bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mice Lacking the Amplified in Breast Cancer 1/Steroid Receptor Coactivator-3 Are Resistant to Chemical Carcinogen–Induced Mammary Tumorigenesis
Authors: Kuang Shao-Qing , Liao Lan , Wang Shu , Medina Daniel , O'Malley Bert W. , Xu Jianming
Published: July 2017

Amplified in breast cancer 1 (AIB1; steroid receptor coactivator-3, p/CIP, RAC3, ACTR, TRAM-1, or NCoA-3) is a transcriptional coactivator for nuclear receptors and certain other transcription factors and is a newly defined oncogene overexpressed in human breast cancer. Although the role and molecular mechanism of AIB1 in normal physiology and in breast cancer are currently under intensive investigation, the role of AIB1 in determination of the susceptibility of mammary gland to chemical carcinogens remains uncharacterized. In this study, we used back-crossed FVB wild-type (WT) and AIB1 mutant mice to assess the role of AIB1 in mammary gland development and in carcinogen-induced tumorigenesis. We show that mammary ductal growth was delayed in AIB1−/− mice with FVB strain background, and mammary ductal outgrowths emanating from the AIB1−/− mammary epithelial transplants in WT mice also were attenuated, indicating that the role of AIB1 in mammary ductal growth is a mammary epithelial autonomous function. In mice treated with the chemical carcinogen 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA), AIB1 deficiency protected the mammary gland, but not the skin, from tumorigenesis. AIB1 deficiency suppressed the up-regulation of the insulin receptor substrate (IRS)-1 and IRS-2 and thereby inhibited the activation of Akt, expression of cyclin D1, and cell proliferation. The suppression of these components for insulin-like growth factor-I signaling might be partially responsible for the decreased DMBA-induced mammary tumor initiation and progression in AIB1−/− mice. Our results suggest that AIB1 may serve as a potential target for prevention of carcinogen-induced breast cancer initiation and for treatment of breast cancer progression.
In vivo Inhibition of Lung Cancer by GRN163L: A Novel Human Telomerase Inhibitor
Authors: Dikmen Z. Gunnur , Gellert Ginelle C. , Jackson Shalmica , Gryaznov Sergei , Tressler Robert , Dogan Pakize , Wright Woodring E. , Shay Jerry W.
Published: July 2017

Differential regulation of telomerase activity in normal and tumor cells provides a rationale for the design of new classes of telomerase inhibitors. The telomerase enzyme complex presents multiple potential sites for the development of inhibitors. GRN163L, a telomerase enzyme antagonist, is a lipid-modified 13-mer oligonucleotide N3′ → P5′-thio-phosphoramidate, complementary to the template region of telomerase RNA (hTR). We evaluated both the in vitro and in vivo effects of GRN163L using A549-luciferase (A549-Luc) human lung cancer cells expressing a luciferase reporter. GRN163L (1 μmol/L) effectively inhibits telomerase activity of A549-Luc cells, resulting in progressive telomere shortening. GRN163L treatment also reduces colony formation in soft agar assays. Surprisingly, after only 1 week of treatment with GRN163L, A549-Luc cells were unable to form robust colonies in the clonal efficiency assay, whereas the mismatch control compound had no effect. Finally, we show that in vivo treatment with GRN163L is effective in preventing lung metastases in xenograft animal models. These in vitro and in vivo data support the development of GRN163L as a therapeutic for the treatment of cancer.
Lack of Telomerase Gene Expression in Alternative Lengthening of Telomere Cells Is Associated with Chromatin Remodeling of the hTR and hTERT Gene Promoters
Authors: Atkinson Stuart P. , Hoare Stacey F. , Glasspool Rosalind M. , Keith W. Nicol
Published: July 2017

The presence of active telomere maintenance mechanisms in immortal cells allows the bypass of senescence by maintaining telomere length. In most immortal cell lines and tumors, telomere maintenance is attributable to telomerase reactivation. However, a number of immortal cell lines and tumors can achieve telomere maintenance in the absence of detectable telomerase activity by the alternative lengthening of telomere (ALT) mechanism. Epigenetic mechanisms have been implicated in the regulation of telomerase expression. We show that specific modifications within the chromatin environment of the hTR and hTERT promoters correlate with expression of hTR and hTERT in ALT, normal and telomerase-positive tumor cell lines. Lack of expression of hTR and hTERT in ALT cell lines is associated with histone H3 and H4 hypoacetylation and methylation of Lys9 histone H3. Conversely, hTR and hTERT expression in telomerase-positive cell lines is associated with hyperacetylation of H3 and H4 and methylation of Lys4 H3. Methylation of Lys20 H4 was not linked to gene expression but instead was specific to the hTR and hTERT promoters of ALT cells. This may provide an insight into the differences between ALT and telomerase-positive cells as well as a novel marker for the ALT phenotype. Treatment of normal and ALT cells with 5-azadeoxycytidine in combination with Trichostatin A caused chromatin remodeling of both promoters and reactivation of hTR and hTERT expression in ALT and normal cell lines. This data establishes a definite link between the chromatin environment of the telomerase gene promoters and transcriptional activity.
Breast Cancer Suppression by Progesterone Receptors Is Mediated by Their Modulation of Estrogen Receptors and RNA Polymerase III
Authors: Finlay-Schultz Jessica , Gillen Austin E. , Brechbuhl Heather M. , Ivie Joshua J. , Matthews Shawna B. , Jacobsen Britta M. , Bentley David L. , Kabos Peter , Sartorius Carol A.
Published: July 2017

Greater than 50% of estrogen receptor (ER)–positive breast cancers coexpress the progesterone receptor (PR), which can directly and globally modify ER action to attenuate tumor growth. However, whether this attenuation is mediated only through PR-ER interaction remains unknown. To address this question, we assessed tumor growth in ER/PR-positive patient-derived xenograft models of breast cancer, where both natural and synthetic progestins were found to antagonize the mitogenic effects of estrogens. Probing the genome-wide mechanisms by which this occurs, we documented that chronic progestin treatment blunted ER-mediated gene expression up to 2-fold at the level of mRNA transcripts. Unexpectedly, <25% of all ER DNA binding events were affected by the same treatment. The PR cistrome displayed a bimodal distribution. In one group, >50% of PR binding sites were co-occupied by ER, with a propensity for both receptors to coordinately gain or lose binding in the presence of progesterone. In the second group, PR but not ER was associated with a large fraction of RNA polymerase III–transcribed tRNA genes, independent of hormone treatment. Notably, we discovered that PR physically associated with the Pol III holoenzyme. Select pre-tRNAs and mature tRNAs with PR and POLR3A colocalized at their promoters were relatively decreased in estrogen + progestin–treated tumors. Our results illuminate how PR may indirectly impede ER action by reducing the bioavailability of translational molecules needed for tumor growth. Cancer Res; 77(18); 4934–46. ©2017 AACR.
A CONSTITUIÇÃO DO SUJEITO FEMININO EM DOM CASMURRO, LOLITA E LA NADA COTIDIANA
Authors: Matias Felipe Dos Santos
Published: July 2017

O presente artigo realiza uma análise acerca da representação do sujeito feminino nos romances Dom Casmurro (1899), de Machado de Assis, Lolita (1955), de Vladimir Nabokov, e La nada cotidiana (1995), de Zoé Valdés, com o intuito de detectar as práticas discursivas e socioculturais que os respectivos narradores veiculam, principalmente em relação ao gênero.
Induced Pluripotent Stem Cell–Derived Endothelial Cells in Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndrome
Authors: Carcamo-Orive Ivan , Huang Ngan F. , Quertermous Thomas , Knowles Joshua W.
Published: July 2017

Insulin resistance leads to a number of metabolic and cellular abnormalities including endothelial dysfunction that increase the risk of vascular disease. Although it has been particularly challenging to study the genetic determinants that predispose to abnormal function of the endothelium in insulin-resistant states, the possibility of deriving endothelial cells from induced pluripotent stem cells generated from individuals with detailed clinical phenotyping, including accurate measurements of insulin resistance accompanied by multilevel omic data (eg, genetic and genomic characterization), has opened new avenues to study this relationship. Unfortunately, several technical barriers have hampered these efforts. In the present review, we summarize the current status of induced pluripotent stem cell–derived endothelial cells for modeling endothelial dysfunction associated with insulin resistance and discuss the challenges to overcoming these limitations.
Women, Peace and Security in Ukraine
Authors: Benigni Eugenia
Published: July 2017

Since the Maidan protests in late 2013, women have played crucial roles in all sectors in the conflict in Ukraine: politics, civil society, reconciliation efforts, and armed fighting. The conflict has offered new challenges and opportunities for their emancipation, influence, and empowerment, but also for growing violations of their human rights. Despite their activism, women and gender issues remain underrepresented in the Minsk process for the resolution of the conflict, despite ongoing efforts by international organizations and pressure from civil society. International and national support for women’s participation in dialogue and cooperation has increased, but needs to be sustained and expanded to new grassroots groups and women leaders for more visible impact. The article reflects the author’s personal observations on how women’s roles have evolved in the Ukrainian crisis by drawing on her field experience, meetings, interviews, and reports by international and national organizations.
Implementing the Women, Peace and Security Agenda in the osce
Authors: Lukatela Ana
Published: July 2017

The literature around international organizations has focused on explaining policy through a simple linear process that assumes implementation at the ground level is dependent on the political context and organization policy framework. This article uses the example of the Women, Peace and Security (wps) agenda to open the black box of international organizations, specifically the un and osce, to show how policy processes are in fact non-linear and that policy agendas such as wps may be articulated at the world polity level and implemented at the local level without an explicit policy framework adopted at the osce organization level.
Women for Stability and Security
Authors: Brandstetter Maria , Neri Isabella
Published: July 2017

The 2011 Vienna Document 2011 on confidence- and security-building measures remains one of the cornerstones of European security. It enhances trust and confidence among participating states of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (osce) and allows for intrusive verification measures by the osce states. Despite the significant success achieved by many osce participating States in increasing the number of women in their armed forces, the number of women who participate in military verification (under this Document) remains low. This article contains information regarding international military cooperation related to the verification of military activities in which women’s involvement remains low. It also provides suggestions for further research concerning the reasons why so few women participate in the military verification activities and for ways to increase their participation.
Northern Encounters
Authors: Nivre Elisabeth Wåghäll
Published: July 2017

This essay investigates how Michael Heberer (c. 1560–1623) processed his first encounter with Denmark and Sweden in writing when accompanying Heinrich of Schwerin to the wedding of Duke Carl and Christina von Holstein-Gottorp in 1592. The focus will be on the interplay between ‘knowledge’ and ‘experience,’ on how the narrating I in the travel account describes and communicates that which is experienced to his readership and how similarities and differences interact in the text. The key issues will be the perception and use of space and borders to structure the narrative and to convey knowledge about the places visited to the reader.
Persian Words of Wisdom Travel to the West
Authors: Brancaforte Elio
Published: July 2017

This essay considers the seventeenth-century translations of the celebrated Persian poet Saʿdi’s Gulistan (1258 ad) into European languages: André du Ryer’s French version (1634), the Latin translation of Georgius Gentius (1651) and the German editions of Friedrich Ochsenbach (1636) and Adam Olearius (1654). The Gulistan – which consists of short, moralistic tales, aphorisms, proverbs, and Sufic lore – helped introduce Persian thought to the early modern European public (and later influenced Goethe’s West-östlicher Diwan as well as Montesquieu’s Lettres persanes).
Women’s Networks of Knowledge
Authors: Wade Mara R.
Published: July 2017

The emblem book customized as a Stammbuch is a material manifestation of early modern cultural practices of knowledge creation and organization. Dorothea von Anhalt’s use of Andreas Friedrich’s Emblemata Nova . . . (1617) as a Stammbuch created a hybrid artifact of dynasty and devotion as manuscript entries made by Dorothea’s extended family members merged with the existing printed material. This unique book illuminates female practices of recording, circulating, and preserving dynastic and religious knowledge at North German Protestant courts.
Knowledge in Motion between Fiction and Non-Fiction
Authors: Werle Dirk
Published: July 2017

In epic poems of the seventeenth century written in German about the Thirty Years’ War, knowledge is set in motion, especially in the context of genre change and shifts in the generic tradition as well as in the conflictive area between fiction and non-fiction. The generic adjustments are partially caused by the transfer of a Greek and Latin genre model into German. This is illustrated by two examples, Martin Opitz’s Trost-Getichte in Widerwärtigkeit des Krieges, first published in 1633, and Georg Greflingerʼs Der Deutschen Dreißig-Jähriger Krieg, published in 1657.
Description of the mature larva and pupa of Anthonomus santacruzi Hustache (Coleoptera, Curculionidae), a biological control agent of Solanum mauritianum Scop. (Solanaceae), and remarks about its biology
Authors: GOSIK RAFAŁ , SASA ARCHBOLD , WITKOWSKI ED. T.F.
Published: July 2017

The mature larva and pupa of Anthonomus santacruzi Hustache (Coleoptera, Curculionidae) are illustrated and described for the first time. Biological data obtained from field-collected specimens are also presented and discussed. Lastly, an upgraded key for selected Anthonomini pupae is also given.
Trans-Atlantic Connections between North African Dust Flux and Tree Growth in the Florida Keys, United States
Authors: Harley Grant L. , King James , Maxwell Justin T.
Published: July 2017

Atmospheric mineral aerosols include multiple, interrelated processes and feedbacks within the context of land–atmosphere interactions and thus are poorly understood. As the largest dust source in the world, North Africa supplies mineral dust aerosols each year to the Caribbean region and southeastern United States that alter cloud processes, ocean productivity, soil development, and the radiation budget. This study uses a suite of Earth Observation and ground-based analyses to reveal a potential novel effect of atmospheric aerosols on Pinus elliottii var. densa cambial growth during the 2010 CE growing season from the Florida Keys. Over the Florida Keys region, the Earth Observation products captured increased aerosol optical thickness with a clear geographical connection to mineral dust aerosols transported from northern Africa. The MODIS Terra and Aqua products corroborated increased Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) aerosol optical thickness values. Anomalously high Aerosol Robotic Network aerosol optical depth data corresponding with low Ångstrom coefficients confirm the presence of transported mineral dust aerosols during the period circa 4–20 July 2010. The fraction of photosynthetically absorbed radiation over the region during July 2010 experienced an anomalous decrease, concurrent with reduced incoming total and direct solar radiation resulting in a reduced growth response in P. elliottii. The authors pose one of the primary mechanisms responsible for triggering growth anomalies in P. elliottii is the reduction of total photosynthetically active radiation due to a dust-derived increase in aerosol optical depth. As a rare long-lived conifer (300+ years) in a subtropical location, P. elliottii could represent a novel proxy with which to reconstruct annual or seasonal mineral dust aerosol fluxes over the Caribbean region.
Portraits of Principal Practice: Time Allocation and School Principal Work
Authors: Sebastian James , Camburn Eric M. , Spillane James P.
Published: July 2017

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine how school principals in urban settings distributed their time working on critical school functions. We also examined who principals worked with and how their time allocation patterns varied by school contextual characteristics. Research Method/Approach: The study was conducted in an urban school district with approximately 50 school principals and utilized self-reported End of Day log data collected at multiple points in between 2005 and 2007. We utilized hierarchical linear models to analyze variation in principals’ time allocation by time (hour, day, semester), school function (building operations, student affairs, district functions, etc.), and school personnel (self, teacher, student, etc.). Findings: Variation in principals’ practice is domain dependent. Consistent with prior research, we find that a principal’s workday is characterized by long hours and diverse tasks. We find little support for the notion that typical tasks are characterized by brevity. Principals also spend most of their time working with within-building colleagues rather than working alone. Of all predictors we examined in the study, only hour of the day predicts principals’ time allocation on different functional domains. Conclusions: The portrait of principals’ work described in this study expands and enriches the field’s current understanding of how principals allocate their time across the multiple domains of responsibility that require their attention. We find that our data offer support for some of popular conceptions of principals’ work described in the research literature while challenging other common conceptions.
Effects of Glare and Background Luminance on Visual Acuity and Contrast Sensitivity: Implications for Driver Night Vision Testing.
Authors: Sturgis Samuel P. , Osgood Deborah J.
Published: July 2017

The visual acuity and contrast sensitivity of two groups of 30 male and female drivers (aged 20–25, 40–45, and 60–65 years) were measured over a range of background luminances and in the presence of glare. Results showed that (1) visual acuity decreased significantly with both increasing age and decreasing background luminance, (2) threshold target luminance increased significantly with age, (3) glare had a multiplicative effect on threshold target luminance that was independent of age, and (4) there were high correlations between vision measures made at "high" and "low" background luminances and under glare. It is concluded that a "night driving" vision test could be successfully based upon measurement of visual acuity at low luminance. Whereas the rate at which drivers would fail such a test is dependent upon the acuity required and the definition of "low" luminance chosen, the failure rate would increase significantly with age; this would primarily affect the older portion of the driving population.
Readability of Liquid Crystal Displays: A Response Surface
Authors: Payne S. J.
Published: July 2017

Error percentages for subjects reading a four-digit liquid crystal display were examined under various conditions by means of a response surface methodology (RSM) central-composite design. Angle of view, character subtense, level of back light, and ambient light were varied in a four-factor experiment. Multiple regression prediction equations relating these four independent variables to error-percentage rates for reading the display were calculated from a replicated, collapsed RSM design. Backlighting has an adverse effect on subjects' reading accuracy, particularly when the displays are viewed at an angle.
The Cognitive Demands of Learning and Representing Command Names for Text Editing
Authors: Grudin Jonathan , Barnard Phil
Published: July 2017

This paper presents an analysis of the cognitive demands of learning command namesets as well as an experimental investigation of text-editing performance. The study was designed to examine the immediate and delayed effects of command sets varying in their transparency. The command set consisted of eight editing commands and two file-transfer commands. The command names were either specific names, abbreviations, unrelated words, pseudowords, or unrelated letter strings. Thirty subjects underwent a four-part exercise over three days. Significant effects of command set were found on virtually every measure examined, including completion time, rate and type of error, editing strategy, rate of learning, and memory for command names. Specific command names were clearly superior, unrelated letter strings produced poor performance, and on most measures everything else, including abbreviations, fell between.
An Evaluation of Knife Handle Guarding
Authors: Cochran David J. , Riley Michael W.
Published: July 2017

This research evaluated two variables affecting the performance of tang guards in preventing injury due to the hand slipping forward on a knife handle: the radius of transition from the handle to the blocking portion of the tang and the height of the tang. For the radii evaluated, there was no effect for either men or women. The guard height, however, did have a significant effect for both genders. There is a height, different for men and women, that appears to be critical. Guard heights exceeding this critical height do not enhance the capability of the guard to prevent the hand from slipping. Guard heights less than this critical value are less capable of preventing slipping.
On the Selection and Evaluation of Visual Display Symbology: Factors Influencing Search and Identification Times
Authors: Remington Roger , Williams Douglas
Published: July 2017

Three single-target visual search tasks were used to evaluate a set of cathode-ray tube (CRT) symbols for a helicopter situation display. The search tasks were representative of the information extraction required in practice, and reaction time was used to measure the efficiency with which symbols could be located and identified. Familiar numeric symbols were responded to more quickly than graphic symbols. The addition of modifier symbols, such as a nearby flashing dot or surrounding square, had a greater disruptive effect on the graphic symbols than did the numeric characters. The results suggest that a symbol set is, in some respects, like a list that must be learned. Factors that affect the time to identify items in a memory task, such as familiarity and visual discriminability, also affect the time to identify symbols. This analogy has broad implications for the design of symbol sets. An attempt was made to model information access with this class of display.
Reader-Controlled Computerized Presentation of Text
Authors: Muter Paul , Kruk Richard S. , Buttigieg Mary Anne , Kang T. Jin
Published: July 2017

In five experiments new methods of computer-supported reading were introduced and tested. Self-pacing was permitted in rapid serial visual presentation (RSVP), in which words are presented sequentially at a fixed locus. In Experiments 2 through 5 regressions were also allowed in RSVP. Larger regressions yielded slower reading. Regressions back to the beginning of the sentence were more frequent than regressions back two words. There was no difference in reading speed or comprehension caused by the nature, analogue (mouse), or digital (keystroke) of the control over reading speed, but there was a greater tendency to change speed in the analogue condition than in the digital condition. In Experiment 5 subjects read for over two hours in an RSVP condition with self-pacing and regressions or in a normal page condition: subjective reports of discomfort were not different in the two conditions, but reading speed in the RSVP condition was approximately half that in the page condition. Overall these results indicate that permitting reader control in RSVP is feasible but that permitting regressions sometimes results in slow reading.
Component Fluency in a Problem-Solving Context
Authors: Carlson Richard A. , Sullivan Marc A. , Schneider Walter
Published: July 2017

Theories of cognitive skill suggest two hypotheses about component task practice. First, component practice increases the speed of executing component skills during problem solving. Second, component practice produces component skills that behave as encapsulated subroutines. Eight college students practiced making judgments about digital logic gates for 1360 trials. At two points during practice, they solved circuit problems that did or did not require logic gate knowledge. Time per move declined with problem-solving practice, but the effects of component training were ambiguous. However, teaching circuit functions did increase problem-solving speed. In a second experiment conducted at the end of practice, the same subjects solved problems designed to test whether the logic gate judgments acted as encapsulated subroutines. Component judgments were slower in the problem-solving context than in isolation, disconfirming this hypothesis. Taken together, the results indicate the need for a more detailed theoretical rationale for component drill.
Age-Related Differences in the Maintenance and Modification of Automatic Processes: Arithmetic Stroop Interference
Authors: Rogers Wendy A. , Fisk Arthur D.
Published: July 2017

This experiment was designed to investigate whether well-learned “automatic” processes remain stable as a function of age, as well as to determine whether the ability to modify these automatic processes is disrupted for older adults. We used an arithmetic Stroop task to measure the stability of an automatic process. Nineteen young (mean age 22) and 19 old (mean age 75) adults participated in three experimental sessions, each of which consisted of 15 blocks of 30 trials. Although the young subjects had faster verification times overall than did The Old Adults, Both Young And Old Subjects Showed Significant Interference Effects. For The Young Adults, There Was A Decrease In The Interference Effect With Practice, Which Suggested That They Were Learning To Inhibit The Automatic Process Of Performing The Arithmetical Operation. However, The Old Adults Showed No Significant Decrease In The Associative Interference Effects. This Implies That The Older Adults Were Impaired In Their Ability To Inhibit Automatic Processes, Even When Those Processes Interfered With Performance. Theoretical And Practical Training Implications Are Discussed.
Temporal Patterns of Trunk Muscle Activity throughout a Dynamic, Asymmetric Lifting Motion
Authors: Sommerich Carolyn M. , Marras William S.
Published: July 2017

This study examined the effects of trunk speed and exertion level on temporal aspects of trunk muscle activity patterns during dynamic, asymmetric lifting. Electromyographic (EMG) data from eight trunk muscles were collected along with trunk torque output, position, and velocity data during several repetitions of four speed/loading combination conditions. During analysis, each muscle's EMG record was reduced to three key events: a start, a peak, and an end point. For each subject, temporally ordered event lists were constructed for each test condition. Networks of events that consistently occurred regardless of loading or speed levels were constructed for each subject. Two event pairs occurred consistently for all subjects under all conditions, whereas some pairs occurred in association with specific speed or resistance levels. Temporal information related to muscle activity could be used in biomechanical models in order to predict changes in spinal loading during the course of workplace tasks.
Flow Distribution Changes in Complex Circuits: Implications for Mine Explosions
Authors: Passaro Perry D. , Cole Henry P. , Wala Andrzej M.
Published: July 2017

On at least two separate occasions, methane gas explosions occurred in underground mines when separate ventilation systems were connected. A review of these disasters indicated that conceptual errors made by the miners may have contributed to these fatal mistakes. The conceptual errors thought to be at fault concerned inadequate mental models of flow distribution changes within the mine ventilation circuit. Research conducted in this study indicates that connecting previously unconnected and unobstructed parallel circuits or adding one or more resistors results in inadequate mental models of flow distribution changes in over 70% of the 136 mine workers sampled.
Moisture diffusion in composites tubes: Characterization and identification of microstructure-properties relationship
Authors: Ibrahim Georgina , Casari Pascal , Jacquemin Frédéric , Freour Sylvain , Clement Alexandre , Celino Amandine , Khalil Khaled
Published: July 2017

This work aims at highlighting some microstructure-properties relationships; namely: the effect of the microstructure on the diffusive behavior of composites tubes obtained by filament winding technique. Composites tubes are made from either glass or carbon fibers impregnated with the same epoxy matrix cured at 150℃. Specimens were rings cut from tubes. Three winding angles were investigated: ± 42°, ±56° or ±78°. Glass and carbon/epoxy tubes present a strongly different void content, respectively, 1.7% and 5.7%. Immersion aging tests were conducted in distilled water at 70℃. Results show that despite both glass and carbon composites are made of the same resin, moisture uptake exhibits strong discrepancies between glass/epoxy and carbon/epoxy samples. An investigation of the most appropriate diffusion model for glass and carbon/epoxy specimens is developed in this paper, based on an experimental study of the microstructure of these composites owing to various complementary characterization methods. Glass/epoxy rings exhibit a Fickian diffusion, whereas carbon/epoxy specimens do not match a Fickian diffusion. A dual-stage Fickian law is discussed and seems to fit quite well in experimental observations.
‘A Prolife Disaster’: The Reagan Administration and the Nomination of Sandra Day O’Connor
Authors: Flowers Prudence
Published: July 2017

The victory of Ronald Reagan in the 1980 presidential election was a victory for a new form of US political conservatism that emphasized both social and economic issues. Abortion was paramount among these new social issues, and opponents of abortion supported Reagan with the belief that he would work vigorously to overturn Roe v. Wade. Less than six months after Reagan’s inauguration, the national anti-abortion movement was vociferously condemning the President over the nomination of Sandra Day O’Connor to the Supreme Court. This article explores the nature of the passionate reaction to O’Connor and the fragility of the coalition that opposed her. Anti-abortionists were deeply troubled by the realization that their access and symbolic capital did not translate into influence, and were shocked that abortion was not a litmus test for their ‘pro-life President.' The article argues that the relationship between the right-to-life movement, the Reagan administration, and the Republican Party was often fraught, contested, and precarious. In Reagan’s first year in office, the place of the right-to-life movement in the new conservatism of the 1980s was remarkably uncertain.
Organized violence, 1989–2016
Authors: Allansson Marie , Melander Erik , Themnér Lotta
Published: July 2017

The dramatic increase in the number of fatalities in organized violence, seen between 2011 and 2014, did not continue in 2015 and 2016. Rather, the notation of some 131,000 fatalities in 2014 was followed by a steep decline, with just below 119,000 in 2015 and a little over 102,000 fatalities in 2016. Despite the decrease, the number was the fifth highest during the entire 1989–2016 period. Most of the fatalities – over 87,000 – were incurred in state-based conflicts, the main driver behind the trend. Just as the number of fatalities, the number of state-based conflicts, albeit remaining on a high level, continued to decrease in 2016, going from 52 to 49, with 12 of them reaching the level of war, with at least 1,000 battle-related deaths. Also the non-state conflicts dropped in number in 2016, from 73 to 60. This was followed by a decrease in the number of fatalities, and only one conflict caused more than 1,000 deaths. Twenty-one actors were registered in one-sided violence, down by five from 2015. A number this low has only been recorded twice before; in both 2009 and 2010, 21 one-sided actors were listed in UCDP data. The number of fatalities also decreased, going from almost 9,800 to a little over 6,000.
Pathways to homeownership among young professionals in urban China: The role of family resources
Authors: Or Tsz-ming
Published: July 2017

Studies on China’s new housing regime primarily focus on state and market as major provision mechanisms and the role of family assistance is largely ignored. This paper explores how family resources help Chinese young professionals in their pathways to homeownership by drawing on qualitative interviews done in Beijing. It was found that young professionals who managed to secure parental help usually came from middle-class families, with parents who were public-sector professionals and managers benefiting from the state’s generous housing reforms in the 1990s. As a result of these intergenerational transfers, housing advantages of these middle-class parents were reproduced among their younger generation, making it easier for them to become homeowners. They might also exacerbate the pre-existing housing inequality. These transfers were made possible in the unique family context with frequent reciprocal exchanges of help and care, which was strengthened by the country’s one-child policy. The new housing regime, characterised by the neoliberal shift of the state’s role and the house price inflation, also enhanced the necessity of relying on family resources.
Effect of adjunctive ranitidine for antipsychotic-induced weight gain: A systematic review of randomized placebo-controlled trials
Authors: Gu Xiao-Jing , Chen Rui , Sun Chen-Hui , Zheng Wei , Yang Xin-Hu , Wang Shi-Bin , Ungvari Gabor S. , Ng Chee H. , Golenkov Andrei , Lok Grace K.I. , Li Lu , Chow Ines H.I. , Wang Fei , Xiang Yu-Tao
Published: July 2017

This study was a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of ranitidine as an adjunct for antipsychotic-induced weight gain in patients with schizophrenia. RCTs reporting weight gain or metabolic side effects in patients with schizophrenia were included. Case reports/series, non-randomized or observational studies, reviews, and meta-analyses were excluded. The primary outcome measures were body mass index (BMI) (kg/m2) and body weight (kg). Four RCTs with five study arms were identified and analyzed. Compared with the control group, adjunctive ranitidine was associated with marginally significant reductions in BMI and body weight. After removing an outlier study for BMI, the effect of ranitidine remained significant. Adjunctive ranitidine outperformed the placebo in the negative symptom score of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale. Although ranitidine was associated with less frequent drowsiness, other adverse events were similar between the two groups. Adjunctive ranitidine appears to be an effective and safe option for reducing antipsychotic-induced weight gain and improving negative symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. Larger RCTs are warranted to confirm these findings.

Trial registration

PROSPERO: CRD42016039735
Influence of mathematical simplifications on the dynamic and energetic performance of an engine/motorcycle integrated model
Authors: Magnani Fábio S , de Andrade Guilherme MS , Willmersdorf Ramiro B
Published: July 2017

Brazil is a major producer and consumer of motorcycles. In this context, the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Federal University of Pernambuco offers three two-wheeled courses: Studies on Bicycles and Motorcycles (45 h, graduate students), Propulsion of Bicycles and Motorcycles (45 h, graduate students), and Motorcycle Engineering (60 h, under graduate students). All of them present a greater or lesser mixture of general topics (e.g. accidents, culture, market, history) and technical ones (e.g., technology description and mathematical modeling). On those courses, the calculations are made using empirical correlations, commercial packages, and also simple methods, which, although quantitatively weaker, have both didactic and theoretical advantages, as they consider the essence of the phenomena and reveal the strongest relations between the variables. In this paper, we present an integrated engine/motorcycle simple model that permits the manipulation of parameters, such as the combustion time, heat losses, drag and inertial resistances, gear shifting and others. Those model parameters are then varied to study their influence on the motorcycle behavior. Manipulating this model, students learn that both engine and motorcycle inefficiencies have the same order of influence on motorcycle economy, ethanol is less volumetrically efficient than gasoline, the change of sprockets can increase the maximal speed while deteriorating the mean speed, and other interesting practical concepts. The success of the courses can be gauged by the students’ enrollment, by the professors’ evaluation by the students, class participation, and by the strong commitment of the students to the final projects. Other highly probable cause for the success is the motorcycle itself, always a passionate subject for young people in general, and mechanical engineers in particular.
Understanding Predisposition to Schizophrenia: Toward Intervention and Prevention
Authors: Tsuang Ming T , Stone William S , Faraone Stephen V
Published: July 2017

Objective:

Early intervention to prevent schizophrenia is one of the most important goals of schizophrenia research. However, the field is not yet ready to initiate trials to prevent prodromal or psychotic symptoms in people who are at risk for developing the disorder. In this paper, we consider some of the major obstacles that must be studied before prevention strategies become feasible.

Method and Results:

One of the most important hurdles is the identification of a syndrome or set of traits that reflects a predisposition to schizophrenia and that might provide potential targets for intervention. In a recent reformulation of Paul Meehl's concept of schizotaxia, we integrate research findings obtained over the last 4 decades to propose a syndrome with meaningful clinical manifestations. We review the conceptualization of this syndrome and consider its multidimensional clinical expression. We then describe preliminary research diagnostic criteria for use in adult, nonpsychotic, first-degree relatives of patients diagnosed with schizophrenia, based on negative symptoms and neuropsychological deficits. We follow this with evidence supporting the validity of the proposed syndrome, which mainly includes social dysfunction and response to a low dosage of one of the newer antipsychotic medications.

Conclusions:

Continued progress toward the eventual initiation of prevention strategies for schizophrenia will include sustained efforts to validate the traits reflecting a predisposition to develop the disorder (for example, schizotaxia), follow-up studies to confirm initial findings, and the identification of potentially useful preventive interventions.
Diabetes, Tardive Dyskinesia, Parkinsonism, and Akathisia in Schizophrenia: A Retrospective Study Applying 1998 Diabetes Health Care Guidelines to Antipsychotic Use
Authors: Lévy Emmanuelle , Margolese Howard C , Annable Lawrence , Chouinard Guy
Published: July 2017

Background:

This study examines the links among diabetes, tardive dyskinesia (TD), and other extrapyramidal symptoms (EPS) in schizophrenia outpatients treated with typical and atypical antipsychotics.

Objectives:

Using a retrospective chart review, we compared 30 schizophrenia patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) with 30 schizophrenia patients, matched for age and sex, with no DM. We compared prevalence and severity of parkinsonism, akathisia, TD, dystonia, and antipsychotic type (that is, typical vs atypical).

Results:

We found no statistically significant differences between the DM group and the non-DM group prevalence and severity of EPS, including TD.

Conclusion:

We did not find DM and TD association to be significant in the era of atypical antipsychotics, possibly because of their antidyskinetic effect.
Defects of Mitochondrial Electron Transport Chain in Bipolar Disorder: Implications for Mood-Stabilizing Treatment
Authors: Wang Jun-Feng
Published: July 2017

Objective:

Converging lines of evidence indicate that defects in the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) are associated with bipolar disorder (BD), and that mood-stabilizing drugs produce neuroprotective effects. Our objective is to review the most recent findings regarding this research.

Method:

We searched MEDLINE and have reviewed here the most recently published articles.

Results:

There are deletions, mutation, and decreased expression of mitochondrial ETC complexes in BD. Because ETC is a major source of reactive oxygen species, these factors, along with decreased expression of antioxidant enzymes in BD, suggest the presence of oxidative damage in this disorder. Numerous recent studies have shown that mood-stabilizing drugs produce neuroprotective effects against oxidative damage and increase expression and activities of endogenous antioxidant enzymes in the rat brain.

Conclusion:

These findings indicate that the process of oxidative damage could be a significant therapeutic target for the treatment of BD with mood-stabilizing drugs.
Molecular Genetics of the Psychosis Phenotype
Authors: DeRosse Pamela , Malhotra Anil K , Lencz Todd
Published: July 2017

Objective:

Relative to recent successes in elucidating the genetic mechanisms associated with complex diseases, including macular degeneration, diabetes mellitus, type 2, heart disease, and cancer, molecular genetic approaches to psychiatric illness have met with more limited success. While factors such as small allelic effects, allelic heterogeneity, and variation in population substructure have received considerable attention in attempt to explain the paucity of significant results in psychiatric genetics, significantly less focus has been directed toward phenotypic factors.

Method:

Data derived from molecular genetic studies of the psychosis phenotype in patients with a range of psychiatric illnesses are reviewed.

Results:

Available data suggest that genes do not respect the boundaries of the current diagnostic system but may confer risk for symptom-based phenotypic variation that traverses those boundaries.

Conclusions:

Molecular genetic studies offer convincing evidence for a relation between genetic variation and symptom-based phenotypic variation within psychiatric illness. These data may provide novel insights into the pathophysiology of schizophrenia and other related disorders. The exploration of relations between genetic variation and symptom variation that traverses traditional diagnostic boundaries may ultimately lead to more refined classification systems that more closely refect the genetic etiology of psychiatric illness.
Intravaginal practices among young HIV-infected women in Lusaka, Zambia
Authors: Chisembele Maureen , Rodriguez Violeta J , Brown Megan R , Jones Deborah L , Alcaide Maria L
Published: July 2017

Intravaginal practices (IVP) are linked to bacterial vaginosis (BV), obstetric/gynecological complications, and HIV. Late adolescent and young adult (LAYA) women in Zambia have high rates of HIV. Adult and mature (AM) HIV-infected women in Zambia engage in IVP for hygiene, health, and sexuality reasons; however, to our knowledge, IVP use among LAYA women has not been examined. This study compares IVP use between LAYA and AM women to identify age-specific factors to target when developing IVP reduction interventions for LAYA women. LAYA (≤25 years; n = 24) and AM (>25 years; n=124) HIV-infected women completed self-administered demographic, HIV history, sexual risk factor, and IVP measures. LAYA and AM women were then compared. Number of sexual partners, sexual activity, or condom use did not differ between groups. Rates of IVP in the prior month with different products were similar, though LAYA women used soap more frequently (96% versus 74.2%, p = 0.034). LAYA women were more likely to use products for hygiene reasons (soap 83% versus 43%; cloth, paper, or wipes 50% versus 17%, p < 0.05); and AM women to use products to please sexual partners (cloth 20% versus 56%, p = 0.074). Interventions tailored to LAYA women may be needed to reduce IVP and subsequent BV as LAYA women may have different reasons for engaging in IVP, in comparison with AM women. Reduced IVP among LAYA women may decrease the risk for HIV transmission to sexual partners and newborns and is urgently needed in settings with high prevalence of IVP, BV, and HIV infections, such as Zambia.
Genetic Influence on Intergenerational Educational Attainment
Authors: Ayorech Ziada , Krapohl Eva , Plomin Robert , von Stumm Sophie
Published: July 2017

Using twin (6,105 twin pairs) and genomic (5,825 unrelated individuals taken from the twin sample) analyses, we tested for genetic influences on the parent-offspring correspondence in educational attainment. Genetics accounted for nearly half of the variance in intergenerational educational attainment. A genomewide polygenic score (GPS) for years of education was also associated with intergenerational educational attainment: The highest and lowest GPS means were found for offspring in stably educated families (i.e., who had taken A Levels and had a university-educated parent; M = 0.43, SD = 0.97) and stably uneducated families (i.e., who had not taken A Levels and had no university-educated parent; M = −0.19, SD = 0.97). The average GPSs fell in between for children who were upwardly mobile (i.e., who had taken A Levels but had no university-educated parent; M = 0.05, SD = 0.96) and children who were downwardly mobile (i.e., who had not taken A Levels but had a university-educated parent; M = 0.28, SD = 1.03). Genetic influences on intergenerational educational attainment can be viewed as an index of equality of educational opportunity.
Role of Organizational Learning and Innovation in between High-performance HR Practices and Business Performance: A Study of Telecommunication Sector
Authors: Jyoti Jeevan , Chahal Hardeep , Rani Asha
Published: July 2017

The purpose of this study is to explore the role of the organizational learning (OL) and innovation as mediators between high-performance human resource practices (HPHRPs) and business performance (BP) in telecommunication sector. Census method has been used for data collection from employees working in telecommunication organizations in Jammu and Kashmir (North India). Reliability and validity have been proven with the help of confirmatory factor analysis. Structural equation modelling has been used for hypotheses testing. The results indicate that OL mediates the relationship between HPHRPs and innovation, whereas innovation does not mediate but moderates the relationship between OL and BP. So the final model evaluated the mediated-moderation effect of OL and innovation in between HPHRPs and BP. The theoretical and managerial implications have also been discussed.