bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Behavioral responses of household ants (Hymenoptera) to odor of different coffee species and formulations: Sustainability approach for green pest management strategies
Authors: Ab Majid Abdul Hafiz , Dieng Hamady , Ellias Siti Salbiah , Satho Tomomitsu
Published: January 2017

Odor sensation is a sensory modality of considerable significance in the foraging behavior and interactional organization of ants. In the food bait technology, smell is the basis of attraction, which in turn, is the initial line of bait use and a key parameter for judging efficacy. Yet, baits that are currently available possess low attractiveness to many ant pests. Hence, strategies to produce ant bait with increased attractiveness are needed. Despite evidence that coffee has a diverse aroma complex that affects the behavior of honey bees, which share many social and genetic traits with ants, its attraction to formicine foragers have yet to be investigated. In a series of Y-tube olfactometer bioassays, we examined the behavioral responses ofTapinoma indicum(TI),Monomorium pharaonis(MP) andSolenopsis geminata(SG) to various coffee-induced odor stimuli, comprised of extracts from Arabica, Robusta and Liberica. All coffee species showed an influence on the behavior of TI, MP and SG workers, but the clearest effect was seen with Arabica. The workers of TI, MP and SG were more attracted to the odor of 0.01% Arabica extract (ONE), in comparison with 0.05% Arabica extract (TWO) or 0.05% Arabica extract (THREE). Arabica extract mixed with sugar (S) elicited significant attraction from workers of all three species when in balanced competition with either unsweetened Arabica extract or water. These results indicate that coffee, particularly Arabica is attractive to the foragers of TI, MP and SG, and can encourage the use of coffee in bait development. As coffee is already accepted in most human societies, the development of coffee-based bait may be an attractive option.
Functional regulatory evolution outside of the minimaleven-skippedstripe 2 enhancer
Authors: Crocker Justin , Stern David L.
Published: January 2017

Transcriptional enhancers are regions of DNA that drive gene expression at precise times, levels, and locations. While many studies have elucidated how individual enhancers can evolve, most of this work has focused on what are called “minimal” enhancers, the smallest DNA regions that drive expression that approximates an aspect of native gene expression. Here we explore how theDrosophila erecta even-skipped(eve) locus has evolved by testing its activity in the divergentD. melanogastergenome. We found, as has been reported previously, that the minimalD. erecta evestripe 2 enhancer (eveS2) fails to drive appreciable expression inD. melanogaster[1]. However, we found that a large transgene carrying the entireD. erecta evelocus drives normaleveexpression, including in stripe 2. We performed a functional dissection of the region upstream of theD. erecta eveS2region and found that regulatory information outside of the minimalD. erecta eveS2contains multiple Zelda motifs that are required for normal expression. Our results illustrate how sequences outside of minimal enhancer regions can evolve functionally through mechanisms other than changes in transcription factor binding sites that drive patterning.
Towards a new kind of vaccine
Authors: Gorczynski Reginald M. , Hoffmann Geoffrey W.
Published: January 2017

We present new data showing that normal IgG immune responses comprise the production of two kinds of antibodies, namely anti-foreign and anti-anti-self antibodies. For example, immunization of C3H mice by two rounds of BL/6 skin grafting results in the production of anti-BL/6 antibodies plus antiidiotypic antibodies (C3H anti-anti-C3H) with the latter being detected using antibodies produced in a BL/6 anti-C3H immune response. Similarly, the IgG immune response of C3H mice to tetanus toxoid includes the production of C3H anti-anti-C3H antibodies. Antigen-specific antibodies produced in one alloimmunization plus antiidiotypic antibodies produced in the converse immunization can be used to synergistically induce specific tolerance. We show that infusions of anti-BL/6 antibodies together with BL/6 anti-anti-BL/6 antibodies specifically suppress an immune response to BL/6 lymphocytes in C3H mice. Specific tolerance was measured as suppression of the induction of BL/6-specific cytotoxic T cells. The two kinds of antibodies with complementary specificity are believed to stimulate two populations of T lymphocytes, and co-selection (mutual selection) of these two populations leads to a new stable steady state of the system that has specifically diminished reactivity to BL/6 tissue. Stimulation with a combination of anti-C3H and C3H anti-anti-C3H IgG antibodies furthermore down-regulates inflammation in a mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease. An analogous combination of C3H anti-BL/6 and BL/6 anti-anti-BL/6 antibodies significantly down-regulates tumour growth and metastases in BALB/c mice in the EMT6 transplantable breast cancer model. We conclude that a combination of certain antigen-specific and antiidiotypic antibodies has potential as a new class of vaccines based on the symmetrical immune network theory. This new kind of vaccine does not involve the production of antibodies. The prevention of two important degenerative diseases makes this a potential anti-aging technology.
Structural and functional dissection of the interplay between lipid and Notch binding by human Notch ligands
Authors: Suckling Richard J. , Korona Boguslawa , Whiteman Patricia , Chillakuri Chandramouli , Holt Laurie , Handford Penny A. , Lea Susan M.
Published: January 2017

Recent data have expanded our understanding of Notch signaling by identifying a C2 domain at the N-terminus of Notch ligands which has both lipid- and receptor-binding properties. We present novel structures of human ligands Jagged2 and DLL4 and human Notch-2, together with functional assays, which suggest that ligand-mediated coupling of membrane recognition and Notch binding is likely to be critical in establishing the optimal context for Notch signaling. Comparisons between the Jagged and Delta family show a huge diversity in the structures of the loops at the apex of the C2 domain implicated in membrane recognition and Jagged1 missense mutations which affect these loops and are associated with extrahepatic biliary atresia lead to a loss of membrane recognition, but do not alter Notch binding. Taken together, these data suggest that C2 domain binding to membranes is an important element in tuning ligand-dependent Notch signaling in different physiological contexts.
Fast and accurate de novo genome assembly from long uncorrected reads
Authors: Vaser Robert , Sović Ivan , Nagarajan Niranjan , Šikić Mile
Published: January 2017

The assembly of long reads from Pacific Biosciences and Oxford Nanopore Technologies typically requires resource-intensive error-correction and consensus-generation steps to obtain high-quality assemblies. We show that the error-correction step can be omitted and that high-quality consensus sequences can be generated efficiently with a SIMD-accelerated, partial-order alignment–based, stand-alone consensus module called Racon. Based on tests with PacBio and Oxford Nanopore data sets, we show that Racon coupled with miniasm enables consensus genomes with similar or better quality than state-of-the-art methods while being an order of magnitude faster.
Hedge funds vs SEO firms: a comparative analysis
Authors: Hull Robert Martin , Kwak Sungkyu , Walker Rosemary
Published: January 2017

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine if hedge funds perform poorly as claimed by more recent research. The authors find hedge funds perform well from 2001 to 2013 when compared to sample of firms known to experience superior performance, namely, a sample of seasoned equity offerings (SEOs).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a portfolio approach in comparing the performance of hedge funds and SEO firms. Other comparisons involve a number of common methodologies used to compute and analyze short-run and long-run returns.

Findings

Contrary to a growing and prevalent belief, the paper offers evidence hedge funds as a whole have performed well for a recent 13-year period. This finding includes periods up to six years around SEO announcement months.

Research limitations/implications

This paper is limited to examining monthly returns for a portfolio of hedge funds. This limitation led to incorporating a portfolio approach.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that a portfolio of hedge funds are an important investment consideration. This consideration has practical implications because investing in a portfolio of hedge funds has become more available for all investors in recent years.

Social implications

Society can be enhanced as this paper helps future investors make optimal investment decisions.

Originality/value

This paper adds to the hedge fund research by being the first paper to compare the performance of hedge funds with that for firms undergoing an important corporate event. The findings are new and can impact investment decision making.
Using beamforming to maximise the detection capability of small, sparse seismometer arrays deployed to monitor oil field activities
Authors: Verdon James P. , Kendall J.‐Michael , Hicks Stephen P. , Hill Philip
Published: January 2017

Like most other industrial activities that affect the subsurface, hydraulic fracturing carries the risk of reactivating pre‐existing faults and thereby causing induced seismicity. In some regions, regulators have responded to this risk by imposing traffic light scheme‐type regulations, where fracture stimulation programs must be amended or shut down if events larger than a given magnitude are induced. Some sites may be monitored with downhole arrays and/or dense near‐surface arrays, capable of detecting very small microseismic events. However, such monitoring arrangements will not be logistically or economically feasible at all sites. Instead, operators are using small, sparse arrays of surface seismometers to meet their monitoring obligations.

The challenge we address in this paper is to maximise the detection thresholds of such small, sparse, surface arrays so that they are capable of robustly identifying small‐magnitude events whose signal‐to‐noise ratios may be close to 1. To do this, we develop a beamforming‐and‐stacking approach, computing running short‐term/long‐term average functions for each component of each recorded trace (P, SH, and SV), time‐shifting these functions by the expected travel times for a given location, and performing a stack.

We assess the effectiveness of this approach with a case study using data from a small surface array that recorded a multi‐well, multi‐stage hydraulic fracture stimulation in Oklahoma over a period of 8 days. As a comparison, we initially used a conventional event‐detection algorithm to identify events, finding a total of 17 events. In contrast, the beamforming‐and‐stacking approach identified a total of 155 events during this period (including the 17 events detected by the conventional method). The events that were not detected by the conventional algorithm had low‐signal‐to‐noise ratios to the extent that, in some cases, they would be unlikely to be identified even by manual analysis of the seismograms. We conclude that this approach is capable of improving the detection thresholds of small, sparse arrays and thus can be used to maximise the information generated when deployed to monitor industrial sites.
Metabolic theory predicts animal self‐thinning
Authors: Jonsson Tomas
Published: January 2017

The metabolic theory of ecology (MTE) predicts observed patterns in ecology based on metabolic rates of individuals. The theory is influential but also criticized for a lack of firm empirical evidence confirming MTE's quantitative predictions of processes, e.g. outcome of competition, at population or community level.

Self‐thinning is a well‐known population level phenomenon among plants, but a much less studied phenomenon in animal populations and no consensus exists on what a universal thinning slope for animal populations might be, or if it exists.

The goal of this study was to use animal self‐thinning as a tool to test population‐level predictions from MTE, by analysing (i) if self‐thinning can be induced in populations of house crickets (Acheta domesticus) and (ii) if the resulting thinning trajectories can be predicted from metabolic theory, using estimates of the species‐specific metabolic rate of A. domesticus.

I performed a laboratory study where the growth of A. domesticus was followed, from hatching until emergence as adults, in 71 cohorts of five different starting densities.

Ninety‐six per cent of all cohorts in the three highest starting densities showed evidence of self‐thinning, with estimated thinning slopes in general being remarkably close to that expected under metabolic constraints: A cross‐sectional analysis of all data showing evidence of self‐thinning produced an ordinary least square (OLS) slope of −1·11, exactly that predicted from specific metabolic allometry of A. domesticus. This result is furthermore supported by longitudinal analyses, allowing for independent responses within cohorts, producing a mean OLS slope across cohorts of −1·13 and a fixed effect linear mixed effects models slope of −1·09. Sensitivity analysis showed that these results are robust to how the criterion for on‐going self‐thinning was defined. Finally, also as predicted by metabolic theory, temperature had a negative effect on the thinning intercept, producing an estimate of the activation energy identical to that suggested by MTE.

This study demonstrates a direct link between the metabolic rate of individuals and a population‐level ecological process and as such provides strong support for research that aims to integrate body mass, via its effect on metabolism, consumption and competition, into models of populations and communities.
Local demographic and epidemiological patterns in theLinum marginale–Melampsora liniassociation: a multi‐year study
Authors: Susi Hanna , Thrall Peter H. , Barrett Luke G. , Burdon Jeremy J.
Published: January 2017

Many theoretical and empirical studies operate from an assumption that pathogens have a significant influence on the fecundity and life span of their host species. However, there are surprisingly little data investigating the long‐term fitness impacts and genetic consequences that arise from pathogen infection in natural populations. Here, we address this gap through the analysis of a dataset investigating the local population dynamics of a native host plant (Linum marginale) and an associated rust pathogen (Melampsora lini) across 12 years.

To investigate patterns of disease prevalence and severity and track effects on host fecundity and demography, we conducted censuses on an annual basis at a single site. AnnualM. liniinfection prevalence ranged from 0% to 99%. Severe epidemics occurred in 3‐ to 4‐year cycles causing high overwintering mortality and subsequent changes in the relative abundance of different host phenotypes. Host population size oscillated in response to epidemics and declined towards the end of the observation period. Changes in host numbers were found to affect disease severity but not infection prevalence.

Melampsora liniinfection increasedL. marginalefecundity; the infected plants produced threefold more seed capsules on average than uninfected plants (13·3 vs. 4·3 seed capsules per plant).

To investigate how variation in environmental conditions affects epidemiology and host demography, we identified climatic factors affecting host growth, overwintering and disease severity. Winter (June) rainfall increased host overwintering success and summer (December) rainfall favoured host growth. The progress ofM. linidisease epidemics benefited from optimal temperatures in February and suffered from rainfall in January.

We further examined links between the genetic structure of the pathogen population and disease dynamics. There was a positive correlation between mean pathogen infectivity (as measured across a host differential set) and the severity of disease epidemics.

Synthesis. Our results provide new insights into local drivers and consequences of pathogen epidemiology in natural populations.Melampsora liniinfection can have profound consequences on the phenotype, demography and population structure ofLinum marginaleby increasing host fecundity, overwinter mortality and disease resistance.
A Lib Dem Perspective on Centre‐Left Politics Post‐2015
Authors: Cable Vince
Published: January 2017

This article analyses the political crisis faced by the centre‐left, not just in the UK but throughout the Western world, with few exceptions (Canada). The Liberal Democrat party has been a victim of that crisis, though there are encouraging signs of recovery and there is scope for a wider realignment on the centre‐left.
Reduction in colposcopy workload and associated clinical activity following human papillomavirus (HPV) catch‐up vaccination programme in Scotland: an ecological study
Authors: Cruickshank ME , Pan J , Cotton SC , Kavanagh K , Robertson C , Cuschieri K , Cubie H , Palmer T , Pollock KG
Published: January 2017

Objective

To measure patterns of clinical activity at colposcopy before and after vaccinated women entered the Scottish Cervical Screening Programme (SCSP).

Design

Population‐based observational study using nationally collected data.

Setting

Scottish colposcopy clinics.

Sample

All women with a date of birth on or after 1 January 1985 who attended colposcopy in Scotland between 2008 and 2014.

Methods

Routinely collected data from the Scottish National Colposcopy Clinical Information Audit System (NCCIAS) were extracted, including: referral criteria, referral cervical cytology, colposcopic findings, clinical procedures, and histology results. Analysis was restricted to those referred to colposcopy at age 20 or 21 years.

Main outcome measures

Referral criteria, positive predictive value of colposcopy, default rates, and rates of cervical biopsies and treatments.

Results

A total of 7372 women referred for colposcopy at age 20 or 21 years were identified. There was a downward trend in the proportion of those referred with abnormal cytology (2008/9, 91.0%; 2013/14, 90.3%; linear trend P = 0.03). Women were less likely to have diagnostic or therapeutic interventions. The proportion with no biopsy (2008/9, 19.5%; 2013/14, 26.9%; linear trend P < 0.0001) and no treatment (2008/9, 74.9%; 2013/14, 91.8%; linear trend P < 0.0001) increased over the period of observation.

Conclusions

A reduction in clinical activity related to abnormal screening referrals is likely to be associated with the human papillomavirus (HPV) catch‐up immunisation programme. Referral criteria and the service provision of colposcopy needs to be planned carefully, taking account of the increasing number of women who have been immunised against HPV that will be entering cervical screening programmes worldwide.

Tweetable abstract

Colposcopy referral criteria and service planning need attention following HPV immunisation programme.
Stakeholder perspectives on barriers and facilitators of inclusive education in the Solomon Islands
Authors: Sharma Umesh , Loreman Tim , Simi Janine
Published: January 2017

This paper reports perceived barriers and facilitators of disability‐inclusive education, and outcomes of an effective system of inclusive education in the Solomon Islands. Data were gathered from a variety of stakeholder group participants (n = 10) and individual key informants (n = 2), ranging from parents of children with disabilities to government representatives. The results revealed a unique perspective on disability‐inclusive education in this context, and provided insight into possible directions towards a more inclusive system.
‘Going beyond the Troika’: Power and discourse in Portuguese austerity politics
Authors: MOURY CATHERINE , STANDRING ADAM
Published: January 2017

This article analyses the margin of manoeuvre of Portuguese executives after the onset of the sovereign debt crisis in 2010–2015. To obtain a full understanding of what happened behind the closed doors of international meetings, different types of data are triangulated: face‐to‐face interviews; investigations by journalists; and International Monetary Fund and European Union official documents. The findings are compared to the public discourse of Prime Ministers José Sócrates and Pedro Passos‐Coelho. It is shown that while the sovereign debt crisis and the bail‐out limited the executive's autonomy, they also made them stronger in relation to other domestic actors. The perceived need for ‘credibility’ in order to avoid a ‘negative’ reaction from the markets – later associated with the conditions of the bail‐out – concurrently gave the executives a legitimate justification to concentrate power in their hands and a strong argument to counter the opponents of their proposed reforms. Consequently, when Portuguese ministers favoured policies that were in congruence with those supported by international actors, they were able to use the crisis to advance their own agenda. Disagreement with Troika representatives implied the start of a negotiation process between the ministers and international lenders, the final outcome of which depended on the actors’ bargaining powers. These strategies, it is argued, constitute a tactic of depoliticisation in which both the material constraints and the discourse used to frame them are employed to construct imperatives around a narrow selection of policy alternatives.
State of the Field
Authors: ROBERTS KENNETH M.
Published: January 2017

Although scholars of West European politics have long debated whether the region's highly institutionalised party systems were becoming de‐aligned and electorally unstable, the political fallout from the post‐2008 financial crisis has lent a new sense of urgency to the debate. The threats posed to party systems by economic crises are hardly unique to Europe, however. The Latin American experience with the debt crisis of the 1980s and 1990s suggests that party system upheaval was not simply a function of retrospective economic voting during the period of crisis. It was also attributable to programmatically de‐aligning policy responses to crises – namely the ‘bait‐and‐switch’ imposition of austerity and adjustment measures by labour‐based, left‐leaning parties that were traditional champions of statist and redistributive policies. Such patterns of reform made it difficult for party systems to channel societal resistance to market orthodoxy in the post‐adjustment era, setting the stage for convulsive ‘reactive sequences’ when such resistance arose outside and against mainstream parties through varied forms of social and electoral protest, typically on the left flank. This article explores the political fallout from the European and Latin American economic crises from a comparative perspective, arguing that it is essential to think beyond the short‐term political dynamics of crisis management to consider the longer‐term institutional legacies and fragilities of the different political alignments forged around crisis‐induced policy reforms.
Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs Produce a Limited Impact on Painkiller Prescribing in Medicare Part D
Authors: Yarbrough Courtney R.
Published: January 2017

Objective

To measure the impact of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) on prescribing of opioid and nonopioid painkillers.

Data Source

2010–2013 physician‐level Medicare Part D prescribing data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Propublica.

Study Design

Using difference‐in‐differences models with physician‐level fixed effects, the study compares prescribing in states with and without PDMPs for opioid and nonopioid analgesics, oxycodone, hydrocodone, and opioids by controlled substances Schedules II–IV.

Principal Findings

Prescription drug monitoring programs were associated with a 5.2 percent decrease in days supply prescribed per physician for oxycodone in addition to smaller reductions for hydrocodone and opioids overall (2.8 percent and 2 percent, respectively) and a small increase in prescribing for Schedule IV opioids. PDMPs were not associated with changes for nonopioid analgesics or other opioids in Schedules II and III. The effects of PDMPs were negated in states where statutes explicitly did not require use of the PDMP.

Conclusions

Prescription drug monitoring programs have a modest effect targeted at the high‐profile drug oxycodone among the Medicare Part D population and an even smaller effect for hydrocodone and opioids in general. The findings suggest some substitution toward lower schedule opioids. Substantially addressing the widespread opioid abuse problem will require enhancing existing PDMPs or implementing new policies.
Intervention quality is not routinely assessed in Cochrane systematic reviews of radiation therapy interventions
Authors: Abdul Rahim Mohamad R , James Melissa L , Hickey Brigid E
Published: January 2017

Introduction

The aim of this study was to maximise the benefits from clinical trials involving technological interventions such as radiation therapy. High compliance to the quality assurance protocols is crucial. We assessed whether the quality of radiation therapy intervention was evaluated in Cochrane systematic reviews.

Methods

We searched 416 published Cochrane systematic reviews and identified 67 Cochrane systematic reviews that investigated radiation therapy or radiotherapy as an intervention. For each systematic review, either quality assurance or quality control for the intervention was identified by a description of such processes in the published systematic reviews.

Results

Of the 67 Cochrane systematic reviews studied, only two mentioned quality assurance or quality control.

Conclusions

Our findings revealed that 65 of 67 (97%) Cochrane systematic reviews of radiation therapy interventions failed to consider the quality of the intervention. We suggest that advice about the evaluation of intervention quality be added to author support materials.
Individualism and Corruption: A Cross‐Country Analysis
Authors: Jha Chandan , Panda Bibhudutta
Published: January 2017

While the role of cultural norms in determining corruption is well‐explored in the empirical literature, the relationship between a specific aspect of culture, that is, individualism versus collectivism, and corruption is rather unexplored. This paper investigates the relationship between individualism/collectivism and corruption in a large cross‐section of countries. To establish causality, the paper uses an index of historical prevalence of infectious diseases and a measure of genetic distance between the population in a country from that in the United States to instrument the individualism/collectivism variable. We find that more individualistic countries have lower levels of corruption (perception). This relationship is robust to the inclusion of a rich set of control variables and to the use of alternative measures of corruption.
The effect of data availability in measuring fund managers’ after‐tax alphas
Authors: Chen Zhe , Gallagher David R. , Warren Geoffrey J.
Published: January 2017

We examine potential sources of measurement error when evaluating the after‐tax performance of fund managers based on periodic snapshots of their holdings alone, compared with when daily transactions data are also available. To do this, we compare portfolio return estimates based on imputed trades from monthly, quarterly and semi‐annual snapshots with estimates that also incorporate daily trades for a sample of active institutional equity portfolios. This method allows us to directly measure the contribution of interim trading before tax, while more accurately estimating the tax effects associated with turnover through observing actual trade prices. Further, availability of both trade and holdings data permits the identification of how contributions and tax effects arise from income and capital gains sources, as well as how they vary across investment styles and market conditions.
Interdisciplinary management of an adult patient with significant restorative treatment needs and a complex malocclusion
Authors: Shah N , Ong DC‐V , Freer E
Published: January 2017

Transverse maxillary deficiency may be associated with dental crowding, compromised aesthetics and impaired function. Non‐surgical correction of maxillary transverse deficiency through rapid maxillary expansion is routinely performed for young patients; however, surgical intervention is generally required for adults. An interdisciplinary treatment approach is necessary to achieve the desired treatment objectives for challenging cases. This case report demonstrates a pleasing treatment outcome for a patient with a severe maxillary transverse deficiency, significant crowding and extensive active caries.
miR‐203 inhibits augmented proliferation and metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma residual in the promoted regenerating liver
Authors: Zheng Xiao‐Bo , Chen Xiao‐Bo , Xu Liang‐Liang , Zhang Ming , Feng Lei , Yi Peng‐Sheng , Tang Jian‐Wei , Xu Ming‐Qing
Published: January 2017

Liver resection is still the most commonly used therapeutic treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and liver regeneration promotes HCC growth in the regenerating liver. The high recurrence/metastasis of HCC is the main cause of death for HCC patients after liver resection. However, how the augmented growth and metastasis of residual HCC induced by the promoted liver regeneration following liver resection can be abolished remains unclear. In this study, a rat model with liver cirrhosis and diffused HCC was established by administration of diethylnitrosamine. Recombinant miR‐203 adenovirus was administered to induce hepatic miR‐203 overexpression and 30% partial hepatectomy (PH) followed. The effect of miR‐203 on the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of the residual HCC in the remnant cirrhotic liver with promoted regeneration was investigated. We found that the basic spontaneous regeneration of the non‐tumorous liver by 30% PH promoted proliferation, invasion and lung metastasis of the hepatic residual HCC. miR‐203 overexpression further promoted the regeneration of the non‐tumorous liver by upregulating Ki67 expression and enhancing IL‐6/SOCS3/STAT3 pro‐proliferative signals. Importantly, miR‐203 overexpression markedly inhibited the proliferation, invasion and metastasis of hepatic residual HCC through suppressing expression of Ki67, CAPNS1 and lung metastasis. Moreover, it was found that miR‐203 overexpression reversed the epithelial–mesenchymal transition induced by hepatectomy through targeting IL‐1β, Snail1 and Twist1. In conclusion, our results suggested that miR‐203 overexpression inhibited the augmented proliferation and lung metastasis of the residual HCC induced by the promoted liver regeneration following PH partly by regulating epithelial–mesenchymal transition.
Texton Noise
Authors: Galerne B. , Leclaire A. , Moisan L.
Published: January 2017

Designing realistic noise patterns from scratch is hard. To solve this problem, recent contributions have proposed involved spectral analysis algorithms that enable procedural noise models to faithfully reproduce some class of textures. The aim of this paper is to propose the simplest and most efficient noise model that allows for the reproduction of any Gaussian texture. Texton noise is a simple sparse convolution noise that sums randomly scattered copies of a small bilinear texture called texton. We introduce an automatic algorithm to compute the texton associated with an input texture image that concentrates the input frequency content into the desired texton support. One of the main features of texton noise is that its evaluation only consists to sum 30 texture fetches on average. Consequently, texton noise generates Gaussian textures with an unprecedented evaluation speed for noise by example. A second main feature of texton noise is that it allows for high‐quality on‐the‐fly anisotropic filtering by simply invoking existing GPU hardware solutions for texture fetches. In addition, we demonstrate that texton noise can be applied on any surface using parameterization‐free surface noise and that it allows for noise mixing.
Expanding the Protected Area Network in Antarctica is Urgent and Readily Achievable
Authors: Coetzee Bernard W.T. , Convey Peter , Chown Steven L.
Published: January 2017

The terrestrial protected areas of Antarctica are generally small, unrepresentative of the continent's biodiversity, and at risk from a range of pressures. While some consider the whole Antarctic region as a protected area, we demonstrate that the evidence does not support this view. The Protocol on Environmental Protection to the Antarctic Treaty recognizes that a systematic environmental‐geographical framework provides a quantitative approach to inform expansion of the current Antarctic Specially Protected Area (ASPA) network. We review the progress thus far and challenges facing the establishment of protected areas in terrestrial Antarctica when adopting best practice approaches, an assessment that is lacking for the region to date. Encouragingly, because of the historical investment in Antarctic biodiversity science, and the existence and implementation of defined processes to identify and designate ASPAs, the opportunity exists to rapidly expand the current ASPA network. However, challenges remain. Foremost among these is the adoption of a comprehensive systematic conservation plan by stakeholders. We outline a strategy for the Antarctic Treaty Parties to provide the equitable, effective, transparent, and scientifically founded expansion of protected areas that Antarctica urgently requires. We also highlight where opportunities for colearning may lie in conservation planning and policy development in the Antarctic and other commons or commons‐like areas.
Pseudoherpetic transient acantholytic dermatosis (Grover disease): case series and review of the literature
Authors: Motaparthi Kiran
Published: January 2017

A total of 3 cases of pseudoherpetic transient acantholytic dermatosis (Grover disease) are presented, followed by a brief review of prior reports. All 3 patients were above the age of 60 and presented with a pruritic eruption composed of papules with or without vesicles distributed on the trunk. For all 3 patients, the clinical differential diagnosis included drug eruption but did not include Grover disease; in 1 patient, the clinical impression included herpesvirus infection. Similar histologic and immunohistochemical findings were demonstrated in all 3 cases. Intraepidermal vesicles with acantholysis, multinucleation and hypereosinophilic keratinocytes mimicking necrosis raised the possibility of herpesvirus infection. However, the focality of the process at scanning magnification, absence of true cytopathic effect despite multinucleation, and identification of dyskeratosis rather than true necrosis all permitted for morphologic distinction as pseudoherpetic change. Immunohistochemistry, negative for herpes simplex virus and varicella zoster virus antigens, also distinguished pseudoherpetic change in these patients from a true herpesvirus infection. This series highlights an uncommon histologic variant of a common disorder and describes morphologic and immunohistochemical findings to facilitate its distinction from true herpesvirus infection.
myTREEHOUSE Self‐Concept Assessment: preliminary psychometric analysis of a new self‐concept assessment for children with cerebral palsy
Authors: Cheong Sau Kuan , Lang Cathryne P , Hemphill Sheryl A , Johnston Leanne M
Published: January 2017

Aim

To evaluate the preliminary validity and reliability of the myTREEHOUSE Self‐Concept Assessment for children with cerebral palsy (CP) aged 8 to 12 years.

Method

The myTREEHOUSE Self‐Concept Assessment includes 26 items divided into eight domains, assessed across three Performance Perspectives (Personal, Social, and Perceived) and an additional Importance Rating. Face and content validity was assessed by semi‐structured interviews with seven expert professionals regarding the assessment construct, content, and clinical utility. Reliability was assessed with 50 children aged 8 to 12 years with CP (29 males, 21 females; mean age 10y 2mo; Gross Motor Function Classification System [GMFCS] level I=35, II=8, III=5, IV=1; mean Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children ‐ Fourth Edition [WISC‐IV]=104), whose data was used to calculate internal consistency of the scale, and a subset of 35 children (20 males, 15 females; mean age 10y 5mo; GMFCS level I=26, II=4, III=4, IV=1; mean WISC‐IV=103) who participated in test–retest reliability within 14 to 28 days.

Results

Face and content validity was supported by positive expert feedback, with only minor adjustments suggested to clarify the wording of some items. After these amendments, strong internal consistency (Cronbach's α 0.84–0.91) and moderate to good test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.64–0.75) was found for each component.

Interpretation

The myTREEHOUSE Self‐Concept Assessment is a valid and reliable assessment of self‐concept for children with CP aged 8 to 12 years.
The Spread of the Learning Outcomes Approaches across Countries, Sub‐systems and Levels: A special focus on teacher education
Authors: Halász Gábor
Published: January 2017

This article is based on the outcomes of the study entitled “The application of learning outcomes approaches across Europe”, which was funded by Cedefop and completed in 2015 (Wiśniewski et al,). The study, aiming at exploring the implementation of the learning outcomes approach in European countries, addressed two major questions: (1) to what extent and how the shift to learning outcomes has been influencing education and training policies and strategies at macro (national) level and teaching practices at micro (institutional) level in EU and EFTA member countries, and (2) to what extent and how political priority given to learning outcomes has influenced institutional practices in the training of education and training professionals. The study, covering 33 EU and EFTA member countries and all sub‐systems of education, used empirical evidence from country case studies and also from a limited number of institutional case studies focusing on initial teacher education. The study demonstrated a significant progress in the use of the learning outcomes approach in most countries and in all sub‐systems, but also major implementation challenges. This article presents the outcomes of the study using an analytical framework combining three analytical perspectives: (1) curriculum development and delivery (2) European integration, and (3) governance and policy implementation.
Proteinuria as an important marker in the evaluation of the efficacy and safety of systemic thrombolysis in patients with acute ischaemic stroke
Authors: Sobolewski P.
Published: January 2017

Click here to view the accompanying paper in this issue.
Another Look at the Need for Family Law Education Reform: One Law School's Innovations
Authors: Babb Barbara A.
Published: January 2017

The pressing need to change family law education stems from increased numbers and types of family law matters before the courts, changing legal standards, and the evolution of family law practice. The Family Law Education Reform Project, the Families Matter Report, and the IAALS Family Bar Summit recommend that traditional family law education be supplemented to reflect the importance of a holistic blend of theory and practice. This involves expanding student clinical or experiential programs, incorporating interdisciplinary studies specific to the context of family law, and enhancing continuing legal education opportunities. As one law school example, the University of Baltimore School of Law has implemented many of these recommendations for students and practitioners.
The Family Lawyer's Role in Preventive Legal and Conflict Wellness
Authors: Mosten Forrest S. , Traum Lara
Published: January 2017

Parties often find themselves in court after the escalation of a relatively simple miscommunication. Where divorcing parties have children in common, they find themselves to be lifelong litigants, repeatedly returning to court to alter terms or vindicate a past loss in a recurring parental argument. Education and early intervention can help parties flag existing conflicts before they spiral out of control. Preventive lawyering can identify possible issues and avoid conflicts before they occur. In this article, we show how family lawyers can redirect their attention from acting as postconflict professionals to acting as preventive legal and conflict‐wellness providers.
Can this Relationship Be Saved? The Legal Profession and Families in Transition
Authors: Tesler Pauline H.
Published: January 2017

Looked at from a social problems rather than from a procedural justice perspective, courts perhaps ought to have quite a small role to play in the legal system's normative response to families in transition, particularly given the fragmentary nature of our court system, shrinking court budgets, and the difficulty of implementing broad, durable changes even locally, much less nationally. Clients’ needs seldom appear to them as legal problems and more often as practical, financial, and relational issues, but the underlying professional norms and values taught in our law schools ignore considerations unrelated to the making and proving of a legal case. The practicing family law bar appears to be the best place for efforts at broad scale reform of how the legal profession meets the needs of families in transition. There are no institutional barriers to teaching integrative competencies to practicing lawyers, and the impact of fairly low cost strategies could be substantial.
Not Without my Children: The Need for the Modification of International Child Abduction Laws
Authors: Pahrand Mishal
Published: January 2017

Thousands of children are being abducted from the United States to countries abroad yearly. As a result, thousands of parents’ rights are being violated. With the convenience of social media, easy access to plane tickets, and touch‐ screen phones that connect people with each other across the world, it is not unusual for Americans to engage in relationships abroad. As these international relationships become more common, so do cases of international child abduction. The only existing international law that addresses international child abductions is the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction. Countries are only bound to the Hague Convention's provisions if they are signatories to the treaty. However, even then, treaty enforcement relies heavily on the cooperation of the international community. This cooperation is limited by the diverse political systems and religious beliefs of the countries across the globe. Further, there are many loopholes within this treaty that can allow a parent, guardian, or other family member to avoid prosecution for the crime of internationally abducting a child. For these reasons, this Note proposes that Congress enact a statute that contains stricter exit controls for children whose parent wishes to travel outside of the United States with them. These measures and precautions would prevent child abductions from reaching the international level where U.S. parents then find themselves practically helpless.
Keeping the Free‐Range Parent Immune from Child Neglect: You Cannot Tell Me How to Raise My Children
Authors: Vota Nicole
Published: January 2017

Granting children a level of independence to travel unsupervised to local neighborhood areas lies within the parents’ discretion to raise their children as they see fit. Failing to recognize that such discretion is grounded within the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, states criminalize parental actions, including unsupervised travel to local areas, as child neglect. Criminalizing such parental actions leads to both unjustified prosecutions and convictions of child neglect, along with unjustified removals by Child Protective Services (CPS) and the unnecessary and detrimental overprotection of children. The overprotection of children referred to as “helicopter parenting,” does not render the safety, physical, or emotional benefits most parents, police officers, and CPS reason. Further, criminalizing such parental actions distracts CPS from focusing on the real cases of child neglect. Creating a model free‐range parenting statute that provides full immunity from criminal charges of child neglect can effectively facilitate parental rights that are already implemented. However, the model statute must be limited as to the parental actions protected in order to preserve safety. This Note proposes a recognition of the protection needed among free‐range parents and urges the creation of a model statute based on the language of The Rule of Construction Regarding Travel to and from School, permitting children of any age to travel to and from school unsupervised, while negating a charge of child neglect, and the language of the Maryland directive policy regarding unsupervised travel and play.
Crosstalk between angiotensin and the nonamyloidogenic pathway of Alzheimer's amyloid precursor protein
Authors: Kanarek Anna Maria , Wagner Annika , Küppers Jim , Gütschow Michael , Postina Rolf , Kojro Elzbieta
Published: January 2017

The association between hypertension and an increased risk for Alzheimer's disease (AD) and dementia is well established. Many data suggest that modulation of the renin–angiotensin system may be meaningful for the prevention and therapy of neurodegenerative disorders, in particular AD. Proteolytic cleavage of the amyloid precursor protein (APP) by α‐secretase precludes formation of neurotoxic Aβ peptides and is expected to counteract the development of AD. An established approach for the up‐regulation of α‐secretase cleavage is the activation of G protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs). Therefore, our study aimed to analyze whether stimulation of angiotensin AT1 or AT2 receptors stably expressed in HEK cells influence the nonamyloidogenic pathway of APP processing. Treatment of both receptors with angiotensin II clearly showed that only activation of the AT1 receptor increased several fold the α‐secretase‐mediated shedding of APP. This effect was completely abolished by treatment with the AT1 receptor‐specific antagonist telmisartan. Using the BIM‐46187 inhibitor, we demonstrate that the Gαq protein‐mediated pathway is involved in this stimulation process. Stimulation of AT1 receptors with the β‐arrestin‐biased agonist SII was ineffective regarding α‐secretase‐mediated APP shedding. This result discloses that only the G protein‐dependent pathway is involved in the Ang II‐induced APP shedding. Blocking of Gβγ subunits by the inhibitor gallein completely prevented constitutive and Ang II‐induced APP shedding. Our findings provide evidence that induction of APP shedding via Ang II/AT1 receptor stimulation is effected by G protein activation with Gβγ subunits playing important roles.