bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Improving the arterial input function in dynamic contrast enhanced MRI by fitting the signal in the complex plane
Authors: Simonis Frank F.J. , Sbrizzi Alessandro , Beld Ellis , Lagendijk Jan J.W. , van den Berg Cornelis A.T.
Published: November 2015

Purpose

Dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) imaging is a widely used technique in oncologic imaging. An essential prerequisite for obtaining quantitative values from DCE‐MRI is the determination of the arterial input function (AIF). However, it is very challenging to accurately estimate the AIF using MR. A comprehensive model, which uses complex data instead of either magnitude or phase, was developed to improve AIF estimation.

Theory and Methods

The model was first applied to simulated data. Subsequently, the accuracy of the estimated contrast agent concentration was validated in a phantom. Finally the method was applied to existing DCE scans of 13 prostate cancer patients.

Results

The complex signal method combines the complementary strengths of the magnitude and phase method, increasing the precision and accuracy of concentration estimation in simulated and phantom data. The in vivo AIFs show a good agreement between arterial voxels (standard deviation in the peak and tail equal 0.4 mM and 0.12 mM, respectively). Furthermore, the dynamic behavior closely followed the AIF obtained with DCE‐CT in the same patients (mean correlation coefficient: 0.92).

Conclusion

By using the complex signal, the AIF estimation becomes more accurate and precise. This might enable patient specific AIFs, thereby improving the quantitative values obtained from DCE‐MRI. Magn Reson Med 76:1236–1245, 2016. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
What's In It for the Volunteers?
Authors: Classens Michael
Published: November 2015

This article reports on a social return on investment (SROI) analysis of volunteers of the Good Food Market program, a food access initiative run by FoodShare Toronto, one of Canada's largest food‐justice organizations. Unlike conventional SROI research, which typically focuses on the entire ecology of an organization or program, this article focuses solely on isolating the return volunteers receive on their investment of time, skills, energy, and the like—an SROI of volunteering. The article reviews the challenges of adapting the SROI methodology to the context of volunteer benefits and finds that ultimately SROI is a useful tool for articulating the value of volunteering.
An Arrowhead Injury in a Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic Human Cuneiform from the Rockshelter of La Peña de Marañón (Navarre, Spain)
Authors: Fernández‐Crespo T.
Published: November 2015

The current paper describes a projectile injury found among human remains recovered from La Peña de Marañón, a small natural rockshelter located in a limestone cliff hanging over the Ega River (Navarre, northern Spain), very close to other well‐known sites with similar evidence (San Juan ante Portam Latinam, Longar, Las Yurdinas II). The site was used as burial place during the Late Neolithic/Early Chalcolithic, and comprises a burnt bone assemblage of at least 28 individuals in a commingled state. In the process of re‐examining the anthropological collection a small fragment of flint was found embedded in a right lateral cuneiform. Both macroscopic and microscopic analysis and computer tomography confirm the presence of signs of healing. No other indications of trauma were observed in the human bone sample. The finding represents the first Spanish example of a prehistoric arrowhead wound on a foot and adds to the very few other archaeological case descriptions available in Europe. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Modeling analysis of fiber hybridization in hybrid glass/carbon composites under high‐velocity impact
Authors: Meng Qinghua , Wang Zhenqing
Published: November 2015

The effects of fiber hybridization on damage behavior of hybrid glass/carbon composites under high‐velocity impact were investigated. The Hashin damage model is adopted to model the damage initiation of composites, and the bilinear form of damage evolution law based on the effective displacement is employed. The numerical results show a reasonable agreement with the experimental data. The residual velocity of impact projectile is approximately shown a linearly decreasing trend with the increasing of the thickness of glass fabric ply. As the proportion of glass fabric ply in the hybrid laminates increases, the impact resistance of laminates increased gradually. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:2536–2543, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers
Prenatal diagnosis of Bartter syndrome: amniotic fluid aldosterone
Authors: Rachid Myriam L. , Dreux Sophie , Pean de Ponfilly Gauthier , Vargas‐Poussou Rosa , Czerkiewicz Isabelle , Chevenne Didier , Oury Jean‐François , Deschênes Georges , Muller Françoise
Published: November 2015

Objective

Bartter syndrome is a severe inherited tubulopathy characterized by postnatal salt wasting, severe polyuria, dehydration, failure to thrive and secondary hyperaldosteronism. Prenatally, the disease is usually discovered following the onset of severe polyhydramnios in the second trimester. We studied amniotic fluid aldosterone concentration in Bartter syndrome and in controls.

Methods

Amniotic fluid aldosterone was assayed by radioimmunoassay. We undertook a retrospective case‐control study based on 36 cases of prenatally suspected and postnatally confirmed Bartter syndrome (22 with identified mutations): and 72 gestational age matched controls presenting with polyhydramnios and 72 without polyhydramnios. Amniotic fluid aldosterone was compared between the three groups.

Results

The median amniotic fluid aldosterone concentration in the Bartter syndrome group (90 pg/mL) was not different from that in the controls with polyhydramnios (90 pg/mL, P = 0.33) or without polyhydramnios (87 pg/mL, P = 0.41).

Conclusion

Amniotic fluid aldosterone assay cannot be used for prenatal diagnosis of Bartter syndrome. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
New materials from dimethacrylates bearing phosphonic acid and thioether groups
Authors: Kemnitz Melanie , Tabatabai Monir , Utterodt Andreas , Ritter Helmut
Published: November 2015

A new series of crosslinkable dimethacrylates containing thioether and phosphonic acid were synthesized. The structures of the different synthesized crosslinkable agents based on oleic acid, cinnamic acid, acrylated glycerol 1,3‐dimethacrylate and a chalcone derivative were established by electrospray ionization, DSC, NMR and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. In order to prove the accessability of the double bonds on network formation, the radical curing of these compounds with N,N‐dimethylacrylamide as comonomer was examined. © 2015 Society of Chemical Industry
Factors associated with psychological distress in women with breast cancer‐related lymphoedema
Authors: Alcorso Jessica , Sherman Kerry A.
Published: November 2015

Background

Previous research has shown that lymphoedema impacts negatively on an individual, including psychological distress and body image disturbance, particularly for younger women. This study identified psychological factors associated with distress in women with breast cancer‐related lymphoedema and determined whether age moderated the specific relationship between body image disturbance and distress.

Methods

Australian women (n = 166) diagnosed with breast cancer‐related lymphoedema were recruited through a community‐based breast cancer organisation and lymphoedema treatment clinics. Participants completed an online survey assessing lymphoedema‐related cognitions (personal control, perceived treatment effectiveness, and consequences of lymphoedema), perceived ability to self‐regulate lymphoedema‐related negative affect, body image disturbance, psychological distress (depression, anxiety and stress), and demographic/medical information.

Results

Beliefs about the consequences, perceived effectiveness of treatment and controllability of lymphoedema, perceived ability to self‐regulate negative affect, body image disturbance, and number of lymphoedema symptoms were correlated with depression, anxiety, and stress scores. Multivariate regression analyses indicated that body image disturbance was significantly associated with depression, anxiety, and stress, and perceived treatment effectiveness was associated with stress. Age was a significant moderator of the relationship between body image disturbance and depression and anxiety, with older women with greater body image disturbance more distressed.

Conclusions

Health professionals need to be aware that women diagnosed with lymphoedema are at risk of experiencing psychological distress, particularly arising from body image disturbance and beliefs that treatment cannot control lymphoedema. Furthermore, older women may be at an increased risk of anxiety and depression arising from body image disturbance. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Covariate dimension reduction for survival data via the Gaussian process latent variable model
Authors: Barrett James E. , Coolen Anthony C. C.
Published: November 2015

The analysis of high‐dimensional survival data is challenging, primarily owing to the problem of overfitting, which occurs when spurious relationships are inferred from data that subsequently fail to exist in test data. Here, we propose a novel method of extracting a low‐dimensional representation of covariates in survival data by combining the popular Gaussian process latent variable model with a Weibull proportional hazards model. The combined model offers a flexible non‐linear probabilistic method of detecting and extracting any intrinsic low‐dimensional structure from high‐dimensional data. By reducing the covariate dimension, we aim to diminish the risk of overfitting and increase the robustness and accuracy with which we infer relationships between covariates and survival outcomes. In addition, we can simultaneously combine information from multiple data sources by expressing multiple datasets in terms of the same low‐dimensional space. We present results from several simulation studies that illustrate a reduction in overfitting and an increase in predictive performance, as well as successful detection of intrinsic dimensionality. We provide evidence that it is advantageous to combine dimensionality reduction with survival outcomes rather than performing unsupervised dimensionality reduction on its own. Finally, we use our model to analyse experimental gene expression data and detect and extract a low‐dimensional representation that allows us to distinguish high‐risk and low‐risk groups with superior accuracy compared with doing regression on the original high‐dimensional data. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Optimal adaptive two‐stage designs for early phase II clinical trials
Authors: Shan Guogen , Wilding Gregory E. , Hutson Alan D. , Gerstenberger Shawn
Published: November 2015

Simon's optimal two‐stage design has been widely used in early phase clinical trials for Oncology and AIDS studies with binary endpoints. With this approach, the second‐stage sample size is fixed when the trial passes the first stage with sufficient activity. Adaptive designs, such as those due to Banerjee and Tsiatis (2006) and Englert and Kieser (2013), are flexible in the sense that the second‐stage sample size depends on the response from the first stage, and these designs are often seen to reduce the expected sample size under the null hypothesis as compared with Simon's approach. An unappealing trait of the existing designs is that they are not associated with a second‐stage sample size, which is a non‐increasing function of the first‐stage response rate. In this paper, an efficient intelligent process, the branch‐and‐bound algorithm, is used in extensively searching for the optimal adaptive design with the smallest expected sample size under the null, while the type I and II error rates are maintained and the aforementioned monotonicity characteristic is respected. The proposed optimal design is observed to have smaller expected sample sizes compared to Simon's optimal design, and the maximum total sample size of the proposed adaptive design is very close to that from Simon's method. The proposed optimal adaptive two‐stage design is recommended for use in practice to improve the flexibility and efficiency of early phase therapeutic development. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
The immunosuppressive signature of menstrual blood mesenchymal stem cells entails opposite effects on experimental arthritis and graft versus host diseases
Authors: Luz-Crawford Patricia , Torres Maria J. , Noël Daniele , Fernandez Ainoa , Toupet Karine , Alcayaga-Miranda Francisca , Tejedor Gautier , Jorgensen Christian , Illanes Sebastian E. , Figueroa Fernando E. , Djouad Farida , Khoury Maroun
Published: November 2015

Recently, a noninvasive and highly proliferative stem cell population from menstrual blood called MenSCs has been identified. Despite their use in clinical studies, their immunomodulatory properties have not yet been investigated. In this context, we studied the immunosuppressive properties of MenSCs in comparison with the well-characterized bone marrow derived-MSCs (BM-MSCs). Using an in vitro proliferation assays, we showed that MenSCs displayed a lower suppressive effect on peripheral blood mononuclear cells and in particular on the proinflammatory CD4+IFN-γ+ and CD8+IFNγ+ cells than BM-MSCs. Moreover, compared to BM-MSCs, MenSCs activated with IFN-γ and IL-1β produced lower amounts of immunosuppressive factors such as IDO, PDL-1, PGE2, and Activin A and exhibited a substantial lower expression level of IFN-γ receptor subunits. In the collagen induced arthritis model, while BM-MSCs administration resulted in a potent therapeutic effect associated with a significant decrease of proinflammatory T cell frequency in the lymph nodes, MenSCs injection did not. In contrast, in the xeno-GVHD model, only MenSCs administration significantly increased the survival of mice. This beneficial effect mediated by MenSCs was associated with a higher capacity to migrate into the intestine and liver and not to their anti-inflammatory capacities. All together our results demonstrate for the first time that the therapeutic potential of MSC in the experimental xeno-GVHD model is independent of their immunosuppressive properties. These findings should be taken into consideration for the development of safe and effective cell therapies.
A Photoluminescent Metal Coordination Complex Constructed from Hydrothermal in situ Generated Quinoline‐monoacyl­hydrazidate Ligand
Authors: Yang Qing‐Feng , Bai Hong‐Cun , Li Bing , Luo Min , Jin Juan , Yu Jie‐Hui , Xu Ji‐Qing
Published: November 2015

The quinoline‐monoacylhydrazidate‐coordinated transition‐metal compound Cd(QLH)2(H2O)2 (1) (QLH = 2,3‐quinoline dicarboxylhydrazidate) was obtained by the hydrothermal in situ acylation reaction between 2,3‐quinoline dicarboxylic acid and hydrazine hydrate. X‐ray single‐crystal diffraction analysis reveals that compound 1 features a mononuclear structure. Through the O–H···O and C–H···O hydrogen bonds between the neighboring molecules, the mononuclear units of 1 aggregate together into a 3D supramolecular network, which is stabilized by offset face‐to‐face π···π interactions. Compound 1 was characterized by IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, TGA, and photoluminescence analysis, and it shows good photoluminescent property in the solid state at room temperature. In order to understand the emission mechanism, DFT calculations were carried out on the excited electronic states of compound 1.
Understanding identity integration: Theoretical, methodological, and applied issues
Authors: Syed Moin , McLean Kate C.
Published: November 2015

Identity integration is one of the foundational theoretical concepts in Erikson's (1968) theory of lifespan development. However, the topic is understudied relative to its theoretical and practical importance. The extant research is limited in quantity and scope, and there is considerable heterogeneity in how identity integration is conceptualized and measured. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to 1) provide a conceptual discussion of different forms of identity integration 2) highlight the different methodological approaches represented in the literature, and 3) detail the implications of integration for psychological functioning. In particular, we provide a conceptual and methodological discussion of four forms of integration: two that are widely recognized, contextual integration and temporal integration, and two that have received less attention, ego integration and person‐society integration. We see this paper as filling a need in the literature for those interested in how complex identity processes are related to psychological functioning.
Causality between sovereign, quasi-sovereign credit risks and global volatility: The case of Russia
Authors: Stolbov Mikhail
Published: November 2015

The article examines causalities between sovereign, most important quasi-sovereign CDS prices (Gazprom, VTB, Sberbank) for Russia and the global volatility factor embedded in the VIX index dynamics. The analysis refers to the post-bailout period in this major emerging economy (May 2009–July 2013). The causalities are assessed in the time (the Hong test) and frequency (the Breitung–Candelon test) domains. The VIX index dynamics has a strong impact on all Russian CDS, but also receives a non-negligible feedback from them. The sovereign and quasi-sovereign CDS prices exhibit a strong causal connectedness in both domains, with the impact of the quasi-sovereigns (in particular, that of banks) getting more pronounced in the longer run, i.e. over longer time horizons and at lower frequencies. High foreign exposure of the quasi-sovereigns, explicit/implicit public guarantees and the holdings of the Russian sovereign debt on their balances underlie the causalities. Given the systemic role that the government-controlled entities play in the Russian economy, this may lead to the “too big to save” effect with negative implications for financial and fiscal stability.
Early life trauma is associated with decreased peripheral levels of thyroid‐hormone T3 in adolescents
Authors: Machado T.D. , Salum G.A. , Bosa V.L. , Goldani M.Z. , Meaney M.J. , Agranonik M. , Manfro G.G. , Silveira P.P.
Published: November 2015

An adverse early life environment can induce changes on behavioral and metabolic responses later in life. Recent studies in rats showed that the quality of maternal care as measured by high levels of pup licking and grooming (LG) was associated with changes in the relationship between the precursor thyroid‐hormone T4 and the more active T3. Here we investigated if early exposure to childhood abuse is associated with thyroid‐hormone levels in human adolescents. Given the empirical evidence from animal models showing that good maternal care was associated with increased conversion of T4 to T3, we hypothesized that early adversity would be associated with a decreased peripheral conversion of T4 to T3. A sample of 80 adolescents (10–18 years) participated in this study. We used the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire to investigate early life stress. We calculate the body mass index (BMI) assessing weight and height and sexual maturation stage was determined by self‐assessment. Blood samples were collected to measure T3 and T4 levels. ANCOVA were used to evaluate the influence of the Physical Abuse domain of the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire as the early life stress variable in T3 and T4 separately, adjusted for potential confounders such as pubertal status, gender, socioeconomic status and BMI. Early life trauma was associated with reduced T3 levels in adolescents, when adjusted for potential confounders (p = 0.013), but not with peripheral T4 levels (p = 0.625). We extended findings from animal models showing that adverse early experience persistently impacts on the individual's responses to stress, which is marked by an abnormal metabolism of thyroid hormones. Further studies are needed to further investigate the nature of such associations.
Preparing Elementary School Teachers for Social Studies Instruction in the Context of Edtpa
Authors: An Sohyun
Published: November 2015

In a context of high-stakes accountability in teacher education, concerns are emerging about challenges to the already tenuous position of elementary social studies teacher education. In this case study, the author administered a survey to elementary social studies teacher educators in Georgia and conducted follow-up interviews focusing on the impact of edTPA on elementary social studies teacher education and the ways in which they are navigating the new context of teaching elementary social studies methods. The findings reveal the possibility of further decline of social studies in elementary teacher education programs due to elementary edTPA's singular focus on literacy and math content pedagogy along with the high-stakes nature of edTPA process. Implications for future research on edTPA and elementary social studies education are discussed.
Development of a circulating miRNA assay to monitor tumor burden: From mouse to man
Authors: Greystoke Alastair , Ayub Mahmood , Rothwell Dominic G. , Morris Dan , Burt Deborah , Hodgkinson Cassandra L. , Morrow Christopher J. , Smith Nigel , Aung Kyaw , Valle Juan , Carter Louise , Blackhall Fiona , Dive Caroline , Brady Ged
Published: November 2015

Circulating miRNA stability suggests potential utility of miRNA based biomarkers to monitor tumor burden and/or progression, particularly in cancer types where serial biopsy is impractical. Assessment of miRNA specificity and sensitivity is challenging within the clinical setting. To address this, circulating miRNAs were examined in mice bearing human SCLC tumor xenografts and SCLC patient derived circulating tumor cell explant models (CDX). We identified 49 miRNAs using human TaqMan Low Density Arrays readily detectable in 10 μl tail vein plasma from mice carrying H526 SCLC xenografts that were low or undetectable in non‐tumor bearing controls. Circulating miR‐95 measured serially in mice bearing CDX was detected with tumor volumes as low as 10 mm3 and faithfully reported subsequent tumor growth.

Having established assay sensitivity in mouse models, we identified 26 miRNAs that were elevated in a stage dependent manner in a pilot study of plasma from SCLC patients (n = 16) compared to healthy controls (n = 11) that were also elevated in the mouse models. We selected a smaller panel of 10 previously reported miRNAs (miRs 95, 141, 200a, 200b, 200c, 210, 335#, 375, 429) that were consistently elevated in SCLC, some of which are reported to be elevated in other cancer types. Using a multiplex qPCR assay, elevated levels of miRNAs across the panel were also observed in a further 66 patients with non‐small cell lung, colorectal or pancreatic cancers. The utility of this circulating miRNA panel as an early warning of tumor progression across several tumor types merits further evaluation in larger studies.
Emergency Department Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection Prevention: Multisite Qualitative Study of Perceived Risks and Implemented Strategies
Authors: Carter Eileen J. , Pallin Daniel J. , Mandel Leslie , Sinnette Corine , Schuur Jeremiah D.
Published: November 2015

BACKGROUND

Existing knowledge of emergency department (ED) catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) prevention is limited. We aimed to describe the motivations, perceived risks for CAUTI acquisition, and strategies used to address CAUTI risk among EDs that had existing CAUTI prevention programs.

METHODS

In this qualitative comparative case study, we enrolled early-adopting EDs, that is, those using criteria for urinary catheter placement and tracking the frequency of catheters placed in the ED. At 6 diverse facilities, we conducted 52 semistructured interviews and 9 focus groups with hospital and ED participants.

RESULTS

All ED CAUTI programs originated from a hospitalwide focus on CAUTI prevention. Staff were motivated to address CAUTI because they believed program compliance improved patient care. ED CAUTI prevention was perceived to differ from CAUTI prevention in the inpatient setting. To identify areas of ED CAUTI prevention focus, programs examined ED workflow and identified 4 CAUTI risks: (1) inappropriate reasons for urinary catheter placement; (2) physicians’ limited involvement in placement decisions; (3) patterns of urinary catheter overuse; and (4) poor insertion technique. Programs redesigned workflow to address risks by (1) requiring staff to specify the medical reason for catheter at the point of order entry and placement; (2) making physicians responsible for determining catheter use; (3) using catheter alternatives to address patterns of overuse; and (4) modifying urinary catheter insertion practices to ensure proper placement.

CONCLUSIONS

Early-adopting EDs redesigned workflow to minimize catheter use and ensure proper insertion technique. Assessment of ED workflow is necessary to identify and modify local practices that may increase CAUTI risk.

Infect. Control Hosp. Epidemiol. 2016;37(2):156–162
JUSTICE, EQUALITY, AND NATURAL RIGHTS CLAIMS: A RECONSIDERATION OF AQUINAS'S CONCEPTION OF RIGHT
Authors: Porter Jean
Published: November 2015

According to a widely held view, Aquinas does not have a notion of subjective natural rights, understood as moral powers inhering in individuals. This article argues that this way of reading Aquinas is wrong, or at best, seriously misleading. Aquinas does identify the right, the object of justice, with the relation established between parties to an equitable exchange or interaction, and in this sense he identifies right with an objective state of affairs. But this line of analysis does not commit him to any particular construal of what constitutes a just relation. In particular, it leaves open the possibility that in some situations, the right, understood as an objectively equitable relation, presupposes that someone's claim of a right, is duly acknowledged. Moreover, in many contexts Aquinas says that individuals can claim certain liberties and immunities on the basis of some natural right, in terms that make it clear that these claims lie within the discretion of the individual. His overall conception of natural law and natural right implies that individuals can legitimately make certain claims by right, claims that emerge within some contexts and not others. He does not have a theory of rights, but neither do the scholastic jurists of the time, and his appeals to what someone can claim by right are reminiscent of their views. If they can be said to have a notion of subjective natural rights, the same can be said of Aquinas himself.
Genetics, archaeology and the wider world
Authors: Pluciennik Mark
Published: November 2015

Molecular biology is prompting a renewed interest in genetic histories of ancient peoples. What are the old ‘ethnic units’ of these modern studies?
Was therereallya Neolithic in Norway?
Authors: Prescott Christopher
Published: November 2015

For temperate Europe, the transition to the Neolithic is still both defined by a shift from a hunter-gatherer to a farming economy and archaeologically recognized by its characteristic artefacts of pottery and polished-stone axes. But what should be the criteria in the far north of Nordic Europe, where the definition of a Neolithic is a less straightforward issue?
Style and function in East Polynesian fish-hooks
Authors: Allen Melinda S.
Published: November 2015

The concepts of style and function are theoretically defined from a neo-Darwinian perspective and the expected spatial-temporal distributions of each kind of trait outlined. Fish-hook assemblages from Aitutaki, Cook Islands, are examined using this framework and related to previously studied collections. Emerging stylistic patterns support notions of interaction between certain East Polynesian archipelagos around the 14th century AD.
Square pegs into round holes: a critique of Neeley & Barton
Authors: Goring-Morris A. Nigel
Published: November 2015

The Levantine Epipalaeolithic,c.20,000–10,000 BP, represents one of the most intensively studied periods in prehistoric research in the past 30 years, with literally hundreds of sites being discovered and many systematically investigated. The researchers involved come from a diverse range of backgrounds and national 'schools', and include American, Australian, British, French and Israeli scholars. Some, myself included, see its variability in chipped stone tool morphology, techniques of manufacture and specific means of hafting to reflect, in addition to functional factors, the stylistic traditions of specific groups in the landscape (Bar-Yosef 1991a; Goring-Morris 1987; 1995). This evidence is further bolstered by chrono-stratigraphy, settlement patterns, inter- and intra-site organization and patterning, as well as other material culture residues (Goring-Morris 1989a; 1989b; 1991).
A remote analogy?: from Central Australiantjurungato Irish Early Bronze Age axes
Authors: Dickins Jane
Published: November 2015

Our interpretation of Bronze Age metalwork is based, for the most part, on common-sense ideas of what is functional and what is not, which items were intended to be recovered, which were gifts to other worlds. A more considered source of analogy than our limited experience is available at a certain distance. Remote in terms of measured miles, the analogy is nevertheless effective in expanding current definitions of how ritual is expressed through material culture.
Ritual or fluvial? A further comment on the Thames skulls
Authors: West Barbara
Published: November 2015

Further (and final) comment on the origin of ancient human skulls from the River Thames (ANTIQUITY 62 (1988): 503–9; 69 (1995): 162–9) is prompted by comparison with the skulls from the London Thames tributary, the Walbrook.
Production improvement through phosphorus fertilization and legume introduction in grazed native pastures of Uruguay
Authors: DEL PINO A. , RODRÍGUEZ T. , ANDIÓN J.
Published: November 2015

The objective of the current study was to quantify the response of pasture to phosphorus (P) fertilizer application and legume introduction, by measuring herbage yield, nitrogen (N) and P content, and weight gain of calves in native pastures of Uruguay. Quantitative relationships between pasture characteristics and post-weaning daily live weight gain (DLWG) were also examined. The treatments studied were native grassland (NG) and improved pasture, oversown withLotus corniculatusL. andTrifolium repensL. with annual applications of either 13 and 26 kg P/ha. From 1996 to 2001 the treatments were evaluated each year with a new group of calves. Total herbage yields of the oversown pastures were not always higher than NG in the initial years, but legume production increased, although without significant differences between P rates on legume or total yield. This was also reflected in the N and P status of the swards. In the last 2 years legume proportion had declined to <0·1, but total herbage yield was significantly higher in the improved pastures. The average DLWG over the 6 years of measurements were 0·319, 0·478 and 0·586 kg/day for NG, P1 and P2, respectively, with average total live weight gain increased 1·8- and 2·5-fold by the legume introduction and annual addition of 13 and 26 kg P/ha, respectively. The study demonstrated that the evaluation of pasture response to P application should not be limited to assessing forage yield increase. Phosphorus availability in the herbage was a better predictor of animal performance than pasture yield. The study highlights that the benefits of oversowing and fertilizer inputs are short-lived, as withholding of fertilizer in the last 2 years resulted in a loss of sown legumes and decline in animal production.
A new species of tube-dwelling anemone (Cnidaria, Anthozoa, Ceriantharia,Ceriantheopsis) from the Warm Temperate South-western Atlantic
Authors: Stampar Sérgio N. , Scarabino Fabrizio , Pastorino Guido , Morandini André C.
Published: November 2015

A new species of tube-dwelling anemone of the genus Ceriantheopsis (Cnidaria: Ceriantharia),Ceriantheopsis lineatasp. nov., is described and can be found in fine sand or mud in the sublittoral zone (0–200 m) from Argentina to Brazil (Warm Temperate South-western Atlantic). This new species is distinguished from its congeners by a number of features, however some characters (directive tentacles, line on tentacles and length of P2) allow a conclusive identification among the otherCeriantheopsisspecies.
The parasiteMonascus filiformis(Trematoda, Digenea, Fellodistomidae) onStromateus brasiliensis(Pisces, Perciformes, Stromateidae): possible routes of transmission involving jellyfish
Authors: Diaz Briz Luciana M. , Martorelli Sergio R. , Genzano Gabriel N.
Published: November 2015

A new final fish host (Stromateus brasiliensis) for the digenean parasiteMonascus filiformisfrom the continental shelf of Patagonia Argentina in the South-western Atlantic Ocean is reported. This demersal-pelagic fish (commonly denominated pampanito) is exclusively a jellyfish consumer. It is well known that larval stages ofMonascus filiformismostly use medusae as secondary hosts. Therefore, the pampanito likely acquires this parasite when it predates upon some species of parasitized medusae in the area. This work improves the knowledge about the final hosts of this parasite and infers which species of medusa may be involved in their life cycle.
In vitro trichomonacidal activity and preliminary in silico chemometric studies of 5-nitroindazolin-3-one and 3-alkoxy-5-nitroindazole derivatives
Authors: IBÁÑEZ-ESCRIBANO ALEXANDRA , NOGAL-RUIZ JUAN JOSÉ , GÓMEZ-BARRIO ALICIA , ARÁN VICENTE J. , ESCARIO JOSÉ ANTONIO
Published: November 2015

A selection of 1,2-disubstituted 5-nitroindazolin-3-ones (1–19) and 3-alkoxy-5-nitroindazoles substituted at positions 1 (20–24) or 2 (25–39) from our in-house compound library were screened in vitro against the most common curable sexually transmitted pathogen, Trichomonas vaginalis. A total of 41% of the studied molecules (16/39) achieved a significant activity of more than 85% growth inhibition at the highest concentration assayed (100 µg mL−1). Among these compounds, 3-alkoxy-5-nitroindazole derivatives 23, 24, 25 and 27 inhibited parasite growth by more than 50% at 10 µg mL−1. In addition, the first two compounds (23, 24) still showed remarkable activity at the lowest dose tested (1 µg mL−1), inhibiting parasite growth by nearly 40%. Their specific activity towards the parasite was corroborated by the determination of their non-specific cytotoxicity against mammalian cells. The four mentioned compounds exhibited non-cytotoxic profiles at all of the concentrations assayed, showing a fair antiparasitic selectivity index (SI > 7·5). In silico studies were performed to predict pharmacokinetic properties, toxicity and drug-score using Molinspiration and OSIRIS computational tools. The current in vitro results supported by the virtual screening suggest 2-substituted and, especially, 1-substituted 3-alkoxy-5-nitroindazoles as promising starting scaffolds for further development of novel chemical compounds with the main aim of promoting highly selective trichomonacidal lead-like drugs with adequate pharmacokinetic and toxicological profiles.
No progressive brain changes during a 1-year follow-up of patients with first-episode psychosis
Authors: Haukvik U. K. , Hartberg C. B. , Nerland S. , Jørgensen K. N. , Lange E. H. , Simonsen C. , Nesvåg R. , Dale A. M. , Andreassen O. A. , Melle I. , Agartz I.
Published: November 2015

Background

First-episode psychosis (FEP) patients show structural brain abnormalities. Whether the changes are progressive or not remain under debate, and the results from longitudinal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies are mixed. We investigated if FEP patients showed a different pattern of regional brain structural change over a 1-year period compared with healthy controls, and if putative changes correlated with clinical characteristics and outcome.

Method

MRIs of 79 FEP patients [SCID-I-verified diagnoses: schizophrenia, psychotic bipolar disorder, or other psychoses, mean age 27.6 (s.d. = 7.7) years, 66% male] and 82 healthy controls [age 29.3 (s.d. = 7.2) years, 66% male] were acquired from the same 1.5 T scanner at baseline and 1-year follow-up as part of the Thematically Organized Psychosis (TOP) study, Oslo, Norway. Scans were automatically processed with the longitudinal stream in FreeSurfer that creates an unbiased within-subject template image. General linear models were used to analyse longitudinal change in a wide range of subcortical volumes and detailed thickness and surface area estimates across the entire cortex, and associations with clinical characteristics.

Results

FEP patients and controls did not differ significantly in annual percentage change in cortical thickness or area in any cortical region, or in any of the subcortical structures after adjustment for multiple comparisons. Within the FEP group, duration of untreated psychosis, age at illness onset, antipsychotic medication use and remission at follow-up were not related to longitudinal brain change.

Conclusions

We found no significant longitudinal brain changes over a 1-year period in FEP patients. Our results do not support early progressive brain changes in psychotic disorders.
Rietveld refinement of X-ray powder diffraction data of Sm0.55Sr0.45MnO3 polycrystalline material
Authors: Murugesan G. , Nithya R. , Kalainathan S.
Published: November 2015

Polycrystalline Sm0.55Sr0.45MnO3 was prepared by solid-state reaction at 1300 °C. Single phase of the compound was analysed by a powder X-ray diffraction technique. The powder pattern of Sm1−xSrxMnO3 was indexed and refined using a General Structure Analysis System (GSAS) to an orthorhombic structure with space group Pnma, a = 5.4323(7), b = 7.6585(4), and c = 5.4343(7) Å.
Computerized lexis-based instruction in EFL classrooms: Using multi-purpose LexisBOARD to teach L2 vocabulary
Authors: Mirzaei Azizullah , Rahimi Domakani Masoud , Rahimi Sedigheh
Published: November 2015

Lexis-based views of second or foreign language (L2) teaching place prime importance on the teaching of conventionalized multi-word lexical items, or unanalyzed chunks, as a useful mechanism for fostering learners’ creative production of forms and their subsequent development of L2 competence. This pretest/posttest quasi-experimental study probed the use of teacher-designed multi-purpose instructional lexis software, dubbed LexisBOARD, on L2 learners’ vocabulary achievement in an Iranian EFL (English as a foreign language) context. A cohort of 50 Iranian junior-high-school students participated in the main instructional phase of the study. Instruction on L2 lexical items (e.g., concordances, polywords, or formulaic sequences) was mainly given to the experimental group using LexisBOARD, which was designed to be user-friendly and attuned to learners’ communicative and curricular needs. LexisBOARD offered further practice or feedback affordances through engaging students in lexical exercises (with word partnerships and collocations) for each unit and several quizzes for self-assessment. The control group was only taught using their mainstream EFL textbooks focusing on grammatical rules, discrete vocabulary items with fixed meanings, and reading texts, without any use of corpus-based activities. The results of the groups’ vocabulary test scores indicate that the lexis group significantly outperformed the control group, pointing to the superiority of practicing and learning L2 vocabulary when lexical items are seen in larger, more holistic ways and, especially, when engaging and experimenting with lexis is scaffolded through computer affordances.
A HISTORY OF “RATIONALISM” IN VICTORIAN BRITAIN
Authors: BENNETT JOSHUA
Published: November 2015

“Rationalism” became the subject of intense debate in nineteenth-century Britain. This article asks why this was so, by focusing on the usage and implications of the term in contemporary argument. Rationalism was successively defined and redefined in ways that reached to the heart of Victorian epistemological and religious discussion. By treating rationalism as a contextually specific term, and examining how its implications changed between the 1820s and the early twentieth century, the article brings new perspectives to bear on the development of nineteenth-century freethought and countervailing religious apologetic. It underlines the importance of history, and constructions of intellectual lineage, as ways of establishing the relationship between rationality and religion in a progressively wider-ranging Victorian debate about the sources of knowledge and value.
Genetic diversity of farmer-preferred cassava landraces in Tanzania based on morphological descriptors and single nucleotide polymorphisms
Authors: Mtunguja M. K. , Ranjan A. , Laswai H. S. , Muzanila Y. , Ndunguru J. , Sinha N. R.
Published: November 2015

Cassava germplasm collection is important for the preservation of genetic variability, allowing the development of improved cultivars with desirable traits such as drought and disease tolerance, better starch quality and yield. Therefore, the assessment of diversity in cassava germplasm maintained by farmers is important for maintaining biodiversity and crop improvement. Herein, we report genetic diversity relationships of 52 farmer-preferred cassava landraces from the eastern zone of Tanzania based on morphological descriptors and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Cluster analysis was performed for both morphological traits (genetic distance 1.18–0.15) and SNPs (genetic distance 0.078–0.002). The analysis revealed that there were a total of 17,393 variant positions, and that several of the SNPs were distributed across all the chromosomes. The abundance of SNP varied remarkably among the 18 cassava chromosomes, with chromosome 2 having the highest number of SNPs (1335) and chromosome 18 having the lowest number of SNPs (734). The power of SNPs in distinguishing morphologically similar landraces was shown. Both analyses did not group landraces according to geographical locations, suggesting that farmers were moving cassava germplasm to different areas. Their diversity was mainly due to adaptation and preferential selection by farmers. This further implied that within a geographical location, the cultivars were more diverse and there was no misnaming of cassava cultivars by farmers. The collection revealed a wide range of genetic diversity, and represented a valuable resource for trait improvement, allowing the capture of farmer-preferred traits in future cassava breeding programmes.
Erste Analyse der psychometrischen Eigenschaften und Struktur der deutschsprachigen 10- und 25-Item Version der Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC)
Authors: Sarubin Nina , Gutt Diana , Giegling Ina , Bühner Markus , Hilbert Sven , Krähenmann Olivia , Wolf Martin , Jobst Andrea , Sabaß Lena , Rujescu Dan , Falkai Peter , Padberg Frank
Published: November 2015

Zusammenfassung. Die Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC) wurde 2003 konzipiert, um das Konstrukt der Resilienz zu messen. In dieser Studie wurden die ersten deutschsprachigen Übersetzungen der 10- und 25 Item-Version der CD-RISC untersucht. Der Frage nach der faktoriellen Struktur des Selbstratingfragebogens im Original und in Übersetzungen wurde bereits in internationalen Studien nachgegangen, wobei unterschiedliche Faktorenstrukturen gefunden wurden. Fragestellung: Was sind die faktoriellen und psychometrischen Eigenschaften der deutschsprachigen CD-RISC Fassung? Methoden: An einer Stichprobe von 201 gesunden Probanden wurde mit einer Hauptkomponentenanalyse untersucht, welche Komponenten die Datenstruktur am besten beschreiben. Konvergente Validität wurde mit der deutschen Version der Resilienzskala (RS-25) von Wagnild und Young (1993) , Test-Retest-Reliabilität wurde mit erneuter Messung der CD-RISC nach sechs Monaten überprüft. Zusätzlich wurden Korrelationen zu Persönlichkeitsfacetten mittels dem NEO-Fünf-Faktoren Inventar (NEO-FFI: Borkenau & Ostendorf, 1993 ) zur Überprüfung der diskriminanten Validität berechnet. Ergebnisse: Die Exploration der Komponentenstruktur ergab eine eindimensionale Struktur für beide Versionen der deutschensprachigen CD-RISC. Test-Retest-Reliabilität, konvergente und diskriminante Validität waren zufriedenstellend. Die CD-RSIC kann als valides and reliables Messinstrument zur Erfassung des Konstrukts der Resilienz betrachtet werden.
Birthplace of Pacific Tropical Cyclones on the Move
Authors: Cook Terri
Published: November 2015

A study says the point of origin for cyclones in the western North Pacific is moving closer to land because of warming of the tropical troposphere.
Inflammation during skeletal muscle regeneration and tissue remodeling: application to exercise‐induced muscle damage management
Authors: Chazaud Bénédicte
Published: November 2015

Increase in the practice of sport by more and more numerous people in the Western countries is associated with an increase in muscle injuries, and in demand for improving muscle function and acceleration of muscle recovery after damage. Most of the treatments used target inflammation. Indeed, several lines of experimental evidence in animal models that are supported by human studies identify inflammatory cells, and particularly macrophages, as essential players in skeletal muscle regeneration. Macrophages act not only through their immune functions, but also control myogenesis and extracellular matrix remodeling by directly acting on myogenic precursors and fibro‐adipogenic precursors. In light of these recent biological advances, the question of early treatment aiming at blunting inflammation after exercise‐induced muscle injury is discussed.
Experimental resource pulses influence social-network dynamics and the potential for information flow in tool-using crows
Authors: St Clair James J. H. , Burns Zackory T. , Bettaney Elaine M. , Morrissey Michael B. , Otis Brian , Ryder Thomas B. , Fleischer Robert C. , James Richard , Rutz Christian
Published: November 2015

Social-network dynamics have profound consequences for biological processes such as information flow, but are notoriously difficult to measure in the wild. We used novel transceiver technology to chart association patterns across 19 days in a wild population of the New Caledonian crow—a tool-using species that may socially learn, and culturally accumulate, tool-related information. To examine the causes and consequences of changing network topology, we manipulated the environmental availability of the crows’ preferred tool-extracted prey, and simulated, in silico, the diffusion of information across field-recorded time-ordered networks. Here we show that network structure responds quickly to environmental change and that novel information can potentially spread rapidly within multi-family communities, especially when tool-use opportunities are plentiful. At the same time, we report surprisingly limited social contact between neighbouring crow communities. Such scale dependence in information-flow dynamics is likely to influence the evolution and maintenance of material cultures.