABI interpretation, respectively. Score comparisons underlined the fact that experienced residents (n = 26) answered ABI measurement questions to a significantly better level and had a significantly higher total score than inexperienced residents (n = 42) (P = 0.0485 and P = 0.0332, respectively). Errors were similar for most of the residents. Conclusions: Our study confirms that experienced residents have significantly better ABI procedure knowledge than inexperienced residents. However, none of them are able to perform the entire ABI procedure without any mistake with regard to current guidelines. It is important that training be given to residents in medical schools in order to improve their ABI procedure knowledge.
Adipogenic placenta-derived mesenchymal stem cells are not lineage restricted by withdrawing extrinsic factors: developing a novel visual angle in stem cell biology
Authors: Hu C , Cao H , Pan X , Li J , He J , Pan Q , Xin J , Yu X , Li J , Wang Y , Zhu D , Li L
Published: March 2016

Current evidence implies that differentiated bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSCs) can act as progenitor cells and transdifferentiate across lineage boundaries. However, whether this unrestricted lineage has specificities depending on the stem cell type is unknown. Placental-derived mesenchymal stem cells (PDMSCs), an easily accessible and less invasive source, are extremely useful materials in current stem cell therapies. No studies have comprehensively analyzed the transition in morphology, surface antigens, metabolism and multilineage potency of differentiated PDMSCs after their dedifferentiation. In this study, we showed that after withdrawing extrinsic factors, adipogenic PDMSCs reverted to a primitive cell population and retained stem cell characteristics. The mitochondrial network during differentiation and dedifferentiation may serve as a marker of absent or acquired pluripotency in various stem cell models. The new population proliferated faster than unmanipulated PDMSCs and could be differentiated into adipocytes, osteocytes and hepatocytes. The cell adhesion molecules (CAMs) signaling pathway and extracellular matrix (ECM) components modulate cell behavior and enable the cells to proliferate or differentiate during the differentiation, dedifferentiation and redifferentiation processes in our study. These observations indicate that the dedifferentiated PDMSCs are distinguishable from the original PDMSCs and may serve as a novel source in stem cell biology and cell-based therapeutic strategies. Furthermore, whether PDMSCs differentiated into other lineages can be dedifferentiated to a primitive cell population needs to be investigated.
Necroptosis in Niemann–Pick disease, type C1: a potential therapeutic target
Authors: Cougnoux A , Cluzeau C , Mitra S , Li R , Williams I , Burkert K , Xu X , Wassif C A , Zheng W , Porter F D
Published: March 2016

Niemann–Pick disease, type C1 (NPC1) is a neurodegenerative, lysosomal storage disorder due to mutation of theNPC1gene. The NPC1 phenotype is characterized by progressive neuronal dysfunction, including cerebellar ataxia and dementia. There is histological evidence of neuroinflammation and progressive neuronal loss, with cerebellar Purkinje cells particularly vulnerable to loss of NPC1 function. Necroptosis was evaluated as a mechanism of neuronal loss. Receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 (RIP1) and RIP3 are key components of the necrosomal complex that regulates necroptotic cell death. We report increased expression of RIP1 and RIP3 in NPC1 fibroblasts, NPC1 iPS cell-derived neuronal precursors, and in cerebellar tissue from both NPC1 mice and patients. Our data suggest a positive correlation between NPC1 neurological disease severity and assembly of the necrosome complex. Furthermore, we demonstrate that pharmacological inhibition of RIP1 decreases cell death bothin vitroandin vivo. Treatment ofNpc1-mutant mice with necrostatin-1, an allosteric inhibitor of RIP1, significantly delayed cerebellar Purkinje cell loss, progression of neurological symptoms, and death. Collectively, our data identified necroptosis as a key component of the molecular network that contributes to neuronal loss in NPC1 and establish that inhibition of necroptosis is a potential therapeutic intervention.
Functional genetics-directed identification of novel pharmacological inhibitors of FAS- and TNF-dependent apoptosis that protect mice from acute liver failure
Authors: Komarov A P , Komarova E A , Green K , Novototskaya L R , Baker P S , Eroshkin A , Osterman A L , Chenchick A A , Frangou C , Gudkov A V
Published: March 2016

shRNA-mediated gene-silencing technology paired with cell-based functional readouts reveals potential targets directly, providing an opportunity to identify drugs against the target without knowing the precise role of the target in the pathophysiological processes of interest. By screening a lentiviral shRNA library targeting for major components of human signaling pathways and known drug targets, we identified and validated both canonical as well as 52 novel mediators of FAS and TNF ligand-induced apoptosis. Presence of potential therapeutic targets among these mediators was confirmed by demonstration of in vivo activity of siRNAs against four identified target candidates that protected mice from acute liver failure (ALF), a life-threatening disease with known involvement of death receptor (DR)-mediated apoptosis. Network-based modeling was used to predict small-molecule inhibitors for several candidate apoptosis mediators, including somatostatin receptor 5 (SSTR5) and a regulatory subunit of PP2A phosphatase, PPP2R5A. Remarkably, pharmacological inhibition of either SSTR5 or PPP2R5A reduced apoptosis induced by either FASL or TNF in cultured cells and dramatically improved survival in several mouse models of ALF. These results demonstrate the utility of loss-of-function genetic screens and network-based drug-repositioning methods for expedited identification of targeted drug candidates and revealed pharmacological agents potentially suitable for treatment of DR-mediated pathologies.
NORE1A induction by membrane-bound CD40L (mCD40L) contributes to CD40L-induced cell death and G1 growth arrest in p21-mediated mechanism
Authors: Elmetwali T , Salman A , Palmer D H
Published: March 2016

Membrane-bound CD40L (mCD40L) but not soluble CD40L (sCD40L) has been implicated in direct cell death induction and apoptosis in CD40-expressing carcinomas. In this study, we show that mCD40L but not sCD40L induces NORE1A/Rassf5 expression in an NFκB-dependant mechanism. NORE1A expression appeared to contribute to mCD40L-induced cell death and enhance cell transition from G1 to S phase of the cell cycle in a p21-dependent mechanism. The upregulation of p21 protein was attributed to NORE1A expression, since NORE1A inhibition resulted in p21 downregulation. p21 upregulation was concomitant with lower p53 expression in the cytoplasmic fraction with no detectable increase at the nuclear p53 level. Moreover, mCD40L-induced cell death mediated by NORE1A expression appeared to be independent of mCD40L-induced cell death mediated by sustained JNK activation since NORE1A inhibition did not affect JNK phosphorylation and vice versa. The presented data allow better understanding of the mechanism by which mCD40L induces cell death which could be exploited in the clinical development of CD40-targeted anti-cancer therapies.
Production of unstable proteins through the formation of stable core complexes
Authors: Levy Nicolas , Eiler Sylvia , Pradeau-Aubreton Karine , Maillot Benoit , Stricher François , Ruff Marc
Published: March 2016

Purification of proteins that participate in large transient complexes is impeded by low amounts, heterogeneity, instability and poor solubility. To circumvent these difficulties we set up a methodology that enables the production of stable complexes for structural and functional studies. This procedure is benchmarked and applied to two challenging protein families: the human steroid nuclear receptors (SNR) and the HIV-1 pre-integration complex. In the context of transcriptional regulation studies, we produce and characterize the ligand-binding domains of the glucocorticoid nuclear receptor and the oestrogen receptor beta in complex with a TIF2 (transcriptional intermediary factor 2) domain containing the three SNR-binding motifs. In the context of retroviral integration, we demonstrate the stabilization of the HIV-1 integrase by formation of complexes with partner proteins and DNA. This procedure provides a powerful research tool for structural and functional studies of proteins participating in non-covalent macromolecular complexes.
Collective atomic scattering and motional effects in a dense coherent medium
Authors: Bromley S. L. , Zhu B. , Bishof M. , Zhang X. , Bothwell T. , Schachenmayer J. , Nicholson T. L. , Kaiser R. , Yelin S. F. , Lukin M. D. , Rey A. M. , Ye J.
Published: March 2016

We investigate collective emission from coherently driven ultracold 88Sr atoms. We perform two sets of experiments using a strong and weak transition that are insensitive and sensitive, respectively, to atomic motion at 1 μK. We observe highly directional forward emission with a peak intensity that is enhanced, for the strong transition, by >103 compared with that in the transverse direction. This is accompanied by substantial broadening of spectral lines. For the weak transition, the forward enhancement is substantially reduced due to motion. Meanwhile, a density-dependent frequency shift of the weak transition (∼10% of the natural linewidth) is observed. In contrast, this shift is suppressed to <1% of the natural linewidth for the strong transition. Along the transverse direction, we observe strong polarization dependences of the fluorescence intensity and line broadening for both transitions. The measurements are reproduced with a theoretical model treating the atoms as coherent, interacting radiating dipoles.
Enhanced superconductivity in atomically thin TaS2
Authors: Navarro-Moratalla Efrén , Island Joshua O. , Mañas-Valero Samuel , Pinilla-Cienfuegos Elena , Castellanos-Gomez Andres , Quereda Jorge , Rubio-Bollinger Gabino , Chirolli Luca , Silva-Guillén Jose Angel , Agraït Nicolás , Steele Gary A. , Guinea Francisco , van der Zant Herre S. J. , Coronado Eugenio
Published: March 2016

The ability to exfoliate layered materials down to the single layer limit has presented the opportunity to understand how a gradual reduction in dimensionality affects the properties of bulk materials. Here we use this top–down approach to address the problem of superconductivity in the two-dimensional limit. The transport properties of electronic devices based on 2H tantalum disulfide flakes of different thicknesses are presented. We observe that superconductivity persists down to the thinnest layer investigated (3.5 nm), and interestingly, we find a pronounced enhancement in the critical temperature from 0.5 to 2.2 K as the layers are thinned down. In addition, we propose a tight-binding model, which allows us to attribute this phenomenon to an enhancement of the effective electron–phonon coupling constant. This work provides evidence that reducing the dimensionality can strengthen superconductivity as opposed to the weakening effect that has been reported in other 2D materials so far.
Quantitative thermophoretic study of disease-related protein aggregates
Authors: Wolff Manuel , Mittag Judith J. , Herling Therese W. , Genst Erwin De , Dobson Christopher M. , Knowles Tuomas P. J. , Braun Dieter , Buell Alexander K.
Published: March 2016

Amyloid fibrils are a hallmark of a range of neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases. A detailed understanding of the physico-chemical properties of the different aggregated forms of proteins, and of their interactions with other compounds of diagnostic or therapeutic interest, is crucial for devising effective strategies against such diseases. Protein aggregates are situated at the boundary between soluble and insoluble structures, and are challenging to study because classical biophysical techniques, such as scattering, spectroscopic and calorimetric methods, are not well adapted for their study. Here we present a detailed characterization of the thermophoretic behavior of different forms of the protein α-synuclein, whose aggregation is associated with Parkinson’s disease. Thermophoresis is the directed net diffusional flux of molecules and colloidal particles in a temperature gradient. Because of their low volume requirements and rapidity, analytical methods based on this effect have considerable potential for high throughput screening for drug discovery. In this paper we rationalize and describe in quantitative terms the thermophoretic behavior of monomeric, oligomeric and fibrillar forms of α-synuclein. Furthermore, we demonstrate that microscale thermophoresis (MST) is a valuable method for screening for ligands and binding partners of even such highly challenging samples as supramolecular protein aggregates.
Acute Kidney Injury Classification for Critically Ill Cirrhotic Patients: A Comparison of the KDIGO, AKIN and RIFLE Classifications
Authors: Pan Heng-Chih , Chien Yu-Shan , Jenq Chang-Chyi , Tsai Ming-Hung , Fan Pei-Chun , Chang Chih-Hsiang , Chang Ming-Yang , Tian Ya-Chung , Fang Ji-Tseng , Yang Chih-Wei , Chen Yung-Chang
Published: March 2016

Critically ill cirrhotic patients have high mortality rates, particularly when they present with acute kidney injury (AKI) on admission. The Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) group aimed to standardize the definition of AKI and recently published a new AKI classification. However, the efficacy of the KDIGO classification for predicting outcomes of critically ill cirrhotic patients is unclear. We prospectively enrolled 242 cirrhotic patients from a 10-bed specialized hepatogastroenterology intensive care unit (ICU) in a 2000-bed tertiary-care referral hospital. Demographic parameters and clinical variables on day 1 of admission were prospectively recorded. The overall in-hospital mortality rate was 62.8%. Liver diseases were usually attributed to hepatitis B viral infection (26.9%). The major cause of ICU admission was upper gastrointestinal bleeding (38.0%). Our result showed that the KDIGO classification had better discriminatory power than RIFLE and AKIN criteria in predicting in-hospital mortality. Cumulative survival rates at the 6-month after hospital discharge differed significantly between patients with and without AKI on ICU admission day. In summary, we identified that the outcome prediction performance of KDIGO classification is superior to that of AKIN or RIFLE classification in critically ill cirrhotic patients.
Study of flux pinning mechanism under hydrostatic pressure in optimally doped (Ba,K)Fe2As2 single crystals
Authors: Shabbir Babar , Wang Xiaolin , Ma Y. , Dou S. X. , Yan S. S. , Mei L. M.
Published: March 2016

Strong pinning depends on the pinning force strength and number density of effective defects. Using the hydrostatic pressure method, we demonstrate here that hydrostatic pressure of 1.2 GPa can significantly enhance flux pinning or the critical current density (Jc) of optimally doped Ba0.6K0.4Fe2As2 crystals by a factor of up to 5 in both low and high fields, which is generally rare with other Jc enhancement techniques. At 4.1 K, high pressure can significantly enhance Jc from 5 × 105A/cm2 to nearly 106A/cm2 at 2 T, and from 2 × 105A/cm2 to nearly 5.5 × 105A/cm2 at 12 T. Our systematic analysis of the flux pinning mechanism indicates that both the pinning centre number density and the pinning force are greatly increased by the pressure and enhance the pinning. This study also shows that superconducting performance in terms of flux pinning or Jc for optimally doped superconducting materials can be further improved by using pressure.