bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Mobilité connectée et changements dans les pratiques de déplacement
Authors: Aguilera Anne , Rallet Alain
Published: January 2017

Cet article propose une réflexion prospective sur les changements potentiels dans les pratiques de déplacement induits par l’accès à l’Internet mobile via le smartphone. La première section rappelle les tendances actuelles des déplacements urbains et interurbains en France au cours des vingt-cinq dernières années. La deuxième section identifie trois types de services rendus désormais accessibles en déplacement. Le premier est composé des services informationnels visant à aider les individus dans leurs déplacements (choix d’itinéraire, de mode de transport, etc.) Le deuxième ensemble de services concerne l’accès à de nouveaux contenus numériques en situation de mobilité, qui élargit considérablement la palette des activités possibles en déplacement et modifie ainsi la perception et l’utilité des temps de transport. Enfin, l’arrivée du numérique dans le champ du transport des personnes favorise le développement de nouveaux services de mobilité. La troisième section discute des implications de chacun de ces services sur les pratiques de déplacement, en particulier sur l’usage des différents modes de transport, en distinguant deux types d’effets : l’optimisation et le partage. Les attentes placées dans le Smartphone pour réguler les déplacements à l’échelle collective doivent être reconsidérées à l’épreuve de ces effets.
L’Asie du Sud-Est, un terrain d’innovation par le numérique pour la mobilité ?
Authors: Eskenazi Manon , Boutueil Virginie
Published: January 2017

L’Asie du Sud-Est connaît une croissance urbaine et économique rapide, accompagnée d’une transformation en profondeur des systèmes de mobilité urbains. Elle est également le théâtre d’une diffusion rapide du smartphone et d’applications mobiles susceptibles de transformer les services de mobilité et, à terme, de déplacer les équilibres entre ces services. À partir d’une revue de littérature extensive et d’entretiens sur le terrain, cet article explore le rôle des applications mobiles dans la transformation des services de taxi dans deux villes d’Asie du Sud-Est : Kuala Lumpur, Malaisie, et Ho Chi Minh Ville, Vietnam. L’analyse montre notamment que les applications mobiles de réservation de taxi contribuent à augmenter les revenus des chauffeurs et à améliorer la qualité du service perçue par l’usager. Elle montre également que ces applications mobiles questionnent le rôle des pouvoirs publics en matière de planification, de régulation et de contrôle du secteur.
Du squat au marché public
Authors: Dumont Manon , Vivant Elsa
Published: January 2017

Comment un collectif d’artistes-squatters se retrouve-il en charge de la gestion d’un ancien squat d’artistes dans le cadre d’un marché public de prestation de services ? Cette intrigue initiale forme la trame de cet article. L’occupation et la gestion de lieu artistique par des collectifs d’artistes off est devenue à la fois une modalité de gestion des espaces vacants et de soutien à la création artistique, qui contribue à la professionnalisation des opérateurs de lieux off . À travers l’histoire du collectif AlphArt, nous allons retracer la trajectoire de professionnalisation de ces opérateurs, trajectoire qui se comprend en croisant les intérêts et contraintes des artistes eux-mêmes, des municipalités et des propriétaires des lieux qu’ils occupent. Cette histoire révèle les étapes de la professionnalisation auxquels les collectifs sont confrontés, les apprentissages sous-jacents et les conflits qu’ils provoquent. Le déploiement d’une carrière de gestionnaire de lieu off suit une trajectoire qui s’ébauche lors de la formation, de l’organisation et de la structuration du collectif. Elle s’éprouve ensuite dans l’occupation d’un lieu, se publicise et s’expose dans la négociation avec les propriétaires, et se questionne dans la mise en concurrence. Elle se construit par des épreuves qui constituent les étapes d’une carrière d’opérateur de lieu artistique off qui, partant d’une pratique considérée comme déviante, déploie une posture de professionnel aux compétences spécifiques, interlocuteur fiable des pouvoirs publics.
Troubles des interactions précoces mère-enfant : le père au cœur de l’intervention
Authors: Lhermet Fabienne , Delage Michel
Published: January 2017

Lorsqu’il ne se déclenche pas chez la mère les comportements de maternage et d’ajustement ouvrant la voie à un développement physique, psychoaffectif et cognitif du nourrisson propice à la pleine expression de ses potentiels, une tierce personne peut malgré tout lui apporter la constance, la cohérence et le sentiment de sécurité qui le rendront possible. Cette même présence fiable et bienveillante pourrait également constituer le tuteur sur lequel la mère pourrait s’appuyer en confiance pour se relever de son effondrement. A partir d’une étude d’éthologie clinique, il est suggéré ici que le père assure cette double fonction de figure d’attachement privilégiée pour son enfant et de tuteur de résilience pour sa compagne, grâce à un soutien adéquat qui lui serait dédié personnellement.
Thérapie familiale multidimensionnelle : conceptualisation du cas en termes de facteurs de risque et de facteurs protecteurs
Authors: Bonnaire Céline
Published: January 2017

La thérapie familiale multidimensionnelle (MDFT) est un traitement de consultation, basé sur la famille, qui s’adresse à des adolescents présentant des conduites addictives (et des troubles du comportement). Initialement conçue pour la prise en charge des adolescents ayant une addiction aux substances (notamment le cannabis), cette thérapie s’avère tout aussi pertinente et efficace pour ceux ayant une addiction comportementale, particulièrement l’usage problématique des jeux vidéo. L’illustration clinique présentée dans cet article permet également de mesurer combien la conceptualisation du cas en termes de facteurs de risque et de facteurs protecteurs est riche et essentielle pour définir les différents objectifs thérapeutiques à atteindre.
Fundorte und Karten
Authors: Fink Christoph
Published: January 2017

Le premier volume des Matériaux pour l'étude de la toponymie et de la topographie (MTT) représente un des résultats de la coopération franco-allemande concernant la géographie historique de la Haute-Mésopotamie au IIe millénaire avant notre ère. Les trois tomes livrent les données archéologiques et textuelles en préalable à l’étude de l'histoire politique et sociale de la région.

Ces trois volumes sont également disponibles en version papier publiée par la Sépoa.

MTT I/3 est un répertoire qui livre les données majeures concernant les 1050 sites datant du Bronze moyen et récent. Les critères de sélection et la méthodologie utilisée sont exposés dans une brève introduction. Davantage d'informations concernant les sites pourront être trouvées sur le futur site-web du projet.
Antigen Processing in the Endoplasmic Reticulum Is Monitored by Semi-Invariant αβ TCRs Specific for a Conserved Peptide–Qa-1b MHC Class Ib Ligand
Authors: Guan Jian , Yang Soo Jung , Gonzalez Federico , Yin Yuxin , Shastri Nilabh
Published: January 2017

Ag processing in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by the ER aminopeptidase associated with Ag processing (ERAAP) is central to presentation of a normal peptide–MHC class I (MHC I) repertoire. Alternations in ERAAP function cause dramatic changes in the MHC I–presented peptides, which elicit potent immune responses. An unusual subset of CD8+ T cells monitor normal Ag processing by responding to a highly conserved FL9 peptide that is presented by Qa-1b, a nonclassical MHC Ib molecule (QFL) in ERAAP-deficient cells. To understand the structural basis for recognition of the conserved ligand, we analyzed the αβ TCRs of QFL-specific T cells. Individual cells in normal wild-type and TCRβ-transgenic mice were assessed for QFL-specific TCR α- and β-chains. The QFL-specific cells expressed a predominant semi-invariant TCR generated by DNA rearrangement of TRAV9d-3–TRAJ21 α-chain and TRBV5–TRBD1–TRBJ2-7 β-chain gene segments. Furthermore, the CDR3 regions of the α- as well as β-chains were required for QFL ligand recognition. Thus, the αβ TCRs used to recognize the peptide–Qa-1 ligand presented by ERAAP-deficient cells are semi-invariant and likely reflect a conserved mechanism for monitoring the fidelity of Ag processing in the ER.
CXCR3/CXCL10 Axis Regulates Neutrophil–NK Cell Cross-Talk Determining the Severity of Experimental Osteoarthritis
Authors: Benigni Giorgia , Dimitrova Petya , Antonangeli Fabrizio , Sanseviero Emilio , Milanova Viktoriya , Blom Arjen , van Lent Peter , Morrone Stefania , Santoni Angela , Bernardini Giovanni
Published: January 2017

Several immune cell populations are involved in cartilage damage, bone erosion, and resorption processes during osteoarthritis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of NK cells in the pathogenesis of experimental osteoarthritis and whether and how neutrophils can regulate their synovial localization in the disease. Experimental osteoarthritis was elicited by intra-articular injection of collagenase in wild type and Cxcr3−/− 8-wk old mice. To follow osteoarthritis progression, cartilage damage, synovial thickening, and osteophyte formation were measured histologically. To characterize the inflammatory cells involved in osteoarthritis, synovial fluid was collected early after disease induction, and the cellular and cytokine content were quantified by flow cytometry and ELISA, respectively. We found that NK cells and neutrophils are among the first cells that accumulate in the synovium during osteoarthritis, both exerting a pathogenic role. Moreover, we uncovered a crucial role of the CXCL10/CXCR3 axis, with CXCL10 increasing in synovial fluids after injury and Cxcr3−/− mice being protected from disease development. Finally, in vivo depletion experiments showed that neutrophils are involved in an NK cell increase in the synovium, possibly by expressing CXCL10 in inflamed joints. Thus, neutrophils and NK cells act as important disease-promoting immune cells in experimental osteoarthritis and their functional interaction is promoted by the CXCL10/CXCR3 axis.
Semaphorin 3E Deficiency Exacerbates Airway Inflammation, Hyperresponsiveness, and Remodeling in a Mouse Model of Allergic Asthma
Authors: Movassagh Hesam , Shan Lianyu , Mohammed Ashfaque , Halayko Andrew J. , Gounni Abdelilah S.
Published: January 2017

Semaphorin 3E (Sema3E) plays a crucial role in axon guidance, vascular patterning, and immune regulation. Nevertheless, the role of Sema3E in asthma is still elusive. In this study, we show that genetic ablation of Sema3E in mice results in increased lung granulocytosis, airway hyperresponsiveness, mucus overproduction, collagen deposition, and Th2/Th17 inflammation. Transfer of Sema3e−/− bone marrow progenitor cells to irradiated wild-type (WT) recipients exacerbates airway hyperresponsiveness and inflammation, whereas transfer of WT bone marrow progenitor cells ameliorates asthma pathology in Sema3e−/− recipients. Sema3e−/− mice display a higher frequency of CD11b+ pulmonary dendritic cells than their WT controls at the baseline and after sensitization with house dust mite. Adoptive transfer of CD11b+ pulmonary dendritic cells from Sema3e−/− mice into WT recipients increases house dust mite–induced Th2/Th17 inflammation in the airway. Together, these findings identify Sema3E as a novel regulatory molecule in allergic asthma that acts upstream of proallergic events and suggest that targeting this molecule could be a novel approach to treat allergic asthma.
Irf4 Expression in Thymic Epithelium Is Critical for Thymic Regulatory T Cell Homeostasis
Authors: Haljasorg Uku , Dooley James , Laan Martti , Kisand Kai , Bichele Rudolf , Liston Adrian , Peterson Pärt
Published: January 2017

The thymus is a primary lymphoid organ required for the induction and maintenance of central tolerance. The main function of the thymus is to generate an immunocompetent set of T cells not reactive to self. During negative selection in the thymus, thymocytes with autoreactive potential are either deleted or differentiated into regulatory T cells (Tregs). The molecular basis by which the thymus allows high-efficiency Treg induction remains largely unknown. In this study, we report that IFN regulatory factor 4 (Irf4) is highly expressed in murine thymic epithelium and is required to prime thymic epithelial cells (TEC) for effective Treg induction. TEC-specific Irf4 deficiency resulted in a significantly reduced thymic Treg compartment and increased susceptibility to mononuclear infiltrations in the salivary gland. We propose that Irf4 is imperative for thymic Treg homeostasis because it regulates TEC-specific expression of several chemokines and costimulatory molecules indicated in thymocyte development and Treg induction.
Brain involvement in the use of games in nursing education
Authors: Murad Sadaf S.
Published: January 2017

In this high-speed world in which everything is technologically driven, higher education also needs to incorporate technology into the scope of teaching pedagogy. Aligning educational games with the nursing curriculum is one way to address the need for technologically knowledgeable learners. Learning occurs in gaming environment is experimental, and constructive. Albeit, threading them in the nursing curriculum required in-depth knowledge about understanding brain involvement in this process.  Nurse educators can thread gaming into the nursing content to ensure that learning occurs in a friendly environment. Learning games stimulates the release of dopamine in the midbrain, and the learning becomes part of long-term memory. The games must challenge and augment students’ interest so they get involved in the learning journey. The challenging environment, with clearly listed goals and ongoing feedback enhances learners’ interest and learning become part of their long-term memory. Gaming is an incomparable way of helping nursing students to learn actively and master learning skills. This literature review will discuss the phenomenon of gaming in education, the parts of brain that involved in educational games, scaffolding teaching and learning theories in designing educational games to improve and at last highlight the significance of gaming in nursing pedagogy. Use of games will open new horizon of possibilities to address various learning of different kinds of learners. This paper will act as a foundation to better comprehend the effective use of virtual world in academia.
Teaching Trajectories and Students’ Understanding of Difficult Concepts in Biology in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area in Rivers State
Authors: Olufemi Mumuni Abosede Anthonia , Dike John Worlu , Uzoma-Nwogu Azibaolanari
Published: January 2017

This study investigated the effects of teaching trajectories on students’ understanding of difficult concepts in Biology.Two research questions and two null hypotheses guided the study which was carried out in Obio/Akpor LocalGovernment Area of Rivers State. Two public coeducational schools out of thirteen drawn through purposive samplingtechniques were used. The instrument for data collection, the Students’ Photosynthesis Achievement Test (SPAT) wasvalidated and its reliability coefficient was 0.78. Three intact streams of SS 1 classes in the two schools assigned tobook-ending, guided discussion and jigsaws groups were used. The sample consisted of two hundred and thirteen SS 1Biology students. Mean and standard deviations were used to answer the two research questions while paired t-testsand ANCOVA were used to answer the two hypotheses at 0.05 level of significance. The study revealed that though thethree instructional strategies of book-ending, jig-saws and guided discussion enhanced students’ understanding ofdifficult concept in Biology as shown by the improved achievement scores, the jig-saw strategy was the best. It alsorevealed that there was a significant difference between the achievement of males and females in favour of females inthe three groups. Recommendations made based on the findings of the study included that teachers adopt the jigsawstrategy to enhance students’ understanding of difficult concepts in Biology.
A Community, a Remedy against Social Fragmentation in Roots, the Saga of an American Family
Authors: Matta May
Published: January 2017

Alex Haley embarks on a journey to discover his roots, based on the stories he had been told by his grandmother. His visit to Gambia and his conversations with griots yield the amazing book, Roots. The book explores various themes including religion, race, manhood, and community. Of these themes, community stands out most. Throughout the book, Alex Haley mentions the different ways in which the community remains together despite the challenges. During all the phases of enslavement, the role of the community in the lives of the Africans is evident. Therefore, this research provides evidence that community is the remedy against social fragmentation in Roots. Moreover, the research informs the reader about the meaning of community to one of the main characters, Kunta. It also touches on the ways in which African slaves managed to retain their identity in a foreign land, despite the hindrances to community unity.
On Zhang Peiji’s Prose Translation from the Perspective of the Translator’s Subjectivity
Authors: Gu Zhiwei
Published: January 2017

Chinese prose characterizes being formally-loose and essence-focused with features such as many a free style and myriads of assorted contents, among which the poetic images and artistic conceptions are so distinct that they are usually regarded as criteria for measuring its excellence. Whereas, it is the same features that impose obstacles for the prose translation, for it is difficult for the translator to grasp the whole essence of the original text in the first place and then recreate it in the translation works in another language. Therefore, during the translating process, it is inevitable not to adopt the translators’ subjectivity. And the three basic characteristics of it, namely, activeness, passiveness and purposiveness, will combine to affect the whole translating activity in one way or another. Nowadays, translation theorists both at home and abroad have conducted many studies on translators’ subjectivity. Grounded on those authoritative theories, this paper will make a tentative study on Zhang Peiji’s translation of Chinese modern prose writings. Professor Zhang’s classics Selected Modern Chinese Prose Writings will be focused. In the main body of the paper, the demonstrations of those three features of subjectivity will be elaborated with abundant examples from the two volumes of his translation works. In particular, great attention will be paid to the function of the translator’s activeness in the translation, which will be analyzed via three levels: lexical, semantic and textual. Thus, readers and translators-to-be would be better able to appreciate and draw upon those excellent translated prose.
Trends and Dynamics in Retail Industry: Focus on Relational Proximity
Authors: Sansone Marcello , Colamatteo Annarita
Published: January 2017

This paper aims to analyze the dynamics of retail innovation and store format, in particular underlining the variables that have led retailers in a return to the concept of neighbourhood, understood as relational proximity to the consumer.In particular, it shows that the concept of neighbourhood is evolving towards new patterns that deviate from previous interpretations of literature that identified under a purely dimensional aspect; today the format of neighbourhood is synonymous with relational proximity with the consumer and this assumption leads to consider proximity also a large store. The economic crisis and the changing lifestyles of consumers have brought independent and associate retailers to reinterpret its format by thinking like a basket of attributes, which includes further services in order to satisfy better consumer needs. The work shows that retail innovation is oriented towards the concept of relational proximity, whose main strength is the ability of the entrepreneur to be in direct relationship with its customers and to be able to get and interpret changes in the market, thus creating a sustainable competitive advantage.
Frequency Analysis as a Way of Uncovering News Foci: Evidence from the Guardian and the New York Times
Authors: Haider Ahmad S.
Published: January 2017

Institutions or people can express their political stances or attitudes toward a specific topic if they keep using some words rather than others repetitively and consistently. This study uses the corpus linguistic technique of frequency to examine the influence of the country where the newspaper is published on its agenda and coverage using a corpus of about 7 million words of news articles about Libya and Qaddafi in the Guardian (Britain) and the New York Times (the U.S.) from 2009 to 2013. The compiled corpus is divided into three time periods, namely: before, during, and after the 2011 Arab uprisings. The analysis shows that the two newspapers had different news foci/themes in the three investigated time periods, and that they are influenced by the stock of ideas circulating in the culture in which they are working. Both newspapers covered more news of events that draw the attention of the people of the countries where they are located and published. The paper concludes that there is a strong relationship between media and politics where media is a central arena for viewing the political events.
Interactions in Non-English Major Large Classes in Vietnam
Authors: Thuong Tran Thi Thanh , Huong Le Pham Hoai
Published: January 2017

This study examines interactions in non-English major large classes in Vietnam. Audio recordings of classes of economics and business were used for data analysis. The study adopted sociocultural discourse analysis (Mercer, 2004) which focuses on the use of language as a social mode of thinking and a tool for teaching-and-learning, constructing knowledge, creating joint understanding and tackling problems collaboratively. The findings show that teachers mediated learners with their prompts, questions and scaffolding. Interactions between teachers and students assisted students in understanding and building concepts related to their majors, learning English language expressions and vocabulary.
Exploring the Motivational Strategies Practiced by Pakistani EFL Teachers to Motivate Students in Learning English Language
Authors: Kakar Sehrish Khan , Pathan Zahid Hussain
Published: January 2017

The purpose of this study was to investigate motivational strategies which EFL teachers employ to motivate students in learning English language and to determine the significant difference if any across male and female teachers in practicing motivational strategies in an EFL classroom. A quantitative research design was employed. An adopted questionnaire by Cheng & Dornyei (2007) comprising of 48 close-ended items ranging from “Hardly ever” to “very often” was administered among 96 male and female EFL teachers who were teaching in government secondary schools in Quetta, Balochistan, Pakistan. To answer the two research questions of the study, both descriptive and inferential statistics were performed in SPSS (version, 21). The findings of the first research questions revealed that to promote learners’ autonomy emerged as the most influential source of motivational strategy practiced by EFL teachers followed by Familiarization learners with L2-related values as the second most practiced motivational strategy. The findings of second research question revealed no statistical significant difference between male and female EFL teachers in terms of practicing motivational strategies. The findings of the present study have implications on effective English language teaching and enhancing teachers’ experience and knowledge in order to motivate EFL learners by using different motivational strategies in learning English in context of Pakistan.
The Effect of Teaching English through Literature on Creative Writing at HSSC Level in Pakistan
Authors: Ghani Mamuna , Din Muhammad
Published: January 2017

Creative writing means the ESL/EFL learners’ capacity to respond vividly and spontaneously, and to convey responses freely in their writing. This study brings to light the fact that teaching English through literature does not render any positive pay off in developing and honing the EFL/ESL learners’ creative writing. In the Pakistani context, literature seems to be inadequate and improper language teaching tool at HSSC level. To achieve the set objectives of this study, the researcher went for the quantitative research methodology. So, a questionnaire comprising of 15 items encompassing the different aspects of creative writing was designed to collect data from 600 subjects (male/female) of intermediate level. The researcher also conducted an achievement test so that a correlation might be drawn between their attitude towards “developing creative writing through literature” and the score of their achievement test. The collected data were analyzed through software package (SPSS XX). The findings of this study explicitly reveal that the EFL learners remain unable to develop both the language skills (particularly writing skill) and language areas when they are taught English through literature. This study recommends that the teaching of English should be application oriented and task-based strategies and activities should be resorted to by the EL educators.
The Impact of Product and Process Approach on Iranian EFL Learners’ Writing Ability and Their Attitudes toward Writing Skill
Authors: Mehr Hakimeh Shahrokhi
Published: January 2017

The purpose of the current study was twofold; its first aim was to determine the effect of using of two approaches namely; product and process on developing the fluency, accuracy, and using discourse markers (DMs) of EFL learners’ writing performance. Secondly, it attempted to investigate the effect of mentioned approaches on EFL learners’ attitude toward writing skill. The participants in this study were 60 Iranian learners who were divided into three groups; control and two experimental groups. The control group received no treatment and only received explicit recast feedback toward their writing performance. However, every experimental group received treatment through differential approaches. The findings of the study based on one-way ANOVA revealed that process approach significantly affected on EFL learners’ writing performance. Additionally, the results manifested the positive effect of process approach on EFL learners’ attitude toward writing skill. The current study suggested that in order to develop the EFL learners’ writing skill, the EFL instructors can insert the process based approach in syllabus design.
Melodic Features of Cause and Result Clauses in Modern English in the Light of Experiments
Authors: Zeynally Gulyaz
Published: January 2017

Variability of language units is the main feature of a language system and its activity. Variability has distinctive features providing processes like coding, decoding, maintaining and transforming the information from one generation to the other. One of the characteristic features of modern linguistics is the identification of invariants in every level of a language system. It helps us to say that an invariant is the factor that provides the unity of elements but a variant distinguishes different steps of this unity. Variability of language units is the main means providing the communicative function of the language, or “the possibility of variability of language units is the characteristic feature of the language nature”, as G. V. Stepanov says. (Stepanov, 1976, p. 223)Variability is the characteristic feature of the realization of the units of phonological, morphological and syntactic levels of the language in syntagmatics, in other words the units of these levels are represented in variants in the speech act. The study of variability of the sentence intonation can be a great contribution to the development of the variability problem. Our aim is to investigate melodic contour of adverbial clauses of cause and result, the direction of intonation contour, the interval between syntagms and their register.
Teacher’s Attitudes towards Educational Technology in English Language Institutes
Authors: Seraji Narjes Ebrahimi , Ziabari Roya Sediq , Rokni Seyed Jalal Abdolmanafi
Published: January 2017

The issue of attitude towards technology is not a new one; it has been around since computers were first placed in the classroom. There appears to be a positive attitude towards technology, so researchers aimed to seek out new information in an effort to find the relationship among teachers’ tenure, age, educational level, experience and teachers’ attitude toward technology. The purpose of this study was to investigate the attitude towards technology among teachers working in several institutes in Mazandaran. A total of 100 teachers including 38 males and 62 females, ranging in age from 22 to 50 and 20 to 42 respectively completed a survey. The non-parametric Spearman Rank-Order Correlation was used to find the relationship between the variables. The result of the research questions showed that: (1) there was a statistically significant relationship between teacher experience and attitude toward technology, (2) there was a statistically significant relationship between teacher tenure and attitude towards technology, and (3) there was a statistically significant relationship between teacher age and attitude toward technology.
Exploring Factors Causing Demotivation and Motivation in Learning English Language among College Students of Quetta, Pakistan
Authors: Ali Maheen Sher , Pathan Zahid Hussain
Published: January 2017

The prime aim of this research was to determine both demotivating and motivating factors for Pakistani college students of Quetta in learning English language. A quantitative design was employed in which 150 freshman college students studying in three different disciplines: Pre-medical, Pre-engineering and I.C.S at Government Girls college students of Quetta, Pakistan were included. A demotivation questionnaire was adopted from the study by Sakai & Kikuchi(2009) consisting of one open-ended question and 35 close-ended items on six factors of demotivation: grammar-based teaching, teacher’s behaviour, course contents and teaching materials, effects of low test score, classroom environment and lack of self-confidence and interest. Additionally, a modified 20-items AMTB motivation questionnaire along with one open-ended question was adapted from the study by Gardner (1985) which identifies the integrative and instrumental motivation. The closed ended questionnaire was analyzed applying descriptive statistics in SPSS (version, 22) whereas content analysis was performed on narrative data extracted from open-ended questionnaire and was quantified to establish the order and rank of factors causing motivation and demotivation among students in learning English language. The findings revealed that course content and teaching material emerged as the most salient demotivating factor. On the other hand, instrumental motivation emerged as the most influential source of motivation among students. The findings have implication on both teaching and learning of English language in Pakistan.
Political Discourse of Jordan: A Critical Discourse Analysis
Authors: Al-Momani Hassan Ali
Published: January 2017

Based on the critical discourse analysis theory, the main purpose of this study is to highlight the social and psychological dimensions of the political discourse of Jordan through analyzing king Abdullah’s address to the American Congress in 2007 from socio-cognitive, socio-ideological, and socio-stylistic perspectives. Additionally, the paper uses the critical discourse analysis theory to examine selected quotations from the king’s address in order to see how the Jordanian political discourse is influenced by the status, ideologies, and attitudes of the congressmen to whom it is directed.
Genetic Analysis of Needle Morphological and Anatomical Traits among Nature Populations of Pinus Tabuliformis
Authors: Zhang Mei , Meng Jing-Xiang , Zhang Zi-Jie , Zhu Song-Lin , Li Yue
Published: January 2017

The morphological and anatomical traits of needles are important to evaluate geographic variation and population dynamics of conifer species. Variations of morphological and anatomical needle traits in coniferous species are considered to be the consequence of genetic evolution, and be used in geographic variation and ecological studies, etc. Pinus tabuliformis is a particular native coniferous species in northern and central China. For understanding its adaptive evolution in needle traits, the needle samplings of 10 geographic populations were collected from a 30yr provenience common garden trail that might eliminate site environment effect and show genetic variation among populations and 20 needle morphological and anatomical traits were involved. The results showed that variations among and within populations were significantly different over all the measured traits and the variance components within population were generally higher than that among populations in the most measured needle traits. Population heritabilities in all measured traits were higher than 0.7 in common garden sampling among populations. Needle traits were more significantly correlated with longitude than other factors. First five principal components accounted for 81.6% of the variation with eigenvalues greater than 1; the differences among populations were mainly dependent on needle width, stomatal density, section areas of vascular bundle, total resin canals, and mesophyll, as well as area ratio traits. Ten populations were divided into two categories by Euclidean distance. Variations in needle traits among the populations have shown systematic microevolution in terms of geographic impact on P. tabuliformis. This study would provide empirical data to characterize adaptation and genetic variation of P. tabuliformis, which should be more available for ecological studies.
Green Pharmaceutical Analysis of Drugs Coformulated with Highly Different Concentrations Using Spiking and Manipulation of Their Ratio Spectra
Authors: Ayoub Bassam M
Published: January 2017

Introducing green analysis to pharmaceutical products is considered a significant approach to preserving the environment. This method can be an environmentally friendly alternative to the existing methods, accompanied by a validated automated procedure for the analysis of a drug with the lowest possible number of samples. Different simple spectrophotometric methods were developed for the simultaneous determination of empagliflozin (EG) and metformin (MT) by manipulating their ratio spectra in their application on a recently approved pharmaceutical combination, Synjardy tablets. A spiking technique was used to increase the concentration of EG in samples prepared from the tablets to allow for the simultaneous determination of EG with MT without prior separation. Validation parameters according to International Conference on Harmonization guidelines were acceptable over a concentration range of 2–12 μg/mL for both drugs using derivative ratio and ratio subtraction coupled with extended ratio subtraction. The optimized methods were compared using one-way analysis of variance and proved to be suitable as ecofriendly approaches for industrial QC laboratories.
FINDING GREENER PASTURES: THE LOCAL DEVELOPMENT OF AGRO-PASTORALISM IN THE ORDOS REGION, NORTH CHINA.
Authors: Owlett Tricia
Published: January 2017

The results of recent archaeological research in the Ordos region provide new information on the timing and process of the development of agro-pastoralism in China. Integrating previously published archaeological materials with archaeological research conducted since 2000, this essay synthesizes our current understanding of archaeological data for the middle to late Neolithic period (c. 3500–1800 B.C.) of the Ordos Region. The region is generally defined as including northern Shaanxi, southwestern Inner Mongolia, eastern Ningxia, and western Shanxi Provinces. Research into this transition to large-scale reliance upon domesticated herd animals is just beginning, but sheep, goat, and cattle husbandry were important from the Late Neolithic period onwards. During this time wild resources obtained through hunting and foraging appear to have been complementary to the diet in this region, though in small amounts. With the increasing use of zooarchaeological analysis, the foundation is laid for a greater understanding of the origins and the development of agro-pastoralism in the Ordos Region, Northwest China.
Concerted regulation of ISWI by an autoinhibitory domain and the H4 N-terminal tail
Authors: Ludwigsen Johanna , Pfennig Sabrina , Singh Ashish K , Schindler Christina , Harrer Nadine , Forné Ignasi , Zacharias Martin , Mueller-Planitz Felix
Published: January 2017

ISWI-family nucleosome remodeling enzymes need the histone H4 N-terminal tail to mobilize nucleosomes. Here we mapped the H4-tail binding pocket of ISWI. Surprisingly the binding site was adjacent to but not overlapping with the docking site of an auto-regulatory motif, AutoN, in the N-terminal region (NTR) of ISWI, indicating that AutoN does not act as a simple pseudosubstrate as suggested previously. Rather, AutoN cooperated with a hitherto uncharacterized motif, termed AcidicN, to confer H4-tail sensitivity and discriminate between DNA and nucleosomes. A third motif in the NTR, ppHSA, was functionally required in vivo and provided structural stability by clamping the NTR to Lobe 2 of the ATPase domain. This configuration is reminiscent of Chd1 even though Chd1 contains an unrelated NTR. Our results shed light on the intricate structural and functional regulation of ISWI by the NTR and uncover surprising parallels with Chd1.
Activity-dependent regulation of T-type calcium channels by submembrane calcium ions
Authors: Cazade Magali , Bidaud Isabelle , Lory Philippe , Chemin Jean
Published: January 2017

Voltage-gated Ca2+ channels are involved in numerous physiological functions and various mechanisms finely tune their activity, including the Ca2+ ion itself. This is well exemplified by the Ca2+-dependent inactivation of L-type Ca2+ channels, whose alteration contributes to the dramatic disease Timothy Syndrome. For T-type Ca2+ channels, a long-held view is that they are not regulated by intracellular Ca2+. Here we challenge this notion by using dedicated electrophysiological protocols on both native and expressed T-type Ca2+ channels. We demonstrate that a rise in submembrane Ca2+ induces a large decrease in T-type current amplitude due to a hyperpolarizing shift in the steady-state inactivation. Activation of most representative Ca2+-permeable ionotropic receptors similarly regulate T-type current properties. Altogether, our data clearly establish that Ca2+ entry exerts a feedback control on T-type channel activity, by modulating the channel availability, a mechanism that critically links cellular properties of T-type Ca2+ channels to their physiological roles.
Accuracy of Sonographically Estimated Fetal Weight Near Delivery in Pregnancies Complicated With Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Valent Amy M. , Newman Tondra , Kritzer Sara , Magner Kristin , Warshak Carri R.
Published: January 2017

Objectives

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of sonographic estimations of fetal weight (FW) and signed percent error between pregnant patients with and without diabetes mellitus (DM).

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of all singleton nonanomalous live births who delivered after 34 weeks and received a sonographic estimation of FW within 2 weeks of delivery at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center between 2008 and 2011. Our primary outcome compared the ΔFW and signed percent error between DM and non‐DM pregnancies. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated for the prediction of FW greater than 4000 g in each study group. Linear regression analysis assessed correlation coefficients, R2 values, and variance of the ΔFW by live birth weight.

Results

The mean ΔFWs were 62 and 103 g for non‐DM and DM pregnancies, respectively (P = .04). However, the signed percent error (mean ± SD, 1.7% ± 9.8% versus 2.6% ± 9.9%; P = .15) was similar between the study groups. Linear regression comparing the ΔFW to the live birth weight revealed a weak correlation in DM (r = 0.34; R2 = 0.11) and non‐DM pregnancies, (r = 0.17; R2 = 0.03) pregnancies. Overall sensitivity for the prediction of FW greater than 4000 g was poor (0.41 and 0.62 in non‐DM and DM pregnancies). However, the specificity was high (0.97 and 0.99 for both groups).

Conclusions

Although DM alters the biometric measurements of the fetus with increasing thoracoabdominal size, there are no clinically significant alterations in the accuracy of sonography for FW prediction when performed near delivery. Sonography is highly specific for birth weight greater than 4000 g, which is helpful for delivery planning and management.
Blood‐Brain Barrier Closure Time After Controlled Ultrasound‐Induced Opening Is Independent of Opening Volume
Authors: O'Reilly Meaghan A. , Hough Olivia , Hynynen Kullervo
Published: January 2017

Objectives

Microbubble‐mediated focused ultrasound (US) opening of the blood‐brain barrier (BBB) has shown promising results for the treatment of brain tumors and conditions such as Alzheimer disease. Practical clinical implementation of focused US treatments would aim to treat a substantial portion of the brain; thus, the safety of opening large volumes must be investigated. This study investigated whether the opened volume affects the time for the BBB to be restored after treatment.

Methods

Sprague Dawley rats (n = 5) received bilateral focused US treatments. One hemisphere received a single sonication, and the contralateral hemisphere was targeted with 4 overlapping foci. Contrast‐enhanced T1‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging was used to assess the integrity of the BBB at 0, 6, and 24 hours after focused US.

Results

At time 0, there was no significant difference in the mean enhancement between the single‐ and multi‐point sonications (mean ± SD, 29.7% ± 18.4% versus 29.7% ± 24.1%; P = .9975). The mean cross‐sectional area of the BBB opening resulting from the multi‐point sonication was approximately 3.5‐fold larger than that of the single‐point case (14.2 ± 4.7 versus 4.1 ± 3.3 mm2; P < .0001). The opened volumes in 9 of 10 hemispheres were closed by 6 hours after focused US. The remaining treatment location had substantially reduced enhancement at 6 hours and was closed by 24 hours. Histologic analysis revealed small morphologic changes associated with this location. T2‐weighted images at 6 and 24 hours showed no signs of edema. T2*‐weighted images obtained at 6 hours also showed no signs hemorrhage in any animal.

Conclusions

The time for the BBB to close after focused US was independent of the opening volume on the time scale investigated. No differences in treatment effects were observable by magnetic resonance imaging follow‐up between larger‐ and smaller‐volume sonications, suggesting that larger‐volume BBB opening can be performed safely.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging–Directed Ultrasound Imaging of Non‐Mass Enhancement in the Breast: Outcomes and Frequency of Malignancy
Authors: Newburg Adrienne R. , Chhor Chloe M. , Young Lin Leng Leng , Heller Samantha L. , Gillman Jennifer , Toth Hildegard K. , Moy Linda
Published: January 2017

Objectives

This study was performed to determine the frequency, predictors, and outcomes of ultrasound (US) correlates for non‐mass enhancement.

Methods

From January 2005 to December 2011, a retrospective review of 5837 consecutive breast magnetic resonance imaging examinations at our institution identified 918 non‐mass enhancing lesions for which follow‐up or biopsy was recommended. Retrospective review of the images identified 879 of 918 lesions (96%) meeting criteria for non‐mass enhancement. Patient demographics, pathologic results, and the presence of an adjacent landmark were recorded. Targeted US examinations were recommended for 331 of 879 cases (38%), and 284 of 331 women (86%) underwent US evaluations.

Results

The US correlate rate for non‐mass enhancement was 23% (64 of 284). An adjacent landmark was significantly associated with a US correlate (P < .001). Biopsy was recommended for 43 of 64 correlates (67%). Ultrasound‐guided biopsy was performed on 39 of 43 (91%); 7 of 39 (18%) were malignant. No correlate was seen for 220 of 284 lesions (77%). At magnetic resonance imaging–guided biopsy, 14 of 117 (12%) were malignancies. For all biopsied non‐mass enhancements, the malignancy rate was 18% (55 of 308) and was significantly more prevalent in the setting of a known index cancer (P < .001), older age (P < .001), the presence of a landmark (P = .002), and larger lesion size (P = .019).

Conclusions

Non‐mass enhancement with an adjacent landmark is more likely to have a US correlate compared to non‐mass enhancement without an adjacent landmark. Non‐mass enhancement in the setting of a known index cancer, older age, a landmark, and larger lesion size is more likely to be malignant. However, no statistical difference was detected in the rate of malignancy between non‐mass enhancement with (18%) or without (12%) a correlate. Absence of a correlate does not obviate the need to biopsy suspicious non‐mass enhancement.
New Opportunities and Challenges of Smart Polymers in Post‐Translational Modification Proteomics
Authors: Qing Guangyan , Lu Qi , Xiong Yuting , Zhang Lei , Wang Hongxi , Li Xiuling , Liang Xinmiao , Sun Taolei
Published: January 2017

Protein post‐translational modifications (PTMs), which denote covalent additions of various functional groups (e.g., phosphate, glycan, methyl, or ubiquitin) to proteins, significantly increase protein complexity and diversity. PTMs play crucial roles in the regulation of protein functions and numerous cellular processes. However, in a living organism, native PTM proteins are typically present at substoichiometric levels, considerably impeding mass‐spectrometry‐based analyses and identification. Over the past decade, the demand for in‐depth PTM proteomics studies has spawned a variety of selective affinity materials capable of capturing trace amounts of PTM peptides from highly complex biosamples. However, novel design ideas or strategies are urgently required for fulfilling the increasingly complex and accurate requirements of PTM proteomics analysis, which can hardly be met by using conventional enrichment materials. Considering two typical types of protein PTMs, phosphorylation and glycosylation, an overview of polymeric enrichment materials is provided here, with an emphasis on the superiority of smart‐polymer‐based materials that can function in intelligent modes. Moreover, some smart separation materials are introduced to demonstrate the enticing prospects and the challenges of smart polymers applied in PTM proteomics.
Bioinspired Manganese Complexes and Graphene Oxide Synergistically Catalyzed Asymmetric Epoxidation of Olefins with Aqueous Hydrogen Peroxide
Authors: Miao Chengxia , Yan Xingbin , Xu Daqian , Xia Chungu , Sun Wei
Published: January 2017

Bioinspired manganese complexes of N4ligands and graphene oxide (GO) synergistically catalyze the highly enantioselective epoxidation of olefins (up to 99%ee), which is a rare example with GO as a co‐catalyst in asymmetric catalysis. GO as a new and key additive not only successfully functions in catalytic amounts, but also has a positive effect for improving the enantioselectivity of the asymmetric epoxidation compared with the traditional stoichiometric organic carboxylic acid method [e.g., chalcone, 95%ee(3.5 mg GO)vs. 84%ee(5 equiv., 75 mg acetic acid), ethyl cinnamate, 84%ee(3.5 mg GO)vs. 19%ee(5 equiv., 75 mg acetic acid)]. The X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) spectra of GO before and after the reaction indicate that the intensities of C–O become stronger after the reaction, which may have a certain relationship with hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and gives a reasonable rationale for the large consumption of H2O2. Also, part of the hydrogen peroxide was used for the oxidation of GO.

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